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  Cecelia smiled and began to laugh. “But years ago, Kathy here came with a real chip on her shoulder. And Mrs. Beatty knew that she would have to do some high-powered attitude adjustment with our young friend here. Kathy, why don’t you tell Dr. Simpson about the very memorable paddling you received?”

  Kathy’s face turned dark pink as she smiled and began. “I got caught in a lie about having wine in my dorm room, and Mrs. Beatty did not at all fall for my feigned plea of innocence.”

  Martin arched his eyebrow and laughed. “So, Ms. Montgomery, how much trouble were you in?”

  Kathy held up her hands. “Oh, it went beyond just that. When I had to report to Mrs. Beatty about the wine, she had me sit down, because she also wanted to talk to me about a report she had gotten from my English instructor earlier that day.

  “I had gotten angry over her comments about a paper I had written, and I called her a bitch in front of the whole class, and she told me to leave the room and come back the next day with a better attitude.

  “Of course, I knew that I was supposed to report to Mrs. Beatty that afternoon, so I was just angry in general. And when Mrs. Beatty asked me if I had apologized to the instructor, I told her that I still thought that she was a bitch.”

  Kathy’s face turned pink. “Well, Mrs. Beatty’s face just kind of froze in surprise. She knew that I knew I was going to get the paddle anyway. I was just thinking I was going to get my money’s worth.

  “However, she got up and left the office, and a couple of minutes later she came back with this tall, distinguished older gentleman in this expensive-looking black suit, silk tie and everything. She tells me to stand up, and she says, ‘Kathy, I want you to meet Mr. Baldwin. He is the Chairman of our Board of Directors. He is here for a visit, so I have asked him to witness your paddling.’ ”

  Kathy shook her head and laughed. “That was when I felt my heart begin to race and my entire body felt cold and clammy. Suddenly, I was terrified and embarrassed, but I didn’t know it was going to get much worse.

  “She went to the wall behind her desk and took down the paddle, and I just wanted to crawl into a hole, thinking about how I was going to have this handsome, older gentleman watch me bend over the table in this little yellow skirt and get the spanking of my lifetime.

  “Then she told me to bend over the desk, and I did, feeling humiliated as I did it. Now, I had read that very detailed waiver about corporal punishment when I had been admitted, but some things you really don’t think are going to happen to you. To my total shock, she picked up my skirt and tossed it up onto my back. I just could not believe that had happened. In fact, I was so in shock from the embarrassment of my skirt being moved away, I don’t think it really registered to me that the purpose of that, first and foremost, was to make my paddling hurt even more.

  “And then she began the paddling. She had whacked me six times, and then I burst out crying. And then she gave me three more whacks, and they were even harder. I think I behaved myself from that day on.”

  Kathy leaned slightly toward Martin. “Dr. Simpson, when we got paddled by Mrs. Beatty, We. Really. Got. Paddled. Very few students ever had to go back for another helping. The few who did, regretted it very badly and spent the rest of the day standing during their classes or the evening meal. I need for you to carry on that expectation, or else what I tell the girls in the dormitories will have much less meaning and authority behind it.”

  Now it was Martin’s face that was turning pink, although he nodded slowly. “That will be a new experience for me, but I’ll do my best. I’m certain that the first time I will have to put aside all my father’s admonitions from my childhood telling me to never hit a girl.”

  Cecilia began to laugh. “Now, Martin – Dr. Simpson, I should say – I just want to repeat what I told you the other day: the paddle’s target on a female is simply wider and more generously padded.”

  Martin leaned his head back and closed his eyes as he laughed. “I don’t think that I’m going to find it quite that routine at the beginning.”

  Cecilia nodded. “I understand. In fact, I don’t think that I would want you taking such a thing lightly. I understand that it’s a difficult, and from your perspective, unusual thing to have to do. But as you told me on the phone, your strict discipline at your high school was for the benefit of your students. I know that it did not include corporal punishment, but the intent was the same: guide a young person to accept responsibility for one’s own deeds and words.”

  Cecilia cleared her throat. “Now I need to share some bad news. The woman who was secretary to the principal for the past two years had to suddenly move away. Her husband got transferred to Chicago, and she called me last night.

  “You and I may be sharing a secretary for a few days. However, I could go ahead and hire a secretary for you, unless you would rather wait and pick out someone yourself.”

  Martin thought for a moment. “Do you have anyone in mind?”

  Cecilia nodded. “There’s a fine secretary working in the local public school that I have known for three or four years from our volunteer work at the public library. She has an excellent reputation, and she told me last year that she would love to work here.”

  Martin folded his hands and nodded slowly. “Sounds fine to me.”

  Cecilia stood, and then Martin and Kathy did so as well. Cecilia put her hand out to Martin. “Welcome aboard. Why don’t you go ahead and check out your office, then make me a list of anything you need. I’m going to speak with Kathy about a few things.”

  They shook hands, then he turned to Kathy and they exchanged pleasantries before he left Cecilia’s office to become familiar with his own just several feet away down the hall. Cecilia and Kathy watched as he left, then both sat down once again.

  Cecilia took a deep breath and smiled with an expression of satisfaction. “So, Kathy, how do you think the girls will react to him?”

  Kathy laughed and shook her head. “I was serious about what I said. A guy like that is going to be flirted with a lot.”

  “I agree, Kathy. Just how big a problem do you think that will be?”

  Kathy leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. “It will be a problem until there are a couple of backsides visibly red on display in the shower room.” Kathy began to laugh. “That will make most of the girls think twice about crossing him. And here and there will be one or two who will then get in trouble on purpose once they get a good look at him.”

  Cecilia rested her chin on her folded hands. “His reputation for being strict is unquestioned. That’s why he became available to us. But this is going to be a big adjustment for him. He has never used a paddle on another person. Now he’s going to be having young adult women bend over the desk in front of him wearing those little uniform skirts.”

  Kathy began to laugh and patted her own thigh. “To tell you the truth, I always thought these little skirts were pretty hot. But I understand what you’re saying. He may get cold feet the first time he has to paddle somebody.”

  Kathy tapped her index finger against her lips and looked up as if she had just come up with a brilliant idea. “Maybe… I should just have him practice… on me.”

  Cecilia leaned toward her and glowered. “Katherine… Jennifer… Montgomery!”

  Chapter 2

  Martin had been quite surprised when he had stepped into the office of the secretary outside his own workspace. The furnishings were much richer than had been the case at his previous school. As in Cecilia’s office, the guest chairs were of the padded leather variety, the carpet was plush and framed prints decorated the walls.

  With a rush of anticipation, Martin opened the door and stepped into his own office. He was surprised at how large it was, and immediately saw that he was provided with a large oak desk identical to the one in Cecilia’s office. There was a similar, high backed swivel chair for him, and the same leather guest chairs.

  Also in the space, an oak bookcase was built into one wall, and two woo
den filing cabinets were against another. And hanging conspicuously on the wall behind his desk was what was now his paddle. He decided that it must have been placed there to provide another level of intimidation.

  It hung by a leather thong from an ornamental brass hook. It appeared to be made from oak that had been varnished, and the handle wrapped with the same type of tape used on tennis rackets.

  There were also three rows of five dime sized holes drilled into the board, and just the appearance of the instrument made Martin wince as he contemplated the eventual reality of bringing it with force against the upturned, waiting backside of a young woman. He began to replay Kathy Montgomery’s description of her paddling from the previous principal, and felt his blood turn cold at the prospect of paddling such a girl to tears.

  He placed the paddle back on the hook on the wall, and shook his head in an attempt to dispel his own sudden self-doubts. When he had agreed to take the position, the prospect of administering such discipline had been more of an abstract concept.

  Now he stood in the office in the presence of the paddle and where such events would likely begin taking place within a couple of weeks. He closed his eyes and shuddered, hoping that the denizens of the three dormitories would be exceptionally and unexpectedly well behaved and respectful. Then he shook his head as he accepted the fact that it simply would not be the case. If such a thing were possible, then the school would not even exist.

  *

  When Lily Mercer informed the superintendent at the local Marbury High School about her new job, her boss had not taken the news well, and Lily felt that the tone of the conversation had relieved her of any obligation to give the customary two weeks notice. So three days before the beginning of school at Marbury Plains Preparatory School, she walked into the administrative building and Cecelia introduced her to Martin.

  Martin was relieved to have a secretary assigned to him, but also surprisingly nervous at having to begin working immediately and closely with someone who was a total stranger to him. However, Martin decided that if he had to begin to get to know a total stranger, Lily Mercer would do just fine.

  She was quite attractive, petite with red hair and freckles, curvaceous with a set of shapely legs that looked quite fetching beneath the blue flowered dress she was wearing. He was already aware from Cecilia’s comments that Lily would be more than adequately capable of doing the job. He had simply not expected a thirty-something woman who was quite so attractive as Lily.

  In the days before Lily had arrived on the job, when he was not walking around the campus introducing himself to staff members, Martin had inventoried the files and contents of the filing cabinets and desk drawers. So for much of the first day working together, with classes starting three days in the future, they spent their time reorganizing the office contents to his satisfaction.

  They did make small talk, and Martin was careful as to his wording regarding anything personal, quite aware that he had found Lily to be immediately and significantly attractive. However, when she made a reference to being divorced and no reference to any new significant other, he found his own spirits buoyed and threw in a casual comment about his own unattached status.

  Throughout the day, they caught glimpses of the students arriving at campus and some of them walking to the administrative building where they were located. They could not help but share several laughs as they absorbed some of the expressions on the faces of the students.

  They made several humorous remarks at the expense of some of the new arrivals who appeared to be exceptionally unhappy about their immediate lots in life. As they glanced out the window near the end of the day, they saw an obviously exasperated middle-aged woman animatedly scolding a young woman holding a duffel bag.

  Both Martin and Lily began to laugh. That was when the paddle hanging on the wall was mentioned for the first time as Lily tapped her finger against it several times. “I’m glad to see this here. A dozen years ago, I was that age, and I hate to say it, but there were times I could’ve used a good bottom warming. In fact, if someone would’ve done that to me, I probably would’ve avoided some mistakes.”

  Martin glanced at her to see that her own comment had made her face turn red. “Did Cecilia say much to you about use of the paddle?”

  Lily crossed her arms and nodded slowly. Once again she blushed. “She told me that if… I mean when, you paddled somebody, I would have to do the paperwork and be the witness.”

  Martin took a deep breath. “And are you okay with that?”

  Lily laughed softly. “I really don’t know how much it may shake me up. It may be kind of scary to watch. I mean, I suppose that you will have to paddle them pretty hard for it to do any good.”

  Martin felt his words catching in his throat. “Actually, I’m going to be quite nervous when I have to do that. It’s not like I’m experienced at…”

  Lily laughed again. “Having a shapely young woman bend over a desk so you can spank her with the paddle? I understand that.”

  Martin began to laugh. “What you just said… I guess I really am nervous about that.”

  Lily took a couple of steps closer to Martin and placed her hands on her hips. Her blue eyes seemed to be suddenly deeper. “As a woman, I can assure you, Dr. Simpson, Sir, that no matter how cocky and defiant one of those young women may pretend to be, when it comes time to bend over that desk in one of those little skirts…” She pointed to the paddle. “…and have you slam it against her behind several times, it will be she feeling much more fear and nervousness than you.”

  Martin was somewhat surprised by her candor. “So… I just have to ask. Did you ever get spanked with a paddle like that one?”

  Lily bit her lower lip for a moment, then crossed her arms and began to giggle. “No. I must say though, there were times when I should have been. And my school certainly made good use of the paddle. I was just good at not getting caught.” She arched her eyebrows, then turned with a smile back toward the desk and grabbed the next file folder to be placed in the cabinet. Martin heard her speak in a soft voice: “I always wondered what it felt like. And there really were times when I deserved to find out.”

  The first day of classes finally arrived, and none too soon to suit Martin. He had spent the previous two days (and evenings) unable to shake Lily’s candid comments from his mind.

  It was distracting enough to him that he found his secretary to be so attractive and desirable. But as he frequently replayed her comments regarding the paddle in his memory, the topic began to take on a definite erotic quality. He knew that part of it was because she almost seemed to wish that it would somehow happen that she would experience the paddle.

  Suddenly he found himself imagining seeing Lily bent across his desk as he slowly approached her carrying the paddle in his hand. He was disturbed and also excited when the image of that fantasy would seem to emerge to the front of his consciousness, and it did so quite often.

  And every time the fantasy emerged, he was struck by the reality and the inevitability of finding himself using the paddle on one of the students, while the true object of his growing sexual interest stood and watched. To his frustration, he began to feel frozen in fear of having to actually carry out that scenario.

  He began to feel so rattled that he was soon questioning his own judgment. As he sat down behind his desk on the first day of classes, he shut his eyes and hoped that he could have an uneventful day. Fortunately, he was able to spend the first half of the day conducting informal group meetings with students and faculty around the campus, mostly of a nature to simply introduce himself and state his willingness to sit down and talk with anyone who wanted his ear.

  He was still so tense at lunch that he was having a difficult time eating anything, but began to relax when Cecilia and Kathy Montgomery joined him. Cecilia asked the expected questions of how his day had gone so far, but then he suddenly surprised himself by expressing his anxiety about having to use the paddle for the first time. He laughed and shrugged as
he emphasized that he had no experience in the matter, aside from having received it in his youth.

  Kathy folded her arms on the table and leaned toward him. “Dr. Simpson, I suppose that most of the time when you have to paddle someone, it will be because I brought her to you.” She turned to look at Cecilia. “How about the first time, I can be the witness? I can signal to you as to whether it’s too hard, or not hard enough.”

  Cecilia nodded and laughed. “That would be fine. I think that may be helpful.”

  Kathy laughed and reached back to her bottom and rubbed it. “After all, I had that same paddle used on me six years ago. And when properly applied, it works quite well. Mrs. Beatty had quite the powerful swing. And, she knew how to whack you right where you sit down. But can I make a suggestion?”

  Martin nodded and smiled. “Please do, as the voice of experience at this table.”

  Kathy folded her hands and rested her elbows on the table. “I remember how scared I was. I mean not just when I knew she was going to paddle me. I mean, I was scared during the paddling. The first one stung so bad, so bad that it surprised me. And I had no idea how many times she was going to spank me. But there were two things that could have made it even scarier. First of all, it simply would have been scarier being paddled by a man. Second, I think I would have been more frightened and felt more helpless if she had just told me to bend way over instead of bending over the desk. It may just be me, and it’s just a thought.”

  Martin had to fight to keep from a grin emerging. “Okay, so the first time I paddle somebody, I’ll have them bend over…”

  Kathy closed one eye and tilted her head. “Maybe bend over far enough to touch her ankles.”

  Martin cleared his throat. “And you will signal me with an index finger pointed up to spank harder, or down to ease up. And then, you can hold up fingers to suggest how many more spanks to give.”

  Kathy pursed her lips and nodded. “Very good. But remember, perhaps the most effective part of the paddling that I got was having the final ones be harder than the first ones. That was a great incentive for never wanting it to happen again.”