Chapter 3: Karen Changes the Rules
Karen finally pointed toward her SUV.
“I got here first. I was waiting for this space.”
Elena looked at the vehicle.
“It isn’t in the charging space.”
“I was waiting nearby.”
“That still doesn’t give you the right to collect money.”
Karen’s jaw tightened.
“I wasn’t collecting money. I was asking for compensation.”
“For what?”
“For the inconvenience.”
Daniel looked away for a moment.
He could hear someone behind him quietly chuckle.
Karen heard it too.
She spun around.
“What’s funny?”
No one answered.
The security officer stepped forward.
“Ma’am, please keep the lane clear.”
Karen looked at him as though he had personally betrayed her.
“This is ridiculous.”
Elena remained calm.
“Our charging stations are available to customers according to the posted terms. Payment is handled through the charging system. Employees do not collect cash from drivers.”
Karen pointed at Daniel.
“He was trying to take my spot.”
Daniel finally spoke.
“Your SUV wasn’t in the spot.”
“It was nearby!”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
Karen’s face hardened.
“You people don’t understand.”
Daniel didn’t respond.
Instead, he stepped toward the charging pedestal.
Elena moved aside.
“Go ahead.”
Daniel reached for the connector.
Karen suddenly stepped back in front of him.
“No.”
The security officer immediately said, “Ma’am.”
Karen looked from him to Elena.
“You can’t just let him do that.”
Elena’s voice remained steady.
“He can use the charger.”
Karen shook her head.
“You’re making a mistake.”
“No,” Elena said. “I’m clarifying the rules.”
That distinction mattered.
Daniel could feel the tension leaving his shoulders.
The charger belonged to no individual driver.
It was there for people who needed it.
And Karen had tried to turn temporary access into personal ownership.
Daniel connected the charger.
A confirmation tone sounded.
The screen changed.
Charging had begun.
Karen stared at the display.
For several seconds she said nothing.
Then she looked at Daniel.
“You’re really doing this?”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.”
She crossed her arms.
“You’re going to regret embarrassing me.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“I didn’t embarrass you.”
He gestured toward the charger.
“You did this yourself.”
The security officer gave Karen a final warning to keep the access lane open.
She finally stepped aside.
But she didn’t leave.
She stood beside her SUV, watching the charging indicator climb.
Daniel thought the situation was finished.
It wasn’t.
Because Karen had made one mistake that would matter far more than the twenty-dollar demand.
She had told Elena she had been “managing” the station.
And Elena now wanted to know how long she had been doing it.
The question would lead to something neither Daniel nor Karen expected.
