THE FINAL: Business woman Maggie de Lacey is taken hostage in a bank robbery and when her new husband rushes in and attempts to free her Ryan is shot through the chest, but survives. Marksmen kill one of the armed robbers holding Maggie and save Maggie again by immobilizing another robber attempting to shoot her with a shotgun. All this drama is being shown live on TV. Maggie is hailed as a heroine but insists for her the real hero is Ryan because had he not placed the robbers in disarray as they were leaving the bank more lives could have been lost in the pursuit of them â including her own. A nurse reveals to a reporter she heard Ryan say to his new wife that she was worth dying for.
A month after being shot at the scene of the robber Ryan de Lacey was back at home with Maggie in their penthouse apartment, dividing his time between physiotherapy aimed at getting his left shoulder working properly again, doing light company work from his home office and slowly re-entering social life.
Maggie of course had returned to work, almost everyone welcomed her back and she handled the return of the Australians to the negotiating table with aplomb; lucrative contracts for the Southgate publishing company printing three Australian magazines were signed.
Maggie also negotiated the approval of the board to reduce her working hours from 7:00 to noon, except for meetings or urgent appearances, to allow her to work on raising donations to fund improvements to the structurally refurbished and extended Childrenâs Wing at Southgate Hospital. Her offer to accept a proportionate reduction in salary was rejected as unwarranted by fellow directors. At her suggestion management under the control of the executive committee would continue until Ryan returned to his desk fulltime.
By now Maggie felt a need and tried to ignore, it but it persisted. Sheâd trained herself to more or less ignore her sexual desires after Stephenâs death but sex had become excessively rampant when Ryan entered her life and, with that activity severely cut back she once again felt greatly frustrated and accepted she must do something about it.
* * *
Afternoons began to consume Maggieâs life, as she hoped they would, because she was eager to new business adventure. She met with the hospital board which approved her strategic and business plans with little comment, the two-tier organization for the reformed fund-raising structure attracting nothing but support. Maggieâs positional paper that suggested the administration/management structure be headed by her as chairman was agreed to with acclaim.
The second recommendation that the executive committee comprise herself as chairman with the six other members being appointed was also approved. The two opponents to that recommendation capitulated when Maggie referred them to Article 3:1 which stated âExpenditure on any fund-raising initiative be capped at $10,000
unless
any higher figure for any project received board approval prior to the committee resolving to commit to such expenditureâ.
âThat puts the lid on any wacky expenditure,â said one of the earlier critics, the boardâs deputy chairman and the other board member with misgivings agreed.
Maggieâs first appointment to the fund-raising executive committee was its youngest member, the butcherâs daughter, Susan Cook, a marketing graduate aspiring to become an events organizer after having had work experience in that field.
Her next appointment was the radio-head Indiana Dick, real name Freddie Payne. Heâd already met Maggie and signed a mutual contract with her for the production of the blood-stained âdress frontâ on T-shirts which were selling enormously well, particularly since Maggie had sales available through a website. The associated song commissioned by Indiana Dickâs radio station âMaggie, Youâre Worth Dying Forâ was currently a hit charts single in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, the UK and on both coasts of the US and estimated royalties to the Childrenâs Wing makeover fund from those two projects were now expected to exceed $1,250,000.
At the time of being approached Indiana Dick had said, âMaggie, are you sure you want me on your committee? Older folk hate me, mothers of teenage daughters call me Satan and when Iâm on the streets alone the cops pick me up for questioning and drug testing. Whatâs more, never in my life have I been invited to join anything.â
âThatâs your uniqueness Freddie and thatâs why I want you â I need at least one other person capable of thinking outside the square.â
Indiana Dick agreed and departed, shaking his head.
To her astonishment Maggie found herself drawn to Freddie â rotund Indiana Dick with a moustache and gravel voice who walked with a limp. Absolutely not her type at all and besides, she was married and had no intention of experiencing adultery for the first time in two marriages. She and Ryan had recommenced sexual activity but did so very tentatively whereas, although fighting it, she felt the pull of Freddieâs underlying sexuality which she accepted was part of the reason for his cult appeal.
This attraction interested her because it was so one-sided; the guy rarely looked at her beyond quick glances â initially sheâd had described them as shifty looks and NEVER had he make the slightest advance towards her. Well, if he had, it passed unnoticed. Indeed, he did his best to repel her without apparently trying. He occasionally passed wind for goodness sake without embarrassment or attempted apology or looking around for the âculpritâ. Once when about to sneeze he held out his hand for Maggieâs handkerchief and then handed it back, wet, for goodness sake. She later dropped it into a street bin. He swore and drank too much and loved talking about himself. Maggie had tried to distance herself, appalled by this man and his social behavior but gradually was making excuses for him to herself to ensure he remained marginally acceptable.
Their affair lasted not quite six months â the bastard (Maggieâs word used when telling Harriet and Beth) jilted her, announcing heâd found another woman as he preferred his companions to be in their very late teens. His behavior didnât change towards her â heâd never revealed his sexual interest in her publicly â so with great maturity she decided to keep him on the committee to continue mining his expertise in motivating the public.
Two weeks later Beth called her to say sheâd met Freddie. Heâd appeared almost revolting and he hadnât interested her. She phoned two nights later saying Freddie had asked her to meet him so would Maggie mind.
âHeâll fuck you.â
âI know, I have this feeling Iâd think I would have in going to the guillotine.â
âAh, I know the feeling. Beware darling, heâll dump you like a rag.â
âLike you, Iâm strong enough to shed only one tear and get on with it.â
âGood luck and enjoy.â
âThank you sweet Maggie; thereâs something about men, isnât there?â
The call terminated, leaving Maggie reflecting on her friendâs final comment. Yes, she agreed but what was it about Freddie? She hadnât a clue and sighed â it would be a revelation if Beth came away from Freddie knowing that answer.
It was Freddie whoâd started it, saying: âMaggie, weâve had a couple of meetings over coffee recently for discussions that to me seem rather spurious; are you wanted sex with me?â
Sheâd spilt coffee down her front; he jumped to her aid and began wiping it with the coffee shopâs damask table cloth. Feeling his hands thumping over her breasts, raising her nipples to bullet-like hardness, she opened her mouth to tell him to shove off, sheâd do it; he was making a scene. Then he kissed her â in full public view.
She pulled away, threw a twenty dollar note on the table â he always left her to pay â and said, âLetâs get out of here.â She meant letâs get out of here you clown, you have publicly embarrassed me whereas he appeared to be thinking sheâs meant letâs get out of here and get it off. He hurried her away and once on the footpath he slapped a hand on to the right cheek of her ass and grunted, âAre you wearing panties?â
She was horrified at her reaction. Almost panting she answered, âYou wonât feel elastic edge there â the thingy Iâm wearing is almost a thong but letâs not behave like this where people can see us.â
âRex Plateâs hotel is just up ahead â I can get a room and we can fix you up.â
She assumed he meant the coffee spill and nodded, feeling the surge of excitement that he probably also had something else in mind. Would she let him have her? She wasnât sure but knew she often lied to herself.
The room was on the next level so they went up the stairs after on the landing, out of sight from below, they slammed into each other, kissing hungrily. It was only at that point that Maggie decided there was no turning back, that she wanted hard-on sex. She felt no shame and thought she was unlikely to suffer remorse afterwards because she was a self-made, tough and self-centered woman and the only surprising thing was sheâd never cheated on her man of the moment or a husband before this. She didnât know if Freddie was cheating on anyone and really didnât care she thought as he dragged her through the door; she squealed like a piglet going to the slaughter as he picked her up roughly and tossed her on to the bed.
Maggie jumped off immediately. He was unbuckling his belt and she drew off the pretty bedspread saying, âHotel management will appreciate this beautiful cover not being soiled.â
âDo you also want to brush your teeth and douche,â he muttered. Riled as such insensitivity she lost it and went to slap him although sheâd never slapped anyone in her life.
For such a lazy guy he surprised her, ducking under her swing grinning and with both hands pulled off her skirt, not ripping it but the back holding button went flying off behind her.
He backed off and they eyed one another, both panting. âIâll ease back; donât want to be accused of anything serious,â he said.
âYou are doing this by consent â do what you wish, though not quite anything.â
âI understand. What would you like me to do?â
âFinger me a bit and then do it.â
âThatâs a clear instruction.â
âWe seem to be having a committee meeting.â
âFunny woman; you have amazing legs.â
âWell, do something with them you procrastinating clown.â
He went âGrrrrrrrr!â and his charge landed them on the bed in an inelegant waving of arms and legs and very wet kisses commenced with wildly rotating tongue.
Maggie felt her narrow crutch panties being ripped off but didnât care, groaned as he slid in two rough fingers and one-handed pulled off her shirt and undid her front-opening bra. His slobbering mouth slid down to attack a nipple and she groaned, wetting his fingers even more as she convulsed while attempting to apparently push his head through her chest,
âWhoa, whoa,â he cried, lifting his face to get air.â Slow down or else Iâll also ejaculate prematurely.â
âThat wasnât main course â that was your entrĂ©e. Why do you think they call this intercourse, big boy?â
He grinned and pulled down his track pants and waggled a rather big thing at her, making her eyes pop.