Renee Abberton

“We now welcome our Business Class passengers to board at Gate 17.”

Sudha hoisted her back pack over one shoulder, then the other, and joined the line of well-heeled people, almost shiny in both their impractical travel attire and their collective whiteness.  She’d never flown business class in her life, would never even consider the premium ticket price, especially for such a short flight, relatively speaking.  But this was her fuck it tour, first stop: spend crazy money to lay flat and drink champagne on the seven hour flight to Reykjavik.

The whole point of this trip was to get outside of her comfort zone, to open herself up to new experiences, new possibilities.  She hadn’t even brought a book or downloaded a movie for the flight; she was letting the universe steer her in whatever direction it chose, starting with the in-flight entertainment.  She drew the line just this side of letting the universe dictate her in-flight meal, was glad to have held on to this sliver of control when the smell of warm fish filled the cabin just before she was presented with her cauliflower steak over parsnip puree with a cilantro walnut chimichurri.  She swallowed the dregs of her “welcome” Vueve and opted for a glass of Malbec.

Notoriously unable to sleep on flights, even the 15 hour flight to New Dehli, even with Xanax, Sudha was surprised when she woke to the smiling face of an Icelandic Customs agent on her screen, the sound muffled through her askew headphones.

She unfolded into a big stretch, returned her seat to the upright position, and savored the jolt of anticipation that rolled over her.

This is an excerpt from a work in progress, a novel tentatively titled “Bad Girls Go Everywhere”. Each chapter focuses on a different character, all of whom are part of a loosely connected group of girl friends in their early 30’s who are navigating adulthood, careers, relationships, and the globe.