Chapter 45 - Just Dinner #3
Marco looked like Christmas had arrived.
Carlo answered carefully—
"Her group was evaluating companies for potential purchase."
Tita Elena looked at me.
Then Carlo.
Then—
"Meridian Axis?"
I gave the smallest nod.
Her face—
Oh.
I would remember it.
Not because I wanted revenge.
Because objectively—
it was incredible.
The woman had spent an entire dinner presenting Carlo's job as proof of stability and superiority—
inside a company I had considered purchasing.
Tori slowly turned toward me.
"You can buy his company?"
I thought.
"Potentially."
Carlo laughed.
"That's insane."
"Not really."
"It is from my side."
Fair.
Tita Elena stared.
"How much is Meridian Axis worth?"
Carlo immediately—
"Tita, please."
I agreed.
"Probably not dinner conversation."
Tori covered her face.
Not embarrassed.
Laughing.
Actually laughing.
Her shoulders shook.
"Oh my God."
"Tori."
She looked at me through her fingers.
"You sat there the whole time."
"Yes."
"She was bragging about Carlo's company."
"Yes."
"And you were literally considering buying it."
"Historically."
"Lia."
"What?"
Carlo started laughing too.
Bea lost it.
Marco slapped the table.
Even Tito Ramon leaned back and laughed.
Tita Elena looked horrified.
Not angry exactly.
Just—
recalibrating reality.
I immediately felt bad.
A little.
Because I hadn't wanted this to become a flex.
I looked at her.
"Tita, it really doesn't matter."
She stared at me.
"It doesn't?"
"No."
And I meant it.
"Carlo's career is impressive."
Carlo nodded gratefully.
"Thank you."
"He's clearly good at what he does."
"Appreciated."
"And none of that has anything to do with whether Tori wants to date him."
There.
Back to the point.
Tori looked at me.
Her laughter faded.
Softened.
Exactly.
Tita Elena looked down.
And for once—
had nothing to say.
Carlo left first.
Obviously.
At the door, he shook my hand.
"Please don't buy Meridian just because of this dinner."
I laughed.
"No promises."
His eyes widened.
"Kidding."
"Jesus."
Tori appeared beside me.
"You're awful."
Carlo looked at her.
Then—
"For what it's worth, I didn't know."
"I know."
"Your mom said family dinner."
"I know."
"And my mom said—"
He stopped.
Tori raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Carlo sighed.
"That you were single."
Silence.
Tori closed her eyes.
I looked toward the house.
Tita Elena had disappeared strategically.
Interesting.
Carlo continued—
"I figured out she was wrong approximately five seconds after walking in."
"Thank you."
"And you're very clearly not interested in me."
"Also thank you."
He smiled.
"No offense."
"None taken."
Then he looked at me.
"You seem nice."
"Thank you."
"Terrifying."
"Also fair."
He left.
I genuinely hoped his company survived.
Mostly.
When we finally walked toward my car, Tori didn't say anything for several seconds.
Then—
"You could buy his company."
I sighed.
"We have covered this."
"No, we have not."
"Potentially."
"How potentially?"
"Enough."
She stared.
I opened the car door.
She didn't move.
"Lia."
"What?"
"How long have you known?"
"That he works there?"
"Yes."
"Since your mother started listing his credentials."
"And you said nothing."
"What was I supposed to say?"
I straightened.
"Hi, Tita. Interesting candidate. I know his employer's debt structure?"
Tori bent over laughing.
I smiled.
"That would have been socially inappropriate."
"Oh my God."
"I was behaving."
"You were."
"Extremely."
She stood again.
Eyes wet from laughing.
Then—
"You didn't even flex."
"I promised."
That quieted her.
There.
I had promised not to win them.
Not to make her parents accept her because I was financially impressive.
So even when the world's funniest opportunity presented itself—
I had kept my mouth shut.
Mostly.
The universe had exposed me instead.
Tori looked at me for a long moment.
Then stepped closer.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
"My mother was unbearable."
"Yes."
"I love her."
"I know."
"I wanted to throw her outside."
"Also understandable."
Tori sighed.
"She'll be mortified for six months."
"Probably."
Then—
"Do not buy Meridian."
"I wasn't planning to."
"Because of Carlo."
"No."
"Or my mother."
"No."
"Or because it would be funny."
I paused.
Tori stared.
"Lia."
"It would be a little funny."
"No."
"Fine."
She laughed again.
Then rested her forehead briefly against my shoulder.
Tired.
I put my arms around her.
"Are you okay?"
She thought.
"No."
Honest.
Then—
"But better."
I held her.
After a few seconds—
"My mother called you my girlfriend."
I smiled.
"I noticed."
"Then immediately compared your business to Carlo's company."
"I also noticed."
"She almost evolved."
"Almost."
Tori laughed against me.
"Next time."
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Families were not acquisition integrations.
No clean timeline.
No guaranteed synergies.
Just people.
Trying.
Failing.
Trying badly.
Sometimes making dinner catastrophically worse.
And sometimes—
accidentally inviting a senior director from a company your daughter's girlfriend could purchase.
I kissed the top of Tori's head.
She looked up.
"Can I kiss you?"
I smiled.
"Yes."
So she did.
Then pulled back.
"Next Sunday, we're eating somewhere else."
"Agreed."
"No parents."
"Agreed."
"No Carlo."
"Strongly agreed."
"No acquisition targets."
"That one is statistically difficult."
"Lia."
I laughed.
"Fine."
She shook her head.
Then finally got into the car beside me.
And as we drove away—
my phone buzzed.
Mama.
nagustuhan ba nila cassava cake?
I stared.
Then laughed.
Tori looked over.
"What?"
I showed her.
She closed her eyes.
"Tell her yes."
I typed—
yes. very successful.
Mama replied—
good. next time ulit
I stared at the message.
Then at Tori.
She narrowed her eyes.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Lia."
"Our mothers may be planning another bilateral food agreement."
"No."
"I have no control over this."
"You have several companies."
"Yes."
"You can control a cassava cake."
I considered.
"No."
Tori laughed.
And for the first time since arriving at her parents' house—
she looked completely relaxed.
Worth it.