Journey to Love Read online

  "I agree that you were behaving foolishly Kathy but I should have discussed it with you far more, right from the beginning of our courtship. I sort of assumed you understood all that quite forgetting your entirely different background. I soon found out how wrong I was when I landed on the floor. Boy that was a surprise! Anyway we can discuss it now."

  "No need, I accept it all. I understood suddenly. It all became totally clear. I worried about it all that first night after we got engaged and then the next morning I was going to the car and it all became clear, literally, as I walked. It was wonderful that feeling. I accept, Jack."

  "Kathy you are the most astonishing, amazing, adorable and... anyway I love you. OK I believe that you understand, so now I am going to make you some promises and if ever I break them you may push me to the floor again. I promise that I will only spank you when it really is necessary to do so. If there is any sensible alternative I will not. The second is that I will never spank you without first discussing the whole matter with you, we will talk it through first. The third you already know which is that a spanking is only ever to correct and not to injure you."

  They talked on for so long that Kathy was late getting back to college and got her first ever CTC. The Dean went easy on her so she was only confined to campus for two days, but it meant she missed Pioneers, which was hard for her.

  Meg had taken a lot of the drama skits they had improvised and woven them into a play about a group of youngsters in an ordinary week and the problems they face. It was actually very good, funny in parts and deadly serious in others. Kathy was one of the main characters because of her acting ability and Meg even got her singing solo. It amused everyone in Pioneers how Jack suddenly had a huge interest in drama and was there building scenery, painting sets and sorting out props. They all knew what the focus of his interest was and teased him but he didn't care, he just liked being around Kathy.

  It was the hikes that Kathy found most testing. It wasn't the hiking it was just that they were often alone together out in the woods or mountains and frequently kissed or held each other. Before she met Jack, Kathy had never felt ready for a sexual relationship. She was a virgin in every respect, even the passionate kisses they exchanged were new to her. Now she was ready. More than ready. Her desire for Jack was almost overwhelming at times. Her sleep was filled with strongly erotic dreams all featuring her strong fiancé and when he held her in his arms she longed to go further, to remove every stitch of clothing and make wild passionate love out in the woods. She could feel Jack wanted her too. She could feel his erection straining hard against his clothing, hear it in his altered breathing, feel it in the passion of his embrace. But he had a will of iron and would not go against his beliefs.

  So what with Jack, Pioneers and her college work, Kathy was kept very busy but not too busy that she failed to notice Mia was getting worse. Mia seemed more erratic than ever. She seemed to Kathy to have become white faced and thinner. Kathy wondered again about drugs. Was Mia now moving on to something stronger even than cocaine? If not what was the matter with the girl? One Saturday Kathy was frantically busy. She was going out dancing with Jack later, had some odd bits of toiletries to get and work to finish. She was hurrying out of the mall with her toiletries when she spotted Mia and stopped to watch. Mia had only a purse with her. She looked white faced and very tense with her arms wrapped around her. She stopped at one of the ATMs near the entrance and put her card in. It was clear that it was rejected and Mia looked absolutely stricken. Surely she couldn't be short of money? Her family were quite wealthy as far as Kathy knew. Mia seemed to make a decision and left the mall to get her car. Kathy followed.

  Mia certainly wasn't going back to college and Kathy soon realised she was heading into the area that had been forbidden to her by Jack. She hesitated when they were both stopped at the traffic lights. Should she go on or turn back? Knowing she would be in trouble with Jack if he found out, she drove on. Mia drove to the row of unpleasant shops with steel shutters over the windows. Some were clearly just regular stores but with a doorman to check who went in. Others looked more dubious. The shops were in a long two-storey building that was cheap and run down. There were clearly apartments above but they didn't look at all pleasant.

  Mia stopped opposite one of the shops and Kathy turned her car around and pulling up locked herself inside and watched Mia in her wing mirror. She spoke to a man outside the shop and he called in and another man came out. She was clearly trying to buy or negotiate something but the man kept shaking his head and Kathy read it as refusal because Mia had no money. Then the man spread his hands and said something pointing to the upper floor. Mia shook her head and walked back to her car. She didn't get in though, she turned back and went inside with the man. Kathy sat and watched wondering whether to get out of there or not. Half an hour passed and Mia came out clearly with something but she didn't look happy. She drove past Kathy and straight back to college.

  Kathy read into what she had seen that Mia was on drugs, out of money, had been refused credit and traded sex for drugs. She decided she was confronting Mia about it as she never had done with Olivia. She plucked up her courage and went to Mia's room where Mia was alone, her roommate out playing sports. Kathy was gently blunt but Mia denied everything. It was her boyfriend she said. Her parents didn't want her to see him and she went asking him to go out with her but he refused and they had sex instead. She finished, "Don't worry Kathy, I'm fine."

  Kathy didn't know what to do. It could be true. She doubted it but it was possible. If she told Jack what could he do? What could anyone do? If she told Jack he'd almost certainly spank her for following Mia into that area. She had agreed now and she knew his resolve, he would do it. She didn't want to be spanked. It was simple, no harm had come to her and now the matter was ended. She wouldn't tell Jack. What he didn't know couldn't hurt him.

  ---oOo---

  Anyway she and Jack had decisions to make about the wedding. In a conference with Jack, her grandparents, Brad Hoctor and Stacey it, was Stacey that prevailed with her eminently sensible date in early July. Her friends back in England and the vicar of her church were invited but Kelly couldn't be a bridesmaid or even come. She was also bridesmaid to her cousin and the dates clashed. In the end Kathy chose Stacey and Olivia as her bridesmaids. Her grandfather organised the accommodation in various homes for the British contingent. Although Madge had planned on caterers, the congregation demanded a part. Jack Myerscough was highly regarded as was Kathy, and the Andertons search for their long lost granddaughter was well known so its dramatic conclusion touched everyone. In the end Madge organised the menu and dozens of the excellent cooks within the congregation promised various dishes. Samantha Anderton and Sarah Duval undertook the making of the wedding dress and the bridesmaids' dresses. It was all costing so much less than her grandparents expected that they insisted on paying for the honeymoon as well.

  For Kathy the time seemed to drag. She wanted so much to be Mrs Myerscough, to give herself fully and completely to Jack. They talked about what they would do in terms of accommodation. He lived in a tiny church apartment but had money left to him by his great-grandmother, so they cast around for a house to buy. Jack insisted she must finish her education. They were both young enough to wait for children although both wanted a large family - Kathy especially had hated being an only child.

  It was all the talk of marriage that sent Kathy to the college doctor for a check-up. Suppose she couldn't bear children? Suppose something was wrong with her? Would it hurt the first time she had intercourse? The doctor laughed kindly at her.

  "Oh Kathy what a state you are in. You are a disgustingly healthy young woman. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any part of you. I wish every girl I see was as healthy as you. You can have a dozen children if you wish, though you may change your mind about that once you have had a couple. I will check you out though."

  When the examination was over, the doctor affirmed, "There's nothing wrong down there at al
l. All is perfectly healthy. Your hymen is intact and perfectly normal."

  "Will it hurt the first time?"

  "Honestly Kathy, the myths I hear. First of all, your hymen has little or no nerve endings so no, that being ripped won't hurt. In fact you won't even notice it I should think. What can hurt is if you are tense or worried and your man is rough or hasty. Relax, enjoy it and get him to take it slowly. I'll give you some pamphlets to read."

  Reassured Kathy went back to wishing the honeymoon was right now and Jack was making love to her.

  ---oOo---

  Kathy only gradually noticed that Mia seemed better, or at least not so up and down, though she didn't look altogether well when she had no make-up on. She also noticed that on occasion she would dress up using plenty of makeup and would come back not many hours later looking relieved. She wondered if her imagination was working too hard but to her it looked as if Mia was ensuring a steady source of drugs by selling her body, possibly to clients organised by her dealer. She decided that if Mia went off the next Saturday she would follow her. She got a general permission for the day and watched out. Sure enough Mia dolled herself up, and leaving her room headed for her car. Kathy followed at a distance hoping that she was not heading into the forbidden zone.

  However, Mia drove to another part of town altogether and to a reasonably good hotel in a good district. She parked, oblivious to Kathy following not far behind. Kathy hesitated at the door but was in time to see Mia meet a man in the bar area and taking his arm go over to the elevator. Kathy sat in one of the lobby armchairs seemingly immersed in her phone and waited. It was only a few minutes before a man came in and sat on another armchair. He looked at Kathy, eyeing her up and down in the way men do but said nothing and then watched the elevator. She was scared when she realised he was the man Mia had met when she followed her to the rough area of town.

  It was about an hour before Mia came down. She was met by the man in the lobby and handed him some money. He gave her a little back and a small package. Mia hurried away. Kathy stayed where she was for a while until both of them had been gone several minutes and then went to her car. In her eyes Mia had sold her body for sex and traded the money for drugs. She knew such things happened but was horrified a girl she knew, and a college girl at that, would be in that position. She was also scared. What should she do? In the end as she drove back to college she came to a decision. She would confront Mia who would deny it or bawl her out, and then she would wash her hands of it. It wasn't her business.

  She went straight to Mia's room knowing full well the roommate was unlikely to be there as she went home frequently and played a lot of sport. Mia hardly ever spent any time with her. She knocked and Mia called out for her to come in.

  "I know what you're doing Mia. You're trading sex for drugs. I followed you to the hotel today because I am worried about you." Kathy paused, awaiting the blast of rage. It never came.

  Mia looked at her with a face so anguished, Kathy would never be able to forget it. "I hate myself," she said simply.

  Kathy was by her in an instant, an arm around her. "Well I don't hate you. You need help. I know my Jack has contacts. He can get you help."

  Mia didn't actually reply but her look made Kathy reach for her phone and ring Jack. "Jack I have a girl with me who needs big help. Can I bring her to you?"

  The answer of course was yes, and Kathy got hold of Mia and helped her to rise and took her unresisting to her car. Jack was a very good listener as Kathy and Mia between them explained what she had been doing and how Kathy found out. Jack gave Kathy several hard looks but said nothing to interrupt the flow. He then went into action. Before the afternoon was out he had found Mia a place in rehab and the funds to pay for it, contacted the Dean of the college to hold her place while she received treatment, and finally had a very difficult conversation with her parents to explain the problem. They promised to come and collect her and take her to the clinic assuring Jack there would be no criticism or recriminations, just loving support.

  Kathy took Mia back to college and helped her pack. Finally she handed Mia over to her parents and the girl drove off, her mother's arm around her in the car. Kathy went back to give a sanitised version to all the other girls who were by now extremely curious. Stacey and Kathy spent a lot of the evening talking about what had happened. Stacey got a much fuller version of the events and half way through she asked, "When did you share all this with Jack?" Kathy was embarrassed and Stacey shook her head as Kathy kept avoiding the question. Finally Stacey muttered, "Spanked bottoms ahead."

  On Sunday morning Kathy waited for her grandparents in the car park, not wanting to see Jack who she knew would be cross with her. He had picked up during the explanation just how much Kathy had known, for how long, and what she had done to track Mia. She knew she wasn't getting away with it but she couldn't face it on her own. Holding on to her grandmother she went into church and Jack stepped up to her looking very stern.

  "Good morning Matt and Madge, and you too Kathy. Matt, Kathy will be coming to see me after the service and she may be a little late getting back to your place for lunch."

  Her grandparents looked hard at her but Kathy's head was down and she was red faced. She knew she had gone back on every single one of her promises. She went into church with Madge while Matt stayed behind with Jack.

  "OK young lady what have you been up to?"

  "I'll tell you later. But briefly, breaking promises and disobeying Jack. I just didn't think!"

  Madge snorted. "Girls! I've a feeling if you had a lived with us your butt would have been sore many a time. I'll put a cushion on your chair for lunch."

  At the end of the service Jack disappeared quickly but Kathy knew very well where he was. He was waiting in his office for her. She would have delayed going because she felt ashamed of her behaviour but Matt took hold of her hand and she found him leading her straight to where she least wanted to go. He took her right to the door of Jack's office but didn't open it.

  "In you go Kathy, best get this over."

  Kathy sighed and walked in, shutting the door behind her. She couldn't look at Jack but sat down on the chair by his desk not saying anything.

  "Look at me Kathy."

  She looked up to see Jack's face a mixture of stern anger and sheer worry.

  "I'm so sorry Jack."

  "Kathy you are a wonderful girl. You seem to have a nose for sniffing out real problems, the heart to want to solve them and the courage to follow it through even in dangerous places. All that is commendable but...well, you tell me what you did wrong."

  "I didn't share it with you. I didn't share it because I thought I might be imagining it."

  "And what difference would that make? Couldn't we talk it through? Did you think I would dismiss it as girlish nonsense?"

  Kathy flushed. "No you would never do that. Oh, I've been stupid again haven't I?"

  "You've been silly rather than stupid. You have also been disobedient again. It was for good reason I banned that area to you. Had we talked I would have escorted you, and in addition you followed Mia to the hotel where the two men might easily have discovered who you were and turned nasty, placing you in even more unnecessary danger. There might well have been other ways of tackling the problem if we had talked it through. By the Grace of God you came to no harm and Mia is safely at the clinic today."

  "You're going to spank me aren't you?"

  "You deserve it, wouldn't you agree?"

  A medley of emotions coursed through Kathy: fear of the spanking, guilt at disobeying Jack, desire to submit to him, and shame. She couldn't speak, unsure what would come out, so just nodded.

  ---oOo---

  "Kathy I love you but you frighten me. If something happened to you on one of these reckless secret escapades of yours I don't think I could bear it to be honest. I am going to spank you and I warn you that if this ever happens again I'll use a belt, that's what I'll do."

  Kathy began to cry and stepped forward to Jac
k. They held each other tight and for the first time she felt his deep anxiety about her. It transferred to her in some way she couldn't understand, but more clearly than any words Jack could use.

  He pulled out his chair and from his desk drawer pulled out the same thing he had used to spank her for the incident at Pioneers. It was the size and shape of a hairbrush, made of wood but with no bristles and very thin, and she knew it stung a great deal when it smacked down on her bottom.

  "Kathy I am going to spank you on your bare bottom."

  "Jack!" her face turned bright red.

  He was patient. "Kath you and I are engaged, I really don't think you can be outraged if I see your bare butt."

  "Yes but," she gestured, pulling them down somehow conveying the breach of modesty that would follow.

  He smiled. "I'll pull your panties down far enough after you're over my knee."

  "Oh." She felt very foolish as well as highly embarrassed.

  Jack sat on the chair, the spanking paddle within easy reach. "Come on Kathy, get over my lap."

  She placed herself awkwardly over his lap feeling once again what a horrible position it was for a girl to be in. To think Olivia and Stacey were still spanked like this. She didn't know what to do with her hands so sort of placed them on the floor. Her tummy felt squished but she stopped worrying about that when her skirt was pulled up away from her bottom and laid across her back exposing her panties and hose as she had come to know them. An involuntary whimper escaped her at the loss of any dignity. Jack started to pull her panties down and realising that would be hard, she lifted herself slightly so he could pull them down away from her bottom, leaving it strangely cold. Exposed, her bottom now felt very vulnerable indeed and when Jack laid the paddle on it she whimpered again.

  The paddle lifted and then there was a sudden sharp blow to her bottom.

  Kathy yelled. "Yikes!" It had stung far more than any smack in her previous spankings. Smack! Again the paddle struck, punishing another part of her bottom, and Kathy wriggled as the sting ignited what felt like fire on her skin. "Ow!" she cried.