This is a 2018 Winter Holiday Contest entry. If you enjoy the story, please consider voting.
I'd like to give a very special thanks to Carlie for editing and improving the story. She was so great to work with. I truly appreciate her help.
And as always, I welcome your comments, feedback and emails. I love hearing from you.
Enjoy.
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Heather let out a huge yawn as she stretched in bed and rolled over expecting to find her husband peacefully sleeping. Instead she found a pile of rose pedals and a folded note with her name written in calligraphy on the cover.
Had it already been a year? Her body was absolutely giddy with excitement as she opened the card and read it aloud.
To my beautiful, amazing wife,
Enjoy your special day. I splurged a bit this year, but you deserve this and so much more.
I want you to savor every single second and live out your dreams. Just remember there's only one rule to follow.
You are my best friend, my partner, and my lover.
Enjoy!
Forever yours, Paul
Heather's heart fluttered. This was without a doubt her favorite day of the year. It started out years ago when they were first dating and working multiple jobs just to make rent. Exhausted and unable to take any real vacations, Paul coordinated a day just for Heather to relax. Since they didn't have much money, the first time he gave her a picnic in the park where they sipped cheap Champagne and he let her spend the afternoon peacefully reading her books in the comfort of their tiny apartment, which he had decorated temporarily as her private sanctuary.
That was years ago and much has changed since then. They both completed their MBAs, eventually rose to higher and higher positions in their companies and bought a nice condo in a downtown high rise. It was still a fairly modest place, but the master bedroom alone was bigger than their whole first apartment.
Even with all that changed, many things stayed the same. Like their work ethic. They lived their whole adult lives working around the clock and that would never change. It's one of the reasons they both rose to the ranks of SVPs in their companies. To them it was just doing what was necessary and didn't even feel like work.
They still didn't treat themselves to any fancy vacations, even though they could afford to travel the world without a thought. They chose to stay home so they wouldn't miss out on work. It was a bit foolish, but it was a part of who they were.
As a replacement for the sacrifices they made year-round, they continued with the tradition of having an annual special day just for Heather on the Friday before Christmas where Paul curated a day of extravagant and indulgent surprises. Paul dubbed it Heather's Pleasure Day years ago and the name stuck.
Each year Paul outdid himself planning something more and more elaborate than the last. After the first inaugural year with the picnic, Paul planned fancier dinners, entertainment and the best foods money could buy. But in the last few years, a new development started to take place. Slowly, as if seducing her one year at a time, Paul introduced more and more teasing, sexy activities for the indulgent day.
One year she was treated to a burlesque show with choreographed male dancers joining in. The kind of show didn't exist. He had to have had it specially created just for Heather. The year after that, he arranged for topless men to serve her grapes as she watched her favorite movie in a rented-out theatre. Each year, he pushed the envelope a little more getting her out of her comfort zone. Slowly she began realizing it was something she always wanted but never admitted to herself. A side of her she had buried deep down, covered up by work and responsibility and societal norms.
But not on this day. Her body practically quivered at what he might have in store for her. The words lingered in her mind, they only had one rule to follow. She knew the rule well: whatever happened during the day, you couldn't mention it to anyone. Ever. Not even Paul.
It was both tantalizing and frustrating at the same time. It was a way to remove the guilt of enjoying such extravagant luxury without having to worry about it. There were times she wanted nothing more than to tell all her girlfriends of the luxurious treats of the day and was frustrated she couldn't. And there were times she was grateful she couldn't share what happened. It was an awfully delightful catch 22. She squeezed her legs and held the letter to her chest, giggling playfully.
There was one final note on the letter.
P.s. If my timing is right, your first surprise should be just arriving now.
She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Her heart raced.
"Come in." She said anxiously as she pulled the sheets up and over her chest.
A handsome gentleman walked in with a tray. "Breakfast in bed for the lady of the day." He said with a smile. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, clean cut, muscular but not too much.
Mmm, where did Paul find this guy?
"Thank you." She smiled and held the sheets tightly to her chest. The fact she only had on a thin nightgown that covered very little of her was not lost on her. It was a bit nerve wracking having a complete stranger in the confines of her own private bedroom where only a few thin pieces of fabric separated her naked body from him, but it also gave her butterflies for what was to come.
The young gentleman set the tray over her lap and lifted the cover off the plate. "Eggs Benedict, toast and Champagne. Just as you like." He said softly. "Is there anything else I can get for you at this time?"
She smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks."
"Very well. Here is some reading material for you. I will be back to check on you in a bit."
He placed a stack of magazines next to her. She flipped through and saw everything from Popular Science, to US Weekly, to Playgirl. She blushed at the thought of knowing that strange man was aware she had a magazine filled with naked men for her viewing pleasure. Paul knew she care for watching much porn, and figured his main intention was just to make her blush.
She slowly ate her breakfast and sipped Champagne while she flipped through the magazines. By the time she was finished eating, she had skimmed through all of the magazines. Almost all of them.
She saw the Playgirl sitting next to her and shrugged her shoulders. What the hell...why not? She thought to herself as she picked it up and again giggled like a school girl.
She didn't really know what to expect, but it was not quite like she imagined. It mostly had photos of gorgeous men half clothed. Heather was both relieved and disappointed. Just seeing random penises was not really a huge turn on for her, but now that she got this far, she was hoping to see something gratuitous.
