"I never said I was going to pull out."
"You didn't have to little brother. I can read you like a book." He picked up his brief case. "You have that hound dog look on your face you used to get as a kid when you felt sorry for a stray dog. Think on it and tell me what it's all about tomorrow."
Bran walked out of the office leaving Morgan to himself. Well that was worth the trip in. He stood and walked over to the glass looking down on the dark street below. Thousands of tiny lights led down the highway toward the Sydney Harbor Bridge shining in the distance.
It was a far cry from the wide open spaces of the outback. The vivid blue sky contrasting against the deep red soil was suddenly more appealing to him than all the glitz and glitter of the city life. He turned on his heel and caught the lift down to the garage.
Heading toward his apartment he formulated a plan in his mind, one that would hopefully satisfy his big brother without costing Stacey her dream.
Walking into his plush inner city apartment he was greeted by the doorman. "Good evening Mr. Taylor. Welcome home sir."
"Thanks Boris, great to be back. How are you?"
"Oh you know sir, doing okay I guess. Wish the rain would stay away for a bit though. Did you enjoy your outback trip sir?"
"Sure did Boris. It was a real eye opener. You have a good night now."
"You too sir."
Morgan walked over to the elevator and hit the button for the penthouse. The ride up was smooth and silent. The elevator opened into his foyer and he left his bag beside the door for the housekeeper to sort out.
Walking inside the study he poured himself a scotch and sat in his leather chair sipping the fifty year old liquor while in his mind he tossed around figures and scenarios. When he decided on a course of action he fired up his computer and spent the rest of the night at work putting it all together.
It was early morning before he headed for his bedroom. Morgan flicked the light switch and walked into the designer decorated room. It looked something like a photo in House and Garden. Nothing was out of place. The dark brown and white decor was certainly appealing on the eye but it lacked the softness and familiarity of Stacey's room.
Mismatched cushions had covered Stacey's bed and scattered to the floor when they made love. Most of them blending in with her rose patterned bedspread. Old china was placed randomly on chairs and cabinets, the majority of it filled with silk roses and sweet peas like those that grew in his grandmothers gardens overlooking Point Piper.
Clothes were dropped on the floor in a heap or thrown onto the tiled bathroom floor giving the whole area a lived in feeling. Morgan walked inside his bathroom dropping his clothes as he went. Sighing loudly he turned around and picked them up before placing them in the appropriate baskets ready for the housekeeper, the habits of a lifetime too hard to break.
His shower was Italian marble, white with darker swirls of cream running through it. The best quality around his designer had told him when he had given her the brief and the job. Now he found it stark and impersonal. After a quick wash he dried himself and walked back to the bedroom. Pulling down the cover, he slid his exhausted body between the crisp white sheets and dreamed of wide open spaces and diving into a pool naked followed by a sweet country girl.
* * *
"Are you serious?" Bran shook his head and stood up leaning his hands on the desk.
"Yes, I've thought it through and this is the way I want to do it."
"Oh man, this is going to end badly, I can see it."
Morgan stood still, refusing to take the bait and answer back explaining how he was restructuring the gold mine deal. His best defense was to put all the facts on the table and let Bran absorb them before he said any more.
"The old boy will roll in his grave over this."
"He isn't running the company, we are."
"But what you seem to forget little brother is that we still have to answer to the board. We might own the majority of the shares but they still have a say in how we do our jobs. This can't be done without going through them first."
"Call a meeting then. I have everything mapped out."
"Don't you want to ask your girlfriend if this is what she wants before you change everything?"
"No."
"Fine. Leave this with me and when I have a chance to go over it I'll call a meeting."
"Thanks Bran."
"I haven't said I like the idea yet Morgan."
He grinned and turned away. There was nothing not to like in the whole deal.
* * *
Morgan thought of Docs words when he walked into the hotel that night after work. He glanced around looking for Stacey when he ran up the stairs to shower and change but there was no sign of her. When he returned later for dinner, there was a new girl helping the chef serve the meals.
He finished his dinner and went to the bar with his men for a quiet beer before bed. The older woman Jane served them and as he was paying he queried her. "I haven't seen Stacey around tonight? Is she here, I would like a word."
Jane stared at him with cold eyes and he swore her hair stood on end. "No, she's not available. If you want something ask me, alright?"
"Thanks
