I.
Ethel held the brown package up to her ear and shook it gently, trying to ascertain what the contents could be. Whatever it was, it was lightweight, soft and made very little sound. Her eyes widened and she lowered the box quickly to the table when she heard Fred's booming voice behind her.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing! The mailman brought a package for the Ricardos, so I'm leaving it here for when they get home!"
Fred put his hands on his hips. "Well, if you're gonna leave it, then leave it!"
Ethel turned and walked nonchalantly toward the door as Fred watched her pass him into the hall. He closed the door behind her and followed her down the stairs to their apartment.
II.
The package sat on the Ricardos' coffee table for two hours until Ricky walked into the apartment, whistling cheerfully. "Lucy, I'm home!" He called out but received no response from his wife. His eyes fell on the brown box and he walked around the couch, sitting in front of it. He picked it up and inspected it carefully.
"Macy's…" He muttered out loud quietly, reading the return address label. Their address was written on it, but it bore no name for the recipient. He scowled. "If there's a hat in here…"
He tore open the brown paper to reveal a pink box. He lifted open the lid and saw what appeared to be a garment wrapped in white tissue paper. A card rested on top of it. He picked it up in his fingers and opened it slowly.
Ricky began to read the words inside, written in a hand which he didn't recognize.
Darling,
I'm counting the days until I can meet you again. I hope that when I arrive, you'll be wearing this.
Yours,
Jim
He dropped the card onto the coffee table in disbelief. Feeling angry, jealous heat rise up his neck and into his face, he ripped open the tissue paper and lifted the baby blue lace negligee out of the box. He stared at it for several moments as his heart pounded. His imagination raced from reason and conjured images of his wife, in this transparent lace, falling into the hungry arms of a man named Jim.
Ricky was shaken out of his growing rage by the sound of Ethel entering through the kitchen door. He turned to look at her, unable to speak.
"Oh, I thought I'd find Lucy. I…" She stopped, her gaze fixing on the garment that was in Ricky's hand.
She started to piece the scene together when she noticed the card and ripped packaging on the table and saw the wild-eyed expression in Ricky's face.
"Well, I'll see ya later!" Ethel turned to leave through the back door hurriedly.
"Ethel, get back here!"
She turned timidly and faced him again but remained silent.
"What is this, where's Lucy?"
Ethel pointed to the negligee. "I don't have any idea what that is. And I think she went shopping."
Ricky walked toward her slowly. "Who's Jim?"
"Jim?" Ethel blinked.
"Yes! Jim!"
She shook her head. "I…I don't know! Who's Jim?"
"That's what I want to know!" He turned and grabbed the card from the coffee table, holding it out for her to read.
Ricky watched Ethel read the words slowly before looking back at him. "Oh…oh, Ricky, this couldn't be what it looks like!"
At that moment, Lucy walked through the front door, her arms carrying two shopping bags. "Well, hi!" She smiled at Ricky and Ethel, but it faded from her lips when she saw the expressions on their faces.
Ricky stared at her, his jaw clenched as he gripped what appeared to be blue lace in his fist.
Ethel shoved the card back into Ricky's hand and ran off. "Well, see ya later, Lucy!" Her words trailed as she hurried out the back door.
Lucy put the bags down on the couch. "What's the matter?" She sighed. "Are you mad because I went shopping? Everything was on sale, I really didn't…."
"Who's Jim?!" Ricky interrupted her, the tone of his voice striking a split second of fear into her.
Lucy shrugged slowly. "Jim? I don't know, what are you talking about?" She turned and saw the shredded tissue paper and packaging on the coffee table. "What's that?"
Ricky held the negligee and the card out in front of her. "JIM wants you to wear this when he meets you…DARLIN'!"
Confused, Lucy took the card and read it. She shook her head. "Ricky, I don't know who this man is or why he sent this!"
"You 'spect me to believe that? Random men just send…lacey thin's to women they dun't know?"
Lucy looked at him in disbelief. "Ricky! I've never, NEVER run around on you. Never!"
"You got another 'splanation for what's goin' on here?"
She turned and started for the bedroom. "When you calm down and come to your senses, THEN I'll talk to you!"
Ricky started to follow her angrily until the sound of the door buzzer stopped him in his tracks. "I wish Ethel would mind her own business!" He opened the door fiercely.
A tall, handsome man with curly brunette hair stood on the other side of the door. He'd been smiling, but it left his face rapidly when he saw Ricky. "Who're you?"
"Who am I?! Who are YOU?"
The man opened his mouth to respond, but Ricky interrupted him. "You wouldn't happen to be Jim, would you?"
The man looked startled. "Why, yes. I'm Jim. But WHO are YOU?"
Ricky grabbed Jim by the collar of his shirt. "I'm your darlin's HUSBAND!"
Jim put his hands in the air. "Husband?! She never said she was married! That's impossible!"
"Oh, it's very possible! And I'm gonna beat the livin'…"
"Ricky!" Lucy had come from the bedroom.
He turned to look at his wife, still gripping Jim's collar. "Dun't try to save your lover, I'm gonna knock 'im out!"
"Lover?!" Jim stammered. "I'm not her lover!"
Ricky looked back at him. "You're not?"
Lucy stepped between the men. "Of course not! Let go of him!"
Ricky released his grip slowly and looked at him in the eye. "If you're not her lover, what are you doin' here and why did you send this?" He held the negligee up.
Jim snatched it from Ricky's hand. "Doesn't Clara Barnes live here?!"
Lucy turned around to face Jim and sighed. "Clara lives in the apartment upstairs. 4C. This is 3C."
The men softened and Jim shrugged. "Gee, I'm sorry. I had the apartment numbers mixed up."
Ricky tugged at his tie sheepishly. "I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry I grabbed you and yelled at you like that."
"S'alright, I understand." Jim turned and headed for the stairs as Lucy closed the door softly.
She turned to face her husband and crossed her arms in front of her.
Ricky rubbed the back of his neck, full of remorse and thoroughly embarrassed over his behavior and accusations.
"Lucy, I…I dun't know what to say."
She raised an eyebrow. "Apologizing is a good start!"
He approached her quickly. "Of course I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion."
Ricky started to embrace her, but she slinked away from him. "No, Ricky. Go to the club, you have a show to do and I don't want to look at you right now. Maybe while you're up there singing, you'll remember that if nothing else, I've always been faithful to you."
III.
About an hour after Ricky silently left the apartment for the club, Lucy left quietly, her purse under one arm. She stopped in the hall when she heard Ethel call after her.
"Lucy! Are you alright?"
Lucy turned. "Yes, I'm fine."
"Where are you going?"
"I've got a little more shopping to do."
Lucy walked down the stairs without allowing Ethel to question her further.
IV.
Still upset over what had happened that afternoon, Ricky walked slowly up the stairs toward the apartment. He had given what he felt to be a miserable show. He'd tried to go to the florist to get some roses for his wife, but they had closed before he got there. Now, he hoped that she'd cooled down enough to allow him to apologize again. It was all he could do. He'd never felt like bigger fool.
When he entered the apartment, his heart sank to see that the light in the bedroom was off, a clear sign that she was either asleep or had no interest in talking to him.
Ricky walked into the room quietly and looked over toward the bed as his eyes adjusted to the dark. He saw her figure on the bed and she appeared to be awake. He watched her raise an arm and light suddenly filled the room as she switched on the lamp.
He squinted at the sudden brightness, but his eyes grew wide as he regained focus on his wife. She lay across the bed, her legs crossed teasingly, wearing a pink silk corset tied with a matching satin ribbon across her ribs. Transparent pink lace swirled across her breasts, the peaks of her nipples just visible beneath. More lace disappeared between her thighs, but taunted Ricky with a hint of what was inside. Her hair rested loosely around her shoulders.
Lucy looked at him silently as she lowered her arm slowly to rest along her side.
Ricky swallowed and spoke softly, nearly overcome by the beauty before him. "You, uh…you look beautiful, honey."
Lucy's lips turned up into a very small smile, but she largely had little reaction to his words. She continued to look at him without a word.
He sat at the foot of the bed and tugged at his tie. "Lucy…I…am really, very sorry about the way I acted today. When I saw that card and I imagined another man…seein' you and touchin' you…I lost my senses." His hand crept toward her and caressed the skin along her calf. He feared she may move away from his touch, but she didn't.
Ricky's eyes passed over her again, his heart thumped in his chest and his body began to react to the sight of her. "I dun't think you've ever been more beautiful than you are right now."
"Ricky…" Lucy said his name so quietly and gently that he wasn't sure she'd actually said it.
He crawled up to her until he was hovering over her, his face just a breath away from hers. "Yes?"
"There's no one else. There never has been and there never will be. I love you." Her hand moved down his chest and over his stomach, quickly loosening the belt of his pants and moving gently inside. Her fingers teased the growing, thickening shaft of his manhood. "You are the only man who's ever been inside me," she whispered.
Ricky groaned softly and his face settled against her neck as she continued to manipulate him. When she felt he was sufficiently paralyzed with pleasure, she withdrew her hand from him and slowly loosened the ribbon which held the corset in place.
Ricky's eyes watched as the silk and lace fell away from her. He tore his shirt away and squirmed out of his pants with quick desire. He watched her draw in a breath as the cold medal of gold that he wore around his neck brushed against her breast. He moved his hands to the smooth skin of her legs and parted her thighs hungrily. "Este cuerpo me pertenece. Tu eres mio…"
Lucy tossed her head back as he positioned himself near her throbbing center, rigid and quivering and desperate to enter her. She cried out loudly when he finally penetrated her, pounding into her with relentless abandon.
She raised her knees, wrapping her legs around him and giving him permission to invade her deeply to the core.
Bracing himself against the wall behind the bed with one arm, his other hand twisted into her fiery curls and drew her closer to his face, her breasts crashing against his chest with each of his violent thrusts. "La mia. Tu eres mio," he growled.
She began to cry his name as she raised her arms to grasp the headboard behind her. Never before had he taken her with such strength. He continued to possess her mercilessly.
Finally, after an eternity, she screamed out with her almost unbearable climax as he flooded her with his heat. Ricky lowered himself to her side, kissing her neck gently. "Please tell me I din't hurt you…I just couldn't help it."
Lucy shook her head to assure him that pain was not the sensation she felt, but no words would come to her.
They sighed, exhausted, damp with sweat, and fell into blissful sleep. They didn't hear the faint sounds of their neighbor in the bedroom above theirs.