Janet smiled and asked, “If the deal fell through would it be a major setback to AF?”
Crawford looked sharply at her, moving his gaze from her cleavage to her eyes and his eyes hardened.
“Is that a leading question? Is there something going on?”
“No,” Janet said wide-eyed and looking surprised at his reaction. “I am just seeking understanding Leo.”
“But leading somewhere?”
“Yes, but don’t sound cross Leo, just answer the question and then I’ll explain why I asked it.”
“Quite a number of deals go belly up,” Crawford said, matter of fact. “As I said we are ahead of budget. Loss of this project would be a setback but nothing major. It would be ideal to be able to move the takeover into next financial year to manage the slope of the growth curve.”
“It’s now or never,” Janet replied.
“Then let it be now Janet,” Crawford said, sounding tired of the thrust of the conversation.
“Leo, can I deduce from this that a major motivator for you in getting into this deal was my involvement and putting it crudely, you wanted to find a context in which you might find we would become intimate.”
Crawford observed Janet’s demeanour and was happy to see that she was smiling and friendly while asking the question.
“Yes Janet,” he confessed with a smile, “In fact I have more than a crush on you.”
Janet stood up, uncrossing her long legs and went to the window. She let his remark hang in the air and Crawford became uneasy. He wanted to get to grips with her but had an unreasoning fear of frightening her away. Against the dark backdrop of the French window in front of the balcony she looked radiant.
“I am very pleased to hear that Leo,” she said after a moment.
“Janet….” he began.
Her eyes took him in and he felt rooted to the couch. Her expression was warm and Crawford sat back.
Take it easy, he cautioned himself, resisting an urge to grab her and throw her on the floor and babble on about his feelings for her. Caution was aided by the fact that he was exhausted after the long day and his back was a little stiff after the flight and the subsequent trip in what passed for a taxi in Dublin.
Janet knew it was time to make her play. She took a breath and went and sat beside Crawford on the couch and let him take her hand while they looked into each other’s eyes.
“Leo there are complications in my private life,” she began.
“The deals a mess?” he said dismissively, looking sharply at her and simultaneously not really caring. He was focused on the now, as he could fire her tomorrow.
“No Leo. I have become engaged to be married.”
“What!” he gave a strangled cry and took his hand off hers.
“This is a turn up for the books Janet. Who, may I ask, is the lucky man?”
“Peter O’Byrne.”
“I don’t believe it. You are in love with him?”
“Yes,” Janet said simply, “much to my surprise, I am.”
“Well where does that leave everything?” Crawford asked, clearly wondering what sort of a mess would ensue and burning with anger at her betrayal.
“I thought we had an understanding, a developing relationship,” he blurted out before she could reply.
“Yes Leo,” Janet said, taking his hand again and moving a perceptible millimetre nearer to him.
“Look at me Leo,” she requested.
He looked into her eyes and felt his tiredness overwhelm him. Tiredness with a layer of despair. This close he could see, sense, all her beauty and feel her soft eyes regarding him with a gentle look. He felt despair, was she not to be his after all his efforts?
“You are a completer finisher Leo. It is your personality. I know you would not be happy until you get this deal put to bed and I know I am part of the deal. Other wise you will feel incomplete, unsuccessful even. Am I right?”
“You seem to have found another bed,” he said anguish and anger mixing in his tone.
“I want you to listen to me Leo. Hear me out and then I don’t want an angry reply. I want a gentle reply. Do you understand?”
“No.”
“I am going to proposition you Leo.”
“Ha!” he laughed. “Just like your business analyst training. You are so cold blooded,” he retorted.
Janet kissed the knuckle of his hand. Her gentle lips felt like an electric shock, which ran up his arm and into his senses. Their eyes met. Her eyes were electric and far from cold.
“Janet,” he said, at last gently like she wanted. “I am listening, proposition me if you must.”
“You are a rich man Leo?” she began.
He looked coldly at her and responded in a flat voice.
“Yes. Mainly through AF shares and options. I have been one of the most successful corporate raiders in the city in recent times. Even now despite the drop in stock market values I continue to deliver shareholder value and they continue to reward me.”
Janet smiled at the ‘press release’ tone of his reply but persisted.
“Will the O’Byrne deal make much of a difference to your rewards personally?”
“At this stage of my career not huge, but if it raises the bar for next year it may in fact have no net affect on my bonus. I am rewarded on year to year growth, not any one fixed base year.”
“I have a different angle on the O’Byrne deal, which would sideline AF. However Leo, it would potentially put about five million Euro in your pocket and the same in mine.”
Crawford looked at her in high amusement. He felt himself begin to relax and laughed despite himself. “Janet you know I encourage my people to think outside the box, but you exceed my expectations. What harebrained scheme have you now?”
Janet outlined the proposition she had put to John and then to Kenny.
“A consortium of Debenture holders along with Howlett holdings buy out the O’Byrne’s and in the process we get share options worth about five million,” Crawford summarized after further discussion. Once Janet had begun his professionalism had taken over and he’d reenergized himself and teased out the deal, testing Janet’s proposal.
“Yes, Kenny’s firm is to devise the share option proposal pre-take over. Kenny will give you chapter and verse when you meet with him. The key is that the AF bid can go to fifty million and then fifty five million and stick. Kenny and consortium go to sixty million and clinch the deal.”
“I understand,” Crawford said still non-committal.
“And then over time we restore the AF business with O’Byrne’s so that the new company resumes its growth path. This will result in share value increases which we and the consortium will harvest.”
“I understand all that. And I believe the AF procurement people will be happy if I take the pressure off O’Byrne’s. They don’t like this way of doing business.”
“I will go on the board with the specific mission of putting in ISO quality standards, this will provide a basis for restoring the business, and in time Peter as Marketing will be able to claim, if we work it right, all the credit for recovering the AF business.”
“Ah yes, Peter,” Crawford said coldly, “that brings me back to earth.”
“I have plans for Peter. I want you to mentor him Leo, so that we can bring him to London, into AF as a high flyer, and onto the Board of AF. If all goes to plan I can relocate to London with him.”
“Janet,” Crawford said with patience. “Don’t ask too much. I like your lateral thinking and there will always be a place for a brain like yours on my team. It’s you I’d take back to London.”
“Oh Leo!” Janet said, giving him a peck on the cheek, “you don’t know how much it pleases me to hear you praise me for my brain.”
Leo laughed, “When they gave out the goodies Janet, the angels must have given you the lot.”
“I think you are right Leo,” Janet said self-confident and not the least modest. “But tell me, would you go with the proposition I hav
e outlined?”
“Subject to talking to this Kenny, can I see him tonight?”
“No Leo. I have other plans for you tonight.”
“Another proposition?” Crawford said, his eyes smiling, enjoying the banter.
“First the business. Will you go with the proposition, talk to Kenny, give and get reassurances and then manage the negotiation with Michael O’Byrne?”
“Because I trust your intelligence and judgment Janet. And I don’t let other desires cloud my business area. I do trust your ability. Because of this the answer is yes. Five million to my personal account while repairing bridges inside AF procurement is a good proposition for me if we can cover all the legalities.”
“Kenny is satisfied he can.”
“Good, then we have a deal.”
Crawford was not a man to beat about the bush with endless analysis. He trusted his gut when it came to a good deal.
“Now Leo you go have a shower and freshen up and when you are ready we will have some champagne and then I will proposition you on what I have in mind for our personal relationship.”
“Sounds good,” Crawford said, standing up. “But no champagne, I’m it might make me sleepy.”
“Tea?”
“Yes some Camomile with a spoon of honey or some Green tea.”
“O.K., if you don’t mind I’ll just drink water.”
“I won’t be long,” Crawford promised and made his way to the ‘en suite’ for a shower.
Janet went to the kitchen area and made some tea and put it on the tray with some canapé’s she had prepared earlier. Then she went to her medicine chest and took out a bottle of sleeping tablets. Some of these she crumbled into the teapot.
“Leo, can we toast to our success?” Janet asked when Crawford returned, looking fresher in a dressing gown.
“And to your engagement?” he said disappointedly, making a face.
“My engagement, we will mark that occasion when Peter deigns to formally announce same.”
“So it’s not official?” Crawford asked, sat and tried a canapé.
“No but I hope he won’t back out.”
“I don’t think he will, not unless he’s completely nuts,” Crawford said and began to pour his tea.
“To success,” he said, raising his cup.
“To us,” Janet said
“To us?” Crawford asked.
“Yes, I always honour a commitment Leo.”
“You do?”
“Shouldn’t I?”
“Your word should be your bond,” Crawford said and drank a sip.
“Camomile with spiced apple flavouring and a spoon of honey,” Janet said as he looked at his cup.
“Nice,” Crawford said doubtfully and took another mouthful.
“We need a proper arrangement,” Janet added.
Crawford smiled and then moved the tray on the table so Janet could sit beside him again.
“An arrangement?”
“Yes Leo, you are I believe, a happily married man?”
“Yes,” he replied suspiciously.
“We need to recognize the parameters. Your family is one, Peter is another.”
“Yes?” he replied, puzzled.
“My plans for Peter and our future in London is another.”
“O.K.” Crawford said doubtfully.
Janet paused, blushed a little, despite her composure she found it difficult to continue.
Crawford understood her discomfort.
“Janet, you are right. A man in my position, he can buy or have any number of beautiful women.”
Janet went to respond but he put a finger to her lips.
“Let me finish please,” he said warmly, with sincerity.
Janet touched his finger with the tip of her tongue and then smiled and sat back in the couch to let him continue.
“But I have desired you Janet for at least a year now. I urgently want to have you as my lover and I am afraid a one-night stand will not be enough. I want you as my mistress, Peter or no Peter.”
“Thank you Leo, I hoped you would say that. Peter is a reality. For reasons I can’t fathom I love him. But Leo, there is also a corner of my heart reserved for you.”
“Is there Janet?”
“I am prepared to see you three times a year for the next five years.” Janet proposed.
“Three times, but Janet…”
“Three times as a lover Leo, other times will be in business of as a friend.”
“Janet, we are in a position here I think, of agreement in principle, so forgive me if I haggle over detail.”
“I expected you to haggle Leo.”
“I will take care of Peter as you wish, career wise, but only if you come back on to my takeover team, initially you can work out of Ireland, after all it’s only an hour from London, but I need you longer term. I think you and I could make a lot of money together for both AF and us. You have a talent Janet; don’t bury it in provincial Ireland. Look outside the box.”
“All right, salary and details to be agreed and I still stay on the new O’Byrne’s Board after the takeover.”
“Agreed, you need that role in order to acquire your share options.”
“And protect Peter’s wealth.”
“But not his father’s wealth?”
“No, the father is the fall guy.”
“He is the one who gets fucked,” Leo said with a laugh beginning to fully understand Janet’s plans.
“And two others?” Janet said with a smile.
“Who?”
“Maybe me and you together” Janet said with a laugh.
Crawford was uneasy. Lighten up, he told himself; this lady has an interesting sense of humour. He took another sip of his tea and sat back holding the cup and saucer in his lap.
“Let’s haggle,” he said happy with their rapport. “Three times a year is ridiculous. It must be at least once a month.”
“You are a very busy man Leo and you have a wife. And I have Peter, I must give him exclusive rights from the time our engagement is announced for at least six months.”
“Three times is not even a discussion area, come off it Janet”. Crawford pressed. As he spoke he could feel his senses rise to her and he knew he was about to grab her soon.
Janet considered. “Really Leo, consider your age, your work schedule, your travel. How often can you come to Dublin in the next few years?”
“They are bound to have a monthly formal board meeting.”
“More likely quarterly.”
“That means you have moved to four times. I’ll come down to once every two months, that’s six times a year.”
Janet laughed, “I find this conversation really sexy Leo, I hope you don’t still think I am cold.”
“No Janet love I don’t. And you can forget about a six month exclusive for Peter. I want to be first.”
Janet could sense he was about to jump on her and stood up and topped up his cup from the teapot.
“Drink your tea,” she instructed, “I am going to do a table dance for you while we continue the discussion.”
Crawford took another sip, down boy he thought, a bit of patience and she is coming to you. She’ll agree to once a month just give it time, she really wants you to win the negotiation Leo. What a woman.
Janet began to move slowly, sensually, and started removing clothing, starting with her skirt. Crawford had a deep intake of breath, as the shock of seeing her long legs in stocking and garters hit him.
“Leo, what I’ll do is this. We will be lovers,” Janet said as she moved near him, but far enough away so that he could not grab her.
“I will give you rights to five times a year. Once a quarter plus a discretionary once more, a time and place to be agreed. We both protect each other’s need to keep our affair a secret. That is my last word. If you argue I’ll get cross and go to bed on my own.”
“No argument Janet. I would walk through hell’s fire to get to you once, let alone have an arrangement, but do
we have to be so organized?”
“Yes Leo,” Janet emphasized, leaning over and removing his tie. Crawford put his hands on her mobile upper thighs, and thought he had died and gone to heaven. Then she backed away.
“But you make a good point Leo,” she added. “As part of our arrangements I will allow you rights as it were, to five times a year, but I won’t be inflexible. If you can persuade me to further intercourse, I may be amenable. It’s up to you to be interesting enough to make me agreeable. However don’t ever treat me in any sordid or offhand manner. If you do it’s over.”
“Sounds wonderful to me,” Leo agreed. “But I’m not waiting six months. We start tonight.”
Janet began to take off her bra and Crawford, thought to himself, ‘Leo, you lion you.’
He shook himself, feeling drowsy.
‘Leo get up and running and energized. This has to be heaven on earth,’ he chided himself.
Maybe more tea would refresh him?
He poured himself another cup of tea.
Janet was rolling down one of her long stockings…
Janet watched him sleep. Honouring a commitment was one thing, but the deal was not done yet. Crawford would be apologetic in the morning when the sleeping tablets wore off, and no doubt he’d blame fatigue and the flight. By then she’d be up and dressed.
Poor dear, a good nights sleep was what he really needed, so as to be sharp in the morning. Everything in its time and place, she thought as she cleared up, we have an early start in the morning. It was working out to be one of those good days.
Twisted Love and Money Page 25