One Night in New York

Chapter Five

Do you ever have the feeling that certain events in your life aren't real? Something extraordinary occurs, and you pinch yourself to wake up, only to discover that you are standing in the present. You try to understand everything that happened before that one point in time. What if you woke up and were right back where you left off as if it had all been a dream? I waited for my fantasy to end, but it didn't because it was just getting started.

I waited for Liam for what seemed like an eternity. I sat in anticipation, chewing on my short stubby nails then started to pace, waiting for the knock on my door. My clothes were packed as I prepared for a trip of a lifetime with the man of a lifetime. It was something that only happened in movies, but it was real in my life. I was trying to hold on tight as this beautiful man whisked me away on this wild ride.

Finally, the knock I had been anticipating since I arrived home. I dashed to the door, then slowed my pace as I opened it casually. Liam was waiting for me, dressed in a pair of black sleek suit pants and a button-up shirt.

"You ready?" he asked as I opened the door with a slight grin.

"Yes, I think so."

We went outside, jumped into his black Lincoln with tinted windows, and drove away. The jet was flying out of Teterboro, New Jersey, so we had a thirty-minute car ride to get there, adding to the excitement. I stared out my window the entire way to the airport, taking in the dazzling colors of the ever-changing leaves dancing in the wind.

We arrived thirty minutes later, pulling onto the tarmac next to Liam's multimillion-dollar jet. Andrew grabbed our bags from the trunk, and I sat nervously because I had never flown in a private jet before.

We were greeted by a single stewardess who opened the door as we ascended the stairs up to the jet. I took my seat across from Liam while giving him an anxious grin. "It's going to be OK, Natalie, sit back and relax," Liam reassured me.

I exhaled slowly, sinking into my chair, ready for our journey to begin. The inside of the jet was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. There was a couch behind the seats where we sat, with a massive armrest in between to hold your drinks. A brightly polished entertainment area with a fifty-inch flat-screen TV was across from where we would sit. What appeared to be a cabin area furnished with another television mounted on the wall, a beautifully made full-size bed, and a private bathroom with a shower stall was where we would relax. The plane's cabin was fully stocked with a minibar and a private kitchenette area where we could prepare our meals.

As my mind finally began to relax, I took in all of the elegant details of the jet. We had a nine-hour flight ahead of us, so I decided to relax and enjoy the ride. Liam and I talked the entire flight, drank champagne, a $50,000 bottle of Dom Perignon, and ate the best airplane food I'd ever had.

I should have slept by the time we left around eight o'clock at night, but I couldn't. I refused to close my eyes like a child on Christmas. It would be nearly noon when we arrived at the airport, so I knew the time difference would be significant. Unfortunately, the excitement got the best of me and I couldn't sleep. I would occasionally doze off as we moved to the couch to watch movies, only to jerk awake, unsure of where I was. During my disoriented state, Liam would mock me, but I didn't mind because I was on my way to Italy with my dream man.

Finally, after nearly nine hours in the air, we touched down at Lugano Airport in Agno, Switzerland. As we landed on the short runway, I noticed the rolling green hills on both sides and ahead of us. It was breathtaking to see a live painting in front of me, unlike anything I'd ever seen before.

We stepped off the plane and were greeted by another luxury sedan, with the driver escorting us in, placing our bags in the trunk, and setting off with a fifty-minute drive ahead of us. I wanted to stop and look around, but Liam insisted on getting to his villa first.