by Maggie Ryan
Mark glanced at his watch several times, debating whether he should go and check on Charlene. For a disciplinary spanking, he went pretty easy on her, although she might have a different take on that, he realized. Her lovely bottom had been quite red when he finally tossed the stick aside and he did spank her to tears, even if she refused to let them fall.
It crossed his mind that she might be waiting outside the auditorium, policeman in tow to press charges, but he didn’t think that was likely. For some reason, most women who were spanked for misbehaving didn’t want to broadcast it. Being disciplined like a child wasn’t something to brag about, it was embarrassing. Going to the police station, baring your red bottom and saying “my husband spanked me” would be more likely to raise a few questioning eyebrows than it was to generate any genuine sympathy.
Of course, he wasn’t her husband or boyfriend, although he was certain that if he were, she’d be looking at a great deal more than the occasional spanking. No, a girl with an attitude like Charlene’s would require multiple corrections. Mark shifted in his seat, wishing he could adjust his clothing to accommodate his discomfort.
She obviously wasn’t coming back and he acknowledged a flicker of disappointment. If he wanted to spank a female bottom, there were plenty of clubs that encouraged exactly that and he’d availed himself of them many times. There was a huge difference, however, between a young woman coming over your knees because she enjoyed it, craved it, and spanking someone who truly deserved it. In his mind, delivering a true attitude adjustment to a naughty behind was much more satisfying than merely providing sexual stimulation, although either method was hot as hell.
It wasn’t until the curtain fell that Mark realized he missed nearly the entire production. The first half because Charlene would not behave and the second half because he couldn’t stop thinking about how she looked and the stripes he raised on her pale ass. The way she unconsciously cupped her cheeks as she stood there, her eyes swimming with tears was hard to forget. Damn girl was a nightmare!
Mark rose to his feet and clapped louder than anyone as the curtain rose and the cast took a final bow. His eyes searched the stage seeking Emma but he was unable to locate her. As soon as the crowd thinned and he got outside, he called his brother.
“Dan, what happened to Emma?” he asked worriedly.
“She threw up after the first act. She’s fine now, but her understudy had to take her place.”
“Damn, I’m sorry to hear that. Want me to check her out?”
“No, I think it was probably nerves. She’s feeling a bit better now. A teacher brought her right home as soon as it happened. Poor kid was so embarrassed. Are you on your way over?”
“I’m just getting to the truck now. The parking lot is a zoo,” he laughed, “Kids running all over the place.”
“I’d think you’d be used to that, doctor,” Daniel replied.
“You’d think so, but I never get used to people who don’t have a lick of common sense or self-discipline. Makes me wonder what their parents are thinking, letting them run wild. You should have seen the terror who sat next to me, and she was far from a child despite her behavior.”
“Really, what did she look like? This is a fairly small community, maybe I know her.”
“I’ll tell you when I get there. Right now I need to concentrate on getting out of here without running over someone,” Mark said, his eyes scanning the crowd for a tall woman with long blonde hair. “See you in a few.”
Chapter 2
Charlie didn’t bother going back to her apartment. She fixed her make-up in the car as soon as she pulled into the parking lot of Legends. Stopping at the bar, she ordered a drink before moving into the nightclub and looking around for her friends. She spotted them at a corner table and made her way through the crowd of people on the dance floor.
“Wow, this place is crazy,” she yelled. The loud music covered her surprised squeal as her bottom scraped across the cracked pleather seat. “It’s early for this many people.”
“Thought you weren’t going to make it?” Josey asked, leaning close.
“Ah, I only stayed for half the play.”
“That bad huh?”
“No, I just didn’t feel like sitting there for another hour or more. I have enough to write a review. I just can’t stay out too late; I have to have it on Dan’s desk by 9:00 a.m.”
“Wow that sucks. When are you going to find a better job? Oh, there’s Evan, that guy I was telling you about,” Josey squealed, waving wildly as she slid off her stool. “I’ll be right back.”
“Right back” never happened, and before long, she spotted Josey in the corner playing tonsil hockey with her new man. Sighing, Charlie slipped off her stool and decided to call it a night. Most of her friends had paired off and what was left wasn’t worth having. She had a slight headache which in no way compared to the pain of her still stinging cheeks and she had to write that damn review.
Picking up her purse, she waved casually and pointed at her watch before heading out the door. Fifteen minutes later she was in her small apartment, letting the tepid water of her shower cool her bottom. After getting out, she blotted the inflamed area carefully and rubbed a cooling gel on her skin.
Hell, the entire spanking process had probably taken less than five minutes. Imagine the damage the Neanderthal could do when he wasn’t so pressed for time. Slipping on a nightgown, Charlie sat on a pillow on the couch, her laptop on her lap as she wrote a glowing review of Annie, raving about the star performer’s skill.
There, she thought, saving her document and shutting down her laptop. Setting it on the coffee table she brushed her teeth and went to bed. Unfortunately, for some reason all her dreams seemed to feature an over-bearing, bossy man.
Mark helped Daniel tuck in the kids, spending longer with Emma. While still upset she’d become ill, as the oldest child in her family she was a pretty level headed young lady.
“Do you think that will happen to me every time I’m in a play, Uncle Mark?” she asked as he brushed the hair off her forehead and checked for a fever.
“I don’t think so, sweetheart. Right now you have a lot going on, especially waiting for your mom to have the baby. I know you’re worried about her, but believe me; many women have to get extra rest when they’re expecting. Once things settle down around here, I’m sure you won’t be so nervous. Isn’t there a matinee tomorrow afternoon?”
“Yes, and Miss Watkins said if I feel better, I can play my role.”
“Great. I was going to go home in the morning, but if you’re going to give it another shot, I’ll stay over and go home on Sunday. I really want to see the play with you in it.”
“Okay, I’ll try, but if I throw up again, I think I’ll give up acting,” Emma sighed dramatically.
Mark laughed, tucked her in snuggly and kissed her forehead. “I have a feeling you’re going to be a huge star someday,” he said with a wink as he left the room and closed the door behind him.
“So tell me about the terror who sat next to you?” Dan asked when Mark returned downstairs. “She must have been something if you didn’t even notice Emma missed the majority of the play.”
“Oh she was something all right,” Mark laughed, accepting the cold beer his brother handed him. “It’s a wonder you didn’t have to come to the police station and bail me out.”
“Bail you out? What the hell happened?”
“I spanked her.”
Dan choked on his beer and sprayed foam across the living room rug. “Crap, Maryellen will kill me,” he gasped, hurrying to the kitchen for some paper towels. “I thought you didn’t know who she was?” he probed, wiping the carpet on his hands and knees.
“I don’t.”
“Well, even you can’t go around spanking total strangers,” Dan insisted, glaring at him over his shoulder. “Cassville is a small town. Events like that travel quickly.”
“Apparently I can and did,” Mark admitted ruefully.
“Wh
y?”
“I found her exceedingly annoying and I did warn her. She just wouldn’t stop.”
“I see. And might I ask what she could have possibly done in a crowed auditorium that you found so unacceptable?”
“It was her phone. She had all the silly bells and whistles on it and spent nearly the entire first half of the play talking, texting and giggling. It was so distracting I finally made her shut it off, much to the delight of the people sitting in our general area. The sound of her long nails clicking and clicking drove me crazy.”
“And did she shut it off?” Dan asked curiously.
“Not exactly, she put it on vibrate. We could all still hear it and that’s what pushed me over the edge.”
“Please tell me you did not spank her in public,” Dan pleaded, a worried frown marring his forehead.
“Of course not, I waited for intermission at which time I purposely and firmly escorted her down the hall to Mr. Peterson’s shop class, which happened to be unlocked,” Mark replied calmly. “Once inside I bent her over a shop table and paddled her good with a paint stick.”
“Good grief.”
“It was quite nice actually. She was incredibly cute while trying to get out of it and she was wearing the most beautiful black lace panties I ever saw,” Mark recalled with a faraway look in his eyes and a smile titling his lips.
“You didn’t bare her?” Dan choked out.
“No, but I wanted to and I would have had time allowed. I only had a short intermission to work with.”
“You do realize how embarrassing it would be for me if I had to add an accounting of your arrest to the weekly paper?”
“Certainly, but, brother, if anyone needed a little discipline it was this young woman. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who got under my skin quite so quickly. I completely lost my perspective.”
“Well, let’s just hope she doesn’t decide to report you to the chief. Did you apologize?”
“No. I may have, at least for not taking the time to do it properly with my hand and her over my knee, but she never returned to the play.”
“And you don’t know who she was?”
“No. All I know is she was gorgeous; I mean seriously beautiful. Too bad her personality doesn’t match her physical attributes,” Mark sighed, finishing his beer. “I think I’ll turn in. I promised Emma I’d stay over for the matinee tomorrow. She was so disheartened she wasn’t able to finish out her performance.”
“I know, poor kid. I have to go into the office in the morning for a little while. I left a prime spot open in the paper, but I think I’ll have to fill it with something else and run the review next week. I can’t hold up production until after the matinee and I’ll need to mention both Emma and the young lady who took her place tonight. Would you mind staying with Maryellen until I get back? Our neighbor is busy in the morning and now that I have to find a filler article it won’t be a five-minute job.”
“Not a problem. I’d be happy to.”
“And don’t mention anything to her about losing your patience tonight. She’ll pick your brain trying to find out who it is and I won’t need to worry about putting it in the paper. She’ll have it all over town in minutes.”
Mark laughed. “A gentleman never spanks and tells,” he promised. “Besides I have no desire to embarrass the young lady further. Night.”
At 8:55 a.m. Charlie placed her review of the play on Dan’s desk and turned to leave.
“Emma was wonderful last night,” she effused standing in the doorway of his office. “I think you’ll like what I’ve written.
“Really?” Dan replied, picking up the article. “You think she was that good, huh?”
“Oh yes,” Charlie gushed. “She has quite a powerful voice for a child. Dan,” she continued, “I was wondering when you were going to assign me some real stories.”
“Why don’t you take a seat and we’ll talk about it after I read this?” he answered calmly as he watched her move to one of the chairs in front of his desk and sit carefully, very carefully. Dan smiled. Mystery solved. Not only had she just turned in a totally fraudulent review, she had all the traits his brother described.
Charlie was beautiful, young, spirited, and at times, annoying as hell. She was also going to be a talented reporter in a few years. She had a tenacity that would either make her a huge success or get her into serious trouble one day.
“Give me a moment,” he said, reading over her submission. Finally, he sighed and leaned back in his chair. “This is very flattering.”
“I thought you’d like it,” Charlie replied, grinning.
“Unfortunately, not a word of it is true,” he informed her sternly, pinning her with his dark eyes.
“Excuse me?” she stammered.
“It’s a lie, all of it,” he repeated, tossing the paper onto his desk.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
Dan watched her face flush as she shifted on the chair, clamping her lips together. He still heard her slight hiss.
“Emma was not ‘the star of the show’ last night, Charlene. Emma got sick and vomited during the first act. Another student took her place. Where were you because you obviously were not watching the play?”
“I was there, really I was, but there was this outrageously annoying man sitting next to me and… well, it was hard to pay attention to what was happening on stage with him harassing me,” she explained. “He actually threatened me.”
“Threatened you? In what way?” he asked, knowing Mark had done more than threaten.
“First he made me move from my seat so he could have the aisle and then he complained about everything. It was so unnerving I left after intermission,” she admitted.
“Who was this man? Was it someone you knew?”
“No, I’ve never met him before and I hope I never see him again,” she hissed vehemently. “He was rude and crude.”
“There is always some form of security at the school for these events. Why didn’t you complain?” Dan asked curiously.
“I just didn’t, that’s all,” Charlie snapped, rising from the chair. “Are you going to fire me?”
“No, not this time, but if you ever turn in a fabricated article again I will. There’s a matinee this afternoon and I want you to be there. In fact, I would appreciate it if you would pick up Emma and take her to the school. Maryellen is still on bed rest so I won’t be able to make it. Go backstage and speak with some of the children and staff prior to the performance. I think it will make an interesting story. Find out about the hours of work that has gone into this play and what the children have learned from the experience. Then watch the play and write an honest review and don’t think raving about Emma will earn you any bonus points. I want a fair and unbiased review. If another child shines in their performance, find out their name and mention them.”
“All right,” Charlie sighed. “I’ll pick Emma up. What time?”
“Noon,” Dan replied. “The play starts at 2:00, but she has to be there early to get into her costume and makeup. Also my brother is in town, so I’d appreciate it if you’d take him along with you and make him feel welcome since I can’t go myself.”
“I can do that,” Charlie agreed quickly.
“Good,” he said, nodding his head and picking up some papers from his desk. He grinned as she left his office. Oh, this was going to get interesting.
Charlie fumed as she closed the door behind her. Great, not only did she have to work this afternoon, she was going to be saddled with the boss’s brother. Lord, she hoped it wasn’t that pompous doctor. In the last twenty-four hours she’d been spanked by a total stranger, told her boss a big, fat whopping lie, and committed a serious journalistic mistake. Did it get any better than this?
At noon, she pulled up in front of Dan’s home. Technically she didn’t want to consider it wearing a disguise, but she’d dressed totally different than she had last night. Today she wore a rust colored, full skirt that fell to mid-calf, bla
ck knee high boots and a black sweater. Her long hair was up in a bun and she had on oversized, dark sunglasses.
It wasn’t likely the same man would attend both the evening play and the matinee, but she wasn’t taking any chances. Slinging her suede Hobo bag over her shoulder she got out of her car, walked to the door and rang the bell.
“Hi, Charlie,” Emma said with a smile as she opened the door. “Come in. I just have to grab my jacket and tell Mom I’m leaving. My Uncle Mark will be out in a minute,” Emma called over her shoulder as she raced up the stairs.
“Your Uncle who?” Charlie called weakly after her.
“Her Uncle Mark.”
“Oh no,” Charlie groaned, taking a step back, her hand unconsciously moving to cover her backside. “Not you.”
“I’m afraid so,” her spanker replied with complete insincerity. “It’s nice to see you again, Charlene.”
“Speak for yourself,” she snapped.
“I see you’re the type of woman who holds a grudge,” he sighed, shaking his head. “It might please you to know that I am not that type of man. Once an issue has been addressed it’s over as far as I’m concerned.”
“Well bully for you, you… bully, and nothing about you pleases me.”
“Unless of course the miscreant has not learned their lesson,” Mark drawled smoothly as he took a step toward her. “Under those circumstances, the experience might be repeated, as often as necessary.”
Forcing herself to ignore his thinly veiled threat, Charlie called up the stairs.
