Taking the Stage Read online

  Fifteen, then twenty minutes went by, and Robyn Renée Rose was becoming her own brand of mad! How dare he send her to her room to wait for him! Screw the big jackass. If seven minutes meant more to him than everything else she did, then he was another male jerk she didn’t need in her life. Nobody pitched a fit when he ran a little late. Of course, he never really ran a little late, but that wasn’t the point. If he did, no one would bat an eye. As his right hand, wasn’t she allowed a tiny grace period, too? She was done waiting for him to come back and take another chunk out her ass. Grabbing her bag, she was about mid-room when the door opened.

  “Going somewhere?”

  “Yeah. Getting the hell out of here before I have to come back clear across town again for tonight’s rehearsal. What is your deal? You wanted to talk to me, so why was I left in here like a naughty student waiting to get the finger wag.”

  Rapidly spiraling toward a meltdown, Robyn felt herself headed toward that out-of-control space. Balling her fists at her sides was all that was keeping her from picking up something from his desk and hurling it at his head.

  Joseph wasted no time taking the three steps needed to crowd her space. He was inches from her now, so close that she had no choice but to tilt her head back to see his face at all.

  “Settle down and put yourself in that chair. I have no designs on having a shouting match with you, and I’m certainly not having you shout at me. Sit down!”

  Well, this was a little different. He’d been frustrated, aggravated, and one time so mad he couldn’t even yell, and opted to give her the silent treatment all day. That had hurt her feelings. Chilly indifference and silence was Kyle’s way, and she couldn’t deal with that. She quickly made amends, and the next day she’d been sweeter than a mint julep on a Southern Sunday afternoon. This was different. It felt different. They’d worked together a little over a month, but she knew something between them was about to shift drastically.

  Slowly sliding down into the straight back chair that faced his desk, Robyn couldn’t keep her energy contained. She was clutching her bag and tapping her foot so hard she was confident that the floor below would be covered in small paint chips from the ceiling. She was determined not to cry or beg for her job when he finally let her go. Blowing her chance at the big kids table was no one’s fault but her own.

  “Now, as much as I enjoy working with you, and everything you’ve added to the team, I can’t let this go on. Folks are taking notice, and not in a good way. You have to be above reproach and respectful.”

  “Since when am I not respectful?”

  “Right now, and don’t interrupt me again. As I was going to say, you need to be respectful of everyone’s time and lead by example. You haven’t been, and nothing I’ve said has made a difference, so you either take the consequence, or you’re out of a job.”

  He didn’t mince words. Right for the throat he went. Consequences. The word was rolling around her brain, which was how the smart mouth comment slipped out.

  “So much for the easygoing theatre environment. I might as well be teaching again.”

  “It’s a miracle you kept that job as long as you did. Enough, no more excuses. I am docking you ten dollars for every minute you’re late each week.”

  Roby’s head was going to blow. “Joseph, please,” she pleaded. Dignity be damned. She needed this gig. “That would be seventy bucks today alone.”

  She really couldn’t afford it. This check, her savings, and the little extras from Sean and Jerry were keeping things normal, but if this job didn’t lead to something union or permanent, going back to teaching somewhere was a real possibility. Plus, she’d have to explain to everyone how much she screwed up.

  “Whining isn’t winning you any favor. You have nothing to worry about, if you get where you’re supposed to be on time. And it’s way more than seventy. You should be here at least fifteen minutes early, and add to that that seven and a half, let’s call it eight minutes, and you’re up to a hefty tab of two hundred and thirty dollars.”

  Her eyes were filling, and she seriously willed the tears not to fall. It wasn’t supposed to mean more than a paycheck to her, but she’d been holding out hope where the job and Joseph were concerned. It was slipping away too fast.

  Clenching her fist, she responded in a broken voice, “You’re basically turning me into an indentured servant at those rates.”

  “No, my dear, you are. You always have the choice of getting here on time. Or—”

  Her stomach joined the party at his tone, and now both that and her head were doing flip-flops. Or what, she wondered. How bad could it be? One minute he was so nice, demanding but nice, and the next he was this unyielding, bossy dictator. She could handle a dictator’s or else, right.

  “Or what?” she said.

  “You take every last minute over my knee.”

  Silence. It was so deafening, all she could hear was her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. He didn’t just say that with a serious face. He could certainly fit into any one of the many, many romance novels she read on her tablet (strong, dominant, protective, caring, focused, driven) but who said that sort of thing in real life? This wasn’t some buck ninety-nine eBook. Clearly he was just trying to get a reaction from her. She needed to focus. They weren’t married or even dating. He didn’t have the right. Did he? You didn’t have that relationship with your boss. She was thinking all of those things in rapid succession, yet the words, Hell, no! never came out of her mouth. Storming off, although very dramatic, didn’t seem like the road to take, either. He obviously didn’t want her rushing this decision, and he wasn’t going to push, so the silence dragged on.

  “What does that mean?”

  Filling time and space by asking the obvious seemed like the only way to keep him engaged and away from her rear end.

  “I never pegged you for dim, but if it’s specifics you want, I’ll bring you in here, sit in that chair, put you over my knees, bare your backside, and smack your hind end with my hand for every single minute you’re late. Anything unclear?”

  “You’re talking about spanking me in the workplace. I haven’t had a spanking since—since I was, like, nine.”

  He just tilted his head and gave her a one-brow-raised look. Damn her sisters and their big storytelling mouths. He knew. Now she knew he knew.

  “Fine! Since I was seventeen, and I’m going to wring Merry’s neck! Gram E didn’t appreciate my liberation of her car.”

  “Your call, but it’s the last one you get to make on this subject. You take the spankings, or I call accounting.”

  “You’re a bully.”

  “No name calling. Besides, a bully wouldn’t let this conversation drag on. You’re stalling. I said it’s your choice. After today, you could go the next three months and never get another one.”

  “What? What do mean another one? You just told me the new consequences. You can’t grandfather in past offenses.”

  “Now you’re a lawyer?” His smirk almost set her back in tantrum-stapler-throwing mode.

  She was stalling, but she still didn’t say no. Could the universe be giving her what she’d craved for years, in the most awkward and unlikely of ways? He was legitimately displeased with her, but that didn’t keep her trepidation from mixing with lustful thoughts. The decision had to be hers, alone, but a part of her wanted him to just get up and make her comply. His relaxed pose gave nothing away, other than his ability to show extreme patience in the face of tremendous awkwardness.

  She had nail imprints in her palms, and making eye contact— Ugh. How would she ever look into those gorgeous navy blue eyes again?

  “Don’t call accounting, Joseph, please.”

  Damn it. Had her mouth disengaged from her brain? If he didn’t call accounting, she was getting ready to get the daylights spanked out of her right in this office. She couldn’t afford to be docked any money, but how would she look him in the face afterward? This seemed a little heavy handed for seven and a half minutes, or the tw
enty-three he’d decided on. Who knew what other infractions he had tallied?

  “Good girl. Smart choice.”

  His voice yanked her from her inner musings. Coming from behind his desk, Joseph took her bag from her and placed it on his desk, then pulled her up. Setting the chair farther back from the desk to accommodate his long legs, he also wanted to make sure she didn’t hurt herself if she was a flopper. Part of him felt like this was so right, but part of him knew he was crossing a line he couldn’t come back from. He’d had feelings about her for a while, and even multiple talks with Sean didn’t give him unflinching confidence. This could go all wrong pretty fast. Her constant tardiness was mounting into a problem that would only escalate when actors joined the mix, and something did need to be done, but docking her pay was the professional way to go. The problem was that over the last several weeks, he was feeling anything but professional. Bound in this fugacious situation he was about to take a very permanent step.

  Sitting down, he held out his hand to bring her between his knees. “Come on. I hear it’s just like riding a bike. You never forget how it’s done.”

  “Worse bike ride ever.”

  “Why are you getting this spanking?”

  “Because being seven minutes late is obviously the end of the world.”

  Oh, yeah. Her mouth and brain were totally disengaged.

  The pop on the side of her thigh let her know immediately that this was discipline. It wasn’t to be sexy or playful, and her sarcasm wasn’t appreciated.

  “Try again with a lot less sass.”

  Her eyes started to fill a little at the corners, again. “Because showing up late is disrespectful to everyone’s time, and I should lead by example.”

  “You are amazing at this job, but attitude, tantrums, and habitual lateness will keep you stuck working in small town local theaters and scraping by. You deserve more than that, and I want more than that for you. Over you go.”

  Could he really go through with baring her? The most he’d seen of her was mid-thigh down on the rare occasion she wore a sundress. He needed to focus on the discipline, and not on the shapely backside pointing straight up at him. He was looking at simple beauty, and it seemed she didn’t even know it. What she saw as too round, he found just right, but today wasn’t the time for that particular indulgence. Pushing up her long shirt, he reached for the waistband of her leggings. When he skimmed them down, he quickly realized she’d gone sans panties.

  “You really were in a hurry this morning.”

  All she could do was shake her head and try to sink the top half of her body lower to the ground, with her head in her hands. No more time was wasted on talking. Still, the first time his hand connected with her behind, she about leapt from his lap.

  “Yeow!” Was he kidding, and what the hell was he using? “Stop it! Stop right now! Please call accounting. Please!”

  “Hush. I’m not killing you.”

  Repeatedly his hand fell on cheeks that rapidly went from cool to flaming hot. Her caramel colored skin didn’t show red as fast, but she certainly felt the rising heat. She wasn’t screaming and flailing, but had a real steady cry going that was quickly turning to a sob, when he tipped her forward, aiming the last five swats to that too thin skinned area between cheek and thigh.

  After the first three, she’d stop counting, but knew he’d gone well over seven. He had gone for the full twenty-three. She would not only have to be on time, but early. How was she going to pull that off when she hadn’t been able to do it most of her life? As she felt the fabric slip back over her tender globes, she thought she better figure out a way quickly, or she might spend the next three months standing.

  He helped her up, then stood, himself. Roby turned away from him instantly and reached for her bag. She needed to get out of there.

  “No hiding or pouting, Robyn Renée Rose. You took your punishment, and it’s over.” Joseph wasn’t willing to let her put a wall between them. Staying connected was critical. He had to let her know the slate was clear.

  “Robyn, turn around and look at me.”

  “Is humiliating me part of the punishment? I’ll see you at rehearsal tonight.”

  He was decidedly firm, but his touch was gentle as he turned her to him. “I have zero interest in humiliating you. This stays between us, period. But I will not allow sulking after I discipline you for something you know you’ve done wrong.”

  Pulling her stiffened form into his arms, he could tell she wasn’t willing to be anything but a stubborn noodle. That ramrod spine stayed stiff for about thirty seconds before she rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. When her breath started to come out steady, he moved her back to look into her eyes.

  “Now, go into my bathroom and wash up, so we can go get some lunch.” Giving her a quick hug and a kiss on the temple, Joseph went behind his desk and said no more, expecting her to comply.

  Looking in the mirror over the sink, Roby knew she was in trouble, and it had nothing to do with being late or future spankings. It had everything to do with the man who set her ass and her heart on fire.

  Chapter Five

  They had been out of pre-production for a few weeks. Outside of a quick weekend return to New York for Joseph, the two had been inseparable. She was so much more than his stage manager, and, spoken or not, everyone seemed to know it. There had been a few a more spankings, mostly for her complete inability to get anywhere on time, much less early, on a consistent basis, but there were the times when Joseph could’ve let it slide and didn’t because he was thrilled whenever her beautiful chocolate backside was across his knee. The man was certainly consistent, and with a few added rules he thought would be helpful, as the craziness picked up, Robyn was accountable in a way she hadn’t been in decades. A corner of her mind still called her nuts, in the quiet hours, when she found herself feeling like a lovesick teenager. They had settled into a comfortable rapport, and she was happier than she’d been in the last year.

  It was a happiness that faded fast when he walked in on her trying to change a court date.

  “No, that won’t work. It has to be early in the morning, like, the first case heard early. I cannot be late for work. Yes, I understand this is the second time I’m changing it. The first time was completely my fault for forgetting, but this time your office rescheduled without checking if the time was even good, and it isn’t. I’m sorry, but one o’clock isn’t possible. My boss will— Well, he’ll— I just can’t be late.”

  When she looked up and saw him leaning against the bookshelves shaking his head, her stomach dropped. How much did he hear? What did he guess? How screwed was she? It was like an episodic cliffhanger.

  “Yes, ma’am. That will work much better. Thank you very much for working with me. No, I won’t forget. I’ll be there. Thank you again. Bye.”

  “I suppose it would’ve been a little awkward to say my boss will spank the tardy out of me if I’m late.” Wiggling his eyebrows, he closed the office door fully and came closer to the desk.

  “Maybe you could close the door completely next time before you start throwing around the S-word,” she said.

  “No one’s here yet, and I closed it because your mouth is much louder than mine once we get started.”

  “Started with what?”

  “You sure this is the way you want to play it? Strike that. I’m going to save you from yourself. First case heard is court speak, Roby. Now, unless you’ve become some sort of rampant criminal in the last month, I’m guessing we’re talking about traffic court. Just nod if I’m right, since you seem to have lost the power of speech.”

  She started throwing things back in her bag and moved from behind the desk. “Eavesdropping is rude, Joseph! Didn’t your mama ever tell you that?”

  “She did. She also told me that lying would get me my daddy’s belt faster than anything. Should we test out her theories and rules?”

  They stared at each other for a moment. He was truly the most in
sufferable human being on the planet!

  “What do you want me to say?”

  “Let’s go with the truth. It’s usually easiest and fastest.”

  “Following your tight schedule was really hard in the beginning. Some days were harder than others. I mean I was just late two days before, and there was no way I was going to be late again. My butt couldn’t handle it! So I probably didn’t come to a complete stop at the sign, but in my defense—”

  “No, no, no! You don’t have a defense. You drove through a stop sign, or was it a light?”

  “A sign. It was maybe a rolling stop, but I definitely didn’t just barrel through.”

  “Move on to the court date, please.”

  “I got pulled over. I was already so close, I didn’t want to debate the ticket with him, so I took it and decided to fight it in court.”

  “This was the day you came in all flustered, but I’d stepped out, and the ladies in the box office said you came running in all shook up. You told me you almost hit a stray dog.”

  Damn, why was his memory so good? Roby had almost forgotten that initial little white lie.

  “Yeah, that was the day.”

  “And that was the first of how many lies?”

  “Only the two. Joseph, come on.”

  “Continue.”

  At this point, he was sitting on the edge of the desk with his long legs still grazing the floor. His hands were folded casually in his lap and even though he looked perfectly calm, Roby wasn’t being lulled into a false sense of security.

  “My court date was on Friday, and I forgot about it.”

  “What? You keep the most impeccable calendars of anyone I know. How the hell do you forget your own court date?”

  “Don’t yell at me.”

  “You haven’t heard me yelling, missy!”