Frustration Outsourced A Modern Solution to an Age-old Problem Monique raised her glass and took a slow sip. “Chablis never disappoints”, she thought as savoured the delicious peach and vanilla flavours of wine. She set her glass down on the table and reclined back further into her leather sofa. The sublime sounds of “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s Tosca filled her large sitting room contributing to the tranquil ambience. She had just returned from a busy day of shopping in the consumerist paradise that is Oxford Street. Like most women, she enjoyed shopping (at least for clothing) immensely. However, negotiating heaving throngs of shoppers laden with designer garments was trying at best. Therefore a form of cleansing ritual of music and wine was required upon her return home. Monique took another sip of her wine and thought of Jason, her young, naive lover. He would probably be on his way to the mysterious appointment she had set for him and she wondered what was going through his mind. “Poor Jason, if only he knew what he was in for!” she thought as her mind drifted to the pleasurable activities that lay ahead of her later on in the evening. After working almost to the point of burn-out and experiencing a meteoric rise within a large media company, Monique had recently adopted a more hedonistic approach to life. She left her job, cashing out her share options, and started focussing on living in the present rather than striving for future advancement. *** Jason stood anxiously in the crowded bus. He had more than enough time to make the 16:00 appointment that Monique had set for him but he was beset by a curious mixture of anticipation and trepidation. Monique had told him that there was something she wanted him to do and that it was important to her. He had been given scant details regarding the nature of this appointment, simply the time and address, but knew better than to ask for more information. After the appointment he was to return to her central London residence to spend the evening with her. He wondered what the nature of the appointment would be while a passenger shoved past him towards the exit. It probably wasn’t something grooming related as he had recently had his haircut. Neither was he in need of a medical check-up. Perhaps he was just to collect something for her or maybe it was a test of some sort? *** Around the same time that things came to a head in her career, Monique’s marriage also hit the rocks. Her husband, Robert, would blame her ambition and domineering nature whereas she would blame his vanity and penchant for extramarital dalliances with young, compliant co-workers. She had initially forgiven his indiscretions largely because, despite her hurt, she loved him very much and felt that she was also partially to blame given her hectic schedule. He also had an innate ability to charm his way out of any situation except the final straw when Monique caught him in flagrante delicto on returning from a business trip. As an intelligent, self-assured woman, behaving been played for a fool by the person closest to her was the ultimate humiliation. She subsequently vowed never to be vulnerable to the charms of the feckless gender. After leaving her job and a period of introspection following her divorce, Monique filled her time with things she enjoyed: opera, art galleries, reading and shopping. She pursued an active social calendar but remained alone, preferring to enjoy the company of friends. However, once the pain had numbed, she noticed a rekindling of a desire for companionship. Despite her confident, self-assured manner and her attempts to subdue such desires, her yearning for intimacy only grew. And there were other needs which had been dormant but began to blossom. She had always enjoyed an active fantasy life as a result of having a vivid imagination. She knew better than to repress her urges as inconvenient as they were but she also didn’t intend on repeating past mistakes anytime soon. Therefore as a compromise she took to reading erotic literature – a solitary but safe pursuit. Monique read a wide range of stories featuring varied themes however she found herself drawn to stories featuring strong female characters and a form of reversal of traditional gender roles. She decided to explore this theme further, voraciously seeking out both fiction and ultimately non-fiction stories of female dominance and female led relationships. The idea of such relationships intrigued her and she found the idea of being served and worshipped by a compliant, adoring man to be rather titillating. It didn’t take long for her desires to get the better of her and she started wondering if the fantasies that aroused her so much could be made into reality. However, after a brief foray into alternative dating sites her excitement turned to disappointment. It seemed liked the majority of men on those sites were either just there to satisfy specific fetishes (hardly submissive) or doormats seeking humiliation and abuse. She loved the idea of a powerful and confident man willingly giving up control and submitting to her. She realised the inherent contradiction in this idea and, being a pragmatic person, she resigned herself to the likelihood that her desires would remain purely fantasy. *** The bus reached the stop closest to Jason’s destination after what seemed like an eternity. He disembarked in what appeared to be a fairly nondescript suburb of greater London. After a brisk, Jason found the address he had been given which was in a well maintained but dull office block just off the high street. The frosted glass door was simply numbered with a buzzer. Even though there was only one door and it was clearly numbered, he double checked the address on his phone just to be sure. He then took a deep breath and rang the buzzer. “Good afternoon”, said a formal but polite voice, “can I have your name please?” “Hello, I’m Jason McAllister here for my 16:00 appointment”, he replied nervously. “Hello Jason, please come on in”, replied the voice which was followed by the click of the door unlocking. Jason pulled the door open and followed the stairs down to the basement level. *** Story continues in Part 2 here. Feedback most welcome!
Thanks for this intriguing and well-written story.I will not propose an outcome as part of the pleasure is not knowing.