Sex in Atlanta

Tracing a Column to Its Roots: The Sex and Alexis Story Given the thinly-veiled nature of the heading for this column, it may seem obvious to most readers that "Sex in Atlanta" is not-so-loosely based on the idea of Candace Bushnell's "Sex and the City" book and television series. The starkest difference between the two however, is that Bushnell's journalist, Carrie Bradshaw, resides in the Big Apple, while I comfortably type this column from the Little Peach. As a fan of "Sex and the City" and a not-so-disguised thief of the central theme, I have always held a special place in my heart for New York City. When I decided to hop a plane to the city over the weekend for a job interview, I made it my special homage to this column and Carrie's, and I have vainly dubbed it "Sex and Alexis." While there was (sadly?) no sex during my trip, there was champagne, glamorous art openings, Broadway stars, and bakeries. Ms. Bradshaw would be proud. On Thursday morning, I arrived at Hartsfield at the exceedingly unglamorous hour of 5 AM to catch my 6:30 flight to New York. The plane was nearly empty, giving me and the empty seat beside me a decidedly First Class feel, even though I had used frequent flyer miles to pay for it. Once safely back on the ground in New York, I glammed myself up for my breakout performance of "Alexis Colvard: Sales Associate Star!" (i.e., my job interview at an art marketing/promotions firm). Money was probably the central issue denying me my Carrie Bradshaw rights. While Carrie would have rather eaten a Manolo than taken public transportation, finances forced me onto a Manhattan bus rather than a taxi. However, I quickly made up for this when I discovered a Starbucks next door to my job interview, and grabbed a mocha on the way over. I strode into the office looking fierce in my heels and business suit, wheeling my classy carry-on luggage behind me. The interview went well, and I was invited back to an art opening the next night. I nonchalantly replied, "I'll see if I'm able to stop by." That night, I headed to a small, hip comedy/improv club known more for its "Saturday Night Live" owners than anything else. Upright Citizens Brigade did not disappoint, however: the hour-long show provided laughs, drinks, and an all-around night of fun after a long day of travel and stress. Friday, I caught brunch with a friend and we, appropriately, discussed careers, sex, and (un-ironically) cities. After she caught her train home, I headed out for some shopping at the cost-effective (so not Carrie) and trendy (so Carrie) H&M. I picked up a fabulous shirt and browsed the accessories before grabbing a ticket to the Tony-award winning Broadway musical "Spring Awakening." 6 PM: Feeling like Charlotte from "Sex and the City," I stopped by the art opening, as promised, and was welcomed by a bevy of excited women and the one man with whom I had interviewed. As I sipped champagne and nibbled grapes, I chatted with a senior at the company before she was called away by the artist (the guest of honor). Standing awkwardly beside this woman and the artist as they began to speak in furious, fluent, flawless French, I realized that my thirty-minute appearance had ticked one minute past my liking, and excused myself sometime after the polite question to me, "Parlez-vous francais?" No. No, not at all. I caught the train to "Spring Awakening" and sat in the very opera-like seats of the Left Box (thank you, Student Rush!). Feeling at home and enjoying the view, I settled into my seat to enjoy a night of fabulous theatre. It was another very Charlotte moment. The next day, after a bit more shopping, I stopped by the famed Magnolia Bakery to taste the cupcakes that Miranda and Carrie heralded on the show. Light and fluffy with endless frosting, the half-hour line wait was completely worth it. Finally, I hit the theatre again, this time for an off-Broadway play called "Things We Want," starring Paul Dano and directed by Ethan Hawke. In the dark and silent theatre, I felt like Samantha as I watched Paul Dano remove his shirt and make out with the cute neighbor girl from the play (Zoe Kazan). Even in a moment meant to be so devoted to the script, even in a play as moving and well-performed as this, my mind could go only one direction: the sex in the city. I concluded my trip by "volunteering" to be bumped to First Class on my flight home. Apparently, the plane was not quite crowded enough for that, so I accepted my fate, slapped on my headphones, put a "Sex and the City" DVD into my laptop, and curled up in my cheap seat. It was an appropriate culmination to my Sex and Alexis weekend: I flew in style, even in Coach.