Clara nervously smoothed down her skirt as the beverage cart finally began to rattle down the aisle, stopping right at her row. The flight attendant didn’t smile when she reached Clara’s seat. That was the first thing Clara noticed up close. The woman had been incredibly warm with everyone else—the businessman a few rows up, the elderly couple across the aisle. She wore that practiced warmth like a second uniform.
But when she handed Clara her paper cup, her eyes were entirely different. They were careful, intense, and sharp, as if she were quietly measuring something or looking for a hidden flaw. Clara’s hands shook slightly as she took the beverage. She wondered what she could have possibly done to upset the crew. Had she broken a cabin rule while asleep? The flight attendant offered no clarity, moving the cart along without saying a word.