He Bet $10,000 the Black Waitress Couldn’t Speak German — Unaware She Was a Court Interpreter!
Chapter 4
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"Is that you? You look important.""Yes." Nia closed the photograph. "I was working."Lily looked at her mother. "You work now?""Yes. I do."At the restaurant that evening, Owen showed her an email from Marta's office. "They want references.""Did you give them?""I told them you're the only person here who can calm Ruth down when someone orders a well-done steak five minutes before closing.""That's not a professional qualification.""You haven't met Ruth at closing."For a moment, things felt easy. Then Victor entered the kitchen carrying a folder."There she is. Our language expert." He set the folder beside Nia's station. "Perhaps you can clear up a small misunderstanding. Inside are two versions of a welcome statement for the proposed training center. The German guests seem confused about what we're offering. Just tell them it matches."Nia washed her hands, dried them, and read both pages. It did not match.The German version promised that current restaurant employees would keep their jobs. The English version called their employment temporary.Nia read it again. Victor watched her. "Simple enough?"She looked up. "Which version do you intend to honor?"Owen moved closer. "What does that mean?"Nia placed the pages side by side. "This one says your staff stay. This one says their jobs can end after the transition."Victor smiled. "That's drafting language.""It changes the meaning.""Then change it back when you explain it."Nia stared at him. "You want me to tell them something the document doesn't say?""I want you to stop making a small detail into a problem."Owen took the folder. "My employees keeping their jobs was part of the agreement. We must protect them.""And they will, if we don't lose the investment over a waitress playing lawyer."Nia stepped back. "I'm not giving legal advice. I'm telling you the words are different."From the doorway, Marta spoke: "She is correct." Nobody had heard her come in.Marta took both pages and read them. Then she turned to her assistant. "Send these to our advisors. We're not signing anything tonight."Victor's face went still. "It's a clerical error.""Then it should be easy to correct." Marta left with the folder.Victor looked at Nia. "You could have asked me privately.""You asked me here.""You have no idea what you just interrupted."Owen stood between them. "Enough."Victor adjusted his cuff. "Of course. You think this changes things? We're not moving until they're paid."When he walked away, Nia noticed that his assistant, Celia, would not meet her eyes.The following morning, Owen found Nia in the dry storeroom counting napkins she had already counted twice. "I checked. You were right.""You've already counted those twice.""I know."