Cafe Lawyer Ch. 03

Cecily put down the phone. "Reverend Johnston says we can get married this coming Saturday if we have all the paperwork finished."

"That's great."

The rest of the week was a whirlwind of activity getting ready for the wedding. I felt guilty springing it on her so quickly. After all, a wedding is special to a woman and I was taking away the most fun part: the planning.

We'd use the café's dining room for the reception in the morning and it could still be ready for that night's service. Almost all of my friends worked for me in the restaurant and hers had slowly disappeared after her husband had died. I decided her situation was worse than mine. To have your friends leave because you weren't a couple anymore had to be disheartening, especially after you became a widow and needed more support than ever before.

..... .....

The ceremony was much simpler than a Catholic one and we were married quickly, pledging our devotion once again. One of the few times I ever had, I prayed that this time everything would be all right.

The reception went as much as expected... a lot of handshaking and backslapping and kissing and hugging. Although everyone at the café had been invited, it wasn't until we were driving away for our weeklong honeymoon that I realized I hadn't seen Susan. It was then obvious that she had stayed away.

We spent that night at the Radisson in Manhattan Beach. I felt the seconds pass with agonizing slowness as we waited to reach the room. My hands finally slipped around her waist, my head bent toward her uplifted face. The desire in her eyes was intense and then she closed her eyes. Her lips were soft, her kiss impossibly gentle at first. My hands slid lightly around her back and she pressed closer to me. I felt her body tease me.

Light-headed with the realization that she was now my wife, I felt emboldened by the power that she had given me. Cecily twined her hands through my hair and drew my head down, deepening our kiss. I don't know how long it went on, it just was. I knew I wished it would never end. She was all I wanted in the entire world.

"You're smiling," she said.

"I haven't stopped smiling since you said you'd marry me."

"You're such a romantic."

I ran a finger down her cheek and said, "I love you," and then kissed her slowly, exploring her mouth, tasting the essence of her and then she kissed my neck with little kisses.

The bed was highlighted in the afternoon sunlight, a huge pale rectangle in the middle of the room. I wanted to say something to her, to tell her how I felt about her, so I stood there, trying to find words that meant more than just "I love you."

But the feel of her in my arms had reduced me to a silent fool, for I couldn't find the words no matter how hard I tried.

"What are you waiting for?" Cecily asked softly. I could see the smile on her lips as she looked at me and before I knew it, I was sitting on the bed, cradling her in my arms and the kisses were becoming more and more urgent. I heard a moan of desire and didn't know if it was me or her and I didn't care.

Slowly, she unbuttoned my shirt and peeled it off and somehow, her wedding dress was gone and we embraced, skin against skin and my heart beat wildly at the feel of her hand against my chest.

I slipped my hand down to the waistband of her panties and pulled them down over her hips, over her feet where they landed on top of our clothes. She laid her head back on the pillow and I took a moment to admire her, delighting in her curves, anticipating making love to her as my wife.

Her arms reached out to me and I settled down between her beckoning legs. I could feel the moist warmth against me and I sent one finger there, causing her to gasp.

"No fingers," she said, "just you. Do it, I've been waiting all day."

I slipped inside, overwhelmed by the feeling. It was different, this time. It was truly mine. She was my wife. I felt myself grow even harder, if that was possible and I began to rock deeper before slowly pulling back until I was just inside.

"Jesus," she insisted, "you're driving me crazy. Will you please just fuck me?"

I must admit I cheated, taking a Viagra earlier as we left the reception. I was determined to do the best for a wedding night only comes... well, it should only come once.

I pushed down inside once more and then set up a rhythm that she soon matched, lifting herself from the bed and pushing against me as I reached as deeply as I could. I felt like I could last forever and I admit I looked at the nightstand clock. It was a good ten minutes, she had already gasped and moaned and came three times hard enough that I could feel it through our wildly moving bodies and I finally came, flooding her. I was almost breathing hard, a slight sheen of perspiration covering both of us.

Her arms encircled me, trapping my body to hers.

"Wow!" She grinned. "That was something. Oh, my God, you're ready to go again, aren't you?"

Early the next morning, we left for San Diego. I had thought about going to Hawaii or San Francisco but decided the trip would take too long. Besides, San Diego was a wonderful place for lovers to spend a honeymoon.

..... .....

Of course, the first day in San Diego was spent in bed and with room service there wasn't much reason to leave. In Balboa Park, there is a huge model railroad, the San Diego Model Museum and I wanted to show it to Cecily for some time now.

The next day we went in the morning to see the trains. Fortunately, there wasn't much of a crowd the day we went and so we were able to watch the small trains working their way around the scenery. That afternoon, we went to the zoo and spent the rest of the day wandering around the exhibits. I felt like I was fifteen on my first date and kept looking at her face, searching for that smile I knew was just for me.

The several days following, we spent the day doing tourist things, going to restaurants in the Gaslamp neighborhood and shopping at Horton Plaza. Each evening was spent enjoying ourselves as only lovers could.

..... .....

Over the next month, I met with three women all seeking divorces from their philandering husbands. They were all pretty straight forward cases; in one case, they had nothing to split so it was a simple matter; another, there would be child support and maintenance until she finished college; the last one, the wife of twelve years found him with his gay lover.

In the first one, I convinced the husband to just sign the papers and send them back. He had nothing to gain by fighting the petition and everything to gain by settling.

In the second, a DNA test was demanded and proven and that one was settled soon enough, also. Evidently, dark hair DID run in his family.

The third case was evolved into a screaming, hate-filled divorce and although I tried to convince her to just split everything down the middle, being in a no-fault state, she was out for blood. So, I got out my legal knives and proceeded to sharpen them.

The threat to expose him finally convinced the husband to settle in a much more favorable result for my client: she got the house and most of the assets in return for no alimony and silence.

..........

Two months later, I realized that Juan had been avoiding our usual friendly banter and when we did meet, his eyes were downcast as if he were hiding something and felt guilty about it. I wondered what was going on and decided to keep a better on the finances and supplies. I hated to think that Juan, after all that he had done for me during the shooting, was stealing from me.

A few weeks after that, I was walking out into the parking lot and was surprised to see Juan and Susan standing in the shadows of the building. They were speaking softly enough that I couldn't hear what they had to say but I was surprised when Juan leaned over and taking her into his arms, kissed her passionately.

Well, surprised wasn't enough to express my feelings. I was shocked but then thought about it. Since coming to work at the café, she had regained her health and figure. Susan had once been an attractive woman and was now once again, even if I had not been around to notice.

I wondered what would be the result of it but two days later, there was a knock on my office door and as I looked up, I could see Juan standing there looking quite embarrassed.

"Juan, what's up?" I asked.

"I would like to speak with you... a personal matter. I, uh..."

Ever since Juan had helped me with the shooting, I had tried my best to help him out as much as possible and knew what he was going to say.

"Sure, Juan, have a seat. What's on your mind?"

"I'm... I've been seeing your ex-wife. I know there's something that happened before I came here... I don't know what it was and I don't want to know. That's your business. But, I wanted you to know, you know, just in case..."

"Well, thanks for the heads up. If it makes you happy, then go ahead, just... nothing, forget it. If it makes you happy, good for you." I shook his hand and patted him on the back. As strange as it seemed, it sort of made sense. Most of their time at work, they were together. He was a good person and what she needed if she was going to continue turning her life around.

Juan went into the kitchen and I tried to return to my paperwork on a case that was going to court in three days. I hoped Susan had learned her lesson in life and would be faithful to Juan. I didn't want to see him get hurt.

A month later, they had a civil ceremony and I gave them $500 as a wedding gift. I hoped that everything would work out for them. I had gotten over my anger and sadness when it came to Susan. Would I have if it weren't for Cecily? I don't know, maybe, maybe not.

.........

The dining room was a huge success, actually bringing in more revenue than my law practice, especially since I had been doing so many 'pro-bono' cases for the women's shelter several blocks away.

It reached a point where Cecily moved the hardest working girl from the front café to the back and that left a space open for a new waitress.

"Jim? I'd like to ask you something and you may not like it but I'd like to try it anyway."

"What, baby? I told you the dining room was yours to run."

"I'd like to move Susan into the café as a waitress. She and Juan could use the extra money the tips would bring in." She shifted from one foot to the other, nervously wondering what I would say, I guess. "I'll let you think about it." She left me to my thoughts.

God! I hated it when women did that to me. They ask you a question, knowing full well it was a case of 'damned if you do... damned if you don't.'

What had I to lose? I never spent any time in the café, anyway so it would be a situation where I wouldn't really see her... and then, I realized I was letting events push me around rather than taking my life into my own hands.

My love for Susan had turned into an intense hatred that slowly burned itself out thanks to Cecily's love for me and the knowledge that the fault lay with her and not me. I was married and had a little girl to love and a successful business. Did it really matter? I mean, did it really?

So Susan became a waitress... and was quite good at it after a rough first couple of days. Juan thanked me one afternoon as they were leaving to go home. I nodded my head in acknowledgement. For his sake, I really, really hoped she had learned her lesson.

Cecily asked me if I want to have a baby.

Life goes on.