Doubletake

Chapter One

Fillmore stepped up to the ticket counter and handed the lady his ticket, but she frowned and said, "This isn't a ticket."

"What?" A hollow feeling started eating away inside him. "Are you sure?"

"Look, mister," she said in a thick Bronx accent, holding up a ticket that looked almost the same. "This is a ticket. This thing you gave me," and she pointed to Fillmore's ticket, "is a fake."

"But that's impossible!"

"Sorry, sir. Maybe there are some standby tickets available."

Fillmore swallowed. "But I've got a meeting--I'm going to be late! Isn't there something you can do?" He turned around and looked at the long line of people behind him, most glaring at him and tapping their watches.

"I'm really sorry," said the lady. "Now if you'll just move out of the way, sir, there are lots of people who need to get on this plane."

Fillmore blinked. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be real. He stepped to the side and, cupping his hands over his mouth, hollered, "Anybody have an extra ticket?"

More glares. The ticket lady looked uncomfortable and shot him a nasty look. Then a man stood up off to the side, in the waiting area. He waved at Fillmore, so he walked over to him.

"I have a ticket," the man said. He was wearing a sharp coal black business suit and a pair of rather large sunglasses. There was another man, younger but balding, sitting next to him and whispering into a cell phone.

"How much do you want for it?"

The man laughed. "Nothing. It's yours. But our flight doesn't leave for another ten minutes. Can you wait that long?"

Fillmore looked at his watch, a Mickey Mouse piece of white plastic he'd gotten at Disneyland last year. 9:44. "Yes, I think I can. My name's Fillmore, what's yours?"

"You can call me Smith," said the man, yawning. "This here is Anderson." The balding man nodded a hello at Fillmore.

"So," said Fillmore, "you just happened to have an extra ticket? That's kind of lucky for me, isn't it."

"Sure, whatever."

Fillmore's stomach growled. "Do you mind if I go get something to eat? I'll be right back."

"No problem," said Smith.

He started walking away and then spun around. "Oh, can you watch my bag for me?"

"Sure," said Smith.