A Special Celebration

By: T W

Rated PG-13

She had been busy at the gallery all day, and was looking forward to the special evening that she had planned with her husband. She was an attractive woman in her early 40's, dressed in a sleeveless navy blue dress and low heeled matching pumps. Her shoulder length blond hair had soft curls that framed her face beautifully.

At breakfast that morning she and her husband had been discussing their plans for the evening, as they were getting ready to celebrate their 1st wedding anniversary. As they left the house together Joyce asked him, "What time do you plan on getting home tonight?"

"I should be home by 6:00pm at the latest". I wouldn't want anything to spoil our evening.

Before getting into their cars to leave, he put his arms around her and gave her a tender kiss before saying good bye.

'Later that day,' after Joyce had finished assisting a customer, she looked at her watch and had noticed that it was 4:00pm. She had many things to do before Rupert would be coming home. Joyce had confided to her partner and close friend Nancy at the gallery that she and Rupert had special plans for that evening and she would need to leave a little early that day.

Joyce said good bye to Nancy as she left in her Jeep Cherokee. She stopped at the grocery store to get what she needed to prepare the special dinner she was making for that evening. She then loaded the items into the back seat and hurried home to start preparing dinner.

Joyce had spoken to Buffy over breakfast, before she had left for school and had found out that her daughter would be staying overnight at Willow's house. So that her mother and Rupert would have the house to themselves tonight.

Joyce smiled to herself whenever she found herself thinking about her daughter and was so proud of the wonderful young woman that Buffy had become. Even with her daughter's duties as the slayer that Joyce smiled to herself whenever she thought about her daughter, and was so proud of the wonderful young woman that Buffy had become.

Joyce and Rupert both were very proud of Buffy and especially of the fact that she would be going to college in the fall.

Joyce entered the house with the bags of groceries and went straight to the kitchen. She made sure to put the bottle of champagne in the refrigerator to chill while she was prepared dinner. Once Joyce had unloaded all of the groceries, she took her shoes off before getting started with dinner.

Because tonight was such a special occasion she wanted everything to be perfect.

She prepared a garden salad first so that it had plenty of time to chill before the meal. Joyce was preparing lemon pepper chicken, herb and butter rice and steamed asparagus. For dessert she had picked up a cheesecake topped with strawberry sauce.

While dinner was cooking in the kitchen, Joyce went to the dining room to set the table. Dinner by candlelight would set just the right romantic setting she was hoping for.

Rupert's teaching job at the university was a dream come true, and he loved it, but he often worked late tutoring and working on lesson plans. Joyce wanted to be sure everything was perfect. As she was putting the finishing touches on dinner, she heard the front door open.

It was Rupert, who had just pulled up in his black BMW outside and parked in the driveway behind her car. He walked in, took a deep, appreciative breath, and said, "Darling, that smells wonderful!"

Rupert presented Joyce was standing and presented her with a bouquet of two dozen red roses, he had picked up at the florist on his way home from work. As Rupert handed her the roses, Joyce looked into his eyes and said "They're beautiful, Rupert."

Rupert replied in return by saying " My darling Joyce, you are more beautiful than any rose could ever be." Rupert then took her face in his hands and tilted it toward his. He gave her a tender lingering kiss, his arms sliding down around her waist as he held her close.

As they broke the kiss, Joyce smiled. "Help me with the salad?" she said teasingly. "Of course," he replied with a smile.

After they had finished their salad, Joyce stood and started for the kitchen to bring out their dinner. "Would you like my help, love?" he asked. "I'll be fine. Why don't you relax, and I'll be back shortly."

When Joyce returned with dinner, Rupert again remarked how great everything smelled and what a wonderful cook she was. As they were eating, he asked "Joyce, my dear, how did your day at the gallery go?"

"It was very busy, but I love my work there." Her feelings were very apparent by the look on her face whenever she talked about her job. "And how did your day go?"

Preparations for the fall semester were proceeding well. Most of my classes went smoothly, for the most part."

Once they were finished eating, they cleared the table together.

Joyce told Rupert that she would be out shortly with dessert. Before he left the kitchen Joyce asked him,"Would like a cup of tea with dessert. In which he replied by saying "Yes I would darling."

As Rupert returned to the living room he went to open his briefcase to retrieve the gift that he had gotten for Joyce at the jewelers the day before. Joyce returned to the dining room carrying a tray with a single slice of cheesecake, two forks, a cup of tea for Rupert and coffee for herself.

As she put the tray down, he with a beaming smile on his face, " Happy Anniversary, my love. Why don't you take a seat and open your anniversary gift?"

Before opening the velvet box sitting in front of her, Joyce first opened the beautiful card sitting next to the box. She smiled as she read it. "Oh, Rupert, the words on the card are lovely."

Joyce then picked up the beautiful velvet box as Rupert looked on. As she opened it, she felt as if she were going to cry. It was a beautiful 2-carat diamond solitaire necklace. She looked up from the box at Rupert, he said to her, "Darling what do you think?"

"It's absolutely exquisite Rupert, I adore it."

He rose from his chair, he walked over to where Joyce was sitting. He took the diamond necklace out of it's box, and as Joyce held her hair up, he proceeded to put the necklace around her neck. He stood next to her, saying, "My dearest Joyce, you are more beautiful then any diamond that I could ever give you."

After admiring the beauty of the necklace around Joyce's neck, he proceeded to kiss her tenderly on the neck and then leaned down to give her a soft lingering kiss on the lips.

Upon breaking the kiss, Rupert picked up his cup of tea and sat down to drink it as he did so Joyce took a sip of her coffee and then got up to go into the livingroom to get the gift that she had gotten Rupert from where she had put it in the livingroom closet.

As Joyce returned to the diningroom where Rupert was sitting, she sat down and presented him with the anniversary gift that she had gotten for him earlier that week.

As Rupert proceeded to remove the ribbon and wrapping paper form the box, he then opened the box and turned back the tissue paper to reveal a beautiful pair of dark green silk pajama bottoms and a matching robe. He looked over and Joyce and said, "Thank you my darling, they're lovely, and I'll be sure to slip them on later."

After exchanging gifts, they both enjoyed the cheesecake. Feeding it to each other and also to themselves. Once they had finished dessert, they both got up to clear the rest of the dishes off the table and took them back to the kitchen.

Standing side by side over the kitchen sink, they proceeded to wash the dishes together. As Rupert and Joyce started to put the dishes away, he said to her, "After making such a wonderful dinner why don't you go upstairs and enjoy a nice bath."

I'll finish putting the rest of the dishes away and lock up the house and meet you upstairs in a shortly.

In response Joyce said to him, "That sounds wonderful, I think I will."

As Joyce was soaking in the tub upstairs, she found herself totally relaxed as she was taking in the aroma of roses from the bath salts that she had put in the water. The only thoughts in her mind being how lucky she felt to have such a wonder husband in Rupert and how she loved everything about him.

Meanwhile as Rupert finished what he had been doing down stairs, he made his way upstairs to their bedroom to change clothes and put on the wonderful pajama bottoms and robe that Joyce had given him for their anniversary. As he put the pajama bottoms and robe on, he noticed how wonderful the feel of silk felt against his skin.

While Joyce was still in the bathroom, Rupert took the opportunity to place the vanilla and peach scented candles around the bedroom and light them. He had also brought the bottle of champagne upstairs with him along with two glasses, which he then placed on the table across from their bed.

To set the mood further Rupert then put one of their favorite Jazz CD's into the small CD player next to the bed.

As Joyce emerged from the bathroom, Rupert took one look at her and found himself speechless with awe at how beautiful she looked. Joyce was dressed in a pale peach satin nightgown with spaghetti straps and a matching robe. When he was finally able to speak, he said to Joyce, "Darling where ever you get such a beautiful nightgown?" Joyce then proceeded to tell him that at her bridal shower, her close friend Beth gave it to her as a gift and she wanted to save it for a special occasion like tonight.

As the music began to play Rupert, opened the bottle of champagne and poured it into the two glasses. Putting the bottle back on the table, Rupert then walked back over to where Joyce was standing and reached out to her to give her one of the glasses of champagne.

After each of them took a sip of the champagne, Rupert said that he wanted to make a toast. In honor of their anniversary Rupert said, "Happy Anniversary my darling, and may we have many more there are just as wonderful in the years to come. I love you with all my heart, my dear."

One of their favorite songs,"Unforgettable," began to play on the CD player. Rupert took the glass from Joyce's hand and put both of the glasses down on the table.

As he went back over to Joyce he said, "My dear Joyce may I have this dance?"

As he held his hand out to her she said, "Of course you may Rupert." Rupert held her in his arms, they danced together for several minutes.

After the music changed Rupert looked at Joyce and said to her, "My dearest Joyce, you look truly lovely tonight."

Rupert reached down and untied Joyce's robe. He helped her take it off and then placed it on the chair next to the bed.

In response to what Rupert had said, Joyce told him, "You look wonderful as well".

She then proceeded to untie his robe and helped him shrug it off over his shoulders and put it on the chair with her own.

As they looked into each others eyes, their mutual feelings for each other rose to the surface. He took off his glasses and placed them on the night stand. Rupert then took her into his arms in a tight embrace and gave Joyce a tender kiss as his passion rose to the surface. Rupert then deepened the kiss as their tongues intertwined.

Clinging to each other, Rupert then moved both of them closer to the bed as they continued to kiss deeply. Upon breaking the kiss, Joyce reached over to Rupert and with nimble fingers she untied the drawstring on his pajama bottoms which then slid down to pool at his feet. Rupert stood as still as he was able, allowing Joyce to explore him at will with lips and hands.

When he could stand it no longer, Rupert gently took Joyce's hands and raised her arms up above her head. He began to gather her night gown in his hands and then proceeded to raise it up and over her head and took it off of her and placed on the chair. As he glanced back over at her, he proceeded to gently hold and caress every inch of her body with his hands. When he worked his way to her shoulders. He began to cover her shoulders with tiny kisses he then made his way to her neck then gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

As their hearts began to pound, passion took over and Rupert pulled her tightly against him and gave Joyce a lingering kiss which he then intensified.

He then pulled back the covers on the bed, and picked her up and gently placed her in the middle of their bed. He then proceeded to slide onto the bed to join her then pulled the covers up around them.

As he wrapped his arms around her, he then began to envelop her in his heat. As his lips gently caressed hers, he intensified the kiss and moved over her. She began to moan into his mouth.

As he paused for a moment, he gazed down at her and could see the love she had for him in her eyes.

Rupert began kissing Joyce slowly as he felt the tension of their shared passion build.

They began to lose themselves in the connection that surrounded them. As Joyce responded eagerly, his love for her spilled over in wordless rapture and they came together one.

In response Joyce cried out his name in release. As he felt her ecstacy mingle with his own, he shouted out with pure joy as he joined her. As wave after rapturous wave spread over them and through them they clung to each other, overwhelmed by their shared feelings.

Their bodies shuddered and pulsed with the echoes of their shared pleasure, reacting physically to the intense emotionally outpouring that engulfed them both. Rupert then pulled the covers back up over them, and they lay cuddled together, warm and tired from their lovemaking. The soft candlelight glowed around them. They blissfully fell asleep in each other's arms.

The End