A Couple Pt. 05

A Couple - Part 5 - The Merger Conspiracy Fails

Suzanne and Madelyn arrived within minutes of each other on Monday morning after New Year's. Lisa did the airport pickup and by the time they arrived at the house, all three were smiling. I helped with luggage and inquired about the smiles, given the tension of the last ten days over the acquisition rumors in London,

"Oscar, you are not to worry. Your women have the situation under control, but we have more intelligence gathering to do. Here is one tidbit to share with Natalie. The source of our problem is right here in the Valley."

They were looking doubly secretive and dashed off to see Oliver. I went in with the bags, thinking that the male animal, in the presence of new baby and several females, was relegated to servant duties. A little voice said not to knock the privileges of a male in a female household. For the first time in days, a tremor of old fashioned lust ran through me. Privileges indeed.

Mild weather continued, allowing Natalie and Oliver to spend hours on the deck, absorbing winter sunlight. He had gained half a pound in his first week, which Natalie was told was an excellent sign. The foot was also improving daily, and he was allowed to have the boot off while his mother took a dip with him. The recently acquired waterproof pants had a colorful pattern on them and safeguarded the pool from accidents.

The West End women sat briefly with the new mother, cooing over Oliver, before disappearing to the studio, saying they had much work to do.

I sat next to Natalie, absorbing sun, and inquired why we were being kept in the dark.

"Oscar, they want to do this on their own. Don't you see the instinct to prove they can be successful and fend off unwanted attention? Actually, I think they are plotting a counter-attack we will only hear about after it is launched."

She continued, "Suzanne told me the swim club is starting again tomorrow morning and it would be nice if Oliver was introduced."

"At five in the morning? He will object."

"Don't be foolish. He is awake at all hours, and his eyes are roaming constantly. When they aren't fixated on a nipple, of course." She giggled like a schoolgirl. "You have no idea what a funny business this is, nursing him. Most mothers are used to their husbands chasing their boobs. But nothing prepares you for that tiny mouth draining milk out of your breast. You suddenly realize not only did you grow him inside, but now you are helping him to grow outside!"

She reached for my hand, squeezing tight. I squeezed back, not knowing exactly what husband behavior was needed. She smiled, "I know what you are thinking. Don't worry, just sit there and think good thoughts for your new son and his mom."

That definitely required a kiss and a hug, on my knees. "Oh Oscar, I feel so lucky to have you and your baby too!"

Oliver picked that moment to wake up and gurgle, waving little arms. I lifted him to Natalie's bosom. "He worries me. Aren't all babies supposed to cry?"

"Don't you dare talk like that. He doesn't need any encouragement to cry. Just wait until he is a few weeks older and realizes the world doesn't revolve around his wants!"

Later, the West Enders arrived for a late lunch, still smiling. I looked up at them from working on my email. "I may have to have you over my knee if you are not forthcoming."

They laughed and high fived one another. "Oscar, relax and enjoy your freedom. We will have a job for you shortly. Tell us what your WHO responsibilities are these days?"

"I am on maternity leave, although they don't dare to call it that. But I told my boss I am available if he needs help. I keep up with the important emails from the field."

"Excellent. Now that there are others to care for Natalie and Oliver, you are to be ready for travel at a moment's notice. Keep your passport handy. We will explain more soon."

They looked at me with totally impish faces. Faces that could be part of a high school Halloween prank, except that this gambit involved several hundred million dollars.

I growled, "Don't push too far..."

They stood and smothered me with kisses. "We aren't. By tomorrow night, you will know everything!"

Oliver had finished his lunch, so I took him to my shoulder and walked around the pool, steaming inside about smart women who played for high stakes and almost always won.

"Oliver, you must hurry and grow up so there are two of us to deal with these uppity women."

His response was to make the suspicious noise that signaled an immediate diaper change.

When I returned him to his crib, Natalie's arm was waving in the air, summoning me to her side.

"Oscar, they are allowing me to tell you their plan. At least the current outlines of their plan."

"That's certainly good of you," I replied, stiffly.

"Don't be a pill. This is brilliant. You will like it."

"Wait," I said, "refreshment is needed."

"Yes, I suppose it is. Please bring me a mild one."

I returned to poolside, bringing drinks and my own floppy hat. The sunshade was up on the crib and Oliver looked peaceful and happy. He seemed bigger and longer by the day.

"Why am I an actor in this drama?"

"Hush, I said you will like it."

Over the next ten minutes, Natalie described the results of two weeks of sleuthing in London and Silicon Valley. "You remember, when Lisa's friend Middleton first called, the story seemed so strange? Well, it got stranger. All of the usual suspects in London denied knowledge of any takeover or merger. It took Madelyn two days to discover a link from a disreputable outfit in the City to a not-well-thought-of hedge fund in New York.

"They were at a dead end until Suzanne got back and heard one of the swimmer executives talking about a bizarre rumor that her former boss Geoff was involved with some hedge fund people in New York on a lucrative takeover in London."

"Oh no," I said, "a revenge motive!"

"Yes! The four of them are madder than hell after all the trouble they went to when Suzanne left his company."

"You know the saying, 'Don't get mad, get even.' "

"Those were my exact words. They are down in their office developing a scheme to embarrass the hell out of Geoff and make money for West End at the same time. They may need a big smart male like you to fly to New York and maybe London to make proposals and so on."

"Big, smart male. That's a new one."

"Oscar, don't give me any false humility. You have a reputation all over the world as the guy to call when there is epidemic trouble."

I took her hand to my mouth, kissing the knuckles. "I suppose I could threaten them with a fatal neurodegenerative virus that kills slowly."

The knuckles grazed my cheek. "You can be very scary when you talk like that. Especially when your reputation precedes you."

"I'm in the saving lives business. Shouldn't have said that."

"Thank you. Do you feel better? Back in the loop?"

"Yes. If they are serious, I will need coaching on the lingo. An important title? Engraved business cards? A fancy new suit or two?"

"I should have known. I suppose you will even want to get paid?"

"Of course. A substantial deposit on Oliver's college fund."

That required a hug and hot kiss, which was interrupted by a voice behind us. "Not in public, please. You two are like teenagers."

All four of them were tossing tees and shorts for a swim. Four amazing bodies from workouts and the pool. "Look who is talking. What an embarrassment you are."

I was dragged to the water and forced to do laps with them for twenty minutes. Leaning me against the edge of the pool, they applied kisses and asked, "You are going to help?"

"I'm holding out for stock and a signing bonus!"

I was forced to lie face down on warm concrete and have many hands caressing my back and other, more sensitive parts of my anatomy. "You are trying to buy me off with sex," I mumbled.

Voices brought me up to date with latest developments.

"Suzanne called her friend Sarah Williams, who was at Kleiner, but now is on her own. A champion swimmer at Stanford, and summa cum laude. We invited her for lunch, but she countered with bringing dinner. Wants to meet Oliver."

"Doesn't seem fair. There are six of us, seven if you count Oliver."

"She is the original in-your-face woman, Oscar. I said we would provide refreshments."

I glanced at Natalie, who was dozing, even though Oliver was waving his arms. This was a good sign. She needed alarms not to go off every time he made a move. I scrambled to my feet, grabbed shorts, and walked over to pick him up. Amazingly, he wasn't making sucking sounds, but just looking around. I strolled back to the women and carefully sat down. Eight delicious boobs were taking the sun and he seemed to be gazing at them.

"Sorry Oliver, those are really beautiful, but don't have any milk in them." The women stuck tongues at me, but got a folded up blanket and propped him up against their legs facing out of the sun. This produced gurgles and a facsimile of a smile.

Natalie seated herself next to me with a hug. "Imagine, a boy child with four fabulous nannies, all naked!"

Lisa spoke up, "Natalie, we have a guest for dinner who is bringing it with her."

"My goodness, how did you manage that?"

"She was a tough sell. We had to promise a swim in the heated pool, an introduction to Oliver, and an inside track on any deal with West End."

I was feeling extremely lazy and walked off to deal with WHO email while Oliver and his attendants absorbed the last of the mild January sun.

It was deep twilight when Lisa's phone went off with a text from Sarah announcing imminent arrival and need for bag carriers. I was instructed to continue with drinks and hors d'oeurves. In a few minutes a pack train arrived in the kitchen, Sarah bringing up the rear. Tall, blond, broad shouldered. A truly impressive female whose blue-eyed gaze took an immediate profile of the person she was talking to. Moments later, Natalie arrived from the bedroom with Oliver. Both of them were dressed up and looked a million dollars.

Oliver was very alert, his own blue eyes taking in Sarah as though acknowledging she was the new person in the room. Sarah said hello softly and offered a finger for him to grasp. He did and let out his special gurgle of pleasure. She said to the others, "Ten days old and he is already charming the ladies."

Lisa took Oliver so Natalie and Sarah could exchange hugs. She turned to me, "You are responsible for this? A beautiful, healthy child, and a harem of swimmers?" The hug was fierce and her lips grazed mine.

I didn't let go and licked under her ear. "You are going to get these high finance women out of the hole they have dug?"

She jumped back, "Unbelievable! I haven't been in the house five minutes and he is after me! Help!" I knew I was in big trouble when the smile was as evil and impish as the others.

Suzanne and Sarah caucused for a few minutes while the rest of us gathered in the living room around a nice fire. When they joined us, Natalie said, "Let's not talk business until after dinner. Tell us about swimming, Sarah."

For nearly half an hour, we got the inside story on how tough teenage and college competitive swimming is. The more she talked, the more obvious it was that the swim club needed Sarah's talents as a trainer and coach. I raised my brows at Suzanne and she nodded vigorously.

When we sat down to a fantastic meal from Chef Chu's, Oliver hollered from his crib that he needed dinner too. Natalie inquired if it was ok for him to feed at the table. I tried a frown and got swatted for it.

"I'm already stretching out his feedings a bit. Just an experiment to see what I can get away with." Oliver waved and gurgled, not complaining about his liquid diet.

As we stood up from table to start the business conversation, I quietly asked Suzanne if she had invited Sarah to sleep over and join the early swimmers. "Yes. Part of the plan."

Lisa said, "We've talked among ourselves and with Sarah for several hours. The current idea is to execute a scheme that deflects the takeover move and gains us new business and better positioning in the U.S. at the same time. Much of our current planning is due to Sarah's genius, so I will let her describe it."

Our guest seemed to be warm, direct and smart all at the same time. She paced the living room, giving a hint of the tension the West End women were under.

"Your swim club is a fantastic idea, but it undervalues West End with the limitation on Founder numbers and their business relationship with you. That is fine for controlling bodies in the pool, but not so fine for your revenue stream. So, item one, we need an additional incentive to do business with West End for SV based companies."

Sarah looked around and saw that she had our concentrated attention.

"Second, you shouldn't neglect London. It is a major financial capital and many of its client potentials are not available in New York or here. I understand there are heartstrings involved, but keep a first team in the UK. With the video facility, you have already made friends in both places. Build on that.

"Third, the more successful you are, the more mischief is likely. Planning for trouble needs to be a continuing agenda item. Perhaps you should hire a daylong seminar/tutorial from one of the experts here. I can recommend several.

"Finally," she looked around the room, "drum roll please..."

"You want to know how to handle Geoff and his dubious acquaintances."

She smiled and sat down. "Is it dessert time?"

Groans from everyone. Madelyn marched over and rolled the two of them to the carpet. A ferocious wrestle began. I exited to work on coffee and parfait.

From the kitchen, I heard Madelyn hiss, "Sister, if you don't come across, you'll be naked and we'll have the floggers out!"

Looking at Natalie and me, Sarah said, "These devils have heard my idea, but it's only one option. You eat dessert and I will talk."

I said, in my best low sinister voice, "There is a special room..."

She and Madelyn sat up, hugging. "I'm tongue tied. I've never given a presentation without my Powerpoint..."

Low noises indicated patience was exhausted. "Ok, ok. We need to embarrass and annoy Geoff, but not drive him out of your swim club or his business relationship with you. I suggest that West End announce a business alliance and possible merger with my firm. We can dress it up with some hoopla and have the press conference live in London and via video from here. The media will eat it up. We can stress the all female first team, the sports angle, and so on. Will sound fresh and not VC, and not Hedge Fund."

She lay back against Madelyn and nibbled on her fingers.

There was silence until I said, "Geoff's greedy friends are outfoxed, since everyone assumes the previous rumors were about this deal you are announcing. Can we rub it in by posting a picture on the website of you in your speedo with a medal around your neck?"

This got a great laugh and a convergence of other bodies on Sarah. "Yes, your thinnest speedo with nips showing!"

I looked at Natalie, "Are we ok with this?" She crawled into my lap, "Should I consult Oliver first?"

There were a million possible questions, but everyone was worn out and mindful of the early morning hour for swim club.

In the big bed, Natalie was topping off Oliver, who unaccountably was still being the perfect baby. Sarah was naked in the middle, having been deposited there by the other women with instructions to enjoy the special sleeping arrangement. She didn't look too comfortable, even though Natalie had buried her under the covers.

"Is he going to do me in the night? For being a bad girl?"

I quickly seized the amazing body and pulled its back to my front. "All females in this house are open to ravishment. Are we poaching on a male's territory?"

She turned into me with a hot kiss. "Oscar, I'm like Suzanne around guys, too smart for my own good. They get turned off and look elsewhere."

I pushed her back on her side facing Natalie, who was feeding Oliver in hopes of more sleep.

I took a firm grip on a delicious boob and said, "For some reason, Natalie and I think smarts and sexy women should go together. Look at the ones who have washed up here. And you haven't met Erica and Inge yet."

Sarah hummed. "This is too too crazy. I may not leave."

"You are already a successful Valley investor woman. Is this deal with West End actually going to happen?"

"After tonight, it certainly is. If you will have me, of course."

I tucked her closer and slept. A small miracle occurred and Oliver went to 4 am before waking, just minutes before the swimmers had to get up anyway. I licked the back of Sarah's neck and she turned into me. "Do you provide morning sex? Will Natalie allow it?"

"I'm sorry, but you are much too smart for me."

Natalie was walking away with Oliver. "Hit him. He knows he is not supposed to tease newbies."

What happened was that I threw Sarah over my shoulder and walked us to the shower. With hot water beating down, she said, "I'm just about to swim, do I need washing?"

I soaped all parts, saying, "We have to keep the pool clean." As she struggled to hit me, I added, softly, "You are incredibly sexy and I'd take you in a minute. But Oscar doesn't do women until they ask."

She swatted me weakly and went looking for her suit. "Bad. You are asking for a kick between the legs."

In the kitchen, Oscar had his eyes closed against the light but was sucking vigorously. I kissed his mom tenderly. "He is drawing us even closer together." His leg with the boot kicked out at me.

"Yes. If that is possible." Looking down at her breast and its feeding mouth, she said, "I love Oscar and I love Oliver."

From behind us, two voices said, "We heard that, what about us?"

In a minute or two, everyone was gathered, coffee in hand, exchanging hugs and kisses and silly comments.

I said, not sure whether it was silly or not, "I have a head for detail, what if I become the acting secretary of this female combine? You five women can chase issues and I will pick up the pieces."

Archly, Wilma giggled, "Will you look at that, he is going to have pieces of all of us!"

"Out, out!" I shouted. "To the pool!"

Natalie reached a hand to wrap me. "Oscar, with all that energy and smarts, this is likely to work, isn't it?"

I kissed her forehead as Oliver fell back into her arms, dozing. "With the two of us to provide advice and a course correction here and there, it might come off."

The following week was a whirlwind of activity, readying the "Geoff" plan for launch on January 15th in London. Wilma and Madelyn were dispatched there to catch up on clients and find a good spot for the press conference. Sarah and Suzanne were like Siamese twins, finishing each other's sentences and engaging a lawyer and a publicist for the details of the new alliance. Lisa spent hours on the phone keeping clients on our side of the ocean happy and rebutting rumors with vague assurances that all would be cleared up within a few days.

Natalie and Oliver and I provided cocoon services, ensuring that food and drink were available at all hours, along with a warm bed when needed. The women apologized for not needing sex, giggling and grabbing my crotch. I growled and hugged.

Erica and Inge called, asking about a visit. We told them to get to London for the press conference, where they could be very dressed up and circulate to confuse the media with phony resumes as new hires for the expanding business of the alliance.

Lisa was amazingly relaxed, rolling on the bed with us and insisting on being allowed to bathe and hold Oliver. She and Sarah would travel to London in two more days. Natalie gazed at us one evening, "Oscar, you are not holding off this woman forever." I poked both of them, saying this was no time to discuss impregnation.