And now the investor was using the same distinction.
Antoine looked toward the service doors.
For the first time, he seemed to understand that the waitress hadn't embarrassed him merely by demonstrating fluency.
She had exposed the weakness of an assumption his financial team had been defending.
He looked toward Inés.
“Did that girl tell you something?”
Inés stared.
“Miss Marković answered general questions about investment analysis.”
“Did she give you confidential figures?”
“No.”
Antoine looked toward Luc.
The financial director seemed increasingly uncomfortable.
Inés continued.
“If she had, I'd be concerned about confidentiality. But she didn't need confidential figures to explain why a nonbinding letter shouldn't be presented as guaranteed revenue.”
She closed the folder.
“And frankly, Antoine, I would be more worried that your finance team appears unable to answer the same question without qualifications.”
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Javier picked up the signed wager.
He examined the paper.
“You also owe Miss Marković a hundred thousand dollars.”
Antoine stared.
“Are we really returning to that?”
Javier nodded.
“Yes.”
Antoine laughed bitterly.
“I was joking.”
Inés shook her head.
“You made the offer repeatedly, in front of witnesses, and confirmed the criteria in writing.”
Antoine looked toward the table.
“Is this what passes for serious business now?”
Beatriz answered calmly.
“Keeping your word is a serious part of business.”
A long silence followed.
Finally, Antoine rose.
“I think this dinner has gone far enough.”
Several guests looked toward him.
He straightened his jacket.
“We'll discuss the investment tomorrow.”
Then he turned toward Luc.
“Come with me.”
The financial director gathered his papers.
But as the two men reached the doorway, Inés spoke one final time.
“Antoine.”
He stopped.
She looked directly at him.
“Tomorrow, I'm not interested in another presentation about how successful Corredor Azul will become.”
He stared.
She continued.
“I want to see the underlying contracts.”
Antoine's expression hardened.
Then he left without answering.
The other guests remained seated.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Finally, Beatriz looked toward Inés.
“Do you think he's concealing something?”
Inés considered the question.
“I think his finance director has been presenting assumptions too confidently.”
Javier nodded.
“And Antoine doesn't know whether to be angry about the assumptions or the fact that somebody questioned them.”
Inés looked toward the service doors.
Then whispered, “I hope that young woman has somebody protecting her.”
Beatriz glanced toward her.
“Why?”