Valentine's Gift Mix Up

Mark spent the afternoon sifting through countless bins, aisles and racks at the Fair Oaks Mall until he found the perfect gift for his girlfriend. He had been dating Sarah for two months and wanted to really impress her for Valentine's Day.

He took what he had saved up from his summer job and lined up a stretch limo to take them to dinner at one of the most expensive restaurants in town. He hoped to bring her back to his place and surprise her with her final gift - lingerie.

Knowing that his parents had big plans for Valentine's Day Mark booked an early reservation so that they would have the house to themselves until his parents came home. Mark really wanted to make sure his gift was special so he went to Dillingtons, the high end department store at the mall. He looked through every outfit until he found the perfect thing for Sarah. He chose something that was sexy but not slutty and it cost him. He ended up spending nearly twice what he had budgeted but he figured it was worth it if he would finally get to have sex with his girlfriend.

During the course of their relationship Mark was slowly making progress with Sarah but he had been unable to get her past second base. He decided that a fancy dinner combined with some drinks and the romance of Valentine's Day would be the right combination to take their relationship to the next level.

It was a light pink, open front satin nightie that finally caught his eye among all of the sensual outfits. Trimmed with delicate lace embroidery at the top he knew that her breasts would just be visible through the thin material. The two lace triangles were connected with a small silk bow and from there the rest of the nightie opened up and would leave her entire stomach exposed but framed by the thin satin fabric that draped down on either side.

Mark was closely examining the matching pink satin panties, which also had a silk bow on each side when he was approached by a cute young saleswoman with neatly trimmed brown bangs. He was picturing Sarah's barely covered body when he was abruptly back to reality.

"Can I help you?" Her voice was friendly and engaging."

"Oh, uh..."

Mark's faced turned beet red as he caught himself caressing the thin satin gusset of the panties between his fingers. Thoughts of his girlfriend's delicate pussy running through his mind.

The saleswoman was used to dealing with embarrassed men in the lingerie department and always tried to put them at ease.

She took the outfit from his hands and held it up to admire his selection while allowing him to recover.

"I think that this is an excellent choice. I'm sure you're girlfriend will love it."

She kept her tone even and warm to make sure she didn't scare him off and lose the sale.

The compliment helped him get past his initial embarrassment and he finally chimed in, "I hope so, it sure is expensive."

"I know it can seem like that, but really you can't put a price on something like this. Doesn't your girlfriend deserve the best?"

"Yeah, I umm..." Mark continued to stumble over his words as she jumped back in to save him.

"Can I ring this up for you?"

"Um, yeah I guess. But I still have something else to get first."

"No problem. Why don't I gift wrap this for you and then I can hold it at the register until you're ready. How does that sound?"

Mark wanted nothing more than to get out of the lingerie section and happily agreed to her suggestion. She barely had time to point out where her register was in the back corner before he headed straight towards the main display area where the less provocative gift ideas for men to choose from were.

With the first item checked off his list Mark was off in search of something for his mother. Ever since he was seven years old he had always given his mother a Valentine's Day gift. She would gush over whatever he got her and so he kept the tradition going. This year he was in a giving mood and somehow still had some of his savings left after setting up his special date for his girlfriend.

Mark remembered the last time he was at the mall with his mom a few weeks prior. He noticed how she lingered in front of one of the displays eyeing up a cashmere sweater prominently displayed on a mannequin. He knew that would be the perfect gift for her and filed it away in the back recesses of his mental inventory.

Mark made his way over to the sweaters and was about start searching for the perfect one when he was intercepted by another saleswoman.

"Hi, my name is Marsha. How can I help you today? Let me guess Valentine's Day?"

"Is it that obvious?" Mark was feeling a little better now that he wasn't caught playing with a pair of panties and had loosened up a bit from his previous encounter.

"Well you came to the right place. Are you interested in a sweater?"

"Yeah, I was thinking a nice cashmere sweater would be perfect."

"Oh, she is a lucky girl." Marsha gave his elbow a gentle squeeze and expertly steered him away from the cheaper sweaters and into the higher end merchandise.

"Let me show you what we just got in."

She held up a cream colored cashmere sweater for him.

"What do you think?"

Mark reached out and was amazed at how soft it felt. He knew that his mother would love it right away but worried about the cost.

"You may not notice it but the cut of this sweater is totally new. Your girlfriend will love how this just hugs her body, and I'm sure you will too."

Marsha flashed a quick smile and winked as she teased him.

"Oh, actually this is for my mom."

"I'm sorry, I just assumed... Don't worry, your mother will love it too. It's very stylish and her friends will definitely be jealous."

Mark held up the sweater and managed to discretely get a glimpse of the price tag. The price was higher than he normally spent on his mother by quite a bit but he felt like getting her something special. He was exhausted after spending the morning shopping and just wanted to get home so he told her he would take it and brought it back to the register to have it wrapped. Mark paid for both gifts and then fled the mall feeling both relieved and proud of his choices.

He spent much of the night anticipating his upcoming date and visualizing his girlfriend dressed up in the lingerie he got her. After a good nights rest Mark spent the morning at the gym trying to get himself ready for his big night before making a quick trip to his barber.

It was already late in the afternoon when Mark had finally gotten himself dressed and ready. He pulled out the two gifts from the back of his closet and brought the one for his mother downstairs with him as he waited for his limo to arrive. Mark found his mother, Claire, in the living room dressed in plain slacks and a t-shirt nursing a glass of red wine.

"Hey mom, Happy Valentine's Day!" He crossed the room to give her a hug while offering his gift.

Mark's mother put her glass down and met his embrace with a motherly hug while taking the package in her hand.

"Thank you so much honey, you know I always appreciate your thoughtful gifts."

"Well, this year I really got you something special. It's not the type of thing that I normally get you but I know it will look great on you hope to see you wearing it later."

He felt good about how much he had spent on her and really hoped that she liked it.

"I'm sure, you always get me the perfect thing. But you know you don't need to spend your money on me."

"This was a little more than I usually spend, but I've been saving up all summer. You deserve something special for Valentine's Day and I thought of you as soon as I saw it!"

"You're always so sweet to me. I'm lucky to have such a thoughtful son."

"Hey, why aren't you dressed? Aren't you guys going out tonight?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, your father's flight got canceled and so it looks like I'm all alone tonight. I guess I'll keep myself company."

She reached for her glass and held it up to indicate what her plans were for the night.

"That sucks, I'm sorry mom. You shouldn't be alone on Valentine's day."

"Don't worry about it. You go out and have some fun. I'm sure you have big plans for tonight."Mark blushed as he considered what he had in mind for later in the night and just nodded. It took another moment or two for the realization that he wouldn't be able to bring his girlfriend back to his house. He quickly decided that he would have to see if he could get the limo driver to park somewhere so that they could at least make out a little.

"Well?"

Mark snapped back to reality and realized that his mother was asking about his plans.

"Oh yeah. I made reservations at Antonio's and hired a limo for the night."

"Wow. Big spender, huh?"

"I guess. I worked hard all summer so I figure I might as well enjoy it."

"Well, I'm sure you guys will have a lovely evening. In fact, I'm a little jealous!"

"Don't worry, I know dad will take you out somewhere special to make up for tonight."

"You're right, things tend to get a little more routine after all these years though."

Mark looked down at his watch and realized that his ride should be already be pulling up.

"Sorry mom, I gotta go."

"Go! Have fun!" Claire gave her son a quick peck on the cheek and watched him run out of the house and into the waiting limo. She took a sip of her wine as she wistfully remembered being a reckless youth and then resigned herself to a quiet evening with herself.

The limo pulled up to Sarah's house right on time. He waited nervously as she walked down the path to the car. Sarah always looked for any excuse to dress up and so Mark was surprised at the understated outfit that she was wearing when she got in beside him.

"Mark, we need to talk."

His heart sank as he prepared himself for what turned out to be the most humiliating moment of his life. After a tense silence she continued to explain to him how she needed more from life and just wasn't ready to commit herself to anyone. She had spent the day preparing herself for this conversation and was poised and concise with her words. She let him down gently and then asked the driver to return to her house. Parked at the same spot as moments before she let herself out and closed the door behind her.

Mark was numb as he slowly came to grips with what had just occurred. His perfect plan was shattered before his eyes and now he was alone. It wasn't until he took one last look at Sarah that he noticed that she had taken her gift with her. That final insult was too much for him. Mark turned away and asked the driver to take him back home.

"Did you forget something Honey?"

Mark's mother was still nursing her wine in the living room when he walked in.

"She dumped me." He stood frozen in front of the door and she could see that his eyes were red.

"What?"

"She dumped me."

The words helped to ground him but also forced him to acknowledge the reality of what had just happened to him.

"How could she? On Valentine's Day? You spent so much time planning... Oh Honey!"

Her words gushed out as she put down her wine and wrapped him in a comforting hug. After holding her son for several minutes whispering to him that it would be ok she abruptly pushed him back and looked into his eyes.

"I know! Why don't we go out tonight?"

He couldn't even find words but his dazed look spoke volumes.

"I don't have any plans since your father isn't here and you have the reservations and the limo, right?"

"I uh..."

"It would be a shame to let that go to waste."

Her enthusiasm was becoming infectious and created the distraction that he needed.

"But I sent the limo away."

"Call them back before they give it to someone else. And call Antonio's to see if you can push back the reservation an hour while I go get changed into something presentable."

She stepped back and gave a flourish with he hands to indicate that she thought her current outfit was far too drab for a night out on the town.

"I guess."

"No buts about it. I need to get out of the house and you need to get your mind off of Sarah. Hurry up and make those calls, I'll be right back. Claire grabbed the gift from her son in one hand and her wine glass in the other before bounding up the stairs to her bedroom.

Her curiosity about the special gift from her son was too much for her and she decided to open it before showering. She pulled the gift box from the bag and placed it on her bed. Upon opening the box and pulling back the pink tissue paper she was stunned. Her initial curiosity turned to confusion as she lifted the delicate garment up in front of her.

Claire recognizes the brand and could tell that it must have cost a small fortune but she thought that it was very inappropriate as a gift from a son to a mother. She couldn't help but think that her son at least had very good taste in lingerie but she decided to tell him that although she appreciated it that she thinks he should return it.

While in the shower her mind wanders back to the lingerie. She never wore anything that sexy anymore. Her husband's idea of romance had evolved into a quickie after a romantic comedy. Claire took a good look at herself in the mirror while drying herself off. She thought that she still looked pretty good for a 46 year old married mom. Her short brown hair gave her a youthful look and years of dedicated yoga helped her maintain a smooth and toned body.

The pink lingerie caught her eye as she took stock of her body. She knew she couldn't keep it but decided that there was no harm in trying it on at least. Claire posed in front of the mirror and marveled at how sexy she felt. Her husband hadn't bought her lingerie in years and she missed getting such intimate gifts. She finished her wine in one last sip and noticed that although she thought that she still looked hot that the 'Au Naturale' look clashed with the lace panties. Her wild tangle of pubic hair looked disheveled through the thin material and simply couldn't be contained around the edges.

Feeling self-conscience about her lack of personal grooming she quickly moved back into the bathroom and gave herself a last minute makeover. Moments later she was massaging lotion on her freshly shaved public mound while inspecting her meticulously trimmed landing strip.

Allowing herself one last look at her new pubic style while wearing the panties she decided that she looked much sexier. Realizing that she probably wasted too much time getting ready she quickly returned the lingerie to the gift box and changed into the outfit that she had originally selected to wear with her husband. Claire didn't have many sexy outfits so she had gone shopping for something new just for this occasion. She picked out a tight red dress that absolutely molded itself to every curve of her body. The hem came to just above her mid-thigh and the top was cut deep enough to offer a modest amount of cleavage. A quick stop at her vanity and she was finally ready to head out with her son for the night.

Mark had been busy with his arrangements and was anxious when his mother came back down. He barely noticed her outfit as he led her through the front door and into the limo. The one thing he did notice was that she wasn't wearing her new cashmere sweater. Mark decided not to dwell too much on it but still felt further beaten down by yet another disappointment.

The inside of the limo was lined with red lights strung along ceiling. Light jazz played from surround sound speakers and a cold bottle of champagne was arranged on the table with two glasses to set the mood.

Claire took some time to explore since she had never been in a stretch limo before. While she was still checking every interior detail the driver rolled down the divider and to encouraged them to drink the champagne, adding that it was part of the romance package. Wasting no time Claire poured two glasses and handed one to her son.

"Cheers!" Her voice was bright and airy as she held up her glass.

"Thanks mom." The sound of clinking glasses blended in with the jazz music playing in the background.

"I think you should call me Claire tonight. After all, we are on a date right? And the romance package too..." Claire gave her son a wink as she teased him.

He picked up on her playful but mocking tone which helped lift his mood.

"Sure, mo..." He caught himself before finishing, "Claire."

They both finished their first glass and she poured a second round before he had the nerve to ask her about her gift.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well I was just hoping you might wear it tonight."

"Oh, well. Honey, about that. I don't think that would really be appropriate do you?"

Mark figured that she was referring to wearing a sweater with her dress.

"I suppose, but do you like it?"

"Well, it's very nice but..." She was unsure how to break it to him without making him feel uncomfortable.

"But what?"

"Don't you think it's a bit much?"

Again Mark misunderstood her misgivings and thought that she was worried about the price.

"I thought of you as soon as I saw it and knew it would be prefect!"

"Really? You thought of me when you saw it?"

"Of course, I think the color will look amazing on you. I just hope I got the right size. Will you try it on for me later?"

Claire was blushing at the thought of her son was picturing her in such revealing lingerie. She finished off her glass in one gulp before he topped her off again. She was stunned by how forward her son was being but was also a little flattered, partly as a result of the alcohol.

She decided that he was just teasing her and tried to change the topic just as they pulled up to the restaurant.

Antonio's was jam packed by the time that they walked in and it was clear that they would have to wait for their table to be ready. Mark was lucky that he was able to convince them to take them an hour later so he was happy to get what he could take.

A young waiter guided them to the bar while they waited for their table to be ready. Claire, still feeling a little flustered from the inappropriate gift and her son's forwardness in the limo, ordered herself a dirty martini. Mark ordered a beer.

The noise level in the room was so loud that they could hardly hear each other so instead of talking they enjoyed their drinks while watching the commotion in the restaurant. By the time they were waved over to their table Claire just finishing her martini while Mark left his half finished beer on the bar.

Given the extra demand on Valentine's Day, they were seated at a small two-top that was wedged in between the other larger tables. Claire took the liberty of ordering the wine, knowing that she was more comfortable selecting one than her son would be. While their waiter was pouring their glasses she attempted to pick up the conversation on a different, less controversial topic.

Mark and his mother discussed his college work over crispy roast chicken and mashed sweet potatoes. They both opted for the chocolate cake dessert paired with a small glass of port. Though the food was immaculate, between the crowd, noise and rushed service they were both relieved to take care of the check and head back into the cool night. Waiting for them in the limo was a tray of chocolate covered strawberries and another bottle of champagne, which they both happily indulged in during the ride home.

"Thanks for the great night out Honey!" Claire leaned into her son and gave him a side hug as they pulled up the the house.

"No problem, I had a great time too." Mark was relieved that he was able to turn his mood around and get his mind off of Sarah even if only for the one night.

"So, how about a nightcap?"

"Sure." Mark held the door open for his mother who made a beeline for the bar and poured two large cognacs. She didn't normally drink it but decided that it was a special occasion.