“You didn’t just say that to me.”
The insurance adjuster didn’t look up from her screen. In fact, she hadn’t looked at Lena once since she had entered her office.
“In fact, I did, Ms. Robinson. Your mother should have spoken with the owner of the other property prior to the incident. We’re disallowing the claim.”
Lena held her temper, though barely. “You mean the property owner whom she has never seen? The one who owns a property no one has inhabited in at least twenty years? The one she has been unable to track down or find any means to contact?”
“Yes, that one.”
Lena stood, leaned forward, hands planted on the desk. “Even if she could contact them, it isn’t her responsibility to tell them to cut down a tree she had no way of knowing would fall on her house in the hurricane.”
The adjuster still didn’t look up. “That’s not our problem, Ms. Robinson. As far as Wilson Insurance is concerned, this file is closed.”
Lena straightened to her full height, the feral smile on her face wasted on the woman who still refused to look at her. “That’s fine, Ms. Flynn. I’ll pay to repair my mother’s home. I’m sure my social media followers will enjoy hearing this entire exchange.”
Flynn snorted, face still buried in her screen. “What have you got, like fifty followers? Please. I hear these threats every day.”
“Not from me, you don’t. Look at my name again.”
Sighing, Flynn, for the first time, opened the file before her. “Lena Margot Robinson. Am I supposed to be impressed?”
“That’s my birth name. It’s my professional name that should concern you. Reverse the first and middle names.”
The adjuster’s silence held for a long, drawn out second, as Margot Lena’s heels clicked on the hardwood floor on her way out the door.
Flynn’s head came up so fast she sprained her neck. “Wait, Miss Lena. My apologies. I had no idea…”
“I’m sure you didn’t, Ms. Flynn, given that when you thought I was ‘nobody’ you wouldn’t even look at me.”
“Please, come back. Sit down. I’m sure we can help your mother. And call me Kerry.”
“I’m sure you can. I’m equally sure you screw over thousands of people who don’t have a hundred million followers worldwide. Keep your money.”
“Miss Lena, please…” Flynn begged, then, seeing her disdain, threatened, “We’ll deny everything; our lawyers will sue for libel.”
“You know what, Kerry?” Margot said sweetly. “I’ve recorded this entire conversation. My pin has a hidden microphone and camera. Have fun with your denial. Oh, and you might want to smile for the camera.”
I wrote this flash piece while thinking about the increasing number of hurricanes the world is experiencing and the number of insurance claims being denied. I think we all sometimes wish we had a rich, famous relative to deal with corporate bullies. I hear Margot may be available to intervene…