Page 14 of Catching a Con Man

“Why not enjoy a flight in the most luxurious airplane in the world, to one of the most beautiful places in the world?”

“With one of the most beautiful people in the world?” I asked, regretting the romance as soon as it had crossed my lips.

“That privilege is all mine,” said Ade. “So I’d be honoured if you would come away with me. We will talk when we reach our destination, I promise. Me and you. The Alps. Nothing between us but the truth.”

“And what if the truth makes you want to dump me in the Alps?” I asked.

“I will always get you home safe,” he replied. “Come on, sit down.”

There was that hand on my back again, sending tingles up and down my spine. For someone who’d likely never done a day’s hard labour in his life Ade had a strong, possessive touch. And whenever he touched me like that I was like putty in his hands. He led me to the seat and headed over to the drinks table. “Tipple of choice?”

“Gin,” I admitted.

“Tonic, ice? I do apologise, I haven’t been able to scramble a steward crew this time around. I’m the best you’ll get.”

“Surprise me, then,” I said.

A man stepped on board who looked exactly like a fancy pilot out of a film, in a black jacket with golden lapels and a cap with golden laurels on it. He nodded at me respectfully and then he and Ade disappeared with him into the cockpit, dropping me my gin on the way. I dreaded to think of the vintage of it, or how expensive the glass was. Or whether he’d imported the ice cubes from Antarctica or something.

I flinched slightly as the steps moved by themselves, rising until they’d formed a door, sealing us in.

So this was it, then. Flying. There was a rumble as the engine started and then Ade was back in the passenger area with me. “Jarrod’s got that sorted,” he said. “Ready for lift-off?”

“As I’ll ever be,” I said. I gave him a weak smile. I’d spent so many years excited at the thought of flying that I hadn’t ever stopped to think how being sealed in a metal tube that could propel itself through the air at hundreds of miles an hour might make me feel.

“You OK?” Ade asked. I gave a weak nod, and took a sip of my gin and tonic. My stomach lurched as the plane moved forward. Outside of the windows it got darker as we left the hangar, and I was conscious of the plane turning on to the runway.

“Shit, you’ve never flown before, have you?” Ade nudged me slightly over to one side of the seat and sat next to me. The seat was so small I was practically on his lap. And then he did pull me onto his lap in one motion, hand making soothing circles on my back. His thumb dipped into the back of my t-shirt to touch bare skin and I leaned into it.

There was a ridiculously loud rumble as the plane accelerated, and I did my best not to look out of the windows. “Jesus,” I whispered. I closed my eyes to stop myself from having to think about what was going on, but that didn’t help as the whole world suddenly tilted ever so slightly on its axis. I could feel my ears reaching their breaking point and had no idea what to do. My breaths were coming out faster and faster and-

“Deep breaths, love,” said Ade. “No stress. Once we’re in the air, it’ll all be OK. It’ll all be OK, I promise you.” I could feel his words calming me, and I focused on getting control of my breath back. Slowly, in amongst all the rumbling and groaning and the feel of Ade’s hand on my back, I regained control.

The plane levelled out, and suddenly there was silence. I risked opening my eyes. Orange sunlight was streaming through the windows. I removed myself from Ade’s lap and gingerly stepped over to the windows on the other side. I sat down on one of the chairs, and spun it to face the window.

“Wow,” I whispered. The sun was setting, and we were aloft on a sea of cloud as far as the eye could see. The sun’s shadows made mountains and valleys in the cloud cover and created a scene that I could never have imagined. Films and pictures couldn’t capture the beauty of what I was looking at.

“I’ve never seen it fresh,” Ade admitted, and I jumped. “The wonder you’re feeling now…I’ve been jet setting since I was about a year old. I can’t remember being surprised by the beauty of things. It was always just…there.”

“Pretty privileged problem to have,” I whispered. Even in my awe I was practically throwing around aneat the richflag. Given I was thousands of feet in the air on a private jet, I probably should tone that down a little.

“True,” Ade muttered.

I stood transfixed, watching out of the window as the sun set below the clouds. I was vaguely conscious of Ade topping up my glass as I got to the bottom of it, but I just wanted to watch the outside go by.

“Is flying always so…peaceful?” I asked. Ade was stood behind the chair and idly playing with my hair. I wasn’t even sure if he’d noticed himself doing it.

“Commercially? No. There are crying babies and loud bastards.Evenin first class,” Ade pretended to recoil in horror. Or at least I hoped he was pretending. “But this plane is especially quiet because of the electric drivetrain. There are even solar panels in the roof…though they don’t really keep up with how power hungry it is. Truth is, it’s nowhere near ready for commercial production. The battery costs are in the millions, the technology has cost my company insane amounts in R&D.”

“So this is just some…vanity project?” I asked.

Ade looked affronted. “God, no. I just know no one else is going to put the money into something like this. And hopefully, the more money I put in, the cheaper it gets to produce. Imagine a passenger jet with this kind of technology! Cheaper travel for millions of people and guilt-free travel that doesn’t kill the planet.”

“And plenty of money in your pocket?” I challenged. Even as I did, I leaned back into his touch, those deft fingers massaging my scalp and undoing the gel I’d slicked through my hair.

“Perhaps. But if no one else is doing it, don’t I deserve a little reward? If only to move on to the next project?”

“Perhaps,” I conceded.

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