timeshare arrangement. Everyone involved usually took a large entourage wherever they went, so it made sense to use this plane instead of commercial or business-class private jets. When there was a big event here in town, sometimes the pilots would have to carry two groups of owners at once. I got to meet Mister M and his wives two or three times, since the majority owners were Mister and Mrs. C. They bought out Mister M’s share a few years back so he could put a down payment on an A380.He was the last of the co-owners still invested.”
I sat down. “Blessed Mother…I can’t even get my head around wealth on that scale. How do you cope?”
“Years of practice. Now, shall we discuss Mister M’s wives?”
A few hours later, Rose skipped through the sliding doors outside baggage claim, bounced into my arms, and belched in my face as she tried to kiss me. I can guess how I looked, because she started giggling at me. “I’m sorry,” she sputtered. “Giant squid burps. The meat’s too dumb to know when to stop fighting.”
I smiled at the skycap waiting behind her and held out ten bucks. He got everything stowed in the limo’s trunk while I stood there kissing my fiancée. Money well spent.
When we pulled out, I checked my watch and leaned forward to talk to the driver. “We have about ten minutes. Will you be able to get to the executive terminal by then?”
“No problem, sir, we go by it to get to the Strip. Done it lots of times.” He pulled the limo out onto the road and floored it into the tunnel running under the south half of the airport.
“Good deal. Excuse us a minute.” I rolled up the privacy barrier and handed Rose a paper-wrapped bundle. “Welcome to Vegas. I got you something slinky.”
“Ohhh….” She unwrapped the package and pulled out a deep red silk dress. She held it up against herself as best she could in the seat. “Oh, my. There’s not much fabric here. Do you really want me to put it on?”
“Very much. We’re on our way to meet a potential investor so you can give his wives a few small tokens of our appreciation.” I helped her change, and draped a string of pearls worth half my annual salary around her neck. It was on loan until tomorrow, and looked striking on her.
Rose got her shoes on just as the driver tapped on the privacy shield. I lowered it and saw we’d arrived at the terminal. I thanked the driver and gave Rose a thumbs-up. “We’re here. The names are on the packages. Bloody hell, I hope this works.”
“If it doesn’t get their attention, I’ll pop home, change, and be back a few seconds later.” Rose fluffed her hair out and gave herself a once-over. She furrowed her brow a moment, changing her face to look like she was wearing makeup and changing her physique to, well, better support the dress.
Behind the terminal, a tug was hauling a huge-ass jet with red, green, and black stripes away from the terminal. Aircraft aren’t my specialty, but I was willing to bet it was whatever an A380 is. The business jets it rolled past seemed little more than die-cast models by comparison.
Six other limos were waiting outside the terminal, along with a dozen security guards. As we got out of our limo, a guy who looked like a concrete brick wrapped in five grand of designer suit planted himself in front of us. “Please state your business or I will summon the police.”
I smiled but didn’t step forward. “David Fraser. This is my fiancée, Rose Drake. I have an appointment with Mister M the day after tomorrow. Rose felt that while Mister M and I discussed business, she wished to offer Mister M’s ladies some small tokens of respect and welcome to our country. I felt such a gesture from myself to Mister M might seem improper or presumptuous, but I hoped Rose’s gifts would be acceptable.”
The Brick smirked. “Is she a gift as well?”
“Only for the eyes,” I replied. I kept smiling. The biggest issue with Rose tearing his heart out was that it
I sat down. “Blessed Mother…I can’t even get my head around wealth on that scale. How do you cope?”
“Years of practice. Now, shall we discuss Mister M’s wives?”
A few hours later, Rose skipped through the sliding doors outside baggage claim, bounced into my arms, and belched in my face as she tried to kiss me. I can guess how I looked, because she started giggling at me. “I’m sorry,” she sputtered. “Giant squid burps. The meat’s too dumb to know when to stop fighting.”
I smiled at the skycap waiting behind her and held out ten bucks. He got everything stowed in the limo’s trunk while I stood there kissing my fiancée. Money well spent.
When we pulled out, I checked my watch and leaned forward to talk to the driver. “We have about ten minutes. Will you be able to get to the executive terminal by then?”
“No problem, sir, we go by it to get to the Strip. Done it lots of times.” He pulled the limo out onto the road and floored it into the tunnel running under the south half of the airport.
“Good deal. Excuse us a minute.” I rolled up the privacy barrier and handed Rose a paper-wrapped bundle. “Welcome to Vegas. I got you something slinky.”
“Ohhh….” She unwrapped the package and pulled out a deep red silk dress. She held it up against herself as best she could in the seat. “Oh, my. There’s not much fabric here. Do you really want me to put it on?”
“Very much. We’re on our way to meet a potential investor so you can give his wives a few small tokens of our appreciation.” I helped her change, and draped a string of pearls worth half my annual salary around her neck. It was on loan until tomorrow, and looked striking on her.
Rose got her shoes on just as the driver tapped on the privacy shield. I lowered it and saw we’d arrived at the terminal. I thanked the driver and gave Rose a thumbs-up. “We’re here. The names are on the packages. Bloody hell, I hope this works.”
“If it doesn’t get their attention, I’ll pop home, change, and be back a few seconds later.” Rose fluffed her hair out and gave herself a once-over. She furrowed her brow a moment, changing her face to look like she was wearing makeup and changing her physique to, well, better support the dress.
Behind the terminal, a tug was hauling a huge-ass jet with red, green, and black stripes away from the terminal. Aircraft aren’t my specialty, but I was willing to bet it was whatever an A380 is. The business jets it rolled past seemed little more than die-cast models by comparison.
Six other limos were waiting outside the terminal, along with a dozen security guards. As we got out of our limo, a guy who looked like a concrete brick wrapped in five grand of designer suit planted himself in front of us. “Please state your business or I will summon the police.”
I smiled but didn’t step forward. “David Fraser. This is my fiancée, Rose Drake. I have an appointment with Mister M the day after tomorrow. Rose felt that while Mister M and I discussed business, she wished to offer Mister M’s ladies some small tokens of respect and welcome to our country. I felt such a gesture from myself to Mister M might seem improper or presumptuous, but I hoped Rose’s gifts would be acceptable.”
The Brick smirked. “Is she a gift as well?”
“Only for the eyes,” I replied. I kept smiling. The biggest issue with Rose tearing his heart out was that it
Similar Books
