The clock on the wall chimed 2pm. Keith, sitting at his computer working on a proposal for a client, looked up at the black metal circular clock with an anxious stare. Technically, it was only 1pm. Keith, despite being someone of somewhat neurotic organization, had not changed the clock last month when it was time to "fall back."
He knew he was lucky as focused his eyes back on his monitor. Lucky in that he was expecting a guest at his house right at 2pm. His lack of attention to detail with the end of Daylight Savings Time granted him a reprieve of another hour before his friend, Laura, had said she would arrive. Laura, one of Keith's closest friends, had promised to stop by because he told her he had a favor he wanted to ask her. What the favor was he had purposely neglected to tell her, even deflecting the question of what the favor is when she asked. He had told her it was something that could only be asked in person. Laura, a little irked at that Keith for keeping it to himself on the phone, had still agreed to come by.
Finding himself unable to concentrate on his work Keith saved his file and turned his laptop off. Rising from his chair he left his home office and made his way to the family room. Sitting on the couch he looked around the room and realized Laura had not been over since he had redecorated a few months ago. Gone was the bachelor pad style ambience that he had been living in since graduating college almost two years ago. Now, the room was a reflection of his interests. The walls, painted a soft gray, are adorned with any number of movie posters from The Golden Age of Hollywood, including Casablanca, and Rear Window. Along the wall sat a black leather couch that reclined on each end. In front of the relaxing sofa was a glass top coffee table with deep brown wooden legs. Organized neatly across the glass lay several film noir magazines and books told the story of Hollywood's stars of the past.
Sitting comfortably Keith slowly moved his right hand between the cushions, and to the rear along the back of the couch. He stopped his motion when he felt the object he had placed there earlier that morning. The confirmation it was still there was not needed but he felt a small sense of butterflies when he pulled it out, just enough to see it. Just as quickly as he moved it into his view, he pushed it back down between the cushions.
There Keith sat, motionless, with his heart beating through his chest, until the alarm on his Echo Show sounded. It was 1:55pm. He stood and walked slowly to the kitchen. Pulling an empty glass from a cabinet he placed it on the counter and opened the refrigerator. Reaching in he took out his pitcher that had a water filter attached. Pouring the water into the glass, half full, he returned the pitcher to the fridge, and slowly drank the cool water.
The house was remarkably quiet. Keith leaned against the counter in the kitchen waiting. He knew it would only be a few minutes, if that, before Laura arrived. Leaning over, Keith double-tapped the screen of his phone. Lighting up it displayed the time as 2:03pm. He was just about to pick his phone up when he heard a subtle knock on his front door.
Keith moved out of the kitchen and into the den, which faced the front of the house, and whose window allowed a perfect view of who was at the door. Peering forward, he carefully put a finger on the blinds and pushed one up, just a hair, to see outside. Just as he thought, it was Laura. Her platinum blonde hair unmistakable in the bright sun. She was wearing a pair of blue sweatpants with the words "Air Force" running down the left leg. This was an homage to her graduating from the United States Air Force Academy earlier that year. She was, in fact, still in the Air Force, and was a 2nd Lieutenant working with radar operations. Strangely, though, her gray t-shift bore the word "Army" across its front. Laura was always a little quirky.
Watching her through the blinds he contemplated the reason why he had asked Laura to come over. His thoughts moved back to the object that lay hidden in the cushion of his couch. That object was central to the favor he wanted to ask his friend. To say he was nervous was like saying peanut butter goes with jelly.
A second set of knocks on his door made Keith shake his head, bringing him back to the moment. He could see Laura getting a bit agitated standing there. He lowered the blind and walked the 20-25 steps to the front door.
"Well, it's about time you opened the door," Laura gawked with a laugh and smile.
Holding the door open Keith was not quick enough to respond before Laura continued, "Aren't you going to move so I can come in?"
"Oh, yeah...yeah, sorry, I lost my train of thought there for a moment," he finally sputtered out, moving slightly to the left so allow Laura inside.
Laura stepped inside and made her way to the living room where she tossed her soft denim purse onto the cloth armchair angled next to the couch. "Wow," she said while looking around the room. "You weren't kidding when you said you totally gutted your living room. This is really nice."
Walking into the room behind her Keith stopped by the coffee table, and looked around with her. "Yeah, I thought it was time for a change. For the better."
"I'll say," she responded, "you did pretty good...for a guy."
Laura and Keith both laughed as they took a few steps each towards the couch and sat down. The couch, also new as part of Keith's rebranding of himself, was very cozy, a fact not unnoticed by Laura. "Where did you find this couch? It is much more comfortable than that crazy futon you had before."
"Uh, it was just some online shop that fancies itself as high end. It's nothing special, really," Keith replied with a "whatever" attitude.
Laura giggled as she took off her slip-on sneakers. "Well, I could just fall asleep right here," she commented as she laid her head against the back cushion while curling her legs under her.
An awkward silence filled the room as Laura looked at Keith was a curious intensity. "So...," Laura began, "what're your plans today?"
Keith leaned back into the couch, stretching his arms up over his head. "Just some errands here and there," he replied with a nonchalant demeanor. "You know, just the usual time-consuming stuff. What about you?"
"Tell me about it," Laura said while shaking her head left and right. "I have a few of those errands I need to do, as well. But you know me...I doubt I actually get to them today.
Keith laughed as Laura tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. "I hear that. I am probably going to put mine off, too."
Another awkward silence led to a few seconds of both sitting with "what's next" looks on their faces. Finally, Laura broke the quietness. "Are you going to ask me to do or help with whatever you were wanting to ask me...or do I have to guess?" she jokingly asked while looking directly at Keith.
Keith cleared his throat and reached for a magazine from the coffee table. Picking it up he held it in his hands, shaking it up and down slightly. Laura could tell he was stalling, but was unsure why. "Keith...what is it?" she prodded him to respond.
"Well, the favor, I mean, the reason I asked you to come over...it's really nothing. I mean, just a small thing I thought of asking you to do for me. It doesn't matter...I may just not ask you. It's kind of stupid anyway," Keith replied with a casual voice.
"Come on, Keith...pony up," Laura smiled while leaning over and gently poking his knee with her left hand. "You can't just ask me to come over and then tell me to forget about it."
"No, you know what, it's okay...it's just stupid. It's no big deal," he tried to tell her Laura.
Laura leaned back into the sofa, her arms folded. "Pffff, you know I am not moving from this spot until you tell me. So you might as well spill the beans, silly."
"It's just something I thought would be fun to do together. But it really is dumb. Me asking you to do it...it's a crazy favor to ask," Keith said while putting the magazine down.
"Oh, now you HAVE to tell!" Don't make me come over there and wrestle it out of you," Laura exclaimed while moving her arms into a bodybuilder pose. "You know I will."
"Okay, okay," he finally agreed while motioning with his hands in a 'stay there' manner. He gulped and continued, "Like I said, it's just a crazy fantasy...I mean, favor...I was hoping you would do for me."
"Fantasy?" Oh boy, I can't wait to hear this," Laura replied as she moved her body to where her right elbow was on her knee, with her hand in a fist under her chin, just like The Thinker.
Slowly, Keith's right hand disappeared between the cushions of the sofa. He could see Laura's eyes watch his arm as he moved it within the confines of the sofa. Her glare was that of intense curiosity.
It took only a few seconds for Keith to find the hidden object he had toyed with just prior to Laura arriving. With a firm grip he began to pull it out. "This really is dumb," he chuckled, hoping Laura would give in and tell him nevermind.
But that was not to be. Laura sat her eyes still glued to his arm as the object emerged from between the cushions. Keith held it tight, resting his hand on top of the cushion next to him, and between himself and Laura.
Laura showed no emotion as Keith raised his hand ever so slightly and moved the object towards her. Sensing he wanted her to take it, Laura took her right hand from her chin and reached out and took possession of the wooden bathbrush.
Her eyebrows furrowed, she looked at Keith puzzlingly. "What is this for?"
Keith's eyes darted to the floor. "Well...my gosh this is really dumb...I...I can't believe I'm about to say this, but the favor I was hoping you would do for me is..." He took a deep breath, steeling himself for her reaction. "I was hoping you would put me over your knee for a very real spanking." The words hung in the air, as heavy as the silence that followed. Laura looked at him, blinking a few times in confusion, while her grip on the brush tightened.
"And the brush?" Laura asked.
Keith's eyes met hers, his expression solemn. "I was hoping you would use it as a paddle. To make it... very painful."
Laura looked down at the wooden brush, examining it closely. She slid her fingers across its flat back and then smacked it hard against her palm. The sound echoed through the room like a sharp, satisfying crack that made Keith flinch.
"And why do you want to be spanked, Keith?" Laura asked bemusingly. She studied his face, looking for any sign of a joke or a hint of it being a prank, but she found none. Keith was blushing, but he gave no evidence he was just playing around.
