Last Chance

by Tabitha Marks

  “Get up,” he said, helping her stand again. “You’re going to spend some time thinking about how your behavior made Gina and Darcy feel. Especially that comment you made to Gina. The list you just gave me only told me you were sorry because you were being punished and had to clean up after yourself.”

  Connie opened her mouth to argue but took one look at Nate’s face and the rubber spatula now in his hand, and shut it.

  Nate guided her over to the wall, put her hands on her head and leaned her forward until her forehead hit the wall. “No moving and no rubbing. You’re going to stand there and think for ten minutes and if you haven’t come up with what I think is an acceptable answer you’ll stand there for ten more. But first I’m going to give you something to help you focus your thoughts.

  Nate put a hand on her back to hold her steady and keep her ass pushed out, and raised the spatula in the other. He delivered five swift blows that had her dancing from foot to foot and yelling “Ow, ow, ow,” a lot louder than she probably intended.

  He drew his arm back again to deliver another five before he left her to think when he was interrupted by an outraged feminine voice.

  “Oh. My. God. Are you beating her?”

  He turned and found Gina standing at the bottom of the stairs, mouth hanging open and a look of utter shock on her face. Derek was behind her looking apologetic but also a little shocked at the sight of Connie’s bare red ass. Connie’s naked ass! Nate angled his body to block their view but kept a hand on Connie’s back to keep her from standing up.

  Of course when she heard Gina’s voice Connie dropped her hands from her head and tried to pull up her pants. “Nate let me up, please!” She sounded absolutely mortified, and he felt sorry for her. He really did. He hadn’t expected anyone to walk in on them, his brother certainly never would, but maybe he could use this turn of events to his advantage.

  “Connie, get back into position or we’re going to start over,” he demanded. Gina’s jaw dropped even further at his rough tone.

  “But they can see!”

  “No they can’t, I’m standing in front of you. But if you stand up and turn around they will be able to see everything. Now do it.”

  It took her half a minute but finally she complied. Her shoulders were shaking and hunched over, and her face was flaming from embarrassment, but she did it.

  Nate turned back to Gina and Derek. Derek was trying to cajole Gina back upstairs but the woman wasn’t budging. Nate was expecting her to still look horrified, and she did, kind of, but now it was mixed with confusion. Time to set the record straight.

  “No I wasn’t beating her. I was spanking her for the way she acted towards you and Darcy today.” He paused, waiting to see if she would threaten to call the cops for abuse. She didn’t say a word so he continued. “We started practicing domestic discipline a few months ago to try to save our relationship. Connie needed to have some consequences for her behavior, and she agreed that me enforcing some rules with punishment would be helpful. So we tried it, and as you said right before you walked out earlier, it worked.”

  Nate paused again but Gina remained silent. He could feel that Connie’s breathing was becoming more regular, she was calming down from her panic of a few minutes ago.

  “Obviously today she had some issues. Being respectful is one of our main rules and she broke that. So we were dealing with her punishment when you walked in. It’s not something we share with many people because it’s different and most people wouldn’t understand. But please respect our privacy and don’t tell anyone what you’ve seen. If you want to call Connie later to talk to her about it that’s fine, but I think you better go now.” He hoped his tone gave no room for argument. He didn’t want to have a long drawn out discussion right now, with Connie bent over and her pants around her ankles.

  Derek tugged on Gina’s hand again and she reluctantly let him pull her back. “I have one question right now,” she said, planting her feet. “Connie is what Nate said true? Are you okay?”

  Nate held his breath but remained silent. He didn’t want to prompt her, or appear to influence her response in any way. She needed to own up to their lifestyle without him putting the words in her mouth, no matter how much he wanted to do just that.

  Finally, after a full minute of silence, she responded.”Yes Gina, I’m fine. What Nate said is true. I agreed to follow some rules and if I don’t he spanks me.” She took a deep breath then continued. “We consensually practice domestic discipline.”

  Nate breathed a sigh of relief. Gina just nodded her head, still looking confused but accepting Connie’s answer, and turned to go.

  “Gina?” Connie called out. “I’m sorry about how I acted today and what I said. I went crazy with my demands and wasn’t very nice to you and Darcy. I hope you’ll forgive me and still be in the wedding, but I understand if you don’t want to.”

  Gina appeared slightly stunned at Connie’s honest apology then said, “Let’s talk about it later Connie. I’ll call you.” Then she turned and hurried up the stairs after Derek.

  Finally they were gone and Nate heard the faint click of the door closing at the top of the stairs. He breathed a sigh of relief, then turned back to his nervous fiancée.

  Chapter 9

  Connie’s heart was pounding so fast she was sure a heart attack was imminent. When she’d heard Gina’s surprised voice her first instinct was to stand up, turn around and try to explain away whatever Gina and Derek had seen. But Nate didn’t allow that, forcing her to stay bent over facing the wall. At first she’d been furious at him for making her stay in that vulnerable and embarrassing position while their friends were standing fifteen feet away.

  Then Nate’s words penetrated her panicked brain and she realized if she had stood up and turned around like she wanted to they would have received a much more titillating show than just a glimpse of her reddened behind. Nate was right to keep her in position. Why was he always right lately!

  Now that she’d calmed down from her earlier diva high, and they’d had their discussion, she could clearly see that she’d been awful to Gina and Darcy today. It started out fun, with them laughing and joking, teasing Connie for being so hellbent on perfection. They soon realized she wasn’t kidding around when she started throwing out perfectly fine jars and bossing them around like the bratty bitch Nate called her during his lecture. And what a lecture it was. Every word he spoke was punctuated with a sharp blow to her behind, reinforcing his words with punishment. It drove home his point better than anything else.

  “Are they gone?” she asked, not wanting to risk starting over by standing up without permission.

  “Yes they’re gone,” he replied. “How are you?”

  “Fine. Embarassed,” she amended. “I didn’t know Derek knew about our lifestyle changes.” He’d been surprisingly unsurprised at having walked in on Nate spanking her, so Connie assumed he already knew.

  “Yeah he does. I didn’t mean to tell him but he overheard Bobby and me talking at the bar one night. He was meeting us there and walked up behind our stools, and we didn’t know he was there…” Nate trailed off, then caught himself. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you when it happened. I won’t try to make excuses. That was dishonest of me and I apologize. I didn’t mean for him to know but as soon as he found out I should have told you. I can’t demand honesty from you then not hold myself to the same standard.”

  Connie didn’t even bother asking if that meant she could spank him, though the thought almost made her snicker. She knew the answer-never in a million years. Instead she asked, “What did he think about it?”

  “He was surprised that it was something Bobby and I do, but he wasn’t unfamiliar with the concept.” Nate paused, “He’d read about it on the internet but had no clue that people he knew would make it a part of their lives.”

  “So he doesn’t think we’re weird?”

  “No, not at all. Derek’s a pretty disciplined man, he grew up that way so he understood. Though G
ina is probably going to try to have me arrested.”

  “I don’t know Nate. Gina’s very open minded. I think she’s actually into some kinky stuff.”

  “Hmmm, interesting.” Nate seemed to mull that over for a second, then abruptly changed the topic by putting a warm hand on her now half cool backside. “I was very happy with your apology to Gina, focusing on how your behavior hurt her feelings.”

  “I can’t believe I made that awful comment to her,” Connie moaned, mortified at her own words. “I don’t even know where that came from, I don’t think I’m better than her at all.” Nate rubbed circles on her back as she spilled her guts, purging herself of the guilt and shame. “Something just came over me today. I was having fun, then I think I felt like they weren’t taking it seriously enough and goofing around too much. Then the layers in the jars weren’t exactly straight, and I had it in my head that they just had to be perfect, even though I know in my logical brain that it’s virtually impossible to do. It all just spun out of control. I was out of control and I feel like such an asshole.” Connie felt the tears pool up and spill over again as she remembered this afternoon, truly mortified at her behavior. She wouldn’t blame her friends if they backed out of the wedding. They hadn’t signed up to be abused! They were just trying to be nice and to be a part of her and Nate’s special day.

  Nate moved his hand to her bottom and squeezed, getting her attention. “Calm down Connie. I know you’re sorry and you’ve already apologized to Gina.” Nate leaned forward and gently pulled her up by her elbow. “Let’s get you cleaned up, then we’ll go upstairs and finish the jars, clean up the kitchen and you’ll apologize to Darcy too.”

  He wasn’t asking, he was telling. So Connie did the only thing she could and nodded in agreement. She wanted to go home and crawl under the covers for the next week, screw her bridal shower tomorrow. But Nate would never let her be so childish now. She had to accept responsibility for her actions and move on.

  “Are we done with our discussion?” she asked, really wanting to pull up her pants and cover herself, but not before he said they were done. He’d been about to continue with the awful rubber spatula right before Gina and Derek came down. It had really hurt before and if he did it now, when her cheeks had cooled down a bit…she’d probably start crying all over again. Her ass still throbbed, but nowhere near to what it felt like right after he finished with the spoon. That spoon hurt like hell, and the sharp slaps to her sit spots were especially bad. Sitting primly through the shower tomorrow while she made polite conversation and opened gifts would definitely be a challenge.

  “Yes we’re done,” he replied, pulling her into a warm hug. “I’m proud of you for listening to me when they came down here and staying still. I know that was hard for you. And you apologized to Gina on your own without me having to tell you to.”

  Nate gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head then knelt down and pulled up her jeans and panties, turning her for a second to examine her behind before gently covering it and fastening her button.

  “Go on to the bathroom and rinse off your face.” He nudged her to the half bath across the room. “I’ll meet you upstairs.”

  Connie did as she was told, shutting the door to bathroom behind her- she wouldn’t make that mistake twice in one day- and running the hot water while she took care of business. After washing her hands she braced herself to look in the mirror and survey the damage.

  Much as she expected the harsh vanity lights and cold glass reflected a ragged version of herself. Mascara ran down from the corners of her eyes and her eyeliner was smudged from wiping her tears with the backs of her hands. A glistening line of snot ran across one cheek and the color of her nose rivaled a certain famous reindeer. How Nate could look at her like this and still find her sexy, still love her, was almost unbelievable. Almost, because she knew he did love her more than anything else in the world. But even through the ruined makeup and telltale signs of crying, she could see that she looked more relaxed, more content than she had this morning. Gone was the stress of making sure everything was perfect and just right. It didn’t matter. She needed to focus on the things that were important here- her friends, her family and Nate.

  She splashed some hot water on her face, scrubbing to remove the black streaks, dried off and headed upstairs. Facing Darcy would suck but she had to do it, and luckily Nate would be there to help her.

  Connie found Nate busy assembling the last of the jars in the kitchen. He’d filled three in the short time she’d been in the bathroom, miraculous considering it was taking her at least ten minutes for one. She had to restrain herself from walking over and inspecting his work since it couldn’t possibly be right if he’d thrown them together that fast.

  “It’s fine if they’re not perfect,” she reminded herself, forcing her legs towards the broom and dust pan Darcy abandoned in the corner earlier.

  “I figured I’d finish these for you while you cleaned,” Nate said evenly when she entered the room, not glancing up from measuring flour for the next jar. “Is that alright with you?”

  Connie lowered her eyes and focused on sweeping the two square feet of floor in front of her. Nate kept working but Connie felt him observing her, watching to see if she freaked out at him. She wanted to tell him to stop, immediately, and let her finish, but she bit her tongue and took a deep cleansing breath.

  “No I don’t mind, that’s fine.” Even though she’d just had her ass reddened it was hard to let go of control. She’d gotten herself so worked up, so fixated on everything being perfect, that even now she fought the urge to turn into bridezilla.

  Nate didn’t comment on her obviously forced words, just kept on measuring and pouring, following the directions laid out on the counter.

  Connie tightened her grip on the broom handle and put her energy into cleaning before she ended up in trouble, again. Her job was to make the kitchen as clean as it was when they’d started this morning. Now that her project had been taken away and she didn’t have that to fixate on, she looked around and saw what an absolute disaster she’d created.

  Flour and sugar everywhere, stray chocolate chips dotted the floor, crunching underfoot when she walked. Dishes were strewn over the work stations they’d set up and empty bags of ingredients filled the sink. What a fucking mess she’d made!

  She desperately hoped that the room didn’t reflect the state of her relationships with her friends, though if she’d been on the receiving end this afternoon she probably would cut ties too. But she couldn’t focus on that right now. First she’d clean the kitchen then she’d work on making things right with Gina and Darcy. One step at a time.

  An hour, two trash bags and several sinksfull of warm soapy water later, they were finally finished. The jars were filled and labeled, and packed into boxes to transport home. They looked beautiful, crooked layers and all, and having Nate help her made the gifts even more special. Once she’d calmed down and gotten into the rhythm of cleaning they’d talked and laughed while they each worked on their separate tasks. Nate turned out to be pretty adept with measuring spoons and Connie let go of her need for perfection. Instead she just enjoyed their time together, working as a team to finish the job. She was disappointed in herself that she’d needed a spanking to arrive at this point but refused to dwell on it. She’d been stressed and high strung and he’d corrected her, made her calm down and realize what was truly important. That Nate would do that for her, and be strong enough to do it practically in front of their friends, made her warm and fuzzy in a very weird way. Weird, but good. Many people would probably think she was nuts but it worked for them.

  “Bobby,” Nate yelled up the back stairs, “We’re taking off.”

  Bobby and Darcy had stayed firmly ensconced in their bedroom upstairs while Connie and Nate finished up. At one point, when the mountain of dishes became particularly overwhelming, Connie found herself start becoming annoyed that they weren’t down here helping since it was their kitchen and all. It only took a
minute of mental grumbling for her to stop that crazy train before she ended up over Nate’s lap again. She reminded herself that if she’d been nice, instead of an out of control maniac, Darcy would be helping. Hell, they would’ve been done long ago and onto cocktails like they’d planned. So Connie kept her mouth shut and tackled the dishes, one at a time.

  Now everything was all sparkly and shiny, and she was more than ready to go home and hit the couch. Unfortunately Nate had other ideas.

  Connie started walking out of the room, heading towards the front door with thoughts of a hot shower and cold beverage filling her mind, but Nate stopped her with a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder.

  “Wait.”

  Connie stopped in her tracks. She’d half expected this but hoped he wouldn’t make her do it. That he’d be tired and just want to go home, like she did. Her feet hurt, her ass hurt and she needed to get clean in the worst way.

  “You need to apologize to Bobby and Darcy too.” There it was. The thing that she did not want to do. She was mortified enough that she’d been spanked in their basement, and they most certainly knew it. Then having Gina and Derek walk in during her punishment… She couldn’t face another layer of humiliation. She opened her mouth to protest but one look at Nate’s face, the firm set of his jaw and the resolve in his eyes, told her that resistance was absolutely futile. Worse than futile. It would do nothing more than earn her a freshly spanked behind, and then she’d still have to apologize. There was no way she was leaving that house without facing her brother and sister-in-law. And, she admitted, they deserved an apology.

  A minute later Bobby descended the stairs, his eyes guarded as he surveyed his kitchen. Connie held her breath, hoping he found it acceptable. It looked great to her, but it wasn’t her home. She couldn’t be sure that everything was back exactly where it belonged but she’d definitely tried. He took his time inspecting every surface with his intelligent gaze, then walked across the room and looked in the sink. It was empty, but the dishwasher was full. Shit! She meant to start it but forgot.