The Bottom Line

by Shelley Munro

  “It’s weird without Maggie around,” Julia said.

  “The next time you see her, you’re going to act friendly instead of snubbing her,” Connor ordered. “She needs her friends now.”

  “She’s not answering her phone,” Julia said. “I rang her a couple of days ago to thank her for the flowers she sent me.”

  “Has anyone seen her?” Connor asked.

  “No,” Susan said.

  “You know Greg sacked her because of the blog,” Connor said.

  “The official story is it’s because she used the Internet during work hours,” Susan said.

  “Bullshit.” Connor picked up his coffee, took a sip and discarded it. Cold. “Maggie hardly ever used the computer for personal stuff. There were other worse offenders who should have been made an example of before Maggie.”

  “Greg is a prick,” Julia said.

  “Pompous,” Christina agreed. “And it’s not fair. Maggie should take a case to the employment tribunal.”

  “She won’t do that,” Connor said, thinking about her mother and father and her past. She wouldn’t want people gossiping about her or the publicity.

  “Greg wasn’t right for Maggie. You’re much better,” Susan said. “We all noticed her growing confidence, but didn’t know why.”

  “What if Maggie doesn’t want to get back together with you?” Christina asked.

  Connor stared at her in shock, his gut lurching with a jolt of fear. He didn’t want to consider that possibility. Instead, he’d focus on his plan. “If that’s what Maggie wants, I’ll walk away.” He forced out the words while inside his mind screamed at him. The words were a lie. He’d do anything to change Maggie’s mind.

  Undress and lie on your bed. Close your eyes.

  You hear me open a drawer and know I’ve pulled out our favorite rope. It’s soft so it won’t scratch your delicate skin. Imagine me straddling your body, dragging the end of that soft rope over your shoulders and lower across your breasts. I use it as a massager, a mere scrape of fibers across your skin, and sometimes I change the pressure so it digs into your muscles, the sensation almost painful.

  I awake your nerve endings until they sing and your sex tingles. Every one of my touches zaps its way there until your tissues are damp and your juices run from your pussy.

  I start to use my mouth, kissing parts of your body that don’t normally receive that type of attention, and gradually I tie you. I loop the rope around your legs, tying them apart so your pussy flowers and blooms for me. I imagine the cool air feels good on your swollen tissues, the contrast another layer of sensation.

  Soon your arms are secure and you can’t move. You’re totally at my mercy. I kiss your lips, and you groan. You want me to fuck you, but I know it can be better, the need more urgent yet.

  I suck at your neck, nipping then laving your flesh. You like being helpless and at my mercy. I like having you that way. It’s a real turn-on for me, seeing your swollen lips, your taut muscles as you strain toward me, desperate to end the ache coalescing in your pussy.

  You beg me to take you, to ram my cock deep until the pleasure takes us both.

  Laughing, I say no. I flick your tight nipples, licking around the areola. I tease them, tightening my fingers until the blood rushes there, the pain an echo of pleasure in your sex. You arch upward, attempting to push me, make me lose control.

  “Don’t move,” I say. The words are an order, and you know it. I haven’t finished with you yet. I touch and tease you from head to foot until you are a quivering mass of desire, desperate for release. Desperate for me.

  Your lips are swollen, your eyes glazed, yet I have never seen a woman look more beautiful. I love looking at you, knowing I have the power to create this sort of reaction in you.

  Without a word, I untie the ropes holding you captive. You’re confused. Nervous. I can see it in the way you look at me and the fine tremor of your body.

  “Turn over,” I order.

  You send me another uncertain look before you slowly turn over to lie on your stomach. Quickly I tie you again. You are my captive, mine to do with what I will.

  I know you’re unsure. It’s a turn-on for me knowing you still trust me enough to follow my orders blindly. I smooth my hand over your ass. You start, your surprise a sharp intake of breath. I tap my hand down on one cheek and quickly wind up into a spanking. You gasp. I know I’ve surprised you. You adjust quickly.

  From where I’m sitting I can see your pink folds and the way your juices glisten. Along with the bite of pain comes a wash of pleasure. Your butt is a delightful pink, a shade deeper than your sex. Your clit is a hard button protruding from its hood.

  Finally, I stop spanking you, about to explode. I move up behind you and leaning on my elbows, I guide my cock into your tight sheath. There is nothing sexier than watching my cock disappear into your body, hearing your encouraging cries and feeling the tight squeeze of your cunt.

  “Please,” you beg.

  I push into you, halting when I’m balls deep to enjoy the pulsing feel of you surrounding me. Then I can’t wait any longer. I draw back and thrust into you. It’s hard and almost brutal. We’re both grunting, but I can feel you lifting up into my thrusts. You’re encouraging me, reaching for the orgasm I know is swelling through you, because it’s starting to tingle in my balls too. I can feel it, and it’s so good.

  You explode, a scream ripping from deep in your throat. Seconds later I follow as the pulses of your pussy milk me to completion…

  Maggie groaned, her clothes feeling heavy on her sensitive skin. She ached, each step toward her bedroom almost killing her. The emails from Kinky Lover were becoming hotter. More explicit.

  “Who the heck are you? Are you a pervert, or someone I should get to know?” she muttered, ripping her clothes from her body and tossing them aside. She fell onto the bed, her hand stroking between her legs almost before she hit the mattress.

  It didn’t take much. A pinch of her nipple. A stroke of her finger, the liquid squelch bringing a rush of embarrassment to her cheeks. She came with an orgasmic rush, the tight coil in her belly unraveling until she drifted down.

  Maggie laid there, heart pounding while she analyzed her reaction. She was obsessed with Kinky Lover, whoever he was. She raced home from work to check her email and checked it before she left for work. Hooked by cybersex.

  At least she wouldn’t catch any nasty diseases.

  Maggie glanced at her watch and realized she needed to move or she’d be late for the job interview she had scheduled. She couldn’t blow it off, because she needed a second job at the local pub to subsidize her wages. Hopefully, another job meant she could work on a nest egg, because she never wanted to go through the same financial trauma again.

  Two nights later, Maggie stared at her most recent email from Kinky Lover.

  We have great email sex. I keep thinking what it could be like if circumstances were different. I want to meet you in person. What do you say?

  Maggie read the short email again, nerves jumping at the thought. Immediately, Connor jumped into her mind. She missed him, even though she was having torrid cybersex with another man. Thoughts of Connor still filled her mind at odd times of the day. A lost cause. She admitted the truth, but it didn’t stop her thinking about what might have been, if he hadn’t been so obsessed with blonde women, if she had been enough for him.

  She missed the others as well, catching herself thinking about describing a particular customer at the theme restaurant to them before she remembered they’d washed their hands of her.

  A pang of loneliness hit her as she realized the last person she’d talked to was the man at the bar where she’d gone for an interview. She hadn’t talked to another person since. At the gym she put on her ear phones and ignored everyone. She’d taken her phone off the hook and ignored the doorbell.

  “Damn, this isolation has got to change.” She couldn’t keep going on like this. It wasn’t healthy.

  She glanced
at the email again and wondered. Maybe she should take a chance on Kinky Lover. He wrote great emails and was into spanking. Other kink, too, judging by the addition of ropes.

  She started to type a response, then stopped. Perhaps she’d better think about it first before she committed herself to anything with a man she didn’t know. Instead, she wrote a blog entry.

  For those of you who are reluctant to participate in a spanking or can’t understand why anyone would enjoy a good spanking, I thought I’d give you ten reasons why I think spanking is great.

  It’s a great method of stress relief.

  It can be a good way of opening communication, since spanking requires talking and discussion.

  Spanking doesn’t require special tools—a hand or a hairbrush will work.

  It can bring a new buzz to a relationship.

  Most bottoms are well-padded and careful swats won’t do any damage.

  The closeness that comes after a spanking is magical.

  It’s great for foreplay and sex after a spanking is hot.

  It’s fun trying out different positions and scenarios.

  Role-playing and dress-up can be a lot of fun.

  An alpha man administering a spanking is plain sexy.

  Let me know if you think of other reasons to add to my list. I’m all about learning when it comes to spanking.

  An hour later, Maggie worked the bar during the regular barman’s break, smiled and joked with two male customers while keeping an eye on the rest of the customers. Just gone five, it was still quiet. Another hour and the place would rock. She wriggled her toes in her black flats. Thank goodness for comfortable shoes.

  A young couple walked up to the bar. Automatically, she scanned their faces and decided they were legal. She poured a vodka RTD, one of the popular ready-to-drink mixes, and a beer, taking their money with a smile.

  From the corner of her eye, she noted some new arrivals, and when she’d finished, she turned. Her welcome smile died a rapid death when she came face-to-face with Susan and Christina.

  The pub doors opened, and Julia walked in.

  Maggie’s heart stuttered before kicking into its normal beat. She forced her smile back to her lips. “Hello. What can I get you to drink?”

  “Maggie, I didn’t realize you worked here,” Julia said. “We thought we’d try a new pub. This one hasn’t been open for that long.”

  “I needed the money.” Wasn’t that obvious? Why else would she work every possible hour management offered her?

  Christina offered a quiet smile. “I was sorry about you losing your job.”

  “Ancient history,” Maggie said. “If you haven’t decided on what to drink do you mind if I serve those guys?” She turned away without waiting for their reply. Why did they have to pick this bar?

  When she turned back, the three women lined up at the bar like birds sitting on power lines and looked as if they’d roosted for the night.

  “We’ll take a bottle of the house Sauvignon Blanc,” Susan said.

  “And some peanuts,” Julia added. “I missed lunch.”

  Maggie nodded. “We have a bar menu. The snacks are pretty good if you’d like something more substantial.” Her voice emerged stiff and robot-like. She paused to draw a sharp breath and told herself to calm down. This job was important. Her new boss had emphasized customer service. She couldn’t afford to lose the job for scaring off customers.

  “How long have you been working here?” Christina asked.

  “I started yesterday. I have another job at a theme restaurant. You know the medieval one?”

  Julia chuckled, although it wasn’t with her normal gusto. Maggie thought she looked sad. “That’s the one with the wenches with big boobs.”

  “Yep,” Maggie said, handing over the opened bottle of wine. “Case in point,” she added, gesturing at her breasts. “I was perfectly qualified.”

  “Oh,” Susan said, wrinkling her nose. “Isn’t that a bit degrading?”

  “I needed a job.” Nothing less than the truth. Jobs were in short supply if a person lacked references. “It’s not so bad if you keep your wits about you. I have a good reason to keep going to the gym.”

  Christina nodded, her eyes holding sympathy. “You look great. Have you lost weight?”

  “A bit.” Money shortages had a way of making a person focus on the important things in life. She realized she’d let go of her anger toward the three women. Secrets. They weren’t necessarily a good thing between friends. And lying. That was where she’d gone wrong. “I’m really sorry I lied to you about Connor. It was wrong of me to break my promise.”

  Maggie walked away to serve more customers.

  The head barman returned from his break. “I want you to stay working this bar tonight,” he said. “You’re efficient and doing a great job.”

  “Thanks,” Maggie said, appreciating the kind words. It would keep her busy so she had an excuse to steer clear of the women. She’d missed them so much. Heck, she missed Connor. But things were different now. She couldn’t go back to the way it was before. All she could do was go forward. She’d apologized and meant it. She was sorry for lying to her friends, but it didn’t make things right.

  Susan waved her over. “We’ll take an order of fries, some spring rolls and—”

  “We need something healthy,” Christina interrupted.

  “And the vegetable crudités and hot spinach dip,” Susan finished. “Is that healthy enough for you?”

  “Gotta have the five plus vegetables a day,” Julia quipped. “They tell us all the time on television.”

  “Since when did you follow the rules?” Susan asked.

  Julia’s smile faded. “People change. Things don’t stay the same.”

  Maggie felt her pain and wondered at the secrets emblazoned across Julia’s face. Losing the baby had hurt her. It was funny because Julia was the last one out of all of them she’d expect to get pregnant or embrace motherhood. “I’ll take the order through to the kitchen. It won’t take long.”

  When she returned a group of young guys had joined them. Rugby players she discovered when she overheard them talking.

  Julia gestured for another bottle of wine, and Maggie hustled to serve both her and the new arrivals.

  “How are you doing, Julia?” she asked in an undertone.

  Julia shrugged. “Good days. Bad days. How about you?”

  Obviously Julia wasn’t willing to talk specifics yet. “About the same as you. I don’t think I’m relationship material. Every one of them ends the same way, with me ending up alone. I think I’m doing okay, then things get mucked up and everything ends badly.” The words burst from Maggie, making her realize how badly she’d needed to talk.

  Julia gave a sharp bark of laughter, one that held little humor. “You and me both. What say we give up on men and have a raging affair with each other?”

  “Julia!” Christina said in clear shock. “Did you just proposition Maggie?”

  “Why not?” Julia winked at her, but made sure Christina didn’t see. “We’re both off men, but like sex. I’m sure I could spank you, Maggie. Let’s talk.”

  Susan started to splutter, while one of the young rugby players picked up on a pertinent word.

  “Spanking?” he asked. “Which one of you is into spanking? There’s a great spanking blog that one of the other guys in my team put me on to. I thought it would be strange and kinky, but it’s really interesting.”

  Susan blurted, “That’s Mag—”

  “That’s great,” Maggie cut through Susan’s words, shouting loudly, and her friend clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes full of apology. “You sound very open-minded.” A pity he was too young for her.

  In that moment, she knew she was going to meet up with her cyber lover. He pushed every one of her buttons and already knew she liked spanking.

  “Where do you play rugby?” Christina asked, diverting the conversation.

  Susan wasn’t so easily diverted, her speculati
ve gaze going from Maggie to Julia and back. Maggie felt Susan’s gaze follow her down the bar while she served several beers and mixed drinks. It was another hour before things calmed down enough for her to check on her friends.

  At least the initial stiffness had faded, although Maggie wasn’t fool enough to think their friendship would continue as if nothing had happened.

  “Susan thinks we’re interested in each other. Connor would have a good laugh about that. He’s always said two chicks together are hot,” Julia said.

  “Susan is gullible.” Maggie didn’t want to talk about Connor. She hadn’t seen him, not even at the gym. She hoped they didn’t mention she was working here. The last thing she wanted was to see him with his new blonde. She didn’t think she could cope with that. A sudden tight sensation behind her eyes told her she was far from over him.

  Betrayal hurt—from both sides, which made her want to work to repair the rift with her friends.

  “I’ve really missed you. I haven’t been going out much. Just work and Susan and Christina dragged me out tonight. I’m sorry I didn’t make more of an effort to see you,” Julia said in a low voice. “I really am sorry. You’re a good friend and you deserve better.”

  “It’s okay,” Maggie murmured.

  “It’s not, but thank you. Are you seeing anyone else?” Julia asked.

  “Not really. Sort of,” she amended. Cripes, she was having regular cybersex.

  “So, which is it?”

  “I’ve been having some pretty torrid cybersex with someone I met through my blog.”

  Julia’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  Maggie moved away to serve some more customers, noting the crowd had thinned out. Some had left for home while others had moved to the adjoining restaurant.

  When she returned to her friends, the rugby players had left. She gathered up the glasses, stacked them into the glass machine and switched it on.

  “You can’t leave me hanging like that,” Julia said. “Spill.” She turned to the others and whispered, “Maggie’s having cybersex with some guy.”