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I was still in my workout clothes, a mug of coffee in my hands. “Shug, I told you we’re leaving my house at ten. We’ve just got a ten-minute drive to Eugene Airport. We’re flying private.”
“What? Wait, you mean like a chartered-jet flight? That’s too much, even for a sugar fairy.” She dropped her shoulder bag on the ground.
“It’s a single engine turboprop this time. And I didn’t charter the entire plane, I bought us seats on a shared flight through a subscription service. Stop frowning at me—it wasn’t much more than flying commercial. Come on in and get comfortable while I shower.”
We got to the airport thirty minutes before our flight and simply walked across the tarmac to board. It was a smaller plane but had big cushy chairs, lots of leg room, and a wide aisle. The only other passenger on board before us was a man wearing glasses, bent over a book. He didn’t glance up as we walked by.
“Oh, my goodness,” Amber said. “I’m really nervous. I’ve never been in such a small plane. Do you think it’ll get tossed around by the air currents?”
I reclined in my seat and turned on the massage function. “Might. But the weather is pretty good, isn’t it?”
“Why didn’t I check that?” She fanned her face. “Oh crap, my heart’s trying to beat out of my chest.”
“Shug, it’s okay. That pilot looked fresh as a daisy.”
“It’s just, you know, I can’t stop thinking about Kobe and his poor girl.” She sniffed. “Oh my God, I’m totally freaking out.”
I sat up straight, not sure what to do. “Do you want to cancel…?”
She panted in short gasps. “No, just give me a second…”
The guy with the book had turned around and was staring at us. He resembled a young Lenny Kravitz, except with short, trimmed hair and more fed up. He frowned a little derisively at Amber.
“Ladies,” he said, “you’re still safer than if you got in a car and drove to Vegas.”
Amber glared at him. “I’m sorry,” she snapped, “is my anxiety disrupting your story time?”
He glared back at her. “A bit. Do you need me to go back there and hold your hand?”
“No. But you can turn around and show some courtesy.” She huffed.
He sniffed and returned to his book.
I gave her a wide-eyed look, the corners of my mouth twitching. “Feel better?”
“No.” She crossed her arms and slumped back in her seat.
A man and a woman boarded together, both wearing suits and carrying briefcases. At the last moment a group of four teenagers ran across the tarmac, luggage bouncing as they pulled it behind them. They came in giggling andapologizing to everyone before dashing to their seats and buckling up.
The flight only took us an hour and fifty minutes, which Amber and I spent laughing at an Amy Schumer movie, drinking sparkling wine, and snacking on the sushi trays served by our flight attendant.
As we left, shuffling down the short aisle to the exit of the airplane, Amber and the Lenny Kravitz guy ended up a little pushed together. He glanced at her over his shoulder, smiling a little, but her back was as stiff as a piece of plywood and her arms were crossed.
We took a taxi from the Las Vegas airport to the main strip of massive casinos and hopped out at Caesar’s Palace. Opulent white marble with gleaming gold accents was shaped into the facade of a Roman temple, with larger-than-life statues of gods and goddesses, horses, lions, and other mythical beasts towering over our heads.
Amber spun in a slow circle. “This is so amazing. I can’t even believe I’ve never been here before—are all the casinos like this?”
“They’re all different. I scheduled us a tour for tomorrow morning.”
We handed our luggage over to a baggage porter and I checked us in. I’d booked two rooms, next to each other, on the upper levels of the hotel, with a connecting door. We were in the Augustus tower, which was closest to the Garden of the Gods swimming pools.
Amber ran into each room squealing and flopping back onto the beds. “This is so so good. And we can see the pool below us. You are the best sugar fairy ever.”
I waved my hand at her. “What’s a pile of dirty old money good for if you don’t spend it? Let’s get outside. It’s bright and sunny out there and I’m ready to float.”
“You got it, girl. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” She jumped up and scooted into her room.
I unzipped my bag and began pulling out all my clothes to shake out and hang up. I’d been surprised to see how many of the rooms at Caesar’s were pet friendly. Also, I could have taken a dog on the private flight. Maybe, if they picked me to adopt, I could take Charley on trips with me.
