That afternoon she canceled a board meeting and went home early. Tony was in his room, doing homework.
Tony said, “I g-g-got all A’s t-today, M-mother.”
“What would you think of going to school in Switzerland, darling?”
And his eyes lit up and he said, “M-m-may I?”
Six weeks later, Kate put Tony aboard a ship. He was on his way to the Institute Le Rosey in Rolle, a small town on the shore of Lake Geneva. Kate stood at the New York pier and watched until the huge liner cut loose from the tugboats. Bloody hell! I’m going to miss him. Then she turned and walked back to the limousine waiting to take her to the office.
Kate enjoyed working with Brad Rogers. He was forty-six, two years older than Kate. They had become good friends through the years, and she loved him for his devotion to Kruger-Brent. Brad was unmarried and had a variety of attractive girl friends, but gradually Kate became aware that he was half in love with her. More than once he made studiously ambiguous remarks, but she chose to keep their relationship on an impersonal, business level. She broke that pattern only once.
Brad had started seeing someone regularly. He stayed out late every night and came into morning meetings tired and distracted, his mind elsewhere. It was bad for the company. When a month went by and his behavior was becoming more flagrant, Kate decided that something had to be done. She remembered how close David had come to quitting the company because of a woman. She would not let that happen with Brad.
Kate had planned to travel to Paris alone to acquire an import-export company, but at the last minute she asked Brad to accompany her. They spent the day of their arrival in meetings and that evening had dinner at the Grand Véfour. Afterward, Kate suggested that Brad join her in her suite at the George V to go over the reports on the new company. When he arrived, Kate was waiting for him in a filmy negligee.
“I brought the revised offer with me,” Brad began, “so we—”
‘That can wait,” Kate said softly. There was an invitation in her voice that made him look at her again. “I wanted us to be alone, Brad.”
“Kate—”
She moved into his arms and held him close.
“My God!” he said. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”
“And I you, Brad.”
And they moved into the bedroom.
Kate was a sensual woman, but all of her sexual energy had long since been harnessed into other channels. She was completely fulfilled by her work. She needed Brad for other reasons.
He was on top of her, and she moved her legs apart and felt his hardness in her, and it was neither pleasant nor unpleasant.
“Kate, I’ve loved you for so long…”
He was pressing into her, moving in and out in an ancient, timeless rhythm, and she thought, They’re asking too bloody much for the company. They’re going to hold out because they know I really want it.
Brad was whispering words of endearment in her ear.
I could call off the negotiations and wait for them to come back to me. But what if they don’t? Do I dare risk losing the deal?
His rhythm was faster now, and Kate moved her hips, thrusting against his body.
No. They could easily find another buyer. Better to pay them what they want. I’ll make up for it by selling off one of their subsidiaries.
Brad was moaning, in a frenzy of delight, and Kate moved faster, bringing him to a climax.
I’ll tell them I’ve decided to meet their terms.
There was a long, shuddering gasp, and Brad said, “Oh, God, Kate, it was wonderful. Was it good for you, darling?”
“It was heaven.”
She lay in Brad’s arms all night, thinking and planning, while he slept. In the morning when he woke up, she said, “Brad, that woman you’ve been seeing—”
“My God! You’re jealous!” He laughed happily. “Forget about her. I’ll never see her again, I promise.”
Kate never went to bed with Brad again. When he could not understand why she refused him, all she said was, “You don’t know how much I want to, Brad, but I’m afraid we wouldn’t be able to work together any longer. We must both make a sacrifice.”