I will be coming into the Toronto office late Tuesday night. Then, I’m taking a personal day on Wednesday, and I’ll be flying back to Chicago first thing Thursday morning.
Kirsten Backhard
Senior Partner
Negotiating Way
Toronto, ON, Canada
Chicago, IL, USA
I adjusted the water in the tub and plugged in my iPod. I went to my bedroom to grab my soft silk robe that Drew had bought me, and on my way back to the bathroom, my cell phone went off.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Kirsten, honey, how are you?” my mom asked.
“I’m good, Mom. You?”
“Listen, I want to talk to you about—”
When does she not want to talk to me about something? “Mom, I hate to cut this short, but I was just about to hop into the bath. How about I call you later?”
“Okay, sweetie,” Mom replied.
“Hey, Mom?”
“Yeah?”
Payback is a bitch. “I was just on the phone with Derek, and well, he didn’t fully say that he missed you, but I think he’d like to hear your voice. Just to let you know, he’s finishing up a date, and I think it’s getting serious.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, Mom. I think you should call him right away.” I snickered.
“All right, I will. Thanks.”
“I’ll talk to you in a bit,” I said before hanging up the phone.
I slid into the bathtub, laughing. “That’s right, stupid-ass brother. You get burned when you play with fire.”
There was nothing like letting my body relax in a tub full of warm water. Although my body felt at ease, my mind wouldn’t shut off. Why wouldn’t Drew call me, knowing that I could help his dad out? I knew Drew was a very good buyer, but he sucked at negotiating game. I could read every card he would try to hand over. Why? Why would he let his pride get in the way?
After my calming bath and a good glass of Moscato, I saw I had a text from Derek.
Derek: I hate you!
I was still chuckling when I decided to give my mom a call back.
“Backhard residence,” Mom answered.
“Hi, Mom. It’s me, Kirsten.”
“I know who you are.”
“So, what’s up? Why did you call me?”
“Do I need a reason to call my daughter?”
‘No, of course not…but you always do,” I countered.
“I was just wondering how your weekend was and how you like your new place. Have you had the opportunity to meet your neighbors yet?”
“You mean, are any of my neighbors single men?” I mocked.
“Kirsten, I did not say that.”
I laughed. “Mom, you didn’t have to.”
“Well, then—”
“I had a wonderful time in New York with Liz. We found her wedding dress.”
“That’s lovely, dear.”
“Steve and Logan have a beautiful apartment on the Upper West Side with a great view of Central Park, and we watched the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks on their rooftop.”
“It does sound like you had a wonderful time,” Mom replied.
“We did. I actually just got in thirty minutes before you called earlier.”
“How’s that new apartment of yours?”
“It’s good. It’s small, but I don’t need anything bigger. It came furnished, except for a bed.”
“What color scheme did they go with?”
“Peach.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, it screams Grandma. I’m not here much, so it doesn’t matter. I’m close enough to work that I can walk, and I don’t plan to bring anyone back here, so—”
“I take it that you haven’t met the neighbors yet.”
I snorted. “No, Mom, I haven’t. This job keeps me very busy, and I travel often. I don’t really have an opportunity to meet the neighbors.”
“I see your townhouse is up for sale.”
“It is. I’m not there enough, and that place is a little big for one person who would only be there four times a month. When I do come home, I thought it’d be easier to just stay at a hotel or Derek’s.”
“You can always stay here,” my mom offered.
“I know, Mom. Thanks.”
I didn’t know what else to say, and apparently, neither did my mother.
“Did you get a hold of Derek?” I probed.
“Oh, I did, dear, but I think I caught him at a bad time.”
“I guess his date ran longer than I thought. Sorry about that, Mom.”
“He said that he’d come have breakfast with your dad and me tomorrow.”
“Have a good time.”
“Do you know how serious this new girlfriend is?” Mom inquired.
“I haven’t met her yet, but I hear she’s been around for a while. Is he going to bring her over for breakfast?”
“He said she can’t make it. I guess her boss is really mean to her, and she would be written up or possibly fired if she were to show up late.”
“He said that, huh?” I said in a bored tone.
“Could you imagine working for someone like that?”
“No, I can’t.” I tried to hold back my laugher. “Have a good night, Mom. Say hi to Dad for me.”
“I love you, Kirsten.”
“Love you, too, Mom.” I hung up and immediately sent a text to Derek.
Me: Enjoy breakfast. LOL. :-D
Friday afternoon, I was sitting at my desk in Chicago, eating yogurt and nuts, as I thought about Swept Publishing. Why can I not figure out anything about this company?
“Wow, it looks like you are in deep thought over there.”
“Oh, hey, Rick. I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I don’t think that you would have heard a pack of elephants walking in. What has you so caught up in that pretty little head of yours?”
“I’m trying to find some information about a company—Swept Publishing. Have you heard of them?”
“I have.”
I instantly snapped my head toward Rick. “You have?”
“Yeah. They’re actually named Stewart-William and Ethan-Peter Thompson Publications. They’re brothers, and let me tell you, they play dirty.”
“How do you know them?”
“When I was almost finished with school, I sat in meetings with them at the firm where I apprenticed.”
“What happened?”
“What didn’t happen? Those guys are total assholes. One time, when I walked into the room, Ethan said, ‘Oh, they let the little boy come and play.’ Then, during the meeting, they would only talk to Will, and they ignored Heather unless they were looking at her cleavage and she was the head negotiator. I could tell that Will was getting pissed, so I asked for a ten-minute break. Will, Heather, and I regrouped, and we came up with a plan, which consisted of Will doing the talking and Heather playing a dumb ditz.”
“Dumb ditz?” I asked.
“You know…when she laughed, she tipped her head back. She dropped her pencil many times and ran her fingers against the collar of her shirt as she asked if it the room was warm.”
“I think I got it. So, what happened then?”
“Well, we found their weak link.”
“Which is?” I couldn’t hold my excitement in.
“Ethan is the brain of the operation. Stewart is there to look pretty. When they go after a publication company, they go in as Swept Publishing. They have other associates make the offer and make it sound so good that no one would think about turning them away. Meanwhile, they are totally ripping the company off. When the final meeting takes place, that’s when the person finds out it’s Stewart-William and Ethan-Peter Thompson Publications. By then, it’s almost too late to turn them down. That’s how they became one of the biggest independent publishers. Once we figured out that Stewart could very easily be distracted with Heather, we demanded things for the company we were representing. Ethan played hardball, but Stewart told hi
s brother that all good deals need some negotiating.”
“At the end, how did you guys fair out?”
“They ended up paying more. Plus, for every book that sold under their publisher’s name, the company we represented still got fifteen percent of the royalties for one year after the sale. I think it worked out to be a million dollars more than what Ethan and Stewart originally offered.”
I had the biggest smile on my face. “That’s great!” I had no problem using my assets to get what I want, and I needed my assets to work next week.
“Kirsten, I see that look in your eye,” Rick said.
“What look?”
“The look that says the next company you are going after isn’t going to know what hit them.”
I just smiled and did an evil laugh. “Muh-hu-hu-hu-ha.”
“Good luck. You are going to need it,” offered Rick.
“Thanks, Rick. I owe you.”
I spent the rest of my evening learning as much as I could about Stewart-William and Ethan-Peter Thompson.
Saturday morning, I finally received an email from my assistant, Jennifer.
Ms. Backhard,
Swept Publishing was very hard to find. I used every resource possible. I finally came up with Stewart-William and Ethan-Peter Thompson Publications. They are based out of Seattle, Washington. They are one of the top ten companies in their field, and they are known for playing a dirty game.
They inherited the company from their father, Martin, five years ago when he passed. Ethan handles the business side of things, and Stewart is the face. They each own fifty percent of the company. That’s all I have for now, but I’ll keep digging.
—Jennifer
Well, well, well, it looks like it’s time to put my plan into play. I changed into my comfy sweats and Drew’s T-shirt before I made a phone call. I hope Drew’s dad isn’t gonna be weirded out because I’m calling him.
“Hello?” answered Drew’s dad.
“Hi, Mr. Parker. It’s Kirsten, Drew’s friend from college.”
“Hello, Kirsten. What a pleasure it is to hear from you.”
“Well, it’s been a while, and I just finished a book your company published. When I read your name, I thought it was time I said hello.”
“I’m glad you did,” he said, sounding pleased. “How are you?”
“I’m doing great. I’m a senior partner at my firm, but most of my work is out of Chicago now.”
“Isn’t that something?”
“I like to think that I keep my parents proud.”
“I’m sure you do.”
“What’s new with you and Mrs. Parker?”
“Well, I’m thinking of retiring.”
“I do believe that Drew mentioned that. I heard you might have a buyer.”
“Yes, I have received an offer from a company to buy us out, and the deal they proposed is pretty good.”
“Did you look around and get a second opinion? I mean, your company has heart and soul to it. Don’t you want to see it go to someone with similar values?”
“I do, but Drew looked at the offer, and he said it looked okay to him.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, Mr. Parker, I didn’t realize how late it was. I’m sorry. You and Mrs. Parker must have been off to bed.”
“Not quite yet, but shortly, yes.”
“Please don’t let me keep you. Have a pleasant evening.”
“We will, and I hope to see you soon.”
“You will,” I added for extra measure.
Early Monday afternoon, Jennifer sent me one last email on Swept Publishing.
Ms. Backhard,
This company sure doesn’t let a lot of information go public. I even checked to see if they had any Facebook accounts. I don’t really have much more to give you.
Ethan is married, and he just bought a home in the newest development in north Seattle. He married his father’s best friend’s daughter, Missy, three years ago. I found no signs of them having children. She is a stay-at-home wife and does charity work with their country club.
Stewart is the playboy of the family. I happened to come across his photos more often than Ethan’s. He never appears with the same girl twice. He’s cute. He has red hair and kind of reminds me of Prince Harry. I’m not sure on his living location though.
Ethan went to school for business, and Stewart went to school for marketing. Their father passed away mid-September 2009. The company officially became theirs on October 26, 2009.
I’m sorry that this isn’t much to go on.
—Jennifer
I immediately replied.
Jennifer,
Your research has helped me out a great deal. Thank you. With what you sent me along with what I found out here in Chicago, I think I have enough.
You’re right! In the photo you sent, Stewart does look like Prince Harry. LOL.
Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off? ☺
—Kirsten
Tuesday night, I went into the Toronto office really late to gather all the info that Jennifer had managed to collect, and then I headed to a hotel. I didn’t want to blow my cover, so I hadn’t told anyone that I would be here.
I didn’t know why I was so nervous. I made bigger deals than this all the time.
Wednesday morning, I walked over to the mini-kitchen area and prepared a cup of coffee before heading to the bathroom to get ready. I decided to blow dry my hair upside down and spray the shit out of it to leave it untamed and curly. I kept my makeup natural-looking, but I made my eyes pop. I have long eyelashes, so why not use them to my advantage? I put on a shiny lip gloss and Drew’s favorite perfume.
I looked in the closet and decided I wanted to wear my red pumps. I paired it with my black suit that was tailored to my body. Underneath my suit jacket, I chose a red bodice blouse. I looked professional yet desirable. It was the perfect look for what I needed to happen.
Thanks to our office spy, I knew that the meeting was taking place at nine thirty, so I planned to arrive at nine forty and make my entrance.
On my way to P&P Parker Publishing, I received a text from the real estate company, saying that they had an offer on my condo. It was twenty thousand less than what I was asking. I laughed. I texted back and declined, saying they needed to come back with a real offer.
Once I arrived at P&P, I was quietly escorted back to where the meeting was taking place, thanks to my spy’s girlfriend. I pushed up my boobs, flicked my hair over my shoulder, and took one good deep breath. You can do this. You need to do this for Drew.
As I pressed open the door, I noticed my hand was shaking. When the door was completely opened all the way, four men stopped and looked at me. I smiled as Drew stood.
“Good morning, gentlemen. I’m sorry for arriving late. My plane was delayed this morning.” I looked over at Drew’s dad. “I’m assuming, Mr. Parker, that my email didn’t go through while I was on the runway.”
Mr. Parker grinned. “I didn’t receive anything.”
I walked over and placed my briefcase on the table beside Drew. I looked at the Thompson brothers. “Please give me two minutes, and then we can begin.”
“Please take all the time you need.” Stewart smiled.
I’d placed my briefcase, so the zippers would face the brothers on purpose. Leaning over, I tugged on the latches and zippers. “Oh, I see this zipper is caught.”
“Please let me help you,” Stewart offered.
Just what I thought.
I looked up and smiled as I heard Drew growl, “Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” Stewart answered back.
Once my briefcase was opened, I flipped it around, so it was facing me. I began to pull out papers from it. “Mr. Thompson,” I said, looking to Ethan, “why don’t you go over the pros for my client? This way, he fully understands what the benefits are in selling his company to you and your brother.”
“It’s all in the co
ntract,” Ethan replied.
Well, that didn’t take long to get him pissy.
“Yes, it is, and it’s detailed quite nicely. As you understand from being a smart businessman yourself, it’s always nice to hear it out of the buyer’s mouth.”
“We’ve been very generous in the contact to P&P,” said Stewart.
I smiled and then tilted my body toward Drew. I bent down to pump my chair up as high as it would go, making sure my breasts were on display. As my eyes scanned Drew’s legs, I noticed his hands were fisted in his lap. I slightly touched his hands with one finger before facing the Thompson brothers.
“I don’t know what you have going on here, Mr. Parker—” seethed Ethan.
Before Mr. Parker could reply, I responded, “I’m sorry. My name is Kirsten Backhard.” I stood and reached out my arm to shake both their hands.
Stewart stood quickly. “I’m Stewart, and this is my brother, Ethan.”
I shook his hand and then sat back down since Ethan had not moved. “Yes, from Stewart-William and Ethan-Peter Thompson Publications. I’m very aware of your alias, Swept Publishing. Your father would have been proud of you both.” I smiled at Ethan. I almost let out a small laugh when I noticed his nostrils flaring.
“May I ask, who do you work for?” clipped Ethan.
“What my brother means to say is, we didn’t realize that Mr. Parker was bringing in a negotiator.”
“That’s quite all right.” Lay it on thick, Kirsten. “I work for Negotiating Way out of Toronto and Chicago.” I smiled with pride. “With all due respect, I think it is only fair that Mr. Parker hires someone to look into the contact thoroughly before signing right off that bat. Wouldn’t you agree?”
The Game-Kirsten Backhard Page 11