Over the Knee (14 page)

She wasn’t meant to go topless until the second song, but she could feel the bustier slipping down again. Besides, she was ready now. The tequila had warmed away her nerves and the atmosphere was whipping her vanity into a frenzy.

She slowly unhooked the garment in the back, taking her time, enjoying the tease. Some of the rowdier frat boys began to pound on the table in gleeful anticipation. Courtney didn’t keep them in suspense. She let the bustier slide to the floor, where she nimbly kicked it out of the way.

Her breasts were young and firm. A perfect handful, Tommy Cantrell had said admiringly. That night of adolescent fumbling seemed a million years ago now. She peeled the hotpants down, revealing the round pale cheeks of her bottom. With a wiggle she coaxed them down to her ankles and minced out of them.

Now wearing nothing but the glittering red sequinned thong, Courtney leant back against the pole, displaying herself to the club. She cupped her breasts coyly, then uncovered them again, gyrating and swaying to the bump-and-grind beat. The song ended far too quickly.

‘All right, gentlemen,’ the DJ said enthusiastically. ‘Let’s show Diamond some real Southern hospitality now. Here’s a little ZZ Top to help loosen your grip on those dollar bills.’

‘Legs’ began to play and Courtney showed hers off obligingly, lying on her back and stretching out, posing like a pin-up queen. She pointed her toes, bending her knees slightly and arching her back to display the graceful lines.

The portly man standing at the left edge of the stage was waiting to tip her. She slithered over to him and sat down on the stage, her hands behind her on the floor. Then she raised her legs in the air, showing him the tight muscles of her thighs. She turned her toes out and scissored her legs
apart
180 degrees, delighting in his appreciative gulp. What would her ballet teacher think if she could see Courtney now? He folded two dollar bills lengthwise and slipped them one at a time into her thong, one on each hip. She wiggled her fingers at him and returned to the pole.

The frat boys were getting noisier and she delighted in their catcalls. Three of them were waving money at her, trying to lure her over. She worked her way across the stage to them, crouching down so that they could reach her. She was completely in her element now, revelling in the moment. They pawed at her. She let them. They stuffed her thong full of dollar bills and they applauded wildly as she left the stage.

‘Like a fish to water,’ the DJ said with a knowing chuckle. ‘Yes, that was our own rough little Diamond. And just think – one of you lucky guys will get to enjoy her very first table dance. Good luck, darlin’! Now let’s hear it for Tiffany!’

A pneumatic blonde took the stage as Courtney reached the dressing room. She was beaming as she put the bustier and hotpants on again and made her way out to the party. She wouldn’t be surprised if they all wanted a dance from her and, at twenty dollars a pop, she’d be able to buy that Dolce & Gabbana dress she’d been drooling over.

‘Hey, guys,’ she drawled. ‘Who wants to be first?’

Buzzed from the tequila and high on the attention, Courtney didn’t notice Derek until it was too late.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’ her brother demanded.

Courtney gasped, then regained her composure. ‘I could ask you the same question.’

Derek glared at her and bundled his coat around her shoulders. ‘Come on,’ he said decisively. ‘We’re leaving.’

Outraged, Courtney shrugged the coat off. Her eyes flashed with a black fury that bordered on hatred. ‘I’m not going anywhere!’ she spat. ‘I’m not your baby sister any more and you can’t tell me what to do.’

He seized her arm. ‘Oh, yes, I can, young lady. You just try me. You’re not too old to be put over my knee.’

Derek’s fraternity brothers shifted their eyes at one another in stunned silence.

Courtney’s face burnt, but she tried desperately not to show her fear. She was horrified that he would say such a thing in front of the others. ‘Let go of me,’ she hissed.

But he only held her arm tighter.

The standoff was broken by Bob, the manager. ‘There a problem here?’

‘Yes,’ Courtney said petulantly.

‘I’m taking my sister home,’ Derek said.

‘No you’re not!’ she protested.

‘You can’t force the lady to leave if she doesn’t want to go,’ Bob explained calmly, spreading his hands. The patronising tone probably worked with drunks, but Derek was sober and determined.

He smiled. ‘No, but I bet I can get her fired.’

Bob returned the smile, reptilian in its coldness. ‘Oh?’

‘I suggest you start by checking her ID.’

‘We did,’ said Bob, surprised. ‘She’s twenty-one.’

Derek snorted. ‘Is she? That’s news to me.’

Suddenly realising what her brother was playing at, Courtney nudged him. ‘Shut up, Derek,’ she said through her teeth.

But he continued loudly. ‘Unless I’ve forgotten my own sister’s birthday, she won’t even be eighteen for another week.’

Now Bob looked worried. The courts wouldn’t care if she’d be eighteen in five minutes, let alone five days. Not if he’d hired an underage stripper.

‘OK, OK,’ Courtney said hastily, keen to avoid the humiliation of being dismissed by the manager. ‘I’ll go with you.’

‘Wise girl,’ Derek said, giving her arm an admonitory squeeze before releasing her.

Her faced fixed in a sullen pout, she rubbed her arm as Derek addressed his friends. ‘I’ll need the house to myself for a couple of hours. I’m going to teach my sister a lesson she won’t forget.’

Courtney turned scarlet and stared at the floor.

The boys nodded in silent agreement, good little soldiers every one. No one was willing to stick up for her.

The drive to the frat house was made in frigid silence. Along the way Courtney thought of all the clever comebacks she should have used and didn’t. But that was how it always was, wasn’t it? You never thought of the cool things to say until the moment had passed. She knew without a doubt that she’d never be able to face any of Derek’s fraternity brothers again.

‘Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself?’

Courtney was taken aback by his presumption. No sooner had he shut the front door than he was acting like her father. She told him so.

He laughed, a harsh chilling sound. ‘And it’s abundantly clear to me that you need some discipline. Ever since Dad left you’ve been out of control. And I haven’t been around to take you in hand. I intend to remedy that tonight.’

The threat sounded obscene in his mannerly Southern accent. He was the family’s golden child, on a full scholarship to Duke University. Courtney was the black sheep, still with no clear idea what she wanted to be when she grew up.

Derek had been a typically overbearing big brother all her life but, when their father had left, he had taken it upon himself to discipline her when he felt she needed it. Courtney resented it intensely and rebelled against him at every turn. This time was not going to be any different. ‘If you think you’re going to treat me like a child, you’re out of your fucking mind,’ she warned. ‘I only came back with you so we could talk. You’re not laying a finger on me.’

He shook his head, furrowing his brow. ‘Such language,’ he said coolly. ‘I ought to wash your mouth out with soap.’

Courtney glared at him. ‘Don’t you dare,’ she snarled. ‘How many times do I have to say it? I’m not a child!’

‘No, you’re clearly not,’ he said, indicating her red sequinned outfit. ‘But you insist on acting like one. Did you enjoy flaunting yourself tonight? In front of all those sweaty strangers?’

She laughed. ‘Yes, I did. Especially when I realised one of those sweaty strangers was my own brother. What do you think Daddy would say about that? The perfect son out slumming with the boys at a strip club?’

‘I’m an adult,’ he reminded her.

‘And why did you wait so long to confront me?’ she continued. ‘Enjoying the show too much?’

Derek’s expression hardened. ‘I was in the restroom, as a matter of fact. Todd came in and said I had to check out this new girl, this “way hot chick who looks like your little sis in a porn flick”.’

Courtney blinked. She was sure Derek intended the comment to offend her, but she refused to rise to the bait. Besides, she’d always thought Todd was cute. ‘Wow,’ she said. ‘Tell him I said thanks!’

His eyes narrowed and he drew himself up. ‘I’ve had enough of your attitude, young lady,’ he said. Then he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her into the bathroom.

Courtney yanked to get free, but his grip was like a vice. Derek slammed the door behind them and released his sister, standing between her and escape. He turned on the tap and soaked a washcloth under the stream. Then he grabbed the back of her head with one hand while he began scrubbing her face with the other.

Courtney cursed as she spluttered and struggled, but her words were muffled by the cloth.

‘I won’t have my little sister looking like a whore,’ he said, scouring the makeup off her face.

When he finally stopped, her face felt like he’d rubbed it with sandpaper.

‘That hurt,’ she pouted.

‘You’re going to be hurting a lot more before this evening is over,’ he said severely, as he took her by the arm and hauled her out of the bathroom.

She went without protest, frightened of what he intended to do. She hadn’t really thought he was serious. Surely he was just trying to scare her.

When they reached the living room, he released her and stood in front of the fireplace, his arms crossed. ‘You have
a
choice,’ he said solemnly. ‘I can tell Mom what you’ve been up to …’ He let his words hang in the air. ‘Or you can take your licks from me.’

Courtney stared at him in stunned dismay. She knew exactly what he was insinuating, but she couldn’t stop the indignant question. ‘What do you mean?’

With a small tight smile, Derek glanced over at the fireplace and then back at his sister. ‘I think you know perfectly well what I’m talking about.’

His words fell like a death sentence and Courtney struggled not to react. She couldn’t let him know how worried she really was. Their father was miles away and Courtney really didn’t care what he thought. But their mother would be devastated. She wasn’t about to let him blackmail her, though. She had to preserve her dignity. ‘Fine. Tell her. See if I care.’

‘I suppose there’s another option,’ Derek said, speculating. ‘I could call the police.’

‘What?’

‘I don’t know if they’d arrest you, but you’d likely be put on probation. And since it would take more than a week to go to court, you’d be eighteen then. Old enough to be charged with a crime.’

Courtney felt her heart begin to flutter like a frightened bird.

‘You wouldn’t dare.’

‘Possession of a fake ID. Underage drinking. Public lewdness.’ He shook his head. ‘The law is pretty clear.’

She knew better than to call his bluff.

‘What’s it going to be, Courtney?’

He knew she had no choice. Grinding her teeth in fury, she glared at him, her silence all the answer she would give him.

‘Very well.’

He strode to the mantel and her eyes widened in mounting horror as he took the large wooden frat paddle down from its place of honour. Made of polished walnut, it was nearly two feet long and well over half an inch thick. Its smooth surface was elegantly embossed with Greek
letters
and the name of the college. It looked more like a decorative souvenir than something actually intended for use.

Derek smacked the paddle against his palm. He’d swatted Courtney with it once before, in play. It was just after he’d been accepted into the fraternity. He’d even proudly displayed for her the bruises from his own initiation. There was an implicit message: if he could take it, so could she.

‘I’m sure you know the position, Courtney.’

The longer she waited, the more frightened he would think she was. And she wasn’t about to let him think he’d mastered her. With a venomous accusing stare, Courtney put her hands on her bent knees, leaning forwards to brace herself. It was the position they used at school.

‘Pull your pants down.’

She gasped. But, again, she had too much pride to show how scared she really was. She slipped the itchy hotpants down and they dropped to the floor, puddling round her ankles.

Derek held the paddle with two hands, like a baseball bat and placed it against her bottom. As the cool varnished wood touched her skin, Courtney gritted her teeth. She told herself it couldn’t be worse than being paddled at school. That was a rite of passage and students bragged about getting whacked. But at school it was never on the bare.

The paddle lifted away and then it connected with a sharp crack. Her backside flared with pain, but Courtney refused to give Derek the satisfaction of yelping. The polished expanse of the paddle tapped her again and she held her breath as it drew back. The second stroke fell, painting a wide swathe of fire across both cheeks. She stumbled with the force of the blow, gasping a little. But she forced herself to get back into position immediately.

Another stroke fell and she couldn’t restrain a little whimper as she fought to maintain her balance. As the paddle met her cheeks again, she wondered how many he intended to give her. Her bottom must be a bright-red
beacon
by now. She was certainly feeling it and it was all she could do to resist reaching behind to clutch her aching cheeks.

But Derek had said he was going to teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget. It was already memorable, but she didn’t dare tell him that.

Another savage crack of wood against flesh. This time she couldn’t help it: she yelped. Tears sprang to her eyes and she fought them with anger. There was nothing in the world more important than getting up from this paddling with her eyes dry and her spirit intact.

But as the next stroke fell she realised that was not going to happen. She staggered forwards and her hands flew from her knees. They were halfway to her hips when Derek stopped her.

‘Back in position,’ he ordered.

Courtney obeyed instantly, squeezing her eyes shut and waiting for the next awful blow.