A Mother Scorned

by Sam Fintz

  All Andries needed to do was go and see Anne. Andries had worked quickly with this lot as usual. He would have them all out of the picture soon. He had had a long, tiring day, but he thought to himself that he would go and see Sharon after seeing Anne, as he had earned that at least.

  Chapter 61

  Andries arrived outside Anne Parfitt’s flat a little early. He decided to hang around outside for a while and smoke a cigarette. He also wanted to see if there was any CCTV around there. He was glad to see that there wasn’t. The nearest camera was nearer to Princess Road and that was probably still not working. Andries was obsessed with CCTV, it was his Achilles heel.

  When it was 7, he buzzed Anne’s flat. She let him in and he went straight up. It wasn’t the nicest place he had seen but it was modest, just like Anne. She was waiting for him when he got to her door. He could smell she had been cooking and the predominant aroma was cabbage. He kissed her on the cheek and went in.

  “I am so glad you made it,” Anne told him.

  “Ya, me too. You look nice tonight,” he lied.

  “Thank you,” she said and giggled nervously. “Why don’t we sit down and eat, and you can tell me what this mysterious news is. I found a bottle of South African wine at the Asda and I thought I should get it. I hope you like it,” she said.

  Geez, what’s with Brits sitting down to eat the moment you come through the door? he thought as he sat.

  “Oh, you shouldn’t have,” he told her, and he meant it. He knew the wine wasn’t going to be any good. Andries was of the opinion that you had to go to a wine merchant to get a good South African wine. Not some cheap supermarket.

  “Nonsense, you have been so kind to me. People usually aren’t, they think I am boring and plain,” she said. They would be right, he thought.

  They sat down at the small table just off the tiny kitchen. Andries wondered to himself why all the kitchens were so small in this country. Anne brought a big pot of something that looked like stew and a small dish of rice to the table. She opened the wine and poured herself a thimble full and an almost full glass for Andries. She dished up for them and said: “Please, enjoy.”

  Andries asked to say grace before they ate. He always did this before a meal and this meal looked like it needed more than just a prayer. It needed some kind of divine intervention or a miracle of some sort.

  With grace out of the way, they ate in silence until Andries finally said: “This is very nice, thank you. Let’s eat up and then after that we can go and sit on the couch and talk.”

  “Ok, I am so excited to hear what you have to tell me,” she said and then for the rest of the tasteless meal they mostly ate in silence.

  Once they were done, Anne took away the dishes while Andries poured some more of the tart wine. He went to sit on the sofa. She came through after a few minutes and sat next to him.

  Andries looked at her and said: “Anne, I have become really fond of you. You are very sweet. I don’t know why you are still alone.” He took her hand and looked into her eyes, trying to be as convincing as he could.

  “I really want to be more than just friends with you. I want us to be close,” he said and leaned forward to kiss her. She was a little surprised, but much to Andries’s relief, she responded. He leaned in a bit more and kissed her more passionately. He could tell she hadn’t done this often, so he took the upper hand and pulled her closer. She smelled of lavender and something else he couldn’t quite identify.

  Andries was very skilled at fooling people and this was no exception. He put his hand up the back of her sweater and started to move it up. Suddenly Anne stopped him.

  “Anne, what’s wrong?” Andries asked.

  “Sorry Martin, but can we take it slowly. Was that what you wanted to tell me?” she asked.

  With his plan blown a little off course he said: “Yes, sorry, it was. I am sorry if I took you by surprise. I just thought you felt the same.”

  “I do, but you see I am on my period,” she told him, blushing bright red.

  “Oh, I see,” he said, feeling genuinely uncomfortable and a little nauseous at the thought of it.

  “Sorry Martin, please don’t be cross,” she said.

  “It’s ok. Listen, I am sure you must be feeling tired. I know the time of the month makes women tired. Why don’t I let you rest, and we can meet up in a day or two again,” he told her.

  “Ok. Promise me you will come back,” she said.

  “I will, I promise. What about night after tomorrow, same time?” he asked her.

  “Yes, that will be fine, this thing of mine will be over by then,” she said. They got up off the sofa and Anne showed him out.

  When Andries got downstairs he was fuming. He was so sure she would fall for it. Damned women’s problems!

  He walked home briskly, cursing under his breath as he walked.

  “Sies, the smell was bad. I don’t know which was worse, her food or her doos. Now I know what that other smell was,” he muttered under his breath.

  Footnote: Sies is an Afrikaans word that is used when expressing disgust at something or someone. Doos is an Afrikaans slang term for a vagina.

  Chapter 62

  When Andries got to Sharon’s pub, he was relieved to find the place not busy at all. Sharon told Mark, the barman that worked with her, to close the place at 11. She took Andries by the hand and they went upstairs.

  Andries went to shower, telling her he had been sweating a lot that day. The truth was he wanted to wash away the smell of Anne and her food. Sharon went to get a bottle of wine and two glasses. When he came out of the shower dressed in just a towel, she was laying naked on the bed. He let the towel drop to the floor and he got on the bed next to her. The sex was passionate and pleasurable. Andries was pleased he hadn’t had to perform for both women that night. Sharon was a really good lover and he was glad he had all his energy for her.

  When they had finished they just lay in her bed in the dark, the only light coming from outside. They lit a cigarette and Andries then decided he would be staying the night. He would worry about the fallout tomorrow. When they finished smoking, she turned her back to him and he drew her in holding her close, their naked bodies right up against each other. This was how they slept until the morning when his alarm went off at 7 a.m.

  Chapter 63

  The next couple of days Andries took things easy. He had called Keith Barras that morning to give him details of his flight in two days’ time. Keith was beside himself with excitement. Andries had arranged to meet him at Via on Canal Street on the morning of his flight.

  That evening he left his house and made his way over to Anne’s flat. He hoped that she was going to be over her period, but he was worried she was going to be frigid or worse that she would not fall for his plan. He would be really and truly fucked if this didn’t work out. He didn’t want to resort to force with a woman unless he had to.

  When he got to Anne’s flat, she buzzed him up and when the door opened he could see she had made an effort. She didn’t have a lot to work with and the end result was only marginally better than the last time he had seen her. Still, any improvement was better than none.

  He went inside and went over to sit on the sofa. She fetched him a drink and he was surprised that she didn’t make them sit and eat straight away. She sat next to him and he was thinking that it was looking a lot better. With her sitting so close he could smell the lavender, but the other smell seemed to be gone.

  Anne leaned forward and kissed him. He was a little thrown by how forward she was suddenly. It was nothing like the last time.

  “Should we go to the bedroom?” she asked him, taking him by complete surprise. Wow, this woman didn’t waste any time, he thought.

  “Yes, let’s do that,” he told her. They got up and went to her bedroom next to the lounge. It was very feminine and had lots of fluffy things. Tasteless was the word that sprung to Andries’s mind.

  Andries undressed her then himself. He lay her back on the bed a
nd kissed her again. He didn’t waste a lot of time on foreplay. He could tell she was ready for him, so he parted and lifted her legs gently and entered her slowly. He was relieved she wasn’t a virgin. She was inexperienced, he could tell that much, but she was very responsive as he guided himself in and out of her. He was able to pretend to be turned on but because he wasn’t really turned on, he was going to take a while to climax. This was fine because Anne was really enjoying this and kept telling him how good he was and how much she had longed for this.

  The sex wasn’t exactly remarkable for him, but she seemed to have enjoyed it. When they were finished they were lying side by side holding hands, and she asked him how it was for him.

  He rested his head on one arm and looked at her. “It was great. Thanks. You really know how to please a man,” he lied. “Hey, let’s go away together. Let’s go to France or to Spain.”

  “Really? What? When?” she asked really surprised. He had pulled a blinder.

  “Day after tomorrow. Come on I know you want to,” he told her.

  “Yes, I do. I do! But I have something coming up that I can’t get away from. Also, I have work,” she said.

  “What’s coming up that’s more important than running away with me?” he asked, knowing full well what her answer would be.

  “I have to be a witness in court. There was an accident where someone was killed. I said I would be a witness,” she explained.

  “They always have loads of witnesses. You won’t be missed. As for work, be daring, phone in sick,” he told her.

  “But that wouldn’t be right. Neither of those things,” she protested.

  “Anne, when last did you have sex like that? When last did you have a man treat you like you should be treated?” he asked her.

  “Never Martin, never. I mean, there have been others. But nothing like you,” she said with a sigh.

  “Exactly. You deserve it. Someone as sweet as you,” he told her.

  “Really, you’d do that for me?” she asked.

  “Anne, I will do anything for you. I think I am starting to fall in love with you,” he said and smiled, hoping he was finally getting through.

  “Where would we go?” she asked.

  “I know a great hotel in Benidorm called the Marisa Hotel. Do you know it?” he asked.

  “No, I don’t. Sounds fancy,” she said.

  “It’s not the Ritz but it’s nice. We would be able to make love all day,” he told her.

  “You know what, let’s do it. I will call in sick tomorrow. What about booking? I haven’t ever done that! I haven’t been out of the UK before,” she said.

  “I will take care of that. It will be my treat. I only have one problem. I can’t get there until the day after, but I will make sure my friend Jesus is there to meet you. He will look after you until I can get there,” he said.

  “I don’t know. I am not sure if I can go alone,” she said.

  “Anne, my love, you are the most amazing woman. I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t think you could do it. Let this be the start of our life together. If we like it there, maybe we stay there,” he said. She liked that. She smiled and finally agreed.

  Andries pulled her closer. He kissed her and once again laid her back on the bed. This time he put a bit more effort into it. She orgasmed twice before he did. He knew this would seal the deal. He would get her on that plane and get her out of the country. After a few days of broken promises, excuses why he couldn’t get there yet and after the case was thrown out of court, she would never hear from him again. He would give her a bit of cash to take with and she would have an open return ticket, so that would be her ‘payoff’. That would be the end of that. She only had the number of one of his throw-away mobiles that he would discard as soon as it was over. Like Keith Barras, she didn’t know his real name or where he lived. He had also given her his false name of Martin Steyn and told her he lived in Crumpsall, so there was no way he could be traced.

  They were lying back on the bed again and Anne was clearly more relaxed than she had ever been. His plan seemed to be working until she turned to him and said: “I am worried about the court case.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Anne. Don’t call them or they will try and convince you to stay. We need this, you need this, and you deserve it,” he said and kissed her again. He was a little worried there, but he seemed to have turned her around.

  “I’m sorry Anne but I have to go, I promised a friend I would help with a small job. I will call you in the morning. I wish I could stay so we can make love all night, but soon we will be doing that in the sunshine,” he told her.

  “Yes, my lover, we will,” she said.

  Andries kissed her passionately again and got dressed. He left her in bed with a promise that this was the first day of the rest of her life.

  Anne lay there after he left feeling so completely at peace. It didn’t occur to her that Andries was being anything but genuine. She could hardly wait. Her dull life was about to change at last.

  Chapter 64

  Andries spent the following night with Sharon again and when he woke to his alarm, he found himself alone in bed. He could smell cigarette smoke, coffee and even better, bacon. He got up and not bothering to get dressed walked naked into the kitchen where Sharon was busy at the stove.

  “Good morning!” she said as soon as she saw him. “Did you sleep ok?” she asked.

  “Ya, I did, thanks to you. Something smells good,” he said and went over to kiss her. “I am starving,” he told her.

  “Good. Sit down and let me bring you a bacon buttie and some coffee,” Sharon told Andries.

  He sat and lit a cigarette while she made his food. This was what he missed. He used to have this with his wife but lately she wasn’t getting up for anyone. He was on his own when it came to breakfast.

  Sharon brought the food over just as he put out his cigarette. He was still naked, but it was warm in there and she didn’t seem to mind. He still had a good body and thanks to his Germanic roots he was well-endowed.

  They ate breakfast and chatted about this and that, mainly the weather, which had improved only slightly of late. After they were done Andries went to shower and get dressed. Sharon had got him some toiletries since he seemed to be spending a few nights there. While he was showering, she busied herself with pub business. He liked that she wasn’t easily distracted from business. It showed character and discipline.

  When he re-emerged fully clothed it was nearly 8 a.m. He kissed her goodbye promising to see her later. He had a busy day ahead dispatching that deviant and Anne to Spain. They would be on the same flight, but he wasn’t worried. He knew she wouldn’t talk to anyone, so the likelihood of them making contact was as close to zero as if they were on different planes. As for Keith Barras, he knew he would be half cut by the time the flight took off. He probably wouldn’t know his own names, either of them.

  When he got home, he let himself in to a silent house. He was as quiet as he could be as he went down to the basement. It appeared his wife was still asleep and that was fine. With any luck he would be able to fool her into thinking he had actually slept at home. He had a small bed in the basement, so he roughed up the sheets, so it would look like that was where he had slept. The perfect cover!

  He took out one of the mobiles in a drawer and called Charlotte at the office. He knew she started early, and she answered quickly. He arranged the ticket for Anne, and she sent him the email confirmation in seconds. He printed the ticket off and put it in an envelope to give her later.

  Andries then called Anne who was still besides herself with excitement. She told him she hadn’t been able to sleep. She had been up most of the night planning and researching the area and she had found a lot of things that they could do. They could hire a car and drive up the coast.

  “Wow, you have it all planned. Good for you Anne,” he told her.

  “Thank you, Martin. Have you got our tickets?” she asked.

  “Yes, I have you
r ticket here. I am flying to Berlin for my business thing on the late flight but your flight leaves at 6. I wish I could take you to the airport, but I will come to your place and give you the tickets at 11. I will arrange a taxi for you. Did you call your work?” he asked.

  “Yes, I did. I felt like a naughty child, but it’s done now. I said I would be off a few days. I can call them from Spain when we are settled to tell them I will be off a while. Or forever!” she said excitedly.

  “Ya, you never know. We are going to have a great time for sure,” he lied. He sounded genuine though and this worked for Anne.

  “I will see you at 11. I am almost packed. I am so excited. I have never been on a plane before! I don’t have a lot of summer clothes. I saw online it is hot there,” she said. Andries thought to himself that these Brits are obsessed with the bloody weather and anyway she should be pleased as the weather is always shit in Manchester!

  “Yes, it is. Don’t stress. We can buy what we need. You won’t need many clothes anyway!” he told her, and she giggled. “See you at 11,” he said and hung up. Everything was going to plan now. He liked that. He called a taxi firm that he had a special arrangement with, and he arranged a car to pick Anne up. He splurged a little as he felt slightly sorry for her. He ordered her an executive car and then ordered a car for Keith. He would just get what they sent. He didn’t feel sorry for that deviant failed drag queen.