She answered again.
He asked about the distribution of transportation costs under different commercial arrangements.
She explained the principles, carefully distinguishing contractual terms from assumptions about which party ultimately bore economic costs.
For nearly twelve minutes, she continued answering.
Never raising her voice.
Never mocking him.
Never pretending certainty where it wasn't justified.
And, most importantly, never forgetting that she was still standing beside the table in her waitress uniform.
At last, Inés raised one hand.
“Antoine.”
He stopped.
She looked toward Javier.
“What do you think?”
Javier smiled.
“I think we're no longer testing whether she speaks Spanish.”
Inés nodded.
“Agreed.”
Then she turned toward Antoine.
“She's fluent.”
The words settled over the table.
Antoine stared.
Beatriz slowly lifted her glass.
“Very fluent.”
Another guest nodded.
Several smiled.
The millionaire who'd expected laughter was now surrounded by people waiting for him to acknowledge he'd lost.
He forced a smile.
“Fine. Our waitress speaks excellent Spanish.”
Elena inclined her head.
“Thank you, monsieur.”
Then Inés asked something that changed the evening.
“Miss Marković, were you involved in a research seminar in Paris three months ago concerning the evaluation of transatlantic logistics projects?”
Elena looked toward her.
“Yes, señora.”
Inés stared.
“Professor Camila Ibarra's seminar?”
“Yes.”
The investor slowly set down her wineglass.
“I thought I recognized your name.”
Antoine frowned.
“What seminar?”
Inés ignored him for a moment.
She looked directly at Elena.
“Did you present the session on contractual demand versus forecast capacity?”
Elena nodded.
“I presented the methodological section.”
Inés smiled in astonishment.
“I attended remotely. Your presentation was one of the strongest in the program.”
Elena's cheeks warmed slightly.
“Thank you.”
Antoine looked from one woman to the other.
“What's going on?”
Inés finally turned toward him.
“This young woman is not merely someone who has taken a few language classes.”
She gestured toward Elena.
“She is an economics researcher whose work examines precisely the type of infrastructure investment we're discussing.”
Luc's expression changed.
He looked down toward the portfolio beside his chair.
Antoine noticed.
Then his eyes narrowed.
“Researcher?”
Elena answered calmly.
“I'm completing graduate studies in international economic policy.”
He stared.
“And you work here?”
“Yes, monsieur.”
Antoine gave a short, unpleasant laugh.
“Well, apparently the university doesn't pay particularly well.”
The remark fell flat.
Nobody laughed.
Elena remained composed.
“My scholarship covers part of my expenses. I work to support myself.”