The Anniversary

You shake the cobwebs from you head as you hear someone walking into your house, not sure who it is due to your open door policy you adjust yourself a bit and get up to greet them.

“James! I’m glad you’re here, is Melanie back from the store yet?” You silently thank the old gods and the new that you thought to adjust yourself as it’s none other than Clair Moore, your best friend and commune co-founder. “Not yet Sis! Can I ask why the surprise visit, not that I ever mind. Don’t tell me you found another cat haha.”

She sticks her tongue out at you for your jab. “Not yet, and you know you love it when I give you another furry niece or nephew. I DID come over here to make sure you were all ready for tonight, but since you’re going to be mean I’ll just leave.” In a playful “Hmph” she turns and makes her way to the door. “Oh stop it Sis, you know I like messing with you. I’m grateful you thought to check in, but I promise I’m ready for tonight.”

She looks at you with a knowing glance. There are no secrets between the two of you, having known each other going on 14 years now, and co-founding this commune only made you closer. “Are you sure? We both know you always forget the most crucial piece of the puzzle when you plan something big like this.” Her grin worries you for a moment, but you run over everything aloud.

“I should be good. I’ve got her favorite meal prepped and ready to be cooked, I managed to snag some of the good wine we stored away, I took a half day at work so I could clean the house bow to stern, and I even went out and bought her some bath salts for a hot bath later on. This night is going to be perfect.” After running through your plan, you briefly regained your confidence that everything will go off without a hitch.

You couldn’t have lucked out more, as Melanie had to go on a supply run today as well. Then, Clair has to embarrass you, and your carefully laid plan. “You told me you were going to propose tonight correct? You trusted me with keeping the ring after all.” Uh oh. Where was this going? “Well of course. You know I trust you more than anyone else here, and I couldn’t keep the ring in the house otherwise Melanie would have found it. Why?” Their grin turns into their trademarked, full on, evil smile and the words that come out of their mouth next chills you.

“Proposing would go a lot better if you had remembered to retrieve the ring from me, wouldn’t it?” Your blood goes cold. “Shit…” You can’t believe you remembered to buy bath salts, and forgot to get the ring back from Clair. She started chuckling at your despair. “Don’t worry James, that’s why I’m here. All jokes aside, I’m unbelievably happy for you and can’t wait for you and Melanie to come over tomorrow and ‘surprise’ us with the news.” You can’t help but smile. “You’re the best, Sis.”

As you go to grab the box in her hand, she pulls it out of your reach and says “Don’t think for a second I will let you live this down though.” Another mocking tongue to seal the embarrassment, and she relents to giving you the ring. “First Santa gives me grief for his nickname becoming wide spread, and now you’ve got another thing to bully me with. When will I ever get something to mock you for, huh?” They do a little twirl as they walk outside, their newly dyed blue hair shining in the light, and they say “You’ll never have something to hold over me. I’m your Big Sister after all.” and then laughs on their way back to their house next door.

You sigh dejectedly as you hide the ring. How could you have almost ruined this night like that? Your 5 year anniversary with Melanie, the night you decided to propose, and you almost forget the fucking ring of all things? “Oh well. I might as well start dinner; she should be back any minute now.” You enjoy talking to yourself most days; it helps keep the anxiety at bay and breaks up the loneliness. Not long after, maybe 15 minutes later, you hear a set of footsteps walking on the path outside and rush to ready the last couple touches of the meal.

“Jaammeesss! I’m back!” You love hearing her voice. You love everything about her really, and you can’t wait to get this anniversary started. “Welcome back hot stuff! Get anything good in your travels, or did you just get the supplies and a candy bar like usual?” Seeing her reaction you can’t help but laugh. She’s so predictable with her sugar addiction, it’s adorable. “I’ll have you know I only bought one Twix bar just to have something to nibble on while I drove back.” He crossed her arms below her chest, doing wonderful things to your libido.

“You’re adorable when you get defensive, you know that?” She goes to punch your arm, but you nimbly dodge her for a few moments, making her chase you around the living room before you stop abruptly and grab her into a tight embrace. “I love you Melanie Brown. Happy Anniversary.” She’s stunned for a moment before softening in your arms. “I love you even more handsome. I can’t believe it’s been 5 years already.” You go to kiss her forehead, but she twists and pulls you in for a deep kiss on the lips.

What starts as merely a passionate kiss begins to turn into a duel of wills almost. Both of you begin trying to outdo the other with you mouths, fighting for supremacy as you always do. While you always enjoy her trying to win these duels, it only serves to egg you on. You pull away and say “I know your game beautiful. Just because I’m a bit thick in the head doesn’t mean I’ll fall for your traps.

Dessert will wait till after dinner, unlike our first date.” She returns your smile with a faux innocence that sets your heart a glow. “Don’t beg just yet. I planned a whole night of activities, and I won’t let your feminine wiles sway my judgment. Now come on, dinner will get cold.” She gives you a smoldering look before saying “Oh believe me, your real dinner will stay hot as long as it needs to be.”

You think about throwing away the whole plan and just proposing to her now so you can skip to the fun part, but you steel your resolve and usher her to the table before you change your mind. “Down girl! If you won’t let me pamper you for a bit, I’ll have to punish you later on.” This banter only serves to weaken your own resolve, but you can’t help it. “Is that a promise?” Shit. Focus, man focus. “Just sit there and behave. I spent half the day prepping everything for tonight, and I will be allowed to play housewife for at least an hour before you steal me away to the bedroom to use me like a living dildo.”

She laughs musically as you lay out the first course tonight, a homemade turnip and leek soup that you had learned while living in Ireland years back. You knew it was one of her favorites, and it would set the mood for the evening well. “Firstly, one of your favorites, my infamous turnip and leek soup, along with some fresh bread that Clair delivered to me today.” Clair always was a magician when it came to baked goods. She thought about opening an edible weed business before you both decided on building this place, and as you remember that you hope she didn’t give you the wrong bread.

“She didn’t slip anything into this right? We both know that the night will end a lot sooner than either of us hopes if this is anything more than wheat bread!” You can’t help but laugh at how in sync your thoughts are with your girlfriend. “She knows it’s our anniversary! She wouldn’t be THAT cruel. … I hope.” All your doubts are assuaged when you bit into the first slice, noticing it may be one of her tastiest loafs to date. “Mmmmm. She really did great this time. Well if this is how our anniversary starts, I can’t wait to see where things go from here.”

You grin evilly as she says that, knowing that the night will go exactly as you planned after all. “Oh just you wait. I think I’ll surprise you a couple times tonight with what I have in store. We’ve got easily another hour or two until dessert.” Again, those pleading puppy dog eyes, but this time she drops the act as quick as she starts. She must feel as happy as you do about tonight, and you can’t help but wonder if she knows what you have planned…