“So she wants to be mad at him and you told her that he didn’t deserve it.”
“Yeah, more than once. What can I say? I’m fair.”
“She’s going to show up to the Gathering with red eyes and nose if you don’t straighten her out soon. Do you want me to talk to her?”
“She hasn’t even met you yet. Don’t you think that she’ll be scared if you approach her?”
“Then she should have stayed in her room and cried like a normal woman. If she chooses to cry in public, strangers may approach her. Maybe if I scare her she’ll run home to you.”
“Marcus! Don’t do that! She’s here for five years. I don’t want to have to play peacemaker between my best friend and my co-worker the whole time. Wait to be introduced tonight and make nice.”
“She’s yours. I won’t interfere, but you’re sure handling things differently from how I would if I were in your shoes.”
“Yeah, I know. I don’t believe what I’m doing either, but I’ve always gone with my gut on these kinds of things. Her spirit is pretty fragile, a spanking may break it.”
“I guess so, if she’s crying in the woods because you defended Boxford.”
“She told me that she’s tired of being good. I think she feels a need to act out. I told her that if she gets through tonight without earning a spanking, I’d help her find a way to blow off some steam this weekend. Maybe she’s trying to do it by crying.”
“It’s a shame. She’d do better with a spanking before the Gathering.”
Rich grabbed his keys. “I’m going to come get her. Will you please keep an eye on her until I get there?”
“Sure. What are you going to do?”
“Don’t know. Gonna play it by ear as it unfolds.”
Marcus shook his head, chuckling, “I’m glad it’s you, not me. Good luck.”
A few minutes later, Rich asked, “So where is she?” But his searching eyes had already located the huddled figure sitting on a fallen tree. “Shit! She’s not wearing a coat. Why didn’t you mention that, Marcus? She’s been gone nearly an hour. She’s sure to be freezing. You know how easily people from Away get chilled. I should have brought her a jacket.”
Marcus shrugged, “I didn’t notice. So, go warm her up.” He punched his friend’s shoulder and then walked away.
Rich sat down on the log next to Audrey. “Honey, you need to stop crying. Can you stop now, please?” He rubbed her back soothingly.
She shook her head and curled up into a tighter ball of misery, burying her face in her hands.
“Okay, sweetie, I’m going to help you. Come here.” He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her onto his lap.
She cooperated with the change of position until she realized that she wasn’t going to be sitting on his lap, but would instead be face down. “What are you doing?” She struggled weakly.
“I’m helping you to stop crying.” His hand smoothed the seat of skirt and then he started spanking.
She squirmed. “But why? I didn’t do anything wrong, did I? Why are you punishing me?”
He continued his steady barrage. “I’m not punishing you; are you bare bottomed?” He administered a much harder spank to show his irritation and then resumed the easier spanks. “I’m giving you something to cry about and then when this is over you will find it easier to stop crying.”
She tried to put her hand back to block him, but he captured it and held it with his left hand which was holding her in place. “Stop Rich, it hurts.”
“Not yet, it doesn’t. But it will.” He paused to push her skirt up to her waist, smoothed her bottom as he admired her lace panties and began spanking again.
“Please stop. I’m sorry. Stop.”
“Audrey, who is in charge?” He kept spanking steadily.
“I’m face down and you’re spanking me! Who do you think is in charge?” she demanded and gasped as his spanks suddenly got a lot harder. “Ouch! Stop it!”
“I spoke prematurely earlier when I said there was no question about your intelligence. As you’ve just noticed, you are face down getting spanked. And yet, you are coming out with extreme attitude. Let’s fix that problem and then we’ll go back to my question.” His spanks concentrated on her sit spots and thighs until she was squealing.
“I’m sorry, please, I’m sorry. I was wrong. I’m sorry.” She was squirming trying to avoid his hand. “I’m sorry, sir,” she said with inspiration.
He reduced the intensity of his smacks and went back to reddening her bottom. “That’s better. Now, who is in charge, Audrey?”
“You are! Please stop! It hurts so much! You’re in charge!”
“Yes, I am in charge, but you are still in some confusion about that and we are going to resolve that before you are on your feet again.” He continued spanking, but didn’t say anything more.
Finally, she stopped struggling and gave into her curiosity, “Why do you say I’m confused about who is in charge?”
“I’ve been trying to give you a piece of advice, but you weren’t ready to listen, so are you willing to learn something now?”
“Yes sir, please,” she answered meekly.
“When you tell me to stop, you are giving me an order. That indicates that you haven’t accepted my authority. Every time you tell me to stop I increase the length of your spanking. We can’t have you thinking that I might actually obey you, now can we?” He changed the angle of his hand and gave her a spank on her sit spot with enough force to bruise.
“Ow!” She bucked with shock.
“That one is going to last a while. Hopefully the advice will be permanently retained.” He was still spanking, but had returned to the lesser intensity.
“Yes sir. That was very good advice, I will definitely remember it!”
“I am glad to hear it. Now, do you think you have settled down enough to stop crying?”
“Yes sir!”
“Good.” He stopped spanking, but continued to hold her in place and stroked her pantied bottom. “Now, always the teacher, I’m wondering if I should take advantage of this opportunity to give you another lesson.”
She gulped. “What would that be, sir?”
“I’m concerned that you may be confused about the nature of this spanking to settle you down and think that it was a disciplinary spanking.” She moaned. “I don’t want you to think that you would get off this lightly with a punishment spanking. Perhaps you ought to have just the tiniest taste of a punishment spanking so the difference is clear to you, especially since you were contemplating some misbehavior tonight.”
She whimpered. “Please sir, I don’t think I can take any more. It hurts so much!”
“I’m sorry, sweetie. I wish we could have avoided unearned spankings, but you needed this and I will always give you what you need. And that has made up my mind. You need to know that you can take considerably more, it is amazing how resilient your bottom is.” His hand stopped stroking and took hold of the waistband of her panties, pulling them down to her knees. She wailed in despair. “Hush, this won’t be long, and you’ll learn a lot. Just don’t tell me to stop, all right?” She sobbed and nodded. “No, Audrey. When you are in a situation like this and are asked a question you need to use your words.” He pinched her sit spot.
“Eeeyow!