THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT HUMILIATED A QUIET MILLIONAIRE, NEVER REALIZING HE OWNED THE AIRLINE
Chapter 6
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The first thirty minutes of the flight passed without incident.Passengers opened laptops, adjusted their headphones, and settled into the familiar rhythm of air travel.Sophia served drinks in the first-class cabin.Daniel declined the wine and requested coffee.Eleanor watched from the service station.When Sophia returned with the cup, she placed it carefully on Daniel's tray.“Black coffee, sir.”“Thank you.”“Would you like anything else?”“No, I'm fine.”Sophia smiled and continued down the aisle.Daniel opened his folder.Inside were several documents related to the company's internal audit, a handwritten note from the chief financial officer, and a printed report containing anonymized passenger complaints.One report concerned an elderly veteran who had been denied assistance during a medical emergency.Another described a mother whose seat had been changed without explanation.A third involved a passenger who had complained that a crew member treated him differently after seeing his identification.Daniel read each case carefully.He was still reviewing the final page when Eleanor stopped beside him.“Mr. Bennett.”He looked up.“Yes?”“I need you to put those documents away.”Daniel glanced at the folder.“Why?”“Because they appear to contain sensitive company information.”He stared at her for a moment.“Do they?”“I saw the logo.”“Is there a rule against passengers reading documents?”“Not when they're ordinary documents.”“And what makes these extraordinary?”Eleanor looked at the folder.“I don't know. That's why I'm asking.”Daniel closed it.“Then I suggest you explain what concern you have.”“I don't need to explain every decision I make.”“Actually, when you ask someone to stop doing something, a reasonable explanation is usually helpful.”She leaned slightly closer.“Are you recording me?”“No.”“Are you working for a competitor?”Daniel almost laughed.“No.”“Then why are you making such a big deal out of this?”He looked at her steadily.“Because you keep making assumptions about me.”Eleanor straightened.“I am following security procedures.”“Which procedure?”She hesitated.“The procedure for handling suspicious activity.”Daniel's expression became unreadable.“Do you believe reading a document is suspicious activity?”“You're being confrontational again.”“No, Ms. Hayes. I'm asking you to identify the rule you believe I've violated.”She glanced toward the cockpit.A flight attendant named Marcus Bell had emerged from the galley. He was older than Sophia, with a broad build and an expression that suggested he had spent years learning when not to become involved.“What seems to be the problem?” Marcus asked.Eleanor answered before Daniel could speak.“This passenger has been difficult since boarding. I believe he may be handling confidential information.”Marcus looked at Daniel's folder.“Sir, would you mind putting that away for the remainder of the flight?”Daniel regarded him.“Can you tell me which policy requires that?”Marcus shifted his weight.“It's a precaution.”“Against what?”Marcus did not answer.Eleanor folded her arms.“See? This is exactly what I mean.”Daniel closed the folder and placed it on his lap.“I have no intention of disrupting the flight. But I would appreciate being treated like a passenger rather than a suspect.”Marcus nodded.“Understood, sir.”He turned to Eleanor.“Let's give him some space.”For a moment, Daniel thought the situation might end there.But Eleanor had already become invested in proving that she was right.She could feel the other crew members watching her. She could imagine her supervisor hearing about the incident. She feared that backing down would look like weakness.And fear, when mixed with pride, often produces the very behavior a person is trying to avoid.“I don't think that's appropriate,” she said.Marcus looked at her.“Eleanor.”“No. I'm serious. We can't allow passengers to dictate how we perform our duties.”Daniel slowly raised his eyes.“I'm not dictating anything. I'm asking for a consistent standard.”Eleanor's voice rose.“You have questioned every decision I've made since you boarded this aircraft!”“Because you've questioned my right to occupy a seat I paid for.”“You haven't shown me anything convincing.”Daniel opened his folder again.He removed the booking confirmation and handed it to Marcus.“Here is the payment record. Here is the confirmation number. Here is the ticket showing the seat assignment.”Marcus examined the documents.His eyebrows lifted.“Everything appears to be in order.”“Thank you,” Daniel said.