Sandy stamped the worst of the mud from her work boots as she left the building site and approached her van. She opened the driver’s door and threw her hard hat and clipboard onto the passenger seat. She spent a moment removing her high visibility jacket and running her hand through her short blonde hair. Once behind the wheel she blew out a sigh of relief. A week away from the chaos. Fantastic! She tried to ignore the nagging worries that things would go awry whilst she was away. A control nut by nature she liked to visit her projects on a daily basis. Her partner, Cheryl, constantly nagged her to give up more of the day to day running of the company to her business partner, Gary. Sandy knew that she should but found that even when Gary was doing his job she couldn’t quite leave him to it, nothing to do with his competence and everything to do with her obsessive nature.

Sandy sped down the motorway towards home. She imagined a hot bath a meal and bed. She wanted to be up early in the morning to make the journey up the motorway and get to the Lakes in good time. She had every intention of making the most of this holiday. Cheryl had a client this evening so it would be up to Sandy to finish packing for them both. Cheryl was a talented photographer and the couple she was seeing this evening were coming to view the photographs from their Civil Partnership. Sandy knew from experience that those meetings could go on for hours. Cheryl was endlessly patient as clients chose from the hundreds of pictures for their albums.

Sandy pulled her dirty, utilitarian van behind her lover’s clean and tidy BMW. It was an older model but Cheryl loved her car and kept it immaculate. Woe betide Sandy if she ever tried to get in it with her dirty work boots. That had happened only once and Sandy had ended up with a very sore rear after Cheryl had finished with her.

Cheryl was in her office sitting in front of her computer putting the finishing touches to her digital images before the arrival of her customers.

‘Hey honey. How was your day? Get finished at the site?’

Kissing the top of Cheryl’s head as she came up behind her she replied ‘Yes. As much as I could anyway. The rest is up to Gary. I’m on holiday!’

‘Yes. Well I’m not yet, so shoo woman and leave me to this, the Evans couple will be here in half an hour and I want to be ready. Make yourself useful and stick something in the oven for dinner will you?’

‘Certainly, would you like me to bathe first or are you happy for me to chef in my filthy work gear?’ Sandy smiled cheekily.

‘Mmm. I kind of like you dirty’ Cheryl said as she turned her swivel chair to face her lover and put her arms around her waist pulling her down for a kiss, ‘but I’d rather have you clean while your cooking for me.’ she laughed as she pushed Sandy out towards the office door and landed a smack on her jean clad bottom.

‘Ow, you’re such a harsh woman’ Sandy pouted as she scooted towards the bathroom.

‘Just you wait until I’ve got you all to myself for a whole week. I’ll soon have you behaving. You have been so disobedient lately I think your bottom is going to need some special treatment whilst we are away.’ Cheryl called after her. She couldn’t wait to follow through on that promise. Now back to work, just one more meeting then we’re free.