Chapter 18

In order go get on with my story, I shall skip a few months. Mary and Henny kept me pretty busy over the summer, and I considered myself one lucky bastard, in that department. I had two flights for the company, one to Poland and one to Spain. True to dad's predictions I was offered a substantial bribe in Poland, but I relented. In fact I didn't do any trade with them, at all. In Spain I took in a huge profit for the company on thermostats, which would fit into three of our end products. I have to admit, I used a bit of mind control on that trade.

I did not try out my capabilities on any of the women I met on the two journeys. In fact my two hot mistresses kept me fully satisfied.

By mid October I was called to Mr. Peterson's office. I had done a few calculations of my own, and I was pretty sure that profits by now were turning up in the company accounts. I told Henny, I wanted to go to that meeting without her, because it was going to be of a private nature. On my way up to his office I sent out 'messages' to Mr. Peterson. I planted 'bonus', 'well deserved', '10 percent', etc.etc.

Mr. Peterson was almost spilling enthusiasm.

"Mr. Hansen. We should have thought of this, years ago. The result of your work is turning up rapidly now. Already these last six months have raised our profits by 8 million dollars, all related to your work, if I have to believe 'accounts'. This is very, very promising."

I transferred the word 'bonus' once more to him, and he reacted immediately.

"I really think you deserve a bonus, part for your innovative approach to this, and part for your good work. Have you considered this?"

"Yes, Mr. Peterson, I have given it some thought."

"Have you also thought of the size and nature of such a bonus?"

"To be honest, I have."

"I have too. Let's see if we have the same idea. What's your proposal?"

"I have thought of something like 10 percent of profits, which can be directly credited to my work."

"That's funny, Mr. Hansen, because that is exactly the figure I have imagined. Have you got any idea as to how you want them paid?"

"Not really, Mr. Peterson. But it seems to me that a fifty-fifty share between company stock and cash payment would benefit us both."

"That is a very reasonable approach, Mr. Hansen. I am sure the board will accept that. Of course I have prepared them at our last meeting, and they are very eager to keep you in the company. Consider it a deal. You'll have 400.000 dollars paid to your usual bank account, and 400.000 dollars in shares transfered next week."

"Thank you, Sir. That is very fine with me."

"Good. At the end of this fiscal year we shall make a final evaluation of your work, and you'll have another payment due, at the same fifty-fifty conditions. Will that be OK?"

"That will be most satisfactory, Mr. Peterson."

"Good. Keep up the good work, Mr. Hansen."

Compared to my former status this was an enormous boost, to my bank account as well as to my ego. Mary was absolutely ecstatic. She even hinted, that we might want to sell the house and move to a luxury condo, closer to the city. "You wouldn't have so much gardening to do. Might give you more time to cultivate another 'garden'," she laughed.

Shortly after New Year I was paid another bonus, this time 400.000, divided fifty-fifty. This coincided with a weeping Henny, meeting me the next morning. Her husband had been offered a very lucrative position in Vancouver, and he had accepted. "I shall have to leave Denmark by the first of May. It will give me plenty of time to train a new secretary for you, if you want me to."

Of course I hated the idea of losing her, but on the other hand, the thought of a new one was a temptation as well. I persuaded Henny to help me in choosing the right woman for the position, but her last comment on that was: "Don't you dare fuck her, until I have left!"

Mr. Peterson authorised the hiring of a new secretary from April 1st, and I left all the initial interviews to Henny. After all she knew my needs pretty well. She ended up with three likely candidates, and we decided to do the final interviews together. I can only compliment her on her choices. They were all three very well recommended and efficient secretaries, two of them in their late thirties and one was 42, and either Henny had been lucky, or she had had other 'secretarial duties' on her mind, because they were all rather pretty women. We ended up choosing Alice, the 42-year-old, who had managed the complicated spare-part stores for a big water- supply and wastewater processing plant.