Kara's View of Autumn

by Carl Hamlin

  Roger felt cold and clammy knowing that he was roaming the area. He could not help but wonder if the woman he loved was being stalked.

  Kara had arrived at the office early, in spite of the short night of rest. As soon as McKormack had arrived, he called her in and gave her the ritual offer of extra protection. That was followed by her ritual refusal.

  She had been back at her desk for less than a minute when Roger called. “Hey Lover, why you calling me so early?”

  She heard an impatient sigh in response. “You know very well why I’m calling. I know that Harlow‘s whereabouts are unknown. Now….will you please accept some extra cover?”

  “It’s not necessary….Harlow has not committed any crimes, and there are no warrants out for him. He’s a free man. He can walk up and down the sidewalk in front of my place and nobody can do anything about it.”

  “But if he sees officers and black and whites, it will intimidate him. It will chase him away.” Kara could not recall ever hearing such irritation in Roger’s voice when addressing her.

  “No…it’s okay. I’m okay.”

  She heard nothing in response, and guessed correctly that Roger was seething in frustration and concern. “Roger….you still there?”

  “Yes…..I was just wondering something.”

  “And what is that?”

  “I was wondering……if you would ever speak to me again if I took you across my knees and gave you a good paddling, but this time for real.”

  Now it was Kara who went silent. Finally, she heard a determined voice. “I meant that.”

  Kara leaned back in her chair and allowed a sly smile to crease her face. “No….you did not. I’m a grandmother.”

  The response was quick and crisp. “A grandmother who needs to have some common sense pounded into her head, even if it’s from the other end.”

  Kara arched her eyes as she spoke. “Wow…..getting kind of kinky again now, are we? I don’t know what to say about that. Should I have my handcuffs ready?”

  “You’re supposed to say you’ll accept more protection. And I’m being serious about giving you that paddling.”

  “And I can make those decisions about my safety for myself. Look……I know all of this worry is because you love me. And you know I love you, too.”

  “Kara……I wish I would have told you I loved you the day that I knew it. But I don’t want to lose you. I want you to be safe, and I know you want to be safe for your family.”

  Roger waited for a response. “I have to go. Talk to you later, lover.”

  Kara placed her phone on the receiver, and then picked up the file on a problem case that had vexed one of her staff. She took a sip of her coffee and sat the cup down slowly.

  Damn……I think that maybe he did mean that. She shook her head with a grin and took another sip. “Humph.” Yeh…..I think he did.

  As lunchtime drew near, Kara thought of Roger, as he was meeting with McKormack to have lunch and then do a joint presentation on drug testing to a workshop for most of the afternoon at the local community college. She knew that the presentation would be made to more than one session, so he would be spending several hours with her boss. She wondered to what extent she would be their topic of conversation when they were alone.

  Taking into account her lack of sleep, she was fortunate that she was able to spend most of her afternoon doing routine case reviews. Nothing exceptional jumped out at her as she looked over the work being done by the ten probation officers who reported to her.

  As she worked, she could not avoid thinking about the extent to which Roger was worrying about her, and for the first time, she began to question as to whether he was right.

  The long afternoon wore on, and she left the office, stopped at a delicatessen, and bought a salad to take home for dinner. Reminding herself that Harlow was on the loose, she went through her cautious routine upon arriving home, even though this time she had made it home before total darkness had arrived.

  She sat down in front of the television and turned on ESPN to catch any news about her beloved Bears. As she munched on her salad, she thought back to her conversation that morning with Roger. Even though she was partially convinced that he was serious with the threat to take her across his knees, she still found the concept amusing, and to a certain extent, a sweet and touching expression of how much he cared for her. She wondered if he tried to actually carry through on the idea, if she would simply accept it. She knew that she likely would, and found it odd that she felt that way. She found herself wrapped in curiosity at the fluttering in her abdomen that she had experienced when he said it, and returned each time she thought of it.

  Her salad finished, she began to feel sleepy. She went into her bedroom, undressed and pulled her Bears shirt over her head. She took her .38 to the living room and put it under the sofa. She checked her alarm system, then lay down on the sofa and returned to watching the sports channel.

  She quickly fell asleep. She did not stir until two hours had passed and she was awakened by the chime of her phone that was resting on the end table near her head. As she sat up, she glanced at her watch to see that it was 8:30.

  She picked up the phone and saw that it was Roger calling. “Hey, Lover.”

  “Wondering if I could stop by. I just finished up with McKormack.”

  “How soon will you be here?”

  “About five minutes. I’m just a few blocks away. Your boss and I just finished eating at the Marquee.”

  “See you then. But will you promise that you’re not going to spank me?”

  “No.”

  “Oooookaaaayyy. You can stop by anyway.”

  After she snapped the phone closed, she put away the snack tray and turned the television off. She decided that Roger would appreciate her manner of dress, and she looked in the mirror to make sure that her hair was not mussed in some comical way.

  She went to the bathroom, and just as she was drying her hands, the doorbell rang. She scurried to the door, and unfastened the locks, then, due to her state of partial undress, hid behind the door as she opened it.

  Roger walked in, and then helped her re-lock the door. He leaned down and they kissed, then he stood back and placed his hands on her shoulders. He smiled as he looked her up and down. “Nice outfit……wrong team.”

  “You Packers fans are hopeless.” She took him by the hand and they walked to the sofa and sat down. “How was the seminar?”

  Roger shook his head. “Lots of good questions from those criminal justice students. Interesting how some of them are so in favor of legalizing the stuff.”

  Kara laughed. “That stuff was never for me. A little wine now and then, or a little bourbon from time to time…..”.

  Roger ran his hand through her hair. “You’re intoxicating enough for me.” He leaned over and they embraced in a lingering kiss. He began to run his hand over the thigh that was sticking out from the short shirt. “You are so gorgeous.”

  Kara giggled. “You’re biased.”

  Roger kissed her. “And for good reason. I love you.”

  “And, I love you too. It’s so nice to say that.”

  “It is, isn’t it? I was so afraid that when I said it, it would scare you away.”

  “Lover……you know I don’t scare easily.”

  Roger sat straight up and sighed. “And that’s a problem. You need to feel fear…..it’s what keeps us alive when we work with the bad folks. One reason I was afraid to tell you how I really felt….well, I knew that may just draw us deeper together, and make it harder to lose you if something ever went wrong.”

  Kara shook her head. “Roger…..you know how I am.”

  He nodded slowly. “Yes, Kara.….I know just…...how…… you…… are.”

  Roger fell silent, and as Kara looked into his eyes, she felt unsettled by his expression. The look on his face was one she had never seen, a combination of frustration, determination, and undeniably, mischief thrown in for good measure.

  She be
gan to slide away, but Roger put his arm around her waist and drew her to him. Kara looked at him with eyes as wide open as he had ever seen them. “Roger…..oh….. no you don’t. That’s just for play.”

  She really did not protest that much as she found herself being turned over his lap. She only offered token resistance as she found her face buried in the cushion of her own sofa. A thousand butterflies were flittering deep within her mid-section.

  “Roger…….no. I’m too old for this.”

  “Then this should make you feel younger.”

  “Wise ass!”

  She felt the tee shirt being pulled up onto her back, and she squealed in protest when she felt his fingers reach into the waistband of her panties. She held her breath as she felt them being pulled down her legs, and over her feet before he tossed them to the floor. She struggled half-heartedly but his left hand was pressed down onto her lower back.

  Roger placed his right hand on her bottom. “Anything you want to say for yourself before I begin?”

  Kara looked back with a semi-serious glare. “I don’t know…..maybe …..ouch?”

  Roger raised his hand and brought it down with a loud crack, and Kara howled, “Ouch.”

  Roger rested his hand. “Well, you were right.”

  “Roger…..this isn’t funny. That hurt.”

  “And so will these, Kara.”

  WHACK. “Ooooww.”

  WHACK. “Yeeeoow.”

  WHACK. “Damn.”

  Roger rested his hand on the warm and red flesh. “I want you to promise to take police protection.”

  A squeaky voice responded. “I can damned well take care of myself.”

  WHACK. “Yikes.”

  WHACK. “Ouch.”

  POW. “Ooohhh.”

  “Ro……ger! I’m forty nine years old.”

  WHACK. WHACK. WHACK.

  “Then you’re lucky this isn’t a birthday spanking.”

  WHACK. “Yow.”

  WHACK. “Yeeooww.”

  POW. “Ooohoooh.”

  Roger took hold of her arm and pulled her up so that she was kneeling on the sofa. At first, Kara simply glared at him as she knelt on the sofa and rubbed the sore backside. Tears were beginning to run down her cheeks and Roger pulled out his handkerchief and dried them.

  Kara shook her head and took a deep breath to steady herself. “forty nine years old…..and I get my ass really spanked for the first time in my life.”

  Roger remained sitting there with a somber expression. “If this is any consolation….you deserved that long ago.”

  Kara leaned toward him as she continued the rubbing of her stinging fanny. “Was that comment supposed to be funny?”

  Roger’s expression was unchanged, until Kara noticed a slight upward turn of the corners of his mouth. “Uh….kind of.”

  Kara leaned closer and put the tip of her nose against his. “Did you find some humor in what just happened? My ass is on fire.”

  Roger cleared his throat. “You did not put up much of a fight, now did you?”

  “No….I…..did…..not.”

  “And why was that?”

  “I……don’t…….know.”

  Kara leaned her forehead against his, and then Roger reached his arms around her and pulled her to him. Her head resting on his shoulder, he asked, “Want me to kiss it and make it better?”

  Kara began to giggle, and then sat up. She stood and took his hand for him to come with her. “You’ll have to do a whole lot better than that.”

  As they lay in bed, Roger ran his hand over her hip and up her back. They remained silent for a while, enjoying the quiet and lingering sensations. “How’s my sweet Kara?”

  She sighed and looked at him with an exaggerated pout. “Kara still feels very thoroughly spanked.”

  “I want you to think about that the next time you’re tempted to take any unnecessary chances.”

  “I can…….”. She sighed deeply. “I’ll think about it.”

  Roger kissed her. “See….it’s working already.”

  Kara reached back and rubbed her bottom. A smile crept across her face. “Bully! You whacked me really hard. That stung like crazy. It still does.”

  Roger reached down and began caressing the sore spot. “Hey….it wasn’t easy to do that.…you know how much I love that thing.”

  Kara laughed. “Well, I’m flattered that you love my ass.”

  Roger pulled her close and kissed her. “I love all of you. And I want you to think about something. I do want to marry you. You have all the time to think it over. But for the record…..this time, yes, that was a proposal.”

  Kara squeezed him tightly. “I’ll try not to string you along. No matter what, I love you very much. But I need to know…..”.

  Roger pulled away and looked at her. “No…if you say no, I’ll accept that, and we can go on as we are now. I’d rather have you the way things are, than not have you at all. But I really want to be married to you. Nothing would make me happier.”

  Kara put her lips to his neck. “Oh, Roger. It makes me feel so happy that you want to marry me. So let me try to decide if I can make the transition.”

  He gave her a squeeze. “I promise….I won’t leave my socks and underwear on the floor. Unless……you know.”

  Kara laughed as he got up and began to get dressed. “I guess that takes us halfway there.”

  As he dressed, she pulled the tee shirt back over her head. She walked him to the door, their fingers intertwined, and then he leaned down and kissed her.

  Kara shook her head. “I’m not quite sure what to say after an evening like this. It was quite…unique.”

  Roger shrugged. “Maybe….ouch?”

  She nodded. “Okay……ouch.”

  He kissed her again. “Good night.”

  As soon as Roger had departed, Kara triple-locked the door. She watched through a window as he walked to the sidewalk and halted when he got to his car. She knew he could not see her watching, still he stood and looked back longingly at her brownstone. As he reluctantly got into his car, Kara felt her heart palpitate.

  She checked the alarm controls, and then walked slowly to her bedroom. She set the alarm clock, and then remembered the gun beneath the sofa. She walked back to the living room, knelt down, and retrieved it. She took it to her bed and placed it under her extra pillow, the one upon which Roger would rest his head when he stayed over. She suddenly wanted him back with her, so she reached for the pillow and squeezed it tight against her chest as if to have him there.

  Her mind was a jumble of emotions and confusion. She reached down and began to softly rub her still warm and stinging bottom. She was unsure as to why she had so willingly allowed that paddling to happen. On one hand, she did not expect it to be as painful as it turned out to be. In one corner of her mind, she had anticipated it as another session of erotic horseplay, and her token resistance was part of the game. She still assumed that if she had strongly resisted, he would not have done that. Or would he still have paddled me?

  However, after Roger’s hand had landed a couple of times with that fiery sting, she knew that his intention was anything but erotic. The sharp bite of his open hand had made it clear that he was determined to change her manner of thinking. Even though it had hurt enough to bring tears to her eyes, she understood that Roger had done it out of frustration in seeking a way to make her take his concerns seriously.

  Resting alone on the bed in the dark room, she had to reluctantly admit to herself that she would remember the experience as she made future decisions regarding her safety. And that was why she had just received the first real paddling of her lifetime. Her forty nine year old but very shapely and attractive backside was still quite warm and sore to the touch as a result.

  Equally confusing to her as her willingness to allow it to take place was her lack of anger that it had been so painful. She was also wildly confused as to why she had been willing to go to bed with him afterward. Then she felt a warm flush to her
face as she came to realize…..it had made her desire him then and there. The stinging sensations that still peppered her flesh definitely heightened her pleasure as they made love. She had even guided Roger to be on top as they coupled and reveled in the soreness that was enhanced by his weight pressing her down.

  She tossed and turned for a while, then succumbed to exhaustion. As she drifted away, she sighed as she thought of how Roger had introduced her to yet another set of sensations.

  Kara went for her morning run in spite of the first icy rain of the autumn. She had to slow her gait to prevent slipping on the orange, red and pink leaves that covered the sidewalks after the early morning breeze had brought them down. When no traffic was present, she would jog out into the street to where the black pavement had retained some warmth and caused the icy drops to melt on contact.

  When she had gone to sleep the previous night, she wondered if running would be too uncomfortable due to the tender state of her soundly whacked backside. However, the soreness was gone, leaving her with nothing but the memory of the surreal experience and the unexpected but immensely pleasurable aftermath.

  She woke before the alarm clock went off, so she ran a little longer than usual. To her surprise, she had slept well when she was finally able to drift off.

  It was one of those good mornings when she did not want to stop her run, but she would have to settle for an extra half-mile. She had more case files to review that day, plus she had to fill out some forms to submit to McKormack so that he could begin to work on the quarterly report to be presented to the Common Pleas judge.

  With reluctance, she headed back to the brownstone. Once inside, she quickly stripped and got into the shower.

  Upon leaving the bathroom, she stopped in front of her full-length mirror, dropped her towel, and turned. She could see that a slight pink cast still adorned the cheeks of her bottom. As she thought about how that had come about, but most of all, why it had happened, Kara found her reflection sporting a meek smile.