Jury Duty: A Love Story

Jury Duty:
A Love Story

I reluctantly dressed in casual attire the morning I had to appear at the courthouse for jury duty. I had sent my two little ones off to school. I gathered some books since I had been told that jury selection was a long tedious process of waiting. When I arrived to Room 104 at the courthouse, I noticed a room filled with people awaiting their fate as judges of someone’s criminal acts.

The seats were full until the selectors began calling names to line up for a case’s selection. I was called to stand on this line, amongst several others, three different times. I guess this is what my informant meant by long and tedious wait. The ones that were not selected had to return to the waiting area, or if a break was permitted, we could wander about.

I chose to sit at a table that had been cleared when a group was selected. I got comfortable enough to read some of the material I had brought along. Each time I attempted to start reading the novel where I had left off, voices from a neighboring table intruded my concentration. I decided to listen since their conversation was so intelligible. I never looked back in fear of being labeled nosey. One of the men that spoke had an outstanding and soothing voice. I tried to imagine what he looked like.

I continued to look down at my book as I listened to this conversation that was for sure food for thought. I wondered how this man knew the issues he so eloquently stated with such confidence. His voice drew me yet another picture of his face. I was anxious to see him, yet not bold enough to turn his way. He continued his lecture to the other man. He and everyone else were interrupted by the call from the clerks allowing us a ten-minute break.

I heard the man with the soothing voice say that he was going out for a cigarette. “Bingo,” I said to myself. I will go out there too. I followed the crowd out to the designated smoking area and listened for the voice I had grown to admire. I walked around a bit till I realized who he was. I stood near them, also smoking a cigarette. His partner said something funny about one of the candidates running for office. All that were in the vicinity heard it and shared the laugh.

I found that as an opportunity to voice my opinion and was in on the conversation.
We stood as a trio now, conversing on political issues as they pertained to education.

“By the way, my name is Skyla,” I said to the pair

“Oh, excuse my manners young lady, I am Joshua,” said the one I was not interested in.

“My name is Gordon,” said the tall, dark, older, smooth talking intelligent figure I had grown the long to be with, marry and have his children.
smiled to myself as I kept my cool in not letting on that I purposely manipulated my way into his conversation, and hopefully his life. His conversations alone led my beliefs in the fact that I could love him. His looks were not my usual standard, but his presence had quickly changed my standards. We finished our smokes, reentered the waiting room, but this time we all sat at one table and continued to share our political views.

The clerk announced to the remaining potential jurors that this would be the last selection of the day and if we weren’t selected, we could leave. I secretly wished that we were selected just to spend more time with Gordon. We all stood on our number, awaiting selection. I heard them call Gordon Blake first. He was told to stand to the side. Four more people were selected before my name was called. After they finished calling all of us, we were sent to a judges’ courtroom where yet another process of selection took place.

I recalled the conversation our trio had had about a way to get out of being a juror.
The judge asked questions that answers could have been easily tweaked and I would have been dismissed. I didn’t. I wanted to take my chances that Gordon would stay as well.
He was asked a series of questions and had obviously decided to stay as well. My heart smiled. We were told the rules, the where’s and the why’s.

The next day, the judge and the jury were in place. The trial began. We all listened intently as each lawyer was introduced and the gored details of the crime the inmate was facing charges on. We were told to convene in an office provided for us to consult in. I sat next to Gordon. There was nothing to discuss on the case yet, so we made little chitchats amongst all 12 of us. There was a connecting smoking room Gordon, Tyler, Roy and I went into for a smoke. Again, I sat next to Gordon.

I noticed how long his legs stretched across the small smoking room.

“You look nice today,” Gordon said with a hint of flirt in his voice.

“Thank you,” I said with a smile and thought to myself, “If you only knew the extras were done just for you.”

The trial was taking longer than even the judge anticipated. This normally would have been a pain in the butt, but since it gave me more time to spend with Gordon, I was loving it. We were to report at 8 o’clock a. m. each day and was given an hour for lunch.

Gordon and I would go for walks around the scenic federal courthouse daily, talking and sharing unspoken feeling. Soon, we decided on a nice secluded, yet still public, place. It was nicely staged on a second floor corner cove. We could look down into the water fountain, at people carrying on, and at the gracefully positioned summer plants.

I anticipated the breezes and wore the appropriate clothing that would lend secret peeks to my unsuspecting friend. I could tell by the way he looked at me that he shared the same feelings. The judge’s questioning during the selection had revealed our careers, educational levels, age and marital status already.

We discussed those issues in more detail as our time went by. I wanted so badly to kiss him just one time, despite our obligations. He must have been reading my mind. Our eyes were the windows to our stories.

I was sad after the trial was over that we would not have these days together. My own marriage was just about over. I dreaded going home normally, but even more so after spending time with a wonderful, prestigious, educated man like Gordon. I knew that once I made it home, the conversations would be limited and eventually lead to an argument. My husband and I were night and day. I deserved a man like Gordon. That man’s wife was so fortunate to have him. As was mines, but he only wanted to use and abuse my love and now it was no more.

Since our relationship was supposedly platonic, Gordon and I exchanged phone numbers. I placed it immediately into my memory archive right along with our days together. I even felt like shedding tears on the last day of the trial. The group wanted to have our last day of the trial together during lunchtime. Since everyone knew each of our marital statuses, we could not tell them that we wanted to be alone. Instead, we stayed in the conference room and stole moments in the smoking area that had a thick wooden door for privacy.

In that room, my heart melted as his six foot seven inches tall slender frame approached my six feet, medium one. He raised my face to his with his index finger. He stared into my eyes and told me that he wished things were different, that he had met me before he’d met his wife.

I knew the feeling, the chemistry was so strong. I looked deeper into his eyes, then at his lips. He bent his body into mine and we shared the sweetest kiss that I have ever had to date. We could hear another smoker outside the door telling someone that they were going to have a smoke. We pried ourselves apart and sat down to smoke too.

The other smoker, Tyler, chuckled, as he must have felt our secret chemistry.

“Am I interruption something here, Principal? He asked Gordon. He then looked at me that wanted to say, “Yes you are,” but realized that would be inappropriate.

“Oh, no man, have a seat, relax,” Gordon spoke as he crossed his long leg to hide his obvious excitement from our moment.

I laughed at him and looked in the direction of his crouch then to my erect nipples. I needed to let him know that he was not alone.

It was time to go back into the chamber with our final answer of the man on trial’s fate. The group of us had decided that the man was guilty since he was selling illegal substances to anyone that would purchase them. Kids included. We decided that the forty-year-old man should have known better than to pollute our community with such harm.

It was now time to leave. My heart wanted me to ask him to call me or if I could call him. We had all said lets keep in touch, but no one really meant it with the exception on Gordon and I.

Our cars were parked next to each other’s ironically. He came over to admire the new shiny contraption my husband was so proud of. I thought to myself, “This means nothing to me. I would leave it and him for a chance with you.” Instead, I pretended to admire it with him and thanked him on he compliments.

Days went by, I resumed my daily routines; take care of home, send kids to school, go to work, come back home, cook and attempt to talk to my own husband. Now, I did all these same routines dreaming that they could be done with Gordon.
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My marriage was really already over before I met Gordon. But, Gordon made me realize the kind of relationship I hungered for. I needed a man that could converse on a multitude of levels and subjects. My own husband was not that. Even worse, he was cheap and mean spirited. I made my mind up and left him.

I had spoken with Gordon periodically, mainly business advice or simple chats. Each one hurt a bit more because he was married and faithful. I wanted him married and faithful to me. After our last chat, we did not speak again for two years.

That did not mean that he was not still heavy on my mind. I just respected that he was married with two children. Snippets of evil would temp me to break into that unity and seduce him. I couldn’t since I knew how much it would hurt if I did have an affair with him and he’d stay with his wife.

One day I was out shopping near his school. I couldn’t help but look over in the directions of it and decided that I would call him once I made it home.

I needed a reason to call Gordon besides the obvious one; I missed him. Soon an opportunity presented itself. The candidate that we both thought should have won won.

I dialed the numbers to the school where he was a principal. The secretary asked my name before connecting me to Gordon. “Skyla VanRueax,” I said in my professional voice. I was put on hold for only a minute when Gordon picked up with obvious joy of hearing from me in his voice.

“Hello there, Skyla. I was just thinking about you. Ya’ see old Tom Myers is out of office finally. I knew it was gonna be some tricks if he stayed another term,” he chimed in.

“That’s exactly why I was calling you to see if you’d heard the good news,” I lied.

We continued the political chat for a few more seconds, and then went on to the casual, “how have you been doings.” I wanted so badly for him to say lets get together.
He did! I wondered if he was reading my mind or if he was feeling what I was.

We made a date for Tuesday at 11:00 am. I prepared all night long for this lunch that would take place at a local restaurant nearby. I wanted to look really nice for this occasion and decided to go out a buy a semi seductive blouse to where with some well cut slacks. I went and was satisfied with my choice when I peered in the direction of his workplace and said to myself, “You just don’t know what’s in store for you, dear Gordon.”

Just as I said that, a big white unidentified bird slammed into the left side of my face, just missing my eyes.

I grabbed my face and ran for cover. The first thought that came to mind was the movie “Birds,” originally produced by Alfred Hitchcock. A man that had witnessed the attack rushed over to see if I was okay. I was, just shocked and still trembling. Then, I thought to myself, that God was trying to dissuade my lusty adulterers’ thoughts.

I thought he had dissuaded me too. I was so afraid of what that meant. I was sure it meant something and it had to do with my plans to seduce a married man. I picked up the phone to call his office.

“Gordon, you would never believe what just happened to me,” I said with a hint of laughter and seriousness in my voice. As I began to explain with all honesty what my plans were, my seductress’s voice took over.

“I have been thinking about you every since the first time I heard your voice in the waiting room, the walks and the talks we had linger in my mind like they were yesterday. I went out to buy a blouse that I believed you’d love to see me in, hoping you’d want to come home with me after hour lunch today,” my sultry voice explained.

“Ya’ don’t say. Hmmm.” He mused.
“But, Gordon, that is not all. As I was nearing my car after I purchased the blouse, I was doing a little cheer in my mind, looking over to where you work…thinking of how it was going to be with us….Gordon, I cant help myself,” I finished.

“Well, let’s cancel lunch and finish this conversation at your place, same time,” he said in a low tone, I am assuming for privacy.
It was ten then so I had an hour to shower, get dressed, turn some saxy jazz on, and make sure everything was perfect. I pranced around dancing to the rhythm of Miles Davis and a few others on the compilation CD.

It was 10 minutes to eleven. My heart started beating faster. I needed to calm down. I sat in the living room where we would sit looking at it from all angles to attempt to perceive his view. The doorbell rang. I leaped from where I sat, smoothed my blouse and knee length skirt, and calmly opened the door.

Gordon walked in and smiled as he pulled me into the best most sensual hug I have ever felt. I tilted my head to meet his then he planted a kiss on my lips that made my entire body shudder with desire. We stood there in that mesmerizing embrace and kiss for what seemed like ever. I pulled my self away because I could feel my guards weakening with every touch and thrust of his tongue, deep in my mouth.

There was no doubt in my mind that he was feeling what I was. In an attempt not to seem so fast, I offered him a seat on the couch where we resumed that hot sticky kiss.
He caressed my starving body as he continued kissing me. I was in a daze, a moment that I never wanted to return back from when he stopped and motioned for us to go up to my bedroom. As much as I wanted to say no, my body led us the way.

We made plans to meet again while we washed the fluid evidence of our sins away in my shower. We laughed and talked till it was time for him to go back to work from his two-hour luncheon. I was walking on soft clouds for the rest of the day or until my children came home that started my regular daily routine. Every moment of quietness, I thought about him.

We continued our rendevouze for several months til he started not showing up or only spending enough time to satisfy our carnal desires. This was making me angry, sad, and confused. He had shared with me the problems of his own marriage but never had he said that he was leaving his wife or going to be with me.

I was sitting at my desk at work when I decided to call Gordon’s cell phone. He was cooler than usual and said that he needed to talk to me. I could feel this was not going to be the kind of talk that ended happily.

“Let me call you back after I park from a land line,” he said in a sorrow filled tone.

“No problem. I am at the 5544 extension,” I said as I placed the phone on its cradle. It was only a few minutes before he called back, but it seemed like an hour with me wondering, knowing what he was going to say.

“Skyla, you’re too lovely of a lady to be in a relationship with a married man. I am not leaving my wife and it is just unfair to you,” he stated matter of fact tone.

“I am not complaining, Gordon. I understand all of that. I do. Please don’t do this….not now. I can’t take it. I need you. You know what I am going through here with this class action lawsuit. You just help ease the pains if only for minutes. Not now.” I held my crackling voice together. I had to since I was at work. At home I probably would have lost all dignity. I have not seen or heard from him since that day, but my love for him is still resting in my heart, waiting to be revived by him or someone as great as he.