waste mine or my assistants' time in further discussion. As of this moment, these negotiations are over."
The two government representatives, coldly impassive up until now, couldn't hide their surprise. The other twenty men in the room stared at Ron in disbelief.
"I have instructed my assistants that as soon as we leave this building, they are to make available to the news media all the data we have gathered and presented to you during these past weeks. As for your comments on the reason for my tardiness, you do your government a great disservice by the tastelessness of your remarks."
With that Ron turned and escorted Kathryn out of the conference room. Ted and Ben followed. No one spoke as they left the building nor as they walked the short distance to the hotel where Ron's team stayed.
"Did you really mean that?" Ted asked after they got in the elevator.
"I thought Wasserman was going to have a coronary," Ben said. "I hate to think what losing this deal will mean to the firm, but it was worth it to see his face."
"The data will crucify him," Ted said.
"It might even bring down the government," Ben said.
"That's what I hope they'll realize," Ron said.
The elevator opened into the foyer of a suite that occupied a whole floor of the hotel. Kathryn saw several people at work, heard conversations from others coming through open doors. Ron had turned the suite into an office away from home.
"Then you don't want us to turn everything over to the media?"
"Give them twenty-four hours."
"You think they'll come around?"
"If they don't now, they will afterward."
Kathryn had expected Ron to send her off to the limousine and settle down to work, but he remained standing in the foyer.
"It may take a little longer than twenty-four hours. Play it by ear but have everything ready. This isn't a bluff."
"What are you going to do?" Ted asked.
"I'm going home. Make it clear to Schmidt and Wasserman I have no intention of coming back. If they want to negotiate, they have to negotiate with you. I can't be wasting my time on those two."
Kathryn felt as stunned as the two assistants looked.
"Don't you think you can handle it?" Ron asked.
"Sure, but you always handled everything yourself."
"I've decided to change management style. I'm going to delegate more. If you two bring this off, you're in for one hell of a bonus."
"And if we don't?"
Both men were tense.
"You're still the best two merger negotiators around, after me, of course. We'll have other deals to work on. Now Miss Roper has never been to Geneva. I'm going to show her around before we head back to Charlotte."
"When did you decide to do that?" Kathryn asked when they were once again in the limousine.
Ron put his arm around her and drew her close. "I said inviting you was the first spontaneous thing I'd done in years and it felt wonderful. Well, that was the second and it felt just as good."
"But what made you do it?"
"When I walked in and saw their faces set in the same implacable mold, I knew there was no point in talking. I also knew I'd rather spend the day with you. So I said to hell with it. I'd given it my best shot. You can't win every time."
"But this is important to your career. Shamus said losing this deal could break you."
"It won't break me, but it will delay my being able to take a less active role in the company."
"But you don't mind losing the deal?"
"Of course I mind. I've worked toward something like this for twenty years. Maybe I could pull it off by staying here and giving in, but I'd be selling my clients short. I also realized I wanted to be in Charlotte with Cynthia more than I wanted to be here, that I wanted to spend the day with you more than with them." He pulled back so he could face her. "I looked down the road and saw myself missing the chance to do so much - all for the glory of convincing big companies to become still bigger companies. I decided it wasn't worth it."
Kathryn realized she hadn't breathed. She gulped down air and forced herself to relax. It wasn't business as usual. Ron had really looked at his life and decided what he wanted most couldn't be had through his career. She didn't know exactly how that would translate in real life - she was certain he didn't, either - but the