The Photo Shop

The Photo shop

by Candyman666©

All characters participating in sexual activity in the stories are 18 or over. Please don't be afraid to let me know what you think of my stories. This story is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

To help you keep track of the different characters in the series, a list can be found on my author's page in order of their appearance in the stories.

Chapter 66: Tanja and Vag's trip to the US, week 1.

When I ran into Tanja shortly after returning from the US trip with, she wanted to know everything about it. That was the first time Tanja had shown any real interest in one of my trips, so I wondered why.

"Is there a special reason you're so curious about our trip, Tanja?" I asked looking deep into her eyes, something she didn't particularly like. She tried to avoid me looking directly at her by averting her own eyes, but I didn't give in.

"Well, Tanja?"

"No, no, nothing, in particular, Lew, I was just wondering, I've never been to the States, and I just wanted to know what it's like."

"Are you contemplating going to the States yourself?"

"No not really, it's just general interest, I'm not that much of a traveling person, and besides I couldn't go away, with the club and everything."

"Tanja!

"What?"

"I'm sure the club could do without you for a few weeks. If need be Jack or I can take over from you."

"But you don't know anything about running the club."

"I'm sure I'll always be able to rely on Jack for advice or even Astrid, after all, she's your second in command isn't she?"

"Yes she is but she's never run the club by herself and she's got her shop, sorry, boutique."

"Besides I don't know anybody there and where would I go, which State is the most interesting?"

"That's easy, the one Grace and I went to of course, Florida. It's got everything your heart could desire, Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, and the Kennedy Space Center, to name but a few of the most popular venues."

"I've heard of Disney World, is it big?"

"It contains 4 different theme parks dear, you could spend more than a month there if you wished."

"Yeah but I don't wanna go for a month, two weeks maybe would be the maximum, and where would I stay? And how would I get there?"

"To help you with the two last questions, I am going to refer you to two of my best friends who you also know, Grace and Maggy."

"Yeah Maggy makes sense, she runs a travel shop, but Grace? I don't wanna buy a property over there."

"Understandable but you can rent one and that's where Grace could help you, remember I told you we stayed in a very nice villa?"

"Oh yes that seemed very adventurous with a red room and everything, but what's that got to do with Grace being able to help me?"

"Believe it or not Grace represents the company that runs those villas in Florida and she could help you rent one."

"Do you think so?"

"Yes."

"But what with the travel then? I've never flown in my life and neither has Vag."

"You've never flown before in your life?"

"No, I've never needed to, my parents always went on vacation in Europe by car and since I left home, I've never felt the need to travel or had the money to do so. "

"So you never went to Disney in Paris either?"

"No, should I have?"

"I don't know if you ever felt the need to visit a fantasy world?"

"I thought about it when I heard they opened in Paris, but I never got around to it."

"Believe me if you go to Florida, you're gonna love it, it will be the best thing that has ever happened to you, and if you stay in one of Rache's themed villas, you'll be able to combine your love for BDSM with experiencing a fantasy world."

"Vag would like to go, she's been bugging me to go on vacation, so maybe to celebrate our five years together we could."

"So you've already been together with Vag 5 years have you?"

"Yes, this Spring, so maybe we should do something special to celebrate."

"Absolutely, it's like a five-year marriage anniversary; lots of people do something special for that."

"OK, I'll go see Maggy and Grace then to see what they can do for us."

"Excellent, don't wait too long if you want to get the cheaper tickets to fly."

"Oh, why's that?"

"The closer to your departure date you book your tickets, the more expensive they get unless you wait till the very last minute, then sometimes you can get a few cheap ones on standby."

"On standby, what's that?"

"That means you go to the airport on a specific date and wait for seats to become available from people that don't show up, but the chance of getting one of those is quite slim."

"Why's that?"

"You really don't know anything about flying, do you?"

"No, I told you I've never flown in my life."p

"The airlines usually overbook flights and then they can sell the seat twice if a passenger doesn't show up."

"Oh I see, but if you are for one or another reason detained and can't fly don't they refund your ticket?"

"Not if it's one of the very cheap ones in coach."

"God, what's that, 'coach'?"

"The American term for what we call economy here in Europe dear, it's the cheap class, on intercontinental flights you usually have business and first class as well."

"And what is the difference?"

"First of all, the price, secondly the space you take up in an aircraft."

"In Business and First the seats are very wide and you can sleep almost completely flat, whereas in economy the seats are narrow and you can only recline the back of your chair a little bit, and of course there is also the food and drinks you are served on board. In First the meals are sometimes prepared by famous chefs, dependent on the airline, and they serve Champagne and top wines with the food."

"How do you know all this stuff?"

"Have I never told you? I had a job where I traveled a lot, and with a lot I mean that sometimes I had weeks with 7 flights."

"That's every day, even on the weekend. "

"Well not exactly, I was also counting connecting flights as well."

"Connecting flights?"

"Yes, when you need to go from point A to B and there is no direct flight you sometimes have to change flights in point C, and that can sometimes be a challenge."

"A challenge?"

"Yes, if your first flight is delayed and you arrive too late to catch the second flight to get to your destination."

"And what happens then?"

"If you fly business class, the airline rebooks you or arranges a hotel room and a meal for you when there is no more flight that same day they then book you on the first outgoing flight the next day, if you're in economy, you may find yourself spending the night in the airport on a hard chair."

"And did that happen to you a lot?"

"Not in the beginning, but towards the end of my career, cost savings were very high on the agenda and we were no longer allowed to fly in business class, so when it was physically possible I avoided flying and took the car as much as possible."

"Wow, you seem to have had a very adventurous life."

"I can't complain, I always very much loved my job; maybe one day you can tell me a bit more about your life."

"Oh, there is not much to tell."

"I remember you told me about your youth and how you got involved in the BDSM scene.

"Yeah, that's about all there is to tell about my adventures."

"I see, so are you going to make an appointment with Grace and Maggy, or shall I?"

"No, no, you've already done a lot for me, telling me about traveling and flying, I can handle the rest, thanks Lew. See you."

"If you go on vacation to the US I will want a full report afterward, I want to know what you did and if you enjoyed it and why."

"OK, I'll come to visit and tell you all about it, well if we travel, though I'm still not sure."

"Don't think about it, just do it, you're only young once, and you are still very young indeed compared to me."

A couple of days later I heard from both Maggy and Grace that Tanja had paid them a visit and was in the process of booking the trip.

As I didn't participate in this adventure I'll let Tanja tell you all about it, so from here on the "I person" is Tanja telling you her story.

After I left Lew I still had serious doubts about this travel idea, but keeping his words in mind that I was only going to be young once I decided to go ahead and hear what Grace and Maggy could offer me to make my potential vacation idea happen. I could always cancel the whole thing if it turned out far too adventurous or expensive. So first I called Maggy, I reasoned that first I had to get to Florida before I could think of accommodation there.

I could go to see Maggy the next day at 10. When I arrived, I was so nervous, I knew Maggy from her adventures in the club but that was it, I had no idea how good she was at her job.

"Hello Tanja, welcome to my travel shop, when you called yesterday, I was already expecting to hear from you."

"Don't tell me Lew called to warn you."

"Yes of course, after what you told him he wanted me to give you the VIP treatment."

"Oh my God, now I'm even more nervous than before."

"There is no need to be nervous, millions of people travel every day by air and it's very safe."

"Did Lew also tell you I've never flown in my life before?"

"Yes, of course, he told me the whole story, and also what he had already explained to you about air travel."

"I'll have to punish him for that."

"He did it with the best of intentions, and it saves me a lot of time, not having to explain to you a number of the things about air travel he already covered."

"OK, I won't punish him then."

"Excellent, I'll expect he'll appreciate that, I understand that you would like to travel to Florida?"

"Yes, I would like to sort of make the same trip that Lew and Grace made last year, but not to escape from potential birthday celebrations, but to thank Vag for being such a loyal sub."

"Yeah I heard that was their reason, but it wasn't the only one. Grace had this fantastic offer for a Transatlantic crossing with a cruise ship and she couldn't go alone as it would have been inadvisable for Nancy to accompany her with the baby, so she asked Lew to join her instead, that way helping them both."

"I didn't know that."

"So would you be looking into making one crossing by air and another by sea as well?"

"I don't know, is that possible?"

"That depends on the period you would like to travel."

"Euh, the Spring maybe?"

"Then it is possible. You can fly to Florida and return on one of the cruise ships returning to Europe for the Summer season."

"But isn't that extremely expensive?"

"Usually transatlantic crossings are not that expensive, the ship doesn't go to many ports and that's where the big cost is for the cruise line, docking charges. We should be able to book you a one-way flight to Orlando, well if you don't mind it being a connecting flight in a European airport."

"Oh, but Lew told me that was where he had most of his problems when he was flying for his job, connecting flights."

"I know, I made all his bookings at work remember?"

"Oh, I didn't know that."

"Yes, I used to run the travel desk where Lew worked."

"So you've known him for many years?"

"Yes, we go way back to when we were young and beautiful, and believe me if I hadn't been married at the time I would have tried to hook Lew."

"Does he know?"

"No, he doesn't, although I knew he had a bit of a crush on me as well, well on my tits anyway."

"Yes, I can see why."

"Come on Tanja you've seen my tits dozens of times at the club."

"Yes, I have, and I can understand why Lew had a crush on them."

"Not past tense, he still has, but enough about my girls, let's see what I can find for you, and Vag I understand? You're traveling together?"

"Yes, we are."

"And I know why as well."

"Oh my God, he told you that as well?"

"Yes dear, I'm afraid so, but that's why I thought it would be possible to combine a flight with a sea voyage for you two. Would you like me to figure that out for you?"

"Yes please."

"It will take a while to find the right flight and cruise, so will you wait or shall I contact you when I'm done?"

"No I'll wait, I want to know as soon as possible and take a decision."

Maggy got busy on her computer figuring out when she could book the best seats on an Air Lingus flight and which cruise line had ships returning to Europe in a period that would allow Tanja and Vag to spend a few weeks in Florida. It took quite a while to look things up on the computer and make several phone calls, finally, after 45 minutes she had it all figured out.

"OK Tanja, I've got a proposal for you; you can fly out on a Saturday, from Brussels to Dublin and then onwards to Orlando. You depart Brussels at 10:20 and you have 3 hours and 5 minutes between the flights, that is plenty of time between the two, so the chance of missing the connection is virtually nonexistent unless there's a strike, but if that happens there's nothing anyone can do about it anyway. Let's assume they won't go crazy and don't go on strike. Thanks to the time difference you will arrive in Orlando at 18:35 the same day, total travel time including the layover is 14.5 hours, with actual flying time being a little over 11 hours. The other plus is that you can complete US immigration in Dublin, and reduce lost time when you arrive."

"I have two seats in economy class at €835, I also have business class tickets but they are at €3,960."

"Wow that's a huge difference."

"Yes, it's mainly due to the number of seats occupying the same airplane space, and the food of course."

"I don't think I can afford business class."

"No worries, most people fly in economy class anyway and 11 hours is not that long, you'll get a movie, and they'll keep you busy with some food."

"OK doesn't sound too bad."

"Now for the return, I've got a 12-night sailing with The Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas ship from Port Canaveral, not too far from Orlando, to Amsterdam on April 22, which means a wonderful 2 weeks vacation in Florida, followed by an amazing cruise for USD 495 all included per person for an inside cabin or USD 827 per person for a balcony cabin."

"Sounds reasonable."

"And if you want my advice, I'd choose the balcony cabin, I always get claustrophobic in an inside cabin."

"But hey hang on are we taking a cruise coming back home?"

"Yes."

"Lew and Grace took a cruise going to the States."

"Yes, but they went in the fall, and in the fall a number of cruise ships return to the Caribbean for the Winter season, and in the spring they come back to Europe for the Summer season here, so that's why contrary to what Grace and Lew did you will be flying out and sailing back...Unless you want to save money and fly both ways."

"Is flying both ways cheaper then than one way and sea crossing?"

"Yes, strange but true, airlines charge a lot for a one-way ticket, what most people do is buy a return ticket and only use one leg."

"Then why don't you offer me this?

"You run the risk of getting a fine if you don't use the return flight."

"But what if...I die there and can't come back, well not the regular way?"

"That I don't know."

"So what's the price for a return ticket then?"

"Less than half, € 398."

"Then I'll run the risk, these airlines charge enough money as it is."

"OK, but don't come complaining if you do get a fine, I did warn you."

"So do we need anything else?"

"We're not done yet, you will need a car when you're in Florida and it's best to have it booked upfront, Lew told me they were lucky because if they hadn't pre-booked, they might not have gotten one when they arrived. Is Vag going to drive as well?"

"I don't think so why?"

"If there is only one driver, the rate is a bit lower, you can better spend that money on a navigation system."

"Yeah, I'm so used to having one, especially somewhere I've never been before."

"Another thing I need from you is your passports."

"Passports? You mean our ID cards?"

"No, I mean real passports, don't you have them?"

"No, we never needed anything apart from our ID cards, where do I get passports?"

"You need to apply for them at the communal administration center, if you do, better take ones that are valid for 5 years, the difference in cost with a one-year variety is minimal, and I'm sure that once you've tasted cruising and like it you'll want to do again and again. Don't wait too long to get them as sometimes it can take up to several weeks."

"You'll also need an international driver's license unless you have a new European one, do you?"

"Yes, I do."

"That's great, one less worry. The last formality you need to fulfill, once you have your passports is to apply for an ESTA, a visa to be allowed entry into the United States. I can do it for you once you have the passports. it will cost you $21 and is valid for 2 years, so you can return as many times in that period as you wish.

Finally maybe, a few more practical things, better get suitcases with special TSA locks and get big ones, you're gonna need them, you'll need to take some formal wear for the cruise."

"Formal wear?"

"Yes, nice gowns for the two formal nights on board, and maybe you will want to have your picture taken on board as well. And before I forget, when you're on board don't forget to sign up for The Crown and Anchor Society program."

"What's The Crown and Anchor Society program?"

"It's a fidelity program of Royal Caribbean and if you cruise again, and I'm sure you will once you've tasted it, you'll collect points and the more points you collect the more benefits you'll get, Grace is already a very high member, that's why she got this fantastic offer in the Fall."

"Traveling doesn't seem to be easy; do we need anything more or are we done concerning the transportation side?"

"How will you get to the airport?"

"Euh, no idea."

"You will need a taxi, we can arrange that at a fixed rate, and also a taxi from Amsterdam upon your return, although the cruise terminal in Amsterdam is within walking distance of Central Station with a direct train connection to Antwerp Central. No need to mention that's a lot cheaper than a taxi."

"OK we'll need the taxi for our departure, but for the return, we'll take the train."

"I'll book the taxi for you and get you the tickets for the train."

Maggy went over everything again and told me we were all set as far as the transport side of the trip was concerned. I told her that I was going to talk to Grace about accommodation as I wanted to stay in one of those fantastic villas Lew had been raving about and she was the Belgian representative of that villa compound.

I took my leave with a to-do list from Maggy. Back home I called Grace to make an appointment. She told me that Nancy was handling that side of the business and she would gladly make a next-day appointment with her for me. After taking all these decisions, I was in dire need of some TLC from my faithful sub Vag.

After I finished the call and looked for her, the dear immediately saw that I was a bit overwhelmed, I must admit that my head was really spinning, trying to digest all the information Maggy had given me.

I had one particular problem: Vag didn't know a thing about my plans, and I still wanted to keep it a secret until the day that we celebrated our 5-year anniversary a few weeks from now. I hoped she would like the idea of such a big trip.

For the time being, Vag put her arms carefully around me, which was totally out of character as she normally follows my orders, but I guess she could see I needed it. I couldn't help myself and started kissing her, also totally out of character, were we moving in the direction of a lesbian relationship rather than a dom/sub relation? Come to think of it, over the years I think I had fallen in love with her. I wonder if she had similar feelings for me. I was too tired to break my head over it and just enjoyed kissing her tenderly while she was gently rubbing my back.