Mister Red-Eyes brought coffee – and tea, thankfully – and shuffled out. Everyone sat once more. Arthur cleared his throat and opened his thick file. "Mr. Jones, our office has prepared a draft cross-petition for dissolution; our discussions today will help us populate your set of exhibits and apply to the court for the most advantageous division of property. The courts must find it equitable or the judge may order cash settlements. We should avoid that to be sure you retain personal control of your preferred properties. Bonnefoy, I believe I e-mailed you my recommendations this morning for your, ah, expert and more familiar review?"
"Yes, and you are as astute as always, Arthur." He turned to look at Jones. "Alfred, I knew I was putting your affairs into the best of hands. Though I sigh over the loss of your young love."
Arthur barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes.
"Uh. Yeah," Jones said. He shifted. "Which reminds me. Arthur, you said you could advise me on contacting Mariel? I just want to know what her real beef with me is, but she won't take my calls."
"Ah." Arthur donned his metaphorical psychologist hat once more. "In these cases it is not uncommon for the spouse who first seeks a divorce to draw away. Especially if the relationship was formerly friendly, or at least seemed friendly. This is a stressful time for her as well, I am sure, and confrontation can be painful."
"Oh." Jones frowned a little.
Arthur leaned forward and looked into Jones's eyes. "I'm afraid that if the proceedings do not go smoothly as to agreements on division of property, you may hear from her and you may not like what she has to say."
Jones had leaned forward too, drawn by Arthur's words, and at this he leaned back and barked a short laugh. "Ha! So formal. What you're saying is, she'll call to bitch at me."
Arthur allowed a small shrug. "I don't know either of you personally--" He swallowed. "Yet. Or much about your relationship. But I suggest you may want to give her some time."
"Good advice," Bonnefoy said with a nod.
"Further," Arthur continued. "Since she works with you and for you, you can perhaps use another manager as a go-between for business matters. On anything related to the dissolution, I can be that for you. Along with her attorney Mr. Schmidt."
"Thanks, Arthur." Jones beamed at him.
"Of course," Arthur said, feeling a twinge of guilt that he hadn't said this at their consultation. It was just that Jones had thrown him so off-kilter at that initial meeting -- or Arthur had let him. He’d just never suspected Jones might truthfully be so naive. He’d thought it perhaps affected, designed to put one's adversaries off-guard. And then he reminded himself that he was on Jones's side.
"Shall we get to business, then?" The suggestion came from Bonnefoy.
"Okay." Jones leaned forward and laced his fingers together atop the table. Arthur spared a brief glance for his nicely shaped hands.
"Very well," Arthur said. He pulled out more papers, bound into three paper-clipped stacks. He laid the three stacks on the table as he spoke.
"Here are my preliminary recommendations. These are the properties you owned wholly before marriage, and which I and your accountant Mr. Vash believe should remain in your control. This second stack consists of those properties she requests in her filing which I think you may not wish to contest. These include the properties she manages, except for--" he pulled one sheet from the stack. "--Americana, which you earlier indicated that you may be attached to. I'll add it to this third stack, which consists of properties to be discussed today. I depend upon you and H.F. to clarify or explain where you think these should go."
"That I can do." Jones picked up the second stack, the uncontested properties, and began to flip through them. "What are the final numbers? As in, what's considered an equitable division in this case? I can work backwards from that."
Simplistic, but direct. Arthur approved. "Well, she and her attorney have laid out a split of approximately fifty percent to you and fifty percent to your wife. I believe that was overly ambitious of them."
All Right, Tonight (Part 14/?)
"Yes, and you are as astute as always, Arthur." He turned to look at Jones. "Alfred, I knew I was putting your affairs into the best of hands. Though I sigh over the loss of your young love."
Arthur barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes.
"Uh. Yeah," Jones said. He shifted. "Which reminds me. Arthur, you said you could advise me on contacting Mariel? I just want to know what her real beef with me is, but she won't take my calls."
"Ah." Arthur donned his metaphorical psychologist hat once more. "In these cases it is not uncommon for the spouse who first seeks a divorce to draw away. Especially if the relationship was formerly friendly, or at least seemed friendly. This is a stressful time for her as well, I am sure, and confrontation can be painful."
"Oh." Jones frowned a little.
Arthur leaned forward and looked into Jones's eyes. "I'm afraid that if the proceedings do not go smoothly as to agreements on division of property, you may hear from her and you may not like what she has to say."
Jones had leaned forward too, drawn by Arthur's words, and at this he leaned back and barked a short laugh. "Ha! So formal. What you're saying is, she'll call to bitch at me."
Arthur allowed a small shrug. "I don't know either of you personally--" He swallowed. "Yet. Or much about your relationship. But I suggest you may want to give her some time."
"Good advice," Bonnefoy said with a nod.
"Further," Arthur continued. "Since she works with you and for you, you can perhaps use another manager as a go-between for business matters. On anything related to the dissolution, I can be that for you. Along with her attorney Mr. Schmidt."
"Thanks, Arthur." Jones beamed at him.
"Of course," Arthur said, feeling a twinge of guilt that he hadn't said this at their consultation. It was just that Jones had thrown him so off-kilter at that initial meeting -- or Arthur had let him. He’d just never suspected Jones might truthfully be so naive. He’d thought it perhaps affected, designed to put one's adversaries off-guard. And then he reminded himself that he was on Jones's side.
"Shall we get to business, then?" The suggestion came from Bonnefoy.
"Okay." Jones leaned forward and laced his fingers together atop the table. Arthur spared a brief glance for his nicely shaped hands.
"Very well," Arthur said. He pulled out more papers, bound into three paper-clipped stacks. He laid the three stacks on the table as he spoke.
"Here are my preliminary recommendations. These are the properties you owned wholly before marriage, and which I and your accountant Mr. Vash believe should remain in your control. This second stack consists of those properties she requests in her filing which I think you may not wish to contest. These include the properties she manages, except for--" he pulled one sheet from the stack. "--Americana, which you earlier indicated that you may be attached to. I'll add it to this third stack, which consists of properties to be discussed today. I depend upon you and H.F. to clarify or explain where you think these should go."
"That I can do." Jones picked up the second stack, the uncontested properties, and began to flip through them. "What are the final numbers? As in, what's considered an equitable division in this case? I can work backwards from that."
Simplistic, but direct. Arthur approved. "Well, she and her attorney have laid out a split of approximately fifty percent to you and fifty percent to your wife. I believe that was overly ambitious of them."