The Author's Friends

by Shelly Douglas

  A middle-aged couple was behind the front desk as they entered through the front door. The owners introduced themselves as the Wrights and were as friendly as they could be. Much to Brad’s delight, Kristin asked if they could have a room with a view over the harbor. The availability of a room with a king-size bed was music to his ears.

  They took the elevator up three floors to their room. As advertised, the room was down at the end of a hallway, and it had a large glass front that overlooked the harbor. Kristin threw her arms around his neck when they got into the room exclaiming how romantic it was.

  Well, Bradley Caine, I think your good fortune is just beginning, Dana thought as the aroma of coffee beckoned from the kitchen.

  *****

  “Dana, what are you doing for lunch?” Carla’s tone was rushed as she put her cell phone on speaker.

  Dana looked at her watch and sighed. “Well, I guess I’m going to eat a cup of delicious Greek yogurt,” she joked as she continued to type.

  “Can you meet me for lunch downtown in about thirty minutes? I need to see you.” Carla tapped her fingers on the desk.

  “Okay, sure. Hey, what’s going on, Carla? You haven’t been your usual jovial self.”

  “How about the eatery we went to the last time - the one on Grant Street. Is that okay?”

  “Sure, that’s fine.”

  “Thanks. See you in thirty.” Carla put her cell phone in her bag, and reclined in the leather chair at her desk.

  A half an hour later arrived at the food court and scanned the tables for her friend. Carla was sitting alone with her arms crossed.

  “Uh oh. Are you going to spill your guts now, or should we eat first?” Dana asked as she took off her jacket.

  “I actually don’t feel like eating, but I will for your sake.” Carla shrugged as she threw her coat over a chair. They headed straight to the counter and ordered their usual favorite salads. When they returned to the table, there was an awkward silence.

  Dana cleared her throat. “Are we going to have a conversation, or am I going to have to conduct this like an interview?”

  Carla bit her lip. “First, let me apologize again for my behavior last night. You know how I love you guys, and this holiday will be your best ever. Michael and I very much want to be a part of your happiness.”

  “Just for the record, you’ve already submitted an apology and it was accepted. So, once again, I feel the need to ask what’s going on Carla? This isn’t like you.” Dana moved her salad around the plate, obviously not intending to eat it.

  “Stop playing with your food, Dana. Did you eat breakfast this morning? You know how Richard hates when you skip …”

  Dana held her hand up. “I see you’re still bossy, so that’s comforting.”

  “Yes, well that’s part of the problem.” Carla shook her head. “Dana, I would love to be a submissive for Michael. It’s no secret that he wants it, and part of me does too, but I don’t know that I’m capable. We’re talking about a thirty-five-year-old woman who’s used to running the show. How can I be responsible for a large staff at work all day and then be taken over a knee for coming home a little late?” She lowered her voice, looking around to make sure no one heard her last words.

  “Not that I’m judging, but just to be clear, what the hell happened last night?” Dana took a small bite of her salad.

  “Well, I did have a crazy day at the office and needed a release. I knew ‘the brat personality’ would get Michael’s juices flowing and seized the opportunity to challenge him. It was like playing a scene, and we carried it to the end of the night. I have to admit, it was kind of fun for both of us. But, of course, you know him; we just had to discuss it this morning.”

  Dana stopped chewing. “He is a therapist.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard.” Carla ran a hand through her wavy hair.

  “Jesus, Carla. You aren’t going to stop there, are you?”

  “Dana, do you know why his marriage ended?” Carla took a sip of her Diet Coke and swallowed hard.

  “No, but you better tell me right now.”

  “After five years, his wife decided she didn’t want to be a submissive anymore. According to Michael she, too, was a professional and thought it would be wonderful to be taken care of when she got home from work. But eventually, Lilly tired of her new role and asked for a divorce.”

  “So, that’s why he’s been careful with you. Now I understand.” Dana slowly nodded.

  “Yes, and I pushed him last night. I did it on purpose, and he knew it. This morning, he asked me if I wanted more rules.”

  Dana leaned forward. “You know him better than I do, but I’m sensing he’s even more strict that Richard. Am I right?”

  “Dana, there’s a dark edge to Richard personality that I never saw before. He doesn’t talk much about his background, but important information is there; I can feel it.”

  “He’s so sweet and gentle. What exactly do you mean by dark?” Dana folded her hands and leaned on the table.

  “He’s the most even-tempered man I know. Last night, he spanked me hard and put me to bed, but it didn’t feel … wrong. The way he did it, seemed very right. He’s so good for me.”

  “You aren’t answering my question.”

  Carla shrugged. “It’s just a feeling I get. There’s something about him being in control, something about the gleam in those dark brown eyes. I can’t describe it. Am I making any sense?”

  “No. But the important question is, are you okay with it? Is he scaring you?”

  “Dana, he’s turning me on. That’s the scary part.” She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

  *****

  Michael was having a difficult time keeping his head in the game. He’d seen three patients that morning, but most of his attention had been focused on Carla.

  He could spend many years trying to figure her out. She was such a complicated woman. But he loved a good challenge. In fact, it was her strength and self-assurance that he had found attractive in the first place. He liked her intelligence, unpredictability and humor; he even enjoyed when she crossed the line. But if the relationship was going to work, their roles needed to be defined.

  In all fairness, he hadn’t opened up totally to her either. He knew there was enough baggage in the recesses of his mind to start up a luggage store. Pondering those thoughts, he wondered how his honesty would affect their relationship. It was becoming evident that she was sensing there was another layer to him that he hadn’t revealed. He wanted to fill her in on his background, but it was just too soon.

  “Doctor, are you listening to me?”

  Michael shook his head and cleared his mind. “Yes, I’m sorry. I drifted off for a moment. Please return to what you were saying.”

  Self analysis wasn’t one of Michael’s strong suits. Sometimes even the best therapists needed help, too. His friend Jason practiced in the same building, so it was easy to stop by for an occasional tune-up. The fact that he was dwelling on his past meant it was probably time to go see his buddy.

  “Doctor, what do you think about that?” his patient asked.

  He looked at the clock on the wall, and luckily, it was the end of his patient’s time. “Let me give your last statement some thought, and we’ll start there next week.”

  He shook hands with his patient, relieved that he had the next hour open. Without hesitating, he picked up the phone and punched in the numbers.

  “Jason, are you free right now? I could use some of your expert counseling.”

  *****

  Michael sat in the spacious waiting area checking his smart phone, as Jason opened the door to his office.

  “Michael, it’s always good to see you. Please come in and have a seat.”

  Jason’s assistant sat at her desk and smiled as the heavy door closed behind them.

  The two men took a seat on opposite ends of the couch. Michael looked over at Jason and sighed. “I appreciate you giving me an opportunity to visit on such short not
ice.”

  “We’re friends, Michael. I’d do anything for you.”

  “I’ve always tried to keep my ‘iron box’ stored safely away. But now I have a girlfriend …”

  “We’re talking about Carla, of course.”

  “Yes. We all need to have dinner together sometime. I think Jennifer and Carla would get along great.”

  Jason smiled.

  “The two of them could talk about legal matters all night. Every once in a while, they might let us throw an opinion on the fire,” he joked. “Jennifer practices criminal law, right?”

  “That’s right, and if I remember correctly, Carla practices real estate law.”

  Michael nodded.

  “But we’re not here to talk about our women, are we?”

  “Jason, we’re both Dominant males. And I know the popular discussion today is nature vs. nurture when the talk moves into the direction of where our need to be the Dominant or submissive originated.”

  “Not everyone agrees on the answer to that question. We’re all wired differently.”

  “Well, that’s my worry lately. I think my wiring could be faulty.”

  “Michael, I’m not sure I understand. You’re the most grounded person I know.

  “That’s because you don’t know about my family.”

  Jason moved closer on the couch and spoke in a soft voice. “Since when did you start worrying about your background?”

  “Since I fell in love again and want to be the head of our household.”

  “Why don’t you start by telling me about your family?”

  Michael looked at his watch. “I don’t think we have time to get into that right now, Jason. I have an appointment in a half an hour.”

  “Your office is only upstairs. We have at least fifteen minutes for you to get started …”

  “I’m going to need a lot more time than that, my friend.”

  BROTHERLY LOVE

  “So, when do we get to meet the new guy in your life?” David gently poked his little sister in the arm.

  “Yeah Carla, don’t you want to introduce him to your big brothers? You aren’t ashamed of us, are you?” Tom, the middle sibling, smiled as he teased her.

  Carla’s face turned a bright shade of red. She’d stopped by the family’s business on her way home from work to say hello and get some old fashioned bar counseling. Of course, there would always be a little ribbing from her siblings. Theirs was a close-knit family, and she adored her two brothers, who in many ways, helped raise her. Her mom and dad worked such long hours, that David and Tom took turns caring for her when she was a kid. Both brothers turned out to be good listeners; it was an occupational requirement when you owned the local watering hole.

  “So what brings you by, besides missing the two of us?” David wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

  “Of course I miss you, but more importantly, I wanted to discuss plans for Christmas.”

  Tom looked puzzled. “Carla, what’s different about this year? We’ll all get together Christmas Eve at Mom and Pop’s place and then do it again the next day. What’s there to discuss? We’ve been doing the same routine all our lives.”

  “I was thinking about bringing Michael this year. He’s special in my life, and I’d love for him to get to know everyone.” She paused. “And I was hoping this would be a good time to tell you about our less-than-conventional relationship.”

  David and Tom looked at each other, baffled. But before they could ask a bunch of questions, she sat them down and tried to explain how a domestic discipline relationship worked. Opening up to her bothers was as therapeutic as talking to Dana. For her to be happy, she needed her family’s acceptance.

  “Carla, you’ve always known what you wanted and why,” David said after she’d finished. “Tommy and I were the ones who looked for Mom and Pop to validate our feelings, but you were different and usually the one to step outside the norm. It’s your independence that always set you apart from the rest of us. We trust your judgment. If you believe Michael is the one, then we support you.”

  Tom nodded in agreement.

  “But I still worry some about what Mom and Dad will think,” Carla confided. “On top of everything else, I’m bringing a Jewish man home for Christmas.”

  “Why do you care so much? You’ve been looking for the right guy for a long time now. I think they’ll be happy if you’re happy. We all love you way too much to see it any other way.” David kissed her cheek and wrapped his arms around her.

  Tom smiled and joined the group hug.

  Carla’s eyes brimmed with tears. “You’re the best brothers a girl could ask for.” She reached into her purse for a tissue and swallowed hard. “When Michael and I returned from Hawaii with Dana and Richard, we decided to live together. I leased out my place in town and moved into his house in Squirrel Hill.” This was her last piece of news about Michael and hoped it would be taken well.

  Her brothers both shrugged their shoulders.

  “Carla, you’re thirty-five. You don’t need our consent to live your life,” David said.

  Carla motioned for her brothers to step in closer for one more hug. Their perspective on life was always so uncomplicated and straightforward.

  “As much as I would love to spend happy hour here at the bar, I need to get on the road. I promised Michael I would be there when he arrived home from work.” Carla grabbed her handbag off the stool and attempted to rush out the door.

  “We’ll walk you to your car,” they said in unison, each linking an arm in hers.

  *****

  Michael sat in the kitchen and checked his watch for the third time. Hearing the front door close, he rolled up the sleeves on his starched white shirt and calmly folded his hands on the table.

  Carla walked into the room and quietly sat next to him.

  “I guess I’m a little late.” She glanced up at the clock on the microwave quickly. “Since I left work early, I thought there would be time to stop at the bar, but five o’clock traffic was particularly crazy today.” She shimmied out of her coat and placed it behind the chair.

  “So how’s your family?” Michael asked, shaking his head in disbelief of her tardiness.

  “Tom and David were both working, and you’re officially invited to share Christmas with us.” Carla’s hand wringing began as her mood changed. “God, I hate to end the small talk, but what’s going on? I’m sensing something different about you lately, and it’s worrying me.”

  Michael laced his warm fingers into her chilled ones. “Your hands are so cold, sweetie.”

  “They’re cold because it’s December. And you’re changing the subject.”

  “I went to see my friend Jason Stein today. Do you remember me telling you about him?” Michael looked directly into Carla’s bright blue eyes as he spoke.

  “I think so. He’s a friend and colleague of yours that works in the same building.” She held his hand tighter, sensing this was not idle chitchat.

  “Sometimes, I like a second opinion.”

  “Is this about me, Michael?”

  “Good question. I guess right now it’s mostly about me, but since I’m in love with you, that would bring you into the picture, wouldn’t it?” He let go of her hand, only to help position her on his lap.

  “You’re not going to share, are you?” She kissed him gently on his cheek, rubbing her face on his dark stubble like a cat.

  “Not yet, baby, but I’m working on it. For right now, just know that I love you.”

  She closed her eyes. “I love you too.” Reaching down, her hand moved slowly over his hardening cock. “Since I was such a naughty girl coming home late, let me make it up to you. Or would that constitute me controlling the situation?”

  “My advice would be to put a hold on the sarcasm, young lady. You should know that I purchased a new hairbrush for you at your favorite salon today. The staff was quite helpful and impressed that someone’s boyfriend would go to great lengths in purchasing the proper grooming
tool for his woman. Unfortunately for you, they were a tremendous help.”

  “I hope to God you didn’t go with wood,” Carla said. “From what I’ve read, it bruises.”

  “Ah, and doing your homework, too? you never fail to amaze me.” He gently moved several strands of wavy hair behind her ear. “No, it’s made of plastic, but it’s quite durable. Now. Let’s talk about that small matter of you coming home late.”

  He got out of his chair and rummaged through a bag on the counter.

  “Please tell me you were kidding about the brush…” Carla began.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t joke about something like that, Carla.” Michael pulled a black and silver flat-backed hairbrush out of a salon bag and presented it for approval.

  “It’s lovely Michael and very thoughtful of you. I promise I’ll use it tomorrow morning when I style my hair.” She leapt out of her seat in an attempt to pry it from his hands.

  He shook his head. “Flip your skirt up and bend over the table, my love.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “Where did you go after work, sweet girl?”

  “I stopped in the bar to see my brothers.” She looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

  “What were my instructions?”

  “You said to be sitting at this table no later than six o’clock.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You have a better memory than that, Carla. Didn’t you graduate from The University of Pennsylvania Law School, summa cum laude?” His head angled to the side as he twirled the brush in his hand.

  “You also said to come straight home.” She lowered her eyes.

  “And did you?”

  “No, sir.” She obediently turned around and flipped up her skirt. Grabbing each side of the table for support, she carefully bent over.

  Michael smacked each cheek twice with the palm of his hand before rubbing the flat part of the hairbrush on her bottom as he lectured her.

  “You understood the rules and disobeyed them anyway. Is that right, young lady?”