Power Play: A Novel (36 page)

“I missed you,” he said to her.

“Yeah, me too,” she admitted with a grin, and then she pulled him into the surf with her, and he was soaking wet, as Kendall and Kezia laughed at them from the beach.

And when they drove back to L.A. that night, they all agreed it had been a very good Labor Day. Geoff looked at Ashley when she said it, and she smiled a long, slow smile at him.

The meeting got under way as soon as Marshall walked into the room. He looked dignified and serious, and he was wearing a dark suit. There were three men at the conference table, across from him, from a company in Boston that was not quite as large as UPI, but very close, and its growth rate had been remarkable in the past two years. It was well on its way to becoming the largest corporation in the country and outstripping all its competitors. And all it needed now was a powerful leader at its helm. And everyone at its base in Boston had agreed that Marshall Weston was the one. They had no idea if he would consider leaving UPI, and they doubted it after fifteen years, but they had come to California to try and convince him to do it. And he was listening raptly to what they said. It was their second meeting in two days, and they were going back to Boston that night.

Marshall hadn’t committed to anything yet, but he was interested in what they had to say. In order for him to make the move, they would have to make it worth his while in every possible way—stock options, signing bonus, shares in the company, and every possible
advantage and perk he could get. He had a sweet deal at UPI, and loyalty to the company, but like anyone else in his position, he could be bought, and Boston Technology was doing everything it could.

“Well, gentlemen, it’s an interesting proposal,” he said noncommittally, but they could tell they hadn’t hit the high note for him yet. They were disappointed, but they had a few more aces up their sleeve, which they had saved for last. Just before the meeting ended, the head of their search committee who was a member of their board slipped a piece of paper across the table with a neatly typed list. He had been authorized to make the final offer. A private plane for Marshall’s use at all times. An additional ten million a year, and two hundred million dollars of stock that he could sell at any time. An additional three hundred million in five years, from the day he signed on, regardless of their profits. They were that sure of what he could do. It amounted to half a billion dollars if he stayed with them for five years. Marshall read the piece of paper, smiled, stood up, and stuck his hand across the table. “You have a deal.” He was beaming, and so were they. It was the best offer he had ever seen, and it was going to make history in the field. They agreed to keep the terms and conditions of it confidential, and no announcement was to be made until he resigned from UPI and notified the board, out of courtesy to them. Everyone concurred, and the deal was struck.

Marshall left the conference room of the neutral location they had chosen, soon to be a very, very rich man, and he was no pauper now.

He strode out of the building to the waiting limousine he had hired for the occasion, not wanting to use his own driver, and went back to his office at UPI. It was a perfect end to what had been an unpleasant summer, and just the way he wanted to leave UPI. Ever
since the threatened sexual harassment suit, and their blackmail over Ashley, he had wanted to leave. He might have felt differently if things had worked out with her, or if it had been salvageable with Liz, but he had no ties here now. His children were grown and almost on their own now. His family had been shattered by the divorce. He was sure the kids would calm down eventually and come to their senses. He had gone to Malibu to see the twins once, and he was going to see them at Christmas for a few days, and take them to Hawaii. It would be easier for him to see more of them when they were older, but right now he knew they were in good hands with Ashley, and he had important things to do. And he wanted no contact with their mother, nor with Liz. He had burned his bridges behind him, and he was a free man. Free to take the best offer, and go wherever he chose. And Boston Technology was one of the most exciting young companies in the country. He was ready for a change and new frontiers. And they had suitably acknowledged what he had to offer them and were willing to reward him commensurately, according to his worth. Half a billion dollars within five years suited him just fine. In addition, they had offered him an astronomical salary, which they had just increased, and bonuses from profits, which he could multiply exponentially every year. He was sure that in five years, or at worst ten, he’d have a billion in the bank. It more than compensated him for the headaches he had had in recent months. They wanted him in Boston by October 15, which worked well for him too. It wasn’t a long notice for UPI, but it was reasonable enough, and all he felt they deserved. And his loyalty was no longer theirs. Boston Technology had won his heart, at the right price.

As the car drove him back to his office, he was a happy man.

* * *

Five days after Marshall’s meeting with Boston Technology, Fiona spoke to Nathan Daniels after their board meeting. He was abuzz with the gossip he’d just heard that Marshall Weston was leaving UPI and had been lured away by BT for an astronomical price. The story had been confirmed by a friend of his at UPI. Apparently it was true. Nathan Daniels said that rumors were running rampant about the amount, which no one knew for sure. It was the hottest piece of news in the industry in years, maybe ever. And rare for Nathan to gossip, but he couldn’t resist.

And Fiona could hardly contain herself when Logan walked in that night. He’d been spending several nights a week with her in Portola Valley, and she loved coming home to him at the end of her day. They cooked dinner together, and often took a swim in the pool before they went to bed. She liked his apartment in the city too, in the Upper Haight, but it only worked for her to go there on weekends. During the week, she needed to be close to work, which Logan understood, so he drove from the city several times a week to make life easier for her, which he seemed to do on every front.

“You won’t believe what I heard today,” she said excitedly the minute he came through the door.

“Should I guess?” He looked interested and amused. He loved coming home to her too. Their sex life was fabulous, and everything about their relationship seemed to work, even better than he’d hoped.

“It’s pure gossip I heard after our board meeting today, and I don’t want to be your source,” she reminded him. “But Marshall Weston is leaving UPI, he’s going to Boston Technology, and they are paying him a fortune to do it, and incredible perks. Possibly stock options
he can sell at any time without penalty, a plane, you name it, they threw in everything but the kitchen sink and a sex change.”

“Now that might do him some good! I can’t think of a better candidate for that!” Logan laughed. By then everyone had heard about his antics with the woman in L.A., the two illegitimate children, and he had just filed for divorce. Someone at UPI had talked, and they were doing it again about his new job at BT. Logan had heard the rumors too, but hadn’t said anything to her. His information came from a reliable source in the company, not just gossip.

“The plane is a seven fifty-seven,
of his own
.” Her eyes were lit up with excitement, and Logan was amused. She was in the big leagues too. But all the CEOs in Silicon Valley seemed to keep track of each other and loved to gossip about the latest deals, some of which were astronomical.

“Baby, you should get a raise,” he teased her.

“Damn right.” She pretended to be outraged, but she was enjoying the gossip about Marshall. And she had a pretty sweet deal with NTA. She and her children were set for life, and Logan was pleased for her. It was all way out of his league, and just sounded like Monopoly money to him. Fiona never talked about what she made, and he didn’t ask, nor did he care. She led a very modest life, with all the creature comforts she wanted and no desire for more. She was a sensible woman. “So what do you think?”

“I think he’s a lucky guy. He’s an asshole, but he seems to constantly fall up. It sounds like he screwed everyone over this summer, including his kids, both of the women in his life, caused a scandal for UPI with some bimbo, and nearly got himself into another one with the girl in L.A., and now BT is buying him for a gazillion dollars, and he comes out looking like a hero. You’ve got to hand it to the guy, he
knows how to play the teams. He always comes out on top. With the big bucks anyway. As a human being, he’s at the bottom of the food chain as far as I’m concerned.” Fiona didn’t think much of him now either, but it was fascinating to watch him manipulate his way to an even better situation. “And on top of it, he’s getting out of Dodge because he screwed over everyone here, including his family. What a guy!”

“Are you going to write about it?” she asked with interest. “You can’t use anything I said, although the gossip is everywhere that he’s leaving and going to BT. I called a friend, and she’s guessing he’s getting close to two hundred million.” Fiona didn’t look jealous. She looked intrigued.

“Baby, I have a source I use for these kinds of stories. I’ve been talking to him all week, but I want to make sure my information is accurate before I run with the story.” Logan didn’t deal in gossip, he was a responsible journalist, and he wrote news.

They talked about Marshall Weston for the rest of the evening, and on a more human note, Fiona wondered how John was going to feel about his father moving to Boston. From what she’d heard, it was a done deal. But Alyssa said the children weren’t seeing him anyway and didn’t want to, in support of their mother. Fiona was curious, but she couldn’t ask Alyssa, in case John knew nothing about it. The deal hadn’t been announced yet, and supposedly wouldn’t be for several weeks, until right before he left, so it didn’t destabilize UPI before they found a replacement. But when it got out, it was going to be big news.

And then finally Logan and Fiona ran out of comments on the subject, relaxed in bed, and talked about other things, and they
ended the evening as they almost always did, making love. Fiona hadn’t been this happy in years, if ever.

Fiona heard nothing more concrete about Marshall at work for the next few days, and the hot news was another scandal where a well-known young entrepreneur was found to have stolen a hundred million dollars from a hedge fund, which was small potatoes these days, but a good story, and Logan wrote a big piece about that.

He spent Thursday night in the city, and said he was working on a deadline, but he was due back at her house in Portola Valley on Friday night. And on Friday morning, she opened
The Wall Street Journal
, alone over breakfast, and found herself staring at a photograph of Marshall Weston on the front page, with every detail she had told Logan the other night. It mentioned an undisclosed source at a high corporate level, and quoted everything she’d said, and more. She was livid. And his byline was on it. There was no denying what he’d done. He had used her as a source and broken his word to her. She would never trust him again. She didn’t give a damn how wonderful he was in bed, he was a liar. She was the source at “a high corporate level.” She wanted to kill him. He texted her before she left for work, and she didn’t answer. She was steaming at her desk all day.

He called her at lunchtime, and she didn’t take the call. She didn’t tell him not to come that night, because she wanted to rip his head off personally, and tell him to get out. She had no intention of seeing him again after that. He was dangerous for her career and a dishonorable person who didn’t keep his word. Trust was the most important thing in her life, and should have been in his. And if anyone traced his “undisclosed source” to her, she would look like a fool.
And she couldn’t afford anyone screwing with her reputation. He just had.

She was angry all day and waiting for him in her living room that night when he walked in. She had left work early to be there, and as soon as he arrived, and saw the look on her face, he knew instantly that something was very wrong. As he came through the door, she threw the paper at him.

“What’s that about?” he said, with a look of surprise. “I tried to call you all day, and you wouldn’t take my calls.” Now he understood why.

“I wanted to tell you to your face what a lowlife I think you are. And what a little worm. You made a promise to me, you gave me your word that you would never use me to get information, as a source, and you just did!” She pointed to the copy of
The Wall Street Journal
on the floor that she had thrown at him, with Marshall Weston on the front page.

Logan’s face grew hard, and he was shocked. “You told me your ‘gossip,’ but I didn’t run anything on it. I waited until I got it from the source I always use. They told me everything you did and more. I didn’t use a word of what you told me, Fiona. I wouldn’t do that. I always keep my word. I got everything you told me, from my source, and more. I don’t take information from amateurs, Fiona. I use pros.” He looked both angry and hurt, and both their voices were raised. Fiona was at fever pitch.

“You told me less than half of what I got from my usual source. I don’t deal in backstairs gossip, I use the real deal. And as a source, you’re not it. You’re smart and you’re discreet, and I wouldn’t screw you over like that. I happen to love you, and what’s more, I respect
you. Or at least I did until now. So don’t go accusing me of what you don’t know about. I have only one interest in you, and that’s as the woman I love, whom I make love to, and care about. I may gossip with you. But believe me, baby, you’re no source for a guy like me.” And with that, he slammed the door and walked out, and she wanted to throw something at him, but she had nothing at hand. And she didn’t believe what he’d said. He had used her every word. She read the article again, and there was a lot more in it, but he had used everything she had told him, every word. And her eyes nearly fell out of her head when she saw that Marshall Weston was due to get half a billion dollars within five years. That was sick. And the guy was a prick. And so was Logan Smith, as far as she was concerned.