Chapter 7: Home

Reality it certainly was. Arriving back early afternoon they were greeted by reporters, police and a TV crew. It seemed they were sort of heroes and had to endure endless questions and give radio and TV interviews. Finally it calmed down and by evening dinner there were just the five around the table. The eight brought off the mountain were being kept in hospital for another night at least but it seemed they would all recover physically. Janet had a toe removed through frostbite and all her toes were in a bad way. She had poor circulation problems before she set out and they didn't yet know if she would walk properly again. Stan had lung difficulties as well as the cracked ribs and chest bruising caused by the fall. Twice he had been on a respirator when one lung collapsed and the other only performed painfully. This was not helped by questions from the police concerning his part in the death of Roger and the ordeal the others had suffered.

Conversation over dinner was confined at first to the events of the previous day, and what would happen when they returned to work. Speculation on what the inquest would find. Suddenly Gallie chirped up, "Enough of this misery stuff, what we really want to know is how you pair of love birds made out in the tent and in the hut last night. Knowing you Charlotte, I guess you soon had him inside your panties."

"So what if I did?" Charley laughed. "We had to keep warm and we only had one sleeping bag. And the nights are long when there is no light except for a torch and you need to conserve the batteries."

"And you needed to recharge yours," laughed Sally noticing Bob was blushing furiously.

"Was she naughty? Did you smack her bum?" Gallie teased.

"And I suppose you needed some male comfort too? Was it a threesome last night?" Charlotte hit back.

"We needed someone to tend our blistered feet!"

"An I suppose the attention went much higher. Or were their rub burns in your crotches?"

"Did you get him to give you a good spanking Charlotte?" Sally persisted. Turning to Bob she asked, "Did you know she likes her arse warmed, Robert?" He shook his head in bewilderment at the conversation. Billie too seemed embarrassed. Sally continued, "When we all first started at Grants, we used to go clubbing together and a year or so ago ended in a bondage place. We were offered free drinks for the evening if one of us would act as a naughty schoolgirl and have her bottom smacked. She did it. When we went back another night she took the cane and then went backstage with the man and earned enough for a few more nights out. I am sure there were other times we didn't hear about. Isn't that right Charley?"

"Well sorta something like. But no he didn't spank me. Walking on the moors is difficult anyway and almost impossible with a sore arse. There was also the worry over the group so most of our thoughts were on where they were and if they made it to the hut and their chances of survival in the open." Charley replied with a frown but then grinned and added, "I got tied to him for a bit but that was for safety reasons. Now change the topic, you're embarrassing Bob."

Later when Bob and Charley were snuggled in the bed in her room, the phone rang. Bob being nearest automatically answered it. "Guessed where you would be sleeping - or not sleeping," Gallie laughed, "You warmed her bum yet, Bob?"

"Gallie. Get your rocks off with Billie. Leave us alone. You may not have still not have realised but we've been through a helluva traumatic few days. We saw what the rest of the group looked like when we found them. It was pretty horrible to say the least. We saw Roger's mangled body as they lifted it from the quarry. All this while you three were playing in bed. Now do us a favour and let us be. Charley needs comfort, not spanking at this moment. Okay Gallie?"

"Sorry Bob. We didn't think. Sorry." Gallie's voice was quiet. Charley listening alongside him thought how her opinion of him had changed over the last few days. When he came to sort her PC he was quiet, efficient, always trying to do the best for her but never putting himself forward. He was a background person. On the mountain and now with Gallie, he was authoritative; in charge. He was the only one to stand up to Stan. He made his decision on where to go and had publicly rebuked his boss. "Perhaps he will control me a bit too," she thought as they again snuggled down and gently played with each other before falling to sleep.

Next day most of the group were released from hospital but it would be some days at least before they were fully fit. Only Janet and Stan were kept in. Janet couldn't walk and would be in a wheelchair for some time if not permanently. Stan's lung problems had turned to pneumonia, which the doctors were trying to control but he still wheezed badly. Natalie Grant, daughter of the CEO of Grant and Grant arrived seemingly more concerned on damage limitation and reducing any liability to the firm. Young, pretty and very pleasant, she may have had some success, with the men at least, had not the horror of the night on the mountain still been uppermost in their minds. The best she could offer was counselling but few really heard or took in what she was saying.

That night Bob asked Charley if she wanted to tell him about being spanked and caned. "I will Bob, but now is not a good time. There is too many unpleasant painful things on my mind at the moment," she answered and Bob left it at that.

Friday, the following day and the official end of their bonding course, saw a sombre group boarding the coach to take them back to their base in Suffolk. All six released from hospital looked haggard and most walked badly. Billie, Bob and Charley helped wherever they could but the long journey only allowed those who suffered to brood and dwell on the ordeal. Many bemoaned the fact they hadn't heeded Robert's advice. That was easy with hindsight but at the time they were more concerned with their positions at Grant and Grant.

On their arrival in Ipswich the coach was met by an Anglia TV crew and reporters from the local paper and radio station. After a tearful reunion with his wife, Peter openly spoke out about the leadership of the course but Robert when questioned only gave the merest details of his part in the rescue. All quickly tried to disperse to their homes.

Bob phoned Charley on Saturday to see how she was and on Sunday went into work to fix a network problem that had arisen during his absence. At work next day he was surprised at Charley's reluctance to speak to him apart from the statutory "Good Morning". For the remainder of the week, it was the same. Polite general conversation, even during interviews with upper management on the course and the inquest that was scheduled for the following Tuesday week in Exeter. Bob phoned her at the weekend but only received a polite reply and a refusal to go out for a pub lunch with him.

Gallie noticed Charley's stand offishness with Bob too. He'd been in to fix a minor problem with her PC and he'd remarked on how little he seen Charley since their return. "It is a though the relationship we had on Dartmoor never existed," he complained to her.

"You know why don't you?" she replied. Bob shook his head. "There you were master and in control. Here you are only the boot boy who comes when ordered to fix our computers. She respected you there. Here you're just Mr. Nice Guy. Snap our fingers and you're there to help. I told you she likes men who are MEN, men who will make sure she behaves and if she doesn't will warm her arse good and hard. Think on it Bob. We all like you. She does too, I'm sure. I think she testing your resolve." She went on to tell him in a much exaggerated way, Charley's episodes at the club and grossly over stated just how much Charley wanted and needed to feel the pain of punishment and how sexually excited she became after being slippered and caned.

That night and for much of the week, Bob did think long and hard about his relationship with Charley. He knew he didn't want to lose her.

Friday morning, Charley fired her computer up at reception. A pop-up menu appeared which filled the screen.

You've treated me badly Charley.

For that you must be punished.

Be at my house at 6 p.m.

Bring what you need for a weekend stay.

Wear a loose skirt.

This is an order, not a request.

RSVP Bob

The pop-up disappeared after a few minutes but kept reappearing every hour or so and every time she tried to access a new file. "Sod, the man. Sod him. I'm going clubbing with the girls tonight. Need to take my mind off the inquest that's on Tuesday." By mid afternoon the pop-up had become so annoying she called the IT department and asked for Bob's assistant. "Will you please tell Robert to turn that bloody thing off my screen. Please," she added.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"Robert knows."

An hour went by. The pop-up's still came up and Charley was fast becoming infuriated. Sally came into reception just as she swore at the screen for the umpteenth time. Seeing what was written, she laughed at Charley. "Email him saying you'll attend. You don't have to come with us tonight and I'm sure you'll have fun with Bob and get a warm reception by the look of things." Sally laughed and then turned serious. "You like Bob a lot. We all know that. Get your arse over to him and take what he gives you for being a bitch these last couple of weeks." Charley hesitated. "Email him while I watch," Sally goaded.

"Will do as you order Sir." The pop-up's ceased. "Have a nice weekend," Sally smiled, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Work finished at 4:30 on Fridays. Charley had only an hour and a half to go to her home at Bucklesham on the eastern edge of Ipswich, change and pack and then get back across town in the rush hour to Flowton, a village six miles to the west.

Her mind had been in turmoil since she accepted his order. Indeed it had been in turmoil all day since she opened her computer first thing that morning and saw the message. She knew she liked Bob. They got on very well together on the mountain and she liked what he'd done in bed but then there had been the excitement and danger of the situation. "Can I hack life as a boring housewife?" she'd asked herself. Telling herself, "No," she'd decided to play it cool with Bob. She didn't want to hurt him. He was too nice for that but she didn't want to drag out a relationship that might never go anywhere. "Better end it, Charley. He only had a crush on you. It was his first time fucking a woman for God's sake." Her resolve almost ended when she saw the hurt in his eyes that first morning back but gradually he'd acquiesced and Charley had decided he really was not the one to dominate her. The pop-ups had partly changed her mind. They were the work of a computer geek but they had got through to her until she had agreed. Now, as she rushed around to pack she wondered what would happen between them that weekend.

"Damn, I'm going to be late," she said as a villager directed her to the other side of the straggling village. "Too bad. Can't be helped." It was 6:15 when she pulled into Bob's driveway.