You're all set. Ethan reached for the pass. Claire stepped closer. Her eyes moved from the screen to Ethan, then to his plain jacket and old carry-on. Hold on.
Sophie looked at her. It cleared. Claire ignored her. Sir, can I see some identification? Ethan handed over his driver's license.
Claire compared the name. Ethan Caldwell. Exact match. Instead of returning the pass, she asked, "Did you purchase this ticket yourself?" Ethan paused.
"Why?" "Routine verification." Ethan looked toward the couple she had just allowed through without asking for anything beyond their phones. "Was that routine verification required for the passengers ahead of me? Claire's smile disappeared.
Their reservation isn't your concern. Mine cleared. Sometimes the system clears things that require additional review. Sophie turned the monitor slightly. There's no alert.
It's fully confirmed. Claire looked at her sharply. I can read the screen. Then she faced Ethan. Step aside while we verify a few things.
It was not one dramatic insult. It was something more familiar. One extra question, then another. A longer stare than the passenger before him received. A rule that suddenly became important only when he reached the front of the line.
Ethan stepped aside. He wanted to know how far the suspicion would survive after the facts ran out. Sophie opened the full reservation. Payment confirmed. Identity match.
Priority boarding. Security screening complete. No restrictions. She looked at Claire. There's nothing wrong with it.
Claire studied the screen for a moment. Ethan expected her to hand the pass back. Instead, she said, "Maybe reservations hasn't refreshed." Sophie frowned. "It refreshed 20 minutes ago."
Behind Ethan, another passenger walked into the neighboring lane. His pass flashed red on the first scan. The agent laughed and asked him to try again. The second scan turned green. "There you go.
No identification. No suspicion. No questions about how he had acquired the ticket." Ethan looked back at Claire. "My pass cleared the first time."
"Sir, I asked you to wait." "And I'm asking what we're waiting for." Claire's expression tightened. The paperwork had failed to produce a reason to stop him, so the problem changed. "Your attitude is becoming an issue."
Sophie looked up. Ethan remained still. "What about my attitude?" "You keep challenging staff. I've answered every question you asked, and now you're being argumentative.
Ethan understood exactly what had happened. A minute earlier, Claire had been trying to prove his ticket was questionable. Now that the ticket had proven itself, his refusal to quietly accept suspicion had become the new offense. Please document what I've done that you consider argumentative. Claire blinked.
Excuse me? If my behavior is the reason you're delaying my boarding, put the behavior in the record. Claire's cheeks reddened. I don't need you telling me how to do my job. Then tell me what I did.