TheBillionairesPilot

by Suzanne Graham

  When the song ended, she excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.

  Evan held her tighter. “You’re going to leave me alone with the wolves?” he complained about the women who still hit on him, even though it was common knowledge he was an engaged man.

  She kissed him on the nose. “I’ll be as quick as I can. Then I’ll come and rescue you from the wild packs.”

  He placed a longer-than-was-considered-appropriate-in-public kiss on her lips. “Hurry back.”

  “I will.” She scooted out of his arms and headed for the bathroom.

  Doing as she’d promised, she quickly took care of business. Then as she stood in the bathroom stall straightening her dress over her pantyhose, a group of women came in laughing and talking with loud voices. It was impossible not to hear them mention a particular female helicopter pilot.

  Cassie’s breath seized in her chest as she overheard one woman complain about the low-class chit who’d snagged herself the most eligible bachelor in New York City.

  “Evan deserves someone so much better than her,” the shrill voice complained.

  “Like you? We all know how much you’d like to sink your claws into him, Sylvie,” her husky-voiced companion remarked.

  “What the hell does he see in her?” a third woman sniped. “She’s got mousy brown hair and the figure of a twelve-year-old boy.”

  The three women laughed boisterously.

  Cassie’s gut burned with anger at their description of her, and she was about to walk calmly out of the stall to the sinks, hopefully to embarrass the shit out of them for being so rude, but she hesitated when the shrill-voiced one continued speaking.

  “She’s totally undeserving of him. Her father was a nobody in the Navy, some enlisted guy, not even a commissioned officer.”

  “And she has no education.” Disdain dripped from the second woman’s words. “She enlisted in the Army right after high school.”

  Self-doubt replaced the anger in her gut as Cassie overheard the exact same argument she’d just had with Evan about why she didn’t fit into his world. Why didn’t he recognize what she and these women could see so clearly?

  Cassie wasn’t an appropriate choice for Evan. He needed a woman of his own class, though, certainly not any of these three gossiping witches.

  Cassie pictured him with some sweet and polished young woman from a wealthy family, who vacationed in the Alps for the skiing and on some exotic Caribbean island for the sun. Someone who could go sailing with him without tossing her breakfast and who didn’t have to censor her words to hide her foul-mouthed soldier’s vocabulary.

  Cassie conveniently ignored the incongruity of that “perfect” female image with what Evan enjoyed sexually, but still, Cassie knew she wasn’t his best match. And maybe he could find a woman who was pleasing and submissive both in and out of the bedroom, something Cassie definitely was not.

  How had she allowed herself to get so carried away believing in a happily-ever-after with Evan? From the very beginning, she’d known she was participating in a fairytale, but at some point she’d become willing to believe it could be real. How could she have forgotten the fundamental differences in their backgrounds, in their foundations?

  The things she’d been proud of in her world were liabilities in his. Being accepted into the highly competitive fast-track high school to flight school program was an impressive accolade in her life, but here, among these high-society types, it was merely another example of how inappropriate she was for Evan.

  Cassie quietly hid in the stall, hoping the women would finish soon, so she could leave unseen, but they continued talking about her.

  “She must be damn good in bed then because obviously she and Evan don’t have anything in common to talk about,” the high-pitched voice said, making Cassie wince.

  She glanced under the stall wall to see if anyone else was in the bathroom listening, and only saw the three pairs of women’s heels at the sinks.

  “Did you hear the rumors that Evan paid her to sleep with him?”

  Cassie straightened and held her breath. What rumors?

  “That’s ridiculous. Why would he have to pay someone like her to sleep with him? He’s young, rich, gorgeous, and single. He could have any woman he wanted without paying for a hooker.”

  Cassie’s chest constricted as if an iron band squeezed her ribs. They were right. She had taken a huge sum of money from him to be his date, and she was still having her income supplemented by him as they continued their charade that wasn’t quite a charade anymore. And she was sleeping with him.

  Calling her a hooker really wasn’t so far-fetched. What had started as a business deal had turned into something that resembled prostitution.

  Cassie held her clenched hands over her stomach as it twisted into a knot.

  “Did you see the Tattler article?” The woman paused dramatically to wait for her companions’ attention.

  “What did it say?” One of the women asked expectantly.

  “An inside source at Mitchell Industries reported that Evan paid that tramp four thousand dollars to go to San Miguel with him,” the woman announced gleefully.

  “Damn! Do you think their source could be telling the truth?”

  “I bet it was that old guy assistant who follows Evan around like a shadow. He was probably looking to make some extra money by promoting the story.”

  Cassie’s stomach churned, and she worried she was going to toss her dinner. They were accusing Mr. Jacobs of selling Evan’s privacy. She didn’t want to consider that there was any truth in it, but she had to warn Evan of these rumors about his assistant.

  It was also time for her to set things right with Evan, which meant her life was going to be turned upside down again, but she couldn’t go on pretending anymore that this life was for her.

  After what seemed like a decade of Cassie’s life, the women finished their business and left Cassie alone in the bathroom. She avoided meeting her own eyes in the mirror above the sink as she washed and dried her hands. Then she left the ladies’ room with very few pieces of her dignity intact.

  When she found Evan at their table, he was engaged in an animated conversation with two men who were on the board at Mitchell Industries. Cassie quietly took her seat and pasted a polite smile on her face as she waited for the evening to come to an end.

  Finally, it was time to go home, and Cassie let go a sigh of relief. Immediately after that, she thought of the conversation she was about to have with Evan, and her heart ached with nearly unbearable pain.

  In the limo back to Cassie’s apartment, Evan tried to engage her in playful banter, but the lead weight in her chest kept her from responding. Eventually, he gave up and asked her again what was wrong.

  “I thought you got over what was bothering you tonight,” he said.

  “I did…for a little bit,” she answered, sounding calmer than she felt.

  “So what’s going on?” He turned in the back seat to face her.

  She had two pieces of devastating news to deliver, and she hated to hurt him with either one. She started with the business news. “I think Mr. Jacobs sold information to a tabloid about our trip to San Miguel.”

  “What? That’s impossible,” Evan insisted. “Dan would never do that.”

  “I heard some women in the bathroom mention an article in the Tattler about an inside source reporting you paid me four thousand dollars to go to San Miguel with you. That’s pretty damning information. Who else could have known?”

  Evan cursed. “I don’t know, but it wasn’t Dan. I’m sure of it, and I will find out who sold that information.”

  “Are you going to confront Mr. Jacobs?”

  “No, not until I get all the facts.” He pulled out his cell phone and thumbed in a number. “Hey, Paul. It’s Evan. I have a priority job for you.”

  Cassie listened as Evan gave the other man instructions to investigate the article and find the leaking source of information. Then he snapped his phone shut and
tucked it back in the chest pocket of his tuxedo jacket.

  “Okay, that’s taken care of. Now, we can get to more pleasant topics.” He traced the outer edge of her earlobe with his fingertip and bent down to kiss her.

  She pushed her palms against his chest. “Stop, Evan,” she pleaded.

  He dropped his hand and leaned back in his seat. “What is it?”

  She glanced out of the car window at the shining lights of the city passing by. “This isn’t going to work.” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper as she forced the words out past the lump in her throat.

  “What’s not going to work?”

  “You and I.” She turned to look at him. “It’s time to end this sham relationship.”

  “Where is this coming from?” he demanded, suddenly angry. “I thought we already discussed this. We agreed to twelve months.”

  She shook her head and looked down at the huge diamond on her finger. “This was supposed to be a business deal, but I’ve prostituted myself.” She twisted the ring, the obvious outward sign that she’d sold herself.

  “I didn’t pay you to have sex with me,” Evan insisted.

  Her self-loathing turned into anger, an easier emotion to deal with. “No, maybe not technically, but it was a nice bonus for you, wasn’t it?” she sneered.

  “God, Cassie. I can’t believe you’re doing this now.” Evan’s face showed his unwillingness to let her go. “We’re good together, regardless of how we got started. Why does it matter what some stupid rag magazine says? They like to make stuff up. Most people don’t believe what they read in those tabloids, whether it’s true or not.”

  The limo pulled up in front of her apartment, but neither of them made a move for the door. Tony remained in his seat behind the privacy shield, waiting for instructions.

  “I can’t do it anymore, Evan. I can’t face a roomful of women like that again and feel so much shame.”

  “What women?” He reached for her hand, and she let him hold it for the last time. “Did someone say something to you?” The muscles in his jaw tightened as he seemed to ready himself to go into battle for her.

  “It doesn’t matter who said what. It only matters that I’ve lost my self-respect. This relationship isn’t good for me. I have to get out.”

  “I won’t let you go,” Evan insisted, giving her hand a squeeze.

  Cassie refused to respond to his assertion, turning off her emotions until she could be alone in her apartment. “I hope this doesn’t affect your deal with Xavier.”

  “I don’t give a damn about Xavier,” he practically growled. He took a breath and said in a quieter voice, “All I care about is you. I’m not letting you go.”

  “You don’t have a choice. I have to get out,” she repeated and pulled her hand free from his. She reached around him for the door handle, barely holding herself together.

  He grabbed her forearm to stop her. “Cassie, wait. Why won’t you work this out with me?”

  She met his eyes and put some steel in her tone. “There’s nothing to work out, Evan. It’s over.”

  He hesitated as they stared at each other. She must have finally convinced him because he dropped his hold on her and opened the car door for her. “Fine. I assume you will be turning in a letter of resignation. Thank you for your service to Mitchell Industries.”

  And it was those words that officially broke her heart as she stumbled out of the limo to the sidewalk and rushed to get inside her apartment building before she made a spectacle of herself. Or worse, before she changed her mind, turned around and ran back into his arms.

  * * * *

  With no job to report to and some extra money available in her bank account, Cassie used her time off to schedule a visit to see her father in the days following her breakup with Evan. Part of regaining her self-value required her to face her father and come clean about lying about her engagement, and the sooner she did it, the better for her peace of mind.

  She couldn’t remember ever feeling such tension knots in her shoulders as she did on the commercial flight from New York to Texas. As she rolled her head back and forth, she was hit with a vivid memory of sitting next to Evan on that first flight to San Miguel when she’d offered to give him a massage.

  A sharp pain in her heart took her breath away. She stared out the small window at the passing clouds and tried not to remember all the moments she’d shared with him, but as the Borg said, “Resistance was futile.” It was impossible to not think about something when she was trying not to think about it.

  After spending most of the flight fighting back tears, Cassie was grateful to land and get moving. There was nothing worse than being forced to sit still and stew in one’s misery.

  She snagged a rental car and with the window’s rolled down to enjoy the early summer Texas air, she drove the familiar route to her father’s house.

  This conversation was only going to be second in difficulty to the one she’d had last Friday with Evan, but like ripping off a Band-Aid, faster was better.

  She pulled up in front of her father’s house and parked at the curb. She grabbed her handbag and headed for the front door. It opened before she reached the porch steps.

  “Cassie!” her father greeted her with open arms, taking her by surprise. He looked years better than her last visit, and he was sporting a broad smile for her.

  She knew her answering smile wasn’t nearly as bright. “Hi, Dad. You look really good.”

  “I feel really good.” He wrapped her in a massive hug when she reached him on the porch.

  She buried her nose in his cotton T-shirt, inhaling his woodsy scent and surrendering to the comforting feel of being held by her dad. Closing her eyes, she could almost pretend she was still five years old, and her biggest concern was learning how to ride her bike. But unfortunately, she couldn’t stay enveloped in her dad’s warm embrace forever, and she finally took a step back, releasing her hold on him.

  He looked over her shoulder at the car at the curb. “Where’s Evan? From what I’ve seen in the tabloids, you two are inseparable.”

  She did a double take as she tried to picture her dad reading the supermarket rags. Oh, God, had he seen the article about her taking money from Evan to accompany him to San Miguel? “You’re reading the tabloids?” she choked out.

  “When I see a picture of my girl on the cover, I sure do. But I only look at the pictures. Those stories are always full of lies.”

  Cassie swallowed her sigh of relief.

  Her dad cast another glance at her rental car. “No limo. I guess Evan’s not with you,” he said, almost sounding disappointed. When had he become a fan of Evan Mitchell?

  She met his gaze. “That’s what I came to talk to you about. Can we go inside?”

  “Of course.” He led the way into the living room and took a seat in his favorite recliner as she took a spot on the old plaid couch.

  “Now, tell me what’s put that frown on your puss,” he said.

  Using the Band-Aid approach, she started with, “We broke it off. Evan and I are over, and I’m unemployed again.”

  But the good news was her credit cards were back to zero balances, and her checking account had enough to keep her afloat for a while, but she kept that to herself. Pride had prevented her from telling her dad how badly she’d messed up last time when she was unemployed.

  Thanks to learning her lesson, this time she’d saved a chunk of her paycheck and the severance package Evan had insisted on giving her, which was more than generous even after she’d insisted he deduct her outstanding debt from it. He’d also told her to keep the engagement ring and sell it.

  Yeah, financially, she was doing much better this time around; too bad she couldn’t say the same for the rest of her.

  “You broke up?” Her dad leaned forward in his recliner, his eyes narrowing. “What’d he do? Do I need to go up to New York and deliver some justice, Navy style?”

  Cassie waved him back into his seat. “Relax, Dad. He didn’t do a
nything wrong. It was me.”

  “You better start at the beginning, missy,” his gravelly voice warned. “I didn’t raise you to break a promise, and an engagement is one of the biggest promises you can make to someone.”

  Cassie’s gut clenched as she considered the truth she owed her dad. He was going to be so disappointed in her, and she hated that more than she dreaded his anger. They were just beginning to get back to the closeness they’d shared when she was a little girl, and now, she was putting it in jeopardy.

  She took a steadying breath and jumped in with both feet. “Dad, Evan and I weren’t honest with you when we visited. I’m sorry.” She tried to keep her eyes locked on his, but coming clean was so hard. She couldn’t bear to see the displeasure in his eyes.

  Her gaze fell to the carpet between them. “We didn’t really meet the way we said.”

  “Why’d you lie?” He went directly to the root of the problem.

  She took another deep breath and steeled herself for letting it all out at once. “Evan needed a female companion to accompany him to the Caribbean for a business deal. His girlfriend had just broken up with him, and he was stuck, so he offered me the position.” She glanced up to catch her dad’s face growing dark with anger.

  “No! It was an entirely platonic deal. Evan was a complete gentleman.” Until she gave in to her attraction to him and he became the Dom she’d always wanted, but she wasn’t going there with her father.

  “So, how did you end up as his fiancée?”

  “He told a little lie to ensure the business deal went through.”

  “He lied, and you went along with it?” Her dad shook his head with the disapproval she dreaded.

  “It wasn’t that big of a lie. We did like each other.”

  “But you mislead someone, Cassie, for money.”

  “I know, and I mislead you too. I really am sorry.”

  “Then, you’ve finally come to your senses and that’s why you broke up with him?”