Return to Corbin's Bend

by Corinne Alexander

  “I’ll make it, honey, you sit right there. Marilyn called me by the way, Crystal is there now.”

  “Oh thank God. At least I know where she is.”

  “You want to tell me what happened? I mean I know the basics, but how did you come to get caught paying for sperm on Jen’s credit card?”

  “I don’t know it was that. I’m assuming it was that because it was Jen that left me the phone message and that was the part that had to do with her. I borrowed her debit card because they didn’t take cash and I didn’t actually buy sperm. I just wanted to look at the history of the donor’s family. I got caught up in the moment.”

  “You must have known that it wasn’t the right thing to do to run off to the city to a sperm bank.”

  “Yes and no. Like I said, I got caught up. I wanted this so badly and it was fun, like an adventure. I managed to convince myself that it was a surprise for Crystal. That she would benefit too.” Carol wiped a hand over her face. “I’m so clueless sometimes.”

  Lizzy patted Carol’s arm. “Marilyn will calm her down and then the two of you will be able to talk. It’ll all be resolved by tomorrow, you wait and see.”

  “I wish I could be sure of that, Lizzy, but she didn’t even want to look at me. She got up and left us this morning without saying a word.”

  “Do you know how much she was told?”

  “No idea. I got a phone message from Jen but all it said was ‘the jig’s up’. Well that and she warned me that Brock was on his way over, but I’d left my phone in the laundry room. It was only when I knew that Crystal was upset with me that I went looking for it and found her message. I assume she’d already spoken to Brock by then.”

  Lizzy sighed. “It would be great to wind back the clock sometimes wouldn’t it?”

  “Uh huh. It sure would.”

  “If you could wind back the clock, how far would you go?”

  “All the way back to the night that Crystal said we had to wait. I would have waited. I would have told my friends that this wasn’t about anyone else but Crys and me.”

  “Maybe you should tell her that.”

  “If I get the chance.”

  “Of course you’ll get the chance.”

  “You didn’t see her. She was so cold to me.”

  “People have different ways to cope with hurt. Like I said. Marilyn will talk to her. Everything will be fine.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Of course when she calms down, that’s going to mean accepting your medicine. You did the wrong thing. You put fun and friends above what should be the most important relationship in your life. If you wanted to go ahead with your visit to the city, you should have told Crystal but we both know why you didn’t.”

  “She would have said no.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I’ll accept anything she dishes out. I just want things good between us again.”

  “It will be, honey. That is the beauty of living with DD. You mess up, it gets dealt with and the slate’s clean and you get a fresh start.”

  “There are punishable offences here but you need to make sure what they are. You can’t punish Carol for something that is your issue, not hers.”

  “Hmm. I guess I need to find out exactly how far all this went before I decide anything.”

  “Yes you do. My suggestion would be to sit Carol down and make her write out all the things she did one at a time and then deal with that thing as you go.”

  “That’s a good idea.”

  “Then you make up and put this behind you.”

  Carol felt sick. Lizzy had left a half an hour before and left the cakes there. She’d said she wasn’t hungry and she wasn’t but that didn’t stop her from cramming two tartlets into her mouth one after the other. Nervousness overwhelmed her and she hadn’t even taken the time to taste their buttery, fruity goodness. Finally the front door clicked, making her jump.

  “Hi,” she said when Crystal walked into the kitchen.

  “Hi.” Crystal walked straight over to her and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you where I was going. Truth was, I didn’t know. I just wanted to run.”

  Carol nodded. “I’m sorry too. Really sorry.”

  Crystal raised an eye brow. “For?”

  Carol’s tummy flipped and her bottom tingled. In charge Crystal was back and she was pleased. “I don’t know where to start.”

  “I think the beginning is the best place don’t you?”

  Carol nodded. “Bri isn’t here. She’s staying at Erin’s. I hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s fine. Lizzy told me.”

  “I was scared, Crys. I thought you were going to leave us, me, I didn’t know what to think. I thought you’d given up on me.”

  Crystal ran her hand over Carol’s face gently. “I love you. I’m never going to give up on you, honey.”

  Carol couldn’t speak, tears filled her eyes but she nodded and rubbed her face against the hand that was soothing her. She’d needed to feel her lover’s touch so badly.

  “We have things to deal with here,” Crystal said firmly. “Go stand in the corner while I get things ready.”

  Carol’s eyes widened. Get what things ready?

  Crystal could see Carol shifting uncomfortably in the corner. Her head was turned ever so slightly and she could tell her girlfriend was listening, wondering what it was that was being prepared. “You can turn around now.”

  Carol turned, her eyes widening as they went to the table.

  The kitchen counter was strewn with all of their punishment implements: Carol’s most hated paddle, the cane, the strap and the large butt plug. Surely she wasn’t going to use all of them. At the end of their table where Crystal stood, was a lined pad and pencil. “Come on over.”

  Carol walked nervously towards her. “You’re not going to use all of those are you?”

  “That’s up to you,” Crystal said. “I want you to go over to the bench and lay everything out in order of popularity.”

  “That’s easy. Let’s just put them all under the table.” Carol giggled nervously.

  “Very funny. Do it Carol and remember that I’ll know if you’re cheating.”

  Carol sighed. She walked up to the kitchen counter gingerly picking up the plug and placed it in the middle of the counter next to a tube of lube. Next she put the cane on the bottom, between them, she put the paddle. On the top of the row she put the strap. In some instances she actually liked the strap but she was sure that Crystal would make sure she didn’t like it this time.

  “Good girl, now sit.” She pulled out the chair next to the pad.

  Carol did, picking up the pencil and chewing the end. “What do you want me to write?”

  “Not too fast. I’m glad that you’re eager and all but I want to do this a certain way, so we each get to see how the other felt about each part of this. I want you to write the first thing you did wrong and the reason why you did it.”

  “Okay.”

  “Is that how you refer to me when you’re in trouble?”

  “No, ma’am. I’m sorry.” Carol tapped the pencil on the pad for a minute and then with a guilty glance towards Crystal, she started writing.

  I agreed to do all the work on the lists and then I accepted help from my friends. Then I let you think that I’d done all the work myself.

  Crystal read over Carol’s shoulder narrowing her eyes and gasping as she got to the last sentence. I gave her a massage and she didn’t say a thing! “Hmm,” she said, picking up the paddle. “Stand up and bend over the table please.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Carol walked to the end of the wooden dining table and bent over.

  Crystal watched as Carol squeezed her eyes shut when she pressed herself against her right hip. “The fact that you let your friends do what you should have done yourself wasn’t great, Carol, but I can’t believe that you took credit for what others had done. You let me praise you and reward you for something that you didn’t do. That wi
ll be five with the paddle.”

  “I helped.” Carol winced as the words escaped.

  “Six,” Crystal added. “That doesn’t take away from the fact you didn’t mention that you didn’t do the work on your own.” She tugged on the band of the sweat pants, bringing them along with Carol’s panties down around her knees. “Hold still.” She rubbed the sturdy wood across the pale skin and raised her arm bringing it down with a sharp splat.

  “Ow!” Carol yelped. “That hurts!”

  “Five more,” Crystal said, as much to herself as to Carol. “Hold still.” She placed a hand on the small of her back to help her to settle.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  This was going to be a long day and Crystal didn’t want to drag it out anymore than was necessary. She clapped the paddle across Carol’s quickly coloring cheeks five more times in quick succession, ignoring her girlfriend hissing and shuffling. When she was done, she paused, allowing Carol some time to get herself together. She was proud of her. Her bottom was red, and when she finally rose, she could see that her face was just as flushed. “Are you ready to continue?”

  Carol nodded.

  “Write down the next thing for me.”

  Carol sat on the chair carefully.

  I went to the city to a sperm bank to check out potential donors and Jen posed as my partner. I knew it was wrong and I felt kind of odd about it but I didn’t put a stop to it like I should have done.

  It took Crystal a few seconds to even blink. “I need more information. How did you portray this fake relationship? Did you hold hands? Did you kiss?”

  “I-”

  “Write it down.”

  We held hands. I would never kiss another girl, Jen is my friend nothing more I promise.

  “Go back and bend over the table again.” Crystal walked over to the counter and picked up the butt plug, the tube of lube and the strap, aware that Crystal was watching her every move. When she returned to the table, she patted the red quivering cheeks. “You know what to do.”

  Carol spread her cheeks. “It didn’t mean anything. It was just kind of for fun,” she said desperately.

  “I don’t even know what to say about this one, Carol. This is about as close to cheating as it gets.” Crystal squirted some lube on to Carol’s back hole and then on to the plug before inserting it slowly; twisting and wriggling it until it was seated properly. “Hold still bad girl.”

  Tears ran down Carol’s cheeks but she nodded.

  “Five with the strap.” She raised her hand and brought down the thick leather, almost jumping herself with the loud clap.

  “Ahhh,” Carol whined, dancing up and down on her toes.

  “Four more,” Crystal said.

  This time she brought the leather down across the center of the quivering cheeks twice in quick succession, clipping the plug as she did so.

  “Two more.” Crystal wanted this over. She connected two low blows to the crease where bottom met thighs and then dropped the strap on to the table. “Shh,” she soothed, rubbing gentle circles on her girlfriends back.

  “I can’t sit now with this in,” Carol whimpered.

  “Yes you can. You brought this on yourself. You put your friendship with Jen ahead of your relationship with me.”

  “I swear I didn’t look at it that way.”

  “I know you didn’t. I don’t know if that makes it better or worse. Do you understand what loyalty is in a relationship?”

  Carol started to cry. “I do, I swear. I knew it was wrong but I got caught up and I’m so sorry. I hate more than anything that I hurt you. If I could go back and change what I did, I would but I can’t. I crossed a line and I see that now, I never will again. Please believe me.”

  “I do,” Crystal smoothed down Carol’s tussled hair. “But we have to finish this.”

  Carol walked back to the chair, sat down and started writing without another word.

  Crystal watched as Carol scrawled away on the paper, without complaint. There was a good deal of sighing and wriggling but she could hardly blame her for that.

  We lied on the forms at the sperm bank so that they would let us look at the profiles. I liked one of the donors but it didn’t tell us much and I wanted to know more about his family, but you had to pay and they didn’t take cash. I gave Jen the money and she let me use her card.

  “How did you lie on the forms?”

  “You had to have a contact doctor so Sienna half made up a name and put down their fax details and such.”

  “Is that all of it?”

  “Yes. I didn’t actually pay for sperm or anything drastic, I was just looking. I’m really sorry that I didn’t wait.”

  “That’s all right. We can’t keep doing this though. If you trust me, really trust me then you have to tell me stuff. I’m not going to cage you or make you stay here without your friends. You need to tell me what you’re doing. Let me in to share the fun and if I put my foot down about something then you need to trust that. Don’t hide your activities because you don’t want to risk hearing no.”

  “I won’t ever again. I’ll tell you so much about what we get up to that you’ll be wishing I’d shut up.”

  “I’m sure. I never ever want to hear that you’ve pretended to be someone else’s girl.”

  “Never! That wasn’t serious. I don’t feel anything for Jen but friendship I promise. I love Jen as a friend, we support each other when you and Brock are on shift but that’s all it will ever be. You’re the girl I love! Jen has boy cooties remember?”

  Crystal giggled. “You’re funny, sometimes.”

  “So is my punishment over?”

  “Yes. Come here.” Crystal held her arms open and they both nearly lost their balance when Carol flew into her lover’s arms.

  “How long do I have to keep this thing in?”

  “If you’re a good girl, I’ll take it out before bed.”

  Chapter 8

  Good morning.”

  “Is it? I think I’ve died and this is not heaven.”

  “Sore?”

  “A little. I have a headache.”

  “It’s just the stress. Stay there and I’ll get you something.”

  Crystal was back in a few minutes with some Advil and a glass of water. “Take these.” She held out the glass.

  Carol groaned. “I hate water. I’ll just get up and take them with some coke or something.”

  “That is so bad for you. You’re going to have to eat healthier if you’re planning to grow a baby inside that body.”

  Butterflies immediately fluttered around the spot where Crystal had just touched her tummy. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes. I still think we should wait a month as planned but it won’t hurt to make a few plans in the meantime.”

  “Ahh!” Carol jumped up onto her knees, her sore bottom and her headache forgotten in her excitement. “I love you so much.”

  “If you’re well enough, I have a little surprise for you out on the counter. Close your eyes.”

  “It’s not the same surprise that was on there yesterday is it?”

  Crystal laughed. “No silly, that’s over. I’m hoping you like this surprise.”

  Curiosity had Carol out of bed in a second. She took hold of the hand that Crystal held out for her and followed her from the room. “Is it breakfast? I am kind of hungry.”

  “No, it isn’t breakfast.”

  “I hate surprises. No, I love them, well it depends what they are.”

  “Have a seat and open your eyes.”

  Carol hissed slightly when her bottom made contact with the hard wooden chair. “What’s all this paperwork?”

  “I know you had your heart set on finding a donor and picking out the traits you wanted for the baby.”

  “It was something that made me feel like I might get there one day.”

  “Yes, well I want you to know that this is only a suggestion. If you want to start from scratch, we can do that. This is your show and we can do it any way yo
u want.”

  “Yes but what’s this paperwork?”

  “I’m getting to that. Patience.” Crystal tapped Carol’s leg. “When Bri was conceived, it only took me a couple of turns to get pregnant.”

  “Yes I remember.”

  “Well there was still frozen sperm left. My mom paid to keep that sperm stored in case I, we, wanted to use it again.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “Like I said, it’s just a suggestion. The sperm is still there in the lab if you wanted to use it to conceive with this baby.”

  “The sperm from the donor that we used with Brianna?”

  “Yes.”

  “Brianna’s biological-” Carol’s eyes were wide.

  “Yes.”

  “That would mean that if I used that sperm, that Brianna would have a sibling that was at least partly a real sibling.” Carol’s eyes filled with tears. It seemed that she, the person that didn’t really cry much at all had done nothing but cry this weekend. “That would be amazing.”

  “It would. I don’t want to make this all about me but this is probably the closest we’ll get to being a real family. What do you think?”

  “Yes of course.”

  Carol opened the envelope and spread the sheets of paper out on the counter. “There’s photos in here,” she said.

  “Photos of the donor when he was a child. You weren’t interested at the time, you said it was gross to look at a seed donor.”

  “I was kid, what can I say. Wow, she has his hair coloring and your eyes.”

  “He’s tall,” Carol said. “Good, he or she might skip out on inheriting my height.”

  “I love you just the way you are.”

  “Thanks but this baby could be a boy you know. You don’t want him to be five-foot tall.”

  “A boy huh?” Crystal said with a grin. “You know we could probably do with a little balance in this house. I could imagine having a son.”

  “I want to do it now.”

  “Nope. We’re going to get you in good shape first.”

  “But people have gotten pregnant for centuries without having to watch what they eat or exercise first.”

  “I’m not going to argue with you on this, baby.”