His heart tightened.
She continued:
“I’m angry.”
“That’s fair.”
“I’m not fragile.”
“I know.”
“You’re looking at me like I broke.”
“I’m checking.”
She turned toward him.
“Check yourself.”
He leaned back.
Fair.
His hands were shaking slightly.
Evelyn noticed.
She put one hand over his.
“You wanted to see the company.”
Isaiah stared toward the window.
“I didn’t want to see that.”
“No.”
The aircraft turned toward the runway.
Evelyn looked forward.
“Now what?”
Isaiah knew what everyone expected.
Fire Vale.
Public apology.
Compensation.
Training.
News statement if video leaked.
The simple executive response.
He hated simple responses.
Because Vale had not created himself.
Someone hired him.
Promoted him.
Gave him authority.
Used his service scores as proof he was successful.
Trusted him to train others.
Claire had been afraid to contradict him.
Why?
What happened to employees who did?
What behavior had Vale been rewarded for?
Isaiah looked at his mother.
“Now I find out whether he’s the problem or the symptom.”
Evelyn nodded.
“Good.”
Then:
“But fire him if he deserves it.”
Isaiah laughed.
“There’s my mother.”
The flight itself was awkward.
Vale avoided row two.
Claire provided service.
She was almost excessively attentive.
Isaiah finally told her:
“Please stop.”
Her face fell.
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
He lowered his voice.
“Serve us the same way you would have before you knew.”
Claire looked at him.
“I don’t know if I can now.”
Honest.
Isaiah appreciated it.
“Try.”
She did.
Tea for Evelyn.
Coffee for Isaiah.
Warm nuts.
Meal orders.
No special extras.
Halfway through the flight, Isaiah asked:
“Were you going to scan our passes before he stopped you?”
Claire hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“He told me he was handling it.”
“Does he do that often?”
Claire looked toward the galley.
Isaiah waited.
She whispered:
“Sometimes.”
“With whom?”
Her eyes returned.
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
Claire looked down.
“Passengers he thinks might have boarded wrong.”
“How does he decide?”
She did not answer.
Isaiah softened.
“You are not under interrogation.”
“I know.”
“This is not disciplinary right now.”
Claire gave him a look that said she did not believe any executive could say that honestly.