Once You'Ve Touched the Heart

by Iris Bolling

  Startled, Tracy stepped back with a look of confusion. She had no idea how to respond. His lips felt so soothing to her. She had to feel that again. Stepping closer to him, she placed her hands on his chest, tiptoed up and returned the kiss. Enjoying the sweetness of her touch, JD ran his tongue across her smooth lips. He felt the slight shiver that raced through her body. He parted her lips with his tongue to taste more of her. The moment their tongues met it felt as if a jolt of lightning had struck the very soul of them. For JD, it felt as if the weight of the world he carried on his shoulders became lighter, bearable.

  Taking his hands from his pockets, he placed them around her waist to pull her closer, deepening the kiss. He could feel her hands pressed against his chest, as the kiss went much deeper than he intended. His mind reeled; her kiss is so sweet, so innocent. Then his senses returned. He suddenly pulled away and held her at arm’s length. “I should not have done that.”

  Tracy wasn’t listening. She never felt anything like that in her life.

  “We better go back inside.” Taking her hand, he turned to reenter the club.

  “Wait,” she said, pulling back. “What did I do wrong?”

  Wrong? He thought. That was the conflict for him, it felt so right. But he knew it was wrong. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I did.” He sighed heavily. “I should have never brought you out here.”

  Tracy did not understand the problem. “I came willingly, Jeffrey.”

  “Yes, you did. But I should have known better.”

  “I’m a little confused here.” She sighed heavily.

  He squeezed her hand. “Tracy,” he began, trying to find the right words to explain what he was thinking, “you’re Ashley’s best friend and as much as I would like to, I can’t forget how young you are. I made a mistake. I should not have kissed you.”

  It felt as if the pit of her stomach began to twist up. Tracy pulled her hand from his. JD could see the shell that had disappeared for a few days return almost instantly. Tracy clasped her hands behind her back. “I’m sorry you feel that way. Shall we go back inside?” It was as if the past few moments had not happened and they were only acquaintances having a general conversation. JD stepped aside as she walked past. He wanted to say something, but thought better of it.

  “Hey,” Ashley said as they approached the table, “you two finish dancing for the night?”

  “I think so,” Tracy replied as she looked away.

  Just then Vanessa, JD’s most recent lover, walked up. He was actually relieved to see her. He needed a little distance between him and Tracy.

  “JD, are you enjoying yourself?” Vanessa asked sarcastically.

  He glanced at Tracy. I did the right thing, he told himself. He took Vanessa’s hand. “Come dance with me,” he said with a smile and walked away. That was the last Tracy saw of him for the rest of the night.

  ♥

  JD came in around four in the morning. When he walked through the door, the telephone rang. “Yes, Vanessa,” he answered angrily. “It’s four in the morning. I don’t want or need the drama again.”

  “You do realize she is a teenager and you are a grown ass man. Isn’t that contributing to the delinquency of a minor or something?” Vanessa questioned with a warning.

  “I’m a district attorney and you presume to tell me the law. By the way, she’s nineteen, over the age of consent, if there was anything to consent too!”

  “JD, I’m not trying to tell you the law. But you fail to see what it looks like. I don’t care how old she is. She is too young for you to be involved with. What is it you always say to me—it’s the appearance of it.”

  “Don’t talk to me about appearances. Nothing is happening here, Vanessa. For goodness sakes, you’re jealous of a nineteen-year-old girl,” JD yelled into the phone.

  “She may be, but I’m not blind,” Vanessa replied curtly. “I know what I saw. And you are lying to me and yourself if you say I’m wrong.”

  “I’m done, Vanessa. I’m not dealing with this anymore tonight.” He hung up the telephone and went to bed.

  JD did not notice the balcony door was cracked. Tracy sat there with her book in her lap. She overheard his side of the conversation. I’m just a teenage girl to him, she thought. She dropped her head down. What in the hell would make me think it was anything else? Stupid; stupid; stupid. You set yourself up for that. She laughed to herself. She really liked being around JD and thought maybe…. “But it will not happen again,” she said to herself.

  In bed, JD lay awake wondering how in the hell he could convince Vanessa nothing was there with this girl when he wasn’t sure himself. Something stirred in him every time he was around Tracy. She was young, but that wasn’t really the problem. There was only a five-year difference in their age. With the career he planned, the appearance of him with someone so young could be damaging. Vanessa was right and he knew it. Besides, he did not have time for drama or issues in his life. Dealing with someone so young would bring drama. From that night, in his mind, Tracy Washington was off limits.

  ♥

  The next day Ashley and Tracy were loading up the car to return to Harmon as JD and Calvin helped. Other than the normal niceties, Tracy was very quiet.

  “You two have everything?” JD asked.

  “Sure do,” Ashley replied.

  Ashley jumped on JD’s back as if taking a piggyback ride, kissed him on the cheek and hugged him. “Thanks, big brother, for letting us stay with you. I’m going to miss you.”

  He pulled her around his waist and carried her with one arm at his side.

  “Don’t you drop me,” Ashley screamed while laughing.

  “I will miss you too, Squirt,” he smiled and put her on her feet by the driver’s door.

  As he opened the door for Ashley he glanced at Tracy. “It was good having you over, Tracy. You take care.”

  “Thank you. You take care, too,” she replied as she got into the car.

  He could see the shield was up full force. As they pulled off, JD felt so much was unsaid with her. He wondered if he should have talked with her about last night.

  “You did the right thing,” Calvin commented.

  JD turned to him. “What?”

  “You are not ready for her,” he replied. “Let it go.”

  JD put his hands in his pocket and did just that, let it go.

  Chapter 3

  Six Years Later

  JD and Calvin were rising stars in the DA’s office. They worked well together and the friendship was now a successful partnership. JD had become an expert on gang prosecutions. He was usually given the lead on major cases and he always selected Calvin as his point man. On occasion he was asked to assist with cases with other ADA’s across the state.

  Personally, JD was still uncommitted to anyone. His latest conquest was Carolyn Roth, the daughter of John Roth, a U.S. senator representing the Commonwealth of Virginia. The family had the kind of connections that could win presidential elections without much effort, if they wanted to. Senator Roth was a straight-to-the-point type of man, just like JD; that’s why the two got along. Even with JD’s reputation with the ladies, the senator did not mind JD seeing Carolyn. What the senator did not know was that Carolyn was wide open. Whatever it took to get the man she wanted, at that moment, was what she would do. And she definitely wanted JD. Carolyn actually believed JD was her ticket to the governor’s mansion, if not the White House itself. He was young, not bad on the eyes, intelligent, well liked and respected by both major political parties. More importantly, JD was a straight-up freak in bed. He could go for hours and match her stamina without breaking a sweat.

  JD went into the office on a spring day in April not expecting to accomplish much. Nor did he expect a life-changing event. He had recently been asked to handle a few federal cases. His success against small gangs made him a perfect candidate to handle the prosecution of larger gangs that were causing mayhem in the not-so-prominent neighborhoods of the city. He was asked to prosecute
certain gangs under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute. This was a big deal for the DA’s office and for Gavin W. Roberts, the district attorney. To have someone from his staff assigned to this type of case meant major publicity for the office and, more importantly, for him. Gavin made sure JD had all the personnel and tools he needed to be successful. Gavin knew how JD operated; he would not take a case to court until he believed he could guarantee a win. This case was exactly what Gavin needed to gain a new level of popularity that would get him to the governor’s mansion.

  JD could care less about the popularity aspect of this case or where Gavin wanted to go politically. His concern was the children in the neighborhood. Gangs were recruiting at the age of ten or eleven. JD believed all children should have what his father had given to him and his sister: a childhood.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Langston, how are you today?” JD smiled as he entered the office.

  Mrs. Langston was the receptionist for the DA’s office. She was a wise elderly woman with a knack for dealing with people. She loved JD and treated him as if he was one of her children.

  “Hello, Mr. Harrison. I am well, how about you?”

  “Hanging in,” he replied.

  “Here are your messages, and just so you know, Mr. Roberts is on the prowl for you.”

  JD hung his head. “Why? What could he possibly want to know this early in the case?”

  Mrs. Langston hunched her shoulders. “Who knows?”

  “Thanks for the heads up,” JD said as he started to walk away. He stopped and turned back to her. Before he could say a word, she handed him a sandwich bag containing oatmeal raisin cookies. JD took the bag and put it in his suit pocket, looked around to see if anyone was looking.

  “This is our secret,” he said.

  “I won’t say a word.” She smiled.

  JD returned the smile and headed to his office.

  Mrs. Langston shook her head. “My Lord, if I was twenty years younger.”

  Calvin met JD at his office door and handed him a file. “Here we go again. Are you ready?” he said with a touch of excitement.

  “As ready as ever,” JD replied. “Did we investigate everyone from the top down?”

  “Yes, and from what I can tell we are looking at a major player and three small ones. But we could clear several unsolved murders and indict on at least one kingpin charge and that’s just for starters.”

  “Okay, let’s see what we have,” JD said as he took his seat behind his desk.

  Calvin sat in the chair directly in front of the desk. Before JD had opened the file, Brian, one of his boys from high school and a federal agent, came in.

  “JD, what’s up, man? Thanks for the recommendation.”

  “Hey, B, nothing to it. They said get who you need on this case, so I opted for the best.”

  They shook hands and Brian hit Calvin on the shoulder. “Hey, Cal, how’s it going?”

  “Hey, B,” Calvin replied.

  “This is going to be a big one,” Brian commented as he took a seat.

  “Yes, it is, that’s why I need you at the beginning of this case,” JD replied.

  “Okay, I’m here and I see you have the file. I ran an investigation on everyone, but did an in-depth on Albert Day. He is the brains behind this group.”

  JD opened the file. “Okay, give me the run down”

  Calvin started, “From what I read, we have a thug with a conscience. He sets his people up well. Gives them forty percent of the take and makes them work towards cleaning up by starting legit businesses under another name. Some of those who followed his lead have a good small business being run by a relative and in that relative’s name.”

  “So we can’t touch the legit stuff,” JD interjected.

  “Right,” Calvin acknowledged, “but everything else is open season.”

  “Give me a ball park.” From the summary JD was getting, he formed a certain curiosity for this man. This man was looking out for the community and his people. He was putting his people’s future before profit. JD had to respect that. He continued to read the file as Calvin summarized. Calvin was quoting figures when something in the file caught JD’s attention. In reading the family bio on Day, he noticed the name of his little sister.

  Brian, who is very observant, caught the look on JD’s face. “What is it, JD?”

  Calvin stopped talking and looked up.

  “I know that name from somewhere,” JD replied.

  “What name?” Calvin asked.

  “Tracy Washington.”

  “Day’s little sister?” Brian asked.

  “Yeah, where in the hell do I know that name from?” JD wondered.

  “One of your many conquests,” Calvin joked.

  JD laughed. “I don’t think so, but maybe. There have been many, you know.”

  “Yes, we know. I’m still trying to catch up,” Calvin replied.

  Brian laughed at Calvin. “Like you could.”

  JD laughed along, all the while knowing this name meant something to him; he just did not know what. The conversation turned back to the file. By the end of the meeting, the three had developed a strategy to start the case. Calvin and Brian left, after all agreed to meet at their hangout spot, Maxi’s, after work.

  Later in the day, JD was in Gavin’s office giving him an update on the case when it came to him. Tracy Washington was Ashley’s roommate. JD stopped mid-sentence and told Gavin he wanted to dig a little deeper before he went on. Gavin did not make much of it. He knew JD was a perfectionist and probably wanted to make sure of events prior to conferring with him.

  “All right JD, get back with me when you are ready. Is this one we can win?”

  JD’s mind was on Ashley now. “I’ll get back to you on that one, Gavin.”

  JD left the room with no idea what he was supposed to get back to Gavin on. He took out his cell and called Brian. “B, man I need to see you, where are you?”

  JD met Brian in the parking deck. “B, I know the sister and I pray I’m wrong.”

  “Man, don’t tell me Calvin was right,” Brian laughed.

  “No, man.” JD hit Brian on the shoulder. “Tracy Washington is Ashley’s roommate.”

  “Your sister Ashley?”

  “Yes! When you ran the investigation on Day did you come across anything on the sister?” JD asked, hoping to get something to eliminate Tracy.

  “No. There was no communication between them. There was communication between Day, the older sister and his mom, but nothing with the little sister. In fact, there was no communication between the little sister and the rest of the family. From what I got, she left for college and never looked back.”

  “Did anything indicate what college she attended or when?” JD asked desperately.

  “Nothing on where, just that she disappeared at that time.”

  JD shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. His mind was racing. He remembered Tracy not keeping in touch with her family and her having a brother. That was too much to be just a coincidence. “Tracy and Ashley have a business together,” he said. “We need to make sure there is no connection between Day and that business before we go any further.”

  Brian had known JD and Calvin since high school and could read both of them like a book. At that moment, he knew JD needed other possibilities to this scenario. “Could it be another Tracy Washington?” he asked.

  “I hope so,” JD replied wishfully as he slid into Brian’s black Suburban. JD called Ashley’s cell. There was no answer. He called the office, and Monica, the receptionist answered. “Hello, Next Level.”

  “Hi, Monica, it’s JD. Is Ashley in?”

  “Yes, JD, she is on another line. Would you like to hold?”

  “No, thanks, Monica. Is Tracy in?”

  “Yes, she is. Would you like to speak with her?”

  “Yes, thank you.” JD held the line.

  “Tracy Washington, may I help you?”

  “Hi, Tracy, this is Jef
frey.”

  Tracy knew who he was the moment he said hi. She had not seen or really talked to him since graduation, but she knew it was Jeffrey. The churning inside her stomach told her so.

  Talk, girl…talk, Tracy coaxed herself. “Hi, Jeffrey, how have you been?” Stupid, stupid, stupid, you were supposed to say something provocative, not how you been…. Tracy rolled her eyes at herself.

  “I’m fine, thanks for asking,” he replied.

  “What can I do for you?” Tracy asked. Okay that was a little better; weak but better, Tracy thought.

  “Tracy.”

  “Say my name, say my name,” went through her mind. She laughed to herself.

  “I need to talk to you without Ashley around, is that possible?”

  She thought for a moment, because in her mind, that conversation was going a little different. Oh, something like, I can’t live without you in my life any longer, be my lady. Oh, if only for one night….

  “Tracy?” JD called out when she did not reply.

  “I’m sorry, Jeffrey. Is everything alright?”

  “Yes, things are fine, but I need to talk to you alone.”

  “Okay, it sounds serious.” When Jeffrey did not respond, Tracy continued. “You can park in the back and come in the door on the right, it leads into my office. I’ll unlock it so you can just walk in.”

  “Thanks, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  “Okay, see you then.”

  “What’s the plan?” Brian asked as JD closed his phone.

  “No plan, just straight questions and hopefully some straight answers.”

  ♥

  Tracy was in her office wondering what Jeffrey wanted to talk about. She looked at the calendar; it wasn’t Ashley’s birthday. Maybe it was something about his mom. Either way it did not matter why he was coming—he was coming. She checked herself out in the mirror. Looking nice mattered to her now. One man mattered.

  Ashley had taken a lot of time to teach Tracy how to dress and how to carry herself. Tracy had the “it” factor, that certain something every man looks for in a woman, but she was clueless to it. Tracy looked at her reflection in the mirror. The black, sleeveless, mock turtleneck dress she wore was fitting in the right places; black three-inch heels, sheer stockings and a red blazer, which was on the back of her chair. She was presentable, she thought. Her hair was worn straight, falling right at her shoulders.