But it was already too late. The laughter was bubbling at the back of her throat, threatening to escape at any second. Beside her, Athena was a mess—her face was as red as a monkey's butt, her shoulders trembling violently as she clutched at Hera's dress with desperate, spasming fingers. Hera could feel her trying to pull her under the table, possibly so they could laugh in peace and not offend the walking CEO cliché in front of them.
Tears were already streaming down Athena's face from holding in her laughter, and Hera didn't dare look at her again. She tried looking elsewhere—anywhere—but when her gaze landed on the utterly clueless Minerva and Liz, who blinked back at her with wide, innocent eyes, it only made things worse.
She squeezed her eyes shut again. 'Breathe, Hera. Breathe. Don't laugh. Don't ruin this man's entire ego in one go.'
