"What time is it?" I asked, glancing around the room. I sat in the middle of a king-sized bed surrounded by puffy pillows. The drapes were thankfully pulled shut, but I could imagine giant glass windows or a balcony behind them. I would have liked it if my stomach didn't feel like a tiny alien might pop out of it at any second.
"A little after ten in the morning. Though, that's Eastern Time, so it'll feel earlier for you."
"Why did you wake me up?" I growled. I just wanted to dive back under my sheets and never move again. Maybe I would bring some of this magic drink with me, though.
"Because, we have stuff to do today. Remember, we made plans?"
I groaned. Emma wanted to show me the city, and we were supposed to go out shopping in true New York style with Rachel. I silently cursed the flight attendant and her crisp uniform for bringing me the second tumbler of vodka.
"Get up. You aren't that hung-over," Emma said, nudging me gently.
"Yes, I am," I fired back. She laughed and stood up from the bed.
"Drink that up. I'll start a shower for you and get some breakfast up here. We are going to have fun today."
I groaned again and slumped back down into the pillows. It was going to be a long day.
Whatever drink Emma had given me had worked miracles. The shower definitely helped, and the toast she forced down my throat probably did something too. By the time we were in the lobby, I only had a slight headache and thought my stomach should stay put for the rest of the day. As we exited the elevator, a well-dressed woman in her mid-forties hurried over to meet us.
"Hi, Rachel, sorry we're late. Rough flight last night," Emma greeted her.
"No problem at all," Rachel said with a smile. "It's nice to see you again, Kaylee. If we're ready, Dean has the car just outside."
The three of us exited the hotel room, the sky heavy with an impending rainstorm. Waiting by the curb was a sleek SUV with tinted windows. Rachel slid into the front seat, and Emma and I took the back. There was an unspoken tension between Rachel and Dean, but I couldn't figure out if they were fighting love or just plain fighting.
"Kaylee, you remember Dean?" Emma asked, gesturing toward the driver. An athletic-looking man sat in the front seat, his dark hair peppered with gray. He turned around and grinned, reaching a hand back to shake mine.
> "I'm glad to see Emma finally got you out of bed. We have some shopping for you ladies to do," he said with a grin. Dean merged the car effortlessly out into the heavy New York traffic. A thunderstorm warning for later in the day came across the radio, but Dean turned it down and flipped on some light music. I kept my nose pressed to the glass, trying to absorb the whole city from the car window. Before, I had been a little too wasted to notice just how big everything was on my way in.
The city buildings rose up, reaching past where I could see, monsters of gray stone and cement. Well-dressed people hurried back and forth on the busy streets, everyone doing their best to ignore everyone else. It was so different from home. I was glad I didn't have to drive, as cars ducked and weaved around us, Dean managing to slide into spaces I never would have tried for. I think there were more cars on this one street than there were in the whole city of Des Moines.
"How do you live here, Emma?" I asked as we stopped for traffic. The street looked like sales lot for used cars than a means of travel.
"What? The traffic?" She shrugged. "I guess I've gotten used to it. The city seemed so big and strange at first, but now, I kind of like it."
"I don't think I could ever get used to this." The city was just too big and too busy for me. Give me my quiet Midwestern city over this any day. Not that it wasn't impressive, it just wasn't something I wanted to live in.
Dean navigated the SUV down another street, merging through a sea of bright yellow taxi cabs to pull up in front of a stylish brick building. A big glass window held mannequins in graceful poses, their clothes perfect and beautiful to the point where I thought they might come alive and coax us to buy their wares. Rachel led Emma and me inside while Dean waited with the car.
The store was quiet except for soft music playing overhead. I wondered where all the customers were as Rachel headed deeper into the shop. She and Emma both seemed to know where they were going so I followed, glancing at the beautiful items for sale.
A dark red purse caught my eye, and I stopped to pick it up. It was a beautiful little creation, the leather a deep wine red. I even recognized the designer label. I looked at the price tag, knowing I had a little money saved up and could splurge on a purse, especially if I could say I got it in New York City. $2,290.00. I didn't have that much to splurge. I set it carefully back down and hurried to catch up with Rachel and Emma.
I found them in a private area, Rachel deep in conversation with a saleswoman. As I walked up, Rachel turned and grinned.
"I went ahead and picked some things out for you to try. They're in that dressing room there." Rachel pointed to one of the large changing rooms. I smiled weakly. If the clothes were half as expensive as the purse, there was no way I could even afford to be in the same room as the clearance rack.
Emma must have read my mind, as she quickly added, "Don't look at the price, Kaylee. This is my treat for you. I never thought I would get you out to New York, so I'm excited to spoil you a little."
I almost told her no. I almost said that she shouldn't spend that kind of money. Then I remembered who she was married to, and the words died before they made it out of my mouth. Jack made enough money to buy that purse before he got out of bed in the morning.
I walked confidently into the changing room and slid on the first pair of pants. They were a soft tan color and made of a light linen material. I was shocked at how well they fit. Rachel was a great judge of size. I turned in the mirror and was pleased with what I saw.
"Told you those would look good on her," Emma said to Rachel as I stepped out. Rachel nodded.
"You are getting better. Soon, you'll be dressing me!" Rachel said. The two of them laughed before Rachel stood to get a closer look at the pants. "Those will be great for you in Dubai," Rachel said. She came up and had me spin. "Lightweight, but full length. Mr. Parker suggested we pick some things up for you to wear on your trip."
I blushed a little. I had no idea what to pack for two weeks in the Middle East. I almost brought only shorts and tank-tops for the desert heat before remembering that the local populace probably would prefer that I wore something a little less revealing. My suitcase was sadly light as the majority of my clothes were scrubs from work.