I am driving over to his favorite restaurant. He texts me letting me know that he is going to be a couple hours late because he is in a meeting that has been a lot of back and forth on the contract of a hotshot football player fresh out of college. The bidding war stage was over and the player considers his team to be his first choice and childhood dream, so there are the last few details to negotiate. When I arrived, the host took my shawl and purse and ushered me over to his typically reserved spot overlooking the downtown harbor. There was a candle and rose on the table. The host asked if I would like to start with a seasonal appetizer and paired wine as he pulled out my chair and sat my belongings in the chair closest to the view. I smiled my enthusiasm and eased into the chair. He poured a glass of water, the ice chinking, as he sat the glass down and disappeared back towards the heart of the restaurant. Across from me on the chair was a shopping bag: black handle, white bag with scrolling and elegant grey lettering of a high-end local lingerie shop. An envelope in the same neutral elegance sat on my plate, with the silverware on either side. I ran my thumb under the flap and pulled out the card. In his usual hasty hand, he penned a letter saying that I was to enjoy his gift in the most devious fashion possible, as soon as possible.The server came over with the appetizer and accompanying wine glass. Between small and intense bites of savory masterpieces and sips of wine, I looked from the bag containing my gift and the sun sinking behind the city skyline. The streets below were a network of pulsing and flickering lights- the transition of energy at a steady beat. My phone was silent but my heart was in tune with the excited pulse below us. The server came out to refill my glass and he told me that they received a message from him, my lover and that he will arrive soon and that dinner was already on order. I smiled and thanked him and he went back to the front of the house. I wiped my mouth and hands and stood up and walked around the table and peered into the bag. A white and black gift box and small note card were leaning back inside the bag. I sat it on the table and reached in for the other object. An object that I knew that would bridge the gap between time spent apart and the desire that rose in me with a quickening breath and twinge in my groin. The note card read with a more controlled and elegant style, “Enjoy,” and he signed it with equal grace, “Yours.” Sounds of chairs scraping against tiles and tables being set up filled the silence. I grabbed the box and headed towards the bathroom.In the corner of my eye, I watched the server and host tracking my movements. The host was leaning up against the bar and the server was kneeling behind, grabbing glasses with his dexterous hands.I pushed into the ladies’ room and sat the gift on the counter. I stood before the large mirror and unzipped my tight, black sheath dress and watched it let it slide down around my ankles. Inside the gift box and nestled in white and gray tissue paper was a delicate grey and black satin and lace lingerie set with small pearls dotting the bust area and at the back “V” of the thong. I removed the black satin underwear set I wore and placed them in the gift box. I stood there naked except for pearl necklace and the garters and black pantyhose. Muffled kitchen sounds filtered through the walls as I stuffed everything back into the boutique’s shopping bag. The lingerie he selected for me in the color of cloudy skies wrapped around my body, hoisting my breasts and adorning the curve of my tender, feminine mound. I slide my stocking feet back into the black pumps. The pearl necklace was tucked back under the collar of the dress and I touched up my red lipstick. A couple of strokes with my fingers and a slow turn of my head side to side shifted my hair back into place and I headed out back to our table and sat back down.After another glass of fragrant and robust wine, watching a sun steadily sinking below the horizon, he sent a text letting me know that he was close– and hard. The server light the single candle and as it flickered to life, its light gave an ethereal internal glow to the table setting.My nipples were straining against the fabric of the dress and I shifted to feel the fabric rub against my chest. I heard a shuffle of feet and the rustle of fabric as the server bent over to refill my glass, his cuff brushing against my arm. I glanced at him and I saw that he was staring at the hard points, clear even on the matte black material. I uncrossed my ankles and crossed them again to feel the press of the new panties against my swollen clit. With heavy lids and a smooth, lustful smile, he assured that the dinner was specially selected by my lover and was the newest entrée, while still looking at my chest. My hand reached out to the stem of the wine glass and stroked it. When his eyes shifted to where my fingers played with the hard, smooth surface, I thanked him for his exceptional service and he blushed. My eyes caught sight of a “new item” apparent in his pelvic region.I text my lover telling him that the food, wine, and service has been a wonderful start of the evening so far. The sun was now a thin bright line on the horizon and the thrumming nightlife pressed against the window and prickled at my skin. The interior of the restaurant was starting to fill with people, creating a pleasant wave of subdued noise and sparks of laughter. The ambiance was a surreal combination of dim lighting, the expanse of bright pinpoints of table candlelight, and elegant sweeps of piano jazz. I heard a murmur of conversation coming closer as I looked outside at the harbor below. The scent of his cologne seemed to curl and mix with the music when he came up to the table. The server followed at his elbow with a crisp linen draped over his serving arm and a new bottle of red to suit his tastes. Watching him stand there, adjusting his tie and unbuttoning his jacket as he sat down was like seeing him for the first time, every time. He sat next to me, so we can both look outside and have our backs to the restaurant. The rush of the day was falling away from him and there was a fire in his eyes, boring into mine. He lightly brushed my arm with the back of his fingers. Then it was just us. I stroked his thigh by way of a greeting. He tucked the napkin in his lap and said, “Have you enjoyed your gift?”
