Stacey's pov
"YES! Someone finally picked my slip out of the suggestion box," my cousin exclaimed, upon seeing the stretch limo that was waiting outside as we exited the building on our final day of traffic school.
"You wish!" I laughed in disbelief until I saw Mike and Dr. Curtis emerge from the luxury vehicle.
"Hop in, ladies. We've got a surprise for you." Mike appeared happier than I've seen him in a long time.
Dr. Curtis, ever the gentleman, held the door open for us as we piled into the limo. We were even more surprised seeing Rick, Mindy, Cathie, and Jenny sitting inside.
"What's going on? Why the red carpet treatment?" Lisa asked.
"Dr. Curtis has been kind enough to host us at his lakeside cottage for the next few days," Rick explained.
"That's awesome," I replied. "But why are we just hearing about this cottage now?" I joked.
"I just acquired the property recently, Stacey. Don't worry, I haven't been hiding it from you," Dr. Curtis reassured me.
"Not to look a gift horse in the mouth or anything, sir, but what's the occasion?" Carrie asked the question on everyone's mind.
"No special occasion, luv. I plan on making this a tradition of sorts with each of the children and their guardians at the Center and what better time to start than a long holiday weekend." Dr. Curtis winked at me and smiled. "Hopefully, the lot of you don't mind being my guinea pigs."
The limo stopped briefly at the Center so my sisters and I could pack our overnight bags and grab our necessities for the next three days and then we were off. Dr. Curtis's cottage was a three to four hour drive depending on traffic so we passed the time chatting, texting, and napping. It was great finally having our phones back.
"Will Mrs. Curtis be joining us, sir?" Julie asked, ever so politely.
"She'll be coming up on Monday, luv. She's currently visiting some of her friends from her college days, having a girls' weekend of sorts."
"Too bad Shane can't come," I lamented. We'd grown closer after spending so much time together during my three day suspension for bullying. I really miss him now when he's away on business. Currently he's in Germany, attending some important securities conference or something. He wasn't even back a week since his last trip before he had to leave for the airport again.
"If all goes well this weekend, we'll bring him up another time. Ok, Stacey? I promise."
Dr. Curtis is a man of his word so I knew his promise wasn't an empty one.
"Yes sir," I replied.
The drive went by quickly. Who knew traveling in style could be so enjoyable? We stopped at a small restaurant for dinner when we were within fifteen miles of the cottage. While we waited for our food, Dr. Curtis, Mike, and Rick took advantage of the opportunity to go over their rules and expectations for this weekend.
"We are guests in Dr. Curtis's home and we will be respectful in any and all our dealings with him, his property, and each other. Ladies, you will follow orders given by any of the adults without delay, argument, or attitude. We won't hesitate to discipline misbehavior." Mike was all business.
"The only rules I have for you are to listen, behave, and have fun." God bless Rick for always being the cool chill parent.
"Your safety is my utmost concern this weekend, ladies. We'll go over boating safety when the time comes. You are allowed to swim off the docks and at the beach as long as you stay in the designated areas. Under no circumstances are you allowed to swim after dark. Do you understand all the rules we've set forth?" Dr. Curtis asked.
"Yes sir," we responded quickly, as we were excited to get on with our weekend.
At the cottage
Before retiring for the night, Dr. Curtis took us in groups on a boat ride around the lake and we had smores as we talked around the campfire. We were all pretty wiped after that so we went to sleep without argument.
The next day we went for more boat rides, did some tubing and water skiing, hung out at the beach, and barbecued for lunch and dinner. Mike, Rick, and Dr. Curtis went to bed around 10pm while all the kids stayed up to watch horror movies, only the ones set in the woods of course. Around 1:30am Carrie, Mindy, and Jennie went to bed.
"I'm tired of watching movies," Lisa said. "Let's do something else."
"Like what?" I asked, knowing Lisa most likely already had something in mind that was without a doubt going to get us into trouble.
"Let's go for a night swim." Lisa had a mischievous grin on her face.
"Did you learn nothing from Jason Vorhees's mom in the movie?" Julie asked in disbelief. "Teenagers die in the woods and the lake when they're up to no good."
"You're scared aren't you, Julie? Or dare I say chicken?" Lisa taunted my cousin.
"I'll go," Cathie offered.
"Good," Lisa replied. "At least someone here isn't a little bitch." She sneered at my cousin and I with her hands on her hips, taunting us.
"Fuck you, Lisa, I'm not a little bitch and I'm not scared. I'll go get my suit on right now," Julie said, as we headed for our room.
The four of us were soon outside in our bathing suits, ready for a night swim. Lisa jumped in first and screamed because the water was so cold.
"OH MY GOD, THE WATER'S FUCKING FREEZING."
"Shut up, you dumbass! You're gonna wake everyone up!" I scolded.
"Too late."
Our heads all snapped in the direction of our guardian's extremely sleepy, yet pissed off voice. Mike stood with his arms crossed over his sculpted pecs, barefoot and naked from the waist up, clad only in a pair of dark wash blue jeans.
"Lisa, get out of the water right now!" Mike ordered, in a tone as chilly as the temperature of the water Lisa was currently floundering in.
Lisa's pov
I swallowed hard as I hoisted myself up on the dock where Mike was standing with belt in hand, looking beyond furious.
He wasted no time grabbing my bicep, pinning me against his inner thigh and striking my wet bikini covered bottom repeatedly with his thick leather belt. And fuck did it ever hurt. I was in tears after the second slap. The sound of Mike's belt echoed loudly over the water, only to be overshadowed by my painful yelps as I cried out feeling the brutal sting across my still glistening wet thighs as he striped angry red welts on the pale line of skin peeking out from beneath my bikini bottoms. The muscles in his left arm, normally hidden by his shirt, flexed quite obviously with each punitive stroke he delivered.
I struggled in vain to free myself from his iron grip and the ensuing pain being lavished upon my already bruised cheeks as he overlapped stroke after stroke atop the previous ones. The scene unfolding on the dock of this previously tranquil setting quickly garnered the attention of neighboring cottage owners as their house lights obliterated the darkness. Just as I was about to lose hope of ever sitting comfortably again, round about the eighteenth or nineteenth stroke, my unlikely savior's voice rang through loud and clear.
"MICHAEL DAVID HORTON, THAT IS ENOUGH!" Dr. Curtis chastised my guardian, freezing him dead in his tracks.
Mike immediately ceased spanking me and released his hold on my arm.
"Girls, go get changed and get to bed this instant!" Dr. Curtis commanded, as he advanced upon Mike, slowly closing the gap separating the two. The four of us quickly hustled inside despite longing to see how this confrontation between mentor and protege would play out.
Neil's pov
"She broke the rules, Neil, swore, and put herself in danger. She deserves to be punished." Mike's fists were balled in anger, one clutching his belt, the other tightly pressed by his side. His breathing was labored and his cheeks were bright red as his voice rose in volume. "WHY DID YOU STOP ME?"
"First, do not raise your voice to me again, Michael, as I won't hesitate to reprimand you. Am I understood?" He should know better and if he doesn't, my inflection is enough of an indicator to remind him of the proper tone in which to speak to me.
Michael took a deep breath before responding, "Yes sir. I'm sorry I raised my voice to you."
"You clearly weren't in control of your emotions from what I witnessed, in fact you still aren't. Yes, she broke the rules and deserves a punishment but she doesn't deserve to be disciplined out of anger or frustration. You let your emotions override your common sense and restraint. That is unacceptable and you know it. I have neighbors here and you just caused a scene at two in the morning, for chrissake!"
Rubbing my forehead, I closed my eyes while thinking of the best way to proceed.
"I want you to wait in your room for ten minutes before telling Lisa, Julie, and Stacey you will administer the consequences for their misbehavior in the morning. I will have Rick deal with Cathie. Have I made myself clear, Michael?"
"Yes sir," he responded timidly, like a small child being corrected by a stern authority figure.
"Good. Go to your room, Michael," I admonished my errant protege.
Monday morning
Lisa's pov
The morning came much too quickly for our liking, especially since we didn't go to bed until after 2am. Mike knocked on our bedroom door around 9am and once inside, requested that Carrie help Dr. Curtis with the breakfast preparations, which she gladly did. Now alone with Mike, it was time for us to pay the piper.
"I'm extremely disappointed in you girls. You're lucky Neil stopped me when he did or none of you would be able to sit today."
I for one, am extremely grateful Dr. Curtis stepped in when he did. My ass is sore enough already and my arms are shaking from trying to support my weight so I don't have to put any pressure on my behind as I avoid actually sitting on the bed.
"Dr. Curtis made it very clear that swimming at night was not safe and thus was prohibited," Mike continued lecturing us.
"Actually, he said swimming after dark wasn't allowed and one could argue that since the moon was full it wasn't technically..."
Before Julie even finished her sentence, Mike loomed over her as she sat on our bed.
"Go ahead, Julie, finish your sentence." He was within inches of her face as he challenged her in a most foreboding tone.
"On second thought, the semantics of the luminosity governing last night's sky probably aren't germane to this conversation." Julie thought better of proving her irrelevant point.
"You know, Julie, I'm very close to taking you over my knee and spanking you until there is no longer a detectable trace of your smart mouth left; no matter how long it takes, or how hard I have to spank you to completely eradicate it. Do you think that's something you would like to experience now?"
Julie clearly was walking a very thin line and hopefully she was well aware of how little it would take to force Mike into action. I was getting extremely nervous witnessing how long she was hesitating to respond to Mike's question which clearly demanded one and only one answer. Yet she seemed to actually be considering an alternate response.
"Nah, not at this current time. I'm good, thanks," she replied matter of factly, with very little emotion as if she was turning down a telemarketer selling magazine subscriptions.
"JULIE ELIZABETH, YOU HAD BETTER AMEND YOUR RESPONSE IMMEDIATELY AND ADDRESS YOUR GUARDIAN WITH THE RESPECT HE RIGHTFULLY DESERVES!" Dr. Curtis commanded from our doorway.
Julie's face paled and she found her humility with lightning speed.
"What I meant to say was, no sir."
"You and I are going to have a little talk when you're done here," Dr. Curtis said authoritatively.
"Yes sir," Julie mumbled, clearly embarrassed to be put in her place.
When he left, Mike continued with our punishment.
"When we get back to the Center, you're each grounded to your room, two weeks for you Lisa and one week for the cousins. Same rules apply as last week's grounding. You can hand over your phones now. Any questions, ladies?"
"No sir," all three of us responded properly, while placing our phones in his hand, knowing Mike could snap at any moment.
From our doorway, Mike called out, "Oh, Julie, I wouldn't keep Dr. Curtis waiting if I were you." He lightly slapped his hand twice against the doorframe before leaving.
Julie's pov
After breakfast, I found Dr. Curtis outside fishing off the dock with Rick, Jennie, Carrie and Mindy.
"You wanted to speak to me, sir?"
"Let's go for a ride so we may speak in private, Julie," he stated coldly.
I gulped.
"Yes sir." No cap, the thought of being alone on a lake in a boat with Dr. Curtis, terrifies me more than any horror film I've ever seen.
He took us into a cove with a no wake zone and cut the engine.
Turning to me, he asked, "Do you remember the conversation we had recently in my office regarding my expectations for the proper way to speak to your guardians, Julie?"
Even though I knew he would bring this up, it still caught me a little off guard for some reason.
"Yes sir," I said, looking down at my hands, ashamed I disappointed him.
"Then explain to me why you chose to speak to Michael the way you did this morning." Dr. Curtis sounded both hurt and angry, making it more difficult for me to come up with a response that would appease him.
"I don't know." I decided to go with the stock teenager's answer as to our motive behind anything we do.
"Julie, we can drift out here all day and we will until I receive a reason from you for disrespecting Michael."
I could feel Dr. Curtis's judgemental glare boring holes into my soul. Meeting his gaze made it all the more difficult to avoid answering him.
"Julie!" He said my name so sternly, I felt compelled to oblige him.
Taking a deep breath, I reached deep.
"I guess maybe subconsciously, I'm mad at him for going harder on me especially with punishments." Realizing how childish that response sounded, I closed my eyes and looked down again in shame. When Dr. Curtis didn't respond, I cautiously lifted my head and opened one eye to gauge his mood.
"Has Michael ever punished you unjustly?" He quickly invalidated my excuse.
"No sir." I know what I did was wrong but I still dislike having to face it head on.
"Then answer me this. Do you think I can let the disrespectful way you spoke to Michael go without enforcing consequences?"
With every fiber of my being, I wanted so badly to say yes but even I knew better than to fuck with Dr. Curtis so instead, I answered appropriately, "No sir."
"When we return to the cottage, you will immediately apologize to Michael then wait for me in my room to administer your punishment. Am I clear?"
I swallowed my rapidly beating heart down into my throat, hoping it would end up in my chest where it belonged.
"Yes sir."
The boat ride back was uncomfortably quiet as we each silently assessed our current predicament.
When we returned to the cottage, I told Mike I was sorry for disrespecting him then I went straight to Dr. Curtis's room to wait. He left me in agony for twelve minutes but when I saw what he had in his hands when he walked in, I wished it was a helluva lot longer.
Dr. Curtis held the wooden spoon in one hand as he grabbed his desk chair with the other.
"Lower your pants and bend over, gripping the sides of the chair, luv." He tapped the spoon against his palm as he spoke.
I was momentarily frozen where I stood, my eyes unwilling to let that spoon out of my sight. I was transfixed by the swift movements of what I've previously only known to be a harmless kitchen utensil. I have a feeling that in about five minutes, I will never want to cook with one ever again.
"Julie, if I have to repeat myself, I will double the number you're about to receive." Dr. Curtis's tone was drop-dead serious.
I took a deep breath, tugged my shorts below my bottom, shook my head, closed my eyes hoping this was all just a bad dream, and got into position.
He cracked the spoon against my left buttcheek, causing me to hiss in realization that I was indeed living this nightmare. The pain of being spanked with a wooden spoon was up until now unknown to me and I could have easily gone another fifteen years without acquiring this knowledge.
Dr. Curtis spanked my right buttcheek and then continued to alternate between my sit spots. He took his time between each spank, allowing the burn to set in. Unlike the slap of a hand or stroke of the belt, the sting the wooden spoon left behind somehow intensified over time instead of dissipating.
I knew without a doubt, the spoon had colored my sit spots a vivid fire engine red. Tonight would definitely be spent sleeping on my stomach. I bent my knees to try and alleviate, or more accurately, tolerate the pain Dr. Curtis inflicted on my backside with each swift slap of the spoon. No movement I made was able to lessen the sting of that small wooden monster. I thought Dr. Curtis's paddle was bad but this was agonizing.
"If the need ever arises to have this conversation with you again about the proper way to speak to your guardians, you can rest assured that you won't be sitting comfortably for several weeks. Do you understand me, Julie?" Dr. Curtis cracked the spoon hard and fast against each of my thighs before I could even form a response.
The tears welling in my eyes broke through the dam and flooded my cheeks.
"Ow, ow, ow!" I cried out, as he hit the same spot on my thighs again, causing me to reach back to protect my bottom from further assault. "Yes sir, I understand." I took the opportunity to sneak in a quick rub too but it did absolutely nothing to lessen the sting radiating off my panty clad bottom.
"Two more, luv, unless you reach back again, in which case it will be eight more." Dr. Curtis smacked my right and left sit spots harshly. The crack of the spoon on my buttocks echoed loudly in the small bedroom. I bit my tongue to keep from cursing and reaching back.
He casually tossed the murder weapon on his bed as if it was a harmless object whose primary use was to stir chili.
"Come here, luv." Dr. Curtis beckoned me into his arms, taking pity on the tear streaked mess currently standing before him.
"I'm sorry I disappointed you," I blurted out, my tears soaking the front of his t-shirt. He gently rubbed my back and shushed me. His touch had a way of calming and soothing me almost instantly. As much as I feared this man, his embrace made me feel more secure than anyone else's.
Cupping my face in his hands, Dr. Curtis looked me in the eyes and said, "I know you're sorry but this is never to happen again. Michael and Shane love you girls very much and when you disrespect them, it pains them in a way you can't possibly fathom at this point in your young life. Trust me when I say it hurts them a hundred times more than the spanking you just received hurts you. Ok?"
"Yes sir," I whispered sadly, the ring of truth in his message resonating loud and clear.
"Good. Now why don't you go get some rest before dinner." He sent me on my way with a light swat to my behind.
After a nice long afternoon nap, we all went for a swim before dinner. Rick grilled some killer burgers and Mike made awesome garbage can rootbeer floats over dry ice. After eating, everyone except Dr. Curtis went inside to watch the movie Meatballs. He wanted to wait outside for his wife as he anticipated her arrival shortly.
Twenty minutes later
Mrs. Curtis's pov
"Boy are you a sight for sore eyes, pretty lady." My loving husband rushed to greet me warmly with open arms and a passionate kiss, his hands slowly roaming south to give my bottom a playful swat and a firm squeeze.
"Mmmm, maybe I should go away more often if that's the kind of greeting I'll receive when I return." Melting into Neil's muscular arms, I held my breath as his lips trailed kisses along my neck.
"Oh hi, Mrs. Curtis. When did you get here?" Mindy asked, interrupting in the nick of time before our reunion turned too inappropriate for public display.
Pulling a safe distance from my sexy husband, I responded, "I just arrived, sweetheart. What can we do for you?" Hopefully Mindy couldn't see the embarrassment evident in my flushed cheeks or hear it in my labored breathing.
"Dr. Curtis, I'm sorry to bother you but we're having trouble lighting the stove and we wanted to make Jiffy Pop for the movie. Mike and Rick tried but couldn't figure out what was wrong so they sent me to ask you."
"Say no more, luv, it's no bother. I'll help you get it lit straightaway," Neil said kindly.
Before following Mindy in to help with the stove, he whispered seductively in my ear, "Don't move a muscle, gorgeous. I'll be right back so we can pick this up where we left off." His warm breath sent a delightful shiver down my spine.
When he returned, alone thankfully, I first noticed how exhausted he looked.
"You look tired, luv. Have the children been acting up and causing trouble for you this weekend?"
"No more so than usual." He looped his arms around me, clasping his hands at the small of my back. "I did, however, have to put Michael in timeout."
I couldn't stifle my giggle even though my husband looked so serious.
"Michael? What in the world did he do?"
"It's not important, luv. There are more pressing matters at hand." Neil pulled me tightly against his chest as he ran his hand up the back of my neck and grasped my hair between his fingers, pulling my head back to gaze into his liquid ocean blue eyes. "Let's discuss them in our bedroom. Shall we?"
"You're the boss." I inhaled deeply, relishing my man's intoxicating scent.
I smiled seeing the delicious smirk my response elicited upon his sensuous lips as he took my hand and coyly whispered, "And don't you ever forget it, darlin'."