Cooper and Violet meet up with Jen at the deli for lunch. Jen gets up. "You brought a chaperone? You didn't think I was going to suck face with you in the middle of the deli did you?" Jen laughs. "I've got some self control."
"What?" Violet looks at both of them.
Cooper sits down. "Violet's here as a mediator not a chaperone."
Jen sits down next to Cooper. "Why do we need a mediator?"
"To figure out a custody schedule for Ethan."
"I already told you. I don't intend to share custody of Ethan. He wanted to meet you to see what you look like and know who you are. That's it. Everything stays the same. I have full custody."
"I'd like to see him once a month. I want to be involved in his life?"
"If you're going to be involved in his life I want child support."
"We'd have to go to court for that. You know, they'd give me partial custody if I'm paying child support."
"I can't afford a lawyer so, no court. If you want to see Ethan once a month you have to help support him."
"How much do you want?"
"Two thousand a month."
Violet gasps. "Are you kidding? Two thousand a month to support one kid?"
"That's too steep." Cooper tells Jen.
"That's very steep." Violet agrees.
"You're a doctor." Jen points out.
"I'm a pediatrician. I don't make the big bucks that surgeons do."
"How much do you make?"
Violet answers. "That's not your concern"
"Yes it is. That's how the courts decide child support payments by the father's salary." Jen tells them.
Violet does the talking. "Have you researched it?"
"I have friends who get child support. I know things."
"Then, let's go to court." Violet tells her. "If you want to base it on his salary let's take it to court."
"Let Cooper speak for himself. You're not his wife. This is none of your business."
"I'm his best friend and the mediator."
"What are you, a child, Cooper? You need her to talk for you. What do you want to do?" Jen asks.
"I'm willing to settle on giving you a fair amount of child support without going to court."
"What's fair?" Jen asks.
Violet blurts out. "Five hundred dollars a month."
"That'll cover shit!" Jen snaps at her.
"Take it or pay a lawyer and we'll go to court." Violet tells her.
"Cooper?" Jens asks.
"Five hundred is more than fair if I only see him once a month. I've already bought him over a thousand dollars worth of clothes and games since I met him."
"Write me a check for another thousand to cover this month and the next."
Cooper writes out the check and hands it to Jen. She snatches it out of his hand. "I'll be in touch."
Cooper looks at Violet. "I get the feeling the only reason she told me I had a son was so she could milk me for all I'm worth."
Violet nods. "I think you're right. You better watch out or she'll have you broke soon."
"I don't mind spending money on Ethan and buying him things. That's a father's job but that's all she's interested in. She doesn't want him to get to know me anymore than he already does."
"You don't really know Jen, Cooper. You met her on an adult sex sight and had sex with her once. What do you expect from the hootchie?"
"When I found out I had a son there were so many things I wanted to do with him and teach him but he doesn't care. He's just interested in what I can buy him."
"Well, look who his role model is. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
"He's half my apple."
"But he hasn't been around you. He's been raised by Jen for the past seven years."
" He's only seven, I can still instill some values in him."
Violet smiles, "I hope so because you've got a greedy litttle son."
"Well, I'm going to do my best to rub off on him. To teach him better than that."
"Good luck with that." Violet gets up from the table and orders them each a drink and sandwich.