The Merger Mogul (15 page)

“Jackson’s
business supplies and installs a/c systems,” whispered KT into Daniel’s good
ear.

“So I asked him
if he could send me the specs and the Bill of Quantities and give me the
opportunity to price it. So he e-mailed everything to me that same day. I
worked all day and night, priced it and sent it back to him the next day and
what do you know, he called me yesterday to say that I got the contract. 
A major contract!  Now that was a divine appointment. More important, I
was able to tell him how amazing it was for us to meet in the first place. And
now that we’ve made contact again, I can invite him to cell group sometime.”

There was more
celebrating and praising God although Daniel wasn’t sure what God had to do
with it.

“What’s a
divine appointment?” he whispered to KT during the celebration.

“It’s when God
sets up an appointment for you to meet someone for a specific purpose.  In
this case it was to give Jackson the opportunity to connect with his classmate
again and to get that contract.”

“OK,” said
Daniel skeptically.  He believed that God was out there somewhere, but did
he really get involved in people’s business?  Did he set up appointments
for people to meet or give people business ideas? He’d never heard of God doing
that kind of thing before but these people seemed to believe it, even KT.

Just then one
of the women, whose name he remembered from the last time as Dana said: “I have
a word for Daniel.” Everyone went quiet. Richard immediately got out a digital
recorder.

Daniel quickly
glanced at KT. What did that mean?  She squeezed his hand reassuringly.

“Daniel, the
Lord is showing me that at a young age you felt deserted and forsaken. It’s as
if someone left you or rejected you (I don’t know if it was one of your parents
or both) and I hear the Lord saying: Though father and mother forsake you, I
will receive you.” Daniel tensed and unconsciously held KT’s hand tighter. How
did this stranger know this?  He hadn’t even told KT about his past.

 “Because
of that you’ve protected your heart by not allowing people to get too close to
you and you’ve built a wall around it and the Lord is saying: I’ve started to
take down that wall and I’m going to take away your damaged heart and give you
a new heart.”

“And I see that
when you were growing up you lacked a lot of material things and because of
that you made a vow that you would never lack anything again and you’ve kept
that promise to yourself at great cost.  The Lord says you’ve excelled
according to the world’s standards but now he wants you to excel in the things
of God.  He wants to use you to do great things for Him in the business
world.  I’m also hearing the word ‘Oneness’.  I don’t know if that
means anything to you now but in the days ahead the Lord will give you
revelation concerning that word. Thank you Lord.”

Once again
people began clapping and praising God.  Daniel barely heard what they
were saying because he was in such shock.  He hardly knew what happened
for the rest of the night because he kept replaying the words in his head over
and over.  When the group broke up for refreshments, he told KT that he
had to leave.  Richard took his e-mail address and promised to send the
word to him that he had recorded on the digital recorder they kept for that
purpose.

He hardly remembered
saying his goodbyes or responding to the invitations to come again. KT said
that she would leave as well and walked Daniel to his car.

“Will you sit
with me for a while?” Daniel asked quietly.

At KT’s nod, he
opened the passenger door for her and then walked around to his side, got in
and started the powerful engine, adjusting the heat so that the car quickly
warmed up. He leaned on the steering wheel, looking blindly ahead and said:
“Wow! That was the weirdest thing that ever happened to me!  Is that woman
psychic?”

“No,” said KT
softly, “she’s prophetic.”

“What’s
prophetic?”

“That means she
has the gift of prophecy. Prophecy is when someone hears a message or gets a
vision from God for someone else. What Dana said to you was a word of knowledge
which means that God gave her supernatural knowledge about something that only
you and he would know. God sometimes uses that to get someone’s attention.”

“Well he
certainly got mine,” said Daniel. “That was so accurate it was spooky.” He
shook his head as if to clear it.

“Does God speak
to other people like that?  Does he speak to you?”

“God is always
speaking.  Sometimes I hear him clearly and sometimes I’m not sure if it’s
him or my own thoughts.”

Daniel was
silent for a moment. Then he said, “Do you think God speaks to people like me
who don’t even acknowledge him?”

“I’m sure he
does.  Why do you ask?”

“When I was
with you on Friday night I desperately wanted to make love with you KT,” said
Daniel looking her deeply in the eyes. KT looked away. “But when I was about to
open the door to your apartment so that we could go inside, I heard a voice
say: ‘No Daniel’. I thought maybe it was my conscience or that I had imagined
it.  Now I’m not so sure. Maybe it was God.”

KT cringed at
Daniel’s mention of Friday night but she said “Maybe it was. I’m glad you
listened.”

“I need to go
home and think about this some more,” said Daniel distractedly.  KT didn’t
press him to talk about it; she knew that he was overwhelmed. In fact she was a
bit overwhelmed herself but at least she now understood Daniel Tennant a lot
better than she did before.

As Daniel
pulled away from the curb snow began to fall.  The thought of staying in
New York for the rest of the winter was not appealing.  There and then he
decided to fly to Barbados and spend the last two months before he went back to
work.  He had a condominium on the luxurious West Coast that he’d bought a
few years ago and he’d only used it twice.  He’d get Margaret to call his
agent tomorrow and tell her to get it ready for him. The idea was beginning to
sound more and more appealing; two months on a beach in Barbados with nothing
to do but relax and do some thinking.  The only drawback was that he’d
miss KT like crazy.  He wondered if she would fly out for a visit. 
Somehow he didn’t think so.  Maybe the separation would be good for them.
Anyway absence was supposed to make the heart grow fonder. He certainly hoped
it would make KT’s fonder.

Daniel had
spent a restless night.  He kept replaying Dana’s words in his head. Was
God really speaking to him?  How else would Dana know that his father had
left and he’d felt rejected, that he’d made a vow that he’d never lack for
anything again? That was amazing. And if it was God, why was he speaking to him
now after all these years? What did he expect from him? What did he mean he
wanted him to excel in the things of God? What were they and how could he excel
in them if he didn’t know what they were? What did oneness mean? The thoughts
swirled around in his head until he felt dizzy. He must have fallen asleep at
some point because when he woke up the clock was saying 6.54 a.m. but he didn’t
feel at all rested.

He made a cup
of coffee while he waited impatiently for Margaret to get to the office. 
Once he got something in his head he was like a pit bull and refused to let go
until he made it happen.  The thought of getting out of Manhattan and
spending some time just relaxing in Barbados had now fallen into that category
and he was impatient to get it sorted out.  To pass the time he started
going through books that he wanted to read on the trip.
Presence
of
course, Jack Welch’s
Straight
from the
Gut
which he wanted to read again as well and
Built to Last
by Collins and
Porras
. He could always buy a novel or some magazines
there.

At exactly 8.30
he called Margaret.

“Daniel
Tennant’s office,” answered Margaret.

“Hi, Margaret.”

‘Daniel! 
I’d expected you to be back at work as soon as you got the OK to drive. 
When are you coming back?”

“Not for
another couple of months, Marg.  I find I don’t have the urge to get back
in the saddle just yet, which is why I’m calling you.  I need you to call
my agent in Barbados and ask her to get the condo ready for Sunday, then book
me on a flight on AA to Barbados coming back just before April 1 which is when
I’m due to come back to the office.”

“One ticket?
You’re going to Barbados for two months alone?”
Margaret asked incredulously.

“Yes Margaret,
alone. I need to do some thinking.”

‘That’s sounds
wonderful Daniel. Make sure you get lots of rest as well.  And try to keep
out of trouble.”

“I plan to
Margaret.  Let me know when you’ve got everything sorted out.  I need
to tell KT when I’m leaving.”

“KT?
  She’s your therapist isn’t she? Haven’t you
finished your therapy?”

“Yes but we’ve
been out once since then, Mother,” teased Daniel, “and I went to her cell group
a couple of times.”

“Daniel
Tennant, did you say you went to a cell group? 
And not
once but twice?
That’s amazing!”

“Don’t get
carried away Margaret, I’m far from converted.  Just do the bookings and
e-mail me the itinerary.”

“Right away,
boss,” said Margaret with a smile in her voice.

As soon as
Daniel got confirmation of his flight and Margaret had spoken to his agent, he
called KT on her cell. He hoped she wasn’t with a patient because he knew she
wouldn’t answer the phone.

“Hello?” Luck
was with him.

“Hi, KT, it’s
Daniel.  I know you’re at work so I’ll be quick. I was wondering if you’re
free for dinner tonight.  There’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it
Daniel?  Can’t you tell me now?  Besides you know what happened the
last time we had dinner.”

“Dinner wasn’t
the problem it was afterwards. Look, I promise to pick you up, take you
straight to the restaurant and back home.  I won’t even get out of the
car. 
Scout’s honor.”

“Daniel
Tennant, I know you were not a scout so don’t try that on me.  OK what
time?”

“I’ll come at
eight and promise to have you in bed by eleven. Alone” he added with a smile in
his voice.

“No kidding!
Gotta
go, my next patient just arrived” said KT.

“See you
later,” replied Daniel. “By the way this doesn’t replace Friday. We’re still on
for that cocktail party.”

“OK. See you
later.”

KT wondered
what Daniel wanted to talk to her about.  She knew it would drive her crazy
until she found out.  Was it about what happened at cell group last
night?  Was it about them?  Not that there was any them. Maybe it was
about their date.  This was not helping.  She used all of her will
power to put it out of her mind and focus on her patient.

Later that night

KT hurried from
her apartment and climbed into Daniel’s car. True to his word he didn’t even
get out of the car.

“Hi Daniel,”
she said breathlessly.

“Hi KT.
I hope you didn’t have to rush.”

“Not really. So
where are we going tonight? Or is it a surprise?” she asked as he put the car
in gear.

“I’m taking you
to my favorite restaurant, The Bridge Café.”

“Ooh,
The
Bridge.  I’ve heard about that. I could get used to
this,” teased KT.

“I’d like you
to,” Daniel threw her a sideways glance. That’s one of the things he liked
about KT, she said what she thought and she didn’t play games.

“So how’s
work?” he asked changing the subject. “Have you got any new handsome patients?”
He really didn’t have any claim on her and he realized that in the two months
he was gone she could well meet someone else.

“The hospital
has decided that my quota is one every six months and that was filled when they
assigned you to me,” she flirted.

“Kathryn
Taylor, are you saying that you find me handsome?” he said smiling.

“There was
never any question about that. But it’s what’s inside someone that’s important,
not what they look like on the outside.”

 “And is
there something wrong with what’s inside me?”

“I didn’t say
that, but if the cap fits…”

 “I can
never get a big ego with you around,” complained Daniel.

“Maybe that’s
why God sent me into your life,” she said half-jokingly.  “So what is it
you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Patience is a
virtue.”

“I’m afraid
it’s not one of my biggest, except with my patients,” she admitted. “I’m more
like ‘God give me patience, but hurry’!”

Daniel laughed.
KT was so refreshingly honest.

“Have you got
any virtues?” she asked skeptically.

“Actually
patience is one of mine.  So you see I’m not beyond redemption. If I
really want something I am prepared to wait until I get it.” He threw a glance
at KT to see how she took that.

“That’s a
wonderful trait,” she complimented, not taking up the bait. “And I know you’re
not beyond redemption.”

Daniel delivered
his car to the valet and held open the door to The Bridge Café so that KT could
precede him.

“Mr. Tennant,
welcome back!  Wonderful to see you again!” greeted the Maitre D’.

“Thank you
Andre,” said Daniel.

“I’ve put you
at your usual table,” said Andre signaling a waiter over.

“I’m
impressed,” whispered KT as they followed the waiter.

“That’s the
idea,” Daniel replied smiling. “I had to pull a lot of strings to get a table
at such short notice.”