Chapter 43: Deliveries & Descriptions

Rei’s Point of View

After pulling a double shift, I was extremely exhausted and couldn't remember if I had even dreamed the night before. To my surprise, when I arrived home from dropping off the kids at school, a stack of boxes greeted me on the front porch. Mary must have paid for express shipping because they were delivered much sooner than expected. It was a relief to have them earlier in the day as I could wash and dry the clothes without feeling rushed. As I went through the box of "specialty items" that Mary had ordered, I was thankful that no one else was around to see. But it seemed like Mary was keeping track of the package delivery because she immediately sent me a text after they had arrived.

Mary: Well? What do you think? 🤔

Rei: It was very generous of you, but I’m not sure I’ll be using these items.

Mary: Do you need a tutorial on how to use it? I thought it came with instructions, but I can give you the basics if you need me to.

I frantically hurled my phone onto the nearest surface, heart pounding as I screamed "no" at the top of my lungs. Why didn't I just say I was okay? Now, Mary would give me a million directions and probably even draw a diagram for me. This is a disaster, a complete disaster. No, no, no, no, no!

Stay calm. Just take deep breaths. I cautiously reached for my phone once more. Shit! She sent me diagrams and pictures. I had to delete them before anyone saw them. I couldn't risk having them pop up on my screen. Keep it together. You can handle this.

Rei: I appreciate all the clothes and ‘extras’ for tonight. It was very generous of you. But, Mary, I’ll never look at anything with a salted caramel flavour the same way again. I’ll text you tomorrow evening and let you know how everything goes. Thank you! 🥰

I frantically erased all her messages and pictures from my phone, desperately trying to rid myself of any reminders. After that, I proceeded to ‘rage clean’ the house, hoping it would also cleanse my mind.

I was nervous—I shouldn’t have been, but I was. This was my first actual date with Xavier. Originally planned as a dinner out, it had been changed to a homemade meal at his place. Grace was taking care of the kids for the evening, planning a fun night of pizza, ice cream, and video games to keep them entertained. I could stay over at Xavier’s apartment if I wanted to. But did I want to? Oh yes, I really, really, really wanted to.

Should I pack a bag? My mind raced as I contemplated taking a small backpack with me. Would it be too obvious if I brought it along? And should I bring some of Mary's items, just in case? The condoms caught my eye, and I couldn't help but feel intrigued. But was it presumptuous of me to think that Xavier would want to sleep with me again?

I raised the box to my face and read the label, my eyes widening. Honestly, just reading the description made me feel a little hot and bothered: a latex-free condom with an ultra-thin design that promised to simulate the sensation of skin-on-skin contact. That sounded... good …. no, actually, it sounded beyond amazing. Fuuuuck.

“What are you staring at?” Grace’s voice startled me.

I jumped, and the box of condoms slipped out of my hands. Grace was now standing behind me, which startled me even more—the packages of condoms scattered everywhere as they hit the floor.

“Oh, look! It’s raining condoms!” cackled Grace as she helped me pick up all of the packages that had somehow managed to land everywhere in the room. I silently prayed I didn’t miss any. I could only imagine the kids finding one and handing it to me.

“Nervous?” Grace asked gently as we finished putting the packages back into the box.

“Yes. No. Maybe? Actually, yes. Definitely, without a doubt, yes. Grace, I think I may be falling for him. But it's too soon to tell, right? What if I'm just infatuated with the image of Xavier that I've built up in my head?” I spoke quickly and without pause.

"Well, you've been having graphic dreams about a biker named X for more than ten years," Grace said with a smile on her lips.

I let out a groan and collapsed onto my bed, covering my head with a pillow.

"Are you up for going out with Xavier tonight?" Grace inquired.

I sat upright, tossing the pillow aside and nodded eagerly.

“Then, what’s the problem? I’m assuming this was Mary’s ‘gift’ to you and not something you ordered?” Grace chuckled looking inside the box of the speciality items my older friend had ordered.

“Salted caramel? Really? I’ll never look at that flavor the same way now,” Grace muttered.

I felt vindicated. It wasn’t only me. That made me smile.

“Do you really need this?” Grace asked holding up the salted caramel flavor lube.

“I thought you enjoyed your naughty bathroom activities,” grinned my best friend.

“Oh, I did,” I said a little too enthusiastically as my best friend laughed loud and long at my reaction.

“Okay, I’m glad I came over early because you were definitely spiralling,” Grace smiled.

“If you want to have sex, you have sex. Use protection and enjoy it. You can let loose and make noise this time, too,” grinned my best friend. “It’s not like you will be getting your groove on in public this time.”

“I’m glad you are here. Thank you for coming over early, even if you scared the shit out of me,” I sighed.

“If things are not going well, you call me, and I will go and pick you up. But, I’m pretty sure if Xavier is cooking you dinner, he’s trying his best to impress YOU. If anything, that man is going to be more nervous than you,” Grace reassured me.

“You really think so?” I asked, hopefully.

“Definitely. I think Xavier likes you just as much, if not even more Rei. Go get ready. I’ll get rid of this box before the kids get home from school and see it. Can I put the clothes in the dryer? I heard the washing cycle finish as I was coming up the stairs,” Grace asked.

“Yes, that would be awesome,” I said. “Thank you, Grace!”

As I turned on the shower, my best friend yelled at me to shave all over and wear something sexy underneath. I quickly grabbed a razor and brought it into the shower with me. Earlier, I had set out a black lace thong and matching bra, envisioning wearing them with Xavier tonight. Hopefully, those fantasies would turn into reality. A girl could dream..