Flying with the Rich and Famous: True Stories from the Flight Attendant who flew with them by Patricia Reid Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Patricia Reid
everything on the plane, except me. I wonder how obvious it was that I “over-serviced” him. I hope he got a kick out of it. I know I did.
ELIZABETH TAYLOR
The late Elizabeth Taylor was no stranger to private jets. The beautiful actress had a lifelong career and was queen of the tabloids. Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Cleopatra herself, famously married eight times—really, eight times! Starting as a child star and rising to the epitome of success, she was the ultimate movie star. I would venture to guess that she was the most recognizable face in the world. Plus, she was a philanthropist. What she did for HIV/AIDS was unprecedented.
The first time I laid eyes on her I was stunned at how truly beautiful she was in person. I had seen her on the big screen and television, but film did not do her natural beauty justice. She was stunning. It was like seeing her in high-definition. She was absolutely gorgeous. And then I noticed how petite she was. I had envisioned her larger than she was, maybe because of her star status or maybe because of her larger bust.
Elegantly, she climbed the stairs to board our beautiful 727 in a full-length, white fur that was the most spectacular coat I’d ever seen. I’ve been trained never to show any sign of being star struck and usually had no problem mastering it, but her coat made me gasp. As she strolled through the airplane she held her head high. She seemed to be very comfortable with her stardom, as opposed to those celebrities who would come aboard wearing dark sunglasses and enormous hats, as though that would conceal their identities. She acknowledged any staring eyes with a polite nod or small eyelash wink as if to say, “Yes, it’s me—I amElizabeth Taylor,” and “Yes, you may gaze upon me.” I felt that it was okay with her if we stared, not because she was vain but because one couldn’t help it. Curiosity is a natural instinct and she was okay with it. My initial impression was that she wasn’t a diva, unlike some celebrities I had come across.
I was very intent on getting a closer look at Elizabeth Taylor’s violet eyes, but Ms. Taylor was sitting in another flight attendant’s section, my dear friend Felicia. She was as excited as the rest of us to host Elizabeth Taylor on our flight but more exuberant because she was in her section of the aircraft. Felicia took Ms. Taylor’s magnificent coat to hang in our aft closet. When she got to the rear of the aircraft, a few of us were waiting to see the coat and hear what Felicia had to say about her.
Felicia told us that she asked Ms. Taylor how she was feeling that morning, and she had replied that she was in fact feeling marvelous, to which Felicia responded, “Well, if you feel half as good as you look, you must feel fabulous!” To which Ms.Taylor responded, “That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!” Then Felicia blurted out to us that Ms. Taylor was wearing
the
diamond: the famous Richard Burton diamond. The 69-carat pear-shaped diamond he had given her during their first marriage. (She married him twice.) Each of us instantly conjured up ways to get a closer view of her hand.
On examining the coat, we noticed the inside was silk and had “Elizabeth Taylor” embroidered on it. One of the flight attendants was a rather flamboyant gay man named Stephen, who was just a gas. He had a way of making sure we kept our status, in his perspective, equal to the celebrities. “We are just as good as them,” he would constantly remind us, and usually in some hilarious fashion.
Stephen decided he should try on the amazing garment and see if he could
feel
what it was like to be Elizabeth Taylor. When he did, the sleeves came only just past his elbows and the hemline only to his knees. The sight of him turning that coat intoa gag was funny enough, but then he began dancing in the back of the airplane pretending to be the extraordinary star. He had his head cocked to one side, his arms waving and he pranced around
ELIZABETH TAYLOR
The late Elizabeth Taylor was no stranger to private jets. The beautiful actress had a lifelong career and was queen of the tabloids. Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Cleopatra herself, famously married eight times—really, eight times! Starting as a child star and rising to the epitome of success, she was the ultimate movie star. I would venture to guess that she was the most recognizable face in the world. Plus, she was a philanthropist. What she did for HIV/AIDS was unprecedented.
The first time I laid eyes on her I was stunned at how truly beautiful she was in person. I had seen her on the big screen and television, but film did not do her natural beauty justice. She was stunning. It was like seeing her in high-definition. She was absolutely gorgeous. And then I noticed how petite she was. I had envisioned her larger than she was, maybe because of her star status or maybe because of her larger bust.
Elegantly, she climbed the stairs to board our beautiful 727 in a full-length, white fur that was the most spectacular coat I’d ever seen. I’ve been trained never to show any sign of being star struck and usually had no problem mastering it, but her coat made me gasp. As she strolled through the airplane she held her head high. She seemed to be very comfortable with her stardom, as opposed to those celebrities who would come aboard wearing dark sunglasses and enormous hats, as though that would conceal their identities. She acknowledged any staring eyes with a polite nod or small eyelash wink as if to say, “Yes, it’s me—I amElizabeth Taylor,” and “Yes, you may gaze upon me.” I felt that it was okay with her if we stared, not because she was vain but because one couldn’t help it. Curiosity is a natural instinct and she was okay with it. My initial impression was that she wasn’t a diva, unlike some celebrities I had come across.
I was very intent on getting a closer look at Elizabeth Taylor’s violet eyes, but Ms. Taylor was sitting in another flight attendant’s section, my dear friend Felicia. She was as excited as the rest of us to host Elizabeth Taylor on our flight but more exuberant because she was in her section of the aircraft. Felicia took Ms. Taylor’s magnificent coat to hang in our aft closet. When she got to the rear of the aircraft, a few of us were waiting to see the coat and hear what Felicia had to say about her.
Felicia told us that she asked Ms. Taylor how she was feeling that morning, and she had replied that she was in fact feeling marvelous, to which Felicia responded, “Well, if you feel half as good as you look, you must feel fabulous!” To which Ms.Taylor responded, “That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!” Then Felicia blurted out to us that Ms. Taylor was wearing
the
diamond: the famous Richard Burton diamond. The 69-carat pear-shaped diamond he had given her during their first marriage. (She married him twice.) Each of us instantly conjured up ways to get a closer view of her hand.
On examining the coat, we noticed the inside was silk and had “Elizabeth Taylor” embroidered on it. One of the flight attendants was a rather flamboyant gay man named Stephen, who was just a gas. He had a way of making sure we kept our status, in his perspective, equal to the celebrities. “We are just as good as them,” he would constantly remind us, and usually in some hilarious fashion.
Stephen decided he should try on the amazing garment and see if he could
feel
what it was like to be Elizabeth Taylor. When he did, the sleeves came only just past his elbows and the hemline only to his knees. The sight of him turning that coat intoa gag was funny enough, but then he began dancing in the back of the airplane pretending to be the extraordinary star. He had his head cocked to one side, his arms waving and he pranced around
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