Peter rolled off the bed and strutted to the desk, picking up the champagne bucket and two glasses, turning with a pause to allow for appraisal before returning to her side of the bed and sitting on the edge.

"Guess this beats meeting with the ladies guild, eh?" Miriam smiled and watched him pour the fizzing liquid. "Deserves a little toast, don't you think?"

"You weren't that good, Peter."

He blushed and gritted his teeth. "You didn't complain in your garden." His reply was testy. "Anyway, I was referring to the progress with Cybrus."

"Aah, Cybrus. We need to talk about that." She shifted over and gestured for him to get comfortable. "The buyout, Peter... well, there really isn't one."

"What!?" He spilled some of his drink and cursed, setting the glass on the floor.

"Arnold is prepared to deposit the full cash purchase price in a trust account that you set up-somewhere safe, Peter. When you present the merger offer to your shareholders and they vote yes, the stock will shoot up. The plan then is to use some of Arnold's money to buy up the shares in exchange for discount buying privileges. That's when you arrange to sell them overseas in the latest market, converting to bearer bonds and depositing the money in the trust account-"

"Yeah, right." He sipped his champagne.

"-and then you and I skip away to collect and spend the rest of our days... well... spending."

"You are nuts, Miriam."

"It would all happen before the market opened here."

"You can't keep something like that quiet, Christ, the phone lines would be burning."

"Come, come, Peter, you have connections that can accommodate a transaction like this. Your history in financial dealings hasn't been totally unblemished now, has it?"

"Feasibility aside, how do we get control of all the shares, certainly Barton won't be handing any over." She held her glass out for a refill and he complied automatically.

"Hence my plan, Peter. Hence my plan."

"Maybe you better tell me this plan again." He leaned sideways until his head rested on her stomach and she slipped her fingers into his thick hair, lightly scratching his scalp with her nails.

"First of all," she began. "As I said, we get control of all the outstanding shares as described. That's the easy part. We must then get Moira's to have a majority. With hers, yours, Brian's and Myles's, we win."

"Right off the bat, getting Moira's is a tall order."

She pushed his head down a little and continued her scalp treatment. "Just shush and pay attention. We let Brian do whatever he has to do to get Moira's shares and believe me, he will try."

"You seem so sure." He grunted as she shoved his head again. Her stomach was scented with a hint of lilac and Peter closed his eyes dreamily.

"I am sure. Those shares will become available...eventually, and you will get the others because you are going to make them that offer they can't refuse. Cash. Big cash, for their proxies, with a promise of a special buy opportunity of the new stock. That's when they all vote a great big yes."

She felt him start to respond and she pushed his head down further, holding him firmly.

Peter mumbled something and she gave a little groan. "Maybe you should sit up until we're done.

He did, hand combing his hair back. "What makes you think Brian will go along with this?"

"You, Peter, are going to convince Moira that Brian is only after her vote and that you'll do what you can to help but she needs to take some kind of action on her own."

"What action? How do I convince her? Why?"

Miriam sighed. "Take her under your wing, Peter. Be a mentor. Be a lover if you have to." He jerked his head and leered at her offer. "You don't have to look so eager for the latter. Just win her over. Make Brian look evil."

"What good does that do us?"

Miriam sat up and fluffed her pillow. "This is the part I like the best. Myles told me that there is a section in the partnership agreement that says if either partner commits an indictable offense, his or her shares revert to the company for redistribution by the sitting board." Peter shrugged. "We all know that both Brian and Barton have nasty tempers. All we need is a reason for them to surface against one another. We'd be guaranteed legal action of some kind."

He blinked derisively and lay back down on her stomach. "Pipe dreams, Miriam. Pipe dreams."

"I'm introducing Myles into the mix. He and Moira are going to join forces."

"What! What the hell for?"

"To make my dream come true, Peter. To make our dream come true."

"What dream?"

"Freedom, Peter. With our help, Moira and Myles are going to provide the reason for that confrontation."

Peter snorted and sat up again, pouring himself another glass of champagne. "In your dreams."

"Yes, in my dreams, Peter. Myles would do anything to get out from under my thumb and this will be his golden opportunity. Together, with our anonymous assistance, they will wrest control of WesCat from the two partners, happily following your lead in the merger with Cybrus."

"Miriam, what the hell have you been smoking? Where is Barton while this is going on?"

"Just you do as I say and watch the results."

"This is getting too-"

"Just do as I say, Peter." She took his glass and set it aside, checking her watch. "Now where were you?"

"Miriam-"

"Just do as I say."

•••

After the first encounter the relationship grew quickly into an affair with equal enthusiasm on both sides. Cautiously secret telephone calls were exchanged along with an increasing series of clandestine meetings. Almost immediately, Brian introduced WesCat business into their conversations, eventually zeroing in on her stock shares. Moira listened with interest, confirming to herself that this was Brian's real reason for pursuing her.

The affair was stumbling and Moira was questioning her original motives. Couldn't she just forget the stock business and enjoy the affair, even if it was a sham? Hadn't she found exactly the situation and the person she had been seeking? Well positioned in the company. Clever. Handsome, and best of all, willing and fantastically able. All she had to do was keep saying maybe.