“The angle is, Price Bean & Whitlock doesn’t give a shit about his manufacturing operation,” I said, my fingers gently massaging her thigh again, even though she was still holding my hand in place. “In fact, after the deal is closed we’ll part out the manufacturing and sell it off to the highest bidder.”
“So, it’s a flip?” she said, narrowing her blue eyes at me. “Nope, I don’t buy it.”
“What’s not to buy?” I asked innocently. Dammit, this woman knew me too well.
“Price Bean & Whitlock does not flip businesses,” she said, shaking her head without taking her eyes off mine. “There’s not enough return on investment.”
“Fine,” I said, pulling my hand back and pouting like a child. “We want his patents.”
“His patents?” I could hear the change in her voice. She was salivating like the aforementioned shark anticipating a meal. “What kind of patents? Equipment? Processes? Intellectual property?”
“Allen Benson designed a new type of computer chip that could possibly make all other chips obsolete within the next few years,” I said. “He was just granted a United States patent on the design, which alone could be worth billions of dollars. More if he chose to license it to other manufacturers.”
She put a finger to her chin and pooched her lips. “I don’t understand. Why would Allen Benson sell you his company if this new chip patent promised such profits?”
“Because he’s under the impression that Price Bean & Whitlock will buy the company and keep things just as they are.” I picked lint off my knee and flicked it away like I was bored with the conversation. “He believes the new chip technology will be used only for Benson Digital and not licensed to competitors.”
“And I assume that impression is incorrect,” she said. “And that Mr. Benson is in for a surprise after the ink on the contract dries—if not before.”
“That’s not my problem,” I said, shrugging. “He’s going to personally pocket a hundred-million-dollars, so, I don’t think he’ll have too much right to complain when we lay out our plans to the board after the deal is done.”
A look of recognition slowly washed over her beautiful face. “And you expect him to be resistant.”
“Yes. That is probably putting it mildly. He’ll fight us at every turn.”
“Which will give you the ammunition you need to lobby against him with the board to get him ousted so you can do whatever you want with the company and the assets. And the patent.”
“That will be his choice,” I said. “The agreement states that he keeps his CEO title and his seat on the board for three years unless he is outed for just cause. However, Price Bean & Whitlock gets three board seats and I already have several of the current board members on our side. They just had to do the math to realize the enormous return on licensing or selling the patent outright. It’ll be a simple process, really. The board vote will go our way. I’m sure of it. And Allen Benson can play ball, or he can take his hundred-million-bucks and go home. It will be totally up to him.”
“Why not offer to buy the patents outright and let him keep the company?” she asked. “Why go to all this trouble?”
“Because, my darling, Allen Benson is one of those goody-goody entrepreneurs who cares more about his legacy and the people who work for him than he does profits. If he had a clue what we had planned the deal would fall through. This dinner is to assure him that all is well, and he needs to sign the fucking agreement, so we can all move on.”
“So, we’re meeting with Allen Benson,” she said, nodding. I could almost hear the gears in her pretty head turning. “Who’s he bringing with him?”
“What makes you think he’s bringing anyone with him?” I asked.
“Because he’d be a fool to come alone,” she said, one eyebrow arching. “Who’s he bringing?”
“Some contracts attorney from Yates Hamilton & Booz,” I said, wincing like the words left a bad taste in my mouth. I hated Yates Hamilton & Booz. They were incorruptible. I had no respect for a lawyer who couldn’t be bought.
“Yates Hamilton & Booz? They do mostly corporate litigation work, white collar crime type stuff.” She cupped two fingers to her chin and hummed a moment. “Why would Allen Benson have a firm like Yates review the deal? I assume it’s passed muster with his in-house counsel?”
“Reed thinks Benson has lost faith in his in-house counsel,” I said. My hand went back to her thigh. I was like a little kid who was trying to keep his hand out of the cookie jar. I began drawing slow circles on her knee. She gave me a smile and ran her tongue across her top lip. I knew our conversation about business was ending. Now it was time to get down to my favorite kind of business. Finally!
She sighed out the words. “So, Benson is bringing in a fresh set of eyes to review the deal before signing.”
“Yes. It appears so.” My hand slid between her soft thighs. I nuzzled her neck with my lips.
She leaned her head to the side, so that my tongue could get to her ear.
She sighed again as my tongue circled the rim of her ear.
She said, “And Reed is not too worried?”
“Reed thinks Allen Benson can be pacified,” I said, nibbling my way down her jawline toward her chin. “The deal should close quickly if we can give him the warm and fuzzies at this dinner tonight.”
“Like the warm and fuzzies you’re giving me right now?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.