by Carl Hamlin
Eric sighed. “Yes…..but, I only did that because I love you more than anything in the world.”
Macie reached back with her right hand and softly patted her bottom for emphasis. “Well……you certainly demonstrated your love…….quite forcefully……..over and over again.”
Eric sighed. “I meant business.”
“Well…….you left no doubt about that. You really let me have it. You paddled me good and hard.” She wiggled the cheeks upon which Eric’s hand still rested. “That really hurt. It still stings like crazy.”
Eric nodded and kissed her. “That was my intention. I meant to do it right.” He gave her a surprise swat, causing her to yelp.
Macie leaned down and kissed his neck, starting them on the course to another session of pleasure. She giggled and sighed. “I don’t know why you are so good at everything you do.”
CHAPTER FOUR
The events of that Friday evening left a lingering effect on the entire weekend. Instead of going out to restaurants on weekend evenings as was their custom, they stayed in the apartment. They had several lovemaking sessions, including two on the sofa upon which Macie had received her paddling.
In fact, that paddling was never mentioned, but it was obvious to Eric that Macie felt no resentment. Their love-making was wonderful, and they snuggled and teased throughout the weekend. However, from time to time Macie would look at Eric, display an exaggerated pout and dramatically rub her bottom. Usually, she would then giggle and walk up to him and they would embrace. They concluded their weekend with a Sunday evening tryst on the living room floor.
The next day, Macie sat at her desk awaiting the arrival of her 4:00 appointment. She was feeling strangely mellow after the events of the weekend. She felt a sense of complete sexual fulfillment from several bouts of making love with her husband. She also felt confusion in that she had been paddled, and found that it left her with a lingering memory of it having been a somewhat titillating experience. Perhaps it was because of what it had led to. At the same time, she had sneaked in some private time on the internet, and had read articles and comments about nerve endings being stimulated by a spanking and the effects of enhancing the blood flow to her fun parts.
There was no question in her mind that a couple of times during the paddling, she had felt some giddy anticipation of the next meeting between her husband’s hand and her bottom. She had found that to be unsettling……confusing…….and arousing. It was also a fact that she had thought about it when making love later in the weekend, and it had heightened her sensations. She did not know what she would do with all of that, but she knew that she would attempt to sort it out later. She had to get her mind back on her work.
That should not have been such a struggle. She was scheduled to meet with a man named Jarrett who was bringing some business her way that was of an unusual nature for their firm. A note from the firm’s office manager said that Ben Jarrett was seeking help in finding a sympathetic Congressman or two to sponsor legislation to more strongly restrict hunting on federal land in the west.
Precisely at 4:00, her intercom buzzed, and the secretary told her that her appointment had arrived. She took a deep breath, walked to the lobby, and greeted her visitor.
The man who identified himself as Jarrett appeared to be in his mid-fifties. His silver hair gave him a distinguished appearance, but he was casual at the same time, dressed in jeans but also a dress shirt and sport coat. He was extremely friendly, displaying a wide smile and was gracious as Macie gave him a cup of coffee.
Jarrett sat down at Macie’s desk and explained that he represented a coalition of some animal-rights activists of means. There were said to be well- moneyed philanthropists who were willing to spend a considerable sum to halt hunting practices they opposed. In particular, they were concentrating on the possibility that the federal government was considering loosening up rules to allow the hunting of wolves in some of the mountainous, more sparsely populated states..
Macie took notes on the stated goals of her visitor. She smiled to herself, knowing that her older brother and an uncle had traveled several times to Ontario on wolf-hunting trips. A mounted wolf even adorned her family’s den. However, this was business, a very mercenary venture. For a healthy fee, the firm that she worked for would do its best to promote their agenda. In addition, Macie would receive a healthy cut. Earlier in the morning, she had met with the managing partner, and they estimated what their proposed fee would be for such work. For Macie, should the contract come to fruition, she would earn tens of thousands of dollars over the next three years from that one project.
Sitting across from the personable Jarrett, she discussed the fees for her firm’s services, and mentioned possible Members of Congress she could lobby on behalf of their cause. She explained how most conservative congressional representatives from Western states would favor hunting rights, so she would seek out more liberal members from the east and west coasts for sponsorship of such legislation or regulatory action. She worked under the assumption that potential clients visiting her office would not be savvy in the partisan ways of Washington. She spent considerable time explaining why opposing factions in Congress would view Jarrett’s point of view in such diametrically opposed fashions.
Jarrett seemed reluctant to discuss the identities of those he was representing, so Macie took the hint and simply referred to them as “the other interested parties” for the rest of the discussion. Jarrett would be her sole contact, and should those other parties accept the terms of the proposed contract, he would be the one writing the checks.
She handed Jarrett a sample contact to take back to his colleagues, and he told Macie that he hoped to let her know within the next ten days if the group would be able to secure the funds needed to cover such a fee.
Jarrett rose and each wished the other a good day. Macie escorted him to the lobby, where he exchanged pleasantries with the receptionist before her left. Macie was so taken with the demeanor and personality of her departing visitor, that she joked with the receptionist after Jarrett left that the office assistant should have flirted with him.
Macie had learned during her first week on the job that a promising meeting with a potential client was a light year away from having a check in your hand. However, back in her office, she closed the door and, considering the size of the potential contract, nearly collapsed against the door after he left. She went to her boss’ office to report on the meeting, for he was the person who had seen to it that Jarrett meet with her instead of some of the more senior staff. He sensed that Macie was ready to take on some more challenging assignments, and to earn a little more money.
As the remainder of the afternoon wore on, she could not wait to tell Eric about the potential contract that had come her way. Of course, she could not get her husband out of her mind for many reasons. The weekend that had begun with her being taken across Eric’s knees had been salvaged and turned into two of their most erotic and sexually satisfying days since their three-day “honeymoon” in the hotel in Virginia. Between the business breakthrough, a weekend of passion and having received a first-class tail warming, Macie’s emotions were all over the spectrum.
She did manage to make it through the rest of the day without calling Eric at work. To do so always risked that he would be too busy to even look at his phone to see why it was vibrating. He carried two phones, and during the day he could usually devote attention only to the one issued by his agency for government business. Macie did not have that number. Neither wanted her phone to contain that contact in case of loss, or worse. Macie did not dwell on the possibilities. Eric was obsessed with them. He would never forgive himself if Macie would ever be put in harm’s way because of his career. He liked his job. He loved Macie.
Macie arrived home first that day, and set about to get a dinner ready, When Eric arrived an hour later, he was the recipients of an energetic recap of the potential contract for Mr. Jarrett and his friends. Eric was impressed at how Macie was easing h
erself into knowing the Washington power structure. She had developed an intimate knowledge of how lawmakers operated and how to push their buttons.
Eric was also aware of, and understanding and accepting of, the fact that Macie’s sexiness was a factor. She had been quick to pick up on which male House and Senate staffers most appreciated being called upon by the attractive young lobbyist. Taking a cab from her office to the Capitol or Senate offices, she would check her makeup and be ready to be appealing.
When planning on dropping in on certain staffers or the legislators themselves, she would prepare in advance. Eric would know that she was going to be stopping in to see someone on The Hill who found her attractive, because she would wear a short skirt or dress instead of her preferred dress slacks or pantsuits.
They talked leisurely over a casserole they had prepared together and frozen for such an opportunity to relax and dine in. Eric was already delighted to hear of the work his wife was accomplishing, and the potential new contract was adding to her enthusiasm. After dinner, Macie announced that there was only one way to celebrate her day. She took hold of Eric’s tie and guided him into their bedroom.
Macie and Eric had several days of extended work hours, limiting their time together. For over a week, they could do little more than share a kiss or two, but vowed to make up for lost time at the first possible chance.
They did manage to treat themselves to a Wednesday evening dinner out at an elegant downtown Washington restaurant. The walls of the hallway and dining room were lined with autographed photos of past and present members of the Senate, the House of Representatives, cabinet members and the occasional Vice-President. It was a pricey setting, but they had both been working hard, long days. As they waited for their meals, they were amused when they noticed a handful of Senate members clustered at a long table laughing and enjoying steaks and wine. Eric was particularly entertained by the body language of a woman who he knew to be a reporter for the Washington Post. She was sitting at a neighboring table and obviously attempting to listen in and read lips.
They dined on lobster, and relished a bottle of expensive wine. They were doing okay financially, but still did not typically splurge in such fashion.
As they were finishing a dessert consisting of a shared slice of Boston cream pie, Eric noticed a familiar figure approaching. It was Mike Stafford, who had been one of the F.B.I. agents who had conducted the self-defense and security training Eric had attended. They had become friends in their common passion for the Washington Redskins, and had met for lunch from time to time.
Eric introduced him to Macie, who had heard numerous references to the agent over the past months. Macie invited Mike to join them, and he sat down across the table from his friend and the gorgeous little lady in the low-cut red dress.
Macie reached over and placed her hand on Stafford’s. “I understand that you trained my husband on security. I want to thank you for that.”
The older man nodded. “It was my pleasure. Eric here was a good student. I suppose that he has emphasized to you the need for vigilance in……certain types of work.”
Macie nodded and smiled. “Eric has made it a point to emphasize all of that. His insistence on my being vigilant has definitely…..left an impression on me.”
Macie felt Eric give her a mild and playful kick beneath the table. Eric laughed. “I may send Macie for a class someday, if that would be possible.”
Stafford smiled. “I would love to have Macie in a class at any time. We do provide that for spouses from time to time. I’m sure it could be arranged.”
Stafford leaned back and sighed. “I think the domestic threats pose a special quandary for us. They don’t have to cross any borders, and typically there are no obvious outward signs of someone being a threat. All they have to do is hop on a plane or train, or get into a car and they can go anywhere in the country to spread their mayhem.”
He leaned forward and continued in a quieter voice. “I’m forty-eight now, and I have seen some real characters in my work, especially back in the days when I was out in the field all the time. Now I spend half my time training others, but I love my days being out on a case.’
“The bad guys can be very interesting. Some seemed so harmless. I had a guy in Minnesota, who was this retired, gray-haired, grandfatherly type. He was a school bus driver and had this farm with a petting zoo for the local kids. But it turned out that this guy was plotting to blow up the federal building in Minneapolis. You never know.”
Macie shook her head. “It sounds so fascinating. Do you have a lot of women who do field investigations?”
Stafford nodded. “More and more all the time. Are you applying?” He glanced at Eric with a wide grin.
Macie shook her head. “Well…..it just sounds so interesting. But I don’t have a law enforcement degree. Anyway, I already have one investigator in my apartment. But it does sound like intriguing work.”
Stafford sighed. “Intriguing it is. But, it also seems to get more perilous. With the internet, more crackpots have access to dangerous technology and information. It’s not going to get any better.” He glanced at his watch. “I need to be getting home. Early morning tomorrow.” He shook hands with Eric, and then reached to take Macie’s hand. “An absolute pleasure. You’re just as lovely as Eric described.”
They said goodbye and Eric and Macie watched Stafford walk away. Macie turned to her husband with a concerned look. “Just how much danger are you in most of the time?”
Eric shook his head. “Macie……it’s not so much that the danger is ongoing. It can just flare up if the wrong person wants to make trouble. Most of the time it’s the F.B.I. guys like Mike who are at the front of the danger. But, my work can lead them there, and from time to time, people we are concerned about know who I am. I ask questions about them, and sometimes I do have some initial direct contact before the F.B.I gets on board.”
Eric slid closer to Macie and spoke in a whisper. “This is the point I’ve been wanting to be sure you understand. It’s not much of a leap from knowing someone like me is getting in the way of your plans, and deciding to eliminate the obstacle. Remember, Macie…..the bad guy usually has the element of surprise on his side.”
Eric lowered his voice even more. “It’s those times in traffic, or out on the sidewalk that I really need for you to be on your toes.” He leaned over and kissed Macie on the forehead, and she placed her head on his shoulder.
Macie sat at her desk on a slow Thursday morning, feeling wistful that she and Eric were being deprived of the time together they would have liked. As she was wondering what the day would bring forward, her phone buzzed.
Macie pressed the button and the receptionist announced, “Mr. Jarrett for you, Macie.”
“Mr. Jarrett?”
“Hello Miss Lowden. Say, I am so sorry, but our group can’t come forward with the money we need right now. If that changes, we could get back with you, but…….well, sorry.”
Macie felt her mood drop. “I understand, Mr. Jarrett. Thank you so much for your interest, and if we can help you at any point in the future, please don’t hesitate to call on us. You have my card. Feel free to contact me.”
“Thank you. Have a good day.”
Macie placed the phone back on the receiver. I would have had better day with a deal that would have set up a nice retirement fund.
She took a deep breath and stepped away from her desk to look out onto the foot traffic on K Street, five blocks below. She had to buckle down and deal with her disappointment. She tapped herself on the side of the head and walked to her manager’s office to tell him the news. Right after that, she sat back down at her desk to call more leads.
Jarrett got up from his chair and paced the floor of his bedroom. He was frustrated that his backers had found that talk was easier than writing a check. He had wanted very badly to establish a legitimate channel for his passions. If only those two glitzy celebrities who went around Hollywood bragging about their commitment to saving w
ildlife had followed through. However, they probably needed another vacation home somewhere, so that they could bulldoze more trees, then stand in their living rooms and hold fundraisers for others to donate money to saving the forests.
Jarrett needed that money. He was tired of doing things the hard way. He just wanted to influence a couple of weak-kneed Congressmen to do his bidding for him. It did not seem like that much to ask.
He was not at all a man of means. He dressed well and displayed the aura of affluence. In reality, he lived on what others would give him according to their strength of belief in his cause. Now he would have to once again depend solely upon his own wiles. Perhaps he had set his sight too high. However, legislation (and members of Congress) did not come cheap.
Macie was frustrated for the rest of the day. When Eric arrived home, she told him that her chance at the high-revenue contract was dashed.
She joked over a glass of wine that perhaps for a change of pace that she should try working in investigations like Eric and his staff. At first she was simply teasing Eric that she could readily handle such work, but when he told her that such duties as his required a lot of special preparation and training, she felt a touch of hurt in the sense that she was not being given credit for her versatility.
She did not tell Eric that she felt diminished by his comments. Instead, she told herself that someday, the opportunity to show him how capable she was would present itself.
It was a month after her meeting with Jarrett that Eric told Macie that a man he was investigating was said to be in Washington meeting with some radical elements who may aid him in his cause. Eric had heard that the man, who was the leader of a radical environmentalist group, had told an informant that Eric’s department was pressuring him. As he had named Eric in particular, he decided that some danger was at least conceivable.