For several seconds, the table remained silent.
Then Beatriz Silva, the Portuguese infrastructure specialist, laughed softly.
“She's right.”
Antoine turned toward her.
Beatriz raised one shoulder. “You're proposing a test, Antoine. Tests need criteria.”
A few guests smiled.
Luc Moreau shifted uncomfortably.
Antoine waved one hand.
“Very well. We have native Spanish speakers here.”
Elena glanced toward Inés Valcárcel.
“If they are willing, that would be appropriate.”
Inés leaned forward.
“I'd be happy to participate.”
Another guest, Javier Montes, a Spanish banking representative based in Madrid, nodded.
“As would I.”
Antoine looked toward the other investors.
Then forced a smile.
“Excellent. Our little competition has become quite official.”
Elena remained composed.
“There's one additional detail.”
Antoine stared.
“What now?”
“You offered one hundred thousand dollars. I'd appreciate it if we clarified whether you're serious or merely making a joke at my expense.”
The question was delivered so calmly that Antoine couldn't easily dismiss it.
Several guests looked toward him.
He felt his pride tightening around him.
If he withdrew the wager now, everyone would see that he'd been bluffing.
So he reached for a leather portfolio.
Removed a piece of stationery.
And wrote a short statement in French and English describing his offer.
He specified that Elena would receive one hundred thousand US dollars if the two Spanish-speaking guests agreed she could sustain a substantive professional conversation in Spanish.
He signed it.
Then handed the paper toward Inés.
“Does that satisfy everyone?”
Inés read it.
“It's a clear statement of your intention.”
She glanced toward Elena.
“Of course, whether a private wager is legally enforceable is another matter.”
Antoine gave an impatient laugh.
“My word is enough.”
Beatriz smiled faintly.
“Then you'll have no objection to everyone remembering it.”
Several guests chuckled.
Elena didn't touch the money offer.
She wasn't interested in making the evening into a legal dispute over a dinner-table wager.
But she was interested in establishing that Antoine wasn't entitled to invent new rules whenever it suited him.
She nodded.
“Thank you.”
Then she looked toward Inés and Javier.
“Shall we begin?”
Antoine leaned back.
“International trade policy between Europe and Latin America.”
Elena nodded.
“Would you prefer tariffs, agricultural subsidies, foreign direct investment, or supply-chain dependency?”
Javier looked toward her.
His expression sharpened with interest.
“Supply-chain dependency,” he answered in Spanish.
Elena turned toward him.