Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood Chapter 6 and 7

Chapter Six: THE TRUTH

By Monday night DJ was a wreck.  She hadn’t said anything about what had happened Sunday to Austin.  She was simply too embarrassed to admit who or what her uncle had been and where it was they were now living.  Besides there was nothing Austin could do about it and the way he had been treating her lately she didn’t know if he’d believe her even if she did tell him.

Across the cul de sac Linda was feeling the same way as DJ only for different reasons.  She hadn’t heard from her friend since DJ had stormed out leaving them all sitting in Connie’s living room with silent looks of shock on their faces.  Surely DJ had known, hadn’t she?  After all she was an intelligent and highly educated woman who had lived with her uncle for nearly four years.  She must have wondered about all the different women coming and going from her uncle’s house.

Linda hadn’t actually known Rod in his early years but she had heard the stories from Connie and some of the other women who had been mentored by Rod.  He had been quite the ladies man from an early age.  In his college years the women had naturally flocked to him as the star quarterback.  Rod quickly learned that there were a lot of different types of women beyond those he had met in his small hometown growing up.  He liked them all, the shy ones, the smart ones, the funny ones, the aggressive ones and especially the naughty ones.  In his sophomore year he had began dating a girl from Florida who wasn’t quite like the other women he had been with in the past.  She liked her men dominating and her sex rough and through her a whole new world opened up to Rod.  Although they had remained together through their senior year it had never been an exclusive relationship, Rita didn’t want it that way.  She said she was too young to be tied down to one guy and wanted to be able to explore other relationships as well as hers and Rod’s.  A couple of times Rita brought her friends over for Rod to “experiment” his dominance on.  It was an eye opening and exciting time in Rod’s life and he decided that this was exactly how he wanted his life to remain.  He loved women way too much to settle down with just one.

After graduation Rod found a job with a large engineering firm in St. Louis.  It was there Rod had his first true experience within the world of BDSM.  Her name was Kathleen and she was almost nine years Rod’s elder, although to look at her no one would have ever guessed her age.  She worked as an architect at the firm where Rod had just been hired and she wasted no time getting to know the handsome new engineer.  On his second date with Kathleen she had taken him to his first BDSM social and he was hooked.  He had finally found a place where his interests were not only accepted by others but also appreciated.  It didn’t take long for Rod to establish himself as one of the most popular Dom’s in the St. Louis scene.  Rod felt as if he had finally found his calling.

Unsure what to do about DJ, Linda decided it would be best to give her some time to calm down before trying to talk to her.  Their next shift at the hospital was Tuesday night, hopefully on the way in they could talk a little about what had happened and hopefully clear the air.  It was too quiet without DJ around, they usually talked several times a day and she hadn’t heard anything from her in almost two days.  Linda hoped that DJ would eventually understand the lifestyle choices of her neighbors and that it wouldn’t be the end of the special friendship that had developed between the two of them.

On Tuesday night Linda pulled her car out from the garage and pulled in front of DJ’s and sounded the horn to let her know she was there.  Unsure if DJ would even be driving in with her she let out a sigh of relief when the door opened and DJ headed out towards the car.

“Hey.” DJ said to Linda quietly as she sat down and fastened her seat belt.

“Ready to go?” Linda asked trying to sound confident.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” DJ answered.

It didn’t take long for Linda to realize that DJ was not going to make this easy.  She was quiet and the tension in the car felt like it could be cut with a knife.

“DJ, can we talk about it?”  Linda questioned hesitantly.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to talk to you or anyone about this.  I’m sorry but I feel like I don’t know you, any of you anymore.”  DJ sounded truly hurt.

“We’re the same people we were before Sunday DJ.  Wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, friends, even  family in some cases.  None of that has changed.  It’s just that we all like or need to be spanked, it’s not a crime.”

“I never said it was a crime!” DJ was getting defensive, “It’s just weird and for all I know illegal and I don’t want to have any part of it.  Only I don’t have a choice do I?  My uncle saw to that.  I’m surrounded by people who, hell I don’t even know what you people do.”

“Then why judge us so quickly DJ.  We are not criminals, we are men and women living in consensual relationships where our husbands are the leaders.  And if you haven’t noticed we are all extremely happy in our marriages?”  Linda found herself becoming as defensive as DJ was.  She had never been confronted about her lifestyle before and she didn’t know how strongly she felt about it until it was suddenly challenged.

“I just can’t believe you let Marc hit you.  That’s abuse Linda, you’re an adult why would you allow this?”

“He doesn’t hit me DJ, well, I mean, he does, but not like you think.  It’s not abuse, its two people who love each other taking on separate role in their marriage.  Marc is the leader in our marriage.  He loves me, cares for me, supports me in all that I do, we are best friends who can laugh and cry together.  We enjoy every second that we are with one another and to keep that feeling alive I submit to him.  I do what he asks of me, within reason, I take care of him, I love him and support him just like he does me.  But when I have been disrespectful to him or have done something he doesn’t approve of he disciplines me. And believe me, I can be plenty strong willed and disrespectful towards him.  It got so bad it almost ruined our marriage.  Then a friend told me about how she and her husband had saved their marriage through domestic discipline and we tried it.  It was our last hope to keeping our marriage together.  We were skeptical in the beginning.  How could something as simple as disciplining your spouse save a marriage.  But it did DJ and Marc and I have never looked back.   And one last thing, just for clarity.  I am a spanked wife, not an abused wife.  Marc has never struck me anywhere but on the bottom and he never would.”

“I don’t know Linda, it just seems so.”

“So what?” Linda inquired defensively.

“So odd. I mean you are not a little kid, why in the world would you want to be treated like one?” DJ still couldn’t grasp what it was that all her neighbors found so enticing about being disciplined.

“Can I ask you something?”  Linda continued.  “Have you ever seen Marc treat me like a child?”

“Well, no.”  DJ answered.

“Then why would you say that domestic discipline treats a woman as if she were a child?  Marc and I are completely equal in all things but his leadership role.  We just grew tired of the fights and the distance that they caused.  We wanted, no we needed a way to put an end to them.  Now if we fight, and believe me we still do, just not as often, it is dealt with then and their.  Instead of the fight causing a rift between us that will just grow it is taken care of with discipline and we can put it behind us.  It’s over, done with and we can move past it.”

“But he spanks you Linda, how does that solve anything?” DJ was more confused then ever.

“Wow Deej, I don’t even know if I can answer that and make any sense out of it.  It’s more then just the spanking.  It’s the fact that we have a way to deal with things.  We stop, discuss it, either agree on a different solution then before the fight or agree to disagree.  I receive a punishment for arguing with him and then we make up.   It’s the reconnection time that really clears the air.  When the punishment is over the problem is resolved and we can’t get close enough to one another.  He holds me and makes me feel that things are okay again.  I hold him and feel his strength and love for me.  It’s not one particular part that solves the problem it’s the process as a whole.”  Linda hoped that some of what she said made sense to DJ.  It was just so hard to explain domestic discipline and why it worked to someone.  Heck sometimes Linda herself didn’t understand why it worked, she was just glad that it did.

“So if the two of you are fighting why are you the one who gets spanked?  It takes two to fight doesn’t it?”  DJ really wanted to understand what her friend was trying to explain to her but so much of it still didn’t make sense.

“Yes, it takes two to fight, but it takes one to start it and I am the one that usually does.  Since becoming head of our household Marc doesn’t instigate fights anymore, not that he did very often anyway.  If there is something he wants to talk about then we sit down and discuss it.  Open and honest communication is a big part of this thing we do.  You have to be willing to communicate on every level.  The fights happen if I am too stubborn to accept Marc’s decision.  All decisions are discussed between us but if we can’t agree he has the final say.  Someone has to or the fighting will just continue.  I’m the hothead DJ.  I’m the one who couldn’t let things go.  Now with Marc as the leader I have to learn to let them go or face the consequences.  It just is an easier way to live.”

“Doesn’t it hurt?”  DJ was finding herself becoming more and more curious about Linda’s lifestyle.

“Of course it does.  It’s a spanking.  As Marc always says; It’s suppose to hurt. I wouldn’t learn anything if it were enjoyable would I?”

“I guess not but I still can’t picture you laying there being spanked.”

“And that my friend is a good thing.  It’s not a pretty picture.”  Linda had to laugh at her friend.

DJ too had to laugh at Linda’s comeback.  She may be a spanked wife but she was still Linda and DJ was glad for a reprieve from the tension of earlier.

“Friends?”  Linda asked.

“Friends.”  DJ agreed.



Chapter 7: This Thing We Do.

“Linda?”  Marc called to his wife as she entered the house after a busy day at work, “I’m in the garage, I’ll be up in a second.”

“Take your time sweetheart.  I think I’m going to go run a bath and try to wind down before dinner.”  Between her nerves over the past few days about what was going to happen with her and DJ and the hectic day she had just encountered at work, Linda knew that she just needed to relax for a while.  It was another lesson she had learned since beginning domestic discipline.  If she was too uptight it could lead to a fight or her being disrespectful towards Marc.  None of what was causing her stress was Marc’s fault so why should he have to face the brunt of her foul mood.  It was best to step away from reality for awhile, if possible, and just relax until she could calm down.

Her new Jacuzzi tub was quickly becoming her favorite retreat.  Linda ran a warm bath, lit the candles that she had placed throughout her bathroom and turned on some soft music.  A little lavender bubble bath finished the scene off perfectly and soon she found herself soaking away all her troubles.

“How’d it go today?”  Marc asked interrupting her relaxation as he sat down next to her on the side of the bathtub.

Irritated at the interruption Linda tried to answer Marc as respectfully as she could.  “It was okay.  DJ and I had a good talk on the way in.”

“So did you tell her I beat you?”  Marc was in a playful mood, Linda was not.

“Yeah Marc, that’s exactly what I said!  Don’t be an idiot.  You don’t joke about this with some people. Can’t you just be serious for once!” Linda knew that she was treading a thin line with her attitude but she simply wanted to be left alone until she had a chance to relax.  She could have explained to Marc her feelings and he would have apologized and left.  He always gave her space when she needed it.  Marc knew that her job as a nurse could be extremely taxing some days and if she needed time alone all she had to do was say so.  Linda’s mood however was getting in the way of her judgment and when that happened she usually found herself bottoms up over Marc’s lap.

“You know if you need sometime alone all you have to do is ask.  You don’t need to give me an attitude.”  Marc warned.

“Oh you think this is an attitude?  Here, let me show you an attitude!”

After thirty years of marriage Marc knew Linda well enough to know that she was about to go off on one of her rants.  Sometimes she just needed to vent on someone to relieve some stress.  He didn’t understand why but he did understand that it was her way of letting him know that life had gotten just a little too stressful and that nothing but a good spanking could help her calm down.  Marc’s thoughts were broken by Linda continuing her outburst.

“I made it perfectly clear when I got home that I just wanted some time to relax.  Is that so much to ask?  I  have worked my ass off today and what do I get as soon as I am in the door, you up here in my face trying to make small talk.  Just leave me alone and let me take a bath!”

“Are you done?” Marc asked his wife.

“No, I’m not!”  Linda answered throwing her washcloth and knocking one of the candles into the tub.

“Oh yes you are!” Marc was angry.  She may be stressed but that little display was going to cost her.  What if the candle had fallen onto the carpet not into the tub.  It was time Linda got a reality check and a swift one.  With one hand Marc grabbed Linda’s arm and lifted her out of the tub as the other hand reached for the bath brush that had been laying next to him.  “I think somebody needs an attitude adjustment!”

“Let go of me Marc!” Linda protested.

“Not likely.  You need a little reminder of who is the head of the household in this house and that you need to speak to him with respect.  This little attitude of yours has made it perfectly clear to me what needs to happen.  Besides if you “worked your ass off today” like you said you did then it shouldn’t hurt a bit because I won’t have anywhere to apply the bath brush!”

Just the word bath brush instantly changed Linda’s attitude.  She went from struggling to release herself from Marc’s grip to being quiet and  cooperative.  Linda hated the bath brush.  It was her most feared of Marc’s implements that he used to punish her with.  He only used it in extreme cases when he was most angry with her.  That last little display of anger when she threw the wash cloth must have really angered Marc.  She thought to herself  as she complacently followed him into their bedroom.  It was what she needed, she knew it and he knew it, but it didn’t make it any easier for her or for the tightness she felt in her stomach that always seemed to accompany a spanking.

Usually at this point Linda would be told to bare her bottom but being she had just been removed from the bathtub it was a mute point.  Instead she heard the all too familiar words,  “Over my knees, now.”  She did as Marc asked of her not wanting to anger him further and the spanking began.  As Marc applied several stinging swats to her bottom he began to lecture her about her attitude towards him and her lack of respect.  When he moved onto the lecture about her knocking the candle over and what could have happened had it not fallen into the bath water the spanking became much more serious as his hand was replaced with the backside of the wooden bath brush.

Linda tried her best to remain in place.  She knew that Marc would not accept any struggling on her part, it would only lead to more serious consequences.  The strikes with the bath brush against her still damp skin sent a searing pain through her bottom and when Marc moved down to the area where her bottom met her upper thighs she couldn’t remain in place any longer.

“Ow, Marc please.  I’m sorry.  I know I disrespected you and you didn’t deserve it.  Please not so hard, it hurts.”  And it did, as the bath brush made contact with the sensitive skin of her sit spot Linda found herself wanting to flee.

“It’s suppose to hurt!”  Linda knew that response was coming, it seemed to be one of Marc’s all time favorite spanking responses but this time he simply swung one of his legs over hers to hold her in place and continued the assault on her bottom.  “Did you want to burn the entire house down?  Was that your plan?”

“No, Sir.” Linda answered.

“Then what were you thinking!”  Marc emphasized the word speaking with an extremely hard swat to her upper thighs as he continued the lecture. “ What if that candle had landed on the carpet?  You were completely out of line on this one and you are going to feel my disappointment in you.  Do you understand me?”  Marc continued as the bath brush reigned down harder and harder on Linda’s bottom and thighs.

“I’m sorry Sir.”  Linda always addressed Marc as Sir out of respect during a punishment. “I guess I wasn’t thinking and I just wanted to be left alone.”

“You could have simply told me and I would have given you some time wouldn’t I?”  Marc was making his point the best way he could as the bath brush continued more and more swiftly to impact Linda’s already bright red rear end.

“Yes Sir, I’m sorry Sir.”  Tears filled Linda’s eyes as the pain from the spanking and Marc’s disappointment in her began to register more and more.

Knowing he had reached the point where Linda was truly sorry for her actions Marc set the bath brush down and lifted Linda into his arms.  Instinctively Linda wrapped her arms around her husbands neck and cried.

“It’s okay now, I forgive you.  It’s behind us.”  Marc whispered into Linda’s damp hair as he held the woman that he loved.

“Come here.” he said laying back onto the bed and spooning as close to his wife as he could possibly be until their bodies were almost one.

This was the time Linda loved the most.  The reconnection time between them.  It was a time when although the pain and heat in her bottom was almost unbearable, the feeling of love and contentment in her heart over shadowed everything else.  It was these times that she truly felt as if she belonged no where else in the world but wrapped safely in the arms of the man she loved. 

“I love you, you know.”  Linda said gently placing a kiss on Marc’s hand as she held it.

“I love you too.”  Marc replied.

“Even if I get crabby and stupid at times?”  Linda asked.

“Especially if you get crabby and stupid at times.  If you didn’t there wouldn’t be any reason to have special times like these now would there?”  Marc had a good point there Linda thought to herself.

“This is exactly what I needed, you knew that didn’t you?”

“Yep.”  Marc stated sounding awfully smug.

“I don’t think I will ever understand the dynamics of this or why it works so well for us but I sure am glad we do this thing we do.” 

“So do I sweetheart, so do I.”  Marc answered as they lay peacefully on their bed side by side.  No more words needed to be spoken.  All that either of them needed was right there in each others arms and nothing else felt so good.

Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood Chapters 4 and 5

Chapter Four:  SURPRISE!!!

It didn’t take long for DJ to become more and more suspicious about the neighborhood they had moved into.  At times she felt as if she were living in a neighborhood surrounded by the Stepford Wives.   She couldn’t put her finger on what it was that wasn’t quite right about her neighbors.  They were all happily married, most of the husbands and many of the wives as well were employed in highly professional  jobs.  Several of her neighbors were physicians,  there was the CEO of a very impressive outdoor and recreational supply company, Catie was a psychologist and Lance an Orthodontist, she and Linda were both registered nurses and before she had moved in her Uncle Rod had been a well known and powerful land developer and engineer.  So what was it that made DJ so suspicious of her neighbors?  It wasn’t something blatantly obvious but she knew that something, just like her mother had said about her uncle so many times, was a bit odd.

“You really don’t see anything strange about this community?”  DJ questioned Austin.

“Honey, just let it go.  You’ve been asking me this for weeks and I keep telling you, No.  Can’t you give it a rest.  They are all just nice people.”  Austin was becoming annoyed with his wife’s insistence that something about Birchwood Estates wasn’t normal.

“ I don’t want to let it go Austin.  I want to know why it is this place is so “perfect” it’s not normal.  Everyone is too happy, too helpful, too in love.  There isn't one dysfunctional family in the entire community.”  DJ continued.

“Yes there is,”  Austin answered trying to lighten DJ’s mood.  He didn’t want this turning into one of their fights again. “Us, we’re the dysfunctional couple, so see nothing is perfect.”

“That’s not funny Austin.  I’m serious, everyone in my family always said that Uncle Rod was odd and now it seems as if we are surrounded by an entire community of odd.”

“They aren’t odd, Deej, they are just content.  There isn’t anything wrong with that.  This isn’t California, there’s no rush out here, no stress to keep up with the Joneses.  Everyone is friendly and helpful to one another.  I can’t believe you can find something wrong with that.” Austin was growing tired of the same topic always coming up, why couldn‘t DJ just enjoy the fact that they had great neighbors.

“I didn’t say it was wrong, just odd!”  DJ was getting irritated with Austin’s nonchalant attitude. “Why can’t you just admit that you find the whole thing weird too.”

“Because I don’t DJ, now let it go already!”  This was it, Austin knew when a fight was coming on and DJ was definitely in one of those moods.  “I’m not going to argue with you about this.  Why don’t you go take a relaxing bath and I’ll go for a bike ride, when I get  back I’ll join you in the tub and we can see where that leads us.”

“I don’t want to take a bath and I know when you are just blowing me off Austin.”  DJ complained following him out to the garage.  “Is that how you always handle things?  When the going gets tough you take off on you damn bike instead of talking it out.”

“There’s nothing to talk about DJ.”  Austin said as he opened the garage door and got on his bike ready to head off on a ride to clear his mind.

“If you leave don’t expect me to be here when you get back!” DJ threatened.  It was an empty threat and Austin knew it.  She’d still be there when he got back and she’d probably still be fired up.  If he left for awhile it may give DJ time to cool off a little, that way the impending fight wouldn’t be quite as bad.

“DJ, I’m going, it’ll give you time to think about things, we can talk when I get back.” With that Austin rode away.

“You Son of a Bitch!”  DJ yelled after him, “Why can’t you be a man and stay here and talk to me!!!” 

DJ didn’t know what to do.  Austin was riding away and had left her standing in the middle of the driveway alone.  Looking down she noticed the morning paper hadn’t been brought in so she picked it up and threw it as hard as she could at Austin.  The paper struck Austin on the shoulder but didn’t deter him from his ride.  He needed to get away, he needed to clear his head  before dealing with DJ. Not that anyone could deal with DJ, he thought to himself.



“They’re at it again.” Stevie told Raymond heading inside from getting the days mail, “I thought you said you were going to talk to Austin.” 

“I know sweetie but how do you bring up something like that to him?  Hey Austin how bought you start spanking DJ and see where it gets you?  Or no, here’s a better one.  Austin that woman of yours is way out of control I think she needs a damn good spanking.  Do you like that one better?”  Raymond wanted to help his friend out but how do you start such a conversation with someone without looking like you‘ve lost your mind.

“Don’t get smart with me mister!”  Stevie said playfully pointing a finger at Raymond.

“Oh, now who’s the one getting smart?”  Raymond teased back. “Woman if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were getting smart with me and you know where that will get you.”

“Yes sir I do.”  Stevie smiled giving Ray a knowing look. 

“Mmhmm, just you remember your place.” Ray said swatting Stevie’s back end as he headed into the study to work on Sunday’s sermon.

“Maybe I can work something into Sunday’s sermon.” Ray offered.

“About spanking your wife?  Well, I’d say you have definitely lost your mind.”  Stevie looked at Raymond worried that he may actually do it.

“No, not spanking, just submitting, I haven’t done a reading from Ephesians in a while maybe it’s time.”

“Well you’d have to get DJ and Austin there for it to do any good.”  Stevie reminded him.

“Yeah, I suppose you are right there.  I’ve tried inviting them several times but to no avail.   How about you talk to Connie about bringing something up at brunch next week.  I know that Austin is quarterbacking on Sunday so DJ should be at the brunch.”  Ray suggested.

“I could do that.”  Stevie said getting one of her sheepish smiles, forcing Ray to wonder what can of worms he may have just opened up.

“Stevie.”  Ray said in a stern voice, “Don’t make me regret having made that suggestion.”

“Now honey, you know me, why would you ever say such a thing.”  Stevie answered with a wink.

“Yeah it’s because I do know you so well that I am worried.  I don’t want you and the other girls getting too carried away with DJ, do I make myself clear?” Stevie could tell that Ray was serious from his tone.

“Yes sir.”  She answered a bit disappointed.




Sunday’s brunch was no different then it had ever been, all the wives were there each with their favorite dish in hand.  It was the first time DJ had attended a community brunch.  She wasn’t sure she even wanted to go but Linda had practically begged her on the way home from work Friday night.  They were lucky enough to be on the same shift at the hospital so they could carpool together.  For Linda’s sake and because DJ was just too tired to argue she had agreed to come. 

“What should I bring?”  DJ asked.

“Don’t worry about bringing anything, there will be enough food for everyone plus leftovers for the guys after the game.”  Linda explained.

“I should bring something.” 

“Just yourself sweetie.”  Linda answered.

As Linda and DJ entered Connie’s house she saw that Linda was right there was enough food to feed half of Springfield.  Pastries and pies, casseroles and hors devours.  An entire ham had been prepared with all the side dishes one could imagine.  DJ couldn’t believe that these women did this every Sunday.  Once again DJ heard the words “Stepford Wives” in the back of her mind.  Luckily the thought was broken by Connie hugging DJ and telling her how happy she was that she could finally join them.  DJ thanked Connie for inviting her and looked around to see all the wives that had been at her welcome party now happily chatting amongst one another. 

“Come on DJ, lets get a drink.”  Linda suggested.

“Oh, okay.”  DJ agreed not sure what else she should do with herself.  At the drink table DJ was happy to see Stevie, at least it was a face she was familiar with. 

“And how are you Miss DJ?”  Stevie asked.  DJ had always thought it was funny that Stevie added Miss to all the women’s names when she addressed them.  What seemed even odder was the fact that when addressing any of the husbands in the community she always responded with Yes Sir and No Sir. 

“I’m good Stevie, a little overwhelmed to be honest.”  DJ admitted to her friend.

“Now don’t be feeling overwhelmed DJ.  You are part of our community, this is where you belong.”  Stevie patted DJ on the shoulder and handed her a glass of wine.
“I know it’s just that we are so new here…”  DJ was explaining when Stevie cut her off.

“Nonsense girl.  Your uncle built this community, if anyone belongs here its you.  He was a fine man and it is so nice to have someone here to represent all that he has built.” 

DJ just blushed.  She couldn’t figure out why her uncle had been such an important part of the community.  Yes, his engineering company had built it but what was it about his role here that made him so special.  DJ was hoping that maybe today’s brunch would provide a little more information about her Uncle Rod and why every one admired him so. 

“Everyone…”  Connie called out, “Everyone have a seat so we can begin.” 

All the ladies found a seat in Connie’s enormous living room.  There were over thirty women in all.  The brunch seemed more like a meeting to DJ then a simple Sunday brunch.  Once again the oddity of the situation struck DJ. 

“Before we begin, I’d like to welcome DJ to her first Birchwood brunch.”

Everyone turned and looked at DJ, a couple of the women applauded her and several mouthed a welcome to her.  DJ wanted to hide but there was no where to escape to.  “Thank you for having me.”  DJ said.

“As most of you know DJ is the niece of  Jeffery Rodgers the founder of our “little” community.  It is so nice to be able to welcome a relative of his to Birchwood Estates.  I think he would be happy to know that she is here with us today.”  Connie continued.

Once again the women of Birchwood applauded as DJ slipped lower into her seat trying to escape her role as the main attraction at the brunch. 

“I know many of you started out in this lifestyle with Rod as your mentor and now we get to pass that favor onto DJ.”  DJ had no idea what Connie was talking about.  Uncle Rod, a mentor?  A mentor of what?  And what did she need mentoring in?

“He was an incredible man,” Catie quickly stood up and began a dissertation of Jeffery Rodgers, “He was my first Dom and taught me everything I  know about being a proper sub.  I will always be grateful for how he taught me to embrace my submissive side and become the woman that I am today.”  

A few of the other women in the room nodded in agreement.  Apparently Rod had been their Dom as well.
DJ had no idea what any of the women were talking about.  Doms? Subs? Her Uncle Rod?  What had he been to these women. 

“I, I don’t understand.”  DJ hesitantly stated, “What is it you are talking about?” 

“Why your Uncle Rod, DJ.  Surely you must have known.  You lived with him during your college years.  You really didn’t realize that he was a Dominant and Master for many submissive women?”  Catie continued, “I’m sure you don’t recognize me now, that was so many years ago, but Rod was my Master at the time you lived with him.  I remember you like it was yesterday.” 

“Oh dear.”  Stevie said.  Raymond had warned her not to get carried away.  She was sure DJ had known about Rod and his lifestyle yet DJ didn’t seem to have a clue about Rod or the fact that Birchwood Estates was built for and sold to only those selected by Rod himself to live in the elite spanking community. 

“You know me?”  DJ asked Catie.

“Well of course I do honey, several of us here do.  Your Uncle Rod was Master and Dom to several of the women here in Birchwood before we married. He's also been a mentor to many of the men here.  He’s the reason we are all here now.  He built this community for all of us so that we could live an open and honest life among other spankos.”

“Excuse me?”  DJ couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  “I live in a spanking community, built by my Uncle Rod and all of you are “spankos" whatever that means?”

“Yes ma’am,” Connie answered, “Your Uncle Rod knew you and Austin weren’t happy in your marriage anymore so he arranged to have you move out here in hopes of helping the two of you find happiness with each other again.”

“And Rod thought that by my moving into a spanking community that Austin and I would suddenly be happy again?”  DJ was confused, hurt, angry and more then a little embarrassed.

“He was hoping that by living around us and seeing how living this lifestyle has helped us all that perhaps you and Austin would embrace the lifestyle and find happiness together again.” Connie explained.

“Well he was WRONG!” and with that DJ stormed out of Connie’s house.



 Chapter Five: THE RULES

“I told you not to get carried away!”  Stevie could tell that Raymond was furious with her by the tone of his voice.

“I’m sorry honey.  I thought she knew.  We would have never said anything to her if we had known she didn’t know about Rod or the community.”

“Not only have you made us look bad, you have made the entire community look bad!  I warned you Stevie, I told you to take it easy on DJ, but no, you and the ladies had to just blurt things out!  I asked you not to make me regret this and now I see that is exactly what you did.” Ray continued.

“I said I was sorry, what else am I suppose to do?”  Stevie knew what was coming yet hoping against hope that Raymond wouldn’t punish her for what had happened.

“You know what you are suppose to do.  Into the study and over the couch, NOW!”  There was no arguing with Ray, once he had decided a punishment was in order there was no talking him out of it.

“Yes sir.”  Stevie replied as she turned toward the study, eyes downcast ready to accept her fate.

It seemed like hours since Stevie had done what Raymond had asked of her and placed herself over the arm of the couch in the study.  It had actually only been four or five minutes when Raymond appeared at the door with implements in hand, but to Stevie time always seemed to stand still as she waited for a punishment.  Placing himself on the couch next to Stevie, Ray motioned for her to come and place herself over his lap.  She did so without hesitation.  They had been living in a domestic discipline marriage for nearly a decade now and Stevie knew to hesitate would only make matters worse. 

“I think we both know why you are in this position.”  Ray began with the lecture as his hands began placing warm up swats over Stevie’s jeans.

“Yes sir.”  Stevie answered.

“I told you not to get carried away.”  Ray continued as each swat became harder and harder, “Yet you jumped right in without even clarifying the situation.  I am VERY disappointed in you Stevie.”

That was all it took.  The tears began to flow down Stevie’s cheeks.  It wasn’t that the punishment was painful, actually Raymond was just getting started, it was that he had said the “d” word.  Ray saying he was disappointed in her always brought Stevie to tears.  She hated to disappoint the man she loved.  Knowing that she had disappointed him hurt more then any punishment could.  In fact most punishments felt good to Stevie.  Yes they hurt, but when it was over all would be forgiven and Stevie and Ray could move forward. 

“Over the desk.” Stevie’s thoughts were broken by Raymond directing her off his lap and over to his desk.  Stevie knew that the punishment was about to get serious.  Knowing what Raymond expected of her Stevie removed her jeans and panties and placed herself over the back of his desk.  Reaching for the other side Stevie placed both hands over her head and held onto the opposite side.  She was ready now for whatever Raymond had in mind. 

Ray began with his old faithful  implement, his strap.  It had actually been in the family for several generations although Ray believed that he was probably the first in the family to use it for his wife.  It was a long, thick piece of leather worn from years of use.  Ray had heard that it had been originally purchased by his
great-grandfather as a straight razor strop.  It was Ray’s favorite implement and one dreaded by Stevie.  In the position that she had been placed in Ray could easily reach her bottom, sit spot and upper thighs to get his point across and he wasn’t missing any of them today.  By the time he had finished with the strap every area from her tailbone to her knees had become a deep shade of red.  It had taken nearly 15 minutes for Raymond to get to the point that he felt Stevie was ready to move on to a new implement.  Usually when she had reached the point that she was struggling to stay in position it was time to move on.  The rod would be next and for this punishment unless there was a reason to continue, which Ray doubted there would be today,  it would also be the last implement for the day.  He could tell he had Stevie just about where he wanted her.  She was definitely remorseful but he knew that to make an impression on her he usually needed a few strikes with the rod or the cane to make sure she would be thinking about this for a few days to come. 

“I’m almost done Stevie and I am proud of you.  You’ve taken your punishment well.  There will be five strikes with the rod on each thigh.  I want you to count them out for me and then we will be done.  Do you understand?’  Ray always had Stevie count the last few strikes it was something he knew she despised doing.  She would much rather lay quietly and stay in her zone then have to count during a punishment.

“Yes sir.”  Stevie answered, and with that the rod came down sharply on her left thigh. “One, ow.” again, “Two, ow.”  As Ray continued with the rod Stevie did her best to comply with his wishes.  By the time he had reached the fourth strike on her right thigh Stevie didn’t think she could take anymore.  “Four, ow, please Ray, no more, I can’t do this.” 

“It’s only one more strike Stevie, you can do it.”  Ray encouraged her to finish giving her a slight break on the fifth and final strike.

“Five” was all Stevie could say as the sobs took over.  Ray reached down and took his wife in his arms.  It hadn’t been an easy punishment to give.  Ray knew that Stevie hadn’t actually gone out of her way to hurt DJ or to disobey him but she hadn’t used good judgment in the way that she had handled the situation and Stevie knew one of the rules was to always use good judgment when dealing with people.  So a punishment was given as it had been before and would be again.  Stevie just seemed to have a knack at getting herself into trouble.  Holding her now as Stevie apologized to him for her lack of judgment Ray knew that this lifestyle was the best thing that had ever happened to them and he was hoping, just maybe, one day DJ and Austin could say the same thing.

Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood

Chapter One: THE INHERITANCE

Austin and DJ couldn’t believe their luck, it was just too good to be true.  As they sat in the lawyers office and were told of the inheritance left to them from DJ’s uncle. 

“He really left us his house?”  DJ asked the lawyer again, “Are you sure that this isn’t some kind of mistake?”   It had been years since DJ had seen her Uncle Rod as she called him.  Jeffery “Rod” Rodgers had been her mother’s only brother and the black sheep of the family.  DJ had always loved him and never understood what everyone thought was so wrong with Uncle Rod.  She’d asked her mother several times why no one in the family liked him only to be told that he was just “odd”.

Odd or not DJ had been close to her uncle as a child and after losing her father in her teens it was Uncle Rod that had stepped up and helped her through the loss.  He had become her surrogate father, he was always there for her through the tough high school years and in college she had been fortunate enough to be able to rent a room from him to help keep college costs down.  If it hadn’t been for her Uncle Rod she would have never been able to afford to finish college.  When DJ had met Austin and fallen in love Rod had been the only member of her family to make him feel truly welcome.  So it only made sense that when Austin and DJ married that it was Rod that had given DJ away. 

After their wedding Austin and DJ had relocated to the West Coast and became busy with their careers and raising a family.  DJ had kept in touch with her Uncle Rod for several years but as life became more and more busy they saw less and less of each other.  They exchanged Christmas cards each year and he had always sent gifts for her children as they were growing up but since the kids had grown DJ and Rod had pretty much lost touch with one another. 

DJ remembered the day the call came from Rod’s estate attorney letting her know that he had passed away and that she had been named in his will.  She had cried not only for her loss but for the guilt she felt at not staying in contact with him during his final years.  She just couldn’t believe that he was gone.  The attorney had told her that the reading of the will would take place in two weeks and asked if she would be able to attend.  DJ said that she and Austin would attend and waited to find out what Uncle Rod had left for her. 

As the will was read DJ and Austin couldn’t believe what they heard.  He had left his home and all it’s contents to them.  He had also left them $50,000 to help them with the move across the country and to get settled.  The rest of his money was divided among several charities that he had supported throughout his life and also to set up a college fund for DJ and Austin’s grandchildren.  College educations had always been important to Rod and to be able to help out DJ’s future grandchildren the way he had once helped DJ through college had been an important gift for him to leave behind.  The lawyer explained that unless the will was contested, and he saw no reason anyone would be contesting it since DJ was Rod’s only living relative, that the house would be theirs by the end of the month. 

After the meeting with the lawyer DJ and Austin went out to lunch to celebrate their good fortune.  Life hadn’t been easy for them recently.  Like so many others they had gotten involved in a high interest mortgage a few years back when they downsized to a new home after their kids had moved out.  They loved their home but the payments were taking a toll on them and several times they had wondered if they would eventually just have to walk away from the home that they had always believed they’d spend their retired years in.  Now with the home they had just inherited a whole new world of choices had opened up for them.  They could sell Uncle Rod’s home and pay off theirs or if they choose to they could even pack their bags and head for a new life half a country away.  It would be a hard decision but one that they would eventually have to make.  First they had to see the house they had just inherited and decide if it was even worth keeping. 

The following day before flying back to California DJ and Austin took a drive out to see the house.  They were surprised to find it was in an exclusive gated neighborhood.  As they approached the gate DJ saw a sign welcoming them to Birchwood Estates.  What surprised her even more was that the sign also stated that the gated community was a master planned development of the Rodgers and McLemore Engineering Company.  Rodgers Engineering had been her uncle’s company and she wondered if Rodgers and McLemore Engineering was possibly a partnership that he had taken on.  Arriving at the gate they were met by a gentleman who introduced himself as Jim Rumsfeld and welcomed them to Birchwood Estates.  He asked them if they were coming to see someone and Austin explained to the gatekeeper that they had just inherited Jeffery Rodgers’ home and that they were hoping to take a look at it.  The gatekeeper said he had heard that they would be coming eventually and told DJ how sorry he was for her loss but that her uncle had been an incredible man and very respected in the Birchwood community.  He then gave them directions to the house and told them he thought they would really enjoy their new home.  

After thanking Jim for his help DJ and Austin drove into the community to find the house.  The community was breathtaking.  They followed the directions that Jim had given them into the center of the community.  There surrounded by houses, bridges and aqueducts was a medium size man made lake that was the focal point of the community.  Each house was built on the lake and each had lake access.  The houses were all very large with exquisitely manicured front yards.  As they drove up to her uncle’s house DJ was surprised by all the hellos and welcomes they received as they drove past members of the community, it was almost as if they had been expected.  Bringing the car to a halt in front of their newly acquired home both Austin and DJ were amazed with what they saw.  The house was a beautiful two story traditional home in grey and white and like all the homes surrounding it the front yard was perfectly manicured as well.  The home itself sat in a large cul de sac with a fountain in the middle of the street.  The lake seemed to wrap around the cul de sac and each home backed up to the lake.  DJ couldn’t believe their luck.  This home was so much more then she could have ever imagined and she knew there was no way she could ever give it up.




Chapter Two: THE NEIGHBORS

The decision to pack up and move from California to their new home was an easy decision for DJ and Austin.  Austin’s job as a software designer allowed him to work out of his home from any state and DJ had already lined up several job interviews with new companies in Springfield.  With both their children in the military they really couldn’t follow them around to each new duty station so the middle of the country seemed as good of a central point as any.   Although DJ had grown up in Tennessee and Austin in Arkansas it was kind of like coming home moving to Missouri.   The money Rod had left them for moving expenses had helped them to sell their home in California quickly since they could sell for under market value and within two months of first learning of their inheritance DJ and Austin had made the move to their new home in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri.  

It hadn’t taken long for DJ and Austin to realize that they were the “talk of the town“.  It seemed as if everyone in the Birchwood community had come over to introduce themselves and bring a house warming gift of one sort or another.  The first week they lived in their new home they hadn’t had to cook once due to all the dishes that had been prepared for them by their new neighbors.  Linda and Marc where the first to arrive on their doorstep.  They lived directly across the cul de sac from DJ and Austin.  Linda was a tall woman almost 5’11” she wasn’t heavy, just big boned, as she stated and Marc was just the opposite.  To say
he was 5’8” would be giving him the benefit of the doubt.  And unlike his wife he was also extremely slight framed.  Although he wasn’t gangly by any means to look at him one would have expected him to be a jockey or professional cyclist.  Actually Marc was a retired professional baseball player who was now a sports commentator and owner of the local double A baseball team. 

DJ and Linda became fast friends.  Both worked as nurses in Springfield and both loved all types of music.  Even after knowing them both for over a month every time DJ saw Linda and Marc together she wanted to laugh at the fact that they were complete opposites.  She sensed however that Linda and Marc had an incredibly deep love for one another which was the secret to their strong  marriage.  One that had  lasted nearly three decades even though the first fifteen of them they were almost constantly apart due to Marcs baseball career.  At times DJ found herself jealous of the closeness her new friend and husband shared.  DJ and Austin were happy but the newness of their love had faded years ago and now they were simply comfortable in their lives together.  They weren’t crazy in love like Linda and Marc seemed to be.

The next couple to show up on their doorstep was Raymond and Stevie.  Raymond was the pastor of the Church of the Ozark’s in the neighboring town of Battlefield.  His wife Stevie had been a professional model most of her life until settling down with Raymond and raising their three sons.  Since their children were now grown Stevie helped out at the church and directed the churches choir.  She had a beautiful voice and was known to still sing backup for several acts that performed in Branson throughout the year.  Raymond and Stevie lived directly next door to DJ and Austin and just like Linda and Marc they seemed to have found the secret to ever lasting love.  It was obvious just by looking at Raymond that he worshipped the ground his wife walked on and one could sense that Stevie felt exactly the same way.

As for the rest of their neighbors it wouldn’t take long for DJ and Austin to get to know them as well.  Linda had planned a “Welcome to Birchwood” party so that everyone could meet the newcomers.  The cul de sac was closed off one Friday evening a few weeks after they had moved in and it seemed as if all of the Birchwood Estate homeowners were invited.  Everyone brought whatever dish they were most famous for making and there was enough food to feed two armies.  DJ and Austin tried their best to remember all the names of the people they were introduced to but it was hard with the amount of people who had attended.  A few of them did manage to stick out in DJ and Austin’s minds.  There was Catie and her husband Lance, they seemed to be the “old wise” couple of the group.  It seemed whenever anyone had a question during the evening they always seemed to turn to Catie or Lance for the answer.  Next was Connie and Andy.  Connie was a social butterfly she knew everyone and everyone loved her.  Every Sunday after church, most of the neighborhood seemed to attend Church of the Ozark’s where Raymond was the pastor, Connie had brunch at her place for all the women while Andy usually set up some sort of baseball or football game for the men.  Connie couldn’t wait to have DJ over and Andy wasted no time inviting Austin to the Sunday “games”.   It seemed the following week Andy’s quarterback was moving away and Andy had decided the second he met Austin that he would be the perfect replacement.

The last couple that DJ remembered meeting was Heather and Don.  Heather was the class clown of the neighborhood always arriving with a new joke or funny thought.  She also ran the Birchwood Gazette the monthly social magazine of Birchwood Estates.  Don had seemed quiet yet like all the other men she had met he too seemed to love his wife and was very proud of her social status among the other women.  It was odd DJ thought to herself after the party, every person she had met that night was married.  In fact DJ couldn’t think of one of her neighbors that wasn’t married.  When she mentioned how strange it seemed to Austin that night that not one of their neighbors were single he simply shrugged it off.  To DJ however it still seemed odd.  Every couple there seemed to be as happy as Linda and Marc.  She wondered what their secret was and hoped that maybe she and Austin’s new life in Birchwood Estates would find them sharing in some of the marital bliss that seemed to be so contagious in their new neighborhood. 


Chapter Three: GETTING TO KNOW YOU

It had been less then two months since DJ and Austin had made the move to Birchwood Estates.  Austin was pleased with how the move had allowed him to expand his business.  However with the expansion it seemed that he was working longer and longer hours.  Between his job and the long shifts DJ worked at the hospital it seemed as if they never saw one another anymore.  DJ had hoped that when they had moved away from California that they would be able to leave their hectic lifestyle behind.  It was time to relax.  They had raised their children, they now owned their home free and clear and there was no reason to continue to live for nothing more then their jobs.  She wanted to explore her new surroundings, she wanted to take day trips and enjoy the beauty of the Ozark Mountains with her husband.  It was time to slow things down.  Austin didn’t agree.  His business was growing, the money was great and he was even thinking of hiring some help.  There was no way he wanted to slow down. 

DJ tried her best to see it from Austin’s point of view but she found herself resenting him more and more as she saw him less and less.  It all came to a head one Saturday morning.  DJ had planned an outing to Lake of the Ozarks.  She had rented a boat, packed a lunch full of all of Austin’s favorite foods and was heading out the door when the phone rang. 

“Please don’t answer it.” DJ pleaded with Austin.

“I’ll just be a second honey.”  Austin assured her.

Two hours later with the food cold and the mood gone Austin appeared in the garage where DJ was putting away the last of the items she had packed for the day.

“Hey Deej,” Austin used her pet name, knowing he was in the dog house, “We can go now, I got everything taken care of.

DJ simply walked past Austin without even looking at him and headed out to the drive way to retrieve the ice chest she had packed earlier that day. 

“DJ, I said we can go now.  Come on honey, I know I got carried away on the call but its not too late to go.”

“If you want to go Austin fine go!”  DJ said throwing the ice chest to the ground at his feet.  “I don’t want to go anywhere with you! All you care about is that damn business of yours.  You don’t care about me, about this relationship, about anything but your precious business and I am sick of it!” 

“Babe, don’t be that way.” Austin said trying to take DJ in his arms.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!!”  DJ spat at Austin while trying to clean up the mess she had made when she threw the ice chest down. 

Austin knew there was no arguing with DJ when she got like this.  She was angry.  She had a right to be, he had ruined the day but he was trying to apologize and she was simply getting angrier by the minute.  Instead of arguing Austin simply began helping DJ clean up the food that had spilled out of the ice chest.  It was about that time Raymond came out to wash his car, something he did like clockwork every Saturday afternoon. 

“Here babe, let me help.”  Austin offered.

“I don’t need your f-ing help Austin.”  DJ once again yelled and picked up what was left of the cake she had baked for Austin and threw it at him.

“DJ that’s enough!  I said I was sorry.”

“Yeah a sorry excuse for a man!”  DJ hissed back and stomped off into the house leaving Austin alone in the driveway to clean up the mess.

Austin simply shook his head in frustration and giving Raymond a “sorry you had to see that glance” returned to cleaning up the food.

“Can I lend you a hand there Austin?”  Raymond asked. 

“Sure Ray.”  Austin answered glad for  a friendly face at that moment.  “Sorry you had to see that.  DJ has quite a temper and when she gets mad, she gets really mad.  I don’t know what to do with her sometimes.  I wish we could simply talk it out but there’s no reasoning with her when she’s on a rampage.”



“It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with in the past.”  Raymond told Austin.

“I doubt that, you and Stevie never fight.  I doubt if she has ever treated you the way DJ just treated me.“

“Don’t be so sure about that Austin.  We’ve had our fights and for a while there they were big ones.  Bigger then what you and DJ just had.  We just found a way to work through them and it’s been a lot more peaceful since then.”  Raymond answered looking serious. “Why don’t you and DJ come to church tomorrow.  Once a month after service we have a couples group that meets and discusses marriage and the issues that can affect it.  It’s a good group, most of the couples are our age, although there’s a few younger couples that attend.  I think it may help you and DJ.”

“I don’t know Ray.  I’ve never been much of a church goer and I think DJ and I are a little too far gone for a simple meet and greet type of group.  I’ll ask her but I doubt she’ll agree.  Thank you though for the invite.”

“ Well the offer is always open to you both or if you feel uncomfortable in a group setting and you don’t mind talking to your neighbor about marriage my door is always open to both of you.  Stevie and I would love to help you both out.”  Ray said extending a hand in friendship.

“Thanks Ray, it’s nice to know that your just next door if we ever need you.”  Austin was glad to have found a friend in Ray.  He seemed to genuinely care and it was nice to know that he’d listen anytime things got out of hand between he and DJ.  He hated to admit it but for the past few years now that was happening more and more. 

“Well I hope to see you tomorrow.  I better get to washing the car before Stevie catches me wasting the day.”  Raymond joked heading back over to his driveway.  “Hope the rest of your day goes better.”

“Me too.”  Austin laughed heading inside to see whether DJ had calmed down or not. 

Little did either DJ or Austin know but not only had Stevie and Raymond witnessed the argument between them but so had Linda and Marc. 

“It’s a shame to watch those two argue the way they do.”  Marc said to Linda taking her in his arms. 

“We use to be just like them Sweetheart and you know it.”  Linda answered playfully wagging her bottom towards Marc as she headed into the kitchen to start lunch. 

“You know young lady, you wag that tail of yours too much and you may find it sunny side up and much warmer then it is right now.”  Marc teased.

“Promises, promises.”  Linda responded laughing as she bent over a little more then necessary while looking into the refrigerator for the leftovers she had planned to warm up for lunch. 

Marc couldn’t resist, he reached into the utensil holder on the counter, removed his favorite wooden spoon and gave Linda three quick but hard swats on her protruding bottom.

“OW! What was that for?”  Linda teased acting genuinely hurt.

“Just a quick reminder of who is in charge in this house.” Marc offered a warning, “You have been spending a lot of time with DJ recently and I don’t want you thinking you can start acting like her.” 

“Believe me honey, I would never want to go back to those days.  I only wish I could tell DJ about this thing we do.  Maybe it would help them.”  Linda stated agreeing with Marc.  She remembered those days.  The days before they had begun their domestic discipline relationship.  Just like DJ and Austin they had been unhappy and didn’t even realize it. 

“After that display we just saw I think Austin needs to take that woman in hand and teach her a few manners.” 

“I honestly don’t think DJ is ready to be taken in hand at this point in her life.  If I did I would honestly talk to her about it.  Maybe Raymond will be able to talk to Austin about it.  I think he and Austin have gotten pretty close since they moved in.”

“Well for their sake and for the sake of the neighborhood I hope someone can talk to them.  Rod would have been appalled to know that DJ rules the roost in that house. Of all the couples to leave his house to he chooses DJ and Austin to live in a spanking community.  What a waste.”  Marc shook his head at the realization that Rod’s niece was definitely not submissive in the least. 

“Maybe that’s why he choose them.”  Linda stated sharing her woman’s intuition.  That had never occurred to Marc.

To Be Continued........

A New Dawn....Chapters 7-10

Chapter Seven

    With the incident of the car behind them Jane and Berto’s love had never felt closer. They both realized after wards that their love was stronger then either would have believed.  It had survived a significant trial and what had resulted was a much deeper love between them in the end.  Jane still couldn’t believe how the leadership and discipline from the man she loved could actually make their relationship so much stronger but for some reason it did and Jane wasn’t about to question why. 

The hectic pace of running both a winery and the horse business was beginning to wind down for the year.  The harvesting of the grapes for the year was behind them.  The year’s wine had been barreled and was aging and with the holidays rapidly approaching Jane and Berto were enjoying a well deserved break.

    Berto had even surprised Jane with a vacation to Viareggio on the Italian coast and they had a wonderful time.  It was a beautiful area and one Jane had never been lucky enough to visit until then.  She had heard that the Italian coast was beautiful but to really understand it’s beauty Jane had to see it for herself.  Berto had rented a villa perched on the cliffs overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.  The views were stunning.  Each morning she and Berto would have coffee on the veranda overlooking the sea.  They were the most relaxing  days that Jane and Berto had ever spent together and Jane never wanted to leave.  She would cherish the memories of their time together there and never forget the sunset walks on the beaches that she and Berto had shared.

    Berto had enjoyed their time together there so much that he was planning on surprising Jane with the purchase of the small villa where they had stayed as her Christmas present.  He had always loved the Italian coastline and now with Jane to share it with him a vacation home in Viareggio would be the perfect get away for them both occasionally throughout the year.  Besides it was time that they had a place just for the two of them.  Berto knew that Jane loved Villa Chellini, but it was his family home and he thought that Jane would love a home that they could call their own.  It was the first time in years that Berto could barely keep a secret till Christmas.  He felt like a child again waiting for Santa Claus to arrive.  Only this time he would be Santa and Jane would be receiving a wonderful gift in her stocking.

    Shortly before Christmas Berto received the shipment of two new Friesian Stallions that he had purchased to add to his breeding stock.  Jane still to this day was in awe of the beautiful horses that Berto raised.  They were so unlike the American quarter horses that she had been raised with.  She loved her horses back home but the Friesians were so awe inspiring.  Their height and stature along with the solid black coloring and long thick mane and feathers made these horses seem almost royal.  Jane always imagined if the Greek gods were to ride horses they would be seen riding Friesians.  They were the most majestic animals she had ever seen.  And as the new stallions were unloaded Jane couldn’t help but catch her breath as the second of the stallions came off the truck.

    His name was Tusca, short for his registered name, Tuscany’s Black Beauty.  He was the largest horse Jane had ever seen and the most spirited.  As Phillipo tried to unload Tusca from the truck he was met with a powerful resistance that included rearing and pawing at the ramp.  Tusca wanted none of what was happening and meant to let all around him know that he was unhappy with the situation.  Berto was surprised with Tusca’s behavior.  Friesians were known for their gentle and docile temperaments and Tusca was being neither gentle or docile at the moment.  He had not seen this side of the horse when he had purchased him.  His breeder Gianna Spentori was well known for her prize winning Friesians and Tusca had shown no aggressive behaviors when Berto had chosen him.  Berto hoped he was just spooked from the long trip and unfamiliar surroundings.

    Finally with Berto’s help he and Phillipo were able to unload Tusca and get him into his stall.  Tusca’s aggression however was not diminishing even after settling into his new surroundings and Berto warned Jane that she needed to keep away from him until Berto or Phillipo had a chance to work with him and hopefully calm him down.  Jane agreed, Tusca was too large and too unpredictable to approach for the time being and even Jane found herself a little frightened of him.

    Two days later Berto was working with Mahji the other new stallion when Jane arrived back from town.  She loved to watch Berto work with these magnificent animals.  He was so good with them, he took the time to get to know each horse individually and never had to raise a crop or his voice to command his horses.  He treated them with the respect that he demanded from them and it amazed Jane how both he and his horses could read one another and know what the other wanted or needed.  It was one of the things that had made Jane fall in love with Berto.  His gentleness when working with these incredible animals.  Just watching him work with Mahji made Jane realize what a strong man Berto truly was.

    After watching Berto work Mahji for a few more minutes Jane went into the barn to see the other horses.  Tusca was in his stall along with the other stallions in the barn.  Each seemed to give Jane a welcoming neigh or head nod as she approached each one and said hello for the day.  Each horse knew Jane, she was the “treat giver”.  She always had a carrot or apple to give to each horse as she petted their heads and talked to them.  She had still not been able to approach Tusca.  Berto has warned her that he was still unpredictable and not to go near him.  Today however even Tusca was head nodding and nickering for an apple.

    “Berto must have finally been able to work with him and get him over his fears.”  Jane thought to herself.  Tusca was being much friendlier today so Jane felt safe to approach him.   Jane held out the apple and Tusca gently nibbled on it from her hand.  Jane was so relieved that Tusca was coming around.  He was, in Jane’s mind, the most beautiful horse she had ever seen and even with his aggression issues he had quickly become Jane’s favorite.

    Jane talked quietly to Tusca and petted the top of his head.  The more she petted him the more Tusca leaned into her hand, almost begging for more.  Jane had to laugh to herself.  This was the big dangerous horse that Berto had warned her to stay away from?  He was nothing more than a big baby at this point.  She loved petting Tusca, he was so smooth and his mane flowed like silk into her hands.  Tusca gently finished the apple and nudged Jane’s hand as if asking for another one.  Jane obliged and reached into her pocket for a second apple.  Tusca was happily nibbling on it and enjoying being petted when Phillipo walked into the barn.
    Instantly Tusca’s demeanor changed.  He reared up, neighing his disapproval of Phillipo’s presence.  Jane quickly backed away from Tusca as Berto entered the barn to see what was happening.  Again Tusca reared and neighed pawing angrily at the ground as Berto approached.

    “Mia, back away from that animal!  I thought I told you not to go near him!” Berto scolded Jane angrily.

    “I’m sorry Berto, I thought you had…..” but Jane was unable to finish her sentence.

    “Go to the house, we will discuss this later!” Berto had enough to deal with he did not need Jane there getting in the way.

    Jane left the barn and headed for the house, confused at what had caused Tusca to suddenly become so out of control again.  Jane would have never had disobeyed Berto and gone up to him if she didn’t think that Berto hadn’t have worked with him and gotten him to calm down.  It was like night and day.  But Jane couldn’t figure out what had set Tusca off.

    A few minutes later Berto came into the house still angry from the scene in the barn.  “Did I not tell you to keep away from Tusca?”

    “Yes, Berto but I thought…” once again Berto cut her off.

    “You thought what Jane?  That the rules I lay down around here don’t apply to you?  That I make them just to hear myself talk? Why can’t you do as you are told! That animal is dangerous and until he can be dealt with you are not to go near him. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?”

    “Yes Berto but Tusca was fine with me.”  Jane tried to explain, “He let me give him an apple.  He let me pet him and asked for more.  He wasn’t dangerous at all.”

    “So now you know more about the horses then I do?  Is that what you are telling me?”  Berto was angry not only had Jane disobeyed him but she had put herself in danger doing so.

    “No Berto, I didn’t say that.  I just said that he was fine one minute and then the next minute something set him off.  We need to find out what.  He’s an incredible horse and I want to work with him.”  Jane tried to reason with Berto.

    “No one is going to work with that horse, not me, not Phillipo and definitely NOT YOU! The animal is being sent back as soon as we can arrange it.  He does not belong here with his disposition.  I only hope his breeder realizes how dangerous he really is.”

    “I think you’re wrong Berto, why can’t you just give him a chance.  He is an incredible animal and I think he just needs a chance. Please don’t send him back.”  Jane had never felt so strong before about how badly Tusca needed a chance.  She didn’t want to see him sent back to his breeded.  He needed her.  Something about him told her that.  His reaction to her in the barn was so different.  As he leaned into her hand it was like he was begging for her to love him.  And she would love him.  It was as if he had been sent to her for some unknown reason and the time she had spent with him today just made it all the more clear that he needed her.

    “Please Berto, let me work with him.  I think I can get through to him.”  Jane pleaded.

    “Absolutely not Jane! I will not take the chance of you being injured by that horse.  He is going back and I don’t want you near him again.  Do I make myself clear?”

    “Yes, Berto you do.”  Jane lied.  She was disappointed but there was no reasoning with Berto at the moment.  Maybe in the next week she could work with Tusca and prove to Berto that he was wrong about the horse.  All Jane knew is that she wanted Tusca and that one day he would he hers and hers alone.

    For the rest of the day Jane avoided Berto.  She was disappointed in him and in his decision.  He was not giving Tusca or her a fair chance.  She had never seen this side of Berto.  He was being unreasonable and she wasn’t going to sit by and let it happen.

    After dinner when Amelia had cleared away the dishes and brought them desert Jane decided to bring up the subject of Tusca again.

    “Berto, why are you being so unreasonable about Tusca?” Jane asked.

    “Don’t do this Jane,” Berto warned, “you won’t like the outcome.”

    Berto’s answer just made Jane angry.  “Don’t tell me what to do or not to do unless you are willing to discuss it with me!”

    “I am warning you again Jane, the Tusca issue is closed! Finito. (Finished) Do you understand me?”  Berto was beginning to get angry but Jane didn’t care.

    “No Berto, I don’t understand! Why can’t we even talk about this?  We are suppose to be a team, a partnership yet you make all the decisions regardless of what I think and I am tired of it!”  Jane knew she was pushing but she wanted Tusca to stay no matter what the cost.

    “When it comes to my horses and your safety you are damn right that I make the decisions.  Now let the matter lie Jane or there will be consequences.”  Berto had given his final say on the issue.  His last statement let Jane know that it was over but she simply continued the argument.

    “Berto, I want reasons! I want to know why I can’t work with Tusca, he trusts me, you didn’t see him with me!  Why can’t you just give me a chance!  You are being unreasonable and I want to know why!” Jane knew she was treading on thin ice but this was one time that she didn’t want to take no for an answer.

    “The matter is closed Jane.  Please leave it at that.”

    “NO!” Jane argued back, “I won’t leave it at that.  Why can’t you be man enough to give me your rea…….”

    “Man enough!  You want me to be man enough.  Fine Jane, I will show you man enough!”  Taking Jane’s wrist in his hand Berto stood her up and lead her up the stairs to their room.

    Jane knew she had pushed too far but she wasn’t done yet.  If she was going to be punished for stating an opinion then Berto would hear it all before he was done!

    “Is this the only way you know how to deal with things Berto! Fine! If it isn’t something you want then you just punish it out of me!  I think that is bullshit! You won’t give me your reasons and when I ask this is how you respond!  If you think I am going to cooperate when you won’t cooperate with me then you have another thing coming!” Jane was mad, upset and feeling defeated all at the same time.

    Berto allowed her to vent her frustrations.  He knew the horse had captured Jane’s heart but he also knew from past experiences that a horse like that would never work out and Jane had to learn, even if it was the hard way, that he knew better then her where Tusca was concerned.   He wouldn’t argue with her.  It didn’t work when she got into a mood like this.  Better just to hear her out and then deal with the situation when she had finished her ranting.

    “See you don’t even have a decent argument! Do you Berto!” Jane continued. “You know you are wrong but you have to play the big strong Italian man who is always right!  I hate it when you get like this!  Why aren’t you saying anything!” Jane was frustrated with Berto’s silence.  He wouldn’t even argue with her which just made Jane more and more angry.  “Dammit Berto say something!”

    “What do you want me to say Jane? I have explained to you my point of view on the matter.  Nothing is going to change my mind you should know that by now.  But I will listen to you and when you are done we will deal with this my way.”  Berto answered matter of factly.

    Jane knew she had lost.  Not only would Berto never allow her to keep Tusca but he was going to punish her for not accepting his answer on the subject and arguing with him.  The punishment hadn’t even begun and Jane wanted to cry.  Not because she was going to receive a punishment but because she had lost in more ways then one.

    “When you are done Jane, you know what to do.” was Berto’s final statement on the matter.

    Jane simply turned her back to Berto so he would not see the tears of disappointment that had already began to fall.  She knew that she had earned this punishment.  She had argued and cussed and accused Berto not being a man.  But the tears came from knowing that Tusca would soon be gone and she could do nothing to stop it.

    Defeated Jane did as Berto knew she would eventually.  She lowered her pants and undergarments and placed herself over his knee.  Berto felt sorry for Jane.  He knew how badly she wanted the horse but this punishment was not about that.  It was about her disrespect toward him and the decision he had made that had landed her over his knees.  And he would let her know as the punishment began that arguing with him was not the answer.

    The lecture began as several hard swats from Berto’s hand began coving Jane’s bottom.  “I know you wanted the horse, but he is too unpredictable Jane.  You are not being punished for wanting Tusca.”  Smack, smack, smack.  “You are being punished for the disrespectful way you continued to talk to me even after I said that the matter was closed.”   As he continued to warm up Jane’s bottom with several more hand swats Berto wanted Jane to know that he understood her feelings for the horse but that she would not be allowed to talk to him in such a manner.

    “Your attitude toward both me and my decision was completely disrespectful and I will not allow you to continue to act that way towards me.  Now stand up and lie down on the bed.”  Berto instructed.

    Jane did as she was told.  As she did she heard the dreaded sound of Berto unbuckling and removing his belt and knew that this punishment was far from over.

    “I warned you not to continue with this conversation earlier but you did and now you will pay the price for not listening!”

    With that Berto began an long and hard assault on Jane’s bottom with the belt doubled over in his hand.  Each swat seemed to grow harder than the next one.  Jane could tell from the severity of the swats that she had angered Berto more than he had led on.  He was swinging with full power and each strike of the belt left a lasting impression not only on Jane’s bottom but on her mind as well.

    “Usually, I would leave the punishment to the belt Jane but you had to continue well after I warned you to stop and the language you used was not acceptable either.  You want to know what type of a man I am?  Well you are about to find out!”  With that Berto reached into his nightstand drawer and removed the paddle that his father had made.  Seeing it made Jane panic.  Berto had only used the paddle on her once and she remembered the pain and the burning all too well.

    “Please Berto, I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry.  Please don’t use the paddle.”  Jane pleaded.

    “You wanted to know what type of man I am?  Well perhaps this will remind you that you are dealing with  not only a man but an Italian MAN!” Berto’s disappointment over the way Jane had talked to him was showing.  He didn’t punish in anger but he had to admit that the way Jane had spoken to him and told him that he wasn’t man enough had him close to punishing with an angry edge.  He knew he had to be careful to keep his feelings in check.

    “You will receive twenty swats and you will count each and every swat.  Do I make myself clear Jane?”  Berto stated knowing that if he could hear in Jane’s voice how the swats were affecting her that it would keep him focused on her and not the anger.

    “Yes sir” was the only reply Jane could bring herself to say.  She knew she had angered Berto with her attitude and knew that she deserved what she had coming.

    As the first burning swat landed somewhere between her lower bottom and her sit spot Jane counted out.  “One, ow!”

    Each consecutive swat seemed to land in the exact same place.  Berto didn’t seem to move the swats around at all.  By the time Jane had reached fifteen she could barely concentrate on the counting all she could feel was the deep burn and pain as each swat landed again and again in the same spot.

    “Fifteen, ow, Berto please not the same spot!  It hurts so badly, please move it around.”  Jane begged not for Berto to stop but at least for a break from the one area that was being assaulted.

    The pleading didn’t work as Berto applied the last five swats to the exact same place.  The twentieth swat being the hardest as was Berto’s trademark.  He always emphasized the last swat so that Jane would remember the last one just a little more.

    “Twenty.  OW! Please, are we done?”  Jane couldn’t wait to stand and rub the burning on her bottom.

    “Yes Jane, I am done but I want you to go stand over in the corner by the fireplace and DO NOT touch your bottom.  I think you need a little time to think about this one.” Berto answered.

    Jane wanted to die.  Corner time!  Berto hardly ever gave her corner time.  All she wanted to do was rub the burn away yet Berto just told her that she was not to touch her bottom anytime soon.  Jane did as she  was told.  The time she stood in the corner seemed endless.  Her bottom was burning and sore and she knew that sitting anytime soon would be a reminder of why arguing with Berto was pointless.

    Eventually Berto called Jane to him and she gladly went into his arms to accept his forgiveness.  This was the one part of a punishment that made it all worth it.  Forgiveness always felt so good to Jane.  Especially when she knew that she had pushed too far.  Berto held her for a long time and kissed away the remaining tears.  Jane apologized for her attitude and as she left the safety of Berto’s arms to retrieve a cool towel for her bottom Berto gave her a quick swat just to remind her that he loved her and that he was in charge.  Jane looked over her shoulder towards him and gave him a wink and a smile to acknowledge that she indeed still felt loved and cherished by her man.


Chapter eight:

    With Christmas right around the corner most businesses had closed for winter holiday.  Luckily for Jane, Tusca’s breeder, Gianna Spentori was leaving for the holiday season as well and Tusca could not be sent back until after the new year.  Berto continued to warn Jane that Tusca was dangerous and that she was not to go near him but Jane had other ideas.  Something about Tusca told Jane that he was not dangerous.  He was scared of something and unsure of himself but whenever she was alone in the barn with the other stallions Tusca simply neighed a welcome and continued to head nod for Jane’s attention.  So far Jane had kept her distance.  She didn’t want to disobey Berto until she was absolutely sure that Tusca could be trusted.   But Jane also knew that in a few weeks Tusca would be sent back and she was running out of time to convince Berto that Tusca could be trained.

    Jane had even gone as far as to call Gianna Spentori and get some history on Tusca hoping that would give her some insight as to what was happening with him.  Jane had learned that when with his breeder Tusca’s temperament was that of a normal Friesian, docile and gentle.  He had bonded well with Gianna and had never shown any aggressive behavior toward anyone while in her care.  Jane did learn however that Tusca had been sold once before to a gentleman from France, Jean Luc Deblois, who was known for his training of world famous dressage horses.  His horses were some of the best trained horses on the dressage circuit, although it was rumored among those in the horse business that some of his training techniques bordered on cruelty.   Tusca had been returned to Gianna after a few months in France when Jean Luc had claimed that the horse was too difficult to ever be any good in dressage.

    Gianna explained to Jane that once Tusca had returned to her he was the same loving horse he had always been toward her.  She had been so pleased when Berto had chosen him.  She knew of Berto’s reputation as a prize winning breeder and a gentle yet competent trainer and knew that Tusca would finally be in good hands.  Gianna apologized several times to Jane for the troubles they were having with Tusca and wished she could offer more help but except for once again having Tusca returned there was nothing more she could do.  What she didn’t realize is that with their conversation Jane felt as though she had pretty much figured out why Tusca was behaving the way he was.  She truly felt that now that she could help him, she just needed to convince Berto, and that wasn‘t going to be easy.

    That evening after dinner Jane set her plan into action.  First she would have to find out a little more information on the trainer who had purchased Tusca and Berto would be just the man to ask.

    “Berto, have you ever heard of the French dressage trainer Jean Luc Deblois?”  Jane asked acting completely innocent.

    “Why do you ask Mia?” Berto responded.

    “I was just wondering, I had heard that he worked with Friesians as well and wanted to know what you thought of him.”  Jane continued to act as innocent as she could so that Berto would not suspect that she was up to something.

    “Yes I have heard of the man and I can’t say that I think too highly of him.”

    “Why is that?  I hear he has trained several world famous Friesians in dressage.  I was thinking of possibly learning dressage and thought maybe he’d be a good choice for a trainer.”  Jane continued.

    “Well he certainly wouldn’t be my choice for someone to work with you or any of my horses.  His training techniques are from the old way of thinking.  He believes that horses are stupid animals that can be broken if treated harsly enough.  The only way he gets his animals to do anything is through fear.  That is not how a horse should be handled ever, someone should have run him out of the business years ago!” Berto’s attitude toward Jean Luc Deblois even took Jane by surprise.  Usually Berto gave people the benefit of the doubt but when it came to Jean Luc, Berto made it quite clear that he did not approve of him.

    Jane didn’t know what to do at this point.  She wanted to tell Berto that she felt Tusca had been a victim of Jean Luc Deblois’ training and that was where his fear was coming from but maybe now wasn’t the time.  Christmas was only two days away and to start an argument with Berto now would just put a strain on the holidays.  Jane decided she would wait til after Christmas to tell Berto what she had learned.  That would give her a few days of working with Tusca when Berto was out.  By then she felt she would have all the proof she needed.

    The next day as soon as Berto left to finalize some business in Lucca before stopping for the holidays Jane went to the barn to see Tusca.  Phillipo had taken the week off for Christmas so it would be the perfect time for Jane to spend time alone with him.  As she approached him Tusca gave her a welcoming whinny and a head nod.  Once again there were no signs of aggression at all.  Jane reached out and petted Tusca on the head, talking gently to him as she continued moving down to pet his neck and withers.  Tusca simply leaned in toward Jane’s hand as if asking for her to pet him more.  Feeling secure with Tusca’s mindset Jane opened the gate to his stall and let herself in all the while continuing to talk to him in a soothing tone.  Tusca stepped back allowing Jane room to enter and continued to enjoy being petted.

    Jane wished so badly that Berto could be there to witness this.  She knew if he were this wouldn’t be happening but somehow he had to see that Tusca was not being given a fair chance.  Still moving slowly Jane took out a brush she had brought with her and began to brush Tusca’s back and haunches.  Still the horse just leaned into the brushing and enjoyed the attention he was receiving from Jane.  Feeling more comfortable Jane reached for the halter from the gate and put it over Tusca’s head.  There were still no signs of aggression from him at all.   Jane attached a lead rope to the halter, opened the gate to Tusca’s stall and lead him to the training arena.  Never once did Tusca attempt to rear or become angry, he simply followed Jane where she lead him

    Removing the lead rope Jane instructed Tusca to trot around the arena by making a clicking sound.  Hearing Jane’s command Tusca instantly began a slow trot around the arena.  Jane was amazed at the beauty and grace of Tusca’s movements.   His mane and tail flowed like a silk scarf caught in the wind with each trotting motion.  His powerful muscles rippled under his jet black coat.  Each movement that Tusca made seemed flawless.  He was indeed an incredible horse and to see him here working so well with her only increased Jane‘s love for him.  She had to see more.  Jane made a kissing sound with her lips to get Tusca to canter around the arena, instantly his gait increased.  Tusca did exactly what Jane was asking of him.  His cantering was flawless as well, he never tried to cut the corners of the arena he simply continued cantering, holding close to the walls of the arena until Jane commanded him to stop.

    Once she finished working him Jane called Tusca to her.  The horse met her in the middle of the arena and Jane patted his neck and praised him for being such a good boy.  Tusca whinnied at the approval and leaned into Jane as if asking for more.  Jane had to laugh again at the sight of Tusca standing there wanting nothing more than to be loved.  Yes something had spooked him before but today he was a completely different horse and Jane couldn’t wait to show Berto.

    Showing Berto would have to wait for a few days however.  Jane knew that the next few days were going to be extremely busy.  Tonight once Berto got home they had the annual Christmas dinner with all of their employees and several of Berto‘s business acquaintances.  Every year Berto took them all to Buca di S. Antonio, a tavern in Lucca that dated back to the 1780’s for a special meal and a gift exchange.  The evening was one that all involved looked forward too every year.    The food was wonderful, the surroundings classically Italian and the gifts that Berto gave to each and every one of them usually cost a small fortune but Berto didn’t mind.  He was always one to show his appreciation for what his employees gave to him year after year with their loyalty and hard work.  Tonight would be no different, Berto had chosen beautifully engraved Rolex watches for each of the men attending and a lovely gold and diamond  bracelet for each of the women.   To go along with the watches and bracelets each employee would also receive several gift certificates to many of the local restaurants and shops.  It was Berto’s way of giving back to the town of Lucca that he loved so much.

    The day following the party would be Christmas Eve.  Berto and Jane would spend the day with Berto’s two brothers and their families exchanging gifts, then they all would attend midnight mass at the Cathedral of St. Martin in Lucca.  After mass Berto and Jane would return to Villa Chellini and exchange their gifts to one another.  Then off to bed for a few hours of sleep before a huge Chellini family get together on Christmas day.  It all seemed exhausting to Jane just thinking about it.  Christmas in her past had been rather low key with just her, Marc and the children.  Once the children had grown and married she and Marc would spend a quiet Christmas eve together at home exchanging gifts and then spend the day with their children at one of their homes.  There were no big parties to plan for, no shopping for hundreds of people like this year just a simple quiet Christmas at home.  Jane didn’t think see how she would get through the next few days and she knew for sure that her working with Tusca would definitely have to be put on hold.
  
    The evening of the annual Christmas party was more stressful then Jane could have imagined.  Berto arrived home late from his final meetings of the year.  It was almost seven thirty before they were dressed and ready to go and the party was due to start at eight.  The drive to Lucca would take more than fifty minutes if the weather and traffic were good and Jane was stressed about being late for their own party.

    “Couldn’t you have gotten home any earlier Berto?” Jane complained on the drive into Lucca, letting Berto know with the tone of her voice that she was not happy at all.

    “Mia, I tried my best to get business tied up early but sometimes things come up that can’t be avoided.  I am sorry that it went so long. Don’t worry the party won’t start without us.” Berto replied apologetically.

    “I just don’t see why you had to wait til two days before Christmas to finish up for the year.  Couldn’t you have done it sooner so that we weren’t rushing around like this?  What is it with men!  Why do they always have to wait til the last second to do things!”  Jane continued on letting Berto know that no apology from him would change her point of view.  She hated to be rushed, she hated to be late, and so far the entire holiday season seemed to her as if they were constantly rushing.  Why couldn’t they just have a quiet Christmas at home, the two of them.  No parties, no rushing from here to their and no huge family get togethers with people she didn’t even know.  This was just not how she had pictured her first Christmas together with Berto and she didn’t hold back letting him know that she was not happy about it.

    “Can’t we just stay home tomorrow and have a quiet day just the two of us then go to midnight mass with your brothers.  I’m sure they’d understand, they know how hard you work.” Jane continued hoping that Berto would agree to at least one quiet day together.

    “Mia it’s Christmas.  Christmas here in Italy is meant to be shared with family and friends.  It’s the one time of year that I can take a few days and spend time with the people I care about.  You’ll have fun once you get there, you’ll see.” Berto answered.

    But Jane didn’t want to see.  She didn’t want to spend all Christmas eve with Berto’s brothers and their families and she definitely didn‘t want to spend Christmas day with a bunch of strangers whether they were Berto‘s family or not.  Yes, she enjoyed the times they had all spent together in the past but Jane just couldn’t see why it had to be an all day and all night event leaving her and Berto only a few hours together to enjoy their Christmas. Maybe she was being selfish but it was her and Berto’s first Christmas and she wanted it to be a special one.

    It was going to be a special Christmas, Berto had seen to that.  Little did Jane know that he was not being completely honest with her about the plans for Christmas Day.  In order to surprise her with the villa he had purchased for her on the coast he had told Jane that they would be spending Christmas day with all of  his extended family.  Aunts, uncles, cousins, a huge get together that he had told Jane occurred every Christmas.  The entire event had been fabricated so that Jane wouldn’t make other plans and he would be able to whisk her off on Christmas day to their new villa and spend the week together, just the two of them.

    “Ahh Jane,” Berto thought to himself, “if you only knew what Christmas day held in store for you, perhaps you would find a bit more Christmas spirit.”

    Berto had to laugh to himself at the way Jane was behaving.  So much like the Jane before they had begun their  HOH relationship.  She had been sulky and childish ever since Berto had arrived home that evening.  But it was Christmas and he wasn’t being completely honest with her, even if it was for a good reason.  So Berto decided to allow Jane to continue with her attitude this one time.  After all Berto thought again to himself, he wouldn’t want to spend Christmas day the way he had told Jane they were going to spend it either!

    The rest of the drive into Lucca was quiet.  Too quiet for Berto’s liking.  Jane continued to sulk and wouldn’t talk to him.  She simply stared out the window until they reached the restaurant.  Berto had hoped that Jane’s attitude would have improved a little now that they had reached the party but she simply stepped out of the Ferrari when Berto opened the door for her and shrugged past him.  Becoming aggravated with Jane’s brashness Berto grabbed her upper arm as she headed toward the door of the restaurant.  Turning her to face him he gave her a warning that he would no longer accept her behavior.

    “Abbastanza, Jane” (enough, Jane) Berto warned in Italian.

    Jane knew that when Berto resorted to speaking to her in Italian that he had pushed him to his limit.

    “I know that you are unhappy with the our plans for the holidays but I will not have you embarrassing me in front of my employees or friends.  You have been acting like a spoiled child all evening and I will not tolerate it any longer.  Consider this a warning Jane.  I am trying to be patient with you because of your disappointment but it needs to stop here and now. Do I make myself clear?” Berto finished with a tight squeeze to Jane’s upper arm for added emphasis that he was serious.

    “Yes Berto.” Jane answered back.  Berto was right, Jane thought to herself.  She was acting like a spoiled child but she just couldn’t hide her dissatisfaction with the plans that Berto had made for the holidays and like it or not it had put her into a foul mood.  This was not going to be a fun evening, but Jane would try for Berto’s sake to grin and bear it.
  
    Once inside Jane’s attitude improved a little.  It was nice to see the employees from both the winery and the horse business laughing and enjoying the evening together.  Jane was able to meet several of the employees spouses and children and it was wonderful to see the anticipation of Christmas on the faces of the children who attended the party.  Berto always brought a large bag of toys to hand out knowing that many of his employees would be bringing their children.  He wouldn’t have it any other way.  Christmas was indeed a time for families and he loved spending time with his employees families and seeing each year how their children had grown or meeting their newest editions.  Jane had to laugh when Berto appeared wearing a Santa suit and handing out toys as the children all gathered around him with joy.  He was way too tall in her mind to make a proper Santa but none of the children seemed to notice at all.

    With a wonderful meal behind them and the gifts handed out to the employees with a special word of thanks to each person individually from Berto for their hard work and loyalty for yet another year the party began to wind down.  Jane was surprised at how beautifully the evening had gone.  She enjoyed every minute of it and was glad that her attitude had improved as the night went on.  Everyone she talked to had mentioned to her what an incredible man and boss Berto was and how lucky Jane was to have him and by the end of the evening she knew that they were right.  He had been the perfect host and thrown an incredible party that all enjoyed.  As the last of the guests left Jane couldn’t help but to seek out Berto and  give him a hug and a kiss.

    “What was that for Mia?” Berto inquired.  He enjoyed seeing how much fun Jane was having at the party and how her mood had improved.

    “Just for being you.  I love you and I am sorry for my behavior earlier tonight.”

    “Ti amo, Mia. (I love you) I am glad you had such a wonderful evening.  Let me just catch up with Phillipo before he leaves and then you and I can head home as well.”   Berto said returning the hug and kiss that Jane had given him.

    Jane watched as Berto approached Phillipo.  She watched as the two men talked and saw Berto hand Phillipo a small box covered with Christmas wrap.  Jane was sure that she had seen Berto give Phillipo a Rolex along with the other employees and was curious as to what was in the box.  She watched as Phillipo opened the box and gazed at its contents.  She couldn’t make out what they were but saw Phillipo shake his head as if saying he couldn’t accept whatever it was and hand the box back towards Berto.  Berto simply pushed the box back toward Phillipo and said something to him that seemed serious.  Jane then saw Phillipo reach out and hug his employer with a thankful gesture.  She saw a large grin appear on Berto’s face as he patted Phillipo’s back and wished him a Merry Christmas.  With that Phillipo left the party leaving Jane and Berto finally alone.  Appearing very pleased with himself Berto returned to Jane and told her once he took care of the bill they would be ready to leave.  Jane went to collect hers and Berto’s coats while she waited for him to pay still wondering what she had witnessed between Berto and Phillipo.

    Once in the car Jane broached the subject of what she had seen between him and Phillipo.

    “Berto, what did you give to Phillipo before you left?”  Jane asked.

    “I gave him his Christmas gift, why?”  Berto questioned back.

    “I just thought that you had given him the watch when you gave everyone else their gifts.  I  remember seeing you give it to him.”

“Yes, he received a watch like all the other employees but I also got him a gift from me as a friend not employee and employer.  We’ve been friends for many years and through a lot together and I just felt that it was time that I thanked him for that.”  Berto explained.

    Jane knew that Berto was close to Phillipo he had worked for Berto for nearly twenty years now and was there to help him when Berto lost his first wife.  It had been a hard time for Berto to get through. If Phillipo hadn’t stepped in and taken care of both the winery and the horses Berto didn’t know what he would have done or even if the businesses could have survived.  He owed a lot to Phillipo both as an employee and as a friend.  Jane respected both the working relationship and the friendship the two men shared.  Without it Berto wouldn’t be as free to travel as much as he did or spend extra time with Jane.  With Phillipo around to manage things Berto could leave the businesses in his hands and know that things would be taken care of.  But it was there that Jane’s respect for the man stopped.  He had never been overly friendly towards Jane.  He didn’t care for American’s and had no problem making Jane aware of his views.  For Berto’s sake Jane had always been civil to Phillipo and kept a good working relationship with the man but she simply didn’t care for him and she was fairly sure he felt the same way.  So when Berto told Jane that he had gotten Phillipo another gift along with the Rolex Jane couldn’t help but feel that in a lot of ways Phillipo didn’t deserve the special treatment that Berto gave him.  She also found that her foul mood from earlier in the evening was quickly returning. 

    “So what was in the box Berto?”  Jane inquired.  She had to know what made Phillipo respond the way he had when he opened the box.

    “It was a set of keys to a new truck.  Phillipo has been driving the same truck for years.  It is constantly giving him problems and it was time he got another one.  Every time I mention to him that I would have no problem getting him a work truck he gives me some excuse that his truck is fine and that it would be a waste of money.  Well, it’s my money to waste and I figured he wouldn’t turn it down if it were presented as a gift.  Oh he tried to tell me no but he knew I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”  Berto smiled just thinking about how Phillipo had tried to not accept the gift but he knew all along that deep down his old friend was thrilled with the thought of a new truck. “That’s why I was late,” Berto continued, “The dealership in town was suppose to deliver the truck to Phillipo’s house this afternoon but something came up and they couldn’t get it out to him until later.  I knew by then he’d be on his way to the party so I had to come up with some other way to give it to him.  Since it didn’t get delivered until he was gone I figured giving him the keys would have to do, although I admit I wish I could have been there to see him when he sees it for the first time.  The trucks a beauty, it’s just the one that he has always wanted.”

    Jane couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  Berto hadn’t been at some important business meeting earlier.  He was late because he was trying to deliver a truck to Phillipo’s house.

    “You mean to tell me that you were late tonight because of that?”  Jane was furious.  Berto had never mentioned to her that he was purchasing a truck for Phillipo and he had lied when he said he was at a business meeting.  He had made them late and almost ruined the night for her because of some stupid truck that he should have never bought the man in the first place!

    “Well we were hoping he’d be there when we delivered the truck but he wasn’t.  I waited as long as I could, I really wanted to be there to give him the truck myself.  But I guess in the end it all worked out.” 

    “No Berto it didn’t all work out!” Jane was growing angrier by the minute. “We were late to the party so you could be there to give Phillipo a truck that you never even told me about!  How dare you! The man doesn‘t even deserve a truck!”

    Berto was completely taken back by Jane’s response.  He thought she’d be pleased with his generosity instead she was infuriated by the gift he had given to his long time friend.

    “Abbastanza!”(enough) was Berto’s response to what Jane had just said.  “Phillipo is a good man, he has stood by me for years.  I owe him much more than just the gift of a truck! And I do not care for your attitude towards him, not one bit Jane!”

    “I don’t care if you like my attitude towards him or not!  The man is rude to me, he always has been.  He treats me like a second class citizen and I’m tired of it.  I don’t know why you think he is so wonderful.  As far as I’m concerned he is just another employee and should be treated as one.  What do you think the other employees are going to say when they find out you bought him a truck?  Or are you planning on buying everyone a new vehicle to show them what a great guy you are!”  Jane’s answer only infuriated Berto more.


    “This discussion is over! Finito! (finished) Your attitude towards me today has been completely unacceptable Jane.  I was going to let it go because I know that you are unhappy with our holiday plans but I will not be talked to in such a manner!  You and I will discuss this further when we get home and not until then do you understand me?” Berto was angrier with Jane then he had been in a long time.  Her attitude all day had bordered on complete disrespect and her attack on his friendship with Phillipo had finally pushed him over the edge.

    Jane didn’t answer him.  She simply stared out the window and refused to say a thing.

    “I asked you a question Jane and I expect a reply.”  Berto continued.

    “You want a reply fine!!! You’ll get one but I could have sworn you were the one who said this conversation was over!”  Jane curtly replied. “No Berto I don’t understand you! I don’t understand anything you have done today!  Why you bought Phillipo a truck and didn’t tell me, you made us late for the Christmas party to deliver the damn truck.  None of it, I don’t understand any of it!  And while we’re talking about things I don’t understand why don’t we talk about YOUR plans for OUR first Christmas together!  They suck! I don’t want to spend all day with your brothers tomorrow, I don’t want to have to wait until after midnight mass to exchange gifts only to rush off to bed so we can get up bright and early and spend another agonizing day with more of your family!  I don’t want to do any of it and maybe I just won’t!”

    With that Berto had enough.  Pulling the Ferrari off the road Berto parked in a secluded wooded area and ordered Jane out of the car.
  
    “Uscire!”  (get out) Berto ordered Jane opening her door.  Jane couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

    “NOW! You had your say and now you will deal with the consequences!” Berto was furious.

    Jane didn’t know what to do.  Did Berto really intend to punish her here out in the middle of the country.  Yes she had been completely disrespectful, she had lost her temper and taken her foul mood out on Berto and probably deserved what she was about to get.  But not here, not now.

    “Berto please, I know I was wrong, I’m sorry please take me home and we can deal with this.” Jane had to convince him to take her home.

    “I will do no such thing!” Berto said while removing his belt.  “We will deal with this hear and now!”  With that Berto took Jane’s wrist and lead her to the back of the Ferrari.  With one quick motion he bent her over the back of the car, lifted her skirt and began an assault on Jane’s bottom that she wouldn’t soon forget.

    “Ow, please Berto not so hard, it really hurts, please I said I was sorry.” Jane pleaded with Berto.

    “Sorry! You think that’s enough! You have been disrespectful to me,” swat, swat swat, “disrespectful to my friend,” swat, swat, swat, “and completely out of control with your attitude today!  If you think saying sorry will resolve this situation you better think again! I tried to give you space Jane but you just kept pushing and now it’s my turn to push back!” Berto continued with the belt for several minutes.  Jane’s bottom had never felt so on fire.  Just when she didn’t think she could take much more Berto stopped.

    “You will remain here and not move.” was all Berto said.

     Jane didn’t know where he had gone or what he was doing but she did know Berto was serious and that for her sake she’d better do as he said.  Suddenly Berto was back, in his hand he held a thin branch from a nearby tree.  He reached for Jane’s panties and slid them down.  Unable to see what Berto had retrieved Jane assumed that he was going to continue with the belt, she never expected what she felt next.  The pain from the switch Berto had gotten was unbelievable each strike left a thin line of burning pain across her upper thighs.  Once again Jane found herself begging for Berto’s mercy, “Please Berto enough.  I know I angered you but this hurts more than you know.  Please stop.”

    Sensing that Jane was about to panic Berto stopped for a few moments.  “I will give you time to catch your breath Jane but we are far from over.”

    “Thank you.” Jane was thankful for even the short break that Berto was offering.  All too soon however Berto began again.  Once again the pain to Jane’s upper thighs felt like fine lines of fire.  It was all she could do not to dance around to avoid each strike.  Jane knew though that she had angered Berto far too much and would do her best to remain in place.  Again Berto gave her a break.  “Take a few deep breaths and we will finish this.”

    Jane did as she was told thankful once again for even the slightest reprieve from Berto’s punishment. 
    “You will receive twenty more strikes,” Berto told Jane, “I want you to count them out, it will help with your concentration.  I also want you to think about all that has occurred today and why this is happening.  Then we will be done, we can put this behind us and concentrate on Christmas.  I’m sorry this had to happen so close to Christmas Jane, but that was your decision not mine.”

    With that Berto applied the first of the last twenty strikes to Jane’s upper thighs. These strikes were even harder then the last two sets and it was all Jane could do to count out.  “One, ow, oh Berto that really hurts….Two, ow, ow, ow….Three, please Berto.”  Jane once again begged.  What she didn’t know was that Berto had been careful to check her bottom and thighs for signs of too much damage during her last break and he had seen none.  Yes he knew this was painful but in no way was it causing damage so he continued on despite Jane’s pleading. 

    Jane couldn’t believe he wasn’t stopping, didn’t he know how much this hurt.  Didn’t he care at all!  But Berto did know how badly a punishment with a switch could hurt.  He had received them in the past from his father.  He also knew that every lesson he had been taught with a switch was one that he didn’t soon forget and neither would Jane.  Finally Berto reached the last strike.  It was the one Jane had dreaded.  Like always it was much harder then any others and felt as if it had burned right into her thighs. 

    “Twenty.” was all Jane could say as Berto took her into his arms and held her as she cried.  There was so much to cry for.  She cried for the intense pain she was feeling in her buttocks and thighs, she cried because she felt terrible for the way she had spoken to Berto, but mainly she cried because she was sure she had ruined their first Christmas together and didn’t want it to be ruined.

    “I’m so sorry Berto,” Jane sobbed into his chest, “I don’t know what got into me, please don’t be angry, please.  I didn’t mean to ruin the holidays for you.  I wish I could take it back.”

    “You ruined nothing Mia.  You made a mistake, that mistake has been dealt with.  Its over now.  Finito.  Now look at me Mia, see how I still love you and how I am looking forward to spending the next few days with you.”  Berto said lifting Jane’s chin so that she could look into his eyes.

    “Ti Amo Mia, (I love you) Happy Christmas Eve.”  Jane’s tears turned to a slight unsure laugh as she realized that it really was after midnight and therefore Christmas Eve.  It was not how she would have ever pictured beginning their first Christmas Eve together but she felt loved and forgiven and that was enough for her.



Chapter Nine

    Jane was never as glad to crawl into the warmth of her bed and snuggle with Berto as she was in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve.  The last twelve hours had been filled with a mixture of emotions and she welcomed a few hours of sleep to help her relax.  Just feeling Berto’s strong arms around her made her feel both safe and forgiven from her indiscretions earlier in the evening.  It was at times like this one that Jane completely felt loved and protected and thankful that she and Berto had agreed to a domestic discipline relationship.  No longer were things between them left to fester.  If something was wrong it was discussed, taken care of and then forgiven.  Jane even found herself wondering if a DD relationship would have helped in her first marriage as she fell asleep.

    The alarm went off at seven am.  Jane had only gotten about five hours of sleep but she felt refreshed and ready to start a new day.  Turning over onto her back to stretch however reminded her of the one thing she would have to deal with today in front of Berto’s brothers and their families.  Her bottom was still very tender.  The punishment from the night before was still fresh in her mind and felt even fresher on her bottom.  Sitting was going to be tough today but Jane welcomed the reminder that Berto had dealt with her attitude and they could move on.  At least he could, Jane would move on when sitting was a little easier.

    Besides it was Christmas Eve and Jane was so excited to finally  give Berto the gifts she had bought for him.  She hoped he would like them.  It was so hard to shop for him.  How do you buy gifts for someone who has everything.  It had taken months for Jane to finally decide upon the perfect gifts for him.  She had decided to get him a Rolex when she was purchasing all the other watches for the employees’ Christmas gifts.  While they were deciding on which watches to get as gifts Berto had pointed out a watch that impressed him , the Rolex Cellini in black, although it was several thousands more then the Submariners that she had purchased for the employees, the Cellini was a beautiful watch and Jane knew Berto would enjoy it.  Jane had also had a beautiful new saddle hand crafted for Berto.  It had cost a fortune but Jane knew it was something that would last for years and that Berto would enjoy.  The craftsmanship had been impeccable and it was the most beautiful saddle Jane had ever seen.  Her last gift to Berto made her laugh.  Berto had a passion for fine wines, he especially enjoyed wines from other countries.  Jane wanted to purchase some Napa Valley wines for him since she was originally from California and knew that Napa Valley produced some outstanding wines.  Berto was impressed with the quality of wines that were produced in the Napa Valley and Jane wanted to surprise him with a few choice vintages.  What she didn’t realize at the time was what a bottle of good Napa wine could cost.  One of the wines she chose was a 1996 Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon and what made Jane laugh was at over nine hundred dollars a bottle it was about eight hundred and eighty dollars more than she had ever spent on a bottle of wine in her life.  However, the wine had come highly recommended from a good friend of Berto’s who was a fellow wine collector and Jane trusted his judgment.  All she could do now was wait and see if Berto was also as impressed with her choices.

    “Are you ready Mia?”  Berto asked while entering their bedroom.  He had gotten up before her and was anxious to be on their way to his youngest brother’s house. 

    “Just a few more minutes Berto.”  Jane answered catching her breath at how incredible Berto looked in his new Armani Suit, the grey color almost appeared silver which set off the slight salt an peppering in Berto’s dark hair.  Against his deep olive skin the suit appeared to shimmer and Jane hadn’t seen Berto look that handsome in a very long time. 

    “You look incredible my love.” Jane complimented. “You better wait downstairs for me or we may never leave and that beautiful new suit of yours may end up getting wrinkled on the floor.”

    “Smettila, (stop it) Mia,” Berto warned with a smile on his face.  He too would have loved to spend all day Christmas Eve in bed with Jane but they had plans and he didn’t want to be late. “I will meet you down stairs, please hurry.”

Jane just laughed to herself knowing that Berto would have easily given in if she had pressed the issue.  Berto however, was never one to be late to any appointment, family or not, so she finished getting ready and met him downstairs a few minutes later.

    Christmas Eve went beautifully.  Jane enjoyed every gift that she both gave and received.  Her favorite was a photograph that Alessandro, Berto’s youngest brother, had given them.  It had been taken shortly after they had started dating, just outside of the walls of Lucca.  Jane stood in front of Berto with his arms around her.  She remembered how very much in love and safe she had felt with Berto even early on in their relationship and the photograph showed this.  Berto looked so carefree in the picture.  Alessandro was a wonderful photographer and had captured a side of Berto that not a lot of people ever saw.  Jane thought it was the most wonderful photo she had ever seen of them together and would cherish it always.

    The day had truly felt like Christmas there was so much family, good cheer, great food and even more gifts.  Berto’s niece’s and nephew’s all loved their gifts and just having children around again for the holidays made Jane happy.  Berto didn’t wear his Santa suit like he had the previous evening,  but the children seemed to know who brought the endless supply of presents and each enjoyed the time they spent sitting with their uncle and opening them.  Once again Jane found herself wondering why Berto had never had children of his own.  He was so good with children and loved them so much.  He would have made an incredible father.  Berto always just said that the time had never been right and now he felt he was much too old to start a family.  Jane didn’t agree, Berto may be older then most men when they started their families, but he was still young enough and so full of life.  Jane though had raised her children already and had settled happily into being a grandparent.  Even if she could, the thought of beginning a new family in her late forties seemed completely out of the question.  She and Berto would simply enjoy all the children in the family and spend their time spoiling them.  It still seemed sad though that Berto would have no one to carry on his legacy.

    Midnight mass at the Cathedral of St. Martin was incredible.  The entire inside had been decorated in fine white lights and candles with local pine trees decorated in antique ornaments.  To Jane it was as if she had stepped back hundreds of years into history.  The Cathedral had been built beginning in the early sixth century and still had the look and feel of its ancient roots.  What an incredible way to end a perfect day Jane thought to herself.  The mass had been more then worth the wait to exchange gifts with Berto.  She had never felt as close to the Lord as she did that night while experiencing the celebration of his birth in such a special place.  It was an experience that Jane would never forget and to share it with Berto and his family made it even more special.

    By the time Berto and Jane made it home to Villa Chellini on Christmas it was nearly two in the morning.  Jane was tired from the long day but still excited to finally be alone and share their gifts with one another.  Berto lit a fire as Jane poured them each a glass of eggnog and brandy.  In the glow of the fire they kissed for a few minutes then Berto handed Jane her first gift.   From the shape of the box Jane could tell it was jewelry.  She loved receiving jewelry from Berto he had exquisite taste and Jane was excited to see what Berto had bought her.  Quickly unwrapping the box Jane opened the long rectangular case.  Inside was a beautiful antique gold bracelet with a small oval centerpiece, surrounded by diamonds, with an engraving that read, “Ti Amo, Mia Amore.” (I love you, my love.) The bracelet took her breath away.  It was so dainty and so beautiful unlike anything Jane had seen before. 

“It was my grandmother’s.” Berto told Jane, “I hope you like it.”

“Like it Berto, I love it! It is the most beautiful bracelet I have ever seen.   Here help me put it on.”  Jane held her arm out and Berto connected the clasp.  It fit perfectly as Berto knew it would.  Jane gave Berto a long kiss of thanks and handed him his watch.   As Berto opened it Jane apologized for the gift.  She knew she could never compete with anything as precious as the bracelet had been.  “It’s not an antique Berto, I’m sorry.”

“Why should you be sorry Mia, it’s the exact watch I have been wanting.  Thank you for remembering which one.  I love it as well.”  Berto said as he put his new Rolex on and gave Jane a kiss. 

“I only have one other gift for you Mia.  I am sorry it looks like you have gone a little crazy on me.  I would like to give you yours last if that is okay with you.”

“Of course it’s okay Berto.”  Jane answered, “I just wasn’t sure what to get you so I got you a little of everything.  I hope it’s all okay.”

“If it is from you Mia Amore it will all be perfect.” Berto replied as he opened the box of wines that Jane had purchased for him.

Once again Berto was impressed with Jane’s gifts.  The wines were exactly the ones he would have chosen and it impressed him that Jane had taken the time to learn which wines he enjoyed.  The saddle was, as Jane thought, exquisite.  The leatherwork was better then Berto had ever seen and the saddle as a whole was beautiful.  Jane had done an excellent job of choosing his gifts and Berto was well pleased. 
Finally with all his gifts open Berto handed Jane another small box.  “Not more jewelry, Berto you shouldn’t have, the bracelet was more than enough.”

“Just open it Mia,  this one is my way of thanking you for being in my life.”  Berto explained.

Jane opened the box but she didn’t find jewelry in it.  Instead a well worn key with a note attached that read, To my love, Thank you for sharing my life with me.  Now we can share something that is truly ours. Here’s to a future of sunset walks on the beach.  With all my heart, Berto.

Jane was confused as to what the key was for.  Before she had a chance to ask Berto handed her a picture of the Villa they had stayed at in Viareggio.  It had been freshly painted and above the door had been stenciled the name Chellini Al Mare. 

“It’s ours?  You bought it?  Berto, you bought the beach house?”  Jane couldn’t believe what she was seeing.  “Berto, is it really ours?”

“Yes, Mia, it is, a place we can call our own, together.  And I have one more surprise, we will be spending the next week there just the two of us beginning first thing in the morning.”

“But Berto we have your family party tomorrow.  We can go the day after.”  Jane wanted to make everything as perfect for Berto as he had just made for her. 

“There is no party tomorrow Mia, there never was it was just something I made up to keep our Christmas day open so we could go to the beach house.”  Berto explained looking quite pleased with himself.  He had managed to keep Jane in the dark and she had honestly believed she would be spending yet another day with more of his family not alone in their new vacation home.

“I don’t know what to say.  I have never received such a wonderful gift from anyone.  Thank you Berto.  This is too much but I’m not complaining.  I wish I had gotten you something as special.’

“You have Mia, you have given me your love and someone to share my life with, that is so much more special then anything that can be bought.  Ti Amo Mia, Buon Natale.”  Berto said smiling at Jane.

“Merry Christmas Berto, I love you too.”  Jane replied reaching out to give Berto a hug and a kiss.



Chapter Ten

    The week that Berto and Jane spent at the beach house between Christmas and New Years was perfect.   It was the first time in their relationship that they had an entire week together completely uninterrupted by Berto’s businesses or the day to day interruptions of life.  Each morning they started their day out at the café down the street from the beach house.  They had become fast friends with the owners of the café and loved their morning visits along with the delicious fresh baked breakfast items that were served.  From the café Berto and Jane would head over to the beach for a morning stroll, then back to town for some shopping for items that they needed to set up a new home. 

    Jane had picked out several antique furniture pieces.  Her favorite was an old weathered sea chest.  It would be perfect in the sitting room as a coffee table and would offer additional storage for the extra blankets that Jane liked to keep close for the cooler evening temperatures.   Berto had let Jane do most of the decorating.  The theme was easy for both of them to decide on, the beach, since it was a beach house.  There was even one item that Berto had actually chosen which surprised Jane.  Usually he wasn’t interested in shopping or decorating but this week he had taken an interest in the items they were purchasing for  Chellini Al Mare.  When Berto came across an antique captains bed off of an Italian trade ship from the late 1700’s he had to have it.  Jane agreed that it was beautiful and the history behind it was quite interesting but it was enormous.  Jane wondered if it would even fit in the small bedroom back at the beach house.  If it did it would be the only piece of furniture in the room but seeing how taken with it that Berto was they decided to purchase the bed.  If it didn’t fit, Berto said he would take it back to Villa Chellini and display it there.

    Luckily the bed did fit along with a small side table and lamp that they had purchased separately and the bedroom came together wonderfully.  It wasn’t what Jane would have thought of putting in such a tiny room but somehow it worked and looked very impressive as well.   It was just the type of romantic bedroom that she would enjoy vacationing in whenever they visited Chellini Al Mare.  In fact Jane was extremely happy with how the entire beach house was coming together and found herself thanking Berto several times a day for the incredible gift.  For his part Berto was thrilled to see how much Jane was enjoying the house and the decorating.  He loved to watch her move from shop to shop finding just the right items for their new home.

      Unfortunately the week went by way too quickly for both Jane and Berto.  Before they knew it the time had come to lock up the beach house until the next visit and head back to reality.  Their last evening at the beach house had been amazing, they had celebrated New Years with their new friends from the café.  After a wonderful dinner at a local restaurant  the four friends headed back to Chellini Al Mare to watch the spectacular display of fireworks that was being shot off over the sea to celebrate the new year.   Jane felt so fortunate, although the town was crowded with tourists, the four friends were able to spend a quiet evening watching the fireworks from the privacy of their balcony.  All too soon it was New Years day and time for Berto and Jane to say good bye to their friends and close up the beach house until their next visit.

    Jane was finishing packing up the last of their belongings when Berto entered the bedroom.  “Sit down for a moment.”  Berto said motioning her to sit on the bed next to him. “There is something I have been meaning to discuss with you this week and I just haven’t found the time to.”

    Jane wondered what was so important to Berto that they couldn’t discuss it on the drive home. 

“Can’t we talk about this on the way home?”  Jane inquired, as much as she had enjoyed their week together she was anxious to get home and see how Tusca was doing.

    “No Mia I would rather we sit here and talk about this together without other distractions.”

    Jane couldn’t figure out what was so important to Berto, suddenly he seemed so serious.  Jane did as he asked,  approached the bed and sat next to Berto.  She still couldn’t believe how big and comfortable the captains bed was.  She was so glad Berto had chosen it for them.  It was so perfect for the beach house, the bed sat higher off the floor then most beds and it easily allowed the perfect view of the ocean from where it sat. 

    “Mia,”  Jane’s thoughts about the bed were broken as Berto turned her to face him.  “I need to talk to you about something and I’d like your full attention.”

    “I’m sorry Berto, I guess my mind was just wandering. I’m listening now what did you want to talk about?”

    “When we began our domestic discipline relationship we agreed to try it for a few months and then talk about how we felt it was going.  I’d like to discuss this with you before we head home and back to the chaos of our daily lives.  I want to know your thoughts on this and possibly discuss some changes with you.”  Berto explained.  “How do you feel the relationship is going?  Is it working for you?   Is there anything you would like to bring up about your feelings towards it?”

    Jane thought the relationship was going well, she felt like she had moved easily into her role and that she had made a lot of positive changes in her ability to submit to Berto.  “I think it is going fine Berto.”  Jane stated, “We are closer then we have ever been and my respect for you has really grown, and I am comfortable now being submissive to you.  I think it’s fine just the way it is.  What would need to be changed?’

    With a slight chuckle under his breath Berto realized that Jane felt that she was doing quite well in her ability to submit to him.  Yet every time something didn’t go Jane’s way she would still become argumentative and even angry at times.  Yes, she had begun to submit to him, at times, when it was something that she didn’t feel strongly about but she still had a long way to go before she could claim that she was submissive and Berto felt that he needed to step things up a bit if she were ever to let go and submit to him the way he was hoping she would.

    “You have gotten better with a lot of things Jane, however, you are far from being completely submissive.  I think it is time to add a new dimension to our DD relationship to help it along.” 

    Jane couldn’t believe what Berto was saying.  She wasn’t submissive?  What did he mean by that, every time he had said she needed a punishment she had allowed it.  What more did he want?  “I don’t understand Berto, I allow you to punish me when you feel I deserve it what else should I be doing?”

    Shaking his head slightly Berto tried to explain to Jane that the way she was viewing their relationship was far from being submissive.  “I don’t think you understand a lot of what being submissive means.  First of all you do not allow me to do anything.  As the HOH I will punish you when you need it and I do not need to be allowed by you to do this.” Berto tried to put an emphasis on the word allowed as he spoke to Jane. “You believe that a DD relationship is simply about being punished when you misbehave but that is so far from the truth Mia.  It is about learning to submit to my decisions not to just argue with me about them and then be punished.  You need to begin to respect me and the decisions I make without the constant arguing.  That is what submitting is about, not just agreeing to be punished.  I think we need to add in maintenance sessions for a while until you can learn to not argue as much.”

    “I don’t know what you mean by maintenance.” Jane replied starting to become annoyed with how Berto viewed her submission towards him.  She honestly believed she had become completely submissive and now Berto was adding more demands on her. 

    “I think we need to choose a night or two a week to discuss things with each other.  See how we are feeling, talk about where things can be improved and then have a spanking session so that you remember that I am the HOH.  You need to show me respect Mia, even when you don’t agree with me or my decisions.”

    Jane couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  He honestly wanted to schedule spankings, even when she hadn’t done anything wrong.  “I think you’re taking this whole HOH thing a little too far Berto.”  Jane replied, “You honestly want me to allow you to spank me just to remind me that you are in charge?”

    Once again Berto pointed out to Jane that she was not allowing him to do anything.  She had agreed to a DD relationship and it was out of respect for him that she needed to submit to spankings, not to just allow him to give her one.  “Mia you said you wanted to learn to submit to me. Yet you continue to submit only when it is convenient for you to do so.  I think if we add maintenance sessions to our weekly routine then you will learn to submit even when you do not want to.  All I ask is that we try it.  If it doesn’t work out then we can go back to the way things were.”

    As much as she didn’t want to out of her love for Berto, Jane agreed to give this new idea a try.  “After all,” she thought to herself, “I can just tell him in a few weeks that it is not working.”

          “Okay Berto, we can try.  I really don’t see what good it will do but I will try it because I love you and I want this to work.”

    “You are sure Jane?”  Berto questioned, “You will submit to spankings at my will whether you feel you have earned one or not?”

    “Yes Berto, I will.”  Jane answered still thinking that she would simply humor him for a while then put a stop to it.

    “Thank you Mia, I honestly believe it may help us move forward in our relationship.”  Berto said. Standing up he took Jane into his arms and gave her a warm hug, then letting her go he sat back down on the edge of the old captains bed and motioned for Jane to come to him.  “Come lay over my lap Mia it’s time to receive your first maintenance spanking.  I think you need one before we head home just so you remember that no matter where we are your respect for me and your submission to me need to be a priority in your life.”

    Jane couldn’t believe that Berto would honestly spank her as the last thing they would do on their vacation together.  She had told him she would allow it but she never thought he would want to do it so soon. 

    ‘Berto, let’s just go home and we can discuss it once we are there.  I don’t think this is the place or time to do this.” 

    “This is exactly the place and time Mia.  You agreed to this did you not?’  Berto asked.

    “Yes, but….” Jane tried to argue but was cut off.

    “Do as you are told Mia.  It is only a maintenance spanking but if you wish to make it into something more then just continue to argue with me.”  With that Berto reached for Jane’s arm and directed her over his lap. 

    With the first few strikes to her bottom Jane began to get angry.  She had done nothing to deserve this and she didn’t have to lay here and take it.  “That’s enough Berto,”  Jane said struggling to remove herself from his lap.  Her struggles were answered by a few very hard swats as Berto lifted her skirt up and slid her panties down to expose her bottom. 

    “You will submit to this Jane!” Berto stated as he placed his leg over hers to keep her in position.  “You need to learn to do as I say and not question me.  If you continue to struggle this will become much more severe then it needs to be.  The decision is yours.”

    By this point Jane was furious.  A spanking was hard enough for her to submit to when she had done something to disappoint Berto but being placed in this position, just because, was more then Jane could take.

    “Let me up Berto!” Jane demanded.  Her demands were met by several much more severe swats to her sit spot. 

    “No Mia, you will learn to submit to me one way or another.” Berto too was becoming angry.  If Jane couldn’t learn to submit to this what good would continuing their DD relationship be.

    “I love you Mia, but you know how your lack of respect towards me has come between us in the past.”  Berto said increasing the intensity and speed of the spanking.  “We need this Mia, it has brought us so much closer and has made our love for one another so much stronger.  I won’t give up on this and I won’t stop simply because you say to.  You have taken much more severe punishments before so I know that it is simply your lack of submission causing this attitude, not that I am hurting you any worse I have in the past.” 

    The more Jane struggled to free herself from Berto’s hold the stronger his hold became and the more intense the spanking was given.  “You need to realize that I am the HOH and you will learn to submit to me.” Berto once again reminded Jane,  “I love you but I need your respect as well.  Without it we will simply return to the way things were.  The arguments, the power struggles, I will not live that way and I don’t believe you want to either.”

    As Berto continued the lecture and the spanking Jane was surprised to find that she was agreeing with a lot of what Berto was saying.  Before they began DD the arguments and the struggle for control between them was slowly tearing their love apart.  Yet since beginning this new relationship things had become so much more relaxed between them.  Their love and desire for one another was much stronger then it had been before DD.  Slowly Jane found herself relaxing and settling down as Berto continued to make his point.  Sensing that Jane had finally given in and understood what he was trying to do Berto ended the maintenance session and sat Jane up onto his lap.  Taking her face in his hand he tilted her head up to face him and kissed her gently.  “There now,” he praised her, “That’s my girl.  I am so proud of you and I love you more then you know.  This isn’t always easy for me Jane but it is something that we need to keep our love for one another  as special as it has become.”

    With a tear in her eye, not from the pain of the punishment but simply from the caring way Berto was speaking to her and holding her at that moment Jane buried her face into his neck and simply held him as closely as she could.  She didn’t understand what it was about what had just happened but somewhere in the midst of the spanking Jane had found that submitting to the man she loved wasn’t the worst thing she could do.