Better Than Roses

                                                 When I was younger I placed a lot more emphasis on Valentines Day. I wanted romance and grand gestures and frequently I ended up disappointed. As I've gotten older I've placed less importance on all the hoopla surrounding this holiday and find myself pleasantly surprised more often then not.
                                    He doesn't surprise me with expensive presents and I don't make reservations at some fancy restaurant. We might exchange cards, sometimes he'll get me roses- though not red he thinks red roses are overdone. I might cook a nice meal or order out( he frequently jokes that the best thing I make is a phone call.) This year it was pizza, we've been making a real effort to eat healthier and haven't had pizza in months so it was a real treat and he was thrilled .
                               This year instead of roses he surprised me with something less traditional. The other day I called him shortly before I left work and he sounded awful. He rarely gets sick, but this afternoon he could barely talk and was going to take a nap. Besides feeling bad for him I was a little disappointed because I knew we'd have the house to ourselves for a few hours and had hoped that we could take advantage of that opportunity. When I got home he was sound asleep on the couch and the bottle of Nyquil was out of the cabinet. He woke up a few hours later and looked up at me trying to smile and asked "How you feeling Babe?" 
                           I told him I was just fine and asked him how he felt and while almost coughing up a lung he tells me "I feel great. "Then he looks around to make sure the kids aren't around and tells me to go into our bedroom and look under the pillow, he bought me a present. "But Valentines Day isn't for a couple days yet."
                            "Close enough" he said "now go." Yes sir! Off to the bedroom I go wondering what I'll find. With butterflies in my stomach I lift one of the pillows and find a bag with a long thin handled riding crop sticking out. Oh my- I don't know whether to squeal with excitement or run for the hills. I've wondered about trying a crop, but have also been rather intimidated by it. It took me a few moments to open the bag and actually take the riding crop out of the bag and really look at it. Okay not too scary I think, I can handle this it won't be too bad- I hope. At least I won't have to worry about it for at least a few days with him not feeling well. Then I look in the bag and find a new flogger, similar to the other one we have, but with longer falls and a bottle of massage oil. Way better than roses!
                               When I came out to the living room he asked me if I got the text he sent me at lunchtime."No" I told him "and I don't remember seeing a text message when I called you later." I checked my phone and sure enough there was a text. Actually I'm glad I didn't see it at work. I would have been sitting in a puddle and would have been more disappointed and really frustrated that his plans for me had to be put on hold. Apparently he had been thinking along the same lines as me until he started to feel sick.
                                  Fortunately he was feeling better today and he just couldn't wait to try out his new toy. That riding crop stung like hell. Of course it always seemed to land on the same damn spot! I have a spot on my right cheek that seems to be more sensitive and he just loves to find that spot over and over. After a while he brought out the new flogger which was very nice and then he switched to the leather belt. My bottom was as red as that heart shaped box of chocolates and had such a nice warm glow afterwards that I felt for the rest of the afternoon. Oh yes- way better than roses.