An Older Unmarried Daughter

"They must prize you?"

"I would like to think so but will never really know; it's one of dad's company's. I'm company secretary; not bad for a 27-year old eh?"

"Oh very good."

"Maggie will you come and stay with me for a couple of days in a fortnight? My parents are in Europe and my husband Russ will be away two nights at a theater demonstration seminar. Being a young surgeon he feels the need to go. I actually don't require anyone here and could call on Rose of course or my mother-in-law but now you have chosen to relate to the children I feel... we'll you know."

"Yes I do, I think. You honor me Pru."

"Me honor you? Oh god, what a scream."

They both laughed and kept on talking for another few minutes.

* * *

Eating lunch alone because she was very late, Maggie thought it was strange she was befriending the much younger sister rather than Rose who are her age plus seven months. Why would that be? Oh yes, despite the smiles Rose still had the look of one hard bitch whereas Pru was the nicest one of the family and simply had reached out when Maggie had shown some signs of tenderness.

Maggie smiled over her coffee cup, oh how sweet. And then her face clouded. Christ the poor girl was missing her real mom, probably exacerbated as a result of postnatal stress. Maggie pulled out her phone and made a call.

"Dirk? It's the New York Maggie. You'll be busy so I'll make this brief and tell me to keep my nose out of family affairs if you wish. I have just been talking to Pru. She called because I posted her some baby stuff. You would give her a great thrill if you arranged your mother to visit her if that's possible, I mean your real mom."

"I see."

"What does that mean?"

"Um I visited Pru last night. In fact I stayed on for dinner and it occurred to me she looks less happier over recent weeks. Are you thinking its signs of depression?"

"I hope not but my thought is she wants her mom to see the new baby. Make it happen Dirk."

Maggie switched off her phone, just catching his call of "No wait!" No need to keep on talking to a guy who already had accepted what he must do.

Maggie returned from a meeting and listed to one of her phone messages and smiled: "Sorry you are in a meeting Mag. Great news. Mom's on an evening flight today from Chicago. She can't wait to get here. She said it was the first time she knew any of us wanted her. God we are morons. You are a beautiful lady Mag."

Maggie wept. Her father had been one of the few people to call her Mag. She called her mom and during the next fifteen minutes spoke to them both and felt much happier for making that effort.

CHAPTER 2

Flying to Boston Maggie thought Pru's husband Russell would have flown off to St Louis that morning for his seminar. Perhaps their airplanes had passed? Oh yeah? God rarely was she this excited, even when about to have sex.

Despite the huge airport bustle she spotted Pru waving, looking very much the young mother with Timmy, not yet two, sitting up on front of a two-tier stroller being told to look at Maggie

Maggie said hi to the shy youngster and the women hugged hugely and Pru was weepy, saying she was mean taking Maggie away from her work.

"No of course not; my VP is forever telling me to take time off. Although you and I have been talking every day that's nothing like the excitement this is generating for me. Please let me look at Lily and then take Jimmy out and see if he'll come to me."

"He will. Just unhook..."

"Pru, I'm an old maid. I have no idea how this new technology works."

Pru laughed and said god it was great having Maggie with her. "We are meeting all my friends with babies in the morning at Coffee House A-Go. We have become an institution there and the girls are so exited at the thought of meeting a New York banker."

"Oh Pru?

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Well if you work in a bank as an executive you must be a banker."

They giggled and Maggie then fell in love with the most beautiful baby she'd ever seen. She assured Pru as the accolades flew that of course she'd seen babies before, well a few.

Timmy went to Maggie nervously but when she said, "Now I wonder what I can find in this pocket?" he was won over completely and they went to the car with Timmy with an arm around Maggie and looking at her and saying mommy. Maggie felt that everyone in the entire airport was looking at Timmy and her.

Maggie told Pru to sit and relax that she'd drive.

"But this is a foreign car."

"I learned to drive a car on granddad's ranch when I was twelve darling and my first car as a banking executive in Philadelphia was a BMW. And don't worry about my finding my way round this village; I lived Boston four years working for my first degree and then my master's in banking and financial services management."

"Ohmigod, and me just a simple company secretary with a bachelor's in accounting."

"Don't knock it darling. On could almost think some employers find degrees irrelevant to their business but it's what's in the head and knowing how to use it that counts."

"Oh Maggie you are so awesome."

"If that's the case darling and you are attempting to compare, show me where are my babies?"

"Oh don't you dare talk to me like that; you are just taking your time, that's all."

"I hope you are right about that Pru. Give me a heading and there's no need to remind me I have precious cargo aboard."

"Fisher Hill."

"Good, I know it as I had a girlfriend whose parents lived there and the attraction for me was their swimming pool... indoor and heated."

The two women spent Friday evening having a lovely time just talking, and they walked round the central city next day with the children and had them home for the kids' afternoon sleep.

"Pru I hope you haven't told your brother or sister I'm here?"

"No, it's cool. Maggie is away at her mother and father in law's place upcountry because they'd asked to see the kids and Dirk has gone with a bunch of guys sea kayaking. Don't you like my family? Oh god, I ought not have said that."

"I just didn't want Dirk coming on me catching me unaware."

Pru looked curiously, waiting for elaboration.

"Pru promise to say nothing and do nothing by way of intervention."

"Yes, I promise."

"Dirk in his own time plans to make a play for me."

Pru looked astonished. "But Dirk is wearing himself ragged attempting to please two babes he is running with here, er not simultaneously."

"I've seen it in his eyes."

"Oh god, how can you be sure?"

"My profession is dealing with people, remember? I have been trained to read them."

"But what if you are wrong?"

Maggie smiled. "Then there would be no harm done. You are the only person who knows my thoughts so please..."

"Keep them to myself. Yes, I'll promise. God I can't believe what you've just told me. If you accept Dirk and something comes of it I will be out of my tree in delight."

Maggie smiled and suggested they talk about something else.

Pru said, "Good news. We are out of this house this evening if you don't mind eating at 6:00."

"No of course not."

"Great. We'll go to a family restaurant. I have expressed two days of milk for Lily so in a couple of hours we'll have a few drinks and go by cab to the restaurant where we'll have some more drinks. "I'm breaking out to have alcohol baby because you and I are going to have a swell evening although we are without men."

"It sounds lovely. I am really appreciating what my visit has meant to you darling Pru. I think we are becoming life-long friends."

"Would you like to become Lily's godmother."

"Oh Pru, may I?"

"I'll discuss it with Russ and let you know. He'll want to assess you."

"What for an operation?"

They laughed and Pru said the children were important to Russ and he'd want to satisfy himself about Maggie.

"Fair enough. I shall visit you again for the very purpose of being interviewed by the father."

"It will take all of five seconds darling. Russ will take one look at you and will know. You are that kind of special person."

"God you are away with the birds and you've not had your first drink yet!"

* * *

At the airport mid Sunday afternoon the women each opened the rear door of the car. Strapped into his safety seat Timmy looked at his mother and then at Maggie and held at his arms to Maggie.

"God you disloyal son and heir," Pru snorted. "Trust you to pick the prettiest woman with her curly brunette hair and soft green eyes. I would have done the same thing had I been in your shoes pal."

"A young man's greatest possession on this earth is his mom," Maggie said, unbuckling Timmy.

She turned after extracting Timmy and looking over the car roof saw Pru already had Lily in the stroller and was dabbing at her eyes.

"Pru, I'm sorry. I heard someone say that on radio many years ago."

"I'm fine," Pru sniffed. "It is just one of the greatest things I've ever heard."

* * *

Maggie had arrived back on Manhattan feeling the place looked dull and unfocused compared with being with Pru and the kids.

Unfocused?

She sniffed thinking she knew what she meant. But next day at a meeting planning the upcoming round of performance and salary appraisals, her delightful time in Boston was pushed firmly away.

Eight days later Maggie was called to the office of the bank's president.

"Hi Maggie. This is Mr Dirk Hart who is here acting as his father's business manager with accreditation. We have finished our talks with Mr Hart and he expressed an interest in meeting you and learning what you do here at the bank. He assures me you know him."

"Yes indeed Mr Rowland and has father as well. Lovely seeing you again Dirk. Please come with me."

The two men shook hands and going down the stairs rather than the elevator to the floor below Dirk said, "Is it in order to kiss you?"

"Yes, you don't look to be unfriendly or posing a threat."

Dirk laughed and kissed Maggie as she stopped and turned. It was a long and sweet kiss.

"I have been longing to do that."

Maggie straightened her hair and said she had been waiting for Dirk to kiss her ever since she'd seen in his eyes the intensity had appeared to have for her on the evening when they were in that bar.

"I was powerless. You were so beautiful and nothing like the aggressively defensive woman I had remembered."

Maggie met Dirk in the bar of his hotel at 6:00 and they later went out to dinner. He expressed a preference for a steakhouse so she took him to one of the best.

"As they were walking from the restaurant, Dirk said he didn't want Maggie to go.

"You want me to sleep with you?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I have thought long and hard about this and now it's what I want. I have packed my toothbrush."

Dirk didn't touch Maggie in the elevator or the walk to his suite but they chatted. Inside the room he asked, "Coffee?"

"No Dirk. I believe we both want to be fuck."

At that Dirk grinned hugely and pushed his hand down the front top of Maggie's dress. "Thanks for that. I'd become so nervous thinking about doing it with you. You have been trained haven't you?"

"No never."

"B-but the bank's hospitality service"

"The bank provides suitable women to accompany men to dinner or to a show and then dinner. It is assumed the chosen females know which knife and fork to use and what a desert is."

"Er about sex."

"It's not forbidden but nor is it encouraged by the bank."

"I don't understand..."

"Definition: Hostess, a woman who receives or entertains guests in a social or official capacity Dirk. The bank would never align itself with prostitution. Further, I bet if we compared notes we'd find because you are a guy, you would have gotten laid three or four more times than I have, although I have no idea how I've arrived at those figures."

He grinned. "Probably thirty times more."

"Oh you're such a gentleman Dirk. Thank you."

She lifted her arms and Dirk pulled off her designer top and while he unbuttoned and unzipped her skirt she removed her bra.

"God what beautiful breasts."

"Play with them," said cooed, pulling his head down on to them.

Maggie was eager to get hold of his cock but had long learned to hold back; having a woman too aggressive or too forward seemed to unnerve some men and this could be one of them. Finally she got the fat knob into her mouth and she thought that would activate the sensors in her vagina and that made her almost climax. God not that early, she groaned and her negative thoughts saved the day.

Finally as her was gasping into his release Maggie curled her toes and launched into one of her most powerful ones ever, almost shunting the poor guy off the bed.

"Jesus!"

She replied sweetly, "Wasn't that lovely. Do you mind fetching towels?"

Later outside the hotel Dirk kissed Maggie and placed her in the cab and said they'd had a wonderful night but made no effort to make another date.

Maggie went home thoughtfully but not unhappy and next day looked for bank jobs in the Boston area. She later interviewed successfully and won the position of assistant manager at that bank's regional office in Boston.

After the interview Maggie called Pru. "Hi I'm in Boston. Can I come and see you sometime?"

"Oh lordy, you're back. Come now."

"That's great. Start expressing milk because I'm bringing a bottle of wine."

Pru flew at Maggie in excitement and whispered, "I'm sorry but both Jimmy and Lily are down. God, French Champagne; what are we celebrating?"

"I've landed a job in Boston, starting in six weeks."

"Oh god, great. But you are here a week early. The christening is not until next week."

"I know. I'll come back for it. There's no way I'll miss that."

They curled up on the sofa with the sun streaming through the windows and toasted to long life, happiness and ever-lasting friendship.

Maggie said, "I did tell you Dirk came and I spent part of a night with him but then nothing. Have you found out anything?"

"He was evasive. So I asked didn't he like you and he said of course he did. And then he wouldn't respond to any further probing. What I guess is he thought it was useless him being here and you being in New York."

"Yeah, perhaps. Well he's got this final chance. He'll see me at the christening won't he?"

"Yes of course. Only dad and his lady will be missing."

"That's naughty Pru."

"Um I meant dad and our stepmother."

"Good girl Your are blushing nicely and your figure is really back, perhaps better than ever."

She giggled. "Russ and I are fucking like cats on a hot tin roof. When you arrive here to live I will introduce you to guys if the mole has failed to rise out of his hole."

"Thanks and good health. A girl needs sex regularly."

"You need babies."

"Oh Pru, clucky again. I suggest you protect yourself and get back to work, at least for a while. Let your body build up again."

"What's what Russ is telling me. How do you know these things?"

"Because I'm an intelligent godmother-to-be."

When Maggie arrived on the day of the christening Rose met her at the airport with her two blondes. Tricia (7) and Savannah (6) inspected the new arrival gravely and were introduced.

"Mommy told us a beautiful lady from New York was coming to stay with us after the christening."

"Yes and you're not wrong Tricia," said Savannah.

"You two lovely girls may say anything you wish to me," Maggie said. "I don't bite."

"Are you rich?"

"Sorry no."

"Are you married?"

"Sorry no but perhaps I could marry your uncle."

Maggie heard Rose suck in breath.

"Uncle Dirk is too busy with too many girl friends to want to marry."

"I bet he is."

"I can't understand. Why do you think about Uncle Dirk? Mommy loses patience with him."

"Mommy will probably tell you because he's a man Tricia and men tend not to always give proper answers or take mommies seriously. Do you have new dresses to wear to the christening this afternoon?"

"Yes. Do you want to see mine?"

"Yes and Savannah's as well. Getting new dresses is so much fun isn't it?"

"Oh yes."

"What say I ask mommy if we can stop off and she allow me to buy shoes for both of you? Auntie Pru will love to see you both in completely new outfits."

"I can't believe this," Rose said, breaking her silence for the first time since they greeted. "I have been following this absolutely fascinated. Tricia has been a worry to us because of her reluctance to talk. Savannah does much of the talking for her."

"I believe it's no big deal Maggie. Tricia is the more sensitive child, right?"

"Yes right."

"Don't you notice how she has no reluctance talking about things that really interested her?"

"Yes, now that you've mentioned it."

Maggie laughed, taking Rose's arm while the girl's pushed Maggie's trolley. "I was an only child and from a young age I studied very intently how other children interacted, thought I would not have know the meaning of interaction. Also I tend to view children as little people, rather than children, although I do nothing to hasten away their childhood."

"What refreshing views... intelligent, beautiful original views. Oh god how I misjudged you that time. Oh why is my stupid brother ignoring you?"

"Pru believes it's because I live in New York and Dirk is rooted in Boston. I am in the process of shifting to Boston."

"Ohmigod, may I tell him?"

"Yes but I would prefer you didn't. If he's interested enough he'll find out. Men love making discoveries."

"How does Pru know about Dirk and you?"

"Because we talk on the phone most days and I've been to stay with Pru twice."

"Staying with Pru? But why haven't you stayed with us before this?"

Maggie looked away to reduce Rose's embarrassment. "I was never asked Rose but it doesn't matter."

At the car Maggie said, "You can sit in the back and talk to Tricia about matching her choice of shoes to go with her dresses if you wish and I'll keep Savannah prattling on. I know Boston rather well, having lived here for four years as a student."

"But this is an expensive Mercedes."

"I rent Mercedes, two models above this one, when I visit branch offices as part of my work Rose. But if you wish..."

"No, let do what you suggested. I really haven't been applying myself to the problem re Tricia have I?"

"That's you over the first hurdle Rose."

"Maggie you are awesome."

"What does awesome really mean mom?"

"Just let me get in beside you Tricia."

"Is Maggie boss?"

"Oh good one Tricia."

CHAPTER 3

Pru insisted the godmother carry Lily out of the church and Maggie had just handed the baby back to Pru, surrounded by members of the extended family, when Dirk said, "Hi Maggie."

They had waved when spotting each other in church. Dirk introduced the woman handing on his arm as Michelle.

Maggie said, "That's a beautiful dress Michelle."

"If you say so."

"Answer politely. Maggie is a friend of mine and of my family."

"Thanks Maggie. Can we get a drink Dirk?"

Wine and coffee, soda drinks and sandwiches were served in the church hall. Later when Michelle was explaining to the startled minister she had no concept of life after death Dirk said to Maggie, 'I apologize for Michelle's rudeness. She's one of two women I keep on hand for... um..."

"Convenience?"

"Oh yeah convenience. Do you like Boston?"

"Yes I love it. I spent four years here as a student."

"Really?"

"Well I could produce my CV for your perusal."

"No, god I must have sounded disbelieving. Well I was surprised about that. Would you come back to live?"

"Yes when you propose to me."

"What's that," Michelle said ominously, arriving at Dirk's side.

"Dirk had asked would I come back to live in Boston and I said yes, when he proposed to me."

"You cow."

"Michelle, please," Dirk said. "Maggie was only speaking in jest."

"Were you?"