Page 14 of Doctor Mile High
There’s no doubt in my mind his fingers are sticky now.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Vainton. I really appreciate it.”
“And when you make the accommodations, make sure you get a ticket for yourself.”
Shelly, who is maybe five feet in height, stands in front of me with her arms crossed. “You want her to fly? She could give birth on that plane.”
“She has plenty of time left, and I need her there. That’s the deal. You get the weekend off and come to the War-Med Con. And if you come to the War-Med Con, you get a five-thousand-dollar bonus. Don’t you need that money, Dove?” Landon smirks, knowing he has me right where he wants me.
That is what pisses me off about him. There’s always a catch.
“You have about a month left, right? You’ll be fine.” Landon is interrupted by his phone. “I need to take this. I’m sure you ladies can figure out the rest.” He flashes me an evil smirk before kicking his door shut, followed by a boom of laughter.
“You didn’t have to do that, Shelly. I don’t want you to get fired. You need this job too.”
“Please,” she scoffs. “I don’t need this job. I do it because I’d be bored otherwise. And I have more to hold over Landon than you think, but I can’t get into that right now. Let’s book this trip so you can get home and see the new crib your…friendgot you.”
“Shelly,” I groan.
“What? I didn’t say anything.” She nudges me with her shoulder. “I better get away before he directs his anger to you instead of me. Do you need any help?”
“No, it won’t take me long. I know he wants to stay in the same hotel where the convention is, and he has to fly first class. I’ll book his ticket along with the others, but I’m taking a different flight. I don’t want to be anywhere near him or his buddies. It will only make the entire trip even more unbearable than it already will be.”
“Don’t go, Dovey. I’m begging you.”
“I have to, Shelly. I need the money.”
“Okay, fine, but we’ll talk rules. You will call me every night. You’ll tell me when you board and land. You will keep me updated. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am. I promise.”
She boops my nose. “That’s my girl.” She snags one empty smoothie cup from my desk and saunters away, leaving me at my desk alone and a bit vulnerable to Landon’s madness.
I can take it.
Booking the hotel and airfare is easy. All I have to do is go to the War-Med Con site and click the hotel link to make reservations. Next, I book the airfare for him and the rest of the board before booking my own ticket.
Economy, of course.
His head might blow from his neck if he found out I used the company card for a first-class ticket.
I don’t bother to say goodbye to my boss. Grabbing my bag, I waddle to the elevator to make my escape. While I wait, I scroll on social media, and I think my eyes must be playing tricks on me.
I have to do a double take because I thought I sawhim.
I scroll back up to the previous video. I was right.
It’s a video of Winston, and his username is DoctorSilverFox.
Alone on the elevator, I turn the volume up on my phone while I descend forty floors.
“Hi, everyone. Doctor Silver Fox here.”He flashes his million-dollar smile before continuing to speak in his smooth, deep voice. “I want to add I did not make that username. You can thank my assistant for that. I’m not here to give any medical advice. That’s not what this account will be for. I’m looking for someone. Her name is Dove, and I met her in Costa Rica…”
My heart races, a variety of emotions infiltrating my system. He’s been looking for me? It would be so easy to message him, to meet him, to tell him the truth that he’s about to be a father.
Yet fear paralyzes me.
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