Television and ice cream won. She curled on the sofa in comfy sweats and ate the whole carton while she watched old sitcoms, reality shows about women being told what to wear, and tear jerking movies. After having a good long cry and devouring a container of melted ice cream, she tuned in to a program about wedding planning. The newest and biggest trend appeared to be destination weddings, especially Hawaii, where a wide open field awaited wedding planners, florists, and photographers.
"I could so do the same thing, only better." She watched a couple make their wedding dream come true. "It's all about staying calm, lining up a venue, making sure everyone is on the same page and pulling their weight, and being in control. Simple, really."
Christine turned off the television and tossed the ice cream carton in the trash. She refused to mope any longer. Screw it. She had stuff to do. Her gaze caught on the hook in front of the window where she'd hung the lei. The flowers were drying, something she planned to keep forever. What happened between Charlie putting the lei in her suitcase and the cold distance he showed now: the gorgeous flight attendant, ambition, or playboy tendencies?
"I need to pound something." She'd been remodeling the house. New molding awaited placement where the walls met the floor in the living room. The kitchen needed to be painted; she'd always hated the horrid green Randy loved so much. The hall closet had loads of stuff to be donated to Goodwill. The bathroom could use a new light fixture. The bedroom needed new curtain rods. She hadn't seen the attic or basement in months so might as well go through them and donate more stuff when she made the trip to Goodwill. Before she went to jail for embezzlement, she'd make sure the house looked decent. Adam could finish anything she couldn't after he moved back in a few months. Speaking of jail, she should contact a lawyer and get some advice. But right now, she'd pound nails, get rid of this frustration, anger, depression, and God only knew what else swirling in her mind.
***
Charlie pounded the asphalt with new running shoes and felt the vibrations in his knees as sweat ran down his face, his breathing no longer the controlled stance of a runner. He'd done his normal five miles and more. He'd ache like a bitch later, but he couldn't forget the hurt in Christine's voice, the bewilderment, the tone which told him clearer than any words: he'd failed her. The one person who had always supported him was now the one person he'd hurt the most.
After jogging over ten miles, Charlie still had no solutions except for one. He would investigate on his own. When Peg got wind, there'd be all hell to pay. The corporation higher ups could decide to terminate him. Everything career wise he'd worked toward for so long could be gone in an instant. Could he truly risk his entire career?
"Hell yes. For Christine I could. I will. I'll be damned if I'll sit back and do nothing while the corporation investigates and treats Christine like a criminal." Out of breath, more angry than winded, Charlie halted and bent over. He wanted to call her so badly his heart ached more than his knees.
He leaned against a palm tree to catch his breath. It was a gorgeous morning: sun bright, air thick with the scent of flowers and ocean, light traffic as always this early. He heard faint sounds of other people: shop keepers, restaurant workers, hotel janitors who carted off trash so tourists would only see natural tropical beauty. The so-called 'little people,' who worked so hard for too little money were making sure Paradise remained slow, easy, relaxing. Without them, the town, the state, would never survive. They were the vital backbone rarely noticed or appreciated.
"That's the key." Charlie snapped his fingers. Some employees moved through life without being noticed, especially in a corporation their size. There were dozens of clerks, customer services representatives, assistants, and office workers. Folks in the IT department rarely got attention until someone needed help with a computer program. Payroll didn't hear from anyone unless a problem with a paycheck occurred. When had Charlie last thanked any of those department employees, the lady who cleaned his office every day, the man who collected the trash, or even his administrative assistant? "Not for a while," he murmured as he watched a group of uniformed hotel staff hurry past. He'd correct those oversights today.