We've Travelled So Far Pt. 01

Here we go, folks! My first submission to Literotica.com.

Please be patient (both with me and the story). I plan this to be a 10-to-12-part series, so there is a lot of time spent in character development. I look forward to you getting to know the all of them as they pop up through the tale.

In the meantime, please rate and comment so that I can improve and track my progress. Thanks to Hot Little Honey for her advice and encouragement.

*****

That night

Maria looked nervously around the well-appointed restaurant in which she was seated. Of course, this was not the first time she had been fine dining but it had been almost two years since she had dressed up for a night out with David.

For his part, David was busy looking at his wife of ten years with fresh eyes. Maria looked stunning... better than she had in ages. And this new energy captivated him almost as Maria had when they first met at university.

"Are you okay?" he asked as Maria fumbled the butter knife and bread roll on the side plate. His question caused her to jump and the knife fell out her hand onto the plate - clattering for a moment and drawing the attention of the dining room to their table.

Gathering herself and the silver cutlery, Maria looked up at his caring eyes. "I'm fine, sorry. It just feels a little weird to be out in public again." David's hand reached across the table to hers; holding it with the gentle love that they had formed through the years.

"You're doing fine, baby. There is nothing to be nervous about. In fact, I watched that guy over there... the one in the grey jacket... he checked you out as we entered the room. You look stunning."

Maria smiled and gave a little hmmph. "Thank you," she said quietly. Her answer was a gentle mix of accepting the compliment and genuinely believing it was true. At that moment, almost punctuating that part of their conversation, the waiter arrived.

"The Champagne, sir?"

_______

Two hours earlier

David stood at the door of the bedroom. Decked out in a tailored three-piece suit, he looked across the room at Maria as she sat on the edge of their bed. His wife was dressed only in a towel and her skin was still flushed from the heat of the shower, and he could see that her eyes were beginning to water.

"I'm just not ready," Maria sobbed as she put her hands over her face. David moved to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. There's plenty of time. We don't need to leave for 90 minutes and, if we're late, I'll call on the way."

"No," she said, looking up at him. "I don't know if I can do this tonight. Maybe we should put it off until next week."

David had kind of expected this. This was going to be their first night out together since Maria's diagnosis, and although she was ready to go out in public, he knew that it she might need some gentle comfort and support to make it out the door. "Look how much work you've put in. You've got this. All you need to do is get dressed and I promise I'll be right beside you for the rest of the evening. It'll be just like everything else we've achieved: you and me against the world."

That seemed to have an effect on Maria. She reached up and took his hand. "It's true, isn't it? That's got us through so far, I guess."

"Guess??" said David in a joking tone designed to lighten the mood. "That's what we do! Look how far we've come over the last 12 months." His tone lowered, but it was intended to show care and love. "Did you ever think that we'd get back to having a normal life together? That we would have a future together with the kids? That perhaps we could enjoy our lives as we used to?"

Despite his best efforts, Maria maintained a downward trajectory. "But what about the way we used to be." Her eyes dropped to the floor. "What about all the fun we used to have? Don't you miss it? Don't you want it?"

"I do, baby. But I only want it all back with you by my side."

As she massaged David's hand Maria took in the love and dedication of his kind words. David could have easily left her behind as she hid herself from the world, but he's managed to hold on to their relationship and bring her to this place and time. She smiled up at him. "I know. And let's do this tonight. It's time we treated ourselves, huh?"

Delighted in Maria's response, he lifted her hand end encouraged her to stand up from the bed. David wrapped his arm around his beautiful wife and felt the surge of passion that holding her against his body always delivered. Despite the fact her waist was a tad thicker than a decade ago, her breasts and hips made her so much more curvaceous and womanly than that little girl he first fell in love with.

Their lips found each other. It was a kiss that exuded warmth, but David was careful to not mess the light application of her lipstick. They were so close to leaving that he wanted no part in creating another reason to back out.

Maria's towel slipped slightly as she relaxed into David's arms which only served to stir his cock as their bodies pressed together. "Steady on," she smiled. "The night is young."

"Indeed, it is," he retorted as his hand gently held her face and kept their bodies pressed closely together. "And you are so beautiful that you look younger than I've seen you in ages. It's amazing."

Filled with confidence and the affirmation of their bond, Maria wrested back control of her preparations for the evening. Looking at the dress and lingerie that were laid out on the bed, she now felt ready to face the world.

"I love you so much. Thank you for giving me what I just needed." Maria gave David a quick peck and a firm directive as she moved away from her lover and started dressing. "I'm all good, baby. Now go downstairs and check on Andy and the kids. I'll be down in a moment."

For David, it seemed that the evening was back on track. He gave his lover a smile and made his way downstairs.

One Year Earlier

As the plane slowly taxied towards the gate, David sighed and began to tidy up his possessions after the twelve-hour flight. Arriving in Shanghai was just one stop for his monthly Chinese odyssey that also saw trips to Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau before landing home again within two weeks.

Alongside him was Jerome, his business partner of eight years. They had come together to take advantage of the middle-class boom by selling in beef and lamb, built over the last few years had expanded to create a successful business across multiple products, and this trip was intended to formalise the involvement of their preferred Chinese partners.

Of the pair Jerome was the louder, but David appreciated his energy and drive. Jerome was relentless in pursuing what he wanted and, although that sometimes clouded his judgement, the results largely fell to their advantage.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" asked David. Jerome simply raised an eyebrow in response. To be fair, they'd spent the last few weeks war-gaming the upcoming meetings and trying to anticipate where the deal could go wrong. To suggest that Jerome wasn't committed to the trip was quite unfair to his long-time business partner. "Okay... sorry."

Jerome simply smiled. David just hung his head in silence.

Once the plane had come to a stop and the seatbelt sign was off, they gathered up their bags and stood in the aisle waiting for the aircraft doors to open. Jerome was back to talking about the job ahead. "How to you feel about the Li family meeting tomorrow?"

For David, the first day could be the biggest day. "Look, we've been working on this for 18 months. Mr Li refers to me as his 'brother' and we haven't missed a festival or birthday since the introduction. The relationship looks strong and, if the numbers on the wine deal are as good as we think they are, then the sky is the limit."

"Sure," said Jerome slowly, "but you know as much as I do that Maria's health issues are distracting you. More than anyone else, I want to see her well again, but the reality is that this business is going through the roof at the precise time that you're looking increasingly likely to have to commit more time to your family. I'm not trying to be an ass..."

"Except that you're raising this while we stand in the aisle of a plane..." snapped David. He was irritated that his friend might have lost confidence in him. "Christ. I'm here for the meeting, aren't I?"

Jerome took a step back and grabbed his old pal by the shoulder. "Sorry. Long flight. I know we've been through this, but tomorrow can change everything. Plus, you're the nuts-and-bolts guy. You know I suck at the details..."

"David glanced at his watch. It was 8.00pm Shanghai time. "Don't I know that. C'mon, let's get off this freaking plane. I need a shower and a drink."

_______

Two Hours Later

David swirled around the whiskey in his glass as Jerome sent a message on his phone. The Hyatt-on-the-Bund had become a regular haunt thanks to its stunning rooftop bar - It was a great place to bring clients and business connections (who were always impressed by the view over the space-aged financial district) and at the end of the night their rooms were only a few floors away.

As a Brahms violin concerto filled the room with a relaxing mood, David's mind returned to the incident from when they were disembarking the plane, "Sorry I snapped earlier."

Jerome barely heard David, occupied as he was with the screen on his phone. "Hmm... Oh, right. Yeah. No problem." Jerome started to return to the present moment and put the phone into his jacket. "That was Mr Li. He's sorting out a special order for us."

Finally focussing on David, Jerome continued. "Look, don't worry about the plane thing. It takes two to tango, and I'm just sick of that taking that flight and was dying to get outta there. Anyway, how is Maria? I forgot to ask this morning."

"She seems to be getting worse," replied David glumly. "I don't think our current situation is going to last." If clinical depression wasn't enough, Maria's mental health also had a big red bow of anxiety wrapped around it. The result? Even when she had the energy to get out of bed, the pressures of their situation - the business, the children, the illness and the total effect of all that on their relationship - would drive her into almost a state of panic about the world around them.

Rising from his chair in the middle of the hotel room, Jerome poured more whiskey from his duty-free bottle of Bowmore. "What do you mean not going to last?"

"The kids are suffering. If I leave to come and travel - like I am this trip - it's hard for her to cope. If they were old enough to go to school things might be different. However, they still need plenty of care."

"And Maria's not up to it?" Jerome offered the bottle. David accepted and held out his glass.

"Less and less it would seem."

_______

Down in the foyer, two pairs of high-heeled shoes clicked across the marble floor. As is the case in almost any five-star hotel in Asia, no one paid much attention to a pair of elegantly-dressed women entering the hotel in eveningwear. Especially just after dinner.

As they arrived in front of the lifts, Anya, who was the taller of the two, pressed the button. Recently from Estonia, she was dressed in a bone-coloured silk dress with gold trim and a thin halter neck. The front of the dress was modestly cut, but her back was bare to just below her waist. Anyone who stole half a glance as they strode across the room couldn't mistake the generous size of her swaying C-cup breasts and the rest of her curving form under the cut of the fabric.

Anya's blonde hair was piled high on her head. Her deep red lips formed a smile and her pale blue eyes dazzled at her partner for the evening: a cute little Vietnamese girl who went by the name of Mia. "Are you ready for this one? I think it's going to be fun!"

Mia forced a smile. She was relatively new to the game, and looked to Anya for a lot of guidance. As a team, they worked really well together, and the contrast between Anya's Caucasian heritage and Mia's Asian roots was just the start: it was also Anya's experience and care that made the job a little more enjoyable than Mia thought it might be.

Mia cast her mind back to one of their first jobs. They had been standing in a lift such as this and Anya had squared up towards her. Everything is about sex Mia recalled Anya saying. Whoever is the client tonight, they work, they dress and they live for sex. So, everything is about sex... except for sex itself. Sex is about power.

Mia had looked confused which pushed Anya to further explain. Look, this guy can afford to buy sex, and we are going to take that money to give him his fantasy. He had the power to get us in the room but, once we enter, we are utterly in control. You and I will run this show... And then we'll have his money. Mia had slowly nodded as she took it in.

Blinking her eyes, Mia dragged herself back to the present. Stepping into this lift, the mirrors offered a chance to make any last-minute adjustments. Her strapless black dress sat beautifully on her slim figure, and the diamante earrings and necklace added sparkle and lift to the dark tones. She was relatively tall for a Vietnamese girl - almost 5 feet 6 inches - but that was still noticeably shorter than her friend.

Mia inhaled and exhaled quickly. "Ready."

_______

Jerome pushed the cork back into the bottle. "I might have an idea about how that might be fixed. Have you ever thought of getting some in-home help?"

Maria and David had looked at the idea - mostly as a precaution in case her health headed further in the direction of the last few months. "We thought about it, but the cost is prohibitive. You and I know that our drawings on the business are pretty limited at the moment."

For Jerome, the small amount they were paying themselves wasn't so much of an issue. He'd been successful in a few other businesses over the years. For David and Maria, there was significant financial pressure as they gambled their financial future on the success of the export company. Jerome continued. "There might be a solution. Leave it with..."

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. "Yeah, Leave it with me." He started covering the distance between the small lounge sand the door. "I might have a plan. Meanwhile, I think this is my room service..."

Taking a decent sip of whiskey David let his head fall back and rolled the sweet, viscous liquid roll around his tongue. The characteristic hint of smoke hid a gentle taste of the sea, and he savoured the flavours while he relaxed into the chair. How long had he been awake? Twenty hours? Over a day? He'd stopped counting when the sun went down.

Moments later, Jerome roused David from his calm. "Hungry?"

David sat up to attention and opened his eyes. His business partner was in front of him with two stunning women in his arms. On the right was Anya. She exuded elegance through the way she stood with her hand gently rested on the lapel of his suit, and in her choice of sparkling gold accessories and well-appointed makeup.

On the other side was the more petite Asian girl. Her black dress was less revealing - and her figure less curvaceous - but her eyes burned with a fire that took his breath away.

"David," grinned Jerome, enjoying the look on his friend's face as much as he did holding on to these beauties, "This is Anya..." The ivory-clad beauty smiled. "And this is Mia." The petite girl gave a gentle nod as she demurely lowered her eyes and gently bowed before returning to catch his eye once more.

David coughed and shifted in his seat as his cock grew with every escalating beat of his heart. He could feel his pulse racing and a light sweat start to form as he politely rose form his chair. "It's a surprise and delight in equal measures. Can I offer you a drink?"

Both ladies shook their heads in wordless response. However, Anya then spoke with a tone oozed with calm and confidence. "Is that whiskey? I love to kiss a man who has been drinking whiskey. It tastes sweet and masculine at the same time..."

"That's very pleasing to hear," growled Jerome.

Like most ambitious people, David loved sex. However, he never viewed escorts as a conquest - and bought intimacy was of little interest. Jerome, on the other hand, saw buying sex as simply as benefit of his success. For him it was purely transaction, whereas David was more intrigued by the nature of the transaction itself. David loved the performance, and now waited their next move to get an idea of who these ladies were.

Jerome unhooked his arms from around the waists of the two women and gestured towards the large king-sized bed. "Why don't you both get comfortable?"

It didn't take them long to comply. As the men relaxed back into their chairs the women moved toward each other as Anya took control and sat her partner on the edge of the bed. Mia looked up as her fair-skinned friend held the side of her face and leaned in for a gentle kiss.

"Very nice," nodded David. As he clinked his glass against that of his business partner, Jerome's eyes never moved from the show unfolding just metres in front of them. He was back in his own world again; taking in the sights and sounds as the beauties enjoyed the taste of each other.

The kissing remained slow and passionate. While Anya and Mia exuded femininity and grace, Anya remained ever-aware of her audience as their hands roamed over hips and over breasts. Even though Jerome had organised the in-call, his intense stare made it further clear to Anya that he should remain the focus of the two men.

As the girls swayed and kissed, Mia allowed herself to fully submit full to the ministrations of her friend, luxuriating in the gentle sensation of Anya's touch and the knowledge that two sets of eyes were fixed upon her. Despite the fact that Anya was moving and guiding Mia as she wished, the atmosphere of the room gave her a sudden sense of power that made her pussy surge with wetness. That was her favourite part of their little performance - that feeling that the client was mere putty in their hands.

Without breaking the kiss, Anya gently pushed Mia's shoulder so that she lay flat on the bed. As the Estonian moved over the prone body, she noticed that Mia's eyes remained shut as she has slipped further into her role. Leaning again, Anya looked across to Jerome's as she worked to position herself at just the right angle to kiss and stroke Mia while gazing at the men.

Perfect, she smiled to herself. They're going to be so worked up that we'll be out of her in 40 minutes.

Anya's hand reached inside the cup of Mia's dress and played with a tender breast. The raven-haired beauty writhed under Anya's touch - rolling her hips and sliding her smooth legs against each other.

Anya nibbled and licked at Mia's mouth while taking time to enjoy every delicate sensation that only the kiss of another woman can exude. The nipple in her hand began to noticeably harden so she shifted to scoop Mia's breast from the top of her dress and give the boys a better show.

After a few more moments of kissing and stroking, Anya groaned into Mia's mouth once more before breaking away from the pretty little Asian. Both men remained rooted to their seats in anticipation of her next move and she could hear the sound of their deep breathing. "So, I bet it was a long flight... Who's up for first shower?"

David took his cue and stop up from the chair, sipping the last of his whiskey before placing the heavy crystal glass on the table. "A tempting offer," he smiled at Anya before looking at Jerome. "But I think I'll turn in for the night."