Marbury Plains Page 4

  When their meals arrived, they continued to chat leisurely as their conversation turned to their mutual new employment at the prep school. They began to talk about the unique purpose and operation of the school, and Lily was at first shocked at how little Martin had heard of the controversy when it was founded.

  She recalled at length the protests and condemnation of the school and how it had received even national media attention for a couple of weeks until the reporters and pundits were forced to accept the fact that the new institution was not going to go away simply because they found it politically incorrect and backward in nature. There were even picketers along the streets that bordered the school.

  But Martin realized that all of it had taken place when he was totally immersed in finishing up his doctorate in education, and he would go days at a time without hearing any news at all. He was either at work, in a class or studying eighteen hours a day for a span of several months.

  When Lily recited summaries of some of the things said about the school, Martin began to laugh heartily. He recalled wondering after accepting the position, just what he had gotten himself into.

  As their laughter subsided, Lily slowly reached her hands across the table and placed her fingertips upon his, a warm smile saying everything that needed to be said at the moment.

  Martin turned his hands over and grasped hers. “I’m so glad you agreed to go to dinner with me this evening. I thought that you may be reluctant to, since we have to work together.”

  Lily shook her head slowly. “I’m not afraid of dating the boss.”

  Martin laughed. “I try not to be a scary guy.”

  Lily leaned close and spoke to him softly. “Oh, yeah? You were kind of scary one time. That was the morning you gave your first paddling. I nearly jumped off my chair with every crack of the paddle against Polly’s bottom.”

  Martin grimaced and shrugged. “She deserved that.”

  Lily giggled and grasped his hands more tightly. “Oh, I agree that she deserved every bit of it. But that was quite a paddling you gave her. I ran into Kathy in a store today. She says that your first paddling is already one of legend.”

  Martin laughed. “Maybe it will discourage any more severe misbehavior. It seems to have worked so far, and it’s been several weeks.”

  Lily shook her head. “Sorry. Kathy told me that she has another problem to bring you on Monday. Not as severe, but a simple pot possession. Kathy smelled it coming out of the girl’s room. She thought she was just by herself and not bothering anyone else. Her roommate was at the library for the evening, and she thought the candles she was burning would mask the aroma.

  “Kathy says that she’s really a sweet girl, but has a history of bad judgment. That’s why her parents sent her here. Kathy thinks that it won’t take much work to turn her around. She has some ideas she wants to talk to you about.”

  Martin grunted in response. “Ideas, huh? What kind of ideas?”

  Lily began to giggle. “Kathy thinks that this girl… Helen, I think her name is, can be scared into good behavior. Of course, Kathy thinks that she needs to leave your office with a very sore bottom, but she is already quite apologetic for what she did.”

  Martin sighed deeply. “Something that surprised me, as I looked over the student records, is that these young women come from all over the country. I saw that there were even a few from Canada. There must be some interesting conversations taking place in those homes when the parents tell them what their options are.”

  “Actually, Kathy told me that this Helen is a different case, probably unique among the student body here. Believe it or not, Helen spent a year at a university already, but when she came home for summer break with mediocre grades, she sat down with her parents and told them that she needed help.

  “It seems that she has a hard time passing up a party, and she is too vulnerable to partaking in pot when it’s available to her. She got on the Internet and did some research, and in her case, she was the one who came across Marbury and asked her parents about it.”

  Martin sat silently for a moment. “Now I understand why Kathy thinks that Helen needs some special treatment. That should make for an interesting… intervention… let’s say.”

  Lily laughed quietly. “And it sounds like this is going to be my first experience in witnessing a paddling. Then I’ll get to find out if watching it is as scary as hearing it.”

  Martin seemed to stare off into the distance for a moment. “I don’t want to get a reputation for being overly severe.”

  Lily shook her head and smiled. “But you were right, that first girl really had it coming. And you had to let everybody know right from the beginning that you mean business. But now, you get the chance to let everyone know that you are also fair and able to administer punishment on a case-by-case basis. I think you are on the right track.”

  Martin grasped her hand a little more firmly. “So you promise not to cry and scream when I have to use the paddle?”

  Lily began to giggle once again. “As long as you’re not using it on me.” Suddenly she placed her fingertips over her lips as her face turned pink. “I meant that to be funny, but it didn’t sound very professional. I’m sorry.”

  Now Martin was laughing. “Actually, I found it quite funny, indeed. And I think now I know how to address any forms filed in the wrong place or typing errors.”

  Lily’s face grew even more flushed. “I may never ever hear the last of that.”

  “I may tease you about that for a long, long time.”

  Lily suddenly displayed a mysterious smile. “I love your sense of humor, Martin. My family lives so far away, but we always joked and teased each other. Being with you makes me feel at home.”

  Martin smiled and nodded. “I don’t want to put any pressure on you. After all, I’m your boss and I never want you to think that I’m taking advantage in any way. But I would like to see you again, but only if you want for that to happen.

  “I have always prided myself on being a professional. And, I know that your reputation is the same. So, no pressure. But I do enjoy your company.”

  Martin suddenly felt Lily’s foot massaging his ankle. “I will always be honest with you, Martin. And to be quite honest with you right now, I would have been very disappointed had you not said the things you just said. In fact, the first day we worked together, I was hoping you would ask me out. Of course, if you didn’t, I was going to ask you out instead.”

  He reached out and took her hand once again and gently stroked the back of it. “I haven’t mentioned that I think you are absolutely lovely. You are quite beautiful.”

  Lily began to laugh. “That’s funny, because I never noticed that nice physique of yours. And it completely got by me just how handsome you are and how much those dark brown eyes can capture a woman’s attention.”

  “That’s so that they can gaze into those pretty blue eyes of yours that look so great in such wonderful contrast with that red hair.”

  They looked at each other for a moment before Martin spoke once again, “I don’t think that I have ever kissed a redhead.”

  Lily smiled back with a sultry expression, then turned as their server approached: “Check, please.”

  *

  They walked into Lily’s darkened apartment, and as soon as Martin closed the door behind them he placed his hands on Lily’s shoulders, turned her around gently and pulled her to him. He pressed his lips to hers and she immediately responded in return as their arms wrapped around each other.

  Momentarily, their embrace tightened and they found their tongues exploring each other. When the kiss finally ended, the simultaneous sighs caused them to laugh. Lily put her hand on his face and stroked his cheek softly. “That’s what it’s like to kiss a redhead. Of course, it helps when the redhead wants to be kissed, and this redhead wanted that kiss very much. For that matter, she would like another.”

  Martin began to kiss her again, but she giggled and broke the kiss off. “You know, we could sit
down on the sofa and snuggle while we do this.”

  Martin put his fingertips beneath her chin and lifted her face upward so that he could look directly into her eyes. “I’m just trying to not be forward.”

  She leaned up and kissed him on the lips. “Let’s go in and relax. I trust you. I know we need to take it easy, and I think we both know where to draw the line tonight.”

  He allowed her to take the lead as they intertwined their fingers and they walked slowly into the small living room. “Martin, can I get you some wine or anything?”

  He placed his hands on her shoulders once again. “I’m fine.”

  She stretched upward and kissed him again. “And so am I.” They walked toward the sofa and Martin sat down on an end cushion, her hand still in his as she knelt on the sofa next to him. She kicked off her shoes, then leaned against him and settled onto his lap as they kissed once more.

  They began to make small talk, telling each other about their childhoods and their previous job experiences. They talked into the evening about their friends from their youth, and some of their more daring and risky escapades. They talked freely, and the evening seemed to quickly slip away.

  Martin had no idea if Lily knew how the scene was scrambling his mind. As Lily sat on his lap in the short black dress, he had to make a conscious effort to not totally surrender his gaze to those enticing limbs.

  When Martin stood and said that it was time to leave, he did so with reluctance. He would have loved to have spent hours just sitting there with Lily and getting to know her better. But since they had been working together for weeks, he had already come to know that she was someone he liked very, very much, and his attraction to her seemed to be spiraling.

  And when they walked toward the door, and they kissed good night, the response he felt coming from her, the way she kissed and the way she wrapped her arms around him, there was little doubt left that his attraction was reciprocated and he was not the only one becoming serious.

  On Monday morning, Martin was still transfixed by the wonderful evening he had spent with Lilly. Even when he had tried to go to sleep on Sunday night, he had somehow managed to get a little more than six hours of sleep, and when he arrived at his office the next morning, he was surprisingly refreshed and alert. He could not deny that he was looking forward to seeing his secretary, even looking forward to seeing what she was wearing.

  She arrived just a couple of minutes after him, and she strolled slowly into his office. “Good morning, Dr. Simpson… Sir.”

  He looked up and grinned. “And good morning to you, Ms. Mercer. And how are you today?” He certainly knew that she looked good, wearing gray cotton slacks that were quite formfitting, along with a light blue blouse that revealed just enough cleavage to distract him.

  Her expression turned more serious, but she smiled warmly and confidently. “Actually, I’m quite ready for today… and everything that comes with it.”

  With a little wave, she went into her office, but returned in a moment. “I have a text from Kathy. She would like to meet with each of us this morning if possible, to talk about that little situation I mentioned to you.”

  Martin took a deep breath and appeared to shudder. “Tell her to come on over.”

  When Lily called Kathy, she did not realize that the other was already close to the administrative building, and when Kathy arrived a minute later, both women joined Martin in his office. Kathy took a resident file from her briefcase and opened it. She nodded toward Lily. “This is the young woman I mentioned to you.”

  Kathy pointed to her open file folder. “Helen is from Florida. She got really good grades in high school, and she was readily accepted at the same private school her mother attended. It’s a really pricey place, but she wanted to go there and her parents were delighted. However, as had been her style in high school, she underachieved because she partied too hard. She also liked to play around with pot; seems she hasn’t been able to get past that, and it’s why she’s in trouble today.

  “So after her first year of college, she came home for the summer with really dismal results, horrible grades, and she became quite upset with herself. She sat down with her parents and told them that she needed to do something to help her get straightened out. They began to research any remedial college programs, but she was the one that came across Marbury as a possibility. She got all the information and her parents were rather surprised, but also pleased. They are the conservative type, and they knew about Marbury from all the publicity. She told her parents that she was well aware that she would have to agree to being subjected to corporal punishment if she violated any rules, but she was willing to do it.

  “So she was caught smoking pot the other day, and she has already been told to expect a paddling she would never forget. But she’s not arguing the case at all. She seems very accepting, but she is also quite intimidated by the thought of being paddled. That’s why I think that her paddling needs to be as psychologically challenging as it is physically painful. I would suggest that in her case, you make it a lengthy and scary event. I don’t think that the force of the swats need to be the focus, but rather the number of them and the manner in which they’re administered. In Helen’s case, you probably would want to have her bent over the desk, especially if it’s lengthy.

  “And another thing… we talked about my very personal experience with being paddled, in that our policy manual does allow for clothing adjustment during a paddling. In other words, for at least part of the paddling her skirt should be flipped up on her back. She seems to be a rather shy girl in spite of her party mania. I think she likes to have a good time, but at the same time she can be surprisingly demure.

  “Of course, when I got my own paddling in this same office and with that same paddle, one of the most frightening aspects was not knowing how many times she was going to whack me. Keep that in mind.”

  Lily spoke up. “I know that I’m going to have to witness this, and although I’ve never been paddled myself, I think that perhaps I can be of some help in choreographing this event.” She turned to Martin. “What do you say to that?”

  Martin nodded, his mind racing as to what Lily had in mind. “Kathy, I think that your recollections have been helpful. And I think that having Lily provide some… suggestions, that could be quite… interesting. And to say the least… helpful.”

  Kathy glanced at her watch. “Helen has an open time at 11:00 AM.” Martin nodded in approval. “Okay, I’ll tell her to report at that time. But before I leave, one more suggestion. Do you have any small pillows or cushions available to…”

  Chapter 4

  Martin sat in a guest chair he had pulled up next to Lily’s desk, as he wanted her to avoid being away from her office for any extended length of time. He knew that when Helen arrived, they would have to arrange for Cecilia’s secretary to keep watch on her office as Lily fulfilled her role as witness.

  Martin sat and listened as Lily offered her suggestions for how the paddling should be conducted in accordance with the information that had been provided by Kathy. Martin found most of the suggestions quite intriguing and even mischievous coming from a woman who seemed to be very much in favor of Marbury using the paddle.

  Right on time, the door to Lily’s office opened, and an innocent looking young woman of medium height, who had just turned twenty stepped haltingly into the room. Her green eyes were already brimming with tears behind her dark rimmed glasses, and she had already cried enough that some strands of her shoulder length red hair were sticking to her cheeks. “Dr.… Simpson? I’m… I’m Helen.”

  Martin stood and stepped slowly toward her, extending his hand but careful to keep a stern expression to reinforce her already considerable anxiety. “Helen, I want you to meet Ms. Mercer. One of her responsibilities is to witness any paddlings that I administer. And I understand that you have done something that would require that I administer a very good paddling to you. Is that correct?”

  Helen’s breathing was shallow and rap
id. “Dr. Simpson, Sir… I was caught smoking marijuana in my room. I mean… in my dorm room. Here at school, I mean.”

  “And you understand that not only is marijuana illegal here, but it is expressly against Marbury rules to have it in your possession?”

  Helen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m not denying any of that.”

  Martin took a short step closer. “And I know that during your admission process, you are required to sign a form that stated that if you arrived on campus with any drugs or alcohol, you could turn them in without any penalty or questions being asked?”

  Helen’s lip began to tremble. “I did. But I kept some anyway, just in case I felt the need to…” She looked up at Martin and over toward Lily. “I just did it.”

  Martin took another tiny step toward the trembling young woman and folded his arms as he deliberately lowered his voice and slowed his words. “And you also signed a form, agreeing that you would be subjected to corporal punishment for violating significant rules. Is that right?”

  She closed her eyes and nodded slowly. “Yes, sir.”

  Martin turned toward Lily. “Ms. Mercer, please tell Helen what she is about to receive.”

  Lily got up from her chair, walked slowly toward Helen with her hands folded behind her back. “It means bending over a desk, and getting a long… stinging… spanking with the paddle. It will be a spanking that you will never forget. That’s what you’re going to experience over the next few minutes.”

  Tears continued rolling down Helen’s face as Martin placed his hand on her shoulder. “Let’s go into my office. There’s a paddle waiting for you on my desk.” As if on cue, Lily picked up her phone and called Cecilia’s secretary to tell her that she was going to be otherwise occupied for a while.

  Martin opened the door to his office, and as he placed his hand on Helen’s back to direct her inside, he could feel that she was trembling. As soon as she entered the room, her breath caught in her throat at the scene that awaited her. There was a small, round pillow resting on the end of the desk, and the paddle was lying across it. There was also a box of tissues sitting to the side, but a stack of them was already on the desk where they would be convenient to her.