Tom Nickalls, a 30-year-old black British airline pilot, was having a terrible day. His flight from London to New York was delayed by several hours due to bad weather. As he left the airport feeling frustrated, he noticed a woman hurrying towards him. She was Nicola Whittington, a 29-year-old airline attendant from a rival company.

"Excuse me, do you have the time?" Nicola asked.

Tom checked his watch and replied, "It's 6:30 pm."