Twisted Love and Money (30 page)

“
Don’t worry dad, I’ll get our figures lined up and then we can
relax on Friday evening and be ready for the weekend.”
“Great!” Peter was in full agreement.

“Agreed,”
Michael conceded.

“Great!”
Dorothy said.

“Now let us
discuss our approach to these negotiations. If we get it right it
could be worth millions, wrong and it will cost us,” Michael
insisted.

‘What do you
have in mind?” Peter asked.

Dorothy’s nerve
failed her. She decided not to mention that she had invited Jeremy
and David down for the weekend. She would find an appropriate time
to tell them, but later.

Chapter
thirty-five

By three
o’clock John had finished preparing his figures. They were now in a
format where any good backer would understand what was going on.
John organized the photocopying and then got himself another cup of
coffee. He was losing count of his coffee intake. It had been one
of those days.

Dorothy’s
secretary stuck her head around the door and John looked up
expectantly with a smile.

“John,” she
said. “I have a Miss Simmons from AF on the phone. She is looking
for Peter.”

“Did you put
her on to Dermot? I’m pretty sure he would love to talk to
her.”

“No, I
mentioned Dermot. She was very negative but then asked for
you.”

“Well put her
through.”

“Just let me
fill you in. She rang to tell Peter that her boss, a Mr. Crawford,
is coming to Dublin and she wants them to meet.”

“O.K. put her
on. I’ll talk to her,” John said, curious.

“Hello,” he
said when the phone buzzed,

“Janet Simmons
here. I was looking for Peter but I can’t get him and he is not
answering his mobile.”

“He may be out
of coverage?”

“I need to see
you,” Janet said unexpectedly. “There has been a development. I was
going to ask Peter if he could arrange for us to meet before
meeting with Mr. Crawford, but I can’t get Peter. I think we should
meet anyway.”

“Why not meet
our procurement Director Mr. Dermot O’Rourke. He could relate
better to your area of work Miss Simmons. I understand he had been
desperately trying, without success, to get a meeting with
you.”

“This is a
finance matter, not a procurement matter. I need to talk to you but
I don’t want to go to the O’Byrne’s office and I particularly don’t
want to meet Dermot O’Rourke. Can you see me?”

“Of course Ms
Simmons. Where can we meet?”

“I have an
apartment in the Wavendon complex near Jury’s hotel. Do you know
it?”

“I think
so.”

“Second block,
my name is on the downstairs door. Buzz and I’ll let you come up.
When can you come?”

“No time like
the present. I have some papers to collate for tomorrow. I could be
there in about an hour.”

“I’ll expect
you.”

John put down
the phone and pursed his lips. What was up?

He had met with
Simmons during her ISO audit. He mainly remembered how beautiful
she was. She had taken his breath away. Then she had asked some
very penetrating questions, which John, only new to the business,
found it difficult to answer. Perhaps he had been less than clear?
Well he had all the facts now. Let her ask away, he’d have the
answer, assuming it was about the financials.

He put her out
of his mind when his secretary came back with the photocopying.
Together they bound up a dozen copies of his report.

“I have the
presentation version set up on your portable computer,” she
informed him.

“Can you
manage?” she added.

“No
problem.”

John thanked
her and gave her the rest of the afternoon off. She had done a good
job at short notice. She had really put a lot of effort in to
supporting him.

One more task
and he was in the clear.

John pulled out
his old diary. The diary contained the private number Kenny had
supplied.

“Andrew,” he
said in his friendliest sincerest voice.

“Is that John
O’Malley?”

“It is
indeed.”

“What can I do
for you John?”

“O’Byrne’s,”
John explained, “My figures are all lined up like ducks in a row. I
have all the financials set out, upsides, downsides and what
ifs.”

“No better
man,” Kenny said non- committal.

“When we met,
Andrew, you floated the possibility of opportunities. There have
been important developments.”

“I can’t
possibly discuss something of this nature on the phone and I am
tied up for the rest of the day.”

“Soon Andrew or
it is too late. The deal will be done over the coming weekend.”

“I know, have
an invitation from Michael O’Byrne for a do in his house over the
weekend. I’d assumed you would be there John?”

“Eh... no. I’m
just on standby. I did not know you were invited.”

“I represent
their Bankers. Naturally I am clued into what is going on. You are
aware that Michael O’Byrne will more than likely sell the company
over the weekend?”

“You are well
clued in as usual Andrew.”

“The bank
Legals have been talking with other Legals today. I can say no
more.”

“Andrew
tomorrow may be too late to talk. My fellow non-family directors
want to explore other options. I said I would try and get a meeting
with you. Howlett Holdings are also in the frame.”

“Interesting,”
Kenny replied non-committal as ever.

“You said you
might explore avenues,” John persisted. “Would there be virtue in
our having a meeting?”

“Tomorrow
morning” Kenny suggested. “We can have a private meeting at my
club.”

“The
Knights?”

“Yes, it
stretching it a bit to call it a club, but I could meet your party
in the reading rooms in the St Stephens Green Premises. Say eight
o’clock in the morning?”

“Early
bird...”

“Catches the
worm,” Kenny finished for him. “If you email your figures to me I
can look at them tonight.”

“I could not do
that, no one else has seen them.”

“John, this is
a time for trust. No point in meeting unless I have the
figures.”

“Better not
send a communication,” John said decisively, and quickly added.
“I’ll drop an envelop in at your offices, I have to go to a meeting
downtown anyway. That way nothing is on record.”

“Good thinking,
and the less said on the phone the better, even if it is a private
line. See you bright and early in the morning.” With that Kenny
hung up.

John was
nervous, thinking breach of trust and other worries. But he
decided, in for a penny, in for a pound. He had to go with Kenny.
The other non-family Directors were relying on him to turn up an
alternative solution. He got his coat and asked his secretary to
organize a taxi. But first he had to deal with Miss Simmons.

John was prompt
as usual and an hour after the phone conversation he was buzzing
the bell to Janet Simmons apartment.

“Come up,”
Janet said over the intercom as John identified himself.

John made his
way to Janet’s apartment. As he came out of the lift she was
waiting for him at the entrance.

“Good to see
you again.”

“Pleasure,”
John said gallantly.

But he really
meant it. She was dressed in a simple navy blue dress and she was
beautiful. There was no other word John could think of to describe
her.

She seemed
nervous as she led John to the couch in the living room and offered
him a cup of coffee.

“Do you have
tea?” John asked, “I’ve had coffee coming out my ears this morning.
One of those days.”
“Herbal? Green tea?” she offered. “I have some nice camomile?”

“Fine.”

They exchanged
pleasantries while Janet made the tea. Eventually she came to the
table with a pot and two cups. “I’ll join you for a cup,” she said
with a pleasant smile and poured.

“You wished to
meet me?” John eventually enquired.

“Yes,” Janet
smiled apologetically.

“How can I
help?” John asked evenly.

“My interest in
the O’Byrne affair has changed” Janet explained.

“Changed?”

“Yes. You may
not be aware of it but Peter has asked me to marry him and I have
accepted.”

“Well
congratulations. This is a great surprise.”

“Thank you,”
Janet said with a slight blush.

“Money is not
my motivation,” Janet continued, “however a girl has got to be
pragmatic and Peter has much to learn about managing money.”

“And his trust
fund?” John asked.

“Yes. Peter
tells me he is to get ten percent on some future date.”

“That’s also my
understanding” John replied cautiously, adding, “Peter obviously
stands to inherit his fathers estate also, or some of it.”

Janet laughed.
“Michael O’Byrne is in good health. His wife will probably outlive
him if statistics are a guide. So Michael’s money is something for
grandchildren. Peter is unlikely to see any of it in the near
future. Michael’s wealth is not a part of my calculations. I’m glad
he has it but it not a consideration. In this day and age Peter and
I could be divorced in three or five years. These things happen. I
don’t intend to spend my life living in the hope that someone will
pass on and leave me some money in far years to come.”

“Good
thinking,” John said again non-committal, but wondering where the
conversation was going.

John watched
fascinated as Janet picked up her tea and took a sip. She smiled at
him. She was used to mesmerizing men. To cover his confusion John
picked up his own cup, and sipped.

“John, AF are
poised to take over O’Byrne’s. Michael O’Byrne wants to talk about
fine-tuning on the price on the weekend. Mr. Crawford is coming
over to finalize the deal. He will meet the O’Byrne's and conduct
the negotiations. The AF legal people have started ‘due diligence’
processes. They are tying in with the O’Byrne’s bankers and will
want to go over your figures.”

“Yes, no
problem. Peter and Michael seem to have decided that selling it is
the best option in the circumstances.”

“Do you John,
what do you think?”

John sat back
and looked at her, but could not read anything in her beautiful
sincere face.

“The price is
reflective of the present level of business in a situation where we
are in deep trouble with one of our principle customers. In other
words AF have destroyed future expectation of growth and this
reduces the value of the shares dramatically. It depends on the
view you take as to whether O’Byrne’s could fight and win with AF,”
John explained.

She remained
inscrutable, and John sat back in his seat.

“If the price
is fifty million Peter will get five million,” Janet suggested.

“If we got a
future growth value that could be ten or fifteen million,” John
countered.

“I know,”
Janet, said, “that’s what bothers me.”

“Why are you
taking me into your confidence?” John asked.

“I need to
explore other options,” Janet explained. “Peter mentioned that
O’Donoghue's were sniffing around and expressing interest in a
bid.”

“Yes, but they
are unlikely to pay much more. The business is still in trouble.
The non-family directors feel the threat from AF can be rebuffed by
a management buyout linked to a merger with O’Donoghue's. They
don’t see any good in selling to AF and letting AF grab all the
future growth value at the expense of existing shareholders.”

“We are talking
a wide range of values depending on future expectations,” Janet
summarized.

“Exactly,” John
agreed, still wondering why she was pursuing this line.

“If I could
arrange for AF to withdraw their bid?” Janet asked with a
smile.

“That would put
us back on track, back to where we were before this all started,”
John said with a startled laugh.

Clearly he did
not believe she could do anything of the sort.

“We can’t go
back,” Janet explained. “John, we can only go forward.”

“Agreed,” John
said wryly and put down his cup.

He felt the
conversation was going nowhere and much as he enjoyed looking at
Janet and hearing her sweet voice, he felt he had other pressing
things to get on with. He made as if to finish up.

Janet held out
her hand in a restraining gesture.

“John, I want
to put a scenario to you.”

“Yes?” John
said. Patience was one of his strong points.

“Michael sells
at or about the proposed price, still believing the growth bubble
is burst and he should get out.”

“And?” John
prompted

“And AF
withdraw from the field, not prepared to go over fifty million
while your consortium goes to maybe sixty million.”

“Some chance,”
John said with a smile.

“And AF then
make up with O’Byrne’s and we carry on as before.”

John
gesticulated with his hands as if he was strangling someone in
frustration.

“Go with the
scenario John,” Janet urged.

“Well in those
circumstances Michael would have sold out for millions below real
value, in a sense losing millions, and the new shareholders would
reap the rewards of all future growth in the company and future
expectations. With the renewed AF relationship the company would go
back to its proper value and continue on the growth trail.”

“Excellent,”
Janet clapped her hands. “That’s what I thought.”

“Pipe dream
Janet,” John said, enjoying her pleasure at his conclusion.

Janet stood up,
straightened out her dress and walked to the window. John’s eyes
followed her spellbound. What does it matter, he thought, she may
be talking rubbish, but she is wonderful.