The Trouble With Savi

by Danielle Logan

  His table silenced as the Senior Elder replied. "Sure boy, what's bothering you?"

  "Well, I am having some issues at home. It just doesn't seem like this whole domestic discipline thing is working for us." Clearing his throat he said, "Pastor, Bobby, I'm not sure if you two really want to be involved in this."

  "I'm here to counsel you Eric, which is my job as your Pastor."

  "And I know Savannah better than anyone, so why not try me." Bobby quipped.

  "I was just thinking with you two being her father and brother that it might just be a little too close to home for you."

  "Bring it on." Bobby chortled.

  "Okay, don't say I didn't warn you."

  *****

  Enjoying a quiet afternoon of tea and treats, Savi just couldn't clear her mind. There has to be something wrong with me. Why can't I have a normal reaction to a spanking? Tears were falling from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. "Jos, I think there is something wrong with me," she whimpered.

  Rushing to Savi's side to comfort her, Josalyn held her close. "What's wrong?"

  "I think there is something really wrong with me. I can't even seem to take a punishment right."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Okay, so about a week or so ago I got punished for being mouthy" Her tears turned into hysterics "anienjoyedit. IgotpunishedafewdaysagoandIcouldofcaredless."

  "Savi I can't understand you, everything you said was all mumbled together. Take a breath and try again."

  "I liked it when Eric spanked me," she screeched.

  "That's what's wrong?" Josalyn questioned her.

  Savi sniffled, "Not just that, but…I got punished the other day and couldn't have cared less about it, what's wrong with me?"

  With great laughter Josalyn said, "Nothing."

  "This isn't funny Josalyn! Eric and I committed to this and I can't even take it seriously."

  "No, it actually is pretty funny."

  "How dare you laugh at me! What kind of friend are you?"

  "Let me guess, it's that kind of reaction that gets you into trouble with Eric?"

  "Josalyn this isn't a laughing matter, I need help. Something is seriously wrong with me. I don't know what I am going to do."

  "There is nothing wrong with you Savi. A lot of people have those reactions. Maybe you should try talking to Steph about all of this, she might be a better help than me."

  "You want me to talk to my sister-in-law about how I liked being punished? I think there might be something wrong with you."

  "Okay, I can shine a little light on that for you, but you need to talk to Steph about the other part, that part about you not caring."

  "Fine. Okay. Whatever. I need all the help I can get." Savi's tears began to subside.

  Moving back to her seat to enjoy her lunch, Josalyn filled Savi in. "A lot of people like being spanked Savi, not just you. There is a whole world out there that does it just for the sexual gratification."

  "Wait, what?"

  "Yeah, lots of people do it. It's not just used for discipline."

  "Seriously?"

  "Can you keep a secret?"

  "You know I can."

  "Savi, My sister Ahna is a total spanko," she replied quietly.

  "A what?"

  "A spanko, you know someone who um does it for…. You know."

  "No, I don't know."

  "For sexual stuff," Josalyn whispered.

  "Oh. Oh!"

  "Yeah, so you see, you're not alone."

  "I have no idea what I am going to do with this information," Savi told her friend.

  "Well, don't go telling everyone."

  "Like I would, but I don't see how you telling me that I am not alone is going to help my marriage."

  "It's not. It's just to help you know that you aren't alone. The talking to Steph part is the part that is going to help your marriage."

  *****

  "Slow down there turbo," Bobby quipped. "Maybe this is a conversation we should have in private."

  "What? Why?" Eric asked.

  "This is a lot more personal than I expected. Why don't you and Savi come over for dinner tonight and we can talk then. I'll tell Steph to add two more plates to the table." Looking to his father. "Dad, do you think you and Momma could take the kids tonight?"

  "Of course. That's not a conversation little ears should be present for."

  The rest of the day's training was uneventful. Eric couldn't wait to get home and clear his head. He wasn't sure how he was going to bring up the subject of dinner to Savi, or how she would take him talking to her family about their issues. But, this was a problem that needed to be solved and Eric wasn't going to sit idly by while their issues grew in size.

  Eric's stomach was flipping as he made his way up the stairs. He still had time to cancel dinner. Savi would never have to know that he had made plans to 'talk'. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind. They had to confront the issue no matter, and figure out what was really going on.

  Savi greeted Eric at the door, "Your shower is running and waiting for you. I thought I would start it for you so we could get out of here as fast as possible."

  "Where are we going? Did we have plans?"

  "No, I called Steph to see if she and I could chat and she told me that you and Bobby already made plans for us for dinner tonight. Did I hear her wrong? Is it not tonight?"

  "Yes, you heard her right." Eric kissed her on the forehead and thanked her for starting the shower. "I'll hurry so we can be on our way."

  *****

  Dinner was cordial, but nothing important was talked about, small talk filled the air. Savi was too shy to bring up her marital problems in front of her brother. Her sex and discipline life were the last things that she wanted to talk about in mixed company.

  "Savannah, do you want to go talk on the veranda?" Steph asked.

  Will she understand? Will Steph really be able to help me? What if I can't be helped, oh gosh, what if there is something seriously wrong with me? Lost in her own head, Savi didn't hear a word Steph had said.

  "Hey. Hello. Anyone in there?"

  "Oh, sorry, what?"

  "I was asking if you'd like to go talk on the veranda, away from the guys. You know, have a little privacy."

  With a sigh a relief Savi told her, "That would be great." Sitting in silence on the veranda, Savi sipped a glass of sweet tea.

  "Where do you want to start with this Savi? You obviously wanted to talk about something or you wouldn't have called. Is everything all right? Bobby didn't exactly tell me what or why you two wanted to come over."

  "Can't we just visit family?"

  "If it was just visiting family, the kids wouldn't have had to go to your parents."

  "Well, you got me there."

  "Savi, we have confided in each other before. You know you can trust me, right?"

  "I know, I know. This is just difficult." Savi stood and paced back and forth. Promise you won't judge me?"

  Steph rose from her seat, with her hand on her chest and giggled. "I Stephanie, promise you Savannah that I will not pass judgment upon you for anything you are about to bestow upon me."

  "Glad you can find humor in this."

  "Well, I have to lighten the mood somehow."

  As Savi made her way around the veranda, she told Steph of her issues. "Well, I think Jos might have helped me with the first one, so we'll get to that later. I guess I just want to know what's wrong with me. When Eric spanks me, it… I mean…I couldn't care less. I go off in my own world and try to ignore it."

  "Okay, what's the other problem?"

  "I just want to deal with this one for now."

  "Have you ever thought that the two might be intertwined?"

  "No, I guess not."

  "Okay, so what's the next one?"

  "Well, on the times that I do care… I like it. I mean I really like it."

  "I see."

  Stopping in her tracks, Savi asked, "What do you see?"

  "S
avi, do you take Eric seriously as the head of household?"

  "Yeah"

  "No, really, do you look at him with utter respect and attempt to follow the rules of the home?"

  "I already said yes."

  "Okay, what was the last thing you got punished for and what was your reaction to that punishment?"

  "Really, Steph? Does it really matter?"

  "Yes, it does. I need examples so I can see what's really going on."

  "This is so embarrassing," Savi uttered under her breath.

  "I promised not to judge, remember."

  "I lied and lied and lied. I mean I lied and then lied to cover up the lie and then lied some more."

  "And that shows that you respect Eric?"

  "Everyone makes mistakes Steph!"

  "A mistake is lying once and then owning up to it. Lying repeatedly to your husband shows lack of respect and lack of remorse."

  "There you go judging me."

  "I am not judging you Savannah. I am telling you what I see. Did you feel bad when you lied to Eric?"

  "Of course I did, I just didn't want to get punished so I tried to cover it up, and in doing so I continued to lie. The last thing I wanted was to get into trouble."

  "The last thing you should have wanted was to hurt your husband. Don't you think your lies hurt him? Savi, it's not all about you anymore. You and Eric are a partnership, you need to remember that."

  "How is this lecture going to help me?"

  "It's not a lecture Savi, I am trying to help both you and Eric, but if you can't see why you're getting punished, you're not going to see that the punishments benefit you. Being in a Christian domestic discipline marriage means that you have to want to be submissive to your husband and in doing so you will reap the rewards. Submissive doesn't mean doing what he tells you to do. To me, being submissive means showing your husband love and respect, following the rules of the house. Once you understand that, I think you will look at your punishment differently. Instead of being angry that you're getting spanked, be understanding, see your fault in the situation. If you know that you are in the wrong, the punishment will affect you differently, in both aspects."

  "I don't think you understand. My last punishment was his fault. If he wouldn't have laughed at me and made me angry I…"

  "There you go Savi, not taking accountability for your actions. You need to see your part in this. It is not Eric's fault you lied. That is a decision you made, a decision you chose to make over and over again."

  *****

  Eric and Bobby talked work and sports before getting into the real reason for their dinner together. Eric was insecure in himself, knowing that he and his wife of a few short months were already having marital problems. As they sat in silence at the dinner table, Eric just blurted out his question "What am I doing wrong?"

  "Well, from what you told everyone at lunch, I could point out a few things."

  "Then do it."

  "You're new at this, don't get so stressed. You and Savi will figure this out together."

  "I can't take all the tension in our house, man, something has to change."

  "My first piece of advice for you would have to be not to have sex with her after a punishment, well not right away at least. You making love to her right after a punishment sends mixed signals. Yes, the punishment is supposed to wipe the slate clean, but I think sex muddles the situation."

  "So no sex after a punishment. Got it."

  "No, Eric. That's not what I am saying at all. What I am saying is don't go directly from punishment to sex. Maybe try having a conversation about what just happened and why."

  "So I need to talk to her?"

  "Yes, and that leads me into my next point. If you are going to speak to her while you spank her, try not lecturing the whole time. Let her know that you love her, tell her that you care. Say something, man. A spanking is hard on her. Let her know that you get that."

  "You want me to talk to her, but doesn't that defeat the purpose?"

  "No, you're not torturing her. This is supposed to benefit her, and you for that matter. This is supposed to help her, not scare her. I am not saying you scare her, I am just saying that this is still an intimate act and it still needs to be treated as such."

  "Okay, got it. Thanks."

  "Hold on their turbo, I'm still not done. Remember the seminar that you and Savi took? They mentioned other types of punishment. It doesn't always have to end in a spanking. That should be used for more serious infractions. Be creative, read the binder they gave you."

  "That's it? All right, well thanks." Eric was seriously uncomfortable with the conversation he was having with Bobby, yes, he instigated it, but, man, did he want it to end.

  "I'm not done yet. I have one last thing. You must give her aftercare. You can't just punish her and then leave her to her own devices. Women are thinkers; they are methodical. Just imagine what is going on in her head afterwards. You have to hold her and let her know that even though she made a mistake and you had to punish her, that you still love her, that you will always love her. Women need to be reassured, especially after a punishment. You leaving her alone was a horrible decision."

  Taking in everything Bobby had to say, he knew that things were going to have to change in their home and that he owed Savi an apology. He should have never left her in that bath alone, especially after the punishment she had endured.

  Chapter Seven

  Months had passed and the Matthews household had been uneventful. Savi continued with her schooling and volunteering her time at the church. Eric continued to work as the youth pastor. During those months both Eric and Savi had looked forward to the upcoming summer, which had finally started a week ago. Savi was now on a break from schoolwork and Eric was back to working part time as a lifeguard, a job he truly loved.

  With summer in full swing, both Eric and Danny had been pushing the ladies to get out and do something. It was Josalyn's birthday and Danny had something special up his sleeve. This was the perfect time to the get the birthday girl out and about on her special day.

  "Come on Josalyn, we never do anything anymore! I just want to have a girl's day. I feel like I'm cooped up in this house all the time cleaning, I just need to get out of this place," Savi pleaded with Josalyn over the phone.

  "I really just want to hang out with Danny today."

  "Why are you so lame? You know, you used to be fun." She knew that telling Josalyn she was boring would light a fire under her bum, and that Josalyn would have to show Savi just how much fun she could be.

  "Excuse me? You're the 'old' married one. I'm always a ball of fun, while you are a ball and chain. What exactly do you want to do?"

  "I don't know. I was thinking we could go into Charleston and hop around the mall like we used to. I need to get out of this podunk town and do something, and who better to do it with than the birthday girl herself?"

  "Hanging out at a mall doesn't sound that exciting. Maybe you should work on enticing me a bit."

  "Seriously Josalyn! I can't believe how lame you are." Once again, Savi added a little insult to injury by throwing out the word lame and when she said it, she made sure to put emphasis on the word, knowing how Josalyn would react.

  "I'll show you lame! I'll be there shortly." Click.

  "Now what?"

  Looking to Danny and Eric, Savi questioned them both on the next step to their plan. "Well, I got her to go, but what are we supposed to do? I mean, what in the world are we going to do that is supposed to be exciting? I mean she has a point; the mall isn't all kinds of fun."

  "I already figured it out" Danny replied. "I asked around for something exciting and I found out that there are going to be hot air balloon rides today at the airport. I already made the reservations for you two." Danny handed the envelope to Savi. "Here's the confirmation and the money to pay for it."

  "Whoa, Danny. That's nice and all, but I think Savannah and I should pay for the ride. I mean you're not even going. It could be our gift for
her birthday," Eric offered.

  "Thanks for the offer Eric, but this is all part of my plan."

  "What exactly is your plan?" Savi questioned

  "I guess you'll have to wait and see. I better get out of here before Jos shows up."

  *****

  Excited for today's little adventure, Savi began to pull her summer wardrobe out of the garage located below her and Eric's apartment, finding some of her favorite outfits from the previous summer and some of her more revealing outfits from the same summer. Knowing Eric wouldn't approve of the latter, she immediately tossed them into the trash.

  She couldn't wait to try on her shorts, tank tops and bikini's, so she lugged them upstairs so she could put them on immediately and figure out what she was going to wear for the day. The first two pairs of shorts wouldn't button, her tank tops were too tight and her breasts were falling out of her bikini tops. Savi knew she had gained weight, but she could have never imagined clothes that she wore one year ago wouldn't be able to fit her now.

  Looking in her full body mirror, tears ran down her face, and she immediately wiped them away. Savi could see some subtle changes in her body—her face and thighs were thicker, her breasts were fuller and she even had some weight around the middle. How am I supposed to hang out at the beach all summer with all this added weight and no clothes to fit? I can't believe I let myself go like this! She thought to herself as she examined herself in the mirror.

  One by one, she tossed articles of clothing across the room. She was overwhelmed with the idea of no longer being able to fit into clothes that fit her just one year ago.

  Since she and Josalyn were already headed into Charleston, Savi didn't see any harm in buying a few new outfits for herself. After all, it wasn't like she didn't need them. Savi headed down to the driveway to sit on the curb and wait for Josalyn. Yes, this trip was supposed to be for Josalyn, but Savi needed to be stylish and this was the perfect time to do some shopping.

  *****

  Stopping in at a few of her favorite stores, Savi used her card, carelessly racking up charges as she made her way from store to store to store. Trying to be a good friend, she bought Josalyn some items too.