me all about you. I’m Stacey. We’re on the same course, up at the old airfield on the hill, Camp Aspiration.’
‘You are? That is the best news I’ve had in weeks, years even! What’s it like? I’ve been dreading it, but my boss insisted I go, the common little toad.’
‘It’s not that bad, a bit military for some, perhaps, but we’re planning to get around that. You’re our team leader, by the way, so I hope you don’t mind us smuggling in some drink? There’s no alcohol allowed.’
‘No alcohol allowed? No, I don’t mind. I insist. But never mind that. You two have to be together? Trust you, Lucy! You should have known her, Stacey, back when …’
They carried on, chatting as if they’d known each other for years as I struggled with my feelings. Just to be in Juliette’s presence was making me weak, stripping away all the confidence I’d built up over the years. I could barely suppress the sense of adoration building inside me and found myself desperately eager to please, while the easy way she got on with Stacey only made things worse. They’d had me blushing from the start, and we’d barely sat down with our drinks before Juliette asked a question that turned my mild pink flush to blazing scarlet.
‘Am I going nuts, or when you two came down through the woods, was Lucy in the nude?’
Stacey just laughed.
‘Yes, she was. I thought it would be fun to make her go bare for a bit, but we didn’t know people would be able to see!’
Juliette laughed in turn, cold and clear and cruel, just the way I remembered.
‘I don’t suppose anybody else did, and I wasn’t even sure what I’d seen, until you came out at the bottom of the woods. I might have known it would be you, Lucy!’
I was smiling, pathetically grateful for her attention, exactly as I’d always been, but both she and Stacey were oblivious, Juliette carrying on blithely.
‘Yup, starkers in the woods, that’s Lucy’s style. She’s never been able to keep her clothes on for five minutes. So is this camp up on the hill?’
‘Yes. This is the nearest pub. In fact, we ought to get a move on. Our friend Wendy’s waiting for us and we need to be back for lunch.’
‘Why don’t I give you a lift? I passed a Co-Op on the main road. You can call your friend.’
‘No we can’t. We had to hand in our phones.’
‘What? How am I going to survive with no phone? Why doesn’t Lucy come with me then, and we’ll get the drink?’
I made to speak, knowing exactly what she was after, but Stacey didn’t hesitate.
‘Sure, why not? I imagine you two have a lot of catching up to do.’
She swallowed what remained of her drink, kissed me and made for the little bridge that crossed the river, breaking into a jog on the far side. I watched as she started up the hill, already full of guilt and arousal, chagrin and excitement, all muddled together for the thought of what Juliette undoubtedly wanted. She was as cool as ever.
‘She’s nice. How long have you been together?’
‘We’re not together … not really. We just … I have a boyfriend, back in London.’
‘A boyfriend, you, Lessie Lucy!?’
‘Why shouldn’t I have a boyfriend?’
‘Well you never showed the slightest interest before.’
‘No, I always liked boys. And anyway, things have changed.’
Even to myself I sounded sulky, and she just grinned.
‘Not that much. You’re still stripping off in the woods. Do you remember where we used to swim at Marnhoe? You’d always be the first to go naked, and the last to get dressed.’
‘You used to strip me! And … and make me do rude things to get my clothes back.’
She just laughed, making my blushes hotter than ever, but I couldn’t help turning my mind back to the little quarry where we used to swim together. I remembered trying not to giggle as she and her friends held me down while I was divested of my skirt and blouse, my knickers and bra, then thrown in, stark naked. And afterwards, begging to be allowed my clothes back and being made to kiss Juliette’s bottom, only to be refused my knickers and to end up walking back bare under my skirt, terrified that a puff of wind would expose my shame to the world. Juliette drew a long sigh.
‘Those were the days. I thought it would always be like that, and look at me now, one more rat on the treadmill. Oh well, at least I’ve got you, for a while. Let’s go.’
Her glass was empty, but mine was nearly full and I swallowed what I could before following her to a red BMW. She didn’t bother to put her seatbelt on, as heedless of both safety and authority as ever, and as I strapped up she gave me one of her brief, contemptuous glances. I could remember her driving, and was feeling nervous before we’d even got through the village, but she put her foot down hard the moment we were on the open road, only to slow down a little.
‘Let’s take it easy. It’s not the end of the world if we don’t get there for lunch.’
‘The instructions said to arrive before ten o’clock. You’ve already been penalised for being late.’
‘What are they going to do, give me a spanking?’
Her voice was full of derision, but just the mention of that awful word had my heart hammering in my chest and the blood rushing back to my face. She didn’t see, her eyes fixed to the road as we took a long corner.
‘No, they’re not, are they? They’re going to put a black mark against my name or make some comment about a negative attitude on my report. I don’t care. Do you?’
‘Not all that much, no, but I’d rather not cause any unnecessary fuss.’
‘That’s my Lucy, always the careful one, but always the naughty one too. Did you ever get caught for anything? No, I don’t think you did, but you got punished, didn’t you? Do you remember how I used to spank you?’
I nodded, unable to deny the truth but not wanting to admit just how important those memories had been to me or how much influence she’d had.
‘Does Stacey do it? I bet she does, over her knee with your panties pulled down, just the way you like it, or is she really stern with you?’
This time I couldn’t hold back.
‘She spanks me. She … she doesn’t really understand, but she enjoys doing it, now.’
‘You trained her to spank you? Wonderful! Only you, Lucy, only you. How about the cane? I used to love to cane you. Do you remember that time I did it in front of Emily and Claire? How you squealed, and then I made you wait a week before giving you the last five! Does Stacey cane you?’
‘She has once, but she’s not normally that harsh with me. She’s sweet.’
‘It doesn’t sound
