The billionaire stood again. This time the operations director rose with him, concerned the discussion might become disruptive. The chairman pointed toward the woman. 'I don't care what paperwork you carry. You have no idea what it takes to build an international empire.'
She looked at the silent staff member standing near the door. 'I know what it takes to build a kitchen where people aren't frightened of their guests.'
Then she turned back. 'And I know the difference between negotiation and intimidation.'
For a moment, the older man seemed capable of saying something unforgivable. His lawyer placed a hand lightly on his arm. The billionaire pulled away, collected his coat, and ordered the dinner canceled. The property investor hurried after him. The operations director apologized to the manager, who had just entered the room. The youngest finance executive remained seated, staring at the unsigned appendix.
As the others moved toward the door, the chairwoman spoke once more. 'Please preserve every version of this agreement and the communications that produced it. Our lawyers will coordinate.'
The property investor turned. 'Are you threatening us?'
'No. I'm telling you that this is under review.'
He smiled with a coldness she would remember. 'You may discover that reviews are expensive.'
She met his gaze. 'So is signing something you don't understand.'
The men departed. The room seemed to exhale. In the corridor outside, the young waitress whose complaint had reached the chairwoman stood waiting. She had heard enough through the ordinary sounds of service to know the dinner had gone badly.
'Are you all right?' she asked.
The chairwoman looked at her and noticed the employee's trembling hands. 'I'm all right. Are you?'
The waitress nodded, then shook her head. 'I kept thinking about the time he did that to me. I felt so small. I thought maybe I imagined how bad it was.'
'You didn't imagine it,' the chairwoman answered. 'And you weren't small.'
The young employee swallowed. 'I didn't know he was negotiating for the entire company.'
'Neither did he understand who he was speaking to,' the chairwoman said. 'But that isn't the reason his behavior was wrong.'
The waitress looked up.
'He would have been wrong if I were exactly the person he believed I was.'
The young woman began crying. The chairwoman offered her a clean handkerchief and stood beside her until she felt ready to return to work.