“Did you have any trouble getting here?”

“No, it was fine.” Charlene didn’t mention the private car and the driver provided by her father.

“I just want to go over the ground rules a little more closely.” “Fine Mr. Monroe.”

“First mer. Monroe isn’t going to isn’t going to cut it for a three week trip like this one. it’s much too cumbersome.

You should just call me by my first name and I’ll call you by yours, as we discussed. Back at the office it will simply revert back to our more formal greetings. What do you think?” Can you manage that without feeling uncomfortable?”

“Yes Mr. Monroe, I mean Joe. No one will ever know about this, I promise.”

“Great then. I don’t want everyone in the office to think you’re my favorite co-worker, even though you are.” Charlene’s heart raced.

“You are3 the best secretary ever and you have helped me more than you will ever be aware of, especially with this whole marriage fiasco.

I was at my wits end and you helped to push some of that despair away with your friendship and good advice. You can’t know how much you have helped me.

Charlene looked up and saw a familiar face in the crowded seats. Two women sat close together talking to each other. Thy sat talking quietly. They had to be traveling companions. Perhaps they were best friends. Charlene knew one of the women. She had been a famous movie star a few years ago.

Her last two movies had been flops at the box office. “But that wasn’t her fault,” Charlene thought. Her last great film had been “The Gun in The Sand” filmed on location in Africa. Ws she she going back to now to do another film and have a “come back?”

Her male costar had been equally famous at the time. She had been the ingenue in her last film and then “poof,” she was gone. Perhaps time had taken it’s toll.

Charlene would have to talk to her on the plane and get her story.

Charlene saw many things around her that weren’t real. But in this case, she was correct.

Perhaps these new drugs were working, after all.

Charlene was beside herself. “Things were starting off better than she could have ever imagined.”

Charlene looked up at Joe and could smell his body oder and it calmed her. It was a little musky and sweet mixed in with the smell of laundry detergent he used to wash his cloths.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Well, nearly everyone is at the airport now.

Things are about to start happening.

More tomorrow.