Heather let herself into the house, kicking off her high-heels the second she set foot inside the door. She was taking the afternoon off; getting things ready for what she was hoping would be a night to remember. The suit jacket was next to go, tossed haphazardly across the arm of the couch. She would need it again later but for now, it'd be too warm.
She'd been storing things away for this night ever since the first hints of cupids and candy hearts had hit the shelves. Valentine's Day was never a big deal for Heather and Cori - to them it was just another day in the year. That was what was going to make tonight such a surprise. There was no way Cori would be expecting the night that Heather had been planning. At least, she hoped not. Cori had a sixth sense when it came to Heather and her little schemes. The fact that Heather had an almost child-like enthusiasm for the world in general had a lot to do with it. But she'd tried to be sneaky, stashing items in the closets or little nooks she knew Cori would never look into. If anyone asked, she wasn't at all interested in the 'over-marketed, exploited' holiday that fell on February fourteenth of every year. That was all about to change.
First thing's first, she had to start getting dinner ready. The Cornish hens were hiding in the back of the freezer and she pulled them out, unwrapping them and sitting them in the microwave to defrost. While that was going on she pulled out the dried cherries in amaretto she had mixed together before she'd left for work that morning. They were definitely ready and she nearly did a little dance in the kitchen. This was going to be an amazing dinner and she hoped it tasted as good as it sounded. She checked the hens, frowning when she saw they were still partly frozen. Resetting the microwave she started to sauté the celery and onion, mixing it with the cherries and breadcrumbs. Now that the stuffing was made she pulled the Cornish hens out of the microwave, scooping the stuffing mixture into them and putting them into the oven.
For a moment Heather was afraid she wouldn't be able to get everything done before Cori got home from work but she relaxed when she looked at the clock. It wasn't nearly as late as it suddenly felt and she got to work on dessert, homemade chocolate covered strawberries. She'd picked out the best ones she could find at the grocery store the other day and nearly had to smack Cori's hand to keep her from taking them to work in her lunch. Breaking the chocolate into the top pan she started to hum, her stocking feet sliding across the tile as she moved to the tune in her head.
She stirred the chocolate as it melted, trying not to let her mind wander. The last thing she needed was to scorch the stuff and have to start over, that was for sure. There wasn't enough time for that. She was running a mental checklist through her head when she heard a knock at the door. Hoping it was the flower delivery she turned down the burner, wiping her hands on a towel as she hurried to the door. Heather couldn't even see the man thanks to the bouquet he was holding and she laughed, taking the vase from him with a huge smile. "Right on time, thank you!" she said, the flowers going on the end table for the time being so she could sign the delivery receipt. She waited while he went back to the van, returning with a large bag of rose petals and she made sure to tip him generously for his efforts. When he gave her a wink as he walked away she wondered what was going through his mind. 'Probably thinks I'm an old maid looking to keep depression away,' she thought, and then giggled. It couldn't be further from the truth.
Heather put the vase of flowers on the table, the bag of rose petals going into the fridge until she finished making dessert. The chocolate was melted completely now and she turned off the heat, lining a cookie sheet with parchment paper to place the strawberries on once they were coated. As she dipped she was finally able to relax. Everything was going perfectly so far, and she was certain that Cori would be completely shocked by all the effort she had put in. Creating a night like this was something that Heather had always wanted to do, but could never find the right time until now.
Strawberries were done and Heather was grateful that she'd cleaned out the fridge the previous weekend so there was a shelf to put the cookie sheet on. She checked the Cornish hens before making the honey glaze that was supposed to go on them, unable to keep from tasting it herself. A wicked grin crossed her lips as she thought of all the other ways she could use any glaze that may be leftover, making another mental note to make sure she saved it. Leaving the glaze on the counter she double-checked the timer and then grabbed the bag of rose petals. The idea of scattering them throughout the condo always seemed a little cheesy to her but she was pulling out all the stops tonight. Inhaling the sweet scent, she took out a handful of petals, their silkiness nearly begging her to run them across her skin. Heather refrained, however, starting to scatter them from the front door to the stairs, knowing she'd have to step carefully not to crush them on her way back down, not wanting to spoil the effect before Cori could see it. She kept scattering petals through the hall to the master bedroom, where she took a moment to make the bed before adorning it as well. Stepping back, she admired the view before going into the guest room to get a few of the items she'd hidden there especially for tonight.
Heather had bought the required huge teddy bear and heart-shaped box of chocolates, but that was only the beginning. She had also made a private trip to the closest adult shop to their house, buying a few select items that she and Cori had always contemplated but had never actually purchased. Heather put one in particular in the bathroom, the rest fanning across the bed in front of the bear and chocolates, and the end result would have looked quite humorous if it wasn't such a promise of things to come. Clad only in her navy blue skirt, white button-down and bra, she went back into the kitchen, applying some of the glaze to the hens, which were starting to turn a nice golden color. She set the table, using the china Cori had received as a housewarming gift from her grandmother. The bouquet of roses and wildflowers was the centerpiece, and she added silverware and glasses to complete the look. That completed, Heather did a quick walk-through of all the rooms, hanging a red heart-shaped light in the front window as a final touch. There. Everything was set now, except for her.
Knowing she'd probably hurt the rose petals if she went back upstairs, Heather had thought to bring her make-up down that morning, sitting her little case in the second bathroom. With everything else done she could concentrate on herself so she headed in there, checking herself out in the mirror. Her make-up from the morning was still there so she just needed a little touching up so she got to work, applying just a little more blush and eye shadow along with the dark red lipstick she had purchased especially for tonight. Heather unbuttoned her white shirt next, unsnapping her bra. This is where the bag she'd grabbed from upstairs came into play. Heather had bought herself a red lace bra, the color almost exactly matching her lipstick. She put that on and looked at her reflection in the mirror. There was just one thing missing, and Heather smiled to herself. Going back into the living room, she grabbed the suit jacket she'd discarded earlier. She slipped it on, buttoning all three buttons so just a tiny bit of the bra peeked out. She double-checked her reflection then and nodded. It looked even better than she'd hoped.
The champagne was chilling in a silver bucket and Heather was just applying the last round of glaze to the Cornish hens when she heard the door open. "Welcome home, babe!" she called out from the kitchen, and in response she got a gasp of surprise. Smiling huge, she stepped out of the kitchen, batting her eyes in what she hoped was as innocent of a look as she could muster. "What is it?" she asked, as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on.
Cori's eyes were wide when she saw Heather, and the surprised look on her face slowly changed into a wanting smile. "Well hello there beautiful," she said, taking off her coat. "Would it be rude of me if I asked what all this was for?"
Heather walked over, licking her lips. "I just thought that I should do something special this year. I hope you don't mind." The look on Cori's face said she definitely didn't mind at all, but Heather couldn't help but tease. This was going over better than she could have hoped. When Cori grabbed her by the hips and pressed their bodies together, she wrapped her arms around Cori's neck. "Trust me, baby, you haven't seen anything yet."
Cori leaned in, kissing her long and deep. Her hands immediately roamed to Heather's ass and she moaned when she realized that Heather was wearing nothing underneath her skirt. "You naughty girl," she murmured, their lips still together. "Someone is wanting my undivided attention tonight."
That made Heather laugh and she nipped at Cori's bottom lip, then licked the spot lightly. "Like that's different from any other night?" She pulled back just a bit, sliding Cori's jacket off, leaving the puddle of black fabric on the floor. She worked open the two top buttons and the three lower ones of Cori's shirt as well, so only one kept her from being completely exposed. "Come sit at the table," she said, her eyes sparkling. "I'll get dinner out of the oven."
"You cooked?" Cori asked, her voice teasing. "Does that mean I'll be calling for pizza before it's all over?
