His Firm Hand (5 page)

“They look like new fall items to me.” Paul’s tone was skeptical as she pulled him in the direction of the attractive mannequin.

After studying the merchandise tags, Michele’s expression soured. “Maybe we should eat first, before I lose my appetite over these prices.”

Paul put his arm around her. “I’ll bet the wait staff is wonderful here.”

“It’s what they’re known for. Everyone gives you special attention in every department.”

Paul winked at her as they approached the line in the restaurant.

“Is that what’s behind all of this? You think I require extra attention?”

“Stop overanalyzing, sweet pea. Like I said, we’ll talk about it this weekend. Right now, just enjoy the carefree moments of being a teenager.”

“Budgets are not carefree,” she pointed out casually while studying the menu.

“Or, we could discuss this while you’re draped over my knee in the ladies’ room. I bet they have a comfortable couch in there.”

“There’s a couch
and
a couple of chairs in their sitting room—” Michele stopped herself and chuckled. “Maybe you could make a request that they bring in a spanking bench. I’m sure there’s a suggestion box around here somewhere.”

His eyes darkened. “Years of pent-up sass could be very dangerous for—”

“My ass?” Michele giggled as Paul shook his finger in response.

“I want this shopping trip to be fun for you, so in retrospect it’s probably not the best time to start pulling out budget numbers. But we’ll have that conversation soon, and unless we agree otherwise in advance, I’d like you to only use cash. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

After eating a quick snack, they returned to the teen department and purchased two skirts before settling on a couple of pairs of leggings in the lingerie department.

“I already bought everything I really need for now and could probably do without the tops,” she said sadly after looking at the total on her phone calculator.

“I’m really proud of you for trying, so the tops will be my extra treat. Get two for the skirts and two for the pants, and let’s call it a day, Michelie.”

“You’re the
best daddy in the whole world!” Michele threw her arms around Paul’s neck as they arrived at the checkout desk, then instantly looked at the cashier to watch her expression.

“Who will be paying for this?” the woman behind the desk asked with amusement as she scanned and folded the clothes.

“I guess her daddy will,” Paul responded with a wink as he pulled the cash from his wallet.

“It’s good to have a daddy, isn’t it, young lady?” the woman asked, sporting a wide grin.

Michele drew in a deep breath and smiled. “It is until he spanks you,” she responded before turning to walk away.

“I hope nothing flies into her mouth. It’s probably still gaped open.” Paul grabbed her hand and shook his head as they quickly walked away.

“Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”

It was about a half an hour ride home from the mall, and Michele was tired from the long day. Paul looked over at her lovingly as she made quiet sleep sounds in the passenger’s seat. He hated to disturb her, she looked so peaceful. “We’re home, princess,” he said softly as he helped her out of the seatbelt.

She opened her eyes and seemed startled at first. “Oh, my God, I was really out. Was I snoring?”

“Not loudly,” he said with a smile.

“I’m just glad to be home.” She reached out and gave him a strong hug. “And just for the record… I do love the attention.”

“I know,” he said quietly.

Chapter Five

At the end of the next school day, Michele hugged her younger sister, Denise. “We need to get together more often than every couple of weeks,” Michele lamented.

The two of them strolled down the walkway that led from the building where Michele spent the majority of her day. “Just remember that I was the one who called you this time… and what’s with the getup? Are those old clothes from our closet at home?” Denise asked, suspiciously eyeing her up and down.

“Let’s get into that later. I’ve been a little busy with school starting, and Paul has been a handful lately. Besides, you shouldn’t keep a tally on who called first.”

“That bad habit seems to be popular in our family. Did you know mom keeps a scoresheet on how many times each one of us calls her? I saw it posted on the wall the other day when I visited her. And you’re behind, by the way.”

“I hate to sound skeptical, sis, but why
did
you call to get together? Is there trouble brewing that I need to know about?”

“Michele, don’t be so negative. Just because I’m three years younger, doesn’t mean I only surface when I need help from my big sister.”

Michele stopped and took a good look at Denise. It suddenly occurred to her how much they really were starting to look alike. Although her sister had dyed her hair blond, it was just as thick and curly. They stood about the same height, and their slim, pixyish physique easily reflected their relation as sisters. “Denise, it’s not in your nature to make social calls, so there has to be some reason for this sudden drop-by.”

They continued walking toward the main part of the campus. “I just wanted to check up on my older sister and see how you and Paul were doing. Let’s go sit on the bench over there underneath the big elm tree.”

The two of them sat down, and as if on cue they both peered up into the warm, bright sunshine. “Hmm, that feels good, doesn’t it? I love looking out across the campus and seeing everyone scurrying around. It reminds me of being an undergrad. Except for the stress of actually going to class, they were four wonderful years of my life,” Michele recalled. “Now I have the pleasure of trying to mold these sweet, fresh young minds. If that doesn’t get a person excited, nothing will.”

“Don’t you like what you do?”

“Sorry if that sounded a little dramatic. I love teaching, but Paul thinks I need to remember what it was like to be a student and not stress about the job so much. Of course, there are days when you feel like beating your head against the wall. You always have a few students that are just here to please their mommy and daddy, and they are the ones who tend to suck the life from me. I like to focus my attention on those who really want to learn, the few who will challenge me.” Michele patted her sister on her knee. “Hey, have you made a decision whether to go back and get your teaching certificate?”

“I don’t think that’s going to work for me at this point in time. Mom and dad made it very clear that the gravy train was over. And my degree in merchandising has only led me to a few crappy part-time jobs. Right now, I’m dead broke.”

“What about Roy? Could he help you find work at the university?”

Denise hesitated and leaned back on the bench, looking toward the bright blue sky. “Roy and I are in the process of going our separate ways. If I had somewhere else to go, I’d have moved out already.”

Michele whipped her head around in shock. “Denise, what happened? You told me he was
the one
.”

“He was until I walked into his office and found him with a perky little carrot-topped coed. Apparently, she’d been looking for a better grade, and Roy was giving her a private tutoring session… on how to give a perfect blowjob. He was literally caught with his pants down!”

Michele put an arm around Denise’s shoulder and squeezed her softly. “I’m sorry, but better to know now rather than later. If it helps, I always thought Roy was a dick.”

Denise lifted her head from Michele’s shoulder and burst into laughter. “You always knew how to get me out of a funk. The problem is—I don’t have anywhere to go. I talked to mom about it, and she said it would be okay for me to move back in with them, but I don’t want to do that. Daddy can be so restrictive. You know his motto:
if you live under my roof, then you live by my rules.
”

“Well, maybe a few rules are what you need right now,” Michele countered. “It works for me.”

“You and Paul are great together, but what you two have is a bit out of the ordinary.”

“Maybe to some, but I’ve found it’s not as atypical as you might think. I’ve met other couples who practice what we do to one degree or another, and everyone is different. Denise, what we have brings me love and security.” She paused to think for a minute. “By the way, he did let my rules slide for a while, but I have to admit, his undivided attention was missed.”

“Michele, I’m really happy for you, but that doesn’t help my situation. I haven’t been able to find a full-time
job, and now I’ve caught my ex-boyfriend cheating on me, so I need a place to live. My life isn’t exactly peachy right now.” Denise bent over and grasped her reddened face with both hands.

“Denise, you should think of this as an opportunity instead of an obstacle. You’re young, attractive, smart, and adaptive. All you have to do is find the right situation. You don’t have to be in a hurry, you’re only twenty-two. If I hadn’t met Paul, God only knows what might have happened to me. Hey, now that I’m thinking about it, you and I would probably be living together—” Michele stopped midsentence and thought for a moment. “Denise, what if you came to live with me and Paul until you land a job? Of course, I’d have to clear it with him first before I could commit, but what do you think?”

“Oh, Michele, I don’t know. I’d hate to impose, and then there’s Paul. He reminds me of daddy.”

“Are you kidding? Paul is nothing like daddy. And besides, what alternative do you have? Didn’t you just get done telling me you have no place to go and are out of money? We have plenty of room, and I would love having my little sister around. Yes, there might be some restrictions, so I’m not going to deceive you.” Michele stopped for a minute before whispering, “Deceptions are a no-no in the DD handbook.”

“I hate to bring this up again, but why in the hell are you dressed like that for school? Was this Paul’s retro fashion choice?”

Michele decided not to answer her question yet. “Please tell me you’ll consider moving in. It’ll just be until you can afford a place of your own.”

Denise took hold of her sister’s hand as unexpected tears gathered in her eyes. “Hopefully, it won’t take long for me to find a job. Living with you and Paul couldn’t be any weirder than moving back home, could it? And I promise, it’ll only be for a couple of weeks.”

Michele nodded and raised an eyebrow.
That depends on her definition of weird
, she mused.

* * *

Michele inserted her shiny silver key into the front door and pushed it open. After looking up, she shrieked. “Jesus, you scared me. I didn’t expect to see you standing there.”

“You’re late and I was worried. You didn’t call to tell me you weren’t going to be home on time.”

“I’m sorry. Denise texted earlier and wanted to meet me on campus after my last class. I was so excited, I forgot to call.”

“We’ll get back to your forgetfulness later,” Paul promised, wagging a finger as he walked behind her. “Is your sister okay? She’s not one for a casual impromptu meeting.”

Michele placed her backpack down on the credenza and after strutting into the kitchen, noticed a glass of milk on the countertop. “Is that for me?”

“I thought you could use a little pick-me-up after school.”

“Geez, if I have to drink that, could we at least make it chocolate?”

“Sure, sweetie.” Paul opened the refrigerator door and reached for a container of chocolate syrup. “I’ll mix a spoonful of this in.”

Licking her lips, Michele watched her husband stir the thick, sweet chocolate into the milk before taking a sip. “That’s what I’m talking about, daddy. Thanks!”

Paul put the syrup on the counter and turned his attention back to Michele. “So, what’s up with your sister?” he asked with a smile, gently wiping the chocolate moustache from the top of her lip.

“Denise is having a few problems and wanted to talk. First of all, she and Roy are going their separate ways.”

“I thought Roy was
the one
,” he said, using air quotes.

“He was until she caught him in a
compromising
position with an attractive student. Naturally, she told him to take a hike. The only snag, other than emotional, is that she’s living in his apartment, which created an immediate housing situation.” Michele caught her breath from talking so fast. “But, since she hasn’t been able to find a steady job after graduation, she can’t afford a place on her own yet. Denise talked with mom about it—”

“Was your mother sympathetic?”

“She told her to move back home.”

“Problem solved then, right?”

“Well, Denise isn’t too thrilled with that idea.” Her eye roll was slow and dramatic.

“You don’t really talk about your parents much. Does your sister get along with them?”

“They don’t have much of a relationship, and she’s at the age where she prefers to live by her own rules. Not every grown woman enjoys the guidance of a strict but loving man.” Michele’s head lowered as she pondered her own words. “My dad was strict, but not exactly loving,” she said in a hushed tone.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“There’s not much to say.”

After Paul wiped the countertop where Michele had spilled a few drops of milk, he slowly raised her chin to meet his eyes. “So if your sister doesn’t want to move back home and is low on money, what alternative does she have?”

Michele batted her eyelashes in a flirtatious manner. “Daddy, I’m so glad you asked.”

“Michele, you didn’t!” Paul shot her an incredulous look.

“Come on, Denise needs help and she’s my baby sister. But before you go all ballistic on me, I made it very clear that I needed to ask you first. It will only be temporary until she can find a job. So, can she? Pleaaase?”

Paul looked down at Michele and slowly strummed his strong fingers on the countertop. “Even though you made the offer conditionally, I’m betting you pretty much committed us to this new living arrangement.”

“I would never do that without your permission.
Never
,” she repeated with emphasis, shaking her head. “But my sister needs our help and I couldn’t come up with a better idea. It’ll just be for a few weeks, maybe even less until she can clear her head and look at other options.” Michele reached out and touched Paul’s hand. “Pleaaase?”