by Virginia Rue
“What are you two giggling about so devilishly?” Clayton brought Lexi her coat and took the packages she was lugging.
“Nothing that concerns you,” she fibbed with a wink. “I found some nice gifts for your family, I think. I hope they like me.”
“Stop worrying. You should let me take you home to get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow will be a long day with six hours of driving.”
“I’m already packed. How about I just stay with you tonight? Then we can leave first thing in the morning.”
Crossing his arms across his chest, “Only if you promise to behave yourself, and you know what I mean by that.”
“I promise,” Lexi replied with a little grin.
“I’ll hold you to it.” With a wide dimpled smile for his ladylove, he offered his arm.
“See you in a few days Calla. Have a nice Christmas!”
* * *
“I’ll take the couch tonight, you can have the bed. Would you like to shower first?” Clayton asked as he set down her travel bag on the bed.
“No, go ahead. I think I’ll brew some tea first.”
While he showered, she dug through her bag and found the picture. Gleefully prancing out to the living room, she found the guitar case in the corner and laid it down, opened it and slipped the 5x7 photo under the guitar. Replacing the case in its corner, she remembered the tea and dashed out to the kitchen as she heard the shower stop. She was sitting on the couch with her hands folded in her lap when he came out.
“I’ll hop through the shower while my tea steeps. Maybe you could play for me a little before bed?”
“I’d be happy to, my love. I’ll start a fire and tune up while you get ready for bed.”
Lexi would not be nearly so quick to get ready as was Clayton. He started a warm, crackling fire and brought out her tea and set it out on the coffee table. Then he went about getting out his guitar. Thoughts of what he might play for her crashed to a stop when he lifted the guitar and saw the mesmerizing photograph. He picked it up and stared in appreciation of the sight. She was certainly beautiful in front of that frozen cascade. Clad in a burgundy bustier and cheeky little lace panties, she stood a little askance to accentuate the cheekiness. A short and lacy alabaster shawl draped off her shoulders under her silky long black hair. ‘She must have been freezing,’ he thought, and couldn’t help wonder what she was wearing on her feet. The picture showed only just past her knees. She was staring straight at the camera with just the trace of a smile and big bold bedroom eyes. Clayton hoped, jealously, that Calla was holding that camera and not a professional photographer. Lexi was a sight to behold.
He drank in the scene as his heart began to beat harder and his manhood swelled at the thought of having this beautiful creature, who was standing naked under the shower two rooms away at that very moment. He could. She had made it clear that she wanted him badly. Waiting for the wedding night wasn’t so important to her. Clayton burned as he rolled around the idea of taking her right there on the rug in front of the fire. Surely that was her intention for putting the picture in his guitar case, and then pretending to want to hear a song.
‘Her intention…’ he thought. After staring a few moments longer, with great will power he set the picture back down in the open case and sat there on the couch with his head in his hands staring at the floor. Her intention to have him that night showed a healthy and natural desire, the sexual need of the woman he loved. She knew he wanted her too. Wrestling with these thoughts, he nearly decided to give in.
‘But she knew I decided to wait until our wedding night. I decided that to honor her and our marriage and make that night more supremely special. This constant tempting she is doing is… defiance. She is deliberately trying to defy my decision and bend my will. Does she realize this? Does she want me that badly? Is she just so used to getting what she wants that it’s a conquest for her, to get her way?’
While Alexis was touching up with her shaver, putting on body oil and dabbing perfume here and there in hopeful anticipation, Clayton was coming to a conclusion as to how he must respond to this beautiful and thoughtful gift. He loved the picture and would keep it and treasure it always, but she would not get the thank-you she hoped for. In firm resolve, he walked out to the kitchen and lifted a narrow, handled cutting board from its nail on the wall, carried it back to the bedroom and slid it under the cedar blanket chest at the foot of the bed. Returning to the living room, he picked up Ruby and began tuning and strumming.
From the bathroom Lexi heard the guitar and smiled a twinkle-eyed smile of satisfaction to herself in the mirror, knowing he must have seen the photograph. She strolled out in a thigh length, black silk chemise and matching robe and sat down, leaning to one side on a pillow with her legs stretched out across the couch. She began sipping her cup of tea as Clayton started playing and singing a familiar Rance Tucker song…
“Well, I heard those city crooners sing ‘bout how they could love, deeper than the seas, higher than the heavens above…”
‘He is such a fine man!’ she thought to herself, ‘He can sing to me every night forever, that deep voice could sing the panties off of any woman. How did he last so long without being scooped up and dragged down the aisle?’
“…my love is deeper than the valley, wider than the river, taller than the pine trees growing high upon the hill.. ”
‘He sounds so intense tonight, my God he’s looking at me like an animal! I think the picture worked!’ Lexi grinned like a Cheshire cat as she stared at her man in the firelight.
“…my love is purer than the snowfall that comes in late December, And honest as a cardinal on a springtime window sill, and sweeter than the song of a whippoorwill...”
‘I hope it worked. If not, I wonder if I could rape him?’ Lexi joked to herself, ‘How on earth could he expect me to keep my hands off of him? I am so out of self-control I think I’ll throw a tantrum if he doesn’t give it up already!’
Clayton finished the song and laid his guitar back in the case on top of the photo as if he hadn’t even noticed it. Lexi’s heart fell with disappointment, at first, until he strode over to her and scooped her up in his arms and began carrying her to the bedroom. She wrapped her arms around his neck thinking rapturous thoughts as he sat down on the upholstered chest, sitting her upright on his right knee.
“I’ve realized exactly what you need Alexis Green, and how badly you need it.”
“It’s about time, you old-fashioned oaf. Would you like me to put some music on?”
Ignoring her question, “You are a woman used to getting what she wants. And I am so glad that you want me. I’m just not sure if you know exactly what you’re getting with me, though. I am old-fashioned. I am not an oaf. I have keenly noticed and suffered through all your efforts to seduce me over the past weeks, the provocative clothing, gentle caresses, the way you walk when you know I’m looking, the way you bend over to pick something up off the floor or show me a glance down your blouse. At first I thought it was cute and was purely flattered. As you’ve gotten more and more aggressive in your flirtations I’ve become less flattered and more aggravated that you would deliberately defy me.”
“I’m not defying you!” Lexi shot in disbelief.
“Oh, but you are. You may not have thought of it that way, but that is exactly what you are doing. And I will not give in and give you what you want, no matter how badly I want it too. But I will give you what you need. I think a good paddling will calm you down and help you regain some self-control.
“I DON’T NEED TO BE PADDLED!”
“You do. At the very least, I know you’ll knock it off and behave yourself during the trip to meet my family for Christmas. And it’s only fair that you should know before you say ‘I do’ that I am not going to be tolerant of such open defiance. I’d sooner risk giving you a paddling you didn’t need, than risk not giving it. It won’t kill you. In fact, if you do marry me after this, you should know I just may put you over my knee from time to time
simply to refresh your memory.” At that he reached down and pulled out the board.
“No, no, no, please don’t Clayton. I’ll stop. I promise.”
“Earlier you promised to behave if I brought you back here to spend the night. I told you I would hold you to it.”
“I didn’t know you meant like this!”
“What did you think I meant?”
“I don’t know. I thought it was just an expression. I didn’t think you would actually paddle me! Why? Please don’t!”
“Because, I am the man of this house. I made a decision. You have been defiant of it. If there are no consequences then I have no real authority. Now, I love you Lexi, just as much as I sang it in that song. I will always strive to make you happy and let you do as you please, as much as I can with good conscience. But being the old-fashioned oaf that you say I am, when I say something, I mean it. In other words, I’m the boss, like it or not. Nothing you can say will get you out of this, so bend over.”
Without waiting for her do so, he turned her over himself. Bent over his left leg with both of hers pinned under his right leg, she began to wriggle and try to pull herself free.
“STOP!”
The boom of his voice froze her instantly.
“You’ll get it worse if you don’t hold still… And I have a question before I begin. Who took that photo?”
“Calla did.”
“Be glad for it. You just spared yourself a little hide.”
Clayton tightened his grip and began paddling. Lexi screamed and bucked and tried to cover her bottom. He grabbed her right wrist and held it at the small of her back while bumping her up higher on his knee, forcing her to thrust her left hand to the floor reflexively to keep her balance.
“Now hold that pose Alexis. You will be getting a few more swats for that.”
Lexi continued to writhe and scream, though she mostly stayed in place just wanting it to be over as quickly as possible. “Please stop! I’m sorry! Please! It’s not fair!”
Shockingly, Clayton stopped. Lexi was so relieved she didn’t even care about how embarrassed she felt hanging there all red faced and red assed, although she wished she were wearing more substantial underwear than a lacy black thong. Oh, for a pair of cotton granny panties!
“Why is it not fair?”
“It hurts so badly. I’ve had enough. I didn’t know you would do this. You didn’t punish me this harshly for that night out drinking with Lexi and driving back to my apartment. I just wanted sex. I’m human. This isn’t fair!”
“I should have given it to you worse for that night. We weren’t engaged yet and it was all I could do to bring myself to take my belt to you. At least then you knew you deserved it and held still.”
“I’m sorry I defied you and tried to make you change your mind about waiting. I just wanted you. This isn’t fair!”
“Thank-you for acknowledging the crime. Now we’re getting somewhere. As to fair, life isn’t fair. You obviously haven’t yet learned your lesson or you wouldn’t be going on about fairness.”
The paddling resumed harder and faster. Lexi hollered and kicked her feet as best she could. It began to hurt so badly that she nearly went inside out in silent choking screams. While the implement was small and narrow for a cutting board, it was quite ample for a paddle and slapped both cheeks at once. He paddled her like that until she had gotten most of the fight out of her system, and then began to lecture her as he paddled at a slower pace.
“When I say something I mean it, Alexis!” SMACK!
“Blatantly disobey me, and this is what happens!” SMACK!
“And, so you know...” SMACK!
“The same will go for lying.” SMACK!
“This is what will happen if you get sharp tongued to the point I find disrespectful.” SMACK!
“Pretty much anything I think…” SMACK! “that you should have your pretty little butt blistered for…” SMACK! “you WILL get your butt blistered for.” SMACK!
“No exceptions.” SMACK!
Other than being racked with sobs, shedding buckets of tears, Lexi finally lay completely still and took her punishment. Clayton continued the slower pace, but with harder smacks to see if she would remain obedient. She did. Then he picked up the pace again, nearly as fast and hard as he could. She howled in pain and choked on her sobs, but stayed perfectly still while he paddled her a few more minutes.
He stopped, set down the paddle and took note of the swollen and inflamed orbs upon his lap. Gently running his palm over the heated flesh he said, “I think I can now trust you to behave like the lady I know you are.”
“Yes, Clayton, I will,” she strained to reply in a weak and hoarse voice. “I’m sorry. You were right. I’m so sorry.”
“Now that you did your time over my knee, do you still think I was unfair? Answer honestly, I’m done punishing you now.”
“You were fair. I was being a brat because I didn’t get my way. I just couldn’t see it, or admit it. I’m sorry I kept pushing at you.”
With that, he sat her up and held her while she cried out the rest of her tears. Then he gently carried her to the bed and tucked her in. “Sweet dreams, my love.”
* * *
As was happening more often, Bud Spears had joined the Cowen family for breakfast. When the talk turned to the mysterious robberies Calla tuned in more acutely. All the rumors of seeing a ghostly looking woman creeping about at night had to have something to do with the woman behind the falls that she and Lexi had seen in the picture. She wanted to tell Bud to check out Kingfisher Caves, but knew full well she would have to explain why. She was beginning to think she would have no choice but to come clean, when the Sheriff said something that made it plainly so.
“Whoever it was that robbed the pharmacy is in a world of hurt anyway. They must have cut themself on the window while prying off the bars. There was quite a lot of blood spilled there and trailed all over the store. Keep it to yourselves, though. We didn’t release that bit to the paper in hopes that the perpetrator may seek medical attention. We sent out a heads-up at the community hospital to look out for someone with a bad laceration on the hand or arm that may be on some heavy drugs. And oddly, it seems like that someone may be a woman. No one has gotten a good look, but people have been talking about seeing a frail lady in a long white hooded cloak sneaking around at night. Quite the mystery.”
‘Why, why, why?’ Calla was thinking. ‘Why did we have to go up there and why did we have to see that wretched face? I can’t show anyone the picture, even if I wanted. Lexi would kill me! But that poor creepy soul may be bleeding to death up there!’
“What’s wrong Calla? Feeling all right?” Grace asked. “You should be on cloud nine! Your painting brought a pretty penny for the ladies auxiliary.”
“Your commission ain’t too shabby, either, is it?” Bud asked.
“She’ll get six hundred dollars,” Bruce announced proudly. “About as much as she gets in the city selling outright.”
“She chose the subject well by painting Judge Harris’ old family estate. I think he probably felt he rightfully had to be the one to have it, and bid high to be sure of it. That and being seen giving generously to such a good cause isn’t a bad thing. Elections are coming up again, you know.” Grace might spend more time in the kitchen than anywhere else, but she knew what was going on around Walnut Bottom.
“I’m fine, I just… I just…” Calla finally started to answer the inquiry.
“Just what, dear?” Grace sweetly implored.
“Never mind.” Unable to find the words and losing her nerve, she waved a dismissive hand and picked up her coffee cup.
“The famous artist can’t handle the fame,” Bud joked.
After breakfast Calla helped clean up and then went up to her studio to paint. Unfortunately, all she could do was pace.
‘You’re such a coward, Calla!’ she scolded herself. ‘That poor woman will be found frozen and dead by a deer hunter. Or maybe never found having
been eaten by a hungry bear smelling all that blood, yet you won’t say a word for fear of a spanking.’
Then, reasoning in her favor, the devil on the other shoulder pointed out, ‘Oh, well the hag deserves to die out there. Breaking into places and stealing drugs. Another dead junkie. Happens every day. No reason you should get tangled up in it.’
From the opposite shoulder, the little angel retorted, ‘You deserve whatever your husband sees fit, more than that poor soul deserves to die. Bruce told you not to go up there in the first place and you darn near crashed the jeep coming off that frozen mountain. He was right and you never listen. You and your friend could have been wrapped around a tree and no one would have even known where to look for you.’ Calla remembered the fearful thoughts she’d had on the way out on that frightening drive. It was more like pinballing down a luge, praying the icy ruts kept them in the right direction. She couldn’t slow down or steer. Once they made it out, it all had seemed so exciting. ‘And if you would have opened your mouth in the beginning, the pharmacy might not have been broken into, at least. That woman may be dead already and it will be your fault.’
“AHHH!” Slamming down her pallet and brush she stormed out to go in search of her husband.
‘Of course,’ she thought when she found him in the woodshed, of all places, stacking firewood in the wheelbarrow to bring into the house.
“I have to tell you something…” Calla spit out the long confession, barely pausing to breath, wringing her hands the entire time. Everything said, she stood there staring off at the woodpile with her arms folded across her chest, partly against the cold and partly hugging herself in comfort.
“I knew you two went up there that day,” was the first thing Bruce said. “A little branch of mountain laurel stuck in the bumper gave you away. I was going to call you on it, but you girls seemed too tickled about something to ruin your fun. It seemed like no harm was done, so I let it slide. With all the stress of the wedding planning, I figured you and Lexi needed a little fun. If I would have done what I should have, you would have had no reason to keep this a secret so long.”