'Lucinda! It's Chris! I hope that this VoiceMail is secure.' Chris was not happy with all this new technology and wasn't sure whether the machine taking the message was confidential or would be listened to by all and sundry in her support group at Zyzzx. 'She's signed. I got the contract back, just five days after delivery. I'll be in my office, for the rest of the day!

She did not wait long for Lucinda to phone her back. 'Did she ask any questions? Or did she just sign?'

'No, she didn't query anything. She signed as sent!'

'Good God!' Lucinda had been expecting something on the piercings, as this was something she would never have done, but she had seen her lover's reaction to the waitresses and the singer in the Marquis and it was something she felt ought to be included!

'Quite frankly, I'm relieved, Lucinda.' Chris had not expected it to be this easy. 'When I got into the office in the morning, I read that drunken contract and thought we couldn't send that. And if we did, then I'd be in trouble. But it's all signed now!'

'By the way, what the hell, did you do in my bedroom?'

'George and I are both lawyers and answers to difficult questions take a lot of time and effort and are therefor very expensive!'

***

Chris did very little for the take-over in the next few weeks.

Just being in her threatening position, kept everyone and everything to the timetable and most of the small amount of time she spent was used to assemble the documents for the exchange of shares, new personal contracts for Medusa's staff and the actual signing. Nothing seemed to be very difficult at all and she had not found one letter or fax that showed any dissent or acrimony.

She was cheered in that further reports from Lucinda and her team, indicated that Medusa was everything they thought it was. She reflected that it was nice to find a company in these hard modern times, where good, old-fashioned values of honesty, quality, value and service were still paramount.

Even Russ and the board of Zyzzx didn't seem too unpleased when Medusa's audited profit figure was higher than expected and according to any formula would push the price well past the hundred million dollar mark. This pleased her, in that their meeting at the Copley, had at least got the lady's contract right, despite their condition!

***

In early July, Lucinda called for perhaps the first time in three weeks.

'Chris, I'm taking Cassie and going home to mother in England, tomorrow!' She sounded relaxed and very cheery. 'I've decided that I'll take twelve weeks off, before coming back to Vegas.'

'I didn't think you could fly in your condition!'

'As I'm not officially pregnant, no-one except George and the two of us, know when I'm expecting.' Chris heard her laugh. 'So British Airways will have to take good care of us!'

'So you still haven't seen a doctor!' Chris shook her head. 'You ought to you know. Your mother will think the same way I do.'

'It will be interesting! She's as headstrong and red-headed as I am!'

'You said it, Lucinda.' Chris liked Lucinda a lot, but was thankful she was a friend and not a daughter. 'By the way, when do Russ and Zyzzx, think that the baby's due?'

'Early November!'

***

'Are all the contracts ready for signing?' Lucinda's question was superfluous.

'Of course!' Chris looked at the piles of documents on one of her tables. 'I've got twenty-eight sets for each of the shareholders. You sometimes think that these deals, do more damage to the environment than the automobile!'

'Did you like the video?' Lucinda had sent Chris a copy of the promotional video of the house they were going to use in England.

'It was magnificent! It makes me wish, I could come to the party! It looks like it's going to be something very special!'

'Come! Bring George! He'll like everything, especially the fall of Russ!'

Chris laughed and then continued in a more serious mode. 'I'm always telling you to be careful. Russ will fight and use his father's position. Don't do anything you'll later regret!'

'Why do you think, I'd like a lawyer there! Anyway, I want someone to witness his resignation!'

***

'Lucinda, before we finish. Where does your mother live?'

'Canterbury. That's in Kent. Why?'

'How close is that to London and the Channel Tunnel?' As with most born and bred Americans, even well-educated ones, European or even British geography was not her strong point.

'About fifty miles from London and the Tunnel is just down the road. Why?'

'I'll be close to you all summer, as Goldbergs have been hired by one of the banks, who's involved in the Tunnel.' She did not want to say more, as the refinancing would be very difficult. 'So George and I have decided to spend two months in London and South Wales and mix business with a second honeymoon. We leave next Thursday, the twentieth.'

'So you'll be able to come to the signing!'

Copyright 1999 by Ewart Higgins