Chemistry of Attraction

by Thianna D.

  It stung. And hurt. And she felt the residual pain for days afterward. But the thing was? It worked. He had her talk about how she felt about what had happened and about her breakdown and then, even though it had to hurt him with his arthritis, pulled her over his lap and brought that paddle down on her cheeks. With her emotions already raw, she had cried, wailed, and wept for well over an hour. When she came back to normality, it was held in the safe cage of his arms and with a hole where the pain used to be. It wasn’t totally gone, but it had lessoned considerably and every week, he did the same thing.

  At some point the pain would not come up. And she looked forward to that, though she did not look forward to losing that wonderful experience.

  The sound of the gate opening and closing drew her attention and she turned, smiling at the woman walking up to one of the lounge chairs. “Elly, right?” She had only met her once – the day she arrived – but she still remembered her.

  “Right. Are you still enjoying Corbin’s Bend?” Elly sat down on one of the loungers, placing a bag down on the ground and a book right next to her.

  “I’m loving it.”

  Elly smiled. “Wouldn’t have to do with a certain bald ex-Marine, would it?”

  Laughing softly, Dina nodded. “A bit.”

  “Well, I don’t blame you. Jerry’s everything to me. As long as I can be near where he is, all’s right with the world.”

  “Jerry’s your husband?”

  “Mmhmm. He’s the Corbin’s Bend vet.” They chatted for a few minutes, but Dina knew that Elly had brought a book with her and would probably prefer to be reading so after a little more chit-chat, she jumped into the water and began her exercise.

  Cutting through the water helped. She missed Brandon. He’d only been out of town for two days and she felt like a piece of her was gone. Of course he had to leave. Research for his doctorate was important business. Didn’t mean she had to like it. As she moved from one stroke to the next, with comfort of having done it so many times she didn’t have to think about it, her mind went to the date. August tenth. The agreement with the community was that she needed to be out of here by August thirty-first or she would have to go through the formal application process. If she had any indication that Brandon felt for her anything near what she felt for him, she’d start the process now.

  But he had never mentioned the word love, at least not in that context.

  Of course, there was also the other bothersome factor – what was she to do with the rest of her life? A chemist with a masters’ degree who did not want to make bombs, drugs, or chemical weapons; it seriously narrowed the field. Going back to the side of the pool, she hopped up on to the deck and grabbed her towel, quickly drying her hair and limbs.

  “You have beautiful hair.”

  Turning her head, Dina smiled. “Thanks. I’m not used to compliments, though Brandon gives them to me enough.”

  Elly let out a chuckle. “Yes, Jerry has the same issues with me. I still get down on myself for certain things and he has a rule I can’t do that.”

  “You too?” Dina asked, intrigued. “Brandon’s an easy-going man, even if he is firm, but his eyes flash if I make a comment about how I don’t like this part of me or that part. I still don’t get what he sees in me to be honest.”

  “Maybe it’s a female thing,” Elly suggested. “I’ve never met one of us who didn’t have some issue with her own looks. Either way, our men don’t like it. And Jerry has a really hard hand. And a not-so-hard slipper.” Something about the smile that crossed her face when she said the last few words as well as the way she rubbed her stomach, which had the definite look of a baby bump, told Dina there was at least one good memory there.

  “Slipper?”

  With an embarrassed laugh, Elly nodded. “A flip flop actually. It doesn’t hurt so much as sting. Plus he only really uses it when he is disappointed in me, which makes it five times as bad.”

  “If I shouldn’t ask, tell me because I’ve been known to stick my foot in my mouth, but… do you find being spanked makes you feel safe?” It was a question Dina had wanted to ask her grandmother but hadn’t gotten up the guts. Talking to this woman she barely knew made it easier.

  Elly paused, as if trying to decide whether or not to respond. “Being spanked,” she said slowly, “by the right person for the right reasons does help me feel safe, but it’s because it’s Jerry who does it to keep me safe and happy. Being spanked by someone who puts you down and beats you and belittles you, destroys you. Don’t ever let a man put you down, Carodine. After a spanking, while it may hurt, you should feel better. If you do, the two of you are doing something right. If you don’t, run away. As fast as you can and as far away as you can get.”

  Before Dina could reply, a strange expression crossed her new friend’s face, one it was difficult to extrapolate. Slowly she stood up, her book and bag in hand as she made a quick apology. “I’m so sorry. I was in such a hurry to come and take a little time to lay by the pool and read that I forgot to take Muffin for a walk. If I don’t go now, she might make a mess. I’ll see you later, Dina.” Elly quickly walked away, the gate clanging behind her. Leaning her head on her hands, Dina wondered just who had hurt the woman currently running for home and shuddered. Just how much inner belief she must have had to accept a discipline relationship afterwards boggled the mind. In that moment, Dina knew she needed to get to know Elly more.

  Hopping up to her feet, she slipped her feet into her flip flops, grabbed her towel, and headed back to her grandparents’ house. Just three more days until Brandon got back. It felt like forever.

  There was a burst of laughter just before she opened the front door, so she was somewhat prepared for people inside. However, Dina wasn’t prepared for the amount of them. The entire living room was filled with people, mostly women, but a couple men as well. Rose looked up as she entered. “And here’s our granddaughter, Carodine. Dina, come and meet some fellow residents.”

  Knowing she was covered in the scent of the chlorine, Dina dropped her towel and flip flops on the bottom stair and walked into the living room. The faces all smiled at her and there didn’t seem to be a specific age range. She saw women almost as old as her grandmother and one girl who looked younger than she was. The two men both looked to be in their late thirties or early forties. One of them looked familiar. She was sure she met him at the barbeque at the beginning of summer, but she couldn’t remember his name.

  “Dina, this is our version of a book club,” Rose said in amusement. “With it being summer and everyone taking vacations, we haven’t gotten together since May, but we decided it was time to get together and figure out what to read for next month.”

  “What have you decided?” Dina asked, wishing she wasn’t wearing a wet swimsuit as she would have been more comfortable sitting on the floor than standing in the middle of the group.

  The choices ranged from a new thriller to an erotic novel to a children’s book. Their tastes were eclectic. “How do you decide?” she asked with a grin when they finished describing the ten books they were trying to decide between. “They’re all so different.”

  “True,” one of the ladies said. She was older, maybe in her sixties, with dark olive skin and gray hair that was braided down her back. Dina thought she looked striking. “But the one thing we agree on is that they have to be well-written. Only one month out of the year will we read trash.”

  “February,” the man to her left said with a laugh. “It’s our this-book-is-so-bad-it-should-have-its-own-bad-rating month.”

  “If you had to decide which of those books to read, which would you choose, Dina?” The man who spoke was the one she’d met. She just wished she remembered his name. “By the way, I’m Jonathon Travers. I’m sure it’s hard to remember everyone’s names.” He gave her a warm smile and she realized she liked him. Actually, she had liked most of the people she met in Corbin’s Bend.

  She smiled back. “Well, I’ve already read four of them, two I liked,
one was okay, and the fourth was abysmal. It was obvious the author didn’t do their homework.” Everyone piped in with questions and for the next thirty minutes she forgot she was standing in almost nothing in the midst of a group of people. When the phone rang, she jumped in surprise.

  “I’ll get it,” Rose said, standing up. “It’s probably your grandfather.” She walked into the kitchen and Dina turned to continue the discussion when she heard her grandmother answer the phone. “Hello…? Brandon, what a lovely surprise… Of course, hold on.” She walked back out, the phone in her hand. “It’s Brandon,” she said handing the phone over.

  “Thanks, Gram.” Dina turned and darted out of the room, her feet quickly climbing the stairs to her bedroom so she could talk to him in private. Closing the door made it feel like there was nobody else around. She couldn’t even hear the discussion from downstairs. Not wanting to lay on her bed in a sticky wet suit, she put the phone down on her bed and stripped out of the bathing suit before lying down. “Hi.”

  “Beauty,” he said warmly. “How are you doing?”

  “Good. Missing you,” she admitted. “But good, nonetheless. How’s the research going?”

  “Fantastic. Everyone actually showed up on the date they were scheduled and on time. It was a shock.” She smiled at the amusement in his voice. There was no doubt there was probably a twinkle in his gray eyes. “Have any plans for dinner?”

  She rolled her eyes, glad he couldn’t see her. The man was sure she didn’t eat enough and was always making sure she ate a full, balanced meal. No matter how many times she complained that it made her exercise harder, he just continued to nudge her into eating more. “Gram’s got a roast in the crock pot, I think. So roast and potatoes.”

  “Sounds good. Mexican sounds better.”

  “Mexican does sound good,” she agreed. “Are you going out for Mexican food?”

  “Yes. In about an hour. Oh, and speaking of an hour. You might want to shower and get ready. Dressed or not, I’m picking you up in fifty minutes.”

  She sat bolt upright. “You’re home?”

  “I’m on my way, beauty. Like I said. Everyone showed up. There was no reason to stick around. Now, hungry for Mexican food?”

  “I’m hungry for you,” she admitted.

  A groan rumbled over the phone. “Pack an overnight bag. I’ll be there in forty-eight minutes.”

  Squealing, she said a quick goodbye and bounced off her bed, running into the bathroom. In thirty-three minutes she was in and out of the shower and dressed in a low-cut black minidress. It took the next fifteen minutes to dry her hair and stuff a spare set of clothing in her overnight bag. A few weeks ago she had purchased duplicates of her bath stuff and left them over at his place. It had seemed easier and he hadn’t seemed to mind.

  She was just slipping her toes into a pair of low heels when the doorbell rang. Grabbing her bag, she rushed out of her bedroom and down the stairs. The front door was open and Rose was just greeting him. “Brandon, I didn’t know you were back in town.”

  “Just arrived actually. Thought I’d take Dina out for dinner.” He looked up and gave her a warm smile as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “You look amazing, beauty.”

  “Ooh,” said one of the voices from the living room. From the sound of it, it was the elderly lady who had talked very loud. “He’s a smooth talker, isn’t he?”

  Dina flushed even as he grinned. Rose just shook her head. “Never mind her. You two have fun.” Her eyes landed on Dina’s overnight bag. “We’ll see you when we see you.”

  “Thanks, Gram.” Brandon grasped her hand and guided her out of the house. Her grandmother shut the door behind them. As he was dressed in black jeans and a tight t-shirt, Dina really wished they were going straight to his house. He looked delectable.

  “Stop looking at me like that or we won’t get to dinner,” he advised, walking over to his truck and opening the passenger door.

  “I wouldn’t be upset,” she told him as she climbed into the cab.

  He flashed her a grin. “Neither would I, normally. But tonight’s something special.” Leaning down, she gave him a peck on the lips.

  “All right, but don’t expect me to behave myself.”

  Laughing, he nodded and after closing her door, walked quickly around to the driver’s side. Hopping in, he leaned over and gave her a much better kiss, warm and firm, until her toes tingled and she grasped his shoulders. As he pulled away, he gave her a peck on the nose. “I don’t plan on behaving myself either.”

  On the drive to the restaurant, he told her about the people he’d met and all of the questionnaires that had actually been filled out. “It was a miracle,” he admitted as he parked the truck. “We give ourselves five days so that the people who don’t show up can straggle in over the next few days. But they actually showed up. The five of us were very excited.”

  He guided her up to what looked like a small house and opened the door. The wonderful scents of peppers and rice hit her nose and she inhaled. “Yum.”

  “Hello, welcome to Endelé. Just the two of you?” The hostess was a woman in her early sixties with a nice smile and a happy look on her face.

  “No, a third will be joining us soon,” Brandon said, his warm hand resting on her lower back. Startled, she looked up at him, but as he didn’t look at her, she couldn’t tell what that meant. Who would be joining them? She followed the hostess through the maze of tables to a booth in the back corner.

  “Darla’s your server. She’ll be with you shortly.”

  Dina slid into the booth and he slid in right beside her, putting an arm around her shoulder. Leaning over, he pressed his nose to her neck. “I missed you,” he murmured. “It’s impossible to sleep without you curled up next to me.” Grinning, as she felt the same, she didn’t get to respond as their server walked up. Darla was in her mid to late thirties with her brown hair piled on top of her head and an expression that said she felt harried tonight.

  “What can I get you to drink?” she asked.

  “Corona,” Brandon said.

  “Same for me.”

  Their waitress smiled and left and Brandon grabbed the menu. “So what shall we have?”

  “Who else is coming?” she asked, looking up at him.

  A large smile crossed his face and he had an expression like someone who had scored something unattainable. “You’ll find out soon.”

  Their drinks arrived and they each ordered something different to eat so they could share. It was hard not to touch and not be able to just jump him like she wanted to. But the restaurant was crowded and the squeals of little children made her behave.

  “Sorry I’m late.” The deep voice made Dina look up. A man in a nice tan suit stood by their booth. His light chocolate skin and kind brown eyes instantly had her feeling comfortable. He held the same aura as the man next to her, the kind that instantly had her trust him.

  “Charles,” Brandon said, standing up and shaking his hand. “I’m just glad you could come by. Charles, this is my girlfriend, Carodine Minor. Dina, this is Charles Robinson, he heads up the discipline board in the community and he’s also an environmental law attorney.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, reaching across the table as soon as he sat down to shake his hand. Wondering why the head of the disciplinary board was here, she kept a smile on her face. Had she done something that required community discipline?

  “Brandon tells me that you graduated with a degree in chemistry,” Charles said. His voice was softly melodic and she bet whoever his partner was must just love to sit and listen to him talk.

  “Yes, I got my masters in May.”

  “Huge field. Know what you want to do with it?” Before she could answer, Darla walked up with their meals.

  “Charles, haven’t seen you in here for a while. Shall I get you your usual?”

  “Thanks, Darla. But tell the cook to lay off on the hot sauce.” His eyes twinkled again and as he grinned, small laugh line
s popped up around his mouth.

  Darla winked at him. “Oh, honey. You know you like it hot.”

  He laughed, a deep base that rang through the room, as she walked away. Turning his twinkling brown eyes back onto Dina, he waited. It took a few seconds before she remembered he had asked her a question. “To be honest, no,” she said. “I don’t want to make bombs or drugs or chemical weapons. I don’t want to teach. I just love science and took it to its conclusion.” As Brandon put some of his meal on her plate and took some of hers for his, she contemplated the calm, amused man seated across from them. “Did you always want to be a lawyer?”

  “Nope. When I was eight, I wanted to be a major league baseball player. When I was twelve, the president of the United States. When I was fifteen,” he said, nodding his thanks to Darla when she brought him a large glass with something fizzy and red, “I wanted to be a dancer. It wasn’t until my senior year in undergrad that I found a way to combine my passion for the environment with my desire to truly make a change.”

  “A dancer?” Brandon asked. “What kind of dancer?”

  A flash of straight white teeth made Charles look ten years younger. “Ballet, if you can believe it. My teacher finally convinced me that I didn’t have the right body type for it.” The three of them talked through the meal and Dina had forgotten her earlier confusion as to why Charles had joined them for dinner until after the plates were removed. Turning back to Dina, he raised an eyebrow. “So, you still don’t know what you want to do, but you do know that you don’t want to harm anyone.”

  “I guess that’s as good a description as any,” she admitted.