Soto voce.
She could barely contain herself as she entered the driveway of her small park-side home.
Her love was returning from a three-week business trip to Europe. They talked when they could while he was away, but he was usually so busy on such trips that conversations had to be rushed. This trip was no different, except that they usually made plans to do something special to celebrate his return, and this time he'd said nothing except the cryptic comment to be home by five o'clock that Friday afternoon.
She'd made up an excuse about a doctor's appointment to leave work early. She was far too distracted to get anything done anyway, and this would allow her a few extra minutes to relax and prepare herself for whatever he had in mind for the evening.
She got inside the house and immediately ran a warm bath. Just as she had finished undressing and tested the water with her toe, the doorbell rang. She hurriedly put on a thick terry robe, the feel of the rough but soft material on her naked skin, and her already heightened sensitivity from the anticipation of the night, brought her a warm feeling of security at the thought that he was now just on the other side of her front door. She dropped out of her daydream as she glanced at the clock, noting that it was only 3:45. She took a second to compose herself. Wrapping her robe tight around her body, she tied it in place as she approached the door.
There was still the thought - pleading from the back of her mind - that her love might be early, but it was silenced as she opened the door to see a man in the familiar brown uniform and hat holding a package and some sort of electronic clipboard device. He confirmed her name, asked her to sign his strange little device, then pushed some buttons and handed her the package. He thanked her and walked back down the cement walkway to his big square-ish delivery van parked in the street in front of her home. She glanced hopefully up and down the street for a moment, holding the package under one arm, before closing the door.
She rushed back to the bedroom and set the package out on the bed. It was about the size of a standard bed pillow, and weighed little. It was wrapped in plain brown paper with an address label showing her name, but no return address. She tore off the paper to find a box, like a large shirt box, onto which a folded note torn from a small steno notepad had been taped. She pulled the note off and unfolded it, immediately recognizing his handwriting. It was unsigned, but read:
Be ready promptly by 6.
Everything you will need for the evening
is contained in this package.
Behave yourself.
She looked again at the box lying on the bed. As she thought about what elegant evening gown or some other such article he'd selected just for her might be inside, she could feel her arousal growing, the terry of her robe suddenly becoming obvious against her nipples and small shiver of excitement ran down her spine.
In an instant, she decided she would take her bath and enjoy the suspense a little longer before opening her present. She had plenty of time until his stated deadline, so she took her time relaxing and imagining what elegant evening plans he had for them and what else the night might bring. She repeatedly had to resist the urge to begin touching herself under the warm suds. But she knew what he meant by his last instruction, so she abstained, frustrated as she was after three weeks without him.
Finishing her bath, she stepped out of the master bath into the sensation of the cool air from the ceiling fan. The breeze chilled and excited her still damp skin as she walked toward the bed. She again felt a shiver run down her spine to her legs, a mixture of the cold air on her flushed but clean skin and thoughts of her lover's plans.
She lifted the edges of the lid, tearing through the small bits of masking tape that held it in place, and lifted it to reveal something wrapped in plain, white tissue. She unfolded it carefully, immediately seeing a pair of high-heeled black pumps on top of some other folded articles. She lifted the shoes out and began laying the other articles out on the bed. There was a silvery-gray sheer silk blouse, the top button of which was several revealing inches below the collar. Beneath that, she found a dark gray skirt made from a thick and somewhat course wool, that at first glance looked shockingly short. There was also a pair of thigh-high black stockings – the kind with a band built in at the top to keep them in place without a garter – along with a black lace half-cup bra in her size and a small jewelry box which contained a silver chain necklace attached to a simple amber pendant. She laid the items out on top of the comforter and glanced back at his note which still lay open next to her evening attire. That was it? As she took in her predicament, a mixture of fear and warming excitement began to grow inside her. This was definitely not what she had in mind as she'd dreamed all day, but something else had suddenly taken hold of her imagination, and she could feel the warmth of it spreading through her body.
She returned to the bathroom and put on her robe and brushed her hair and applied some light make-up. Finished with that, she returned to her special wardrobe. She stood for a moment looking nervously at the items laid out on the bed. Could she really go out in public like this? What did he have in mind for her?
She pulled the skirt up her legs first, feeling the tingling sensation of the rough wool fabric on her skin, and acutely aware of it against the tops of her naked thighs and her hips and bottom once it was in place. It was very short – not even quite to mid-thigh. She then put on the bra, which lifted her breasts provocatively and pushed her nipples forward, uncovered. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she thought how she would feel naked in public dressed like this. She then pulled the sheer silk blouse on, realizing that the soft caress of the smooth fabric on her breasts made the outline of her nipples show prominently even through the dark fabric. The contrast of the feeling of the soft blouse on her shoulders and breasts with the rough wool on her legs and ass left her feeling especially exposed.
She next pulled on the stockings, they were just high enough that a band exposed skin on her thighs showed between the top edge of the stockings and the bottom hem of her revealing skirt. She put on the pumps last and went into the closet to take to look at herself in the full length mirror. She looked very sexy. But more than that, she looked very . . . sexual . . . and thinking of going out in public like this she imagined that she couldn't feel more exposed if she were completely naked.
She glanced up at the clock. Noticing it was now 5:45, her heart began to race and she wondered if she would be able to go through with whatever plans he had in store for her. She poured herself a glass of mint iced tea and anxiously paced the house as those last few minutes seemed like hours.
Calando.
Finally, just moments before the glacial movement of the clock's minute hand brought her to six o'clock, she heard another ring from the front doorbell. She walked as fast as she could manage in the heels, her heart pounding in her chest, and feeling her face flush slightly as the feel of the wool sliding back and forth across her nakedness sent tingles through her body.
She looked through the small frosted glass pane in the center of the door and could just make out enough to see that it was a stranger dressed in some kind of formal uniform again. She hesitated for a moment, wondering what she'd look like to a stranger. She was always very proper about the way she dressed. She was thrilled by the feelings welling up in her, but at the same time horrified because it was so against how she usually presented herself in public. She took a deep breath and cracked the door open.
On her doorstep was an elderly gentleman in a gray jacket and matching pants wearing a chauffer's hat that bore the logo of a local company that provided private cars to business executives. He had a friendly face and a broad smile as he asked if she was ready to go. She noticed a black Mercedes parked in the driveway behind her own car as she fumbled for an answer to his question. At first she contemplated grabbing her purse, but she remembered how he had carefully underlined the word "everything" in his first note. She decided to trust him as she stepped out onto her porch and pulled the door shut behind her.
The driver politely gestured her toward the car as he strolled to open the passenger side rear door for her. If he was at all taken aback by how she was dressed, he showed none of it. She wondered about all the interesting things he'd undoubtedly seen driving businessmen around in private cars over the years. It occurred to her that her situation might be relatively tame by comparison. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but feel a growing mixture of embarrassment and excitement as she bowed and dropped into the back seat, twisting to avoid having her skirt ride up to show any more skin than it already was. Once in the car, there was no way to sit without her skirt riding up just inches below the growing moistness between her legs. The driver seemed to sense her discomfort and politely looked away as she finally situated herself in the back of the car.
As she sat into the deep but comfortable seat, the short skirt rode up so that she could feel the cool black leather upholstery against the backs of her thighs and even a little on her exposed buttocks. She shifted several times, tugging at the skirt to get more coverage, but quickly realized it was futile. Under the dome light, she noticed that her hardening nipples were clearly visible against the silk fabric of her top.
Taking his place at the wheel the driver questioningly stated "Lovely, evening we're having, eh, ma'am"?
"Yes, it is." She replied. An uncomfortable silence ensued in which she expected him to say something else, wondering what she would say if he asked her where she wanted him to driver her. Apparently he had already been told of her destination, however, as he said nothing, angling the car smoothly onto the interstate toward downtown. Finally she screwed up enough courage to ask if him if he knew where she was going, her voice trembling slightly as the words left her lips.
Again, if he was at all surprised by the question he did not show any of it. Instead replying in his comfortable and friendly style: "I was instructed to drive you to the Four Seasons Hotel, ma'am, and to make sure you arrive by six-thirty."
"Okay. Thanks." She timidly replied.
As she began thinking about why her love would have her so mysteriously taken to a hotel by private car, dressed as she was, the driver reached back over his shoulder to extend a white envelope to her. "I was also instructed to give this to you."
