Sarah’s Surprise (by K Morgan)
The girl on reception rolled her eyes. “Old Prendergast’s been on the phone. She says you’ve got to go straight up…Did you have a good holiday?”
Sarah nodded. “Great — except for having to come back.”
She had been expecting the summons by her boss. Bolshy air controllers had delayed the flight home and it was eleven the previous night before she put her key in the door. That was normal bedtime, but after a couple of glasses of wine to unwind, it was nearly one when she turned in. The extra time in bed that morning was worth it, even if it meant a ticking off — if you could call it that. It would consist of listening to him tell her not to be late and, once she fluttered her eyelids, giving him a detailed description of her holiday. He was a soft touch and she had him where she wanted him. The only bad part would be getting past his assistant, Miss Prendergast. That woman never smiled.
Sarah looked at her watch and pressed the top-floor button in the lift. It was ten past ten, which was late even by her standards. Admiring her perfection in the mirrored wall, she practised her pout and squirted on some of her boss’s favourite perfume. By the time the single ring announced her arrival, she was ready. She marched into the main office, but came to a halt. Miss Prendergast, the woman who never smiled, was smiling.
“You’re expected, Sarah,” she said and licked her lips.
Sarah forced a smile in return. She knocked on her boss’s door and went in without being invited. “I know. I’m sorry I’m late, Mr…” She checked the nameplate on the still open door. It was the right office, but the wrong person in it.
“You must be Sarah. Come in and sit down. I’m Miss Svenson.”
Sarah sat on the opposite side of the desk, on what she usually joked was the hot seat.
“I suppose I’ve to thank you for making my job easier, Sarah.”
“I’m sorry?”
“We’ve been restructured while you’ve been away. I’ve taken over from Mr Collier — he’s gone to our German division. In fact, you probably flew over him on your way back from holiday. It seems he has a much better deal than I do. You see, he is there to recruit, while I am here to reduce. There are to be redundancies, I’m afraid.”
Sarah’s jaw dropped. “What…I’m not being made redundant, am I?”
“Of course, you aren’t. Just because you’re late, it doesn’t mean you are the first in line for redundancy…And I’ve heard you’re often late, aren’t you?”
“Well, I suppose…I mean…”
“You don’t get made redundant for coming to work when you want — you get fired.”
Sarah needed the job to pay off her holiday and other debts. She felt sick. “I’m sorry…”
“So you said when you burst in. Lucky for you, I pride myself on being fair and I know how difficult it will be to get something else. So, I’m giving you an option.”
There was hope and Sarah smiled. Unfortunately, it was short-lived.
“If you resign, it’ll look better on your application forms. You see, the company will not need to disclose the reasons behind your departure when asked for a reference.”
“Please, Miss Svenson. It was late when I got back yesterday.”
“And the other times?”
Sarah looked with pleading eyes at her new boss. Her heart was pounding. The lie-in that morning was about to become very costly. “Please, Miss Svenson. I really need the job.”
Miss Svenson did not respond and stared at the desk. It was a bad sign. The continuing silence proved too much for Sarah.
“Please, Miss Svenson.”
Her new boss looked her in the eye. “There is another alternative, but I am not offering it for your benefit. If you resign or are dismissed, then somebody might miss out on a compensation payment. It would be unfair for anyone to suffer because of you, wouldn’t it?”
Sarah nodded.
“I shall warn you now, the alternative is not pleasant. Do you wish to hear it?”
“Yes, please.”
“It is six strokes of my belt across your bare backside.”
Sarah gasped. Glancing down, she could see her belt was made of black patent leather. She had one like it and knew it to be light and soft. The shiny side might sting a little, but there was no way it would hurt. “I accept.”
“You said that very quickly. I will warn you again, it will not be pleasant. Are you sure?”
“Yes, Miss Svenson.”
“Very well. This will remain an issue between the two of us and I shall not tell anyone of it. If you change your mind at any time, just say so. You retain the option to resign. All you need do is tell me to stop. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Miss Svenson.”
Sarah had no qualms about baring her backside to another woman and she closed her eyes on thinking about her narrow escape. When she opened them, it was to see her new boss withdraw a two-foot long strip of leather from the desk drawer. Like her waist belt, this was black and shiny, but it was neither light nor soft.
“Good God,” she said and felt faint. The belt was three inches wide and had a line of six holes near the end. There was no doubt they were there to increase the pain.
“Do you still wish to accept the alternative?”
She had no choice. She was worried what her voice would sound like if she spoke, so she nodded. Her eyes remained fixed on the vicious strap.
“After the sixth stroke lands…are you listening to me?”
Sarah glanced up and nodded again, before resuming her stare.
“After the sixth stroke lands, you will remain in position until you have thanked me. I shall give you five minutes to recover and then you may go to the toilets to compose yourself. If you are not back at your desk within forty minutes of leaving this room, I shall expect your resignation. Is that clear?”
“Yes…” She cleared her throat. “Yes, Miss Svenson.”
“As you can imagine, this is going to be painful. You must not speak to me while you are being disciplined, but I’ll remind you that you can stop it any time…Now, would you like Miss Prendergast to witness the process.”
“Definitely not, thank you.”
“Then, lift your skirt and lie across my desk. Keep your legs straight and together.”
Sarah had never felt so vulnerable. She closed her eyes as her knickers were teased down. There was a strange feeling in her backside, as if it were anticipating the first blow.
“Your tan lines make an excellent target,” Miss Svenson said and came around to slide a blotting pad across the desk. “If you would raise your head for me, please. It’s just to catch your tears…Now reach forward and take a firm grip on the edge of the desk.”
Sarah gritted her teeth. She was expecting it to hurt and it did. It hurt like hell. The ferocious smart was phenomenal and surviving another five like the first seemed impossible. She was still fighting to catch her breath when the second stroke landed and the thought went through her mind to put an end to it. She was completely helpless for the first time in her life. Then the realisation set in how she would be just as helpless without a job. The third stroke arrived before she had come to a decision and the fourth landed immediately afterwards, causing her to yelp. The shock was too great and she started crying, while still breathless. She gripped the edge of the desk even harder. The fifth blow arrived after a lengthy wait and she began shaking. It meant there was only one more and, for the first time, she willed it to land. This it did across the centre of her buttocks. She screwed her eyes up. “Dear God,” she panted. Sobbing, she accepted an offered tissue, while still across the desk.
Miss Svenson spoke. “If I learn of any further transgression, you know the option that awaits you. In your own time, do you have anything to tell me before I allow you to stand?”
“Just a minute, please, Miss Svenson,” Sarah gasped and wiped her eyes with the tissue. It took a couple of minutes for the shaking to subside and her breathing to return to normal.
“I’m still waiting, Sarah. Now, what do you have to say?”
Sarah took a deep breath and gripped the edge of the desk again. “I skipped off work before my holiday, as well, Miss Svenson.”