She gave me a smile and let me lead the way inside. The hostess sat us at a corner booth and handed us the brunch menu.
“This is nicer than most of the restaurants I’ve been to in New York,” said Sadie, looking around. She tugged at her white sweater self-consciously, getting comfortable in her seat.
“Really?” I laughed. It was just an airport lounge. She must not get out much.
“Not all of us are billionaires, you know…” She rolled her eyes as she looked at me over her menu.
I chuckled and looked down at my menu. This really was all new to her. Though it was boring to me, I figured I would indulge her. When the waitress came by to take her order, I asked to have one of everything on the menu.
Sadie’s eyes almost popped out of her head.
“Are you crazy?” she asked with a laugh.
“Maybe.” I shrugged, handing our menus to the waitress.
“Iamstarving,” said Sadie, tossing her braided red hair over her shoulder. Even in the dim lighting of the restaurant, her skin glowed. She was fresh-faced without a hint of makeup. It felt almost intimate to see her spatter of freckles warm on her clean skin.
“Good,” I said, a smile creeping over my lips, tearing my eyes away from her to not let them linger too long.
The waitress brought out cinnamon swirl French toast, a ham and cheese quiche, avocado toast, a smoked salmon bagel, blueberry pancakes, with a side of bourbon bacon and diced roasted potatoes. Our table was so crowded with food that Sadie and I shared everything, using our forks to take bites right from the plates. A few times our hands brushed, making every part of my body aware of the heat from her skin. She didn’t seem to notice, or pretended not to care.
Once we had finished, Sadie sat back in the booth and put her hand on her stomach.
“I have never eaten that much in my life.” She let out a deep breath as if trying to deflate.
I laughed. “Did you enjoy your first airport lounge experience?”
“My first and only, probably, but yes.”
“Stick with me and it won’t be the only.” I held up a hand to flag our waitress.
“I do want to check out the spa one day…” she said dreamily.
“Next time.” I checked my watch. “It’s time to go to our gate.”
I paid the bill and we retrieved our bags. Sadie accepted my offer to carry her bag, which I slung over my shoulder. It was heavier than I thought. I wondered how much she had stuffed in here.
“Is there a body in here?” I grunted.
“It’s all my new clothes and shoes.” She grinned. “Thanks, by the way.”
I shook my head and laughed. I was creating a monster, but was enjoying every minute of it. I didn’t often meet people who were impressed by this life because everyone I knew was already in it, unimpressed by money and nice things. I was one of them, but there was something about seeing everything through Sadie’s eyes that made all this mundane shit feel new.
I nodded toward the direction of our gate and we walked side by side through the crowded airport. We arrived at our gate just as they were calling first class to board. Sadie handed the flightattendant our tickets excitedly, looking back at me as we walked down the carpeted runway toward the plane. I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm for the almost four-hour flight ahead of us.
“We’re in the first row!” she exclaimed as we entered the first-class cabin. “Look at these seats!”
“Calm down, calm down,” I said, smiling with embarrassment at the other first-class passengers.
“Sorry,” Sadie whispered as we plopped down in our seats. “I’ve only ever flown once before.”
“Seriously?” I asked with a raised brow.
“Mhmm. To Hawaii in high school. I had saved every penny for that trip because I knew my parents couldn’t afford it. I was seventeen. Best week of my life.” She sighed as she settled into her seat. “Minus the sunburn I got on the last day. I tried surfing, and failed miserably, but I didn’t give up. I was out there until almost sunset.”
I looked at her with amusement. This was probably the most I had ever heard her talk. It was like she was buzzing with excitement and the words just kept pouring out of her. I thought we might talk about business, but I was hanging on every word, learning more about her.
“May I offer you champagne? Or sparkling cider?” asked a flight attendant who had rolled a cart up the aisle.
