To Be the Best Read Online Free PDF

personal problems without Paula’s friendship. She was always willing to listen to his woes at the end of the phone, or make herself available for a drink or a meal when the going really got tough. She had cornered a special place in his life, and he would be forever grateful that she had.
    For all her success and sophistication and self-confidence, there was something about Paula – an endearing little-girl quality – which tugged at his heart, made him want to do things for her, want to please her. Frequently he went out of his way to accomplish this, as he had in New York recently. He wished the interminable phone call from the Harrogate store would come to an end so that he could impart his news.
    Paula put down the receiver, made a little moue.
    ‘Sorry about that,’ she apologized. Leaning back in the chair, she went on, in an affectionate tone, ‘It’s lovely to see you Michael…and how was New York?’
    ‘Terrific. Hectic. I was up to my neck with work, since ourbusiness is going well over there right now. Still, I also managed to enjoy myself, even had a few weekends out in the Hamptons.’ He leaned closer to the desk. ‘Paula—’
    ‘Yes, Michael?’ she cut in, eyeing him astutely, alerted by the urgency in his voice.
    ‘I think I may have found it…what you’ve been looking for in the States.’
    Excitement flew onto her face. She sat forward slightly, her eagerness only too apparent. ‘Private or public?’
    ‘Private.’
    ‘Is it for sale?’
    ‘Isn’t everything – if the price is right.’ There was a hint of mischief on his face as he held her eyes.
    ‘Come on, don’t tease me!’ she exclaimed. ‘Is it actually on the market?’
    ‘No, it isn’t. But what does that mean in this day and age of the takeover? The owners can be approached…it doesn’t cost anything to do that.’
    ‘What’s the name of the company? Where is it? How big is it?’
    Michael chuckled. ‘Hey, steady on, I can only answer one question at a time. The company is called Peale and Doone and it’s in the midwest. It’s not big, only seven stores…suburban stores. In Illinois and Ohio. But it’s an old company, Paula, founded in the 1920s by a couple of Scotsmen who settled in the States and at first dealt only in Scottish imports. You know, woollen goods, tartans and plaids, cashmeres and the like. They extended their inventory during the ‘forties and ‘fifties. But the merchandise is supposedly stodgy and the company’s in the doldrums, management-wise that is. Quite solid financially, or so I’ve been led to understand.’
    ‘How did you hear about Peale and Doone?’
    ‘Through a lawyer friend who’s with a Wall Street law firm. I’d asked him to be on the look-out for a chain and heheard about this company through a colleague in Chicago. My chap thinks they’re ripe for a takeover.’
    Paula nodded. ‘Who holds the stock?’
    ‘The heirs to Mr Peale and Mr Doone.’
    ‘There’s no guarantee they’d sell, Michael.’
    ‘Correct. On the other hand, often stockholders don’t know they want to sell until they’re actually approached to do so.’
    ‘That’s true, and it’s worth investigating further.’
    ‘You bet it is, and although this chain is small, it might well be perfect for you, Paula.’
    ‘It’s just a pity the stores are in the boondocks,’ she murmured, and with a grimace, thinking out loud, ‘Big cities like Chicago and Cleveland would be more my speed.’
    Michael gave her a sharp stare. ‘Look here, with your flair and expertise you can easily put your own special cachet on any store anywhere, and you know that. Besides, what’s wrong with the boondocks? There’s plenty of money to be made out there.’
    ‘Yes, you’re quite right,’ she answered quickly, suddenly realizing she may have sounded ungrateful after the effort he had made on her behalf. ‘Can you get some more information, please, Michael?’
    ‘I’ll ring my friend in New York later in the