This is purely a figment of my imagination. Any words, locations, names or details are purely coincidental.
_______
It started as a typical morning. Coffee. Cereal. His phone ringing. Her Email bleeping. They were both working from home that day.
It started as a typical morning and she barely noticed his clearing the breakfast dishes. His constant pacing and murmur on the phone, comforting and common-place. What she did realize was the beauty of the day. He'd opened all the doors and windows and the sun on the mountain was beautiful. The breeze was warm and the birds were all about. The breeze aired out the house. He'd even opened the bedroom doors and outer curtains. It was a beautiful day.
The breeze was gentle and her typical "pajamas" were comfy. She smiled and went on with her research. Maybe an hour passed. Maybe it was only 20 minutes, she had no idea, time didn't register on days like this; she'd even lost track of where He was, not hearing Him on the phone, she assumed he was in the office, or getting ready for His ride. She smiled.
Suddenly she felt His hands on her shoulders and though He was clearly on the phone, actively listening to someone, He had that look in his eye. The no-nonsense one.
She wondered what she'd done to displease him and shook it off. She'd quit trying to guess what pleased and displeased him since he made it quite clear usually. It was a relief to not always have to be guessing.
As she looked up at him, her heart skipped a beat in both happiness and anticipation. His nearness always doing that to her.
He leaned over her shoulder and placed a neatly folded sheet of paper on the table in front of her. Her quizzical look was met with a shake of His head as He walked away, already ensconced in His call, again.
She sighed and unfolded it. ...
"Zan, it is 12:20pm as I write this. I will be on this call approximately 20 more minutes. When I am done, I expect the following:
1) you will have put away the dishes I have washed,
2) you will have wisely used the time to go to the bathroom, brush your teeth and hair,
3) You will strip (of course you may leave 'my' socks on), and
4) You will be standing spread eagle in the doorway of the bedroom-patio door waiting.
That is all. I love you.
Lee"
The fact that he was in another room, on the phone did not stop the blush on her face or the pounding in her breast as she read it. She grasped the implications immediately. Any hesitation on her part and the game would be over. For good. He'd made that clear.
Any straying from his instructions and the same would probably hold true. She was glad he'd wandered away while she processed it. He mind raced. The hardest part was this for her. The knowledge that there were no consequences for her NOT playing along. ... Well none except the biggest of all. The fact that there would be no further voyages into this realm.
The clearing of his throat from across the house was not meant for her, but it brought her back to the present. She shut the computer, quickly moved to the kitchen to put the dishes away, and went to the bathroom, quietly shutting the door behind her.
After performing her short duties, and spraying on a bit of perfume for good measure, she stepped into the hallway and turned toward the bedroom.
Always it was so powerful walking into it. So many feelings raced through her heart and head each time she crossed the threshold. Even now. Sometimes it felt like "home." Sometimes she felt like an intruding visitor, but mostly she felt a sense of pride. Here mind always saw the room the way it had looked the first time she had seen it. Pillows piled high, comforter perfectly settled.
Her longing to be in it. Her frustration that he would have someone else in it that night. She never lingered on that. She merely found it to be part of their past - that had to happen - to allow them to be what they were, now.
As she thought about his room, this room, she stripped out of her pajama pants and white t-shirt, her nipples already hard from the cold perfume spray, the pit of her stomach felt a little hollow from the instructions. Well, that and the thought that it might have so easily not have been her that was here -- had she not chosen to be brave and had he not chosen to let her in.
She moved to the door an watched the sun flicker on the metal planter for a moment. It was then that she realized the note had not instructed her if she was to stand facing in or out ... hell ... another one of his ways of making her choose ... of making her give herself to him. She was certain of that. His thoroughness was legendary. This was no mistake or omission and she swore softly as she thought about it. It was her choice. But what were the consequences for it?
She tried to remember if there were associates coming today, or deliveries, or his "shitty maids" but nothing came to mind. Cursing again softly, she realized he was wrapping up his call in the office, and stepped into the doorway facing the yard. As her hands went to the top corners of the doorway and her feet edges planted themselves against the door bottom, she heard him enter the room behind her.