A Month with Maree

But the meeting didn't start at two. At two o'clock, the only people gathered in the potential client's conference room were Jacko and young lady who frowned a lot.

'And what's your role?' Jacko asked politely.

'Role?'

'Yes. What do you do here?'

'Oh. Just work experience.'

'And how is that working out?'

'Not sure,' the young lady said. And she frowned again.

It was almost two-thirty by the time everyone arrived and the meeting finally got underway. Jacko tried not to rush things too much. He was there to pitch. He was there to make a good impression. But, yes, he probably did rush things a bit.

'I'll leave you to think about it,' he said to the Chief Marketing Officer. 'Please don't hesitate to email me if you need further information. Or you have my phone number.' Even so, it was well past three-thirty by the time that he reached the Tube station. And there was a train leaving just as he reached the platform. 'Damn.'

Jacko thought about trying to call Mike to ask him to look after Maree until he got there. But he couldn't get a signal on his phone. 'Oh, well, I can only do what I can do,' he told himself. And, suddenly, there was the next train. Half walking, half running, Jacko arrived at Miguel's on the dot of four-thirty.

'Running? You must have a serious thirst,' Mike said.

'What? Oh. My afternoon didn't go quite to plan,' Jacko said. 'I managed to lose half an hour or so. And I promised to meet Maree here at four-thirty.'

Mike frowned.

'The woman you thought was my accountant. Or lawyer.'

'Oh. Right,' Mike said. And he nodded in the direction of the door.

Maree was just arriving. 'I hope I'm not late,' she said, kissing Jacko with only slightly less enthusiasm than she had on Saturday night.

'Not at all,' Jacko said. 'I haven't even ... well ... as you can see.'

'Verdejo?' Mike Baker suggested.

Jacko looked at Maree who smiled and nodded. 'Thank you,' Jacko said. 'And maybe a snack. I missed lunch.'

'Let me see what I can find,' Mike said.

'Before I forget,' Maree said, 'Laurie asked me to say hello.'

'Did you ...?'

'All I told him was that if things were under control, I might sneak away a little early. I think his exact response was: "Yes of course. No point in hanging around if there's nothing to do. Oh ... and say hello to Jacko for me."'

Jacko shook his head. 'Crafty old bugger. He doesn't miss much, does he?'

Jacko looked across the table at bespectacled, business-suited Maree with her dark chestnut-coloured hair piled high and smiled as he imagined her naked with her soft breasts and mummy tummy. 'So, how is your week going?' he asked.

'Oh ... the boys are being difficult. Bradley's being Bradley. But I must say that I'm enjoying being at RKB. And while Laurie's a challenge, he's also great fun. I wish I had discovered the advertising world years ago.'

Mike Baker arrived back with a couple of glasses of Verdejo. He also brought a small platter with a few finger slices of artichoke and ham tortilla, and a few deep-friend stuffed mushrooms.

'You're a life saver,' Jacko said. 'Thanks.'

And then Jacko's phone rang. It was the Chief Marketing Officer of the business that Jacko had pitched to a couple of hours earlier. 'Can you talk?'

'Umm ... yes,' Jacko said.

'Thank you for coming in this afternoon,' the CMO said. 'We liked what you had to say. It made sense. We'd like to work with you. We think you could add value.'

'Oh.' Jacko was surprised. 'That's ... umm ... that's good news. Yes.'

'I realise that it's rather short notice,' the CMO said, 'but we're having an off-site planning session this weekend. At a country house hotel just outside Oxford. I'm wondering if there is any possibility that you might be able to join us. Perhaps conduct a bit of a seminar. I appreciate that it's rather short notice.'

'I'm losing my touch,' Jacko told Maree, ten minutes or so later. 'That was the chap I was pitching to this afternoon. I didn't think it had gone very well at all. But now we need champagne. Where's Mike?'

The next time that Jacko and Maree spoke was on Sunday night. Jacko had just got back from Oxford. Maree had just got her boys off to bed. 'How did it go?' she asked.

'There was a bit of tap dancing,' Jacko said. 'But we got there. How was your weekend?'

'I've decided that being an EA is a lot easier than being a mother,' Maree said.

'Oh?'

'Karen, the au pair, was off at some music festival thing. I had the boys all to myself. I think there should probably be a law against it.'

Jacko laughed.

'But next weekend the boys will be with Bradley again. Which is partly why I'm calling. I wondered if you might like to come and have supper with me on Saturday night.'

'I'd love to,' Jacko said.

'Excellent,' Maree said. 'I'll tell Karen that she can have the weekend off. Well, Saturday night, anyway.'

And then, on Saturday afternoon, Maree phoned sounding rather unamused. 'I have a problem,' she told Jacko. 'Bradley has had something major crop up and he has had to go into the office.'

'Oh?'

'Yes. And he has dumped the boys back with me.'

'Oh. Oh, well. I'm sure that we can find another time.'

'But I was so looking forward to seeing you,' Maree said

'And I was looking forward to seeing you,' Jacko said. 'Possibly without your clothes on.'

Maree laughed. But she still didn't sound happy. 'Look ... what about if I make the boys an early supper and see if I can get them off to bed by soon after seven? And then you could come around about eight, and we could have a grown-up supper.'

'I could get some take-out,' Jacko said.

'No need to do that. I have a chicken here. I can roast the legs off for the boys, and then I can do something simple with the chicken breasts for you and me.'

'Well ... if you're sure,' Jacko said. 'Maybe call me when the coast is clear.' And he laughed.

'The coast is clear,' Maree said when she called Jacko shortly before 7:45. 'Fortunately, Bradley got the boys up early this morning to take them swimming. I think they were almost as keen as I was on them having an early night.'

'I shall be there in ten minutes,' Jacko said.

When Jacko reached Maree's front door, he didn't ring the doorbell. He texted her. Thirty seconds later, she was letting him in. 'I thought that a text might be more discreet,' he said in hushed tones.

Maree smiled and nodded. She also kissed him. 'I thought that we'd eat in the kitchen,' she said. 'It's further away from the boys' bedroom.'

Maree's 'something simple with the chicken breasts' turned out to be Pollo Caprese: brined chicken breasts, grilled, and then topped with mozzarella, slices of tomato, and torn basil leaves. It was delicious. The chicken was succulent, and the Caprese concoction accompanied it perfectly. 'I may have to steal this recipe,' Jacko said.

'Be my guest.'

When they had finished eating, Maree cleared away the empty plates. 'We could take the rest of the wine through to the bedroom,' she said. 'I have music in the bedroom. And there's a lock on the door.'

Jacko nodded. 'That could be useful,' he said. 'Heaven forbid that we should be caught listening to jazz while drinking wine. Or is it drinking wine while listening to jazz that is the greater sin?'

Maree laughed softly.

Jacko couldn't help noticing that, while the rest of the house had a 'family' feel to it -- toys in odd corners, children's drawings, notes on the door of the fridge, that sort of thing -- Maree's bedroom was definitely a 'grown-up' space.

Maree chose a Jan Garbarek album. It was a good choice in more ways than one. The music was mellow and yet interesting, and occasionally surprising. And the sound of the soprano sax went some way to masking Maree's 'vocalisations' once they got down to the serious business of the evening.

It was while Maree and Jacko were taking a well-earned rest in their festivities -- had just concluded and The Quest was just beginning -- when there was a rattle at the bedroom door. Almost in the time that it took her to say 'Oh, dear,' Maree slipped on a bathrobe and pulled the duvet up to cover Jacko. Only then did she go to the door.

'Why aren't you asleep?' she called out in maternal tones.

'I'm thirsty,' a young voice replied.

Maree sighed and unlocked the door. 'Let's go and get you a drink then,' she said.

'Mummy, why is there a man in your bed?'

'He's tired,' Jacko heard Maree say.

'Who is he?'

'Jacko. He's Mummy's friend.'

'OK?' Jacko asked when Maree returned.

'Andrew. With a bit of luck, he'll have forgotten all about it in the morning.'

'And if he hasn't?'

'I'll tell him it was all a dream,' Maree said.

But the spell had been broken. 'I should get going,' Jacko said.

Maree was disappointed. But, yes, the spell had been broken. 'I'll phone you,' she said.

Jacko dressed. They kissed. And Jacko was on the verge of saying 'Oh, what the hell?' But he didn't. He found his shoes, slipped them on, and kissed Maree yet again. 'Well, we almost got away with it,' he said with a grin.

Maree laughed. 'I'll phone you,' she said again.

It was just gone eleven when Jacko arrived home. On another night, that might have been Jacko's bedtime. But he was feeling too ... wound up? Was that it? Wound up? He certainly wasn't disappointed. Right up until the visit from the thirsty child, he had had a wonderful evening. Great food. Great company. Excellent music. And, of course, great sex. But still ....

Jacko went to the fridge and got himself a glass of chilled rosé. And, because he was a communications strategist by trade, and communications strategists can only think on paper or on a whiteboard, he went and found an A2 pad and a felt-tipped pen. 'Maree' he wrote. And then he put the pen down, took a deep sip of the wine, and stared at the otherwise-blank page.

That first weekend with Maree had set a high bar. There had been mutual attraction from the start. And then there had been supper the following evening. And dancing. How the dancing happened, Jacko still didn't understand. And then, of course, there was sex. And not just sex, but brilliant sex. Fucking at its finest.

Jacko spent most of Monday working with one of his tech clients up in Cambridge. His train was just waiting outside London Kings Cross when Maree phoned.

'How are you?'

'Better for hearing your voice,' Maree said.

'Oh?'

'I've just been getting an earful from Bradley. He picked the boys up and took them to TGI Friday for supper last night. His idea of making up for abandoning them for most of the weekend. Anyway ... apparently Andrew told him that Mummy's friend Jacko got tired and had to sleep in her bed.'

'Oh.'

'This apparently makes me a bad mother.'

'But an excellent hostess,' Jacko said.

Maree did not sound happy. 'Talk about one rule for the goose and another for the gander.'

'Where are you?' Jacko asked.

'RKB. Just getting ready to leave.'

'Fancy a quick glass of something cold?'

'I shouldn't. But ... yes.'

'Miguel's in twenty minutes,' Jacko said.

Monday nights were not very busy at Miguel's. 'On your Tod?' Mike Baker said. 'Or is Jacko about to come running?'

Maree laughed. 'Not sure about running. Hopefully he will have managed to find a cab. But, yes, two of whatever it is that we seem to have fallen into the habit of drinking. Thank you.'

Mike nodded and smiled. 'Coming up.'

Jacko had managed to find a cab, and he arrived just as a clock somewhere was striking six. 'Well,' he said, 'I guess it was always going to be a bit of a risk.'

'The bastard,' Maree said.

'But it was a nice supper. And I'm not for one moment complaining about what we got up to in the bedroom. You and Jan Garbarek play very well together.'

Maree laughed. 'Perhaps we could get together one night this week.'

'I'm in Bristol tomorrow night,' Jacko said. 'But Wednesday? Thursday? Friday? Name your day. In fact, name them all.'

'You're mad,' Maree said. 'But I'll pick Thursday. I'll tell Karen she is officer-in-charge for the night.'

Jacko nodded. 'There's a new restaurant that has opened just down the road. Kay or Kai or something. I'll see if I can get an early booking. And then back to mine for afters. OK?'

Maree nodded.

Kai -- the newly-opened restaurant at which Jacko had booked a table for seven o'clock -- seemed to still be in the process of getting its systems sorted. 'Masterson,' the greeter said, peering at the screen behind the reception desk. 'Masterson. Umm .... We have a booking for Mathewson. But not Masterson. Oh, well. Umm ....' And she picked up two menus and a wine list and scanned the restaurant for an empty table-for-two. 'Ah. Yes,' she said, eventually. 'If you could just give me a minute.'

Maree and Jacko looked at each other and smiled. In truth, they were happy just to have the time together.

'Sorry about that,' the greeter said when she returned. 'Andrea thinks she may have entered your name incorrectly. If you could just follow me.'

No sooner had Jacko and Maree been seated than Maree's phone rang. 'It's Bradley,' she said, looking particularly peeved.

'Go on, you'd better answer it,' Jacko said.

'Bradley,' she said. And then, after a few moments, she said. 'No, I am not at the pub. Yes, you can hear people. I'm at a cocktail party. Work. Lawyers aren't the only people who entertain their clients.' And then another pause. And then: 'No, I can't talk. Phone me tomorrow. We can talk about it then.' And then she pressed the End button, quickly followed by the Off button. 'Bastard,' she said.

'Problem?' Jacko said.

'I think his girlfriend must be out of town.'

'I didn't realise he had one,' Jacko said.

'Oh, yes. As I said: it's one set of rules for the goose and another for the gander.'

'What are we eating?' Jacko said, changing the subject as quickly as possible.

They studied the menu for a moment or two and then Jacko asked Maree if she felt like sharing a seafood platter.

'I do,' Maree said. 'With some frites and some aioli. If I'm going to be a bad mother, at least I may as well go all the way. The boys may not be allowed fries on a weeknight, but I am.'

'In that case ... perhaps a bottle of Sancerre and two straws,' Jacko suggested.

Despite ongoing moments of organisational confusion (the Sancerre arrived at the table first as Rioja, then as an Australian dry Riesling, and only on the third occasion as a crisp Sancerre) the food itself was remarkably good. The two kinds of oysters were plump and salty; the mussels were sweet; the langoustines were wonderfully ... well ... 'langoustiney'. The salmon was cooked perfectly. And the French fries -- Maree's bad mother treat -- were light and crunchy.

And then it was just a short walk back to Jacko's flat.

'Are you wearing knickers?' Jacko asked, as he closed the front door behind them.

'Knickers? Yes. Of course. What kind of a girl do you think I am?'

'A very sexy one,' Jacko said.

Maree smiled. 'I can take them off if you like.'

'With what I have in mind, it might be best,' Jacko said.

Maree smiled again and the knickers came off. 'And now?'

'And now I need you to bend over the arm of this couch,' Jacko said.

'And I suppose that I will be required to spread my legs a little?'

'It would be helpful,' Jacko said. 'And you might want to pull your skirt up.'

Jacko remembered reading somewhere -- he couldn't remember where -- that some women tend to lose their lubricity as they age. Maree did not appear to be among their number. As Jacko's fingers reached between her upper thighs, they were greeted with a slickness that would only get slicker.

'You are a bad boy,' Maree said with a chuckle in her voice.

'I try to be,' Jacko said. 'When the circumstances are right.'

'And are the circumstances right this evening?'

'Oh, I think so.'

Maree laughed.

'You have a very fine arse,' Jacko said.

'Hmm ... perhaps if it was a size or two smaller.'

Jacko spread Maree's left buttock to one side, further exposing her plump labia. 'No ... I would say that it's just about perfect.' Jacko drew his fingers along Maree's cuntal valley and spread a little of her juices around the entrance to her pretty arsehole. 'Don't leave town,' he said. 'I just need to remove my trousers.'

'I shall be right here,' Maree said, ' -- playing with my clit.'

Jacko kicked off his shoes, unbuckled his belt, lowered his zip, and lowered his chinos. His cock was already starting stiffen in expectation. 'Right,' he said, and he parted Maree's labia with the fingers of one hand while he fed his lavender-helmeted cockhead into her slippery slot with the other.

Maree reached back and took his cock, making sure that it was suitably moistened. 'The oysters seem to be working,' she said.

Jacko laughed, resumed control of his cock, and gave it a few masturbatory pumps. 'There we go.' And then it was time to feed the growing cock into Maree's fabulous fuckhole.

'Oh, yes,' Maree said. 'Oh, fuck, yes.'

Jacko started slowly, savouring the corrugations along the walls of Maree's secret tunnel. And then, gradually, he picked up the pace. And as he did so, Maree increased the tempo with which she was strumming her clit. Jacko could feel the train coming. He could feel her cunt squeezing his cock. And then she was once again playing a soaring soprano sax solo. Jan Garbarek would have been proud to have her in his crew.

'Oh, fuck, yes,' Maree said as she came back down from the ceiling.

Jacko was still hard.

'Your turn,' Maree said.

Jacko pulled out his cock and wiped the slick head on Maree's beautiful arsehole.

Maree reached back and helped Jacko to spread her pale buttocks. 'Go on,' she said. 'You know you want to.'

'I know that you can't stay,' Jacko said when he had reached a more-than-satisfactory climax and Maree had come for a second time, 'but it might be nice to just go and cuddle for a little while. It's not yet ten.'

Maree nodded. 'Yes,' she said softly. 'That would be nice.' And she led the way to the bedroom, picking up her abandoned knickers on the way. 'Why do good things have to come to an end?' she said as she removed the rest of her clothes.

'Sometimes,' Jacko said, 'that's just the way things are. And at least we gave it a go. At least we briefly had something that could come to an end. And, who knows, maybe we'll have it again. Your boys are young -- but they won't always be young. Your husband is currently being ... well ... difficult ... unreasonable even. But, hopefully, it won't always be so. Things change. Life moves on. Hopefully, sometime, in the not too distant future, I will walk into a room, and you will be there.'

Maree smiled a sad smile. 'You're one of life's great optimists, aren't you?' she said.

'Perhaps,' Jacko said. 'But what's the alternative?'