Chapter 8
CLARA
Istarted at my reflection in the airport bathroom, unable to believe I was there. Women whizzed by behind me as if in slow motion, like I was trapped and time was moving on without me.
What the hell am I doing?
In reality, what choice did I have? No job, no apartment, no boyfriend.
Hell, I didn’t even have my car anymore.
Jessie had to drive me all the way to the airport last night, and I had been roaming the terminal for hours.
I needed the money Luke was offering and I wasn’t going to make that kind of cash anywhere else, short of selling drugs or a kidney.
Guilt gnawed at my guts. I hadn’t told my parents I was going. I had just left a brief note for them on the fridge, saying I was going to New York to do some soul searching and would be back by Christmas.
At least Nic knew the truth, but how could he be okay with this?
A woman bumped into me and jolted me back to reality.
My flight was boarding soon, so I hurried to the gate.
I had found it earlier, as soon as I’d gotten through security, and then I’d walked around that general area, looking through the different stores and trying to keep my courage up enough to get on the plane when the time came.
I could still walk away and put this insanity behind me. The note, I could pretend was a joke, and I never had to see Luke again if I didn’t want to.
What finally sealed my decision was when I went to buy a soda from one of the stores and my card got declined. I wanted to die of embarrassment. Living that way wasn’t an option. I needed the money, so I needed to get on that plane.
I would not let Cat Food Christmas be the title of my memoirs.
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 and fleeing 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.
“I can’t come back,” I told her. “Not yet. But look, if my New York adventure is a failure like everything else in my life, my spinster basement will still be waiting for me.”
That seemed to reassure her enough to calm down and not send the Texas Rangers after me.
I promised to call her every day, and we said our goodbyes. When the plane got to the gate, I walked out with everyone else like a normal person. That was a good start.
I found my suitcase at baggage claim, then spotted a tall man in a suit by the conveyor belt, holding a sign with my name on it. That made things feel real. This wasn’t just a hare-brained idea Luke had suggested in passing. Other people were involved. Money was being spent.
I walked up to him, suitcase rolling behind me. “Hi, um, I’m Clara Snow. I think you’re here for me.”
“Yes, Mrs. Snow,” he said in a thick eastern European accent. “Allow me to take your bag.”
I smiled at him. “Thank you. Such a gentleman.”
He nodded but didn’t smile back. “Mr. Whitaker said to treat you like family.”
“I’ve seen how he treats his brothers. That might not be a good thing.”
The man didn’t laugh. I followed him quietly outside. The air was brisk and there was snow on the ground.
He led me to where a big black SUV was parked at the curb of the Arrivals terminal. I didn’t fly much, but I knew you weren’t allowed to park there for long.
More than one ticket was shoved under the windshield wiper. The guy grabbed them in a thick fist and put them in his coat pocket. I shot him a questioning look. He shrugged. “Mr. Whitaker will pay them.”
“If the penalty for a crime is a fine, it’s only illegal for the poor,” I said.
He nodded thoughtfully, thinking about it. “Yes, but it’s just parking.”
It was a stark reminder how different Luke’s life was from mine. He didn’t live by the same rules as everyone else. It would take some getting used to over the next few weeks.
My driver put my luggage in the back, opened the side door, and gestured for me to go in. “Come. Mr. Whitaker will be waiting.”
I got in and we drove off into the heart of the city. I was too in awe to ask what happened next. The buildings towered over us, casting everything in their shadows. It was exactly like I dreamed it would be. I felt like I was home.
I looked at the driver in the rearview mirror. “Do you have a name?”
“I am Lenny,” he said in his accent.
“Nice to meet you, Lenny. Do you work for Luke often or is this a one-time thing?”
“I drive for him fulltime.”
“I’m sure you’re not allowed to answer honestly, but what’s it like working for him? Is he nice or a jerk?”
Lenny finally smiled slightly. “Mr. Whitaker is a good boss. Strict but fair. I would be happy to drive for him until I retire.”
I nodded, glad he wasn’t a total tyrant once he was back in the city. The time I’d spent with Luke over the last few days had been nice, but there was no way to tell if it was genuine. Anyone could fake it for a while. I would have to remember that over the next few weeks.
Lenny pulled up to the base of a massive high rise. Luke opened my door. I wondered if Lenny had texted him we were close. Or maybe he could track the car’s location. Either way, I was pleasantly surprised he had come to greet me personally.
“Luke!” I said, delighted.
“You’re an hour late,” he said grumpily.
His sour expression couldn’t wear me down now, though. I said goodbye to Lenny and hopped out of the SUV. Luke grabbed my bag and began to walk away.
Ignoring his mood, I gazed up, drinking in the buildings and the bits of blue sky peeking through. People had to move around me while I remained stuck in place, in a daze, on the sidewalk.
“We need to set some ground rules, Snow,” Luke said like a drill sergeant. “We’re on a schedule.”
I looked at him and nodded. It was his show. I was just acting in it. “Go for it. What are the rules?”
He narrowed his eyes and sighed. “I need to think of them still, but in my defense, I didn’t think you’d actually show up.”