Dupont walked quietly toward the plane’s entrance. Two flight attendants checked passengers’ boarding passes and showed them to their seats. Each step forward added a layer of stress. Dupont quickly glanced behind himself to assess his options but realized in a flash that the line was too long. There was no way to go back without looking like a complete fool. And still, there was that damn unrecoverable luggage to worry about.
He thought back to when he was at home, wondering if he should put his laptop in his carry-on bag or leave it in his big suitcase. Choosing the second option was the source of his concern now that he wanted to cancel his trip. He looked at the flight attendants up front and did everything in his power to stay calm. “Everyone looks composed. The crew is smiling and a
