Ryan tells a different story

This story begins back here.

I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. Sue and I both turned to stare at Allie in shock. Sue found her voice first. “You stole Ryan’s car? Ryan was mad enough to spank you and felt he need time to calm down before he did so and you stole his car?? Please tell me I heard you wrong.”

I could only stare at her in shock. Not only was she dealing with a super angry boyfriend over not telling where she had been the night before, she had taken his prize possession. Ryan really didn’t even like Allie driving his car around town when she occasionally needed it. Freshmen weren’t allowed car so at times she did drive his. When she did she was subject to listening to a list of do’s and don’ts that could rival Tom’s lists when I traveled with the girls.

“I didn’t steal it!” Allie was insisting, “It’s not like I’m not giving it back. But I needed to get out and the keys were right there in the bowl by the door and … and … well…” her voice trailed off as she realized that she had no defense.

I had been fairly sure I could convince Ryan he had over reacted and I was planning to do my best to talk him out of spanking her but I quickly lost faith in my ability to do that. I had been in her shoes a time or two when I was a newlywed, leaving without telling Tom so that I could avoid a spanking, but never had I left Tom without transportation of some kind. I didn’t want to think it, but I had a feeling Allie had sealed her fate.

I glance at my watch and realized it was after 1:30. “Allie, you need to call Ryan and I have to call Tom or I’m going to be in trouble. Ryan may have already called him. Child, you are going to have to come home now. You don’t have any choice.” Allie’s look was beginning to change from anger to remorse and she nodded at me.

I dialed Tom. He answered with, “It’s about time you called girl. Now where do you and Sue have Allie stashed?” For some reason that made me mad. How does that man know everything?

“What makes you thing we have Allie?” I demanded.

Tom had sounded a amused when he asked where we had Allie but he sounded totally serious as he said “Are you going to lie to me Cassie?”

I’m no fool I wasn’t about to lie about something he was obviously going to find out about, but I couldn’t help snapping, “I didn’t say we didn’t have her I just asked what make you think that!”

Tom laughed again. “Ryan realized it as soon as he hung up from talking to you. He said the minute he told you Allie was gone and you didn’t go into hysterics and insist he call 911 he should have known you knew exactly where she was.” Another man in my life who can read me too well, just what I need. “Steve and I went and got Ryan and we’re all waiting here at the house.”

That sounded like an ominous grouping to me. I don’t know why I was feeling guilty, I hadn’t done anything wrong, but I felt uneasy just the same. “We’ll be home in about 20 minutes.” I told him. “But you better calm Ryan down. He started this. Allie didn’t do anything wrong until he scared her. You need to tell him he has no business even thinking of spanking Allie, and I mean it.”

“We’ll expect you in 20 minutes.” Was all Tom said before hanging up. Well, I’d done my best.

I rode back with Allie. I tried to find something to say to comfort her but I was pretty sure she would be sitting uncomfortably before the day was out. However, I was going to try to change his mind.

All three men came out as we pulled up beside Sue. Allie went straight to Ryan and handed him his keys. He gave her a hug and said “I think we need to do some talking.”

“That’s exactly what we need to do.” I chimed in. “I’d like to have a word with you, please.” I breezed on into the house knowing everyone would follow. I figured an attack was the best way to proceed. “Shame on you.” I said shaking my finger at Ryan. “You were being totally unfair to Allie! You scared her into taking your car. I warned you about being too bossy! If she chooses to spend the night with a girlfriend she doesn’t have to clear it through you! And the very ideas of letting her friends know you spank her. Ryan that is unforgivable! I think you owe the girl an apology”

“Cassie, I think that…” Tom began. But I rushed on.

“Now don’t you defend him. You’re the cause of him being so bossy in the first place.”

Allie was standing beside Ryan looking decidedly guilty while Ryan was looking more and more confused. He turned to Allie, “What in the world did you tell them?” he wanted to know.

“Well… I just said… umm, well…” Allie seemed to have lost the ability to form complete sentences. Ryan took my hand and led me to the living room.

“Last night,” he began as we were seated “Allie didn’t ‘spend the night with a friend’ she went to one of those drunken frat parties. Drank enough to throw up all over the place and then left with some girls she barely knew just before the cops got there to break up the party. I’d been looking for her since early this morning when news of the party was being spread all over campus. I talked to some folk that were there. I finally found someone who knew who Allie left with and I went to pick her up.” He looked at Allie in confusion, “I never said one single word about spanking anyone. All I said was she was coming back to the condo because we needed to talk.”

Every eye turned to Allie. I could feel that the child wanted to sink through the floor. But as what Ryan said sunk in – and I knew without a doubt every word he spoke was the truth – my anger began rising rapidly.

“Allie Marie, you lied to me! How could you. Now you tell me exactly what happened.”

“I didn’t lie Cassie, honest I didn’t. I didn’t want you to be mad at me so I just didn’t tell everything exactly…” her voice trailed off.

“Didn’t lie?” I stormed. “Not telling me the complete truth is the same as…”

I stopped as I felt a sharp nudge in my back. Shifting to look I saw Sue, who was sitting behind me, poking me with her foot. Grinning at me she said “You don’t want to finish that sentence Cassie.”

“Whose side are you on?” I snapped.

“I’m on Allie’s.” She told us calmly “But I’m telling you to shut-up.”

I looked back to see Tom nodding. “I believe you told Ryan you hadn’t heard from Allie when he called you earlier today. Was that the truth?”

“That wasn’t what he asked me.” I stated coolly. “He asked if she had called this morning and she hadn’t. So there.”

“You hadn’t heard from her when I first talked to you?” Ryan wanted to know.

I didn’t answer and as the silence grew Sue piped up. “She didn’t call Cassie this morning. It was after twelve.” Laughing Sue added to me, “I told you to shut-up!”

“Now I’m beginning to see whose Allie teacher is.” Ryan told me. I didn’t know what else to say so I took Sue’s advice.

Ryan turned his attention to Allie. “I think you deserve to have your butt worn out. But if the idea of that turns you into a runaway and a car thief maybe it’s not what we should be doing.” Allie looked startled. “You need to decide.” He continued, “It’s okay if you decide against it. It’s not going to break us up or anything but, well, you have to decide. And whatever you decide you can’t run away again.”

Allie sat there for what seemed like a long time looking at her hands. When she spoke it was very quiet as she answered Ryan. “I think you should spank me.” She said slowly. “I’m really, really sorry for everything. I won’t ever run away like that again.”

“We can handle it some other way.” He told her, “Are you sure?”

Allie turned to look at me and Sue. “I’m sure.” she answered, “I want what they have.”

You won’t believe how that affected me. I felt myself begin to cry and most shocking I saw Sue was crying too. Sue doesn’t cry.

“Well okay then.” Ryan told her, “Let’s go.”

Ryan left his car at our house and he and Allie walked toward Sue and Steve’s guest house, Ryan’s home when he’s not in school. Sue and Steve left without a word; I noticed that they were holding hands.

I was touched by what Allie had said, I was angry with her for lying to me, I was worried about how hard Ryan might spank her, I was scared and worried about what she had done the night before… I was a basket case. Thankfully I have someone that knows how to handle basket cases. Tom sat and pulled me down to sit on his lap. He just wrapped his arms around me and let me cry into his shirt.

“She’s going to be fine.” He told me soothingly and rubbed my back. “He’ll make sure she doesn’t do anything like that again. And, no, he won’t be too hard on her.” He added as I started to speak. I sighed and sank back down in Tom lap.

“I hope you’re right.”

“I am.” He said firmly. “Now, let’s talk about your actions today…”





There’s more to come.