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We clinked our glasses.
Grace took a long sip, then leaned back against the headrest.
Jill returned a moment later with a tray of freshly baked croissants and pastries, leaning closer with the mouth-watering offerings.
Grace gasped, clearly delighted. “This is amazing—thank you.” She grabbed one of the chocolate croissants from the tray. “I’m used to Diet Coke and peanuts when I fly, so this is a slight step up.” She laughed and took a bite of the croissant. “I could get used to this royal treatment.”
“Just wait until you see the palace,” I said proudly, then reached for a pastry with raspberry filling. “It has the most beautiful gardens you’ve ever seen, and the view from the terrace of the apartment where you’ll be staying is unparalleled.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Grace said enthusiastically. “All of it.”
“Welcome aboard Your Highness, and his esteemed guest, Miss Grace Fullerton,” the captain announced over the intercom. “Please ensure your seatbelts are securely fastened as we prepare for takeoff. We’re second in line on the runway and will be airborne shortly, beginning our journey to Verdana. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight.”
Once in the air, Grace glanced over at Dante, then back to me. “How long have you two known each other? You seem very close.”
“Too close,” I joked. “I can’t get rid of the man.”
“We used to get into a lot of trouble together as children,” Dante said with a chuckle and a shake of the head.
“Remember when we raided the kitchen and stole those fresh tarts?” I asked.
“How could I forget?” he said. "We must’ve been ten years old, maybe eleven, lured in by the heavenly aroma.”
“I can still picture those flawless, golden tarts cooling on the rack,” I recalled. “As soon as Chef Sherman left, we swooped in and gobbled every one of them in record time.”
“I don’t think anything had ever tasted so sublime,” Dante said.
“Pure delight,” I agreed. “Until Chef Sherman caught us red-handed, since we had left a crumb trail all the way back to my room. She marched us straight to my mother, who informed us those tarts were supposed to be for the visiting King and Queen of Sweden.”
“Oh, no!” Grace gasped and covered her mouth.
“Oh, yes,” I said. “I thought smoke was going to billow out of her ears like she was a cartoon. We had ruined their afternoon tea. Mother was so angry she confined me to my room, except for music lessons and official events. Never get between royalty and their sweets!”
We laughed, though Dante and I shared a nostalgic look, silently agreeing those tarts had been worth it.
After a couple of hours of delightful conversation between the three of us, there was still one question Grace had not answered completely when I had asked earlier.
“So, tell me what happened to you last night,” I said. “When the paparazzi chased you down the street? I called and texted you, but you never responded.”
Grace grimaced. “Sorry about that. I’ve gotten in the habit of turning off my phone after work since I still get prank calls at all hours of the night. Anyway, I ended up diving behind a dumpster to catch my breath and nearly did a face-plant into a stack of wooden pallets! I could hear the paparazzi around the corner yelling, ‘Where did she go?’ Luckily, they disappeared after a few minutes, then I snuck back to my car and hightailed it out of there without further incident or embarrassing photos.”
I nodded. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“And I must say that dinner last night was the best,” Grace said. “But I never got to try the peach cobbler.”
I grinned. “You never know what the future holds.”
“True,” Grace said, then wiggled her nose and inhaled deeply. “It’s funny. Now that we’re talking about that wonderful food, it smells like the restaurant in here.”
“You have a wild imagination,” I said.
“No—I’m serious!” she said, inhaling again. “Too bad we had to leave in such a hurry. I bet they just tossed our leftovers. What a waste!”
I tried my best to keep my face free of emotion. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
Right on cue, Jill wheeled a cart down the aisle and smiled. “Lunch is served.” She uncovered platters revealing the leftover fried chicken, mac and cheese, catfish nuggets, and cornbread.
Grace’s eyes grew wider and her mouth fell open. “The leftovers.”
