𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬

FOURTEEN.

BEFORE she knew it, karlie was in line to board onto her flight to new york city. josh was all for it, too. karlie felt lucky to have such a great support system but despite this, she still felt nervous. it kind of all felt like someone else's dream that wasn't really her own. she had even packed deliberately, picking out clothes that she thought would impress amanda and her team. she was just a whole bundle of nerves at this point.

a hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts, "your ticket?," the airline employee asked. karlie mumbled an apology and handed in her ticket. she swiftly found her way to her seat and plopped down, sighing loudly.

"rough day i assume?," the lady seated next to her asked. she looked up to find amused ( and lovely) turquoise eyes looking down on her.

"mhm... business trip of sorts. you know how that is," karlie chuckled. she studied the woman's face. she had her platinum blonde hair pulled back into a loose bun, strands of hair falling around her face. a kind smile sat on her face, pearly white teeth showing. she wore an oversized sweater and a pair of sweats. despite her lazy attire, this woman was beautiful.

"oh definitely. i'm a stylist so i understand the whole travel thing. it sucks going back and forth, timezones and all that," she mused. "i'm actually on a business trip, too!"

"oh nice! i'm karlie by the way. it nice to meet you...?," she paused for the woman's name.

"oh sorry about that. i'm margot," she responded.

"nice to meet you, margot," karlie finished. she turned to place on her seatbelt and fix her messy hair. all of a sudden, she felt exposed in front of margot. was it because she looked angelic? yeah, probably, karlie thought.

"so... what are your plans in new york?," karlie asked softly. she thought she might as well make conversation on this long flight.

"oh! i'm working with a few special clients on some things. i dress my clients for important events and occasions. especially around spring is when i get called in the most: met gala season, billboard awards... all that jazz. it's definitely tiring but i love it," margot answered.

karlie was amazed. margot's work seemed different from what she heard before. she must've been really well known if she was dressing clients for the met. she nodded and then mused, "that must be so cool. i love the met... the extravaganza of it all. what's your process? oh! whose the coolest person you've dressed?," karlie asked eagerly.

margot laughed, "yeah it's awesome. i went to fashion school in new york so in a way, the city is home. the met is one of the most prestigious fashion events so it was an honor to just even go! as for my clients, when i dress my clients, i usually like talking to them and understanding what they want. from there, i sketch a few ideas, present them, and get feedback. it's a painful process sometimes - especially if the client is super specific but most of the times, i love doing it. i think the coolest person i've dressed was... hm, i don't know if i can disclose this," she paused to think, "but for you, i think the most star struck i've been to dress someone was taylor swift," she said.

karlie froze and grew stiff. even after all those years, that name still made her heart pound.

"hey, you okay?" margot asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

karlie shook her head, "yeah," she chuckled, "i'm good. 'don't know what happened there."

margot stared at karlie for a bit until the plane rumbled softly beneath them. karlie had never really been on many flights - she just wasn't a big fan of the noise, heights, and close proximity. she shivered, closing her eyes. a hand perched on top of karlie's hand, her eyes snapping open.

"i'm nervous of flying, too. don't worry, i've got you," margot reassured softly. karlie melted into the touch, moving her hand to hold onto margot's hand. this definitely made takeoff much more easier.

—

once in the air, margot and karlie carried on conversation, talking about their lives and where they were from. margot went to the fashion institute of technology where she earned recognition from designers for being at the top of her class. she freelanced from there, earning a name for herself. a few celebrities had noticed her and wanted her to style them, grabbing the attention from the fashion industry. margot has been styling for a-listers since.

it all was so fascinating to karlie. seeing other people, especially margot, live their best life while she had been stuck working in a bakery for the past few years of her life. she told margot about her modeling opportunity. margot clapped, exclaiming, "wow, that's amazing! i know IMG. they're a huge agency for big name models. i'm sure you'll do fine. you're gorgeous," margot stated.

karlie blushed, smiling to herself.

—

the ride to new york felt so much shorter, especially with margot by her side. before they knew it, they had landed. the pair walked to the luggage carousel.

"hey, i really loved getting to know you... uh, if you don't mind, could i maybe get your number?," margot asked quietly as they strolled towards the exit.

karlie laughed and nodded, "yes of course. let me type it into your phone." margot handed her phone to karlie, typing her name in: "karlie (airplane lady) ❤️".

margot smiled at the nickname, "thanks, karlie! i had a lot of fun talking to you. we should meet up! i'll text you sometime, yeah?"

"of course. i hope to see you around," karlie answered. she leaned in and gave margot a quick hug, "i've gotta go. promise to text me!," she said, walking to her cab slowly.

"of course! bye, karlie!" margot shouted. karlie laughed and stepped into the cab, the image of turquoise eyes tattooed into her head.

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