Page 18 of Family Secrets

“Next.”

Jumping slightly, Elizabeth proceeded to the counter where a middle-aged woman with thick black glasses greeted her.

“Good morning. Where are we headed today?”

“New York City,” Elizabeth confirmed with pride, laced with a ton of nervousness.

“Is this your first time going to New York?”

“First time flying,” she admitted, handing over the paper and her ID.

“How exciting. Are you going for business or pleasure?”

“Both, I guess.” Elizabeth surmised as she hoped to explore everything the city had to offer.

The woman kept her smile intact, her red lipstick shimmering from the lights of the screen as she typed away on her keyboard.“How many bags are we traveling with today?”

“Two,” Elizabeth cringed as she lifted the first one onto the scale. She’d visited the airline's website and was all too familiar with the cost per bag. Packing as little as she could, she forced herself to bring only the clothing she could comfortably wear in an office, the majority of her jeans finding their way to the donation box. As the woman wrapped a label around the second bag and tossed it to the conveyer belt behind her, she handed Elizabeth a stack of papers instead of asking for money.

“Gate A-17, you will board with group one. Enjoy your stay in New York.”

“But my bags,” Elizabeth began, afraid of the repercussions of her failure to pay. “The webpage mentioned a fee for the second bag.”

“Yes, Ms. Smith, with our economy and economy plus passengers there is. However, the fee is waived with our first-class passengers.”

Elizabeth sheepishly thanked the woman, tugging her purse strap higher on her shoulder and heading in the direction of security.

A few hours later, Elizabeth followed the line of her fellow passengers as they made their way down the walkway toward baggage claim. As Elizabeth rounded a corner, she found several eager people waiting to receive their loved ones, and a man dressed in a black suit, holding an iPad with her name scrolled across the face.

Cautiously approaching the older gentleman, “I’m Elizabeth Smith.”

The man took a hard look at her before tipping his hat. “Afternoon, Ms. Smith. I’m Niko, I work for the Vitale Family.” Motioning toward the baggage claim area, “Let’s collect your bags and I will take you to your hotel.”

“Thank you, Mr. Niko, that’s quite generous of you.”

Elizabeth followed Niko to the carousel with her flight number flashing overhead. Her bags were among the first to emerge, and as she reached for the handle, Niko stepped in front of her, pulling the bag from the belt with ease.

“This one yours?” Niko pointed to the second, heavier bag.

“Yes, but I can—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Niko had the bag off the belt and was pointing at another silently questioning if it belonged to her.

“No,” she shook her head, “Just the two.”

Niko took a step back, appraising the tiny girl with a scrutinizing eye. “You moved halfway across the country and you only have two bags?”

Not caring for the tone of Niko’s voice, Elizabeth felt the overwhelming need to justify herself. “I didn’t plan on having a driver waiting, so two bags were the maximum I felt comfortable handling.”

Niko appreciated the tenacity of the young lady. “Not to worry, Ms. Smith. By the time you have an apartment, two bags might hold your purses.”

The ride from the airport felt as if it took an eternity. Elizabeth sat on the edge of her seat as Niko drove through congested traffic, weaving the fancy car in and out of some of the tightest spots she’d ever witnessed. As the sun skirted across the horizon, Niko pulled the car alongside the curb of what she assumed was her hotel. Elizabeth craned her neck to take in the grandeur of the building with its many flags from various countries whipping in the cold February wind. Elizabeth had never seen a building so tall, outside of the hospital, and even it was only three stories. The buildings before her seemed to reach the clouds.

A uniform wearing man opened her door as Niko came around the front of the car, pressing something between his fingers causing the trunk of the car to open. The man in uniform greeted her as she stepped from the back seat, while large flakes of snow danced around her as she stood on the sidewalk, the sounds of the city welcoming her.

“You’re in room fifteen-oh-three,” Niko informed her as he handed her a gold card. “This will provide you with anything you want such as room service or spa treatments.” Nodding in the direction of the man holding her bags, “This young man will see you to your room. And before I forget, Lisa asked you give her a call once you’re settled.”

“Thank you, Mr. Niko.”

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