Linda's cousins (M/F story)

Linda rolled her eyes as she entered the mall, followed closely by the giggling girls. Today, she had to join her two 18-year-old cousins on a shopping trip. The twins Vicky and Melissa were petite blondes with ponytails and blue doe eyes. They were usually kind and friendly, but incredibly annoying! They giggled and chatted constantly, and they could ask ten or fifteen questions in a few seconds without waiting for a response. In addition, they were unbelievably stupid. Linda did not cherish the thought of having to spend the whole day with them.

For several hours, Linda walked around the mall with the twins trailing behind her, with their bothersome giggling and whispering in her ears. They talked non-stop, and never about anything that was remotely interesting or worth listening to. She grew tired of hearing it, but she knew from experience that it wouldn't help to say anything to them. They would only snicker even louder and find something even stupider to talk about.

They had been to a makeup store and a couple of clothes shops, and were heading to a cosy little café, where Linda could finally get a coffee, but the twins HAD to pop into an electronics store on the way. They entered the shop, and Linda's heart skipped a beat as she glanced at the sign hanging on the wall – "Shoplifters will be spanked." She knew it was the owner himself who'd hung it there. The rumours said that young women were in grave danger of a sound thrashing if they suffered from sticky fingers, but to her great disappointment, Linda had never seen anyone end up over his lap. She sighed – it would have been so lovely to see someone being spanked here!

She looked over at her two cousins, bending over to stare at an air fryer and trying to work out what it was, and she smiled as an evil thought struck her. Maybe this shopping trip would be more fun than she had expected…

The new butler (M/FF story)

Lady Lenora smiled at me at I sat down in her office. The slim, red-headed noblewoman was only in her mid-twenties, but she had a powerful, graceful dignity – the result of the centuries of noble blood that flowed in her veins, strengthened by her having to assume the title at such a young age. "So, Steven," she said, "You've applied to the position of butler?"

I nodded. "That's right, your Ladyship."

Sitting down behind her desk, she glanced at the papers I'd handed her as I arrived. "Your credentials are excellent. This employment history is very impressive., and I've heard good things about you." I thanked her for the compliment, and she asked some questions about my previous employers. I answered those that propriety allowed me to answer, and she seemed pleased with our discussion. I had a feeling I was likely to get the job – which was fortunate. Lady Lenora was known for paying well.

After a few minutes, she changed the subject. "Some of the maids in this manor can be quite mischievous at times, and I want to make sure that you are going to be able to handle them." I assured her that it would not be a problem, but she seemed unconvinced. "Let me ask you a direct question, then. Are you prepared to use corporal punishment?"

I raised an eyebrow at this unusual suggestion. "I suppose, but would it not be more appropriate for the housekeeper to handle such matters?"

She shook her head. "My housekeeper is very good at her job, but I can assure you that there are some young women in this house that need the firm, unyielding hand of a man. Which my housekeeper is not."

It seemed an odd proposal, but then again, her family had always been eccentric. Her grandfather, for example, had ordered the local priest to excommunicate an oak tree he particularly disliked. Many of her family members would probably have ended up in institutions if it hadn't been for their money and title. By comparison, Lady Lenora's request was quite harmless.

"Will I have some leeway in how harsh the punishments are, and what they are meted out for?"

She nodded. "I have no wish to make those decisions myself. I'll leave it in your hands, as long as you get results."

"Then yes, I am prepared to do that," I said.

"Excellent," she said with a warm smile. She then rose to her feet. "Now, could you please follow me?"