Here We Go Again Ch. 02

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When Mickey told her father that I had proposed and that she had accepted he called me into his office one day at work.

"I know what a fine man you are Rob and I'll be glad to have you as a son in law. I know that you will treat my baby right, but there is one little matter that has to be taken care of before the nuptials. I have to ask you to sign a prenuptial agreement."

"I don't have a problem with that."

"I didn't think that you would."

He took a document out of his desk drawer and slid it across the desk to me. I picked it up and said:

"I'll have my attorney go over it and then get it back to you."

When I got back to my office I sat down and read the document and I thought that it seemed a little one sided to me. The way I read it the only one protected by it was Mickey. I called my dad and he called his best friend John who was the family attorney and got me an appointment to see him.

John checked out the document and told me that it was completely one sided and that if the marriage ended for any reason whatsoever I would be totally screwed. He made some suggestions and I told him to go ahead and make the changes. The next day I picked up the papers and called Mickey and asked her to meet me at my bank and when she asked what for I told her that many of the bank employees were notaries and they could witness our signatures when we signed the prenuptial agreement.

"What prenuptial agreement?"

"The one your dad said that I'd have to sign before we got married."

"I don't know anything about a pre-nup and I'm not signing anything until I know what it is about. We can talk about it tonight."

"I bowl tonight."

"Then we can discuss it tomorrow. That will give me time to talk to daddy and see what is behind this."

When I went over to her house the next evening is when everything went to shit.

"My dad gave me a copy and I guess it is okay. When do you want to meet with a notary?"

"I've made some changes to the document he gave me to sign. You need to read it before we sign."

I gave her the reworked document and she read it. I could see her frowning as she read and then she said:

"What the hell is this crap?"

"What?"

"We haven't even set the date for the wedding yet and you are already talking about adultery and infidelity? I'm not signing this!"

"Why not? There is nothing wrong with it. It is more even handed than the one you dad came up with and you were willing to sign that one."

"Well I'm not signing this piece of shit!"

"And I'm not signing the totally one sided one that your father drew up."

"You don't trust me?"

"Of course I trust you or I wouldn't have asked you to marry me."

"Then what is with this prenuptial crap?"

"Your father is the one insisting on it not me."

"He explained it to me and his makes perfect sense. All his does is keep the business in the family."

"No that isn't all that his does. According to his version if the marriage ends for any reason whatsoever you keep everything. Any reason at all Mick. My fault, your fault, nobody's fault; I walk away with nothing. My version exempts the family business from any settlements brought on because of divorce and it ensures that the division of the remaining assets is equal except in the case of infidelity. In the case of infidelity the offending party leaves with only what they brought into the marriage. It is a fair and even handed approach."

"Well I'm not signing it" she said as she tore it in half and threw it at me. "As far as I'm concerned there is nothing wrong with the one my dad showed me and that's the one I'll sign."

"You may see nothing wrong with it, but I won't sign it as it is."

"Then I guess there isn't any need to pick a date for the wedding since there isn't going to be one."

"If that is your choice so be it" I said as I got up and headed for the door.

"Where are you going" Mickey asked and I didn't answer. "Come back here Ro..." and the door closed behind me cutting off the rest of what she was saying.

When I got home the light on the answering machine was blinking and the counter showed that there were five messages. I hit the play button and the first message was from Michelle. "How dare you..." and I skipped to the next message. All five were from Michelle and I deleted them all without listening to them and then I unplugged the phone and went to bed.

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I didn't feel like fixing my own breakfast in the morning so I left my place a little early and stopped at a Denny's to get a bite to eat. As I drove into work I thought over the conversation with Michelle. She was perfectly willing to sign an agreement that gave me nothing, but refused to sign one that covered us equally. I had to wonder about that. The more I thought about it the more sure I was that if a prenup was going to be required for the wedding to take place it was going to be mine.

I was not surprised when I got to work to be called to come see Hank in his office. I walked in and he waved me to a seat and then he went right to it.

"I understand that you and Mickey had words last night."

"We did."

"Care to bring me up to speed on it?"

"I took the prenup you gave me to my attorney and had him look it over. He told me that it was entirely one sided and suggested some changes that would give me some protection also. I had him make the changes and I called Mickey and asked her to meet me so we could sign and have our signatures notarized and she said she didn't know anything about it and wouldn't sign anything until she knew what it was. I'm guessing she talked to you and you explained it to her.

"Last night she told me she had read your document and wanted to know when we could meet with a notary. I told her I'd made some changes to the document and suggested that she read it first. She read it and blew up on me. She told me that she would never it."

"You made changes to it? Why?"

"My attorney pointed out that it was totally one sided in favor of Mickey. A divorce for any reason whatsoever would give her everything and me nothing. I had my attorney change it to give me equal protection and Mickey said that she would never sign it the way I had it written and I told her that I would never sign the one you gave me."

"I don't understand. What was wrong with mine?"

"The way it was worded it gave Mickey everything in case of a divorce and I got nothing."

"I didn't write it. My lawyer wrote it. I remembered what I went through when Michelle's mother and I divorced so I told him I wanted to make sure that Michelle didn't end up losing part of the company in a divorce. He wrote it up and gave it to me and I didn't bother reading it. I guess maybe I should have, but I've always trusted Avery to look out for my best interests so I didn't bother to check it out. What changes did you make?"

I told him and he said, "That sounds fair to me. What didn't Michelle like about it?" I told him and he just shook his head and then asked:

"So what now?"

"I don't have a clue boss. Things were a little heated between us when I left to go home. So much so that I unplugged my phone to keep from talking to her."

I went back to my office and my secretary handed me a bunch of message slips. Four were from Michelle and I tossed them into the trash. Any talking we did would be after I'd cooled down since her "No need to pick a date for the wedding" was still on my mind.

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Some times when you have weighty thoughts on your mind you forget the simple things. Things like when your dad owns the business you have easy access to the place. My office door opened at eleven-twenty and Michelle walked in. Before she was six inches into the room she said:

"Why aren't you taking my calls?"

"Why should I? After you ended our engagement why would I want to waste time talking to you?"

"I did no such thing!"

"You damned sure did. You flat out said there was no more need to pick a date for the wedding since there wouldn't be one. To me that meant that the engagement was off. You were absolutely clear on the fact that you would not sign my version of the prenuptial agreement and I will not sign the one your father came up with."

"I told you why I wouldn't sign yours."

"Yes you did and I have to wonder why. What you found objectionable was the infidelity clause and that got me to thinking. Why would you object to that? The only reason that I could come up with is that you figured somewhere down the line you might feel like straying and having a fling or two and you didn't want to be financially penalized if you got caught."

"That's a rotten thing to say. I never realized that you were such an asshole."

"Whatever" I said as I looked at my watch and stood up. "I have to meet a customer for lunch" and I walked by her and out of the office.

When I got back from lunch I found Michelle's engagement ring sitting on my desk pad. I shrugged as I mentally thought that my luck with women was staying true to form.

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The next three years went by and I continued to rise at work. By my sixth year working for Hank I was Vice President of Marketing. Michelle had graduated with her degree in Business Management and much to Hank's displeasure had gone to work for another company. I told him to get over it because she would eventually come to work for him.

Michelle and I had minimal contact, but when we did run into each other we were civil (but only just). Michelle married, but it only lasted a year before ending in divorce. Rumor had it that infidelity was involved, but rumor wasn't clear as to who was the guilty party. She married again and that one lasted two years before ending in divorce, but I never knew the reason.

For my part I never married and I continued to see Shirley for my needs. I once jokingly told her that as much as I saw her maybe we should just get married. She laughed and said:

"We could, but only if you want a slut for a wife. I like variety too much to settle for only one cock."

At least she was up front and honest about it.

After three years at her other job Michelle resigned and came to work for her father. She went into Sales so she wasn't in my section, but the fact that she had come into the company changed things for me. I was under no illusions as to who would eventually take Hank's spot when he decided to retire and given our history I just could not see myself working for Michelle.

I told Hank that I could see the handwriting on the wall and that I was going to start looking for other opportunities. He told me that he understood where I was coming from, but he couldn't afford to lose me.

"Not only do I heavily depend on you, but I need you here when Mickey eventually does move into my spot. She is going to need dependable people working here."

"I'm sorry boss, but I just can't see it working."

"What if I sweeten the pot?"

"What do you mean?"

"Instead of a year end bonus I give you ten percent of the company stock and a ten year employment contract?"

"Ten percent? Who do I have to kill?"

"Just don't leave the company. Mouse is smart enough to grow into the job, but she is going to need a guiding hand and a steadying influence."

"You are taking it for granted that she will listen to me and I'm not as certain of that as you seem to be."

"Give my little girl some credit Rob. This place is going to be her livelihood and she is not going to do anything to screw it up and she is smart enough to consider any advice she gets."

I did agree to stay and Hank did give me ten percent of the company. I figured I had at least five years before I would have to face working for Michelle.

I was wrong.

To be continued.