Sam took a deep, steadying breath and looked out the oval window, his jaw tight. He was a seasoned detective who handled hardened criminals for a living, yet this bizarre cabin drama was pushing his buttons. He consciously chose to drop it. He just wanted to get home to his family. It was a short flight, and he silently prayed the pilot would just push off the gate and take to the skies soon.
A few minutes later, Nicole walked back down the aisle, clutching a safety placard. It was time for the mandatory federal safety briefing for the emergency exit rows. She stood directly over row 12, her eyes locking onto Sam with calculating precision.
After delivering the standard legal speech to the rest of the row, she paused, looking directly at Sam. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to switch seats with another passenger.” Sam frowned, the exhaustion fading into pure irritation. “Excuse me? Why?”