The Changing of Maureen Gamm

Chapter 1

By a strange twist of fate, three months after Toby Gamm's daughter left home he heard a name mentioned in a local pub. Eavesdropping on the conversation he heard that the man worked for a black guy and lived somewhere in Manchester. When he got home, Toby didn't tell his wife Maureen anything about the conversation in the pub.

Like a lot of fathers with daughters, Toby had been unable to develop a meaningful relationship with her. She'd not been a bad kid, just noisy and very untidy, which annoyed him intensely. Especially as she got older and left bits of clothing strewn around the house. So, like many fathers, Toby had left the care of his daughter to his wife.

Toby remembered that only three weeks after meeting the man he'd heard mentioned in the pub, their eighteen-year-old daughter, Lauren left home. She hadn't even brought him home first. She said he was too busy and told them he is Polish; his name was Patryk Mucha.

After she'd left, Toby wished he had gotten to know his daughter better. He found he missed her around the place.

His wife, Maureen however, took the opportunity to suggest some changes. The following Friday evenings after their daughter left she stood behind her husband in the kitchen and put her arms around his waist. 'She'll be fine,' she told him. 'He sounds a nice guy.'

Nice or not, the thought of him getting it off with his little girl somehow gave Toby an ache in his guts.

Maureen gave Toby a squeeze. 'I think we should have a new bed,' she stated. 'Lauren was conceived in that old thing and I gave birth to her on it.'

Toby turned around and looked at his wife. Just the two of us now he thought, as he put his arms around her shoulder and drew her closer. 'And what are we going to do with a new bed?'

'Break it in a bit, I hope.' She replied.

'And how are we going to do that, Mrs Gamm?'

Maureen was only thirty-eight, and still a lovely woman. Lauren was conceived on her nineteenth birthday after a rather drunken family party. As Toby tightened his hold on her he felt the familiar body that had given him so much pleasure and he knew exactly how they were going to break it in. 'One last time on the old one,' he suggested.

Over the weeks since Lauren went to live with Patryk Mucha, Toby had expected her mother to have shown more concern about their daughter. When he asked if Maureen had spoken to Lauren she told him she hadn't and to stop worrying about her. Lauren was a big girl now, she told him and had to look after herself. Toby thought it was almost as if his wife had given up on their daughter. Instead, she appeared to have taken on a new lease of life. The new bed was only the start of the changes she made. She bought new clothes to seduce him with and wanted a lot more sex. It was almost as if she was trying to do what her daughter was almost certainly doing with Patryk Mucha.

Six months after Lauren left home they got a letter, more a scribbled note.

Hi Mum and Dad. It started. I'm fine, Patryk's boss is in the property business and I'm also working for him now. Sorry, I've not been in contact, but you know me, never did write much. Anyway, Patryk is really looking after me and we have a swell flat here in Manchester. Perhaps I'll ask you over Mum, one afternoon when I'm not working. Now I've had some training in his business Patryk's boss is keeping me very busy, so there hasn't been any time to spare. The letter ended. Love you both, Lauren and then some kisses.

Toby's wife read the letter first and when he read it he realized it was the first time he had ever read anything his daughter had written. 'Well at least we know she's alive,' he commented.

'Oh, come on Toby, it's a nice letter. She obviously likes working for Patryk's boss and there are probably lots of other girls in the office she'd getting to know.'

'Yes, probably,' Toby replied. Somehow, he suddenly wanted to know more about Patryk Mucha and his daughter.

'Anyway, I like what she says about Patryk looking after her. I wonder if she ever misses my cooking? added Maureen.

That night Toby fucked his wife long and hard. He didn't really know why. Perhaps it was because he was angry his daughter had gone off without his permission. He was surprised how much Maureen loved it.

Until Toby heard the conversation in the pub, like his wife he really did believe his daughter had met just an ordinary guy. Toby had felt quite guilty about not telling Maureen anything when two days later he took time off work to go to Manchester. Before he left he'd found the letter he knew Maureen occasionally read and saw that Lauren had put Manchester M3 just under her signature. At least it was something to go on. The internet at work had given him some idea what part of Manchester had an M3 postcode. So, the first place he went to was the Salford Arms Hotel.

No one inside had heard of Patryk Mucha. The man in the Caribbean Convenience store opposite shook his head. He asked in a Londis store and someone thought they had heard the name. He told them Patryk had an expensive flat and someone told him there were some expensive flats in Deansgate and Chapel Street.

He looked on the resident's board in several blocks of flats. He asked in some local shops and bars where he got some funny looks and was twice asked why he wanted to know. So, he told them he was looking for where his daughter lived with Patryk Mucha.

He also tried some of the estate agents, but none of them employed a Lauren Gamm. And just in case her daughter had married the man he asked if they employed a Lauren Mucha.

Chapter 2

When Maureen Gamm received a phone call she still had no idea her husband had been to Manchester a few days before.

'Hello, Mum.'

'Lauren.' Maureen gasped. 'Lauren, is that you Lauren?'

'Yes, Mum.'

'Oh my God, how are you, where are you....?'

'Mum, calm down, I'm alright.'

'Why, where have you been, what....?'

'How are you, Mum?'

'Me. Oh me, I'm fine.' Mrs Gamm held her hand to her mouth and tried to gather herself. 'We miss you, darling. I know your Dad does.'

'How is, Dad?'

'He'll wish he'd been here to talk to you.'

'Yes, well. Mum.... I want you to come to Manchester... today.'

'Me, come to Manchester, now..... Oh, Love, I can't do that.? Without knowing it her old way of talking to her daughter had returned.

'It's Patryk's boss really. When he found out you hadn't been here to visit me he insisted I ask you to come today.'

'That sounds very nice of him, but how do I get to Manchester, where do I go.'

'It's all arranged, Mum. There is a car already on its way to collect you. You don't have to do anything. Just put some things in a case. I hope you have something special to wear tonight as we are going for a meal at one of the best restaurants in town. Throw in some overnight things and a change of underwear.'

To Maureen, Lauren's voice sounded so calm and authoritative while she was shaking like a leaf.

'The car will leave you at a hotel where you will be staying for the night as a guest of my boss, Verlyn Cole. You will meet him and, Patryk at the restaurant.

It all sounded too grand and still shaking Maureen was wondering about her husband. 'And your father. What about him, love?'

'Yes, Dad. Leave him a note. Just say that I've phoned and you are on your way to Manchester to meet me. Tell him someone will phone him later this evening and explain everything...... Can you do that, Mum?'

'Yes....of course love. Of course, I want to come and see you. I...I've missed you, darling.'

'Missed you too Mum and your cooking.' There was a long pause. 'Hey Mum, we'll give each other a big hug. Now go and put your things together, the car should be there by twelve.'

Maureen grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled everything down then left it where he husband sat at the dining table. She added that there was a meal for him in the microwave.

In her bedroom, she opened the seldom-used suitcase and gazed into its emptiness as she tried to imagine what to wear to impress Patryk and her Daughter's boss. There wasn't time to shower and pack, she hoped the hotel room would have a shower in it.

She put three dresses in the case, including the latest one she had bought and hadn't worn yet. She hoped her daughter would be impressed with her choice. Underwear followed, more than enough for an overnight stay. Then her make-up, including the new colour of lipstick she had chosen to go with the new dress she was going to wear tonight.

Just as she was about to close the case she remembered her new shoes and then thought she had better take a dressing gown and a clean nightdress. Did hotels supply towels and soap and flannels and hair dryers? She added them all and shut the case firmly. Then she saw, lying on the top of a drawer, a new packet of stockings. Maureen loved wearing stockings with suspenders so, just in case of an accident with the ones she had already packed, she opened the suitcase and slipped them inside.

Now she felt she was ready to visit her daughter.

Maureen had been in the hotel room preparing herself to meet her daughter for three hours. She had never spent so much time getting herself ready and never in such sumptuous surroundings. The hotel towels and soaps and flannels and hair dryers put all of hers to shame, so they had stayed in the suitcase.

Now she was ready, smelling like she had never smelt before after using all the soaps and oils and creams displayed for her in the bathroom and on the dressing table. The new dress fitted perfectly and the new stockings felt glorious and her new shoes did for her thirty-eight-year-old legs just what she had been told they would do.

When the call came that Miss Gamm was waiting for her in the foyer her heart missed a beat. As the lift door opened the only person she saw waiting in the foyer was a stunning young woman in a very attractive, short black dress.

Maureen stepped out of the lift and the young woman turned and walked toward her. 'Lauren,' she whispered.

'Hello, Mum.'

'Lauren. Oh my God. Look at you.' Maureen was shocked, amazed that this young woman was her daughter. The same eighteen your old girl who had left home nearly six months ago. She held out her arms for her daughter. Then as they hugged, she smelt her. Whatever her daughter was wearing Maureen knew it was very expensive.

'I said we would have a big hug.' Lauren reminded her mother after she moved back a bit. 'Hey, let's have a good look at you Mum.'

They still held hands. 'You look, marvellous Mum, Patryk and Verlyn are going to be so impressed. Come on, the car is waiting. They expect us at the restaurant at eight.' Lauren took her mother's arm and led her to the waiting limousine.

Maureen tried to copy the elegant way her daughter entered the vehicle but forgot to raise both knees at the same time. When she glanced up at the chauffeur holding the door open his face was expressionless. Perhaps I didn't do it too badly, she thought to herself.

Maureen reached for her daughter's hand. 'What has Manchester done to you Lauren? You look so......' the word she wanted didn't come.

'Grown-up, Mum.'

Yes, thought Maureen, grown-up. You are even talking more grown-up. 'More than that, darling. You are so beautiful. Your hair, everything. You must be earning a lot of money.'

'Thank you, Mum.' Lauren hesitated. 'And I've never seen you looking so attractive. Is that a new dress? It fits you perfectly.'

Maureen noticed she didn't answer her question. 'Yes, your dad hasn't even seen it.'

'How is he?'

'He's fine, love. Misses you, you know.'

Then it was silent, as they looked at each other. Maureen tried to imagine how her daughter could have changed so much in just five months. In the quietness of the limousine, with the partition between them and the chauffeur closed she felt as if in another world. She could smell her daughter's perfume, it was heady stuff. 'How are you and Patryk?' She asked.

'We're fine, Mum.'

'Does he look after you....' Maureen squeezed her daughters' hands. 'Does he treat you well, like?'

'What Mum, like Dad used to treat you?'

'You weren't supposed to be listening, but yes, and he does still treat me like that.' Maureen had never talked about intimate things with her daughter, now in the closeness of the limousine, with the odour of her daughter's perfume in her head she said something she never thought she would tell anyone. 'We bought a new bed.'

'Good for you Mum. I always knew when you were at it by all the noise your old one made.'

They were still laughing when the chauffeur opened the door for them outside the restaurant. Maureen forgot and got out quite ineloquently.

'I'll have to give you a lesson,' her daughter giggled.

Immediately the doorman opened the door for them Maureen knew they were expected. 'Mrs. Gamm, Miss Gamm, Mr Cole is waiting for you at his table. This way please.'

Like the car that had brought her to Manchester, the hotel where she was staying and the limousine she had arrived here in, Maureen had never ever seen the inside of such a luxuriously, expensive-looking restaurant. As she was about to turn to her daughter they reached Mr Cole's table.

'Your guests, Mr Cole.'

As Mr Cole thanked the waiter Maureen saw the younger man stand up. 'Mother, this is Patryk Mucha.'

Maureen had imagined Patryk was nineteen or twenty, but this man was much older twenty-eight, twenty-nine. She held out her hand and as he took it she looked straight into her eyes and she felt a little of what her daughter had been attracted to herself.

'A pleasure to meet you at last Mrs Gamm.' As he continued to hold her hand she liked his smile. His grip on her hand tightened. 'And you are just a beautiful as your daughter.'

Maureen felt her blush at his flattery. She had tried hard to make herself look her best.

'Mother'. Lauren's voice broke the look between them and Patryk let her hand go. 'Mother, this is Mr Verlyn Cole.'

Verlyn was still sitting. 'You came and sit beside me Mrs Gamm, I want to get to know the mother of one of my bests girls.'

Maureen sat slowly, trying to assess the situation around her. Everything was so far outside her experience, even the comfort of the chair.

She felt a hand rest on hers. 'May I call you Maureen?'

She turned to Mr Cole and nodded. Maureen had never really been near a coloured man except at petrol stations and at shop counters. Yet this black man was so handsome.

'Then you call me Verlyn like everyone else. His hand tightened around hers and his smiling eyes held her attention. 'Patryk is quite right, you are just as beautiful as your daughter.'

'Thank you,' she managed to mumble. Then his hand left hers and she felt.....disappointed.

The arrival of the wine waiter paused any more personal conversation and no sooner than he left another waiter put a large menu in front of Maureen.

Lauren lent toward her. 'Mother, it's also written in English, see, very small, underneath.'

'Thank you, darling.'

Verlyn lowered his menu. 'Why not let Lauren make a choice for you. She's been here before with an important new client and I'm sure your tastes are similar.'

Maureen agreed and enjoyed all the courses chosen by her daughter. The conversation was light, the waiters attentive but discrete and her glass was always full. Most of the time Patryk was talking to Lauren while Maureen found it very easy to tell Verlyn many quite intimate things about herself. Even though Maureen asked, she was told very little about Verlyn's business or what part Lauren played in it.

Shortly after the end of the meal, Verlyn turned to Patryk. 'Mrs. Gamm and I still have a lot to talk about before we leave, so it's time you two went off and enjoyed the rest of the evening.'

Maureen saw a look of concern on her daughter's face. 'It's all right my dear, she told her daughter. You go off and enjoy yourselves. I'm sure you can trust me with Mr Cole.'

Maureen saw Lauren was about to say something but Patryk took her arm. 'We don't want to keep the rest of the party waiting.' he stated as they all stood up.

Maureen put her arms around her daughter. 'It's wonderful to see you again, darling.' She kissed her daughter's cheek. It felt too soft, and again she smelt her heady perfume.'

'Mum.......' Lauren tightened her arms around her mother. 'I.....I'll see you in the morning.'

'I'll wait for you in my hotel room, my dear.'

Chapter 3

As the table was cleared Maureen looked around and saw that the restaurant was emptying.

Verlyn moved his chair closer. 'Are you comfortable my dear?' he asked as his hands reached for Maureen's.

'Very comfortable, thank you,' she replied, wondering at the same time why she didn't mind his hands holding hers. Perhaps because during their dinner conversation she had got to like him. Or was it his age, he looked about fifty-five so she felt his action was more like a loving uncle. 'That was a lovely meal, Verlyn and I've never been in a restaurant like this before.'

'Only the very finest for the mother on one of my best girls. Verlyn's hand tightened more than Maureen thought a friendly uncle should. Yet she felt unable to move her hands away. 'And you, my dear are every bit as beautiful as your daughter, especially in the dress you have chosen to wear. It suits you perfectly. Now, I am going to have a brandy with my coffee so I am going to order a special liquor for you.'

Maureen had already drunk more wine than she would usually drink in a month. 'Thank you, Verlyn, but I shouldn't drink anymore.'

'This one is very special Maureen and I know you will enjoy its effect.'

Before Maureen could protest further Verlyn had called a waiter over and asked for the two drinks.

He was still holding Maureen's hands and she remembered how disappointed she had felt when he had let go of them before. It's just a drink she told herself. Then, as she looked at his big, black hands holding her small white ones and then up at his face and into his smiling eyes he put his tongue between his large lips and slowly licked them.

Maureen's drink arrived in a very small glass on a tiny silver tray. Verlyn took it. 'Just let it all slide down your throat very slowly,' he told her. 'Try not to swallow.' Instead of giving her the tiny glass Verlyn himself raised it off the tray and touched it to her lips. Instinctively Maureen licked her lips and let Verlyn tip the contents of the glass into her mouth. She saw him watching her closely as the warm, thick, sweet, oily liquid slowly slid down her throat.

'That felt good, didn't it?

Maureen nodded.

'Like something warm and silky sliding down your throat.'

Maureen nodded again. She'd once had an Oyster.

'Now,' he interrupted her thought's and when he put the glass back on the table he took both her hands in his and held them tight. 'What has your daughter been telling you about her involvement in my business?'

As she looked at Verlyn and considered his question her head felt hot and slightly fuzzy. She wanted to see him lick his lips again. 'Lauren.... Lauren has told me she works in your property business.'

Verlyn smile encouraged her.

'Are you selling private houses or commercial property? It must be very successful as she told me you have a lot of girls working for you.'

Verlyn's soft chuckle stopped her.'

'What's funny about that?'

'Your daughter isn't just a very beautiful young woman she is also very clever.'

'Oh.... yes, she is isn't she.' As she replied and looked at Verlyn's smiling eyes and his big, soft, lips Maureen's head was getting ideas about him that were not quite right for a married woman.

She felt Verlyn tighten his grip in her hands and draw her toward him. 'It's not that sort of property I deal in, my dear.'

'Oh......' Why doesn't he lick his lips again, she thought?