Page 126 of Disobedient Pawn

“What?”

“I need your passport.” The annoyed expression that seemed permanently molded to her face never changed as she held out her hand.

“Oh, okay. One sec.”

“You should have it ready next time.”

“I’m sorry, this is my first time. I didn’t know.”

I dug around in my small backpack for my passport.

“It’s on the sign.”

The woman pointed to the triangle-shaped sign on the counter that said in bold red letters to have your passport ready. I swallowed hard as a bead of sweat trickled down my back. My fingers touched the rough exterior of the passport, and I pulled it out to hand over.

“Sorry.”

Could I feel like any more of an idiot? Was this why people dreaded going to airports, or was this just the beginning, and it would only get worse? That was a terrifying prospect.

“Where to,” she asked, her unsettling gaze focused on her computer screen.

“Alberta, Canada,” I said, but she looked up at me.

“Which one? There is more than one airport in Alberta.”

“Oh…um…the one that’s in Calgary?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

I sucked in a deep breath so I didn’t go postal and jump over the kiosk at the woman who was being extremely rude for no reason.

“Did I do something to you to offend you?” She opened her mouth but didn’t say anything. “I just told you this is my first time flying. I’m sorry, I’m not a pro and don’t know exactly what to say. If you wouldn’t mind helping me out a little, it will probably make everything go smoother, and maybe I won’t walk away thinking this is the worst experience of my life,” I said, managing to keep calm.

I was ready for her to have a meltdown and call security. I would end up on the local news and could already see the headline: Canadian Teen Loses It at the Local Airport on the Ticket Agent. Guess They’re Not so Friendly, Eh?

“Please, just help me. My mum passed away a couple of months ago, and this is the first time I’m going home to visit her grave and see my Aunt, my only living relative other than my father, who thinks that spending time with his only daughter is too much work over Christmas.”

Tears filled my eyes as my bottom lip trembled, but I refused to let them fall.

“All I want is a flight to Calgary, and I don’t care what airport. I’ll figure out how to get where I’m going once I land.”

“Okay,” she said softly, her eyes that had been so hard and cold softened enough for me to see she still had a soul and working here hadn’t sucked it all out of her body.

“Do you want a round trip?”

I nodded as her fingers traveled across the keys.

“We have a single economy seat on the 9:15 pm flight returning December 27th or a single seat in business class at 10:25 pm returning December 28th.”

“The economy is perfect, thank you.”

I pulled out my wallet and slid the shiny credit card from where I kept it. How did this thing and the money it represented mean so much more to my father than I did? I was his flesh and blood. At one point, he knew that and acted like that, but not anymore. The last of the father I knew was gone.

“That will be nine-hundred and sixty-two dollars,” she said, and I held out the card for her to take.

She reacted like everyone else when they looked at the platinum card. Swiping it, she hit several buttons, and her eyebrows went up. I didn’t like that look. She swiped it again before her eyes found mine.

“Do you have another card?”