Sex Opens Door

"Pretty well thanks Matt. Actually got myself going in the courier business."

"So I heard. Going well?"

"Oh yes."

Look Dale, I'm flying to LA tonight and wondered if you could give me a couple of hours at your office tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll drop everything for you my friend. How's Jane?"

"She's fine. Oh, she'll be with me. Mind if she tags along?"

"Not at all. Perhaps I could arrange lunch with you guys and Leah?"

"Yeah, great idea. I'd like that."

Rather excited, Dale found Leah on the bed totally nude.

"Darling I'm sorry for prattling on. You must have had your tongue hanging out for it."

"Yeah, open wide darling," Dale said, undressing hurriedly.

They went at it for more than an hour before Leah indicated she was ready to rest. Dale got the towels and lay beside her. "That phone call an hour ago was Matt Whitehouse, of White Lightening Couriers in Chicago."

"Oh that's nice, how are they?"

"Both well. They're flying in tonight and are coming in to the office. I said we'd take them to lunch."

"Well that's fine. I have only two internal meetings scheduled and can be clear at 10:00."

"It's just a courtesy call Matt said."

"Well he's not here to buy the company, what else did you expect?"

Leah then saw Dale's face. "Oh God!"

"The call was too casual, and he dropped it later that Jane would be with him and said almost yawning, would I mind if Jane tagged along."

"Sorry, I don't follow darling."

Dale rolled his eyes. "Leah, forget about trying to figure it out; I've done that. I bet my ass there was a board meeting earlier today and Matt and Jane were instructed to come and look us over and deliver an expression of interest if it all checks out."

"They won't know what price to put on our operation."

"They will know what we paid for the company, under what conditions did we purchase and will have a fair idea of what's we've spent since. They are bound to offer $6 million."

"We'll want more than that, providing we want to sell."

"I might sell for ten million."

"You've got to be joking."

"We've increased our purchase investment by almost $3 million by returning Madeline's loan, office relocation and upgrading and started the vehicle replacement program."

"Yes of course -- I rushed in without thinking."

"White Lightning is well aware it's far from being a nationwide company as it's not represented on the West Coast."

"Of course, if you don't have California you don't have America even if you have Illinois, New York, most of the Midwest and all of Texas plus North and South Carolina."

"Exactly and with California in the bag it's positioned to lease aircraft and run a multi-state delivery service if the computer study figures look promising. Don't let on to our visitors we are wised up to them. I could be up the wrong tree but I don't think so."

At lunch Matt said: "As I said earlier, you are setting up a copybook operation here guys. Dale, it's a pity you didn't developed that franchising model you and I talked about."

"Come on you two, that's enough business jabber for the time being."

"Leah is right guys," Jane said. "Let's relax over this seafood."

They watched in silence as the waiter poured the chilled French Chablis.

Jane almost fell out of her chair when Dale said, "Jane, how much is WL prepared to pay Leah and me for our little gold mine?" She shot a horrified look at Matt.

"Why would WL want to throw money at you two Dale considering your past history with the company?"

"Ouch, that's a bit below the belt," Leah said smoothly.

"I apologize. Why Dale?"

"He doesn't seem to know," Dale grinned. "Tell him Jane."

"No," she squeaked.

Leah looked at Dale and he nodded. "It's because we did what needed to be done and hold California.

Matt studied his plate of seafood as if expecting to find a shark bearing down on him.

"Our fucking company president has to go," Matt muttered. "They were fools pushing you out Dale. This is going to cost us heaps."

Leah murmured, "But the truth is it has to be done."

Matt countered, "There are other courier companies we can buy in this state -- money talks Leah."

"Then after lunch go out and buy them Matt. We'd rather not have more competition but then none of us controls the market. We have emerged as a new operation, with a fleet being upgraded and our personnel motivated because they know we are on the move, but you will possess all that information. Spit it out Matt -- what's the offer?"

Matt smiled: "Six very big ones buddy."

"Leah and I have decided not to negotiate. Ten-point-five mil subject to due diligence and if we have a deal we walk, not wishing to stick around. Leah is pregnant and our step-parents want her home."

Leah flushed as if excited to hear she was pregnant.

Jane smiled and said, "Darling, I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks Jane."

"You'll be a fine mother," Matt grunted. "But plan to be continuing to live here because our company president and vice-president have already been screwed by you two and are unlikely to permit that to occur a second time."

"Matt, to be aggressively represented in California with our spread and rational plan for expansion, buying our company for $10.5 million is a steal," Dale said. "A regional operation could be established in the Bay area and a leg out to Sacramento later. Now, can we host you two at dinner tonight and take you to a couple of great clubs -- one with a great show and the other with live music and dancing?"

Nothing was heard from White Lightening for two weeks, not even from Matt or Jane. Dale put a hold on company capital expenditure for a month with no explanation to company personnel. Then WL's vice-president called and invited Dale to Chicago for talks.

Dale said politely, "Don't waste your time, you were told no negotiating over price. Bring a team out here if you wish and really look us over but DL plays all expenses."

The VP Gavin Bryant arrived two days later, without notice, with three executives. Dale had briefed David about their possible arrival and after introducing David to Gavin disappeared with Leah for the day, leaving David in charge with full authority to show the visiting deputation everything they wished to see including anything regarding financials. David called Dale at 1:00 to say the visitors had taken an early flight back to Chicago.

"Early flight, well that's any chance of a deal gone," Leah moaned. "Why you added half a million to the price I'll never know."

"Simple: they would think ten mil straight was a suspiciously round figure."

Leah laughed and said she'd have to have her baby in LA.

They laughed and then Dale said, "Do you want to have a baby?"

"Oh darling, this is so sudden."

"Stop stalling. You would have thought about it."

"Yes, definitely. Oh darling, you are making me so happy."

Dale said that made him happy. She should come off the pill immediately and he'd begin eating oysters."

"It may take up to a month for the chemicals to have left my body."

"No worries. I like oysters."

Dale's phone was off three days later when he was visiting their San Diego depot so the vice-president of White Lightening called Leah. Gavin Bryant was brusque: "The board has authorized payment of $10.5 million to your company. We will courier copies of the contracts to Dale and to your father whom Dale advised was your attorney. Will you please confirm we do have an unconditional sale?"

"That is confirmed Mr Bryant. Good, settlement at our offices at noon on Friday fortnight to be followed by lunch. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, may I ask that Matt and Jane be in attendance and be invited to join us at lunch."

"Very well. Anything else?"

"No except be kind to the personnel we leave behind."

"Goodbye Leah."

Leah thought she'd take care of that very well and wondered why she needed Dale around. "Oh yes, the baby!"

After phoning her father to expect the draft contracts in the mail, Leah asked Teddy to attend the signing. Friday was always the lightest day of the week for him so he only had two appointments to juggle and a luncheon with cronies to miss. It suited Dinah to accompany him so Leah said she would book a double suite at a leading hotel and they could have a great weekend in Chicago together.

"Then come home and stay with us."

"Excuse me?"

Teddy's voice changed as if speaking to Leah as a child. "From Friday fortnight what ties will you have in LA and you'll need somewhere to stay while planning your future?"

"Future? Oh God, we haven't even talked about it -- everything has been full on and uncertain."

"Hence me suggestion to come home."

"Oh daddy, we'll be without jobs."

"With your investment money returned plus an extra $3.5 million, you won't exactly be destitute darling and Dale being Dale will have a future planned ready to present for your approval."

CHAPTER 7

Dale arrived back from San Diego tired but charged-up. Leah said she had some wonderful news but as he poured drinks he asked if he could go first as he needed to get something off his chest.

"Yes of course," Leah said, wondering if he'd gotten some poor woman pregnant or perhaps medical tests had disclosed he had a disease -- oh God, not testicular cancer, not at this time! Leah braced herself.

"How would you like to live in Sydney, Australia?"

"What?"

"It's an island continent south of here, very far south actually.

"It know where it is; it has crocodiles and huge poisonous spiders."

Dale ignored that. "When you to babes went to the restroom during lunch the other day I asked Matt how White Lightning's Australian operation was going and he said not good. The operations manager had been head-hunted and the business was almost a year behind forecast in returning its first profit."

"So you immediately thought we'll buy that at a steal, turn it around and sell back to WL for double what we have invested?"

"Something like that. I'm thinking we buy WL's ailing business for a song and develop the business throughout Australia and New Zealand -- but making it a condition that Matt and Jane come with us as director of operations and director of planning and business development and as an incentive we offer them shares in the new company."

"But would they want to leave their cushy jobs to live in Australia?"

"Matt is bored with his job and told me he's been thinking of asking to be sent to Australia to sort out the business problems. Jane will tag along -- you know what women are like."

"Do I?" Leah said somewhat coldly.

"Ooops. Well that's on hold, a bit like our desire for parenthood. We wait until something happens. Now what's your news?"

Leah said flatly, "Today I sold the business. The contracts are on the way by courier with a set going to dad. Signing is Friday fortnight in Chicago. Dad and mom will stay with us for the weekend and we'll do things together."

"Good."

"Is that all you have to say?"

"Er, thanks for organizing that and accepting WL's agreement to pay our price."

"W-where's the excitement?"

Dale yawned and said he knew WL would not hold out for too long. "The only surprise is the decision has come a couple of weeks earlier than I expected. I'll call company president Bryce Owens tomorrow and if he appears keen about us buying them out in Australia you'll experience excitement, heaps of it. Now shouldn't we go to bed and try making a baby? Then we go out to late dinner and crack open a bottle of champagne to celebrate the successful imminent close of chapter one of our fir joint business ventures?"

Leah thought men! Then she had another thought, "You really are interested in me becoming pregnant?"

"Oh yes, I ordered oysters for lunch and stopped on the way home to top up with more oysters."

"Well I guess that indicates a mindset and I'm happy about that. I was just rather disappointed that you were not over the moon about the sale."

"You know me darling, I get excited about entry, not exits. Go to the bottom drawer of my dresser. I brought something for you a fortnight ago to say thank you in an appropriate manner for standing by me through thick and thin since we became a couple. I had intended presenting it on the night of the signing. Bring it out as I want to see your face."

Leah sped off and returned, face bright in excitement. "It's a necklace."

Fingers shaking she opened it and became speechless except for one word:

"Diamonds!"

THE END