A holiday should be about rest and recuperation - but oh my God, delays, crowded airports, people! But it was good to be finally here and now my holiday can begin. I'd picked a nice spot away from the crowds, under a parasol, and all I needed to do now was to settle down and soak up the sun rays. As I lay, I started to drift away in my thoughts. The murmur in the background from the other holidaymakers, the slopping of the water in the pool, the birds chattering.......
"Oh sorry, would it be OK to share this spot with you?"
I jumped with surprise and came to my senses.
"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's OK, I was just deep in thought."
She spread her towel over the lounger and lay down.
"Sorry, I'm Mandy."
"Hi Mandy, Hannah."
I watched Mandy as she fiddled around, pulling a book out her bag, searching for and finding her sunglasses, plastering her body with sunscreen. It seemed to go on for ever. At last, she settled down and we exchanged brief introductions to our life stories and what brought us to this beautiful hotel by the side of the Adriatic Sea.
Mandy's husband was ex-army who'd started his own engineering company after leaving. The pandemic had stopped everything but now life was getting back to normal, he was getting busier and was on the verge of winning a huge contract that could set up the company for years. But the opportunity meant he had to forgoe the holiday but insisted Mandy took the opportunity to recharge after putting up with him for so long during lockdown.
My story was simple. My husband thought it was more important to book time off for two holiday breaks with 'the lads' - but forgot to book time off for the only two weeks leave I'd been able to have since the bloody pandemic started! My work as an assistant manager in a retirement home meant it was full-on for the last two years and when the chance came to book up some leave I did so gleefully; but my excitement wasn't matched by the man of my dreams.
Fortunately, he understood my need for a break and insisted I go. And here I was.
The conversation stopped and we both drifted off in the heat.
"Your drinks madam."
Once again, I was brought to my senses with a startle - this time it was the waiter bringing two of the most elaborately decorated cocktails I'd seen in years.
"I hope you don't mind," Mandy said "I ordered us a couple of pina coladas to help cool us down a little."
It was a nice thought, and a welcome one - so we ordered another couple after we finished. All-inclusive holidays are great fun.
After we finished our second drinks, we decided to have some lunch, and then we returned to our little private oasis. The rest of the afternoon was filled with conversation, laughter, and a little sadness as we shared our experiences of the pandemic. We both agreed that our need for a holiday without our partners was justified, and we meant to take full advantage of the opportunity. As we headed back to our rooms, we agreed that we'd meet for dinner - two lonely spinsters sharing a burger and chips.
I entered my room and I thought about Pete back home and on his own. Would he be back from work, would he be OK, what would he be eating...? Who am I kidding, he's probably having a ball? I should give him a call at least or send him a text. But my priority was to get showered and dressed for dinner.
As I looked through my holiday wardrobe, I decided I was going to go with the loose-fitting silk mini dress that was long enough to cover my bum - but short enough to show my legs - I've always thought my legs were my best feature. The next decision was bra - or no bra? Oh, what the hell, I'm on holiday and the straps would irritate my sunburn so I was to be braless. My breasts weren't the biggest and they still had some stiffness to them, so I'd get away with it.
Make-up applied, and I was on my way.
Perfect timing - as the lift doors opened, this beautiful woman stood in front of me...Mandy looked spectacular.
"Hi Hannah, you look wonderful. I love your dress."
"Mandy, I have to say you look even better, if I was that way inclined, I'd try to seduce you."
And we both burst out laughing.
Dinner was lovely and then we decided to spend some time in the bar. We moved on from wine to cocktails. We even had a couple of shots. They were beginning to take effect.
As we sat, a tall elegantly dressed women walked past.
"Do you think she has a shaved pussy Hannah?"
I was shocked at the question - and then giggled at the thought.
