One More Year Ch. 07

I also hadn't really wrapped it -- it had just come in a fairly neat white cardboard box -- so there wasn't much in the way between him and the gift. It was a glass ball, with a flat edge at the bottom and a delicate glass rose set in the centre.

It had definitely seemed less cliche than a box of chocolates or anything covered in a million red hearts. Just a simple rose, well crafted and beautiful, set in glass. I thought it would be a good choice. But after what he'd given me, it just kind of seemed thoughtless and generic.

"It's beautiful. I love it." He turned it around in his hands as he spoke.

"Sorry." I sighed. "I think it's supposed to be a paper weight. I just thought it looked nice."

"It's great. If I ever get thrown back in time to the 1950s, I'll have something to hold all my papers down." He bit his lip.

"I told you to be nice."

"You told me to try." He grinned mischievously. "Sorry, it's a good gift. I just got lucky and found something you'd really like."

"It's pretty damn great." I reached out to where the book lay on my bedside table, running my hand over the embossed print on the cover.

"So I win Valentine's Day, right?"

"If you're a competitive child who needs to 'win' it, sure." I shrugged, and smiled.

"I am."

"I did give you a blowjob, though. First time I've done that for anyone."

"Yeah, well, that ended before midnight, so it doesn't count."

"Ass."

He pulled me into another kiss, dragging me down onto the bed. It seemed like he was getting sluggish again, and I was feeling a little tired too. We climbed under the covers, and alternated between making out and just cuddling.

"What are you doing today?" he asked.

"Probably trying to figure out somewhere nice to take you for a romantic lunch, so I'm not losing so badly."

"Good boy," he murmured, dropping his head on the pillow.

I settled my head on his chest, and then reached over to the side table, where I'd set the book down. I let out a deep, happy sigh, and I once again let Jane Austen start telling me about universally acknowledged truths. Starting with the debatable one, about what single men -- in possession of good fortune, of course -- might want.