Sofia looked at her puzzled. “I thought you had one. Don’t tell me they let you go.”
“No. But it is a dead end job. I want someplace that I can grow. A place that they will take me seriously.”
“I’ll talk to Dylan. They are always hiring. The place is booming with business.”
“I don’t know anything about building skyscrapers,” Charlene stated dryly.
“Obviously your sense of humor is still intact.”
“It better be. I’ve needed it lately. Seems like the universe is laughing at me every chance it gets.”
“Well then I agree with you. It’s time for a change. When I get back I’ll ask Dylan to give you a job.”
Charlene stopped dead in her tracks. “No. I don’t want anyone giving me anything.” Then she felt horrible about snapping at Sofia. She really was only trying to help. The problem was it made Charlene feel even worse about herself. “Sofia, I really appreciate the offer, but I can get a job on my own merit.”
“I know you can. It’s just that I…I…”
“Think I need help?” she asked.
“Not at all. I was going to say, that I miss you and having you in Manhattan would be nice.”
“I miss you too Sofia. And I’ll start submitting my resume in places closer to you, I promise.”
Sofia beamed with joy before changing the subject. “Is it me or is this thing further than what they said it was?”
Charlene really hadn’t paid much attention to what the sign had said. “I’m not sure, but it surely feels like more than a mile.”
“Definitely more like two, maybe even three. Goodness, is this what having a baby has done to me? A walk on the beach has me huffing.”
“Ha. I was about to ask if you’d carry me,” Charlene teased. “Come on, I’ll race you to the mailbox. I see it just up ahead.”
Charlene bolted up the beach, Sofia close behind. But when they finally sat and started reading all the messages people had written in the notepads, she said, “I can’t believe this. They come from all over the country to write messages. Why?”
“Why not? I mean what better thing than to put a thought, a hope or dream down where no one knows you.”
“But you put your name at the bottom,” she said wearily.
Sofia chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m sure there is more than one Charlene from our town in there.”
“Ha. I don’t think so. Guess this is just another reason why I need to move out of that town. I’m tired of being the only Charlene. I’m sure in the city I wouldn’t even be noticed.” She didn’t want to become invisible, but at least a place where no one knew her track record. A fresh start is exactly what I need. Pulling out her pen she started jotting down her hopes. At first she felt foolish and thought there might only be a few words. Before she knew it, Charlene was flipping the page to continue writing. Guess I’m a chatterbox even on paper. Charlene was tempted to read what she’d written, but if she did, she might chicken out and tear the sheets of paper out of the notepad. Charlene talked a lot, but this was different. She’d poured her thoughts onto the paper where strangers were going to eventually read it. If she wasn’t fast, Sofia was going to want to be the first. Sorry my friend. If you want to read it, you’ll have to walk this again all by yourself. Closing the notepad she said, “Not that this wasn’t fun, but let’s get our butts heading back. The sun sets early right now and I don’t want to be walking the beach in the dark.”
“I’m not about to argue because I’m freezing. Whose idea was it to do this in November?”
Charlene laughed, “Guess I was wrong.”
“About what?” Sofia asked.
Laughing Charlene said, “You make bad choices too.”
As they scurried back Sofia said, “Just wait till you’re a mother someday. You’ll find it’s easier to track the wise ones instead. It’s a much shorter list.”
Oh great. It can get worse than this. Good thing parenthood wasn’t in her future.
Seth looked across the conference room desk and thought his brothers had lost their minds. It had to be a joke. They never would’ve hired her. But what was the purpose of pulling such a prank, because Seth didn’t find it funny at all.
“I take it you have all decided to have a liquid lunch, because if you think I’m falling for this bull, you must be drunk,” he grumbled. Some of us have real work to do.
Charles was straight faced when he said, “I never joke about business. You should know this.”