Acquisition

She peered through the peephole and saw a blonde woman that stood smiling. The woman even waved in greeting when she saw the peephole darken slightly.

"Hi!" the woman chirped when Kaitlin opened the door. "Kaitlin? Oh, I know, you probably don't remember me, I went to St. Thomas with you, well, not with you, I was like two grades ahead of you, no, wait, only one grade, yeah, one grade but anyway, hi, how are you?"

"Um, I'm uh I'm fine," Kaitlin stammered, swinging the door wide open, blinking in the late afternoon sun.

"Damn, shut the door, huh? Letting all the cold in," Hillary complained.

"Anyway, Kaitlin, my God, what happened to you? Put on a couple of pounds there, huh? Oh well, having kids will do that to you, am I right?" Theresa continued.

"I uh, don't have any..." Kaitlin said, beginning to get annoyed with this woman.

"And, you've been served," Theresa said, handed Kaitlin a manila envelope, quickly snapped her photograph and scampered down the stairs.

"I've been..." Kaitlin wondered, looking at the manila envelope in her hand.

"God damn, what, huh? Cold as a mother... Oh shit, that what I think..." Hillary said.

"I've been served," Kaitlin mumbled, looking at the envelope.

"Aw no, no, this ain't fucking happening," Hillary said, pulling Kaitlin into the apartment and closing the door.

They sat at the kitchen table, reading through the documents. Kaitlin understood the papers in her hands, she just could not comprehend that Tommy was actually seeking a divorce from her. She felt absolutely numb as she looked at the pages.

"Infidelity," Hillary said.

"What?" Kaitlin asked dumbly.

"He's claiming infidelity," Hillary pointed out.

"Well, his lawyer's an ass hole; this is a no fault state, all we need is..." Kaitlin mumbled looking where Hillary was pointing.

"Don't you have to have proof of... Oh holy fucking shit," Hillary gasped.

"Well, yeah but even with... Oh holy fucking shit he can play that in court," Kaitlin gasped.

"He does that..." Hillary moaned.

At his home, Parker Johnson smirked as Erica, his twenty nine year old wife staggered down the hall, zapped on several drinks and a few pills. She was an empty headed blonde with pneumatic breasts and a willing womb. So far, they'd managed to have two daughters and she thought she might be pregnant again. It was hard to tell, though. Her periods were often sporadic due to her diet method of binge eating, and then purging.

"Meester Parker, where you wife, eh?" Sandra, the Latin nanny they'd hired asked, smiling as she unzipped her skirt.

"She's down the hall, why?" Parker smiled, and then cursed as his cell phone rang.

"God damn it, what now?" Parker sighed as he saw Kaitlin's phone number in the display.

Chapter 8

Parker Johnson sighed, not bothering to disguise his annoyance with Kaitlin Monroe. He had already determined, and his brother Brandon Johnson agreed, that when her internship was over, Johnson, Johnson and Lambert would not be offering Kaitlin Monroe an Associate Position with their firm. As prestigious as the name Monroe might be, so far, Kaitlin had proven to be a huge disappointment.

Parker's sigh stopped Kaitlin in mid-sentence and she looked at her supervisor. Parker was busily staring at the ceiling. Then she looked at Parker's Administrative Assistant; she never could remember the girl's name, and the red head with the obviously surgically enhanced breasts was just staring at her stenographer's pad, waiting for Kaitlin to continue.

"I, uh, is there something wrong?" Kaitlin finally asked.

"Ms. Monroe, I graduated third in my class, third out of two hundred and ninety three," Parker said flatly.

"Wow," Debbie Dees, Parker's AA said, noticeably impressed.

"That's um, that's truly..." Kaitlin agreed.

"So why in God's name do you think I'm stupid?" Parker asked.

"I uh, I don't uh, Mr. Johnson; I don't think you're stupid," Kaitlin stammered, blushing hotly.

"You must," or you wouldn't keep wasting my time or the firm's time with these stories of yours," Parker said forcefully, causing both Debbie and Kaitlin to shrink back.

"One more time, Ms. Monroe, one more time," Parker snarled, his anger becoming visible. "Why. Is. Tommy MacElroy. Divorcing. You? Why has he filed a restraining order against you and against Hillary and Patricia Monroe?"

He stood up and Debbie dutifully got to her feet as well. Parker turned and looked out the window at his 1972 Corvette.

The automobile was a beast; he could push the accelerator down and watch the speedometer go up and the gas gauge go down in almost perfect synchronization. His wife had offered a rare opinion when he brought it home; she had asked if it was a practical car with two children; there was no back seat.

"Ms. Monroe, would you feel more comfortable? Would it help if it was just you and me in here, no Debbie?" Parker asked, trying to be a little more compassionate.

"I can leave if you'd like," Debbie offered, smiling to Kaitlin.

"Or maybe it's me, huh?" Parker asked. "Brandon says I can be a little overbearing. Would you prefer to just, you and Debbie, just the two of you having a chat?"

Since Kaitlin held Debbie in very low esteem, she didn't see how it would help to have the girl leave the room. And the thought of having to sit in the room with just the red head didn't encourage her much either.

Kaitlin closed her eyes and prayed to a deity she had very little regard of for help.

"He caught me fucking that cop, the one he killed," Kaitlin admitted. "It was me and my sister and a couple of guys n and he walked in and caught us."

"Finally," Parker thought as he watched Debbie's chest wiggle and wobble as she jotted down Kaitlin's words.

"And the restraining order?" he prompted when it became apparent that Kaitlin would not be more forthcoming.

"I uh, me and my mother and my sister? We been trying to get him to drop the charges against Chad and Jeffrey," Kaitlin went on, still holding her eyes shut.

Again, Parker had to prompt for more information.

"And why were Chad and Jeffrey trying to rob Mr. MacElroy?" he asked. "Surely, since you all divided up your late father's insurance there was no need for the, what, two hundred and sixty nine dollars in that bag?"

"They uh, Kaitlin's face went beet red and Parker smirked; she still had her eyes tightly clamped shut.

"They uh, they weren't after the bag," she admitted. "They were after Tommy's phone; it had the video of me and Jack fucking and..."

"Do you have a copy of that video?" Parker asked, mildly wondering how much redder Kaitlin's face could get.

"No, no, we uh, we were hoping to get to it before he had time to download it," Kaitlin said, finally opening her eyes and looking over at Debbie who was scribbling on her pad.

At his office, Donald Pellichet chuckled as he saw Parker's office phone number on his display.

"Donald Pellichet here," he intoned.

"Oh, of course, we'll be happy to share that video with you," Donald confirmed the existence of the video.

He waited for a beat.

"At the mediation," he continued.

"You cannot withhold..." Parker sputtered, enraged that the black man, and therefore, inferior man, in Parker's eyes, would not immediately acquiesce to his demands.

"Tell you what, Mr. Johnson, you have your client divulge all financial records, including her inheritance from the late Harold Monroe's estate and we'll send you a copy of..." Donald said and suddenly found himself speaking to a dial tone.

Kaitlin again wondered why, since she knew she would be receiving an offer to join Johnson, Johnson and Lambert at the end of the semester, why she was not allowed to use the third office that had been vacated when Sonny Lambert had been dismissed. She looked at the other intern, a smart, energetic and completely flat chested girl and smirked.

Both Johnson brothers had a real penchant for women with large breasts which meant that Frances DeSalvo, no matter how hard she worked, would be flat out of luck.

Kaitlin giggled to herself at her pun; the flat girl would be flat out of luck. Then she frowned as her phone rang again. The number was for TAB Properties; they'd called her three times already, letting her know that Tommy MacElroy had not paid that month's rent.

"Yes?" she asked in a peeved voice.

Frances looked up; annoyed. Parker Johnson had let them know he frowned on them receiving personal calls or sending out text messages while they were on his time. In fact, it was his policy that they leave their cell phones in their automobiles while they were at the office.

"Fine, damn it," Kaitlin snapped, ended the call and got to her feet.

Kaitlin did not bother to 'lock' her computer, which Parker insisted be done, even for bathroom visits, didn't even bother closing out the files she was researching, just walked out of the cramped cubicle toward Parker's office.

Kaitlin seriously considered ignoring the restraining order and driving down to Clark's Drive-In to thrash Tommy MacElroy. She and her mother had purposefully gotten everything in her name so that Tommy would be dependant on her, so that Tommy would know who was in charge. But the thought that he had not paid that month's rent truly rankled Kaitlin.

"Need to go on break," Kaitlin informed Debbie, Parker's AA.

"Break's at three thirty," Debbie said, not looking up from her On-line game.

"I'm not asking..." Kaitlin hissed at the imbecile and lumbered out of the office.

"Where the hell does she think she's going?" Parker asked.

"Break," Debbie answered, thrusting her chest out for his benefit.

"Break?" Parker asked, pursing his lips tightly.

At First DeGarde Bank, Kaitlin waited for the teller to print out the check for that month's rent, plus the late fees the management company was charging.

"I cannot believe," Kaitlin hissed to herself, incensed that Tommy was causing her such inconveniences.

At the TAB Properties office, Anita Sanchez pleasantly accepted the check, not divulging to Kaitlin Monroe that she had been in the process of filing an Eviction Notice.

"Ma'am?" Anita asked as Kaitlin lurched toward the door.

"Yes?" Kaitlin asked the flunky behind the desk.

"In the future, if you're going to be late, please just call the office and let us know; we'll be happy to work something out with you," Anita said.

Kaitlin did not answer, just left the office.

"Bitch, Anita muttered under her breath and hit 'Cancel' on the Eviction Notice.

Kaitlin did not bother going back to the office; just drove to her apartment.

Inside, the apartment's heat was on full force, rendering the small quarters almost stifling. There was a foul odor from the several fast food restaurant boxes and bags that covered the counter. The small kitchen garbage can was overflowing. Kaitlin resolved to clean up; the smell was getting to be too much even for her.

But first Kaitlin poured herself a drink, a stiff cola and whiskey.

After the third such drink, she no longer felt up to gathering together all the bags and boxes and no longer felt like braving the frigid cold outside.

In front of the apartment building, the mailman used one of his keys to open the rear of the mailboxes and made quick work of stuffing the mail into the corresponding boxes. He grimaced in empathy as he spotted the St. Elizabeth Utilities Company's envelope for Apartment 2A; it had the red rim around the envelope, meaning it was that recipient's last warning.

St. Elizabeth Utilities sent the first bill out in an envelope with a cheerful yellow rimmed envelope. A week later, if they'd not received payment either by mail or on-line, they would send out their blue rimmed envelope with a friendly little note that said 'we're blue that you may have forgotten about us.'

The red rimmed one went out as a final warning; in two days time the utilities would be shut off. Then that customer would have to pay the existing charges plus late fees and am reconnection fee to have their utilities turned back on.

As it was, whoever K. Monroe was, he or she would have to pay late fees. The mailman smiled as he put a clothing catalogue into the slot for the really cute girl that lived in Apartment 3A. He'd met Angela Brandt a few times and she always flirted with him. He was married, very happily married, but it was still a bit of an ego boost to have such a cutie pie flirt with him.

As if she knew he was there, Angela appeared next to him.

"Hi there, handsome," Angela said. "Please tell me you don't have any more bills for me; I just do not need any more bills."

"Nope; whatever this is," he smiled and handed her a flat package and her catalogue.

"Oh, I bet, yes! See? It's from Japan," she said excitedly. "It's a CD of all these wild ass dance songs."

"See you, man it's cold out here, huh?" she chirped and dashed up the stairs.

It was the music booming through the floor above her that roused Kaitlin from her drunken slumber.

The foul stench again assailed her nostrils and Kaitlin had a splitting headache on top of her discomfort. The heater was still running at full blast and she could barely breathe in the stifling heat.

Kaitlin turned the knob of the thermostat down to eighty degrees and the heater finally whined to a stop. Then she dug out a large black plastic bag and swept all the fast food containers into the bag.

A few hundred roaches scurried out from underneath the refuse and Kaitlin screamed in indignity and cursed Tommy MacElroy.

"God damn, guess I'm going to have to make two fucking trips," Kaitlin cursed and dragged the first bag out of the apartment.

On the way back from the dumpster, Kaitlin checked the mail, saw the envelope from St. Elizabeth Utilities and fought down the urge to scream in rage. Tommy had not bothered to pay the Electric bill either.

She snarled in rage when she saw the four hundred and forty seven dollar and eighteen cent charge.

"Oh, that mother fucker is going to pay for this fucking shit," Kaitlin vowed as she stomped up the stairs.

The second trip to the dumpster over, Kaitlin fixed a fourth drink, and then realized she was starving. Kaitlin did not bother checking the refrigerator; there had been no food in there earlier.

"Aw, who the fuck?" Kaitlin snarled as a knock sounded at her door.

"Hey Girl," Hillary, her younger sister said and wrinkled her nose at the odor of the apartment. "Shit, tried calling you, goes to that 'we're sorry but the number you've called is no longer in service' shit; you're phone not working?"

"You. Are. Fucking. Kidding. Me," Kaitlin screamed in rage.

At the diner, Tommy and Nancy traded their usual banter back and forth as they worked the grill.

"I got to tell you, you are looking a lot better these days," Nancy commented.

"Yeah, losing three hundred pounds will do that for you," Tommy said and looked up as they both heard Kizzy slam into a wall.

"Baby, you okay?" Nancy asked, helping the girl to her feet.

"Did he just say...?" Kizzy whispered to Nancy while rubbing her shoulder where she had smacked into the wall.

"What?" Nancy asked, looking at the floor to make sure Kizzy had not slipped in any spilled soda or other hazards.

"Did he say he's getting a divorce?" Kizzy whispered hotly.

Said he lost three hundred..." Nancy agreed, determining that there was nothing on the floor that would have caused Kizzy to slip.

"Shit!" Kizzy squealed. "Now I forgot what them guys wanted!"

"What was that all about?" Tommy asked as Kizzy whizzed back out to the frigid air.

"Don't know," Nancy admitted.

The two customers laughed good-naturedly and repeated their order, Kizzy dashed back into the kitchen and yelled her order and managed to stop in front of the soda machine without crashing.

Tommy started to prepare the burgers and frowned as his cell phone chirped.

"Need to get that?" Nancy asked, ready to take over.

Yeah, it's my mom," Tommy agreed.

Order up!" Nancy yelled as Tommy made his way to the small office.

What's up, Mom?" he asked.

"Your mother in law just called me; how much you think that Mr. Pellichet charge get me a restraining order? I swear, the language that woman used! And she calls herself a Christian? I hardly think so," his mother said.

Before she could take a breath, Tommy asked, "What did she want?"

"Something about you haven't paid any bills and I was like 'why should he pay any bills?He doesn't live there any more' and she said..." Gladys replied.

"Mom, I am so sorry you had to put up with that; I'll talk to Mr. Pellichet tomorrow," Tommy promised.

I mean, I expect Kaitlin to be a foul mouthed little hussy and let me tell you, she hasn't disappointed me yet; that's for sure," Gladys went on.

Tommy let his mother talk for another three minutes. Three minutes might not sound like a lot of time, unless you're the one being held hostage on a cell phone, but Tommy smiled as Nancy stuck her head in the door of the office. He made a 'yak-yak' motion with his hand and she smiled back, nodded in understanding and left.

Mom, Mom, I am at work, okay?" Tommy finally gently reminded her.

Oh, okay, I swear, you and your father; working so much is what killed him, you know," Gladys said.

Love you Mom, see you wow, see you in three hours," Tommy said and ended the call.

Any man's good to his momma's a good man," Nancy said as she slapped a unhealthy amount of chili on to a bun.

"Uh huh, who's that for?" he asked, not seeing any of the waitresses around.

"Me," Nancy admitted, sliding two patties onto the bun.

"Thought you were on that Weight Watcher's stuff?" Tommy asked.

"Uh huh and fucking starving to death too," Nancy said and ate half the burger in two bites.

"Damn, chew huh?" Tommy chided her. "Take your time, chew it ten times on each side bet you'd get filled up a lot faster."

"Hey, Tommy, chew on this, huh?" Nancy said and stuck her quite plump rear end at him.

"Wow, feed a family of four on that one, huh?" Tommy teased her and watched as Theresa came barreling in, laden down with trays.

"Aw you ass hole," Nancy laughed and finished her burger.

"Shame about Melinda, huh?" Nancy asked as she stepped back behind the grill.

Yeah, hate whenever we lose one, especially a good one," Tommy agreed.

Chapter 9

Conference Room C in Johnson, Johnson & Lambert was were the two parties met; Donald knew that this had been a power play on Parker's part but shrugged.

"That's fine, let him pay for the coffee and bagels," he smiled at Ethel Youngblood, his receptionist.

"Wear your green tie," Ethel reminded him.

He laughed.

"I am so glad Penny decided to hire you," he told her.

"Uh huh or you'd have never met my momma, right?" Ethel agreed.

In Conference Room C, Parker, Debbie, Kaitlin, and Patricia Monroe sat and waited; Donald had known, if they had arrived ten minutes early, Parker would make them wait until ten minutes after ten before ushering them into the conference room. So, he tried to time it so that they would arrive at ten oh one.

"And you make sure he drops the charges against your brothers; I cannot believe...." Patricia hissed at Kaitlin.

At ten oh two, Cindy St. George, the firm's lobby area receptionist, knocked smartly on the door then opened it. Parker rose to his feet, his face mirroring his annoyance.

His annoyance dissolved into confusion as four females, dressed in dark business suits entered, then two young men dressed in dark suits entered, pushing a cart with a television set and DVD player.

"What is..." Parker asked as the females took seats at the tables and the two men found an outlet and hooked up the television.

Then Ethel dressed in dark business jacket and skirt, with a dark green blouse entered and finally Donald Pellichet and Tommy MacElroy entered, both dressed in dark suits with dark green ties.