One of the women screamed in terror. “Screaming like that is so unproductive,” Greg noted to himself.
Greg backed slightly, rolled his shoulder in, and Emile’s fist was a half inch short of his nose. Greg didn’t see it, but sensed the other half of a combination punch. He instinctively ducked his head down. Emile’s left hand sailed just over Greg’s head, actually making contact with Greg’s hair. It was very close and was a near disaster for Greg, but he weathered it.
Greg then took one step forward. He bladed his hand and got it locked in right above Emile’s elbow. Using Emile’s own body weight and momentum, he immediately put Emile in a standing straight arm lock. Greg had to resist the the temptation to break Emile’s elbow in half right there in front of everyone. Instead, he applied a little pressure and it made Emile whimper. Emile tried desperately to escape the arm lock. Greg slowly increased the pressure until Emile quit fighting and was standing absolutely still.
“Let me go!” screamed Emile. “This hurts! You are like to break my arm!”
“Shut up, Emile,” said Greg. “You attacked me. Did everyone see how he came at me and swung at me?” asked Greg.
“Yes, Greg,” Chen replied. “We all saw it.”
“I don’t want any more violence, Emile,” pronounced Greg. “If you continue to struggle and it comes to violence, I will literately break your arm in half. I am a smaller man than you, but what you don’t know is that I am the youngest and smallest of five brothers. They beat the absolute shit out of me as a kid on a daily basis. The consequence of that is that I’m extremely tough and I can put up a hell of a fight. My brothers and I went to Brazilian Ju Jitsu together for years. I got my black belt before I got my Doctorate. I earned my black belt, Emile.”
Greg looked around the table. Everyone was watching with rapt attention. Quiara had a weird look on her face. It was a disbelieving awe. She couldn’t believe her husband had bested Emile in physical combat. She was doing a major reassessment.
Greg suddenly released the pressure on Emile’s elbow and kicked him on the back of his knees. Emile plopped down onto his knees with a hard crack. Greg then pulled Emil’s arm over his head and put him into a wrist lock. Emile couldn’t move as much as an inch without breaking his own wrist.
To the table as a whole, Greg said, “In case you all didn’t realize what just happened, we just established that Emile takes all of our wives out to secret romantic lunches at Le Coucou. Emile, don’t you tell those women the lunches are so that you can have a bit of a romantic tête-à-tête in a private setting?”
When Emile didn’t respond, Greg applied more pressure to his wrist. Emile grunted and said. “Yes, that is what I tell them.”
“Ladies, if you were not taken by Emile to Le Coucou for a romantic tête-à-tête in a private setting, please raise your hand. Be honest, now. I have had been watching Emile for quite some time and I know who has and who hasn’t. Don’t make me call you out as a liar.”