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I smirked. “I traded up for a better model.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the screens in front of you as we demonstrate the safety features of this aircraft,” a flight attendant announced over the PA system. “Thank you for choosing Kastonia Airlines for your journey today. We’ll be in the air shortly.”
After playing the safety video, the plane began its taxi to the runway, and the hum of the engines grew louder. Soon, we were in the air, and the flight attendants started bustling down the aisles, offering drinks.
“Give me the hardest thing you’ve got, then triple it,” Ann said.
It felt good to laugh amidst the chaos, a brief respite from my slightly stressful undercover journey. Luckily, the next few hours of the flight were uneventful, except for a minor meal mishap. As I tried to saw through the somewhat tough chicken breast, my efforts were abruptly halted when the end of my plastic knife snapped off. The broken piece took flight—sailing over Daphne’s lap, ricocheting off Ann’s left breast, and finally coming to rest underneath the seat in front of her.
“Seems even the utensils are plotting their escape,” Daphne quipped.
I winced, then said, “Sorry about that, Ann. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
She waved it off, then gestured to her breasts. “Not to worry—they’re not real. I didn’t feel a thing.”
At that moment, a man with piercing eyes sauntered down the aisle, his intense gaze fixed on us.
“I smell trouble,” I said under my breath.
He paused in front of me, leaning casually against the seat. “So, who are you two trying to hide from with those sunglasses and hats?”
Caught slightly off-guard, I tensed, but Daphne responded with a grin, “From you, obviously. Though it seems our plan needs some work.”
He rubbed his chin, eyeing us both. “Out of four hundred passengers, you two stand out. Is it a fashion statement or something more?”
“We’re just following doctor’s orders after laser eye surgery—strict light avoidance,” I explained quickly. “Please excuse us while we go back to eating now.”
His smile widened. “First, tell me who you are.”
The flight attendant who had checked us in at the gate approached, her tone firm but polite when she said, “Sir, the seat belt sign is on. Please return to your seat.”
I mouthed a thank you to her as the man walked away, and she winked back at me before returning to the front of the plane.
“I’m glad he's gone, but there now seems to be a different kind of foulness lingering in the air,” Daphne whispered as she wrinkled her nose and winced. “It’s like the flight was rerouted through a dairy farm during a heatwave.”
Ann gestured over her shoulder to the wall directly behind our seats. “That unpleasant stench that is burning the hairs inside our nostrils is the airline’s free gift to you for picking the worst place to sit on the plane.”
“Not that we had a choice, but I actually thought these were supposed to be good seats because of their proximity to the food and bathrooms,” Daphne said.
Ann looked at us both, her eyebrows knitted together. “Is this your first time flying?”
“Is it that obvious?” I replied.
“Well, while you both savor the lingering aroma of pasture paradise, please excuse me while I make good use of this.” Ann reached for the airsickness bag and began to fill it.
Just then, another man attempted to shimmy past three people in the aisle who were waiting for the bathroom. His ample belly collided with my shoulder, jostling my elbow from its spot on the armrest.
Daphne turned to me and smirked. “Having fun yet?”
The hum of the engines became a soothing lullaby after the meal. The oddities and tensions of the flight’s earlier episodes—complete with quirky strangers and my own undercover efforts—faded into a quiet blur as sleep claimed me.
Unfortunately, my peace was short-lived.
Whispers seeped into my dreams.
They grew clearer and more insistent.
“Isn’t that …?”
