“I mean did you purchase the ticket yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Through our official website?”
“Yes.”
Her gaze lingered on his watch, then moved to his face. “There are websites that resell bookings they shouldn't. We've had situations.”
“Then please call the gate agent. I'm happy to wait while you confirm it.”
Behind him, a woman with a laptop bag cleared her throat. Jessica stepped aside so another passenger could pass. “You can sit temporarily,” she told Marcus, emphasizing the last word. “Don't get comfortable until I verify your reservation.”
Marcus nodded once and moved into seat 2A. The leather was cool beneath his hands. He placed his briefcase under the seat ahead, set his phone on the armrest, and opened the board materials to a page about passenger treatment. He wondered whether he should identify himself immediately. Doing so would almost certainly end the disagreement, but it would not answer the more important question: how would the crew handle a traveler who had no important name to offer?
Two rows behind him, Emma Morgan was trying to decide whether her carry-on would fit overhead. Emma was twenty-four, a freelance videographer from Denver who made short explanatory videos about travel and everyday consumer experiences. She had an energetic face, dark curls usually tied high, and an instinct for the little absurdities that unfolded in public. She had bought her seat with money from a project she had finally been paid for, and she had spent the entire morning congratulating herself on taking an uncomplicated work trip.
Emma watched Jessica return to Marcus with a different tablet. “Mr. Williams, I still can't confirm that you paid for a premium seat.”
“That's unusual,” Marcus replied. “My boarding pass says otherwise, and the gate scanner accepted it.”
“Your ticket could have been changed after purchase.”
“Please tell me what discrepancy you see, and I will help you resolve it.”
Jessica lowered her voice for a moment. “I need you to cooperate. People pay good money for these seats.”
“I did, too.”
“I'm simply saying we need to be certain.”
“Then let's be certain.”
Emma saw Marcus remain calm as Jessica walked away, and she went back to lifting her bag. At first she assumed the problem was technical. Airlines made mistakes constantly. But five minutes later Jessica returned with two more passengers standing nearby, and her tone had changed enough to draw attention from the opposite aisle.
“I've asked you to provide proper proof,” Jessica said. “You keep giving me the same ticket.”
“Because it is the ticket you sold me.”
“Sir, don't get clever.”
Marcus closed the folder on his tablet. “I have answered every question. What specific information do you need that isn't in your system?”
“You're holding up boarding.”
“I've been seated for eight minutes.”
Jessica's cheeks colored. “You could make this much easier if you stopped acting defensive.”
The word defensive landed strangely in the cabin. Marcus had not raised his voice. His hands were open on the armrests. He had offered three times to let the gate confirm the reservation. Emma began to record, first because she wanted an accurate account of the argument and then because she recognized that the argument was no longer about a ticket.