Chapter 7 - The Viral Surge
By 3:00 p.m. Pacific time, Jacob's phone was nearly hot to the touch. The San Francisco Chronicle article had been picked up by the Associated Press. The headline had mutated into something larger, faster, and far more dangerous for Liberty Air’s stock price:
“Someone Like You’: Liberty Air First-Class Crew Under Investigation For Serving Expired Food to Single Father.”
Margaret Okafor’s witness statement was quoted in full. She had described Rebecca Hayes’s words as "systemic corporate elitism" and Angela Morris’s response as "an intentional attempt to minimize a regulatory health hazard."
A passenger in premium economy had even uploaded a short, ten-second video clip taken from behind the curtain during boarding, showing Rebecca Hayes rolling her eyes while looking at Jacob’s scuffed laptop bag. The video had already accumulated two million views on a major social media platform under the hashtag #LibertyAir7A.
Jacob sat in a small coffee shop across from the convention center, staring at his screen in disbelief. He had never wanted this. He was a private man who liked his quiet life in Raleigh.
The door to the coffee shop opened, and Margaret Okafor walked in. She had tracked him down via a text message. She looked energized, her dark eyes bright with the thrill of a successful campaign.
"You're the top trending topic on the internet right now, Jacob," she said, sitting down across from him and placing a fresh cup of black coffee on the table.
"I don't want to be a trending topic, Margaret," Jacob said, rubbing his face with both hands. "I just want to go home. My flight back is tomorrow morning."
"Have you looked at Liberty Air's stock price?" she asked, showing him her phone. A red line was angling sharply downward, showing a 3.4% drop since the market opened. "That’s a loss of nearly eighty million dollars in market capitalization. All because a flight attendant thought she could bully a man in a gray shirt."
"They called me," Jacob admitted. "An executive named Keller. Offered me twenty-five thousand dollars and lifetime first-class tickets."
Margaret paused, her coffee cup halfway to her mouth. "And what did you say?"
"I told him some things aren't for sale."
Margaret smiled—a slow, warm expression that made her look entirely different from the sharp attorney she had been the night before. "You really are a rare breed, Jacob Carter. Most people would have taken the money and bought a boat."
"I don't need a boat," Jacob said. "I need a system that works fairly."
Before Margaret could reply, Jacob’s phone rang again. This time, it was his boss, Harrison Vance (no relation to the pilot), the CEO of Vanguard Systems.
Jacob braced himself. He assumed he was about to be fired for bringing public drama to a major corporate business trip.
"Jacob," Harrison's voice boomed through the line. "Are you seeing the news?"
"Harrison, I am so sorry," Jacob began quickly. "I didn't mean to involve the company. A witness took the story to the press, and—"
"Are you kidding me?" Harrison interrupted, his voice full of laughter. "Jacob, look at your email! Elena Vance from Silicon Valley Tech Solutions just sent over the signed contract for the grid infrastructure project. It’s a seven-million-dollar deal, Jacob! Three years guaranteed!"
Jacob stunned into silence. "She... she signed it?"
"She signed it an hour ago," Harrison said, his voice tinged with genuine awe. "And she included a note in the contract package. She said she was deeply impressed by your presentation, but she was even more impressed by your character. Her husband was the man in seat 7B, Jacob. He told her how you handled that crew. She said a man who refuses to compromise on small details on an airplane is exactly the kind of man she wants overseeing her company’s infrastructure."
Jacob sank back into his chair, the breath leaving his lungs in a long, shuddering sigh. "Thank you, Harrison."
"No, thank you, Jacob. Your bonus is going to be a lot bigger than five thousand dollars, I can tell you that much. Take the rest of the day off. First class on the way back is on us—though maybe don't fly Liberty Air this time."
Jacob hung up the phone and looked at Margaret. "We got the contract."
May you like
"I know," she said, her smile broadening. "I just saw the corporate filing on my network. Congratulations, Jacob. You won the day without raising your voice once."
"Now I just have to find something cool to bring home to Lily," Jacob said, his heart finally feeling light.
