I boarded and sat in first class for the first and probably only time. I was going to enjoy it. Or try anyway. The knot of emotions squeezing my chest made it difficult to feel anything close to joy.
The flight attendant brought me a glass of champagne before we took off, further rubbing it in my face how much it sucked to be poor. However, the bubbles tickled my nose and the alcohol relaxed me, so things weren’t all bad.
My seatmate was a very nice old man who looked like Santa. He was drinking straight liquor, which probably explained his rosy cheeks, but I preferred thinking it was Christmas cheer.
During the flight we got to talking. Well, at first, he talked and I listened. The man was a retired heart surgeon, flying home after visiting his son and grandchildren in Houston. He showed me pictures of the grandkids, glowing as he gushed about them.
When he asked me why I was heading to New York, my instincts were to lie and give him a nonanswer. The man’s open expression changed my mind.
I told him about going out to LA after graduating with a theater degree. About designing sets for a few movies. About meeting Henry and falling for him. Breaking up with him andfleeing the West Coast after he trashed my reputation in the industry. Going home and losing another job.
“Long story short,” I said. “I’m flying out to New York to take a job after thinking about it for less than twenty-four hours. I threw a bunch of stuff in a suitcase and here I am.”
“That’s so exciting.” He smiled. “Another job with the theater?”
“It’s an acting job,” I said, which was close enough to the truth. “I’m nervous though. I’m way more used to being behind the scenes.”
“I’m sure you’ll be great at it. Enjoy being someone else for a little while. Have fun with it.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “I feel like I’m crazy for doing this.”
“Do you believe in Christmas magic?” he asked, totally serious.
“Yeah, I guess I do,” I said after considering it.
“Then trust that you’re going exactly where you’re supposed to be.” He stretched his arms and nestled into the plush seat. “Now I think it’s time for a long winter’s nap.”
“Thanks for listening.”
“Of course.” He closed his eyes and it looked like a good idea to me.
I leaned back in my seat and didn’t wake up until the flight attendant was shaking me awake. “We’re Atlanta, ma’am. You slept through the entire deboarding process. Now we need to clean up in here.”
I nodded sleepily, still foggy. “Yeah, sorry.”
The plane was empty aside from the crew and me. My Santa friend was gone. Had I hallucinated the old man? But as I stood, I noticed there was a candy cane in my lap. I walked off the plane wondering if he was just a nice old dude or a Christmas miracle.
Then I saw the time. My connecting flight was boarding in five minutes and it was in a different terminal. I stowed the candy cane in my purse and ran. I made it before the doors closed, but I was the last person to board the plane.
Sweaty and out of breath, I found my seat up front in first class. The lady next to me looked at me like being poor was contagious. The free champagne made ignoring her easier. A couple of hours later, the Manhattan skyline came into view and I buzzed with excitement.
I had been dreaming of coming out here and making my mark for years, even before the LA fiasco. There it was. Finally.
I would only be out there for a few weeks, but if Luke held up his end of the bargain, I would be a hundred grand richer at the end of that time. I could move out here for real, get my own place while I look for work. The best part? I would be able to afford both rent and groceries in the same month.
That was what I called living high on the hog.
I chuckled quietly to myself. Ready or not, this broke-ass country girl was landing in the big city. Once the fasten seatbelt light went off, I turned my phone back on. As I suspected, I had a billion texts and calls from my parents. That was why I had kept it off. I knew they would reach out and I feared they would convince me to turn around and come home.
I took a deep breath and called my mother’s phone back. She picked up fast, making me think she had been holding it, waiting to hear something. Guilt pricked my insides. I hated making her worry.
“What are you? What’s happening?”
I quickly explained I had just landed in New York, that everything was fine. The whole truth wasn’t an option but I gave her a version of it. I had gotten a job offer out here, good pay, but I had to leave early this morning.
She asked what the job was and I told her it was a theater thing. Nothing major. Just filling in for a stagehand. But it was good experience and would give me a chance to make some connections out on the East Coast.
I also told her I would be staying with a friend. It was also mostly true. Luke and I weren’t exactly friends but he wasn’t a stranger. Mom was still ready to hop on a plane and drag me back home.
