She sat.
Victor looked irritated.
“This is absurd.”
Henry ignored him.
He turned to Naomi.
“You studied international relations?”
Naomi nodded.
“And East Asian studies?”
“Yes.”
“You worked in Beijing?”
“For a year.”
Henry smiled.
“Where?”
“A consulting firm called Meridian Pacific.”
The two other businessmen exchanged surprised glances.
Henry leaned forward.
“Which department?”
“Risk analysis.”
Victor frowned.
“You worked in consulting?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are you waiting tables?”
Naomi looked at him.
“Because life doesn't always follow a résumé.”
Henry smiled.
“A good answer.”
Victor scoffed.
“So what happened?”
Naomi hesitated.
“My father became ill.”
Henry nodded.
“You stayed home.”
“I helped take care of him.”
“And your career?”
“I put it on hold.”
Victor leaned back.
“Six years?”
Naomi nodded.
“Six years.”
Victor looked around.
“So you're telling me that someone with your education is still waiting tables because she chose to help her father?”
“Yes.”
Victor shook his head.
“That sounds inefficient.”
Naomi stared at him.
Henry's eyes narrowed.
“Mr. Hale.”
Victor looked at him.
“What?”
“Not everything valuable is efficient.”
The table became quiet.
Victor's jaw tightened.
Henry then returned to business.
“You understand our concerns about the waterfront project?”
Naomi hesitated.
“I'm familiar with some of them.”
Victor interrupted.
“She serves food.”
Henry looked at him.
“She also speaks our language.”
Victor said nothing.
Henry continued.
“Our consortium has concerns about environmental compliance, transportation access, and projected occupancy.”
Naomi nodded.
“Those are the three largest risks.”
Victor's eyes narrowed.
“How do you know?”
Naomi looked at him.
“Because your public proposal is optimistic.”
Henry smiled.
Victor's face hardened.
Naomi realized she had said too much.
“I apologize.”
“No,” Henry said. “Continue.”
Naomi took a breath.
“The project depends on three assumptions.”
She raised one finger.
“First, that the city approves the revised transportation plan.”
A second.
“Second, that the technology tenants remain committed after construction costs increase.”
A third.
“And third, that residential demand remains strong enough to support the financing structure.”
Victor stared at her.
“How did you see the financing structure?”
Naomi looked at Henry.
“He asked.”
Henry smiled.
Victor turned toward his attorney.
“Did she see our documents?”
“No.”
“Then how—”
Naomi interrupted gently.
“The public filings.”
Victor looked stunned.
“You read them?”
“I read financial filings for fun.”
One of the businessmen laughed.
Henry smiled.
Victor did not.
Naomi stood.
“I should get back to work.”
Henry nodded.
“Thank you.”
She returned to the service station.
Victor watched her walk away.
His confidence was gone.
Something else had replaced it.
Concern.
Because there was something he hadn't told his guests.
The project was in trouble.
The transportation authority had not approved the latest plan.
A major technology tenant was reconsidering its commitment.
And the financing depended on a private equity partner who had begun demanding additional guarantees.
Victor had planned to conceal all three issues until after the investment agreement was signed.
Now a waitress had identified them in less than five minutes.
Henry leaned toward him.
“You didn't know she had this background.”
Victor said nothing.
“No?”
“No.”
Henry looked toward Naomi.
“Then perhaps you should learn something from tonight.”
Victor's voice became cold.
“I don't need advice from a waiter.”
Henry corrected him.
“She's not a waiter.”
Victor looked at him.
“She is a woman who happens to work as a server.”
Henry paused.
“And you made the mistake of assuming the job explained the person.”
Victor looked away.
The dinner continued.
But the atmosphere had changed.
The businessmen stopped asking Victor about his properties.
They started asking about Naomi.
Not directly.
They asked her opinions on cultural expectations in international partnerships.
They asked about communication styles.
They asked about the regulatory environment.
Naomi answered carefully.
She never tried to dominate the conversation.
She simply spoke when she had something useful to say.
By the end of dinner, Henry had become noticeably more engaged.
When the bill arrived, Victor reached for it.
Henry stopped him.
“I'll take care of this.”
Victor frowned.
“No.”
Henry smiled.
“Consider it a thank-you.”
“For what?”
Henry glanced toward Naomi.
“For the most useful conversation we've had tonight.”
Victor looked furious.
But he said nothing.
As the men prepared to leave, Henry approached Naomi.
He extended a business card.
“If you ever decide you want to return to international consulting, call me.”
Naomi stared at the card.
“I appreciate that.”
Henry smiled.
“You should.”
Then he lowered his voice.
“And one more thing.”
Naomi looked up.
“Be careful with Victor.”
“Why?”
Henry glanced toward the private dining room.
“Because men who are used to winning do strange things when they lose.”
Naomi watched him leave.
She had no idea how prophetic his warning would become.
The Secret Behind the Bet
The following morning, Naomi arrived at the restaurant at 8:30.
Her manager called her into the office.
Samuel looked nervous.
“Naomi, close the door.”
She did.
He motioned toward a chair.
“Sit.”
She sat.
Samuel rubbed his forehead.
“Victor Hale called.”
Naomi's stomach tightened.