Carolina is still on the couch when she hears Carlton’s news, though she’s finally working again, free of the mind-altering painkillers and in rightful possession of her laptop. Sandra’s on her screen via video conference and she’s just notified Carolina that so far, no one on team MAVERIK has volunteered for a separation package. “Here’s hoping your concerns were overblown.”
Carolina winces. It’s not as if she’d been hysterical. “There’s still two weeks left. Let’s not jinx it.”
Sandra changes the subject. “I assume you’ve heard the news.”
The words send a jolt of panic to Carolina’s brain. “The news—” She draws the word out as if there’s too much news to track. It’s better than admitting ignorance.
“Carlton’s news.”
“Carlton Willis?”
“Oh, so you haven’t heard.” Sandra’s tone shifts to that of the mean girl on the playground, the one who knows all the gossip and revels in its power.
Carolina doesn’t bite. “Well, he and I aren’t close.”
“You might want to change that soon. He’s running for Senate.”
“You’re shitting me. Is that why he was meeting with Mark? To gin up campaign contributions?”
Sandra merely smiles.
Carolina wants to ask if they gave him their favorite advice: do more with less.
When she finally disconnects, Queenie brings her a fresh bottle of water and says, “Alright. It’s zero hour. What have you decided?”
She promised to make a decision about knee surgery by five o’clock. The orthopedist who gave her a second opinion said she could try rehab and physical therapy, but it would take months and favorable results weren’t guaranteed.
“I don’t know yet,” she says.
“That’s not an option. We agreed—there’ll be a decision today.” Queenie, who is pro-surgery, looms over the couch. All six feet of him. He knows better than to tell Carolina what to do, but he also knows her ability for skirting difficult conversations.
“I’m too distracted. The layoffs—”
“Nope, you’ve already used that excuse.”
“Fine. But I did just learn that Carlton Willis is running for Senate. That ought to buy me a day.”
Queenie knows Carolina and friends’ sordid history with him. He also knows better than to talk about Carlton and to never ever buy a TaxAware product. “Even more reason to get the surgery. You’ll need strong legs to go door knocking for his opponent.”
“I don’t want surgery.” The tears come, and Carolina doesn’t try to stop them. “I don’t want to lose my knees. I don’t want to have to change my lifestyle. I don’t want to be getting older.”
Queenie sits gently and rubs her good leg. “It happens. Even this masterpiece of a physique—” he gestures at his doughy torso “—isn’t as magnificent as it was ten years ago.”
She laughs until her nose starts to drip. He wipes it away with a tissue.
“I’m going to be a nightmare to live with if I can’t run.”
He raises an eyebrow. “And right now, you are...”
“The word you’re looking for is delightful.”
She cries for ten more minutes, then calls Dr. Chung’s office and schedules the surgery.