The Merger Mogul

by Donna Every

  “That would be great Michaela and any time you guys want to use the condo, just let me know.”

  They walked through security to give KT and Daniel some privacy. Daniel took both of KT’s hands in his and looked her deeply in the eyes.

  “I love you KT,” he said.

  She caught her breath. That was totally unexpected. Tears pooled in her eyes and spilled from her lower lids.

  “Don’t cry,” said Daniel pulling her into his arms.

  “Oh Daniel, I love you so much.”

  “I’m relieved! I thought you were crying because you had to tell me that you didn’t love me,” he teased.

  She sniffed and smiled tremulously.

  “Sorry that this isn’t a more romantic setting but I couldn’t keep it any longer.”

  “The setting is perfect,” KT assured him. Having Daniel actually say that he loved her made any setting perfect.

  He slid his hands into her hair and held her head in place as he kissed her deeply. “I’m going to miss you so much,” he said huskily, pulling her in for one more hug. “I’ll see you in a few weeks but I’ll call you every day.”

  “That will cost a fortune,” she protested.

  “You’re worth more than a fortune to me, KT.”

  “I’d better go before I start bawling,” she sniffed.

  They released each other with great reluctance and KT quickly walked away to give her passport to the security officer. She briefly turned around and waved as she got to the departure door, looking as if she would burst into tears at any moment. Daniel felt as if a part of him was leaving with KT and he wondered how he would get through the next five weeks.

  Back at his condo Daniel felt incredibly lonely. The place seemed so empty and lifeless without KT. All he could do to ease the aching loneliness was to lose himself in his search to understand oneness which was beginning to obsess him. He turned on his laptop and went to get his copy of Built to Last while he waited for it to boot up.

  Now that he’d discovered the concept of oneness, he was seeing it in the books he had brought. In the same story that he had discussed with KT about Team Guatemala in Presence, he recognized that when the team came into agreement, or oneness, things began to happen which had seemed impossible before, given the enmity that existed between them during the civil war. He also saw it in Built to Last where companies which had been around for a hundred years seemed to have succeeded in part because they indoctrinated newcomers into the culture, so that everyone spoke the same language and they were constantly sharing their vision so that everyone understood what they were aiming for and were committed to working together to achieve it.

  Finally all the programs had been loaded and Daniel was able to open Word, start a new document and begin to type.

  That night Daniel lay on his bed and waited for KT to call. She’d promised to call him when she got home which he expected would be about 10.30 p.m. her time or 11.30 in Barbados. While waiting he began to read Luke which he hadn’t done much of since KT and the others were there. He soon began to see a pattern emerging. Jesus would teach the people and then he would do miracles. Daniel realized that he would communicate his message then he would demonstrate it. People began to follow him because they not only heard his message but they could see the truth of it being worked out before their eyes and they saw how it could benefit their lives.

  He was still engrossed in his research when the telephone rang but he picked it up right away.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi Daniel. I’ve reached home safely. It’s freezing here and I miss you already. But I just wanted to say thank you so much for what was the best week of my life.”

  “You’re very welcome, KT and it’s been the best week of my life too. The place is so quiet and empty without you. The only good thing is that I’m getting quite a lot of work done without you to distract me,” he teased. “Maybe I’ll come home earlier.”

  “That would be wonderful Daniel.”

  “I’ll let you know. Glad you got back safely. Love you.”

  “Love you too. Bye.”

  Daniel hoped that she would still love him after he told her the truth. Maybe it was best not to say anything. Why spoil something this good? The truth will set you free. OK, roger that!

  Chapter 27

  Three weeks later, Daniel walked into his apartment just before 11 p.m. and dropped his suitcase and laptop case next to the hall table. Barbados was wonderful but it was great to be home. At least he was in the same country as KT again. He’d planned to stay for the whole time but Bryan had called him a couple a days of ago to tell him that things were looking bad and that he should come back sooner rather than later. What he found amazing was his response to the situation. A year ago he would have been going crazy with worry, but for some reason he didn’t feel worried. He felt that everything would be alright. He had a peace that he couldn’t explain given the circumstances; it made no sense but it kept him sane.

  He’d got a lot done and he’d managed to come up with several strategies to help merged companies, or those thinking about merging, based on the concept of oneness. When he took a break from working, he’d met Mandy’s parents and had dinner out with the family one night. They seemed pretty reserved, at least compared to Mandy, but he put it down to their being English. He was glad that he and Mandy had agreed to be friends and he was truthful when he told her that he hoped to see her again sometime and wished her well with chef school.

  Although he’d been fed on the plane, that seemed like hours ago and he was beginning to feel hungry. His throat also felt dry and a bit sore. Heading to the kitchen to see if there was anything edible in it, he was pleasantly surprised to find his fridge well stocked. He smiled and silently blessed Margaret for her thoughtfulness. When they got through this recession he’d give her a big raise. He made himself a sandwich, grabbed a coke and headed back to the living room where he sat on the couch and turned on the TV to see what was happening in the business news. It was much too late to call KT so he sent her a text just to let her know he was back in town.

  That brought back the nagging question that followed him all the way from Barbados, kept him company on the plane, and now was here as well. Where, when and how would he tell KT about Mandy? He didn’t want to tell her somewhere publicly so he’d either invite her here or go to her place. When? As soon as possible because it was eating him up. How? Well, he’d have to play that one by ear.

  He’d bought her a bracelet at the airport in Barbados which he was eager to give her. He knew that she would think the gift was a bribe when he told her about Mandy but it wasn’t. As soon as he saw the diamond and ruby bracelet he’d thought of KT and bought it for her. They might be in a recession but he wasn’t destitute yet. Most women would be delighted with a gift like that but he’d probably have to persuade KT to accept it. He’d have preferred to buy an engagement ring but he felt that would have been a bit presumptuous under the circumstances.

  Suddenly feeling very tired and achy, he stood up, stretched and yawned and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before bed. Tomorrow was another day.

  Daniel awoke to the sound of the phone ringing next to his bed. He thought that he was dreaming for a while until the persistent ringing penetrated the fog of his sleep.

  “Hello?” he managed in a hoarse voice. His throat felt dry and his body felt sore. He hoped he wasn’t coming down with anything.

  “Daniel I’m sorry if I woke you!”

  “Hi KT, no problem, I don’t mind you waking me up. In fact, I’d like you to wake me up every morning but with kisses.”

  “Daniel Tennant! I’m so glad you’re back. I missed you so much.”

  “Me too. I wanted to see you today. I have a present for you but I feel as if I’m coming down with something and I wouldn’t want to make you sick.”

  “Daniel, I work in a hospital, I’m not going to get sick. I can come around and bring you some chicken soup as soon as I can. Would that be O
K?”

  “I’d love you to KT if you’re sure you’ll be alright. My apartment is Penthouse 2 in the East River Apts on 59th Street. There’s underground parking. Can’t wait to see you.”

  Daniel’s heart accelerated at the thought of KT coming to his apartment. He wasn’t sure if it was excitement because he hadn’t seen her for three weeks or if it was anxiety at having the opportunity to tell her about Mandy. Was this really the best time? He dragged himself to the bathroom feeling a bit weak and slightly feverish. This was not how he envisaged entertaining KT in his penthouse but maybe she’d be more sympathetic to him in his illness. He hoped so.

  KT rang the doorbell to Daniel’s apartment. She’d gotten a bit lost on the way but she was here at last. She looked around appreciatively while she waited for Daniel to open the door. Only the best for Daniel, she thought as she looked at the luxurious foyer and then remembered the vow he had made to never lack for anything again.

  Daniel opened the door dressed in black silk pajamas. His hair was mussed up and he looked as if he’d just gotten out of bed. He was gorgeous. He held the door open and KT walked into his arms carefully balancing the bowl of chicken soup she had managed to make. Daniel held her tightly, almost desperately, even as he said: “I hope you don’t get sick.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she insisted. “Now show me the kitchen and you go and lie down. I’ll take care of you.”

  Daniel showed her the way to the kitchen and headed back to bed. He could get used to this, even if he was too ill to fully enjoy it right now.

  A few minutes later KT came in with a bowl of soup which she put on the bedside table to cool. She pushed back Daniel’s hair and felt his brow which was a bit warm.

  “You feel feverish. Do you have a thermometer?”

  “No, I don’t think so. I’ve got some tablets in the cupboard in my bathroom if you don’t mind getting a couple for me.”

  “No problem.” KT passed through the walk-in closet and went into the bathroom to look for the medicine. The bathroom was very masculine and sophisticated, decorated in creams and dark blues with gold plated faucets. It was kind of strange being in Daniel’s space, seeing his shaving stuff, his cologne etc but it felt intimate and she liked it. Finding the tablets in a small medicine cabinet she took them to him and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

  “You didn’t have to bring me soup you know KT, but I really appreciate it. I love having you here.”

  “I love being here,” she admitted feeding him some soup “and I know you’re too weak to try anything.” He laughed ruefully well aware that she was right about that.

  “Oh, I almost forgot. I brought you a present. It’s in my laptop case near the front door. Would you mind bringing it? Sorry to give you all this work.”

  “You bought me a present? Oh Daniel, you didn’t have to!” She found his laptop bag dropped on the floor next to his suitcase and took it to him. Daniel removed a bag from it and took out a square but flattish box which he held back for a moment.

  “When I saw this at the airport I immediately thought of you so I hope you like it and that you’ll accept it.” He handed her the box keeping his eyes on her face.

  KT opened the box and put a hand over her mouth which had dropped open. Her eyes immediately filled with tears. “Daniel this is beautiful!” she struggled to control her tears. “You’re not going to believe this but when we were leaving Barbados I walked into a store at the airport and saw this very bracelet and admired it but I couldn’t afford it. How did you know?”

  “I didn’t know. Maybe it’s a sign.” KT hugged him and let him put on the bracelet for her.

  “Thank you Daniel. I’ll treasure it.”

  Daniel knew it was now or never. “KT this is not how I intended to do this but I want you to know that I love you very much and I’m serious about you so I want us to go forward with a clean slate, no secrets between us.” He paused. KT had a sudden feeling of disquiet as if she knew she wouldn’t like what Daniel was about to say.

  “I’ve changed a lot since I’ve come to know you KT and I really regret some of the things I did in the past. I wish I could go back and change them.”

  “The past is the past, Daniel, let’s forget about it.”

  “I agree, but I need to tell you about something that happened when I was in Barbados.” KT’s heart felt as if it stopped and then started to race. Daniel looked at her remorsefully as he said: “Just before you agreed to come to Barbados, an English girl who was staying in one of the condos invited me over to dinner as a thank you for putting some sunscreen on her back.” He could feel KT begin to withdraw even though she didn’t physically move. He met her gaze bravely and pressed on: “One thing led to another and we ended up sleeping together.”

  KT stood up and backed away from the bed, clasping her hands around her waist as if she were in pain. Tears of anguish sprang to her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe that Daniel would do such a thing and then invite her to come and visit. She wondered if she had walked past the woman, maybe even spoken to her not knowing that she and Daniel had slept together. The hurt that ripped through her was agonizing. How could Daniel do such a thing and then say that he loved her?

  Daniel’s heart tore at the pain he’d caused her. “I’m sorry, KT. It didn’t mean anything. It was just physical. I even apologized to Mandy afterwards. I never meant to hurt you.”

  “You didn’t think this would hurt me? For all I know I walked past this Mandy on the beach all during the holiday and never even knew that you slept with her. She must have been laughing behind my back.”

  “No, KT, she and her family were away for that week.”

  “Oh is that why you invited me? To have something to do while she was away?”

  “Of course not KT! It wasn’t like that. You’re not being rational. I wanted you with me; I wanted to share Barbados with you. I want to share my life with you KT.” He hadn’t intended to say that but it just came out. He could see KT slipping away and he didn’t want to lose her.

  “Well I want no part of your life, Daniel Tennant, if sharing it means sharing you with every willing female.”

  “It doesn’t, KT. I would never do that again.”

  “And how do I know that Daniel? How can I trust you again? I should have listened to the people who warned me to stay away from you. I can’t deal with this right now. I have to go. Don’t bother to get up, I’ll let myself out.” And with that she walked out. Daniel didn’t try to stop her. He knew that she was hurt and he had to give her some time, but how much? If he thought he had felt bad the night he slept with Mandy, it was nothing compared to the agony that was slicing through him now. Was this how his father felt when he wouldn’t forgive him? He closed his eyes and said: “Jesus.”

  KT drove blindly to Desiree’s apartment, wiping her eyes constantly as fresh tears coursed down her cheeks. She could see curious stares aimed at her as she stopped at traffic lights but she was too hurt to care. She eventually arrived at Des’ place without wrecking the car.

  Desiree answered the door after a couple of knocks.

  “Hi, KT,” she started out cheerfully and broke off abruptly as KT burst into tears again.

  “What’s happened?” she asked anxiously, looking intently into her face.

  “Daniel Tennant happened! Oh Des, everyone was right. He hasn’t changed at all. He slept with someone in Barbados just before I went there!”

  “Oh! The dog! How did you find out?”

  “He told me just now. He said that it didn’t mean anything and it was just physical. That doesn’t make it hurt any less. I feel so betrayed! After the wonderful week we spent together and him telling me that he loved me at the airport, I feel so stupid and so deceived.”

  “Oh, KT, I’m so sorry. It probably really didn’t mean anything to him, given his previous lifestyle. You realize that he didn’t have to tell you and you would never have known? So maybe he does care about you and just wa
nts to go forward without any secrets.”

  “That’s what he said, but I can’t deal with him right now.”

  “Give it some time,” suggested Des. “If you and Daniel are meant to be together God will work it out.”

  Chapter 28

  New York Times June 18, 2009

  Tennant Consulting lands historic merger

  Tennant Consulting has just signed a contract to be the consultant in the Biomass/Solar Farm merger, the largest merger of biotechnology companies to date in the US. The fact that the merger market has declined during the recession must make closing this deal even sweeter for Tennant Consulting.

  There is also talk that a new consulting division in Tennant’s company, will assist with the post-merger integration. This is in stark contrast to the “Love ’em and leave ’em” philosophy of Tennant, who, until fairly recently, was well known for assisting with mergers, walking away with a fat check and not looking back…

  Daniel grimaced to himself as he leaned back in his chair. He put down the New York Times and looked out of the window of his office, absently noticing that many of the windows in the nearby buildings were now darkened. Glancing at his watch he saw that it was after 8.00 p.m. He’d been working long hours ever since he came back to work just over two months ago but there was nothing to go home to and he hardly went out any more so what else was there to do?

  He glanced at the article again. “Love ‘em and leave ‘em?” Yes that was him less than a year ago. He could remember some of the things he’d done both in business and in his personal life. Things that now made his stomach turn. No wonder people were still so skeptical about this turnaround in him. The episode with Mandy in Barbados still sickened him and what made it worse was the fact that KT had not spoken to him since that day in his apartment. He’d tried to call her several times and at first she just ignored his calls then one day she actually answered but it was just to tell him that she wasn’t ready to talk with him just yet. It was frustrating and agonizing that he couldn’t be with her and show her how much he’d changed, but he knew that he had to give her some space. He had told her that patience was one of his virtues but trying to be patient about this was nearly killing him.