Sylvia Morris took stock of the image in her mirror. The turquoise silk draped a figure that was curvy, but still slender. Not bad for an old dame of fifty. She mockingly saluted her reflection before sauntering down the stairs, trying not to think about the man waiting in her living room.
"Well, are you ready?" she breezed into the room, not giving him a chance to respond; she grabbed her purse and walked out the front door.
Bill Reedy stared at her backside, swaying in silk as she marched down the walk in heels far too high for her own good. After keeping him waiting for over an hour, now she was in too much of a hurry to close her own door.
"Wait a minute while I lock up." His irritation plain in his controlled tone.
"No need, I always leave it unlocked, that way the kids can stop in even if I'm not aroun
d." Sylvia smiled at the low growl; she knew she was pushing all of his buttons.
"That is it. Stop right there. We are going back inside for a little talk."
Grabbing Sylvia's arm he turned her around and almost dragged her through the door.
"But Bill, we'll be late for our reservation."
"Sit down. Our reservation was for 45 minutes ago. Stay put while I call the restaurant and cancel."
Sylvia almost laughed out loud at the indignant tone in his voice as he explained a last minute problem and made his apologies. She had been deliberately trying his patience for months, waiting for him to take charge. Now that the time had come she dreaded the consequences, but knew they could not go on the way they had been.
*****
Bill and Sylvia went to high school together. Lived two blocks apart. Even dated, albeit halfheartedly, whenever they were both between relationships. Sylvia was off to college, eager to get out into the big world. Bill went to the local community college, married Sylvia's best friend, worked hard, built a business, and raised a family in the old neighborhood. Sylvia got her degree; discovered art history wasn't her ticket to the big time, worked in a department store until she couldn't take any more. Her father passed away, her mother was getting older, after the funeral Sylvia stayed on to think about her life.
After a few weeks she decided to make it permanent, took a job as a substitute teacher, waited for her life to begin. Running into Kay at the grocery led to a reunion dinner. Sylvia struggled to cover her envy. While she was in the big city waiting for life to become exciting, her two oldest friends were living a good life. It wasn't glamorous, just a comfortable house, two cute, well behaved kids, a thriving business. It was the way they looked at each other, like they were still dating, like they were going to rip their clothes off the minute she walked out their door. They all promised to get together again and Sylvia went home to her mother's house. Climbed into the same bed she grew up in, and cried herself to sleep.
Kay bullied Sylvia into another dinner, citing years of missing Christmas cards and various other sins of friendship. She walked into their house, dreading another evening with the perfect family. Seated on the couch was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. Ray Kidder was Bill's business partner. He had been planning a quiet Friday night at home, relaxing. Kay had railroaded him into making up the fourth for bridge with the promise of one of her excellent home cooked meals.
Sylvia, drawn to his casual self-assurance, offered her hand with a quip about blind dates.
Ray took her hand, held it, pulled her close and murmured in her ear.
"When you're on a date with me you'll know it."
The electricity between them was instantaneous. Sylvia was smitten with his strength; at last someone who seemed to know who she was. Ray was resigned, she needed someone to take her in hand, and he couldn’t bear the thought of another man laying a finger on her. Divorced, he had expected to spend the rest of his years alone.
After a whirlwind courtship and a sudden elopement Ray expected to settle down to a quiet
routine. Sylvia dashed those hopes with her announcement that she would not be taking his name. Never one to miss an opportunity for an audience, she made this the topic for their dinner. The one their friends and family were invited to, to break the news that they had eloped. No one but Ray seemed the least bit surprised.
At home, alone, getting ready for their first night as husband and wife, Sylvia was shocked to learn that keeping her maiden name was an issue for him. Ray was shocked to learn that Sylvia expected to do as she damn well pleased whether he approved or not. It occurred to Ray that there were a number of things they should have discussed before racing off to the justice of the peace.
A heated discussion led to a temper tantrum, which led to Ray upending his new bride for her very first bare bottomed communication. Once the dust settled, and the tears dried, a
compromise was reached. Ray understood her reluctance to let her family name go, she would be the last Morris, once her mother passed. Sylvia understood that her new husband had some peculiar ideas about being in charge, and obedience, but the sex was fabulous. It was easy to simply agree to discipline, when one never expected to need it.
As the years passed they built a good life. Both agreed it was too late for children, but Bill and Kay’s kids were a big part of their lives. In fact, the two families grew closer, spending most weekends together, cooking out, going to the kid’s ballgames, sailing at the lake. Sylvia and Ray were married ten years before they realized just how much they had in common with their best friends.
Ray and Bill surprised their wives with a week’s vacation at a remote lakefront cabin. The kids were away at camp, it was a slow time for the business, and the wives were restless and bored.
The first night, watching the sunset over the water, was so peaceful. Both couples were excited to get away and reconnect. By the third day, there was trouble in paradise. Sylvia was certain that Ray would never spank her with Bill and Kay in the cabin. It took very little coaxing to convince Kay to take the small sailboat out on the lake while the guys were off fishing. The two women were veteran sailors, having spent hundreds of hours riding on Bill’s sailboat at home. This boat was so much smaller, it would be easy. Never mind that they had both been told to wait for the men to go sailing.
Fortunately for them, the lake was not very deep off of the end of the dock. They managed to “sail” about 50 yards before capsizing the boat. To make matters worse, they were standing on the end of the dock, dripping wet, and screaming at each other about whose stupid idea it was when the men arrived.
Ray and Bill couldn’t help laughing as their bedraggled wives tried to explain why it was not their fault the sailboat was lying on it’s side. This led to a bit of temper from the women who did not think this was a funny matter. Both men sobered instantly, grabbed their respective wives, reminded them that they had received explicit instructions to leave the boat alone
until the men returned, and propelled their wives toward the cabin with a sharp swat on the bottom and the direction to wait in their bedroom.
A sharp wind made righting the boat a bigger task than expected. After two hours the men were in no laughing mood. Just the thought that they might have gotten to the middle of the lake before sinking was bad enough; the life jackets still on the dock were the final straw. Not sure how to explain, Ray decided to tell the truth. He asked Bill if he would like some privacy to deal with Kay, as he would be blistering Sylvia’s butt for this stunt and did not want to make them uncomfortable. Bill, wondering how to approach the same subject, was relieved. They decided that if the girls wanted to get into trouble together, they could be punished together. It would serve them right.
Two very surprised wives were called to the living room, lectured, and tossed over their husband’s lap. Amid shrieks of outrage the sound of hard hands hitting soft bottoms filled the air. After a few minutes both women were limp and sobbing. Ray stood Sylvia up and sent her to their room for his paddle. She scurried with her hands covering her, embarrassed at being bare bottomed in front of Bill. He was far too busy giving Kay the worst spanking of her life to notice.
Sylvia endured several minutes of lecturing before Ray proceeded to blister her butt with the little paddle he had made. Sylvia hated that paddle, it burned like fire, and the way Ray turned her up over one knee gave him total access to the back of her thighs. He wasn’t finished until she was beet red to her knees and too limp to wiggle.
Bill wasn’t much of a lecturer, and he preferred to use his hand. Years as a contractor had toughened his big hands with calluses and he swung his hand tirelessly. Kay shrieked and struggled to escape as he rained several blows to each spot before moving on. Even without a paddle Bill managed to reduce his wife to a limp sobbing bundle, although her punishment did go on longer than Sylvia’s.
Satisfied that the point had been made, two sobbing, well-punished girls were led to the fireplace to lean on the mantle and think about their punishment. Peeking in from the kitchen, Ray quietly retrieved his Polaroid and took a picture of two very contrite women, arms around one another, each rubbing the other’s blistered bottom. It was one of his most prized possessions.
After that, the girls frequently discussed their punishments, even arguing over who had it the worst. Sylvia, who always got the paddle, or Kay who only got hand spankings, but very long ones.
They made a habit of taking at least one vacation together every year. No matter how certain they were that they would behave, each time the wives found themselves caught out, and endured another joint punishment. Some years, more than one.
The business had prospered, both families enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle. Bill and Kay’s kids were grown and off on their own. The two couples were planning a trip to Europe when Kay was diagnosed with breast cancer.
It was a difficult year for everyone. Kay refused to discuss her illness. Bill spent more and more time at home, taking her for an endless round of specialists and treatments. Ray covered the office, as usual, plus did his best to supervise the field crews. The final chemo left Kay too weak to walk, bald and frail, but with cautious optimism for a full recovery. After her six-month check up they celebrated with the postponed trip to Europe. All enjoying a renewed faith in life, and vowing to slow down and enjoy things.
Two months later, after a Saturday night dinner, Kay asked for their help in celebrating. She produced a bottle of her favorite champagne, offered a toast to a full and rewarding life, and dropped a bombshell. The cancer had returned, it was spreading rapidly, and she had decided against treatment this time.
Sylvia stayed with Kay until the end, trading shifts with Bill so she was never alone. The last night, she seemed stronger, even visited for a while. Then she was gone.
A year dragged by, it was uncomfortable trying to figure out how they fit together without Kay. Then, it was Sylvia’s turn to watch her world crumble. Ray suffered a massive heart attack at work. They rushed him to the hospital but there was too much damage. Late that night he passed.
*****
Sylvia wandered through her house, lost. It was hard to know what to do with her time. Her whole life had been built around her husband and her friends, now both were gone.
Bill called Sylvia, asked her to meet him for lunch to go over some voting issues on the stock Ray had left to her. They enjoyed catching up with news of the kids, and Sylvia was touched when he asked her to chair the trust fund he had established in Kay’s name. It came at the perfect time, he needed someone who knew Kay, she needed someone who needed her.
They drifted along for over a year, seeing one another socially, working on the trust, and sharing an occasional dinner. Sylvia knew Ray would want her to be happy, in fact she dreamed of Ray and Kay smiling at her reluctance to move forward. If there was going to be another man in her life, Bill was the only candidate.
So began the great campaign to drive him into admitting she needed him to “handle” her.
She was constantly late, forgot appointments, left important papers at home, all things she knew drove him crazy. He ignored her bad behavior, chalked it up to not being over her grief, and let her run wild. Until she decided to start leaving her door unlocked. That was going too far. She could be forgetful, but putting herself in danger was totally unacceptable.
Bill marched Sylvia in to the living room and began lecturing her. She made the mistake of smiling, happy to know he still cared for her. Before she knew what happened she was bottoms up, over his knee and his hand hurt every bit as much as any paddle. Just when she was sure she couldn’t take any more, he stood her up, and shook her roughly by her shoulders.
“Don’t you know how dangerous it is to leave your house unlocked? Any nut case could waltz right in. I know Ray wouldn’t put up with your nonsense, and by God, I won’t either.”
Back over his lap she went for another blistering round. This time, slower and harder, each area receiving several swats before moving on, steadily tattooing her bottom and the backs of her legs.
When he decided she had learned her lesson she was limp and her bottom was burning like never before. He carried her to her room and laid her on the bed, holding her close, soothing her tears away. When she had stopped sobbing he explained that Ray had asked him to take care of her and it was obvious that they would have to marry. He couldn’t go around spanking another man’s wife. Then there was the other part, Kay had never mentioned that a punishment wasn’t considered complete until all was forgiven by making love. Sylvia had to laugh at that. She may end up missing those fiery, but short, sessions with Ray’s paddle, but she was happy to trade an hour in the corner alone for a good romp in bed.
This was just what they both needed, another chance to enjoy life.
~o~
