Playing with Forever

Chapter 26: Welcome to New York

"So, I want to take you somewhere," Sam said on the phone. I had my cell tucked in between my ear and shoulder as I folded laundry in my room, Lizzie Bennett sprawled across the clothes warm from the dryer. I had to pull things out from underneath her, and she grumbled her displeasure every time I jostled her. "I hope it is okay."

"Where?" I asked suspiciously.

"There is a holiday party in New York that some of the immortals throw, and I thought it would be a good idea to introduce you to them."

"New York?" I spluttered. I couldn't possibly have heard him correctly. "You want to take me to New York?"

"Yes."

"Sam, there's no way."

"Why not?"

I bunched the shirt I was folding up in my hands. "I can't—I can't just go jaunting off across the country! I could never afford that."

There was a pause down the line. "About that. I am asking you to go, so I would be paying."

I jerked back, aghast. "I could never take that from you," I replied.

"I know why you feel that way, and I understand," he said in a soothing, placating voice. "I am not trying to hurt your pride."

My eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "Then why ask if you knew I was going to say no?"

"I really feel like this would be good for you. Necessary, even, in order to make an informed decision about what to do with your eternity," he said.

I switched my phone from one ear to the other. "Sam, I don't know..."

"Think of it as education," he rushed to add. "Education about immortals. It will help you to meet other people who have made the same decision you are now facing."

I paused for a long moment, considering. I didn't want his charity, but he had a point. I mean, I was pretty sure I had already made my decision to not become immortal, but I was curious about other immortals. If I could only talk to them about how they handled living a world where bad things happened for eternity, maybe I could finally know how to find peace in my mortal life. 

Eventually, I said, "I don't have anything to wear."

"Do not worry," Sam replied confidently. "I already got you something."

Incredulous, I demanded, "You bought me something before I even said yes? That's a little presumptuous, don't you think?"

"I thought maybe it would sway you into saying yes. What do you say?"

Another long pause from me before I sighed and relented. "Fine. When do we leave?"

I heard the smile in his voice when he said, "The 20th. I am glad you said yes. It will be good, I promise."

I sat on the plane between Paula and Sam and got ready for the long, six hour flight to the opposite coast of the United States. I'd gotten a book at a thrift store to entertain me, plus there was the in-flight TV. Sam had bought us first class seats—so typical of him, throwing cash around—so I had plenty of room to stretch out and feel comfortable.

Paula, despite having been of dozens and dozens of planes in her extended lifetime, was excited. She bounced in her seat as we took off, and even I, who'd also been on planes before, felt her excitement rub off on me. Sam smiled along indulgently.

"I love flying!" Paula cried over the ambient noise of the plane.

"It's pretty cool, right?" I agreed.