"You paid extra for this seat?" a woman in 7a turned to me.
"No, they just upgraded me for some reason," I said.
"I paid extra. I always pay a little more to be in the front. More leg room. You know?"
"Flight attendants, prepare for take-off," the captain announced.
"You like flying?" she said.
"No, I like getting places," I said.
"You are going to Georgia for fun?" she asked.
"It's a layover for me. I'm going to Alabama, "I said.
"Is Alabama home?"
"Not for me, for my boyfriend. For now, yes," I said.
I could feel the plane accelerating, shaking. It's completely normal, I've flown before. It's fine, I was calming myself down until we were airborne.
She started, " My husband is such a good guy. Wakes up every day at 4 am. Goes to the gym. He is very much into his exercise. Very organized. Workaholic too. Very hard worker."
"Yeah, my boyfriend is too. Addicted to exercise."
"Exactly, addiction. But he is a good guy. We have a son. He is 16. He's a good example for my son. You know?"
"Sure."
The flight attendant who was showing us earlier how to buckle our belts came over, "We are starting our refreshment service. What would you like?"
"What wine do you have?" she asked.
"We have Chardonnay, Pinot, and Syrah," the flight attendant smiled.
"What year is your Chardonnay?"
"Let me check. What would you like?" she asked me.
"Tomato juice please. With ice," I said.
She left to check on the wine and get the juice.
"You're not going to drink?" the lady asked me.
I looked at a vintage Chanel button on her jacket.
"No, I don't drink. I'm good. You go ahead, "I said.
"I'm going to see my friend in Georgia. I'm not going there sober! Poor girl. She got married and moved to Atlanta. Not even Atlanta. 2 hours by car. We, all her friends, told her, "Don't go to Georgia. If it doesn't work out, you are never getting out of there."
The flight attendant came back.
"2014. Is that OK?"
"Yes, thank you."
She filled a glass for her.
Chanel lady tried her wine.
"Do you like it?"
"Oh, very good!"
The flight attendant left.
"Anyway, we told her, don't go. You know. None of our friends ever visit her. They split up and she ended up there. In the middle of nowhere. Well, I mean in Georgia," she turned to me.
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
We were quiet. She was drinking her wine. I was chewing on the ice. God knows what they make this ice from. Well, I'm gonna take my chances, I thought.
"My husband is a very big guy. You know like a big guy. My son is too. He plays baseball. Such an athlete. My husband too.Wait. I'm going to show you the pictures."
She took her phone out. Showed me some photos.
"Yes, they are very tall. Great smiles. Beautiful family," I said.
"Wakes up at 4 and already at the gym. And he tells me," I'm going to work on my arms today, I'm going to work on my legs and back tomorrow."
"I see."
She pushed a button on the ceiling.
"What year is your Pinot Noir?"
The flight attendant smiled politely, "2015. Would you like another glass?"
Yes, Chanel lady would have another glass, I could tell.
"He doesn't like when I go anywhere. But I make my own money. Why can't I go places?
I told him I'm going to visit Laura. She is all alone there. You know.
He wasn't happy about it. Told me not to go. He is so controlling. You know how men are."
"Well, that's not good." I said.
She was sipping her wine.
"You know what happened last time? I was going to Hawaii. With my girlfriend. I had to wait until the very last day. We were redoing our kitchen. I wanted to do a new island, the whole thing. I like the good counters. I was fed up with the counter tops we had. You don't know what he put me through. He didn't want to renovate. It was such a struggle. I told him. I would take care of it. You know. I make my own money."
"Sure"
"Anyway I had to wait until the very last day. And I'm like, " I'm going to Honolulu with my girlfriend tomorrow."
"You told him one day prior to leaving?" I asked.
"Well, I couldn't tell him earlier. He would have gone crazy. He doesn't like me to go anywhere. He thinks all the men are going to be all over me."
"Well, you are very attractive."
"Thank you. That's not the point. You know how men are. Very possessive. Very jealous." She said.
"Some men, yes."
"I'm going to have another glass of wine. I'm not getting there sober. No way!"
No, that train has left the station, I thought. She made herself comfortable. Took her shoes off. Unbuttoned her jacket.
"I'm hot. Aren't you hot?"
I adjusted her air.
"Oh, thank you. That's better."
Another flight attendant emerged. I hadn't noticed how she summoned him.
"May I have a Chardonnay please?" she asked him.
"Did you have to pay extra for this ticket?"
"No," I said.
"I paid. I always pay. That's the best seats. Not the first class. But still very good"
"Yep."
"Do you have children?" she asked.
"I have a 15 year old."
"Boy?"
"Girl."
"I have a 16 year old boy," she said.
"I know. Sure"
She got more wine. She sipped it for a while.
"His grades are Fs and Ds. All of them," she said after a short while.
"Oh, I'm sorry. That must be hard for you," I said.
"Yeah, very hard. But what can I do? Is your daughter a good student? "
"Well, I hire tutors," I said.
"Does it help? "
"Yes, I think so."
"Do you think I should hire a tutor?" she asked.
"That might help. It can't make it worse," I said.
"That's a good idea. Otherwise I don't know what to do with him.
His father doesn't care. You know. All he cares is his gym. 4 am and he is at the gym.
Can you believe it? "
"Yes"
"Did you have to pay extra for your ticket?"
"No," I said. Everybody knows by now that I didn't pay. Even the guy across the aisle who is pretending to be asleep knows, I thought.
"I always pay extra to get this particular seat. Very comfortable," she said.
"I know."
It was getting dark outside and she closed the shade on the window.
She closed her eyes and reclined.
I took out my phone and started listening to Joe Dassin.
It was very relaxing and after some time I started to drift into sleep. I dreamed of flying and seating in my seat and at some point the clouds started to enter through the plane. The plane was filling with the clouds and I could hear Joe Dassin killing it with "Et Si tu N"existais Pas." There were clouds everywhere and music. I started to feel unease. There were not supposed to be clouds here.
Chanel lady woke me up.
"Got myself another glass," she sang.
"Yes, I figured," I rubbed my eyes and sat up.
She reached out for my elbow and leaned in. She was so close I could smell her Shalimar and her wine.
"He is such a pig. You know what just kills me?"
"What's that?" I asked.
"You know how you are sleeping in the middle of the night? Literally. While you are asleep! He is on top of you. Fucking you. You are like, what are you doing? I'm sleeping! Get off of me!" He is such a pig. He disgusts me!"
"Jesus Christ! That's messed up," I said.
She gulped the rest of her wine. Her face flushed burgundy red.
We didn't say anything to each other after that until we heard the final captain's announcement.
"We are starting our descent. The temperature in Atlanta is..."
She composed herself by this time. All I wanted was to get some fresh air.
She went, "It was very nice meeting you. You know. I like traveling. I meet people all the time.
Each trip is a journey. Don't you think?"
"Yes. It is a journey. Sure. Very nice to meet you," I said.
She gave me her business card. She is a real estate agent. Works in Livermore. Martie.