by Selena Kitt
Looking at the clock, she jumped up and raced around the kitchen, rinsing her dishes and turning off the coffeepot. She had just enough time to report to her office, where she would be busy tying up the last few loose ends of her current assignment. After today, she would be preparing for her departure and flight to San Diego. She had visited her family a month ago, before she knew about her reassignment and absence over the next several months. Now she was glad she had used her leave time to do that. She would call them tonight and inform them of her new assignment, conveniently leaving out the part about Blaine being her new commander. It wasn't that they didn’t like him. Blaine Rogers was another one of her flub-ups, in their eyes. If she hadn't driven him away, she would be happily married with a good job and a family by now. At least, that's what the family liked to remind her of. She was nervous enough about seeing him again without having to listen to that dribble. She loved her family, and she knew they were proud of her accomplishments, they just didn't understand her independent nature at times. She had rebelled against the two men in her life and had ended up alone, in their estimation of the situation. The fact she had never heard from Blaine after that night had cut her deeply, but she had never told a soul. She carried the secret in her heart for years. She had regretted that night for a very long time, but had moved on from it. Now she would have to face him, after all this time. Perhaps they would never speak of it. Or, maybe, it would be the worst six months of her life, if he still held a grudge against her.
"Good morning," her assistant greeted her as she walked in.
"Good morning, Beth," she replied. "Are you ready to get started? We have a full day ahead of us."
"I'll be in with your coffee in a few minutes. I'll let you get settled first. I'm ready to start."
Charlie smiled gratefully. She would certainly miss the efficient Beth when she left. But that was part of it. You met people at each new assignment who became invaluable to you, and then you moved on. She should be used to it by now.
Beth arrived with the coffee, and the two began the many duties that needed to be taken care of. By lunchtime, she told Beth to order in, there was no time for a break.
"I hate that on your last day, you can't enjoy a nice lunch with the friends you've made here," Beth said sadly.
"I'm having dinner tomorrow night with some of them, remember?"
"This new assignment came up so quickly. I-I am really going to miss you, you know."
"Oh, Beth, I'll miss you, too. You are the best assistant I've ever had. And I'm not just saying that. Now, go order our lunch, and maybe we can get out of here at a decent time."
Beth did as she was told, and soon they were enjoying salads and iced tea while they worked.
A few fellow officers stopped in that afternoon to wish Charlie luck.
"Blaine Rogers is a good man. I served on a ship with him last year," one man told her.
"Thank you. It's all come up so suddenly; I haven't had much time to think about much of anything. I'm just trying to get finished up so I can prepare to leave," Charlie told him with a smile.
When she finally locked up her office for the last time and handed the keys over to Beth, she handed the woman a small box. "A small token of my appreciation for your help the last two years," she explained.
"Oh… thank you," Beth said as she wiped a tear from her eye. She carefully opened the box and took out the gold bracelet Charlie had bought for her.
"I'll think of you each time I wear it. Now, you have to promise to stay in touch."
"You know I will. Good luck with your new boss. I'm sure you'll do fine. Now, go on home and have a relaxing evening. You've earned it. I'm going to do the same."
The women hugged and then walked to the parking lot together. When Charlie arrived at her quarters, she slipped out of her uniform and ran a hot bath. Gingerly, she placed her toe in the water to test the temperature and adjusted the faucet while she added lavender-scented bubble bath. She sank into the sudsy water and laid her head back, closing her eyes and listening to soft music on the radio.
She allowed her thoughts to drift back over the years, to another time and place. She had been in a similar bath, only that time, she had been joined by Blaine. His large frame had taken up most of the tub, and she remembered giggling when the water sloshed onto the floor as he sat down with her. She sighed as she remembered how his hands had lathered her body with the suds from that bath and how one thing had led to another. They had made love in the tub and again on the floor, both of them still wet from the bath. The excitement she had shared with him had been like no other. Not even Tim had come close to arousing her in the way Blaine could. And there was that other side of Blaine, the one that should have shocked her, but somehow hadn’t.
It had happened the first time on a lazy Sunday afternoon. She had gone shopping and promised to meet him for dinner at his apartment off campus. She was having such a marvelous time that she completely lost track of the time. When she finally arrived at his place, the dinner he had prepared for them was cold, and he was not happy with her.
"I'm sorry, honey. I just lost track of the time," she had explained as she set her packages down and went to him. When she tried to rub against him seductively, he pushed her away, taking her hands in his. He looked down at her and said, "I understand that, but I would have expected a phone call, at the very least. You knew I was cooking dinner for us. How hard would it have been to call and say you were going to be late?"
"I-I guess I didn't think."
"And now our dinner is ruined. We can heat it up, but it's not the same. Charlotte Rose, you have to learn responsibility. You can't go through your life winging it. Real life just doesn't work like that."
"I said I was sorry."
"Come here, sweetheart. I think it's time you learn there are consequences for your actions."
"W-what do you mean?" she asked as he led her to a wooden kitchen chair that he pulled out from the table.
"You'll soon find out," he answered as he pulled her by the hand.
She found herself across his lap. What in the world? She tried to get up, but his large hand held her in place as his other one cracked down on her unsuspecting bottom.
"Ouch," she said, shocked at what was happening.
"From now on, when you do something irresponsible like you did today, you're going to have to face the consequences," he said gently.
"This isn't funny," she said.
"It isn't meant to be," he replied as his hand landed another smack to her jean-clad bottom.
Over and over again, he applied burning smacks to her bottom, first to one cheek and then to the other. He swatted her sit-spots and her upper thighs, as well. She fidgeted, pounded his legs with her fists and finally gave up from exhaustion at fighting with him. She had never been spanked in her life, not even by her parents.
When he had finally stopped, he held her close in his arms and whispered, "It's all right, baby, all is forgiven. I'll warm up our dinner." He had kissed her on the forehead and gently let her up. They ate dinner silently, and afterwards, she helped him with the dishes. And then, they had talked. He explained that he felt she needed guidance, and he was willing to provide it. He asked her what she thought, and to her own surprise, she found herself agreeing with him. After that, he had asked to see what she bought, and she ended up spending the night with him, having passionate sex for most of the night. She couldn't get enough of his warm, sexy body. It was as if the spanking had awakened some strange new desire. Luckily, they both had late classes the next day or she might have ended up with a much sorer bottom if she'd made them late for class.
She laughed aloud as that memory passed through her head. Oh, Blaine, I wonder if you would tan my hide these days… or try to. We shall see, now, won't we?
Chapter Two
Charlie had thoroughly enjoyed the dinner with her co-workers. It was a farewell party given in her honor, and nearly everyone she'd had any contact with during her stay in Mississipp
i was present. Each one wished her well in her new assignment, and she was presented with a parting gift at the end of the evening. She was well liked among her peers, and it saddened her to have to say goodbye so soon. She had expected to be in Meridian another year, at least. But the Navy had other plans for her. Being assigned to be the executive officer on an LCS was an accomplishment, and she was pleased, if not apprehensive about her new captain.
The rest of the week rushed by in a blur as she made all the necessary arrangements to leave the base and depart for San Diego. She would have one night in California before she had to pull up her big girl panties and report for duty to Captain Blaine Rogers. For that, she was glad, because she was going to have to muster up every bit of strength she had to set foot on that ship and introduce herself to him.
As she packed the last of her gear and set it next to the front door of her quarters for the early morning ride to the airport, she sighed. There was nothing left to be done. She decided to treat herself to a nice dinner at her favorite restaurant on base before having an early night. She took a quick shower and dressed in casual clothes. She was officially off duty that night, and everything else was packed, except her freshly cleaned and pressed uniform, which she would wear the next day. Making her way across the base, she saw a few of her peers as she entered the restaurant and they waved for her to join them. Glad of the company, she walked to their table and sat down in the chair one of the men pulled up for her. There were other female officers as well as some men, and she greeted each of them with a smile.
"Are you all packed and ready?" one officer asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be. You'd think I'd be used to this by now," she said. "I'm always afraid of forgetting something."
"Luckily, the Navy takes care of most of the details. Just make sure your skivvies and uniforms are in your bag and you're set. Anything else, you can buy when you get to San Diego."
"True," she replied with a giggle. "At least I'll have one night to relax when I get there. As rushed as this whole assignment change was, I worried I wouldn't even have that."
One of the women officers spoke up, "So, I hear this Commander Rogers is one hot dude. Are you ready for that?"
Charlie nearly choked on the drink the waiter had brought her after one of the guys had ordered for her.
"I-I don't know about hot. I am there to do a job, not assess the merchandise," she teased.
"Oh, Charlie, come now. Just because that husband of yours decided to move on doesn't mean you can't get back in the game."
"When I find someone worth 'getting back in the game' for, maybe I will," she retorted.
The men laughed. One of them stated, "Well, I guess none of us were the one."
"Oh, you guys, come on. I'm not ready. I chose the Navy over my marriage, that should say something about me right there. I'm a workaholic. I don't think any of you would be happy with that."
"And that's the reason you were given this assignment. You've proven that you are a valuable asset to today's Navy. It's good to see hard work recognized."
She ordered dinner and after that, the conversation drifted away from her, thankfully. After sharing an after dinner drink, she politely excused herself. "I have an early flight, so I really must go. Thank you all for a lovely last night dinner."
After hugs and well wishes, Charlie was finally on her way back to her quarters. She quickly got undressed and crawled into her bed for the final time. It was her last night in Mississippi, and what the future held for her was a mystery. She wasted no time in getting to sleep, but memories of the Blaine Rogers she had once known crept into her dreams again.
She woke early, before the alarm blared in her ear, and flung off the covers. Swinging her shapely legs over the side of the bed, she got up and stretched before sprinting into the bathroom. Her coffeepot and appliances had all been put into storage, so she would have to grab breakfast at the airport. She applied her makeup carefully, got dressed in her dress blues and made sure her hair was neatly tucked under her hat. Glancing at the clock on her cell phone, she saw that it was nearly time for the arrival of the car that would transport her to the airport, so she went into the living room to wait for it. She looked around one last time at the tiny apartment she had called home for the past two years. Mississippi had been good to her, despite the divorce from Tim. And then it was time to go. Her bags were loaded into the trunk of the car, and the driver delivered her to the airport. After checking in, she found a small café and ordered a croissant and coffee, sitting down to enjoy it before boarding her flight. Exactly four hours after boarding her flight, she was in California. Of course with the time difference, when she arrived, it was early morning.
She checked into her hotel and changed her clothes before setting out on a small shopping excursion. There were a few last minute things she wanted to purchase, along with seeing some of the sights. She enjoyed lunch at the Waterfront Bar and Grill, while watching the activity around her. San Diego was a busy place, and she enjoyed a relaxing day taking it all in. She ate dinner at the hotel and turned in early. But the fact she went to bed at an ungodly early hour did nothing for her nerves. She tried everything to fall asleep, to no avail. All she could think about was her first meeting with Blaine. What would he say? Would he recognize her immediately? After all, her long hair was now short. She was more professional, not to mention she was much older than when he'd last seen her. And what about him? Would he still make her tummy tingle and her heart do flip-flops in her chest when she saw him? Would he be cordial to her or would he be standoffish?
All of these questions and more filled her head. It was nearly midnight when she finally drifted off. Exhausted from the workings of her mind, she surprisingly slept soundly. But morning came all too soon, and it was now time to meet the Devil himself. Hurriedly, she prepared for her first day in her new assignment, taking care to appear professional and neat. She was too excited to eat, so she grabbed a cup of coffee in the hotel restaurant before taking a cab to where the ship was docked.
The time had come. She took her bags from the driver, paid him and made her way up the plank to meet her destiny. She asked one of the seaman where she could find the captain, and he offered to escort her to him. And there he was. His back was turned to her. He was issuing orders to some of the crew already on board, and she could feel the heat beginning to grow in her limbs as she watched him, capable, still as hot as ever, taking charge. There was no doubt to his authority, he was in complete control.
He turned, and she presented herself to him. "Lt. Commander Vandecamp reporting for duty, sir," she said as she saluted her superior officer.
The look of shock that crossed Blaine's face was fleeting. Professionalism took over as he said, "Welcome aboard, Lt. Commander Vandecamp. I must say this is a surprise. Charlie, is it?" he asked.
Did he really not recognize her? How could that be? Had their four years together meant so little to him?
"Yes, I go by Charlie these days," she replied warily.
"Let's go into the office and get acquainted. I would like to go over some things with you. I trust you have all the necessary paperwork with you?" he asked.
"Of course, sir," she responded.
He led her into the space that served as his office on the ship and waved his hand for her to sit. "Coffee?" he asked.
"Yes, please," she answered, watching as he prepared two cups, adding cream to both. He had not asked her how she took hers, so maybe he did remember, after all.
He handed her a cup of the hot brew and sat down, facing her across the desk. "So, Charlie, tell me, how long have you been in the Navy? And where is your husband?" He took a sip of his coffee and held out his hand for her papers.
With slightly shaking hands, she handed the paperwork to him. She watched as he scanned over them and looked up, waiting for her reply.
"I-I enlisted four years after I graduated from college. I was recommended, after recruit training, to enter the OCS, so that is what I did. Tha
t was ten years ago," she replied.
"I see. You moved up fairly quickly. Although, I enrolled in OCS fourteen years ago, so I guess I'm not that far ahead of you," he said. "And your husband? A Navy man?"
Charlie took a sip of her drink before answering. "I met my husband in Officer Candidate School. We have since divorced, and he is no longer in the Navy. He chose to resign his commission."
"Ah, I see," he said without emotion. An uncomfortable silence followed until Blaine finally spoke again, "Charlotte Rose, I have to say I was quite surprised to see that you are my newly assigned XO. I can assure you that our past history will in no way reflect our working together on this ship. Is that understood?"
So he did recognize her! Her heart skipped several beats. Her mouth went dry, and she quickly took another sip of coffee before replying, "I understand, sir."
"The United States Navy expects us to do a job. Any personal problems we have with each other are to remain just that—personal."
"Of course, sir," she said quietly.
"You are to follow my orders to the letter. If you can prove you can do that, we'll have no problems. I seem to recall a bit of a rebellious nature in your personality. I trust your time with the Navy has cured you of that."
She nearly laughed out loud. "Of course, sir," was all she said in reply.
"Now, I'll show you to your quarters, and after you've settled in, you'll join me on deck. There is much to be done today."
She stood and saluted him as her superior officer, although it rankled her to do so. "Yes, sir."
She thought she could see a half smile escape his lips before he walked around to her side of the desk to escort her to her cabin.
"Shall we?" he asked.
"Of course, sir, lead the way."
"I could get used to you calling me sir," he said, half-teasingly, as he escorted her to her door.
