I've never flown in my life... ever. I always think of 'Final Destination' where the plane takes off and then literally explodes, killing all people on board. I've always been freaked about planes nonetheless, and I know that it's just a movie... so it couldn't be a reality, right?

When our CEO Derick Pierce first proposed to take a business trip, I instantly dreaded the thought. Not only did that mean I had to pack, which I lacked sufficient skill in, but we also had no say about going. Well... I could have politely declined, but that would have seemed like I wasn't up to my new position as Chief Human Resources Officer. When I found out exactly where our business trip would be, I panicked even more. It wasn't a drive that could be scaled in four or five hours as I've previously done for business. Manhattan to The Bahamas wasn't very far, and it was only a couple hours of straight flying, but here's my problem: I have a phobia of airplanes.

This business trip would be three days in total. Before coming into my new position, I had only met Mr. Pierce a few times. Mostly notable at our annual charity balls, through some office walkthroughs as quality checks, and when I would shadow my previous boss in her stakeholder meetings. Mr. Pierce has charisma unlike any other- he's a very well-versed man of trade and skilled with making connections. I've been with the company for six years, and since his rise to CEO at 33 years old, he's taken over his father's business with impressive leadership, and aggressive deal-making. The numbers show just how effective his abilities of management are, and at his age, it's truly inspiring.

I rolled my suitcase and carry-on to the lobby of my apartment. Mr. Pierce was very nice to send one of his private cars to come and get me. I rolled my luggage out to the car, as the driver introduced himself to me, shaking my hand. I crawled into the back seat while he loaded my couple of bags. We pulled off and began our journey to the airport.

"Are you ready for your flight Ms. Brooks?" he asked, meeting my gaze in the rearview. "Yeah. I just hoped I brought everything I needed," I sighed. 

"I'm sure that you can buy something in the Bahamas if you have forgotten something. However, I don't find you the person to forget anything. I'm sure you are just fine."

I chuckled, agreeing with him. A few minutes later I decided to check in on my sister. She would be watching over my dog Piper. I knew she could take care of her, but I wanted to make sure everything was taken care of for the next few days.

A few rings later she answered, "Hey Ella, you should be on your way to the airport by now, right?" I looked at the car's GPS and saw fifteen minutes remaining.

"Yeah, traffic isn't bad right now. I'm just making sure everything is set. You have the list I emailed you?" I asked.

Emilia chuckled, "Yeah, I do. You really didn't need to write this up for me, I see how you take care of Piper every day. Are you ready for your flight?"

Chills went up my arms at the reminder of flying again. "I'm currently on my way there. I took Piper outside before I left so she should be fine for you when you get home. I can't believe I'm going to be flying..."

"Well, Ms. Worker Bee, if you hadn't climbed the corporate ladder as expertly as you did, you'd still be in your small cubicle minding your business. Now you've got your own office with nice furnishings, and with nice furnishings come more responsibilities. Enjoy the nice warm weather. It's freezing here!"

I countered her. "I enjoy my new position and office, but I didn't know it required flying with the CEO for a business trip. It's not like I could have turned this opportunity down. How terrible would that have looked?"

"Oh, if only I could fly to a luxurious island with my hot CEO. No wonder you don't have a damn boyfriend, you're too devoted to that job of yours."

I internally rolled my eyes at my little sister's comment. "My job is what makes me happy. We're not going to have this discussion right now. Just please take care of Piper."

Piper was my little rescue dog that my sister had adopted as a present for my 21st birthday. Growing up, we never had animals, so I knew nothing about dogs. Piper was a huge life changer. She takes my stresses away, and I don't feel so alone with her by my side. I know that she'll be well cared for by Emilia.

"Yeah yeah, I hear you. I'll take care of her. Have a safe flight, I know it will go just as it should."

Realizing I was only a few more minutes from the airport I decided to end the call. "Thank you, and okay. I've gotta go. Hugs and kisses, and please don't burn our house down." I joked as we said our goodbyes and hung up.

We pulled up to the airport, and the driver helped me with my luggage. I made my way to the vantage point, where my other colleagues were waiting. Sierra Salotto is the senior marketing manager, Marcus Riley the Senior Sales Director, and finally Carson Willard the Chief Technology Officer. All three I've had the pleasure of meeting in the last month when I took my position. This business trip was intended to fortify a huge investment from another company created by Pierce Innovation.

We were escorted by security through a separate section of the airport. We were taken to a private room where we were scanned and had our luggage checked. I was thankful for Mr. Pierces ability to have us privately checked instead of waiting through the terrible lines of a New York airport.

"How are you fitting into your new position?" Sierra had asked while grabbing her bags. 

"It's as demanding as I thought it was. Thankfully, my previous boss can guide me as I've needed. She has no problem assisting me even with her new baby." It had been known for a while that Teresa Bright would be fulfilling her role as a mother and would be terminating her position at Pierce Innovation. She was on the panel for selecting the newest Chief Human Resources Officer, and among my peers, I was chosen. She has always been a role model for me on many levels and I'm grateful for a mentor like her.

"Ah," she said, " Teresa filled a wonderful role that you've stepped into. I've heard great things so far as of this month within our meetings from you. With the young leader that you seem to be, you've filled the role well. With Teresa as your coach, I see nothing but a better future for this business. Instead of my employees sending their grievances over the new training and guidelines, they've mostly appreciated them!" 

I smiled at the compliment from the marketing head. "I appreciate your encouraging words! I look forward to using my skills to reshape some aspects of our department."

Marcus had finished getting through the checks, and chimed in, "Ms. Chief Human Resources Officer making big changes in her first month of office. Hopefully, those changes don't affect my PTO!" He laughed

 "There have been no current effects to the company's PTO at this time, however, if that's your only concern of what HR is for, don't forget I'm responsible for performance management as well." I mildly joked. Sierra and I laughed at his huff, and then he eventually joined in with laughter. I knew Marcus took his job very seriously, his performance was not questionable, and he at least had a good sense of humor too.

Carson Willard was relatively quiet, he seemed as if he was always calculating something in his head. I admired his ability with computers, and his ability to articulate numbers and letters and oversee the delicate components of this business. He grabbed his bags and then joined us.

We followed our escort who led us down a ramp that took us to the outside. A beautiful black private plane was parked in front of us, with the jets lowly rumbling. The flight attendant had come over to take our bigger bags and place them under the plane as we made our way forward.

As we were approaching. Cynthia Hughes, Mr. Pierce's assistant made her way down the flight stairs, along with Mr. Pierce himself. He was dressed in a sleek navy-blue suit. His long, black hair slicked back in his normal signature look.

"I'm glad to see everyone has arrived on time. As you know. This trip to Nassau, Bahamas will be a crucial investment for Pierce Innovation. Through your department's hard work, diligence, and I'm sure late hours in the office, I'm offering my gratitude for your dedication." Derick looked towards us, however, his eyes seemed to linger for a second longer on mine. My heart seemed to pound in my chest, but I could say it would be my nerves about the flight. He boarded the plane while Mrs. Hughes walked over to us. She was a woman in her 50's. She was a very sweet, compassionate lady, but she certainly knew how to do her job.

"Good morning. I know that we are flying to a very beautiful island with many things to do, however, our most important priority is assisting Mr. Pierce. I've discussed this with Mr. Pierce before printing a final copy. I sent this in an email last week; however, I am advising the four of you to read up on AirFusion: the British-American company that will be investing in Mr. Pierces' software. Additionally, these are the specifications of your time in Nassau. There are not many limitations, however, you're free to look them over and ask me any questions." She passed us each a folder and then beckoned us to proceed up the stairs. Marcus took the lead, and I filled in behind Sierra. My legs started to feel like Jell-O.

'Pull yourself together' I thought, making it to the top of the stairs, not before banging my head on the low entryway.

"Ow." I hissed quietly to myself, rubbing where I hit my head. Behind me, Sierra asked if I was okay, to which I laughed and told her I was. It was very posh inside. Brandy colored leather seats faced each other, then a couple of couches followed back to two doors. I assumed one was a bedroom, and the other was a bathroom. Who could ever sleep peacefully on an airplane?

I took my seat across from the only one available which was across from Mr. Pierce. I looked out of the window next to me, letting out a shaky breath. I was nervous and sent a quick text to Emilia that I was going to be turning off my phone for a couple of hours and that I loved her in the event something went terribly wrong. We went over the entire safety procedure, and soon the plane was moving. I glanced down at my fingers, which were biting into my palms. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was deathly afraid of heights and planes.

We began to pick up speed, and the aircraft began to shake. I closed my eyes as we began our ascension upward. "Is everything okay Ms. Brooks?" Derick asked. I opened my eyes and stared at him. "Yes sir. I'm afraid of heights and afraid of planes." I told him truthfully, he nodded in what seemed like an understanding. I glanced back down to grab a book from underneath my chair. On my way back up, I had been surprised to see Derick holding a packet of gum. I politely declined, but he insisted. "Flying with anxiety doesn't make for a sound mind. Chewing gum can aid in your anxiety and help with focus." He informed. I accepted the gum with a smile and thanks. He spoke again, "when we get to a proper elevation, don't be afraid to get the attendants attention for some chamomile tea."

"I will, thank you very much Mr. Pierce." His eyes stayed locked on mine before a cough from behind me tore him and I away. I opened the gum and resumed reading. Some time passed before I looked to my right and saw that Marcus was astonishingly asleep, his head leaned back and arms folded across his chest, while Sierra was looking out the window, taking a picture of the view. Carson was working on a book of Sudoku. I glanced up at Mr. Pierce who was invested in his phone. I then remembered the list that Mrs. Hughes had made. I pulled it out and began to look over it.

The list wasn't half of what I thought it would be. We would be here Sunday to Wednesday. We were given most of the evenings off for ourselves except for Tuesday where we would be flying out to another island for a networking summit. I wasn't anticipating the next flight, but taking deep breaths, refusing to look out the window, and chewing the gum given to me by Mr. Pierce seemed to help. We would be flying back early Thursday morning and returning to work on Friday. We could not excessively drink, and we had to be up and ready before 6 am.

I was excited for the next advancements of my career, but only if I knew truthfully the implications this trip would lead me on.