It Is Never Too Tight

I asked her in later times if it was ever tight or caused discomfort. She always assured me that it was her sole beloved possession though it was never hers. It was never a burden.

I met her accidentally at an airport, one of the smaller European ones. She was sitting alone in the boarding lounge sobbing. Her shoulder length auburn hair was tangled, what make up she wore was run and smudged. The blouse was only partly tucked and her leather boots scuffed.

I had just come out of a stormy relationship seething with resentment and damaged ego. Never the less this sad looking waif tugged at my buried heart. My instinct was to walk on by. No more women in my life for a good long while. This was my declared intention.

As luck would have it the only open seat in the waiting area for my gate was beside the sobbing girl. As I went to sit I almost tripped on her bag.

"Sorry," she said in a plaintive voice.

"It's ok I don't mind breaking a leg," I said sarcastically.

She sniffed and gave another half sob.

"If you are going to sit there sniveling you better at least tell me why." I found myself saying.

"I don't want to bother you."

"It will bother me more if I have to listen to you sobbing and not know why. I want you to tell me."

She looked round at me with an odd expression, one I couldn't yet fathom.

"Get on with it. Tell me what is wrong. I've only got three hours to wait for the damned plane."

With that she seemed to visibly collect herself.

"I'm not sure where to begin."

"At the beginning of course," I said a bit sharply.

"It's this guy I met on the internet. I came over to see him as he told me and he wasn't here to pick me up. I tried to call but the phone's off the hook or something. I don't know what to do. I tried to go home but I can't get a ticket I'm just on standby. There have been three planes already that have no space."

"Where are you going to?"

"I have to get back to Boston but I live in Maine"

"What's your name? If I'm going to listen to your sad little tale I need to know your name."

I still didn't know why I was even talking to her. She was so far from the usual blonde hottie types I usually date. There was something there though.

"It's Emma. Emma Trouvey."

"The next flight to Boston is in three hours. I know that because I'm on it. I was supposed to fly in to Halifax but it's fogged in. Give me your ticket and I'll see what can be done to get you on that plane."

Without a word she opened her bag and handed me the ticket.

"Look after my bag and laptop."

With her ticket in hand I approached the desk at the gate. A middle aged woman was looking at the computer screen. She looked up saying,

"Can I help you?"

"The young woman on standby seated over there," I indicated with a nod.

"What are her chances of actually boarding the next Boston flight?"

"Do you have her card?" she reached over as I passed it.

"Let me see, No it's full booked."

"What about business class?"

"There is one seat open there."

"I want you to upgrade her and I'll pay for it." I said and wondered what I was doing.

"Here's my ticket and boarding card. Her ticket can be charged to the same account."

The attendant proficiently worked the keyboard of her terminal for some minutes.

"The empty seat is not beside yours Mr. Macdonald but I can rearrange one of the other seats."

"That will be good. Thank you."

"Here is Miss Trouvey's boarding card."

I returned to the seat on which Emma had placed my laptop. She looked up with a questioning expression.

"Do you think I'll get on, what did she say?"

"She is pretty sure you will make this flight. Have you eaten at all today?"

Emma looked surprised.

"No I haven't. I don't have any money left."

"Well I'm hungry. Let's go have a meal. They don't serve meals to the regular passengers anymore."

"I couldn't impose on you like this."

I thought, "You have no idea."

I said, "I don't want you to worry about it. It's my treat. I've had a successful trip I want to celebrate with someone."

We passed a washroom sign and a thought struck me.

"I'll go get a table over there. You'll want to freshen up."

A waiter soon came to the table, being used to travelers in a hurry to be served, he knew promptness earned big tips here.

"I'll have two orders of the Fettuccini Alfredo and a bottle of decent white wine."

"Yes sir," he acknowledged as he set two places.

Emma came over to the bar and grill looking around for me. She soon noticed me sitting with my back to the corner, a cautious habit that I saw no reason to break. I stood and seated her in an old fashioned gesture.

"I have ordered," I told her, "and the way the waiter is working I think it will be here quite soon."

It struck me that Emma never questioned having her meal ordered for her.

Our waiter was back with a wine bottle.

"Will this be suitable sir?" It was a brand I had never seen before.

"Oh I think you can do a little better than that, don't you?"

He smiled, "Yes sir I can do a lot better if you wish."

I nodded and he returned to the bar where he spoke to the bar tender, a blonde who definitely could be classed as 'my type'.

Emma was looking much better for the bathroom break. The streaky makeup was gone and her hair had been brushed out. The desperate waif was not looking quite so desperate. The deep sadness was still in her eyes. A few minutes at a washroom sink was not going to change that.

She ate her Fettuccini as if it might be her last meal. The new wine was a superb French vintage that I knew was going to take the bill into the stratosphere. I would not have expected such a fine wine to be in an airport bar.

I leaned on my elbows and looked across the small table. It was time to explore the situation that had brought Emma to this table.

"Are you feeling a little better now?" I asked.

"Much better, but I don't know why you are helping me. I don't even know your name."

"I will tell you at the right time," I said," but right now I need to know more about you. How on earth did you manage to get your self in such a situation?"

"I have a very uninspiring job in the office of a plumbing company. I just prepare and mail bills, write up estimates that my boss has done for customers, all that sort of thing. My life is so dull and I just couldn't wait to get out of Waterville."

"It seems like almost every minute I spent on the internet chatting to guys. Then I met this one who really got me interested. He said I was the one girl who made him think of a great future and I just had to join him over here. We spoke on the phone. We exchanged pictures. I really liked him. A new exciting life was coming. All I had to do was say yes and He'd get me at the airport. I was head over heels in love and nothing was going to stop me. My friends all warned me and my dad was so angry at me."

"Now here I am being looked after by a stranger and not knowing if I'll ever get a plane home. How I'll get from Boston up to Waterville I have absolutely no idea. I have no money for a bus or train."

This was a detail that puzzled me. Why was she so desperately short of money?

"What on earth are you doing traveling with no money? Don't you have a bank card for the cash machine or a credit card?"

"He told me he opened a bank account for me over here so my money was waiting for me, in a straight savings account with cash only withdrawals, the type that pays high interest. I sent all my money over with enough left for the ticket. As a visitor I had to buy a return ticket, thank God."

"I guess he really saw you coming didn't he."

"Yes. How could I be so stupid?"

"Come on we had better get to the gate. They should be calling our flight soon."

Eventually I heard our boarding call so I went forward and ushered Emma to the desk showing both boarding card.

"Thank you Mr. MacDonald and Miss Trouvey you can board now."

"That's not right," Emma said," I'm on stand by and they hadn't called the standby names."

"Don't worry its taken care of. Would you like the window seat or the aisle?"

"Here? This is first class!"

"Is there any other way to travel?" I said with a smile." Take the window seat; I may need to stretch my legs a few times."

Practically as soon as the engines started Emma dozed off. I didn't wake her for the round of drinks and snacks that was served about an hour after takeoff. Seeing her there sleeping looking very vulnerable stirred a protective feeling in me that I was totally unfamiliar with.

All of my relations with women in the past had been mutually taking affairs. Usually it was me taking companionship and sex and them taking the financial benefits of being with a wealthy man. I had no complaints in spite of the last contentious break up. I had had many offers of marriage none of which had tempted me. When questioned about why there had been no Mrs. MacDonald I always replied that I had been too busy to find the right one.

I had to do some work on my laptop for a while so the time till the meal was served passed quickly. Emma stirred and jumped as if confused.

"Oh oh. It's true. I was dreaming that I was flying home in style."

"Wake up we are about to have meal."

Following the meal Emma turned so she was looking directly at me.

"What is all this going to cost me? I know it has a price."

Now this was something that I was going to have to consider. It was too soon to give her an answer.

"What do you think would be a suitable payment?" I asked softly.

"I suppose you want sex. I don't think that sex with me will be worth too much though. I've been told I'm frigid."

"Interesting. There are no payments required. You needed, I provided."

I was thinking," She is so much not my usual type. Do I even want sex with her? Not the usual jump in the sack I'd been having up till now. But she does have a sort of appeal."

In my business life I am used to being the one in charge, to having a certain amount of power but here I was starting to feel an almost proprietary power as I helped and directed this young woman.

"What did this mean?" I wondered," have I taken responsibility for her? If so, for how long? Do I even want this? It does feel somehow right to be her protector and guide."

"Emma what do you have planned for when we land? Is someone going to meet you? Do you have somewhere to stay before going up to Waterville? How will you get there?"

"I don't know any of that. I haven't been able to call home to see if Dad will even let me come home. He was so angry at me. I've never gone directly against his wishes before."

"I have a room reserved at the Marriott." I told her," You will stay there tonight. I have to decide in the morning if I fly to Halifax from Boston or rent a car and waste another day on the road"

The rest of the flight was routine. I was working on a design on my laptop and Emma watched the in flight movie. As usual there was the long delay at the baggage area but eventually we were able to take the Limo to the hotel.

A brief conversation at the desk to get my room key and a quick elevator ride took us to the room.

"You can have the bed near the window. I am going to order from room service a snack and a drink. Are you hungry?"

Emma replied that she was a bit hungry.

"While we wait for the room service I suggest you have a shower."

"Yes, I'd like that.

While Emma was in the shower a thought struck me. I phoned the front desk and asked,

"Is there a hair salon or beauty spa in the hotel?"

"Yes sir there is but they will be closing in about thirty minutes."

"Would you make a reservation for about twenty minutes from now? Make it clear that there will be a suitable tip if extended time is required."

"Is that for yourself sir?"

"No it is for a young woman."

I spoke to Emma through the door.

"We are needed downstairs in a few minutes."

"Ok. I'm nearly finished." which seemed to be unlikely.

I had a quick look through her clothes noting sizes and her taste. Her underwear was decidedly unadventurous possibly chosen for travel comfort. A pair of Wal-Mart jeans, three t-shirts and a white blouse was all that was in the suitcase. Her foot wear consisted of the leather boots she wore on the plane and a pair of sneakers.

Wrapped in a towel she soon exited the bathroom looking cleaner but not well relaxed.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting."

The desk clerk had given me directions to the beauty spa so I was able to escort Emma into the sumptuously presented spa. A very pleasant young woman at the reception desk confirmed the reservation asking what services were required.

"Miss Trouvey has had a very arduous day and needs a complete make over," I said quietly," Take very good care of her. If you need to work overtime I will make it worthwhile for you, take all the time needed."

Stepping toward Emma I said,

"Emma this young lady will take care of you, fix your hair perhaps. I am going to the bar for a while. You can find me there or back at the room."

I didn't go directly to the bar instead I went to the small mall of shops in the hotel complex. There was a shoe store and an expensive looking woman's clothing boutique.

"I want an outfit that a young woman would be very pleased to wear to the most expensive dinner in Boston. These are her sizes and she has deep auburn hair that is shoulder length, at least it was when I left her in the spa."

I was shown several choices and narrowed it down to three options.

"If I were to take you to dinner which one would you want and which one is your last choice."

"Well sir, this one is a classic little black dress. It is very elegantly simple with wide straps and a square neck line. It's very form fitting and should look stunning on her."

"This Ice blue dress is the very latest but I'm not so sure of the effect with auburn hair."

She went on to describe the dress,

" You'll see the straps are delicate and the neck line has an interesting little vee notch but what really sets it off is the ruching down the center of both the front and back."

"I'll take them both if you can have them delivered to my room."

"Now for a rather strange request, would you come to the shoe store with me to help select shoes for each of the outfits?"

I returned to the room and had some drinks brought up by room service giving a tip more than large enough for prompt service. Shortly the parcel from the stores arrived. I gathered all of Emma's baggage and placed it in drawers and hung the new clothes in the wardrobe closet.

It was well over an hour before Emma returned. There was a tentative knock at the door. I opened it to see Emma standing there with tears in her eyes.

"Come in. What ever is the matter?"

"You weren't in the bar and I got to thinking you might have left."

"Now why would I do that?"

She was wearing a toweling robe over her jeans which seemed odd to me. I had to ask,

"Why are you wearing the robe?"

"The girl at the spa wouldn't let me put my t-shirt over my hair. She insisted I wear this. It made me feel very out of place in the bar."

"We are going out to dinner so get dressed. I put your clothes in the wardrobe closet."

I wondered which dress she would select and if I would approve.

She was stunned when the closet opened and she realized her old clothes were not there but two new dresses were.

"Are these for me? Why would you do this?"

"We are going out for a bite to eat and all you had were things you have been traveling in for nearly two days."

"Can I try them both?" she asked.

"Yes but quickly, I am hungry. There is new underwear there for you too."

She found the bra and panties and moved toward the bath room.

"Put them on here." I said little sharper than I intended.

She looked at me with an expression I found hard to interpret. It had signs of relief but anxiety at the same time. Without a word she removed the robe and unzipped her jeans. She eased the jeans over her hips and pushed them down till they dropped to her feet. Stepping out of the pile of jeans she reached back to unhook her basic white bra which seemed to me to be a size too large though her breasts now appeared quite generous for her frame.

My eyes followed her hands as they moved to lower her panties. I had never seen anyone actually wearing such as these. On a man they would have been called boxers and I had no idea they would interest a woman.

"Give me those." I demanded throwing them directly into the waste can under the desk.

She stood there naked in front of me. I openly looked her up and down appraising her body. I liked what I saw. Her hair fresh from the spa brushed her shoulders in soft waves leading my gaze down to her breasts.

If there is a perfect shape for breasts these must be an example tipped by modest size areolas and longish nipples. Their size complemented her body, any larger and the effect would be compromised.

I continued looking down over her trim belly and compact navel to her pubis.

"You shave, I like it."

"The girl in the spa insisted that I should have it done after she finished with my nails. She said I would love the way it feels,"

I held out my hand and when she grasped it I pulled her naked body close to me and hugged her firmly.

"Put on the black dress and leave the bra and panties off."

She hesitated,"I've never been out without my bra and panties before."

"You will get used to it. Come on. Put these shoes on." I said handing her a pair of black sandals that had narrow ankle straps and three inch heels.

I called the front desk and ordered a taxi and was assured there was one waiting for me.

Once the taxi moved off I said to the driver,

"There's a French restaurant in Old City Hall. I think that will suit for tonight."

The driver asked in a concerned manner," Did you make a reservation there sir? They are always busy."

"I'm ready to take a chance."

After asking the driver to return in about two hours I lead Emma to the entrance.

"Mr. MacDonald, it's good to see you back but I'm afraid we are really full to night."

"You tell that rogue of a Frenchman in the kitchen that if I can't have my favourite table I'll throw him back in the snow bank where I found him."

We were guided back through the restaurant and into the kitchen. An enormous man wearing chef's whites danced across the kitchen and grabbed me giving me a huge bear hug almost lifting me off the ground.

"Angus my dear friend you didn't say you were coming I would have kept the best table for you."

"Francois, my friend I wasn't supposed to be here but Halifax is foggy again. Don't tell me about the best table when it isn't even set up." I pointed to a folding table against the wall.

"Gerard set up our staff table for Mr. Macdonald." Francois ordered a young man who had been stirring a pot on the stove.

"My guests will dine in style tonight."

In moments the table was set, Emma seated and a glass of wine poured for her.

Francois beckoned me over and said in a conspiratorial whisper,

"Who is that incredible creature you have with you? She is not the sort I expect to see you with. Are you finally developing an advanced taste in women?"

I briefly explained the situation. He looked hard at me.

"You have spent nearly fifteen thousand dollars on her and not yet taken her to bed. Tabernaque! You have fallen for her very much. I am delighted that the mighty Angus has been brought to his knees."

"It isn't that at all. For some reason I feel sorry for her. She needs my help and guidance."

"Of course my friend, what ever you say," He said with a smug smile, "Now let me prepare a celebratory meal."

Of all the meals I have eaten in restaurants around the world never have I had a better one than Francois cooked for us this night. Course after course of the most exquisite food was set before us. The small servings keeping our appetites alive for the next delight to arrive till finally a glass of brandy was all that was left.