Chapter 7

Joe was at work early on Tuesday morning.

Charlene watched him enter their office. he was earlier than usual. She always kept track of his arrival at the office. She loved the way he looked and walked. She often had a cup of coffee on his desk just as he arrived. He managed his staff with ease and kindness. He waved for her to follow him as he walked through the large lobby and past the front desk where Sandra sat. Charlene followed him in to his office and stood there as he settled in. He noticed his coffee and smiled.

“Well Charlene, I have given this idea of yours a great deal of thought. We are both adults here and this trip could work out well for the both of us. It will surly be easier to travel as a pair than alone. We can help each other with our luggage and any number of things that might arise as we travel. As a woman traveling solo, it must be difficult for a few reasons that we need not go into. They are obvious.

I’m broken hearted and not looking for a relationship at the moment and especially not with you. No insult Intended, by the way. Your are a lovely woman, I’m sure. Just following policy.” “None taken sir.” “That is to say that you are a lovely woman, but as my secretary we are not allowed to cross that line.” “I understand sir.” “Are you able to have your documents ready in the next week?” “Yes, that has been handled” “Good. then all I can say is that I hope we can enjoy this trip and not have a falling out over something trivial that may arise. I don’t want to have it become difficult to work together when we come back to the office. And by the way Charlene, I think discretion is needed here. If the other employees find out that we have traveled together they may get the wrong idea and make your life a living hell, one way or the other. I think I will be fine, but you will have put yourself and your job in jeopardy. So are we clear on everything Charlene?” “Yes sir, but what will I call you on vacation.” “My first name will be fine. Just call me Joe” “Great sir, I’m off to my office then, I have some things to finish up with this morning.”

Charlene walked away from his desk to go to her office. She looked at the glass in his half open door to see his reflection. She wanted to see if he watched her leave his office. He didn’t. He just started in with his list of items he had to finish up today. He had two important meetings. One before lunch and one after lunch. “He may be a tough nut to crack, but I don’t think so. Charlene smiled a knowing smile and sat down at her desk.

Joe worked on his list. The first order of business was to check up on those working under him on “special projects.” Charlene had given him two messages about pone calls that had to be made. Joe made the calls and finished them up in twenty minutes. He then made a few calls downstairs and found that all was well. Then he had a short piece of writing to edit after another editor had looked it over and found it laking. All was in order there shortly as well. The morning had started off well. At ten o’cock he sat in on the prearranged meeting with his boss and two other project leaders. The meeting lasted just under an hour.

He finally got back to his desk and had a chance to unwind. He caught himself looking out the window down at the people walking past the building below him. Joe tried to size them up and wondered about their lives. They seemed insignificant from his lofty vantage point on the tenth floor of the building. His mind wandered back a few nights to when he had last seen Suzan.

JOe really felt that he had made some progress in addressing his shortcomings as listed by Suzan. “He was trying,” he thought despite what Suzan had said a few nights before. Suzan obviously thought otherwise. He didn’t know about Chad, of course. He tried to think of it as water under the bridge and wondered which one it had been. This was one of his quirks that miffed Suzan as well. “Not her problem anymore,” Joe thought as he read the latest news headlines on his phone.

Suzan was already hooked up with her new male friend before she had broke it off with Joe. He was shocked and hurt but a realist. “That’s how it usually works,” he thought when he found out. He had had plans too and Suzan had been a large part of those plans. He wanted to marry her but not until he felt financially secure. They were good plans with a solid, well thought out approach. Suzan didn’t seem to be buing it, however and walked out.

They had argued a little about their future now and then but he hadn’t seen what was coming at him like a runaway train. He came home with a slightly drunk, angry woman and ended up with a lot more room in his closet after filling two large suitcases.

She hadn’t lived there full time but she might as well have for all of the stuff she had brought over. She had moved in much of her wardrobe and other bits and pieces and necessities. She spent several nights a week there in the beginning but that had started to dwindle down less and less over the last few months. She had kept her own place just in case.

That worked out nicely when she went all in with Chad Cooper. It was as easy as stealing candy from a baby. Two dinners out on the town, a night at the movies for the third and closing date and then back to her place for a fun and interesting sexual interlude. After that night the deal had been consummated in more ways than one. Chad thought he was in control the whole time. Suzna got a kick out of that.

Chad was single, upwardly mobile and had a drive that suzan thought Joe lacked. Suzan had made her decision. It was the most important decision of Joe’s young life that he wasn’t able to make. It was out of is hands. She had made her decision.

She told Joe that night that she was leaving for good this time. He was too drunk to understand what it really meant at that moment. But when Joe realized what she had said the next morning, his world instantly crumbled.

It had crumbled even before the conciliatory phone call from a mutual female friend of theirs named Masha that next morning, in his office.

Charlene buzzed joe’s office line. “You have a female caller named Marsha Kent on the line Joe. Are you in?” “Thanks, Charlene, I’ll take it. We need to talk by the way, Charlene”

Charlene’s heart skipped a beat with anticipation. She was wondering who the woman on the phone was. She had never heard of her before.

—————————————————————————————————-

So, you like it free and easy? Well here you go. I hope you all read each of these little pieces of my dreams. More tomorrow.

I’m way ahead of you