Ryann was up before dawn and showered and dressed long before sunup. The time difference worked in her favor, as she was able to call into the office and check in with Ted the moment he was there.

“Tell me how it’s going,” she said.

“It’s dominoes, Ryann,” he said. “Everything is getting set up, but at the same time, everything could fall down at the slightest screwup. I can’t think of a single moment since I started when things seemed so exciting or precarious.”

She laughed. Only Ted could or would be this honest with her. “You didn’t seem to have any of these misgivings when I was still there.”

“Well, that’s just it—you’re not here.”

She had to bite back a hot reply. She hated the idea that the company would fall apart the moment she wasn’t there. Still, this deal was her baby, so she could appreciate how delicate the situation could seem with her gone and not assuaging anyone’s nerves.

“What’s happening on the London front?” she asked.

Ted sighed, obviously stalling for time, rustling papers.

“It’s not good. The board went back and forth with them all day yesterday, and they’re doing the same today. So far, they’re not budging. London can’t commit to anything sooner than the first week in March.”

“Which means we’ll lose Tokyo and Sydney.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose, eyes pinched tight. It was much too early in the day for a migraine.

“Have you done the numbers yet?” she asked him.

“Yes. It’s not an easy choice. Sydney is pretty small potatoes—even smaller than our firm. But Tokyo is a giant. Together, they’re basically the same as London, so even if we can get the others to agree to wait, it’s basically the same one way or another in terms of shared costs.”

“What about the possible projections? How would they be affected?”

“Okay—so here’s where it gets really complicated.”

“The fast version, please.”

“In a nutshell, we’ll make more money if we have London than if we have the other two. But either way, if we lose anyone, it really, really hurts the numbers.”

“Damn it.”

“Exactly. I don’t see the board taking the risk if we can’t increase those profit margins with a loss of one or more of those cities.” He paused, and she knew without seeing him that he was reluctant to keep talking. Finally, he took a deep breath. “I hate to say this, Ryann, but the board will force you to pull out whether we lose London or Tokyo or Sydney, or any combination of those three. The numbers don’t justify the possible losses otherwise.”

“Well then, we’re back to square one. We have to get everyone on board.” She rubbed her eyes again. “What time is it in London right now?”

“Almost three.”