I lay there for several hours, with your sleeping head resting on my chest. I ran my fingers through your hair, while my mind worked away at The Plan. I was torn between two evils.
The Package was arriving today. Any minute, the delivery man would arrive, and my plans would be ruined. If you were awoken by the sound of the bell, you would ask. And I would have to tell you. I cannot lie to you. But, The Plan would be ruined. Weeks and weeks of research and preparing thrown away. The element of surprise was key.
Quietly I slipped from beneath your arm, laying your head on the down pillows that had been supporting my body. I watched as you nested in, falling deeper into post-coital sleep, unaware of anything wrong in the world. I slid into my linen pants, and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind me. I slowly walked down the stairs, trying hard to make as little noise as possible. After the night of passion we had just had, I did not think you would wake, but I was taking no chances.
I walked into the kitchen, and opened the refrigerator. I took out the pineapple juice and poured a tall glass for myself, laughing silently. Pineapple juice is a cliche, but I was taking no chances. I opened the drawer to the left of the stove, and grabbed the screwdriver. Juice in hand, I shut the drawer, and made my way to the front hallway. I stopped next to the doorbell, and unscrewed the cover. I quickly unscrewed the wire from its terminal, and let it rest to the side, then replaced the cover. Short of opening it up, you would never know.
I replaced the screwdriver, then walked out to the front porch, sipping on my juice. The late evening air was humid without being oppressive. It was just enough to give the skin a healthy glow, a light sheen accenting the muscular shadows. I stared off into the evening sun lazily descending into the horizon when I saw the movement.
The stirring of the leaves was my first sign. I watched intently, sipping on my pineapple juice, as the rustling of the leaves got closer. There was the delivery truck. I watched as the driver slowed, reading numbers on the sides of houses. As he got closer, I walked to the end of the sidewalk, and waved. I knew where he was going, even if he didn't. As he pulled into the driveway, the driver jumped with the rapidity of a man with a long day to go, before he could rest.
He approached with The Package under his arm, clipboard extended. As I signed my name, I glanced back at the window, to make sure you hadn't awoken and seen the delivery. As I looked back, the driver caught my eye, and grinned. He knew what The Package was, and knew what it was for. I had specifically requested that he go and pick it up personally, so that no mistakes would be made. With a nod, and a knowing grin, he waved and hopped into his truck. I stood there, my feet soaking up the afternoon heat of the pavement, as I watched the truck fade into the distance.
I walked back into the house, The Package under my arm. Entering the kitchen, I was chilled by the cool of the tile hitting my warmed feet. I finished off my juice, and put the glass into the dishwasher. I walked down the hall, and set The Package by the top of the stairs, leading to the basement.
With a contented sigh, I went upstairs and saw you sleeping happily with the covers draped over half of your body. Rather than hiding your figure, the folds and curves only served to accentuate your lines. I felt a stirring below, but I forced myself to be calm and fight the feeling. Tonight would be a night where control was an absolute requirement.
I walked to the bed, and sat on the edge. I ran my fingers through your hair, caressing your face, until you stirred. You looked up at me with sleepy eyes, and smiled sleepily. I quietly gave you your instructions.
"My dear, you are welcome to sleep as long as you like. The longer the better. But, when you wake, you are not allowed to leave the bedroom or the bathroom. The rest of the house is off-limits, until I come get you."
Your brow furrowed with confusion at first, but then relaxed. You trusted me. I kissed your forehead, as you slipped back into dreams. Quietly, I stepped across the room, slowly pulling the door shut behind me. I thought of locking it, but quickly shook off the idea. You trusted me.
And I trusted you.
I walked down the stairs to the kitchen, and poured myself another glass of pineapple juice. Its sweetness always caught me off guard, and ravaged my taste buds. The distinctive taste stood out amongst the scents lingering in the air, cutting through to find just the right combination to send an electric thrill down my spine. I smiled inwardly, as I recalled that the taste of you had the same effect on me. That in itself, was the single biggest reason why I had developed such an affinity to the juice I now drank so often. It's taste, though not the same, brought back the memories of tasting you.
I walked down the hall, carefully picking up The Package and descended the stairs, the Berber carpeting massaging the soles of my feet. When I reached the landing at the bottom, I seated myself on the stair, and set The Package next to me. Looking around the room, I marveled at the accomplishment. For eight weeks, I had planned and worked, all before your eyes. Many nights, after a feast of lovemaking, I would slip away into the night, to come down here and work. You accepted it all with an extraordinary patience, granting me the free reign to do with the basement whatever I chose. Fondly, my mind was taken away in reverie.
When I first told you that I wanted to refinish the basement, you had laughed good-naturedly. The previous owners had already finished it, and it was perfectly acceptable, if not noteworthy. With a kiss on the cheek, you gave me free reign to create whatever I chose, and on that night, The Plan began.
You watched with curiosity as I set up a small desk for the computer, with a bookshelf next to it. Many times, you asked if I wanted a better chair than the crude wooden one I used to work on the computer for hours, but I declined. The wooden chair served my purposes perfectly, and only assisted in keeping you in the dark about my plans. You watched as the bookshelf filled with books of all kinds, carpentry, plumbing, novels, erotica..... everything was represented on that shelf.
As the days passed, you lost interest, and left me to the creative energies that raced through my mind. After a week or so, you no longer came down the stairs. Whenever you began to call down to me, I appeared, a smile on my face and a gleam in my eye. You no longer cared what was down there, so long as the passion it instilled remained. Every night, we wrestled, two bodies entwined until we lost track of where own bodies began and ended.
Shortly thereafter, you heard the sounds of construction: the whine of the saw, the slam of the hammer, the high pitched squeal of a measuring tape sliding into place. You could smell the faint sweetness of hot pine, where a board had just been sawn, the metallic tang of metal being driven into concrete, the clean smell of carpet, freshly unrolled.
But, you never came down. It was no longer a lack of interest. Now it was respect. You knew I would show you my project when it was completed. And, knowing my thoroughness, you knew that the result would take your breath away, in more ways than one.
Suddenly two weeks ago, I no longer spent the evenings downstairs. I was once again by your side. That first night, I prepared a feast for the two of us, with no extravagance spared. The crab was matched perfectly with a drawn butter that defied description. The filet, smothered in a thermidor sauce, small pieces of lobster adding to the already exquisite richness.
Every night, you were spoiled more, the decadence increasing until the escapades of last night. Not one, but two mystery lovers, ravishing your body, nothing more than sexual objects for your satisfaction. And now The Package had finally arrived.
With that realization, I glanced at The Package sitting next to me. No more than two feet by one foot, 6 inches deep. After all I had planned, it had come down to this. I picked The Package up, still wrapped in its brown paper, and walked around the room. My bare feet sunk into the deep pile of the carpet. I reveled in the luxurious feel as I crossed the room, grinning with delight as I stepped onto the terra cotta tiles. The warmth radiating from the floor told me that the water pipes below were functioning correctly. I smiled at the ring pattern there in the tiles, as though I knew a secret about its purpose. I saw the small rectangular depression near the ring, and walked over to it.