Road to Casablanca Read Online Free PDF Page B

In moments, they were racing away from her house to the airport.
    Victoria hit the gas pedal so hard, Cindy instinctively reached up and held the handle above the passenger’s seat in a white-knuckled . Her initial excitement began to melt away, to be replaced by growing anxiety and fear that sat like a lump of coal in the pit of her stomach.
    “Why do I have to go today?”
    “Because it’s a long flight and you won’t make it on time if you don’t.”
    “But it’s only Friday.”
    “Hey, you don’t have to hold on so tight, you know.   That’s what the seatbelt is for.   Plus, I’m an excellent driver.”
    Cindy released her hand and placed both on the glove compartment handle instead, holding just as tightly, if not more so.
    “I don’t understand how the flight could be so long.   We’re only going to Africa.”
    “Uh, hello!   It is on the other side of the world, you know.”
    “I realize that. I’m just worried about the flight, that’s all.”
    “You never did explain how you became so fearful of air travel.   I thought you grew up on a farm.”
    “I did.”
    “Then what’s the problem?   This is a new experience, right? You ought to be looking forward to it.”
    Cindy shook her head as the knot in her stomach twisted into a tight ball just thinking about her first and only flight.
    “I flew to Dallas a couple years ago for my interview with the firm.”
    “From Iowa ?   And?”
    “And I hated it.   I got sick and I was so embarrassed; it was just awful.”
    Victoria laughed and slammed on the brakes at a stoplight.   Cindy was glad she was holding on with both hands.
    “So you got a little sick once a long time ago, who cares?”
    “It wasn’t a little sick and it was embarrassing.   I don’t do well at high altitudes.”
    “Well you’re going to be stuck up there for several hours, you know.”
    Cindy cringed at the thought of it.
    “Yes, I realize that.”
    “Good news is if you get sick, you’ll drop a couple pounds before you land, so you can eat more exotic food when you get there.”
    “Speaking of sick, you are so sick and wrong, you know that?”
    Laughing so loud it nearly rattled the windows, Victoria screeched away from the light and Cindy tightened her hold on the dash.
      “The more I think about you traipsing off to Africa with a super millionaire hunk, the more jealous I am!   Do you even have any idea how lucky you are?”
    “Uh…first off, who said he was a millionaire?”
    “Oh, come on, Cindy!   All these guys are, from what I could tell.   You are going to be the envy of all who know you.   I’ve never been that far from home before.   This is the chance of a lifetime.    I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
    “Believe me, you’ll be the first to know.”
    “I wish I was going.”
    “That makes two of us. Why don’t you?   That sounds like a great idea to me. Just go in my place! It’s not too late, you know.”
    “First off, the guy wanted you badly enough to send the owner of the company out here personally to sign you up, and second, I hope I don’t need to remind you that it’s illegal to impersonate people on an airline.”
    “Yeah, I know.”
    Cindy thought about the morning she pushed the button on her computer and set this entire plan into motion and she realized that now she would have to follow through, no matter how terrorizing or uncomfortable it seemed.
      “For once, I want to live vicariously through you instead of the other way around.”
    The car came to a dead stop in front of the gate and Cindy knew the moment of truth had arrived.   She felt like she was being thrown to the wolves, only worse.
    “I guess this is it.”
    “This is it – the most exciting day of the rest of your life!”
    The trunk popped open and Victoria stepped out of the car to retrieve Cindy’s bags. When Cindy looked at her friend, the lump in her throat grew larger and big tears splashed from the corners of her eyes onto her new