After dieting off twenty pounds, Molly was sure she’d finally earned Mark Callahan’s attention in a romantic way. He asked her out on a date! Her disappointment at learning he was wining and dining her to ask her to work for him filled her with helplessness, and she angrily decided she was a love-sick fool and made a public scene by dumping dessert over his handsome head.

Mark is determined to spank the sassy Molly, and no one is more shocked that he when he discovers his feelings for his high school buddy have blossomed into love. Molly isn’t so sure she wants a traditional marriage, complete with spanking, but Mark won’t have it any other way.

Chapter One

I’ve loved Mark Callahan since we were fifteen years old, which was ten years ago. Ten years of waiting for him to notice me as a woman, ten years of longing for him to kiss me, ten years of hopelessness as he saw me as nothing but the ‘girl next door’. It nearly destroyed me when he fell in love with Kathy. She was tall and blonde, and beautiful, and Mark thought she was perfect. It broke my heart when she was killed during a drug raid. A bullet proof vest can’t stop a bullet between the eyes. She was killed on the job, and Mark grieved, and I grieved for him. He took it real hard, but finally he started taking an interest in life again, and I shed twenty pounds, hoping he would look in my direction.

When he asked me out to dinner a few months ago, I was delighted. I thought that losing all that weight had finally paid off. I was into a size two instead of the six I’d been wearing for years, and I spent a small fortune on just the right dress for the evening. It was black and clung to my body in all the right places. I wore heels, too, hoping to make myself just a bit taller. Mark towered over me, and while I loved how that made me feel, I was still comparing myself to Kathy, and finding myself lacking in every way. I practiced walking in those heels so that I wouldn’t fall flat on my face, and when I was all ready, I was satisfied with the results. I looked as good as I possibly could, and if Mark didn’t find me pleasing on this magical night, he never would.

When the doorbell rang, I had to prevent myself from running to answer it. I didn’t want to appear too eager, but the truth of the matter was that I’d been ready for over an hour, and I couldn’t wait for Mark to see the new me; the plain little me that was wearing something very sexy for a change. I opened the door after one last check in the mirror, a huge smile on my face. “Good evening, Mark.”

“Hey, Molly. Have you been sick?” was his greeting. “You’ve lost so much weight!”

“I went on a diet!”

“What for? You weren’t fat, and you look like a toothpick now!” he exclaimed with his brand of brutal honesty. I tried not to be hurt, but the truth was, I wanted to sit down and bawl. Mark must have sensed that he’d touched a nerve, because he backtracked and said politely, “That is a very pretty dress, and it’s nice to see you all dressed up. I hope you’re hungry for Italian? We’ve been ripping up Matt’s kitchen floor, and I’m starving.”

So much for romantic fantasies! Mark did open the car door for me, and then reminded me to fasten my seat belt, like he did every other time we got into a car together. He chatted about his day, and told me that his sister-in-law, Frannie, Matthew’s wife, had lit into him when he’d tried to tell her and Matt that they needed to rip up the old flooring, and lay new before they did any of the other remodeling in their kitchen. He chuckled when he got to the part about her throwing a hammer on the floor in a temper fit, and that it bounced and hit his knee. I was a bit concerned, and determined to give Mary Frances a piece of my mind when I saw her the next time, but Mark insisted he wasn’t hurt…

“I think little Frannie got the raw end of the deal,” he grinned.

“What do you mean?” I asked innocently.

“Matt gave her little bottom a good spanking,” he chuckled.

“He didn’t!” I was shocked, and didn’t have to pretend otherwise. I couldn’t imagine being spanked as an adult. My sympathies shifted, and I thought that Matt was the one in need of a good scolding when I saw him next.

“He sure did,” Mark gave me a meaningful look, and I thought, ‘Here it comes…’. “I know another little girl who could use a good spanking once in a while… Didn’t I see you flying down the street the other morning? I know you had to be driving at least fifty miles an hour…?”

I shrugged. If I had a nickel for every time one Mark Callahan told me I needed a spanking, I could retire and do whatever I pleased for the rest of my natural life. “Are we going to Antonio’s or Gilardi’s?” I asked, doing my best to change the subject. His favorite was Gilardi’s. Mine was Antonio’s. We usually flipped for it, but since this was a date, I was wondering which one he would choose.

“Nether,” he surprised me. “And, don’t think I’m going to let you change the subject so easily,” he shook one finger at me. “You have to slow down, Molly. It was someone just like you who flew through that red light and hit my folks… I don’t want to see you hurt.” He sounded so sincere, and my heart just pitter-pattered.

“I’ll slow down, Mark,” I promised, just as I always did when he scolded about my speeding.

“I’m truly going to spank you one of these days if you don’t, young lady,” he promised, and I knew he wouldn’t really dare. I was far too old for a spanking.

“Don’t you think it is rotten that Matt spanks his wife? That kind of behavior went out of style when ‘I Love Lucy’ went off the air. Ricky Ricardo might have spanked his Lucy, but that simply isn’t done in this day and age.”

Mark snorted, and gave me one of his ‘you ought to know better than that’ looks. “There are a lot of traditional marriages around, Molly, and Lord knows, the man who marries you had better keep a nice strong hairbrush handy all the time. He’ll need it.”

Since I figured that man was going to be Mark, I said by way of warning, “That man better get such foolishness out of his head immediately. The only thing a hairbrush is good for is brushing hair.” That was that. In the next second, a car full of kids pulled out right in front of us; Mark slammed on the brakes to keep from hitting them, and threw out his right hand at the same time to try and protect me. I was thankful he avoided the accident, and the terrified look on the young driver’s face probably reflected my fear. Mark patiently motioned the young girl to go on, and she mouthed the words, “I’m sorry!” to him. He nodded, but his face was grim, and I knew he was thinking of his parents again.

“Now you know why I want that seatbelt wrapped around you each and every time we get in a car,” he scolded me.

“Hey, it’s not my fault that little girl pulled out, Mark. Don’t take it out on me!” My breasts were still tingling from where his arm had rested across them for a too brief few seconds.

“You’re right, Molly,” he had the good grace to admit. He sheepishly smiled and said, “I’m sorry I scolded. If that kid was my daughter, or kid sister, I’d spank her butt for her!”

“No you wouldn’t,” I argued, shaking my head. “What is with you and this spanking kick tonight?” I asked.

“I think it works wonders in a marriage, Molly. When I went back to Matt and Frannie’s with the guys to rip out that floor, Frannie was all sweet and she apologized.”

“I’m sure she was angry with Matt.” How could she not be furious with him? I would be.

“No, she was all sweet and pleasant with him, too,” Mark’s answer surprised me, and apparently him, too. “I was half afraid she would toss us all out on our ear, but she was sweet as could be, and is planning to feed us well tomorrow when we get together to finish laying the new floor. Frannie is crazy about Matt, and he dotes on her. I’m happy for them.”

“But, he spanked her!” I was truly shocked that Frannie would think that was acceptable.

“I suspect she knows it was done with love,” Mark smiled at me, and then pulled into the parking lot of a brand new Italian restaurant.

“We’re going to eat here?” I was shocked. I’d heard the place was excellent, but very expensive, and getting reservations was difficult!

“This is a special occasion,” Mark assured me. My heart beat just a bit faster, and I smiled happily. The valet parked the car, and Mark escorted me inside. We were seated right away, and Mark ordered a glass of wine for us both. I was a bit surprised, since neither of us were ‘drinkers’, but decided that one glass wouldn’t hurt. He asked my preferences, and then ordered for us both, and I felt special. Our date was actually going very well. Mark held up his glass and said, “I’d like to make a toast.” I picked up my glass, wondering what he was going to say, “To the future, and all the good things it holds for both of us.” It didn’t sound very romantic, but I clinked glasses with him, then sipped a bit of my wine. It didn’t taste too bad, but I preferred my Diet Coke. I noticed that Mark didn’t pick up his glass again, either.

We enjoyed our salads, at least until another couple was seated at a table close to us. They were arguing, quietly at first, and then a bit louder as the argument escalated. Mark and I tried to ignore them, but it was impossible to do. We couldn’t even hear each other as their voices grew strident. I should say, it was the woman whose voice grew more and more shrill. The man I took to be her husband was speaking softly, and obviously trying to calm her, but she didn’t wish to be calmed. She wanted a brand new car, and was determined to throw a fit until she got her way.

“If a wife of mine behaved like that in public, or in private, she would wish she hadn’t,” Mark said in low tones. “There is nothing respectful in the way she is speaking to her husband, and she needs a firm lesson.”

I couldn’t help but agree with Mark. Creating a scene of that sort was uncalled for, and I wondered what the woman thought she was proving. As I listened to her rant at the red-faced man, I watched as Mark’s expression grew grim. I was positive he was ready to speak up when the owner of the restaurant came over to the table and politely asked the couple to cease arguing immediately, or leave, so that the other diners could enjoy their meal in peace. I was startled when the woman swept everything off the table in a fit of temper, and then hurled a string of invective at the frazzled owner. She promised to tell everyone she knew about the abominable service and terrible food, and then she walked toward the door, cursing every step of the way. Mark and I had been doused with water and drinks from that table, and the flowers from the vase were on my feet. Their silverware was scattered all about, and the tablecloth was flapping over the back of a chair. All it all, it was a mess, and I feared that Mark was going to lose his temper as he slowly got to his feet.

“Sir, I sincerely apologize to you and your lady,” the owner rushed to make amends. “I will have this mess cleared immediately, and re-serve your salads. Your dinner is on the House, of course.” He seemed as afraid of Mark’s temper as I was… “I am most sorry, and I assure you this is not commonplace.”

Mark nodded. “I’m sure it isn’t,” he agreed, and then stepped over to where the husband of the hotheaded woman stood. The man appeared to be in shock, and I couldn’t imagine what Mark was going to say to him.

“I’m so sorry for all of this. Margaret is very high strung, but this was awful, even for her!” he whispered.

“Man, it’s none of my business, but if my wife acted like that, she’d be getting one heck of a spanking when I got her home. There is no excuse for this kind of out of control behavior,” Mark scolded.

“She’s always been like this. I just don’t know what to do…”

“She’s like this because you permit her to get away with it,” Mark didn’t cut the man any slack. “As long as you allow her to treat you without respect, she will continue to treat you without respect. If ever a grown woman needed a thorough spanking, she does.” I wanted to sink through the floor. The people who came on a run to clean up the mess were listening to every word Mark was saying, and I knew they were thinking that I was his wife… and they were feeling sorry for me because they were certain Mark spanked me! I was embarrassed.”

“He’s got that right,” I was startled to hear one of the women under the table mumble to herself. “James would set my fanny on fire if I behaved like that.”

“So would Josh,” the other woman whispered, and I just prayed that Mark would be quiet and let the incident pass.

“Thank you for the advice,” the man held his head to one side, and I could see how miserable he was. “I will consider it, believe me.” He laid a lot of cash on the table to cover their charges, and then walked briskly out of the main room, obviously embarrassed.

The restaurant employees worked quickly to right the area, and in a very few minutes it was impossible to tell that anything out of the normal had happened. We had fresh salads in front of us, and I was finally beginning to relax again. Mark seemed determined to be pleasant, and we talked of many things. I could see he had something on his mind that he wanted to discuss with me, and I decided that since I’d already waited ten years, I could be patient a few more minutes. Mark asked about my Mom, and I told him where she was playing that night. Her band was on tour again, and I didn’t see very much of her. This wasn’t a bad thing. Mom and I are like oil and water; we don’t mix well. We love each other, but we just don’t get along. She’s all high energy, a night person, and she loves being the center of attention. I prefer morning, and a dependable job in a boring office.

“Is your manicotti good?” Mark wanted to know once we sampled our dishes.

“Wonderful,” I savored the flavor. “What about your lasagna?”

“Very good,” he confirmed, and like two people who’ve known each other forever, we dug into our food and ate heartily, not speaking a word for a while. “I think Gilardi’s has some serious competition here,” he grinned in satisfaction.

“So does Antonio’s,” I agreed with a wicked, teasing smile.

“Tiramisu for dessert?” Mark asked knowingly. We both loved the stuff… to the point that I learned to make it myself, and treated us occasionally.

“That would be lovely… and some coffee, too, please,” I suggested. Mark and I both preferred to have our coffee after the meal was finished. The server came over, and Mark ordered with a smile, and told the young man how much we’d enjoyed our entrée’s. He smiled and promised to tell the Chef, and walked away happy.

“Now that our bellies are full of good food, and our true reward for cleaning our plates is on the way, I have something special I want to ask you, Molly.” I felt my heart beat even faster, and my toes curled in excitement inside my new shoes. I’d waited for ten long years for Mark to love me as much as I loved him, and I couldn’t believe he was going to pop the question in just one date. Of course, we’d been good friends forever… and perhaps it had just taken a long while for that to translate into love. I waited anxiously, and promised myself I would act dignified and not turn into a blubbering idiot because I was so happy. “We’ve known each other for a long time now, and you know that I am a man to be trusted.”

“Of course you are,” I agreed. I was waiting for him to tell me he loved me.

“I can’t think of anyone I trust more than I trust you, Molly,” he explained earnestly.

Trust was fine, but I wanted to get to the love part.

“I’m going to open my own construction firm, and I need someone to handle the office for me. Take calls, do the bookkeeping, payroll, all that office stuff… I can’t pay much to start out, but I really need you, Molly. Would you come and work for me?”

I was crushed. All my hopes dashed into tiny little shards. The whole reason for the dinner date was suddenly clear. Mark didn’t love me… Oh no! He just wanted me to come and work for him. The server picked that precise moment to deliver our desserts, and without giving it a single thought, I picked up my tiramisu and upended it on top of Mark’s head before walking from the restaurant and heading home on foot. I felt like a fool. A stupid, love-sick, little fool! Work for Mark Callahan? No way! Never! Not in a million years! I was never going to speak to the man again in this lifetime!

Copyright © 2007 by Christian DD Group.