by Corey, PK
Yeah, sure. Hal was angry but fought to hide it. Aloud he said, “Well if you don’t need me, there’s a card game at the dome tonight. I think I’ll go.”
“No, I don’t need you,” Susan told him.
Hal stared a moment longer, then turned to leave.
“Wait,” Susan called.
Eagerly, he turned back.
“I don’t want me or our marriage discussed by a bunch of ‘he-men’ over a hand of poker,” Susan snapped. “Don’t discuss our personal life.”
Saying no more, Susan turned back to the dishes.
What the hell was he supposed to do? Hal wondered as he walked to the dome. He realized he should have spanked her for her late-afternoon hike. But he’d just been so relieved. Susan wasn’t stupid. She wouldn’t do it again. She’d been careless, but not intentionally. He didn’t want to ‘punish’ her for something he could just as well have done himself. But maybe that was what she wanted.
Hal enjoyed the card game and kicking back with the men. He honored Susan’s request while he was there, but he also decided to call Jason soon. They definitely needed to have a talk. He knew Jason would say a spanking was called for, but spankings didn’t cure everything. Although Susan had snapped at him, the feeling he was getting from her was mostly sadness. He wanted to hold her, not spank her. But right now, he didn’t think she’d allow either.
Hal was home by ten, but Susan was already in bed. Coming through the kitchen, he noticed a bottle cap on the floor and tossed it in the trash. Glancing into the trashcan he saw four empty beer bottles. What the hell? Susan barely drank, maybe averaging a couple of beers a month. Now she’d decided to drink her problems away? He hoped he could talk to Jason the next day. He couldn’t let this go on much longer.
The next morning Susan felt like hell. Her head pounded as she made her way to the kitchen. Hal was there. After taking one look, he handed Susan a cup of coffee. Susan thanked him and slid into a chair at the table.
“So what’s up with all the beer?” Hal asked.
Susan remained silent. Hal took the seat across from her and waited. “I want an answer,” he told her.
“I thought it would help me sleep. And I was trying to get rid of a headache,” she finally answered.
“Yeah, so how’s that working for you?” Hal replied sarcastically.
Susan glared at him as he went on.
“Don’t forget we’re going to Benjamin and Jonathon’s party tonight.”
“I don’t feel like a party,” Susan told him firmly.
“Look at me,” Hal snapped. “We accepted their invitation and we’re going. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I’ve about had it. Maybe getting together with some friends will snap you out of this funk. Something better snap you out of it or I’m going to snap something myself. Do you understand?”
“Suit yourself!” Susan told him angrily. “We’ll go.”
There was another awkward silence where either could have said something to ease the tension, but neither did.
Chapter 26
Susan spent another long, lonely, angry day. She finally focused in on why she was so angry. Hal didn’t really want a DD relationship. Okay, fine. She’d known that for years and she’d tried to get him back into it time and time again with no luck. But this time he’d been the one to say he wanted it. They had moved away from family and friends to a spank-happy town he’d found and she’d gone along with everything because she knew how much she craved the life-style. But could they live in Corbin’s Bend without it? Did she want to?
She knew Hal would soon want to talk and she was ready. But this wouldn’t be the talk she had thought about with such joy. In this talk she was going to tell him that she was calling a halt to this ‘sometimes’ shit. She was withdrawing consent. If there wasn’t going to be any ‘real’ DD, she was through with the sexy/pretend spankings, too. A spanking without meaning behind it was pain just for pain’s sake. If that was all she wanted, she could stub her toe on a doorjamb once in a while. Susan couldn’t help wondering how everything got so messed up.
Later that evening, Susan dressed for the party, though she dreaded going like a toothache. She had no doubt there would be teasing about Hal thinking she was lost and the spanking she was supposed to have gotten for it. It wasn’t fun living a lie.
They really wouldn’t be able to live here, Susan realized with a heavy heart. She’d come to love Corbin’s Bend and the people she’d met. But she couldn’t live with the constant reminder of what she didn’t have—of what she could never have.
Hal was putting on his coat as she came into the living room. “It’s getting colder,” he commented. “Do you want to take the car?”
“No, it’s not that far. Let’s just walk,” Susan answered, offering nothing more.
Hal reached for her hand as they walked. Susan took it, feeling a little stab of pain in her chest. Anger was what was keeping her going. If she let go of the anger she was afraid sadness would overwhelm her.
Benjamin and Jonathon greeted them at the door and there were shouts of welcome all round. Brent was talking with Charles. Jeffery stood with his arm around Venia. They were talking with Quincy and Henry. Quincy was dressed in her usually bright bohemian fashion and her salt and pepper hair flowed down her back. She was gesturing emphatically as she tried to make some point. Susan noticed Henry’s hand slide down until it rested on Quincy’s bottom and she stopped for a moment and looked up at him. With a small smile, she then went on, in a much gentler tone.
Susan looked around realizing that in this town she was surrounded by alpha males—except in her own house. If only it had rubbed off on Hal. Leaving Hal to fend for himself, Susan got a beer and joined some of her friends. As expected, there was a little teasing, but their gentle laughing and teasing turned to Char as she gingerly took her seat. Her answer to the teasing was a simple eye-roll.
Susan stayed quiet and sipped her beer. But as the evening wore on and she finished her fourth, she found herself enjoying the conversations more. They talked of the upcoming Halloween festival. Susan shared some stories from her teaching days. Everleigh talked about some of the backdrops she was painting for the school’s party.
Ever laughed. “I have got to watch my time better when I’m working on a big project. I’ll occasionally forget to stop and eat. Rob let me know again that the penalty for not sitting down to eat was not being able to sit at all!”
Susan shook her head in disgust. “You were helping out a good cause. You should have told the son-of-a bitch to kiss your ass!” As sometimes happens during a party, there was a slight lull in the conversation and Susan’s words crashed loudly in the quiet living room. Every head turned her way.
Quincy and Venia quickly jumped to their feet. “Susan, honey.” Though it was hardly stated as a question, Venia asked, “Could you give us a hand in the kitchen please?”
Pulling her to her feet, they ushered her out of the room.
“Susan, what’s gotten into you?” Quincy was asking as Hal came through the door.
“That’s what I’d like to know,” he snapped. “You’d better settle down right now if you know what’s good for you.”
Quincy and Venia could tell from Susan’s eyes that she’d had too much to drink, but both were surprised as Susan’s eyes seem to clear and laser-focus on Hal.
“What did you say to me? What did you say to me? How dare you! How dare you tell me to settle down? How dare you tell me anything?” All three in the kitchen stepped back at the anger and venom in Susan’s voice.
“I’ve spent years asking, begging, pleading for a true DD relationship, but you’ve made it loud and clear you want nothing to do with the real thing. And now you think you can tell me…” Susan stopped to take a ragged breath before plunging on again. “I’ve wanted to listen to you, lean on you. I wanted to explore my submissive side. I’ve wanted that all my life. But you’ve made it clear you aren’t interested. All I’ve gotten from you was t
hat the real thing was too damn much trouble and you’re not going to bother.”
Susan’s voice was breaking now, and sobs interrupted her tirade. “I didn’t accept that for years… I kept talking, emailing… begging… we even came here!” Susan turned away and grabbed a dishtowel. She cried into it trying to get her breath.
Turning back, her face contorted with rage, she finished with, “You don’t want the real thing, so you fucking well can’t tell me what to do now!”
As her stunned husband and friends stared, Susan flung open the back door and stumbled out into the freezing night.
Chapter 27
In the stunned silence that followed, Hal, Venia and Quincy simply stared at the door. A moment later Jason entered the kitchen with Hal and Susan’s coats.
“You better go after her,” he told Hal. “I know you can handle this, but you’re going to need to do some talking first. Call me if I can be of any help.”
Unsure of what to say, Hal nodded, took their coats and headed home. What in the hell? He rushed toward home with that single thought looping through his head. It didn’t take long for his bewilderment to turn to anger. He was angry at all Susan had said and he wasn’t above admitting to himself that he was furious that she chose a party to unleash on him. She didn’t think he wanted to be an HOH or thought he was a crappy one for not spanking her more often? Be careful what you wish for, Susan.
As he reached home, his anger was further fueled that she hadn’t bothered to leave on a light for him and had even locked the door. He let himself in as he shouted, “Susan, pretending to be asleep won’t work. We’re going to deal with this now!”
He turned on lights as he went through the house. He didn’t imagine either of them would be sleeping anytime soon. He flipped on the light as he came into the bedroom. It was empty, the bed untouched. Quickly he checked the bathroom. It too was empty. With a sudden sinking feeling in his stomach, Hal checked the whole house. He looked quickly into the garage. Both cars were there. But there was no Susan.
This was crazy. There wasn’t any other place for her to be. All the people she was close to were at the party and it was so cold tonight. She couldn’t be somewhere outside, could she?
He frantically called Jason. When he answered, Hal nearly shouted at him, “Did she come back there? Is Susan there?”
“She’s not home? No, she didn’t come back here,” Jason told him.
“God, Jason, she’s outside somewhere and she doesn’t even have her coat.” Hal was panicking, not knowing what to do.
“Hal, stay there,” Jason told him. “I know it’s cold, but she might have taken the long way home. She was pretty upset. We here will grab some flashlights and walk the different routes to your house looking for her. I’m betting she’ll be home by the time we get to your house, but if not, we’ll keep looking.”
Hanging up, Hal grabbed his flashlight and headed outside. He searched the back yard and the neighboring yards. Nothing. Seeing headlights in his drive, he hurried over.
Quincy and Venia got out. “Don’t worry, Hal. She can’t have gone far. The men are out looking. We came to wait with you.”
“I’m going out, too,” he told them.
“Hal, don’t,” Quincy urged him. “Susan will probably be home soon, and you need to be here. Brent’s gone to his office. There’s a phone chain and an in-town search plan. He’ll get all that started.”
“What if she went out on one of the trails?” Hal looked stricken at the thought.
“I really don’t think that’s what she’s done,” Quincy told him firmly. “But we can search Corbin’s Bend pretty quickly. If we don’t find her here, Brent will send out the Trail Search and Rescue teams. But even as upset as she was, I don’t think Susan went hiking in the middle of the night without a coat.”
Hal tried to calm his breathing. He agreed with Quincy. So where the hell was she?
The men walking from the party soon arrived at Hal’s house, shaking their heads in answer to the questioning looks. Benjamin and several others on the Trail Search and Rescue team left to head to the dome, assuming they’d be sent out soon.
The house, though filled with people who had come from the party to offer support, was strangely quiet. Hal was racking his brain as he wandered from room to room. Glancing at the clock, he saw that Susan had been gone for more than an hour.
“Could she have gone to either of your houses?” Hal asked, coming into the kitchen where Quincy and Venia stood together.
“We checked both houses before we came here,” Venia told him, shaking her head.
Hal nodded and headed back to the living room to wait with Jason.
Moments later, an intense look came over Quincy’s face. “I know where she is!” she told Venia. Before saying any more, she grabbed her phone and called Brent. “Have search and rescue gone out yet?” she barked at him.
“They’re heading out the door now,” he answered.
“Hold them! I think I know where she is. Give me two minutes.” She struggled to get her coat on and with Venia close behind, she ran three houses down to Abby’s, still on the phone with Brent.
No lights shown at the house, but Quincy knocked loudly at the door. Silence.
“Quincy, are you sure?” Venia asked. “Abby’s not home. Why would she be here?”
“Abby asked her to feed the cat. I just remembered. She’s got to be here.”
No movement, no sound, but Quincy was still sure she was right.
“Susan Marshall, you open this door right this minute!” she demanded, pounding harder.
They waited a long moment before hearing the faint click of the lock being turned. Susan’s tear-stained face came into view as the two women sighed in relief.
“We have her Brent! She’s safe,” Quincy told him.
She heard a small cheer from the gathered searchers. “You’re sure she’s not hurt? Do you need a medic?”
“No Brent, she’s fine. We’ll have her home in a few minutes,” Quincy assured him.
“No! I can’t go home. I can’t face Hal,” Susan cried. She clutched a throw from Abby’s couch and pulled it tight around her.
“You act like you have a choice! Move it!” Quincy snapped. Venia put an arm around Susan as they hurried out the door and down the street toward her house. Quincy scolded her the whole way. “What’s gotten into you…Whole town’s been searching for you… Hal’s frantic…”
Susan took little notice.
Hearing a slight commotion in the kitchen, Hal hurried toward it arriving in time to see Susan come in the back door with her two friends.
“Susan!” was all Hal could manage as he rushed over to her and locked her in a hug.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Susan kept repeating as she cried. Hal held her firmly in his arms.
Feeling great relief, those gathered to wait with Hal glanced at one another acknowledging with their looks that it was time to leave. People quickly headed out. They knew they would hear the details soon enough and that Hal and Susan needed their privacy now. Only Jason, Quincy and Venia remained.
Hal and Susan were seated close together on the couch as Jason told them, “It’s been quite a night. I know there’s a lot to be said and done, but I suggest it wait until tomorrow.”
Hal nodded. Susan’s face was still hidden in his shoulder and he stroked her hair. “I think that’s a good idea.”
Just as Jason, Quincy and Venia reached the door, four phones chimed simultaneously. Hal looked at his while Susan completely ignored hers. The message was from Brent and was copied to Hal and Susan as well as Jason and Quincy.
You are requested to meet with Charles and me in my office tomorrow at 10:00 AM. Brent
Venia read Quincy’s text over her shoulder and the two women shared a look of dread. “Why don’t I help Susan get ready for bed?” she offered. “You three need to talk.”
Venia led Susan toward the bedroom. Hal looked at Jason in confusion. “Why would Brent nee
d to meet with us?”
Jason and Quincy exchanged unhappy glances. Sighing, Jason sat beside Hal. “Everyone in town was worried tonight. The in-town search teams were sent out to help look for her. The mountain-trail Search and Rescue teams were just about to go out. Susan’s actions tonight affected the whole community.”
Hal stared at Jason, still confused. Finally, Jason went on. “It could be that Brent feels a public spanking might be in order.”
Hal’s look of confusion gradually changed to one of horror. “No!” he said firmly, “That can’t happen!”
“I’m afraid the decision isn’t yours, Hal. If that’s what the Discipline Board decides, you won’t have a choice. Other than to leave the community,” Jason said, after some hesitation.
“The possible good news in this is that you haven’t been asked to appear in front of the whole board, just Brent and Jonathon. What happens may depend on what you have to say tomorrow,” Quincy offered.
“You two will be there too, won’t you?” Hal asked. “Will you try to talk them out of doing anything in public? They need to let me handle this.”
Jason sighed and put his hand on Hal’s shoulder. “That may depend on what you have to say tomorrow, too.”
Venia spoke quietly from the doorway. “Susan’s asking for you, Hal.”
“Go on,” Jason told him. “We’ll let ourselves out. See you in the morning.”
Chapter 28
Susan lay in the bed staring at the door. Hal came in and went to her. “Pretty rough day, huh?” he said, sitting on the bed beside her.
“Hal, I don’t care what you do or don’t do. I’m just so, so sorry. Please, can you ever forgive me? I… I really don’t know what came over me.”
“I think I do,” he said. “All those feelings were right at the surface. A little too much to drink and me barking at you brought it all out. It’s something that wouldn’t have happened if you’d been sharing your thoughts with me all along.