The Accidental Honeymoon

by Alice Toby

  Karin’s body begins to shake. Even though she has already signed the contract and the marriage is only to last a year, she feels the nervous quiver of excitement at seeing Ryan on one knee with the ring presented to her.

  “Yes,” Karin nods with a tear in her eye. Ryan takes the engagement ring and places it on Karin’s right ring finger. The young woman looks at the ring. The couple embrace at the top of the bridge. A nearby elderly lady begins to clap. The CEO picks up Karin and carries her off of the bridge.

  As Karin looks at the ring, she realizes how real the situation has become. She is going to get married to Ryan. “Let’s go celebrate,” Ryan suggests. The CEO calls for his car. Ryan tells his driver to take them to Sky Room rooftop bar in Midtown. Karin can’t take her eyes off of the ring. The couple arrives at the rooftop bar just as the sunset gives way to the evening. “I want everyone up here to have a glass of Cristal on me!” Ryan tells the bartender. Soon, everyone in the bar knows that Ryan and Karin are about to be married. The usually jaded Manhattan crowd instantly becomes friendly with the newly engaged couple. Karin shows off her ring to the crowd. Ryan happily takes photos with anyone who asks for it. The celebration continues well into the early morning hours.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Karin wakes up in the large white bed. She is alone in the guest suite with memories of last night’s celebration still fresh in her head. She knows that she got extremely drunk. For a moment, she wonders if her and Ryan actually did it. The young woman turns to her side and looks out of the large window facing Central Park. She remembers Ryan carrying her into the bedroom and lying her down onto the bed. Then Karin vaguely remembers stripping down to her underwear after he had left the room. No, they didn’t have sex. But, they enjoyed every other emotion a perfect couple can imagine together.

  Karin hops out of bed and takes a shower. She walks out of the bedroom and looks for the new clothes Ryan had purchased for her the day before. She finds that all of the purchased clothes had been meticulously washed, pressed and put away in the bedroom’s large walk in closet. Karin walks into the closet and stares at her new wardrobe. For a moment, the young intern simply stares and marvels at all of the high-end labels before her. Karin decides for something casual - a pair of white shorts and a polo shirt she had purchased the day before. The young intern catches a view of herself in a full-length mirror and giggles at how preppie she appears. Karin walks out of the bedroom, looking for Ryan. She makes her way to the master bedroom where she spies her future husband putting on a simple Sonic Youth T-shirt and jeans. All of a sudden, Karin feels completely overdressed. Ryan may be one of the richest men in the world. But he is still a young, rough-around-the-edges kid at heart.

  “You look good!” Ryan remarks as he walks out of the bedroom.

  “Thanks.”

  “Let’s have some breakfast.”

  Karin unexpectedly finds that breakfast has been served in the mansion’s garden. This comes as a shock to her since she didn’t even know the Upper East Side residence has a garden. The space is not large. But a garden, of any size, in Manhattan is a rare luxury. A small white table has been prepared with a collection of fruit slices, fresh baked bread, coffee and orange juice for the couple. Off to the side is a collection of the morning’s newspapers.

  Ryan and Karin take a seat. The young intern goes for the orange juice while Ryan opts for a fresh biscuit. In between bites, the CEO takes a casual look at the city tabloids. He picks up the New York Post and finds himself and Karin on the cover. Ryan smiles and shows it to his future wife. “Wild Engagement?” the headline reads accompanying a photo of the two inside Tiffany’s flagship store.

  “It looks like we’re famous,” Ryan jokes.

  Karin looks at herself on the front page of the paper. The young intern never imagined herself on the front page of anything unless she had killed somebody. “I can’t believe that’s us on the front page.”

  Ryan grabs the other tabloids. “It looks like we’re also on the front page of the Daily News.”

  “You must be used to this. This is freaking me out.”

  “Oh, it freaked me out the first time. Then you get used to it.”

  “I need to learn not to be so self-conscious. When we were walking into Tiffanys, I could feel everyone staring at the two of us. And I have to be honest, I don’t feel like I’ve earned it.”

  “I know. I know. This is all new to you. When I first starting getting attention, people would critique the way I dressed. I’ve had journalist comment on the way I smelled during an interview. Granted, I usually just came from an 18-hour work day to do an interview and didn’t have time to freshen up. Those guys always look for an angle to make you look mortal. Just remember, everything around you is changing. But deep down inside, you are the same.”

  “Thanks. I still feel like I should be doing more.”

  “Well, you do have a wedding to plan.”

  “Oh my goodness. That’s right! I have to hop to it.”

  “Like I said before, you have a blank canvas. This is your show.”

  “A girl can have a crazy imagination.”

  “A good imagination is better than a good intellect. Intellect is simply the absorbing of material. Imagination is the creation of material.”

  “Well, I’m imagining a wedding in Europe.”

  “That’s great. It’ll be fun. Where in Europe?”

  “Paris,” Karin replies shyly.

  “Wonderful. We can have our honeymoon on the South of France. Then we can pop over to Monaco for a few days.”

  Karin playfully puts her head on the table. “I haven’t even thought of the honeymoon.”

  “It’ll be like a nice long vacation. The entire affair can take place over the summer. During that time, the merger will be grinding away in regulatory hearings and whatnot.”

  “You sure know how to make a girl’s dream come true.”

  “This is our dream,” Ryan replies. Of course, Karin is thinking that eventually, all dreams have to come to an end. Then she shakes off that negative thought and thinks of the incredible months ahead of her.

  For the remainder of the weekend, Ryan and Karin explore various bridal shops in the city. They talk about the guest list and even muse about the choice of cuisine at the wedding reception. Both of them are having fun because they know that there is not real pressure. They are not a “real” couple getting married. More like good friends playing an elaborate prank on the rest of the world. By Sunday night, the couple is beat from two days of wedding planning. Ryan’s attention focuses on the impending release of the merger news on Monday morning.

  ****

  Emperor Technologies and IBS agree to a blockbuster merger. Two tech giants will combine to create the eighth largest company in the world. When the press release hit the wire at exactly 8 a.m. on Monday morning, the entire financial world gasped.

  “Wow. This is one of the most shocking Monday morning bombshells I have ever seen. The conservative eighty-year old blue chip IBS is going to merge with the hot start-up Emperor Technologies,” one of the CNBC commentators muses. “Just a year ago, Emperor was worth one third of IBS. But that’s not even the most mind-boggling part of this breaking news report. It appears that 36-year old Ryan Wilde, the bad boy of Silicon Valley, will become the Chief Executive Officer of the combined company.”

  “That’s insane,” one of the other CNBC analysts chimes in. “I don’t see how the IBS board approved that.”

  “Ryan is considered a genius. But an immature genius. There has been talk about him being replaced at his own company. Now, he is poised to run the second largest tech company in the world, after Apple.”

  “Well, if you looked at Saturday’s New York Post, you can see that he was ring shopping at Tiffany’s. Perhaps he could be engaging in another merger as well.”

  “This is all very crazy. A crazy Monday morning we are having here at CNBC. Right now, we are going to go to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel where Ryan Wilde,
CEO of Emperor is about to hold a press conference along with IBS CEO Ed Horace. We presume the 73-year old IBS chief will be retiring when the merger closes. Let’s listen in to the press conference right now.”

  The two CEOs sit at a dias in front of two hundred financial reporters jostling for position. Behind them is a large white canvas board featuring both the IBS and Emperor logos.

  “Good morning, everyone,” Ryan tells the crowd.

  “Good morning,” Ed Horace adds.

  “As you know Emperor Technologies and International Business Systems have agreed to a merger. The new company will be known as Emperor-IBS. The combined company will have over 100,000 employees in 178 countries. I shall lead the company in the capacity of Chief Executive Officer. And our global headquarters will be located in Palo Alto, California. Throughout my entire life, I have always admired IBS. A company who literally brought commercial databasing to every business on the planet. I look forward to combining IBS’s leading commercial computing technology with Emperor’s innovative consumer technology.”

  Just as Ryan finishes his sentence, the financial reporters begin to shout questions.

  “Mr. Horace. What is your role in the new firm?”

  “My new role is analyzing the sunsets from my estate in Maui.”

  The entire room erupts in laughter.

  “So I take it that you will be retiring?”

  “Indeed. I did not want to retire until I felt the company would be left in good hands. Mr. Wilde is that man. He has a vision that only a handful of people in history possess.”

  “Thanks,” Ryan says, and smiles in a rare display of public humility.

  One of the reporters stands up and asks. “Mr. Wilde, many have called into question your maturity. For instance, the incident on your yacht in St. Barth’s. How do you feel you’ll be able to convince the very conservative shareholders of IBS that you are ready?”

  Ryan has been waiting for this question. He straightens out his posture and answers, “I understand their concerns. They look at me and make assumptions. I ask that the shareholders to instead look at my company’s performance over the past 15 years. If they can do better than a 35% annualized return, then I suggest they sell their shares. I’ll buy them.”

  “Speaking of purchases, the front page of the New York Post on Saturday showed you at the engagement ring counter at Tiffany’s with a young woman. Were you buying her an engagement ring?” one of the reporters asks.

  Now, everyone leans in to listen for the answer. “Well, I guess I’m announcing yet another major merger at this press conference.”

  The crowd gasps.

  “So you are getting married?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who is the lucky gal?”

  “Here name is Karin Davis. We met at work. And we hit it off.”

  “In what department is she employed at Emperor?”

  “She is an intern.”

  Several members of the press laugh at that answer.

  “How old is she?” one reporter asks.

  “21.”

  “A little old for you!” one of the reporters heckles. Now everyone laughs. Ryan wants to give the guy the middle finger. Instead he simply shrugs his shoulders and rolls with the punches.

  “Karin is wonderful. I’m looking forward to the wedding.”

  “When is the big affair?” A reporter asks.

  “Probably in a few months. This summer.”

  “Where?”

  “We’re thinking about having the wedding in Paris.”

  As the press conference rolls on, all the business news channels begin to focus more on Ryan’s wedding announcement rather than the merger.

  “I’d never thought I’d say that a 400 billion dollar merger would be the second biggest story at a news conference,” one of the CNBC hosts comments.

  “It looks like Ryan Wilde, the man who is never seen with the same woman twice, is really settling down,” another host comments.

  “You know, perhaps Ryan Wilde is changing his ‘wild ways.’ He is going to merge with blue chip company IBS. He is getting married. Before you know it, he will shuttling kids around in his minivan.”

  “I’d never thought I’d see the day.”

  “Well, it looks like Ryan may indeed become straight-laced enough to satisfy any of the concerns the conservative IBS shareholders may have about their new CEO.”

  As the press conference continues on, Karin watches from the side of the table. She is away from the cameras, watching her future husband talk about the merger and his new responsibilities. As Karin watches, a couple of the reporters and camera people begin to recognize her from the front page of the Post and the Daily News.

  “Karin?” one of the reporters calls out. The intern turns her head. All of a sudden, several members of the press approach her. The young intern watches as the harsh lights of the cameras and suited men swarm her. She takes a step back until her heels touch the wall.

  “How did you and Ryan meet?” “How long have the two of you been dating?” “When did he propose to you?”

  The young woman panics and begins to repel away from the questions. She walks over towards Author Stevens and literally takes shelter behind Emperor’s General Counsel. The lawyer immediately notices what’s going on and tells the reporters to give the young woman a break. The media is not having any of it. The aggressive pressmen circle around Author and continue to badger Karin with questions. As the onslaught of inquiries continues, Karin begins to think about what Ryan would say. He would not shy away from the questions. He would use some witty rebuttal or turn the tables on the reporters. With a new sense of confidence, Karin looks at the reporters and simply laughs. “So I guess none of you are hard news reporters,” Karin taunts.

  A couple of the reporters are taken aback.

  “How do you know Ryan?”

  “I’m an intern at his company.”

  “How long have you two been dating?”

  “A couple of months.”

  “Do you know about his reputation?”

  “Who doesn’t?”

  “Did he make you sign a pre-nup?”

  “Now what does that have to do with the merger?” Karin challenges.

  “I’m here to cover a story,” the reporter answers.

  “Well, the story is over where my fiancee is holding court,” Karin answers. The reporter suddenly becomes red-faced.

  The press conference begins to break-up. Ryan shakes hands and hugs Ed, creating the opportune photo-op for the press. Karin waits until Ryan appears done posing for photos. She quickly seek refuge by his side.

  “You are certainly more animated than usual,” Ryan comments.

  “The reporters started swarming me.”

  “I’ll handle them.”

  As Ryan walks off of the dias, the reporters proceed to pepper the CEO with questions about his fiancee.

  “Now, behave yourselves or your invitation to the wedding will get lost in the mail,” Ryan warns the reporters. The couple disappears through a set of double doors and is whisked away by hotel security to their waiting Bentley. As soon as Karin enters the vehicle, she feels safe again. The car speeds away and makes it way back to the Upper East Side.

  The couple celebrates their weekend. A complete victory for both of them. When Karin reaches the confines of Ryan’s residence, she is able to completely relax and recognize the wonderfulness of everything that has happened to her. She begins to feel more comfortable around Ryan and his world of ambition and opulence. And, for the first time, she feels as though she doesn’t have to guard her words with Ryan so much.

  “We’re flying back to Palo Alto in two hours,” Ryan tells Karin.

  “You lead such a crazy life. Do you ever get tired?”

  “Not really. People don’t get tired. They get tired of doing things. I believe the human body has a limitless amount of energy. If you are doing something you enjoy, you are never fatigued.”

  “That’s a heck
of a lesson. I need to remember that.”

  Ryan reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. “I know you’ll be busy planning the wedding. I’m going to have one of my private bankers extend you a line of credit so you can start making the arrangements. Book anything you need to: hotels, personnel and the like. Don’t worry about cost. Make the wedding an event everyone will talk about.”

  Karin smiles. “Wow. I’m never going to get tired of doing that!”

  ****

  Michelle Ackman sits inside the cabin of Ryan’s private plane. The group is 35,000 feet above the middle of the country. As the President of Emperor Technologies, she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the 30,000-person company. Sometimes that involves making sure Emperor’s products make it to stores. Or ensuring the company’s online operations are operating smoothly. Other times, this has involved maintaining control of the company’s young and talented employees. At 34 years of age, Michelle is actually considered one of the “older” people at Emperor. She started her first company while a sophomore at Stanford and made her first million one month before graduation. While Michelle was recruited by every top company in Silicon Valley, she opted to go with the relatively unknown Emperor Technologies. The reason was simple. While everyone else was offering her an engineering job, Ryan offered her the number two position in the then 20 person company. The thought of her being president of any company, at the age of 21, was an ego trip she could not pass up. Ryan not only hired Michelle for her brilliance but also for her maturity. She has always been the counterbalance to Ryan’s reckless behavior. Right now, Michelle’s concerns are not about Ryan but about another potential adversary to the company - the media.

  Michelle grabs her laptop and begins to write an e-mail for the executive staff at the company. “As you may have heard, our CEO will be busy with both the merger and his impending nuptials. We are also in the process of developing our highly sensitive new product for launch in the fourth quarter. Media attention and focus on our company will be at an unprecedented level. Every department head must direct their staff to maintain complete ‘radio silence’ in regards to the media. Any leaks, off-the-record comments or any other dissemination of company information will result in immediate termination.”