by RJ Gray
"Oh? Is that so? I wonder if there are any other foods or drinks we both enjoy." He continued. "Do you like iced White Angels from Dutch Brother's too?" Addie knew then that he was following her; the White Angel was the only drink she ordered there.
"I think our time is up for this visit." Addie stood and turned to Lindsey, saying, "I shouldn't have brought you to the park." Addie was regretting not being able to signal to Amy to get a security guard for backup.
"What?" Mr. Whitehall said, looking at his watch, "Why? I still have twenty more minutes."
"You know darn well why," Addie said, trying to keep herself calm for Lindsey's sake.
"No, I don't," he said, coming closer to Addie. "We are just having a conversation about good food with Lindsey. Isn't that right, Addie girl?" He emphasized the last word. Addie felt herself recoil. He was mimicking Brad. That meant he had been close enough to them to hear the endearment. Addie knew then, without a doubt, that Mr. Whitehall had not just been following her, he had been stalking her. He must have heard Brad call her that, likely when they were at the Thai restaurant.
"Disgusting sounding food, at that," Lindsey said. "I like Fazolis. Their breadsticks are delicious. I really like Fargo's Pizza, too. There's an arcade in it. I like to play the games while the pizza bakes. Sometimes, my foster parents let me bring a friend with me! I bring my friend, Sarah. We are in Girl Scouts together, and she lives a couple doors down from me."
"That sounds like so much fun!" Addie said, faking enthusiasm. "You've colored a beautiful picture today, Lindsey. I love your use of shading!" Addie complimented the picture as she looked over Lindsey's shoulder. She had placed herself directly between Lindsey and Mr. Whitehall, her body blocking his view. "Let's clean up and head back to the courthouse."
"We still have twenty minutes, Addie," Mr. Whitehall repeated.
"Ms. Gabriel, if you please," Addie snapped through gritted teeth. Addie noticed the fear in Lindsey's eyes and laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Go ahead and put away the colored pencils and get ready to go."
"I hear all your friends call you Addie."
"You aren't my friend," Addie said very firmly. She took several deep breaths. Don't lose your temper in front of Lindsey.
"We could become friends. We could become very good friends," Mr. Whitehall said, stepping closer to Addie. "You are a beautiful woman, Addie."
"I would appreciate if you stepped away from me, Mr. Whitehall. I have a boyfriend, and even if I didn't, I never get involved with clients."
"I won't be a client much longer. Court is soon, and I'll be getting Lindsey back. I'm sure she would love to have you remain in her life. Your boyfriend? You mean, Doctor Wonderful?" Mr. Whitehall said, Addie clearly hearing the mockery in his tone. "Come on, Addie, you didn't think a doctor would really want a lowly overweight social worker, did you?"
"Yes. A doctor would want a beautiful and intelligent woman who has a heart for children." Addie turned when she heard Brad's voice, relief palpable on her face. Mr. Whitehall had the opposite feeling and turned toward the voice, his face red, the veins popping across his forehead.
Addie studied Brad and knew he was equally unhappy. The tension at the table was uncomfortable, unnerving even. Brad's eyebrows were scrunched together; his lips were drawn and tight. Addie wondered how much Brad had heard. She knew he had heard the last few sentences, based on the rebuttal he had given. Addie saw Brad's fist flexing open and closed at his side.
"I believe Ms. Gabriel," Brad emphasized, "said that the visit is over." He walked over to Addie and handed the cell phone to her. "Hey, baby." He kissed her hard, on the lips. He was claiming her. Normally, they weren't overly big into public shows of affection, but this was more than a kiss, this was a statement. He owned her and he wanted Mr. Whitehall to take notice. There was zero question to Addie about the meaning behind it. "You forgot your cell phone. Again." Addie didn't miss the meaning in his tone, and she groaned. The last word was full of promise.
"Of course, I did. Thank you for bringing it to me," she said. "But wait, how did you know I was here?"
"Amy has been blowing up your texts for the past hour."
"Oh! I should text her back that we are on our way!" She quickly texted Amy. "You were right. We're coming back now. Explain later."
"Let me walk you and Lindsey to your car," Brad said.
"Are you really Ms. Gabriel's boyfriend?" Lindsey asked, staring at the giant. "And you are a doctor?" She was in awe.
"One and the same," Brad said, smiling down at her.
"He's a chiropractor," Mr. Whitehall interjected. "Not a real doctor."
"I actually have more medical training than most doctors. I had two extra years of school. Before that, I was a Marine," he said to Lindsey. "Do you know what a Marine is?"
"It's like a soldier, right?" Lindsey replied
"Yes, sort of. Marines are the best of the best." There was a hint of pride in his voice and Addie knew that he was no longer talking for Lindsey's benefit, but that his words were meant for the interloper standing a foot away. "We undergo extensive combat training. I have served in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars."
"Oh!" Lindsey said, her mouth dropping in awe, "You are a war hero!" She was staring at Brad with raw admiration.
Addie looked over her shoulder at Mr. Whitehall. It was his fists that were now clenched. She knew he had to be getting angrier by the moment. He couldn't even get Lindsey to look at him at all, let alone with the hero worship she was now displaying towards this stranger.
"All right, kiddo. Time to go," Addie said, stepping in. She didn't need a penis measuring contest, and she wondered if Brad was actually jealous, or if he was simply trying to make Mr. Whitehall aware that he wasn't a man he should think about crossing.
"I'll see you next week," Mr. Whitehall said, coming around and squatting in front of Lindsey. Lindsey looked at the ground. Mr. Whitehall grabbed her chin and raised it to his face, "Look at me, dammit! I am your father."
"Let go of her!" Addie stepped up. "She doesn't want you to touch her and you know the rules." His hand didn't drop. "I said now!" Addie wasn't playing. He dropped his hand.
"I know, I know," Mr. Whitehall said, feigning being sheepish. "I just wanted to see her beautiful brown eyes. They match mine, you know. She gets them from me."
"My mom has brown eyes, too," Lindsey said.
Addie saw Mr. Whitehall tense up.
"Goodbye, Mr. Whitehall." Addie was firm in her words, leaving no room for further conversation with the child. "I will be in touch about future visits."
"I look forward to hearing from you very soon, maybe we will share more of the same food interests." The threat was only thinly veiled.
Lindsey, Brad and Addie started walking across the playground towards Addie's car. Addie was aware of Lindsey's tight grip on her hand. Lindsey might be ten, but at the moment, she needed to hold her hand. Addie hated Mr. Whitehall. She hated him. She had been uncomfortable with him from the very beginning, but after tonight, the uncomfortableness turned into straight hatred. He was stalking her, she had no doubt. But why? What was the point? She was just the caseworker, not like she was the judge who made any of the important decisions. Once Lindsey was in the car and the door was closed, Brad leaned close to Addie.
"We are going to have quite the conversation tonight, Addie girl," he nearly growled in her ear.
"Because I forgot my phone?" Addie asked quietly.
"And what else do you think?" Brad said. His voice was quiet, his tone was steady, but Addie could feel every ounce of his restraint.
"I don't know?" Addie asked.
"Where is your visit scheduled to take place tonight, Addisyn?" Brad asked. Addie startled at the sound of her full first name.
"At the courthouse, but, Brad, you can't punish me for work decisions!" Addie said. "That isn't fair!"
"I can't?" Brad said, stepping even closer, his nose touching hers. "I can, and I will. Especially
when those decisions put you in jeopardy and when those decisions violate our rules. What rule is it that you broke, tonight, Addisyn?"
"Safety," Addie whispered. She felt that familiar lump in her stomach, the one she got every time Brad mentioned spanking her. She had done well avoiding another session across his knee, but she knew there was no avoiding it, tonight. Damn it! Why did she have to forget her phone? He would have never known. Deep down, she was glad she forgot her phone. She needed him tonight, even if she didn't want to admit it.
"Yes, safety. Now, I'm going to follow you back to the courthouse and then…"
"That's not necessary!" Addie interrupted.
"And then we are going to head back to my place. I'll order some take out to be delivered at seven. That will give us an hour to take care of business before dinner comes." He kissed Addie and opened the door for her. "And, Addie?"
"Yes?"
"Don't interrupt me again," Brad said.
Addie closed the door and put her seatbelt on. Her head was a chaotic mixture of thoughts. She knew she deserved to be brought to task for her decisions. She also was shaking from the comments from Mr. Whitehall. She wondered how much she should tell Brad about their interaction. Maybe she was overthinking things again. She knew one thing; she didn't want Brad thinking she was helpless. She was a strong woman and could take care of herself. Sure, Addie, you did a great job of doing that tonight.
"He is soooo cute!" Lindsey sighed from the backseat, bringing Addie back to the present.
"Who? Oh, Brad? Yeah, he's not hard on the eyes." Addie laughed.
"He is so big! He is like ten feet tall and all those muscles! He's like The Rock!" Lindsey said.
"I wouldn't go that far." Addie smiled at the girl's review of her boyfriend. "But he does work out and is over six foot tall."
"You are so lucky. I hope I can find a doctor someday who will think I'm pretty."
"You will find a wonderful man, I'm sure of it."
"I just don't want him to be like my dad. My dad is the bad guy. I want a good guy."
"The bad guy?" Addie was careful with her words. She remembered her training. She had specialized training in interviewing children, especially those who had been through trauma.
"He hurt my mom," Lindsey said. Addie felt the flip flop in her stomach again. Lindsey never spoke about her dad or her mom. Addie was glad she was opening up but wondered why she was doing so after all of this time.
"What do you mean?" Addie left the question open ended.
"He hit her. A lot. Once, he punched her in the nose and blood came out everywhere!" This was the first that Addie had heard of any of this. They had all felt like there were signs of domestic violence, but there had been no proof, and with her mom just disappearing…
"You saw this?" Addie asked. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw Lindsey nod.
"You can't tell him I told you," Lindsey said, her fear audible. "He will kill me if he knows I told anyone. Please, Addie, don't tell him."
"It's okay, Lindsey. No matter what, I will make sure you stay safe." Addie couldn't lie to her and promise her she wouldn't tell him. She could promise to keep her safe. If it came down to it, she'd sacrifice her life for Lindsey's, without a second's hesitation. She wasn't sure she would be able to keep the accusations from Mr. Whitehall and his lawyers if she was to use them to keep Lindsey out of his unsupervised care.
"He is a bad guy! He knows how to hit where it won't show. He punched my mama in the stomach and in the back, sometimes, when he didn't see me watching," Lindsey said.
"I'm so sorry you saw all of that, Lindsey, and I am sorry your mom was hurt," Addie said, and she meant every word. Addie knew that Lindsey trusted her and she would never do anything to intentionally betray that trust.
"It's okay. It's in the past now," Lindsey said as they pulled up to the courthouse. Addie parked.
Brad pulled in next to her and rolled the window down. "I'll wait for you here," he said.
"Okay. See you in a few." Addie briefly thought about telling him again it was unnecessary but thought better of it. She knew she was already in enough trouble without arguing with him. Addie walked Lindsey back to the visitation center. "Do you want to talk some more?" Addie asked her. "We have a few minutes before your foster parents come." Addie and Lindsey went into one of the visitation rooms and Addie listened intently to Lindsey. As soon as her foster parents picked her up, Addie took out a notebook and scribbled down everything Lindsey had said. She would go over the information at work, tomorrow. For now, Brad was waiting for her. The thought both excited and terrified her.
Chapter 7
Addie kept looking back in her rearview mirror at Brad. He sure was handsome. She, for the hundredth time, wondered how she had gotten so lucky. She felt protected every time he was around. His muscular frame didn't hurt, but she knew it was so much more than that. It was his confidence, his ability to assess a situation and take charge, his calmness. She had found someone she felt safe around, and as a former foster child, this was a huge revelation. It took a lot to make Addie feel secure. She knew she shouldn't be feeling as relaxed as she was, especially after everything that had happened in the past two hours. She knew she should be anxious about her upcoming punishment, but she wasn't, not really. She wasn't afraid of Brad. She knew she deserved it, and she knew, as much as the spanking might hurt, he would never really harm her.
They pulled into Brad's driveway, and he walked around and opened her car door. She was barely out of her car when he pulled her into his arms and just held her. Addie felt the strength of his arms, the warmth of his body. She inhaled his familiar scent and allowed herself to melt into him. He was all she needed. After a minute, he tilted Addie's face up to his and brought his mouth in for a punishing kiss. It was deep, and it was full of desperation.
Addie could almost taste his fear. Addie pushed against his chest, breaking the kiss. "Brad, we're in your driveway!" Addie could tell that Brad was no longer angry by how relaxed his body language was.
"I'm glad you aren't mad anymore," she said.
"I'm not angry. I am frustrated that you put yourself in danger, and I'm annoyed that you haven't been listening to me about your phone. I will address both of those issues, inside."
Brad had been shocked to his core over the feelings that overcame him at the park. He had been filled with a savage desire to beat the ever-loving life out of the man who was threatening his girl. It was during that moment that realization dawned and Brad knew he loved Addie. He really loved her. He didn't know why he was surprised by the emotion, but there it was. Alongside the love, was the need to protect her and to keep her safe. He contemplated what all that meant. He knew the biggest obstacle in keeping Addie safe was Addie, herself. It was imperative that he stress upon her the importance of safety, before she did something to seriously injure herself.
The two walked inside, hand in hand, and Brad went into the kitchen, opened the drawer and grabbed the menu before ordering dinner. He could pick the delivery window and make sure to give them an hour for their much-needed discussion.
Addie was sitting on the couch, looking at something on her phone when he came into the room. Brad stood before her and reached for her hand. She put hers in his, trusting him. Brad was proud of her.
When Addie put her hand in his, all her bravado about being calm vanished. The butterflies reappeared, and she knew she was about to be held accountable for her actions. Brad held out his other hand and motioned for her phone. Addie handed it to him, and he placed it on the coffee table.
Brad sat and maneuvered Addie between his knees so that she was standing, looking down at him, as he had done in his office. This must be a favorite position of his, Addie thought. With his height, she wasn't looking far.
"I am disappointed that we have to have this discussion, Addie girl," Brad said. "We are going to deal with each thing individually. I'm going to spank you, tonight, for two different rule violations. What might those be?"
"I…uh…" Addie stammered; she hated this part. She felt like a naughty little girl and despised having to admit to what she did wrong. She hated it almost as much as the spanking, itself.
Whap! Brad's heavy palm landed right below Addie's left butt cheek. "I left my phone in your office, Sir," Addie quickly said. She hated how he aimed at her sit spot when he wanted her attention. It hurt!
"And…"
"I met with a client at the park," Addie said.
Swat! Swat! Swat! Brad's hand slapped the top of her thighs hard and fast.
Dang, if that didn't sting. Addie wondered if he was holding anything back at all.
"Try that again, Addisyn."
"I put myself and Lindsey in a dangerous situation by breaking the rules, Sir," Addie whispered.
"Yes. Both of these are safety issues, but the second one is far more serious. I'm going to warm your butt good for the continuous forgetting of your phone, especially after I have told you no more than three times in the last couple of days to keep better track of it. After, I am going to impress upon you how seriously I take the safety of the woman I love."
"You…" Addie's heart skipped a beat. Brad sure liked to drop emotional bombs on her during the worst possible moments.
"Love you? Yes, Addie girl. I love you. I love you very much. Enough to hold you accountable. Enough to keep you safe, even if that means from yourself. How do you think I felt about my girl being in a dangerous situation, which was compounded with no way for her to call for help? I felt helpless, I felt scared and I felt angry. The thought of something happening to you, well, it isn't a feeling I want to feel again. I think it isn't a feeling you will want me to feel again, either, once I am done with you. Now, before we start, I want you to go into the kitchen and open the drawer next to the stove. Inside the drawer, you will see several wooden spoons. I want you to go get the heavy one and bring it to me."
"But, are you going to… I don't know if I can…" Addie muttered a combination of half started sentences. She was shaking. She had read many spanking scenes that included a wooden spoon, and none of them sounded like something she wanted to try.