“You’re making passengers uncomfortable.”

A middle-aged man standing nearby turned around.

“I’m uncomfortable because I might miss my connection,” he said, “but she hasn’t done anything.”

Tyler ignored him.

Emma almost smiled.

“Tyler, isn’t it?”

His eyes narrowed.

“Yes.”

“Could you please explain exactly why my boarding pass was rejected?”

“I already did.”

“No. You said the system didn’t match my reservation.”

“That’s the same thing.”

“Not exactly.”

Emma took out her phone.

“Does the system show that my reservation was canceled?”

Tyler said nothing.

“Does it show that I’m on the wrong flight?”

“No.”

“Does it show that the ticket wasn’t paid for?”

“No.”

“Then what exactly is the problem?”

Tyler looked increasingly uncomfortable.

“I don’t have to explain the entire system to you.”

“No,” Emma replied. “But you are expected to explain why you are refusing service.”

That sentence made him pause.

For the first time, uncertainty crossed his face.

Before he could respond, another airline employee approached.

She was a woman in her forties wearing a supervisor’s badge.

Her name was Rebecca Morales.

“Is there a problem here?” Rebecca asked.

Tyler immediately pointed toward Emma.

“Yes. This passenger’s credentials aren’t matching the system, and she refuses to leave the boarding area.”

Emma turned toward Rebecca.

“That isn’t exactly what happened.”

Tyler sighed.

“She has an invalid boarding pass.”

Rebecca held out her hand.

“May I see it?”

Emma gave it to her.

Rebecca scanned the pass.

The machine produced the same warning sound.

Rebecca frowned.

“That’s unusual.”

Tyler folded his arms.

“Exactly what I said.”

Emma watched the supervisor carefully.

Unlike Tyler, Rebecca did not immediately dismiss her.

She looked at the screen.

Then at the boarding pass.

Then back at the screen.

“What type of authorization was used for this booking?” she asked.

Emma’s eyes met hers.

“That information should be in your system.”

Rebecca typed several commands.

Her expression changed.

“What?”

Tyler leaned closer.

Rebecca did not answer.

Instead, she looked directly at Emma.

“Ms. Caldwell, where did you receive these credentials?”

The gate area suddenly seemed quieter.

Emma could hear the engines of an aircraft somewhere outside.

She looked at Rebecca.

“From corporate.”

Tyler laughed once.

It was a short, skeptical sound.

“Corporate?”

Emma turned toward him.

“Yes.”

Rebecca’s fingers froze above the keyboard.

She looked again at the screen.

Then she whispered, “Oh.”

Tyler’s smile disappeared.

“What?”

Rebecca stepped closer to Emma.

“Could you wait here for one moment?”

“I’ve been waiting here the entire time.”

Rebecca looked embarrassed.

“Yes, ma’am.”

She hurried toward the operations desk.

Tyler stared after her.

Then at Emma.

“What did you do?”

Emma tilted her head.

“What makes you think I did anything?”

“You said corporate.”

“I did.”

“Who are you?”

Emma looked toward the large windows.

A plane sat waiting at the gate.

Passengers were boarding.

Soon, the doors would close.

“I’m a passenger,” she said.

Tyler scoffed.

“Right.”

Emma looked back at him.

“For the moment.”

Rebecca returned less than two minutes later.

But something about her had changed.

When she had walked away, she had looked mildly concerned.

Now she looked terrified.

Tyler noticed it too.

“Rebecca?”

She ignored him.

Instead, she approached Emma carefully.

“Ms. Caldwell,” she said, “I need to apologize.”

Emma said nothing.

Rebecca took a breath.

“There has been a serious misunderstanding.”

Tyler stepped forward.

“What misunderstanding?”

Rebecca turned toward him.

“Tyler, stop boarding for a moment.”

His eyes widened.