Ella was one of the funniest women I knew. She had a great personality and the biggest smile you'd ever want to see.

Standing about 5' 4" tall Ella was all personality. Her physical charms were there but you had to look to see them. You see, Ella was a "big" girl. By that I mean she was about 30 lbs overweight.

Now don't get me wrong. Ella was attractive, funny and sexy in the way that BBW become after a lifetime of being, well, a Big Beautiful woman. I'm sure you know what I mean. Really beautiful women, those of the tall, slim and big tits, well they have a "I know I'm beautiful and you'd better know it as well". Stuck up, in other words.

Ella was none of that. Ella was everyone's girl and everyone's sister.

I worked with Ella. Not in the same office, but in the same division. She worked in administration, I was in Sales. We saw each other about four or five times each year usually at sales meetings or other regional company functions.

I liked Ella. As a friend. Really, I did. I'm married and so is Ella. Ella is also Black. And, unlike a number of Black men and women she did not have the "Black" attitude. When we partied, Ella was "one of the boys".

Her husband never attended the company parties and so he never knew how wild they could get. This was at a time before everyone became so

crazy about suing over who provided the liquor when something bad or unfortunate happened. Little things like DUI or auto-accidents. So, the company provided a "hospitality suite" where liquor flowed like beer and beer like water. In a word, you could get plastered if you so desired and no one would think anything about it no matter what you did during or after the party.

This regional meeting was held at a large hotel in Atlanta, Ga. The company had a very good year and as a result everything was "top drawer" and "first rate all the way". We all had really nice rooms with in suite wet bars and really comfortable king beds.

I was the odd ball in that I did not drink much at all, ever. It wasn't that I had moral problems with drinking; I didn't. I just did not like the "out of control" feeling that comes with over doing the alcoholic beverages.

At the end of the fourth day of our meeting we were all jazzed up by the bonus' that were announced and by the new products that were announced. It looked like another great year was ahead and most everyone was ready to celebrate.

About six or eight of us agreed to meet in the hospitality suite where there were free snacks and lots of free booze and beer. The party was on.

I found it amusing how people changed as they became progressively more inebriated. Most moved from quiet and reserved to loquacious and loud, some went beyond this into aggressive and became bullies. We generally did not have that sort in our "buddy" group, but alcohol will change a personality. On this night we had one particular fella who thought Ella "ugly and fat" and began to detail what he thought about Ella in every detail. It got ugly fast.

I was the only sober one in the room so, for that reason, and perhaps because I'm 6'4" tall and a former linebacker for my college team, it became my sad duty to explain the situation to the current jerk. So, I explained it to him by picking him up and tossing him into the elevator to his room with the clear understanding that I'd kick his butt if he returned to the party. The two guys I picked to "escort" him to his room guaranteed me he would not be back.

Now we were down to only 5 guys and Ella. Everyone except me was smashed out of their mind, including Ella. The guys were laying everywhere, the chairs, the couch and the floor. The bedroom to the hospitality suite had not been opened as Ella did not want the drunks to go into her room to pee.

In case I forgot to say, the Hospitality Suite and the attached bedroom was were Ella slept.

When I returned to the party it was essentially over. Every single guy was out like a light and Ella appeared to be asleep as well. I wasn't worried about the guys as they are, well, they're guys and who cares if a guy has a crick in his neck or his back hurts the next day. But, I did care about Ella. So, I tried to open the door but she had closed the inner door and I could not get into the bedroom.

I pondered the situation and decided that Ella must have the card key in her purse. I looked, and there it was. I took the key went into the hall and entered through the door. Once inside, I opened the inner door between the bedroom and the hospitality suite and then picked up Ella and moved her to her room.

I lay her on her bed and removed her shoes and then covered her with a blanket and started to back out of the room into the hospitality suite. Then I paused and considered how uncomfortable she would be all night with the business dress clothing, and hose she was wearing. I decided to at least remove her jacket and to loosen her her skirt.