by Megan McCoy
He also loved the way she fought her well-deserved spankings, tried to hedge her way out of them by skirting the truth and avoidance, and how she clung to him sobbing that she would be good forever after her bottom was well-reddened. The way she kissed him so shyly he knew there would be some melting to do before she let loose. He sincerely hoped Katrina would be as good for his brother as Ronnie was for him. In the back of his brain, he wondered why he knew Lucas and Katrina would be a thing, but he shoved it aside and told himself it was a twin thing. He’d known the moment he met her – Lucas would, too.
“You are late,” he said sternly, as Ronnie walked up to the table in her too high heels that made her legs look so good and that she wore as easily as he wore his sneakers, “but you look magnificent and I’m so glad you are here.” He kissed her hard on the mouth, not caring who saw. He was glad. He was lucky. “And damn you smell good.”
Ronnie melted into his arms. “Am I late? I didn’t know.” She peeked over his shoulder, “Hello, Lucas.”
“Hey, Ronnie,” he said, lifting his beer to her and smiling.
“Hon!” She peeled out of Logan’s arms and flagged a waitress. “Bring me a Long Island Iced Tea please, and in about an hour, a bottle of champagne, we are celebrating!”
“Ronnie, we are meeting the wedding planner in an hour,” Logan said, as they both settled into the booth.
“Then we can take it with us. How often do people plan a wedding?” she said, beaming at him with happiness.
“Well, that’s true,” he said, shaking his head at her.
“Life is good for me,” Lucas said. “I get champagne and don’t have to plan a wedding.”
Ronnie wrinkled her nose at him. “You obviously don’t know the meaning of fun. Thanks, hon!” she told the waitress as she reached for the glass placed in front of her.
Salad and rolls arrived, and Logan told her, “Eat.”
Sighing, she put down her tea and picked up her fork. “Where are we meeting her?”
“At the office,” he said. “So we can leave your car here and pick it up sometime tomorrow if you want.”
“I have that doctor’s appointment in the morning,” she reminded him, suddenly not hungry at all. “I need my car.”
“That’s right,” Logan said. “Then that’s the only drink you get.”
“Until the champagne,” she reminded him. “Don’t be so bossy.”
Lucas snorted. “Good luck with that one, soon to be sister. Jones men are bossy. It’s in the genes.”
“So I’ve noticed,” she said. “As long as he doesn’t interfere with my shoe buying habit.” She held out a leg to admire the pumps she had on and almost tripped a waiter passing by.
“Careful,” Logan said. Then, looking at the waiter, “I’m sorry, she will be more careful. Ronnie?”
“I’m sorry,” she smiled at the waiter. “But aren’t they gorgeous?”
“Yes, ma’am, they are,” the waiter deadpanned back.
“And I’m too smart to get between a woman and her shoes,” Logan said.
“Good plan,” she agreed and then frowned as a plate of shrimp scampi was set in front of her. “I wasn’t really hungry.”
“No one asked,” Logan said, picking up his own fork.
Ronnie sighed and looked at the plate in front of her. All she wanted was a few more drinks and then go see the wedding planner and take her mind off her ‘doctor’s appointment’ aka court in the morning. She didn’t want to go with a sore red bottom though, so picked up her fork and attacked the shrimp. More than anything she wished it was tomorrow evening instead, and all this would be over. But in the meantime, she would put on a brave face and get through the night. First of all, though, she put down her fork, and turned to Logan. “I’m getting the beginning of a headache. Do we know how long the wedding planner meeting will be tonight?”
“Not more than an hour or so, I don’t imagine. Probably if you’d eat something you’d feel better. Do we need to cancel?”
Ronnie shook her head, “No, I’ll be all right, I was just wondering.”
First step laid. She’d be home early and alone with her poor aching head, and could work on her class until bedtime and then get up early and go to court and be done before noon. Eighteen hours from now she would be done with court, her fine paid, and caught up on her class and could focus on her wedding. She could not wait. It would seem like all the burdens in the world could be, would be, lifted from her shoulders tomorrow.
She ate abstractedly while Logan and Lucas chatted about family things. One day she would be part of this family. Within months and it wouldn’t be their family they were talking about, it would be hers. Her brain could barely wrap around that, but she needed to focus on a few other things tonight.
“I’m ready to go as soon as we get that bottle of champagne I ordered!” she said brightly a few minutes later. Hopefully she’d eaten enough to make Logan happy. He wouldn’t spank her anyway tonight, she assured herself. He wouldn’t want her going to the doctor with a red butt or bruises. Right?
Half an hour later she sat in Logan’s small office meeting room. While she was waiting for Katrina to show up, she flipped through the album of flowers and linens and cakes she’d brought with her, showing styles and colors. She’d been carrying it around in her car for a while and as soon as her stupid court case was over, she planned to give it all her attention. Court was not going to be anything, she assured herself again. Just a fine, a scolding and out of there. Nothing more. She just wanted it to be over, but in the meantime, she had to be the excited bride-to-be for the wedding planner and Logan.
Ronnie wished she were at home, in front of her computer, working on her class with a huge glass of... what sounded good tonight and would help her sleep? Rum and coke? Bailey’s in decaf? A little peppermint schnapps in hot tea? She had a few options. Just like with cake and flowers.
“Do we want to do a cake tasting or do you just want me to pick a flavor?” she asked Logan when she heard the door open. “We can do either.”
“I’d want you to just pick, so I imagine my brother will, too.”
“Oh, sorry, Lucas, I didn’t look, just assumed you were him,” she apologized. “Where is Logan?”
“He had to make a quick phone call. Seems you're not his only client.”
They both looked up as they heard a quick knock on the door. “I’ll get it. Probably the wedding planner.” He headed out and she continued leafing through cake decorations. How many layers? Six? That seemed like an elegant size. White, of course. No cake smashing would be allowed, she decided. That would not be good for her dress or her makeup, and besides, it was silly. No silly at her wedding. Elegant all the way.
Katrina and Lucas walked into the room and Ronnie felt something very odd. Electricity? Sparks? Hadn’t they just met? The stern and focused wedding planner seemed almost flustered. Good. Maybe she could push some of her ideas on her. Where was Logan with her champagne? Between flustered and champagne she could talk this wedding planner into anything she wanted! If only she knew what she wanted. Why didn’t she want to plan more than she did? She hoped she would after tomorrow. Nope, not thinking about tomorrow. Just tonight.
Smiling brightly at Katrina, she said, “I came ready to work but apparently Logan still has some things he has to deal with. But let’s get started, okay?” Turning to Lucas she said, “Be a dear and go fetch the champagne, would you?”
“Do you need any help?” Katrina asked him, fidgeting with her long blonde braid.
Lucas hesitated as if he might need help carrying a bottle of champagne and four glasses already set out on a tray, but shook his head, and smiled at her. Ronnie stared. Did she really literally see sparks flying? What was going on? Weird. She must have wedding brain. That was a thing, she was certain.
As soon as he left, Katrina reverted to her stern self and opened her laptop. “Let’s see what all we got accomplished these past few days, shall we?”
“Let�
�s,” Ronnie smiled and crossed her legs, to admire her shoes. “I’m excited to see items checked off our lists.”
“When is your next fitting for your dress?” Katrina asked. “I’d like a picture of it, and do you plan to change for the reception?”
Ronnie shook her head. “No, the reception will be in the ballroom where we are getting married, and immediately following the ceremony. I paid enough for this dress; I want to wear it as long as possible.”
They started going down the list and got several things checked off before Logan and Lucas came in carrying the champagne. Ronnie smiled. She was feeling better, having something to focus on. Seventeen more hours until noon tomorrow. She could get through seventeen hours. The class would distract her when she got home, and watching the sparks fly between Lucas and Katrina was extremely amusing. Did she have that with Logan? No, what they had was different. It was strong and steady and faithful and true and Ronnie just realized she’d described a puppy dog and her master. Taking a glass from Logan, she smiled at him. No, she loved him like an adult, she told herself. He was not her daddy and technically not her boss and even though he turned her over his knee and paddled her once in a while, they were still equal partners. Weren’t they? Were they? Could they ever be? Her first husband treated her like she didn’t exist. Nothing could hurt worse than that, not a spanking, not anything. She couldn’t do that again. Would he do that to her? How could she know? Suddenly she couldn’t breathe.
Ronnie sucked in air, then downed the champagne in one gulp, stood up and went to the other room.
“Ronnie?” She heard him call her but kept walking until she got to Logan’s private office, where she went in and shut the door behind her. What was she doing? Why was she getting married? She didn’t want a boss. She didn’t want to be told what to do. She did want to be rich and never have to work, but Logan seemed dead set that she would. “You have to do something,” he’d told her. She didn’t want to be a housewife. She just wanted to be taken care of. Daddy’s money should be enough. Ronnie tried to catch her breath and couldn’t. Short shallow panting breaths were all she could manage. Why couldn’t she breathe? Logan walked in, looking worried and she stared at him, unable to say anything. Was she going to die? What was going on?
Logan took one look at her and turned around and left, while she tried to say something, call to him, but she couldn’t. He returned in what seemed like an hour but according to the clock was less than a minute, holding a paper bag. Why did he have a paper bag? He opened it and put it up to her mouth and over her nose. “Breathe in this,” he commanded.
What? “Listen to me, you are having a panic attack. It isn’t going to kill you. Try to breathe like me, follow my words. Deep breath in. Out. Try harder. Deep breath. Focus on my words. Breathe into the sack. Now deep breath out.”
Ronnie wasn’t sure how long he went on, but she finally realized her breath had calmed down. She was breathing normally but felt too shaky to talk yet. Shaking her head, she pushed the sack away, and relaxed into his arms as Logan picked her up and put her on his lap and rocked them both gently in his big oversized office chair.
“Well, that was fun,” he said conversationally and kissed her hair. Then he kissed it again and hugged her hard. Yes, that’s what she needed. His strength around her. “Tell me,” he said, in that voice that made her knees weak.
But she shook her head. She couldn’t tell him.
“Yes,” he said and kissed her again. “Unless you really want your butt blistered.”
She shook her head again. “I got scared,” she managed to whisper.
“I get that,” he said. “What are you afraid of?”
Well, that was just the million dollar question, wasn’t it? “I want to go home,” she said.
He tipped her head up and looked at her. “Maybe I should go to the doctor with you tomorrow?”
Oh no, she did not need that! Shaking her head again, she wondered if her brains would fall out. “No, I don’t want you to. Some things are private.”
“Not in a marriage,” he said. “Not between us. No secrets, no lies, and no worries.”
Ronnie couldn’t stop the shudder that ran through her and faked a sob to cover it up. “I know, but I don’t want you there for my pap smear and mammogram.” She was so going to Hell.
“I need you to tell them about your anxiety,” he said. “We are going to reschedule the meeting with Katrina, then I’m going to drive you home.” He kissed her mouth to stop her protests and she melted into him. “I’ll have Logan drive your car over so you can have it in the morning. Then I want you to go straight to bed, no, I’m putting you in bed, but then you call me as soon as you get up in the morning, understand?”
She nodded, glad he was taking care of her. She did need to go home, though, work on her class, so he didn’t get mad about her slacking on that, and then go to bed and be at court bright and early in the morning. What if she overslept? She could not. She would set three alarms. Or something. No way would she oversleep or be late. She would be there on time and as charming as she could be. Pay her fine and put it behind her. Did she even know anyone who had done anything more than a parking ticket? No, and she didn’t want to.
Just as she started breathing hard again, Logan came back into the room and she could feel herself calm down. “Okay, I rescheduled, I’m going to drive you home. Can you walk to the car or do you want me to carry you?”
“I can walk,” she said. “I’m all better. Logan, I can drive myself home.”
“No, you can’t. I’m taking you and putting you to bed and I don’t want to hear another word about it.”
Ronnie sighed, as long as he didn’t demand to spend the night on her couch, and to see her off in the morning, she could deal with him driving. “Let’s go then.”
Fifteen minutes later, Lucas put her car keys in her hand, and Logan kissed her goodnight at her door. Smacking her bottom playfully, he said, “Let’s go in. I’m going to put you to bed. You are fine. Tomorrow, call me when you wake up and again after your doctor’s appointment all right?”
“I just want to be by myself, please, I just need to think. I promise I’m fine,” she pleaded. If Logan came in, he might not leave and she had court. He could not know about court. He just couldn’t. She had to convince him she was fine and he should go.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to tuck you in? Hold you all night?”
Oh yeah, she wanted nothing more than that, and if there wasn’t court, she would accept in a heartbeat. However, he had to leave and so she had to suck it up. Class, court, then... well, then they would see what happened.
She nodded, nestling in his arms just a minute, then pulling away and squaring her shoulders, she threw Lucas a smile. “You all have fun tonight! Bye, Lucas, bye, Katrina, night Logan, love you.” She wondered why her wedding planner came along for the ride, but really didn’t care enough to wonder too much.
Getting Logan out of here was her first priority. She was going in and firing up her computer, because there was probably no way she was going to sleep tonight. One thing she did not want to be was fashionably late for court. Somehow she didn’t think the judge would be as impressed with her dramatic arrival as her friends were.
What seemed like an hour later, he finally left. How had that happened? She didn’t know, but at least it had.
Locking the door behind her, she kicked her shoes off and started shedding her clothes. Looking good every day, was her trademark, but sometimes it was really nice to come home, be barefoot and put on her old, ratty, terry cloth robe. She would miss it when she got married. She’d had it since high school and it was the most comfortable piece of clothing she owned. Logan could never see it. She would literally die of embarrassment.
Sighing, she slipped it on and tied the belt loosely, then sat down at the computer and checked her email before she started to work on her class. Why did she have to learn stuff? It wasn’t fair. She hired Logan to run her business for her and
now he’d hired Thomas, so why did she have to take all these business classes? They were boring and useless. She’d majored in English in college. Well, as Logan pointed out, barely majored. But she didn’t care. The only thing she ever wanted to be was rich and do anything she wanted whenever she wanted to do it. She thought she was getting that when she married her first husband. Long story short, she didn’t. She thought she’d be getting it when she married Logan. Was she going to? What was his deal about wanting her to do stuff? Work? Why? He had money. She had money, well, she had businesses that made her money and a big trust fund she’d get later if the shoe stores did well. At least that is what the lawyer explained to her. How that worked, she didn’t understand. If her father had wanted her to run the stores, then he shouldn’t have stuck her away in fancy schools miles away from where he worked. He should have been home for dinner every night and talked shop. Brought her to work with him sometimes. Done more than use her as a photo prop on openings and ribbon cuttings.
Sighing, she clicked over to her class work and glanced at the clock. She could do this. Do her homework, then maybe sleep some, get up early. Early – alarms. She needed alarms. Getting up, Ronnie set her alarm clock, the microwave timer for five minutes after that, and her alarm on her phone for five minutes after that. She would not be late. Then she sat down and tried to focus on her boring class until they went off. Fourteen hours. She could do this. It would be over. Just fourteen short hours.
Fourteen hours later, Ronnie sat trembling in her car. What had happened? What had just happened? Yes, it was noon, and her court case was over. She’d survived. The judge had not seemed impressed with her credentials at all. Not the fact she had on the best shoes in the entire room, or that she was Veronica Fischer of Fischer Shoes, or that she had never been in trouble before, not even had a ticket. Well, she’d had a couple tickets, actually, but that didn’t even come up in the course of the lecture she’d been given. She’d learned from Logan how to take a lecture. You didn’t talk back and you hoped you wouldn’t be given a spanking at the end of it.