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Chapter twenty-three
Maddie
I blink my eyes open, groggy and disoriented. I hear the hum of the airplane engine and remember where I am. I glance around, taking in the sight of Roland, Damien, and Carmen all sleeping peacefully in their seats. My heart swells with a sudden wave of tenderness for this unlikely group that's become... well, I don't know what.
"Ah, you're awake," Roland murmurs, his dark eyes meeting mine as he smiles. "Did you sleep well?"
"Surprisingly, yes, thanks to being in first class and being able to sleep properly." I stretch my arms above my head, feeling rejuvenated. "How about you?"
"Like a baby," he replies, his voice still tinged with sleep. It's rare to see Roland so relaxed; he always seems to have something to do, someplace to be. But here, thousands of feet in the air, he seems almost at peace.
"It looks like we'll be landing soon," I comment, noticing the screen displaying the distance left to go.
"We are?" a sleepy Damien asks as he wakes up, rubbing his eyes. Even when half-asleep his is contagious, and I can't help but grin at his enthusiasm.
"Absolutely. First stop, that park Carmen's been dying to visit," I say, sharing a knowing look with Roland. Carmen and I have been looking up images online of the places we want to visit. You never know how kids react when you disrupt their daily routine and I've been trying to prepare her in the best way possible.
"I want to go to that comic book store," Damien says.
"I was thinking we can do that afterward."
"First thing's first," Roland says, shifting into his commanding mode. "We need to get you settled at the hotel while I meet with Brett. He arrived yesterday. After that, you can take your time to explore the park and the comic book store. But now, breakfast."
"If the breakfast on the plane is as good as dinner was, I think I like flying," Damien says.
I laugh. "If only you knew what the food is like in economy, I'm not so sure you'd be as appreciative."
"Well, I'm not flying economy, am I?" Damien says with a grin. He glances at Roland. He's been super excited about this trip, not just because it's his first time flying and going overseas... well he did visit Mexico at the age of three, but I doubt that counts... but because he's going with a very rich guy who runs a very successful business. I have a feeling Damien might want to become an entrepreneur. I'm not so sure he knows the failure rate of new businesses or how often entrepreneurs don’t succeed.
Carmen wakes up when breakfast comes and we swap places so he can sit next to her again to help her with her meal. It's not long before the plane starts its descent into Frankfurt.
"All right, everyone," Roland announces as the plane touches down. "Time to say hello to Deutschland."
"Germany, here we come!" Damien whoops, practically bouncing in his seat. Carmen echoes his enthusiasm with giggles of her own.
I feel butterflies stomach thinking about what it will be like to see a new city in a new country. I am so jealous of my friends who got to backpack through Europe, and now, here I am, flying first class and staying at a five-star hotel.
I look sideways at Roland, who’s absorbed with ensuring that Carmen is OK. For him, it’s everyday life. For me and Damien, on the other hand, this is an adventure.
We connect with Erin who will provide security for us during the trip and make our way through passport control and baggage pickup without any hiccups. I almost giggle as I notice the difference between mine and Damien's suitcases and Roland’s and Carmen's. I bought two cheap suitcases for Damian and me that I thought were cool (we're used to backpacks). Roland and Carmen’s are Louis Vuitton.
"Got all our bags?" Roland asks.
"Yes, we're all set," I say and Erin nods, having picked up her bag. She traveled in first class too, but not with us. Her associate, who is walking beside her, traveled in business class and is looking a bit worse for wear. I still find it a bit strange that Roland feels he needs security everywhere, but I know it's out of fear of Carmen being kidnapped that he’s so cautious. I guess Damien would be a target too if Roland and I ever got seriously involved. I shudder to think about kidnapping.
"Great. Let's get this adventure started," he says with determination, his eyes twinkling. I think he enjoys being the well-traveled man with all of us novice travelers around him. Well, I don't know about the security team, but Damien, Carmen, and I certainly fall into the novice category.
"Lead the way, Captain," I say with a wink and we follow him out to where ground transportation is waiting. I see a man in a black suit and cap holding a sign saying "Carmichael.” Erin approaches the man and after a quick exchange, she nods for us to follow the guy to his limo.
Our luggage is loaded and we slip into our seats. "Wow, this is the shit," Damien says. "I'm gonna become an entrepreneur and earn billions of dollars too, so I always get to travel like this."
Roland laughs. "Kid, I took a gamble. I might have ended up broke. And while all my friends were out partying, I was at home working."
"So, you don't recommend becoming an entrepreneur?"
"I do recommend it you're doing something you love, and you have a solid plan. I don't recommend doing it to become rich, though. There are safer bets if you want to earn a lot of money."
"I want to make cool new things and stuff. Invent something new."
