Emily stared at her.
“So what does that mean?”
“It means we need to find an alternative seat assignment.”
“Fine. Then give him another seat.”
The words came out more sharply than she intended.
The elderly man looked at her.
Emily immediately felt uncomfortable.
“I mean, I booked this seat first,” she added. “Surely the original reservation should take priority.”
The flight attendant looked at her screen.
“I'm afraid both reservations were made through different booking channels, and our system does not show which ticket was originally assigned to the seat.”
“Then check the booking history.”
“We're trying to do that now.”
The old man raised one hand gently.
“Please don't trouble yourself over this. If there's another suitable seat, I'll take it.”
Emily turned toward him.
“You shouldn't have to give up your seat either. I just don't understand why the airline can't resolve this properly.”
He gave her a small smile.
“Perhaps because people have become better at selling tickets than solving problems.”
For the first time, Emily almost laughed.
The flight attendant returned to the galley again.
Several minutes passed.
Then the aircraft's captain announced that boarding would be completed shortly.
The young woman looked increasingly anxious.
“I'm sorry,” she said to the old man. “I know I'm being difficult. I just have an important meeting.”
The man studied her face.
“Then you should be allowed to reach it without having to fight over a chair.”
He paused.
“Tell me, what kind of meeting?”
“An interview.”
“For a job?”
“Yes. A very important one.”
“Then I hope you get it.”
“Thank you.”
“What do you do?”
“I'm a financial analyst. I've been working in corporate finance for several years.”
The elderly man nodded thoughtfully.
“That's an interesting profession.”
Emily smiled politely.
“It can be.”
He looked at her for a moment longer.
“Do you enjoy it?”
The question caught her off guard.
Most people asked about her salary, her position, or the company she worked for. Almost nobody asked whether she actually enjoyed the work.
“I used to,” she answered.
“And now?”
She looked away.
“Now I think I just want to be successful.”
The old man did not immediately respond.
He seemed to understand that there was more behind her answer than she was willing to explain.
Finally, he said, “Those are not always the same thing.”
Emily looked at him again.
Before she could ask what he meant, a man in a dark business suit approached from the rear of the cabin.
He appeared to be in his early forties, with polished black shoes, an expensive watch, and the kind of confident expression that suggested he was accustomed to being obeyed.
He glanced at the two passengers.
“What seems to be the problem?”
The flight attendant explained the duplicate seat assignment.
The man shook his head.
“Unbelievable. We're already behind schedule.”
He looked at Emily.
“Miss, why don't you simply take another seat?”
Emily stiffened.
“Because I paid for this one.”
He gave a dismissive smile.
“And the gentleman paid for it, too, apparently. So someone has to be reasonable.”
“I don't see why that someone should automatically be me.”
The man turned toward the old passenger.
“Sir, would you mind moving? We have several other seats available.”
The elderly man looked at him.
“Do we?”
The man hesitated.
“Yes, of course.”
“Then why haven't you offered one?”
The question was delivered quietly, but it made the businessman uncomfortable.
He cleared his throat.
“I'm handling the situation.”
The old man nodded.
“Then I suppose you should handle it properly.”
Emily looked between them.
The businessman was clearly irritated.
“Look, sir, we're trying to get this flight moving. We don't need to turn a simple seating issue into a confrontation.”
The elderly man remained calm.
“I haven't raised my voice once.”
The businessman glanced at the flight attendant.
“Can we move this along?”
The attendant nodded and returned to the front desk.
Emily began to wonder whether the businessman was a senior airline employee or perhaps a representative of the company that had chartered the aircraft.
There was something familiar about his face, but she could not place it.
He turned toward her.
“Miss Parker, correct?”
Emily frowned.
“How do you know my name?”
He pointed at the boarding pass still in her hand.
“It's printed right there.”
She looked down.
“Oh.”
The man smiled, although there was little warmth in it.
“I'm Daniel Reed. I oversee the corporate arrangements for this flight.”
He extended his hand.
Emily shook it.
“Emily Parker.”
“I know.”
She found the remark strange but said nothing.
Daniel then looked at the elderly man.
“And you are?”
“Arthur.”
“Arthur what?”
The old man closed his newspaper.
“Arthur Bennett.”
Something changed in Daniel's expression.
It was subtle, almost invisible, but Emily noticed it.
The man's smile faded for half a second.
Then he quickly recovered.
“Bennett,” he repeated.
“Yes.”
Daniel looked toward the flight attendant.
“Please check whether we can move this passenger to another seat.”
Arthur did not object.
But as Daniel turned away, he spoke again.
“Mr. Reed.”
Daniel stopped.
“Yes?”
“Have we met before?”
Daniel's shoulders stiffened.
“I don't believe so.”
Arthur looked at him for several seconds.
“Perhaps not.”
The businessman walked away.
Emily watched him disappear toward the cockpit area.
Then she turned back to Arthur.
“Do you know him?”