by Livia Grant
It was obvious to Kieran that Jim went to cool off. But Kieran felt Jim had no right to be angry— he was the one in the wrong. It was time his brother realized that he couldn’t get away with that sort of behavior. Bloody hell, smacking your wife around the place was just so barbarian. Criminal even. No matter what name they chose to put on it. He really didn’t know if he could stay in the same house, and hear Jim beating his wife and not interfere, but yet he would be terrified to leave. What if something bad happened to Ange, and he had known what was going on, and yet had turned a blind eye? Then he would be as guilty as Jim. He would have to work on convincing Ange to leave and bring the children. He went out for a walk to clear his head and consider his options. Before long, he found himself at Carla’s door.
“You look upset. Is everything okay?” Carla asked, opening the door to admit him.
“No it bloody isn’t. Are there any pubs in this crazy place? I need a drink.”
“There’s plenty of cold beer in my fridge, but in return you have to tell me what’s bothering you. Get us both one,” she replied, looking apologetically at her strapped ankle. Kieran felt guilty for going there, he’d forgotten Carla’s accident earlier in his distress.
“Okay, out with it. Is it Corbin’s Bend or your woman troubles?” she asked as he handed her a bottle.
“Neither. Family troubles. I find my brother beating the arse off his wife, and I’m supposed to butt out and do nothing. It goes against everything we were taught growing up. My parents would be disgusted. Hell, I’m disgusted. She’s so tiny and frail and he’s a big brute of a man. I want to punch his feckin’ lights out, but I only got one swing in,” he blurted.
To his utter disgust, Carla actually laughed. “You actually punched Jim for spanking Ange? Thank God it was Jim and not one of the neighbors.”
“What the fuck are you laughing at, woman? My brother is knocking seven bells out of his wife and you find it funny? This community is nuts.” Kieran felt fit to explode with rage.
“All right, calm down a moment. Just what do you mean he was knocking seven bells out of her? Was he spanking her or beating her up, there is a huge difference.”
“She was lying down on his knee and he was hitting her with his belt. That’s beating up in my book. I never thought I’d see the day when I wanted to report my own brother to the police, but that’s what I need to do. And get Ange and the kids home to Ireland where they’ll be safe.”
Kieran could see that Carla was struggling really hard not to laugh again and he clenched his fists. It took a moment or two before she had composed herself enough to speak.
“Kieran, this is a spanking community. That’s why Ange and Jim moved here. Surely you knew they were into it after the court case in Ireland? I thought everybody knew and that was why they left.”
“I thought it was just kinky stuff, not actually hurting her. What he was doing was no sex game. You should have heard her, she was screaming at him to stop.” Kieran managed to sputter out.
“It might be hard for you to believe, but some people want or need it that way.”
“How the hell would anyone want that?” Kieran asked in disbelief.
“It’s hard to explain why. It’s just the way we’re made.”
“We’re? You mean you would go along with a man beating you too?” He had heard enough and half wanted her to stop. But yet he needed to hear it, part morbid fascination, and partly from desire to do the right thing for Ange.
“I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of and I need to let go. Because I have no partner, I don’t get the punishment I need. And yes I do need it. Today I booked an appointment with a professional disciplinarian, and even knowing I will have to face my faults in the near future makes me feel better. You’re Catholic I presume?” Kieran nodded. “Well consider it like confession then. You do your penance, you learn from it and you move on and try not to repeat the offence. It’s therapeutic. I’ve come to know Ange pretty well, she’s tougher than you think, and if she wasn’t happy with the arrangement, well Jim could just rock on out of town.”
“What the hell is a professional disciplinarian? And what has it got to do with Ange and Jim?” he asked, confused.
“Many of us choose a head of household path, where one partner is in charge, the other answerable to them. If you screw up, you’re answerable to your head of house and they will punish you. The punishment will be agreed between the couple, for most of us it includes spanking among other things. Ange is lucky – she has a head. Me, I have to find and pay a total stranger to discipline me for my transgressions.”
“Holy fuck.” Kieran took another swig of his beer. After what he’d just witnessed, now this crazy woman was saying she was going to pay some loonie to do the same thing to her. Kieran’s head was pounding with confusion. “So when are you going to see them, and is it a him or a her? And do you know them?” he finally spat out.
“Weekend after next, it seems there’s a waiting list. It’s a him. No, I don’t know him, but he comes highly recommended. He’s in Denver. I didn’t want to go to anyone in Corbin’s Bend as I’m already the butt of too many jokes. Sorry, no pun intended,” Carla said, straightening her back and almost fixing herself for a fight with him.
“And just what will he do?” Kieran couldn’t help himself from asking.
“According to his email, he will ask me exactly why I think I need to be punished, and once he has full details, he will then decide what sort of a spanking I deserve and what I can take, and then he will dish it out,” Carla said matter of factly.
“You’re stark raving mad,” Kieran pronounced.
“Yes, you’ve already said that,” Carla agreed, looking quite unperturbed. “If you want to stay, you are welcome. There is a pull out sofa bed in the loft. But you’ll have to make it up yourself, as my ankle won’t appreciate the stairs.”
“Thanks. That would be great. I honestly can’t face them tonight. I need to get my head around it all.”
“Want to grab us another couple of beers first,” she suggested.
Four beers later, and his head brimming with more than he could take on the subject of discipline spanking, Kieran finally found his way to bed. To Carla, it was all so natural, something she said she desperately needed in her life, and something she had seen lead to a rich marriage for her parents. She didn’t question the validity of being subject to her man’s rules, had she one. To him, it was something out of the stone age. He could understand the kinky aspect. Okay, it wasn’t something he thought he would particularly get off on, but anything adding spice in the bedroom was a good thing, and he figured he would happily go along with that. But real punishment? Nuh uh! However, by now he realized he did need to talk with Ange rather than jumping in and saving her from something she craved. He also needed to know that Jim’s kids didn’t meet with the same fate. That he wouldn’t tolerate.
He heard the doorbell the next morning, and the conversation between Ange and Carla that went with it. He couldn’t help being pleased to hear that Jim had two black eyes after the box. He’ll rub it into him, Kieran thought. By the time Ange made it up to the loft, he had pulled on his clothes and had the advantage of being mentally prepared for her arrival.
“Kieran, about last night,” she started.
“Yeah, I get it. You’re mad enough to think it’s okay. Or that you somehow need or deserve it. You know most battered wives think it’s their fault?”
“That’s not fair! Jim never battered me in his life, despite what you might think. I know Carla has explained how it all works, and I’m not going over it all again. But you’ve spent the past three weeks with us. You can’t deny things are way better than they used to be. We’re both much happier. You’ve said it yourself several times.”
Ange was of course right in that respect. He had been amazed at how close they had become, but surely to God there were other, more civilized, ways of fixing a broken relationship.
“I can’t tell you wh
at to do about yourself, but what about the kids? Surely you don’t punish them in this way? They’re only tots.” Kieran was getting wound up again at the very idea of such a thing.
“Good Lord no. While we do give the odd smack, I am much more likely to give them a swat across the legs than Jim is, much like what would have happened to you at home. But the stuff we do, we see as adult and consensual. Each family around here makes their own decision on discipline, but that’s our take on it.”
“Bloody good job, Ange. I’d drag you through whatever courts I had to to protect them from that, family or not. And as for you, if it ever gets too much, or if you need help, you call me, do you hear?”
Ange laughed outright. “I’ll allow you your moment of chivalry, Kieran. But I swear, the kids are totally mollycoddled and this is the way I want it. Now, come back home, and let me get back to work.”
“I’ll be home later, I promise. I need to talk to Carla first. And probably make her breakfast if her foot is still fecked. Is Jim still mad? Do I need my boxing gloves?”
“Don’t you know well he’s mad? But he’d have done the very same thing himself. No doubt you’ll work it out.”
“All right. Nice arse by the way,” he said as a parting shot. Ange just grinned taking it in the spirit he intended.
Kieran stayed, hoping to talk Carla out of going to a disciplinarian. As angry and annoyed as he had been with Jim, he was twice as mad with Carla for knowingly putting herself in danger by going to a complete stranger. The only references she had for him were from supposed clients he had provided and they could be anyone at all. But he found he couldn’t broach the subject with her in the broad light of day and without as much as a beer for Dutch courage. He knew perfectly well that what Carla did with her body had absolutely nothing to do with him. And yet the very idea of it was eating him up. He left without dealing with the issue and not even the satisfaction of meeting her for exercise later thanks to her ankle. God only knew when or if he would be able to address it.
Within a few days, Kieran had come to the conclusion none of it was any of his business. Ange and Jim were just the same together as they had been since his arrival. Certainly, there was no sign of fear on Ange or anger with Jim. Whatever had been going on had been dealt with. Jim had forgiven Kieran for losing his head, or almost…
“Ange beating you up again?” Brandon asked a couple of days later as they all met up for a cool beer. “You know you really should take that woman in hand.”
“It was taking her in hand that caused this,” Jim said with a laugh. “Bucko here decided to be her white knight and save her from a spanking.” He nodded toward Kieran with a grin.
“No! You’re kidding.” Brandon laughed, spraying his mouthful of beer all over Jim and Kieran.
“It was nearly you with the black eye, Brandon! I saw you swatting Dina on my first day here, and only for Carla, I would probably have interfered. It might have helped if I had been warned what I was coming to, or what you all got up to,” Kieran said. He could see he was going to be the standing joke of the community for some time to come. Privately though, he doubted he could have heard that racket and not stepped in that first time.
Kieran had set up his computer and was at work early every morning, the noise of a family coming to life ensuring he was awake with the birds. The best thing about his work as a software developer meant he could operate anywhere and at any time, but early was better as he had more communication hours with his colleagues in Dublin. Starting early meant finishing early too. He stuck to his exercising alone. He missed Carla’s company and he couldn’t wait until her ankle had recovered. He had no idea why Jim had set her down as a man-eater; she made absolutely no move on him. Hanging out with her was as good as hanging out with the lads back home. Better even, her conversation didn’t revolve around sports and women! She was a hell of a lot easier on the eye too, with her luscious auburn hair and nice round behind. Had she given him any encouragement, he would have considered a summer fling a great way to pass the time, but friendly as she was, she made it clear she wasn’t interested in him in that way, which was a great pity. On the plus, he found he was lamenting the loss of Maura less and less as he became more distracted by Carla.
“When I was out running this morning, I saw a poster for a circus,” Kieran announced to Ange after dinner as they sat drinking coffee. The children had already made their way to the living area with Jim setting up a DVD for them. Kieran hadn’t wanted to say it in front of them in case they weren’t allowed to go. “I haven’t been to one in years. I’d love to hijack the kids as an excuse to go, if that’s okay with you.”
“Sure, they’d love it. Oh, no. Wait a minute. Maybe not Friday evening. Carla is supposed to be minding the kids then,” Ange said.
“I was thinking about asking her to come along anyway. Why is she babysitting? I would have done it. Are you going anywhere nice?”
“Dinner with her parents. And it was all arranged before we knew you were coming. You’re spending a lot of time with Carla. Is she giving you the come on?” Ange replied.
“Hah, I wish. She’s immune to my charms, and believe me, I’m laying them on thick. She jumps six feet if I as much as accidentally brush against her.”
“Fuck, you’re kidding? That’s so not Carla. She’s man crazy,” Ange replied. At the same moment, Jack and Ava came back to where they were sitting.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Jack started chanting in a sing song voice, jumping around the place obviously enjoying himself. Kieran couldn’t hold in his laughter. It seemed so funny coming from an almost six year old mouth.
“DVD’s on,” Jim announced, returning to the table while Jack was still at this hijinks. He didn’t look one bit impressed at the carry on. He gave his son a light swat on his behind and glared at Kieran for encouraging the child by laughing.
“You know you’re not allowed to say that word. If I hear it again, it will be straight to bed with no DVD,” he chastised firmly.
“Mammy said it first,” Ava gloatingly reported. Jim gave Ange a filthy look before scooting the children off to watch TV. Ange tried to hide a smirk, but Kieran saw her stifle it.
“I will discuss that with you later, when your knight in shining armour isn’t here to give me another black eye,” Jim said to Ange once the kids were out of earshot.
“Hold on, don’t tell me you’re going to spank her for that. That’s bloody ridiculous,” Kieran intervened.
“Butt out, Kieran,” Jim warned.
“No, it’s okay, Jim. Kieran, this is something I’ve asked Jim to punish me for. I swear too easily in front of the children, and I hate it when they repeat it, especially in front of other kids. I can’t reprimand them if I do it myself,” Ange cut in. She was still grinning about her faux pas, and Jack’s happy sweary dance. Her lack of fear really put Kieran at ease. It was the first time he had been part of the dynamics in such a matter of fact way.
“Doesn’t it bother you, knowing what he’s going to do? He’s going to hurt you for Christ’s sake. Aren’t you scared?” Kieran couldn’t help but ask.
“Scared of that big pussy cat? You’re kidding. Anxious and jumpy because I know it’s hanging over me, yes. But I put in for it. I shouldn’t be effing and blinding in front of the kids. Next time I’ll think twice before I mouth off.”
“You’ll be scared and sorry by the time I’m done with you, especially after calling me a pussy cat,” Jim threatened.
“Oops, sorry. Would you prefer tiger, m’Lord?” Ange said, dropping from her seat into a curtsey with a grin.
Kieran couldn’t believe his ears. Jim had just said he was going to spank his wife, and there she was, teasing him and joking as if there was nothing wrong. Taunting him even. And most certainly not cowed down. There was such an air of normality about them that he shrugged his shoulders. Let Jim spank away. It was obvious his intervention wasn’t needed.
“I’ll say one thing for you: you’re well matched at least. The
re is one of you as bad as the other,” Kieran grudgingly conceded.
“Don’t tell me you can’t see some teeny tiny appeal in the idea of Carla lying willingly, bare bottomed across your knee, submitting to your will,” Ange teased.
“Nope. None at all,” Kieran replied, but he was glad his groin was hidden by the table. The mental image of Carla with any bits bared at all did terrible things to him.
“Liar! So when is this circus?”
“Friday evening. One night only,” Kieran replied, glad of the change of topic. He couldn’t help but be a bit put out that this famed man-eater had no time for him. Was he that repulsive to her? He could only assume that the main reason he was so drawn to her was simply because she seemed so unattainable.
* * * * *
It had been a long time since Kieran had laughed so hard or had so much fun. The circus was small, due to the limited space in the parks in Corbin’s Bend, but it had the requisite acrobats, clowns, ponies and even alligators, much to the children’s delight. Almost straight away, the clowns picked Kieran out to be the victim of their pranks for the evening. When Kieran replied to one of their questions, he was toast.
“Begob and Begorra, tis a wee leprechaun we have here,” the diminutive clown mimicked Kieran’s accent. “Stand up until I see if you’re hiding a crock of gold.”
Kieran duly stood. All six foot two of him.
“Tis a very big wee leprechaun,” the clown said with an exaggerated shiver as he mopped his brow. The audience lapped it up. The clown lightly sparred with Kieran who reciprocated. The clown fell down on the ground, and another two came and carried him off on a stretcher. Two more arrived dressed as policemen to arrest Kieran, but they had to let him go when little Jack began to get upset. Carla was laughing too hard to be able to coherently explain it was all a joke. Kieran picked the little lad up and another clown produced a big brightly colored ball, and gave it to Jack to make up for upsetting him. Then he kicked the two “policemen” in the bum, chasing them off the stage.
