Sitting in the cab on his way back to her half-built house, Beau found himself grinning.
I wonder how you would have reacted if I’d threatened to spank you when I first met you. Oh, man, I can just imagine it. You probably would have picked up one of those shoes and thrown it at me, maybe both of them.
Everything in the small lake community was five minutes from everything else, but Beau could see the village growing, and the house that Nicole Harris was building was a sign of things to come. Hers would be the first contemporary house, the first contemporary anything, in the area. Most of the homes dated back to the 50’s, some much earlier, and while they’d been updated, which is how he’d started his sideline in the construction business, they had retained the charming style of days gone by.
Climbing from the cab he ambled forward, stepped through the wide patch of dirt and into the house. It was all angles and open spaces, and it only took a minute for him to realize that whoever had designed it hadn’t taken time to research the local weather.
The huge glass windows off the master bedroom and living room would certainly afford spectacular views, but there were winds that often blasted off the lake, and surrounded by so much natural brush he could already imagine the debris flying through the air and being slapped up against them; if the house were even just sightly angled it would help, but it was too late for that. Nicole would have to pay for some seriously expensive glass to make it work, and add some kind of outside protection.
“How the hell did she even get permits to put this up?” he muttered as he continued to wander. “I can’t imagine Dan approving plans for a house like this, but I guess he must have.”
Dan was the head of the planning department, building and safety, and carried several other titles as well. The small city council was just that, small, with its few members wearing more than one hat.
Continuing on he moved into what would be the backyard and found stakes in the ground outlining an odd shape; it took him a minute to recognize what they were for.
Is that gonna be a swimmin’ pool? But you can’t see the lake from back here, and what about the geology? I guess she must have had it done. I’d better pull those permits.
Pulling his pad and pencil from his back pocket he started making notes, and as he scrutinized what had been completed he discovered the work was further along than he’d initially thought. Finally finished he found the shiny high-heels and was bending down to pick them up when he noticed a piece of paper laying on the floor under a piece of lumber. Curious, he retrieved it, and turning it over he saw it was an invoice made out to a company called B&B Construction; their address and phone number were clearly written across the top.
Hmm, must be the construction company that left Nicole in the lurch. I think I’ll call these fellas and find out what happened here. It’ll be interestin’ to see what they have to say, and I think I’ll call Dan while I’m at it. If I’m gonna get involved I need to know exactly what’s been goin’ on, and I sure as hell need know why Dan gave this place a green light.
Walking back to his truck, still slightly bewildered, he climbed in and began heading down the gravel driveway and on to the main road. As he drove through town his thoughts wandered to the evening before; it had been a stag night. He and his buddies had drunk too much, laughed too loud, and sung out of tune until the early hours of the morning.
I can’t imagine you bein’ married, Clyde, but you sure do love that girl. I wonder what it’s like to feel so strongly about someone you wanna spend the rest of your life with them.
Beau had certainly enjoyed his share of romance, but he’d never felt the desperate need to be with a woman, not the desperate need that Clyde had described. The two of them had stumbled off to Beau’s truck after the other guys had left; it was common for the much loved vehicle to be used for such heady moments.
His father had given Beau the vintage automobile for his eighteenth birthday. At the time it had four good wheels and a new engine, but the interior was a mess, and though the body wasn’t damaged the paint was old and had nicks and scratches everywhere.
Over the years Beau had lovingly restored the1950s truck, dubbing her, Betsy. It saw him through college, where it became the site of many fumbled attempts at seduction, and nights under the stars on an air mattress in the back. Though the guys he hung out with had regular cars, they would always opt to bring a keg and load themselves into the back of Betsy; Beau would drive somewhere isolated so they could discuss women and their problems, and sometimes more profound topics, like how they would save the world.
It was the natural order of things that Beau and Clyde found themselves in the cab, thoroughly engrossed in what they believed was an earnest conversation about love and women.
“It’s a feelin’ deep down, Beau…you can’t be without her, not for a second,” Clyde had confessed. “I miss her like crazy before she’s even left the house, I miss her right now. I wish she’d been with us tonight. When it happens to you, believe me you’ll know. It’ll hit you across the back of the head like one of your two-by-fours. I’ll tell you a secret,” he said dropping his voice, as though he was about to reveal a deep, dark conspiracy.
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?” Beau asked leaning in, expecting his friend to whisper it in his ear.
“I saw her once, before we were really together.”
“Yeah? Well, I expect so!”
“No, you don’t understand, I saw her, but she wasn’t there. I mean, like a ghost, like she was so much on my mind I imagined her. It freaked me out, but when I told Pa he said it meant she was the one.”
“No shit?”
“No shit,” Clyde nodded. “It only happened that one time. I swear I thought I was goin’ plumb crazy.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever felt so strong about someone like that,” Beau admitted, then after a pause added, “except maybe Mary Sanderson in fifth grade. Remember her?”
“Hell, yeah, I remember her. You sulked for a month after her family left town.”
“Mary Sanderson, where did you end up?” Beau asked wistfully. “Ya know, I think I’d like to find out. Maybe I should do a search. Be kinda fun.”
“I think you should just leave well enough alone. The memory is bound to be better than whatever you find,” Clyde frowned.
His words sounding wise in his drunken state Beau nodded somberly.
“Yep, probably right there.”
Reaching his office, chuckling at just how profound he thought they’d been sitting in Betsy and discussing the love of Clyde’s life, Beau turned the truck into the parking lot and glanced across at Nicole’s black glossy shoes.
“I wonder, are you the sweet sexy girl, or the nasty witch,” he muttered, and climbing out he headed into his office, settled behind his desk and called the number on the invoice.
“B. and B. Construction,” a cheery voice sang over the line.
“My name is Beau Chapman and I’m a builder in Lake Shimwah. I’d like to talk to whoever was in charge of the house being built at 240 Viewpoint Drive. It’s owned by Nicole Harris.”
“Oh, uh, yes, one moment please.”
The cheery tone in her voice had disappeared, and Beau immediately wondered if Nicole had been less than polite to the young-sounding receptionist.
“Bill Barnett here. How can I help you.”
“Mr. Barnett, my name is Beau Chapman and-”
“Don’t mean to be rude, Mr. Chapman, but my secretary told me you wanted some information about the Harris property on Viewpoint at Lake Shimwah?”
“Yes, I’m a builder here and I would really appreciate knowing the back story. Can I ask, what happened? Why did you exit the project?”
“I’ll be happy to tell you,” the man said. “I’ll tell you exactly.”
In her hotel room, Nicole was beginning to feel better; the pain medication and the good food were kicking in. The pain in her foot had changed from a sharp pulsing into a tolerable dull ache, and after carefully laying the tray at the side of the bed she managed to peel off her dirty clothes and crawl between the sheets. It had been a harrowing day, and laying down she closed her eyes with a heavy sigh.
Spank me? That’s funny. Sexy though. Wow, I’ve never had a guy threaten to spank me before. I wonder what it would be like. Embarrassing, that’s what it would be like. I don’t think it would be sexy if just anyone did it though. There’s something about Beau…his accent maybe? His looks?
Closing her eyes she began to fall asleep, and as she drifted off images of the cowboy contractor began to dance in her mind; he was walking towards her, shaking his finger.
“You are one naughty girl,” he drawled, “and naughty girls get a trip across my knee.”
She could feel herself smiling, and as she succumbed to sleep the scene continued, though blurred and disjointed. He’d grabbed her but hadn’t pulled her over his lap, instead he was holding her around the waist, she was bent over, and he was spanking her through her white slacks, the ones she’d been wearing that afternoon.
A hot, wet rush flooded her sex, and she could feel it on her fingertips; she was rubbing herself as he smacked her, but she was naked, not wearing the slacks at all. Moments later she was laying over stacked pillows in the middle of the bed, and he was kneeling behind her, teasing her pussy as he slapped her behind. Her phone was ringing and as she reached to grab it he landed three very hard blows.
“Don’t you dare think to answer that phone while I’m spankin’ you.”
“It’s important,” she protested.
“How do you know?”
“I…uh…”
“You don’t, you just don’t want me smackin’ this butt.”
The phone continued its incessant noise, and bolting upright she realized it wasn’t the dream, her phone actually was ringing; grabbing it from the nightstand she hit the ACCEPT button.
“Hello?” she panted. “This is Nicole.”
“Nicole, this is Beau. Are you all right? You sound out of breath.”
She blinked her eyes and glanced at the clock; it was morning!
“Uh, yes, I was sleeping,” she mumbled. “I can’t believe I slept through the night, through the afternoon and night.”
“You must have needed it, and the sedative probably helped,” he remarked. “Why don’t you call me back when you’re awake. I assume you’re going to order some breakfast up to your room?”
The question made her smile.
“Yes, I suppose I’d better,” she replied. “I don’t need you banging on my door with Amy in tow, but let me ask you, did you get back to the house?”
“I certainly did,” he said evenly, “and there are some things we need to discuss.”
His tone was sober, and a tiny chill sent goosebumps across her skin.
“Would you care to come here and join me for an omelette?”
“I’ve already eaten,” Beau replied. “Just let me know when I can swing on by.”
Ending the call she leaned back down and cringed.
Uh-oh, why do I think you’ve spoken to Bill Barnett?