I flopped down on the sofa and ripped the paper off a DVD collection of Bruce Lee movies. I smiled happily and appreciatively as I leaned over and kissed Wesley. “Thank you! I love it! Let’s watch ’em now!” I said eagerly.
“What about the card?” Wesley asked, accepting my kiss while picking up the envelope from the floor and pulling it from the wrapping paper.
I blushed lightly and opened the business-size envelope. I pulled out a sheet of cardstock cut to the size of the envelope and smiled at the bright colors and the clip art of a bouquet of balloons, a birthday cake, and even a clown. In the upper-left corner “One Day Only!” was printed in yellow and red ink. “Birthday Coupon: I will do anything you say on Monday, January 25th” was printed in the center and at the bottom in a smaller font: “Excludes windows and laundry. Other restrictions may apply. See issuer for details.”
I looked up at Wesley, on the verge of tears, because this birthday coupon was so ridiculously cute. Just the fact that he took the time to make up this cheesy yet adorable card was so sickeningly sweet that I hugged him so tight I could feel his ribs.
“It—it’s so cute!” I finally managed to say, nearly squealing. Wesley recognized my excitement for what it was and blushed. I never thought it was in his disposition to do something this sappy and it made him all the cuter. “I love it! Thank you,” I cooed, hugging him again and planting kisses on his lips, which only embarrassed him more.
“So, um, you want breakfast?” he asked, standing up with flushed cheeks.
I looked up at him and fluttered the coupon against my lips. “No, not right now,” I said, glancing up and down his figure. “I want something better.” I held up the coupon and smiled lasciviously. “Strip.”
Wesley’s eyes widened and a smile turned the corner of his mouth. He looked me over and nodded, then walked to the middle of the living room. He gathered up his shirt at the waist and pulled it over his head and off his arms. My pulse sped up and my body began to warm outward from the pit of my stomach. He dropped his shirt on the floor and began to unbutton his pants. I bit my bottom lip as I watched him unzip and lower his jeans to the floor. He was wearing black boxer-briefs and I gasped at the sight of his stomach and the sparse trail of hairs that disappeared beneath his underwear. He was hard and stretching the cotton fabric to its limit, and he pushed his thumbs down into the elastic waistband.
“Wait,” I murmured with glassy, lustful eyes. Wesley looked at me and grinned. “I want you to kiss me.”
He stepped over his shirt and blue jeans and bent over me with his hand on the back of the couch. He touched my lips and leaned down, kissing me softly and sweetly. I closed my eyes and felt Wesley’s hand drop to my neck and then my chest. His hand glided lightly over my lap and I twitched from the delicate sensation. Wesley pulled his hand and his lips away.
“Anything else you want me to do?” he asked with a smirk.
In a state of dazed arousal, I could only nod. Wesley took my hand and led me to the bedroom when I realized I still had the coupon in my hand. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tapped the top of his head with the cardstock.
“I didn’t really need this, did I?” I asked smugly. Wesley chuckled and shook his head. “That’s all right, because I’m probably gonna need it later,” I said, setting the coupon down on the bedside table.
WE SPENT the majority of the day in bed and on the sofa. Dad called for his annual “happy birthday” conversation and I talked to him for longer than any previous call. Wesley made dinner, grilling hamburgers and making macaroni and cheese. I skipped school and seduced him back to bed around seven.
“There’s something I have to tell you, but I’m not sure if you’re gonna be happy about it or pissed off,” I prefaced, staring at the ceiling. I was holding Wesley in my arms and tousling his hair with my fingers.
“That’s an interesting way to start a conversation,” Wesley said, pushing the back of his head into my shoulder to look up at me.
“Yeah, well….” I hesitated, looking back up to the ceiling. “I got an email from your brother the other day.”
“Oh yeah? What’d he have to say?”
“It was about the wedding,” I answered, feeling Wesley’s body get tense against mine.
“Heh, I should’ve known,” Wesley said in a derisive tone.
I expected this reaction. We had argued about the wedding situation since the beginning of the year. He sounded like a broken record: “If you’re not going, I’m not going.” He was just being stubborn. Scott wanted Wesley to be his best man and without him, Scott wouldn’t have one. They were both stubborn.
“So what’d he have to say this time?” Wesley asked, brushing his fingertips along my forearm.
“He sent a confirmation for plane tickets and booked and paid for a hotel from Thursday to Monday,” I said, nervously awaiting his reaction.
“He what?” Wesley said, rolling onto his stomach. “Why the hell did he…? That moron!” he stuttered, thumping his forehead with the butt of his hand. “He knows! I’ve told him!” he shouted, slamming his fist into the pillow. “That idiot. If he wants to waste his money, that’s fine, but….”
“You’re
