She nodded slowly.
"That's an interesting answer."
The captain stepped closer.
"Listen carefully. We have important people boarding this aircraft, and you are interfering with their departure."
She studied him.
"Important people?"
"Very."
She looked toward the stairs.
"Important enough to justify striking someone's documents?"
His jaw tightened.
He glanced toward the papers on the concrete.
Then smiled.
"Maybe next time you'll know your place."
The CEO said nothing.
But the terminal representative looked increasingly uncomfortable.
He'd checked her identity.
He knew her name.
He also knew the aircraft's ownership structure was unusual, and he'd seen enough private aviation clients to understand that appearances didn't establish who possessed authority.
He reached toward his radio.
The captain pointed at him.
"Don't."
The representative paused.
The CEO noticed.
Then she turned toward him.
"Please contact your operations supervisor and preserve the incident record."
The representative nodded.
The pilot stared.
"Who gave you permission to issue instructions?"
She looked back at him.
"The person whose documents you just knocked onto the ground."
The captain laughed.
But the representative had already begun making the call.
At two minutes into the confrontation, the senior flight attendant stepped down from the aircraft.
She was forty-seven, with blonde hair pulled into a professional bun and the polished appearance of someone who had spent years serving wealthy passengers.
Her uniform was immaculate.
Her name badge gleamed.
And her expression carried the same contempt as the captain's.
"What's going on?"
The pilot pointed toward the CEO.
"Some woman from the event staff thinks she's boarding with the principals."
The flight attendant looked at the black gown.
Then at the silver-crystal headpiece.
Her mouth tightened.
"Oh."
The CEO watched her carefully.
The attendant glanced toward the feathers around the hem of the dress.
Then smiled.
"Sweetheart, this is a private aircraft. The catering team isn't boarding until the passengers are settled."
The CEO remained calm.
"I'm not part of the catering team."
The woman raised one eyebrow.
"Then who are you with?"
"I'm here on authorized business."
The attendant sighed.
"Everyone says that."
The CEO looked toward her.
"Would you like my name?"
For a moment, the flight attendant appeared irritated.
Then she held out one hand.
"Fine."
The CEO gave her name.
The attendant's expression didn't change.
She glanced toward the pilot.
Then said the name was unfamiliar.
That surprised the CEO.
Her company operated internationally, but she didn't expect every aviation contractor to recognize her face.
She did, however, expect a crew assigned to a major corporate client's aircraft to understand its ownership and verified passenger procedures.
The CEO asked the attendant whether she'd checked the aircraft's authorized principal list.