Chapter 46 - Better Man #2
Tori leaned closer to me.
"How much do you know about his company?"
"Enough."
"Lia."
"Three years financials."
Silence.
Bea whispered—
"Oh my God."
"Customer concentration."
John nodded.
"Supplier exposure."
Another nod.
"Regional performance."
Nod.
"Management structure."
John raised his glass slightly.
"And operational risk."
Tori stared at me.
Then at John.
Then at her mother.
Her mouth started twitching.
No.
Don't laugh.
Tita Elena was already dying.
Have mercy.
Tori did not.
She covered her mouth.
Her shoulders shook.
"Tori," her mother said.
"Sorry."
She was not sorry.
Tita Elena tried a different angle.
Education.
Again.
Because apparently educational attainment remained a viable weapon.
"John has an MBA."
Tori stopped laughing.
I kept eating.
John said—
"Tita."
"From AIM."
"Very good program," I said.
Her mother brightened.
"Yes! Very prestigious."
"It is."
"And he's been invited to speak at conferences."
John sighed.
"Twice."
"Still."
Tori looked at me.
Then at her mother.
"Ma, Lia is not competing with him."
"I didn't say she was."
"You're listing credentials again."
"I am making conversation."
John looked at me.
"Does this happen often?"
"Second time."
"With executives?"
"Apparently."
He laughed.
Tita Elena looked offended.
"I am proud of John."
Tori nodded.
"Then be proud of John."
"I am."
"Without trying to make me date him."
"I never said date."
John raised one hand.
"I was told this was an introduction."
Silence.
Everyone turned.
Tita Elena stared at him.
John looked slightly apologetic.
"To Tori."
There.
Tori's face went flat.
"Introduction for what?"
John thought.
"Potentially dating."
Tita Elena looked like she wanted to crawl under the table.
Marco whispered—
"Round Two confirmed."
Bea kicked him under the table.
Tori stared at her mother.
"You lied to both of us."
"No."
"Yes."
"I thought if you just met—"
"I met him."
Tori gestured toward John.
"He seems perfectly fine."
John nodded.
"Thank you."
"I still don't want him."
John nodded again.
"Also fine."
I liked him.
Tita Elena looked at me.
Then—
"Well, maybe if you knew more about him—"
Tori put her spoon down.
"Ma."
Enough.
Her mother ignored it.
"He's successful."
John looked away.
"Responsible."
I took a drink.
"Good family."
Tori breathed out slowly.
"And Crestview is a very large company."
There.
Again.
She really could not help herself.
I looked at John.
John looked at me.
His mouth moved.
Tiny.
No.
Do not laugh.
Tita Elena continued—
"Much bigger than Lia's printing business."
Silence.
Complete.
Nobody moved.
Tori slowly turned to me.
I looked at my food.
John stared at Tita Elena.
Then—
"Oh."
No.
Not helpful.
Tita Elena frowned.
"What?"
John looked at me.
I shook my head slightly.
Do not.
John looked back at her.
Tried.
Failed.
"With respect po..."
Tita Elena waited.
John scratched lightly at his jaw.
"Ramos Strategic Holdings is not a printing business."
Oh.
There we go.
Tori covered her eyes.
Her mother blinked.
"I know she invests."
John nodded.
"It's more than that."
I sighed.
"John."
"Sorry."
He was not sorry enough.
Tita Elena looked at me.
"How big?"
"Not relevant po."
Wrong answer.
That made everyone more interested.
Tori leaned toward me.
"Why do you always say that when something is extremely relevant?"
"Because this is dinner."
John laughed.
Then—
Tita Elena asked him.
"Could Lia actually buy Crestview?"
Silence.
John looked at me.
I looked at him.
Tori slowly turned.
Bea stopped chewing.
Marco physically leaned forward.
Tito Ramon muttered—
"Elena."
Too late.
John thought before answering.
"Her group already submitted an indicative valuation."
Oh.
There.
My turn to stare.
"John."
"What?"
"That wasn't public."
"They're family."
"They are not acquisition stakeholders."
Tori whispered—
"Indicative what?"
I sighed.
"Preliminary offer range."
Her head snapped toward me.
"You already offered?"
"Not final."
John corrected—
"Not binding."
I pointed at him.
"Exactly."
Tita Elena's mouth was open.
Actually open.
No words.
John continued, apparently deciding death was inevitable anyway.
"They reviewed our management team."
Tori looked at him.
"You personally?"
"Yes."
Then at me.
"You reviewed John?"
"Not personally."
John said—
"Her team rated management."
I stared at him.
"Do you want to keep your job?"
John laughed.
"No threat?"
"None."
"Good."
I leaned back.
This man was having too much fun.
Tori was staring at me.
"How did he score?"
"No."
"Lia."
"That is confidential."
John looked fascinated.
"I also want to know."
"No."
Marco raised his hand.
"I want to know too."
"No."
Bea—
"Same."
"No."
Tita Elena looked like she'd forgotten she was the architect of the entire disaster.
Then John leaned slightly forward.
"Actually, since you're here—"
I pointed at him.
"No work."
"One question."
"No."
"Did we clear management concerns?"
Silence.
Tori stared.
I closed my eyes briefly.
"John."
"We've been waiting for feedback."
"That should go through the advisor."
"I know."
"Then wait."
He laughed.
"Okay."
Then—
"Was my division the problem?"
I stared.
He smiled.
"You tilted your head when you saw me. That's not reassuring."
Tori started laughing.
I looked at her.
"Not helping."
She wiped under one eye.
"Sorry."
John continued.
"I've been trying to figure out what your team didn't like."
I sighed.
Then looked at him.
"Your division wasn't the problem."
John's expression changed.
Professional now.
Immediately.
"Customer concentration?"
"Partly."
He nodded.
"Cebu?"
"Timing and capex discipline."
John's eyebrows rose.
Tori stopped laughing.
Everyone stopped moving.
Because suddenly—
business meeting.
At family lunch.
John leaned forward.
"The revised expansion model addressed that."
"I saw."
"You saw the revised?"
"Yes."
"We sent it Friday."
"I know."
John stared.
"You already reviewed it?"
"Saturday morning."
Pause.
"And?"
I took a drink.
"Better."
John waited.
I waited.
He laughed.
"That's all you're giving me?"
"At this table? Yes."
Tito Ramon was staring now.
Bea too.
Marco looked like he had accidentally subscribed to a corporate masterclass.
John continued—
"Still concerned about leverage?"
"Yes."
"We're within covenant."
"That's not the same as comfortable."
His face changed.
Then he nodded slowly.
"Fair."
Tori looked at me.
Not laughing anymore.
Watching.
Her mother—
silent.
Completely.
For the first time in two dinners.
John asked—
"Would lowering the second-year expansion commitment change your view?"
"Depends where the freed cash goes."
"Debt reduction."
"More interesting."
He nodded.
Then—
"So we're not dead."
"No."
His shoulders visibly relaxed.
Interesting.
Then I added—
"But you're not approved either."
"Understood."
Tita Elena finally found her voice.
"Approved?"
John looked at her.
"For the acquisition to move forward."
She stared.
Then looked at me.
Then at John.
Then back to me.
"John is asking you if his company passed?"
I paused.
"Yes po."
Her face—
Gone.
Absolutely gone.
Bea looked down because she was about to laugh.
Marco had no such discipline.
He turned away.
Tito Ramon covered his mouth.
Tori—
Tori was just staring at her mother.
Not even smug.
Almost—
awed.
Because Tita Elena had somehow done it twice.
She had gone out and found a better man.
More senior.
Bigger title.
Bigger company.
More impressive résumé.
And accidentally brought home an executive who was waiting for Lia's investment group to decide whether his employer was worth buying.
The statistical probability had to be offensive.
Tita Elena looked at John.
"But you're COO."
"Yes po."
"Very high position."
"Yes."
"And Lia..."
She stopped.
Could not finish.
John helped.
"Potential buyer."
Silence.
There.
Tori put both hands over her face.
"No."
Her shoulders started shaking.
"Don't."
I knew exactly what was coming.
She looked at me.
Then at John.
Then—
"My mother upgraded from senior director to COO and somehow made it worse."
Everyone broke.
Bea laughed first.
Marco nearly fell sideways.
John covered his face.
Even Tito Ramon laughed openly.
I tried not to.
Failed.
Tita Elena stared at all of us.
"This is not funny."
Tori was crying now.
From laughter.
"It is a little."
"I was trying to introduce you to a good man."
John raised his hand.
"I appreciate the endorsement."
Tori pointed at him.
"No."
He lowered it.
"Sorry."
Tita Elena turned to me.
"And you didn't say anything."
There.
I blinked.
"What was I supposed to say po?"
She looked helplessly toward John.
Then me.
Then John again.
I offered—
"Your candidate selection is objectively impressive."
Tori made a choking sound.
Wrong thing.
Very wrong thing.
Tita Elena's eyes narrowed.
I immediately—
"Sorry po."
John looked at me.
"Candidate selection."
"Do not."
He laughed.
Eventually, the laughter died.
Mostly.
Tita Elena looked embarrassed.
Deeply.
Not small embarrassment.
Not—
oops.
More like the universe had personally punished her for trying the same scheme twice.
Tori noticed.
Her expression softened a little.
Because despite everything—
mother.
Still loved.
Still complicated.
But not enough to let the boundary disappear.
"Ma."
Tita Elena didn't look at her.
"Ma."
Finally—
"What?"
Tori's voice was calmer.
"This has to stop."
There.
No joke.
No John.
No company.
Just them.
Her mother looked down.
"I was just trying—"
"I know."
Tori interrupted gently.
"I know what you're trying to do."
Pause.
"But I said no."
Her mother stayed silent.
"You didn't listen after Carlo."
Nothing.
"You apologized."
Tita Elena's face tightened.
"I did."
"And then you found John."
There.