“He’s given me a whole hour. Big shit.”
In an instance Paul was in front of her and pulled her up by the arm. He turned her sideways and gave her five sound whacks over her jeans. He started to return her to the couch, when she found her voice. “Ow! Damn it, don’t do that.”
“Okay, if you insist,” he said in a dangerously low voice, “we’ll do it this way.” He sat down on the couch and she found herself over his lap, and he was unfastening her jeans.
“Oh, no! Don’t you dare!’
He got her jeans and panties down in one quick move and started her spanking. “Gina, right now you have one spanking coming, for your language. Don’t turn it into something more serious.” Without giving her time to think much, he continued his talk as he started the spanking. “You’ve already received a spanking today for your language, Gina, and therefore, you aren’t actually entitled to a warning before another spanking. I tried to get your attention, though, with the five quick swats. Had you accepted it, instead of cussing again, that would have been it. But since you insisted on continuing with the unacceptable language, you’ve forced me to give you the spanking you deserve. If you can behave yourself for the rest of this, it will be over. It’s up to you; your choice.”
He spanked her another half a dozen times, and quit. “Good girl,” he said as he picked her up and helped her get comfortable on his lap. “It’s over now, and I’m proud of you. For once, you let the spanking end with just one offense. If you’d do that more often, this program would be easier for you.” He rubbed her arm gently and could feel her relax as she laid her head against his chest.
He continued talking to her softly and rubbing her back or arm. When he could tell she was relaxed, he attempted to get her to talk to him. “Okay now?”
She looked and sounded confused. “Yeah, I guess.”
He chuckled. “You don’t sound too sure. Are you sure you’re okay?” She nodded, but didn’t say anything. Not liking the way she was acting, he tried again. “Anything you want to talk about?”
She quickly shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Really.”
“Okay. Like I said earlier, I won’t ever ask you to talk if you aren’t ready to, but if you ever want to, that’s what I’m here for.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“Of course. I really am here to help you make it through this program.” He paused a few moments, but went on, concerned about how quiet she’d been, coupled with the anger he’d seen. “Gina, this may be a good time to tell you something else. If there’s anything I may be able to do to help you through this program, let me know. If it’s something I can do, I will. I was serious when I said I see my job here as helping you through the program.”
“Like what kinds of things?”
“I’m not sure. I’m always willing to talk, but if there’s something else that would help, let me know. I had a lady who said she felt like she was in prison staying home all the time, so we started going for a walk every day, and that helped her. One lady I worked with said exercise helped her get through stress, so if she felt like stress was becoming a problem we went jogging. If there’s anything like that, talk to me about it. If there’s some way I can help, I will.”
“Okay, I will. Thank you.”
They found a movie they both liked on television and watched it. She was quiet, but not rude when he asked her simple questions now and then, so he allowed her the quiet time. He left when the movie was over at 10:30, reminding her he’d see her at 9:00 in the morning.
She stayed up for another hour, certain she wouldn’t be able to sleep yet. She was upset. She didn’t like some of the things he was telling her, and she absolutely did not like the spankings. But there was one other thing that bothered her, as well. It felt good when he held her in his arms after a spanking was over. She didn’t understand how that could possibly feel good, considering how sore her bottom was at that time, but more importantly, she didn’t want it to feel good.
She thought hard, but the only thing she was sure about was that when he got her talking, she didn’t usually like what he was saying, and then she lost her temper and ended up over his knee. She hated that, so for the time being, at least, she was going to try to avoid talking about anything. She was also going to try to watch her temper.
Once he quit spanking her every time she turned around, maybe she could start talking to him. If she were careful, maybe she could act like she was agreeing with him, and tell him what he wanted to hear. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time she’d fooled someone. If she could do that this one more time, in six weeks he’d sign the paper, she’d get her inheritance, and could get on with her life.
* * *
Sunday morning, she made sure she was up and dressed by 9:00 and was waiting when the doorbell rang.
“Good morning,” he greeted as she opened the door.
“Morning,” she mumbled as she motioned him in.
He came in, but was concerned. “Are you okay, Gina? You don’t look like you’re feeling well.”
Gina thought quickly. The only thing wrong with her was a lack of sleep, but this might give her just the story she needed. “I’m not really feeling quite myself today. I was going to ask you if you were serious yesterday when you said I could take a nap today if I wanted to?”
“I was serious, yes. On Sundays we can take it easy if you would prefer. But if you’re not feeling well, tell me. It doesn’t matter if it’s Sunday or not. There’s no set time line for this program, so we don’t have to push this.” He looked at her a little closer. “You don’t look like you slept very well last night.”
“I didn’t,” she said, marveling at how well this was working out. “I tossed and turned all night.”
“Why don’t you take some Tylenol and go lay down on the couch. I’ll make us some scrambled eggs and toast.”
“I can help you,” she offered. “After all, the rules say if you don’t help—”
“The rules are for when you’re feeling well. You go lay down and I’ll call you when the eggs and toast are done.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. You go rest.”
“If you’re sure, I don’t seem to have much energy this morning.” She turned and shuffled into the living room, secretly smiling.
Paul catered to her all day. After fixing her scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast, he let her decide what she’d like for lunch and dinner, not wanting to chance cooking solo. They had lunch delivered, and he went and picked up what she wanted for dinner. She took a nap in the afternoon, and spent much of the rest of the day reading or watching television.
Monday was very similar to Sunday. On Tuesday he started questioning her a bit. He noticed she wasn’t taking any Tylenol or aspirin, and her appetite seemed to be fine, which he thought was a little unusual for someone who didn’t feel well. She insisted she was starting to feel better, but wasn’t back to herself yet.
When he left Tuesday night, he dropped a bombshell on her. “I hope you feel better tomorrow, Gina, because if you don’t, I’ll take you to a doctor.”
“No, I don’t need a doctor,” she tried to assure him. “It’s probably just the flu, and that just takes a few days or so.”
“Well, it’s been a few days, so if you’re not feeling better tomorrow I’m taking you to the doctor to be sure it’s not something more serious. I feel responsible for you while we’re in this program, so no arguing, my mind’s made up. Sleep well tonight, and we’ll see how you’re doing tomorrow.”
He left, and Gina stood there staring at his retreating back. It didn’t take her long to realize she had to tell him she was feeling better when he arrived in the morning, because she certainly wasn’t going to any doctor and risk having him say there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. But she couldn’t suddenly heal overnight, either, so she’d have to be careful. She’d say she felt better in the morning, but try to remember and slow down as the day went on. That should work.
* * *
Her plan seemed to be working rather well. She helped fix breakfast, which consisted of French toast and sausage. Once they had the dishes in the dishwasher he steered them to the living room. “I’m glad you’re feeling better today, Gina. Are you ready to do some talking, get back to the program?”
“Sure, as long as we don’t get into anything real heavy yet. I still have a little bit of a headache, so I’m not sure I’m up to any real deep discussions yet.”
He studied her a few seconds. “Okay.” He paused again. “Gina, tell me how you’re feeling.”
“What do you mean? I said I feel better, but I still have a bit of a headache.”
“What exactly was wrong the last few days?”
“I think I probably had the flu. Why?”
“Are you sure?”
She looked angry when she turned to look at him, but he didn’t back down any. “Let me explain my concern here. One of the things your grandfather was concerned about was lying to get what you want. I know you’ve said you don’t like to talk about your feelings, so I have to wonder about your illness. You said you thought it was the flu, but it never seemed to affect your appetite. I’ve never seen that with anyone that had the flu. And you never once mentioned having a headache until this morning. Are you sure you’ve been feeling bad?”
“You’re calling me a liar?”
“Gina, sit down and listen to me. I don’t think I need to remind you what happens if you lose your temper, so I suggest you calm down. I think this would be a good time to talk about the proper way to discuss things. If you disagree with anything I say, I’ll be happy to discuss it with you, as long as you do it in a respectful way. That’s been a problem before, so let’s sit down right now and talk about the proper way to have a discussion.”
She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.
“That’s definitely not the right way. In fact,” he warned, “you’re getting real close to a trip over my knee, so I suggest you take a deep breath and get your emotions in check. Then we’ll talk. I give you my word, I’ll listen to anything you want to tell me.” He met her eyes and held them, not giving in, and he watched as she finally backed down. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before sitting down on the couch.
He sat down beside her and patted her hand. “Very good. I’m proud of you. Now, if you have something you want to tell me, now or any other time, I’ll be happy to listen to it and we can discuss it, as long as you’re not being rude. In a calm manner, tell me what has you upset.”
“You’re calling me a liar.”
“I did not call you a liar, Gina. I asked if you’re sure you’re telling the truth, and I went on to explain why I had concerns. If you can look me in the eye and tell me you were sick, I’ll know you’re sincere.”
Her nostrils flared again. “And what exactly does that mean?”
“Again, calm down; watch your temper. What that means is that with my training, over the years I’ve become pretty good at being able to tell if a person is lying to me if I see their eyes. So, and this is something you may want to remember, if there is something that may make you look bad, if you’re truly innocent, the best way you can get me to believe you is by looking me in the eyes and telling me the truth.”
“So if I don’t look you in the eyes and tell you something, you assume I’m lying?”
“Stop putting words in my mouth. You’re getting upset and becoming rude over things I never said. You’ve done that before, and you have to stop. Like I said, I’ll discuss things with you as long as you mind your manners. All I’m saying is as a general rule, if people are being less than honest with you, they won’t look you in the eye, and they like to change the subject. When I asked you a little bit ago if you’re sure you’ve been sick, you looked away, gave me a quick answer, and changed the subject.”
“So you’re assuming I’m lying?”
“No, I’m not assuming you’re lying. But it does leave it open in my mind. If you’re not lying, here’s your chance. Look me in the eye and tell me you’ve been sick.” He could tell she was getting angry, but she was also trying to hide it. That was a start.
“I can’t now. I’m so nervous, you’d probably think I was lying, no matter what.”
He made his point, and that was enough for the time being. Upsetting her now would serve no real purpose, so he gave her an easy out. They could move onto something else. “You’re probably right. You’re obviously upset about it right now, so we won’t even try it.”
“So what happens now? I suppose you’re going to assume I’m lying?”
“If you’re asking if you’re going to get spanked for lying, absolutely not. I have no intentions of spanking you for something you probably did. Unless I know for sure, you won’t be spanked for something like that.”
“So that’s it? You’ll never know for sure, so you won’t ever spank me for it, but in your mind you’ll probably always feel I was lying to you?”
“That’s not necessarily true, either. I may never know for sure, so there may always be a bit of a question in my mind about it, but I certainly won’t assume you were lying. I don’t believe in assuming things you don’t know for sure. Assuming something is like asking for trouble.”
“So you’ll never know for sure, but you won’t assume the worst?”
“I won’t assume the worst, no. I won’t say I’ll definitely never know the truth, though, because you never know what’s going to happen in the future.”
“You think some day I’ll look in your eyes and tell you I really was sick?”
“You may. Or you may not. But guilt is a powerful emotion, too. Sometimes people feel guilty about not being totally honest about something, and that guilt starts to consume them. They find if they admit their guilt and take their consequences, they can put it behind them and they feel much better, like a weight’s been lifted from their shoulders. So that’s why I said I may or may not ever know. But I promise you I won’t assume you’re guilty without knowing for sure.”
She was looking down, but he still saw the small smirk on her face. He noted it, but didn’t mention it. Instead, he praised her. Sometimes a little praise mixed with guilt was interesting. “I want to commend you on discussing that matter with me. That was the first time you managed to actually discuss something upsetting to you instead of losing your temper and throwing out an insult. I’m proud of you for that. I assume you agree that the end result was better, as well; no sore bottom?”
She looked confused at first, but quickly understood, and smiled. “Much better.”
“Remember that the next time you start arguing with me instead of politely asking if we can talk about it.” She nodded. “Now, I’d like to go back to something we touched on earlier, and talk about it a little bit.”
“What was that?”
“Do you remember before when I asked you if you felt you were better than most people?”
“Yes.”
“I’d like to go back to that conversation if we could for a few minutes.”
She nodded, but he could tell she wasn’t too enthusiastic. For the next twenty minutes he asked questions, and she gave very generic, noncommittal answers. He explained there were no right or wrong answers; he was just asking how she felt about certain things. She said she’d never thought about it, so she didn’t really know how she felt about them. It was plain to him that she was avoiding talking, so he ended the questions. They were obviously getting nowhere.
They fixed lunch and he suggested they go outside to enjoy the sun. She quickly agreed. “I love to sit out in the sun and read on days like this. Would that be possible?”
“Would you prefer reading a little while before we talk more?”
“If you don’t mind, yes. I love to take a little break from the day to get lost in a book once in a while.”
“Sure, if you want to take a little time to read first, we can do that.”
Chapter Nine
Two hours later she was still not interested in talking, so he didn’t push it. He didn’t even mention it while they fixed dinner and ate. After dinner he tried again. “Feel like talking a little bit now?”
“Not really. I’m getting tired. Could we wait until tomorrow?”
“Sure. Do you want to read some more, or watch some television?”
They spent the evening watching a movie. He left around 10:00. “Tomorrow we’ll try to get back into the program and get back on track.” She just nodded.
She invited him in Thursday morning, and seemed okay while they made and ate breakfast. When they went to the living room afterward, however, she seemed to change. When he asked if she was ready to talk, she answered hesitantly. “Sure, we can try. What do you want to talk about?”
“When we were talking the other day you mentioned you felt you were better than people that were a drain on society. That makes sense to me. Could we talk about who all you consider to be a drain on society?”
“Well, I’ve thought about that since we talked about it. I think maybe I wasn’t being fair to them.”
Paul was surprised, but also suspicious. “Why is that?”
“Well, I thought about everything you were saying, and I think you’re right. At the least, I don’t feel as strongly about them as I did.”
“I’m curious. What brought about this change?”
“I guess you’re right. Talking about things makes you think about them. Hearing what you were saying, the more I thought about it, the more I think maybe you’re right.”
“Okay. Let’s talk about something else then.”
She looked a bit uncomfortable, but agreed. “All right.”
“Let’s talk about college. What did you like, what didn’t you like, what did you think of the classes you took and the professors? How did you get along with the other students?”
Gina and Paul (Last Chance Program Book 2) Page 11