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“You really don’t have to do that.”

“Why not?”

“We don’t know each other well enough for… well, for me to feel comfortable with that.”

Elle left both her knife and fork on her plate. “Would you feel the same way if the money came from your mother?”

Don’t make me think about it. “My mother would have strings attached to her money.”

“At least I understand what’s happening.” The silverware clanged together again as Elle picked them back up. “It’s not negotiable, Aria. I can’t have my girlfriend fretting about her livelihood when I have the means to help her. We can discuss the details later. Besides, I don’t doubt you’d be able to get back on your feet, no matter what happens with your job.”

Arianna continued to hold her bite of pasta in the air. “Do you know something about it? Am I getting fired? Demoted?”

“Ah… no. I don’t know anything. I’m not in charge of any of that.”

“But you know who is…”

A curt nod accompanied Elle finally eating some of her lunch. “Stevie Wellesley is the Chief People Officer for Royal Asia. Then there’s Agnes Wong, Vice President of Human Resources. She’d be a decent ear to pull.” Elle thoughtfully chewed her food before swallowing; Arianna still had yet to take her bite. “The way I see it, you’re one of the star flight attendants of this company. I’d start by gathering any letters of recommendation from your colleagues that you can. Those would help.”

I wonder if Boss Tan would say something nice… The woman had been ready to melt into her seat at Arianna’s humiliating meeting.

“The people who talked to you are going to be the definition of middle management. Their jobs are to deliver news and pass things along. They can put in a good word for you, but that’s it. The real decisions are made by the people above them.”

“Like Agnes Wong and Stevie Wellsley?” Arianna knew both of those names from some of her handbooks.

“I suppose. When I was at Delta, these things could depend on the time of year or the severity of the issue. C-Suite tries to not get too involved unless the media starts a shit storm.”

When she was at Delta… “Do you think Delta would hire me if I lost my job? They fly out of Singapore all the time.”

“I don’t know, hon.”

Arianna supposed she should stop fretting over this, but how could she not? The humiliation was still fresh in her mind. Even with her girlfriend sitting across from her, it was difficult to accept that she might no longer be one of the most respected flight attendants on a luxury airline.

But Elle was a pivotal distraction from things beyond their control. After lunch, they openly held hands while walking around the neighborhood, a feat Arianna never thought would happen in her life. They were both well aware of Singapore’s conservative thoughts toward public displays of affection and kept them to a minimum, which still rattled Arianna. You only see women holding hands if they’re sisters or best friends. It wasn’t unusual for her and Kaylinn to hold hands in crowds, but this was different. Elle was foreign. Her dress may not signal her as gay when by herself, but alongside Arianna, who linked their fingers together on their walk to a public garden? Someone might get angry. Even so, she didn’t have the wherewithal to let go.

Nobody accosted them. Nobody even glanced at them. Eventually, Arianna forgot they were holding hands and attempted to enjoy the moment.

“You really love me?” she asked while they stood on the other side of a botanical enclosure. “Enough that you came running to Singapore as soon as something happened to me?”

“Yes, and I would have run to Kuala Lumpur as well if that’s where you were.”

“Good thing I wasn’t. My mother might see us.”

“Have you told her?”

“About the incident? Absolutely not. I won’t even tell her if I get fired, just spin it in some way that this was all part of my plan.”

“I meant about us.”

Arianna lowered her gaze from the tropical plants on display before her. “No.” She squeezed Elle’s hand. “She doesn’t know I’m gay. Then again, neither did my job before this past weekend.” She didn’t mention that apparently, women like Rachel had already known. That’s almost more embarrassing than anything else. Had Arianna been a good employee despite being gay? Was she trustworthy and professional despite spending some evenings in places like Tiger Lily? Those were the kinds of questions that would burn her for the next few weeks, and there wasn’t a single balm to soothe them.

“I see. Suppose I won’t be meeting her anytime soon.”

“What about your parents? I haven’t met them.”

Elle grinned. “They’re old and retired in northern California. Wine country. There hasn’t been the opportunity.”

“Have you mentioned me at all?”