A Fine Mess

Chapter 15

The oak stained door swung wide and Moira hit the light switch and glided on through, crossing the sitting room of the large suite, and letting her coat drop to the chair along with her purse, tilting her head with a questioning look to her guest.

"I'll get that, my dear." He quickly closed the door, slipping the latch and hurrying to the chair, gathering up her coat and finding the closet in the foyer. "So," he smiled, returning to the sitting room. "This is a nice surprise. A pleasant one," he added hastily. "It's very lovely. I had no idea you maintained a suite here."

"Should you?" She sank onto the sofa.

"Well uh- I mean- I usually am made aware of the corporate holdings..."

"The corporation has nothing to do with this. This is mine, exclusively." She patted the space beside her. "Get me a drink and come and sit. We'll talk business first."

Myles did a double take with his feet as he turned to the bar. Business, first? He took a hesitant step, wondering if this might indeed be the beginning of something better than just acquiring shares. He was armed and ready with the other shareholder information from Peter and with another drink under his belt, the idea his wife's idle comments had suggested was germinating furiously.

"To a successful merger." He brought their drinks to the sofa and handed her one as he sat beside her.

"Indeed." Moira smiled, sipping the drink "Delicious. Thank you." She set her glass on the coffee table and half turned to face him on the sofa, one leg drawn up between them.

•••

Moira crossed into the bedroom from the sitting room and collected her things. She paused in the doorway to consider the rumpled sheets and the deal struck within their sweaty confines. She knew she was right about him being the correct choice; when she proposed her scheme to him he balked and began citing thousands of reasons why it wouldn't work but as he listened to the tape and the drink flowed and the intimacy grew, Myles began conceding to her logic, actually almost becoming giddy when he revealed how it paralleled his own imaginings. He almost frightened her with his enthusiasm, relating Miriam's comments about faking testimonials and how he could find out who they could use to accommodate Moira's scheme. The scheme itself was simple, if, diabolical. They would set Brian up for a confrontation with Barton, relying on both their quick tempers to provoke an act of aggression which would result in a contravention of the partnership agreement which stated: all shares, rights to shares and options would be forfeit to the company in the event of any partner committing an indictable act under the law.

Miriam's plan to a tee.

Myles accepted the task of finding a suitable technician for editing the tapes that Moira had collected on Brian. She would reveal them to Barton, along with a story suitably incriminating but unverifiable and let nature take its course. It all sounded so easy. Myles agreed with every aspect, melting helplessly under her ministrations as she outlined the plan. Moira felt smug and satisfied, amazed at how easy the men surrounding her little adventure seemed to lose their common sense when sex was involved-sort of like the way she was with Brian at first. Moira gave him the number of her unregistered phone and told Myles that it was to be used only when he needed to contact her. The idea of a secret communication source for security contact almost had him rushing her again.

She smiled, crossing to the closet for her coat, thinking about his expression when she moved from her seat on his stomach and held out her hand to shake on the deal, an almost tangible fear of being in bed with his employer's wife filled the room. What pleased Moira the most was his willingness to be the sole contact for the rigged tapes. No looking back now, Moira. She gave passing consideration to calling Peter and telling him what was up but ruled out the idea for the time being. Some further investigation of Peter was still needed. Riding down on the elevator, she revisited her mental script of the next steps and when she reached the lobby she came though the doors with dauntless determination, more than prepared for the next move.