I slid off his lap and stumbled to my stockinged feet, my bottom red from the spanking I'd just received; my painted eyes red from it as well. I wiped the tears off on my bony shoulders, bare except for the slender white bra straps. I pulled my matching panties up from my ankles and then tugged upward the sticky lace tops of my white thigh-highs while saying to my husband:
"I'm sorry, Sir. I deserved that. It won't happen again without your permission. I... promise."
"It better not you little slut. You think I'm not watching? You post an ad on Deanslist offering to suck guys' cocks on their way home from work? You think I won't see it? Think I won't recognize the photos? The pics? Most of which I took myself you asshole? You ungrateful little slut bitch! Don't you ever think for one minute I'm not watching you. Ever! You hear?"
I nodded and repeated that it would not happen again.
"It better not you cunt," my husband's weight shifting on the middle cushion of my couch. "If I had the time tonight, believe me, I'd tie you up and whip the piss out of you. You'd wish you were..."
"Yessir," I said, head bowed in submission, hands folded in front of my lace panty. He ran a hand up and back—over the contours of his full head of razor-cut, silver-grey hair. Asked, in an altogether contrary tone:
"What's for dinner?"
My teary face brightened. I so much wanted to please my husband! I put a hand to the left side of my own head, making sure my blonde wig was straight, in place. "Beef Bourgogne. It's—"
"Beef again?" looking up sharply. "You served me beef last week. You trying to kill me? Don't you know I have a bad heart?"
My bleary eyes fell to the floor again, to stockinged feet's slender splay. Through the reinforced toes of my thigh-highs you could see the cherry-red of my freshly painted toenails. My husband—he was so hard to please! I never knew what to expect!
"I could make something else," I offered.
"What? At this hour?"
"An omelet? Or...?"
He laughed, condescendingly. "Omelet. Yeah, is it breakfast time, bitch?"
"No sir."
"Then I don't want a fucking omelet! Go! Scram!" the back of his hand waving me away. "Go make me dinner. Kill me, you useless slut."
I did not eat with my husband. I'd had a snack around 5 pm, after I finished preparing my body and dressing for his arrival. My role in our marriage was to cook for him at dinnertime, wait on him, attend to his every need and field his compliments or complaints. Usually the latter. The red Bourgogne I'd slow-cooked the stew in, in the crockpot, filled his wine goblet as well. I hovered in the kitchen doorway, expectantly. A ghost, almost. I kept his water glass full. Bach played in the background, at low volume. A harpsichord. The Goldberg variations.
He ate, mostly in silence. This was a good sign. The meat was tender, obviously. My husband never once picking up his silver-handled knife.
"This is tasty," he finally said. I smiled.
"Thank you, Sir."
"But it's beef again." My husband looked up. Again with the beef! "Don't ever serve me the same protein twice in two weeks, understand?"
Protein? "OK."
"OK," he said mockingly, distinguished head wagging. "Have you ever heard of chicken? Pork? Lamb?...Duck? Mix it up, bitch!"
He dug back in with his fork.
"I will, Sir. Sorry, Sir."