Time for Revenge

"I'll place Lisa Whitney-Ellis's grandma's story into a special category and personally manage it. It will be our first publication in a non-fiction category yet to be named, if what I've sampled so far continues with similar excellence throughout. After talking to Lisa, perhaps I'll place the final edited manuscript in the hands of an agent to test the market for film rights; sentimental films are still not completely rejected. In my opinion this could be a runner like 'Golden Pond' was. We'll have to see."

Next day, Juno and Ryan began working ten to twelve-hour days but leaving weekends free as much as possible. Free weekends were part of their business plan to ensure they enjoyed time together during the start-up phrase that was expected to drag on for at least nine months. Sensibly, they'd agreed not to become strangers although living in the same apartment and working in the same publishing house that was being created.

Juno drifted into doing light gym work from 5:30 am with Ryan and then swimming with him, she limiting herself to fifteen lengths and thus freeing him to unleash his horse-power as he was focused on maintaining his hard-won level of fitness.

They went to breakfast together each morning and Susan now joined them as they had a great friendship going. Juno quickly formed the impression that Ryan and Susan were more than just friends and perhaps remained secret lovers.

She decided to try to not think any more about her suspicion. That shouldn't be too difficult providing she kept herself busy and of course was willing to believe that most long-time friends of the opposite sex periodically engaged in more than a cheek kiss.

CHAPTER 3

Two days short of sixteen weeks after notification of company registration, Juno and Ryan were handed proof copies of their first Juno's Potent Book Series title was 'Baron Debbouze's Adorable Wench' written by Frenchwoman Armelle Bonnet.

Five more titles for that series were in production with another five almost ready to be sent to the printer and the target of twelve titles for the initial launch was expected to be reached well in time for a managed national launch and hopefully foreign distributors would take up the 12-book package.

The theory was satisfied readers would be tempted to acquire all twelve titles to make a collector's set although they could be expected to guess more similar series would be released in due course.

Meanwhile, a department for general fiction (paperbacks only) and a department for children's books (hardcover only) had been established. Editorial now had thirty-five people on the payroll and the floor below had been renovated and was currently being fitted out for the marketing, distribution and returns departments.

Launch Day was one month away.

As to be expected, Juno and Ryan were happy although it only fainting revealed having to pierce the masks of near-exhaustion covering their faces; hitting the business road to launch at a gallop was taking its toll.

Their social life at home was a shadow of its former self and by now their principal activity in bed was sleeping. They interfaced more than ever before, at the office.

Juno decided to put a stop to this madness; she wanted to bring back the days where their preoccupation concentrated on being almost as one, showing a warmth and a closeness that seemed to make time almost become redundant to their lives. Their total focus at times needed to return to being upon each other, back to where it was at the peak of their relationship.

Juno was smart enough to accept that peaks could never last because that was their nature but by pulling in the reins, she and Ryan could reclaim some of their former social life and awareness of each other. Their intense whip-cracking times had to stop. But would Ryan accept this?

Ha! He'd be given no choice. She launched their personal management plan that Saturday morning at work. At work? Yes, that initial agreement not to work weekends had long gone. She knew Ryan would be receptive because he'd confessed at the recent board meeting that they'd become colossal spenders.

The company had a huge outflow of expenditure with the bottom line being uncontaminated red because income was non-existent. Although their business plan provided for that until they had product following out and being converted into sales, there was no alternative.

Even so, the mountain of unanswered debt and the rapidity of its growth unanswered by income was difficult to stomach now that spending was reaching its peak. Ryan would be aware much of that debt was personally funded by Juno, on a business basis of course but at the moment the risk of reclaiming her capital was probably as high as it ever would be. The rest of their financial expenditure came from bank loans.

Some recruitment agency staff also worked on Saturdays and Juno initiated an urgent search for a general manager, advising Evelyn Morris where the first place to look.

At the same time, she commissioned a search for a personal assistant for herself, again instructing Evelyn about a particular person to headhunt.

Both head-hunts met with brilliant success.

On Wednesday, she interviewed Nell Jones, assistant marketing manager at Rich Publications who accepted the offer to become the new company's general manager an hour after she'd arrived to be interviewed.

The next day, Rich Publication's office manager, Della Broadbanks, accepted the offer to become Juno's personal assistant along with the title of manager of strategic planning.

Juno had already secured Ryan's promise that he'd take her away on Friday night for a weekend at a spa resort to end her week triumphantly. The weekend away of course would be for her and Ryan to also dwell on personal time management and for him to be advised of the two senior appointments.

* * *

Juno and Ryan slept on the 3½ early evening flight to the Orange Mountain Spa Resort that had included a change to a small aircraft for the final twenty-minute leg. They dined, relaxed in a couple of the public pools after booking in for massages next morning and retired to their villa for a short and sweet coupling before sleeping nine hours when receiving their wake-up call.

"You look beautiful this morning darling," Ryan greeted her.

At that Juno had her best smile in weeks and stroked his unshaven cheek with butterfly softness. She decided to get them back on track after their joint massage with two days of debauchery interspersed with swimming, horse-riding, perhaps tramping plus attending the famous Saturday night party.

They flew out early Sunday afternoon tired and very happy, holding hands. Juno knew she was ready to claim Ryan in marriage as soon as her divorce came through.

* * *

On the return flight home, Ryan thought deeply about Juno and their relaxing time together. She'd been so soft and sweet to him during the weekend, more so than ever before. Their intimacy had been pitched at a higher level than previously and he assumed that was because they both become set on creating a more in-depth bonding.

Ryan felt pleased about that and concluded Juno was the best woman to have come into his life. He hoped they would marry and have children. She was a splendid performer for him, in every way.

The urge zoomed on to him to finger her while kissing her deeply, but checking he found her to be deeply asleep so settled down against her, smiling. It had been a great weekend. They had promised to keep weekends free as much as possible and no more senior appointments being made without prior consultation.

Both promises were worth keeping.

Not having ever loved a woman, Ryan wondered if what he was feeling for Juno was love, or at least the start of it. He'd always liked her, right from the outset when he'd organized an audacious plan to have her husband Raymond hire him as his bodyguard.

During the first time they'd met, Ryan thought he'd like to bed her, becoming aware she sometimes glanced at him with naked appraisals that no wife ought to make of another male. Of course, she'd not been aware he'd caught those glances, or had she?

Hmm, one night when she was legless, he'd interrogate her about that.

Chapter 4

The launching of Juno's Potent Fiction Series was at a cocktail party at a hotel and Juno played her role magnificently, Ryan keeping in the background.

She was dressed in a body-hugging red gown slit on both sides from not far below her hipbones, black stockings and red ribbons woven into her beehive hair style. Media representatives of both sexes were fascinated by her although that did not inhibit curly questions about her being the departing wife of publisher Raymond Rich.

"Oh him, he's history," she replied quietly. "I've learnt about publishing during my involvement with him and thought I'd try my hand at it. Do you like what you see?"

Every guest received a 12-pack of the special launch edition due to go on sale the next day throughout the country from kiosks, supermarkets and good bookshops.

Ryan's aunt, well-known city identity Helen Cross, declared the books launched and the champagne, wine beer and fruit juices flowed.

Both morning newspapers reported the function impressively, with their photographers/illustration editors appearing to have felt compelled to display to readers the quality of Juno's legs and to also include her attractive face. Large pictures were published.

Both newspapers ran a review of Book 1, 'Baron Debbouze's Adorable Wench', with the male reviewers reaching similar conclusions along the lines of 'Predictable female trash but surprisingly very well written.'

Juno and her editorial people were thrilled about that put-down of women and grudging admission about the quality of writing.

As Juno had assessed from the outset, the title alone had the potential to turn that particular book into a best-seller.

Juno left the cocktail party on Ryan's arm to be interviewed live at TV at 9:00 on the program with the strange title, 'Books with Box.'

They ate in the studio's café with interviewer Box (Brian) Gardiner who apologized to Juno that he proposed to questions her about her divorce and the cross-publishing link.

"That's fine Box, be hard and dirty. The public loves a bitch with a nice smile and the publicity will reward our company. Please savagely trash the Baron Debbouze title.

Box looked startled. "It's rather puerile but my wife said she adores it."

"Well, perhaps you should add that as an anecdote but who am I to suggest how you should run your interview?"

"You're an intelligent and conniving bitch, if you don't mind me saying so."

The three of them laughed and drank more wine.

"I know from our research that you are Juno's business partner Ryan but I just want Juno solo. Do you accept that?"

"Totally, the whole focus fairly rests on her."

"These operations you were involved in overseas Ryan, exactly what did you do?"

"Wasting time in the main, Box; you know how it is, negotiating unfamiliar territory, finding good bars and eyeing the women and watching foreign language movies that were largely incomprehensible," Ryan lied.

"Pal, it sounds as if you were working in television," Box cackled.

The short interview went well. Box praised Juno for making such a dynamic launch of her new-start company that had hit the ground running, releasing 12 books under the novel theme 'Juno's Potent Fiction Series'.

He criticized the title of one book, written in English by a French writer, 'Baron Debbouze's Adorable Wench' as patently absurd.

Juno unleashed.

"Box, if you believe like many males that sex-oriented females are all nasty sluts, you would be so misguided as to be laughable. Women adoring sex who are morally lose and generous with their skill to appease males in bed, are heroines. Their expertise gives males extra reason for living and putting practically a perpetual smile on their faces. Even straight-backbone females acknowledge that."

"Oh, I apologize immensely, Juno. You've exposed me literally with my pants down."

Box laughed and Juno giggled.

"It's okay Box. My guess is you were attempting to be controversial. Simply take that adorable wench story to bed and enter a new world of racing heart-beats, hysterical encounters and the amazing techniques of a sex-focused woman who skilfully avoids plunging into depravity. Here's the book, Box. You may adore it."

"Darn, times up with you, Juno. You and that author may be responsible for ultimately brushing cobwebs off some of my out-dated beliefs. Good night, you dynamic young publisher."

Leaving the interview area, Juno walked over to Ryan, who looked at her in awe.

"What did you think?" she asked nonchalantly.

"You are okay."

"Only okay?"

He swept her off her feet and kissed her and said, "You were sensationally amazing, promoting our company and its initial authors amazingly. You truly are an adorable wench."

She buried her face into his shoulder, laughing hysterically, releasing her tension.

* * *

Juno Publications Limited continued to expand and now had all of its planned departments operational. The manager of human resources and her assistant continued interviewing a small stream of job applicants to the company's occasional situations vacant advertisements now that the company was making an impact on the book market, with revenue flowing in at last and increasing steadily.

The HR manager arrived in Juno's office. Juno was appraising a thick manuscript.

"Listen for a minute with full attention. boss. This is important.

"Pour us coffee please, Gisela," Juno said, removing her reading glasses and stretching. God, I need another publishing editor. The tide continues to flow in. Well, what is it?"

"I've just interview Rich publications distribution manager and I happened to ask why was he applying for a position with a smaller company. He said although we were small, we were growing rapidly whereas his present employer was not unlike a sinking ship."

"I laughed and said that seemed unlikely, not Raymond Rich Publications. He said staff were beginning to panic."

"Then he said it was because we were now in direct competition with almost every category Rich Publications produced and doing a far superior job in producing quality reading and the marketing of our books is far superior to what Rich Publications manages to do."

"Christ."

"But you knew that, didn't you?"

"Yes Gisela, but this is confirmation of the impact we are making practically from the horse's mouth. You appreciated that by coming to me with the revelations."

"What should we do?"

Juno smiled and said, "Everything."

"First, talk to that manager again and arrange a meeting with the job interview panel, asking his for a couple of dates and times and then quickly advise that we want him and begin discussing salary and perks. He may be genuine or perhaps a spy, but that doesn't matter. We have nothing to hide and he'll find many of our employees are from other publishing firms."

"I'll instruct the panel to fit in with one of those days and dates"

"Thanks, Gisela. Then talk to the retiree who's acting distribution manager. I originally appointed him for three months but it's now five months and he appears to be settled in. Say we're contemplating extending his contract but his position could be downgraded as deputy manager on his present salary. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, Juno and I'll make discreet enquiries about the competence and loyalty of this guy who wishes to jump ship."

* * *

The expansion of Juno Publications Limited continued unabated, as planned, with many publishers feeling the adverse effects but none more so than Raymond Rich Publications Ltd.

Eventually, Raymond Rich's in-house lawyer wrote to Juno requesting a meeting, saying that Mr Rich was interested in negotiating a partial merger between the two publishing companies.

Juno dictated a scathing reply to her PA, saying that she'd never sit at the same table as Raymond fucking Rich for whatever reason. But if he were serious about some kind of business arrangement between the companies, she'd authorise her substitute to sign any initial agreement reached on Juno's behalf.

"Um Juno, isn't that imprudent giving such unrestrained negotiation freedom to your substitute?"

"This is confidential, Jill, but I intend to send you, with your consent, to really rile that bastard as you used to work for him. He will, of course, refuse to deal with you when you say our board has to sign off any deal if the majority approve of it."

"Ah, good one, Juno. It will be my pleasure to rile him. During my time as his PA, he twice had a hand up my skirt before I slapped away his arm and yelled that he was a filthy pig. On both occasions, I received an apology and had my salary increased."

PA Stephanie Harris led Jill Mitchell in to Raymond Rich's office.

He glared at the visitor and said angrily, "Is this a joke, my former PA entering my office as my ex-wife's negotiator on a proposed partial business merger?"

"Good morning, Mr Rich. It's definitely not a joke. I have been given the title of chief negotiator for Juno Publications Limited for these talks."

"But you don't have the authority...?

"Oh yes I do, Mr Rich. Here's my appointment as chief negotiator with full powers to sign an initial negotiated agreement on a partial merger with this firm once we reach mutual agreement on the negotiated terms."

"You are misrepresenting the proposal of our letter asking for negotiation on the possible partial merger with our much larger company."

"No, that is incorrect. I'm here to negotiate fully on a partial merger but then to proceed any further, the final agreement must be consented to, modified or rejected by our board. That is usual procedure for multi-million deals between companies."

"First of all, please explain exactly what you mean by a partial merger?"

Raymond scowled and said, "No, first of all, you explain what you think it is."

"That is a childish refusal, contrary to the widely accepted principals of business negotiations."

Raymond flared, "This is unacceptable having a clerical upstart representing a much smaller company instructing me, a long-experienced publisher, on how to perform in a business negotiation. Not only that, I suspect that you lack the authority to sign even a heads of agreement that provides the guidelines of negotiations toward a formal agreement. Get out of this building now and tell your CEO to send me a fully empowered senior executive to commence serious negotiations or preferably come herself."

"Do that yourself by letter, your vacuous man," Jill said, practically steaming, and walked out.

When Jill had finished reporting her experience to Juno she sighed and said, "You did well under the circumstances. I had hoped that at least you'd be given details of what that pig means by a partial merger. I suspect he's after an agreement to market out publications on our behalf, stripping us of a big slice of our revenues while increasing out costs. Our failed attempt to gain more information before the next step in negotiations begin is not your fault. I under-estimated the cleverness of Raymond Devious Rich."

That afternoon, Juno received a hand-delivered letter from Raymond, requesting her to come to his office herself to commence negotiations or to send her most senior deputy with power to sign a heads of agreement on the proposed partial merger."

Her return letter asked for a time and date for such a meeting in a private meeting room at a hotel, paid for by his company that was seeking the proposed partial merger. Her principal partner in her company, Ryan Cross, would negotiate on behalf of their company.

After reading the letter, Raymond walked across the room to his liquor cabinet, grinning.