Present, Future Tense
(For M)
"What do you mean, you haven't gotten my present yet?" you ask via text. "It's three days after Christmas and I'm taking the train to New York in a few hours."
"I know, but you need to be with me when we get it. Soon."
If I was in front of you, you'd look up, over your glasses at me in your special, circumspect way. It's the same look you've been giving me, off an on, since we were in high school. You trust me enough to know I have something in mind, but not quite enough to think you'll enjoy your present as much as I will. You might be right about that.
In just a few minutes, I'm on my way to pick you up in my car to drive us into Boston, plenty of time to get a meal and a drink before you hop on the evening train back to the City. At least, that's my excuse to get you bundled into the car earlier than we'd otherwise need to.
I say my hellos and goodbyes to your mom and we load into the car. You look expectantly around your seat for something that looks like a present. Noticing your poorly disguised search, I smirk as I pull out of the driveway and say "soon."
Four o'clock in December and the sky is already dark, headlights illuminating the snowflakes as they go by. My Volvo's seat warmers don't take long to warm us up. It's cold outside, but you wouldn't know it. Your left hand holds my right as I navigate us into Boston, my iPhone issuing gentle directions, to which you consistently reply, "shut up." We both smile at the humor, old now, but warm in its familiarity.
We make an unfamiliar turn onto the city streets of Boston. You look out your window, trying unsuccessfully to read street signs; it's been too long since you lived here to remember where we are in relation to South Station. "Where are we going? We aren't going to eat at the diner near the station we saw last time?"
"We're erranding first. Present time."
You let go of my hand to clap yours together a few times; it's a girlish gesture that makes me smile and feel young, too. I take any chance I can get to evoke such responses from you. We stop at a light and I take the chance to look over at you as you watch people walk, many of them weighted down with shopping bags. "Newberry Street" you half mumble to yourself.
You look at the pedestrians and I look at you. The years haven't just been kindβthey've been downright generous. You were cute in a teenager; now you're beautiful. I put my hand on the far side of your neck, pressing you toward me, your face turning to meet mine as we lean into the space between our seats. We really kiss for the first time in too long and keep at it until the honks from behind us remind me that we have someplace to be.
We park, re-bundle against the cold, and walk a block or two to the shop. I haven't told you where we're going, so you yelp when I suddenly turn us both 90 degrees right and down a half dozen steps into a brownstone shop. The sign above the window says "Agent Provocateur". You half roll your eyes and give a groaning "oh, god" but we walk in and you immediately start rethinking your derision. I give you a slow smile and you begin to get the idea you're going to enjoy this.
We look around, briefly before a pretty young woman introduces herself and offers to assist us. You look at me, draw a breath and open your mouth, but before you can say anything, I draw out a piece of paper from my coat and say "Hi, yeah. We'd like to see the pieces on that list, maybe one or two at a time? In your fitting room. My friend here will be trying some things on. I'll be helping. Oh, and the last two items on the list: the first I'll take wrapped up and the second you can bring in a bag with the last outfit you bring us in the fitting room. Thanks." You softly close your mouth and arch your brows at the preparation I've done; in silence, you let me lead you toward the fitting rooms as the girl starts finding the first few items.
Once inside the small room, we take off our coats and my smile gets bigger. You finally find your voice, playfully slapping me on the shoulder to emphasize your point. "you're getting me lingerie? And you're watching me try it on?"
"I hadn't bought myself a present, eitherβand I've been a good boy this year."
You take this as your cue to switch your tone, bringing your body close to mine. "Yes, you've been a VERY good boy this year." You lean your face up and put your hand around the back of my neck, bringing me down for another deep kiss.
This time we're interrupted by the girl with the first armful of things to try on. She gently clears her throat and says "I'll be back in a couple of minutes to see if you have questions. Or need the next few things" She turns and walks out, closing the door behind her.
"OK, you. Strip." I say it with some humor in my voice, but with another note in it, too. Expectation, maybe? Whatever it is, you look right at me as you begin to untie your boots. Knowing that you're going to be more-or-less naked in a public room with me, a sales woman right outside, you don't know whether to feel more scared or more turned on. I get up out of my chair, still frustratingly clothed, but holding the first few items, first among them a back Mercy corset. "This first." And I take you by the shoulders and spin you around so that you and I are both facing he mirror, me directly behind you.