Thanks to kirsty2765 for mentioning this custom two hours ago. Now that this is complete I have to go shovel snow. Happy New Year everyone!
Angela was a sophisticated woman of the world, no doubt, but even her education didn't cover the finer points of New Year's traditions. Surprisingly, even being married to Tony for the past twenty four years hadn't completed her education in "New Year's Eve Traditions of the World." So it came as a bit of a shock to her when she was completely innocently searching the words red bustier (in an effort to get a jump on Valentine's Day, of course, as no one wants to be caught in the last minute Valentine's Day rush) and stumbled across the tidbit that wearing red underwear on New Year's Eve was considered good luck in Italy. Thirty one years together with Tony and he had never mentioned that? Of course in the beginning it would have been inappropriate, but any time in the past couple of decades would have been fine. Was it possible that he knew nothing of this tradition? After all, she had seen him in, and out, of his underwear on many New Year's Eves during their time together and never once could she recall his underwear being red. Of course she may have torn it off him so quickly she might not have noticed.
Giving herself the benefit of a doubt or two, this year she decided to give this old tradition a try. Toward that end she indulged in a trip (without her mother) to her favorite lingerie store, Rhapsody, in an effort to bring very good luck into 2016. Fortunately for her, the store was doing what retail stores do by pushing the seasons along and Angela was able to complete her Valentine's Day shopping in addition to her New Year's shopping. If she felt so inclined she could have finished her St. Patrick's Day shopping too as there were plenty of green garments plastered with the words "Kiss Me, I'm Irish!" in various places, some of which were definitely not saintly. And if she'd wanted to go hopping down the bunny trail she could have completed her Easter shopping too, but that didn't seem quite right. Satisfied with her shopping, Angela returned home and hid her purchases away in anticipation of a very happy New Year's Eve.
Tony and Angela planned a quiet, albeit formal, New Year's Eve; or more precisely, Angela insisted on an evening of the two of them alone in the house and Tony had no objections. Angela was in a full length strapless gown and Tony in a tuxedo as they sat at the little table set up in front of the fireplace. Winter having finally decided to set in, the warmth of the fire was welcomed. The lights were turned down and candlelight illuminated the living room as the couple toasted the departing year and set forth their dreams and goals for the next.
Angela's first goal of the new year was to get Tony naked. Or was that her last goal of last year? Either way it didn't matter, she was going to put this red underwear to use. Picking up her glass of champagne she gave her husband a look that said they weren't going to bother watching the ball drop, she had other plans to ring in the New Year. Tony read her glance perfectly and picked up his own glass, "happy New Year, Angela," he clinked and sipped. "Happy New Year, Tony" she replied and also sipped. No other words were said as they picked up the champagne bottle, extinguished the fire in the fireplace, blew out the candles and went upstairs.
Angela could barely contain her excitement. She'd gone all out at Rhapsody buying a red corset, a red garter belt, red stockings, and of course lacy red underpants. She'd banished Tony from their bedroom while dressing so he would be surprised. Tony hadn't minded, it gave him time to prepare their dinner of linguine alle vongole.
After what seemed an eternity to Angela, they finally reached their bedroom. Practically slamming the door behind them, Angela put her champagne glass on the side table and grabbed the bottle and Tony's glass from his hand and placed them there as well. "Happy New Year, Tony," she said, kissing him so quickly that he didn't have a chance to respond. Respond with words, that is, he responded to the kissing just fine. He was a little curious about his wife's over-eagerness (if there was such a thing) tonight, but willing to go with it, over the years he'd learned that when she was like this, she usually had something up her sleeve. Having no sleeves tonight he could only guess at what she was going to spring on him.
Having little time to waste in the declining year, Angela broke the kiss and grinned.
"I never quite trust you when you look at me like that," Tony said, "not that that's a bad thing," he quickly explained. No, not at all a bad thing, he considered himself so lucky to have her as his wife.
Angela's answer was to unzip her gown and let it fall to the floor.
Tony's pulse rate went through the roof.
"Hon, could I have your attention for a second?"
"Trust me, Angela, you have my full attention."
She laughed, "I meant, try looking me in the eye."
"Huh, what, you have eyes?" he managed to joke as he dragged his eyes up her beautiful red clad body.
"Hi," she said.
"Hi," he grinned back.
"How is it that over all these years you've never mentioned that it's good luck to wear red undergarments on New Year's Eve in Italy?"
"Um...because we aren't in Italy?" Tony's joke fell flat. He tried, but he couldn't really come up with a reason he never mentioned this to Angela, and seeing the way she'd thrown herself into this tradition, he was very, very sorry he'd never mentioned it before. "I dunno, Angela, I guess it was never that important to me; but it will be from now on, you can be sure of that. Since it's seems you've researched the custom, can you clarify something for me?" His eyes had started to wander down from her face, enjoying the red and the lace and the curves and the sheerness of the stockings.
"Of course."
Tony swallowed, focusing on that bare bit of thigh, "does this tradition mean you'll have luck or get lucky?"
Angela laughed, "either is fine with me."
Tony tore his eyes away from her thigh to look her in the eye again and grinned. Angela grinned back, then stepped out of her gown and walked over to her dresser. Tony appreciated this as it gave him a back view of her which was just as delightful as the front. Angela opened a drawer and pulled out something that she hid in her hand. He tried to be curious about this, but his mind was incapable of any such thought. Angela turned around and walked back to him. Once again he didn't quite trust her, she had that same look on her face, and once again being sleeveless she had something up her sleeve. She stopped in front of him and managed to grin even wider. She quickly moved her hands so that whatever she was hiding in her hands was now being held up by them.
Tony was shocked. Angela had visited the men's department on her recent trip to Rhapsody to make sure Tony wasn't left out of luck for the holiday. Tony loved his wife, but his tastes in what he wore to cover his manhood tended to be rather bland, so he protested without thinking, "Angela, I don't want to wear red underwear."
"Trust me, you won't wear it for long." She tossed the red underwear to him and he caught it, grinning. Rushing to the bathroom, he went to change.
Angela was correct, he didn't wear the red underwear for long, and he was certainly very, very lucky.