23-year-old Clara was beside herself with happiness. It was her first solo trip to Europe. She took her window seat, settling in for the long flight. A man in his 40s took the seat next to her. He looked respectable: an expensive suit, a pleasant smile, polite manners.
He helped Clara put her bag in the overhead bin and immediately struck up a conversation. “Flying alone?” he asked. “Such a young girl? Aren’t your parents worried?”
Clara politely answered “yes,” not wanting to seem rude. The man, who introduced himself as Greg, kept asking questions: where was she staying, was anyone meeting her, what was her itinerary. At first, it seemed like idle chatter, but something about his gaze made Clara feel uncomfortable. He was sitting just a little too close.
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