1.
As Cathy prepared for the evening, she became increasingly nervous and excited. Ben had been hinting at new adventures all week. But he gave no hint as to what kind of "adventures." Still she accepted willingly his leadership, even if she worried that he might take them too far.
But what was too far? At each step of their explorations into nude beaches, exhibitionism, bondage and sexual discipline, and very aggressive sex, she had always felt - at least before and after, and deep down, even during their games - safe and secure with Ben.
Yet, Cathy knew that his mind held many fantasies and ideas. Particularly, he recently had commented on a third, another couple, swingers clubs, and permutations of group sex. She hardly dared admit to herself that such fantasies really excited her. But the possibility of actually engaging in them truly scared her.
Yet she was so sure of Ben, their solid marriage, family and home life, that she wondered why she worried so much. Perhaps it was just her nature. Still, when she thought of what seemed conceivable for Ben - to suggest or make happen - she was nervous.
On reflection, most of what they had experienced had made her feel the same way before. The clothes that she routinely wore for Ben would have appalled her only a few years ago as slutty and entirely inappropriate. Now they made her feel sexy. Cathy loved knowing that she would get looked at, that men would get excited when they saw her with Ben, perhaps glimpsing her breasts, making out her nipples though some sheer fabric, even guessing that she was without underwear.
Being tied up and spanked so hard that the pain made her cry out would have disgusted her before. If Ben had suggested it, Cathy would have rejected it with anger and wondered whether the marriage was over. Now she seemed to yearn for such brutal domination and found excitement and deep pleasure in it.
It wasn't as if Cathy had been a prude, it was just that so much of what she and Ben now did would have seemed beyond the pale. But Ben had led, she had willingly followed, trusting him, and recognizing that she was discovering her true nature. Still, Cathy worried, with each new adventure there was danger.
Yet, she continued for three reasons. First, she trusted Ben would make the right decisions for them. Second, she found it easy to submissively go along with Ben's creative leadership. And finally, she was enjoying their experiences more than she wanted to admit, even to Ben.
Cathy was nervous and excited as she showered, carefully shaved her pubic hair, and wondered what was to come.
2.
An hour later, Ben navigated their yellow Mazda Coupe through the jumbled streets of the restaurant district to where the nicer eateries gave way to dance clubs. They stopped outside Michel's, a fairly chic French bistro that Cathy had read about. She waited while Ben came around to open her door - something that he always did now. Cathy was feeling sexy in a black, short, front-buttoned dress over her new half-bra and g-string that she had bought in anticipation of the evening.
As Cathy stepped out, Ben did not step back, so she rose up close into his chest and looked up into his face, now with a few "distinguished" wrinkles and the same blue-grey eyes she first saw twelve years ago.
Ben's steady and serious look penetrated her for a long moment before he spoke. "I love you Cathy more than anything, you know that, yes?"
"Yes."
"Don't forget that tonight."
Reassured by the true emotional depth behind those words and excited by the reason that lay behind the declaration, Cathy involuntarily drew a deep breath as her heart began to pound within her.
At the desk, Ben gave his name to a young hostess who disappeared and returned with a smiling, short grandfatherly man, whose relaxed attitude made Cathy assume that he was Michel. He shook Ben's hand and turned to Cathy, smiled broadly at her and nodded slowly. Michel then beckoned Ben to bend forward to allow him to speak close. They exchanged words that Cathy could not hear, but it seemed more private than the background noise warranted, more intrigue than curtsey.
"I wonder what he's cooked up?" thought Cathy and her anticipation increased still further. Michel darted away into the bustle of the dinner room and returned with a waiter, perhaps in his mid-twenties, slightly taller than Ben, dirty blond hair, and, Cathy decided, cute.
The waiter shook hands with Ben. Cathy overheard, "Just as you requested," but no more.
Suddenly, Cathy was walking forward as the waiter guided them passed closely packed tables in a narrow and noisy room to a series of three solid wooden doors along the right wall near the back. Sliding open one door, a small room was revealed, illuminated by soft candle-like lights on the walls between paintings of country scenes, and with a table for two carrying a bottle of Champagne in an ice bucket. Cathy supposed that each door opened on a private two-person dinning room. After they were seated, the bottle was immediately opened and their glasses filled.
The waiter handed a small object to Ben, "Just buzz when you need service."
"Thank you Robert. I'll let you know when to return."
"Robert? Hmmm, I wonder how much he knows?" wondered Cathy. She smiled to herself, "Probably more than me anyway" As the door was closed behind the exiting man, Cathy thought that she had never been in such a private dinning room before. A shiver quivered through her.
Ben raised his glass in toast, "To us, our love, our life together, and our adventures. Now drink up" Cathy smiled, clinked her glass against Ben's, and drained the glass. It was partly thirst, but she also wanted the alcohol to relax her nervousness. Ben drank only half a glass, but immediately filled their glasses again and proposed another toast. "To the sexiest woman I have ever known, may you never be bored with me." Cathy smiled again drank a little more moderately and wondered if she could ever be bored with such treatment. That was part of what she had given over to Ben, the right to be bored. He had the power to bring excitement into their lives at his choosing.
"Now," Ben paused staring at her, "Stand up."
"So it begins," thought Cathy as she rose with a little tremble and a deep breath. Ben rose and moved around behind her. He pulled back her chair until its back was against the wall, only three feet or so.
"Lift up your dress."
Cathy drew a breath. Well a private room at least. She obeyed, lifting the hem of her black dress to her waist and face Ben. His eyes lowered to the petite g-string panties that covered her mound, or did so only because she had shaved all but a small strip above her pussy. She loved to see his smile and draw breath; he confirmed how sexy she felt.
"Turn around . . . now lean forward and put your hands on the chair seat." As she complied, Ben caught the hem of her dress and kept it at her waist.
The first smack came as a shock, even though she had half guessed it was coming. Cathy gasped "Ohhh" and could not help uttering the thought that flashed through her mind, "They'll hear and come."
"And?"
"Oh." Cathy felt his control over the situation. If they came, they came, Ben would take care of it, she need not worry about it. Still. This was a . . . A second spank. A third. A fourth. Cathy's heart was beating wildly. Six more spanks, alternating left and right. Cathy's butt was warm and beginning to sting, but the surging tides of emotions and fluids through her body made her tremble. Mostly, she felt release. I am not in control, Ben is in control and I am free. Why she considered this freedom, Cathy could never have said. It was however, exactly what she felt. Free and excited to be completely, tingling, alive.
If Ben had simply taken her then, just fucked her; he would have found her body oozing with readiness. She exalted in such treatment from Ben, even proud that she belonged to such a man.