Twisted Love and Money Read Online Free PDF Page A

niche market, Janet the bigger our company gets the bigger
becomes its appetite for takeovers. We have to produce every year,
year in year out, up to ten percent growth on the previous year to
keep our share rating up on the stock exchange. Small fish are no
use to us. We must take over substantial businesses with growth
potential.”
    “Mr. Crawford,
niche market it may well be, but consumers are paying significant
premiums and this augers well for large scale production. I have
done my sums Mr. Crawford. Let me take you through the report.”
     
    She moved
forward to the edge of the couch. She had brought two copies of the
report and a file of glossy high quality slides. Crawford moved
closer to the table and put his glasses on the end of his nose. Yes
definitely, he had decided, she was wearing black pants. No way she
had nothing on.
    Janet began to
take him through her presentation in detail. Despite himself
Crawford began to take an interest. He felt a warming in his blood.
This was more than just a pretty face; his pet was a bloody good
analyst. At a point their hands brushed together. It happened
again. She appeared not to notice. She was very interested and very
task orientated and her task was to explain the fruits of her hard
work to Crawford. She was concentrated on making her presentation
in a firm knowledgeable way.
    However Janet
sensed the intensity of Crawford’s interest and was inwardly
repulsed, but simultaneously drawn. He was a powerful man. She felt
an excitement and a tension that she was succeeding in attracting
him.
     
    Janet
desperately wanted to impress him. She had worked very hard on her
project and this was a moment of truth. She tried to ignore her
unease and get on with the presentation.
    Now she felt
self-conscious. She had the feeling that Crawford was trying to
look up her skirt. This was what she had come to expect, having sat
on the couch on a number of occasions during previous mentoring
sessions. Nothing else had developed, other than the scrutiny of
his piercing eyes. Nonetheless her knees came closer together. None
of this showed in her face as she came to the end of her
presentation. She sensed he was hooked, that he desired her, but
only because she seemed fresh and unattainable. She knew she had to
manage his expectations.
     
    “ What is the bottom line Janet? What is the target?” He spoke
calmly, but was staring at her as she sipped her coffee.
    “This is the
exciting part Mr. Crawford. I have analyzed our supplier accounts.
We have a high growth company in our net. One of our largest
suppliers of both fresh foods and organic foods is an Irish company
called O’Byrne Foods.”
    “So?” Crawford
said, forgetting Janet’s knees and looking her in the eye.
    “They grow
internally and also through some very judicious acquisitions which
they have fitted into their core business.”
    “Good.” For
Crawford this comment was a sign he was becoming interested and
Janet pressed home.
    “They have a
track record of consistently high growth, nearly thirty percent per
annum for the past five years.”
    “Is it for
sale?”
    “No. The word
is that they would like to go public in a few years time. They
could hit a hundred million in profits if they continue to grow for
a further five years.”
    “Well, can they
do it?” Crawford sounded sceptical.
    “Again my
information is that a number of Banks, Insurance Companies and
Pension Funds and business venture houses are sniffing around
offering to back their acquisition programmes. In return for a
share of the action and ultimately a public quote, I would
presume.”
    “They will
never keep up that growth rate.”
    “Yes Mr.
Crawford, you may be right. However I would wager that they would
easily beat our target of ten percent per annum.”
    “What is their
management like?” he asked, changing tack.
    “Like any small
company that is doing well, they are very competent. Good marketing
team. But being small as you would