Chapter 33A

Vanetta settled back in her seat, a nice wide one, first class all the way! "Ah, the perks that come with the job," she thought to herself. This was something she could get used to. Bringing an account to Fit Pregnancy magazine worth over five million dollars and the potential for continued business had assured her first-class treatment all the way. Lisa Greenwood, publisher of Fit, had insisted on footing the bill for the trip to sign the contract, and the two women had plans for some socializing as well.

Bobby had driven her to the Charlotte Douglas airport where she regretfully kissed him goodbye at the entrance. The new security measures in effect since September 11^th 2001had brought about a lot of changes, and being the second busiest airport in the Southeast (Atlanta the busiest), just getting to the departure lounge took much longer than expected. There were "rent-a-cops" everywhere.

Vanetta resented the fact she could not spend her last moments with Bobby but understood the need. Because they would be apart for a few days, Bobby had driven the long way to the airport, going down I-77, past downtown Charlotte, then onto Wilkinson Drive, to Billy Graham Parkway (named for the evangelist), then on Birmingham Parkway directly into the airport.

Vanetta was telling Bobby how happy she was that TKO was located on the outskirts of Charlotte as the city had become so cosmopolitan.

Bobby had his own opinions on the city, especially Wilkinson Drive, which he considered the extreme opposite with its seedy mix of light industrial, low-class strip malls, auto sales lots, more than a few bars, and a couple of strip clubs.

He had dropped her off at mid-terminal, close to the US Air check-in location, had summoned a porter after a passionate goodbye kiss, and her bags were taken directly to first-class check-in on US Air. She had blown him kisses and waved till he left the barricaded passenger drop off zone, and then she headed to US Air to check in.

Vanetta strolled up to the short first-class check-in line, checked her luggage, and received her boarding pass and a one-day pass to the US Airways Club provided by Lisa. She had to go through security, again in the shorter first-class/frequent-flyer line ahead of the masses.

Security was embarrassing for Vanetta, and she still blushed at the thought of it. Her driver's license photo was compared to the name on the ticket as she removed her shoes, (thanks to the guy who had a shoe bomb on one of the European flights), and then she got in line for the metal detector. She had dutifully placed her watch, rings, and necklace into the tray provided and her carry on bag on the belt, which was then X-rayed, and she stepped into the metal detector, which immediately went off.

Security guards were on her in a flash, and she was taken aside while a female attendant ran a hand-held scanner over her body. It was then she remembered the ionic anklet Bobby had bought for her at Christmas. It had been difficult getting it on, but once on, it felt comfortable and she never gave it another thought - till now. She blushed and apologized profusely as the guards visibly relaxed. She removed the anklet and stowed it in her carry-on bag.

Clearing security, she headed straight to the Club room. Her flight was going to depart from gate B5, a short walk after a right turn after the security check-in. She found the US Airways Club between gates B3 and B5 on the B concourse. She showed her guest pass to the concierge and asked for a Pina Colada, extra large! While she had no fear of flying, the incident with the security screening had shaken her up a bit.

Vanetta looked at the clock and saw she still had 45 minutes to wait before boarding and took a seat in a comfortable leather armchair overlooking flight operations.

The waitress who brought over her drink asked if Vanetta had had a rough time with security. When Vanetta nodded, taking a gulp of the crushed ice concoction, the waitress nodded sympathetically, and related a story about a well-dressed couple who had been in the week before. From outward appearances, they had both appeared to be very conservative, middle aged executives, but when the woman had entered the metal detector, it had gone nuts. It turned out that looks could be deceiving, and the lady had nearly a dozen body piercings. She had been taken to a security room where she had been strip searched.

Vanetta laughed, the tension leaving her, and told the waitress all she had was an ionic anklet, and it was just braided metals.

"The machines are set to such a sensitive level now that any metal will set them off," the waitress had said. Then as Vanetta paid her and tipped generously, the girl had offered her snacks and magazines, both of which Vanetta had graciously turned down. She was going to nurse the rest of her drink till it was time to board the US Air Airbus.

She was surprised to see she was the only female in the Club at the moment other than the waitress. Most of the other people were overweight, male, and dressed in suits. Vanetta had chosen a nice beige flight suit for comfort. It was lightweight, well suited to the humid and hot day. She also noticed that she was drawing a lot of attention. The air conditioned room had made little missiles out of her nipples, and they were a predominant feature crying out for attention, wanted or not.

When her flight was called, she grabbed her carry-on and headed for her gate. First class passengers were boarded first, and she quickly found her seat - 3F. It had been a toss up for her as to the convenience of the aisle or the interest provided by a window, and Vanetta had opted for the window seat. Considering the narrow-body 321 jet, she was surprised at how much room there was for the 26 first-class seats. She stowed her carry-on after removing a paperback she had bought last month but had not yet had a chance to read. She was prepared for the delay before take-off.

After thirty minutes of reading, she heard the turbines come to life. She watched out the window as the plane backed away from the terminal and then listened to the mandatory safety briefing about seatbelts and oxygen masks, then sat back in her seat and watched Charlotte unfold as they prepared for take-off. Looking out the window, she thought of the change of perspective one had when seeing Charlotte through a moving window. It was like watching a documentary on TV. Sitting up higher than a car, she had a broader view of Charlotte, and she watched in fascination with her ability to pick out familiar landmarks.

"First time flying, little lady?" the man seated next to her asked.

Without turning to look at the man, she replied that it was definitely not her first time flying.

Seeing a beautiful young woman sitting beside him, the salesman from Coast Music thanked his lucky stars that today he had decided to cash in some of his frequent flyer miles for an upgrade to first class - if she would just stop looking out the window and sit back.

As the plane taxied down the runway, the ground fell away, and within minutes, the plane was into the low-hanging clouds. Soon the view of Charlotte was gone. She sat back, listened to the captain greeting the passengers, stifled a yawn, and re-opened her book. Vanetta could see the salesman beside her sneaking peeks at her bust, barely hidden beneath her light flight-suit.

As they burst through the clouds and the sky cleared, Vanetta took a last look, hoping for sight of land below her. She loved being miles above the ground, and with a sigh settled back in. Her seatmate introduced himself and for what ever reason, his company. Wholesale musical instruments and accessories were what he sold for a living, and he was proud of the fact that the company he worked for considered him a top salesman.

Vanetta looked the man up and down and then said to him, "If you're such a great salesman, why are you wearing a Chinese knock off of a Brooks Brothers suit?"

This shook the man up. He had paid good money for the suit, knowing it was a copy, but he'd also been assured that no one would ever be able to tell. Curiosity overcame him though, and he hesitantly asked Vanetta how she could tell it was a copy.

Trying to remain polite, Vanetta explained she was in the fashion industry and that was how she knew.

"Oh," he said, "a model! I should have guessed looking at you."

Vanetta laughed in spite of herself and explained she represented models but was not one herself.

Watching her breasts jiggle as she laughed made the salesman very happy. He wondered if she was going to be in the city long and asked her.

Vanetta said she was only going to be there two nights and then back to her office. As the salesman was thinking up the next clever line he could use on her, Vanetta took the headphones out of the pocket of the seat in front of her and plugged them in, turning to an easy listening channel so as to prevent further conversation.

Frustrated, the man sat back and sighed. "Well," he thought, "at least this will be a great story when I get back to the office." His mind was already creating the fantasy he would spin for his co-workers.

Vanetta turned down the volume so it wouldn't distract her from her reading and mentally calculated how many time zones she would cross versus actual flight time. She loved flying, but with clouds below and a blue sky overhead, there wasn't much to do or see. She did however make a mental note to herself to set her watch back three hours when she unpacked her luggage.

The stewardess came around for drink orders and remembering that she'd had the Pina Colada in the Club, Vanetta opted for soda water with a twist of lime. She would have enjoyed the complimentary champagne, but knew that the potency of alcohol in a pressurized cabin doubled the buzz, and she didn't want to land in San Francisco and still be flying!

About an hour into the flight, the clouds started to break up and Vanetta could see land. Miles and miles and miles of flat land. She could see various colored squares indicating different crops, some extending for miles on a side. This was the Midwest, not a place she particularly wanted to live. No oceans nearby, and not a hill to be seen. She checked to see what the in-flight movie was and was disappointed to see it was Gangs of New York. While hailed as technically and historically accurate, Vanetta had no desire to watch a male coming-of-age movie filled with violence. With a sigh, she returned to her book. The author, Kathy Reichs was much more interesting.

When the movie ended, the stewardess brought out a tray with wines and menus. Vanetta took the stewardess' suggestion and selected the beef tenderloin with a burgundy wine sauce. The stewardess asked everyone to lower their food trays and place their seats in an upright position and then passed out cut crystal wine goblets. From the wine options, Vanetta chose an excellent 1990 California Chardonnay, which the stewardess poured, and as she sipped quietly, the stewardess laid placemats on all the trays and served the appetizer - a mixed green salad with vinaigrette dressing and fresh shrimp cocktail with the cocktail sauce served in a hollowed out cucumber. Vanetta mentally gave the airline an A+ score for presentation. As she took her first bite, she was sure of the score. She only hoped the main course would be as good!

Her beef tenderloin was served on bone china and came with parsley mashed potatoes and steamed - not boiled - green beans. Vanetta was stuffed and was about to turn down dessert when she saw the stewardess shake her head and presented her with chocolate swirled cheesecake. It was heavenly! Vanetta thanked the stewardess and noted the impeccable service she had received.

The flight itself had been very smooth so far, and soon the land started to develop some features after what seemed like hours of flatlands. Vanetta asked what the current time was and how long before they would land and was told there was another hour of flying time but that soon the scenery would improve as they approached the Sierra Nevada Range.

Vanetta thanked the stewardess and went back to her book. Reichs was an excellent author, but Vanetta had a full belly, a comfortable seat, and the promise of a great time in San Francisco. She had reviewed Steve's contract enough times to have it memorized and knew that a copy had been previously forwarded to Lisa's staff. "Let the lawyers do their legal work," she thought as she reclined her chair, and with thoughts of Robert on her brain she quickly dropped off to sleep.

Vanetta felt a gentle shake on her shoulder and opened her eyes to see the stewardess looking at her.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Ms. Clarke, but I thought you would enjoy the sights as we prepare for landing."

Vanetta smiled at the young girl and thanked her for her thoughtfulness. She straightened her seat back up and looked out the window at the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada Range. She could tell the plane was descending as she felt her ears pop, and the sights on the ground were now much easier to see. She heard the captain say that the monolith of the half dome in Yosemite Park could be seen to the left. Pity she was on the right, but possibly she would see it on her way home. From her view of the sun and the sky, she could tell they were traveling up to San Francisco instead of directly west. She watched as they crossed the mountain range and noticed how they flattened out into the central valley of California, with all the farms and canal-irrigated fields. The irrigated fields soon gave way to the dry bay hills as the plane descended further going over San Jose. To the right, her side, the captain pointed out Candlestick Park where the San Francisco 49ers play football, and the skyline of San Francisco came into clear view.

She was surprised to see the Bay Bridge but shocked at the haze that covered a large part of the Bay Area. She had heard of this and the constant smog but had never seen it in person. The plane continued to descend over the Dumbarton and San Mateo bridges, making the final approach over the water to land on runway 28L at SFO.

"It looks like we're going to land in the water, doesn't it?" asked the stewardess as she handed Vanetta two damp rolled cloths. One was hot and the other cold. It took Vanetta but a minute to wipe her face with both, thank the stewardess, and then agree that it certainly appeared that the plane was going to land in the Bay. The stewardess smiled and explained that the runway extends into the Bay on the arrival end. Then she asked Vanetta to buckle up for the landing.

The plane landed smoothly and taxied off the runway, rolling around almost all of the airport terminals to arrive at gate B30, 12 minutes early at 2:31 Pacific Time.

As the engines wound down and the doorway was opened, Vanetta stood up and took down her carry-on bag. Vanetta smiled and thanked the stewardess for her help and a pleasant flight, then got off the plane and walked down the ramp into the terminal and exited from the security area. She was halfway down the stairs when she spotted a tall, handsome man in sharp suit holding a sign with her name on it. She approached him and said she just had to get her luggage and they could leave, but the man, who introduced himself as Ted, said he would take care of the luggage, taking her baggage claim tickets and hailing a porter.

The porter asked for a brief description of the bags and left in a hurry. Ted smiled at her and asked how her flight had been.

As she was describing how her first flight to San Francisco felt, Vanetta realized she had a slight buzz on and stopped talking instantly.

Ted smiled at her and explained he was used to passengers arriving feeling no pain, then stopped smiling and said it was the greedy drunks he had to deal with from time to time that upset him. Then his smile returned and he said, "Not to worry Ms. Clarke, I've got just what you need in the limo."

Just then, the porter returned with Vanetta's bags, verified the ones he had were hers, and headed towards the exit. He seemed to know exactly where he was headed. Ted held his arm out for Vanetta to take, and they walked out behind the porter.

There was a polished black Mercedes limo parked in the pick-up zone with a security guard standing beside it. Ted slipped him a twenty and thanked him for allowing him to remain in wait mode for a few extra minutes, then he tipped the porter and placed Vanetta's bags into the trunk of the Mercedes. He held open the door for Vanetta, closed it gently, and got in behind the wheel and drove off.

Ted headed north on US 101 and told Vanetta there was a small fridge in the back with Gatorade, mineral water and Evian.

"Sorry there's no alcohol in there," said Ted, "but I find it saves me a lot of headaches if I don't include any. And speaking of headaches, if you have one, let me know. I have Tylenol, Advil, and aspirin up here."

Vanetta laughed and said her head was fine, and not to worry about the lack of alcohol as she was only a social drinker to begin with.

As they drove along, Ted gave Vanetta the dime tour, pointing out the places they passed, the most notable of which was the Bay, Candlestick Park out on Hunter's Point and the Cow Palace convention center. As they drove by Potrero Hill, Ted said, "On Potrero Hill, you can relax in brilliant sunshine while watching fog engulf the rest of the city. Separated from the rest of the City by 16th, Third and Cesar Chavez streets, and Potrero Avenue, the neighborhood is relatively isolated by freeways and large tracts of industrial landscape, giving Potrero Hill its own pace and a feeling of distance from San Francisco."

"That's kind of like where our offices are," said Vanetta. "We're in Charlotte but not really part of it. It's like a unique suburb."

As she spoke she looked forward and watched San Francisco start to unfold in front of her. The limo slipped onto I-80 and continued towards the Bay Bridge. Ted turned off on 4^th, just a little south of downtown and headed north across Market. Vanetta was surprised to see streetcar rails on the road and commented on it.

"Yes," said Ted, "part of our history we're trying to preserve. We still run some vintage streetcars on special weekends; even have one that was imported from England. People often confuse the streetcars with the cable cars, which you'll see shortly."

Ted turned left on Geary to Union Square. "Welcome to the heart of the San Francisco shopping district," he said as he pulled up in the limousine drive-through in the middle of the Fairmont Hotel.

A bellman came to the limo instantly and Ted pressed the trunk release before getting out and opening Vanetta's door.

"Thank you for the tour, Ted," she said reaching into her purse, but Ted gently pushed her hand back saying, "It was my pleasure, Miss Clarke, and everything else has been taken care of. I hope you enjoy your stay in our city."

Vanetta settled for a handshake and followed the bellman into the grand entrance of the Fairmont. She looked about her in amazement and thought of the line in the movie, Pretty Woman.

"I feel like Cinder-fucking-rella!"

Vanetta felt a bit chilly as she entered the lobby of the Fairmont and then remembered a comment Ted had made about Mark Twain's famous quote. "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." She hoped that she had been smart enough to pack something a bit warmer to wear, but when she had left Charlotte, the temperatures ranged from high hot to humid hot.

Approaching the hotel, Vanetta had seen a grand old building which Ted had told her had survived the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fire. It had looked majestic. She had guessed it to be about 10 stories high - 11 actually - and an entire city block wide. She thought it was a pity that on the back of the hotel someone had erected a tall tower. "Some people will have to do without a view," she thought to herself.

Once inside the grand plaza entrance, she was overwhelmed by the high ceilings and support columns. The lobby itself was larger than some ball rooms, and rich marble adorned the place. The reception desk was busy, and Vanetta started to head towards one of the lines when the bellman coughed discreetly and led her to the rear of the lobby, explaining on the way that she had been pre-registered when her arrival as SFO had been confirmed. Vanetta raised her eyebrows but followed the bellman. To her right, she noticed the lobby bar, but she felt she was here on business, not to drink herself into a stupor! Her heels clicked on the white marble floor, and as they passed close to the registration desk, starbursts adorned the old marble flooring. The bellman paused for a moment to retrieve a keycard for Vanetta and apologizing, asked her to sign the registration form - a formality required of all guests.

Vanetta smiled and signed with her unique swirled signature, and the bellman guided her to an elevator at the rear of the lobby. Vanetta was surprised to find an elevator back there, since they had passed several others on their trip across the broad expanse of the main lobby, but trusted that she was in capable hands. So far, everything had been taken care of for her, and it had all been first class.

Inside the elevator, Vanetta noted that the fancy teak wood in the elevator was covered by sheets of heavy glass. This was perplexing only for a moment as the elevator suddenly started to rise and the woodwork disappeared, replaced by a view of the city. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized she was in a glass elevator on the outside of the tower building she had thought obstructed the view of some of the Fairmont's rooms. Turning slowly, she let out a light gasp as the San Francisco Bay came into view, along with many other landmarks she had previously only seen on television and in movies.

The bellman chuckled softly and said, "It does tend to take one's breath away, doesn't it Ms. Clarke? The Fairmont is located on Union Square, and the suite reserved for you has one of the best views in the entire city."

The elevator stopped before Vanetta had a chance to respond, and the bellman pulled his cart with her luggage towards one of the doors to the left. Spacing between the doors seemed extravagant, and Vanetta noticed the wide hall had very few doors along its length.

Stopping in front of one of the first doors, the bellman opened it with the magnetic key card and swung the door in with a flourish. A small gasp come from Vanetta's throat. There were flowers everywhere, and a large basket of fresh fruit was in the center of a table by the huge window. The bellman smiled as he quietly explained and showed the layout of the suite, a suite that was nearly as big as her mother's house!

The bathtub and shower was large enough for two people, and there was a large vanity set apart from the sink with a lighted mirror. Vanetta was impressed. It wasn't the quality of the studio's make-up mirror, nor the one that Kelly had at her house, but this one was much better than those in most hair salons.

Coughing discreetly, the bellman caught her attention and showed her how to operate the various controls and then showed her to the bedroom. Like the main room, this one had a huge window overlooking the Bay. Vanetta paused to look at the Bay Bridge, asked if the pier was Fisherman's Wharf, and with the delight of a child in a candy store listened as the bellman pointed out Alcatraz and the other well known sites of San Francisco.