Pineapple on Canvas: The Odd Adventures of a Toy in the City

The one about that Scoundrel Richard Shermane

Ella came home sobbing. Maher was away for work, and Ella was back in her tiny studio apartment in the Financial District. She jumped in the shower, but the tears didn't stop and they kept on flowing even when her head hit the pillow, wet hair and all, at 2:47 a.m.

Maple lopped over with a towel and gently rubbed her hair, soaking out the wetness as he was afraid she would get a headache. Zoe, the motherly platypus snuggled herself under Ella's arm.

"Tell me what happened, my little Ella," Zoe said, her voice trembling as she tried to keep her composure.

Ella sniffled into a Kleenex. The toys gathered around her, including Papple, who was spending the week there and really becoming a part of the gang.

"How about you just tell me a small something, little Ella," Zoe insisted, her voice soothing and calm.

Although it was ages ago, Ella still remembered quite vividly the night she had gotten Zoe. Ella had secretly been pining for Zoe for months after seeing her in the local toy store at the mall. Zoe's squishy round bottom and giant pink bow were irresistible to Ella and she would often make excuses to visit Zoe whenever she could. She even activated Zoe's machine learning system at the store, which would have gotten her in a lot of trouble if anyone had found out.

One night, her parents went out for a show and Ella was struck with a mind-numbing headache. When Ella's parents came home, they had Zoe in tow. The moment Ella hugged the pink platypus, her headache inexplicably went away. Since then, Zoe and Ella became inseparable and Zoe, despite her rather large size, followed Ella to college, law school and eventually to New York.

Zoe nuzzled herself under Ella's chin. "Let's start slowly, okay? It's just us."

With a giant sob, Ella nodded and began her story. "Well, I just don't really know what's happening."

"Well, let's start by what's making you upset."

"This partner, Richard Shermane. He yells at me all the time."

"That's awful!" exclaimed Zoe. "That horrible man again? I thought your project with him finished months ago?"

"Well, it did, but then he staffed me on another one of his deals right after and then another after that. But that isn't really what's gotten me down."

"There's more?" asked Zoe.

"Sir'Duke and I will punch him the face," murmured Sweet Lou, thrashing his tail in the air.

"Wait, isn't that the jerk that calls himself, "Dick"?" asked Sir'Duke. "If it is, sure is fitting."

Sweet Lou guffawed and gave Sir'Duke a high-five with his tail.

"He said something about me during my annual review that just simply isn't true, and I don't know why!"

"What did he say?"

"Well he said that I tried to make some changes to a document that he didn't authorize and that it created a huge issue for our client."

"How?" asked Zoe, as she handed Ella a hot mug of tea, which Maple had retrieved from the kitchen.

"He said I made the changes on my own and sent them over to opposing counsel without his permission. But I didn't!"

"He's a stupid idiot," Kitty interjected, her face hot with anger. "You would never do that. He is a jerk!"

The outburst from the normally prim Kitty made Ella smile despite her predicament.

"'Tis the truth," Kitty insisted, gripping her freshly pressed blue skirt in frustration.