Chapter 5

“If you ladies will take a seat,” the receptionist told them, “he’ll be right in.”

Janet and Eva sat leather chairs in an office with walnut paneled walls. Facing them was a large desk. A middle- aged man with salt-and-pepper hair stepped into the room. “Hello, Eva ... Janet,” he said and sat behind his desk. He took out a file folder.

“Eva, I have some good news and some bad news,” he said.

“What’s the good news, Larry?” she asked.

“The good news is I believe Rob is motivated to settle this.”

Eva nodded. “And, the bad news?”

“The reason why we think he’s motivated to settle this. Eva -- how much do you know about your husband’s business?”

“Very little ... nothing.”

“That’s a very good thing for you.” He took sheets from the folder. “You did know that he’s a stock trader.”

“I did know that.”

“Did you know that he ran an informal investment club?”

“Yes, but I don’t know any details.”

“A private investment club, membership by invitation only. It was, for all intents and purposes, an unregistered fund. He can be in some trouble with the regulators just for that.”

“I see...”

Larry tented his fingers and looked into Eva’s eyes. “Eva -- what is your expectation out of this settlement?”

“Right now, all I want is out.” She sighed. “Rob can keep everything if he wants. I’m just not up for a battle. Monica is an adult...”

The attorney nodded. “So there are no custody issues. Do you have a dog, cat, iguana?”

“No,” Eva replied. “What’s left?”

“Well ... There isn’t much. Half of zero is zero.”

“What do you mean,” Janet asked. “What about the property? The house?”

“Rob borrowed heavily against the house and the land. Now that the real estate market has tanked, he owes more than the property is worth.”

“What about our joint savings account?” Eva asked.

“Drained.”

She regarded Larry, slack-jawed. “Does he think I owe HIM money?”

“The pre-nup you signed put just about everything tangible into Rob’s name. That agreement actually saved you, Eva. Otherwise, you would be on the hook, too, for these debts.”

Eva looked toward Janet and put her hand over her mouth. “Oh, my God!”

“Why do you think all this makes Rob eager to settle?” Janet asked.

“We mentioned his investment club. We believe most of his ... and your ... joint assets went into propping up that club. You see, when the market is ticking away, people are happy to make contributions. When it starts to shrink, then they want redemptions.”

“It sounds to me like a Ponzi scheme,” Janet remarked.

“That thought has crossed my mind as well,” Larry replied. “Of course, however he runs his business is immaterial to our discussions here -- except for the fact that, right now, Rob has negative net worth. You believe he wants to marry his office assistant?”

“Yes -- Louise Parker.”

“How long has Louise worked for him?” Larry asked.

Eva looked up in thought. “About ten years,” she replied. “She was right out of high school ... the daughter of an acquaintance, I believe.”

“He never asked you to participate in his business?”

“No. I had my own job and income ... plus I was doing the housework and caring for Monica. Early on when Rob was establishing himself, we lived off my income. I think he liked having it as a cushion.”

“Was Rob’s business successful?” Larry asked.

“At first there were good years and bad ones. During the good years I put what I made into our savings account ... which you say now is...”

“Empty.”

Eva closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. “When he started his investment club then his income became more steady.”

“They say,” Larry interjected, “that there is only one sure way to make money in the stock market, and that’s to become a stockbroker. I think maybe Rob’s investment club was his attempt to become a stockbroker without going to all the bother. The start of his club would correspond to his hiring of Louise.”

“Yes, I think so.”

“How often did you speak with Louise?”

“Only to be cordial,” Eva replied. “Not often.”

“You didn’t entertain her? Did Rob invite her to dinner?”

“No. Rob didn’t believe in mixing business and family, and I concurred. We never entertained clients or associates, either.”

“When did you suspect he and Louise were having an affair?”

“I never suspected it. In hindsight I think I saw signs of it that I chose to ignore.”

“When did those start?”

“About the time Monica went away to college.” Eva looked up at Larry. “I feel like I’m being cross-examined.”

“It’s good practice for you,” he replied.

“Why all the questions?” Janet asked.

“In order to understand the dynamics. A good lawyer also needs to be a good psychologist and a good sociologist.” Larry turned to Eva. “Was Rob otherwise unfaithful? Did he have any other affairs?”

“Not to my knowledge,” Eva replied. “He went to his office in the morning and left it in the evening. Sometimes he’d work there at night, but he always came to bed.”

“His office is in an outbuilding adjacent to the house, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Have you been inside his office?”

“Not very often.”

“If I asked you to draw a floor plan of it, could you?”

“Not a very good one,” Eva replied. “There was a back room where Louise worked. I never set foot in there.”

“So, it could serve as a trysting place,” Larry observed.

“I suppose.”

“Eva -- have you ever been unfaithful to Rob?”

She shook her head. “No. Never. From the day we were engaged to the day I was served the papers I have been faithful.”

“How about now?”

Eva looked toward Janet. “Janet and I are in a relationship.”

“When did that start?”

“The day I was served,” Eva replied. “I felt like I was shoved off a ledge and Janet was there to catch me.”

“Is yours a sexual relationship?”

Eva narrowed her eyes. “It is a loving relationship,” she replied tersely. “I honestly don’t know what this has to do...”

“Relax,” Larry said. “If you had given what you’ve just told me as testimony, I have no doubt a judge or jury would believe you one hundred percent. And, as I said, I must know the details. It’s unwise to keep details from your doctor or your attorney. I know all I need to know about you two. Take a deep breath and calm down. I think we’re nearly done.”

Eva closed her eyes. “Okay -- my heart rate is down to below a hundred.”

“You said you know nothing about the details of his business,” Larry remarked.

“Nothing,” Eva replied. “I have my own job, income ... my own pension and profit-sharing plan... 401-K...”

“None of that he can touch,” Larry reassured her. “And you said you rarely set foot in Rob’s office. Did you ever go in there when he was away to ... snoop? Satisfy a curiosity?”

Eva shook her head. “Never. I really didn’t have an interest in what he did. I had enough to do on my own.”

“Did Rob ever need your signature on any business documents?”

“Not that I recall,” Eva replied. “We didn’t even file our taxes jointly.”

“Do you suppose Louise knows the details of his business?”

“I’m sure she does.”

“Let’s suppose for the sake of argument that Janet’s observation is correct -- that Rob has been running a Ponzi scheme. These schemes inevitably collapse. If Louise is his wife, then she cannot be compelled to testify against him. And, as his ex-wife, you could be compelled to testify. It’s clear to me from what you’ve said, that well is dry.”

“That would explain the temporary restraining order,” Janet observed. “Eva never had any reason to pry into Rob’s affairs. Now she has a reason.”

“That’s right,” Larry agreed. “You can practically get a TRO against a ham sandwich -- all it takes is a court officer’s signature. A permanent order requires a mini trial, and the allegations in this...” Rob held up the temporary order. “ ... are pretty thin.”

“The two weeks the order was in effect gave him time to lock down his records,” Eva said. “It does make sense. I thought he was being vindictive, but it makes sense.”

“So you think,” Janet said, “that Rob wants a quickie divorce so he can marry Louise before his whole house of cards comes down?”

“That may be what he’s thinking,” Larry replied. “I think it would be a foolish move on her part. Married or not, if Louise has anything at all between her ears when this thing comes apart her best course of action would be to go to the authorities and cooperate fully. At least, if I were representing her, that’s the advice I’d strongly urge her to take.”

“So, what IS left?” Eva asked.

“About the only assets left unencumbered are personal property ... furniture and the like, and two automobiles.”

“Two?” Eva asked.

“The car you drive,” Janet remarked, “is it in your name or Rob’s?”

“I hadn’t thought about it. He always took care of that so I guess it would be in his name.”

“What sort of a car is it?” Larry asked.

“It’s a 2003 Honda Civic,” Eva replied.

Larry snorted. “Hardly an asset worth fighting over. Of course, you realize at this point he could sign a complaint against you for auto theft.”

“Oh, my goodness. But I have to have my car. I mean, we bought it ... I contributed to the purchase ... I picked it out. It is MY car.”

“The market value of a twelve-year-old Civic is a drop in the bucket compared to everything else. I’ll put together a settlement proposal that includes Rob transferring title to the Civic to you.”

“I don’t care about the furniture. I never liked it that much.” Eva rolled her eyes in thought. “I don’t want the bed -- I couldn’t sleep in it now, anyway. I’ve always hated that overstuffed leather sofa he bought.”

“So, all you really want is your freedom and your car. I’d be shocked if that stands in the way of a settlement.”

“How fast can we turn this around?” Janet asked.

“I can have a draft this afternoon and I can fax it to you, Eva. Then, if you agree, and if he agrees, all it takes is a few signatures and a review by a judge. I think we can handle that in chambers and you won’t even need to appear.”

“So, how long?” Eva asked.

“These affairs travel at the speed of paper,” Larry replied. “I’d say, two to three weeks. Let’s hope Rob can keep his business propped up ‘til then. Eva -- I imagine you had second thoughts back when you signed the pre-nup. It was the smartest thing you did, and you should consider yourself lucky. You dodged a pretty good sized bullet.”

Eva looked down at her left hand. She pulled her rings from her finger. “I suppose these have some cash value.”

Larry reached into his desk and handed Eva an envelope. She dropped in the rings, licked the flap and sealed it. Then, she folded it in half and dropped it into her purse. “I’ll be waiting for your communication,” she said. “Thank you very much.”

Eva and Janet headed to the parking lot. Eva opened the door to her light blue Civic, and Janet sat beside her. “Just think -- I could be arrested as a car thief just for driving this.”

“Larry didn’t seem to think that was very likely.” Janet sighed. “I haven’t told you because I’m dreading it ... Next week I need to go to London to do some training, and when that’s done I need to go straight to San Francisco for another client. There was a time I’d be excited about seeing these places. Now -- I just want to be at home spending time with you.”

“I understand. I haven’t told you this because I wasn’t sure how you’d take it. I was speaking to Kyle the other day. You remember him.”

“From Walnut Street -- of course, I remember him.”

“Kyle is looking for someone to be administrator for our fulfillment tracking system.”

“Our system? Administrator? I trained your system admin.”

“It turns out he didn’t like the system -- he thinks it’s too complicated. He found a job with another firm, and he’s given his notice. I put a bug in Kyle’s ear that you might be a good candidate. You know the system inside and out, Janet.”

“I sold it to them, so yeah, I guess I do.”

“Walnut Street is a good company, with good benefits. Your hours would be regular, travel would be minimal, we could carpool and we could go back to having lunch together.”

“Hmmm...”

“If you’d like we could swing by there and you can speak with Kyle about it. Then, we could have lunch together at the apartment before going back to our respective offices.”

“Okay, I’ll speak to Kyle about it,” Janet said.

Janet lay on her bed in her pink satin tap pants and tank. She lay on her stomach, engrossed in her novel, and didn’t hear Eva entering.

She felt a hand on her calf. Startled, she looked over her shoulder. Eva was sitting on the bed in her sleep tee, caressing her leg. “You surprised me,” Janet said.

Eva ran her hand up Janet’s leg and caressed the back of her thigh. “I can’t believe how taut your thighs are,” she remarked. “Not a dimple or a ripple.”

“You’ve got mighty nice legs, too,” Janet replied.

“Not as taut and firm as yours.”

“Did you finish watching your program?” Janet asked.

“Yeah ... I don’t know why you don’t like Big Bang Theory.”

“I don’t think how they portray nerdy people is fair or funny. After all, I’m a nerdy person -- I kind of take offense. Besides, I don’t care for sitcoms in general.”

“What do you like to watch?” Eva asked.

“Not much. The news maybe or documentaries. I’d rather read. The theatre in my mind is more vivid than anything on TV.” She folded down the corner of a page, set the book on her nightstand and rolled onto her back. Eva began caressing the inside of her thigh. “You didn’t tell me if you heard from Larry.”

“I did. He faxed over a draft of a settlement agreement. It gives me what I expected -- basically, a whole lot of nothing. It does include transfer of the title to the car. He told me that Rob will accept it. So, in the morning I stop at Larry’s office and sign some documents. Then, it’s only a matter of dealing with the formalities.” Eva ran her hand along Janet’s hip. “You didn’t tell me,” she asked, “how your conversation went with Kyle.”

“Well ... We discussed the position and the responsibilities and the salary. I expressed interest. He gave me a verbal offer and I gave him a verbal acceptance. The formal offer will be coming in the mail, contingent on Kirk interviewing me.”

“Kirk insists on personally vetting everyone his firm hires,” Eva replied. “Don’t sweat it. He interviewed me and gave me the green light. I’m sure he’ll approve of you.”

“I explained to Kyle that I’d be out of town for a period of time, but that didn’t seem to bother him. I also told him, in the interim, if anyone needed some system help, I’d be happy to provide it on an informal basis, to the best of my ability from where ever I happen to be.”

“Did you tell them at your office?”

“Yes, I gave my notice. However, I still am committed to the upcoming training.”

“What could they do? Fire you?”

“Probably not,” Janet replied. “But I agreed to do this and I honor my commitments. Kyle, by the way, liked hearing that.”

“I imagine.”

“Salary is ... about the same. Benefits are better.” She kissed Eva below her neck. “I have one fringe benefit I’m happy about.”

“Mmm ... I’m pleased. It’s a good bunch at that office. I get along with them all.”

“You can get along with anyone, Eva.”

Eva ran her hand up Janet’s thigh and under the fabric of her tap pants. She stroked Janet’s smooth mons. Then, Eva lay atop her and they kissed. Eva thrust her tongue between Janet’s lips and Janet responded by exploring Eva’s mouth with her own. “Something on Big Bang Theory make you horny?” Janet asked.

“Seeing your legs made me horny,” Eva replied. She lifted her sleep shirt over her head and then lifted Janet’s tank from her.

“You know, we both have to go to work tomorrow,” Janet said.

“I know. I can’t get enough of you. I always sleep better after we make love.”

“MMM ... So do I.” The two women lay facing each other, trading kisses and caressing each other’s breasts. “You have the sexiest nipples,” Janet remarked as she fondled Eva’s. “And I love how you touch mine.”

Eva moistened her finger on her tongue and then slid her hand under the waistband of Janet’s tap pants. Janet felt the soft pad of Eva’s finger against her clitoral shaft. “Mmm ... That feels good,” she said.

Sexual tension began to build in Janet’s pelvis. She continued stroking Eva’s breasts and looking into her dark brown eyes. “Care for some sixty-nine?” Eva asked.

“Mmm ... Good idea.” Janet lifted her hips so Eva could slide her tap pants off. Then, Eva stripped off her briefs. Janet lay on her back, her thighs spread and the soles of her feet touching.