240 Dinner with Andrea 1

~ Seattle ~

Thursday

7:26 PM

Elizabeth entered a private room in an exclusive Japanese restaurant and her eyes skimmed over the traditional décor before her eyes were drawn toward the alluring woman who is so gorgeous that she could stop the traffic.

Andrea stood up to greet Liz.

"You look ravishing.", Andrea said while giving Liz two air-kisses, one on each cheek.

"You are stunning.", Liz returned the compliment.

The two of them sat on the opposite sides of the small rectangular table which can fit four people, on chairs that are so low, like they don't have legs at all.

Liz was happy that her dress is flaring down, and it is wide enough to accommodate this near-floor seating.

"I ordered appetizers, I hope you don't mind.", Andrea said.

"I don't.", Liz responded and her eyes resumed observing the private room.

The sliding doors and windows are covered in paper, and those combined with the tatami floor are making it look like a traditional Japanese room. Japanese inspired artwork is on the walls and above the door are Japanese characters.

It is quiet, like there are no other guests, and Liz can hear the water tumbling. She guessed that there is a waterfall outside the window.

The private room is warm and cozy and Liz imagined that this is how family-owned restaurants in Kyoto would look like.

Shortly after Liz settled in her seat, a waitress dressed in yukata with a big flower in her hair, entered the room silently and took their orders.

"I assume that Max is nearby.", Andrea said when the waitress left the room.

Liz smiled. "You know him well."

Andrea exhaled. "I don't know Max, but I know men. And they have the need to control."

Liz was not surprised by this comment. The report which Max gave her in the morning provided information that Andrea made a name for herself in the business world, which is ruled by men, and that she didn't have an easy time on her way to the top. Many people looked down on Andrea because she is a woman, or because of her looks.

Elizabeth is not a stranger to people who would assume that she is not smart or capable only because she is pleasing to the eye. And the fact that her father is successful only came as an additional burden.

When looking from this perspective, Liz and Andrea have a lot in common.

Liz moved away from New York to escape her father's shadow. However, Andrea chose to struggle while working for her father… and based on the reports, she is still struggling.

Liz does not like stereotyping, and Andrea said how all men are the same.

"I know some controlling women as well."

Andrea made a face. "Sure. There are always odd cases. But you can't deny that men are trying to maintain the patriarchy, while women in power are a minority."

Liz agreed with Andrea, and she didn't miss the bitterness in Andrea's voice. "You sound angry."

Andrea didn't deny it. "Yes, I am angry at the system which puts us at a disadvantage only because of one chromosome. I spent a lot of energy and many hours proving myself, and that would not be necessary if I am a male. Men believe that they are superior only because of the existence of boys-only clubs where they gather to give pep-talks to their overinflated egos."

"Does that include your father as well?"

Andrea paused and forced a smile to hide her embarrassment. She does not like to show others her weaknesses and getting upset is a weakness. How she sees it.

"It seems that I've said too much."

Liz smiled. "Don't think of it as too much. Think of it as: we are getting to know each other."

Andrea smiled. She likes the prospect of getting to know Liz better.

Andrea is surprised how easy is to talk to Liz and to carelessly reveal her grievances. There is something about Liz that makes Andrea open up and trust her, like they are long term friends and Andrea can't figure out why.

She never experienced anything like this. Since a young age, Andrea is used to concealing her emotions and thoughts, and she is exceptionally good at it. That is one of the reasons she is so successful in business. But when facing Elizabeth, all her years of training are for naught. There was a connection from the first time they met, at the fundraiser, and Andrea can't help herself than to wish to get closer to Elizabeth. That is why she bought the photos; Andrea was giddy at the thought of how those photos will give her an excuse to see Liz again, hopefully more than once.

Andrea is aware that this is more than just because Liz is a beautiful woman; it's her posture and intelligence and confidence and even her tone of voice is a soothing melody. Everything about Liz is making Andrea relax and lower her guard.

'Must be doctor's thing…', Andrea mused.

Andrea decided to go back to the topic of Max and Liz before she accidentally blurts out something important.

"You are not bothered that Max is breathing down your neck?"

"The difference between a stalker and a guy who cares about you is how much you accept him in your life."

"And you are accepting Max.", Andrea voiced her thoughts.

Liz confirmed. "So far, Max didn't do anything to make me uncomfortable. He is sweet, caring, knows when to act and when to stop. He makes me feel safe, and I can rely on him. His confidence is well balanced with his capabilities and he treats me as an equal by listening and respecting my decisions."

Andrea's eyes widened in surprise. "Are we talking about the same Max?"

Liz laughed. "I heard that he changed lately."

"Tell me… how did you end up with him?"

Over dinner which included numerous dishes such as miso soup, rice, fish, pickled vegetables, and more, Liz told Andrea about the car accident and heavy rain and how their first encounter didn't go well. But then they ended up as neighbors, and she bumped into Hunter who tricked her and Max to come to the same lunch, and things took off from there.

Andrea almost chocked on the tempura when she heard that Liz thought Max is gay, and she laughed until her belly ached when Liz told her about their first kiss (again, Liz thought that Max is gay, and she left him frozen in the hallway).

"Ah, the two of you are having fun…", Andrea said while wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Yes. We are having fun. Will you tell me why you dislike him so much?"

Andrea sighed. "I told you. Other than him being a typical overbearing Alpha male, I don't dislike him. It's a business thing, and I'm unable to keep business separate from my emotions. From the beginning, we were sitting on the opposite sides of the negotiation table, and every time the Alpha group squeezed a better deal out of Novabank only because they know we need them, my resentment grew."

Liz didn't want to comment on Max being an overbearing Alpha male because Andrea is right. But Liz does not see that as a bad thing. If that is not his personality, he would not be the next CEO of the massive company like the Alpha group. But he treats Liz differently, and for Liz, that is all that matters.

However, Liz didn't understand why Andrea dislikes Max in the context of business when he barely showed up at work during his five-plus years of partying period. "How much I know, Max was absent for a while. How is he responsible for making deals with Novabank?"

"True. But his father, Nathan was there, and from a business perspective, the two of them are representing the same thing: The Alpha group. Because of them, Novabank suffered losses and many doors are closed. Nathan and Max might be looking like gentlemen with smiles on their faces, but they are wolves. They will eat you alive without blinking if it will bring them profits."

Liz noticed that Andrea's voice was rising. "You are saying that they are playing dirty?"

Andrea's eyes narrowed. "Dirty? That is a mild word. A few months ago, we had a disagreement with the Alpha group, and they bailed out from more than one deal. Nathan knew that we needed those deals. To make things worse, several other companies followed in their footsteps. Since then, we are unable to make new deals and we know that is because of Nathan, but we can't do anything about it."

"What is the role of your father in all that?"

"He is helpless like I am.", Andrea admitted.

Liz remembered that Andrea mentioned her father when she spoke about patriarchy, and the report Max gave Liz on Andrea and her father is backing up that story. Liz guessed: "Is your father blaming you for the failed collaboration with the Alpha group?"

Andrea exhaled while scolding herself internally. She said too much already. But for some reason, she felt at ease talking to Liz, it was like an emotional outlet and she could not stop herself from sharing more...

"I would not say that he is blaming me. But he is definitely putting pressure on me to fix things. I guess that years of my successful deals made him think that I have a magic wand which can make people submit to my will."

"And fixing things would be making new deals?"

Andrea tilted her head and observed Liz. "Why do I have a feeling that you are going somewhere with this?"

Liz smiled. "I will be honest. I spoke with Max about the details of your failed deals, and he said that there were few points from your side they disagreed with and you were unwilling to compromise."

Andrea narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Are you so in love that you can't see how your boyfriend is dirty?"

"Of course, not. I am not a person who looks for good or bad in people. I'm looking for the truth. And the truth is that neither of you is squeaky clean. However, the fact is that you ended up with the shorter end of the stick and that they are in a position to bully you. If the situation is reversed, would you let them go?"

Andrea pressed her lips into a line. If the situation is reversed... of course, they would squeeze the last dollar out of them, but she will not admit to it. Actually, her silence is an answer already.

Andrea realized that Liz would not talk about this without a reason. "I assume that you are not here just to rub it in."

Liz bobbed her head while trying to suppress her glee. She is ready for this!

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