She thought for several moments. Finally, she looked at him, eye to eye. “So in essence you’re asking me if I can allow you to keep doing the things you’ve been doing while I’ve been developing strong feelings for you?”
He thought a moment, and shrugged. “I guess that’s pretty much what I’m asking.”
“Then I accept.”
“Even knowing it will more than likely mean an occasional sore bottom?”
“Let me ask you a question about that. It seems to me that the spankings are less now than when we first started.”
“As you’ve learned what is not acceptable, they are less frequent, yes.”
“So I assume that will continue for the rest of the program, as long as I keep trying.”
“I would assume, yes.”
“But can you explain a little bit about how they would work in a relationship?”
“Much the same say. I will be watching you, making sure you’re safe and happy. There are things you could do that would be dangerous, and those would be not acceptable.”
“Like for example?”
“Driving recklessly, or driving after you’ve had a few drinks. Having a temper tantrum or being rude to people, such as friends, could be dangerous to your relationship with those people, and that would be not acceptable.”
“So pretty much the same things as what I’m working on in the program?”
“Those things would still earn you a spanking, even after you’ve finished the program. A temper is hard to get under control. We can improve it, and we already have, but to totally get it under control is next to impossible. You could find yourself over my knee for having a temper tantrum when you’re old and gray.”
Her eyes got wide and she looked indignant, but just as quickly her expression turned to one of mischief. “Well, at least by the time I’m old and gray you’ll be too old to spank very hard, so that should be okay.”
“I’ve fallen in love with a brat,” he said as he pulled her in for a hug.
She returned his hug, but then stopped. She pulled back and looked up at him. “What did you just say?”
He smiled at her and nodded his head. “Yes, I said I love you. That surprises me, too, because I never thought you could fall in love this quickly, but I have. I decided I can try to deny it for a while if I want, but emotions don’t lie.”
“And you shouldn’t try to hide them,” she said with a giggle. She got serious then. “Paul, thank you for telling me that. I’ve felt the same way the last couple days, and that’s one emotion that really is hard to hide.”
He leaned down to give her another passion-filled kiss. “It feels good to be able to do that,” he said afterward.
“Really good,” she agreed.
They sat back on the couch, her leaning against him, and his arm wrapped around her securely. They talked about small things for a time, neither wanting to move, or change the contented atmosphere. Finally, though, she looked up at him. “Do we have anything more we need to talk about?”
“We do,” he said with a sigh, “but it can wait until tomorrow. I’m good right here, right like this for right now.”
“Sounds wonderful to me.” She snuggled in against him, and he leaned over to kiss her cheek.
He went home a little earlier than normal, telling her to get some rest so they could do some serious talking the next day. She agreed, and this time he kissed her before he opened the door. Then she kissed him. Not willing to let her have the final kiss, he took her in his arms and gave her another, commanding kiss, and then left.
He was anxious to get back to his motel room so he could call Jason. He and Gina certainly did have to talk the next day, and he was concerned. She hadn’t heard her father say he wouldn’t pay for her college if she went to a community college. He had an idea, but wasn’t at all sure if Jason would go along with it. If not, he needed some advice from his boss.
Jason answered the phone with a chuckle. “I didn’t expect to hear from you quite this soon. Does that mean something good happened or something bad?”
“Both,” Paul said. “Is Cheyenne there, too?”
“Of course I am,” she answered. “You don’t think I’d miss this, do you? What happened?”
Jason, the voice of reason, sounded concerned. “What happened that could be both bad and good?”
“Gina’s parents invited us to have dinner with them, so we did.”
“Were they happy to see the change in their daughter?”
“No. That’s the bad, and it’s worse than it sounds. I’m concerned. She did great. She stood up to them. She lost her temper once and told her dad to go to hell, but considering what they said, I was proud that she only lost her temper that once.”
“So did you let her off, if you were proud of her over all?” Cheyenne asked.
“I hope not,” Jason said, giving Cheyenne a frown.
“I didn’t,” Paul assured him, but chuckled. “She asked me for her spanking as soon as we got back to her house.”
Cheyenne was incensed. “She what? Is she crazy?”
“Good for her,” Jason said. “You’re doing a good job, Paul. Was she having trouble dealing with guilt?”
“She was. She said she knew she’d earned a spanking, and asked if we could do that first to get it over with, before we talked about the rest of the night.”
“I respect her for that. Did you grant her request?”
“I did. I wanted her to be able to concentrate on our talk.”
“I would have done the same,” Jason praised. “Good job. So did you talk to her about your feelings?”
“I did, and it went really well. She was similar feelings.”
“Whoohoo!”
“I thought you might be excited, Cheyenne,” Paul said with a bit of a chuckle.
“You do realize there’s a good chance I’m going to lose one of my best administrators, don’t you, my dearest wife?”
“I do, and I hate that part, but I know we’ll remain friends. Most important, though, how could I not want the same thing for him that we have?”
“I agree with you there. So, are you going to be able to finish the program, Paul?”
“I think so, but that’s one of my main concerns here.”
“If you want me to assign someone else I can, if you think you’re too close to her to finish.”
“Absolutely not,” Paul quickly said. “I don’t want anyone else working with her like that. I’ll be able to finish, but I’m afraid there’s a big stumbling block I need to find a way to get her past. I have an idea how I might be able to do it, Jason, but it would require a lot of help from you.”
“From me? What kind of stumbling block are we talking about here?”
“Her parents. She told her parents she’s planning on going to a community college for a year or two to prove to another college that she’s serious about college now and can do the work. Her parents had a fit. They didn’t want their daughter going to a community college. Her father said he would go talk to whatever college she wanted to go to. He was sure with a nice donation any college would accept her. She told him she wanted to earn what she has, and he didn’t want to hear that. He told her she’s a Jamison and Jamisons don’t go to a community college.”
“Oh, no,” Jason said.
“And therein lies the problem,” Paul confirmed. “I think if she stays there, even if she finishes the program, they’ll be pulling her back to her old life.”
“Will she be okay to stay there while she finishes?”
“I’m having doubts. She wants to start college, but he told me after she left last night that he will not pay for his daughter to go to a community college. I’m not sure if that just includes paying for college, or if it includes staying in the guesthouse, as well. Either way, I’m very worried about their influence on her. She’s made remarkable progress since she met the two ladies at the homeless shelter. We’ve been working on earning what you have, and she’s seen for herself how
good that pride makes you feel. But if her dad keeps telling her she’s a Jamison and Jamisons don’t go to community colleges or work a part time job, I don’t know how she’s going to do. I’m afraid he’s going to withdraw the use of the guesthouse, which will put her back in their house, under their influence again.”
“I see why you’re concerned,” Jason said. “Did you say you may have a possible solution?”
“Maybe, but that’s your call. Is there any way you could say living expenses for a month or two could be considered part of the cost of the program?”
Jason was silent for several moments while he was thinking. “So you’re saying you think she’d be better able to complete the program if she’s not living right there with her parents?”
“I’m sure it would be much easier for her, but more importantly, I think her chances of finishing the program would be much better if she was not seeing them regularly. She wants to start taking classes at a community college, which I think is important for her, for several reasons. She needs to see there are good people who attend them, but she also needs to prove to herself and other possible colleges that she can be a good student. I just don’t think she’ll be able to do that if she’s living at home, even in the guesthouse.”
“You think even if they let her stay in the guesthouse it would be a problem?”
“I do. Her father made it quite clear he was not happy. He blamed me, said I alienated her from her good family values.”
“Good family values?”
“That’s what he said. That’s why I have to be concerned about her staying with them. I have a feeling even if she stays in the guesthouse they’ll be down there visiting more often, making sure she doesn’t ditch her good family values.”
“What’s her feeling about those good family values?”
“She told me last night she wants to finish the program, but for a different reason now. She now feels her grandfather was a smart man and knew what he was talking about. She wants to finish to make him proud, but she also says she’s happier now that she’s earning her way instead of having it handed to her. She’s very sincere about that.”
“Good for her,” Cheyenne said.
“I agree,” Paul said. “I’m very proud of her.
“Did you have anyplace in mind for her to move to?”
“Not especially. I mean, close to my place would be great, but I’m not sure how that would look. We want to start a relationship, so moving close to me would be nice, but I’m sure her father would be livid. I’m already thinking you may be getting a complaint from him one of these days about the horrible job I’ve done and how I’m alienating her from her good family values.”
“Don’t worry about any phone call. If I get it, I’ll handle it. He can complain all he wants. We’re doing what her grandfather asked. We have something signed by him, stating his concerns. He’s not going to be able to find a judge who will say she’s better off with her good family values.”
“Okay, that’s good to know,” Paul said.
“I assume you’re thinking she’ll finish the program in another month or two?” Jason asked.
“I think a month or less, actually. We’re on week five, and honestly, she’s doing great. Last night was very encouraging. She feels strong enough about it to stand up to her father, which is good. There are a couple smaller things I want to make sure we have a handle on before I’ll say she’s met all necessary criteria, but she’s close, barring any setbacks.”
“Which are more apt to happen if her parents are an influence on her,” Jason said, more thinking out loud.
“Right,” Paul agreed.
“Can you give me a little time to think about this? It’s a very unusual request, but I understand why you’re asking. I’ve never done it before, but I don’t see a reason I couldn’t add it to the cost of the program, in which case the estate would pay for it. I know time is of the essence, but let me talk to Cheyenne tonight, and I’ll call you in the morning and we’ll talk again.”
Cheyenne was concerned. “Paul, that would get her through the program, but what will happen then? Will she have to move back home?”
“No. Once she finishes the program she’ll get her inheritance. The ironic part is last week I said something to her about her inheritance, and her view on that has changed. Now she wants to finish the program, but she doesn’t want to use any of the money. She wants to make her grandfather proud and save it for something important, like starting a business some day or buying a house once she has a job and knows where she’ll be settling down.”
“But she could use it for her living expenses while she goes to school?”
“She could very easily. It’s quite a sum. I’ll have to convince her it’s not a waste of her money and that her grandfather would be proud that she’s getting away so she can stand on her own two feet, but I think she’ll be okay with that. I’m just concerned about while she finishes the program.”
“Okay, I’ll call you in the morning and we’ll go from there, Paul.”
“Thanks, boss.”
Paul went to bed that night with a lot on his mind. He had to tell her tomorrow what her father said regarding paying for a community college. He hoped Jason had a good idea when he called in the morning.
Jason and Cheyenne spent the next two hours talking. He’d come to value her opinion a great deal, and was thankful for someone to toss ideas around with. They went to bed that night feeling good about their decision.
Chapter Sixteen
Jason called Paul early the next morning, so Paul would know what he’d decided before he went to Gina’s. They talked a few minutes, and Paul thanked his boss. He was ecstatic with Jason’s suggestion, which admittedly had actually been Cheyenne’s idea.
Paul was concerned when Gina answered the door, looking brokenhearted. Not the greeting he’d hoped for the morning after they started a relationship. “What’s wrong, honey? You look like you just lost your best friend. I thought you might be happy, excited about our new relationship.”
“Our new relationship is what’s wrong.”
Now he was concerned. “Why? Are you having second thoughts about us?”
“No, not about us. But there’s something I have to tell you.”
“Let’s go sit down on the couch. I’m sure whatever you have to tell me can’t be all that bad.”
“Yes, it is, Paul. It’s terrible.”
He led her to the couch and sat down, pulling her down next to him. “Now, what is it you have to tell me that has you so upset?”
She looked up at him, and he could tell she was fighting a battle with tears. He reached over and took a hand, and brought it up to his mouth for a gentle kiss. “Whatever it is, Gina, we can fix it.”
“I know, and that’s what I’m afraid of. And you’ll be so disappointed in me you’ll want to leave.”
“Honey, I can’t think of anything that would be so bad I’d want to leave. Why don’t you just tell me what’s wrong, so we can set about fixing it.”
She nodded, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She looked down, not able to meet his eyes, and spoke so quietly he had to listen closely to hear what she said. “I wasn’t sick.”
He studied her for several long seconds before he knew what she was telling him. Then he couldn’t help it; he laughed. Luckily, he at least had the decency to pull her in against his chest as he did. “I knew you weren’t, honey.”
The tears stopped momentarily, as she looked up at him. “You did, really?” He nodded. “How?”
He had to smile. “Because I love you, but you, my dear, are a terrible liar.”
“What? No, I’m not. No one else ever knew.”
“Are you sure? Is it possible they knew, but just didn’t say anything?”
“No. I mean, Dad never knew.”
“Or maybe he didn’t think about it because he didn’t want to know, or admit, his daughter was lying to him.” He gave her a few moments to consider his words
. “Your grandfather knew. That’s why he set this up. Your mother knew. That’s why you tried to ignore her; because she knew and wasn’t giving in to the lies.”
After a few moments she nodded. “Yeah, I guess they did know.” She looked up at him. “So how did you know?”
“Gina, you are a very passionate woman, which makes me a very lucky man. Passionate people tend to be more emotional than others, and in case you haven’t heard this before, emotions don’t lie. You may lie, but your emotions don’t.”
“Okay, but how can you tell if I’m lying just by my emotions?”
“By watching you, and your reaction to things. Remember, I came in here to work with you, and when I, or any other administrator of this plan works with a lady, we have certain things in particular that we watch for. One of the best ways to see things and know when someone is upset or happy is to watch their emotions, so we watch closely.”
“So you’re trained in how to watch me closely and tell when I’m lying?”
He chuckled, and pulled her in for a hug. “Sorry, my little one, but yes, I am.”
“Is that really fair? I mean, how am I ever going to get away with anything now?”
“You won’t. So does that mean you won’t try to lie to me any more? No more telling me you don’t feel good when you’re fine, but don’t want to talk? No more telling me everything’s fine when I know it isn’t?”
“I don’t know if I can go that far, but I will say I see I’m going to have to be much more careful.”
He got serious quickly. “Just so you know, and there’s no misunderstanding going forward here, all the rules you have now, during this program, will remain in effect between us, even after the program’s over. Part of my guiding you through life is encouraging you to do what’s best for you. Telling any kind of lie is never going to be best for you, and if you do it once, you’ll think you can do it again. So anytime you tell a lie, no matter how small, you’ll be getting a spanking.”
Gina and Paul (Last Chance Program Book 2) Page 20
