The Petition

Aimee Barone was unpacking as she had just moved into a townhouse on the edge of a well-to-do subdivision when there was a knock at the door. She looked through the peephole and saw a woman dressed for business. The woman was holding an iPad. Aimee opened the door. "Yes, may I help you?"

"My name is Annie Heaton. I live a block over on Winstead, and I'm collecting electronic signatures for a petition. May I come in?"

"Sure, what's this about."

Aimee was wearing Daisy Dukes shorts and a halter top, and the woman looked her up and down.

"Did you know there's a zoning change in the works to allow a strip club just four blocks from Green Meadow Elementary?"

"What street?"

"The so-called business will open on Parker St."

"Isn't Parker Street an industrial area with businesses and a few bars and a diner?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Do school buses even go down Parker?"

"Look, that's beside the point. This is a nice town, and we don't need a sexually oriented business, though by looking at you, you probably don't care."

Aimee steeled herself and just smiled. She muttered something in Latin then waved her hand, which had a large garnet ring on it in front of Annie's face, and Annie went into a trance.