by Donna Every
His PR firm had booked him to do an interview on The Beacon Live to promote the new business division and he’d agreed because he really believed that the concept of oneness was the key to success in business. He needed to leave now if he was going to get home to pack and get some sleep before his early morning flight to Atlanta. No doubt Jason Beacon, The Beacon as he was known on TV, would bring up his past just to boost the show’s ratings. Everyone liked a bit of dirt and there probably wasn’t a bigger skeptic alive on Prime Time TV.
Daniel stood up and stretched. Throwing a few files into his briefcase and picking up his laptop bag, he turned off the light and left his office. The elevator took him swiftly to the basement garage where his Porsche was parked. Triggering the keyless entry, he opened the door and slung his bags on the passenger seat and climbed in, starting the powerful engine. The power of the engine gave him the usual rush and he was sorry that he didn’t have time to go for a spin outside the confines of the city. He was tired though. He was tired from the long hours that he had been putting in since KT left his apartment, but he was also tired of the newspapers invading his privacy, and tired of his past always being resurrected.
The nasty letter he’d received yesterday didn’t help either. It was from a former client, Patterson Morgan, who was very happy with his merger when it was finished three years ago but who was blaming him now that it wasn’t working out. It wasn’t the first such letter he’d gotten and it probably wouldn’t be the last. People tended to get that way when they saw that the millions they spent to acquire another company weren’t paying off the way they’d expected. He’d give him a call when he got back in town and see if his new division could help if things were not too far gone.
He made a mental note of it as he drove towards his apartment. His thoughts returned to the New York Times article. That person no longer existed. He did things differently now. People could change. He grimaced as he remembered the conversation he’d had with KT almost a year ago when he told her that he didn’t believe that people could change. The mere fact that he’d been celibate for about four months now was proof. Of course to date four months was his limit so he couldn’t get too comfortable. Apart from that fiasco with Mandy, he could hardly remember a time before his surgery when he wasn’t sleeping with someone or the other but he no longer led that lifestyle and he was doing OK. Well barely, he admitted. He thanked God for Margaret and Bob who really encouraged him to stick to his new path and who held him accountable.
He turned on the radio to listen to some music just as the radio host was introducing some band called Flyleaf which he’d never heard of. What kind of a name was Flyleaf anyway? He left it on and let the lyrics wash over him…
All my complaints shrink to nothing
I'm ashamed of all my somethings
She's glad for one day of comfort
Only because she has suffered
Fully alive
More than most
Ready to smile and love life
Fully alive and she knows
How to believe in futures…
He could relate to some of that. He had to admit that he was ashamed of all his “somethings”, but he had suffered a lot this last year, physically and emotionally, and had come out alive. He wasn’t fully alive though, not since KT had walked out, but while his personal life was in shambles, at least he was excited about his work again and it wasn’t just about the money anymore. His pleasure was now from trying to figure out how to help newly merged clients through that difficult post-integration phase.
They may still refer to him as the Merger Mogul in the media - the hard, ruthless, determined consultant who made sure his clients got the target they wanted at the best possible price – but he had changed. In the past he did what he had to do to make sure that his client got the company they were going after if he considered it a good fit and at the best possible price. That was his job and he did it well. Now he was committed to not only bringing companies together, if that’s what they wanted, but helping them to stay together. He only wished he was as successful doing that in his own life with KT.
He was still in contact with Paul who’d told him that KT wasn’t seeing anyone and he was pretty sure that she still loved him and to give her some more time. He’d invited him to his and Michaela’s fifth wedding anniversary lunch on Sunday and KT would be there. He hoped that he’d have the opportunity to speak to her alone.
“Caveat Emptor! Let the buyer beware.” The words dropped from Jason Beacon’s lips with just a hint of a smile. “That’s what you were reported to have said after the collapse of Shellbury almost a year ago when their merger failed.” He picked up a photocopy of the old Wall Street Journal article and read: Merger Mogul, Daniel Tennant, says: “People don’t usually go into marriage expecting to get divorced, but divorce happens. That’s why people should protect themselves with a prenupt. In the world of M&A’s there are no prenupts and no guarantees. When I’m the consultant in a merger I do everything to make sure that the fit is right and I try to leave no stone unturned in the due diligence but no deal is perfect and we have little control over what happens afterwards. Caveat Emptor!”
JB: Were you implying that Barton Phillips, who was the consultant on that merger, didn’t do his homework properly?
So this is how it’s going to be, thought Daniel, attack up front. He gave a brief smile and said: “I would never speculate about another consultant’s work. As I’ve said before, they’re no guarantees with mergers. Getting together is one thing, living together is another thing. However, what I’m trying to do now, that I didn’t do before, is help my clients get through the honeymoon period.”
JB: What’s changed? What made you set up your new division of Tennant Consulting? For those of you who don’t know what’s been happening in the M&A world, Tennant Consulting in the last few months has set up a new division to hold the hands of their clients through the post-merger issues. To quote yesterday’s New York Times “This is in stark contrast to your “Love ’em and leave ’em” philosophy of the past.” What changed?
Daniel: Well, JB, I changed. The way I looked at things changed and those changes caused me to want to operate differently. In addition to that, we all know that the M&A market can be cyclical based on recessions, so I felt that we needed to diversify so that all of our eggs weren’t in one basket.
KT’s phone rang just as she was washing her dinner dishes. She quickly dried her hands and ran to the cordless phone which was on her coffee table.
“Hello.”
“KT, is your TV on?” asked Des excitedly.
“No, why? What’s happened?”
“Turn on The Beacon Live. Daniel’s on.”
KT automatically picked up the remote, turned on the TV and scrolled through the channels until she came to The Beacon Live. She just couldn’t help herself.
“I’ll call you back Des,” she said vaguely.
She hungrily devoured Daniel on the screen. She hadn’t seen him since the day she left his apartment and she noticed that he looked as if he’d lost a little weight but he was still so handsome. She sat down and turned up the volume.
JB: Well you know that nothing is private for celebrities like yourself, so we understand that you had a near-death experience and that shook you up. Is that true?
Daniel: I’d hardly call myself a celebrity, but yes that is exactly what happened. Last September I discovered that I had a brain tumor. Fortunately, it was operable but it gave me a wakeup call and caused me to begin to re-examine my life. I spent several months in recovery which allowed me a lot of time to think about my life, the meaning of it, or if, in fact, it had any meaning. I realized that I didn’t like what I saw so that was the kick in the butt I needed to snap out of my purposeless existence and change my lifestyle.
JB: Putting together multi-million dollar mergers can hardly be considered purposeless.
Daniel: What does it mean if you gain the whole world and lose your soul? I was
losing my soul.
JB: So you’re telling us that your approach to business and in fact life in general has drastically changed? Is the fact that you’re never seen out on the town with beautiful women anymore part of that change?
Daniel: Yes. I made some bad choices and hurt someone that I care about deeply. Nothing was worth that.
Tears sprang to KT’s eyes and the ice around her heart melted as she heard Daniel’s words spoken publicly and sincerely. Who was she to be unforgiving when she’d been forgiven so much? She felt deeply ashamed that she had let her feelings of hurt override her love and compassion for Daniel when she knew that he wouldn’t have had the strength to resist the temptation on his own.
JB: What’s next? Will you be handing out tracts on the street corners of Manhattan?
Daniel (laughing): Not likely! I’d probably be carried off in a straight jacket.
JB: I’m not much of a believer that people can change. So I wonder how long this phase will last.
Daniel: We’ll have to agree to disagree on that JB because it’s not a phase for me. At 36 I’m too old for phases and too young for a mid-life crisis. I have some great people in my life who encourage me and who hold me accountable to the changes I’ve committed to.
JB: Sounds like AA. Maybe we should all get into some kind of group to keep us accountable. There definitely needs to be one for the brokers and mortgage dealers who offered credit to unqualified customers. So are you planning to retire as The Merger Mogul and focus on the post-merger side of things?
Daniel: I’ve been giving it some serious thought. In fact, as I see the number of mergers that are failing I’m beginning to wonder if mergers should happen in the first place.
JB: Why is that? Aren’t they supposed to create synergies, streamline processes, access new markets, all of that good stuff?
Daniel: In theory, but what often happens is that the cultures of the two companies don’t always gel and it can lead to sometimes insurmountable problems after the merger.
JB: So what can we look forward to from you in the future Daniel?
Daniel: Well, in my personal life, I would like to settle down soon. I’m not getting any younger and I have no heirs. In terms of business, I’m working on implementing oneness in companies. I got a revelation of that concept when I was recuperating in Barbados and it confirms something that the physicist David Bohm said which I read recently. He said: “The most important thing going forward is to break the boundaries between people so we can operate as a single intelligence.” When we can begin to operate as a single intelligence in our companies, then I believe that we will be able to attain the success that we all desire and seem to fall so short of with only a few exceptions.
JB: Sounds interesting. Maybe when you get that working you can come back and talk to us some more. Daniel, thanks for coming and talking to us tonight.
Daniel: Thanks for having me JB.
JB: Well folks that was Daniel Tennant, The Merger Mogul, saying that he is ready to lose that title. And ladies, he’s also looking to lose the title of Bachelor…
Oh, he was, was he? KT fumed. Was he seeing someone? Maybe he wasn’t talking about her when he’d said that he hurt someone. She was confused; she didn’t know what to think. What she did know though, was that she still loved Daniel. She’d never stopped.
Chapter 29
Daniel found the address that Paul had texted him but, because he was so late, he had to drive past it to find a place to park. He noticed KT’s car parked in the long driveway and was glad that she was here already because he figured that if she’d come and seen his car she may have left. It was Paul and Michaela’s anniversary and all of their close friends and family would be there. He was looking forward to meeting KT’s parents and her younger sister. He wondered if they knew anything about him. He hoped not. Taking the gift that Margaret had bought and put in the trunk of his car on Friday, he got out, braced himself and walked up to the front door. Paul opened the door and welcomed him inside.
“Hi Daniel, glad you could make it,” he said shaking hands and clapping Daniel on the shoulder.
“Daniel, welcome!” Michaela added joining them.
“Hi guys. Happy anniversary,” he replied offering the gift to Michaela with a kiss.
“Thank you Daniel. How are you doing? You look as if you’ve lost a little weight,” she said in her direct way.
“I’m OK just working too many long hours.”
“I know how that goes,” agreed Paul.
“KT’s here but she doesn’t know we invited you,” warned Michaela.
“I just hope she doesn’t kill me when she finds out,” teased Paul. “Let’s go and face the music and I’ll introduce you to my parents.” He led the way to a large wooden deck at the back of the house. In the distance Paul could see a pool partially hidden behind some bushes. It was a beautiful property.
“You’ve got a great place here Paul,” he said scanning the faces for KT’s. He didn’t know if to be disappointed or relieved when he didn’t see hers.
“Thanks. We bought it recently at quite a steal in anticipation of children. I don’t know where KT is, probably in the kitchen helping to organize the caterers or something. She and Val, my other sister, insisted that Michaela should do nothing today. My parents are over here.” He led Daniel towards an attractive, interracial couple. KT’s dad was tall and several shades darker than Paul and KT while her mum was no more that 5’4” and was a beautiful and elegant blond, whose hair was well maintained and expertly colored to conceal any gray.
“Mum, dad, this is Daniel Tennant, KT’s friend and now mine, who we stayed with in Barbados. Daniel, my parents, Robert and Barbara Taylor.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Taylor I’m so glad to meet you,” and he wasn’t being polite. He had looked forward to meeting KT’s parents. “I can see where KT got her beauty Mrs. Taylor, but she told me that she didn’t get your cooking genes.”
Mrs. Taylor laughed. “I can’t believe KT told you that she can’t cook! Doesn’t she know that the way to a man’s heart is still through his stomach?” she teased.
“Well she’s already got my heart, even if she can’t cook,” Daniel said honestly. KT’s mum assessed him with fresh eyes and her dad said:
“Daniel Tennant. The Merger Mogul.” Oh no, thought Daniel, what has he heard about me? “I saw you on The Beacon a couple of nights ago. I’m a retired banker but I still like to keep abreast of what’s happening in business. I’d be very interested in hearing more about this “oneness” concept that you’re talking about. Sounds like something a lot of companies could use.”
“I’d be happy to get together with you some time to talk about it, sir,” Daniel replied, relieved.
“Call me Robert.”
“And I’m Barbara,” his wife added.
“Thank you. I was just telling Paul what a beautiful property he has here,” Daniel started to say when he noticed that something had caught the attention of the three Taylors. He turned to see that KT was walking from the house speaking to someone just behind her.
She turned around fully and stopped in mid-sentence as she saw Daniel. Her heart began to race. “What are you doing here?” she asked abruptly. Daniel was the last person she expected to see there and she wasn’t prepared for it.
“KT!” her mother scolded at her rudeness, looking somewhat shocked.
“Hello KT, I’m fine, thank you and how are you doing?” Daniel used her exact words to remind her of the time he’d called her apartment and Paul had answered the phone. Daniel was surprised that his voice sounded so calm because he was almost floored by how beautiful KT looked, even though slightly thinner, in an olive and black silk dress draped in some sophisticated style around her body and her hair loose about her shoulders. He wanted to bury his face in it and be enveloped with the fragrance of vanilla. He felt such a surge of love and desire for her that he had to struggle to restrain himself from taking her in his arms right there and then.
/> KT felt a reluctant smile tug at her lips. “Touché,” she said totally unaware of the struggle going on inside Daniel. She was too busy trying to control the emotions coursing through her and to kill the desire to throw herself into his arms.
“Can we talk?” Daniel asked. They only had eyes for each other. KT’s parents looked at them and then at Paul with questions in their eyes. Paul gave a slight shake of his head as if to say “Don’t ask”.
“OK, we can walk over by the pool.”
“Excuse us,” Daniel said and followed her down the stairs and over to the pool. KT sat on a lounge chair out of sight from the deck and Daniel pulled another one a bit closer and sat facing her.
“How have you been?” Daniel asked her.
“I’ve been better,” KT admitted.
Daniel came straight to the point. “KT, I can’t tell you how sorry I am about what happened in Barbados. I was serious when I said that it didn’t mean anything. In fact, I felt so sick afterwards that I went back to my condo and picked up the Bible you gave me and started reading John, hoping it would make me feel better but it just exposed my sin. That’s when I realized that trying to do things on my own wasn’t working and I needed God’s help to change, so I asked him to help me and he has been ever since. I know I don’t deserve it but can you ever forgive me?” A picture of his father flashed into his mind and with it brought a feeling of shame that he had refused to forgive him when he had the chance and regret that it was now too late.