Reforming Little Anya Page 16

  Everyone laughed, and they continued the meeting.

  Later, driving home (Jessica again behind the wheel), she felt a lot better. Yeah, her ass was still burning up, but the project was going well, and she’d volunteered to make dinner. Again, she wanted to work at making amends to Drew.

  How long before she repaired their relationship? How long before she could sit again? Only time would tell.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Time rolled on, and soon the leaves were changing. With them came other changes. The resort grew, as did Drew’s renewed trust in Jessica, and their love. She made a point of checking on the girls and Iva (now enrolled at the conservatory) regularly, although she did it surreptitiously. Jessica was still worried that being around them too much might get them figuring out her little secret. A number of the girls found work in the village, and several—through Jessica’s influence—were lined up with future jobs at the resort.

  A couple of the girls found love, and left town to marry. Jessica was very happy for them, and saw to it that they each got a nice dowry. She also set up an account to insure Viktor, Misha, and the whole staff would get a proper salary from now on.

  Jessica managed to stay out of trouble—overall—but she did feel Drew’s paddle and spoon, and her hairbrush on several occasions. And then came a day when work did not go too well.

  Driving them home, Drew frowned at a pouting Jessica. “Well, that was just about the most immature display I think I’ve ever seen.”

  She mumbled something under her breath, even as she crossed her arms and lowered her head.

  “What was that, little girl? It’s hard to hear you when you sulk like a four-year-old!”

  “Barry’s a stinky-assed jerk,” she snapped.

  “Ah, yes, so eloquently put, my dear,” he said, his voice thick with sarcasm. “Oh, you are so getting it when we get home.”

  “No, I’m not! I didn’t do anything wrong. Barry was wrong, I pointed that out, and now he’s going to deal with it.”

  Drew raised his right eyebrow. “Excuse me, little girl? You do not decide matters of discipline in this family.”

  She sat up, uncrossed her arms, and glared at him. “I—did—nothing—wrong,” she growled, jabbing her right index finger into her left palm to punctuate each word.

  Drew opened his mouth, but froze and said nothing. He chewed his lip, and Jessica was taken aback. Had she actually made a good point and was going to get out of a punishment?

  Holy shit, this is an event to commemorate.

  “Jessica, let me try to explain this. Look, being the boss doesn’t mean you get to be bossy, it means you’re responsible for everything.”

  “I was being responsible. I was letting Barry know that he screwed up, and if he wanted to keep his job, he had to fix it.”

  “Yeah, okay, you did that. It’s not what you did, sweetie, that I find objectionable, it was how. You were abusive, demeaning, and at times you squealed like an immature brat. You didn’t listen to Barry’s explanation, you questioned his judgment and abilities, both of which everyone knows are stellar, which only made you look foolish, and every time he made a valid point you insulted him. You practiced the ad hominem fallacy.”

  “The what?”

  “You tried to discredit Barry by attacking him instead of his arguments.”

  “I didn’t see it that way!”

  “Oh, boy, let me see if I can illustrate my point. You clearly need to understand what it means to be boss, to be in command. Oh, I know. You remember that Mel Gibson movie we watched the other night?”

  “Mel Gib…? Oh, I know the one, Bounty. Okay, what about it?”

  “You remember how afterwards you wondered about the real story, and we looked it up online?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, the mutineers ended up on some island.”

  “And what happened to Bligh?”

  “He got another command.”

  “Right. He wasn’t thrown out of the navy, he wasn’t even disciplined. Why was that?”

  “Ahhh, because he didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Right once more. In fact, he was the only captain in history to have three mutinies, and yet he retired a vice-admiral from the British Navy. Again I ask: Why?”

  Jessica hung her head. “Because, in all those incidents, all the floggings, all the cruel punishments, the starvation rations, the overwork, he did everything by the book.”

  “Now, does that remotely make sense? Think about it. Which is the more likely scenario: That Bligh was a terrible commander, or that three completely different crews were wrong or evil, or whatever you want to call them?”

  “I… ahhh, well…”

  “What did we decide?”

  “We discussed what sort of captain Bligh was. He was legally right, but morally wrong.”

  Drew nodded, even as they approached their cottage. “You got it. So, what about what you did today?”

  “It was… right, but… wrong,” she said, barely above a whisper.

  “I’m proud of you, sweetie, realizing that is the first mature thing you’ve done today.”

  “I’m sorry, Drew.”

  “I’m not the one you need to apologize to. So, here’s what’s going to happen: first, you’re going to go inside and change into your ‘regular’ clothes, and then get my strap, the heavy leather one. Then go stand in the corner of my study with the strap held in your teeth. When I’m ready, I’ll come and deal with you.”

  “Ohhh, not the strap, that really hurts.”

  “It’s supposed to, young lady. Now, move, unless you want me to double your punishment.”

  “Eeep. No, sir,” she squeaked, and bolted from the car.

  Once inside, she put her business clothes in the closet, and got on one of her so-called ‘regular’ outfits—khaki shorts and a t-shirt—and then followed the rest of his instructions. Standing there in the corner, it seemed like hours before she heard the door open. As with the other times she’d been in this situation, she knew not to turn to face him—yet.

  “All right, little girl, turn around, and come over here.”

  She cringed, but did as he said. Just like before, she had to hand him the implement, and then tell him why she was getting this punishment. He sat on the desk, slowly nodding as she spoke, and finally gestured at the desk with his head.

  “Very good, little one. Now, stand at the desk, bend across it, and hold on to the other edge.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said, and got into position.

  Looking over her shoulder, she saw Drew taking up a stance so he could let her have it, and then came the tap, tap, tap of the strap against her poor ass.

  “After we’re done, you’ll spend the rest of the day in your room, and tomorrow you’re going to apologize to Barry in front of the entire staff.”

  “What? No, Daddy, can’t I just talk to him in private? I’ll be embarrassed doing it in front of everyone.”

  “Exactly, which is as it should be. You humiliated him in front of everyone, so the apology has to match.”

  “Yes, sir, I see your point.”

  “Good. Now you’re going to feel my leather,” he scolded.

  Whack! Without a pause to give her a chance to brace, he struck. Jessica bounced on the edge of the desk, and gripped the edge harder.

  Oh, what a sting that thing delivers!

  Crack! Smack! Swat! The strap landed again and again, and Jessica was yelping and howling in no time. Her feet proceeded to snap up at each smack, much like a person’s knee reacting to the tap of a doctor’s reflex hammer. Yet, she kept a firm grip on the edge of the desk. She knew extra would be portioned out if she dared let go. Over and over he struck, and Jessica went from promises to begging to sobbing in short order. Then something happened that she never expected.

  Drew’s computer beeped.

  His laptop sat at the center of the desk, just next to Jessica’s left arm, and she recognized the sound. Someone was calling on Skype. Drew stopped the str
apping, reached over, and turned the computer so he could see the screen.

  “Ah, it’s Kelly calling,” he said casually. “We better answer it, might be important.”

  “What? Bu-bu-but what about…? I mean, so, we’re done here, right?” she squeaked, praying he’d say yes.

  “You stay right where you are, little girl,” he ordered, and activated the video chat.

  “Drewwww, nooooo!” she whined, and then saw Kelly’s happy smiling face appear on the screen.

  “Ah, Jessica, there you… are,” she said, the smiling vanishing, to be replaced by one of confusion. “Ahhh, dear, what are you… doing?”

  Jessica bit her lip. “I… ahhh, ouch!” she yelped, Drew giving her a smack.

  He bent down next to her so that Kelly could see him. “Kelly, it’s a long story.”

  “Ah-huh,” she replied, sitting back and crossing her arms. “Well, I’ve got plenty of time. Enlighten me.”

  And he did, and without letting up for one second on Jessica’s strapping. Kelly sat stone-faced throughout it all, with the occasional tsk-tsk of disapproval and head shake. Jessica just wanted to die. That didn’t happen, but she was reduced to a crying little girl who promised Kelly and Drew anything if it could just end: the sun, the moon, her firstborn son, and so on.

  They were not impressed.

  Finally, when they both agreed that she’d learned her lesson, she was sent to the corner, hands on her head, and was forbidden from rubbing. Drew took a seat at his desk, and they continued their conversation. They went over every aspect of the project, and the plans for the grand opening, which was set for next spring. That was the area where Kelly was proudest of Jessica. She had truly done well with the resort, and with the girls. She was then released from the corner and came over to sit on Drew’s lap to go over the final details. At least he let her sit back on his thigh so as to not put weight on her poor throbbing ass!

  “Well, Drew, I must say, I think you’ve got everything well in hand,” Kelly said with a grin. “And, Jessica, the company is pleased beyond belief with your efforts, the resort is ahead of schedule and under budget. I now understand why you’ve been so… focused.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” they both said.

  “Ah, don’t thank me yet, there is one other point, at least for you, Jessica. While we’re all delighted with your work, we did notice one thing when we were reviewing your file: You’ve yet to get an MBA.”

  She nodded. “Oh, yeah. After my internship led to a job, I abandoned that career path. I figured, hey, I’ve got the job, what do I need that for?”

  “Well, you do need it, missy,” Kelly said firmly. “If you expect to stay with the company, even if you’re not looking to eventually take over my position when I retire, you must have it!”

  “Really? But, I’ve been doing so well here. What do I really need it for?”

  “Because you’re not going to stay there,” Kelly replied. “Well, that’s not really accurate. Let me put it another way: You’re not merely going to manage the Czech resort. The company has plans for you, Jessica. How does director of Eastern European operations sound?”

  Jessica’s jaw dropped. Drew hugged her, bouncing her on his lap, which caused her to wince.

  “Sorry, sweetie,” he said, stopping. “Still, you’ve got to admit, my excitement was called for. I mean, come on, that is one awesome promotion!”

  “Yes, it is,” Kelly replied. “So, that MBA is important, Jessica, and you will get it! Is that understood?”

  “Yes, ma’am. So, how am I supposed to do that?”

  Drew rubbed his chin for a moment, and then snapped his fingers. “Ah, I’ve got an idea. How about she enroll at that American university in Prague? She could sign up for a couple of classes a week, take the train, and still be able to cover things here.”

  “Hey, why the train? I can drive now, and I rarely scare the workers anymore,” Jessica said, with just the hint of a smile.

  Little touches of humor often helped to ease her pain, and right now she could use that.

  “No, little one, the train. If you drive, you’ll have to watch the road. On the train you can relax and focus on your studies and homework.”

  Kelly nodded. “I agree, very good point, Drew. All right, Jessica, you are to enroll in your first classes starting in January, which will give you through the end of the year to get the resort close to completed. I expect straight A’s from you, young lady, and that you get done in one year. Drew, you are to keep on her about this. Is that clear, to both of you?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” they said, nodding in sync.

  After that, they signed off, and Jessica was allowed to stand and rub, which she did very daintily. Oh, she wouldn’t sit for at least two days. After all this time, she had—unfortunately—become quite the expert on ‘damage ass-estimate.’

  “Wow, baby, congrats. Man, the company must see great things in your future, if they’re so insistent you get your MBA.”

  “Yeah,” she replied without emotion.

  “Jessica, what’s wrong?”

  “Well… it’s just that, I don’t know. Running the resort, spending time with you, helping with the home, and now school again,” she said, looking up at him. “I don’t know if I can balance all those things.”

  “Hey, none of that now. Don’t you for one second start to doubt yourself. I know you can do it. It’s just a matter of being organized and scheduling things.”

  “Yeah, right, you and I can schedule a few minutes together between one and one-fifteen in the morning,” she shot back. “Should make for a great relationship.”

  Drew stood, leaned back against the desk, pulled her close, and gazed at her lovingly. “Hey, hey, don’t talk like that. Young lady, you can do anything you set your mind to, and it’s not like you have to do it alone. I’ll be right there, at your side to help you, and right behind you, ‘urging’ you on with a helping hand.”

  Jessica’s chin trembled, even as her eyes filled with tears. Her boss and her lover—her best friend—believed in her, and she felt about ten feet tall. She threw herself into Drew’s arms. They embraced and he slowly rocked her from side to side.

  “Drew, I’ll make you proud!”

  He smiled down at her. “Sweetie, so long as you do your best, I’ll always be proud of you.”

  “Thanks, but I have a strange feeling I’m going to be spending most of the foreseeable future standing.”

  He laughed. “Well, look at it this way: there will be no need to sit at the dedication ceremony.”

  * * *

  Come the next day, Jessica sincerely apologized to Barry, and it made her smile to see that everyone was clearly impressed with her. What did not make her smile was lunch later that day. Barry insisted on taking everyone to a local tavern to eat, to show that there were no hard feelings. Unfortunately, there was something hard: the chairs at the tavern. It was just about the longest lunch Jessica ever attended!

  It was two days before she was able to sit without yelping.

  Fortunately, she did manage to avoid further severe punishments. In January, just as ordered, she started taking classes in Prague. Three days a week, she rode the train. Drew helped her organize everything, and he really picked up the slack at the resort. He was right about one thing: taking the train did give her time to study. Of course, on more than one occasion, she did it standing up.

  And then came the grand opening of the resort. Drew had been right: Jessica stood at the podium (on a small step stool, so she could be seen), and welcomed everyone. She was quite grateful to stand, as she gotten a royally good dose of the hairbrush the night before for getting drunk at the tavern and then trying to drive home. The keyword there was: trying. She went off the road and ended up in a cornfield.

  Drew had not been happy.

  Kelly flew over for the ceremony, and the two of them cut the red ribbon at the entrance. Jessica smiled to see the guests enjoying themselves and seeing the girls from the home wh
o’d been hired to work there. Even Iva made an appearance. She sang a traditional folksong, and then a light luncheon was served. As everyone milled about, Iva came over to say hello, and Jessica swallowed hard. She was in an adult gown, had her padded bra and full makeup, and six-inch heels, so she was fairly certain Iva wouldn’t recognize her.

  “This is such a wonderful place you’ve built here,” Iva said. “Oh, I so wish my friend Anya could be here.”

  “Oh, is she someone from the conservatory?” Jessica said.

  “No, at the home I used to live in. But now she lives in America. Who knows, maybe one day I will travel there and find… her,” she said slowly, her eyes narrowing.

  “Yes, maybe you will. Ahhh, is there something… wrong, Iva?”

  “You are so familiar to me, Miss Alban. I could swear we’ve met before.”

  “Oh, you know how it is, you love someone, you miss them, and then you start seeing something about that person in other people you meet.”

  “Really? Is that common in America?”

  Jessica nodded. “Oh, yes. We have so many people there from so many different places. Why, almost every day you meet someone you think you know or they remind you of a loved one. Have you been out to see the beach area yet?”

  “No, I—Bela!” she squealed, seeing her old friend.

  “Iva,” Bela replied, embracing her.

  That was it, they had eyes for each other, and were strolling off to reminisce about old times. Jessica smiled. It made her so happy to see the girls doing well. She moved among the mob, casually chatting, accepting a congratulations here and a well-wishing there, and finally came to the large open wood deck that afforded her a view of the lake. It was funny, she didn’t feel any negative emotional response at seeing the beach area (and the adjacent hotel). That made her happy. She had faced that demon and slain it, and could move on.

  Standing there, feeling the cool spring breeze waft over her, she thought about all the changes she’d seen in her life since coming to the town. Now she had a resort to run, a degree to get, people to help, a man to love, and a career to build. What did the future hold: marriage, children, travel, more age-play?