Page 59 of Tainted Reasoning

Chapter Twenty-Six

Tamara

Three months later

“Why do those people have to queue when we get to walk straight through and onto the plane?” William asks me as he flashes his ticket toward the flight attendant.

“We’re in first-class,” I tell him and show the lady my ticket.

“Thank you, ma’am.” The attendant gives me a little smirk, and we walk down the corridor toward the plane.

“It’s not because you told them I have autism?”

“No. We’ve paid to board first.”

“But if I didn’t want to pay, could we tell them?”

“Yes, we could,” I reply and wrap my hand around his.

“Then it does work the same way as it did at that theme park we went to, and you told them about me, so I didn’t have to queue.”

“It does, but you’ve got money, and I don’t plan on flying economy when you can afford a first-class flight.”

“Ok.”

William strides confidently toward the next waiting attendant at the entrance to the plane.

“Welcome, sir.” The lady bows her head to him. I show her our tickets. “You’re seats one and two to the left. I believe you are the only people in first-class for the flight. You’ll have a dedicated attendant. If you need anything, please just ask.”

“Thank you.”

William starts to stride off to our seats but then pauses, and I can only just suppress the laugh threatening to escape because I know what’s coming next.

“How many years of flight practice has the captain had?”

“I’m sorry, sir?” the lady at the door responds.

“Flight hours?”

“A lot. He’s one of the most decorated in the company.”

She gives him her well-worn smile.

“And the co-pilot?” William continues, standing there next to me.

“I believe roughly two thousand. Miss Lewis is a fantastic pilot, as well.”

“A woman?” William questions, and I know it’s not a sexist remark. It’s because all the information he’s been frantically researching on the journey to Heathrow airport has been related to male pilots. “Do they have the same training?”

“Yes, sir.”

The footsteps of the other passengers start to echo down the corridor as they approach.

“Right. It didn’t say anything about that?”

“What didn’t, sir?”

“Female pilots. The internet.”

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