Green Lights (ASORM, Book 1)

Chapter 1: CARISSA IS IGNORED

March 3, 2028

Carissa stared out the window as her plane began its descent into New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport. She was flying business class, and the man next to her was a total snob. He was about 40 years old, dressed in a fancy, ironed suit that had no doubt been cleaned by a personal maid or assistant or something like that. Upon entering the plane, he had looked her over, a look of disgust on his face as he noticed her sweats and earbuds. Carissa could have sworn she heard him say "millenials" as he begrudgingly took his seat.

The flight from London had been miserable. When Carissa had tried to woo the man with her charm, he had only rolled his eyes and said that he didn't pay for business class only to be assaulted by a teenage girls whose parents are who-knows-where. So she had been forced to be silent the entire ten hours. And knowing Carissa, that was basically impossible, even though she wasn't a teenager anymore.

Finally, the flight landed in gate B23 and the man grabbed his black luxury suitcase out of the overhead bin. After he snootily left, Carissa pulled her earbuds out, stood up and grabbed her own well-worn backpack off the rack and followed the crowd out of the plane. The flight attendants and pilot thanked her; she smiled and thanked them in return.

New York was definitely warmer than London was...she could immediately feel it as soon as she entered the walkway. It wasn't snowing or raining out, and white, fluffy clouds floated in the brilliant blue sky. She had been to New York only twice before, and had loved it both times. The first time had been to set up the American division of her business and the second time was for Christmas two years ago, when she had come with her then-boyfriend Ethan and gone ice skating at the Rockefeller Center. She wished that she could stay in New York longer, but unfortunately, today, she was only there to transfer flights.

She followed the flow of people and signs to customs and joined the people waiting in the "Non-American citizen" line. Once there, she dug through her bag for her passport, only to have it slip out of her hands. It slid across the scuffed tile floor until it landed at the foot of a beagle, who avidly sniffed it.

"Sorry about that," Carissa sheepishly apologized to both the beagle and the tall young man who was holding the leash of the beagle.

He laughed, picking it up, examining it. "Australian, huh?"

She shrugged. "Yeah."

"Oh I know your name," he said, looking between Carissa and the picture of her in the passport. "Don't you own Demolish Fitness?"

"Demolish Fitness 24/7," Carissa corrected. "Can I have my passport back, please?" She held out her hand. "I'm pretty sure you need to check for secret drug dealing or something like that. For all you know, I could have just been a distraction meant to keep you from noticing." Stop talking, Carissa, you're just going to make him put you in a questioning room.

"Right. Sorry. Have a safe flight," his freckled cheeks turned a little pink and he turned and walked away.

Carissa knew she had that effect on people and that some people were even intimidated by her. She wished that she could have gotten to know that officer a little better, but she knew that he had a job and she had a flight to catch.

And as she had been chasing her passport, the line had only gotten longer.

She groaned internally as she rejoined the line behind two young women who seemed to be German tourists (she could tell from the German flag patches on their black backpacks). Both of the women were tall and had gorgeous long blonde hair and she wondered if they were sisters.

"Hey," Carissa said with a smile.

"Hi," one of the two girls looked back at her, without a smile.

"I'm Carissa," She held out her hand to shake.

"Are you sure you belong in this international line? I thought the American line was over there. It seems to be going faster anyways," the other girl said in a heavily accented voice.

Carissa falsified a French accent. "I am French, how dare you dirty German insult me like that!"

Both girls rolled their eyes and turned around. Well they were moody.

Carissa turned to the Asian man behind her. "Hi!"

"Xiàng qián màijìn, nǐ huì ma?" He made an ushering movement, so Carissa turned around and noticed a large gap between her and the German girls. She moved up, then tried again.

"How are you?" She smiled, but he ignored her and looked through his passport. She glanced at the cover. People's Republic of China. Hm. Maybe she should expand her gym to include China and Germany.

She gave up and finally just turned around and moved along with the line. After about five more minutes of observing her surroundings, she pulled out her iPhone 24S, connected to AT&T, and began checking her work email. It was the standard stuff, some of which she forwarded to her managers in each of the countries in which her gym had a division, which included Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, UAE, and the US. In the six years since Demolish Fitness had started, it had rapidly expanded, no doubt thanks to her chief marketing officer, Daniella Ramires, whom she had met her third year of university.

Her phone buzzed with a text from her friend, Ellie. "You considering a full clothing line yet???"

"Still thinking about it," she replied.

"I already know lots of people who'd be willing to support. And design!" Ellie replied.

Carissa laughed and moved forward in line. "Next," the customs official declared, ushering Carissa over. Carissa followed her gesture to none other than another line. She sighed and stood behind a tall man with dark hair whom she assumed was German (based off of the cover of his passport). She wanted to say something, but he was busy tending to a baby in a stroller who was crying at the top of her little lungs. She instead counted the people in front of her: 7, including the baby. Two younger men who looked as if they were going on a hiking trip, an elderly couple, and the baby and her parents.

At this point, the line moved a little quicker. The customs official motioned for Carissa to come forward after the man followed his wife, who was pushing the baby stroller. She handed him her passport and the slip of paper she had filled out before arriving.

"Carissa...Australian..." the man behind the glass muttered as he stamped her passport. "What is your purpose for visiting?"

"I have a residency in Los Angeles. And Squaw Valley," Carissa stated. "And for business, of course."

"What type of business?" the officer asked in a monotone voice, raising a bushy gray eyebrow. Lin was the name embroidered on his jacket, Carissa noticed.

"My gym. Demolish Fitness 24/7," Carissa replied. She was pretty sure she had spoken to him the first time she had come through. "Have I seen you before?"

"Maybe, maybe not." He replied, still considering her passport. He pointed to a sign that said something along the lines of "please do not mess with the officers," in much more official wording, of course.

She sighed and he returned her passport. "Have a nice day!" She smiled, but he only nodded at her. He was colder than most of the other officers she had met, for sure, and she could only wonder how his wife put up with him or how strict he was with his children.

She was glad she wasn't related to him, to say the least.