Even he seemed to hear what he had said after it left his mouth.
The Black woman stared at him.
“Interesting.”
The pilot immediately stiffened.
“What’s interesting?”
“The criteria.”
“What criteria?”
“The ones you apparently use to identify aircraft ownership.”
He looked away briefly.
Then back.
“I’m using experience.”
“No.”
She lowered the tablet.
“You’re using assumptions.”
The pilot straightened.
“That’s enough.”
He reached toward the handbag beside her.
Before she could stop him, he caught the handle with two fingers.
“Don’t.”
He ignored her.
He lifted the bag from the seat and dropped it onto the cream leather chair across the aisle.
Not violently.
But carelessly enough that the gold clasp struck the armrest.
The sound was small.
Sharp.
The woman’s expression changed.
Not much.
But enough.
The pilot pointed at the empty aisle.
“Now stand up.”
The Black woman looked first at the bag.
Then at his hand.
Then at his face.
Her voice dropped.
“Touch my property again and the next thing you handle will be your termination paperwork.”
The pilot stared.
Then laughed.
“You’re threatening me?”
“No.”
She lifted her tablet.
“I’m giving you one final opportunity to verify something you should have verified the moment I entered the cabin.”
The pilot leaned down until his face was less than two feet from hers.
“I’ve flown this airplane for six years.”
His finger pointed toward her.
“I know the owner.”
The woman did not flinch.
“And sweetheart…”
His mouth twisted.
“…she sure as hell isn’t you.”
The forward cabin door opened behind him.
A man in a charcoal suit stepped inside carrying a thick black folder.
He had been moving quickly.
He stopped so abruptly that the folder nearly struck the partition.
His eyes went from the senior pilot’s pointing hand to the Black woman still seated in the principal chair.
Then to her handbag across the aisle.
His face changed.
“Captain.”
The pilot turned.
“What?”
The operations director’s voice sharpened.
“Step away from her.”
The pilot frowned.
“What are you doing here?”
The operations director ignored the question.