Nadine, like Erik, had that positive yet nonchalant type of energy — like the main character in every teen girl soccer movie. It was easy to see why they’d hit it off so quickly. She was slightly taller than Cierra, with wavy hair cropped just at the shoulder. Olive-green eyes sat far apart on her high cheekbones and round face. Nadine looked around Cierra’s age, with subtle lines around her mouth and eyes, likely a result of chronic smiling from a life of popularity, if Cierra had to guess.
“I’m gonna grab some snacks before takeoff — you guys want anything?” Erik asked the two women.
“I’m all good,” Nadine said.
“Same here,” Cierra replied, “thanks though.”
“Cool, be back in a bit.”
As Erik walked down the white linoleum toward a newsstand, Nadine looked around before leaning into Cierra; Zelda and Elliot were a safe distance away, absorbed in their respective tasks.
“So, what’s traveling with them like?”
Cierra shrugged, slightly caught off guard by the leading question. “Couldn’t tell you, it’s my first time. But they’re nice people.”
“Oh, yeah — I keep forgetting this is all relatively new for you, too. You started at the beginning of the summer, right? I bet you get to know people so fast being in a job like this.”
“Eh, somewhat.” Cierra pondered. “Enough to get along pretty well, I think.”
“Well, they all really like you. Zelda and Erik talked nonstop on the way here about the daikon-mushroom soup you made. I got hungry just listening to them,” Nadine said with a grin.
“Oh.” Their words of praise came as a welcome surprise. “That was sweet of them to say. Hope they didn’t hype me uptoomuch, though.”
“Psh,” Nadine said with a friendly eye roll. “I’m sure you live up to it. I know Erik was really grateful for all the help at his work event.” Looking around again, she lowered her voice. “This is my first time flying first-class.”
Taken aback by Nadine’s openness, and somewhat relieved to discover she’d have at least one person around she might relate to, Cierra whispered back, “Me, too.”
“Wanna be friends?” Nadine joked, although Cierra could recognize the curious insecurity in the woman’s glances and movements. She looked back at Zelda and Elliot, still absorbed in their screens. “I feel like I’m at summer camp.”
Cierra chuckled gently. “Of course, I could use the company.”
Just then, Erik came back with bananas and a couple of pastries.
“What are you guys talking about?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “Scheming already?”
“You could say that,” Nadine said with a wink before Erik handed her a pastry. While happy for them, their cutesy interaction only made Cierra think about Julian. She had forgotten how all-consuming crushes could be; they were annoyingly wonderful.
Overhead, the flight attendant came on the intercom.
“Attention all passengers for flight W632 to Mexico City, we will now begin the boarding process. If you are flying first class, please make your way—”
“Oh! That’s us,” Nadine said excitedly.
Erik shook his head and laughed, grabbing her carry-on. “Yeah, now we get to drink cheap wine for free in a tiny recliner,” he teased.
“Listen, for five hours, I’ll take it over coach,” Elliot quipped, coming up behind them.
“Me too,” Cierra chimed in, eliciting a fist-bump from Elliot.
“Oh my god, will you two just get in line,” Erik said.
Cierra jumped into the queue with pleasure, ready to get this vacation going. While the prospect of exploring a new city excited her, she had other objectives, too. The sooner this trip was over, the sooner she was back in New York with Julian.
By the time they all arrived at the Airbnb in Polanco, a posh neighborhood in the heart of the city, it was early afternoon. Which was perfect, because Cierra needed to make the rounds on food collections. She still wasn’t a hundred percent sure why the Lawsons didn’t just schedule to eat out, especially given the metropolitan culinary scene, but suspected it had to do with Zelda being a hypochondriac. Apparently, she’d gotten food poisoning the last time she visited and was deathly afraid of anything like that happening again.
The air was warm and dry, a reprieve from Manhattan’s sub-tropical heat, and made her chores seem less daunting. Cierra’s job was actually fairly simple for the trip: keep the Airbnb stocked with snacks and grab-n-gos, host the party taking place Saturday evening, and keep Zelda from getting diarrhea.
“Dear, if twenty-two million people can make it work, I think we’ll survive a few days,” she overheard Elliot saying as their SUV approached the entrance to the villa.
