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“Ican’t raise Penny. I’ve left message after message. I’m going to have to go round there and check on her,” Allie said.
“Tom, leave your sister alone, she said she didn’t want to play Star Wars, and hitting her with your light sabre is not going to get her to change her mind!” Jack shooed their squabbling children out of the kitchen and turned to his wife. “Leave Penny alone, she needs to recover from jetlag and whatever bee she has in her bonnet.”
“I really don’t think it’s that. Remember I told you about those photographs she has,” Allie replied as she stacked the dishwasher.
“Photoshopped, I expect,” Jack said.
“No, why would she even do that? You don’t listen. I already told you they look real... For goodness’ sake, can’t you rinse the plates properly before you hand them to me!” she snapped.
He landed a stinging slap to her behind, which brought her to her toes.
“Jack, the children!” she hissed at him.
“They are in the living room. You don’t get away with talking to me like that. What do you say?”
“I say you don’t get to spank me out of the bedroom!” she retaliated crossly.
He reached over her and took the plate she held, setting it aside. Taking her wrist, he pulled her along with him.
“Jack! Jack, what are you doing?” she asked quietly. He knew she didn’t want to alarm the children.
“Taking you to the bedroom,” he replied firmly.
“No. The children are still up and awake!” she said in a panic.
“I don’t care... children!” he bellowed.
“Yes, Daddy?” Lucy answered.
“Mummy and I are going upstairs to talk, okay?” he told them.
“Okay.” Lucy’s voice floated up the stairs after them.
He closed the door behind them and pointed to the far corner of their room.
“Go stand in the corner and face the wall. You will reflect on how to talk to me with respect,” he growled.
“Or what?” she asked, staying where she was and looking mulish.
It took two strides to stand in front of her, invading her space. “Or, once the children are abed I’ll turn your backside so red, you’ll need to sleep on your stomach tonight.”
“I’ll have you know...” she began belligerently.
He continued as if she hadn’t tried to interrupt. “You know what, hon? You think you’re so clever at hiding your inclinations from me, but I see what you’re reading on that Kindle of yours. You want a man to stand up to you? Well, guess what, you got him. Now go stand in that corner, right now!”
No one could have been more amazed than he was when his wife obeyed. Jack had been waiting for just the right moment to test out his theory that Allie was reading this dominant male stuff because she wanted him to step up into the role of head of the house. It appeared he had his answer; she did. That suited him.
He wasn’t a chauvinist. He believed in sharing the tasks around the home and family equally between them. Allie could be waspish and spiteful on occasion, but he was damned if he was going to allow disrespect to slip into their relationship and poison it the way so many of their friends and acquaintances had. So many marriages ended in divorce and he didn’t want that to happen to them.
There was a rattle at the door, and he went and opened it a crack. The children stood there.
“I’ll be with you in a tick, go and clean your teeth,” he told them, gently closing the door. “I’m going to sort the kids out, get them ready for bed.”
“Should I come and help?” she asked.
“No. Stay put in that corner until I come back. If I think you’ve moved from there, you will be in serious trouble,” he told his wife and exited the room.
With the children bathed and bedded, Jack returned to check on his wife. He opened the door quietly; she was where he’d left her. Stealthily he moved to stand behind her.
