All's Fair

Things Get Crazier

"Grace Wallace," she said, shaking hands.  "I'm the attorney for RKO."

Morrie started sputtering.  "You can't hire him! What's she paying you, Robbie?"

Shelley leveled a cool gaze at him.  "I get a special rate."

"A special . . .? But, but, he's in real estate!  He can't go to court!"

"I certainly can go to court," Robert said, standing up straighter.

"Yes you can, dear," Shelley said, then turned to Morrie, her eyes narrowing.  "Well maybe I could afford to hire a high-powered out-of-town litigation firm like you did" – she glanced over at Grace -  "if I hadn't been fired from my job for refusing to have sex with you on the conference room table," she said, and Robert winced.

"Get out!" Morrie's face was turning red. 

"We just stopped by," she said calmly,  "to pick up some things from my office.  My former office.  Oh, and to drop off the notice for your deposition, and a document production request, and interrogatories . . . oh, and a copy of that motion my lawyer filed this afternoon.  Robbie?"

Robert handed a stack of papers to Jack, who said, "you know, it's fine to just drop this stuff in the mail. Or send it by email."

"We were in the neighborhood," Shelley said.

"Come on, Shelley," Morrie said.  "Be reasonable."

"We'll see you in court, Morrie," she said, then turned on her stiletto heels and marched back out of the office, her lawyer in tow.

Grace stared at Morrie.  "I don't even know where to begin."  She sighed.   "Why is your son representing a former employee who is suing you?"

"Well he's her son, too," Morrie grumbled.

"How long exactly was this office romance?" Grace asked, her voice getting squeaky.

"She's my wife!"

"Ex-wife," Jack amended.

"You might have mentioned that on the drive here, Jack."

He shrugged.  "Hard to know where to begin."

"Right."

"So, you see?" Morrie said. "No problem, right?  The whole lawsuit is ridiculous.  I don't even know why RKO bothered sending you down here."

"The situation may be 'ridiculous,' but the lawsuit's real enough, Morrie," Jack said.

"Come on, what Judge is gonna' say I was 'sexually harassing' Shelley? We just, we've got a long history, okay?  And just 'cause she divorced me, I mean, I don't take that personal, you know?"

"No, I don't know," Grace said, feeling the beginnings of a headache.  "I'll take your word for it that the sex was consensual.  But Morrie, you can't fire an employee – even if she is your ex-wife – because she says she doesn't want to sleep with you anymore.  It's against the law."

"Yeah, yeah.  I knew I was breaking the contract.  But she already sued me in state court.  This federal court case is just bullshit."

"It might be bullshit, Morrie," Jack said, "but it's expensive bullshit.  You realize this could kill the deal with RKO."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Grace said quickly.  "But wait, what do you mean she already sued you.  There's another lawsuit between you and Shelley? In state court? What contract?"

"He can't fire her," Jack explained.  "It's part of the settlement in the divorce case.  Shelley owns 30% of the company, and has a no-cut employment contract."