Credit: Jamie Tufrey

The eviction notice hovered above the table in Rohan's apartment foyer. Its black nothingness mesmerised Amaranta. "How long do you have?"

Rohan slumped in a chair. "Four more days. Inteck Corp got my latest health report and terminated their sponsorship."

Amaranta tore her gaze from the nothingness. She searched Rohan's eyes, saw the pulsating void reflected in them.

"So, what's the problem? You've been telling me that you have an open-ended loan available that you could combine with a down payment any time you wanted. Haven't you just been waiting for the right moment?"

Rohan closed his eyes and groaned. He raised his hands to cover his face, muffling his words. "I tied up some of my capital in options. I won't be able to exercise the options for another two weeks. And the terms of the option deal prohibit me from selling them. I don't have enough for a down payment."

The last sentence came out in a choked gasp.

"Couldn't you wait downtime until your options are available?"

"That is not ... acceptable."

Amaranta approached Rohan and stroked his tousled black hair. She eased his hands off his face, then placed her palm against his cheek. She kept the hunger out of her voice, keeping it warm and supportive. "Have you thought about taking our relationship to the next level?"

Rohan's eyes widened. "Mergers and acquisitions?" Under Amaranta's reassuring smile, emotions flitted across his face too quickly to be deciphered before settling into a calculating expression.

"Hmm. I would need to see your resources, but I might consider a 75/25 merger followed by immediate acquisition."

Unfazed by his appraising gaze, Amaranta placed both hands on his muscled shoulders and looked him directly in the eye. "Of course, we will both need to disclose resources. But I was thinking more of a 50/50 merger." She cocked her head at the eviction notice. "Don't you agree?"

Rohan's gaze flitted to the void, then back to her face. A slight sensation, transmitted from his shoulders through Amaranta's palms, betrayed his internal trembling. His jaw tightened, and he looked at her through narrowed eyes. "I thought we were discussing mergers, not hostile takeovers."

Amaranta felt a sliver of panic. She didn't have the skill for a hostile takeover. Not yet, anyway.

"Of course it's a merger, don't be silly. My offer is based on my understanding of the situational constraints. You are always free to take it or leave it or to make a counter-offer." The deal is off, she thought. She berated herself for being greedy.

Rohan spoke after a long pause. "65/35. Now, I need to see your assets." Hardly believing what she heard, Amaranta took the handheld that Rohan fished out of his pocket and pressed her thumb into it. "Access all accounts, full disclosure." She went to the other room to retrieve her handheld while Rohan studied her accounts.