by Thianna D
“Very nice,” said Kirsty, turning it over appreciatively in her hands. “They did a good job.”
“What do you think, Logan?” asked Lorelei. “They’re for promotional giveaways. We’re going to give them away as prizes and rewards for our best customers. We spent a lot of time deciding what the best gift for our customers would be. That kind of brush is known as a paddle brush you know.”
“Is it indeed?” said Logan, smiling his lopsided grin. “I wonder why.” He held out his hand for the hairbrush, and Kirsty handed it over to him. He took the brush in his right hand and holding out his left, brought the brush forcefully down on his own upturned palm. The loud thwack that it made resounded around the tiny salon. “You know I can’t help feeling that what with this being Corbin’s Bend and all, people might possibly find other uses for this, beyond brushing their hair.”
Lorelei put her hands on her hips and laughed loudly. “Sheesh, Logan. You think? Well, I must say that thought never occurred to me.”
Kirsty joined in the laughter. “Suuure it didn’t. That’s why you ended up tying the poor sales guy up in knots, making him tell you the exact size, thickness and weight of every single hairbrush that they sold.”
“Yeah, apparently, people aren’t usually bothered about how heavy their hairbrushes are. Seems like a pretty important consideration to me.”
Logan was tapping the brush against his thigh. “Yeah seems like a pretty crucial consideration to me too,” he said, smiling. “This one feels nice and heavy.”
“Of course the best bit,” said Lorelei, “was when he tried to persuade me to buy the same number of styling brushes to give away with these ones. I remained adamant that my customers would be much more keen on a paddle brush than a styling brush.”
“I’m sure any of your customers who are given one of these will be incredibly satisfied,” said Logan. He held out the brush towards Lorelei in order to give it back to her.
Lorelei shook her head. “You and Kirsty should keep that one,” she said. “My fantastic stylist here ought to have the opportunity to find out how effective these brushes really are. What do you think, Kirsty? Maybe you could give me a report back when you have had the chance to find out.”
Kirsty blushed scarlet. “Um, yeah, sure…” she mumbled.
Logan slipped the hairbrush into the rucksack he was carrying. “Thanks very much Lorelei,” he said. “I assure you that it will get put to good use soon. In fact, I can’t wait to try it.” He winked at Kirsty, who blushed even redder. He couldn’t help enjoying her discomfort. Of course, Lorelei knew that Logan spanked Kirsty – they lived in Corbin’s Bend after all – but Kirsty was still reluctant to discuss her spankings with anyone else. Even though she listened to intimate details of most of her customer’s lives every day. Hairdressers were often compared to therapists and Kirsty’s customers would often open up to her when she was styling their hair. She knew exactly how often many of the women in Corbin’s Bend were spanked, how hard and with what implements. Yet suggest in front of someone else, that she herself might be on the receiving end of the occasional spanking and she blushed bright red from embarrassment. Logan thought it was utterly adorable.
Chapter Three
Logan had been incredibly pleased when Kirsty had suggested having Lydia and Scott over to visit. Being an only child, Kirsty didn’t have any family of her own now that both her parents had passed on. He liked that she seemed happy to get to know his family better.
Scott was a large broad-chested man who towered above Logan’s small softly-spoken sister. As Logan opened the door to welcome them both to his and Kirsty’s new home, Scott boomed out his hellos and grasped Logan’s hand in a vice-like handshake.
“Logan!” he bellowed. “Good to see you. Great place you have here! I can’t tell you how jealous I am of you guys living in Corbin’s Bend. It seems a great place to raise a family.”
Logan wasn’t too sure how to respond to that. Was Scott already bringing up whether he and Kirsty had any plans to have children? He had only been in the house for 30 seconds.
Lydia followed behind Scott and gave a quick warm hug to Logan. “Hi, little bro,” she said, smiling. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too,” said Logan.
Lydia and Kirsty shared a quick friendly embrace. “I am so glad you guys came,” Kirsty said. “You’ll be our first official visitors in our new place.”
“Well that sure is an honor,” laughed Scott loudly. “Right, I’ll let you folk catch up with one another while I go and fetch the luggage from the car.”
Lydia looked around their home and beamed. “Oh, what a lovely place,” she said. “It’s so roomy and you guys have done such a beautiful job with it. You’ve only been here a month, haven’t you? It feels like home already.”
Logan stole a look at Kirsty who was beaming happily. She looked incredibly flattered by Lydia’s comments. It was funny for all her protestations that she hated housework and didn’t care about how the place looked, she had worked very hard to get the house looking as nice as possible for Lydia and Scott’s visit. Maybe there was a bit of a homemaker in her after all.
* * * * *
Kirsty enjoyed having Lydia and Scott to visit. Despite almost becoming a recluse during her first few weeks in Corbin’s Bend, she was by nature, a sociable person. She enjoyed having guests around the place to hang out with and it was nice to spend time with people outside of Corbin’s Bend for a change. Although following a domestic discipline lifestyle as they did meant that Lydia and Scott really weren’t that different from most of the residents. They would have fitted right in here. In fact, Kirsty had more than a sneaking suspicion that Scott would love to move here.
“So what do you have to do to get accepted by the Housing Committee, then?” he’d asked. “Provide documentary evidence of a spanking?”
“Nah. Nothing like that,” replied Logan. “In fact, it’s more to do with checking your finances and ensuring that you are fully on board with the idea of buying into a co-operative. Although obviously they do have to make sure that you are fully on-board with people adopting a spanking lifestyle. Acceptance is a huge part of life here in Corbin’s Bend. If people moved in who weren’t happy about the way people do things here, that could make life very uncomfortable.”
Scott and Lydia were very different from her and Logan, Kirsty thought. Scott did almost all of the talking when they were in a group. Lydia was very quiet and always deferred to her husband in everything.
Even when staying at someone else’s house, there still seemed to be the unspoken assumption that, short of heavy lifting, Lydia would do everything for Scott. The man barely needed to stir his own coffee cup with Lydia on hand to make sure everything was just about perfect for him.
Kirsty tried not to think about it too much but it did rankle. It was their marriage and it really was none of her business regardless of how sexist the whole thing seemed to her. But she couldn’t shake the idea that Logan had grown up in an environment like this. What did he think about having to do as much – if not more – round the house as Kirsty did? Kirsty was sure that he didn’t exactly feel emasculated by having to do the washing up, but she wondered if it seemed strange to him. The rest of the men in Logan’s family would no more think of donning a pair of washing up gloves than they would consider breastfeeding.
What did Scott and Lydia think when they saw Logan doing the cooking? Did they think that Kirsty wasn’t a proper girlfriend? Kirsty refused to feel bad about not doing more housework. Hers and Logan’s way was the right way, surely? It was the twenty-first century, for God’s sakes, men didn’t really expect women to cater to their every whim like a stereotypical 1950s housewife?
She put it out of her mind for the most part and enjoyed the time that the four of them spent together. They introduced them to several of their neighbors who were of course very welcoming. Kirsty found it funny how Corbin’s Bend residents were always a little cagey
around newcomers, not knowing quite how much any passing visitors might know about the community’s spanking ethos. Once people knew that Lydia and Scott practiced a domestic discipline lifestyle – and it was amazing how quickly that particular topic of conversation came up around these parts – all the barriers came down.
Kirsty would be very surprised if Scott and Lydia weren’t seriously considering submitting an application to move there. Scott had already been asking Logan a few probing questions about the availability of work in Denver.
Although even that conversation had just refocused Kirsty’s attention once again on how unbalanced Scott and Lydia’s relationship was. Lydia didn’t work. There was, as far as Kirsty could see, no reason for Lydia not to work other than the fact that Scott earned enough for both of them and clearly would rather that his wife didn’t work outside the home. But they didn’t have any children. They didn’t even have a dog. What was there to do at home, Kirsty wondered other than clean the house from top to bottom every day and get a meal on the table in time for her husband’s return.
Kirsty wanted to bring it up with Lydia. Lydia was always more talkative when it was just the two of them. But she couldn’t think of a way of doing it without sounding rude.
As their visit drew to a close, Kirsty suggested that her and Lydia should do something together, just the two of them.
“There’s that new romcom with Kaley Cuoco I thought we could go and see,” suggested Kirsty. “It would be nice to have a movie night out.”
“That sounds great,” agreed Lydia, turning to Scott. “What do you think, honey? Would that be okay?”
She really does have to defer to Scott on everything thought Kirsty uncharitably. I wonder how she can put up with it.
The trip to the movies was approved though. Although Kirsty had to bite her tongue when Scott insisted on knowing the exact location of the theatre and the times of the showings. “Okay, honey, I want you back home by 9:30. The movie finishes at 8:30 so that will give you plenty of time to get back here.”
“Sure thing, Scott,” Lydia answered.
Kirsty had to physically restrain herself from rolling her eyes. Lydia was a thirty-something year old woman for God’s sake. Surely she ought to be allowed to leave the house when she wanted without being issued with a curfew?
The movie was fun in a silly, clichéd sort of way. The plotline revolved around a wedding and afterwards Lydia made a few subtle, teasing comments about whether Kirsty and Logan were considering getting married some day.
Kirsty pulled a face. “Really not thinking about that just yet,” she said. Although she was almost embarrassed to realise that the idea of committing herself to Logan for the rest of her life filled her with warmth rather than horror. She had been in relationships before but back then the idea of marriage felt like something to be avoided at all costs. That had definitely changed when she got together with Logan. Could she handle being Mrs. Logan Barratt she wondered? She rather thought she could.
“Of course, there’s plenty of time to think about that,” said Lydia mildly.
“No sense in rushing things. We have only just moved into together. Oh,” she added. “Did you and Scott actually live together before you got married?”
“Of course we did,” said Lydia, sounding a little bit affronted. “We’re not quite as ridiculously out of touch as you might think. We don’t go around preaching to other people about living in sin or anything.”
Kirsty felt a little bit chagrined. Obviously she hadn’t managed to keep her thoughts on Lydia and Scott’s marriage quite so secret after all.
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean it like that. Hey, we don’t have to go straight back, do we? Do you want to go for a drink?”
“I’m not sure,” said Lydia doubtfully. “We told Scott and Logan that we were just going to see a movie. I don’t think they will be expecting us to stay out any longer.”
Oh for God’s sake, thought Kirsty. Do you have to do everything that your husband tells you to do?
“Come on,” said Kirsty. “It’ll be fun. I never get to come out to Boulder. Let’s find out what kind of nightlife it has to offer.”
Kirsty knew that Lydia was being pulled between obeying her husband and being polite to her hostess. She saw Lydia’s shoulders sag a little as she had obviously resigned herself to Kirsty’s suggestions. “Okay,” she said. “Just one drink.”
But when the first drinking establishment they came across was a nightclub, a bit of devilment took over in Kirsty. “Let’s go in here,” she said. “We can have a dance.”
Lydia looked worried. “I really don’t know if this is a good idea,” she said.
“Sure, it is,” said Kirsty. “I’ll text Logan and let him know we’ll be back late.” She punched a message into her phone, pressed send and then switched it off. She didn’t need to see Logan’s reply she decided. Once inside, she and Lydia headed to the dance floor.
Kirsty loved to dance. She would be the first to admit that she wasn’t necessarily all that great but she was certainly enthusiastic.
After an hour, though, her enthusiasm had waned entirely. She hadn’t been to a nightclub for a while and had forgotten how much enjoying them depending on keeping up a steady consumption of alcohol. Kirsty had given up drinking five months before after a drunken meltdown at a Corbin’s Bend community event. The Disciplinary Board’s stipulation for Kirsty remaining in Corbin’s Bend – in addition to the public spanking she had had to submit to – was that she quit alcohol for at least six months.
Lydia, it turned out also didn’t want a drink so after dancing for a few songs and then queuing up for overpriced watery colas, Kirsty did have to admit to herself that she wasn’t having all that much fun. Lydia clearly wasn’t having any fun either. She hadn’t wanted to come in the first place and looked both bored and kind of nervous. Kirsty felt bad for making her. She wasn’t sure why she had been so insistent on the idea other than it seemed important to prove that they were independent women who were perfectly entitled to do what they wanted with their own evening.
“Do you want to call it a night?” she said to Lydia who nodded her assent quickly.
They headed down the stairs to the exit but were met one of the bouncers who told them to go back up. “Sorry ladies,” he said. “Police have just shown up. They’re carrying out a drugs raid. No-one’s getting in or out for a while.”
Kirsty groaned. This is just what they needed. Some fun evening this was turning out to be.
They were shepherded back into the dance hall where the lights were switched on and the music stopped as the police thronged in. There looked to be about fifty of them. What on earth did they expect to find? Not that she had anything to worry about there. There was nothing more mood-enhancing in her pockets than a pack of spearmint gum.
“I’m really sorry,” she said to Lydia.
“That’s okay. It’s not your fault,” said Lydia. “You didn’t know that this was going to happen.”
Kirsty smiled at her but she felt terrible. She knew Lydia was just being nice. This was totally all her fault.
She pulled out her phone and tried to ring Logan so that she could tell him that they were going to be late home. There was no reception inside the club. Every single bar on the front of her phone was empty. She sighed.
It was over two hours later that Kirsty and Lydia were allowed to leave the club. They were both too tired and fed up to speak as they trudged back to Kirsty’s car. It was after midnight. Lydia had told Scott that the movie finished before nine. From the look on her face, Kirsty could see that Lydia was in for some serious trouble when they got home. She wondered if she was too.
She pulled out her phone and, now that she had a signal, was able to phone Logan. He picked up immediately. “Kirsty, where are you?” he snapped.
“Still in Boulder,” she said. “We’re heading home now.”
“Are you okay to drive?” he asked.
“Wha
t do you mean?”
“Have you been drinking? Do you want me to come and fetch you?”
Kirsty felt furious at the suggestion. “I haven’t been bloody drinking. I’m driving home now,” she said and hung up. Tears welled up in her eyes. Did Logan really think that little of her? She hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol in months. Did he think that that was what this was about? That she’d wanted to go out on the lash?
Did he honestly believe she was stupid enough to drive her car if she had? Not to mention putting her whole future in Corbin’s Bend at risk. When she had been up before the disciplinary committee last summer, she had been told that she needed to stop drinking for at least six months. That time wasn’t up now. Kirsty had her own reasons for not wanting to drink, she felt better and happier – for the most part – without alcohol in her life. But even if Logan didn’t appreciate that, he would have to know that she wasn’t about to risk their home in Corbin’s Bend and their entire future together by drinking again.
She felt like he’d accused her of having an affair.
It was quarter to one by the time they got home. Lydia looked nervous and exhausted and Kirsty felt bad for having dragged her into it.
As they pulled in to the driveway, the front door opened and Kirsty could see Logan and Scott standing in the doorway. As they walked towards the house, Kirsty thought that Lydia looked like a woman walking to her own execution.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Lydia turned to Scott. “I am so sorry, Scott. I know I should have been home earlier.”
“You said you would be home by 9:30. You know the rules.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Not nearly as sorry as you’re going to be, darling.”
Kirsty felt like she ought to say something. “Scott,” she said. “Please don’t be too hard on Lydia. This wasn’t her fault. I made her come to the club after the movie.”
