Flying with the Rich and Famous: True Stories from the Flight Attendant who flew with them by Patricia Reid Read Free Book Online Page B

as though he were in a sketch on
Saturday Night Live
. It was such a comical sight that Felicia and I laughed so hard we had tears rolling down our faces. It took us forever to regain our composure and touch up our makeup so we could return to the cabin and tend to our passengers.
    As the flight proceeded it became apparent that Ms. Taylor was taken by Felicia’s compliment. When Felicia returned, she politely admired the diamond, which was when Felicia learned that is was not the famous Taylor-Burton diamond but the 33-carat Krupp diamond that Richard Burton had also bought her. (She had sold the Taylor-Burton diamond to fund a hospital.) Ms. Taylor promptly removed the exquisite jewel from her finger and told Felicia to try it on. When she saw Felicia’s reaction, she insisted she wear it—for the entire flight!As if Felicia didn’t have enough bragging rights because Liz Taylor was in her section, she now had this massive diamond to flaunt in front of all of us and the other passengers for the next five hours!
    It wasn’t until much later, when the meal service was winding down, that I finally had an opportunity to speak with Ms. Taylor. I found her eyes to be what everyone said: utterly unique and striking. They were the most unusual color blue that I’d ever seen—a deep rich hue, lined with dark cat-like rings and black lush lashes that made them appear violet. They seemed to pierce your soul, yet with warmth and integrity. They took my breath away, truly. When I refilled her coffee she looked up at me, touched my arm and said thank you with sincere gratitude and a quick bat of her eyelashes. She said how wonderful it must be to fly for such a lovely airline, to which I responded, “Well, it certainly is with charming people like you aboard!” She was extremely beautiful and extremely kind, very personable,warmhearted, and well mannered. She was definitely one of the finest celebrities I’ve ever flown with.
    What left a lasting impression on me was watching Felicia squirm out of one of the most famous diamonds in the world to return it to its rightful owner. She had captured much attention wearing it, and she wasn’t giving it back without an audience. With childlike fun she milked taking off that ring for all it was worth. We all began to chuckle as she very slowly inched it up her finger, pretending it was too tight and needed to be precisely maneuvered. Even Ms. Taylor was enjoying this little show. When Felicia finally returned the exquisite ring, many of us began clapping. I wrapped my arms around my friend as if to say, “It’s okay, missy, there’ll be another ring someday!” After we all said goodbye to Elizabeth Taylor, we talked about how much we loved her, especially the way she embraced her fame and the responsibility that went with it.
    ROD STEWART
    When I realized that I was going to be flying rock star Rod Stewart, I was thrilled beyond belief. My sister has had a thing for the sexy rock star since I can remember. She played his
Every Picture Tells a Story
album over and over and over again. I mean, I know every word to every song on that album. To this day, he is on her to-do list—you know that list we all have where if the moon falls from the sky and wants to “do” you, you get to. So, I’m thinking I’ve got major bragging rights here. Not to mention he began his wild ride to fame while I was still in high school, so his music is like home to me. Does anyone listen to “Maggie May” without singing along?
    Rod Stewart came on the airplane a little tipsy with a sexy swagger and a “cheerio” smirk upon his face. I swear he was a walking, talking advertisement for his song, “Do You Think I’m Sexy?” Yes, Rod, we think you are.
    He was a happy-go-lucky guy. He had every right to be—his career was rock solid and climbing. He was very thin and hada head of hair that was blond and wild like the cartoon character Lisa on
The Simpsons
, except it