The French attorney looked through the corporate schedule.
“It is not listed among the acquiring entities.”
The room tightened further.
The waitress remembered something.
Earlier that evening, when clearing a dropped napkin from beside the businessman’s chair, she had seen the inside cover of his leather folder.
A business card had slipped partly out.
Same company name.
Different title.
She had not thought anything of it.
Now she did.
The waitress looked toward the investor.
“I may be wrong.”
The businessman snapped:
“You already are.”
She ignored him.
“I saw that company name earlier.”
His eyes sharpened.
The French attorney looked at her.
“Where?”
The waitress nodded toward his leather folder.
“A card inside.”
The businessman immediately pulled the folder closer.
“That is enough.”
His voice rose.
The restaurant manager at the far end of the room noticed.
The waitress remained calm.
The French investor said:
“Open the folder.”
The businessman laughed.
“No.”
The investor’s face became cold.
“You are asking me to sign a document transferring irrevocable voting control to an entity you describe as ours.”
“Yes.”
“And you will not show me the card?”
“This is absurd.”
The businessman looked toward the waitress.
“This is exactly why staff should not interfere in business discussions they do not understand.”
The waitress’s face remained controlled.
The French investor looked at him.
“She understood the clause faster than anyone at this table.”
That landed harder than shouting.
The businessman’s general counsel finally spoke.
“We should stop.”
Every head turned.
The businessman stared at him.
“What?”
The counsel looked pale.
“We should stop the signing.”
The businessman’s voice dropped.
“Be very careful.”
The counsel swallowed.
Then:
“The assignment language was added after the last bilingual comparison.”
Silence.
The French attorney stood.
“What?”
The businessman turned.
“That is privileged.”
The counsel looked almost sick.
The French investor stared.
“Added by whom?”
The counsel closed his eyes briefly.
Then answered.
“The business side.”
The businessman slammed his hand against the table.
“That is enough.”
Several diners outside the glass alcove looked over.