Chapter 1 #2
I turned the clipboard back around and took a longer look and groaned.
He hadn’t been joking. I was standing in the midst of ten thousand piglets.
With each little piggie costing a dollar, I had just spent $10,000 which was at least double the amount of my entertainment budget for the entire Christmas season, and that included the annual party.
How that could be was still questionable, but the proof was staring me right in the face.
There’s no shame in retreat.
I squeezed my eyes shut again. Not to attempt to deny what was happening but in an effort to keep the tears at bay.
As lovely as retreating sounded, I knew I could withdraw all the way to the North Pole and it wouldn’t be far enough.
This was more than a catastrophic goof—this could be the end of me.
Gulping audibly, I looked up to find both men’s eyes on me.
Shame? It really was an awful, awful feeling.
I could feel my face turning the color of all those blasted pigs.
“Dan, I’m uh… do you think maybe Celeste could give me a day or so?
I’m not trying to get out of what I owe, I promise.
It’s just that, um… I think I’m going to have to check my bank account and um, see if I can move some money around. ”
While Dan’s eyes widened, it was only for a brief moment before they filled with understanding. My Daddy’s looked a little softer, but perhaps that was merely an illusion.
“Sure, I mean, I’m sure she’s willing to work something out if—”
“Sign it, babygirl,” my Daddy said, cutting Dan off. “Your error isn’t Celeste’s fault. I’ve got you covered.”
“Oh, thank you, Daddy!” That’s so nice of you! I promise I’ll pay you back.”
“Never had a doubt.” He chuckled.
The first warning bell jingled when his eyebrow lifted.
The second chimed in when I saw it hadn’t arched in that bottom-clenching sort of way, but in that wagging up and down way that had the butterflies in my tummy fluttering their wings.
Suddenly I was pretty sure my Daddy’s idea of payback wasn’t running along the same tracks as mine.
Before I could strike any kind of deal that wasn’t going to involve my butt, he’d turned away and was rifling through our junk drawer.
Paddle! Run!
He wouldn’t, not with Dan standing there!
Dan, member of his club—his BDSM club—Dan?
Oh, crappola. I hadn’t considered that. I was about to follow her great advice when muttering drew my attention back to my Daddy.
“I know there’s a pen in here somewhere.”
Before I could offer to run, and I meant just to his office and get one, or even down to the store a few states over, Dan stepped in front of me.
“No worries, I’ve got you covered as well. Here you go,” Dan said, pulling what turned out to be a pen from where he’d tucked it behind his ear.
“Well, isn’t that just precious,” I crooned. Of course, the fact my eyes rolled while speaking, most likely negated all that syrupy sweetness in which I’d delivered that bunch of piggy poop.
Dan laughed. “Yeah, Celeste thought you’d get a kick out of it. I’ll be sure to tell her she was right on the money.”
“Ha-ha-ha.” I accepted the pink, pig-shaped pen and clicked its snout.
I signed my name and, unless I was highly mistaken yet again, sealed my fate.
When I attempted to hand back the pen responsible for signing away what I was pretty sure would be my butt’s ability to sit comfortably until at least a decade’s worth of Christmases had come and gone, Dan shook his head.
“Nope, that’s a bonus gift for being such a great customer.
Celestial Creations and I thank you and wish you both a Merry Christmas!
” Dan reached out to snag the clipboard from my hands, only having to give one extra little tug to have me release my hold.
“If you need anything else, just give us an oink.”
“Well, aren’t you the comedian.” I grabbed a cellophane package out of the box I’d opened and slapped it into his hand. “Only nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine to go.”
Dan’s laugh gradually faded away until only silence surrounded us.
You’ve heard silence is golden?
It’s not.
It’s pink.
Like really, really pink.
Ten thousand times pinker than pink.
“I can explain.”
“Can you?”
“Well, no, not really, but you’ve got to believe me.
I never intended to order all these. I just wanted to make sure we’d have enough for the big Christmas party.
” I looked around the room and groaned. “I promise, I only meant to order a thousand, not ten times that amount.” The sheer number was only now truly hitting me.
I clutched my arms around my middle and groaned. “Daddy! What are we going to do?”
He reached out and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. “Hey, it’s going to be fine.”
My face might be squished against his chest, but the huff of disbelief I managed was still quite audible.
Though he was far better at suppressing his laughter than I was, I could feel his chest shaking hard enough he might as well have been laughing over a loudspeaker.
“Here’s what is going to happen. While you are unpacking and finding somewhere to house all your new friends, I’m going to be making a list.”
“A list? Of what? Places to stuff with piggies?”
“Nope, that’s your job, little girl, and before you even think of it, the bedroom is strictly off limits. I do not intend to share my closet, bathroom, dresser, and most especially our bed with any little piggies. Understood?”
I pushed back only far enough to slap my hand over my heart. “Daddy! How can you say that? Lord Pigsley has been in our bed plenty of times. You want to banish him? You’ll break his heart!”
Hmmm, I wondered if any of my friends had ever considered why it was that while Daddies were quick to swat a Little’s behind when they roll their eyes, when a Daddy does it, it’s perfectly acceptable? That was definitely going on the agenda for our next meeting.
“You know I’m not talking about Lord Pigsley.
His royal stuffed self is welcome to share our room.
However, all his new friends will be boarding somewhere else.
And, just to make myself absolutely clear, by boarding, I mean on a very temporary basis.
The moment the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Day, there better not be a single curly tail left in this house or I guarantee a Little girl’s tail is going to be a far deeper shade than pink. Any questions?”
That eyebrow rose and my body repeated all that clenching and yet this time, a definite sensation of forty thousand little cloven hooves skittered across my ass.
I hurried to cut him off at the pass. “Just one. Does your family have any history of arthritis?”
Wasn’t it cute when you actually say something that has your Daddy so stupefied he simply stares, or was that look given by Daddies who are wondering if perhaps you’d finally slipped over the edge?
Before he could decide for sure, I hurried to qualify my question.
“I just mean that I’m concerned for your future.
If you swat me ten thousand times, you’ll likely wear out your shoulder socket, not to mention your fingers will get all crampy and might even turn into claws. ”
His puzzled expression shifted into one of amusement which wasn’t exactly what I’d been going for.
“Even if you break it up, I’m not sure that would be better, for you, of course.
If you gave my butt a hundred spanks a day it would take…
” Despite trying to do the math, all I kept seeing was a one followed by a whole lot of zeroes.
“A really long time. We’ll both be very old and gray by then. ”
He laughed. “Hardly. And while I appreciate your concern for my health, it’s unnecessary.”
My butt muscles relaxed but for some odd reason, those skittering hooves were still tickling my ass. Still, it was the Christmas season so who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth? “Oh, Daddy! That’s great! I promise I’ll—”
“I’m not finished,” he cut my interruption off mid promise.
“Despite the evidence all around me, I do believe it was some sort of error. Mistakes happen, but also require correction. And since it wouldn’t be fair to make Celeste swallow the loss, I’m willing to cover for you, but, little girl, you are going to pay me back. ”
Okay, that didn’t sound too bad. It might take me the rest of my life, but at least I could…
No way is it going to be that easy.
She was right. This was my Daddy and he was a man who didn’t just let things go. He was intensely fair and unfailingly patient, but he was also extremely creative.
“This payment. You are speaking legal tender, correct? Like in actual currency, right?”
“I’d hardly need to write anything down if this was going to be a cash transaction, babygirl.”
“Then how…”
“That’s what my list is for.”
Right. He’d mentioned a list. “So, there won’t be any cash or any spanks on this list?”
“Are you trying to put words in my mouth, little girl?”
“Daddy! Are you trying to drive me batshit crazy? Ouch!” I rubbed my butt where he’d just swatted me. “And no fair. I didn’t know we were already starting!”
“We’re not, and that wouldn’t count even if we were. That one was for cursing.”
“Okay, fair enough. But seriously, Daddy, if you don’t want me to go batty, you’ve gotta tell me. Is this payment going to include spankings or not?”
He bent to kiss the top of my head. “That’s why I’m making a nice long Christmas list.”
“Do you honestly believe it’s fair to steal that list-making idea from a nice jolly old man whose entire reason for existence is to bring nothing but happiness and joy to` everyone? What must poor Santa be thinking?”
He didn’t even attempt to hide his amusement.
This time the chuckle was quite audible and if Daddy had a big belly, I was positive it would indeed be shaking like a bowl full of jelly.
“I’m thinking I know exactly what he’d be thinking.
That is if we’re talking about the same Santa who is so professional he not only knows who’s been nice, he also knows who’s been naughty.
In fact, if you recall, he not only has a list, he checks it twice. ”
Trust him to hit below the belt. I couldn’t argue with that as I’d already asked him to pull down the boxes of decorations and had already laid out our stockings for that magical morning and I’d been hinting at the perfect gifts for the past month or so.
I gave an exaggerated sigh. “This is one time when I’d really, really rather believe in my version of Santa, Daddy. ”
His smile slowly curled his lips, making my heart beat faster. “I like that.”
“Like what?”
“Santa Daddy, I think calling me that will remind you that Santa is always watching. There is one difference you might want to consider.”
I was positive I was going to regret asking, but who was I kidding? There was no way I couldn’t. “What difference, Daddy?”
“Santa has billions of Littles to watch and consider, but your Santa Daddy can focus his complete attention on just one Little girl to make sure that by Christmas morning her debt will be paid and her stocking won’t be filled with coal.”
“Well, aren’t I just the luckiest Little girl in the entire world.
” I barely managed to stop the roll of my eyes and his dimple deepened in amusement.
I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“I’d hate for you to spend the entire season with such a burden.
Perhaps instead of some mean old list, I can write you a list reminding you of all the fabulous ways I show you exactly how nice I can be.
Don’t you think that’s a far better idea, Santa Daddy? ”
“You’re just too adorable, but I’m pretty sure I’m up to the challenge, arthritis and all.”
I might have challenged that except before I could, he pressed his lips to mine.
This time when I closed my eyes, it wasn’t an attempt to block out the boxes stacked everywhere, but to sink into the bliss that always swallowed me when the love of my life kissed me as if he were a man starving for affection.
When he pulled away, my attempt to grab his shirt and pull him back for another kiss was thwarted when he plucked a piggie from the open box and pressed it into my hand instead.
“Better get busy finding some stys for your piggies. We’ve got guests coming for dinner, remember.”
In all my pig panic, I’d totally forgotten it was our turn to host dinner.
Once a month our circle of friends would all get together to enjoy a meal and each other’s company.
While we’d often meet at the club over the weekend, these nights were just to kick back.
We’d eat, maybe play a board game or two and relax.
Though with Christmas fastly approaching, tonight we’d also start planning the party we hosted every year for the club members.
“Okay, Santa Daddy. I’ve got this.” I tossed the piggie back into the box and then grabbed it and the two beneath it and started to head toward the door but paused. “You’re only restricting our bedroom, right?”
His head stopped mid-bob. “Thank you for asking. Consider my office a pig-free zone as well.”
“You don’t even use all your office, Daddy. It’s just wasted space. I’m sure you wouldn’t even notice a few boxes.”
“It’s not wasted, but if you’re okay with a squadron of piggy eyes staring at you while I bend you over my desk and pull your panti—”
“Office, off limits. Got it!” This time I made it all the way out of the kitchen before turning back. “Whatever you’ve got planned for dessert, could you please make sure it will look great with a piggie perched on top?”
The exaggerated snorting sounds that followed me out of the kitchen might be his way of telling me I was full of it, but I preferred to think of it as something else.
“I’m considering that pig Latin for I’ve got your back,” I called over my shoulder.
“I-way ove-lay ou-yay, abygirl-bay.”
And for the first time since being invaded by a platoon of porcine pinkness, I giggled.