They talked afterward, and she was upset with her parents and the way they were treating her. She perked right up, though, when she saw how pleased he was with how she handled it. He was glad to see her respond positively to his praise, but he was a little concerned over how easily she seemed to be able to put her parents and their actions behind her. He made a mental note to mention his concern to Jason and get his opinion. He wasn’t sure if he should be working to bring the family back together, or be happy she was ready to move on.
A few days before classes were to start, they went to the college she would be attending and got her signed up for classes. She’d been accepted already, but they had more paperwork to fill out. Jason’s company paid for them and would be reimbursed by the estate. The same was true with buying the books.
It took all morning, and Paul could tell she was getting tired and frustrated by the time she was finally registered for classes. Two classes she’d chosen were full, so she had to select different ones. When they finally got her registered for four classes, she headed for the bookstore, but Paul wasn’t sure that was a good idea.
“Let’s go get some lunch first,” he suggested. “Then we’ll come back and get your books.”
“No, let’s get them while we’re here. Then we can go get some lunch and not have to come back.”
“It’s not very far. I think we could both use a nice relaxing lunch first.”
“That’s crazy. What will it take; twenty minutes to go get the books? Then we can go eat and go home. That makes a lot more sense.”
“Are you sure? This morning’s been pretty weary.”
“I’m sure. Come on, let’s quit wasting time.” She’d already headed for the bookstore, so he caught up with her and walked with her. They found the books for her first three classes, but when they went to get the book for her last class, they were sold out. The cashier told her that class was supposed to have been closed because they weren’t going to be able to get any more books in for several weeks yet, and they were using a new book, so there weren’t any used ones available on the Internet. She suggested they go back to where they registered for classes and talk to them.
Paul put his hand on her back, planning to steer her to his car for lunch and a cooling down period before going back to register for another class. Before he knew it, though, she was arguing with the poor cashier, who looked busy and frazzled. “All I know is I just came from there. They told me everything is in order for what I need now, and if I’d come down here you could get me everything I need. So now you’re sending me back up there?”
The cashier picked up on something she said. “They said you have everything you need now?”
“Yes.”
“They did say a couple seniors need this class, so they allowed them to take it. I think they’re going to Xerox the pages from the book that they’ll need, so they won’t have to delay graduation just because the books are on backorder. Are you one of them?”
“Apparently I am,” Gina said, “because they told me to come down here and get what I need.”
“Okay. I have two envelopes here for those two students. I thought they were going to give me their names, but so far all I have is the envelopes, which I assume have the pages copied. I guess I could give you one of those.”
“That would be fine.”
Paul had been leaning back against the wall, letting Gina handle it herself, but he couldn’t allow this to go on. As soon as he stepped up beside her, looking into her eyes, she quickly backed down. “Uh, maybe I better go double check with them first. I guess I’d hate to take one of theirs if I’m not one of them they had in mind. Can I just put these other books back and go talk to them?”
“Here, I’ll put them back here with your name on them. We’ll save them for you until you get back. That way if we run low on anything else, you’ll still have yours. Thank you for checking. It’ll make me feel a lot better, since they didn’t give me any names.”
“Of course. I’d hate to cause a problem if I misunderstood. Thank you for saving these for me. My name is Gina Jamison.”
“Okay, I’ll put your name on them and put them back here to save for you. Thanks again.”
Gina left, without looking up at Paul, who she was sure wasn’t smiling. Neither said a word as he led her past the registrar’s office and out to his car. She got in when he opened the door, without saying a word. They were halfway home before she said anything. “I guess I messed up again. Sorry.”
“Are you sorry, really?”
“I am. I don’t know why I did that. I’ve been doing so much better.”
“Because you’re tired and frustrated. That’s why I suggested we go eat first, so you could have a bit of a break and you wouldn’t be so tired and frustrated if something did happen.”
“I should have listened to you.”
“Yes, you should have.”
“I am sorry.”
“I believe you, but believe me when I say you’re about to be even sorrier.”
She cringed, knowing exactly what that meant. She didn’t argue, though, which was a redeeming quality in Paul’s eyes. She was maturing. Even if she slipped up and let one of her famous white lies escape, she wasn’t compounding the problem by arguing with him now. That showed a lot of improvement.
When they got to her apartment, Cheyenne was just getting home for lunch. She often went home for lunch, since Jason worked from home and was usually there. “Hi, guys,” she called out as she headed for the house. “Did you get everything done at the college?”
Gina turned to face her, but dropped her head. She mumbled, “No,” as she turned and ran into the garage.
Cheyenne turned around to look at her and saw her running for the garage, so she turned to Paul. “Uh-oh. I said the wrong thing, didn’t I?”
“Of course not, Cheyenne. You were just being friendly. She’s just not in a very friendly mood right now. Give her a little while, and I’ll bet that changes.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. Don’t be too hard on her, Paul.”
He cocked his head to look at her. “You don’t even know what happened.”
“I know, but she’s my friend.”
“I know,” Paul said with a smile, “but she has a lesson she needs to learn, too. This far into the program, there are only a couple things we’re still working on.”
“And whatever happened, that’s one of them?”
“It is. She needs to learn this once and for all.”
“Ouch. Will you at least tell her if she wants to talk I’ll be home all night?”
“That I will do. Thank you, Cheyenne, for being such a good friend for her.”
“Hey, no thanks needed there. I really like her. I’m thinking it’s going to be great having someone I can talk to. See you later.” She turned around to go into the house, and ran into a rather large, immobile object, whose arms reached out to catch her. “Hi, Jason. I didn’t see you there.” She reached up and accepted the kiss he offered.
“Trouble in the garage?” he asked.
“Apparently,” she said with a sad sigh. “Let’s go inside and give them privacy.”
He was already turning them toward the house. “Paul said she was doing really well and was debating whether it was necessary for him to go to her classes with her. It looks like he might want to go along for a couple weeks, anyway.”
“Maybe, but we don’t know what happened, either.”
“That’s true, but if she’s still having trouble with one or two of the issues she was working on, he may want to stay close for a little while longer yet.” She didn’t answer, but was thinking. He added, “For her sake,” and she looked up at him.
“For her sake?”
“Yes. I understand a couple of the things she’s been working on have been going on so long with her they were part of her. She never considered them to be something to change, or even give any thought to. If she’s still slipping up now and then, I certainly wouldn’t b
e surprised, but if she slips up and he’s not there to catch it, it’ll be easier to do the next time, and easier yet the time after that. So for her sake, he may want to stay with her a little longer yet.”
They were in the house and he was helping her fix lunch by now, but she paused and looked at him. “You’re right. That would be for her sake then. If she’s come this far, almost has it mastered, but not quite, if she starts slipping backwards, all that time and effort would be for nothing.”
Jason was nodding his head. “I’m glad to see you believe me now when I say we really are stern for the benefit of you ladies. We really are looking out for your best interests. The good thing here is if they’re going to have a relationship, he’ll be around enough that if she starts slipping up he’ll catch it. By then, though, they’ll have to go back and recover some of the same ground again. It would probably be best if he keeps on it now, rather than backing off. I’ll have to talk to him about that. I called the college and talked to the dean about letting him sit in on some classes for the first few weeks, and he was fine with it. Paul and I talked about whether that would be necessary. I’m thinking maybe it would be good if he did, for a week or two anyway.”
Cheyenne had the tuna salad she was making for lunch finished, but paused before putting it on the table. “You and your administrators really are good at this. You know that, don’t you?”
“I’ve been told,” he said with a smile. “The boss of my last client still can’t believe the change in her.”
“Very funny,” she said with a slap to his arm. After a few seconds, though, she admitted, “I really do owe him a lot for giving me that ultimatum.”
He laughed out loud. “Yeah, that’s not quite how you thought of it at the time.”
“No,” she admitted. “I was pretty mean to him, wasn’t I?”
“Yes, you were, my dear. But luckily, Dan is a good guy and he knows how to forgive. You’ve become quite an asset to his company, too.”
“So you’re saying I’m a success story for your program?”
“For the program, and for me, but you’re still a little brat at times.”
“And you love it.”
“Yes, I do, Mrs. Jenkins.” He kissed her, and when she passionately returned the kiss, the tuna salad got put on hold for a little while, while they made their way to their bedroom.
Chapter Nineteen
Paul went up the steps to her apartment, wondering how this was going to go. She’d been doing really well, only earning one spanking since they’d been in Arizona, and it wasn’t real serious. She’d simply gotten too tired and lost control of her language and attitude. He knew what she really needed was sleep, but he couldn’t let it go unpunished, so she got a spanking, which she thought was harder than it actually was, and he put her to bed.
This spanking, however, would have to be more serious. He couldn’t believe it when he heard the little white lie, as she called them, come out of her mouth. The cashier may have mistaken what she’d said, but she should have corrected her. It was a lie to encourage her misunderstanding, and Gina knew it. He knew the second she met his eyes after she’d said it. He knew she was tired and frustrated, but that didn’t excuse a lie. He thought she’d about gotten a handle on telling lies, but apparently she had a little ways to go yet. In fairness, he was sure her frustrated state played a part, but it was still too easy for her to revert back to a simple little lie to get what she wants. He had to get her to realize once and for all that’s not the way to go about it. And that meant this spanking had to be memorable, as much as he hated giving her memorable spankings.
He walked into the kitchen, and on to the living room, where he found her sitting on the couch, crying. He sat down beside her. “Gina, what happened?”
“I don’t know,” she said while fighting the tears. “I’m so sorry. I know I disappointed you, and I hate that.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her over to lean on his shoulder. “I know, honey.”
“I really don’t understand it. I know it was a lie, and I’ve been doing so good with that. I’m really disappointed in myself, too, because I thought I had that beat. Obviously I don’t. I really am sorry.”
He felt sorry for her, but knew he had to press on, to help her. “I am, too, because you know what needs to happen now, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she said with a new stream of tears.
He quickly had her over his lap with her jeans and panties down around her knees. She was already crying as he started the spanking. He started talking immediately, to make sure she thought about this. He reminded her that lying would hurt her in the long run. He suggested that there was a good chance she wouldn’t have been able to take that class, as someone would have caught it. He asked how embarrassing that would have been, once they realized she hadn’t been told that after all? And he asked if she really would have wanted to take a spot in the class that had been given to a graduating senior. As a first semester sophomore she had plenty of chances to take the class yet, but the seniors who had been given permission to take the class probably needed it to graduate.
She was crying harder, and he was pretty sure it was more from his words than from the pain. That was usually his goal. But this time he knew he needed to do more. His words had obviously had an effect on her before, because if he was honest with himself, he had to admit he was proud of the progress she was making in this area. He knew it was second nature for her to lie, so she really had improved a great deal. But she needed to get past that final hurdle and learn how to eliminate the temptation altogether. His words had made a big impact, which was why he was talking to her about it again. But he knew he also had to make sure she remembered some serious pain any time she even thought about telling a lie, no matter how small.
With that thought in mind, he made sure her mind was on nothing but the pain and the reason for it, as he increased the intensity of the spanking. “How are you feeling right now, Gina?”
“Sore. It really hurts!”
“And why are you getting this spanking?”
“For telling a lie.”
“Was telling that lie worth this pain?”
“No.” Her tears turned to sobs. “No, it wasn’t.”
He continued the spanking, asking quick questions as he did. “Why are you feeling this pain right now?”
“For lying.”
“How can you prevent having to experience this again?”
“By not lying.”
“What’s going to happen the next time you lie?”
“I’ll be spanked again.”
“And will it feel good?”
“No!”
“What will happen not only the next time, but every time you tell a lie?”
“I’ll be spanked again.”
“Do you think you’ve learned your lesson this time?”
“Yes.”
“What lesson have you learned?”
“Not to lie again.”
“Or what will happen?”
“I’ll be spanked again.”
“And it will hurt just like it does now.” With that, he ended the spanking, but kept his hand on her bottom. He rubbed her back gently with his other hand, helping her relax and get her breathing slowed down a little. Once that was semi under control, he picked her up and set her on his lap, allowing her to wriggle around enough to find a position that was bearable for her. He pulled her up tight against his chest, taking much of the weight off her sore bottom. He kissed her forehead before starting to talk softly to her to help her calm down. She was again clutching his shirt like he was her lifeline. He smiled when he saw it, positive he’d never tire of seeing her do that simple little thing that for some reason was so endearing to him.
He knew she would need longer to recover from this spanking because of its severity, but so would he. He needed the extra time to hold her and comfort her just as much as she needed to feel his arms holding her tight, and hearing his soft voice reassuring her. It
was half an hour later before they felt ready to continue on with their day.
She cringed when she pulled her panties and jeans back up, but she didn’t say anything.
“Let me suggest again that we go have some lunch before we go back to register you for another class. This time it’s for a different reason, though. I’m hungry,” he said with a grin.
“Me, too,” she said. “You don’t know of anyplace that has nice, soft chairs, do you?”
He shook his head. “You never give up, do you? What’s the rule about that?”
“I know, I know. Sitting on whatever chairs I would normally sit on is part of the punishment. I’m sure I won’t like sitting on those awful chairs in the registrar’s office, but I will, somehow. Although I’m so sore right now, I may have to stand up for part of it. But I figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least ask about comfy chairs during lunch.”
Her innocent, yet obvious flirtatious smile broke down his defenses yet again, though he wasn’t about to admit it. “Sorry, but I’m not familiar with this area, so we’ll just have to pick a restaurant and take whatever chairs they have.” She nodded, and he proceeded to take her to a restaurant Jason had taken him to for lunch one day while he was in town getting the info on a new client. At the time Jason told him it was one of Cheyenne’s favorite places to eat, especially right after a spanking.
It was three hours later before they got her registered for a fourth class at college, got her books, and made it back to her apartment. They were both tired, and decided they’d order a pizza tonight. They spent the evening cuddled on the couch in front of the TV.
The rest of the week went better for them. They spent time becoming familiar with their new environment, finding places to shop, and trying some of the local restaurants.
The girls worked together to fix dinner for the men one evening. While they were in the kitchen, Jason took the opportunity to talk to Paul. “I know you’ve got to have some concerns about your job, given your relationship with Gina. I’ve got a couple concerns, too, but I think we can help each other out.”
Gina and Paul (Last Chance Program Book 2) Page 24
