I had just turned 19 and was back home for the summer. Life had been hard for my family. My mother had died while I was at school and my father was struggling to be both father and mother to my two younger sisters. Money was tight and dad was living from payday to payday, trying to keep the household going and to help me with school expenses.
I had been home for two weeks when my father came home from work extremely upset. At first he wouldn’t say anything to me, ignoring my questions, but he finally broke down. He told me that in his sales job, if he held sales back to the following month, he saved the purchasers money. By doing that he insured that they would continue to buy from him rather than looking elsewhere. But, if he did that he was breaking company rules, which subjected him to termination. And, he got caught.
His supervisor did an unannounced audit of the sales and he discovered what my father had been doing. He had called him in and confronted my father. My father could not think of any explanation so he had sat silently. His boss told him that he had to decide what punishment my father was going to get and that he would let him know in a couple of days.
My father was distraught, thinking that he would lose his job and the only way that he could support the family. We talked and thought and could not come up with any ideas. We spent most of the night crying and holding each other.
The next morning my father went out on his sales calls, trying to be as normal as possible for my sisters and me. I sat thinking and then dashed upstairs and dressed in my nicest clothes. Telling my sisters to stay at home, I caught the bus and rode downtown, rehearsing what I was going to do in my mind.
At the stop I needed, I got off the bus and walked into my father’s office. I asked for his boss, Mr. Martin, sitting down in the reception area. After waiting almost an hour, Mr. Martin came to me. We shook hands and I asked if I could see him in private. He led me to his office, which was next to a conference room with a glass wall bordering the hallway. He let me go inside first and then followed, closing the door.
“Mr. Martin, I know that you have a problem with my father and I am here to see if we can solve the problem.”
“Are you aware of what he has done?”
“Yes sir, I am, and I am here to see if you and I can fix things for my father.”
“You are aware that this offense is one that he can lose his job over?”
Yes, Mr. Martin, my father and I talked about this for some time last night. I know what he is concerned about and why.”
“Well young lady, I really should terminate your father for this offense.”
“Isn’t there anything that we can do, Mr. Martin? There must be something that you and I can come up with so that my father won’t lose his job.”
He sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers, looking intently at me. I felt like a bug in a jar as his gaze moved over me. His eyes lingered at my legs and my chest, making my face color. I felt very uncomfortable and was beginning to think that my idea to come here was not a good one. I tried to meet his eyes and not show any weakness. Finally he spoke.
“Well, if you are willing to take a punishment for your father, I would be willing to let the whole issue go this time. But if he ever is caught doing anything else, young lady, I will be forced to terminate him. Are you willing to take a punishment for him so that he can keep his position with the company?”
Now that the shoe had dropped, so to speak, my mouth was dry. I worked my tongue to moisten it. I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“I will have to take a punishment in order to insure that my father still has a job? What sort of punishment will it be?”
“Miss, that will be decided.”
“When will the punishment be?”
“The day after tomorrow, if you accept.”
I sat thinking. I took a deep breath.
“There is no other way?”
“If you wish your father to keep his position, these are my terms. You will accept a punishment, to be determined by me, and the punishment will occur at 4PM in two days. Now either accept them or not. I have a busy day.”
I looked at him and nodded yes.
“Just a moment Miss.”
He went to his door, opened it and motioned for his secretary to enter.
“Mrs. Jones, this young lady has something to say and I want you as a witness.”
He then nodded to me.
“Tell her.”
Mrs. Jones, I have agreed to accept a punishment for my father. Mr. Martin and I have agreed to this, correct Mr. Martin?”
“Yes, that is correct. Mrs. Jones, I wanted you to hear this from her. The punishment will be at 4PM the day after tomorrow and I wish you to attend.”
Mrs. Jones smiled at him and nodded, then she left.
“I’ll see you at 4PM in two days, Miss. Be on time. Now I am busy, please leave me.”
I stood and left. As soon as I was out of the office I started to shake, wondering what I had gotten myself into with Martin. It was too late now, however. I caught the bus home and busied myself with chores and dinner, waiting until my father came home. He stormed into the house, eyes flashing.
“What have you done?”
“I have managed to get Martin to allow you to keep you job. If I hadn’t seen him and arranged this, you might have been fired tomorrow.”
“You have no idea what he is capable of, honey. He called me in this afternoon and told me what you had done. I do not like this. You should have left this alone.”
“Dad, it’s too late now. I made the arrangements. I got him to agree to keep you on. How bad can it be?”
“Honey, I wish you had left this alone. I have a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling.”
“Dad, it will be all right. Don’t worry. Besides, in two days it will be over, you’ll still have your job.”
We spent a very quiet night after this. Father was angry with me and scared for me and his anger and concern worried me. The silence was oppressive all night. I got more and more nervous and finally went to bed.
The next morning I made a special effort to get up early and make breakfast for my father and to put on a happy face. He was still angry with me initially, but warmed up to me as time went by. He left for the day and I was alone to worry about what was going to happen. At about 2PM the phone rang. It was Mrs. Jones. She informed me that I was to wear a nice dress, heels and stockings, not pantyhose. She was very adamant. I had to agree and left to get some thigh high stockings, which I could not afford. I was home again before my dad and we spent another silent night.
The next day came and I was up early again to make breakfast for him, smiling and trying to get him to cheer up. He left for work and I was left to worry for the rest of the day. Finally I had to get ready. I showered and made myself up and then dressed in my best dress and matching pair of heels. I did look good. Taking a deep breath, I walked outside to head to the bus stop, but there was a cab waiting.
The driver called to me and let me know that he would take me. I began to feel even more nervous, but I got in the cab and rode to the office. As I entered I saw all the salesmen, including my father, sitting in the waiting area. After I had sat down, nervously holding my purse, the receptionist called Martin. He came and called the salesmen into the inner office. I sat alone, at first glancing about, but seeing the receptionist smirking at me, I lowered my eyes and clutched my purse even harder. Time seemed to drag and I squirmed on my chair.
Finally Mrs. Jones came and told me to follow her. I walked behind her to the conference room with the glass wall and we entered. All the salesmen, including my father, were there along with Martin. Mrs. Jones sat, leaving me standing alone, all eyes on me.
“This young lady has come here of her own free will to take a punishment that will allow her father to keep his job. He was caught in an audit doing something that I know all you have done at some time or another. If I catch any one of you rolling sales, there will be no punishment for you or anyone else. You will be terminated. I have asked you here to observe that all that is being done today is a punishment and that no one will be discussing this any further.”
Everyone in the room nodded except my father. His eyes were on me and me alone. My eyes flitted about the room. I was extremely nervous.
“Miss, your punishment will be a spanking. Since you father had 12 instances of rolling sales over a three month period, you will receive three sets of 12 with a break in between each set.”
My father started to get up and I hurried to him.
“Let it be father, how bad can it be?”
He sat heavily and I turned to Martin. He was smirking at me and I felt a chill sweep through me. I put on a brave front even though the entire circumstances were making me very uncomfortable. The room itself, with glass walls to the hall; the entire sales force sitting in the same room, Martin and Mrs. Jones, and the smirk the receptionist gave me. I wasn’t about to let him or anything else get me.
“Let’s get on with this.”
Martin smirked once more.
“Everyone take seats on the hall side except for the young lady and Mrs. Jones. Miss, get up on the table facing the other wall.”
As I moved to the conference table to climb up on it, I realized that the wall opposite the hall was floor to ceiling glass and overlooked the parking lot. All of a sudden I wanted out of there, but if I left my father would lose his job and my family would be in a major bind. With my stomach clenching, I awkwardly climbed up on the table. I was about to rise from my knees when Martin spoke again.
“Hands and knees will be fine Miss. Face the windows please.”
I shivered, then bent over to place my hands on the table, facing the windows and seeing Mrs. Jones standing in front of me, smiling. Whispers came from behind me and I knew the other salesmen were discussing either me or what was going to happen to me. I felt a hand on the top of my dress. I started to turn my head to look.
“Be still!”
The loud words forced me to look back to the window. I could see the first few people leaving the building walk by on their way to the parking lot. The hand unhooked the neck of my dress and I felt it grab the tab of my zipper. I gasped as I felt the zipper pulled down, unfastening my dress.
“Noooooo.”
I moaned out loud but it made no difference. The zipper descended until it was at the bottom. I heard scuffling behind me. I felt Martin turn.
