Chapter 3 - “I UNDERSTOOD YOU PERFECTLY”
Dominic spoke quickly.
Deliberately.
Venison.
Medium rare.
Long rest.
No standard reduction.
A Bordeaux-based sauce.
White truffle oil.
Absolutely no garlic.
Then came the threat.
If the chef made one mistake, Dominic would have him fired.
If Cassidy failed to communicate the order, he would have her “begging for change by midnight.”
He finished and switched back to English.
“Well, sweetheart?”
Several nearby tables had gone quiet.
“Did you understand any of that?”
Cassidy did not move.
Simon watched from the host station with his eyes nearly closed.
Dominic smiled wider.
“Or do we need to find someone whose IQ exceeds the room temperature?”
Silence.
Cassidy set the tray down.
She looked at Victor.
Then Natalia.
Finally, Dominic.
And answered in Russian.
Perfectly.
“I understood you completely, Mr. Pierce.”
Dominic’s smile disappeared.
Cassidy’s accent was effortless.
Natural.
Moscow.
Victor’s head lifted.
Natalia’s eyes sharpened.
Cassidy continued.
“However, Bordeaux is a poor choice for the venison. The tannins will overpower the meat. Burgundy would respect the earthiness far better.”
Dominic stared.
Then Cassidy added:
“And if you intend to threaten someone in Russian, you may wish to review negative constructions.”
His face changed.
“You used the incorrect grammatical case for garlic.”
Victor’s lips twitched.
Cassidy remained calm.
“The mistake does not prevent understanding.”
A pause.
“But since your goal was clearly to demonstrate fluency, I thought you would appreciate the correction.”
Victor exploded in laughter.
Not polite laughter.
Real laughter.
He struck the table once with his palm.
Natalia covered her mouth, failing completely to hide her smile.
Dominic went pale.
Cassidy switched back to English.
“I will have the kitchen prepare the venison correctly, sir.”
Then:
“Would you care to order sides, or would you prefer a moment?”
Victor laughed harder.
Dominic’s hands tightened against the table.
The billionaire who had built his reputation around making CEOs panic had just been corrected by a waitress he believed too stupid to understand him.
And the two people he had spent two years trying to impress were enjoying every second.
For several moments, Dominic said nothing.
Cassidy should have walked away.
She almost did.
Then Dominic slammed one hand against the table.
“Manager!”
Every glass jumped.
May you like
The laughter stopped.
And Cassidy knew his humiliation had just become far more expensive.
