“Did you get the passes Brody sent you?”
“Yes, right here. I’m gonna have to get off the phone. I need to contact my lawyer.”
“Divorce paperwork?”
“Yeah, Ava, sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m an adult. And a lawyer. Well, almost. I’m an hour away. Can I stop over? We can ride together.”
“Sure thing. Love you. See you soon.”
I go over the paperwork and am in shock based on the fact that nothing I asked to be added was. However, alimony was removed, which is like a fucking trojan horse to someone who knows his way around a Trojan. She told me the paperwork was all set, that I’d be happy with it.
“Bones, is there more to this than I’m seeing? She’s accepting half a million dollar settlement, no alimony. This is too cut and dry. Links Construction isn’t mentioned. LLGI isn’t mentioned. I want this looked into. She isn’t getting half a million and not signing off the businesses.”
“What do you think she’s up to?” he asks suspiciously.
“No fucking clue, but she’s in bed with a lawyer who happens to be a politician, so who the fuck knows? Can you get Dad on the phone? I need to see what he’s heard, if anything.”
?
I am still sitting at my desk, waiting for Dad’s return call, when Ava walks in.
“Hi, Daddy. Let me see the paperwork.”
“Ava, this isn’t something I want you involved in, okay?” I stand and hug her.
“I’m a lawyer, Dad. I just want to see it.”
“Conflict of interest. Meaning I don’t want you conflicted. It’s between Mom and me, all right?”
“No.” She walks up, sits on the edge of the desk, and tries to grab the papers in front of me.
“Ava.”
“Dad?”
I am trying to come up with some way of shifting the conversation when she stands and takes off her jacket.
“Christ, Ava, where is the rest of that shirt?”
“It’s awholeshirt, Daddy.” She rolls her eyes.
I nod, trying to think of how thefuckto respond. “Isn’t the kindergarten student you stole that shirt from a little upset?”
Bones laughs.
“No, Daddy. Actually, the nuns at the Catholic school I borrowed it from happen to be very nice. Then the lady at the sexy lingerie store helped me pick out a matching thong and bra. If you wanna see it, I posted it on Instagram.”
Bones is rolling, and if she wasn’t my kid, I would have probably laughed, too.But she is.
I stand up and grab my phone. “Let’s you and I go shopping.”
“Give it a rest, Dad. I look good, don’t I, Bones?” She winks at him.
“Ava!”
“I’ll let you take me shopping if you let me look at the paperwork.”