The sound of my door bell woke me from a restless sleep. Grabbing my favorite white terry cloth bath robe I half stumbled to the window. Barry's car was parked at the curb. I tied my robe closed over my flannel PJ's and slowly walked down the stairs.
"Were you still in bed?" Barry asked as I opened the door.
"Good morning to you too." I snapped back at him
He stepped inside and turned to face me as I closed the door and leaned against it.
"Margaret you look like shit." He remarked.
I frowned at his rude comment then offered. "I just woke up and haven't done anything with my hair." I said trying to comb it with my fingers.
"What's up with your hair?" He asked staring at my blonde locks.
I half smiled at him then replied. "Well so much is changing in my life I figured I'd change that too."
"I think it makes you look like a whore." He smirked.
My smile disappeared as I replied. "I don't give a rat's ass what you think."
As he turned and began walking toward the kitchen I asked. "Speaking of whores...how's yours treating you?"
Barry stopped in his tracks and turned to again face me. His complexion brightened to a crimson red as he shot back. "She's got more passion in her little finger then you have in your whole fucking body."
I wanted to keep him pissed off so I asked. "Did you schedule her boob job yet?"
Barry was never one to back down and instantly shot back. "Nope, I tired of big floppy tits like you've got Margaret."
I wanted to tell him that those big floppy tits were gonna earn me a ton of cash but bit my tongue and instead asked. "So why the hell are you here anyway?"
"Came for the rest of my stuff." He answered as he turned and began walking toward the garage.
"Good." I answered. "Once that pile of shit is outta my garage you won't ever have to come back here again."
"Don't be so sure." He answered then added. "I may want the house in the divorce settlement."
I was somewhat surprised at his comment. I had assumed he'd agree to almost anything to avoid a messy divorce and the implications that would have on his status with the firm.
But I angrily replied. "You've got a snow ball's chance in hell of getting this house."
"We'll see about that." He said as he picked up the first two boxes of his stuff and headed down the driveway.
"Close the garage door before you leave." I shouted at him then closed and locked the kitchen door.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I stood in the kitchen watching him load his belongings into his trunk then drive off. Barry and I had such a good marriage up until a few months ago. It almost seemed impossible that it could vanish in such a short time. I suppose my tears were an admission that our relationship was really over and that fact hurt almost as much as the fact that we were both cheating on each other for a long time.
I brewed a pot of coffee and after pouring myself a cup sat down and started up my laptop. Of course the first thing I checked was my email. Big Daddy had replied to my report from the night before.
The subject line read "Good Job!"
He wrote. "Angel I knew you would succeed in promoting the company to the Senator Elect. I expect your efforts will bring lots of new clients with very expensive tastes. To show my appreciation I'll be adding a marketing bonus to your pay envelope this week. Take a day off and relax I'll email you in the next day or so with details of your next appointment."
As I closed my email and shut down the lap top my thoughts returned to Barry's threat that he may want to take the house. A day without an appointment would give me time to meet with an attorney.
The coffee was doing its job and I began thumbing through the yellow pages looking for a firm to represent me. After four or five pages of very expensive full page ads a small ad caught my eye. It was for a female lawyer named Laura Stevens. What caught my eye was the phrase "Winning is the only option."
As I dialed the number I wondered if Laura could win a divorce case against the mega firm my ex would bring to the table.
"Good morning Laura Stevens speaking." A female voice answered.
I replied. "Good morning my name is Margaret Jacobs. I'm looking for a lawyer to represent me in a divorce action."
"Divorce cases are my specialty." She replied.
"Good when can I come in to talk with you?" I asked.
"Let me see....How is two this afternoon?" Laura asked.
"Two is fine see you then." I answered before hanging up.
I ate a late breakfast did a load of laundry then dressed in an ultra-conservative navy blue business suit for my appointment with Laura.
Her office is in the low rent district downtown and on the second floor of a building that must be over a hundred years old. The place smelled old and looked worn out. As I approached the door I noticed her name with the title Attorney at Law below printed on a sheet of white paper and taped to the inside of the door.
I opened the door and stepped inside. The reception area if you can call it that had only two wooden chairs against the far wall. No receptionist and not even a sign to have a seat. I assumed the chairs were for clients so I sat down and waited.
I recognized Laura's voice coming from the office down a short hall. She was apparently on the phone with another client so I waited patiently.
"Hello you must be Margaret." Laura said as she stepped past me from the hall.
"Yes, and you're Laura?" I asked.
"Pleased to meet you." She said extending her hand.
I stood up as we shook hands and she motioned to the hall with her free hand. "Let's talk for a little." She suggested as we walked to her office.
Laura looked young, very young. Her shoulder length straight hair was parted in the middle of her head. She was wearing slacks and a blue long sleeve sweater. A matching blazer hung loosely over the back of her desk chair.
"Have a seat." She said as she sat down behind her desk and flipped to a clean sheet of paper on the legal pad on her desk.
"Let me tell you about myself." Laura offered
"Okay." I replied wondering all kinds of things about this youthful attorney.
She began. "I passed the bar four years ago and after law school took a position with the local women in crisis bureau."
"I see." I said.
"After two years of constant work filing PFA's I decided to start my own firm. None of the large firms in the area were interested in an attorney without any trial experience." Laura offered.
"So how many divorce cases have you handled since starting your own firm." I asked.
Laura paused for a moment then admitted. "I've handled three."