*
It was a few hours after our lunch date, and I found myself replaying the conversation in my head as I folded laundry. I could tell Oliver hadn’t been happy with my response, but he hadn’t forced the issue. I was grateful for that. Still, I hated to disappoint him.
If I could just tell him why I didn’t like the idea… if I knew myself, it would make things so much easier. For a moment, I wished I could go back in time; if I could, I would forget all about revealing my spanking fetish. It had been fun, for a little while, but it had caused more trouble than it was worth. I’d rather go back to our plain vanilla life, with sporadic, missionary sex than have him disappointed in me. I’d do it in a heartbeat if it meant I wouldn’t feel so confused.
When Oliver came home that night, I was waiting. I’d chilled a bottle of wine, reheated our leftovers from lunch, and slid into a slinky black dress that hugged my curves in just the right way and brought out the green in my eyes.
“You look nice,” he greeted me with a kiss. He broke away, but I pulled him back in for another, a long, lingering smooch this time. “Very nice.”
“Come eat,” I said, taking him by the hand.
“Where’s Jonah?”
“Eating with a friend.”
“Hmm. Which friend is this?”
“Rachel somebody, I think? Or was it Heather?”
“Ah, Heather,” he said knowingly.
“What?” I asked, turning toward him. “Who’s Heather?”
“Some girl he likes.”
I arched an eyebrow, waiting for more, but shrugged when nothing seemed forth coming. “Wish I’d known that before I said he could go. He said they were going to study.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’ll find something to study,” Oliver teased with the ease of a father talking about his son. I, however, was not reassured.
“Maybe I should call him.”
“Alicia, leave him be.”
“But—”
“Can you ever listen to me, woman?”
I inhaled sharply at the remark, setting my wine glass on the table with a loud thud. “What?”
Oliver ran his fingers through his short, dark hair. “This is unacceptable. You can’t want me to take an interest, you can’t tell me to handle these things, and then disregard what I say.”
“I’m not!” I protested.
“You are,” he replied in a voice that didn’t brook disagreement. “You are. Like last night—you want me to spend more time with him, but when I do, you get upset. You want me to talk to him about what kind of relationship he should have with girls at his age, but you don’t trust me to handle it.”
“I trust you!”
“Then listen to me. You are not going to call him, Alicia. When he comes home, I will talk to him, and you’re going to let me handle it my way.”
“So we’re back to this,” I said, clenching my jaw and plopping into my chair.
Oliver followed suit, sitting beside me. “Look, I did a lot of thinking when I went back to work…”
I stilled, holding my breath and hoping against hope that he’d say he’d changed his mind. Hoping that he would say everything could go back to normal. Even as I thought it, something in me rebelled at the thought. I squelched that part down quickly, though.
“I think we need to get away for a little while.”
“What?” I asked, sure I hadn’t heard him right.
“When’s the last time we’ve had a vacation?”
“When was the last time you took a day off work?” I quipped.
“My point exactly. I think we should.”
“When?” I asked, surprised.
“This weekend. I think I’ll take Friday off, and we’ll have a three day weekend.”
“Can you really afford to do that?” I asked, biting my lip.
“There are some advantages to being senior staff.”
“What about Jonah?”
“He could stay with my parents,” he offered. “Or… he is thirteen, and it’s just a weekend. Maybe…” He gave me a sidelong glance. I shook my head, and he surprised me by nodding acquiescence. “I’ll give them a call.”
“Where should we go?” I
It was a few hours after our lunch date, and I found myself replaying the conversation in my head as I folded laundry. I could tell Oliver hadn’t been happy with my response, but he hadn’t forced the issue. I was grateful for that. Still, I hated to disappoint him.
If I could just tell him why I didn’t like the idea… if I knew myself, it would make things so much easier. For a moment, I wished I could go back in time; if I could, I would forget all about revealing my spanking fetish. It had been fun, for a little while, but it had caused more trouble than it was worth. I’d rather go back to our plain vanilla life, with sporadic, missionary sex than have him disappointed in me. I’d do it in a heartbeat if it meant I wouldn’t feel so confused.
When Oliver came home that night, I was waiting. I’d chilled a bottle of wine, reheated our leftovers from lunch, and slid into a slinky black dress that hugged my curves in just the right way and brought out the green in my eyes.
“You look nice,” he greeted me with a kiss. He broke away, but I pulled him back in for another, a long, lingering smooch this time. “Very nice.”
“Come eat,” I said, taking him by the hand.
“Where’s Jonah?”
“Eating with a friend.”
“Hmm. Which friend is this?”
“Rachel somebody, I think? Or was it Heather?”
“Ah, Heather,” he said knowingly.
“What?” I asked, turning toward him. “Who’s Heather?”
“Some girl he likes.”
I arched an eyebrow, waiting for more, but shrugged when nothing seemed forth coming. “Wish I’d known that before I said he could go. He said they were going to study.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’ll find something to study,” Oliver teased with the ease of a father talking about his son. I, however, was not reassured.
“Maybe I should call him.”
“Alicia, leave him be.”
“But—”
“Can you ever listen to me, woman?”
I inhaled sharply at the remark, setting my wine glass on the table with a loud thud. “What?”
Oliver ran his fingers through his short, dark hair. “This is unacceptable. You can’t want me to take an interest, you can’t tell me to handle these things, and then disregard what I say.”
“I’m not!” I protested.
“You are,” he replied in a voice that didn’t brook disagreement. “You are. Like last night—you want me to spend more time with him, but when I do, you get upset. You want me to talk to him about what kind of relationship he should have with girls at his age, but you don’t trust me to handle it.”
“I trust you!”
“Then listen to me. You are not going to call him, Alicia. When he comes home, I will talk to him, and you’re going to let me handle it my way.”
“So we’re back to this,” I said, clenching my jaw and plopping into my chair.
Oliver followed suit, sitting beside me. “Look, I did a lot of thinking when I went back to work…”
I stilled, holding my breath and hoping against hope that he’d say he’d changed his mind. Hoping that he would say everything could go back to normal. Even as I thought it, something in me rebelled at the thought. I squelched that part down quickly, though.
“I think we need to get away for a little while.”
“What?” I asked, sure I hadn’t heard him right.
“When’s the last time we’ve had a vacation?”
“When was the last time you took a day off work?” I quipped.
“My point exactly. I think we should.”
“When?” I asked, surprised.
“This weekend. I think I’ll take Friday off, and we’ll have a three day weekend.”
“Can you really afford to do that?” I asked, biting my lip.
“There are some advantages to being senior staff.”
“What about Jonah?”
“He could stay with my parents,” he offered. “Or… he is thirteen, and it’s just a weekend. Maybe…” He gave me a sidelong glance. I shook my head, and he surprised me by nodding acquiescence. “I’ll give them a call.”
“Where should we go?” I
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