Thomas gave a gentle knock on his mother's bedroom door; he received a breezy 'enter.'
She was sat in front of her dressing table mirror, naked apart from nylon knickers.
'You're early, going somewhere'?
'Yeah, I'm picking up a new guy, wheelchair bound, means I'll be late.'
Thomas leant on the windowsill.
'You're agitated about something.'
'I feel that me being away for two months I've kind of lost some connection with the business, it's moved on without me, also I've put £30,000-00 into this and everyone thinks, because it only employs ex-military, many of them are disabled, that we're a charity, we're not.'
It annoyed him that his mother only seemed to be half listening, she was busy with her make-up, 'pass me the suspender belt and stockings, the unopened pack, oh, and a black lacy bra.'
Thomas gave a sigh, he'd talk to her later, she stood up, 'you can put them on for me, the belt first,' she stood up and turned her back to him. He placed his thumbs on each side of her knickers and pushed down to mid-thigh.
'You could just put the belt on and push the straps through.'
'I'm doing it my way.'
She huffed, 'Mr Grumpy today, are we? Why didn't you come up to my room when you arrived last night' then as an afterthought, 'what time did you get in anyway?'
'After midnight, almost one,' a brusque response, he placed the belt around her waist and closed the hooks and eyelets, he then pulled her knickers up, so the straps dangled through them, his hands brushed against her naked labia, she always kept that area neat and well-trimmed. When he put the bra on, he likewise fondled her breasts and nipples, 'it's best to have hard nipples, the breasts fit into the cup better.'
That's not the only reason, is it?'
'No, I find it enjoyable to dress you, probably there's a psychological reason.'
'Do you think it's a tendency to transvestism,' she asked coyly?
'You know what that gets you, don't you,' he leant her over the dressing table and slapped her gently on her bottom, 'when was the last time I spanked you, properly I mean?'
'Months, you've been working away for ages, you come back and barely have time to make love then you're gone.'
'Well, I'm back for good now, well months anyway.'
'You should have come into my room, I wouldn't have minded if you woke me, I've missed the sex, you know.'
'I had a lot of hassle parking the car, the security guy wouldn't let me in, wasted a good half-hour.'
'Oh, we forgot to tell him you'd be coming, anyway he was only doing his job,' the flippant manner got his dander up.
She'd put her stockings on and now stood up and turned her back to him, 'are my seams straight?' A perennial question from ladies who regularly wore stockings and designed to entice, (look at my legs, aren't they sexy).
'I'll tell you what, I'll put on a flared miniskirt, you can flip me over your knee, then flip my skirt up, and give me a long overdue spanking. After that it's up to you.'
Thomas looked at his watch and shook his head, but at least this got a big smile on his face, he held her to him his hands on her ass cheeks and kissed her, not the sort of kiss a son should give his mother.
'See you at the stables,' he said, the art studios were converted from stables, hence the name.
'I'll be there' she promised, love you.'
Later that morning
Thomas arrived just after eleven a.m. annoyed by the fact, he'd gone to pick up the potential client and found that he'd changed his mind, he decided he would come to the studios under his own steam, he had just graduated to using walking sticks.
Thomas was waved over by Dave Potter, Dave owned the stocking machinery, 1950's technology which he lovingly maintained, although he sold all products, including suspender belts, his most profitable lines were fully fashioned stockings, just about every variety possible, seams, fishnets, you name it.
'Morning Dave,' Thomas could see something was bothering him but like a true gentleman that he was he replied.
'Good to see you are you back for good?'
'Yeah, basically a few days here and there but I'm back to run things with Charlie.'
'Er, I'm glad to hear that, please don't think I'm stepping out of line but, when we have to stay late or come here out of normal hours, the security gives us a hard time, there was a theft here only last week and they're being over officious.'
'I'll look into it; it'll be sorted today.'
'That's not the only thing, you see, so many people are visiting for the variety of specialised shops and dealers I asked Stephanie and Selene if they would wear some of my products, I hope you don't mind but I gave your mum a pair of seamed stocking and Stephanie fishnet stockings, they see so many people, you know.'
'Dave, they're grown women, I can't tell them what to wear, (that was a total lie, he reminded himself), so what's the problem?'
'They're wearing white sports shoes with them, spoils any semblance of elegance that they are meant to project.'
Thomas exhaled a deep sigh, what the hell were they playing at, Dave's business was popular and brought people into the gallery and into the artists' studios.
'Leave it with me Dave,' Thomas reassured him and went off to sort things out.
The Office
Thomas sat in his chair, leaning forward a look of resignation on his face, Stephanie and Selene stood directly in front of him, like naughty schoolchildren. Stephanie with hands on hips looking defiant, of the two only Selene had an inkling of what was to come. Charlie, with arms folded, apparently disinterested, leant against a wall.
Thomas had established that Charlie had, as planned, been helping Dave Potter collect old but working stocking making machines. They'd been as far as Dundee in Scotland and hence had been away for days at a time.
Thomas had gone through a list of ways they had erred.
'And finally, to top it all off, you two, when left in charge bothered to check for emails, I drove thirty miles to pick up a prospective new worker only to be told that he'd sent a message saying he didn't need a lift, he had adapted his car to enable him to drive, he'd also phoned but no-one answered.'
The two ladies, resplendent in their black tops and flared mid-calf skirts, looked at each other accusingly.
'Go to your lockers and put high heels on, no more trainers.'
'Why,' Stephanie asked, 'these are more comfortable'.
'Do as I say and then come back here.'
Selene was the first to leave, this left Stephanie without her ally so decided to follow her out without any further argument, they returned correctly attired, 'we spoke this morning that you'd not been spanked in a couple of months, well it's time that was remedied.' Selene's mouth fell open, 'but,' she uttered, looking at Charlie, who went to leave, 'no Charlie, you stay please.'
Thomas placed Selene over his knee, Charlie was all eyes, surprised maybe, that she didn't put up more of a fight, a bit of leg waving, that's all, the skirt went up, good legs, clad in seamed stockings, nylon knickers and the elegance provided by the high heels.
Thomas would have liked to have dawdled a bit but decided to put business before pleasure, for a moment anyway, Selene was starting to protest, 'please, this is so undignified,' Thomas delivered the first slap.
'You're embarrassing me,' the spanking continued, 'not in front of Charlie.'
To make it worse, Stephanie arrived halfway through, 'Thomas, what are you doing.'
He carried on, he had a rhythm going now, 'spanking, what does it look like.'
Having delivered 12 slaps, he stopped, neatly replaced the skirt, 'you can get up now,' it was an order, 'stay here.'
Stephanie stood with hands, balled into fists, braced on her hips, 'well, I cannot believe you just did that.'
'You can't,' Thomas asked? Looking at Charlie, who had a look of approval on his face, he reached and grabbed hold of Stephanie, 'you'd better believe it and as you are both responsible so you both suffer the same punishment.'