Jessica leaned against the metal pole, letting out a long breath she felt like she’d been holding since she boarded. Looking down at the bench seat, she noticed something incredible: because the cup had bounced off the bag and flipped directly into the woman's lap, the vinyl bench cushion itself was completely dry and untouched.
"Well," the man with the briefcase said with a wide grin, gesturing toward the wide-open bench. "I believe you asked for that seat first." Jessica smiled, taking a step forward, but then paused. Standing right behind her in the aisle was an elderly woman leaning heavily on a wooden walking cane, looking completely exhausted.
Jessica hesitated, stepping back to gesture toward the old woman. "No, please, you take it—" Before the elderly woman could decline, the briefcase man stepped out into the aisle and gestured to his own vacated seat across the way. "Take both! Plenty of room for everyone now."