Free Kill the Competition by Stephanie Bond

Tom had flown home hours ago.) A can of clam chowder, a handful of crackers, and an apple sufficed for dinner. She ate at the glass table, staring at the envelope Vince had sent, and gleefully fantasized about running into him when she went home for the holidays.
    "Oh, you saw me on CNN? Yes, I was honored that Archer made me their CFO so quickly. And who knew we'd become the darling of the analysts after the company went public?" (Hearty laugh). "Our breaking up was the best thing for both of us, Vince."
    It could happen.
    She switched on her laptop so it could boot up while she washed the dishes. For the next hour, she pored over the Payton financial statements, reading the small print and referencing every footnote. The capital expenditures seemed suspiciously high, especially in light of the rash of corporations that'd been caught dumping expenses on the wrong side of the balance sheet to prop up their bottom line.
    Belinda sighed and steepled her hands. Payton used a reputable accounting firm, and legally, disclosure had been satisfied. Still, the numbers weren't transparent enough to suit her.
    I don't want unnecessary questions to stall the acquisition.
    Margo couldn't have been more clear, but Belinda didn't want to greenlight a transaction that would come back to haunt Archer; surely Margo didn't want that kind of headache.
    On the other hand, people at the top were paid to deal with headaches. She sat back in her chair. What seemed risky to her was probably rote to Margo and other senior executives. And if she was going to fit in at the top, she needed to be more assertive, to take on the competition.
    With a confident appearance, a few buzzwords, and a practiced pitch, she might be able to pull this off.
    Belinda pushed to her feet and cleared her throat loudly enough to pull Downey's attention away from grooming her hindquarters.
    "Felines and gentlemen, based on the financial statements of Payton Manufacturing, it is my opinion... "
    * * *
    "...that the acquisition of Payton would indeed give Archer the fiscal synergy it needs in preparation for going public."
    Belinda swept a level gaze around the board room table, stopping long enough to make eye contact with Juneau Archer (a striking but gently befuddled man), two venture capitalists who served on Archer's board of directors (short, dubious-looking men), Monica Tanner, VP of design (slim, nail-biting forty-ish Archer veteran), and Tal Archer, VP of sales and marketing (disinterested mid-thirties gay heir apparent), and finally, Margo. Of the team assembled, she was the last person to contribute to the pitch, and if she had to say so herself, she'd wowed them with her charts and spreadsheets.
    One of the board members leaned forward. "Ms. Hennessey, Archer has been formulating this acquisition for nearly a year. You're by far the newest member of the team—"
    "Gentlemen," Margo cut in. "Belinda came to us from Visher-Floyd Insurance in Cincinnati. She was on the team that coordinated the acquisition of Three Signs and Limpkin, resulting in one of the largest insurance companies on the eastern seaboard. She has spent countless hours combing Payton's financial statements." She flashed Belinda a charming smile. "I trust her judgment."
    Belinda smoothed back a strand of hair that had escaped her chignon and concentrated on looking competent.
    The director who had appeared to be on the verge of questioning Belinda's credentials looked at his partner, then splayed his hands. "If you trust Ms. Hennessey's judgment, Margo, that's good enough for us. The board will vote on the matter tomorrow morning, but since our two votes plus Juneau's constitute a majority, I believe congratulations are in order."
    Exclamations and handshakes traveled around the table. Margo looked at Belinda and mouthed, "You killed them."
    Belinda returned a calm, professional nod, but inside she basked in her boss's praise. She just might give this risk-taking philosophy an earnest