This story was composed as part of a writing challenge to celebrate the first anniversary of the Fish Tank run by Desdmona. The challenge entailed writing a story with a fish tank, an anniversary, and use of the name Desdmona in the story. Here is my tribute to a very special lady.
If it is not erotic, it is not interesting. -- Fernando Arrabal
The single light cast long shadows across the room. In the center of the table was a dozen red roses. Their two good place settings were on the table. He had placed candles on a plate and melted the wax to hold them there. 'Maybe I should have gotten her candleholders,' he thought. But looking over at the present he knew it was perfect. Jimmy Buffett was in the CD player, dinner was in the oven, the wine was in the fridge, and she should be home at any minute.
He was nervous. He wanted their first anniversary to be perfect, to express his love, to make her feel loved, the most beautiful woman in the world. He pulled the card from the drawer where it had been hidden these last two days and centered it on her plate. He took a last look around. Everything was perfect.
He sat down in the front room, which they had separated from the 'dining room' by putting a bookcase behind the couch. So what if the place was small. It was still all theirs. The apartment was furnished in early newlywed, every piece was either loaned, a hand-me-down, or from a thrift store and nothing matched. He loved the apartment because he shared it with her.
On the shelf where the TV had been, before it fried its wiring, was a fish tank - a beautiful hundred-gallon tank with florescent lights and castles and plants and tropical fish in a dizzying array of colors and shapes all of them languidly swimming around. He had turned off the light so that she wouldn't notice anything unusual when she came in the front door. It should be hidden by the bookcase from both the front door and the table.
He looked at it again. Was it the right gift? The first was the paper anniversary. He wanted this to be a gift she would remember always. How could anything made of paper be a gift she would remember always?
After they had married she would prowl the aquarium stores. But the fish and the equipment were so expensive. She looked at them wistfully and he always felt a pang as he watched her eyes fill with longing and slight sadness as they walked out of the aquarium. She never complained about the money, one of the reasons he loved her so deeply. But it bothered him that he couldn't give her the thing she wanted most.
Then, serendipity. His company had a record year and the Board of Director's voted to reward the employees. When his boss gave him his envelope he opened it with trembling fingers. He couldn't believe the amount of the check. He expected maybe a hundred dollars. Not this. His mind filled with all of the things he could do with it. He wanted a better stereo. Their TV had fried itself a few weeks before. Maybe he should buy a new one. Maybe he could get a DVD player and a TV.
Then he thought of her. His heart leapt as her face filled his mind. His wife. He loved the sound of that, my wife. Thinking of her he remembered their anniversary was in two months. And he knew what he was going to do with his sudden wealth. It was for her. Something to let her know what she meant to him.
He talked his boss into a day off on their anniversary and was at the aquarium store when it opened. He told the manager exactly what he wanted and how much he could spend. While they were selecting the fish he mentioned their anniversary and how he had managed to save the money. They finished choosing everything and made sure he had enough money. She shaved a few dollars off the price, "Aa quantity discount," she said smiling. Then she took him over to a special tank. Inside was one fish gracefully swimming. His eyes were riveted to the stunning colors that seemed to flow and change as the fish glided through the water.
The manager said, "It's called a Desdmona."
He stared at the beautiful liquid grace of the fish, which reminded him of the grace of her. "It's beautiful," he said.
The manger watched his face and smiled. She put the beauty in a container and took it to the front.
He protested, "I can't..."
She stopped him. "A present from the store," she said smiling.
"Thank you."
He spent the next several hours getting everything set up: the heaters, the filters, the aerators, the plants and the rocks and finally the fish. They flitted around - colorful tetras, and rainbows, angels and swords, and dominating the tank with her beauty and grace, the Desdmona.
He heard a key in the front door and leapt to meet her. "Happy Anniversary."
She threw her arms around his neck, "Happy Anniversary," she said before she kissed him.
As they broke, he grabbed her hand and led her to the table. Her eyes widened when she saw the flowers, "They're beautiful." She bent over and smelled the sweet bouquet.
"Sit down. I have dinner all ready," he motioned to her chair.
As she sat she saw the envelope on her plate. Slashed across the envelope in his bold script were the letters, TMBWITW. She picked it up and puzzled for a few seconds. "What does it mean?"
"The Most Beautiful Woman In The World."
She smiled her most vibrant smile at him, "You are so sweet," as she tore into the envelope. She read the card and bounced up from the table and threw herself into his arms. A long time later they ran out of air and finally broke apart. "I love you."
"I love you. Thank you for marrying me."
"It was the best thing that ever happened to me."
He bounced out to the kitchen and brought his masterpiece to the table. It was slightly burnt around the edges. He beamed as he set it on the table. She smiled and adored him. All this, the roses, dinner and the card made her feel more loved than she ever had in her life. "It looks wonderful," she said. He beamed again and sat down next to her.
They held hands through dinner sipping wine and eating around the crusty parts. When they pushed back from the table he said, "I have a surprise for you."
"You've already surprised me with the flowers and the dinner."
He took her hand, pulling her up, and said, "Close your eyes."
She looked suspicious but did. He ran around the bookcase, turned on the lights in the tank and came back. He led her around the case and directly in front of the tank. "Okay. Open your eyes."
A gasp. "Oh, my God. How? Oh, we can't afford this." Kneeling in front of the tank she said, "It's so beautiful. But honey, we can't afford this. How did you buy it?"
"Remember the bonus?" She nodded. He continued, "That's what I used."
"But you said it would only be a hundred dollars," she said startled.
"I know. I thought it would be. But it was enough."
Her voice low she asked, "How much?"
He wagged his finger at her, "Enough."
She looked back at the tank and watched the fish swimming in perfect elegance, their colors flashing in the light. Desdmona looked back at her, smiling her little fish smile. Tears of joy leaked from her eyes. She pounced on him wrapping him in her arms and dragging his mouth to hers. The kiss of thanks quickly turned to a kiss of passion their tongues swirling together. His hands found her ass and pulled it against him. She felt his hardness pressing against her pudenda and felt the warmth and need for him build deep within her.
She broke their kiss and slipped down until she was level with his belt. She quickly unbuckled it and yanked his zipper down followed by his pants. His cock sprang free. She loved the feel of his cock, the white skin and the darker head. It brought her so much pleasure and she wanted to let him know how much she loved him. Her hand softly stroked his cock and a small droplet oozed from the tip. Her tongue snaked out and she licked the drop up as he moaned. She looked up at him and he saw the lust in her eyes. It nearly caused him to cum right then. But she had other plans. She squeezed the base of his cock and took his cock in her mouth. He groaned but the pressure around the base held off his climax. Her mouth and lips and tongue were all playing with his cock. The warmth and wetness of her mouth was driving him crazy.
He ripped his shirt off over his head and threw it to the floor. Then he pulled her up and kissed her with wild passion, reaching behind her to pull her zipper down. Her dress slipped from her shoulders as he pushed his pants down and off. She stepped from her dress, threw off her camisole and pushed her hosiery off her legs. Naked, he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her. Her hand wrapped around his cock stroking him. They fell to the carpet, her hand never leaving his cock, and he was between her legs.
She guided him to her and his cock found her center slipping between her labia and into her. He slowly stroked his cock deeper into her body with each stroke. Soon he was buried completely. She moaned as his body meshed against hers trapping her clitoris between them. Their bodies moved together in a rhythmic dance of lust. Their passion grew as the pace of their dance accelerated. He was pounding into her as her hands grabbed his hips pulling him ever harder into her. He felt the tension grow in his loins and knew it was coming. He held off, one more stroke, one more... Then it burst; he moaned and emptied himself into her body. She felt him shudder and she pulled him to her one more time as she felt the heat of his passion fill her. She looked up and saw the bright colors of the fish looking down on her as her own climax overwhelmed her.
One fish was floating at the front of the tank. Desdmona looked down on the spent lovers and floated off thinking lascivious fish thoughts.
If you want to know why we all wished to celebrate Desdmona, check out her stories.Desdmona's Stories
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Copyright Rod O'Steele © 2005, 2007, 2010