Around the World in 80 Men

by Brandi Ratliff

  “But...” Morgan had interjected, but stopped herself. She had to keep reminding herself, she wasn't living the same life anymore.

  They practiced dining and sitting. Then they moved onto talking and procedures on mishaps such as sneezing, coughing or dropping a meatball down your cleavage. There were so many things Morgan had never thought of.

  The afternoon passed quickly, and it was early evening by the time Julianne felt that Morgan had learned enough from Pauline. As their heels clicked across the beautiful floor, Morgan's stomach rumbled loudly and she thought that there was even an echo from the intrusion. We talk about eating all day, it would have been nice to actually eat something.

  “Another tip, my dear, always snack on a little something before you go anywhere. You certainly don't want that to happen if you're late on a meal.” Julianne kept walking, and Morgan held back a grimace as she followed behind.

  But I didn't know we were going to be late on a meal. I didn't even know where we were going today. Just as Morgan mentally whined to herself, Julianne stopped walking, and turned around.

  “And that's another lesson in itself, always be prepared, because life doesn't always explain itself to you.” Then the older woman turned, and continued walking.

  Are you a mind reader? What am I saying right now? Jelly beans, baseball, bermuda shorts. I didn't think so. Morgan smiled at herself, and followed Julianne to the parking lot, then waited for the limo.

  Both women felt a bit more relaxed when they were comfortably reclined in the back seat. “Oh, my head is about to explode with information overload!” Julianne laughed, and her eyes shined with pride at her new find. Morgan would be perfect, and Julianne knew it.

  Many years prior, the older woman had led the same type of life that Morgan had. She too waited tables, and struggled to make it with no family support. She had started her own business at about the same age as well, but she had to learn the ropes the hard way. That wouldn't happen to any girl of Julianne's, not ever. She would offer what she had learned, and give them the best life that she could give them.

  Hearing Morgan's stomach protesting once again in the car, Julianne put her hand over Morgan's and told her, “we're going to dinner, so tell your stomach to stop complaining.” Morgan giggled, and put her hand across her waist.

  “Oh, thank you! I was about to start chewing on my own hand.” They laughed, and enjoyed a glass of champagne on their way to the restaurant. As they neared their destination, Morgan's eyes grew wide at where Julianne had taken her. “Not here! People might remember that I got stood up!” It was the same restaurant that Morgan had met Julianne, and the same that Morgan had sat by herself for nearly two hours waiting for a man that would never show.

  When they stopped, an older gentleman with salt and pepper hair opened Morgan's door. She looked to her side, her face begging for Julianne to change her mind, but her mentor simply smiled and nodded toward the man's hand. Reluctantly, Morgan exited the limo, and thanked the restaurant's valet for the assistance.

  When they were walking in, Morgan tried one more time, “I swore I'd never come here again, it's just embarrassing.” Again, Julianne didn't waver, and they were seated at a table not far from the bar.

  After ordering a bottle of their best white wine, Julianne moved her napkin to the side, and told Morgan, “child, never run away from a bad situation. Life has so many turns, you never know when you'll end up somewhere that you're not ready for. The best thing to do is face your fears, and suddenly you'll find that you're rarely ill prepared.” Julianne smiled sympathetically, and covered Morgan's hand with her own briefly.

  The young woman looked around sheepishly, and expected to see a slew of employees looking at her, laughing at her. When she saw nothing more than an operating restaurant, she suddenly realized that Julianne had been right. Not one person seemed to recognize her, or care if they did. The problem was in her head, and it was a small lesson that Morgan promised herself to never forget.

  “Now, let's decide on dinner, then get to work.” Picking up her menu, Julianne scanned her options.

  “Work? Now what are we doing?” Morgan thought that they were just having dinner, not more lesson.

  Right then, the waiter arrived with their wine, and Morgan wasn't quite ready to order. She picked up her menu, and blurted out the first thing she read. “I'll have the salmon, with rice and a salad.”

  “I'll have the same, and please bring the salad out with our meals, I hate to feel rushed.”

  When they were alone again, Julianne started to explain the last of her training. Morgan had to know the effect that she had on men, or she would lack the true confidence to do what she had to do. Subtle moves, they made all the difference in gaining a man's attention, and they ultimately decided who was in control of any situation.

  “Now, don't look, but there are two business men at the bar. Okay, look quickly, they're talking to a man who just approached them, so they won't see you.”

  Morgan followed her gaze, and turned quickly to see the now three men, two sitting with their backs to them, and one standing to their side. “Alright, what do you want me to do?” Morgan had already turned back around, not wanting to get busted.

  “Simple, Morgan. Get their attention without appearing as if you're trying to.” Julianne smiled, and waited for the lessons to come to mind.

  Morgan stared at the table, willing her brain to come up with something. The old Morgan would have simply walked up to the them and introduced herself. But looking back, and with all that she had learned, that was a mistake. That told the man that she was available, and no better or different than anyone else. It was the chase that men enjoyed; finding their prey, and making the necessary moves.

  As her eyes scanned the table, they rested on her linen napkin in front of her. She picked it up slowly, and opened it in front of her. Then she looked at Julianne, and smiled. Morgan snapped the napkin open, and accidentally dropped it on the floor beside her.

  “Oh my goodness, I can't believe I did that.” Then Morgan looked around innocently, and eyed her waiter who had been behind the bar. “Excuse me, I'm sorry but I dropped my napkin, could I get another one?” Then Morgan leaned down slowly, and picked it up. She held it to her side, waiting for the waiter to replace it.

  After getting a replacement, Morgan thanked the waiter, and looked back to Julianne with questioning eyes. The older woman just smiled in encouragement for her to continue. She looked at her silverware, but if she dropped that too, she would get attention, but not the positive kind.

  “Morgan!” Julianne said her name much louder than was necessary. “I meant to ask you, where did you get those shoes?!” Julianne's fake enthusiasm was comical, and the young woman hid her smile behind her hand as she turned sideways in her chair.

  Crossing one leg over the other slowly, Morgan ran her hand down the length of her calf. “Oh, I got them in a boutique not far from here. I'll take you there one afternoon if you'd like”. Then she brought her hand back up her calf, and said, “they are cute, but you wouldn't want to walk in them all day, my legs are killing me.”

  Before she could turn back in her chair, Julianne's face turned downward, a small smile was being hidden from someone. Someone, who Morgan could feel had walked up right beside her.

  “Excuse me ladies, my friends and I over there,” the tall business man pointed behind him, “would like to buy you a drink.”

  Morgan didn't know what to say, and it didn't matter, because Julianne handled it. “Oh, thank you. But we just ordered our wine, and I think that's quite enough for us. But I do hope that you and your friends have a lovely evening.”

  Julianne smiled at the man's back as he walked away. Morgan leaned across the table, and whispered, “did that really just happen? Did I lure him in that easily? Oh my God!” She laughed when Julianne gave her a slight nod, and a smile.

  Over dinner, Morgan had lured three more men to her side. The best part, she would pick them out beforehand,
and it had worked perfectly each time. She was feeling great, she had more confidence than she had ever had in her life. That is, until Julianne's phone rang.

  “Hello?” Julianne held the phone to her ear, and her business like expression told Morgan that it had to be one of her clients.

  “I see.” The woman nodded to the speaker, as if he could see her. “Very good, I'll have it arranged. Goodbye.” She ended the call, and dropped her phone back into her bag.

  Morgan wasn't going to ask, it's rude to inquire about someone's personal call. But again, Julianne saved her from curiosity.

  “That was Finlay. He's been out of town for a month, and thought that he would be back on Sunday. However, he will arrive in Scotland tomorrow morning, and he would like for you to be there tomorrow evening. So, let's get back to the hotel and get you packed.”

  Chapter 9

  “Will you stop that pacing for just a minute?” Julianne scolded the anxious blonde.

  On the way back to the hotel, Morgan's heart could do nothing but backflips in her chest. She rubbed her palms together, warding off the nervous perspiration. Less than twenty-four hours...her mind replayed over and over again. When she got back into the room, she had immediately thrown off the heels and got to work wearing a path from her room of the suite to the bathroom, to Julianne's room, back to her room. She would grab an item every so often and throw it into her pink suitcase, then remove it and replace it with something else.

  Morgan ignored Julianne's demand, returning to the closet for another trip. She grabbed the red gown, draping it over the chair and took a pair of old jeans from the suitcase, refolding it for a third time in an attempt to make more room.

  “Stop this, child,” Julianne grabbed Morgan's wrist in mid-fold and took the jeans from the young woman's hands. “Do you really need to take these?” Julianne asked, holding the tattered jeans up at the waist. There was a large hole around the butt pocket and an unsightly grease stain on the front.

  Morgan dropped her head, shaking it slowly back and forth. “Go through your things, decide what you want to keep and I'll handle the things you no longer want....or need,” Julianne added, looking at the jeans again. They both giggled and Morgan agreed. “This is your new life, dear. You're starting over.”

  Half hour later, Morgan had ultimately decided on trashing every piece of her past, all but one night shirt that she couldn't bare part with. She had had the shirt since she was sixteen, and it showed its age. It hung to her knees, and was a baby yellow color, with sunflowers and bumble bees scattered about haphazardly. Her grandmother had given it to her before she passed away, and at the time, Morgan hated the shirt, even telling her grandmother that it was embarrassing. It wasn't until she died that summer that Morgan first wore it and realized it was the most comfortable damn night shirt in the world.

  She gave the shirt a fold in half, then rolled it tightly and stuck it in the sock compartment of her suitcase, knowing she wouldn't be seen wearing it anytime soon. She giggled to herself again, imagining walking out of a fancy bathroom, donned in her sunflower shirt for Finlay. I bet that would turn him on.

  A hot bath ran as Morgan made her final adjustments to her suitcase and another bag filled with her new shoes and accessories. She set the two bags by the front door and made her way back to the bathroom.

  She soaked in the tub until her fingers and toes turned to raisins and her feet were relieved of the damage the new pumps had caused. “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll be in Scotland, tomorrow,” she sang to herself, blowing a handful of bubbles from her hands. The hot bath had been the perfect remedy to relax her nerves as she was back to wearing a giddy smile as she climbed out of the tub.

  *****

  “Morgan, darling, your flight leaves in less than two hours, are you ready?” Julianne called through the bathroom door.

  “Just...about....there,” the girl replied between holding locks of hair between her lips as she gave her hair a few final touches of the flat iron.

  Julianne opened the unlocked door and propped herself against the wall, staring at the young girl. She anxiously looked down at her watch, then back up at Morgan. Even with two hours until the flight, Julianne hated to cut anything close, and for the first job of her new apprentice, there was no room for error.

  “Look...look at this!” Julianne laughed as she pointed to all of the beauty paraphernalia that was still lying about the bathroom counter. She grabbed Morgan's beauty bag, and with a sweep of her arm, she knocked an assortment of blushes, bronzers, lipsticks and eyelash curlers into the bag.

  “Hey!” Morgan protested, retrieving her lipgloss from the bag, “I need this!” Morgan smiled at her, gave her hair one last pass of the straightener and unplugged the device. She wrapped it in a heat protectant sleeve and stuck it into the floral beauty bag and pushed her lipgloss deep into her back pocket and slid her sunglasses over her hair, acting as a headband more than UV protection.

  “Okay, I'm ready, how do I look?” Morgan excitedly did a spin for Julianne, showing off her travel attire.

  “Like a trillion bucks, now let's go,” Julianne seemed less than amused. Morgan slung her beauty bag over her shoulder and reached for her suitcase, Julianne stopped her. “Have we not learned anything, child?” With the push of a button, a hotel attendant arrived at their door, grabbing the bags before Morgan could even ask.

  “Ladies not need to carry luggage,” Julianne answered Morgan's questioning look.

  What are we allowed to do? Morgan thought. Right on cue, Julianne seemed to have read her thoughts again, although, this time, Morgan figured the look on her face may have given it away.

  “You just be beautiful, and provide excellent companionship, my dear. That's it. You don't worry that pretty little face. Just remember all that we've talked about and you'll be perfect,” Julianne assured her.

  This time, Morgan was sure her look gave it away, Julianne continued, “oh, it's not that much to remember. You make them open doors and carry things for you! It's not that hard.”

  They continued their argument all the way down the elevator and out to the limo. Morgan enjoyed giving her a hard time. In all truth, the whole process had gone more smoothly than she could have even imagined and more so, it really wasn't that hard.

  “Okay, your flight leaves at 10:36, you'll be flying for about six and a half hours, but you'll get there right around noon. Got it? Finlay will be waiting for you, so keep a look out when you get there. I'll send you a picture of him so you can remember exactly what he looks like,” Julianne continued her speech.

  Morgan smiled at her and even if it wasn't ladylike, she quickly wrapped her arms around Julianne and quietly thanked her and told her that she would do her best to make her proud.

  Julianne patted the young girl on the back, “you've already made me proud, dear. Now go, on with you!”

  With that, Morgan climbed into the limo and Julianne shut the door behind her. With a last little wave, the car pulled out of the lot and headed toward the airport.

  *****

  As Morgan stepped into the Akron/Canton Regional Airport, she instantly felt as if she had been dunked into a pool tied to cement bricks. For the first time in days, she didn't think about sex, food, shopping Scotland, or even Finlay. She was going to have to fly, and not just fly, she had to fly over the ocean.

  After a few long moments, she finally mustered the courage to go to the counter, check in her bags, scan her ticket, go through security and ask for directions to the right terminal. As she paced around the the lobby, she applied another thick coat of lipgloss, smacking her lips together loudly, causing a nearby woman to look at her. Morgan put her hand up in front of her and shrugged her shoulders in apology.

  As she walked away from the bothered woman, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Morgan pulled it out and stuck her lipgloss in its place, as she sat down on the edge of a tattered ,blue cushioned, chair.

  She pressed the blinking icon, revealing a picture of the most g
orgeous man she had ever laid her eyes upon.

  “Finlay.....I'll see you soon ya big hunk of man meat.” Before she was done talking to her phone, as there was much more to say to the picture, she heard the announcement that her flight was boarding. “See ya on the plane.” Morgan smiled at his face, because she knew that it would need more attention when she was safely boarded.

  The picture, however, had to wait. Morgan was far too nervous to look at anything beyond her clenched hands that she had pushed down on her lap. Take off had scared the hell out of the girl, and she prayed that she would survive it, and another prayer that the sound of the engines didn't drive her insane.

  Once in the air, she started to relax her hands, and take a few deep breaths. Flying wasn't going to be something that she would ever get used to, and she banished the creeping thought that she would have to fly regularly in her new life. I'll think about that some other time.

  Morgan began to look around her, and scan her fellow passengers. She found herself sizing them up, playing a game with herself as to why each person was heading to Scotland. Mr. Bald and Sours there is probably a golfer. Yeah, he looks way too grumpy to do anything beside hit a ball as hard as he can. Then she looked further up the aisle. Hmmm they're probably going to walk through old castles, take a million pictures, then post them online for their less fortunate friends to see. She knew the type, the couple that had probably been married for five years, that liked to rub their lives into the noses of everyone around them.

  Morgan then looked to her left, and as she was about to size up whoever she saw, she had to divert her eyes from a man who had been staring right at her. How long has he been staring at me? Awkward! Don't look at him, don't look at him. She looked at him. He was still staring. Morgan smiled weakly, and turned her head to the front again.