Four weeks had gone by since the contract was signed. Eva felt her perfect marriage to Charles was destroyed. She had moved out of their home and moved into an apartment in the city. Eva had not spoken to Charles since that dreadful night in his office.
Then one morning the phone rang. The man on the other end introduced himself. "Hello, this is Robert Zeiner, Charles' attorney. He has given me some sealed instructions for you and I'm having them delivered to you today. I just wanted you to be aware of their arrival." Then, without another word, Zeiner hung up.
At 2:00 PM that afternoon, Morrison walked into Eva's office carrying a large white sealed envelope. He handed Eva a note from Zeiner requiring that she sign a delivery slip before Morrison gave her the envelope. Eva angrily scrawled her signature on the slip. Morrison then gave her the envelope, smiled and left the office.
The directions were precise, explicit and typed. She had half-hoped there might be a personal, handwritten note from Charles - but no such luck.
Charles told her to be in Hawaii next month, for two weeks. He was providing a place for her in Hilo. Charles would stay at another location. Enclosed were tickets and rental car registration, along with the rental agreement for a house in Hilo.
The instructions closed with a reminder: Eva's attendance was not optional. She did not need to bring any clothes, other than what she wore on the plane. Everything would be provided upon her arrival. And, according to their contract, she agreed to follow Charles' directions without question.
Eva scowled at the reminder but realized she had no choice. She spent the next several weeks catching up on work and clearing her schedule for a two week absence.
Finally, the day of departure arrived. Eva came to the airport, wondering if she would see Charles there. But it was simply strangers every where. She bought a good book and read, slept or ate during the six-hour flight to the big island.
Upon arrival, Eva obtained the rental car, drove out to find the place that would be her home for the next two weeks. Finally, at the end of a gravel road, at an isolated spot in the hills overlooking Hilo, Eva found a small bungalow surrounded by palms and tropical plants. It was about as private as private could be.
The cottage contained a kitchenette, small dining area, tiny reading room, average bed room and bathroom. A glance through the window showed that the palms offered complete privacy.
On the dining table was a vase filled with a dozen roses - and a copy of the signed contract. Under other conditions, Eva would have loved the bungalow.