Katie
“Can we take the blindfold off yet?” I ask.
“Almost,” he says. “We're almost there.”
“You know, I'm beginning to think blindfolds are a fetish of yours.”
He chuckles softly. “Maybe they are,” he whispers in my ear.
We walk for another couple of minutes, slowly and haltingly. I'm not a big fan of walking around blindfolded, and even though I'm pretty positive he'd never walk me into a pole or a ditch, it's natural for me to be cautious.
“Okay, stop,” he says.
With a flourish, he whips off the blindfold and I find myself standing in front of the Georgia Aquarium. It's one of the largest, and best aquariums in the United States. Maybe even the world. Their exhibits, as well as the educational presentations, rival those of aquariums anywhere. It's a place I've always wanted to see and explore but never had the chance to.
I turn to Aidan and can't contain my excitement. I'm practically bouncing up and down, squealing with glee, as my heart races. I feel like a kid at Christmas, standing in front of a tree filled with presents all marked for me.
“Oh my god!” I exclaim. “This is amazing. How did you know I've always wanted to visit?”
“What aspiring marine biologist wouldn't want to tour the premier aquarium in the States?” he says, his face beaming with delight. “Frankly, I'm surprised to hear you say this is your first time here.”
His words hit me like a kick in the gut, and I feel somewhat deflated. “Well, to be honest, I did come once,” I say. “But Victor was bored with it, and we left even though we were here for less than half an hour.”
The memory still angers me. He knew how badly I wanted to come. How badly I wanted to talk to the marine biologists on staff and pick their brains a little bit. But, he pouted and then grew angry when I begged him to stay. He said he just wasn't into it and that I should come back on my own time. Yeah, like he ever let me have my own time.
Sensing the downturn in my mood, Aidan puts his fingers under my chin and lifts my head up. He fixes his beautiful eyes on mine and smiles.
“Well, it's a good thing we have all day, then,” he says. “We can explore to our heart's content. And I’m not leaving until you're satisfied.”
That brings a smile back to my face and returns the lightness to my heart. Once again, I’m overwhelmed by the kindness and thoughtfulness of this man. I can't even put into words how it makes me feel to be so loved. I plant a soft kiss on his lips.
“Thank you, Aidan,” I say. “I can't even begin to tell you what this means to me.”
“You're welcome,” he replies. “I just want to make sure you’ll be okay walking around all day.”
“I'll be fine. Trust me, I'll be perfectly fine.”
One thing I hate about being this pregnant is feeling like an invalid. I need Aidan's help to get around sometimes, and even then, it's not always that easy. But, for something like this, something I've wanted to do for – I don't even know how long – I'll find a way to manage.
“Well, if you get tired, they have wheelchairs –”
I shoot him the finger. “Screw you,” I say and laugh.
He chuckles. “I’m being serious. I’m not trying to insult you,” he says. “I know what this place means to you, and I don't want you to have to cut it short because you're tired. I'm more than happy to push you around in a chair if you want. After all, I'm partly to blame for your condition.”
“Damn right you are,” I say and blow him a kiss.
I turn and look around, realizing for the first time that we're alone. There is literally nobody around. My heart sinks a little bit as the realization hits me.
“Damn,” I say. “I think it’s closed today. There’s nobody here but us.”
Aidan chuckles. “There better not be,” he says. “I didn't rent the place out for anyone but you.”
I look at him and feel my eyes grow wide as my mouth falls open. Surely, I couldn't have heard him right. I must have misunderstood. Seeing the look on my face only makes him smile wider. Makes him laugh.
“Yeah,” he says. “We have the run of the place today. Just us.”
I shake my head. “Aidan, this must have cost a fortune…”
“That's not for you to worry about,” he says. “This is my gift to you.”
My eyes sting as they well with tears. I shake my head, not knowing what to say. How do you thank somebody for a gift like this?
“W – why would you do that?” is all I can think to ask.
“Because I want you to be happy, Katie,” he says. “I want you to enjoy every minute of your life. And because I wanted you to get a chance to see everything you want to without battling the crowds to do it. I want you to talk to the other marine biologists here, and find your passion again.”
I give him a small smile. “Having a passion for it is one thing,” I say, a tinge of sadness in my voice. “Having the means to pursue it is something else.”
“Well, one step at a time, right?” he asks.
I look at the front doors to the aquarium and then back at him, feeling a nervous fluttering in both my chest and stomach. I haven't felt this excited in so long, I almost forgot what it felt like.
“So, we really have this whole place to ourselves?”
He nods. “We do.”
“All day?”
“All day.”
“Oh my god. This is amazing!”
I grab him by the hand and make him run – well, briskly waddle – to the doors with me. I can't wait to get inside and see everything. At first, it's a little eerie being all by ourselves. Our voices echo around the cavernous place, and it almost feels like we're the last two people on Earth. The staff is there, of course. All of them are smiling and polite – most of the looking a little relieved to not have to deal with the hordes of people who descend upon this place every day.
We walk through all the various exhibits, and I soak it all in, absorbing everything, talking to some of the exhibit attendants, learning even more. Snippets of things I learned in school and on my own flash through my mind and I can't seem to stop talking about it. I tell Aidan the most obscure, useless factoids about this fish, or that habitat – literally every stray nugget of information that passes through my head at any given moment.
And through it all, Aidan never complains. He listens attentively, never looking bored or uninterested. It's so refreshing to be with someone who understands the passion I have for these animals and this subject. A man who encourages that fire to grow instead of trying to snuff it out.
He is doting, caring, and attentive to my every need and desire, and I know it's not just because I'm pregnant. It's because Aidan cares about me. Even if I wasn’t bloated and pregnant, I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Aidan would still be just as attentive to me. And I love that about him.
“Mr. Anderson?”
We turn and find a short woman with a bob of blonde hair shot through with gray, wearing a suit, standing there smiling at us. Aidan looks at her and smiles.
“Martha,” he says. “Nice to see you.”
She smiles. “Very nice to see you as well,” she says. “Are you two enjoying your day so far?”
Aidan glances over at me and nods. “I think so,” he says.
“Definitely so,” I quickly interject. “This is beyond amazing.”
“Thank you again for letting us do this,” he says.
“Of course,” she replies. “And believe me when I say, the Aquarium truly appreciates your generous endowment.”
“Think nothing of it,” he says and then looks at me with a sparkle in his eye that melts my heart. “I'm gaining a new appreciation for what it is you do here.”
“I'm so very pleased to hear that,” she says. “It wouldn't be possible without wonderful patrons like yourselves.”
I'm again struck by the thought of how much it must have cost him to rent the entire place out. How much did he plunk down to give us run of the place? I imagine Martha here is one of the Aquarium bigwigs, so to have her come out to deliver a personal thank you tells me that it must have been a pretty penny. Quite a few of them, in fact. But, Aidan did it – for me – without batting an eye.
“I was wondering if the two of you were ready for the next phase of your tour?”
I look over at him curiously. “Next phase?”
His smile is so wide, I'm almost afraid his face is going to freeze like that. “Next phase,” he says and then turns back to Martha. “Yes, if you're ready for us, thank you.”
“Absolutely,” she says.
We follow her through one of the halls, and she leads us to a sealed door. Martha swipes her keycard across a pad and an electric chirp rings out as the lights on the pad glow green. The door slides open, and Martha ushers us through.
We find ourselves in the back area of the Aquarium, and I can tell this is more than just a “go touch the dolphins, behind the scenes” experience. Those are very tightly controlled and come off feeling a little artificial and staged. What Aidan set up for us is a true look at the actual functioning of the Aquarium. A tour with the people who actually work to care for these animals. The people who do the very things I've always wanted to do.
I put my hands over my mouth as my heart feels like it's spinning out of control, and I'm overcome by a powerful wave of emotion. Aidan puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me tight against him. I lean my head on his shoulder and try to take in the moment.
Martha turns to us, a smile on her face. “You're welcome to go wherever you'd like, and look at everything,” she says. “I just ask that you be very careful, and to not touch anything unless you're under the direct supervision of one of our staff.”
“Of course,” Aidan says.
“Thank you, Martha,” I say, unable to peel the smile off my face.
Martha smiles and gives us a nod. “Well, I'll leave you to it then,” she says. “Enjoy yourselves.”
I watch her walk off and then turn to him. “How in the hell did you pull this off?” I ask.
He shrugs but flashes me an enigmatic little smile. “I'm a man with connections.”
“Clearly,” I say.
Hand-in-hand, we walk through the back areas of the Aquarium, taking it all in. I can barely keep my excitement and awe in check. Especially when we come to the enclosure that houses a huge variety of fish, as well as several whale sharks. The entire scene is breathtaking to me, and I stop and admire it for several minutes. Aidan stands with me, holding my hand, as we stare at it in silence.
“I don't know how to ever thank you for all of this,” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper. “This is the most amazing thing I've ever experienced in my life.”
He plants a soft kiss on the top of my head. “Then we clearly need to give you more experiences.”
We spend the next several hours talking with some of the trainers and marine biologists, and by the end of the day, I feel like I've learned more than I did in three semesters at college. We take one more lap around the place so I can revisit some of my favorite exhibits and are standing before the manatee tank when Martha approaches us again.
“I'm so sorry,” she says, “but we're going to have to start closing up.”
I can't deny the sharp sting of disappointment that shoots through me. If I could, I’d sleep here. But, I know it's a memory I’ll cherish forever. My face hurts from how much I've smiled today, and that passion I felt when I was studying at the University of Georgia is burning higher and brighter than ever before.
“Thank you,” I say to Martha.
I pull her into a tight embrace that seems to surprise her. She laughs and hugs me back. When I step back, I look at Aidan and feel my heart turn a somersault when he flashes me that smile. He gives me a knowing look, as if he can see that he's reignited my desire and passion for school.
“Thank you, Martha,” he says in that deep, sexy baritone of his. “I think you did a lot more than you even know.”
“No, thank you, Aidan,” she says. “I do hope we'll see you again sometime soon.”
“Count on it,” he says.
Martha turns and walks away, leaving Aidan and me alone. I turn and watch the manatees gliding through the water and find myself wishing I could jump in and swim with them. Most people think they're ugly creatures, but I find them absolutely beautiful.
“Today has been amazing, Aidan,” I say and turn to him. “Thank you for giving me one of the best memories of my life.”
He kisses me softly and then looks into my eyes. “Thank you, Katie.”
I cock my head and look at him. “For what? I didn't do anything.”
His smile is soft and sad at the same time. “You did though,” he says. “You showed me that life can go on.”
It's a curious statement that has a million questions running through my mind. But, before I can ask a single one, Aidan takes my hand and leads me out of the Aquarium and into the dusky light of the early evening.
* * *
We get back into the hotel room, and I have every intention of throwing him down and fucking him then and there. I'm still riding high after the day we'd just spent together, and want to show Aidan just how thankful I am.
When I step into the room though, I see a dozen or more white boxes with large red bows spread around, along with a large vase containing a dozen long-stemmed roses. I turn and look at Aidan, who's just standing there, leaning against the wall, his hands in his pockets, looking back at me.
“What did you do?” I ask.
He gives me a casual shrug, a small smile playing upon his lips. “Well, I thought I'd take you out to dinner tonight,” he says. “And since I didn't give you a whole lot of notice to pack –”
“You mean no notice,” I say and laugh.
“Yeah, well, I feel bad about that,” he says. “So, I took the liberty of having some dresses sent up for you.”
I look at the array of boxes again and shake my head. This all feels so damn surreal. He rents out the Georgia Aquarium for me? Orders a boatload of dresses for me? Who does that? I almost want to look around for the hidden cameras, sure I'm on some screwed-up reality TV show or something, and some washed-up actor is about to burst out and tell me I've been pranked.
“Go ahead, take a look,” he says.
Numb with disbelief, I cross over to the boxes and open up the first one. Inside is a jade green, vintage-style dress. It's got short sleeves, a scoop neck, and a flared skirt. It's gorgeous. I've never had the money for nice clothes before – certainly never anything as nice as this. I've always made do with thrift store finds and whatnot.
I live very frugally. Always have. I've never had a lot of money for luxurious or nice things. Most of my clothes come from discount stores or second-hand shops. As I touch the fabric of the green dress, admiring how soft it is, the sense of the surreal I’m experiencing only deepens.
“What do you think?” he asks.
“I – it's beautiful,” I say, my voice thick with emotion.
Before I even know Aidan had moved, I feel him standing behind me. His hands are on my shoulders, and he gently turns me around. I stare up at him, my vision blurred, and my eyes stinging with tears.
“What's wrong?” he asks.
“Nothing,” I say and shake my head. “Everything is – perfect. Too perfect.”
His smile is gentle as he plants a soft kiss on my forehead.
“Aidan,” I say. “I can't take these. Between renting out the Aquarium and all of this, I can't even begin to imagine how much money you've spent –”
He cuts me off with a soft kiss on the lips. I know he's trying to distract me, but I'm not going to let him off the hook that easily. When he finally pulls back, I launch straight back into it.
“You can't be spending this much money on me, Aidan,” I say. “I've done –”
“It's my money to spend,” he says, cutting me off. “And I'll spend it however I see fit.”
“Aidan, I –”
“Stop,” he says, putting his finger to my lips. “Let me spoil you, Katie. You deserve it. You've had too much bad in your life. Time to let some good in. You deserve it.”
A lone tear rolls down my cheek, and he wipes it away with his thumb. I've never been spoiled before and don't know how to react to it. It's so far outside the norm for me, so beyond my comfort zone, that I don't know how to take it. I almost feel like I'm taking advantage of him, and that's a feeling I never want either of us to have.
As I stare into his eyes, I feel my insides melting. And I feel my will and resolve disappearing along with it. Aidan leans down and kisses me hard, sliding his tongue into my mouth, nearly stealing my breath away. As our kiss deepens and intensifies, I feel myself begin to ache with need.
I lay the dress back on top of the box as Aidan circles behind me and slides the straps of my sundress off my shoulders. His beard is scratchy against my skin as he lines my shoulders with soft kisses. My dress slips down my body, finally landing in a puddle around my feet. I step out of it and stand before him in nothing but my lacy black panties.
Aidan takes a moment, his eyes roaming up and down, as he admires my body. His gaze is intense, and the air between us thick with sexual tension.
I can see by the look in his eye that he's hungry for me. Never taking my eyes off of his, I slide my panties down, slipping them down my legs before kicking them off. His look of absolute desire never wavers. It never falters.
Aidan steps forward and I reach down, stroking him through his pants.
“I think we need to do something about these, don't you?” I ask.
He gives me a little grin. “Not yet,” he teases. “I’m going to have a little fun first.”