AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Dr. Croft?” Dr. Donaldson’s voice carried from somewhere behind me.
I jumped back from Davis. I wanted to check Dr. Donaldson’s reaction—to see if Davis was right?—but I couldn’t make myself.
“Actually,” Davis said, “could you excuse me for a minute?”
I nodded and made my way to the aisle to let him out. Dr. Donaldson and I sat, not bothering to buckle if Davis would return soon.
“Interesting conversation?” Dr. Donaldson asked. I couldn’t read anything from his tone.
“Debating the Sixers’ postseason prospects.”
“Ah.” The 76ers hadn’t had a postseason to speak of in over two decades, but Dr. Donaldson knew even less about the NBA than I did—except that Philadelphia’s sports fans were, well, Phanatical.
Davis was wrong. I didn’t have to say anything to Dr. Donaldson. Even that—thatwas evidence this was strictly professional. Absolutely nothing said that we couldn’t call each other by our first names, but he’d always addressed me formally. Professionally.
What did Davis the Platinum Member know? Why would I take dating advice from some rando who couldn’t figure out how a line worked?
“Excuse me?” A woman’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
Dr. Donaldson and I both looked up to find a flight attendant, blonde and past middle age, in the aisle by us. Her nametag read Helga. “Is this Mr. Hardcastle’s seat?” she asked.
We looked at the seat by the window—which, by rights, was actually mine. His was probably the middle seat.
Obviously even Dr. Donaldson recognized that last name, and now I knew why Davis looked vaguely familiar. He looked identical to the actor/notorious player Everett Hardcastle.
Okay, number one, was this for real? How hard was it to get a fake ID? Someone who bore a passing resemblance to a famous actor getting a fake ID made more sense than an actual relative of a famous actor flying coach. And to Philly. I loved my adopted hometown, but it wasn’t... I didn’t know, the Swiss Alps. It wasn’t even San Francisco, which we were leaving.
Not every actor could put every family member in first class, but everyone knew Everett Hardcastle came from serious money. Not let’s-ski-in-the-Alps money. Month-long-party-in-Lucerne money. My-plane-or-yours money. Wipe-out-your-student-loans-as-a-tip money.
A real Hardcastle would not fly coach.
But hewasa platinum member.
Dr. Donaldson pointed at the empty seat. “DavisHardcastle?” he asked.
“You rang?” Davis said, arriving in the aisle again. Rather than attempting to respond, Dr. Donaldson and I stood, and the four of us reshuffled until we were in our respective seats and Helga in her place in the aisle.
“Mr. Hardcastle,” Helga began, “I’m so sorry we didn’t have room for you in business or first class, but we do have some extra meals that I could offer you. Complimentary, of course.”
“Oh, thank you.” Davis gestured at us. “It would be rude to eat in front of myfriends. Unless—did you say meals?”
“We couldn’t,” I insisted quickly. Helga offering Davis freebies because of his name and connections was sketchy enough. Dr. Donaldson and I couldn’t even claim Aluminum Member status.
Helga eyed us, clearly opposed to the idea. “You’re all together?”
“Yes,” Davis confirmed, “Adam and Cassidy are with me.”
Helga flashed a smile at Davis, but I turned to glare at him. This was the man who five minutes ago insisted hewasn’ttrying to imply anything about Dr. Donaldson’s supposed lack of ethics?
Apparently he was an expert in that area.
Helga rattled off the selections. Dr. Donaldson asked for the burger, and I fought the urge to gape at him. He was going to take advantage of this lapse, this rich-person loophole?
Davis ordered the grain bowl. Dr. Donaldson looked at me, expectant. He wanted me to go along with this.
Here I was, again, faced with a man who could do anything he wanted, while I could never have gotten away with this. I looked to Davis again, and he grinned at me. “Don’t make me a liar, Cassidy.”
“That wouldn’t be my fault.”
