The Tyre Tread

As Sam drove along she lamented the fact that it was starting to get dark again earlier. It was 7pm on a Sunday, and the roads were quiet as she drove through the gathering dusk, heading for the petrol station on the retail park. She turned a corner and drove over a speed bump in the road, and heard the sickening thump of a tyre blowing out. Luckily, she was close to a supermarket car park, and pulled in, under a light. Of course, it was empty as the store was closed, but at least she was off the road. She got out the car and looked at the offending tyre. Definitely flat. And worse than that, as she looked more closely, the tread on the tyre was worn to practically nothing.
She thought about her options. Greg was working tonight, worst luck. Well, there was nothing for it. She would just have to call the RAC and keep her fingers crossed.

Twenty minutes later, the RAC van pulled into the car park and her already sunken heart hit the bottom of her boots. Greg was at the wheel. Just her luck. Of all the patrolmen they had in his segment, it had to be him. He couldn't have been caught on another job? No, of course not. At least if she'd got someone else, they might not have known Greg, and the news might not have got back to him. She unlocked the door and got out with a wan smile. Greg leapt out and gathered her up in his arms.

"Sweetie, are you OK? As soon as I realised it was you, I swapped jobs with that new guy Tom, and headed out here. The report said you had a flat?"

Sam nodded her agreement mutely.

"Right, well let's get your spare on and then you can get on your way. Are you staying at mine tonight?"

"Um, no" said Sam, desperate to avoid the inevitable consequences if she stayed at her boyfriend's flat tonight. "I've got to get up really early for work, and you're on a late, so I'll just go home to mine."

Greg looked a little disappointed as he headed round to the other side of the car to change the wheel. Sam kept out of the way as he started work. As he jacked up the car, his face became grimmer and grimmer. He called her over.

"Sam, what the hell is this? Your tyre tread isn't just worn, it's gone! You've got no grip at all. You're lucky you haven't crashed. I'm always telling you to check them. Do you just ignore me?"

"I keep meaning to check, but I just forget..." was her lame response.

"You can't just forget! This is serious. Ignoring the fact that your forgetfulness left you stranded in a deserted car park at night, if that tyre had gone on the motorway you might have been killed. I'm going to make sure you never forget to check them again."

Sam hung her head. She knew that she was in the wrong. She watched as Greg opened to back of the van to throw his tools in, waiting to hear him tell her to go to his house, and so was startled when he turned, and grabbed her by the wrist to pull her into the van.

"Greg! Stop it! You're not spanking me here - we're outside."

"We'll be in the van. That's not outside. But if you don't get in I'll bend you over the bonnet of your car and deal with you right there."

Sam knew that he meant what he said, and so followed him into the van. It was big enough to stand up in. He pulled the door closed, and turned to her.

"Get your skirt and knickers off and hold onto that bar"

Barely had Sam done what she was told when Greg's hand landed with a sharp crack. She swallowed a yelp. Greg and never spanked her that hard before. The swats carried on at that level for what felt like hours, but in reality was probably only a couple of minutes. Greg ordered her to stand up and stand facing him with her hands on her head. He then gave her the most serious lecture she'd ever had. It was obvious that he was seriously unhappy with her carelessness in letting her tyre get to such a state of disrepair. He told her about the people he'd seen who'd put themselves in serious danger like that, and as his voice cracked as he told her how he couldn't cope with loosing her, the tears started rolling down her face. He took her chin between his fingers, and looked in her eyes.

"I'm going to make sure you never forget to check those tyres again. Turn back round, and brace yourself. If you stand up, I'll start again."

Sam gulped, but turn round and grabbed onto the rail. She resolved to take whatever was coming as well as she possibly could, because she knew he was right. She'd seen how worn her tyres were, and she'd heard plenty of times before his warnings over accidents that he'd seen.

As expected, she heard the sound of his belt slipping out of its loops. Normally this was the sort of noise that would make her melt, but not this time. She braced herself, fear coursing through her, as the leather whistled down and slammed into her cheeks. It was worse than she could have imagined. How could something that she usually loved so much hurt like this? Again and again the belt hit home, and each time Sam felt a little bit worse about what she'd done, or not done, really. After six strokes, she started crying, after 10 her bottom hurt so much that she gave into wracking sobs that left her shaking. Nevertheless, she held onto the bar, and Greg brought the belt down three more times, still at full strength. Then he paused.

"Two more, Sam, and I want you to take these as well as the rest. Then we'll be done."

Once, twice, that now-hated belt hit home. And then it was over. She collapsed in a heap on the floor, weeping, but he pulled her up into his arms and held her tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder. He rearranged some of the blankets he kept in the van, and pulled her down onto them, cuddling her until the sobs had subsided and she was calmer. He pushed the hair out of her eyes.

"You know I didn't want to do that?" Sam nodded, and mumbled an apology into his chest.
"I'd much rather use that belt on you for more enjoyable purposes. I know how much you usually love it".

Again, she nodded, head still buried in his chest, which meant that the little smile that played on her lips was hidden from him. Even though she never wanted to experience a punishment like that again, there was still one part of her that seemed to have enjoyed it on some level. No need to tell
Greg that though. Doubtless he would find out for himself, eventually.