FicWad

Black Cherry:

I sat in the English Tea House late in the evening. Our British article last month was a huge success. So much so, that a successful magazine company here, Blast Attack, was interested into meeting me. I got the e-mail this afternoon. The president wanted to talk to me this evening after dinner. I was very excited when I read the context. This was good news! Blast Attack was first established in 1990. It's been successful to this day. However, it was said that they wanted to expand out to our BRM's group, the college-aged and high school kids. I dressed up in my best dress suit and went over to the English Tea House where we were to meet.

I made it there early. Mr. Evans said seven o'clock. I looked around for a little bit. There weren't many people at the English Tea House at all tonight. Only an elderly couple and a group of old British ladies were there. I suddenly felt old for being in this place. But, I shook my thoughts about age away quickly. Duncan made me feel sexy to be 39... okay, 42. But that's not the point! Duncan makes me feel sexy again and that's final!

"Ms. Delany!" I heard someone call out to me. I looked up and saw a heavy man walking over to me. I looked a little confused at first. For some reason, I was expecting a younger man. This guy looks older than me! I kept a polite face the whole time. I rose to my feet gracefully. I held my hand for him to shake.

"Hello sir," I greeted him with grace. Mr. Evans made it over to me.

"Hello there, Ms. Delany," he said to me. He tightly squeezed my hand as he shook it. It really hurt, but I didn't show it on my face. I took a good long time to study my potential business partner.

Mr. Evans is a nice man. He's an America that came all the way from England after so many years to start a music magazine business. Mr. Evans looked decent. Decent in a sleazy way. A little over weight for my taste. He smelt of liquor all over. I could smell the booze on his breath. I thought I would choke. His suit was a black mess. I kept positive the whole time. Maybe, looks can be deceiving. I was determined to hear what he had to say. Mr. Evans finally let go of my hand. I flexed it some behind my back. He smiled at me politely.

"Shall we take a seat?" he asked me with a polite British accent.

"Yes, of course." I replied. Then we both sat down like civilized human beings. There was a little silence between us for a moment. I sat up straighter.

"So," I said to him. "You wanted to see me?"

"Why yes," Mr. Evans said. Then he reached his bag and pulled out a copy of last month's issue of Beach Radio Magazine. I looked at the cover in silence. A smile came across his fat face.

"Like I said before, I was impressed by your article of British music," he addressed.

"Thank you, sir," I said to him.

"Please," Mr. Evans replied. "Call me Harry."

"Okay," I said.

"Anyway," Harry said. "I liked your article so much that I want to merge my company with yours." My eyes grew big in shock. Did I just... hear right? Mr. Harry Evans wants to mergeBlast Attack with Beach Radio? This is too good to be true! There had to be a catch somewhere.

"What are the conditions?" I asked him staying professional.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked me.

"Come on," I said innocently. "Any merger comes with its share of conditions. I have to know what they are if I plan to merge with you at all." Harry sighed at me seemingly innocent. Then, a waitress came over to our table. We both looked up at her. The waitress looked about Morgan's age, maybe a little younger. She was blonde and needed to eat some. I could tell that she was new here.

"Hello," she said in a mix of a French and British accent. "Welcome to the English Tea House. My name is Elizabeth and I'll be your waitress tonight. What would you like to drink?"

"I would like some water please," I said.

"And I'll have some Earl Grey tea thank you," Harry answered. The girl wrote down our orders.

"Okay," she said. "Coming up." Then she went away. I returned my attention back to Harry.

"As I was saying," I spoke up. "What are the conditions?" Harry looked a little nervous at first. I could tell he was going to pull something shady with me. I kept my guard up high. I have worked with scum bags like him before. It was all practice in the past. I was prepared now. Harry drew in a deep breath.

"I was thinking..." he began. "I would take over and bring in my workers. You would work under me and let go of some of your team. But you would still keep your name." I held up my hand at that one.

"Okay now," I said sternly. "I'm keeping my workers and I'm the one going to stay in control. You hear me? I didn't get away from my ex to be under control of another man! If we are going to merge, it'll be under my terms. You bring your best journalists and I want this agreement in writing. You're not going to swindle me at all!" Harry looked at me nervously. His eyes were wide with shock. Even tough the air condition was on high blast, Harry Evans was sweating buckets. Clearly, this sack of lard wasn't expecting a tough woman like me. The waitress returned with our drinks. I took a sip of my water smiling. I was waiting for the come back.

"Uhh..." Mr. Evans said. "Okay, how about this? We shared power; you bring three of your best workers, and keep the title while I get to keep my workers." I shook my head.

"No," I replied. "I have the power, my team stays, you bring your best, and the agreement in writing." Harry was in a panic now. I knew what his deal was. He didn't want to give up power to a woman, but yet he needed my company to expand. He was trapped like a rat. I smiled as I took another sip of my water.

"Okay," Harry said. "You're in control, we both bring our best, and you keep your title."

"Almost there," I replied. "I'm not changing my terms. I've heard about how you ate up the other companies for your greed. I'm not stupid; I watch my other competition closely. I'm not like the others." Harry was really worried now. I could tell that I was his toughest customer yet. I was enjoying this show all the way. I am bad and evil, I know. Ask my daughters when they don't get their way.

Mr. Evans and I bricked back and forth for a few more minutes. I won out in the end. Harry sat back and sighed annoyed.

"Done miss!" he said to me in defeat. I smiled at him in deep victory.

"Good!" I replied to him. "I will be reading the written agreement word for word with witnesses present. So don't try to pull anything past me! Are we clear?" Harry swallowed hard as he nodded at me with a pale face. The waitress returned to take our orders. We ordered dinner like civilized human beings. Then, the waitress went away with our meals of choice. While we waited, I pulled out a notepad and pen and wrote the terms of our agreement. Harry looked like he was going to be sick as I did so. I noticed that he didn't order anything to eat. He claimed that he didn't have much of an appetite. Wonder why? I read them off to him with grace.

"Let's see," I said. "I'm in control, I keep my team, I keep my company's title, you bring your best journalist, and I buy you guys out. Sound fair?" The fat pale sweating pig nodded at me sickly. I closed up my pen and put it away along with my notepad in my purse. I smiled at him boldly. I, Katherine Delany, had won! Dinner was okay. You know, I'm a huge fan of English food. But tonight, nothing tasted much better than the Shepherd's Pie that I feasted on. Mr. Evans looked so hungry. I was just so rich, my friends! I left the night gloating.

The next morning at work, I called all of my employees together for a meeting. I grinned at all of their trained blank friends. I clapped my hands together in excitement.

"Everyone!" I announced. "Beach Radio Magazine will go state wide after it merges with Blast Attack." There was a wave of silence at first. Then, there were arguments of panic and worry. The crew was all worried about losing their jobs and falling under a new leadership. I let them get it out of their systems for five minutes. I was enjoying the show the whole way. It was just fun to watch the flock in worry. Like I say, I am bad and evil. Once I got tired of it, I picked up my pointer and slammed it hard against the table. Everyone got quiet really fast. They all sat down and I smiled at them richly.

"You will all keep your jobs!" I told them. "I am still in charge. In fact, Mr. Evans will bring over his best workers." They all began to relax. I smiled to myself in sick victory.

"That is all!" I said. "Back to work with you!" Then, we all parted ways. Duncan stayed behind. I saw the look on his face. I shrugged at him innocently.

"What?" I asked my boyfriend in the matching tone.

"That was mean!" he said to me. I shrugged again. "You knew that we were going to stay together all along and you had us thinking we were going to loose our jobs!"

"But it was fun to see the looks on their faces," I reasoned. "It's like I told you when we first entered into this relationship, I'm bad and evil. Just ask Judy and Morgan when they don't get their way." Then I walked away to my office. I smirked to myself as I left Duncan standing there in the boardroom alone. Okay, I got my evil-bitch mode out for the day.

Ooo, Don't You Want to Take Her

Author's Note: I need a couple of fangirls for a couple of chaps later. So post your information through reviews and tell me your Decaydance crushs. Sorry, Pete and Patrick are off the table.