“But I can’t help it!” she wailed. “I told you that I can’t do it. I don’t want to fail, of course I don’t want that; but I’m not stupid, after three times I learn what I can’t do!”
“Don’t borrow trouble!” he said sharply. “Your first challenge isn’t for two weeks when we have midterms. Let me deal with that. You focus on being nice tonight.” He sighed. “It sounds like you’re having an overload of good behavior. Don’t rebel yet. Get through tonight without earning a spanking and I will help you find some way to blow off some steam over the weekend, okay?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Boxford doesn’t think his golden goose was a bad girl. You won’t have to spank me.”
“Audrey, we have to have a chat. Go upstairs and wait for me. I’m going to lock the doors so we don’t have to worry about any stray students wandering in and I’ll be right up.”
“Why? What do we have to chat about?”
“If I wanted to talk about it here, I wouldn’t have told you to go upstairs. Go. Now.”
She stood and started to protest, but she saw his face and decided not to test him, scurrying past him to the elevator.
He went down the staircase to lock the building. When he entered the living room she was hovering nervously near the corner where she had stood the first night. “Am I in trouble for something? Should I stand here? Sir,” she added.
He shook his head and pointed to the sofa, “Come here and sit down, please.” When she was seated, he began pacing. Finally he sighed. “Audrey, I have made it clear to you how I feel about good manners and I am forced by circumstances to see that I have been guilty of an appalling lack of manners myself. I should never have let you see how I felt about Boxford. The man may be someone I don’t particularly like, but that is my opinion of him based on years of my interactions with him. He deserves to begin with a clean slate with you and you should form your own opinion of him based on your interactions with him. He’s excited to have you here and plans to show you off tonight, and all you can think of is ruining it somehow. I’m beginning to suspect that we may have begun our association together under a misunderstanding that is harming Boxford. I want to clarify that he has not given me any specific instructions about how to deal with you. He merely told me to achieve the desired results. He didn’t tell me to use corporal punishment. That is my choice. I think a lot of your dislike of Boxford is based on the anticipation of being spanked over the grade issue, and that is completely my decision, not his.”
She gaped at him and then shook her head. “No.”
“Yes.”
She shook her head again, “You misunderstand me. When I say no I mean that Boxford is not guilt free. He knows that I am going to be spanked. He is looking forward to it. I can practically see him drooling over it.”
Rich tilted his head. “Do you really think so? I promise you that he and I have never spoken a word about how I will achieve the results necessary.”
“Then he wants deniability, but he knows. He definitely knows. I don’t know why or how he knows, if you haven’t discussed it, but he fully expects you to spank me. Have you spanked people before? Is that why?”
“That is getting into my personal life, Audrey. I don’t intend to have that discussion today. I just wanted to make certain that you understood that Boxford is not responsible for any corporal punishments that I may or may not administer to you. So let’s go back to our earlier discussion. I want to make it clear that we will be stellar examples of college faculty tonight. Nothing is going to occur that will harm the History Department’s image. Am I understood?”
“Yes sir.”
“Thank you. The Gathering starts at five thirty. It’s about a fifteen minute walk. We will go together so I can make sure that you don’t get lost. Afterwards you do not need to feel obligated to leave with me if you want to make other plans, however I am happy to also walk you home. Just in case, I’ll point out that it is an expected courtesy for you to let me know if you don’t plan to return home with me. Business attire is the norm, although you will see a range of dress tonight. Do you have any questions?”
“No sir.”
He sighed, “Apparently, sir doesn’t always soothe me. I am sorry Audrey, that you are unhappy with me. I hope that we can return to our previous comfortable interactions soon. You have the afternoon off. Do you need me to drive you anywhere?” He had been shocked to discover that Audrey didn’t have a car and didn’t have plans to get one.
“No thank you, Rich. That is very kind of you to offer, I appreciate that. Shall I meet you here in the living room or at the front door at five fifteen to go to the Gathering?”
“Here. We’ll take the elevator down and go out the back, it’s slightly closer and that door is easier is lock. The front door sometimes sticks.”
She nodded, “Okay. I will meet you here at five fifteen. Am I dismissed?”
He sighed again, “Yes.”
She stood and marched to the elevator.
* * *
“Your protégée is crying in the woods behind the squash courts,” Marcus informed Rich when he answered his cell phone.
“Great.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Are you where you can see her? Is she going to be okay or should I go get her?”
“Depends on why she’s crying. Did you discipline her?”
“No, but she is heading towards a spanking. She’s been angling for one all afternoon.”
“Considering that it’s not much past one o’clock, that’s pretty impressive.”
“She started yanking my chain right after Boxford did a number on me, knowing that he had.”
“Do you think she is asking for a spanking? Sometimes women like to clear the air that way.”
He sighed, “Maybe. She is so certain that she is going to fail and be spanked, maybe she just wants to have it happen.”
“So if you haven’t spanked her yet, why is she crying?”
“She’s mad at me. She wants to blame Boxford for the spanking she thinks is coming and I made it clear to her that it is my choice. She wants to act out tonight and invited me to do it with her and I made sure that she knows I will punish her for it.” He paused, “There is something else that came up in our conversation. She is convinced that Boxford knows I will spank her and is anticipating it. She wonders why Boxford would know that since he and I haven’t discussed it and asked me if I had spanked people before.”
“Wow. So you think Boxford knows you’re a Dom?”
“He must at least suspect it. She’s right, he’s been pretty heavy handed with his comments.”
“Do you think he knows that I am also?”
“No clue. I asked him why we hadn’t honored the publication of your essay at one of our Gatherings. He was pretty dismissive, but didn’t seem hostile. I bet he lets you sit down when he calls you into his office.”
Marcus chuckled, “He makes you stand?”
“We have a war of manners. He hasn’t told me I had to stand, he just hasn’t invited me to sit.”
“He knows that you’re a Dom and he hates it,” Marcus said decisively. “It’s making him uncomfortable and that’s why he’s doing these little power plays with you. We have been discreet, but haven’t been overly concerned about being totally secretive. I’m not surprised that he’s at least heard something to make him wonder.”
“Yeah, I guess. How convenient for him, given the golden