A/N: Everyone who reviewed chapter one is still reviewing every chapter consistently—I am a blessed writer, and you guys are the best.
Frank stood fully dressed in front of the mirror the next morning, inspecting his shaving job. He'd hoped that Nancy would have come to him the previous night. He'd texted her and asked for a meeting. She'd never responded. She couldn't use the case as an excuse; obviously, if her boss had thought Pasha was important enough for twenty-four hour surveillance, he would have given Nancy a partner or two. She had to sleep.
Joe returned to the room with a breakfast sandwich for Frank and two coffees.
"We have to go to the event this morning, Frank, and I've already signed us up," Joe said cheerfully, feigning nonchalance but exuding a strong undercurrent of excitement. "Ana and Pasha are both enrolled, they won't be in their rooms, so we have to go to keep an eye on them. And, since we're going to the morning event, policy requires us to attend the following event as well, to spoil the ladies we've just spanked."
"Too bad we have to go. Since we've obviously got no choice." Frank finished toweling off and grabbed one of Joe's forearms. Joe's hand shook slightly from caffeine. "What number cup of coffee is that?"
"Oh, uh…I wanted to go for an early run—"
"I saw you sneak out before the sun came up, Joe. Barefoot with PJs on."
Joe looked cautiously at Frank, and relaxed when he saw the mirth in Frank's eyes. "Brother, I have tasted of the fruit and it is good!" Joe exclaimed. "My glutes have had time to recover, for I now have several hours' experience as a Top. My first couple of performances were none too stellar, but by the end, the ladies were lining up waiting their turn. To go over my lap!"
Frank laughed, sipping his coffee. "I'm glad you've found Nirvana, Joe, but it's also a good thing one of us was focused on the case. I just finished listening to the recording bug in Ana's room, fast forwarding the silent sections. The only exciting news is that she fell asleep at 5:00, woke up at 9:30, and she's getting ready for the event now."
"Nothing from either bug?" Joe asked in disappointment. "Did you double check?"
"Yes, I did, and still nothing, so our painful efforts at bugging her tarot card table last night—plus your double efforts to get it back—were for naught." Frank sighed and sat on the bed, putting on his shoes. "So either nothing is going on or she and Pasha find other ways to communicate. Or the two of them have a third person involved, or they're not involved with each other and each has their own minions. And I'll need seventeen showers to try to wash away those sound effects I had to listen to for hours."
"Her bedroom door didn't open while I was on the sixth floor. From what I hear, her play date schedule was booked all night so I couldn't have gotten in anyway," Joe commented.
"Too bad, I missed another audio of you and our subject," Frank said with a wink.
The brothers heard a knock and Joe opened the hotel room door.
"Faculty meeting right now, guys," Headmaster Cane said to them, tossing two vests onto Frank's bed. "It's in the conference center. The girls will be there in twenty minutes, so hurry." He left and continued down the hallway.
Frank and Joe each grabbed a red vest and buttoned them over their white shirts. Frank swallowed his sandwich in four bites and grabbed his room key. "Let's take the stairs so you can explain to me what in hay we're about to do."
Joe followed his brother into the empty stairwell. "It's conservative Catholic school, so bring your strictest attitude. About fifty girls gather for a big session, then split up for four rotating 'classes' that meet in each corner of the conference center…yeah, it's all a big fat excuse for us to find reasons to spank them when they misbehave. Then we gather again for benediction and some kind of a final punishment."
"Nice," Frank commented. The brothers exited the stairwell and walked through the casino. "And what are our roles, exactly?"
Joe smirked. "Most of us are hall monitors."
Frank rolled his eyes but grinned good-naturedly.
Joe put a hand up to stop him just outside the double doors. "Nancy and I talked a few hours ago. Men are teachers, women are the students, and Nancy pulled some strings to make sure she's in the same classes as Ana. In exchange for her trailing our subject, we need to try our best to keep an eye on Pasha for her."
"Makes sense." Frank gave Joe a hesitant look. "You and Nancy…talked."
A crease of confusion formed between Joe's eyebrows, and then cleared. "Frank," Joe drawled slowly, feigning innocence. "Do you have a question for me?"
"You better not make me ask it, Joseph."
"And you'd better not refer to me by my full name, thereby reminding me of Mom right when I need to satisfy the upturned ladies. No, Nancy did not grace my lap last night, although she might have been one of the girls waiting for hours that I didn't get to. I couldn't see the end of the line- it snaked around too many corners." Joe punched Frank's shoulder, dodged a returning punch, and entered the conference center.
Frank arrived at the cluster of about fifteen men, all ages, who were gathered at the front of the hall. "This event is for the ladies, not us, and any enjoyment we get out of it is simply a side benefit," Headmaster Cane was announcing. "Women come in a variety of ages, appearances, and sizes, so bow out now if you're unwilling to try to please any woman who happens to be over your lap."
There was a brief pause, and no one said anything. Frank nudged Joe, pointing to a table of plastic name badges, and they quickly filled theirs out and pinned them to their shirts.
"Good," the headmaster continued. "We have our four teachers selected, plus our four Monsignors who will be sitting in each of the four separate punishment rooms in the corners. We need volunteers for classroom aides, plus Monsignor aides who will pull the girls out of class and bring them to the Monsignors for punishment."
Frank tried to absorb this onslaught of information while another man spoke up. His Russian accent turned Frank's attention back to the case.
"And the Head Boy will be my assistant," Pasha said. He wore Monsignor vestments.
At this announcement several men quickly volunteered. Frank glanced at Joe and both brothers raised their hands as well.
"Throw your name badges in a hat and draw one," Headmaster Cane said in minor irritation, distracted. "Most of the girls are already lined up."
Frank and Joe threw their badges into the hat, and Frank was pleased but nervous when he saw his own name drawn. The rest of the men worked out who would be assigned to the rest of the roles. Frank suddenly realized that Joe was nowhere to be found.
Pasha motioned for Frank to join him along the side of the auditorium. He made a show of pinning a gaudy "Head Boy" button onto Frank's vest. "We're in Room Two behind us, so you'll be pulling the girls out of Class Two one by one to meet with me. If there are twelve girls in each class, and each class is thirty minutes, you see how we'll have to keep it moving. Two to three minutes per girl."
Frank shifted uncomfortably. "And what should my role be…when we're in the back room?"
Pasha looked at Frank sharply, as if seeing him for the first time, and he slowly released a low belly laugh. "Good God, you're a green boy who volunteered for Head Boy," he mused, shaking his head. "I'll take care of most of the girls. Just stand there and make disapproving remarks like the girls are in trouble, play along. My palm is pretty good but it can ache after a while so I'll give some girls to you when I get tired."
Frank wished he'd had Joe's foresight to get experience before now.
The double doors were opened and the conference center filled with females. One observation stuck out prominently: they were all in uniform. Short, plaid skirts were universal, and some girls had pigtails and creative knee-high stockings. Sweaters varied. Frank unexpectedly found himself wondering what kinds of panties the girls had on underneath.
All kinds, he quickly found out, as some girls immediately engaged in naughty behaviors and needed to be disciplined as soon as they came in the door. Aides passed out class rosters while Headmaster Cane dolefully read scriptures on female submission and the benefits of the rod of correction. Just before breaking up into classes, several girls had to have their skirts pinned to the back of their shirts in shame for wearing out-of-compliance panties.
Joe walked toward Frank in full priest regalia.
"Now I've seen everything," Frank said.
"Class Roster Two in this corner, ladies, those signed up for choir practice are over here," Joe called, holding his arms wide like a loving benefactor. Then, as an aside to Frank, "Sister Pats and I are holding class in this corner, which means you'll be pulling out girls from our class for private punishment. And you haven't seen anything yet."
Frank looked over to Joe's teaching partner. The woman from registration last night was now a sour-faced nun passing out choir booklets. A female Top. She wasted no time. "Father will need a volunteer."
Joe's face lit up like Christmas morning when a petite brunette shyly volunteered. He sat down and guided her over his lap, using one hand to conduct choir and the other hand to keep the beat. The young woman kicked her feet playfully when she realized that her role was to be Joe's human metronome.
Frank was beginning to worry that Joe had completely forgotten that they were on a case. Pasha tapped him on the shoulder and retreated into the side room.
Taking his cue, Frank decided to start with the woman closest to him and work his way around the classroom circle. "Monsignor needs to see you in his office," he said, so gravely that she giggled in delight. He guided her firmly by the elbow and led her into Pasha's office, feeling a bit like a pimp.
"Thank you for bringing me our most mischievous student first, Head Boy," Pasha said somberly. "I've heard a horrible report that a band of girls snuck out of our esteemed boarding school last night to go to a club and drink the Sweet Nectar of Satan. When we find out who the ringleader is, she will pay dearly. What made you suspect this woman, Head Boy?"
Frank thought quickly. "I, uhhh…I found her fake ID."
The woman giggled again, enjoying her role.
"So you find this humorous? Oh, no," Pasha said, shaking his head in mock sorrow. "Come over my lap for your lesson."
And she eagerly bent over a perfect stranger's lap, squealing "ow!" at the repeated attentions of his heavy hand. Frank had never felt so awkward in his life.
And then, with one final verbal chastisement, it was over and Frank led her sternly back to class. The unusual scene repeated itself several times with the next women, and Frank had almost adjusted to this new normal by the time the class rotated.
The second round of girls replaced Joe and Sister Pats's class, and this next class was rowdier than the first. Frank saw with relief that Nancy and Ana were partnered together in it, and Nancy seemed to be keeping a careful but unobtrusive eye on her.
"Father needs a volunteer," Sister Pats announced to this new class.
Nancy raised her hand.
Frank's breath caught. Nancy certainly hadn't been shy in participating this weekend, but she had no idea what she'd just volunteered for. He turned sharply to Joe.
But Joe didn't miss a beat. "Rub my shoulders, darling," he said to her. "Everyone stand in a circle and rub the shoulders of the person in front of you to warm up for choir."
Frank gave Joe a small nod of gratitude before he felt something wet and sticky splat against his cheek. He touched his face and looked at his hand. It was a tiny wadded-up piece of the choir booklet, bathed in saliva.
"Who has done this?" Pasha demanded, appearing behind Frank. "Who has dared to shoot a spitball at our esteemed Head Boy?"
"Me. What will you do about it?" A redhead was answering Pasha's question, but her eyes were only for Frank as she saucily dared him with her eyes. Appropriately enough, her name tag read Blaze.
"Unacceptable. Since you have been offended, Head Boy, you will deliver her punishment. I will bring her to you." Pasha moved to detain the student. Joe laughed aloud and Frank shot him a murderous look. Frank retreated into the side room and in short order found a woman over his lap, skirts pulled up.
Frank swallowed the surreal feelings and lightly tapped her, afraid that he would hurt her. Blaze responding by questioning various aspects of his masculinity. Frank mentally debated with himself.
She wore Batman underpants, clearly in violation of policy. She was not a size that Cosmopolitan magazine would allow on their front page, but perhaps that offered her extra padding, and would also help him with his aim. Frank swatted harder and found that he enjoyed the sharp slapping sound his hand made. From her response, she obviously enjoyed it as well.
When Frank returned her to class, Blaze impulsively threw her arms around his neck in a quick post-scene hug before once again taking her seat. Frank grinned and felt the classic Hardy blush creep up his neck and head for his cheeks and ears. When he turned to select another student, his eyes met Nancy's.
Nancy was staring at him, eyes narrowed, the line of her jaw tight. She immediately looked away and made a futile show of focusing on the choir booklet in her lap.
Nonplussed, Frank tapped a woman sitting in front of him. She followed his prompt and grabbed her purse, hurrying to keep up as Frank took long strides back to the private room. It wasn't until Frank had closed the door behind the new student that he realized that Nancy had been jealous. A small smile lifted one corner of his mouth.
Pasha had finished his usual speech and the spanking was half over before Frank realized with a start that he was quite familiar with that voice. He mentally berated himself for losing sight of the case, trying to bring his focus back as Ana stood up and smoothed her skirt down, giggling familiarly with him.
"Did you roll me those cigarettes, love?" Pasha asked her. "It's the least you could do to atone for your sins. If you are the ringleader of the girls who went to the nightclub, you will be punished indeed."
"Yes, I did get you those cancer sticks, and I saved you eight dollars plus tax." Ana pulled out a lighter and a plain, small cardboard box from her purse. She dropped them into Pasha's coat pocket, which was leaning over the back of a chair. "You going to be a big boy for me this afternoon?"
"I love it when you tell me whoppers." Pasha gave her a final light swat.
Frank was on her heels as she returned to class. His adrenaline high, he approached Joe, knowing he had to think fast. The choir was in the middle of a song. "Call Pasha out here in a minute," he said to Joe in a low voice. Joe continued to sing, Blaze now over his lap to keep the beat, and spared Frank the barest of glances to confirm acknowledgement.
Frank knew exactly who needed punishment next. He approached his wife and gently closed her choir book. "You've broken the rules," he said quietly to her. "You snuck out in the middle of the night."
Nancy returned his look, sending a clear signal that she was aware of the double meaning of his words. She paused for a moment before following him.
Pasha had the opposite door open, smoking a cigarette outside on the casino's first floor porch. He turned distractedly at Frank and Nancy's entrance. "That one's trouble," he said to Frank, gesturing to Nancy. "Take care of her for me, Head Boy." He took two more quick puffs.
Frank and Nancy looked at each other, him more discomfited than her. He sat down and she climbed over him. She wore white regulation panties and lay still, silent, submissive. She's beautiful from every angle, Frank thought. The last time Frank had seen Nancy in a state of undress had been over two years ago, with the intent of spending the rest of his life with her, and now she lay over his lap at a kinky weekend with her subject casually looking on. He hesitated, raising a hand.
The threesome suddenly heard shrieks coming from the other side of the door. The door opened abruptly, and Joe stuck his head in, priestly garb dragging on the floor. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Monsignor, but we've got a mutiny going on out here," Joe said in disgust, holding two women by their elbows. "I can't hold class. This is intolerable. We need to make an example out of these two in front of the other girls."
Pasha cursed under his breath and snuffed out his cigarette in the sand in the outside ash tray, taking the cigarette with him when leaving to quell the riot.
Frank gratefully and gently helped Nancy off his lap. "Ana gave Pasha a pack of rolled cigarettes before she left just now," he explained to her as he moved to Pasha's coat to examine them. "It just seemed weird."
Nancy joined him and inspected the lighter, returning it to the coat pocket once they both determined that there was nothing out of the ordinary. Frank carefully opened the pack of cigarettes, scanning the small brown box, then tilting the cigarettes halfway out of the pack to inspect each one.
"I don't see anything unusual," Frank said slowly as he turned the cigarettes to different angles.
Nancy suddenly gripped his arm. She pushed the cigarettes back into the pack and closed the lid. "He's smoking it," she said urgently. "Frank, there's something special about the cigarette he's smoking right now. We have to stop him before he smokes the rest of it."
