A Female-LedHoliday

Chapter 1 – Arrival

Emmi blinked, stepping off the plane and into the humid air. She stopped for a moment to savour the feeling of the sun on her skin after the frigid, recycled air of the airport and cabin. She had spent most of the flight bitterly ruminating about her increasingly frustrating job, not an ideal way to spend the start of her holiday. The airline had sat her and her boyfriend apart, so she had little to distract her but her thoughts and an unsatisfying airport book. Her job, working as a feature writer for a medium-sized magazine, was comfortable and more intellectually engaging than most office jobs. The one drawback was her colleagues, especially her bosses. They were not mean or demanding. Quite the opposite in fact. The problem was that they were overpromoted and underqualified, their incompetence often holding back her work. A mixture of a private school education and male privilege, with the blustering overconfidence they bring, had helped them get promoted far above their abilities. That same background also meant they frequently expected other people to mop up after them. This week had been particularly hard, with Emmi, as the sole women in the job, performing what amounted to secretarial duties in addition to her own work. She was tired of the double burden and of the lingering resentment it brought out in her. She was tired, in short, of men.

Not all men, of course. But most of them.

She craned her head around on the tarmac, searching for Justin’s distinctive crop of messy hair amid the crowd of passengers. He was easy to find, wandering around in a daze, slightly lost without her. Emmi’s bad mood had pretty much dissipated with the feeling of the foreign heat on her skin, and the sight of her befuddled boyfriend brought a happy feeling of contentment to her heart. He was one of the good ones, caring and supportive. Despite that, it had occurred to her that he wasn’t entirely unlike the men in her workplace. Kind, intelligent, but fundamentally lost without a women to look after him. Still, she loved him and knew he loved her.

Emmi sneaked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Let’s go find the bus. We’ve got a hotel to get to, beds to jump on, etc.”

He smiled and took her hand. Baggage reclaim beckoned, after the pain of passport control. Still, it was good to be abroad!

______

Justin loved being on holiday, but he didn’t always love travelling. The sterile airports, the indignity of going through security. The constant waiting. There used to be some novelty to it, but that was long gone. Travelling was more or less a chore. Still, it was all worth it when he arrived. Drinking wine in the sun, eating good food. Beaches, beautiful buildings and new experiences. The best part, though, was having time away with Emmi. 

Working from home meant they spent a lot of time together, but being on holiday was different. No work or chores or friends to distract them. They were both happier and more relaxed. Holidays also held a kind of infinite promise, especially right at the start. Days were longer and the possibilities were endless. Even if you just ended up drinking in bars and sitting on beaches there was always the potential for excitement and adventure. There was also a lot more time for other kinds of fun.

“I need a shower, I’m sweating up this bus” Emmi complained.

“I don’t mind.” Justin laughed, leaning in to nuzzle her neck.

“Stop it! Horny moron.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, occasionally commenting on the buildings and the cars.

“Have you been practising your French?” Emmi asked, knowing the answer.

“A bit. Quite a lot, yeah.” She suspected her boyfriend was telling a half-truth. They had both promised to practice French in preparation for the trip, but she was always the more diligent of the two when it came to languages.

“Hah yeah, but you haven’t kept up with me.”

“I have!”

“That’s not what Duolingo says.”

“I’ve been doing podcasts as well, watching videos.” He protested.

“I bet you haven’t. Cutting corners as usual.” Emmi teased.

“Well I bet I have.”

“Let’s test it then. We can take a placement test and see who gets does better. Loser buys dinner.”

“You’re on. Let’s make it more interesting than dinner though.” Justin had a bit of a glint in his eye.

“What are you thinking?”

“Loser has to be the winner’s toy for a week. Do whatever they say.”

“Whatever they say.” Emmi raised an eyebrow.

“Well, within reason. Especially in the bedroom.”

“One-track mind, honestly.” She thought about it for a moment. She was pretty sure she would win, but wasn’t too worried either way. They liked to play games, when they could, and she didn’t mind being on top or bottom. It was a win/win situation, although her competitive streak meant she would be playing for keeps. She was “Ok pervert. Before we start though, give me a hint of what you’ll do if you win.”

‘Hmmm.” Justin tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Dirty stuff. Things that make you feel slutty.”

“Go on.” Emmi nudged him.

“And I’ll make you do more of the work this week. Stop you being such a pillow princess.”

That was a running joke, and but one that occasionally hit a nerve.

“Well when I win I’m going to make you regret that.” Emmi shot back. “You’ll be doing a lot for me, and getting nothing in return.”

She moved to another seat on the bus, determined not to let him cheat. His overconfidence in the face of her likely victory rubbed her the wrong way, and she was suddenly a little more determined to make him pay. “Right, let’s go.”

____

The computerised competition went pretty much as expected. He did fine, she did better. That was always how it went with languages.  

“Nerd.” Justin pinched her as he slipped into the seat next to her.

“Loser.” she stuck her tongue out in response. “Careful I don’t make you do something really embarrassing right now.” 

“Forfeit starts tomorrow, how about that?”

“Hmm. As long as you aren’t trying to wriggle out of it?”

“I’m not, I promise.”

“Ok, I will hold you to that though.” Emmi checked the map on her phone. “Come on, I think we’re getting off soon.”

They had splashed out for a nicer hotel than usual, their room being more of a small apartment. It had a terrace that would give them plenty of natural light, and somewhere to drink wine in the evenings. There was a bath, big enough for both of them, and a decent little kitchen. By the time they arrived they hardly had time to appreciate it though, falling into bed exhausted after the long journey. Justin put some familiar TV on, and she fell asleep with her arms wrapped round him.

__________

Emmi barely registered his whispers, but understood something about him being back soon. She smiled when Justin kissed her head and fell back to sleep almost immediately. She always slept better in the mornings, and on holiday.

She woke to the smell of coffee and the feeling of someone watching her.

“Morning,” he said gently “Brought you a drink and some pastries.”

Emmi stretched like a cat, opening her eyes slowly. She wasn’t what you would call a morning person.

“Thanks,” she smiled. “Come back to bed.”

“My pleasure, princess.” Justin laughed slightly

Ah, Princess. That reminded her of the little bet they had made. Usually she would want to enjoy cuddling up in bed in the morning, but there would be plenty of time for that later. Maybe it was time to have some fun at his expense.

“Ah, Ah Ah.” Emmi tutted, just as she felt his body start to press up against hers. “I almost forgot I had a little servant for this holiday.”

“Mhhmhem” he replied, starting to respond to her words and her body already.

“Soooo. Get out of the bed!”

“Ehhhhh” he groaned back, less enthusiastically this time. He pressed against her as if in protest, half joking and half serious.

“Come on! I’m serious. I want to see what you’ve brought your queen for breakfast.”

“Princess” he corrected, sulkily.

“I’m whatever I want to be. Come on!”

Justin slipped out of bed gracelessly and fetched the little plate of pastries.

“We have a selection of patisserie -” he mangled the word.

“Patisserie!” Emmi corrected. “You really didn’t practice much!”

Justin scowled back.

“A selection of patisserie, café au lait, fromage, and… fruit. Fruits. And also some yogurt. I don’t know what that is in French. Probably just “yogurt.”‘

“Very good! I think I’d like some fruit please.”

Justin brought the plate close, offering her the strawberries and melon slices.

“No, feed me!”

He smiled this time, enjoying how much she was getting into the role. They had done things like this before, but never for long or in very much depth. It was difficult to immerse yourself fully in a fantasy when you were in the same place where you live and work. He slipped a strawberry into her mouth and she moaned with exaggerated pleasure. 

“Beautiful. One problem though. You’re wearing way too many clothes.”

Justin didn’t need it spelled out to him. He placed the plate next to her then quickly removed his shirt and his shorts, standing to attention in front of her.  

“Hmm. And the underwear.” Emmi raised her eyebrow as she popped another piece of fruit into her mouth.

He responded quickly and unceremoniously, tossing them to the side. Emmi thought that she should really have instructed him to put on a bit of a show. That would be guaranteed to bring a cute little blush to his cheeks. Still, there would be plenty of time for that later. For now she just admired the scene, with the warm morning sunlight drifting in through the window. He was standing tall and confident, enjoying the game. He looked good, but maybe a little too proud. It was time to put him to work.

“Rub my feet while I have my breakfast. Slave.”

She threw a spare pillow to him, thinking about his knees on the cold stone floors. Justin smiled at that. She was always caring, even when she was playing cruel. He took her soft, slender feet in his hands, admiring the bright red nail polish. It had been done professionally just before the holiday, although usually he painted her toenails for her. It was a task he enjoyed, even if he still hadn’t perfected it.