Chapter 8
KAITLYN
There hadn’t been a lot to pack, not for the move to New York, at least. The house was still to be sorted.
Kaitlyn had made little headway with sorting through her mom’s things, but she didn’t really want to, either.
Before Alex’s return, she’d had the vague idea of renting the house out for income, or even turning it into a guest house, for Cedarhurst was a popular tourist town.
But none of that mattered now. She didn’t need the income, that was for sure.
Instead, and at Alex’s suggestion, she packed only the barest of essentials, knowing everything else she needed could be easily found in New York.
The only exceptions were her art materials and the pieces she was working on.
These were carefully wrapped and packaged to be sent on ahead.
It had all happened so quickly, and within just a few days, Kaitlyn and Alex were ready to leave.
“You’re leaving before we get back?” Rachel had said when Kaitlyn had called her to tell her what was happening.
“I don’t see any point in waiting, do you? You could come to New York. I’m sure Alex would pay for the flight,” Kaitlyn had replied.
She didn’t know why Rachel was being difficult. It wasn’t as though she was being left behind. She’d just married Sean, and they were expecting a baby. Her life was sorted. Why couldn’t she just be happy for them?
“I don’t really like New York. It’s so big and busy,” Rachel had said.
It was noncommittal, but Kaitlyn had promised to stay in touch.
Rachel was her best friend. She knew how it looked, the suddenness of it all, but the more time she spent with Alex, the more convinced Kaitlyn was that she was doing the right thing.
A spark had lit between them. It was hard to describe, like a fire that’s been smoldering, now brought back to life.
They were rediscovering their feelings for one another.
It was exciting, and Kaitlyn was caught up in the whirl of possibilities that New York presented.
“Is that all you came with?” Kaitlyn asked when a car arrived from the airport to collect them.
Alex had returned to his mom’s house to say goodbye to her and pick up his things. He only had one bag. It looked like they were going away for the weekend.
“To tell you the truth, I was only planning to be here a couple of nights. I was going to make an excuse to Mom and go back to New York. You changed my mind about that,” he said as the driver opened the car door for them.
Kaitlyn had never been chauffeured before, unless you counted Betsy. It was a beautiful car, with a plush leather interior and a bottle of champagne on ice.
“It’s only ten o’clock in the morning,” Kaitlyn said when Alex offered her a glass.
“It seems a shame to waste it, though, doesn’t it?” he replied.
Kaitlyn didn’t need much persuading, and, by the time they reached the airport, they’d drunk most of the bottle between them.
“Aren’t we going to the terminal?” Kaitlyn asked, for she was used to this airport, having flown through it back and forth from San Francisco dozens of times over the past few years to visit her mom.
Alex smiled.
“We’re going to the VIP lounge. It’s around the back. We won’t be there long. The jet’s already waiting.”
Kaitlyn hadn’t really thought about their means of getting to New York. Alex had just told her they were flying. She’d wondered if it would be business class. But a whole private jet to themselves?
“Oh… I wasn’t thinking… all right,” Kaitlyn said, feeling both curious and a little dumbstruck at the thought.
He pointed out the jet to her on the runway, a small aircraft emblazoned with his company logo. It was some advertisement…
“The flight won’t take long. We’ll be in New York by lunchtime, and then we’ll go straight to the apartment,” he said as the driver opened the door for them.
Their bags were whisked away, and Kaitlyn found herself ushered into the VIP lounge, where well-dressed men and women sat around little tables sipping drinks and talking in low voices.
They were offered more champagne, but Kaitlyn asked for a cola.
She was already feeling somewhat lightheaded from the car journey.
There were snacks, too, all sorts of delicious things, and she opted for a blueberry muffin and some fresh pineapple that was served on a plate with a linen napkin.
“It’s certainly different from economy,” she said as the two of them sat at a table in the window, watching the planes take off.
“And so much easier,” he replied.
In no time at all, the plane was ready, and they were driven the short distance across the runway in an adapted golf buggy, where they were greeted by a steward who led them aboard.
“Can I fetch you anything, ma’am?” he asked as Kaitlyn took a seat on a large leather armchair opposite Alex.
The interior of the plane was like nothing she’d ever seen before, except in movies: an executive lounge, with tables and chairs, television screens, and even a small bar in one corner.
Alex ordered a martini from the steward, and Kaitlyn asked for another cola.
There were olives and other little snacks, and napkins printed with the company logo.
“I need to make a few calls,” Alex said as the jet taxied along the runway.
Kaitlyn nodded, still in awe of her surroundings.
Was this how her life was going to be from now on?
It was all a little overwhelming. What would the apartment be like?
Alex was on the phone with Hilary, who Kaitlyn thought must have the patience of a saint, given everything Alex was asking her to do.
She flicked through the channels on the TV and browsed the magazines and newspapers neatly laid out on the table between them.
Nothing was too much trouble for the steward, who continued asking if she needed anything.
“If it’s too warm, you can control the aircon with this,” he said, handing Kaitlyn a small remote.
“Oh, it’s fine. I’m used to economy,” she said.
The steward nodded. The flight wasn’t long, though Alex was on the phone for most of it, something about Mexican investors and Jamaica.
It all sounded very serious, and Kaitlyn wondered if this was how he always was — busy.
They hadn’t discussed what day-to-day life was going to be like in New York.
Kaitlyn still didn’t really know what she was going to do all day if Alex was at work and someone else was responsible for just about everything to do with the running of their lives.
I suppose I’ll… concentrate on my art.
It was a nice thought. Kaitlyn hadn’t had time to devote herself entirely to her art for some time.
There’d always been something to distract her.
Necessary distractions, though, and the desire and need to take care of her mom, but nevertheless, the chance to devote herself entirely to her projects would be a welcome one.
“We’re coming in to land now,” the steward said as the seat-belt signs came on.
Alex finished his call with Hilary. There was obviously no such thing as flight mode on a private jet.
“Look at that skyline,” he said, pointing out of the window.
It was an impressive sight, the Manhattan skyscrapers standing like a forest, jostling for height and space.
“Can you see your apartment from here?” Kaitlyn asked.
Alex pointed to one of the tallest buildings, smiling as he nodded.
“That’s it there, and next door, you can see the Macarson building. That’s our company headquarters. My office is on the twentieth floor.”
Kaitlyn could hardly take it in. She’d be living up in the sky.
“No garden, though,” she said, without thinking.
He looked momentarily perturbed.
“There’s a balcony. It’s like a small garden. There’s nothing on it at the moment, but you could do whatever you like with it,” he said.
Kaitlyn smiled.
“It’s all right. I don’t have a garden in San Francisco, but I’m near the park, and there are lots of green spaces around. I’m sure it’ll be the same in New York,” she said.
The plane was now coming in to land, and they touched down smoothly, taxiing to where a red carpet had been rolled out and another car was waiting for them.
“Let’s get going. Are you hungry? We could stop somewhere on the way, if you like,” Alex said as they stepped off the plane.
But after the champagne, the colas, and the various snacks, Kaitlyn wasn’t hungry at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.
“Let’s go directly to the apartment, okay? I’d like to see it,” she said, curious, eager even, to see where she was going to live.
“All right. But there’s one stop I want to make first. It’s on the way, don’t worry. There’s something I want to show you,” he said.
Kaitlyn was intrigued, and, as they climbed into the waiting car, she wondered what he had planned.
“A surprise?” she asked, and he smiled at her.
“I think you’re going to like it.”
There was no passing through security, no tedious queues or waiting.
The car whisked them straight out of the airport and onto the freeway, where it wasn’t long before the iconic skyline came into view once again.
Kaitlyn was trying to imagine what the apartment would be like.
What the staff would be like, too. She’d never had anyone do things for her like cooking and cleaning.
It wasn’t something she’d ever found a chore, but Alex obviously preferred not to do it himself.
“Where are we going?” she asked as the car turned left after crossing the East River.
“Just a little further,” Alex replied.