She pulled into the driveway. It had been a long day. Longer still because he hadn't remembered. Turning off the car, she sighed. He had always been so attentive. So thoughtful. How could he have forgotten? She leaned against the steering wheel, remembering their first conversation.
It had been a year since they began talking. At first, she remembered wondering who this man was .... what he was. He seemed such an enigma. Being so stoic at first, then quickly warming to her. He had caught her off-guard, and for a year had continued to do so. But today, just when she thought she knew how he would acknowledge their relationship, she was realizing just how much she had come to depend on his attentions. How important they, and he, had become in her life.
She stepped out of the car, and mentally evaluated herself. No, she was no Barbie. She didn't dress to the nines every day. She thought herself attractive enough, but despite all the workouts, there were a myriad of things she would change about herself if she only could. In his presence, however, all those things melted away: she had felt like the most beautiful thing on two legs.
It had been such a long time since she'd felt remotely like a woman, much less a sensuous, attractive one. Now she wondered if her penchant for the ordinary .... her love of comfort, of home, of chaos ... had somehow threatened their budding relationship. She wondered if the fact that she was not the girly-girl he had said he usually preferred was becoming a wedge. She had hoped their differences would be enhancements, but she felt all the old self-doubts began to creep in as she locked the car door and headed into the house.
Odd. The animals didn't greet her. A faint odor of seafood and garlic wafted through the house. She paused at the front door ... wondering. She glanced around the room, and a large white envelope on the mantel caught her eye. She approached and noticed that it was sitting atop a silk scarf. Her curiosity urged her to open the envelope. Inside, she found a simple, hand-written note: "Put the scarf over your eyes and tie it tight. Don't say a word. This is to be an ultimate lesson in trust." She stood there and looked around the room. Nothing seemed amiss. With a shrug, she lifted the scarf to her face and tied it snugly, covering her lovely blue eyes.
Immediately, she felt a presence in the room. He eased up behind her, touching her shoulder. She jumped and turned toward him but his hand on the back of her neck stopped her. Whispering into her ear, he said, "Shhhh. Take my hand and follow me."
He laced his fingers in hers and guided her into the dining room. His hand went to the small of her back as he directed her to sit in the chair he already had pulled away from the table. She looked up in what she thought to be his direction.
"How did y ..." but his hand gently silenced her question.
Leaning close, his warm breath on her neck, he whispered as he nuzzled her ear, "Just trust me". She felt him sit in a chair beside her .... the distinct aroma of her favorite pasta wafting to her nose.
"Here ... open your mouth", he said, as she felt a fork touch her lips. The warm creaminess of the shrimp alfredo filled her mouth. He brushed the sauce from the corner of her mouth with a napkin and leaned to kiss her. He fed her, then placed a wineglass into her hand. She drank the delicate liquid ... allowing it to warm her throat. He knew all of her favorites, and this wine was no exception. After a few minutes, she motioned that she had enough and he rose and took her hand again, beckoning her to rise and follow him.
Leading her into the bedroom, he closed the door. The soft scent of lavender filled her nose, and she was immediately aware of candles and soft music. He stopped her in the middle of the room and, standing against her back, ran his hands from her shoulders down her arms.
He kissed her neck and then whispered, "I know you thought that I had forgotten this day. However, I wanted it to be more memorable than any day we have spent together. Now, as we are about to step to a new level, I am asking you to submit. Freely and completely. I can promise you that you will not be disappointed, and that you will be completely satisfied, but you will be completely out of control of the chain of events. All you will be allowed to do is feel. Before we begin, though, I am giving you the opportunity to stop all of this right here, right now. Just say the word."
He stepped back and slowly began to circle in front of her, watching her face and waiting for her response.
"Please," she said, her voice barely audible. "Continue."
"I will do as m'lady requests, as long as she understands that from this point on, there is no stopping what is to come. The only protests you can make is if something is not pleasurable ..... and I don't expect to hear any protest of that nature coming from your lips."
Quietly she replied, "I understand".
