The Merger Mogul Read online

  “Au contraire, my love life is not self-gratifying,” interrupted Daniel, “Angela was very gratified.”

  Margaret continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “I was going to say that there’s someone in reception to see you.”

  “Who is it?” asked Daniel “I’m not expecting anyone until 10.30.”

  Margaret paused and answered carefully. “It’s your father.”

  “My father?” exclaimed Daniel. “You must be mistaken Margaret. I don’t have a father.”

  “Daniel, denying it doesn’t make it less true. Besides you look a lot like him. Daniel he’s ill and he really wants to talk with you.”

  “How do you know he’s ill?”

  “He called here a couple of months ago and I’ve been in contact with him since then,” she admitted.

  “What? You’ve been talking with him behind my back for months? Et tu Brute?”

  Margaret rolled her eyes. “I didn’t tell you because I knew that this is exactly how you’d react. Please hear him out Daniel. There’re three sides to every story. You should hear his.”

  “Great! Just what I need - a sick father who I haven’t seen in 25 years. What does he want with me now anyway? I’m not Medicare.”

  Patrick Tennant waited in the reception area outside Daniel’s office. He wondered if Daniel would agree to see him. Not that he would blame him if he didn’t. After all, he’d walked out of his life twenty-five years ago. Lord knows he’d tried to make a go of it but after he lost his job things just went downhill from there. He and Daniel’s mother were tearing each other apart and in the end he left before it got any worse. He figured they were probably better off without him anyway. Over the years he’d drifted around until he found himself in Virginia where he met a woman who changed his life. It was then that he searched for Daniel’s mother to ask her for a divorce so that he could marry Roseanne, but found out that she had died. That was about twelve years ago and he’d kept track of Daniel since then. It was so much easier now with the Internet. He was proud of what Daniel had made of himself but he was concerned that he couldn’t seem to settle down. He wondered if it had anything to do with his leaving.

  When he was diagnosed with colon cancer a year ago, he knew that he wanted to see Daniel before he lost the battle but the chemotherapy left him very ill and he couldn’t make the trip to Manhattan. Fortunately, the cancer went into remission a few months ago and he felt strong enough to begin his efforts to contact Daniel. He’d called Tennant Consulting and spoken to Margaret Bryce. It was a difficult call to make but, in the end, Margaret had listened to his story without seeming to judge him and they’d been in contact ever since. It was she who suggested that he should come to Manhattan to see Daniel now that he was fit enough to travel. She thought the office would be the best place because she knew that if he turned up at Daniel’s apartment he wouldn’t get past the door. He only hoped that she could convince Daniel to see him. After all, he wasn’t sure how much time he had left.

  Daniel turned his chair to look out at the Manhattan skyline. His heart had started to beat faster and he could feel the anger rising up inside of him. Because of this man his childhood had been pure hell before he left and worse afterwards. He’d prefer not to remember the fights, going to bed hungry, wearing shoes until they had holes, never having enough, having to move from apartment to apartment when his mother couldn’t pay the rent.

  He really didn’t need this. His life was great now. He had everything he wanted. Besides he’d turned out fine without a father in his life for the last 25 years, so what would he want one for now?

  “Daniel,’ said Margaret softly, “will you see him?”

  “Yeah, why not?” replied Daniel offhandedly. “I can spare him a few minutes before I have to prepare for my meeting.”

  Daniel continued staring out the window, with his fingers drumming on the desk nervously. He caught himself and deliberately stopped the nervous movements. He heard the door open, drew in a deep breath and swung around.

  “Hello, Daniel,” said the man who had abandoned him more than two decades ago, as if he’d seen him just last week.

  Daniel looked him up and down. It was amazing how much they looked alike except that his father was a couple of inches shorter than he was, totally gray and had the haggard look of someone who had lost a lot of weight recently. Daniel gestured to a chair opposite his desk without getting up or offering a greeting in return.

  “What can I do for you?” he asked without emotion.

  “Thank you for seeing me. I know I don’t deserve the time of day from you, but I had to see you again to make peace with you.” He paused. “I have colon cancer and the doctors don’t have much hope so I’m putting my house in order, so to speak.”

  Daniel’s heart seemed to stop and then started to race again. He told himself that he didn’t really care if his father was dying, except as another human being, and he really didn’t want to make any “peace”. He just wanted to get on with his life and forget about the past.

  “I’m sorry to hear about your cancer. Is that why you’re here? You need money for some medical treatment?”

  “No, Danny Boy. I’ve had treatment and the cancer is in remission now but I don’t know how long it will last. As I said, I just wanted to ask your forgiveness for abandoning you. I couldn’t get work, couldn’t provide for you and it was destroying me and tearing your mother and I apart so I figured that leaving was the best thing. I know that it was a cop-out but I was young and irresponsible back then. I know things must have been hard for you after I left and I’m sorry for all you suffered.”

  “You know nothing about how things were for me,” replied Daniel angrily. “But you can leave this world in peace.” He gestured around his posh office. “As you can see, things turned out just fine. As for forgiveness, that would mean that you hurt me in some way and that’s not the case so you don’t need my forgiveness.”

  Daniel stood up and walked to the door, holding it open. “Sorry that you wasted your time dropping by but it really wasn’t necessary. In fact, your leaving was probably a blessing in disguise because it made me determined to succeed and, as you can see, I have. So you can go to your grave knowing that you did something right.”

  His father got slowly to his feet, looked at him sadly and walked to the door.

  “Success is more than possessions and position. You’ll find that out. I love you, Danny Boy” he whispered as he passed him and left the office.

  Daniel closed the door firmly and stood absolutely still. He’d forgotten that his father used to call him Danny Boy. Clamping down on emotions that he had ruthlessly shoved to the bottom of his heart over the years, he once again came to that place where he felt nothing. It was easier that way.

  He walked back to his desk and held his head in his hands. It was now throbbing and there was a ringing in his ears. He pressed the intercom and said: “Margaret, reschedule my 10.30 appointment, call Angela and cancel our date for tonight and then bring me two pain killers.”

  Chapter 6

  Margaret knocked at the door and walked in carrying a glass of water and two tablets.

  “This is becoming a habit, Daniel,” she said handing him the pain killers. “Would you like me to set up an appointment for you with Dr. Evans? I’m getting concerned with all these headaches you’re having. Besides it’s been two years since your last annual,” she added drily.

  “With the amount of crap that I’ve been dealing with, it’s no wonder I’ve got constant headaches,” snapped Daniel.

  “You wouldn’t be including your father in that, would you?”

  “Of course I’m including him! Where does he get off walking back into my life after 25 years and asking me for forgiveness?”

  “So did you forgive him?” asked Margaret.

  “I told him there was nothing to forgive, because his leaving made me more determined to succeed and I have.”

  Margaret raised one eyebrow skeptically.

&nbs
p; “Well that means you owe him for your success then. Daniel, he flew from Virginia to see you and he’s not even that strong. The least you can do is spend some time with him. Meet your stepmother. You’ll probably regret it if you don’t.”

  “Regrets are a waste of time and energy! I don’t care if I never see him again!”

  Margaret looked at him. “I really think you need to forgive him so that you can move on.”

  “I have moved on Margaret. I’m thirty-five years old, for goodness sake. What do I need a father for? I’ve got everything I need.”

  “Do you have everything you need, Daniel?” she asked and left the office without waiting for a response.

  Daniel turned back to his computer, clicked on his Windows Mail icon and glanced through files on his desk while he waited for the e-mails to be downloaded. He suddenly felt restless and definitely not in the mood for work today. He had his tennis bag in the car; he would drive to the club and see if he could find someone to play with him, or hopefully the pro would be available. He definitely felt the need to hit something hard.

  He stopped the mail in the middle of the download, turned off the computer and TV, stuffed the files on his desk into his briefcase and left his office. Maybe he’d have a look at them later.

  “I’ll be at the tennis club, Margaret,” he said as he walked past her.

  Margaret stared after him in amazement. Daniel was going to the club during the day to play tennis instead of working? Yeah, right, he had gotten over his father.

  “Aagh!” grunted Daniel as he slammed the ball back over the net to the pro. It dropped just outside the base line.

  “Fifteen - thirty,” said Geoffrey, the pro, as he threw a couple of balls back over to Daniel.

  Daniel tossed the ball up and prepared to hit it over the net with power and missed. He felt dizzy and unsteady on his feet. What was going on? The second serve hit the net.

  “Fifteen - forty,” called Geoffrey.

  The next serve was also a fault and while the second one stayed in, it was no challenge for the pro to get back. The pair rallied for several minutes, each blasting the balls back across the net with precision but unable to get the best of the other. Suddenly Geoffrey sent a blistering shot down the line, passing Daniel who didn’t even have the chance to move.

  “Game, set and match. Late night?” Joked Geoffrey as they shook hands at the net.

  “That’s probably it,” said Daniel distractedly. “Can I buy you a drink?”

  “I’ll have to take a rain check,” said Geoffrey, “I’ve got another session in 15 minutes.”

  Daniel headed for the men’s changing rooms. The exclusive tennis club was over thirty years old and was located on the East side of Manhattan near some up market neighborhoods and not too far from Daniel’s own penthouse apartment. He’d been a member there for about four years and tried to play at least once a week to keep fit.

  Fifteen minutes later, Daniel was bathed and refreshed, wearing a clean pair of walking shorts and a polo shirt he had in his tennis bag. He sat at the bar and ordered a gin and tonic. Probably not the best idea after his dizziness earlier, but he needed it.

  “Must be a hell of a day to be drinking a gin and tonic at this time,” said a sultry voice. He didn’t have to turn around to know who it belonged to. It was Pamela Highland’s. They’d been together a few times in the past and had a no-strings-attached kind of relationship.

  “Hi Pam,” he said turning around and taking in her short, way-too-sexy tennis outfit. “It certainly started out that way but I’m feeling better already,” he said, his gaze zeroing in on her ample bosom like a laser beam.

  “It must be something big to make you leave your first love, work, at this time of the day. Anything I can do to take your mind off your worries?” she asked sliding between him and the next bar stool. “You know my place is ten minutes away. I’d be happy to give you a back massage or anything else you need,” she offered, rubbing her hand up and down his back.

  A picture of Angela flashed into his mind and he quickly squelched it. After all it wasn’t as if they were in a serious relationship; they’d only slept together one night. Then again when was he ever in a serious relationship? Maybe some time with Pamela was what he needed to get his mind off things for a while.

  “Sounds tempting,” he said sliding off the bar stool into the space that she already occupied, “and I’m too weak to resist right now.” Their bodies pressed against each other in the tight space as he leaned around her and put $20 on the bar rather than waste time charging the drink to his account.

  “Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” she said in her best Mae West impression.

  “Let’s go find out,” he said huskily.

  Mike, the bar tender shook his gray head as he watched the pair walk off together. It was obvious what was up. Didn’t these kids think about AIDS or anything like that?

  “Thanks. I needed that,” Daniel said just over a couple of hours later as Pamela walked him to the front door of her luxurious apartment complex, no doubt paid for by her rich daddy.

  “Anytime,” replied Pamela.

  He held the back of her head, gave her a quick kiss on her lips and walked to his black Porsche Turbo without looking back. He got in, started the powerful engine and roared away. Pamela had certainly delivered all that she promised and if he’d used her then she used him too so it was really win-win. So why did he feel so empty?

  As he waited at a light, he picked up his Blackberry which he’d left in the car and saw six missed calls, three of which were from Angela. Even as he put it back on the passenger seat it began to ring. The caller was identified as Angela Pierce. He groaned. There was no way he wanted to talk to Angela right now. He really didn’t feel like explaining himself to her. He let the phone go to voice mail. He’d get Margaret to send round some flowers and he’d do something special with her later in the week.

  Daniel walked into his Upper East Side penthouse apartment, dropped his tennis bag on the floor and went to the kitchen to get a beer from the fridge.

  “Is someone there?” asked a cautious voice from the direction of the bedrooms.

  Oh, no! He’d forgotten that his cleaning lady would be here although the apartment, with its three bedrooms and en suite bathrooms, hardly needed cleaning since most of it was rarely used.

  “Hi Clara, it’s me,” he called.

  “Mr. Tennant,” she said approaching, “What are you doing home at this time of the day? Are you sick?”

  “Some people might think so,” he murmured referring to the time he’d spent with Pamela. “No, Clara, I’m fine. You just go back to your cleaning. I’ll do a bit of work here instead of going back to the office.”

  She looked at him skeptically. “OK, I’ll try not to disturb you.”

  The telephone rang and Clara hurried to answer it. “Hello, Daniel Tennant’s residence.” That would probably be Angela or it could be Margaret. Before he could signal Clara to ask who it was, she was saying: “Yes, he’s right here. Hold on.” She held out the telephone.

  Daniel reluctantly took the phone. “Hello,” he said.

  “Daniel, what’s going on?” It was Angela as he expected. “First of all you make a date with me, then less than an hour later, Margaret calls to tell me it’s off and that you’ve left the office. I’ve been calling you for the last three hours and you haven’t answered your phone or returned my calls. Where have you been? What’s going on?”

  “Angela, what is this? We had sex this weekend and that gives you the right to know my every move?” he asked defensively.

  There was a shocked silence on the other end of the line.

  “You’re a cold bastard, Daniel Tennant,” Angela said after a while. “You should be in Madame Tussaud’s. You look real, but you’re nothing more than a cold statue.” She hung up.

  Daniel slowly hung up the phone. Angela was right. He was a cold bastard.

  Chapter 7


  Daniel parked his car in the space marked CEO, Tennant Consulting, picked up his briefcase and climbed out. Walking briskly to the basement elevator he got there just as the door was closing. Bryan Hardt was inside the elevator and managed to hold the door for him.

  “Thanks, Bryan. Good morning.”

  “Morning, Daniel. I didn’t see you around much yesterday,” he commented.

  “I took most of the day off to deal with some personal issues.”

  “Everything all right?” asked Bryan concerned, since he had never heard of Daniel taking the day off for anything.

  “Yeah, it’s nothing that I can’t handle. But thanks for asking.”

  “Are we still having that planning meeting to discuss the Aspen Bearings merger at 9.30?” asked Bryan.

  “Yes. I spent some time looking through the files at home yesterday and I’ve started listing the legal issues that are going to come up.”

  “OK.”

  The elevator stopped at the 29th floor and they got out and headed for the Tennant offices.

  “Morning Susan,” they both said to the receptionist who was repositioning the sign on her desk that said ‘Director of First Impressions’.

  “Good morning Daniel, Bryan,” replied Susan, looking up with a smile.

  They parted ways by Margaret’s desk, with Bryan greeting Margaret and then heading down the corridor to his own office.

  “Morning, Margaret,” said Daniel.

  Margaret smiled up at him. “Oh, my boss is back. Good morning boss.”

  He threw her a half smile and said: “I’d like you to order an expensive bouquet of flowers and have them sent to Angela’s office with an ‘I’m sorry’ card. Also send a smaller bouquet to Pamela Highland with a ‘Thank you’ card.

  Margaret looked curious but only said:”Right away, boss.”