U is for Understanding

Janet Underwood recalled once more the muscular god escorting his angry yet contrite girlfriend from the coffee house she’d spent the previous evening.  The man oozed Alpha-goodness and made very inch of her tingle with envy.  Her search for just such a specimen had dried up.

Her friends were no help, hell they’d probably disown her if they knew what she’d been up to. Having sparked their conversation over coffee in regards to the shades movie, she realized right away they would not be accepting of her new desires. Not new, she’d been day dreaming of a strong man taking her in hand since her first viewing of Blue Hawaii in high school.  She’d kept her ideas to herself until college. Brad, her boyfriend of two years, had laughed at her when she’d divulged her ideas of spanking and his role in their relationship. Thankfully, he never told a soul and quickly dispersed with her.

Until several months ago, she’d been able to shove her desires down away from her meddling brain. However, the movie came out. The media went crazy over the hype and the taboo nature of such a relationship, and the desires flooded her senses. There was no ignoring them any longer. She didn’t know where to start, so naturally she went on the internet.

A plethora of men offered to pop her spanking cherry for her. A few begged to do other things as well. None of them understood she wanted more than just a fun spanking now and then. She wanted the real deal. The sincere love and security that came with the sort of relationship she wanted. A man who wasn’t afraid to keep her in line, and to jump the rails now and then with her, too.

The coffee shop conversation had gotten completely out of control.  Rhonda and Jane didn’t understand half of what they were reading and were so stuck up in their feminist ‘men are scum’ camps, they couldn’t grasp what she saw in those websites. She saw love. She read caring men making rules that met the needs of their submissive women.  She heard desire to please, and sensed security that she’d never obtained in any of her vanilla relationships.

She’d had just about enough of their horrible blibs and was about to call it a night, when the women seated in the booth beside them turned around and let them all have it.  Janet stared at the woman in shock, and then watched her with envy.  It was clear that she was in the lifestyle that her friends had been bashing. It was even more clear when her boyfriend showed up with raised eyebrows and fierce glare.  He’d managed to call her attack off, and give Rhonda and Jane a piece of his mind.  She knew he was aiming his remarks at them all, but she hadn’t joined in the bashing so she mentally eliminated herself from his scolding stare.

Rhonda and Jane had burst into a fit of laughter after the couple left the coffee house. Janet watched them through the window.  Lost in her own fantasy of what was transpiring between the two, she hadn’t heard her friends stand from the booth.  She’d waved them off, saying her goodbyes and claiming to want to grab a small coffee for her walk home.

Once the couple was gone, her friends left, she sat with her head in her hands.  She craved something so much she’d begun fantasizing about other women’s boyfriends! She was hopeless. It was hopeless!

“Oh, that woman left her wallet.” One of the staff members had said as she wiped down the booth.

Janet had looked up with a newfound hope. “Oh, she did? I can return it, I’m going to see her tomorrow.” She lied, scooting out of her seat.

The curly haired barista had narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure? Didn’t I see you guys bickering?”

“Oh, no. That was some of my friends. They don’t get along with Tess. I shouldn’t have suggested we meet here when I knew Tess would be working on a paper.” She’d overheard enough of her conversation with her boyfriend to be able to fudge the information.

“Yeah, she does a lot of work here.” The young woman seemed appeased. “Okay, here you go. Thanks.”  Janet took the wallet and tossed it into her purse.

“Sure, no problem. Have a good night!”  Janet had run from the coffee house all the way to her apartment two blocks down before she opened the wallet to find the address.

Standing outside the address on Tess’s drivers licence, Janet’s stomach twisted into a knot. She was an idiot. A scared idiot. It wasn’t like Tess had some magic door inside her house that Janet could walk through and magically be in a world of dominance and submission. Did she?

“Hi. Can I help you?” A masculine voice caught her off guard and Janet spun around, nearly falling over a planter.  “Woah.” he caught her elbow just before she lost her balance. It was the boyfriend! The Alpha-God.

“You okay?” Another deep voice asked. She glanced over at the new voice. Alpha-God had a friend, and he looked every bit the part of god himself.  Dear Lord, there were two Alpha-Gods.  “Do you need to sit?”

She shook herself out of her stupor and righted herself. “Uh-no, thanks. I’m fine.” She stared at them both.

“Can I help you?” Alpha-god #1 asked again.

She laughed. God help her she was an idiot. “Sorry.” she coughed. If they only knew the real answer to their question! “Umm, well. I was at the coffee house last night, where you and your girlfriend were.” His eyes darkened at the memory. “My friends were being really rude-” she coughed again to clear her mind. “I’m sorry.  This was left behind, Tess, dropped her wallet.” She thrust the wallet forward and he relieved her of it.

“Oh. Thanks! I’m sure she’s looking all over for it. Did you ring the bell?” he motioned for the door.

“Uh. no.” She hadn’t worked up the courage yet before they walked up to her.

“Would you like to come in?” Alpha-God #2 offered and for the first time her eyes locked with his. Deep blue.  She wanted to stare at him for a while longer, but she knew she looked a fool already.  Best she ditch her original plan and hightail it home.

“No. That’s all right.” She shook her head, feeling a woozy sensation come over her suddenly. Her heart began to race, and she felt a drop of sweat begin to slide down her forehead. “I- uh- need to get going-” She whispered. Damn! In her haste and nervousness she’d forgotten to eat!

“You don’t look so good,” Alpha-God #2 said, stepping around his friend. By the time he reached her, she had slunk down on the step to sit. The world was spinning, and she needed to get something inside of her soon or she’d pass out.

“Thanks.” She mumbled. “I just need to get home.” She tried to stand again, but once again found herself sitting.

“Ian, get the door. Let’s get her inside, I think I know what’s wrong.” Before she could mutter an incoherent protest she found herself scooped up into his extremely large arms and being carried over the threshold, into the house.

“She okay?” Ian’s voice asked.

“She will be. My sister looks like this when her sugars plummet. Do you have something sugary, a donut, candy, orange juice?”

“Yeah, we should. Tess shopped yesterday.” Ian’s voice disappeared and Janet looked up at the man coddling her. They were sitting on a couch, and she was on his lap. He smelled like peppermint.

“What’s your name?” The man asked her, holding her chin up so she had to look at his face. He looked mad.

“It wasn’t me. I wasn’t the one saying all those horrible things!” She defended herself. “Its

fucking hot in here!” She wiped the sweat from her brow.

“What’s your name?” He asked again, not letting go of her chin.

“Janet. Now let me go.” she tried to push him away but got no where.

“No. Hold still.” his voice was firm, unyielding. She must have been dreaming again.  “When’s the last time you ate? Do you take insulin?”

“I need to eat something.” She said, her hands shaking in her lap.

“Ian is getting you something. When’s the last time you ate?” He asked again with more force.

“I don’t know. Can you put the air conditioning on, it’s fucking hot in here.” She complained again.

“Here. Orange juice and some cookies.” Ian’s voice returned.

Alpha god #2 let go of her chin and took the plate from Ian. “Just one, too much and we’ll have a whole different situation on our hands.  Janet, here.” He pushed the cookie into her hands. She nodded and ate it in two large bites.  “The juice, just a sip.” He handed her the glass and she began to drink it, she was thirsty!  “Not too much.” He pulled it away for her before she could finish it.

She sat on his lap, taking calming breaths with closed eyes. Her body was righting itself out and exhausting her at the same time. She’d been such an idiot!  It wasn’t the first time she’d forgotten to eat before leaving the house, at least this time she’d been with someone who knew what to do. The last time she’d ended up in the ER after having fainted at the bus stop.

“Have you met her before?” Alpha man said to Ian. “She said something about it wasn’t her fault, her friends were the ones being rude?”

“Oh. That’s why she looked familiar. She was there last night at the coffee house, one of the girls Tess was yelling at.”

“Ah.” Alpha God said. “Is Tess home?”

“Yeah, she was in the shower. She’ll be out in a minute. Does she need anything else? Should we take her to the ER?”

“No!” Janet sat upright. “No hospital. I’m fine. I just need a second, and I’ll be on my way.” She was coming back to full reality and wanted to go home.  She couldn’t ask these men about her desires.  They’d probably throw her out as a lunatic! And they wouldn’t be wrong.

“Okay. Okay.” Alpha god soothed her, rubbing her back. “How about I take you home? I didn’t see a car in the drive, did you walk?”

“Bus,” She shook her head and pushed herself off of him. “I’m sorry. Really I am, I just forgot to eat this morning. I’ll be fine now, thank you.” She turned to Ian. “I’m really sorry about my friends last night. They were completely out of line, and you were right. They know nothing and make rash judgements without trying to learn.  I should have stopped them, and had I known Tess was- well- what she is- I would have tried.”  Janet looked to Alpha God and grinned. “Thanks for the quick thinking. I’m sorry to have been such a bother.”

He stood up from the couch, and she took in his full height for the first time. He stood a head taller than her.  His broad chest met her gaze until she craned her neck to look up at him.

“No bother. Now, I’m driving you home.” He said again. “Ian, I’ll have to pass on lunch.”

“Sure, no problem.” Ian grinned. Janet wanted to shrink into her shoes.

“You really-”

“Not another word. Now walk.” Alpha God said firmly. She would have argued more but the jelly that was now her insides wouldn’t back her up.

“Oh, Brent. One sec.” Ian stopped them.  Alpha god had a name! Brent. Nice. “Janet, do your friends know that you are- well like you said- how you are?” Ian asked.

“What?” She breathed. “What am I?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t know?” Brent asked with a confused look. “Your reactions, they are so natural-”

“You didn’t come here just to return the wallet.  The coffee house would have just called Tess. She’s there enough that they know her pretty well.” Ian explained.

“I-” Janet stumbled. Her face burned with embarrassment. “I wanted to understand.” She finally said. “I wanted to know if I’m really as much of a freak as I’ve always worried about.” Her voice was so soft, she barely heard herself.  Both men just stared at her, and she wished she would burst into flames and be done with it.

“First off, you aren’t a freak in any way. Secondly, last night wasn’t your fault. I can understand why you didn’t fight your friends on their views. Thirdly, Brent here is going to take you home and take care of you.  He’s a very good friend of mine, and I trust him completely. Not that you know me very well, but I’m sure you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have some idea as to my character.”

He was right. She looked at Brent. His jaw was set firm, and his eyes looked hard. Why was he mad at her already.

“He looks mad.” She whispered to Ian.

Ian gave a hearty laugh and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Oh, he is mad. He’s pretty pissed, I’d say.  His sister is diabetic, so he knows a bit too well the danger you put yourself in this morning by not eating and then placing yourself into a stressful situation.” Ian’s smile didn’t fade when he looked to Brent and then back at her. “I’d say you’ll probably be getting quite a few answers to your questions from him this afternoon.”

“Let’s go, Janet.” Brent swung open the front door and glared her into movement. Her stomach flipped a few times, and goosebumps began to form all over her body. She was excited and terrified.  Several emotions blended together as she let him escort her to his car, but not a single one was fear.

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