Chapter Five
The rest of the week settled into a pattern.
Marcus rose early, made coffee and went for a run encouraging Sue to join him which resulted in her pulling the covers over her head and going back to sleep.
When he returned he would head to his office and work until his stomach rumbled at which point he would go upstairs, yank her covers off, usually providing a hearty slap to her naked ass, and bellow for her to get up and feed him.
This didn’t go over well with Susan and for the first two mornings she stumbled out of bed, went downstairs and made him whole wheat toast with orange juice. After feeding him she crawled back into bed until around noon, when it would soon be his turn to cook.
Marcus allowed this until the third morning when he informed her that there better be a hot breakfast on the table in short order or he would cook an egg on her ass.
Sue got the message. After looking through his cookbooks she decided an omelet couldn’t be too hard and gave it a shot.
He ended up with scrambled eggs that had hidden chunks of burnt mushrooms under the cheese, but he ate it and even complimented her on her first culinary attempt.
Sue sat at the counter sipping her Pepsi and watching him pick out the egg shells, hiding her grin. Maybe now that he saw what a terrible cook she was he would start making breakfast.
Carrying his plate to the sink, he scraped the remains down the disposal and looked through the drawers for a moment. When he approached her he had a large wooden spoon in his hand which he set on the counter in front of her. Bending he tipped her chin up and fixed her with his stern gaze.
“Tomorrow morning we will eat together. You cannot have Pepsi for breakfast and whatever you cook, you will eat, is that understood?”
When she didn’t answer he picked up the spoon and gave the palm of his hand a loud smack that seemed to echo around the room.
“Sure, fine,” she harrumphed, as she jumped off the stool. Turning her back she failed to see the twinkle in his eyes as she stomped to the stove and began cleaning up.
The very next morning she was able to produce a relatively decent meal of French toast and turkey sausage, if you didn’t count the black edges.
Marcus made love to her every afternoon and most nights.
He didn’t spank her again that first week, although she had no doubt he was serious when he left that spoon on the counter.
He was attentive and tender, bringing her to multiple climaxes each time that left her sleepy and satisfied.
Other than the threat of a real spanking hanging over her head, she was happier than she could ever remember being.
The sex aside, he was funny and smart and he made her laugh every day.
Mrs. Fuddy-Duddy, the housekeeper, was another story.
The woman looked at Sue like she was a slug that had just crawled out from under a rock.
When she came on Wednesday she hadn’t been able to conceal her shock that there was now a woman in the house, and a redheaded one at that.
Sue wasn’t exactly neat and organized and she had inadvertently left her copy of their contract on top of her dresser.
Apparently, Mrs. Can't-Mind-Her-Own-Business, read it before she disdainfully handed it to Susan and boldly asked if she should call her ‘Sugar’?
At that point Sue’s temper got the best of her and she promptly told the woman she could call her Ms. Shaughnessy, and if she wanted to she could call her “that redheaded slut I used to work for’!”
Marcus heard the yelling and abandoned his work to see what was going on and Sue had a moment of unease when he entered the room.
Shit, this was surely going to get her spanked she thought, although she didn’t back down one iota.
Her eyes were flashing; her hands were on her hips, the challenge clear on her face.
“What seems to be the problem?” he asked calmly, taking in every detail.
“Mr. McCarthy,” Mrs. I-Can’t-Wait-To-Tell-The-Neighbors began, her thin lips compressed while she nervously patted her gray helmet head hair back into place.
“I don’t think I can continue to work here, with this…
this…hussy in residence. You’re a fine looking man, Mr. McCarthy,” she continued, not noticing the tension around Marcus’s mouth.
“Why you would feel the need to buy a…a...creature like this is beyond me. There are plenty of good women around here, if you don’t mind my saying so, who would be delighted to keep company with a man such as yourself. ”
“Mrs. Trowel,” Marcus replied, slipping an arm around Susan and pulling her to his side.
“Your position in this household was clearly defined when you accepted my offer five years ago. Nowhere does it state that you may comment on or judge anything I choose to do in my own home. Ms. Shaughnessy is my woman, and mistress of this house. I don’t know how to say it any plainer than that.
If you continue to work here, you will show her the respect and deference you show me, is that understood? ”
“I don’t know if I can work for a woman of her…”
“Then you are dismissed, Mrs. Trowel,” he coldly informed her.
“I hope I don’t need to remind you of the confidentiality agreement you signed upon your employment.
Be assured if you mention one word of this to the press or anyone else, I will sue you to the fullest extend the law allows.
Good day.” And with that Marcus took Susan’s hand, pulled her unresisting body into his office and closed the door.
Sue was stunned when he spun her into his arms, laughing.
“Red, you do have a way of creating chaos wherever you go don’t you?” he teased before he released her and returned to his desk.
“It’s not funny.” she shot back, stomping her foot. “That woman is a total wretch, but now we don’t have a housekeeper.”
“And whose fault is that?” he inquired absently, already being pulled back to his writing.
“How was I supposed to know she was such a snoop? Why didn’t you warn me?”
“You,” he insisted, making eye contact, “should be more careful with your personal papers. I saw it laying on your dresser and should have picked it up myself,” he sighed. “Come here.”
Sue walked behind his desk and he pulled her onto his lap, rocking back in his chair. Her head nestled against his chest as he rubbed the tension from her shoulders.
“The way I see it, you have a couple of options here.”
“I have a couple of options?” she asked stunned, popping up from his chest.
“Yes you,” he informed her, tucking her back in place and holding her more firmly. “It’s your fault we are in this position. Had you been able to hold onto your temper I might have…”
“My temper?” she roared, pushing ineffectively against his chest. “Do you know what that woman asked me? She wanted to know if she should call me ‘Sugar’.”
Marcus laughed and held tight. “I like that Red, I really do. Maybe I’ll start calling you Sugar.”
“You do and I’ll…”
“Settle down, Sugar,” he grinned, completely enjoying her squirming as his body responded.
“Now as I was saying, you have a couple of options. You can find us another housekeeper, or you can take over the responsibilities yourself.”
“What? This house is huge. It would take all my time and energy trying to keep it up. Why I might even be too tired for sex,” she continued, relaxing against him and smiling, thinking she had him now. “Besides there is nothing in my contract about actual work.”
“I’ll buy you that car you want so badly,” he whispered in her ear, nibbling on the lobe.
“You will? Any car I want?” she asked, sitting up and taking hold of his face.
“Any car you want,” he assured her, “providing you do a good job. Let our home fall to wreck and ruin and I will take it out of your hide,” he told her seriously.
Susan sank back against his chest and thought this over.
On the one hand it would save her a lot of money, not having to buy her own vehicle.
She had a particular car in mind and it was far from cheap.
If she bought her own, the car she really wanted was out of the question.
On the other hand, it would require a lot of effort on her part just to do the basics in this house and she wasn’t exactly an expert.
There was one more benefit, she realized and grinned.
“Does that mean I will be doing the grocery shopping?” she asked innocently, trying to sound like it was just one more inconvenience.
“You will,” he replied smiling above her head. “But rest assured I will be checking the receipts. You know how I feel about healthy choices and I’m not above taking your butt back to the store and making you return any items that you know I disapprove of.”
“You would not embarrass me like that,” she insisted.
“Don’t bet on it, ‘Sugar’,” he promised with a grunt as she elbowed him in the side.
“All right, I’ll do it,” she replied. “When can we go car shopping?”
“Next week,” Marcus laughed, rising from his chair with her still in his arms.
“Where are we going?” she asked as he carried her from the room.
“Upstairs,” he replied, taking the stairs two at a time.
“I find I’m not able to concentrate on writing at the present time,” he growled, nuzzling her neck as he entered the bedroom and tossed her on the bed.
“Besides,” he said grinning as he began stripping off his clothes, “I better get all of you I can before you are too tired from cleaning and scrubbing.”
Sue snorted, as she lifted her hips and struggled out of her jeans.