“Sir… Could you act like my hubby for just one day?
I had to think about what that woman said to me for a few seconds before I understood. We were waiting in line at the coffee shop at the Denver airport, and I, a simple mechanical engineer just passing through, never thought a stranger—blonde, exquisite, and with eyes full of panic—would come up to me and ask for help.
“Excuse me?” I asked because I thought I had heard wrong.
“Please,” she said firmly. “Just today.” I need someone to act like my hubby. I know it sounds crazy, but I’ll explain.
I looked around, feeling uneasy. No one else seemed to be paying attention, but the way he was gripping his passport made me realize this was not a game.
She said in a whisper, “My name is Claire.” “And I’m in trouble.”
In two hours, I was going to Seattle. Still, there was something in her face that made me want to listen. It was a mix of dread and determination. We walked to a table that was out of the way. She took a deep breath before she started.
“My family is… complicated,” she stated. “My dad runs a well-known construction business.” I worked for him for a long time, but then I found some problems with the contracts. I talked to him, we fought, and I left home. He has seen me as a threat to his reputation ever then.
I swallowed.
“What does that have to do with me?”
My dad is at the airport. I don’t know how he knew I was going to Chicago to speak with a reporter. He wants to stop me. But he doesn’t talk to married people… He argues, “Married women already have someone to watch out for them.” He won’t make a scene if he believes I’m with my husband.
It was even more upsetting that the silly logic made sense.
Claire said, “I don’t want him to get into trouble.” “All I need him to do is come with me until I get on board.” I swear he won’t hear from me again after today.
I didn’t say anything. It wasn’t something you do every day. I could just ignore it, carry on with my life, and forget about it. But the way her voice shook made it impossible for me to say no.
“Okay,” I finally said. “I’ll do it.”
I never would have thought that those words would impact our lives.
Because Claire’s father was not alone when he showed up. And what happened in the next few minutes turned my nice deed into the beginning of a fight that neither of us could have seen coming or gotten out of.
When I agreed to act like Claire’s spouse, I figured all I had to do was stroll next to her, smile, and then go. But things don’t always turn out the way we expect them to. Ten minutes after we signed our “agreement,” we spotted a big man in a blue suit walking toward us like a confined whirlwind.
“It’s him,” Claire muttered, grasping my fingers harder than I had imagined. “My dad.”
The man stared at us with more and more doubt. His eyes were the kind that look at things before judging them, but just because they like doing it, not because they want to comprehend.
He said, “Claire,” without saying hello. “I knew you were here.” Your helper said it was true.
Claire took a big breath.
“Dad, I’m going on a trip with my hubby. I don’t want any problems.
His eyes cut into me like a knife.
“Your husband?” She said it again in a stern voice. “I didn’t know you were married.”
Claire said, “I didn’t have to tell you everything about my life.” Her voice was strong, yet my hand was shaking.
What happened next is something I will always remember. Claire’s dad stepped forward, too near to be casual, and said:
-What do you do for work?
I thought it would happen.
—Engineer, I said. I work in the aerospace field.
He made himself smile.
“That’s interesting.” And… how did you two meet?
Claire jumped in right away.
“At a conference on sustainability.” It just happened by chance.
I was shocked at how easily she lied, as if she had been practicing her story for years.
The father, on the other hand, did not give up.
He replied in a hushed voice, “Claire, I’ve heard rumors that you plan to give documents to the press.” I won’t let that happen. And this guy… He glanced me over. “…may be involved.”
Claire said firmly, “It isn’t.” “Leave us alone.”
But he didn’t move.
“I’ll give you a chance.” Go back home. That flight is canceled. I’ll call my lawyers and do what has to be done. But if you get on that plane… I promise I won’t just stand there.
The silence that came after was like a hole. I could feel Claire’s heart beating faster. She gave me a look. There was a quiet request in her eyes: “Stay.” Don’t let go of me now.
I breathed in.
I told him, “My wife isn’t going to cancel her flight.” “We’re in this together.”
The father gritted his teeth and looked cold and calculating.
“Very well,” he finally said. “Be ready to deal with the consequences if you choose that path.”
He left without saying goodbye, but I knew this wasn’t done since he made a phone call as he was leaving.
Claire let her shoulders drop.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I’ve put you in a bad spot.”
“I am here now,” I said. “We’re going to get you out of this airport safely.”
But we hadn’t even traveled twenty steps when two men with radios started to quietly follow us. My heart began to race. They weren’t cops. They weren’t security at the airport either. They were worse: they worked for themselves.
I said, “They’re watching us.”
“I knew it,” she said. “My dad doesn’t trust anyone.” Not even me.
We walked to the boarding area, but when we got there, we found out that Claire’s flight had been delayed “for operational reasons.” She lost color.
“He did this,” he said. “He knows people here.”
This help was no longer only on the fly. It had turned into a desperate effort to keep a woman safe from her own family… and I was the only one there for her.
