“That’s weird,” she said.
Marianne ignored her.
Simone asked, “Has my ticket been cancelled?”
« No. »
“Has my payment been cancelled?”
« No. »
“Was my seat assigned in error?”
Derek interrupted.
“The system has identified a priority conflict.”
“What is the priority?”
He looked at Marianne.
Marianne replied: “Business priority.”
Here it is.
No security.
No operations.
Money.
Or perhaps something uglier hidden behind the money.
Simone leaned back.
“Show me politics.”
“We are not required to discuss internal procedures with passengers.”
“You are guilty if you use these procedures to remove me from a seat I legally purchased.”
The man who was waiting near the door breathed his last.
“Can we just handle this?” he said. “Some of us have connections in Atlanta.”
Derek looked at him almost apologetically.
“We’re taking care of it, Mr. Caldwell.”
Mr. Caldwell.
They knew his name.
Simone noticed it.
The young woman on the other side of the aisle also noticed it.
