Fantasy Friday - A Summer's Tail

We've made to  another weekend - although it's hard to tell the difference these days. I'm happy to tell you we have a brand new Fantasy Friday this week from a brand new writer. I really like the way the story had the thoughts of several different people's viewpoint. I hope you'll enjoy 

A Summer's Tail

"Excuse me," 

Lisa looked up from the computer screen on her desk at the calmly spoken words, and into the face of a middle aged, well dressed gentleman. He was wearing a loose light blue shirt, but she could tell that he was in good condition behind it. He had specks of gray in his otherwise black hair, and that seemed to be the only indicator of him being above forty. His face, clean shaven, had a certain youthful quality, and seemed at odds with his mature tone of voice.

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" 

He spoke again and Lisa realized she'd been staring at him and quickly answered.

"Yes, How may I help you?" She hoped he wouldn't notice the blush she could feel creeping across her face. 

"Actually, I was trying to contact someone," he said with a small smile. Had he noticed, or was he just being polite? She couldn't tell and he continued, "Mrs. Jane Summers."

Lisa stifled a sigh. Of course, he would be looking for her boss. Jane Summers was one of the foremost lawyers in the city, partner of the firm Summers, Johnson and Wells and her own personal idol. She was everything Lisa hoped to be one day- successful, accomplished, and kind too. As a paralegal, she hadn't had much interaction with her, heck, Jane Summers might not even know Lisa existed, but even so, Lisa had heard the office news and looked up to her. Jane Summers was as close to perfection as Lisa had ever come across. 

So, of course, this handsome stranger would be here looking for her. She looked up at him again and had to admit they would look good together. Her strong, beautiful boss and this well-mannered, well-built stranger. Not like her, with her secrets...
She smiled, it wasn't as forceful as she'd expected. "Unfortunately, Mrs. Summers is in meeting right now and has asked not to be disturbed. Her phone will be switched off too, so you will have to wait. If it's an emergency, I can try."

The man shook his head "No, that's okay. I just wanted to pass her message." He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "I thought she might have her phone turned off, so I brought this as a backup." He smiled holding the envelope out to her. "Could you make sure she gets it please, Ma'am?"

Lisa nodded "Sure, though, we need some ID though before accepting anything like that. Who should I say it's from?"

He took out his wallet and showed her his license. Her eyes widened at his last name and she couldn't help glancing up at him. He sighed, as if expecting it. "You can tell her it's from her husband, Aaron Summers."

She quickly nodded. "Yes, Sir" while going over the conversation in her head. Had she said anything wrong in the conversation? She couldn't risk that. But, it wouldn't be completely her fault either! How was she supposed to know? Jane Summers was notoriously private about her personal life. Only a few people at the firm had ever met her husband.

"Uh… is there anything…" She stood up but couldn't get the words out, it was so different now, knowing who he was. What was he thinking? Did he notice anything? Her mind was spinning as it sometimes did when confronted with a situation like this. Why was she…

"Ma'am?" His voice cut through the fugue and she looked back at him. He might have been talking for a while but she'd been too lost in her own thoughts to notice. He kept a calm expression. "Ma'am, I just wanted to say thanks," he said with a polite smile. "And I would appreciate it if you could keep everything to yourself, including my identity. The message is rather private." He picked up his briefcase "Thank you for your time."

She managed to say that it wasn't a problem and he thanked her again before leaving. So, that was Jane Summer's husband. She could appreciate why her boss had chosen him, he seemed like a great complement for her. She could imagine her boss's occasional hot headedness causing problems with someone else, but this guy with his calm , collected demeanor could probably handle those.

She turned over the envelope in her hand. A ping of curiosity shot through her. What could be so important that he felt it was personally necessary to deliver a message and that too one like this? The envelope wasn't sealed, she could probably sneak a peek inside and no one would be the wiser. The meeting was going to run for at least another hour and she was a fast reader. Hesitant, but curious to know more about the life of her hero and her husband, she opened the envelope with a guilty conscience.

A white paper stared out at her but she couldn't see any words. She took it out and unfolded it. It was almost completely blank except for a few sentences in the middle. She read them in under thirty seconds but couldn't stop reading them again and again. No, it couldn't be , she was probably misunderstanding something but how? She looked at it again, at the center of the page with the small message,

Jane,
Found the third speeding ticket.
We will be having a discussion tonight.
Sitting down might be a problem for you in the coming days.
Plan accordingly.
I love you, Aaron

Lisa could feel her heart racing, her breathing had sped up too and she realized that she'd been clutching the paper tightly to her chest, as if afraid someone might read the words and along with it her thoughts. Confusion, guilt and something else - Hope that it might mean just what she thought and relief, relief that she was not alone.

Jane parked her car and got out looking at her home and then back at the new car. Most days , she couldn't wait to walk in those doors, knowing her husband would be there, greeting her with a hug and a kiss before he asked her about her day and started fussing over her. She would complain and grumble, but she loved it. She loved being with someone who didn't see her as Jane Summers the fierce attorney, just as Jane and adored her for it.

Not today though, she thought as she turned away from the car. The new car had landed her in trouble with Aaron, again. Aaron, her handsome, patient husband who made her feel better on any day and who believed both in driving safely and domestic discipline. That combination didn't seem to be doing her butt any favors lately.

Her bottom already seemed to be tingling , though whether in anticipation or as a flashback, she couldn't tell. The last spanking over speeding had been just a week ago, and as she thought about it, she could almost feel his handprints on her bottom from that experience. Aaron spanked hard enough with just his hand and he'd already told her what would happen if she got a third ticket - his belt.

She wasn't afraid of Aaron, that was never the question but the punishment with his belt was something she always dreaded. She knew he didn't use it lightly or like using it, so when he did, he made sure she would not want to repeat the experience, which was good for the future, but very bad for her bottom in the present.

The note was still in her purse and she collected her thoughts, that was its purpose after all. Aaron didn't spring punishments on her, he informed her in advance for two reasons. One, so that she could answer him properly, present any reasons that she might have for what she did and if those were valid ones, he would not spank her and two, because she was a busy lady, he didn't want to interrupt her schedule too much. If there was something immovable, they would postpone the discipline. Unfortunately, today neither of them was applicable and she knew it.

She smoothed her business attire as she opened the door and stepped inside. It was her battle armor after all and she was used to winning in it. Even when her

arguments were flimsy, like today, it made her feel a little better about her chances. 

"Honey, I am home," she called out of habit before remembering her situation, but Aaron was already heading out of the kitchen, apron and all, with that goofy grin, as if she was his favorite person in the world. Which, she thought, she was and that made her feel happy and guilty at once, again.

He reached her and put his arms around her, kissing her on the cheek "Welcome home, dear." He squeezed her tighter , swaying back and forth "I missed you, Jane. I'm making your favorite - Chicken Parmesan," he said as he pulled away, still smiling.

Darn it, she needed to start speaking before it became any harder to do so. She kept her eyes off his face and pointed to the floor . "Okay, I know you're mad and I was speeding but – "

"Jane, honey – I"

"But, I can make the ticket go away, I will argue for myself –"

"Jane," he said a little louder this time.

"I mean it's just another speeding ticket. I work on tougher cases in my dream and even if we have to pay it's not that much, right? So, it's not such a big deal, doesn't even matte – Ow!" She yelped as his hand connected heavily with her bottom.

"Look at me, Jane." A quiet voice informed her and she tried to, but it was so hard. She knew what she would find there. It was not anger that scared her, he would not discipline her if he was angry. No there would be something worse – concern, and disappointment.

A finger slid under her chin and gently tilted her head up and suddenly she was looking directly into his eyes, seeing just what she had expected , along with a sadness that she hadn't. He spoke again slowly in a voice that seemed tired, devoid of the joy from a few moments ago. "You put yourself at risk. I don't care about the ticket or the money, but please, never , ever dare to say that your safety doesn't matter." His voice was still sad but firm as he moved closer again before hugging her, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I won't have that, Jane Summers. I don't think I can take it, if something happens to you, because you think your safety doesn't matter. You are everything to me, I just wish I could show you that somehow…" He kissed the top of her head as she rested against his chest, shaking slightly as she cried.

She wanted to speak, wanted to reassure him that she did know. How could she not? He lived for her and he had made it obvious more times that she could count. He had supported her dreams ever since they'd met, beginning with law school, let her make the decisions, set the goals she envisioned for herself and spanked her when she felt she was falling short. When she got an offer for her dream job in another part of the country, he didn't hesitate and again did everything he could to facilitate the move. Even though he'd been the only one earning at the time, he picked up another job without telling her and when she'd yelled at him, under the stress of the final exams and worried about the new job, how he was not home enough, he'd just stayed quiet and taken it. It had just gotten worse until that morning. She still felt bad about the things she'd said to him that morning and he'd stood there, not saying anything until he collapsed in front of her.

A rushed trip to the hospital later, when his co-workers came over, she'd realized how much he was working. He was practically grinding himself to the bone and hadn't even said anything about it to her. The doctor told her he would be conscious soon and she rested next to him, not knowing when she fell asleep. 

She awoke to her hand being squeezed and opened her eyes to see him, lying there, her husband in a hospital bed with an IV line hooked up to him and still with that goofy grin, a little sheepish as he spoke "I'm sorry I worried you, honey and sorry, I didn't tell –"

A sudden jolt and noise cut him off as a slight sting in his cheek made him realize he'd just been slapped by his teary eyed, angry looking wife. Before he could say anything, she threw herself at him, hugging him so tightly around his chest that he could feel his ribs creaking but he couldn't say a word as she cried loud enough to draw attention from the other patients around them. She was alternatively scolding and threatening him for doing something like that, making him promise not to do anything again, reassuring him that the job, nothing mattered as much as him but most of all, apologizing for everything. 

He couldn't say much in response to her, and realized he was crying himself as he held her tightly. The slap didn't have much sting but the impact behind it, and her words was definitely real. He pulled her up into a proper hug, rubbing her back and stroking her hair as he told her it was okay, they were going to be fine, he loved her and she calmed down.

Today, so many years after that incident, he was still holding her, like the countless times he'd done before a punishment and she finally calmed down enough in his arms, listening to his soft voice. She took a deep breath and looked up at him, "I'm sorry, Aaron. I really am."

He nodded and kissed her on the lips "I know, honey. But, there are going to be consequences. Your safety is important and I'm going to make sure you remember that." 

She said nothing, she understood him well enough too. He cared , she knew he did, and though she didn't like it, she understood why he did it. Punishments weren't meant to be liked, but it was from a place of love and she'd long realized she needed it. 

She took off her clothes, without being asked , just wanting to get this over with and get rid of this sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, so that she could hug him back without this weight on her mind and heart.

Feeling just as vulnerable as the first time they'd seen each other naked, she went over to the couch and lay face down over it, pushing her face into the couch cushions as she heard the sound of Aaron sliding out his belt from the loops. She buried her face deeper, even as she felt his hand on her back and his voice in her ears. "I'm going to give you twenty six with the belt, Jane. One for each mile you were over the limit." He rubbed her back once and then he began.

The first lash left behind a line of fire across her bottom. She was almost sure he wasn't using a regular belt, but one made of thorns or something. She bit back the scream but couldn't focus on anything else as the next lash landed and she clutched the pillow tighter. With the next lash, her concentration broke and she let out the first scream.

His heart almost stopped like always with that sound. That sound never failed to make it harder and he knew with each lash over her bottom, with every scream and yelp from her, he would hate himself more and more but he was going to see it through. He didn't want her to do this and he didn't want to have to do this again, so he would do what was needed and raised the belt again.

The belt continued to fall over her bottom, not even in the same spot consecutively. The fire kept building up and she started to protest. "I'm sorry!" "I will be good!" "I won't ever speed again!" "Please!"

His resolve was almost at the breaking point and the protests didn't help, but then he reminded himself that it was her third ticket, that it was still twenty five miles over the speed limit and he managed to give her thirteen swats before stopping.

As the swats stopped , she took the moment to catch her breath and continued to cry, still keeping her face buried into the couch. He knelt down next to her , speaking in a hoarse voice telling her he loved her, he didn't want her to risk her safety. He knew she wouldn't be able to answer right now, he just wanted her to know. The break was for him as much as her, he couldn't continue without it either.

But it had to end, and he stood up again, telling her in a firm voice that there would be thirteen more and before she could protest, he started. He knew it wasn't going to be easy and tried to make these as fast as he could.

Her bottom felt as if she was never going to be able to sit again. In fact , she was sure of it, even as she protested for him to stop that this was more than thirteen, probably closer to a thousand. She couldn't protest anymore, and lay there sobbing as a couple more lashes landed over her bottom and then it stopped but she couldn't, her sobbing continued.

Aaron felt the same feelings of guilt, self-loathing that he did at the end of almost every punishment, no matter how well deserved it was. He dropped the belt and couldn't hold himself back anymore. He bent down and gathered her in his arms , hugging her as he sat down, keeping his legs spread to avoid touching her bottom as he held her on his lap. He stroked her hair, rubbed her back, kissed her tearstained face repeatedly, telling her how much he loved her.

She spoke in between sobs "I'm.. sorry. I love you too. I'm.. sorry"

The tightness in his chest receded. He needed her forgiveness too, to know that she still loved him. He cleared his throat, "It's okay, honey. Your punishment is over. I forgave you before the punishment even started. Just please don't speed again." He slowly rubbed her bottom.

She winced even at the gentle touch but looked at him. "I won't, I promise," and kissed him on the cheek.

He held her like that for a moment before carrying her to their bedroom. There wasn't going to be anything sexual, but their bed was still a place of comfort and as he continued to hold her, she fell asleep.

He pulled the covers over her and left her to sleep for a while as he went to finish making dinner in the kitchen. Just as he was done, he heard a help from their bedroom and ran upstairs into their bedroom to see her on her feet, still naked, hands on her bottom.

She looked at him "I rolled on to my back and my bottom hurts so bad! It woke me up!" She cried, rubbing furiously

He stood there shocked for a moment, before letting out a laugh that he cut short at once looking at her furious expression. "Sorry." He walked over to her and hugged her. "How about you put on some clothes, I put a cushion on your chair and we can have dinner?"

She looked up at him from within his arms with a smile. "I'd like that but make the cushion a really fluffy one," she said with a pout.

He chuckled. "Only the fluffiest for my love." He kissed her forehead and left while she smiled and searched for something to put on.

After dinner, as they were cuddled on the couch, she asked him something she'd been meaning to. "Honey, why was the message note so crumpled..?"

~~

I was so happy to get this story this week. Our writer wants to remain anonymous but I can tell you it's a young man whose fantasy live is as rich as the rest of ours. I really appreciate you contribution and I hope you'll write for us again. 

All are invited to send a Fantasy Friday story! Send it to elisspeaks@yahoo.com