Same Old Truths (The Reluctant Avenger)

by Delora Dennis

  “Telephone, Kay. Line 2.”

  It’s probably Cory calling to complain about having to pick up the house.

  “Hey, Sis. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time,” Leslie said.

  Kay was delighted to hear her sister’s voice, but felt twinge of guilt. Leslie still didn’t know about the Dave and Sandy debacle. Kay knew she should have told her but in her current state she couldn’t bear being the recipient of Leslie’s inevitable (and justified) outrage.

  “Hey, yourself,” Kay said. “I’m glad you called. I wanted to remind you Mariah is leaving Friday for her summer visit with Dave.”

  “Is it that time already? Poor thing.” Leslie said with a laugh. “So I guess it’s just going to be you and Cory for the summer?”

  “More like, just me. Cory has a jam-packed schedule with summer honors classes and all the things she’s planned with her friends,” Kay said.

  “She’s really growing up, isn’t she?” Leslie said.

  “Yeah, and I don’t know how I feel about it. I mean, on the one hand it’s great to see her blossoming into a young adult. But then it hits me I’m losing my baby.” Kay said.

  “Aaaaww. Don’t kid yourself. She’ll always be your baby,” Leslie said.

  Kay swallowed the lump that had swelled in her throat.

  “So to what do I owe the honor of your call?” Kay said..

  “Well, I don’t know if you’re aware, but it’s been almost a year since you promised to come to a networking luncheon, and I’ve yet to see your pretty face grace one of our tables.”

  “I don’t know if you’re aware, but its been almost a year since you’ve invited me.” Kay responded.

  They both burst out laughing.

  “Well, I’m calling to invite you now. Is there any way you can make it this Friday? That social networking guy is making a return appearance by popular demand.”

  Kay knew Leslie was expecting to hear the usual excuses from her, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a much-needed diversion. She hoped surrounding herself with enthusiastic, self-assured women might just work on her like a tonic. And given the topic, she knew it would be an easy sell to Ed.

  “Sounds perfect,” Kay said truthfully. “I’m sure Ed will let me off. We’re still fumbling around with our own social networking. It’ll be good to pick up some tips and pass out some business cards.”

  “Seriously?” Leslie said. “You’re really coming?”

  “Sure. Anyway, how else am I going to get to see my little sister?” Kay said.

  “Ok. Great. We start at 11:30. Try to get there a little earlier so we can catch up.” Leslie said.

  “Will do. See you then.”

  “Hey, Kay,” Leslie said before Kay could hang up. “I’m really looking forward to seeing you.”

  “Me too, Kiddo.” Kay said softly. She was reminded how good it felt to be Leslie’s sister.

  Kay basked in the warmth of her familial comfort until the feelings were abruptly pushed away with Ed’s hurried appearance in her office. He was taking a shortcut on his way to the break room. From the far away look on his face, Kay knew there was no plan to acknowledge her.

  Even though she was scared, she knew she had to stop him before he sped out of the room; she might not get another chance.

  “Excuse me, Ed. Can I talk to you a sec?” Kay asked. She tried to hide the fear in her voice.

  Ed stopped, turned and looked at her as if she had just sprung up from out of the ground. His eyes retained their distant expression, but he gave her his practiced business-man smile and slowly approached her desk.

  Leaning down to her he said, “Sure Kay. What can I do for you?”

  He hadn’t been this close since that Saturday at Percolatté. The scent of his cologne was intoxicating and she found herself having to clear her throat, not once, but twice.

  Kay gave him a brief overview of her request to attend the luncheon and before she had a chance to sell him with all the beneficial details, Ed cut her off.

  “That’s fine. Just let Ruth know and make sure we can reach you on your cell.” He ended with another brief perfunctory smile and quickly went on his way.

  Kay was glad he’d given his permission for Leslie’s lunch, but crestfallen because he’d been so impersonal. She wondered how or if she’d ever be back in his good graces again.

  * * *

  A sharp pain shot through Kay’s twisting ankle as the spike of her heel found its way into a small hole in the pavement of the country club parking lot. She was late and Leslie was probably going to be pissed.

  If I didn’t know better, I’d think the Fates were trying to tell me something.

  Thirty minutes earlier she had run out of gas and her attempt to coast into the station on fumes had failed right at the entrance. Fortunately, a guy filling up his truck took pity on her and ran over to help push the car to the first available pump. With a sigh of relief, Kay slid her credit card in and out of the processor only to hear a loud beep along with a message that read “See Cashier Inside.”

  Kay got in back of a long line slowly inching up to pay the lone cashier for their gas. Some of these people were so happy to finally get their turn at the counter they greedily hung on to the coveted spot, taking their time ordering nasty-looking burritos, cigarettes, gum, lottery tickets and scratchers. Kay looked at the time on her cell phone and knew her catching up session with Leslie would have to wait until after the luncheon.

  Leslie, had been coordinating these business networking events for the last ten years and they’d turned out to be so successful Leslie had added two more groups.

  As she climbed the stairs to the dining room, ankle throbbing, Kay could already hear the enthusiastic cackling of women as they swapped business cards and pitched each other whatever new line of skin care, jewelry, purses, cookware or mortgage loans they were currently in business to sell.

  Kay signed in and pasted the “Hello I’m…” badge to her blouse and scanned the room in search of her sister. She spotted Leslie at the table-top podium preparing for the guest speaker. Kay started out for the safety of her familiar face. She had never been comfortable “schmoozing” with strangers.

  She was inching through the clusters of gabbing women when she heard, “Kay…is that you?” Kay spun around to see her old friend, Tina Chalmers, standing there, both arms held out in astonishment.

  “Oh. My. God!” Kay screamed just like a fifteen year old girl. She ran into Tina’s outstretched arms. They alternated between hugging, pushing back, looking at each other, screaming and then resuming the embrace.

  Tina Chalmers was a gorgeous, vivacious brunette with the bluest eyes Kay had ever seen. She had a sweet disposition and wicked sense of humor which had bonded them in friendship from the moment they’d met. Their relationship had thrived during and after Tina’s employment as the receptionist at Dave’s office. They had even been pregnant together, with her son Mark coming into the world only a couple of weeks ahead of Mariah. When Tina resigned to have her baby, Sandy was hired as her replacement.

  Kay often teased Tina about being the cause of her divorce. “It’s all your fault. If you hadn’t gone and gotten yourself pregnant, Dave would’ve never met Sandy,” But it was all said in fun. Kay and Tina would laugh, shake their heads and chalk everything up to the strange workings of the Fates.

  It was exactly those workings that allowed the two friends to drift apart, lose touch, and now come together again almost ten years later. It felt as if no time had passed.

  “You haven’t changed one bit,” Kay said. “It’s not fair.”

  “How about you?” Tina countered. “You’re as gorgeous as ever.”

  “Me? Have you looked in the mirror lately?” Kay said.

  “Ok. Ok. We can be here all day. Let’s just agree we’re both fabulous and get on with it,” Tina said.

  They both laughed and the familiarity felt good. After inquiring about their respective kids and marital status, they fil
led each other in on what they were doing to earn a living.

  “I’m a leasing agent for a property management company,” Tina said. “The hours are crazy but I really love it. How ‘bout you?”

  Kay’s face turned somber and she lowered her voice to a whisper. “I see dead people,” she said.

  The look of horror on Tina’s face told Kay the “dead” joke had, once again, missed its mark.

  She laughed and gave Tina a reassuring pat on the hand. “I’m kidding. I’m working as an apprentice funeral director.”

  “Oh, thank god,” Tina said with sigh of relief. “I thought maybe you’d lost your marbles since the divorce.”

  “Well, if I had, it’d be all your fault.” Kay retorted.

  They giggled again.

  “I’m dying to know more about your job…no pun intended. Sounds fascinating.” Tina said. “I’d ask you to sit here but our table is filled. How about after?”

  “No worries. My sister is holding a seat for me at her table anyway.” Kay said.

  They gave each other’s shoulders one last squeeze and let out a delighted squeal. Any concerns about omens from the Fates had now completely evaporated.

  The food was great, the speaker quite informative and Kay was able to exchange numerous business cards with a minimum of weird reactions. One woman, delighted to receive Kay’s card said she’d be calling to make an appointment to prearrange her father’s funeral.

  IF, Ed asks, I’ll have something good to report.

  As it turned out, there wasn’t going to be an opportunity for Kay and Leslie to do much visiting beyond their time together eating lunch. Leslie had to rush off for a dental appointment, but promised to call Kay that evening. Kay was disappointed but relieved she’d been spared (for the time being) having to answer any questions about the current status of her situation with Dave.

  With Leslie’s departure, Kay now had extra time to visit with Tina before getting back to work. The two sat happily chatting amid the noise of tables being cleared. When it was time to leave, they exchanged business cards and Tina made Kay promise to call for a lunch date as soon as possible. The two locked elbows as they walked together through the parking lot. Kay was so happy to be reunited with her old friend, she didn’t even feel the throbbing pain in her ankle. The Fates had brought them back together, and Kay couldn’t help but wonder, this time, where it would lead.

  18

  Intentional Hanky Panky?

  The people walking up to the office building turned their heads and stared as Kay skipped to her car with big, carefree strides - like a child on their way to recess. She didn’t care.

  The next time I see Leslie, she’s getting a big sloppy kiss.

  A few days earlier, during their catching-up phone call, Kay had finally come clean to Leslie. She’d braced herself for a blistering lecture, but instead was consoled by an outpouring of tender sympathy and support. Kay was ashamed she hadn’t given her sister the benefit of the doubt.

  “I’m sorry. You must get tired of seeing this movie, over and over again,” Kay cried.

  “Sure. Don’t you?” Leslie said, trying to make her bereft sister laugh. When she didn’t get the response she was looking for Leslie said, “Look, you’ve got to admit you learn something new each time you see it. Anyway, this replay stopped in the middle. Have you forgotten where the story goes next?”

  Kay blew her nose, thought for a minute. “Are you saying I should go back to the lawyer?”

  That was all Leslie needed to hear. She let loose her bossy little sister side and told Kay it was time for the amateurs to get out of the way and allow the experts to put things right.

  Kay vehemently protested on behalf of her pride and potential embarrassment; Leslie countered with a forceful reminder. “Judith Kline makes her living by dealing with the dirty details of divorce. I’d be willing to bet this isn’t anything she hasn’t seen a million times before - if not worse.”

  And with that, Leslie won the argument.

  Kay had felt compelled to be vague with Judith Kline’s receptionist about the reason for requesting an appointment. She didn’t know how she was going to explain her royal screw up. She needn’t have worried. Once she saw the welcoming, non-judgmental expression on her attorney’s face, the whole story came pouring out - Dave’s tearful plea, her agonizing deliberations, and her ultimate decision to come up with a new agreement. When she finished she presented the signed, notarized copy of the agreement for Judith’s review.

  The lawyer respectfully studied it then smiled at Kay - but not in a condescending way. “You may have missed your calling, Kay. As far as legal documents go, this looks pretty good.”

  “Don’t give me too much credit,” Kay said. “The internet can be a pretty amazing resource.”

  “I said it looked good…I didn’t say it was good.” Judith said. “Remember, the official decree is already on file with the court.”

  Kay could feel her cheeks getting hot. She knew how ludicrous the whole thing must seem to a real attorney.

  “I know, I know,” Kay said. “It’s just that I’ve been desperate to prove to myself and everyone else I’ve moved on - that the only thing I’m interested in is having a good working relationship with the father of my children. All I really ended up proving is I’m the same patsy Dave’s always been able to count on to give him what he wants. I’m just afraid if we continue to relate to each other on this disingenuous basis, we’re going to be frozen forever in that moment when he left me.”

  Kay turned her head; she needed a moment to get hold of her emotions. She looked out the window and spotted a cat crouching on a retaining wall. It was wiggling its butt in greedy anticipation of the moment it would pounce on an unsuspecting bird pulling a worm from the grass. The cat made its move and the bird and its worm were history. Kay sighed and looked back at Judith.

  “What it all comes down to, Judith, is I’m divorced and I need to start acting like it.“ She took a deep breath and declared, “It’s been brought to my attention there was a substantial bonus left out of Dave’s financial report to the court and I’m here to see what we can do about it.”

  Judith showed no visible reaction. It was almost as if she’d been expecting Kay’s news. “I’m not surprised, Kay. It’s very common for one spouse to conceal assets from the other. I see it in my practice all the time,” Judith said. “It’s good you came to see me when you did. In this state, there’s a time limit within which we’re able to seek post-judgment relief. I’m going to immediately petition the judge to set aside the decree until we can get verification of the bonus from Mr. Noland’s employer.”

  “And the agreement? I’m sure Dave’s going to argue that it’s binding.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about that,” Judith said. “Granted, it’s likely the judge isn’t going to be too happy about you taking matters into your own hands…again, but I think he’s going to be more concerned with this new information.”

  Kay felt a zap of panic as she remembered the judge’s contempt of court threat.

  Judith went on. “The legal presumption will be that the undisclosed asset was deliberately concealed. In cases like this, it’s not uncommon for 100% of the asset to be awarded to the injured party.”

  Well, if I’m thrown in jail, at least I’ll be able to make bail.

  “Of course, that is unless the presumption is overcome by the non-disclosing party,” Judith added.

  “What does that mean?” Kay asked.

  Judith laughed. “That means Dave and his lawyer are going to have to tap dance really fast if they’re going to convince the judge there was no intentional hanky panky.”

  But Kay couldn’t laugh. She still had unanswered concerns.

  “Would we be pushing it if we asked the judge to include the stipulations from my agreement into any new decree? I mean, with the exception of the deferment, of course,” Kay said. As much as she wanted to win, she didn’t want to lose Dave’s parental assistance.
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br />   Judith shook her head. “The court deals, primarily, with equitable distribution of assets, debts and child support. They don’t like to get in the middle of parenting issues. The judge will consider the matter of the bonus and anything else he’ll expect you to work out in mediation.”

  “You mean he’ll send us back?” Kay said, dismayed at the prospect of another face to face negotiation with Dave.

  “He will if we request it.” Judith said.

  Kay looked out the window again. The cat was back on the wall, licking its chops.

  “Fine,” Kay said. “If that’s what it takes to get something Dave won’t dare to screw with, then let’s do it.”

  Judith stood and extended her hand to Kay. “I’ll get started on our petition straight away. You’ll be hearing from me as soon as I know how the judge wants to proceed.

  Kay took Judith’s hand, hoping to impart her gratitude through a firm, but gentle, grasp. Judith seemed to understand. She gave Kay a look of reassurance. “Just know, Kay, you’re not the first person to go through something like this.” Then she chuckled. “If all divorcing couples were as reasonable as you, I’d probably be somewhere, bored out of my mind, practicing tax law.

  * * *

  Kay smiled at the small, colorful bouquet of fresh flowers she’d placed on the night stand next to Mariah’s bed. She took a couple of steps back to check her work and bumped into Cory standing in the doorway.

  “Really, Mom? Flowers?” Cory said. “She’s just coming home for the weekend. She’s not a guest at Kay’s Bed and Breakfast.”

  Kay ignored her daughter’s snippy remarks and adjusted the flower placement a couple-more times before she was satisfied.

  Cory continued to poke. “Hey, we learned a cool fanfare in band this year. Sounds good on the trumpet. Want me to play it when she gets here?”

  Kay refused to get pulled into Cory’s immature display of sibling rivalry. Just for good measure she smoothed imaginary wrinkles from Mariah’s comforter and fluffed her pillow one more time.

  “You’d have had flowers by your bedside too, if you’d gone to your dad’s like you were supposed to,” Kay said, without turning around.