Mike had put up with her attitude for a long time. Too long. It was a range of things. Her general crabbiness he had taken to be a personality trait, but recently she had increasingly undermined him in ways that were unacceptable. Not so long ago she had laughed at him in front of his friends when he was giving some investment advice (which was his area of expertise after all). She carried on as if the normal rules of decent social behaviour didn't apply to her. This evening she was up in the bathroom taking an age to get ready, as if she were a teenage girl preparing for her first prom. The restaurant was booked for 8pm and it was already 7:45 by the time she came down the stairs. Not that Julia acknowledged this or was in any way contrite. She came down nagging Mike as was her custom, asking if he had filled the car, locked the back door. Failing to even acknowledge that while she was busy preening herself Mike was left to put the kids to bed again.
Mind you she did look stunning as she came down the stairs. Her taught legs encased in a skirt with clung to her hips, her tailored jacket, top and elegant black heels completing the outfit. Her thick fair hair tumbled in immaculate waves down her shoulders. Julia could certainly turn heads. It occurred to Mike that he often forgave her too much for this.
Not this time. It was high time Julia was taught a lesson. Mike dragged a barstool over from the kitchen island towards the window.
"For Christ's sake Mike there isn't time for you to gaze wistfully at the sunset, we've got a dinner to go to." said Julia, looking confused.
"Something to attend to first honey," said her husband, with a rictus grin on his face. He sat on the stool, facing the window, and looked almost dainty as he placed the soles of his feet on the base ring for balance. He patted his thigh and stared straight at her, "over my lap, now."
Julia threw her head back and laughed, "Over your lap, you are kidding me!" but her laugh was shot through with anxiety. Surely he couldn't mean it, she thought.
"Whilst you've been up there for the best part of an hour," said Mike calmly, I've been running about getting everything ready so we can leave on time for our date night. But since you seem to have spent more time in makeup than an A list actress, we're going to be late anyway..."
Julia stood, hands on her hips glaring. Her striking eyes boring into Mike, as if sheer will power could undermine him again.
"We'll we'd better get going then." Her voice betrayed a certain alarm.
"We'll get going when you've learned your lesson Julia, it's a good job I've booked a booth with padded seats for when we finally arrive at the Four Seasons..." Mike looked very stern now, and was rolling up his right shirt sleeve.
"What!" Exclaimed Julia. Mike had lost his mind, she was sure of it. Who did he think he was, some antediluvian 1950s throwback husband who thought it was acceptable to take his wife over his knee?
That's exactly what Mike thought he was.
"Over my lap now. I won't ask again."
"You think I'm going over your lap you are truly a couple of shrubs short of an herbaceous border," Julia fired back, indignant. "No way."
Mike remained calm, "Then I tell Susan about your carryings on with Nick."