He set it on her tray table.
“Here you are.”
“Thank you.”
He smiled and went back to his duties.
Elena took a sip.
The water was cold.
Ordinary.
Exactly what she’d asked for nearly an hour earlier.
When the aircraft landed in Chicago, Rebecca waited near the exit.
“Elena?”
Elena turned.
Rebecca held out her hand.
“I just wanted to say I’m glad you didn’t let that woman push you out of your seat.”
Elena shook it.
“Thank you for speaking up.”
Rebecca hesitated.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Would she have been fired if you were just an ordinary passenger?”
Elena took a moment before answering.
“I’d like to believe she would have faced the same investigation and consequences.”
Rebecca studied her.
“But you aren’t sure.”
“No,” Elena admitted. “And that’s something I need to address.”
Rebecca nodded slowly.
Then she said, “I hope the next woman who asks for water doesn’t have to be the CEO.”
Elena watched her walk toward baggage claim.
She couldn’t have expressed the problem more clearly.
The following morning, Elena arrived at Meridian’s Chicago regional office before eight.
Patricia Shaw and Allison Grant joined her for a meeting.
