He smiled slowly. “And?” “I haven’t answered.” “Why?”
She sighed. “Because I worked hard to get where I am, and leaving fashion feels like admitting I chose wrong.” “Or choosing again.” “That sounds suspiciously healthy.”
“Don’t worry. I can ruin it with fear if you give me a minute.” They both laughed.
At eleven-fifteen, an airport employee announced that a limited number of seats had opened on a 5:15 a.m. relief flight scheduled to depart if runway conditions improved. Passengers needed to register at Gate 3 immediately. Claire and Jack stood at once.
The line formed fast. There were twenty-two seats. More than sixty people wanted them.
The airline prioritized passengers based on original itinerary, connection urgency, and previous cancellation order. Claire qualified high because of the wedding and her earlier boarding. Jack qualified slightly lower but still within range. When the gate agent began assigning numbers, Claire received 7.
Jack received 24. He stared at the card. Claire stared at his. “That could still clear,” she said.
“It could.” “People miss standby.” “They do.” Neither believed it.