“So we are accommodating him.”
“By removing me from my assigned seat?”
“You’re traveling non-revenue.”
Amara tilted her head.
“Is that how you classify corporate staff?”
“That’s how I classify anyone who isn’t paying for the seat.”
The words landed harder than he realized.
Amara looked at him for several seconds.
Then she asked, “What if the corporate passenger is traveling for company business?”
Richard shrugged.
“Then the company can decide whether keeping a major client happy matters.”
Amara nearly smiled.
“The company.”
“Yes.”
“Interesting.”
Evelyn stepped in.
“Enough.”
She bent down, grabbed Amara’s handbag from the floor, and shoved it toward her chest.
Amara caught it.
Evelyn pointed rearward.
“Move.”
Amara looked at the bag.
The leather card case had fallen out.
It remained on the carpet behind Evelyn’s shoe.
Inside that case was Amara’s corporate access credential.
Black card.
Gold Meridian Crown insignia.
Name.
Title.
Executive authentication chip.
Evelyn had not noticed it.
Neither had Richard.
Amara could end the situation in five seconds.
She could pick up the card.
Show it.
Watch their faces.
Instead, she left it where it was.
“Captain,” she said.
Richard’s jaw tightened.
“What?”
“If a passenger tells you a crew member struck her, what is your procedure?”
The younger attendant stopped breathing.
Evelyn’s eyes flashed.
Richard stared at Amara.
Then slowly looked at Evelyn.
“What is she talking about?”
Evelyn laughed.
“Oh, please.”
Richard did not laugh.
“Evelyn.”
“She was aggressive.”
Amara said nothing.
Evelyn folded her arms.
“She got in my face.”
Amara raised one eyebrow.
Richard looked between them.
“Did you hit her?”
Evelyn’s expression hardened.
“I moved her away from me.”
The younger attendant stared at the floor.
Amara saw Richard notice.
He turned toward her.
“Did you see anything?”
The young woman opened her mouth.
Evelyn cut in.
“She was in the galley.”
Richard looked at the young attendant.
“Were you?”
A long pause.
Then:
“No.”
Evelyn turned.
The young woman swallowed.
“I saw it.”
Silence.
Richard rubbed his forehead.
Amara waited.
This was the moment.
Not the ownership reveal.
The leadership reveal.
What would he do when the facts became inconvenient?
Richard looked at Evelyn.
Then at Amara.
Then at his watch.
He made his choice.
“We’ll document it after the flight.”
Amara stared at him.
“After?”
“Yes.”
“You intend to depart with a crew member who struck a passenger?”
Richard lowered his voice.
“Ma’am, I understand you’re upset.”
“No. You understand exactly what happened.”
“Evelyn made a mistake.”
“A mistake?”