“I’ll get the lead.”
Dana stared at him.
“You’d better think carefully about whose side you’re taking.”
Marcus stopped.
He turned back.
“I’m trying to follow procedure.”
For a moment, Dana seemed ready to argue.
Then he disappeared into the forward galley.
Elena watched him go.
She could feel her pulse in her throat now.
Not from fear.
From the realization that a junior employee had just risked his standing with a colleague to say something as simple as the truth.
And that was when she decided the confrontation would not end with a private apology and a free glass of water.
The lead flight attendant arrived with the gate supervisor five minutes later.
Her name was Caroline Vega.
She had twenty years of flying experience and the expression of someone who’d been called into a difficult situation just as an aircraft was supposed to depart.
Beside her stood Thomas Bell, the station’s ground operations manager.
“Good afternoon,” Caroline said. “I’m told there’s a disagreement about your seat.”
Elena shook her head.
“There is no disagreement about my seat. Ms. Whitcomb has repeatedly insulted me and ordered me to move to the back of the aircraft.”
Dana folded her arms.
“This passenger has been confrontational from the beginning.”
Rebecca leaned into the aisle.
“That’s not what happened.”
Thomas looked toward her.
“Were you present?”
“I was sitting right here.”
He nodded.
“Thank you. I’ll speak with you in a moment.”
He turned to Elena.
