The Holiday. Part 6

Sophie stood back and admired the finished garden. She turned and gave the thumbs up to her employee, Martin, who flicked the switch in the sun lounge that started a pump which set the water feature into action. A miniature waterfall ran into a large round pond making a relaxing trickling sound. Sophie looked at it critically and rearranged a couple of the rocks to ensure a more even flow. She was filthy, cold and tired and extremely happy that this project was finally over and on time too.

Mrs Johnson came outside to look at her new garden. ‘Oh Sophie it’s beautiful! You and Martin have done such a great job. You’ve definitely earned your holiday.’

Sophie ran her hands through her short sandy coloured hair and laughed ‘Well I won’t argue with you there. I don’t mind if I don’t see a garden fork for a week or so.’

Cheque in hand, Sophie and Martin climbed into their van and began the short journey to their respective homes.

‘So you plan a week in bed with the wife then? Or has being married for a year put an end to those sorts of activities’? Martin teased.

‘In your dreams jealous guy. We can still rock under the sheets, nothing has changed there. Thank you so much for your concern.’

‘Well I’m just looking out for your welfare. I would hate you two love birds to become victims of that well known disease, Lesbian Bed Death.’ He said making a comical horror face.

‘Uh huh, right. So you going to have a week of debauchery picking up stray young men on Canal Street then?’ Sophie said referring to the main run of Manchester’s Gay Village.

‘Well my darling if there are young men out there needing a little guidance from a handsome stranger who am I to deny them.’ Martin said flicking his hair in a deliberately feminine gesture.

Sophie shook her head. She had known Martin since high school. They had lost touch for a while but when her landscaping business had taken off he had applied for the junior design post and Sophie had been thankful ever since that she had taken him on. Not only did he have a great eye for design, he worked hard and they had become very close friends. He had been a witness at her Civil Partnership ceremony the previous year and a firm support to both her and Meghan during their 5 year relationship. He was also the only person outside of their marriage who knew about the discipline dynamic between the two of them.

Megan was a high school teacher, a good one. She was dedicated to her students and spent a lot of her free time volunteering with local youth groups and tutoring students who had been excluded from school. Sophie was very proud of her and was in awe of her seemingly endless patience. She had also been in awe of Megan’s ability to maintain discipline amongst a class of rowdy 16 year olds, that was until the day Megan began to wield a form of that discipline over Sophie in their home!

Sophie was more than aware of the punishments she could expect from her darling Meg if she broke any of their rules. Her bottom had been the recipient of many a spanking. When Sophie had first admitted this to Martin she had been acutely embarrassed but since she was unable hide the fact that she couldn’t sit down that day it had become difficult to come up with another explanation. Besides she trusted him like a brother and thought that he had probably seen more of life than she could imagine anyway! Martin had laughed uncontrollably. Not out of malice but at pure delight that Megan could control his somewhat temperamental friend. When he had next seen Meg he had hugged her and whispered in her ear ‘Good for you. I’ve thought for so long she needed her little behind tanning. You have to marry her now!’

Martin took pleasure in ribbing Sophie about her behaviour and when they had disagreements at work he would often threaten to rat her out to Megan. Sophie’s response was usually to throw something at him but secretly she was happy that she could share this part of her life with him. Sometimes it was hard keeping such a large part of her identity hidden.

This next week she was looking forward to spending time with other couples who thought of Domestic Discipline as ‘normal’. She wouldn’t have to worry whether someone could overhear her being scolded or could hear her being punished. She remembered the embarrassment of staying at an Inn one Easter time and having had the occupants in the room next door come and ask if everything was OK when they overheard a spanking. Strangely Megan had been unmoved and had simply told the couple that she was correcting her girlfriend’s bad behaviour. She was amused by Sophie’s embarrassment and had made her go to breakfast and face them the next day as part of her punishment. She never wanted to repeat that ordeal again!

Sophie pulled the van up outside her Victorian terraced house. They had looked for months to find a terrace with enough original features and a garden before they had found their perfect home in the heart of Chorlton. It was a small area with a diverse population and a thriving gay community, plenty of pavement cafes and a good social life, Sophie and Megan loved living there. The house still needed some work but it was a labour of love so neither minded spending their free time covered in paint.

‘Have a great holiday Soph’. I hope you manage to stay out of trouble so your behind is relatively unscathed when you get back. Somehow, knowing you though I doubt it!’

Sophie made a rude hand gesture to Martin and then blew him a kiss before he laughed and drove away. Sophie turned and walked up the short path to her home and her wife and their much needed holiday.