Eloise felt as if she were falling; the tingle of excitement in her belly almost painful. Her breath was so short that she had begun to feel lightheaded. She smoothed down the front of her dark grey business suit, enjoying the sensation of pressure against her sensitive thighs and her sex, assailed, as she was, on all sides by conflicting emotions and perched on the edge of a void.

She was afraid and sexually aroused in equal measure and her whole world hung between a fight and flight reflex. But there was no flight in her; if she chose not to flee then the old Eloise would be destroyed. She knew that more surely than she had ever known anything.

At 32 she had been looking for something all her life. She knew what it was, but had always been far too timid to admit it. Now, out of the blue a world opened for her, or at least, it was open. But right now it was happening to someone else and she wanted part of it no matter what the cost.

She took one final look at the door behind her and then she turned back and started to edge forward.

Eloise was of average height and build for a woman her age. She was neither a great beauty, nor someone who was repellent to men. Her thick chestnut brown bob was cut tight to her head in layers, like a sensible helmet belonging to a warrior of old, which was apt for she had spent her life at war with a world she feared and which she had tried to keep out.

It had been an ordinary day at the office; dull, efficient and much like the day before and every other day come to that. She was a receptionist at one of the smaller financial houses in the City, trained to be helpful, present an acceptable face for the company and be singularly unmemorable. Invisible even, she often thought bitterly.

It was her job to sit in the wrap-around wood panel reception kiosk just inside the front door. She rarely had to leave the enclosed area, although she always dressed smartly in case she was required to.

Her predecessor, she knew, often wore jeans below her smart business jacket on account of the fact that no one but Mike, the security guard, would see her lower half.

The clock had already passed 5.30 and most of the staff had already gone. On his way out the MD had placed a file on the front desk as he went home. It was Friday and no one wanted to linger.

“Goodnight Eloise,” he said as he passed. She was thrilled that he remembered her name. “Have a good weekend.”

“And you Sir,” she replied with a corporate smile, dividing her gaze between his retreating back and the file he had placed unannounced on her desk. She waited.

“Oh and Eloise,” he said half turning back as she knew he would, “Can you give that to Tom Hadrian on his way out.”

It was probably important and not something to be casually discarded on the desk. She smiled again and nodded.

“Goodnight,” he called again as he swept through the smoked glass doors to the street.

Eloise sighed. She would have to wait now until Tom Hadrian came down. She glared accusingly at the buff file and eyed the lift doors hopefully. Friday or not, he could be hours yet.

Then in a rare mood of decisiveness she snatched up the documents and strode boldly towards the lift. She would deliver it and then go home.

That is how she had come to his office and her abyss.

The outer office had been deserted, but someone was inside Mr Hadrian’s inner sanctum, she heard them. Low whispers of a woman punctuated with sharp male growls. She thrilled at the idea that they might be having illicit sex. It with give her something to dwell on later alone in bed.

The door was ajar and she had nudged it open with a single knuckle and peeked in, her big brown eyes wide in anticipated shock.

The girl was indeed half naked. Only her blouse and stockings remained on, but she was not bent over the desk to receive masculine thrusts, but over his knee with her pert young bare bottom turned towards the door. Eloise dropped back and gasped.

The girl’s bottom carried a red sheen and he spanked it hard, causing her to squeal and gasp at each impact. Eloise shared the girl’s mortification, but at that moment she would have done anything to change places with her.

*

Eloise had to kneel to prevent falling over. So hugging herself she put her eye to the crack in the door to watch Hadrian spank his secretary.

After several long minutes, with her bottom already redder than Eloise thought possible, the spanking stopped and Eloise was devastated. The spanked girl was left panting and hung limp over Hadrian’s lap in state of total surrender for anything he wanted.

Hadrian reached out to his desk and removed something from a draw causing Eloise to turn her head at her spy hole in frustration as she tried to get a glimpse of what he had.

It was a long hard black shiny hairbrush which he tapped against the girl’s sore flesh. Eloise gasped, her heart lurching and head was spinning again.

The flat edge of the brush landed with an impossibly loud crack and the girl yelped. It was the first of many swats as the spanking continued beyond anything the girl could endure without breaking down into tears. Eloise had no pity. She crushed her sex with her hand through the front of her skirt and prayed for the spanking to never stop.

It took another 10 minutes before the girl’s tight defined bottom cheeks could get no redder. In fact they had by now been painted a mottled deep red and purple, not that she cared. Her bawling had long since tumbled into warm groans.

“Now go to the corner,” Hadrian said firmly.

The girl sagged limply to the floor and lay for several seconds before she could obey. Then Eloise felt another surge as the girl got unsteadily to her feet and meekly stumbled to the corner of Hadrian’s office.

“Right, you out there, your turn I think,” Hadrian called out without bothering to look.

Eloise’s eyes went wide in panic and she gasped again and tried to gain her breath. Of course she had known he must have heard her, but until that moment she was beyond caring.

Struggling to control her breathing, Eloise slipped into the room and then leaned shyly against the edge of the door.

“Little pervert. I am going to spank you raw,” Hadrian said looking up at last. “Ah Miss…?”

Eloise’s heart surge at the accusation; it was true and she revelled in a rush of shame.

“Hunt; Eloise Hunt,” Eloise whispered her eyes locked onto the hairbrush in Hadrian’s hand.

“Oh yes. Our receptionist,” Hadrian rumbled. Then he ordered, “Come here and across my knee.”

Eloise licked her lips. She was hot and wet where it was most useful; she could even hear it slick as she stepped forward. Could he?

“I…” It was a single hushed breath as she stopped inches from his knee.

He reached for her and tipped her yielding over his lap.

“Oh,” Eloise sighed.

Eloise could feel his erection hard against her lower belly and thrilled at it squirming. His hand brushed her bottom and she gave a little gasp.  Fearful she was being observed, she eyed the girl in the corner with her bare bottom stained red and sore, but the secretary did not move or make to look.

Then behind her, Eloise was aware that Hadrian was expertly removing her skirt and sliding it down her legs to reveal her stockings. Without ceremony her briefs followed to hang at her ankles.

“Have you ever been spanked before?” Hadrian asked.

“No.” Eloise was mortified. A rush of shame that was like a drug; she loved it and for a moment she wished the girl would turn around to watch and add to her humiliation.

“I am going to spank you now. Long, long and very hard,” he said. “And there is nothing you can do to stop it.”

“No Sir, I mean yes Sir,” she lisped. Calling him ‘sir’ felt good.

He began with his hand and it hurt more than she thought it would. Nevertheless she tried to bear it stoically. Part of her was afraid if she didn’t he would stop. Not that it was an issue.

By the time he moved onto the hairbrush she was already shedding gentle tears and now she began to wail and struggle. She wanted it to stop and yet prayed for it to continue; begging silently for total defeat.

The brush began to bite in a sting that was beyond all else she had ever suffered. Yet he spanked on harder and longer than he had his secretary even though she was a virgin at this.

The spanking lasted until she was total spent and beyond knowing that it was over.

“Eloise,” he was saying. “Eloise. You took it well. Now go to the corner and wait. Jenny and I have business to attend to.”

The business they had to attend to was loud and vigorous, judging from what she heard from her place in the corner. All the while her bottom throbbed gently and just when she thought she could handle it, a new wave of pain brought on fresh tears.

*

The next few weeks were a dizzying blur and the best of her life. On that first night at his command she had pleasured him on her knees without hesitation. She could even taste the other girl on his cock. Afterwards she had been sent home unsatisfied to spend the night reliving her shame until she fell into a restless sleep.

She had spent the rest of the weekend playing narcissus in front of the mirror. Turning this way and that as she revelled in the bruises on her bottom, the only proof that Friday night had not been some sweet dream.

Monday had been hard. Both Tom Hadrian and his secretary ignored her when they came in to work. They passed her at her desk with barely more than a non-committal ‘good morning.’ Eloise’s only compensation was that she could not sit down at her desk and greeted visitors standing. It thrilled her strangely that she had been used and discarded, it felt just. But all the same she was sad.

Then at the close of work she had been summoned to Tom Hadrian’s office and invited to a party on the following Saturday.

“I don’t really like parties,” she had foolishly said. The words escaping before she could hold them.

“I don’t care what you like,” Hadrian said. “You will come for my pleasure. Understand.”

“Yes Sir.” She was thrilled.

“Alright get undressed and go and stand in the corner.” After giving the order he ignored her.

Eloise stood for a moment gaping at him and trying to catch his eye to see if she had misheard him. It took one casual glare from him to send her scurrying to obey.

She remained in the corner forbidden to turn while Hadrian first spanked and then fucked his secretary. Then she had been told to dress and go home.

These events were played out in the self-same way every night until Friday and never once did he touch her.

*

The party was a strange affair with myriads of people in all manner of bizarre attire. She was not so innocent that she didn’t know that much of the assembled costumes were what was termed fetish gear, but it was the first time she had ever seen such in real life.

For the first 20 minutes she was completely ignored, which was just as well as she wandered around like a kid in toy store, wide-eyed with terror in case anyone spoke to her. Then she saw Tom Hadrian with two girls on his arm.

Hadrian saw her at once. He watched her cross the room, her eyes shyly downcast and then waited as she tried to overcome her tied tongue-tied and tried to say something eloquent.

“Who is this little mouse?” One of the women on his arm said in a ridiculously posh and imperious voice.

“She is my guest,” Hadrian said darkly, “Who gave you leave to be so rude?”

The woman, a tall blonde with a sprayed-on black evening gown opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again with a blush. Eloise thought she might be the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

“Nothing to say?” Hadrian said pointedly, “Go and stand in the corner over there and wait until I summon you.”

“Please Tom I…”

“Tom?” Hadrian smiled evilly and Eloise sensed that the woman had made some huge faux pas.

“Mr Hadrian, I am sorry Sir, I…” The formerly composed woman became flustered and after throwing a look of death at Eloise flounced away.

Eloise was astonished to see that she did indeed go to stand in the corner, but not before she peeled the skirts of her dress off her super-model thighs and over her bottom to leave it bare and exposed to the room.

“Pay her no mind Eloise, I am so glad you could come,” Hadrian said pleasantly.

As he spoke the other woman smiled pleasantly and kissed Hadrian on the cheek before slipping away.

“I… I,” Eloise managed and then, “You didn’t seem to give me much choice.”

“You obeyed me,” he said, nodding, “I hope you did not think your job was in jeopardy?”

“No I…” Eloise hadn’t even considered that.

“Good. So you are content to be one of my… pretty creatures.”

Eloise gasped. “I am not…pretty…”

“If you wish to… associate with me, you have to learn that I say what is and what is not,” Hadrian said pointedly.

“Yes Sir,” Eloise said quickly.

“Good. You interest me. For the first few months it will be hard. Worse than this week even. I have to test your… commitment and resilience.”

Eloise did not speak and turned to look at the astonishing woman in the corner with her bare bottom exposed to the room.

“You can fly higher than her, but first you have to…” Hadrian searched for a word or phrase that was apt. After all Eloise was a new find and delicate.

“Learn from the bottom up,” Eloise said with a small cheeky smile and another glance at the woman in the corner.

Hadrian broke into open laughter, “Quite so,” he said.

Eloise took a deep breath and said, “I am ready.”

“Good, now go to the opposite corner to our friend there and take a similar pose.”

Eloise flushed and looked hastily around the room. No one appeared to have heard.

“You did say you were ready,” Hadrian observed.

Eloise nodded and taking another deep breath she crossed the room and took up her place in the corner.

Hadrian watched her and took a sip of a drink he had taken from a passing tray.

It took two full minutes before he saw Eloise’s shoulders sag in defeat and her hands stray to the hem of her dress to roll it up to her waist. Her underwear was skimpy and revealing and for a moment he considered sending a girl to claim them. But she had done well enough; he would let that suffice for now.

*

Three days later while at work, Eloise was summoned to Hadrian’s office. The call was unexpected as her department had nothing to do with his and apart from the odd message or package; Eloise would expect only a brief ‘good morning’ or ‘good night’ from him during office hours.

Her mouth was dry and she suddenly had a flurry of nerves that she had only previously associated with an exam or a trip to the dentist.

“Mike can you… eh… cover for me here,” she managed to say after working up some moisture in her mouth.

“Oh sure,” Mike said in a bored voice without looking up from his newspaper.

Mike was the security guard, who did very little but cover her at lunch and do his rounds at the beginning and end of each day.

Eloise stood up and smoothed down her grey suit and headed for the lift.

It took precisely three and a half minutes to reach Tom Hadrian’s office, each second of which pulsed in her head like a drum.

The secretary didn’t look up when she entered. It was the same girl who had been spanked, the same girl who had seen and heard Eloise spanked. Eloise blushed.

“Go right in,” the secretary said without bothering to look up.

Eloise knocked.

“I said go in you ninny,” the secretary said with a giggle.

Eloise was about to obey when Hadrian spoke from within. “Come in.”

Even then Eloise only opened the door just wide enough to bend over to put her head and shoulders through the door.

Hadrian looked up and smiled.

“How is my favourite receptionist?” He grinned.

“I-I’m fine, you wanted to see me Sir?”

“Yes,” Hadrian looked away and began to shuffle some papers on his desk. Then finding the document he was looking for extracted it from the pile and paused to look up. “I want you to make yourself available for dinner tonight. We will leave here around 7.30.”

“Oh…” Eloise gaped at him and then closed her mouth before adding quickly, “Yes Sir.”

Eloise waited for him to say something else and then turned to go.

“Where are you going?” Hadrian asked.

“I…”

“Remove your skirt and knickers and bend across my desk,” Hadrian said in about a matter-of-fact tone as it was possible.

“Remove… but…” Eloise blushed and began to paw at her clothes.

It was another test of course. After a pause, she stepped confidently forward and removed her skirt and then turning away she stepped out of her underwear until she stood in only her jacket, blouse and stockings and then she bent forward across the desk with her bare bottom facing the door.

Hadrian pushed the buzzer and spoke into the intercom, “Jenny, bring in the medium paddle please.”

Eloise’s eyes darted in her head and she tried to look behind her but dared not turn around. Her face became liquid flame as the door opened and she heard Jenny enter.

“At the party on Saturday, what should you have done?” Hadrian asked.

Eloise knew at once and she blushed.

“I don’t know.”

The paddle cracked across her exposed bottom and Eloise hissed through her nose. Her only thought was for the girl. Then she heard the door close again. She had seen.

“What should you have done?”

“Taken my knickers off,” Eloise said ruefully.

The paddle seared her bottom once more and Eloise yelped.

“That is for telling fibs.” Hadrian swatted her again hard. Adding, “And that.”

The sting in her bottom grew and she began to pant.

“From now on, the only underwear you will put on are stockings with suspenders. Am I clear?”

The paddle was loud and echoed off the office wall.

“Yes Sir,” Eloise grunted as she tried to contain the pain.

“Now I intend to spank you until you can’t sit down easy for the rest of the afternoon,” he said.

“Yes Sir,” she whispered.

The paddle strokes that followed were slow and measured and took 10 or 15minutes to deliver. Any one of the swats by themselves Eloise could have handled, but the cumulative effect was to light such a fire that by halfway she was in tears.

“Good girl, now off you go,” Hadrian said at last.

“Thank you Sir,” Eloise managed to say through her tears.

“Oh and return the paddle to Jenny on your way out.”

“Yes Sir,” Eloise sniffed, but a small smile danced on her lips as she thought of dinner with him.

*

Over the last few weeks Eloise had seen a lot of Hadrian. She had even been to his house where, knowing him, she had expected some elaborate humiliations with an audience, but it had turned out to be dinner for two. Apart that is for the maid, a small dark Mediterranean girl who served the food.

Eloise had giggled when she saw that no matter how delicately the girl bent over as she carried out small tasks, her skirt rode up to reveal her bare bottom; a bottom that had evidently recently been soundly spanked.

“Pay Maria no mind,” Hadrian had said, “She has been a little difficult today.”

After dinner Eloise had been folded over a frame and secured for a sustained strapping that left her sore, sobbing and satisfied. But before she had been released she had felt a tickle at her delicate nether opening and something warm and sensuous had been applied.

“You are a virgin in this regard?” He had asked, stroking her hair.

“Yes,” she had whispered, unable to breath.

“I can release you and take you upstairs.”

“No I…” Eloise didn’t want to make choices. Not then.

“It’s not a test,” Hadrian had ventured, his hand lightly touching her face.

Eloise squirmed in expectation and taking her silence for consent, he moved behind her. The gentle prod was firm and expectant and little by little in entered her until she was gasping as surely as if she had been spanked again.

“Oh God please…” But it was not a rejection and he hugged into her back until together, they exploded.

Eloise loved that whatever he did it was always a surprise, whether it was a small public surrender or a harsh sob-making spanking that left her sore and surrendered.

That morning was no different. They had arrived at work together, before Mike even. Then he had given her his orders.

Eloise hadn’t protested. She could barely draw a breath to protest. She had no choice, whatever the cost she would obey.

Mike was late and when he arrived he grunted a perfunctory ‘good morning’ and went straight on with his rounds without signing in at the desk behind where Eloise stood.

Then one by one the office workers piled in, most not even acknowledging Eloise or if they did, just nodding and half-smiling or at most offering a curt ‘good morning.’

Eloise was light-headed and giddy. She could barely contain her secret and almost wished that her colleagues knew.

Then Mike was there. He crossed the entrance hall and lifted the bar flap to enter the reception kiosk, not pausing for a second as he went out back to hang his coat.

“It’s a pissy old morning out there,” he moaned behind her, muffled by the door, “Wind and rain, both hard.”

“Yes,” Eloise said absently.

“I hope it is over by the week…” Mike’s voice, which had suddenly come near her as he left the back room, faltered. “Oh my gawd, what the…?”

Mike stood gaping, confronted as he was with Eloise’s bare bottom. She was naked but for stockings and shoes below the waist. That was shocking enough, but her bottom looked raw and was completely mottled with bruises.

“Mr Hadrian’s orders,” she said with an enigmatic smile, “I can’t even think about sitting down. Oh don’t tell anyone will you?”

Mike swallowed and shook his head slowly in disbelief.

“I hope I am not required upstairs today,” Eloise said ruefully.

Ends.