The Disciplinarian Ch. 08

"So, why did they do this?" I asked. "Do they hate me?"

"No," he smiled, "I've seen the three of you together quite a bit and I think they love you, but ... well ..."

"Well what?"

"Well, you women can be cruel to each other, especially when envy is involved, or a man, or both."

"Envy?" I was incredulous. "Angie and Jennie have never been envious of me."

"Maybe not," he acknowledged, "but things have changed for them in ways that might be hurting their self-esteem. Let me ask you something, what kind of underwear were Angie and Jennie wearing at that Wine and Fantasy?"

"Very plain," I reported. "I remember it distinctly."

"That's what I expected," Mickey replied. "They had plain underwear in our first session when they hadn't met me before. But for the second and third they both wore fancy underwear."

"Yes. I remember that," I said recalling how jealous and angry I had been that they had worn sexy underwear for Mickey. "So what are you saying?"

"Well, those two have probably grown accustomed to having men find them attractive and they probably didn't think that men ever found you attractive. But maybe they noticed after our first session that I was ... well ... kind of attracted to you," he smiled, "and ... well ... from their point of view, this upset the natural order of things. I think that perhaps subconsciously they took it as a kind of challenge."

"That's why they wore the sexy underwear!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, that's my theory," he confirmed, "but it didn't work, and when you and I started seeing each other, I think it shook their self-esteem that I found you more attractive."

"So, they've been humiliating me as a kind of revenge."

"Exactly. They're trying to put you back in your place at the bottom of the pecking order," he elaborated, "although I doubt that they are fully aware of their own motivations."

"Anyway," he continued, "after the plan involving Roger's surprise return mostly failed, Angie came out to the car when you and Jennie were about to leave and the two of them created a plan B by telling you that I'd left this special instruction just for you."

"I see. So they set me up."

"Yes," he said, "and they figured that after a Wine and Fantasy night you would not be able to resist ... that is ... you would be tempted to—"

"I get it!" I said, embarrassed at this reminder that I had so little resistance to self-pleasure.

"It's a sure bet that when Jennie caught you playing with yourself that night, she really hadn't forgotten anything. In fact, she probably never even left your neighborhood. She waited until she thought you were probably masturbating and they quietly returned so she could 'catch' you."

He pulled out the air quotes again and put them around 'catch.'

There was a long silence as we both thought about what had happened and finished our wine. It was I who spoke first.

"Wait a minute, there's a flaw in your theory: How could they have thought they'd get away with it? They knew that you and I would talk when you got back and you'd find out what that they had lied to me."

"I know what you mean," he agreed, "and I wondered about that too; but I think they thought you wouldn't tell me about anything that happened after Roger got home. Look at it from their point of view. When they told you about my alleged special rule for you, you believed them, right?"

"Of course, that's why I submitted to their punishment ... so?"

"So when Jennie 'caught' you playing with yourself, she also 'caught' you disobeying me, or at least you thought she had. They figured that you'd never risk telling me about your disobedience out of fear that I'd be angry, maybe even break up with you."

"I see," I sighed.

"But," he added, "they underestimated how open you and I are with each other. The supposed 'special rule' was one of the first things you asked me about."

We sat in silence again while I ruminated on what he had said.

"It's not fair," I said suddenly. "I love those two, but it's not fair that they should humiliate me in front of Robby and total strangers just because I've finally found happiness with a man."

"I agree," Mickey said, suddenly grim-faced. "They both need to be punished for this. The question is ... 'how?' That's going to take some thought."

Handballs and Silverware

Mickey and I unpacked his bags. He was mostly silent which is normal for him when he's thinking deeply about something. But every now and then, he would stop suddenly and ask me a question.

"Soo May," he said, as he tossed his hiking boots into the closet, "when Jennie caught you playing with yourself, what was it that she said she'd forgotten and came back to get?"

"Umm ... let's see ... it was— oh! I know. Handballs. She said she'd forgotten her handballs."

"Oh, yes," Mickey mused out loud, "you told me she played handball."

He was silent again for a couple of minutes and then asked "What does Jennie do after our discipline sessions?"

"Well, let me think. ... After the first one, she went to her boyfriend's place and had hot sex which she bragged about later. After the second, she stopped at home just long enough to get her gym bag and handballs and then she went to his place. After the third session—"

"Wait!" Mickey interrupted, "why did she need her handballs?"

"She said she wanted to put them in her car so she could get in a game before work the next morning."

"Ok," he said, looking thoughtful, "go on. You were saying 'after the third ...'"

"Right, after the third, she just dropped me off at our place and went straight to her boyfriend's place."

"So, she didn't fetch her handballs first?" he asked, looking disappointed for some reason.

"She didn't need to. Her gym bag was already in the back seat. I remember she asked me to verify that the handballs were in it."

"Ahhh haaa ..." he said slowly and his look of disappointment turned to one of triumph.

"What do you mean 'ah ha'," I asked, "and what is it with you and the handballs? Who cares about Jennie's handballs?"

"Oh, it's probably nothing," he said, and then he returned to silent mode.

We watched a DVD and had a late supper, but Mickey was so lost in thought I could tell he was paying no attention to either the movie or the food. Finally, as we were cleaning the dishes, he spoke again, this time his thoughts were about Angie.

"Soo May," he asked, "I recall Angie saying that after our discipline sessions, she has great sex with Roger. Am I remembering that right?"

"Yes," I confirmed, "and she says he thinks it's because of his poker winnings."

"Hmmm, that seems odd, doesn't it?" he asked.

"Not really," I explained, "after all, she's all worked up from being disciplined plus she has to wait several more hours till he gets home so the tension builds. She probably jumps his bones as soon as he's in the door."

"Yes. I understand her behavior," he agreed, "but would he be capable of giving her great sex? Most men come home pretty drunk after an hours-long poker game and just fall asleep. Drunks aren't good lovers."

"Hmmm," I thought for a moment, "... well maybe she's so hot by the time he gets home that any kind of sex would be great."

"Yes, perhaps that's it," was all he said before lapsing back into intense thought.

Minutes later as I handed him the last spoon to dry with a dishtowel, he suddenly froze and stared at the utensil.

"Mickey," I said, after a few seconds, "snap out of it. What are you thinking about?"

"Silverware," he whispered.

"Silverware? No, this is just flatware, Mickey," I pointed out, "not silverware, and you should know. This is your kitchen and your flatware."

"Yes, I know," he assented, "I don't have any actual silverware. But ... does Angie?"

"Angie? Well, yes, she does," I answered, "She and Roger have used it at some parties that I've been to at their place, but why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's probably nothing," he said for the second time.

"Have you thought about how they should be punished?" I asked after a minute.

"Yes." he said grimly. "We'll all meet at Angie's for the next Wine and Fantasy as usual, but we won't actually hold a session. They're going to have to agree to a punishment or I won't have any more sessions with them. If they do agree, the punishment won't begin until the next Wine and Fantasy. I'll need time to prepare some things."

"What things?"

He smiled and said only "All will be revealed in good time, Soo May, all in good time. Oh, by the way, can you get me Robby's phone number?"

"Sure, all Jennie's old boyfriend's numbers are scribbled somewhere on a whiteboard on our fridge door, but why?"

"Oh, I just might want to get some details from him about a couple of things."

Reckoning Postponed

The following Thursday evening, Jennie and I drove together to Angie's place. Jennie took extra care with her makeup that evening, and I knew she was wearing a brand new lacy pink bra and panties because I'd seen her taking the tags off them just before she got dressed for the session. Ordinarily, I would have been jealous and annoyed, but I knew that Mickey would not be seeing her undies tonight.

Mickey arrived at Angie's moments after we did, and as soon as everyone was seated, Angie asked if anyone wanted wine.

"None for me," Mickey replied, "in fact, Soo May and I won't actually be staying long."

"What?" said Angie, "Not staying? I don't understand."

Jennie looked equally puzzled.

"Don't you?" Mickey asked rhetorically. "After what you did to Soo May, you should be surprised that I even came back here at all."

Looks of surprise, followed by guilt, immediately flashed on Angie's and Jennie's faces.

Mickey had been right; I thought to myself, they had thought that I would never tell him about the special rule.

"Did to her?" Angie feigned ignorance, but a quaver in her voice gave her away. "What did we do to her?"

She looked to Jennie for support, but Jennie was staring nervously at Mickey's face. He was actually smiling, but only with his mouth. From deep in his eyes, he returned the stare with an expression that said I KNOW.

Angie then slowly displayed one of those shit-eating grins people get when they've been hopelessly caught.

"Heh, heh," she nervously pretended to laugh, "are you referring to our little prank on Soo May about not playing with herself while you were gone? Heh, heh, she really fell for it, didn't she, Jennie?"

As she said this, she nudged Jennie in the shoulder, but Jennie was still staring in nervous fear at Mickey's smile which looked like the evil villain's smile in every James Bond movie.

"Didn't she, Jennie," Angie repeated, "... didn't she? ... JENNIE!"

"Huh?" said Jennie, coming out of her reverie, "fell over it? Yes, ... yes, she fell over it— I mean fell for it ... uh ... for the, um, pranking ... yes, the long hard pranking we gave her ... um, no wait— I'm mean spanking— no, I mean ... uh ... what was the question?"

I couldn't help but laugh and even Mickey's imperturbability broke slightly and his smile rose for a second before he resumed "Goldfinger" mode. Angie just covered her face with her hands and shook her head in exasperation. She was clearly regretting her choice of co-conspirator.

"This was more than a prank," Mickey said evenly. "You two told her a lie about me and I do not like being lied about. Let me repeat that. I. Do. Not. Like. Being. Lied. About."

He paused to make sure that point was clearly understood and then he continued, "You also pushed Soo May farther than she was ready for. You didn't take her up to her limits as I do, you pushed her past them. And if it weren't for her own cleverness in using your T-shirt as homemade underwear, Jennie, the situation would have been even worse for her."

At this point, I suddenly got an image of myself running across my living room in front of Robby, Dani, and Brad, but I was completely naked this time, save for the shame bonnet on my head, no homemade diaper to cover my pink little boy buns as the assembled guests laughed at me. To my surprise, I felt a sprinkle of precipitation in my private weather system.

Mickey's voice brought me back to the present.

"It's my prerogative," he was saying, "to decide when, if ever, she is humiliated in front of strangers or acquaintances."

Jennie and Angie, by this time, were looking at the floor in shame.

"And that is why," he continued, "I can't participate in any more sessions with the two of you. You have betrayed my trust. Come on, Soo May, let's go."

Both of their heads snapped up.

"What?" Jennie nearly shouted.

"Don't say that!" Angie said at the same time.

They were both clearly shocked, but there was something else in their faces, too: a look of profound sadness and panic. I don't know what a wife would look like if she caught her husband in bed with another woman, but I bet it would be something like this. They looked broken-hearted. It occurred to me for the first time that perhaps I wasn't the only one whose life had changed when Mickey entered it.

"Look, we're really sorry," Jennie said, her eyes watering.

"Yes," Angie affirmed, "it was wrong to lie about you. We should never have pranked Soo May. I can see that now. Please don't stop having sessions with us. It will never happen again. I promise."

"Me, too," added Jennie, "please forgive us."

"Well, I don't know ...," Mickey replied, stroking his chin as if he were thinking it over, although I know he'd planned everything.

Angie's and Jennie's eyes shone brightly at this brief spark of hope. They both loudly chorused pleas for a second chance, hoping to push him over the edge of Unforgiving Ridge and into the Valley of Mercy.

"If I forgave you," Mickey spoke slowly, "and I'm not saying I will; but if I did, you would first have to receive a suitable punishment."

You might think that the emphasis that he put on the word "suitable" would give both Jennie and Angie pause, but it didn't. They both loudly promised to submit to "anything." They seemed almost enthusiastic, as if he was offering them a lifetime supply of ice cream instead of punishment.

"Alright," he said, "I'll tell you what. We won't have a session tonight because I need to plan your punishment, but we'll have the next one as scheduled and Angie will get her comeuppance."

Angie instinctively bowed her head at this announcement.

"Jennie," Mickey continued, "you'll get your just deserts on the next Wine and Fantasy after that, which we're going to hold at your place."

Jennie shivered at this news.

Mickey added two quick instructions, "You are both to wear hi-cut panties, and no bra, for both sessions and, Angie, you are to wear a skirt for your punishment session. Jennie, you will wear a white Oxford shirt and slacks for Angie's session; but the shirt should be untucked and tied up just under your breasts."

They both nodded their acceptance of these instructions.

With that, Mickey stood up, grabbed my hand and started walking me to the front door. We said our goodbyes and left Angie and Jennie still sitting in shock in the living room.