A Special Occasion

When Gloria came home from work, she was surprised to find the front door unlocked. After all, it was barely past eight, and Trevor's shift would not end until eleven.

It was a chilly winter evening, and she slipped inside quickly. The lights were not on, and the house was quiet. As she threw her purse on the table, it occurred to her that there might be an intruder. She frowned. "Trevor?" she called, but no answer came.

Then again, it was a large house. Trevor was a surgeon at the county hospital, and Gloria was a college professor. They had done quite well for themselves. She decided that she was being irrational, and she went upstairs to look for her husband.

Gloria was pretty, with long, black hair that spilled over her shoulders in large curls. Not skinny and not precisely buxom, she kept in shape well enough to draw the eyes of more than a few college boys, not to mention professors. She taught women's studies, but her classes always had more than their fair share of male students. One had gone so far as to ask her out, and she'd let him down easily but firmly. She accepted all of this with the quiet dignity of a married woman.

As she climbed the stairs, Gloria unzipped her coat and pulled it off. She was wearing jeans and a purple sweater. It wasn't exactly her favorite color, but it had been a gift from Trevor, and she was not one to refuse a gift. The bedroom door was ajar, and she opened it cautiously.

The room was empty. Well, not exactly. There was a box on the bed, gift wrapped completely in purple. She smiled sweetly. Their anniversary was not for another week, and it was not like Trevor to do anything ahead of time.

On the other hand, it was not like her to look a gift horse in the mouth. She grinned, turned on a light, and sat down on the bed. Setting the box on her lap, she read the card:

"To the woman of my dreams, I thought this would go nicely with your sweater. May it make you as happy as you make me."

Gloria beamed a little, rolling her eyes at the sweater comment. Trevor was terrible at picking out gifts, but she could overlook that for the moment. She tore the box open.

Inside was a purple silk bustier, which laced up in the front, and matching panties. Lavender lace fringed the lingerie and adorned it with roses. The outfit even smelled of flowers, and there was a bottle of perfume inside the box.

She frowned and shook her head. Trevor made his share of mistakes, but he knew better than this. After five years of marriage, she had made it abundantly clear how she felt about such things. Not only did it force women into gender roles, but it completely conflicted with her sense of self. Gloria did have her feminine side, but she was not into such frivolous and girly things. Lingerie like this existed to put women on display, and she was not a trophy.

She cursed him and set the box aside. How could he be so stupid? Of course, she could understand why it would appeal to him. The lingerie was beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful she had ever seen. It was as if every detail had been attended to lovingly by a master of the craft. There was no doubt that it would look gorgeous on her.

That was not the point, though. Trevor had learned before he married her that she was simply not the girly type. She had thought that he understood and accepted that. Apparently, she had been wrong. Gloria closed her eyes and lay back on the bed, realizing for the first time how tired she was.

Well, she would just have to tell him to return it. She could hear him now, hesitating, cajoling, telling her she might like it if she gave it a chance. She had to be firm, though. After all, why would a woman enjoy wearing uncomfortable lingerie for a man to ogle her in?

Granted, the bustier and panties did not look uncomfortable at all. In fact, they looked quite soft and silky. She could imagine running her hands over them, and the idea was by no means unpleasant.

Still, men who bought such things didn't care about that. If she accepted the lingerie, who knew what it might be next time? Stockings? Garter belts? Leather? She could not let Trevor think that he could treat her like a plaything. Gloria was a grown woman, a mature woman, and she knew what she liked.

She yawned and stretched out her arms. It felt nice here on the bed. Maybe she would feel better after a nap.

Gloria awoke and looked around. Fifteen minutes had passed, and she was still half asleep. She sat up groggily.

While she remembered no coherent dreams, she could recall a sensation of comfort and bliss. In this dream state, Gloria had felt completely safe and relaxed, as she if she had no worries in the world.

She laughed lightly at the idea. Right now, she had a big worry, a husband who thought he could treat her like property. She sighed and stood up, and her head immediately felt heavy.

The idea of crawling into bed sounded very appealing right now, but Gloria wanted to be awake to confront Trevor. Still, she could practically hear the bed calling to her. It was hard to resist.

Maybe a cup of coffee would do the trick. She went to close the box and found herself looking the bustier and panties over. The lingerie really was quite lovely, and she smiled a little in spite of herself.

Yes, and it will make some young couple very happy. But it's not what you want, so just put it away. Still, she ran a finger softly along one of the lace roses, practically doting on it.

It was even softer than she had imagined, and soon she was stroking the bustier lovingly. It was just so soft and beautiful, an absolute work of art. Gloria was practically beaming as she ran it through her hands. Nothing she had ever worn had been so pleasing to the touch.

At the same time, the smell was almost intoxicating. She normally did not care for flowery fragrances, but this was just the perfect blend at the perfect strength. It enticed her without overwhelming her, and she smiled sleepily.

The idea of wearing the lingerie ran through Gloria's head. She saw herself slipping it on, savoring every gentle brush of silk against her body. Part of her resisted this idea, but it was too compelling not to consider.

Of course, she could not let Trevor see her in it. He would get the wrong idea. Still, she had more than two hours before he returned. She could try it on for a little while, just to know what it was like.

Gloria grinned eagerly and began to strip. I'm acting like a school girl, she thought, and part of her felt shame at this. Still, her excitement persisted, and she forgot how tired she was. Soon, she was wearing only a white cotton bra and panties, and before long she was completely naked.

She slipped the panties on first, slowly, and it was everything Gloria had imagined and more. The caress of the silk against her skin was wonderful, and she sighed happily. The way that they felt on her, against her, made her wish that she would never have to take them off.

The bustier took longer, because lacing it up proved somewhat difficult. However, Gloria sat patiently on the bed, enjoying every moment. When it was done, she lay back and giggled.

When had she last help this happy? As a child? Ever? She rolled around on the bed, and the idea of sleep came calling once more. In the gentle comfort of the lingerie, it was certainly difficult to resist, but she managed to force herself up. She went to get herself some coffee.

As Gloria descended the staircase, she smiled as the lingerie brushed lightly against her. She felt pampered and relaxed, the problems with her husband having slipped her mind, but she also felt absolutely beautiful. She had always known that she was pretty, had been told it countless times, but had she ever really believed it? As much as she resisted anything too girly, had she allowed herself to believe it?

Well, she believed it now, and she found that it felt wonderful. Gloria could only imagine just how gorgeous, how downright irresistible, she looked in her lingerie. Sure, there were mirrors in the house, but the only full-length mirror was up in the attic.

As she prepared her coffee, the mirror in the attic was at the forefront of her mind. Gloria still had plenty of time before Trevor came back. If she was going to see just how beautiful she could be, now was her chance. She grinned and walked away, leaving the coffee still in the pot.

Gloria was back in her bedroom, admiring herself in front of the full-length mirror. She had been up in the attic for a while, but the lighting up there was simply not good enough. She wanted everything to be perfect.

In fact, the bustier and panties were a perfect fit, as if they were designed for her. Her breasts were effortlessly supported in the cups. Gloria posed for the mirror, accentuating every curve, and it seemed that there was nothing she could do that was not sexy.

She was a sight to behold, radiant and sensual. She felt like a model and knew that she could be one, if she wanted. As beautiful as it was, the lingerie never distracted from her own beauty, rather enhancing it in ways she would not have thought possible. She twirled and strutted for an imaginary audience, thinking about all of the men in her life who would kill to see her like this.

Gloria felt warm and full of life, and she embraced this feeling with full abandon. She could not remember ever feeling so feminine, and she absolutely loved it. She knew now that she could never give the lingerie up. It was a part of her, a part of everything she wanted to be. When Trevor came home, she would show him a side of her he had never seen, a side even she had never seen.

She paused, and a yawn overcame her. Gloria had forgotten about being tired. Well, it didn't matter if she took a nap now. Trevor would certainly wake her up when he got back. He would have to be crazy to miss what was coming.

Still beaming, she slipped under the sheets and let a blanket of comfort and contentment wash over her.

Gloria woke to complete and utter serenity. Every concern she had ever felt somehow seemed trivial. Am I dreaming? she asked herself.

Does it matter? She smiled sweetly and crawled out of bed. The mirror was still there, and she stared at her reflection in it. What Gloria saw filled her with an extraordinary bliss. She was beautiful. She was a princess, and the bustier and panties were her flower-laden gown. She was a beauty queen, a ballerina, a blushing bride. She felt as if every dream she'd ever had had come true. She felt enchanted and at peace with everything.

She ran her hands over her body and the lingerie, and a wave of pleasure followed. I'm an angel, resting on my cloud. I'm a lingerie model, and this is my catwalk. I'm a princess, and my knight in shining armor is about to rescue me. Gloria moaned in pleasure. Yes, that was her dream. That was what she had always wanted as a child. To be rescued. To be taken care of. To feel safe and loved and beautiful.

Then she had grown up, and she had learned that you had to fight for everything in life. You had to be strong to get ahead. In the real world, the adult world, weakness was something to be taken advantage of. Trust was a weapon used against you. Everyone had their agenda, and it was never really your own.

Gloria had given up on her knight in shining armor. She had grown to believe that he would never come for her, that he did not even truly exist. He had finally come, though, and the beautiful lingerie was his gift, a token of affection for his loving princess. She smiled innocently and stroked herself.

Hugging herself gently, Gloria closed her eyes and swayed back and forth. She felt safe and warm, protected and loved, and she would have it no other way. Suddenly, a man's arms slipped around her waist, and she moaned again. The knight had come for the princess. He had won her heart, and now he would whisk her away to his castle. "My hero..." Gloria fell back against him, and he cradled her lovingly.

"Yes, my love. Has my gift brought you happiness?" She did not recognize the voice, but she knew without question that it was her knight. Gloria opened her eyes, beaming.

The man in the mirror looked somehow familiar. He was young, with slightly long, black hair and dark brown eyes. He stared passionately into her eyes, and she could see that he loved her as much as she now loved him.

Gloria nodded, immediately adoring every aspect of him. "It was perfect. Did you make it yourself, my love?" Then she frowned, one last vestige of doubt festering in her mind. "What kept you? I've been waiting so long..."

He hugged her and kissed her neck, and any doubt was erased forever. He was her knight, always and forever. "I've wanted to be with you from the moment I laid eyes on you. But it wasn't easy getting you away from...him. I needed you to understand that we're meant to be together."

Gloria nodded in complete understanding. She had been lost for some time, but now her hero had come to the rescue. Everything would be as it was meant to be. She turned, slipped into his arms again, and kissed her knight. "Is this our honeymoon?" she asked sensually, rubbing against him.

The stranger nodded with a smile. "Yes, but we can't take too long. I've delayed him, but we have to leave before he gets back."

He stroked her hair, and then he gently picked her up and carried her to the bed. She waited there, posing for him and seducing him, while he undressed. Then he was on her, his hands and mouth all over her. She moaned in delight as he slowly slipped off her panties.

As they made love, Gloria kept the bustier on. It was simply too hard to remove, and damaging it was not an option. The gift was to stand as a sign of their wedding vows.

Trevor got home late from work, because someone had slashed his tires in the hospital parking lot. He got out of the taxi and quickly went inside. It was a chilly winter night.

The house was dark, so he figured that Gloria was asleep. When he reached the bedroom, though, there was no one to be found. A gift wrapped box, completely red, was sitting on the bed. The card read:

"Sorry, but it was not meant to be. If you ever find the woman of your dreams, use this gift to win her heart."

The card was not signed. Trevor frowned and opened the box. Inside was a beautiful red lace teddy and matching stockings. The lace was intricately woven into roses, and the lingerie smelled of flowers as well. There was also a bottle of perfume.

Trevor shook his head in confusion, all too aware of the silence. Suddenly, he felt very much alone.