The young man slowly stepped aside.
Daniel watched him walk away.
Then he looked at Claire.
She didn't look bothered.
The next passenger was a businessman.
Expensive suit.
Leather briefcase.
First-class ticket.
Claire's entire demeanor changed.
"Good morning, Mr. Bennett."
"Morning."
"Everything looks good."
"Thank you."
"Have a pleasant flight."
The businessman smiled.
Daniel Cross had not planned to make a spectacle of the morning. He had wanted to test a service process, document an ordinary failure, and go home with a list of things to repair. Yet the torn ticket lay between him and Claire Donovan like evidence from a crime scene. He could see the elderly passenger repacking her case under a departure board, still too embarrassed to ask for help. He could see the student clutching a confirmation email that should have been sufficient to trigger a proper review. His title had changed the room's behavior in seconds; it had not changed what had already happened to those people. That discrepancy disturbed him more than the insult.
Chapter 02 — The Ticket in the Trash
"You too."
Daniel noticed. It wasn't subtle. The rules seemed to change depending on the person standing in front of her. His turn came at 9:14. Daniel stepped toward the counter. Claire didn't look up. "Ticket and ID."
Daniel handed them over. She scanned his ticket. The machine beeped. Claire frowned. She scanned it again. Another beep. "What?"
Daniel asked. "Your reservation isn't confirmed."
Daniel remained calm. "That's strange."
Claire looked at the screen. "Your ticket is showing as pending."
"I received a confirmation email yesterday."