I had just boarded my long-haul flight to Europe, excited for the first-class seat I’d splurged on—until I saw who was seated beside me: a celebrity, our local TV star. As I stowed my bag in the overhead bin, I felt their cold stare burning through me. Before I could even sit down, they snapped at the flight attendant, “CAN YOU MOVE HER? I NEED MORE SPACE.”

I calmly settled into my seat, clicked the buckle, and responded in a steady voice, “I paid for this seat too. I’m not moving.” Then came that smug, all-too-familiar line: “DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO I AM?!” The flight attendant looked panicked, obviously torn between wanting to please a well-known face and doing the right thing. The celebrity—Miranda Davis, star of one of our city’s biggest local talk shows—looked absolutely furious. That’s when I got an idea—something that would test both of our patience in the hours to come.

I leaned toward Miranda with a polite but firm smile and said, “I know exactly who you are, Ms. Davis. We’re on this flight together, and there’s nothing either of us can do about it. Let’s just make the best of it.” Her nostrils flared in frustration, but to my surprise, she didn’t say another word. The flight attendant cleared her throat softly and backed away, relieved that we were seemingly finished with the confrontation.

I took a deep breath, hoping that this flight would calm down once we took off. Outside the window, the runway lights flickered in the early evening gloom. Inside the cabin, everything felt tense, as though everyone in first class was holding their breath. The pilot’s voice crackled over the intercom, instructing everyone to fasten their seatbelts and prepare for takeoff.

We soared into the night sky, and for a moment, I felt that little rush of excitement that always hits me when a plane leaves the ground. I glanced sideways at Miranda. She exhaled heavily, then stared out the window, arms crossed like a stubborn child. Maybe it was exhaustion, or maybe she was still stewing in her own anger. Meanwhile, I tried to get comfortable for what was shaping up to be a very long flight.

About an hour into the journey, dinner service began. The flight attendant offered us menu selections, and Miranda, still giving me the cold shoulder, barely acknowledged her. I thought about ignoring her too, but I couldn’t help noticing the subtle tremor in Miranda’s hands as she picked at her napkin. She seemed tense—far more than just annoyed. It was the kind of nervous fidgeting I’d seen from co-workers right before a big deadline or from friends who were struggling with personal issues.

Dinner arrived: a small salad, some grilled fish, and a side of roasted vegetables. Miranda pushed hers around the plate without really eating. I decided to break the silence. “You really should try the fish,” I said, offering a friendly nudge. “It’s surprisingly good for airplane food.”

She glared at me, but her expression softened—just a little. “Airplane food can’t be anything special,” she muttered, but she finally tasted a bit of the fish. I caught a flash of surprise in her eyes. “It’s…fine,” she said grudgingly.