The first week of Amber and me living together was everything we had ever imagined. We woke up every morning and got ready for work together. We were still driving to work separately to avoid having to explain our relationship to our coworkers. But every night she and I came back to the same apartment, where I made us dinner while she helped with other things that needed done. We enjoyed our new domestic lifestyle. Even mundane chores done together were somehow a pleasure. The dinners I made were nothing spectacular but they were homemade and with each meal, Amber became more impressed with my skills. Every night so far we had gotten separate showers to help us decompress from the day, although occasionally I caught Amber peeking in to watch me. We then relaxed together at the end of the day, talking and watching TV on the couch. At the end of the night we went to bed and talked some more before falling asleep.
It was now Friday; and not just any Friday, it happened to be Valentine's Day. I told Amber at the beginning of the week that I already had a special night planned for us. Despite her best efforts, I hadn't divulged any details. As I made coffee in the morning and toasted a bagel for each of us, Amber came up behind me. She wrapped her arms around me, hugged me tight and said, "Happy Valentine's Day. Oh, by the way... I'm done."
I turned around to face her and holding her by the hips said, "Happy Valentine's Day, honey. Done? ...oh, 'done' done?"
Because of the time of the month, Amber and I actually hadn't had sex for our whole first week together. Despite that, we simply enjoyed each other's company. It was actually really good for our relationship to reinforce that it was our friendship that we loved most about each other. But now after a week of living together and looking forward to a special night, finding out that Amber was indeed down for anything was just an added bonus for both of us.
As we had done every morning, Amber and I drove separately to work. Today, that would actually play an important role in my plans. The morning went like any other. We had a design meeting and then reviewed some survey data before the anticipated launch of a new project. Unbeknownst to Amber, I had put in for some time off and as lunchtime approached, I straightened up my desk and stopped by her cubicle. She was surprised when I told her I was heading out but that I'd meet her back at the apartment when she got done at the end of the day.
Looking utterly confused, she started to ask me where I was going. I simply smiled and said, "Trust me. I'll see you this evening." I then gave her a kiss on the neck and said, "Fuck 'em."
We both laughed as I grabbed my things and left for the weekend. I wasn't headed home though. My first stop was the mall, where I ran into one of the anchor stores and headed to the women's section. There, I bought a nice black dress for Amber. I cheated and knew her size by looking through her things and finding her maroon dress from the previous weekend. Proud with my selection, I checked out and then drove to the liquor store where I got a nice bottle of champagne.
Walking next door, I went to a home-goods store, where I picked up a few candles, two large multi-wick candles for the couch-side table and bedroom, a smaller one for the bathroom and two nice tall ones with candlesticks for the dinner table. Finally I picked out a glass vase because until recently, I had been a single guy with no need for such things. When I got to the checkout counter, the middle-aged cashier looked at my selection and asked, "Big Valentines plans?"
I shyly shrugged and said, "I hope so."
She smiled and wished me luck as I left the store. At the grocery store I got what I needed for dinner and something for dessert. Finally, I stopped at a florist shop for a nice bouquet of roses. Looking at the haul in the back of my car, I decided that I had everything I was going to need and made my way back to the apartment. When I arrived back home, I made multiple trips placing the groceries on the kitchen counter and everything else on the dinette table. With one final trip to the car, I opened my trunk and retrieved the small velvet box from its hiding spot.
After putting away the groceries and making sure to chill the champagne, I filled my new vase with water and placed the bouquet of roses in it. But I didn't want them out just yet, so I hid them atop the washing machine in its little closet. I then did my best to clean up any clutter and then thought about how tonight would go. It was going to take delicate timing but I thought I could pull it off.
Looking at the clock, I knew I still had a couple of hours before Amber would get home. I started by getting a shower to decompress from the day. Exiting the shower, I made sure all my grooming was on point. I put on casual clothes for now but then went to the closet and selected a pair of dress pants, a nice shirt and a tie. I rolled them up so they wouldn't get wrinkled and hid them in the kitchen pantry.
After the steam cleared from the bathroom I removed Amber's new dress from its bag and hung it on the back of the bathroom door. Finally I hid the smaller candle in the cabinet under my sink along with some matches before placing one of the larger candles in the top drawer of my nightstand. The final large candle as well as the dinner candles got hidden in the kitchen for the time being. As I took out some groceries and prepped for dinner, I heard my phone ding. Amber was texting to tell me she was leaving the office. I texted back, "See you soon."
My heart was pounding; it was now or never. I closed the blinds on the front windows and waited. A few minutes later, I heard a car door close, followed by the sound of a key in the front door. As Amber walked in, she looked around and saw me sitting on the couch, relaxing with literally nothing different in sight. She looked slightly confused if not disappointed and said, "Hey, babe. So... what's the big plans?"
I simply smiled and said, "Oh, you'll find out." I got up and met her at the door, giving her a kiss.
She backed away and smiled saying, "You smell nice. Did you already get a shower?"
"Yeah, but there's always time for another later if you want. Can I get you a beer while I start dinner?"
Not noticing anything different from a typical night at home after work she said, "Sure," not really disappointedly but with a noticeable degree of confusion. Amber sat at the table and sipped her beer and asked, "So, what's on the menu?"
I turned around and proudly said, "Well, I stopped at the store and got two really nice steaks. I was going to make some potatoes and sautéed vegetables to go with it."
Amber now smiled and said, "That sounds delicious."
I humbly shrugged my shoulders and said, "Let me get started and I'll tell you more. As she sipped her beer, I sautéed the vegetables and set them aside; I would warm them up again before we ate. Then, after seasoning the potatoes, I placed them in the toaster oven to bake. Finally I took out the steaks, which had already been seasoned. Placing them in a cast iron skillet, I put them in the oven to begin cooking. I planned to finish them with a reverse sear using a compound butter I had prepared earlier in the afternoon. As things were all set in the kitchen I walked up to Amber and squatted down in front of her. Looking up at her I asked, "Do you trust me?"
She answered, still with a bit of confusion, "Yes..."
I smiled and said, "Ok, trust me. While dinner cooks, go get a shower. Take your time and relax. When you're done, you'll find your first present on the back of the door. But promise me one thing, once you go into the bathroom, don't come out until you're done. Ok?"
Now really looking confused but definitely intrigued, she nodded her head and said, "Ok..."
I smiled and gave her a kiss before I stood up and said, "I'll see you in a little bit."
As she walked towards the bedroom, she kept looking back, trying to figure out what was going on. When I heard the bathroom door close, it took a second but I heard Amber holler out, "Are you fucking kidding me? This beautiful. Thank you! Hang on, can I come out just for one second? I need to switch something out!"
I hollered back, "Sure! Be quick though!"
I then listened as Amber hurried back into the bedroom. I heard her putting her previously selected clothes back and then heard the handle on one of her drawers I had cleared for her in the dresser. A few seconds later I heard the bathroom door close again and heard her laugh in amazement.
When I finally heard the water start, I sprang into action. I ran into the bedroom and set the candle out on top of the dresser. After lighting it, I turned off the bedroom lights. As I passed the laundry closet, I retrieved the roses and set them in the middle of the dinette table before setting a candle stick to each side and lit them. Finally I set the last large candle on the end table in the far corner by the couch and lit the wicks. Turning off the remaining lights, even I was impressed by the romantic ambiance of the glow.
The last part of my transformation was to retrieve my clothes from the pantry and quickly strip down in my kitchen and put on my dress clothes. After tying and straightening my tie, I shoved my casual clothes in the hamper and hurried back to the kitchen. By now, Amber was out of the shower and I heard her blow-drying her hair. Returning to the kitchen, I retrieved the little box from the back of the pantry. Opening it, I made sure the ring looked perfect and then closing it, tucked it in my pocket.
After all the running around, I chugged a glass of water and then rested, leaning on the counter while I caught my breath. My heart was still racing in anticipation when I finally heard the bathroom door open. I stifled a laugh when I heard Amber say, "What... the... fuck..."
I then watched as she walked out of the bedroom, her eyes wide like a child's on Christmas morning. She looked absolutely stunning in her black dress with her hair blown dry and falling at her shoulders. She looked around the room, taking in the complete transformation. She smiled at the sight of the roses, the candles, and when her eyes set on me in my dress clothes she rushed over to me and throwing her arms around me said, "It's beautiful. This dress, when did you even get this? It fits perfectly! And the roses and the candles and you, my god, you look incredible. It's all so perfect. Thank you, baby."
She kissed me and we kissed passionately. But after a minute I gently eased myself back and said, "I got you one more present."
