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“Who?” she asked.
A collective grunt of frustration rounded the table. “You may know her as Ms. Sparrow, a frequent flyer in our First Class cabin. A passenger you have frequently served on our route between Singapore and Los Angeles.”
“Yes, I recall Ms. Sparrow. Of course.” Arianna resisted the urge to press her hand against her chest, afraid that it might convey guilt. “What’s this about us having a relationship? Do you mean if we’ve been seen together outside of the plane?”
“Please do not be difficult and coy, Miss Song.” Rachel grew straighter in her seat while Esther sank deeper into hers. “We are speaking of a romantic relationship between you and Ms. Sabin, which is her real name.”
“Romantic? What kind of woman do you take me for?”
“Miss Song,” interrupted Albert Chen-Robertson, “this is a very serious matter, of which we have proof.”
“What proof?” Arianna asked. She couldn’t think of a single instance of her acting inappropriately with Elle on the plane. They shared smiles and innocent flirtations, but that was true with most passengers, male and female alike. If you want to go after someone for that, Charmaine should lose her head first. It was how Arianna’s subordinate had quickly worked her way up to the First Class cabin. Passengers loved her youthful conversation and big smile. If anyone would have a scandal, it was her!
“The proof does not matter,” Rachel insisted. “We want to hear it from you before we proceed with any form of consequence.”
“Excuse me, but what is this about?” Arianna struggled to keep her composure as she fought for herself. Elle, where are you when I need you? Where was Riley, for fuck’s sake? Talk about someone who would say whatever Arianna needed her to assert! “You have this supposed proof about a romantic relationship with a frequent flyer – who is a woman, mind you – and you will not…”
Rachel interrupted her. “Miss Song, we are aware that you are a tongzhi. Your excursions to many fine establishments such as…” She cleared her throat. “The Tiger Lily and Pussycat Lounge are already known by me and many of your colleagues. There is no use disputing it.”
“I would like to remind everyone here,” Charlie Pheng said with his usual lackadaisical smile that was quickly disintegrating into panic, “that we here at Royal Asia do not discriminate based on gender and sexuality. Miss Song’s private, ah, excursions do not reflect upon her employment eligibility.”
“Quite right,” Albert conferred. “The issue isn’t the genders involved, it is the inappropriate relationship between Miss Song and Ms. Sabin. You went to Seattle during your recent break, did you not?”
“Y… yes.”
“Which is where Ms. Sabin lives,” Albert said.
How does he know that? How could Albert be privy to that information? Furthermore, why did he care? What did Elle living in Seattle have to do with anything?
“If I may,” Esther Tan timidly spoke up. “In all of my months supervising Miss Song in the First Class cabin, I have never noticed anything inappropriate between her and any of the passengers, including Miss Sparrow. I mean, Sabin.” Was she as confused as anyone else would be on the plane? Who really knew Elle’s last name? Did Rachel know? Not according to Elle, who claimed only the captain and some of the ground crew were aware.
“Your testimony toward her character is admirable, but hardly pertinent at the moment,” Albert replied. “The fact of the matter is, Ms. Sabin is also on the line for her inappropriate behavior, but that’s above my head. It’s above all of our heads. All we can focus on is what the guidebook and rules say about dealing with Miss Song.”
“I’m sorry… excuse me? Who is Ms. Sabin to you, sir?”
“Don’t you know?” he sputtered. “Ms. Sabin is the Director of International Relations for Royal Asia.” He pointed to a chart in his folder before passing it over to Arianna. When she perused it, her eyes cloudy with dissociative disbelief, she saw a pyramid representing the structure of the company. Beneath the CEO were seven board members, including a woman Albert circled with his black pen.
Elizabeth Sabin, Director of International Relations, USA Side.
“You didn’t know?” Rachel asked.
Arianna sat up, pushing the chart back toward Albert. “She told me she worked in the industry, but not for Royal Asia…”
“Ms. Sabin frequently travels here to Singapore to meet with our Singaporean board to ensure everything is as it should be,” Albert explained. “Her fluency in Mandarin is part of what makes her so valuable. Her decent demeanor helps as well.”
“I see. Yes, I would assume that.”
The only thing Arianna heard as she stared down at her hands in her lap was the blood rushing through her head. I can’t breathe… There was no use in denying it any longer. They had her. Whatever proof they had was bigger than any lie she could tell.
Besides… how long could she lie for, anyway? This wasn’t a momentary dalliance in a hotel room. This was love. This was a life she might have wanted to build with Elle, should they overcome this.
“How did you find out?”
Esther lightly gasped. Rachel’s smug look of satisfaction was eclipsed by Charlie looking like he’d rather be anywhere else, and Albert clearing his throat to say, “Someone reported the relationship to my department. After a brief investigation, we discovered that it was true.”
“Who reported us?”
“That is confidential to protect the whistleblower.” Whistleblower! As if this were corporate espionage or a misuse of state funds! “Miss Song, your cooperation will only help you from here on out. As of today, you are placed on unpaid leave. Your route will be covered by a colleague until further notice. In the meantime…” He finally let out a heavy sigh. “We shall consider the best course of action. We cannot have one of our Singaporean flight attendants in a secret relationship with an American board member. Especially a, forgive me, homosexual one.”
