Chapter 1: “Mine Costs More”
“BACK UP! I’M TAKING THIS CHARGER—MY CAR IS WORTH MORE THAN YOURS!”
The words cut across the upscale shopping-center parking lot before anyone had time to understand what was happening.
Karen had planted herself between a silver electric sedan and the charging pedestal, one orange sneaker crossing the painted boundary as if the line itself had offended her.
Her enormous neon-orange handbag landed against the pedestal with a heavy thump.
Behind her sat a glossy black luxury electric SUV that looked almost absurdly expensive beneath the morning sun.
Inside the silver sedan, Daniel Brooks stared at her through the open window.
He was fifty-eight, silver-haired, neatly dressed, and already connected to the charger. His car had been there long enough for the charging display to show that power was flowing.
Daniel slowly opened his door.
“Your car isn’t even plugged in,” he said. “I’m already charging.”
Karen gave him a sharp, disbelieving look.
“That doesn’t matter. I was here first in my head.”
She pointed toward her SUV.
Daniel glanced at the growing line of electric vehicles behind it.
“You can’t invent a place in line because you drove a nicer car.”
Karen’s face tightened.
“Don’t lecture me. I pay more for everything—my car, my insurance, this shopping center.”
She stepped directly between Daniel and the charging connector.
“That’s not how public charging works,” Daniel replied.
Karen spun toward the waiting cars.
“Then maybe public charging should work for people who can afford it!”
The words hung in the air.
Several drivers lowered their windows.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody applauded.
Daniel simply looked at her.
Karen turned back to him and pointed at his sedan.
“If I paid more for my car, why shouldn’t I get first rights to the charger?”
Daniel’s answer was quiet.
“Because the charger doesn’t know what either of us paid for our cars.”
A few people behind them nodded.
Karen’s cheeks reddened.
Then she did something that changed the situation.
She walked to the driver’s side of her SUV, opened the door, and pulled out her phone.
“I’m calling the property manager.”
Daniel watched her.
He expected another argument.
Instead, Karen took a photograph of his license plate.
Then she photographed the charging station.
Then the line of cars.
Daniel’s expression changed.
“You’re documenting this?”
Karen smiled coldly.
“I’m documenting who is causing the problem.”
She walked back toward the charging pedestal and stood there, phone in hand.
But Daniel noticed something Karen didn’t.
A small security camera mounted above the parking-lot entrance was pointed directly at the charging spaces.
And its red indicator light was on.
