*Author's Note: Any and all persons engaging in any sexual activity are at least eighteen years of age.
*****
Chapter 31
Toni Delacroix looked across the street as a Superior Lawn Care, LLC truck pulled to a stop at the empty lot. She did not envy the men; the wind blowing off of the Atchafalaya had to be bone chilling cold.
"Oh, Mama, y'all get cold y'all just come on over here and I'll warm you up," Cheryl, a heavy set woman in her early thirties moaned as the two men got out of the truck and began unloading their equipment.
"Damn, Cheryl, like want a moment alone?" Toni giggled as she double-checked the box's contents with the order form.
"Oh yeah, give me a moment alone with both of them," Cheryl said.
"Um, like think your husband might like mind just a little?" Toni asked, dropped the order form into the box and sealed it, slapping the UPS label on the box.
"Uh huh, if he can get away from his mommy long enough," Cheryl sneered. "And of course, since it's the Holidays? Mommy's Boy is over there almost every night."
The men made quick work of the land across the street and next to the building of A and A Soaps. Then one of the men smiled and nodded toward the A and A Soaps building before getting out a leaf blower and clearing off the parking lot of A and A Soaps.
Toni had no idea who owned Superior Lawn Care, LLC, but the first time the truck had 14pulled up to the lot across the street, they'd gotten some of the grass clippings onto the parking lot. She called the phone number on the side of the truck and a very friendly but professional woman answered.
"Uh, yeah, like your truck was just here and they like got weeds all over my parking lot," Toni had snapped.
"Oh, ma'am, I am so sorry; I will have them go right back out there and clean that up," the woman apologized.
If the men resented Toni complaining, it did not show. They did indeed return a moment later, blew the entire parking lot clean, then one of them stuck his head in and asked if someone would check their work and then call their office and let them know the job was completed.
"I'm like sorry but..." Toni had stammered as she stepped outside.
"Oh no ma'am, you were right, that was completely unprofessional of us," the man said genially.
"Uh, yeah, it looks great," Toni had stammered, pulled out her cell phone and called the number a second time.
Now, Superior Lawn Care, LLC made sure A and A Soaps parking lot was clean before they reloaded their trailer and truck and left for their next assignment.
"Superior Lawn Care, this is Maggie, how may I help you?" Maggie Cox, former dancer and part time prostitute answered.
"Hi, this is Toni Delacroix, like from A and A Soaps," Toni said.
"Yes ma'am?" Maggie asked pleasantly.
"Your guys were like just here, and as usual, they like did a really great job," Toni said.
Maggie thanked Toni, and then let Anita Lopez know. Anita looked up from her homework and nodded, letting Maggie know she'd heard her.
When Anita had walked away from her relationship with Toni Delacroix, she had simply walked away and left everything but her clothing behind.
Anita did think, briefly, of moving back into the trailer that her mother Louisa and her mother's boyfriend, Luther Knox rented. That idea was out of her head before she reached Highway 52.
Anita lived in one of the rooms of the DeGarde Inn. Her first night there, she had to call the desk and request two more pillows. Two pillows for her head, and one for her to hug to her chest and one to entwine her leg around, just as she did with Toni while they slept.
Even today, there were four pillows on Anita's queen sized bed.
Two weeks after their split, Anita received a phone call from their attorney, Sophia Coutre, and agreed to come to the woman's office after class.
Walking into the woman's office, Anita saw Toni for the first time in two weeks.
"You, uh, you having been in class," she said quietly.
"Like what's the point," Toni said and looked up.
Her beautiful blue eyes were red and raw looking, her pretty round face was blotchy, her curly blonde hair was lifeless.
"What's the point? Toni, we're making straight as," Anita had spluttered.
Sophia Coutre picked that moment to enter the room. For the next forty minutes, she presented documents, Anita signed them, Toni signed them and Polly Chastaine, a pudgy young woman with a severe looking hairstyle stamped them. Anita understood she was relinquishing her rights to a and A Soaps. That was fine; she had never considered the business as hers anyway.
Finally, when her head was aching from the legal jargon and her hand was tired of scribbling 'Anita Michelle Lopez,' Sophia Coutre slid three checks over to her.
"What's this?" Anita asked Toni.
It was Sophia that answered.
"Half the equity in the condominium that you and Ms. Delacroix purchased, half the equity in the building currently held by A and A Soaps, and half the current value of A and A Soaps," Sophia intoned.
The three checks totaled nearly five hundred thousand dollars. Anita looked across the table and she saw that Toni was silently crying.
"I love you so..." Toni whispered. "You're like the best friend I ever had."
"Then why are you doing this, Toni?" Anita asked, her own tears beginning to fall. "Huh? Why are you doing this to me? Why did you cheat on..."
Toni bolted from the room.
Sophia discretely slid a box of tissues, motioning to an uncomfortable Polly to keep silent.
"Any kind of break up is hard," Sophia said gently as Anita blew her nose.
"Yes ma'am," Anita said.
"Keep in touch, please," Sophia said as Anita got to unsteady feet. "Let me know how you're doing."
Anita's first purchase had been a condominium, a condominium right next door to Stacy Falgout, her real estate agent. Her second purchase had been a nine month old solid black kitten from St. Ann's Animal Shelter.
Anita's third purchase had been Superior Lawn Care, LLC.
"Barry, you're daughter's here," Jack had called out when a very nervous Anita came into the showroom of Superior Motors.
But Barry's smile had been genuine and Anita felt a few tears slide down her face.
"Daddy, I need your help," she said, hugging him tightly.
"Anything; you know that," he promised, kissing the top of her head.
But it had been Jack that found the equipment and Mr. Bob that had found the three trucks and their trailers.
It had been Mr. Henry that suggested that she make it a Limited Liability Corporation, rather than a sole proprietorship.
Sophia Coutre had smiled approvingly as she helped Anita set up the corporation. And Barry had smiled widely when Anita showed him that she'd named it Superior Lawn Care, after his business, Superior Motors.
Her first hire had been Maggie Cox, on the recommendation of Sophia Coutre.
