Amber 14

When I awoke in the morning, I realized that I couldn't feel my left arm. Looking to my side, the reason became clear; the night before, Amber and I had fallen asleep while cuddled together. Apparently, my arm remained pinned underneath her and was now completely numb. I tried my best to gently retrieve my phantom limb but despite my best efforts, Amber began to stir.

Sitting up, I rolled my shoulder and began to regain some feeling in the arm. Amber rolled over and seeing my discomfort asked what was wrong. Wincing I said, "So you know how some things are better in theory than in practice? Well, let's add 'sleeping while cuddling' to that list."

Amber sat up looking concerned and rubbing my shoulder said, "Oh, babe, I'm sorry."

I gave her a kiss and said, "It's fine, but remember last night, I said you were 'so fucking hot?' Well, I was talking about your appearance at the time. Turns out, sleeping snuggled right next to you is hot too, but in the sense that now I feel gross and sweaty."

She laughed and said, "Yeah, sorry. But thanks again for last night. I'm sorry we didn't do anything else but honestly, the night had been so perfect that there wasn't anything else I could have possibly wanted."

Shaking my head, I said, "Really, it's ok. I had a great time too. But right now, I really need to go to the bathroom; then I'm going to jump in the shower real quick and get ready for the day."

I gave Amber another kiss as I got ready to get out of bed. After getting to my feet, I made my way to the bathroom and then closing the door behind me, took care of my business and then got in the shower to quickly rinse off. Stepping out and drying off, I finished my morning routine. When I emerged from the bathroom and Amber took my place.

I chose some simple clothes for the day, just some jeans and a t-shirt. After getting dressed, I went into the kitchen and started making coffee for us. Right about the time the pot had filled up, Amber came out of the bathroom dressed similar to me, in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Her t-shirt though was much tighter-fitting and accentuated all the curves that I love about her body. As I handed her a travel mug she asked, "So what do you want to do first today?"

Heading to the door to put my shoes on I said, "Remember last night I said I had one more surprise for you?"

"...yeah..."

"Well, let's go. I'll tell you on the way," I said as I grabbed my wallet and keys.

Amber grabbed her bag and her coffee. Then slipping on her shoes, she said, "Alright then, let's go."

Once we were in the car and pulling out of the parking lot, Amber looked at me expectantly, waiting for some sort of hint as to what I was scheming. I just glanced over to her and smiled. Soon we were pulling into her neighborhood and then into her driveway. With a nod of my head towards her front door I said, "Come on let's go inside. I promise I'll explain."

Now with a look of utter confusion, Amber got out of the car and we made our way to the front door. After walking in, I made my way to her couch and sat down. She now stood in front of me, clearly waiting for some sort of explanation. Amused at her response and figuring that her demeanor would soon be changing I said, "So hey, you've still got suitcases here, right?"

"...yes?..."

"Well, I think you're going to want to get one," I continued. "You and I are going on a little vacation."

Still confused, but now clearly interested Amber asked, "Vacation? Where? When?"

With a laugh, I patted my hand on the couch next to me. Amber sat down as I explained, "Well, when I was planning out last night, I wanted to at least talk to someone from your family first. So, forgive me but, one night last week when you were in the shower, I noticed your phone was unlocked. So, I took the opportunity to go in and get Mike's phone number. Well, I called and talked to him. First of all, you're right; he's without a doubt one of the easiest people to talk to. After we talked for a while, I finally got around to telling him that I was planning on giving you a ring and he was legitimately thrilled for us. Well, we got to talking some more and I mentioned that I knew he wanted to see us and he suggested planning a surprise trip for you. By the time I got off the phone, he had already bought plane tickets for us."

Amber, now looking less confused and more excited asked, "Wait, so we're going to see Uncle Mike? When?"

I replied, "Yeah, and you're right, he seems to be pretty in tune with what you and I are doing without telling him anything. When I mentioned that after a couple days with him, you and I wanted to take a couple days to relax, just the two of us, he suggested a nice cabin near him. 'Real secluded, away from everything,' as he said. So I booked that for a few nights."

"When?!?"

Pausing to help build the anticipation I finally said, "We leave tomorrow morning."

Amber's eyes got huge and with the realization of everything I had just said, she jumped onto my lap and kissed me, saying, "I can't believe you did this! Thank you so much. Oh my god, I've been wanting to go back to visit; I just had no idea it'd be this soon. Thank you!"

Still sitting on my lap, smiling she looked into my eyes and said, "This is unbelievable. I love you so much. Holy crap, you've got a lot more to tell me about this but let me go grab my stuff." With one final kiss, she hopped up and disappeared off into her bedroom.

As I sat on the couch feeling pretty impressed with how that went, I heard Amber holler from the other room, "Hey, you do realize how cold that part of Arkansas is in February, right?"

With a laugh I hollered back, "Yeah, I thought about that. I figured stopping by here would give you a chance to grab some warmer clothes and then we can go shopping for whatever else we need." Then waiting a second I added, "Good thing our cabin has a hot tub."

A moment later Amber stuck her head around the door and asked, "Did you say hot tub?" When I smiled and nodded my head, she smiled and groaned, "Oh fuck yeah," before disappearing back into her bedroom.

Five or ten minutes later, Amber finally emerged from her bedroom with a suitcase in tow. Looking behind her to make sure that she hadn't left anything, she said, "I think I got everything but if you don't mind, I could probably use some more sweaters and a jacket or something."

Standing up from the couch, I grinned and said, "Me too. See? Told you we'd find some errands we could run." Realizing that I indeed had a plan for the day, Amber smiled and we made our way back out to the car and got going.

On the way to the mall Amber asked, "So wait, in all the excitement I never asked: What about work next week?"

With a nod of my head I replied, "Ahh yes, so there's one girl at HR who I don't mind, Sharon. So I called her last week. When I was requesting my PTO for yesterday afternoon, I told her about my plans. We both have plenty of vacation time so she went ahead and approved it. She just needs an email from you confirming it to make yours official."

No sooner had I explained the situation than Amber pulled out her phone. Opening her email, she typed up a simple message and showed it to me before hitting 'send.' It simply said, "See you in a week."

We were laughing as we pulled into the mall parking lot. Before putting her phone away, Amber pulled up the weather for the Ozarks. It wasn't terrible. Although it was freezing at night, it as supposed to get up into the 50s during the day. She gave me a kiss as she put away her phone and we headed inside.

It didn't take us long to make our way through the first store. Amber got a couple of sweaters and a new pair of jeans. I got a fleece and a sweater as well. As we stood there holding our selections, Amber asked, "So how long are we staying with Uncle Mike and how long are we at the cabin?"

I replied, "We fly into Little Rock and then we have to drive up to Mike's place. So we'll get to his place in the afternoon and we're spending two nights with him. We'll leave there on Tuesday morning and go to the cabin. We'll be there three nights and we fly back Friday evening."

With a smile forming on her face she said, "Three nights... you and me all alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere?... oh yeah this is going to be good."

I have her a kiss and said, "Let's check out and see what else we need." Despite Amber's protests, I bought both of our clothes and then carried the bags as we walked through the mall.

As we walked Amber asked, "What kind of things do you want to do while we're at the cabin?...aside from the obvious."

I laughed and said, "I don't know. I know there's some good hiking trails; that could be fun. And there's things to see in the area that we can drive to... I don't know... anything you specifically want to do?"

Amber smiled and said, "No, all that sounds great." Then with an embarrassed look she said, "You mentioned a hot tub... I don't own a bathing suit."

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "Ok, well then let's go get you one."

Amber gave me a sad smile and said, "That's the thing, I don't look good in bathing suits. I never have. I haven't owned one in years."

We stopped off to the side and I gave her a hug and said, "Honey, you've seen what your naked body does to me. You've seen what your fully clothed body does to me. Why would a bathing suit be any different? Look, there's a swimwear place down at the other end. Let's go see if someone there can help you find something you're comfortable in? Trust me; I'll love anything you decide on."

After I gave her a kiss, Amber looked at me and said, "Ok, I'll go but I don't want you watching. Is there somewhere else you needed to go and I can meet you there?"

"Sure, I'll be at the bookstore. I'll see you in a little bit."

I spent the next half hour or more just browsing through the aisles of books. I grabbed one that caught my eye, figuring it would be good to have to potentially help pass the time. Finally, as I wandered around I saw Amber walk through the entrance. I was relieved to see her carrying a bag, indicating that she had found something she was happy with.

I met her and asked, "So, worth the trip?"

She smiled and said, "Actually yeah, I think you'll like it."

I gave her a hug and said, "If you're wearing it, I know I will." Then, realizing that I didn't really want the book after all, I set it on a random stack and we made our way out of the store. Deciding that we had all that we needed, we made our way back to the car. After loading the trunk, we got back in and Amber turned to me and said, "You pick. What are we going to do for lunch?"

After a second of thought I said, "Well, since I wouldn't have to take a dump in the woods, how about Mexican?"

Laughing at the reference back to the previous weekend, Amber said, "Yeah, that'd be good."

It only took a few minutes to get to the restaurant and when we got to our seats, we immediately each ordered a large margarita and then began in on the chips and salsa. After our drinks arrived and we ordered our food, we each took a sip and were immediately satisfied. As I settled back into my chair, I held Amber's hand and said, "Honey, there's something I want to ask you but I don't want to upset you."

Surprised, Amber said, "You know you can ask me anything."

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I know but... well, you talk a lot about Uncle Mike but not much about your parents. Is there a reason?"

After taking a long drink from her glass Amber said, "Oh, no it's ok. I'm sorry, I should've told you earlier. Yeah, so my parents are great. They just... well, they were always really dedicated to their careers and to each other. But I always felt like an afterthought. But Uncle Mike... well, he was there when my parents weren't. He picked me up from school, took me to my afternoon activities. Heck, he would pick me up on the weekends and we would go get lunch together or go see a movie. He was more of a father to me than my own dad. So yeah, he's pretty special to me."

Squeezing her hand I said, "I'm sorry--"

Amber spoke up and said, "No really, it's ok. You deserve to know. And I don't hold anything against my parents; they did what they thought I needed in order to have the best life. And they knew Uncle Mike was there. It all worked out in the end. We're fine."

Taking a sip of my own drink I said, "Ok, good. Thanks."

Soon the waiter brought our food and we spent the rest of lunch eating and again just making small talk about our day so far. After paying the bill, we left holding hands and made our way back to the car. After we got in Amber turned to me and said, "Ok, where to now?"

Looking down at the clock, I could see that it was barely after 1:00 so we had plenty of time. I said, "Well, our flight leaves pretty early tomorrow so we'll want to make it an early night. How about you and I go back to the apartment, let's get everything packed and make sure we aren't missing anything and then... well, I'm sure we'll think of something."

With a chuckle Amber said, "Yeah, I guess we've got plenty coming up this week. Let's head back."

Upon arriving back to the apartment, I carried all of our bags; although, Amber wouldn't let me look in the bag at her bathing suit. Walking back to the bedroom, I set the stuff on our bed. We then spent the next half hour counting out clothes, grabbing a few extra of everything and packing it all into our suitcases. I then grabbed a smaller bag and gave it to Amber telling her she could use it for all of her toiletries. She smiled and said "Just for me?" When I told her that I would just put mine in my backpack, Amber grinned and said, "Ok, cool," as she set the bag down next to her nightstand.

I had a feeling I knew what else would find its way into the bag and I chuckled to myself as I turned around and gave my bag one final check. With everything seemingly in order, I set my bag against the wall and went out to the kitchen. I grabbed a glass of water and sat on the couch waiting for Amber to finish.

A few minutes later, Amber came in, got herself a some water and joined me on the couch. As we sat there next to each other, I put my hand on her thigh and told her how much I was looking forward to the coming week.

She turned to me and asked, "Two days with my family?"

I laughed and said, "Well, by the time we get there, it'll only be a day and a half. But afterwards we get rewarded with three days alone in the cabin. ...and I'm definitely looking forward to that."

Amber kissed me and said, "Me too..." Then after a second she said, "I've got another weird question for you."

"Oh?"

Taking a drink of her water she continued, "What are your thoughts on lingerie? And well, I don't want to ask you a loaded question so I'll say... the reason I haven't already worn any for you is that I don't feel good in it. I don't know, I've been looking lately, trying to find something to surprise you with and I can't find anything. I mean, I wish I had something for our trip."

Taking Amber's hand in mine I said, "Honey, I don't need any special lingerie to make me want you any more than I already do. The last thing I'd want is for you to do something that made you uncomfortable. Do you honestly want to know my favorite lingerie? You in a pair of your panties and a bra, with the confidence you have in the bedroom? Fuck, I can't imagine anything hotter. So I'll tell you what, keep a nice pair of panties and a matching bra set aside and you've got all the lingerie that I want."

With a big smile Amber kissed me and then said, "Oh, I've got that alright." Then with a serious tone said, "...and thank you."

Shaking my head, I said, "Nah, it's nothing."

As we finished our water, Amber looked at her watch then to me and said, "Well, it's still early; what are we going to do now?"

Taking a deep breath I exhaled and said, "Honestly, Amber, I have so many ideas of things for us to do this week, I'm kind of just leaning towards a quiet evening." Feeling a grumble in my belly that Amber could hear as well I said, "I uh... I need to go to the bathroom. And while I'm in there, I think I'm going to go ahead and get a shower and get into something comfier for the rest of the evening. How about when I get out, you do the same and we see where things go from there?"

As my stomach grumbled again Amber laughed and said, "Go, please... I don't want to be anywhere near that. ...but yeah, that sounds fine. I could use a quiet night too."

I gave her a kiss and then hurried off to the bedroom. After grabbing a change of clothes, I went into the bathroom where I was occupied for the next five minutes. After flushing and deploying plenty of air freshener, I got undressed and took my shower. After getting clean and then standing under the water for a few extra minutes I got out and dried off. Putting on my clothes, I walked back out to find Amber asleep on the couch.

I grabbed a book off a nearby table and read while Amber napped. After about an hour or so, it started getting dark outside and I decided she probably wouldn't want to sleep much longer or she'd never get to sleep at night. Closing the book, I set it on the arm of the couch and turned and took one of her bare feet in my hands. As I gave it a gentle rub, Amber started to awaken with a slight smile. Looking down at me as I rubbed her foot she said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." Then looking at the window and seeing it getting dark she said, "Oh shit, how long was I out? I'm so sorry."

I laughed and said, "Amber, it's ok. I didn't have anything I wanted to do anyways. I got some reading done and you obviously needed some rest. It's fine, really. I just woke you up so you'd still be able to sleep tonight."

Sitting up and getting her bearings she said, "Thanks." Then looking at me in my sweatpants, asked, "So did you make it to the bathroom in time?" When I laughed, she said, "I'm kidding, I'm going to go get my shower and I'll be back out in a bit."

As she walked away I asked, "Are you going to be hungry at all for dinner?"

Looking over her shoulder she replied with a chuckle, "No, not at all... I mean, maybe just a snack but you don't have to make anything."

As I sat on the couch, I felt my own eyes getting heavy and it was only through sheer willpower that I was able to stay awake long enough to see Amber come back out from the bedroom. When she saw the exhausted look on my face, she looked at the clock and then asked, "What time do we need to leave in the morning?"

Rubbing my eyes, I did the math in my head and said, "Ehh, we probably need to leave here at 5:00"

Amber laughed and said, "Ha! Fuck that. Come on, I'm still exhausted, let's go to bed."

I got up off the couch and then turning off lights as I made my way back to the bedroom, I stopped by the bathroom. After relieving myself one more time, I brushed my teeth and then went back into the bedroom. Setting the alarm on my phone, I crawled between the sheets. Amber and I kissed and then both of us put our heads on our pillows and were out.

---

Despite our early bedtime the night before, the alarm still sounded harsh and woke both of us from a deep sleep. Normally Amber and I have to fight the desire to hit the snooze button, but this morning, we both got up knowing that we had a huge day ahead of us.

It was hard to get moving when it was still pitch black outside but we each quickly finished our morning routines and got dressed. We both wore jeans and t-shirts but had jackets on us for when we arrived in Little Rock. Thankfully, we had packed our bags the day before and after we both gathered our toiletries and I put my book in my backpack, we were ready to go.

We loaded up the car, gave the apartment one last check and then headed out. The drive to the airport took less time than expected as the streets were completely empty this early on a Sunday. We parked, checked our bags and were through security with an hour to spare, so we grabbed some breakfast and then made our way to the gate.