Time for Revenge

He thought he'd have a great time out-thinking and tactically out-manoeuvring Juno Publications' operations manager Ryan Cross, and embarrassing him greatly. They soon would be facing each other in preliminary talks about a proposed limited merger between Raymond Rich Publications and Juno Publications.

The revealed plan would be negotiating a joint book marketing operation to reduce marketing costs for both companies and with RR Publications performing all marketing activities and to invoice J Publications its share of the marketing costs based on monthly book sale revenues of each company proportionately.

Raymond saw this as the first step in his plan, known only to himself at this stage, of RR Publications, as the big fish, ultimately gobbling up J Publications, the minnow. He would have preferred jumping in at the start with a complete takeover offer to expand his company but unfortunately book sale revenues had plunged somewhat with Juno's company snatching a much larger slice of the market than anyone would have envisaged,

Pouring a whisky Raymond thought sourly Juno had a few lucky breaks. That just wasn't fair to long-established book publishers like himself. How the fuck had Juno got to that French author who wrote 'Baron Debbouze's Adorable Wench' was an example of their incredible good luck.

Raymond sighed, thinking after having his PA purchase him a copy, he's read it with interest. He'd been attracted to it by the book title and expecting to throw it away after reading two or three pages of trash, but he'd found himself thinking it was fucking brilliant and had read it to the end. He'd immediately ordered his publications commissioning department manager to contact that Frenchwoman and sign her up.

Carol found that Juno had already contracted the author who was now living in London, for an exclusive 4-book contract to last for the next 3½ years.

Enraged by that revelation, Raymond recalled letting off a string of expletives that had Carol looking white-faced and scared.

He sighed, unable to work out how his wife, a former book editor, and her business partners, a former soldier and then becoming his chauffeur, could have combined to plan and structure a new start-up company and risk launching it so early and then achieving such considerable impact. It was weird. They must have great business advisers and a fucking great support team around them.

* * *

Raymond's PA Stephanie Harris led in Ryan Cross, representing Juno Publications, into Raymond Rich's office to begin preliminary talks about a partial merger between the two privately-owned book publishing firms.

Anyone might think, what's significant about that?

Really?

In terms of book publishing revenues, Juno Publications was a minnow when compared with Raymond Rich Publications' revenues.

Further, Ryan was Raymond's former bodyguard/chauffeur and in these negotiations would represent himself and his business partner Juno Rich who Raymond was-s in the process of divorcing.

Adding to that mix, Juno and Ryan currently lived together, as business partners and lovers.

Raymond eyes narrowed as he watched Ryan walk into the office, the first time they'd been in close contact for the best part of a year. Only Raymond would know what he was thinking but perhaps a good guess would have been 'Look at him strutting in here and dressed in a snappy dark business attempting to look like a credible businessman. Ha!'

* * *

Ryan thought, 'And into the lion's den we go.'

"Good morning Raymond."

Raymond stood behind his desk, pointed to the far chair with a coffee table separating it from the other chair and began walking around his desk.

He frowned when the visiting negotiator took the closest chair, where Raymond usually sat with the advantage of the person in the other chair having to face strong daylight coming in through the big windows.

He returned to his desk and pushed a button on an electronic hand controller and light filtering curtains pulled across the three windows.

He smiled thinly.

Sitting down he said the obvious, "Let's begin."

Ryan smiled and said, "I'm entering these talks in good faith; are you?"

Gripping the arms of his lounge chair tightly, knuckles looking white, Raymond said yes.

His PA knocked and opened the door and entered two paces. She asked sweetly, "Coffee gentlemen?"

"It's not required," Raymond said brusquely.

"Thanks, Stephanie," Ryan said smoothly. "It's usual coffee time for me. No milk or sugar."

"Raymond, why have you initiated these talks and exactly what do you mean by a partial merger?"

Raymond's upper body straightened and his expression looked as if he'd accidentally swallowed a frog.

Sounding much like he was endeavouring to win back control of the direction these preliminary talks should be taking, he said, "This answer covers both questions you have asked. By combining forces, from post-printing through to distribution and marketing only, we should have the fire-power to force local firms keen to win contracts in our publishing needs for any book print-ready to quote keenly, especially when we advise them we are also seeking quotes from some very competitive and reliable foreign firms."

"I see," Ryan drawled. "And if in that process all of out post-editing requirements go to foreign companies, the lost of revenue for our local providers could sent some of them to the wall, or at least to make some staff redundant."

"Yes, by what drives business these days more than ever before is management looking at ways to control costs without sacrificing quality."

"That's agreed, Raymond. At the same time, we must keep the big picture in mind and not recklessly contribute adversely to the health of our industry."

"That's simple ideology but is understandable you are overly focused on that due to your inexperience in business."

"Oh Raymond, please don't provoke me by becoming personal otherwise I'll start by asking what are your formal qualifications applicable to you being the head of a book publishing company."

Raymond's face turned dark but any intended retort was interrupted by his PA entering with Ryan's coffee.

"I'll now have coffee Stephanie."

Ryan said gently, "I didn't catch the boss saying please, Stephanie. Did you?"

"I...I'm not sure," Stephanie said cleverly, tabling Ryan's coffee and hurriedly leaving the room.

"Raymond, my business partner Juno and I have discussed what your proposal might actually mean, and came to the conclusion that it must be a bold effort to combine in some ways to try to control and even reduce publishing costs. We decided to partake in preliminary talks and then consider where to go from there."

"That's the first sensible thing you've made since we sat down to talk."

"Whatever, Raymond, but at least I knew when I wanted coffee."

Ryan say Raymond bristle and smiled.

"Raymond, we have invested heavily to set up our company, in employing quality staff including 11 people who'd become dissatisfied with working for your company. It has come to our attention, via rumours, plus information from some people who should be in the know, that Raymond Rich Publications is under considerable financial pressure because of it's sliding percentage of book sales in this country."

Raymond scowled heavily.

"Therefore, before we can proceed further Raymond, we require you to open your books to us so that we can peruse evidence of your company's current financial position and confirm your company's share of the book market sales over the past 10 years. Although publicly-published statics provide data on good sales generally, we'd like to see your company's accurate recording of annual sales."

Raymond stood and said, "Get out of my office now."

"Okay, but give me a minute to finish my coffee."

Raymond went to his desk, called someone on his phone and shouted furiously, "Security, this is Raymond Rich. To my office, now!"

Ryan stood, finishing his coffee, and said, "Thanks for talking to me Raymond for possibly a nil result, I believe. I must go now to avoid the risk of facing a trumped-up charge of trespassing. Have a great day."

He walked away, Raymond shaking in fury and remaining silent.

Ryan waited for two tough-looking guys to rush from the lift before he entered for the descent to the ground floor.

He said to Juno after he arrived at the doorway of her office and she asked how to it go,

"Very much as we predicted and he reacted just like you said he would when I dropped the bomb. Two thick-set security guys rushed from the lift and headed in the direction of Raymond's office as I prepared to descent to the ground floor. I'll write you a full report for the record."

"Good work darling. Knowing him, I can confidently say he would have worked on inflating the bills for everything done in any joint venture covering production and marketing on our behalf. Charges would have included dreamed up things like need to employ extra staff and 'intellectual contributions' by Raymond Rich Publications to increase the efficiency of our combined work flow."

"Would that mean Raymond sitting in his chair and looking across to our offices and thinking, how can I bring those assholes and their company a total collapse?"

"Right on, my sweetheart," Juno said lovingly. 'It's moments like this that elevate our spirits above our daily grind in commissioning a start up company and working to make it grow in strength and profitability."

"Indeed, and I imagine that right now Raymond is masturbating and thinking almost in tears thinking of they great times he and you had in bed, especially in those early days of marriage."

Juno giggled, "Off you go and produced that business report, you disgusting man."

The End