Changing Gears

Josh Bradshaw loved working on engines and cars. He had been doing it since he was eight years old and he and his friend, Pete Martin built a go cart out of an old lawn mower engine. He was fixing the cars of his parent’s friends while in high school and doing a better job than most of the shops in town with the exception of Whitey’s.  Whitey allowed Josh and Pete to use his garage and his tools, and they spent their time hanging out and building and rebuilding engines for some pin money.   It was what Josh loved to do and despite his parents best efforts to the contrary, he opted out of college and joined the service.  He loved his time in the service; it afforded him the opportunity to continue learning his skill, travel and save money. After four enlistments, at 36, he was ready to leave the military life behind.

Many of his friends were still living in Sumerton, so it was the logical choice to return to a place where “everybody knew his name” and his reputation.  Whitey was ready to retire, and he was selling his garage.  In a town like Sumerton, repeat customers were better than any paid advertising, and Josh used his savings to buy Whitey’s Garage. He cleaned up the shop, updated the tools and equipment, installed a waiting area and an automated car wash and on opening day had more business than he could handle.  He now had three mechanics working under him and closed on Sunday and Monday. Since he didn’t have a life outside of the garage, he spent that time restoring older vehicles just for the fun of it.   

On this particular Sunday, Josh’s head was buried under the hood of an old Datsun truck.  He didn’t hear her and apparently she felt he should have, so she thumped on the hood.  The noise startled him, and he came up with such a start; he bumped his head and cursed.

“Goddammit, what the he.. “, as he looked at legs attached to one gorgeous redhead.  She wore a flirty little short dress cut low in the front displaying her cleavage with high heels showcasing her beautifully toned and tanned long legs that went all the way to her neck. Her long hair cascaded in curls over her shoulders; she had eyes the color of emeralds, with white porcelain skin and pouty red lips, and he thought he was having hallucinations from the bump on his head.  Instead of stars, she must be an angel.  Then she spoke, and the illusion was shattered.

“It’s about time.  I’ve been here for a while and before that I was ringing the desk bell for at least five minutes.  I don’t like waiting,” she yelled at him.

“Lady, this is a garage.  If you don’t see anybody around, you can ring the bell forever and no one will hear it.  It’s Sunday and we’re closed, so you can stop waiting, nothing is going to happen today.”

 “You’re here.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Can’t you help?”

                                                                                           

“Yes, I probably could but as I’ve said, it’s Sunday, and we’re closed.”

“Well, I never…” and she turned and stomped away. Josh wanted to smack her ass, what a bitch.   He went back to what he was doing and seconds later, he felt a tugging on his shirt.  Once again, coming out from under the hood he exclaimed,

“Lady, don’t you get it.  We’re closed.” 

Only this time, it was a little girl. “Can you please help us?”  He melted.  How could he possibly turn down this little wisp of a girl?  She had strawberry blonde curls with the sweetest face and a pair of the lightest blue eyes he had ever seen.

He bent down to the little girl's eye level.  “What seems to be the matter, honey?” he asked.

“Mommy says she thinks it’s something to do with the fuel line, but she’s not sure.”

“She does, does she?  Well let’s go take a look.”

                                           ____________________

“I see that sending in reinforcements did the trick,” the redhead said to him in a snotty manner, as he came out of the garage with the little sweetie.

“Yes, she’s a he.. heckuva lot sweeter than you, and she asked so nicely, I couldn’t resist.

So what’s the problem, other than your attitude?” Josh asked.

“Hmpff,” she said and explained the problem.  

“Could the lack of gas be the problem?”

“I’m not a simpleton.   There is plenty of gas.”  

“Lady, just a simple yes or no answer would do the trick.”

“No, we’re not out of gas.”

“Raise the hood and let me have a look.”  She clicked the hood release.

Josh looked and after a couple of minutes found the problem; it was a kinked hose between the fuel filter and carburetor. 

“Have you had any mechanical work done lately?” he asked.

“Yeah, my brother recently adjusted the carburetor?”

“If he’s not a mechanic, he might have inadvertently kinked the hose while he was under there.  I’ll just replace it and get you on your way.”

“Are you sure that’s the problem?”

“No, but it would explain the difficulty you were having. It should get you to where you’re going.  If you still have a problem, I suggest you take it into a certified mechanic to have him put it on the diagnostic machine.”

“So, how much is this going to cost me.” 

“Give me $5.00 and we’ll call it even.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  I didn’t think you had it in you.  Maybe the next time try being a little politer, and you might not have to rely on your little girl to bail you out.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying you attract more flies with honey than with vinegar.”  He walked up very close to her so that Brandy couldn’t overhear and whispered that what she needed was a good spanking.”

“I can’t believe you just said that, I’m going to report you to the owner.”

“Lady, please get in the car and go before I change my mind.”  He really wanted to smack that ass, if anyone deserved an attitude adjustment, it was her.

                                                  __________________

Renee Reynolds and her daughter, Brandy continued on their way to attend a baby shower for her friend, Jeanine. Renee Reynolds was a divorced mom, who worked as an Administrative Assistant for the CEO of a small corporation in Brunswick. Brandy’s father was a loser and one of those bad boys who are so appealing when you’re young and stupid. After Brandy was born, Renee figured out they would be better off alone than with a dead weight husband, and she divorced him.

Renee made a good living. She didn’t date much because between work and being a single mom, there wasn’t a lot of time left for a social life.  She wouldn’t mind finding a man interested in her mind and character, instead of just her looks.  The man had to be willing to accept the two of them because they were a package deal, and so far she hadn’t met anyone eager to accept her terms.  She supposed she could be a little snooty and abrasive with men, but they usually deserved it.  

After the baby shower was over, Renee stayed behind to visit with Jeanine.  They chatted about everything, and Renee was about to leave when Pete walked in the door. Jeanine and Pete Martin had been married for six years, and this was their first child.  Pete was going to make a great father based on how well he got along with Brandy.  Beside her brother, he was the only male role model she had and Renee was grateful for him.

“Why aren’t there any guys like you around anymore?” Renee asked Pete.

“Oh, they’re around, none as great as me, of course, but they’re around,” he chuckled.

“Tell me where and I’ll hang out there because I sure haven’t found any of them.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I am.  I would love to find a nice guy.”

 Brandy was getting antsy and Renee said it was time to leave.  She said goodbye to Jeanine and told Pete she would be waiting for him to come up with Mr. Perfect. On the way home,  Brandy fell asleep so Renee was alone with her thoughts.  She hoped that Pete knew she wasn’t kidding about finding a nice guy.  He didn’t have to be perfect, but if he was anything like Pete, he would be perfect for them.

After Renee left, Pete asked Jeanine if she thought Renee was serious about meeting someone and if so, what about his friend, Josh.  Jeanine knew Josh through Pete, and he seemed like a stand-up guy and Renee might like him.

“Sure, why not.” Jeanine answered.

“I’ll talk to Josh and see if he’s willing, and we’ll just do a meet and greet and see how it goes, what do you think?

Pete called Josh later that night, telling him about Renee and asked if he would be interested in meeting her.  Josh was willing; he wasn’t getting any younger and now that he was settled; he was ready for a wife and family. They set up a barbecue for the following Saturday at Pete’s place.

                                        ________________________________

The following Saturday, Renee and Brandy drove to Jeanine’s.  Her car hadn’t given her any more problems, and she thought about stopping at that garage and thanking the guy.  She knew she had been bitchy to him, and he turned out to be honest and reliable. By the time she finished mulling over the idea, she realized she had missed the turn-off, so she just continued to the Martin’s.

When Renee and Brandy arrived, there was another  car in the driveway, a restored Aston Martin, so she figured Pete’s friend was already here.  She could hear voices and just walked around to the back.  Jeanine tried getting up, but her pregnancy was getting in the way.  Pete rose, took Brandy in his arms and swung her around; she squealed, and Pete’s friend turned and Renee stood open mouthed.  Pete’s friend was the mechanic that fixed her car.  They were both shocked.

“Josh Bradford, I’d like you to meet Ms. Brandy and Ms. Renee Reynolds,” Pete said.     

“Hello little Ms. Blue Eyes,” Josh said talking to Brandy. “Nice to see you again, Renee,”

“You two know each other,” Pete sputtered.

Josh explained that Renee, and her daughter had stopped by his garage last Sunday when she was having a problem with her car.

“But you’re not open on Sunday.”  Pete said.

“That’s what I tried telling her, but she didn’t take no for an answer and then sent in reinforcements.  I couldn’t turn down Ms. Blue Eyes.” Josh said.

“That’s the short version,” Renee said.  “I was quite bitchy and treated him terribly.  In fact, I thought of stopping by today on the way up to apologize and thank him, but I missed the exit.  By the way, the car’s running fine.”

“Glad to hear that and I accept the apology.  I think I still have that bump on my head.”

“I’m so sorry.  I know I can be a little high-handed.  It comes from being on my own and dealing with men who always think a sexy body means a lack of brains. When that happens,  my antenna goes up and the claws come out.  You were not exactly pleasant either.”

“Was that before or after I bumped my head?”  She laughed at his remark and offered her hand for a handshake. “Peace,” Josh took her hand and felt instant warmth.

Pete explained that he, and Josh Bradshaw grew up together and had been tinkering with cars since they built their first go cart with each other.  Pete talked about Josh’s military career and how he came back to Sumerton to take over their old hangout, and was still talking when Josh interrupted him.

“Do I get to talk,” Josh asked? Pete laughed and apologized.  “This is my first fix-up,” and Pete laughed harder.

“Is that what this is?  I thought I was just invited for a barbecue.”

After their initial standoff, Renee and Josh hit it off. They laughed and joked telling stories of Jeanine and Pete in their younger days.  When dinner was over, they helped Pete clean up while Jeanine sat with her swollen feet propped up on a chair, playing ‘old maid’ with Brandy.  They ended up all playing Monopoly until Brandy and Jeanine were ready for bed.  Pete suggested that since it was early, Josh and Renee should go out for a while.

“Are you sure you’re okay with Brandy staying here.”

“Of course, it’s okay.  You’re spending the night anyway, so as long as you don’t get rowdy and wake everyone when you come in, you’re fine, and I want you home no later than 2:00, or you’ll be sorry,” he answered trying to maintain a stern face.

Josh and Renee enjoyed themselves.  They both enjoyed dancing and singing along to the music.   They were amazed when the band called for last call. Josh realized he didn’t want the evening to end so before heading home, they decided to stop for breakfast.

“You are so different than my first impression. I’d love to see you again.  Maybe next time we could do something with Brandy, is that okay with you?”

“It’s more than okay.  I’m glad you didn’t allow your initial impression of me to stand.”

“Me too, because I have to tell you I had all I could do not to take you over my knee.  You acted like such a bitch, and I will not tolerate that sort of behavior.”

“So, you said.  That’s really some old-fashioned thinking, for such young a man.”

                                                                                                                                 

“Call me a throwback but I think when something works it never goes out of style, just like this old Aston Martin.

“You might be right; I know you are about this car.  You’ve done a beautiful job of restoring her.”

“Thanks. “So, after my disclosure, do you still want to date me, because consent to one is consent to the other?”

“I guess I will just have to be on my best behavior with you.”

“Not just me, but with others, especially when Brandy is around.  Otherwise, you’re setting a bad example.” 

Renee said that as long as he was laying all his cards on the table, she would do the same.  She was tired of being single and was looking for someone to love and who loved her and Brandy. Parenting was hard work, and she felt bad Brandy was missing out on not having a daddy in her life.

“If you’re interested in a long-term relationship, then the answer is yes.  If you’re not, we will be friends and bump into each other at the Martin’s.”

By the time they pulled into the Martin’s driveway, it was well after 3:00am.  The front porch light was on and when Josh walked Renee to the door, he wondered if Pete would be up waiting for her.  He laughed to himself, and she asked what was funny.

“I was thinking what Pete told us to be home by 2:00, it is way past that.”

“So, we broke curfew; we're in trouble.  I hope he’s not in there with a shotgun,” she laughed.  Josh delivered a slap on her bottom and pushed her in the door.

“Ooohh, it’s starting already, and we haven’t even made another date,” Renee said with a giggle.

Josh smacked her butt again.  “You two, knock it off out there,” they heard Pete say.

                                     ______________________________

Renee and Josh had several dates over the next couple of weeks, some including Brandy, some not.  Josh began thinking of them as his family; it was a good feeling.  It was nice to be concerned about someone other than himself.  Sunday was now family day and he no longer spent Sundays alone in the garage, that was reserved for Mondays; he didn’t mind.

Renee’s overall bitchiness seemed to have disappeared.  Josh didn’t know the reason and didn’t care, but he liked her much better this way.  She was still a little bossy but most of the time Josh would raise an eyebrow, and she would tone down her words or manner. When they were alone, he would swat her bottom.  The first real spanking occurred one evening when Josh was picking up Renee and Brandy to take them to dinner.  Renee had a particularly long, tiresome workday, and Brandy was acting as five-year olds often do. Brandy was a real chatty and kept interrupting Renee while she was trying to talk to Josh.  Renee told her to wait until she was finished talking and then Brandy could talk. Brandy, being five years old, couldn’t wait. 

“Brandy, I told you to be quiet and wait.  Now I’m not telling you again,” she said in a raised tone of voice.

Josh put his hand on her knee to calm her down. 

Brandy started talking and Renee turned to Brandy in the back seat and screamed.

Goddammit, Brandy.  That’s enough, now I don’t want to hear your voice again and when we get home you’re going straight to bed.  Do you hear me?” Brandy started crying.

Josh nicely told Renee to stop. 

“Don’t you tell me to stop. Brandy is the one that needs to stop.”

“Renee, I’m asking you nicely to knock it off, you’re the adult.”

“Go to hell, I’ll do what I want.  You are not my keeper.”

The minute the words were out of her mouth she knew she had gone too far by the look on his face.  Brandy was still crying and Josh tried to soothe her feelings.  Renee tried making amends to them both. She told Brandy she was sorry, explaining that she had a bad day at work.  Brandy stopped sobbing and Renee turned to Josh.  His stony face said it all. 

“I’m sorry.  It was a bad day and I am overwrought,” she told him.

“We’ll talk about it later,” he told her.

He stopped at his favorite Italian restaurant. He knew that pizza was on the top of Brandy’s food list and he loved their Veal Parmesan.  He ordered a carafe of their house wine to go along with dinner.

“Thank you, I really need this,” Renee told him.

“That’s not all you need,” he responded. She suddenly felt like she was ten years old again who had to bring home a note from the teacher.  She watched and listened to Brandy chatting away and Josh was listening intently to the happenings of Happy Days Day Care.  She wished she had listened earlier and she wouldn’t be in trouble now.  She had to give it to Josh, she knew he was upset but he wasn’t letting it ruin their dinner and she was sure Brandy was none the wiser of the trouble that she had caused, thank goodness.

Dinner was over, they stopped for ice cream and when they got home, Renee started running a bath for Brandy.  Josh turned on the television as Renee got Brandy ready for bed.  Brandy wanted them both to read her a story.  She was asleep the third time through the story. 

Josh and Renee walked to the living room.  He sat down, and widened his legs for her to stand between them.  He reached for and held her hands.

“You know what has to happen to get past today’s incident, don’t you, asked Josh?

“I think so.”

“Either you do or you don’t. Which is it?  Look at me.”

“You’re going to spank me, aren’t you?”

“You better believe it and I want you to tell me why you’re getting this spanking.”

“I was really bitchy to Brandy and…”

“And?”

“And I disrespected you by yelling at you in front of Brandy.”

“Okay, so do you agree that you deserve this spanking?”

Renee stood there looking down at the floor.

“Look at me, Renee. I’m waiting for an answer.” She couldn’t seem to raise her head.

“Renee, look at me.”  She raised her head but her eyes were focused elsewhere.

“Renee!”  Her eyes reacted to the tone of his voice and she finally looked at him and shook her head.

“Okay, then, let’s get started.  Lay down over my lap.”

Renee did so with some help from Josh.  He made sure she was comfortable, and the effort wasn’t wasted on Renee.  Although this was serious, she chuckled to herself.

She still had on her work clothes of an a-line skirt and blouse.  He raised her skirt and admired her round bottom encased in a pair of pink lacy bikinis.  His palm rested on her backside.

                                                              

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, let’s get this over with.”

“Giving me lip while you’re already over my knee is not very smart,’ he told her as his hand delivered the first slap. She jumped when his palm landed the second time.  The third spank came down in the same spot and she winced.  He stopped and let the sting take over before he began again.  When he did, he delivered a cadence of staccato spanks, one after another with no break.  He watched her bum flatten and bounce back with each smack and it was a lovely shade of rose on the areas not covered by her pink bikinis.  He thought that was enough for her first spanking, and he stopped.  He continued to rest his hand on her back for a few moments before releasing her from his lap. When he pulled her up, he arranged her on his lap.

“Are we alright?” he asked her.

“Am I forgiven?”

“Yes, it’s over, I forgive you and your slate is clean.”

She stood up and tried rubbing some of the sting out of her behind.  Before her skirt fluttered down over her punished bum, Josh reached over and kissed both cheeks.

‘I’d much rather be doing that than spanking.  Well, that’s not exactly true; your tush is lovely to look at and seeing it over my knee; things happe…  Renee reached down and found just what he was talking about.

“So my pain is your pleasure.”

“Well, it could be both.”  He brought her to him and snarked his fingers into her panties. She was very wet.  He brought his fingers to his lips and licked them clean.

“I think the proof is in the fingers,” and he threw his head back and laughed.  Seconds later, she joined him in laughter as he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.