Cheyenne and Jason (Last Chance Program Book 1)

by Malone, Misty

  “He’s not available,” she said, cracking her gum.

  “We’ll wait. We’re not in a hurry,” he politely informed her. Cheyenne was watching the interaction between the two with amazement. This cashier was being obnoxious, big time, but Jason was keeping his cool, although she had no idea how.

  The cashier frowned at him, then shrugged. “Well, I’ll void all this, then, and you can wait over there by the pharmacy department.”

  “No, ma’am, we’ll wait right here.”

  “But you’ll block the aisle and hold everyone up,” she whined in an annoying voice. “Then I’ll be in deep shit, all because you won’t just pay for the damn groceries.”

  “Now, wait,” Cheyenne started, but Jason quickly started massaging her shoulders again.

  “Well, miss,” he said, “then I suggest you close your lane, because we’re waiting right here. If he’s not available, we’ll be happy to speak with whoever is in charge of the store at this moment.” He smiled and casually leaned against the counter behind him, gently pulling Cheyenne closer so he could continue the light massaging.

  The cashier glared at Jason, as if she could intimidate the six-foot, two-hundred-pound hunk of muscle, but Jason simply smiled at her and concentrated on massaging Cheyenne’s shoulders, hoping to instill calmness in her. It worked, and when a man in the office saw the cashier glaring at Jason and came out, he was greeted by a calm Jason and Cheyenne, and an irate cashier. “Is there a problem here?” he asked them all.

  Before Jason could answer, the cashier said, “They won’t pay for what they got and they won’t move out of the way so I can wait on the next person.”

  Jason caught the irritated look he gave the cashier before turning to him. “I'm sorry, is there a problem with something, sir?”

  Jason smiled and nodded at the gentleman. “I think we just have a misunderstanding here. We picked this one item up from a sale display around the corner here, but it didn’t ring up at the sale price. Your employee seems confident that the proper price rang up.”

  The gentleman gave the cashier a rather severe look.

  Jason added, “I have to tell you, though, what upset me is when I suggested she look at the display, she refused, and not politely. Had she explained the display was an error, or had she gone to look at it, or asked for help from someone, I would have simply paid the higher price, moved out of the way, and then asked at the customer service counter.”

  The gentleman nodded his head as if he understood, called another cashier to the registers, and looked at his employee. “Well, Sarah, do you want to disagree with any part of what he just said, or do you want to just apologize and go wait for me in the office?”

  She looked shocked and angry. “But you don’t know—”

  “Yes, Sarah, I think I do.” He just looked at her, waiting.

  After several moments the cashier looked at Jason and Cheyenne. “I’m sorry. I guess I should have checked it out.” She practically ran to the office.

  “I’m sorry,” the gentleman said. “Sarah has a little problem with her attitude at times, and she’s been in a mood all day. I should have sent her home before she caused a problem. Now, what item was the problem?”

  Jason quickly pointed it out. “I’m sorry, also. I shouldn’t have stayed here, impeding your other customers, and I apologize for that. Her attitude and language just threw me off my game.” They talked a few minutes while he adjusted the price of the item, which he agreed was indeed on sale, and the two men shook hands before Jason and Cheyenne left.

  Cheyenne was noticeably quiet on the way home, and after assuring Jason nothing was wrong, he decided to give her some quiet time. They would be doing a fair amount of talking this afternoon, anyway, so he left her to her thoughts.

  Once they were home and the groceries put away, Jason made a suggestion. “Why don’t you go rest a little bit and let me fix some lunch? This is all new to you, and I’m sure you’ve got things on your mind by now, so go ahead and take some time to rest and sort out your thoughts. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

  “But you suggested you’d buy the food if I cooked it,” she reminded him, “and I agreed.”

  “That’s because I’m not much of a cook. There aren’t a whole lot of things I cook that people can actually eat, but I got lunch covered. You go rest.”

  “Thanks, Jason. I do feel kind of whipped.” As soon as she said that he smiled, and she turned red. “I didn’t mean that. I meant I feel exhausted.”

  “I knew what you meant, but you’re cute when you blush. Go rest now,” he said as he turned her in the direction of the living room, patting her bottom as she left.

  She spun around, ready to attack, when she saw the laughter in his eyes. He outright laughed when he saw her face. “Sorry,” he said sincerely, trying to stop laughing. “That was uncalled for.”

  She watched him try to get his laughter under control, which was extremely funny to watch, and she had to admit there was some humor in her comment and his action. Most importantly, she loved seeing him smile like that, and before she realized it she was smiling, then laughing along with him. “I guess I kinda asked for that one,” she admitted, then went to the living room.

  Unfortunately, the only thing she seemed to be able to think about was him, and that wonderful smile. His thick, dark brown hair had just the right amount of curl to be extremely sexy, and his gorgeous caramel eyes were piercing. His tall athletic build was the type she’d often seen in her dreams, but that smile was dangerous. It finished the package perfectly. She sat down on the couch to think about how her day had gone so far, but all she could remember about the day was how he looked when he smiled at her.

  Chapter 3

  Jason and Cheyenne enjoyed an easy, relaxing lunch. He had made what he called his much sought after homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. She was very impressed, admitting it was the best tomato soup she’d ever eaten.

  After lunch, he led them to the living room couch again. “Things are going so smoothly, I hate to do this, but we need to go back to where we started this morning.” He felt her tense up, and he knew she was aware of what he was talking about. “When we first sat down today I could tell something was wrong. You were fighting back tears. I asked you what you were thinking, and you didn’t answer. Long story short, two spankings later, we were busy with other things. We need to go back and have that conversation now, Cheyenne. I do need to know what was wrong this morning, and what’s going through your mind.”

  “Why?” she asked, in a challenging tone.

  “Watch the attitude, Tootsie,” Jason warned. “I’m not just being nosy. Your feelings and attitude toward this whole program are a vital part and have a lot to do with how successful it is. Oh, and speaking of success of the program, I’ve gotta tell you, I was extremely proud of you today at the store.”

  “Why?”

  “You chose a couple times to change your words, and that was great. I was really pleased, though, with how you handled the cashier. I’d be willing to bet it wouldn’t have gone quite the same way last week, would it?”

  “No,” she admitted, “but it wasn’t because of me. That was because of your intervention, which I don’t quite get.”

  “What don’t you get?”

  “Well, why would you help me so that I don’t get, you know,” she said, blushing again.

  He smiled at her blush again and asked, “Spanked?” When she nodded, he asked, “Why wouldn’t I, Cheyenne? I’m not here to spank you; I’m here to help you. That’s my goal.”

  “But you’re saying that is helping me, so—”

  He smiled and said, “Like I said, I’m here to help you, whatever it takes.” He turned toward her so he was facing her. “Cheyenne, that’s part of what I want to talk to you about. I want you to know what I’m thinking, and I really need to know what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling. My thinking is I’d rather give you a gentle reminder to watch your tongue or your attit
ude, like I did today when I put my hands on your shoulders, and then let you make the decision to do or say the right thing. If you decide not to do the right thing, then there are consequences and you’ll be spanked. But today, like I said, I was real proud of you. That cashier was very rude, there’s no doubt about it, and I could see you getting ready to tell her what you thought of her. All I did was put my hands on your shoulders, and that reminded you to stop and think first. Once you did, although the decision as to how to act was still yours, you made a good decision and there weren’t any problems.”

  “I don’t think I could have kept my mouth shut if you wouldn’t have stepped in and handled it, though,” she said quietly, and Jason saw the tears coming to her eyes again.

  “Okay, Cheyenne, what’s wrong?” After a few seconds he persisted. “What are you feeling right now?”

  Finally, looking at the floor the entire time, she said, “Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine.”

  In a stern voice Jason said, “No, you’re not, and I want an answer this time. What thoughts are going through your mind right now? You didn’t answer me this morning, and do you remember what happened?” Still looking at the floor, she nodded. “Look at me, Cheyenne.” She shook her head. Jason took her chin in his fingers and lifted it so she was looking at him. “Shaking your head no is not an acceptable answer, young lady. Unless you want your third spanking of the day, talk to me.”

  Jason watched her struggling, and softened his voice a little. “If you can’t tell me what your feelings are right now, at least tell me why you can’t. I need to have some insight into what’s in that pretty little head of yours so I can help you. Whatever it is, you can talk to me. We can either spend the next several minutes talking out your concerns so you’ll feel better, or we can spend them with you over my lap getting another spanking, which will make you feel worse. I want to help you, but it’s up to you. What’s it going to be?”

  He waited a couple minutes, giving her time to collect her thoughts. Finally, he sighed, and reached for her wrist. She quickly pulled her wrist back and said, “No, I’m going to talk. I just don’t know where to start.”

  “Let’s start with what has you so upset right now. Are you angry, are you scared, or what kind of emotion is it you’re feeling?”

  She looked at him, considering his question. “I’m not sure. I guess I’m angry, and I’m—I just can’t believe it, I guess.” With that, she lost the emotional battle, and tears started rolling down her cheeks.

  Jason pulled her gently into his arms, laying her head on his shoulder. He tried to soothe her with a quiet voice and by softly rubbing her back. When she calmed down, he asked, “What can’t you believe?”

  “I can’t believe I’m in this position. My fu—my life’s a mess. My butt still hurts, and I’m agreeing to this; I’m letting you do it. I’m subjecting myself to this because I’m such a jerk that my boss gave me an ultimatum. If you wouldn’t have taken over today I would have made a huge scene there, I know it. Your hands on my shoulders reminded me of the mess I’m in, but I now realize, even at that I would have cussed her out if you hadn’t stepped in. If you hadn’t been talking, I would have been, and it wouldn’t have been nice. I’m out of control, and I didn’t even see it. Now that I do, I’m embarrassed.”

  She broke down crying again, laying her head on his shoulder again, and sobbing her heart out. She was extremely angry; angry with Dan, angry with Jason, angry with herself for screwing up her life, and right now she was also angry with herself for breaking down in front of him, and angry that his arms around her felt so good.

  He held her in his arms again as she cried. As she was calming down again, he spoke to her honestly. “You may not believe this, Cheyenne, but you just took a big step in the right direction.”

  She looked up at him, still angry. “How the hell could the way I’m feeling right now be good?”

  His stern voice instantly returned as he said, “Language, missy.” Then he instantly switched to a softer tone. “Let me explain—”

  “Oh, shove that language up your ass,” she spit out, standing up. She was still upset. She was angry with herself and everyone else, and the last thing she wanted to think about was to be warned about her language. She turned to stomp away, and made it two steps before she felt herself being lifted off the ground.

  The next thing she knew he was sitting back down on the couch and she was standing right in front of him. His stern voice was back again. “Cheyenne, I don’t understand you at all. You make great progress by admitting you have a problem and not blaming it on someone else, and now you let your mouth take control again. You know what’s going to happen now, so let’s get it over with.”

  He unfastened her pants. She gasped, but he was having none of it. “I told you the next time you got spanked it would be on your bare bottom, so don’t act surprised.” With that, he unzipped and pulled down her pants, then her panties, and positioned her quickly over his lap.

  “No, please,” she cried softly. He could tell she knew it was going to happen and was just resigning herself to that fact. He gave her a few moments to get her head wrapped around it. It also gave him a chance to take in the beautiful sight on his lap. She had a fabulous behind, neither too small, nor too large. He had to control his desire to reach down and rub it, and pull himself together. This was so not like him.

  “You know this has to happen for that language, young lady,” he said and started the spanking. Ten good swats later, and lots of tears, he stopped, again keeping his hand on her bare bottom. He knew she had to be sore. Today was probably the first time she’d ever been spanked, and this was the third one since they'd begun. “Do you have your language under control now, or should I continue?”

  “No, please, no more,” she begged.

  “That’s entirely up to you. Are you done cussing now?”

  “Yes,” she sobbed. “At least I’ll try.”

  “I’ll take that,” he said, helping her up and into his arms again. He was glad to see her head automatically lean against his chest now. “All I’m asking right now is that you try. We’re good again, I’m not upset, but I don’t want to keep having to spank you, honey. I’d much rather talk. Can we try that for awhile?” She seemed to cuddle into his arms a little more. She seemed comfortable there, so he made a suggestion. “Let’s just stay right here, right like this while you calm down. When you’re ready we can talk, right here. Can we try that?”

  “I’ll try.”

  He gently ran his hands through her hair, noticing the way that seemed to relax her. “Why do you think it’s so hard for you to talk about your feelings?” He felt her tense again, and he gently rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her back down. “What are you afraid will happen?” After several long moments he warned, “Cheyenne, I’m waiting for an answer.”

  She quickly answered, “I know, and I’m sorry. I’m not ignoring you this time, I’m just thinking. I don’t have an answer for you.”

  He kept talking to her softly, never pushing her, and as long as he kept her on his lap with his arms around her, she answered his questions. He was starting to get a good look into her life, and he started forming some ideas as to how to help her.

  Finally, not wanting to push her too much the first day, he felt satisfied with what she'd shared. “Cheyenne, thank you for answering my questions today. That helps me a great deal.”

  “Helps how?” She sounded skeptical.

  “It helps if I have an idea where you’re coming from. It makes it easier for me to help you. Does that make any sense?” She looked at him, disbelief written all over her face, and he tried to explain what he meant. “I can help friends much better than strangers. I hope you can start trusting me and thinking of me as a friend, as well.”

  She then said something that stunned him. “I already feel I can trust you. You told me you’d always be honest with me, and so far you have been. You warned me what would happen if I didn’t change my mouth or attitude, and
so when it did happen, I only had myself to blame. I'm the one I'm angry with. You’ve been fair so far.” She looked back down at the floor again. “I feel I can trust you for those things, but can I trust you to be—”

  She stopped, and he waited patiently. “Can you trust me to be what, Cheyenne?”

  It took a while, and he watched her struggling, but he gave her the time she needed to work through her feelings and find her resolve, and eventually she continued. “Can I trust you to be here for the long haul, or will you quit on me like everybody else?”

  The minute she said that, Jason understood a lot. They’d talk more about it later, though. Right now he just wanted to assure her he wasn’t going anywhere. “Cheyenne, I’ve worked with nine ladies in the past and I now have nine good, long-time friends. I see most of them at least once a year, and I talk with all of them at least monthly. Once you get to know me, you’ll realize that I don’t quit on things, or people. When I agree to help someone, I commit myself to it. I don’t quit until we’ve both achieved the results we were looking for. I guide them and encourage them in the right direction until they’re happy with their life. By then, we’ve become good friends; the kind of friends who care about each other’s lives and what’s happening in them. I fully expect to be friends with all of them my whole life.”

  Jason could tell Cheyenne was watching him carefully, watching for any signs of insincerity. “You can count on me being here. We’ll see this through together. I can’t wait to see how happy you’ll be with your life and what you’ll achieve.”

  She smiled, and Jason could tell she liked that idea. He was very glad for that. “We come back to trust again, Cheyenne. I don’t expect you to trust me just because I ask you to, but hopefully you’ll soon learn that you can indeed trust me. I’ll be here to help you in any way I can, and I would never do anything to harm you. I’m a good listener. Anything you say will be kept in confidence, so I hope you’ll be able to trust me eventually with all your thoughts and feelings. For now, though, I do need to know your basic feelings. I may want you to expand on some things, but I’ll wait until you know me better and have more reason to trust me, if that will help you open up to me.”