With My Heart Wide Open

Chapter 3

"How do you feel about spending my birthday abroad?" Audrey said, smiling at Macy.

"Ummm...are you thinking Cabo? I love Cabo!" she answered. 

"No. I was thinking somewhere a little farther away. A lot farther away actually." 

"Something is going on with you. You're acting weird. What is going on, Audrey?" Macy asked, staring at her friend across the table. 

"Nothing is going on. I was just thinking that it would be nice to get away.  You are the one that said we should do something crazy. I have taken it upon myself to find something crazy." she answered. 

"Okay...what did you have in mind? How far away are we talking?

"How do you feel about Madrid, Spain?" Audrey asked, hopeful that she wouldn't have to elaborate as to why she wanted to go to Madrid right now. 

"Madrid?! You want to go to Madrid freaking Spain to celebrate your birthday? What have you done with my best friend? I couldn't even convince you to go out of town to celebrate our 21st birthdays! But here you are, wanting to celebrate dirty 30 in Spain!" Macy exclaimed. 

"Why not?" Audrey asked.

"Hey, I am not declining. I am just having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that my best friend, who doesn't even like going out to the club or  bar to celebrate her past birthdays, wants to go to Madrid. But hey, I am all in!  You just gotta tell me when to be at the airport!" Macy said. 

***

"Wow. You really thought of everything, Audrey." Macy said, casting a questioning look in her friend's direction. 

The Real Madrid Foundation had arranged for a car to pick them up from the airport.  Audrey still hadn't told her friend that she had ulterior motives behind this trip. 

"Do you ladies need to make any additional stops before I take you to the Hotel Preciados, Ms. King?" the extremely good looking driver asked, as he stowed their luggage in the trunk.  His appearance did not go unnoticed by Macy, who stood there practically drooling. 

"No, the hotel would be fine." Audrey answered glancing at Macy.

Settling in the backseat of the car, Macy pounced. 

"Okay...MS. KING! What the hell is going on here? We fly first class to Madrid, where we are greeted by a man in an expensive car that acts like his only job is to chauffeur us around.  Not to mention, he speaks to you as if you are his employer or something equally crazy.  Out with it! I know that you of all people, don't just decide on the fly, to celebrate your birthday in Spain!" Macy said,  staring at Audrey in disbelief. 

Sighing, Audrey answered. 

"Fine. I am actually here for a job interview. It could possibly be my dream job.  It just happened that they scheduled it at this time, so it only made sense that we stay and have a birthday celebration. I should have told you, I know. I didn't know how you would take it. The fact that there is a slim chance that I could be moving to another country is scary." 

Macy stared at Audrey, trying to comprehend what she had just been told. 

"Honey, if moving to Spain for your dream job is what you need to do to be truly happy, then....FREAKING MOVE TO SPAIN! I will be your best friend no matter where you are!" she proclaimed. 

Audrey bit her lip. She thought for sure Macy would object to the possibility of her moving so far away. Maybe taking this first leap wasn't as crazy as she thought. 

"I am not one hundred percent sure that this is what I want to do. It doesn't matter if it is what I want, though. I have to get the job first." 

"This is the way I see it. I don't think they would have flown you first class, only to have Mr. McHottie Face pick you up, if they didn't think you had something special. You know, something to bring to the table. Most employers don't take that kind of chance on just anybody, Audrey." Macy said reassuringly. 

Audrey smiled at her friend.  Part of her almost believed that what her friend had said, was true.