Personal Shopper Page 2

  He knew there were scores of women surfing the Internet chat rooms who'd consider him a find, but he didn't want someone completely savvy to the "scene." Max had dated a number of them and enjoyed spanking their eagerly offered bottoms. But he was a traditionalist and wanted to find someone through normal dating channels. Unfortunately, they were all turning into dead ends.

  But Max Greenway was an optimist. Somewhere, he thought, there must be a woman out there - the perfect woman he could claim, guide and love forever.

  Chapter Two

  Laura pulled up to the front of Little Friends Day School fifteen minutes before the end of the school day, giving herself enough time to go by the office and speak with the finance director. In the past, the small private school had been accommodating, even though they'd not been happy about it.

  As she walked up the steps she practiced what she'd say. She'd tell them what had happened with Mrs. Tighlman, that she'd intended to have at least part of the money today. Now all of it would have to wait, but she would have it, she would. Just next week if they'd be so kind to wait. She was just having problems right now and Evan's father had not followed through on his promise to pay....

  Mrs. Beale, the finance director, didn't smile when Laura walked in. "I was going to call you today," she said, adjusting her glasses across the bridge of her beak-line nose.

  Laura sat down in the chair across from the desk and took a deep breath. "Yes, I know," she said. "I know Evan's tuition is way past due, but his father promised to pay and then today a client postponed paying me until next week..." The words gushed out, making her sound far more desperate and far less composed than she'd intended. "...and if you can just wait until next week I'll be able to have most of it."

  But Mrs. Beale was shaking her head. "I'd love to extend the deadline for you, I really would, Laura. But I just can't. We have to have $1,000 in tuition by five o'clock this afternoon to keep Evan enrolled."

  "Today?" Laura looked puzzled. "That' can't be! I thought it was Friday!" She put her head in her hands. "Oh God."

  "I'm sorry, Laura," said Mrs. Beale. "I don't like being in this position. I wish we could offer your son a scholarship, but with budget cuts this year, we can't. I'm sure you can get him in P.S. 41 very easily."

  Laura looked up in anger. P.S. 41 was notorious for being a substandard school. Besides that, it was in a dangerous part of town. The idea of Evan going there was unthinkable. In fact, it made her angry. Then - suddenly - she realized she had a way out.

  "Evan won't be going to P.S. 41," she snapped. "My son is staying right here." Laura fumbled through the purse in her lap until she found what she was looking for - ten crisp one hundred dollar bills.

  "Here," she said, thrusting the money to a shocked Mrs. Beale. "And I'd like a receipt."

  ***

  Evan was a chatterbox on the way home, but Laura could barely hear him through her fog of worry. She couldn't believe what she'd done.

  "....and she said I was brilliant as Joseph. There's an Easter play in April," Evan was saying. "So maybe you won't have to shop."

  She felt her pain compounded. Not only had she missed Evan's Christmas play, she was even too distracted to listen to what he was saying about it."

  "Of course I will," she said woodenly.

  She sighed as she pulled into the bank parking lot and pulled it out - her emergency, high-interest credit card, the only card she had left in both her and her estranged husband's name. It was what they had always called their escape-hatch card, the plastic they would only use as a last resort, so much a last resort that neither of them had thought to cancel it after their parting. She'd known when she used Max Greenway's cash at the school that she could pull cash off this card immediately, so that was not really what was bothering her. The fact was that the interest rate would kill her and that Clay would probably not help her pay it back, but she'd deal with that later. The school didn't take credit cards, or she would have used it there.

  The ATM sucked the card in and Laura entered the information on the keypad and waited. At first, she thought she was misreading the "funds unavailable" message that appeared on the screen. "Would you like to make another transaction?" the ATM prompted.

  "Hell yes, I would," thought Laura, and tried again with the same sickening results. Frantically, she ejected the card and put it in again with shaking hands, trying for progressively smaller amounts. Finally, it gave her a $120 cash advance. Laura took it with hands gone numb from fear.

  Back at home, she couldn't dial the credit card company fast enough. What she found out made her blood boil. The "emergency" credit card had seen a flurry of activity over the past three weeks , and not for emergencies. She listened in stony silence as the representative ticked through the charges - dinner at the Olive Garden, concert tickets from Ticket Max, and at least seven trips to Velvet Nights.

  "Velvet Nights?" asked Laura. "What is that?"

  "Hold on, let me check the charges," said the representative. "OK, from the charges it appears to be a lingerie shop." She laughed. "Someone's going to have a very sexy Christmas morning."

  Laura felt her jaw clench. "Bastard," she thought. "He bought that little bitch panties with our last resort card."

  "Well, thank you for the information," she said, on the verge of tears.

  "Glad I could help you," said the representative. "But you should know a payment is now past due. Would you like make arrangements now?"

  "No," said Laura, tears slipping from her eyes. "I'm afraid I'll have to get back to you on that."

  ***

  The closest Max Greenway had come to a significant relationship was Prissy Able, who was neither prissy nor particularly able. A professional horse riding instructor, Prissy was respected in local equine circles. But she was dysfunctional outside the riding ring.

  She spent their first date trying to balance her checkbook, and her ditzy helplessness appealed to Max's sense of protectiveness. He spent the early months of their relationship helping her through the multiple crisis that ranged from engine trouble from dirty oil to numerous scheduling conflicts because she couldn't keep track of time.

  So Max gave her an ultimatum: Submit to spankings as a way to modify her behavior, or see the relationship end.

  To his delight, Prissy had agreed, and her first spanking came the night after they went out to eat at the restaurant where they were supposed to have reservations. Prissy had forgotten, and rather than go somewhere else, Max had driven her home over her objections.

  He hadn't wasted time carrying out her first punishment, save for a brief moment of admiring Prissy's well-muscled flanks once she was over his knee.

  Max had spanked many women for play, including Prissy. But this was the first time he'd spanked for punishment. She'd reacted vigorously, and even though he was much larger he'd had a hard time restraining the bucking blonde while administering her punishment.

  He's started out spanking her over her panties, but when she began cursing him through her tears he pulled them down and worked her over on her bare skin as she wailed and beat the floor at his feet with her fists.

  Max used his instincts to decided how much was enough and finally stopped when Prissy was limp and sobbing, her bottom a cherry red.

  She'd pouted prettily afterwards when he'd made her stand in the corner and gladly accepted his advances later, her way of showing him she wasn't holding a grudge. But while it was clear she didn't enjoy the punishment spanking, they didn't really have the desired effect, either. Prissy would improve for a while and then backslide. And Max, who didn't want to be a brute, wasn't comfortable with increasing the severity of the punishment beyond the last one she'd received - a strapping that left moderate bruising.

  He'd talked to Prissy about this, telling her that punishment spankings weren't for his own gratification and that she needed to take more initiative. It was only after a month of promises that she came clean with him: the punishment spankings were causing her resentment, and whil
e she appreciated his attempts to help her she wasn't sure if she wanted to be in a relationship with a man who felt he had to be so in charge.

  They'd parted as friends, and while Max missed the good times - and sex -they had shared, the experience helped him refine exactly what he was looking for. He wanted a woman who would accept his guidance, but not a hopeless case who resented being guided.

  So aside from some casual dating, Max had not had a girlfriend since Prissy. He'd thrown himself into his work instead, always keeping his options open. For if Max Greenway was anything, he was an optimist. And he knew good things would come to those who waited.

  ***

  Laura woke up the next morning with a terrible headache. She'd hardly slept the night before, her head spinning with fear and worry.

  Clay had been vicious to her on the phone, telling her he didn't have to have her permission to use a credit card with his name on it and accusing her of prying. When she reminded him that she wouldn't have even found out about it if she'd not used the card in desperation after to pay for Evan's school, Clay's girlfriend - who had been listening on the line - told Laura that Clay wouldn't be paying for any private school.

  "You're not going to be putting on airs at our expense," she said. "Clay said you could hardly afford that school when you were together, but you insisted. Don't think you're going to get it now."

  "That's fine," Laura had replied coldly. "I'm sick of this. I've tried everything I could think of to keep from collecting child support, but you leave me with no other choice."

  "Oh yeah?" Clay had screamed into the phone. "Just try it and you'll be sorry, bitch!"

  Laura had hung up then, shaking from hurt and anger. She knew men some men cheated on or left their wives and had long ago reconciled herself to the fact that her husband was one of those men. But she still couldn't get her mind around the notion that any man could so easily forsake his child.

  When Clay had originally left, claiming he "needed his space to work a few things out," he'd been good about still picking Evan up from school or taking him on the weekends for an overnight. Even though it killed Laura to have her son away from her, she allowed it, believing that even if she and Clay couldn't work things out, Evan still deserved a father.

  But when Clay started dating, he found more excuses not to spend time with Evan. He was either sick or his car had broken down or he had to work. He'd also stopped providing any support, making it difficult for Laura not to consider suing for child support, something she was afraid to do since Clay had hinted that fight her for Evan if he did. Now he'd outright said it and the thought filled her with terror.

  Before yesterday, she'd not thought he'd have much of a case. But now, as she stood watching her son's bus disappear around the corner, she wasn't so sure. She had used $1,000 that wasn't hers to pay her son's tuition, and had no way to pay it back.

  She recalled Max Greenway's conversation to his subordinate the day before. He was obviously a strict man who didn't believe in people letting down their customers. In fact, he'd been on the verge of firing a long-time employee for what had sounded like a relatively minor infraction. What would he do to her? At the very least he'd sue her. At the worst he'd call the police. Either way, her reputation as a personal shopper was toast.

  Yet, she knew she had no other choice but to tell him. If Clay had taught her anything, it was that lying only compounded a problem. As much as it had hurt her to find out her husband had been with other women, what hurt even more was finding out later that he'd lied all those times he'd claimed to be working late or out with a male friend.

  Laura decided that the least she could do was purchase as many things on Max Greenway's gift list as she could before telling him what had happened. She'd be completely honest about everything. She wouldn't charge him for her services, or her gas. If she was lucky, he'd let her pay him back the difference between her fee and what she'd taken without prosecuting her.

  She threw herself into her shopping with single-minded determination, vowing to please him with her gifts as much as she'd disappoint him with her revelation. His mother loved to read, he'd said, and she'd loved birds. Laura knew just what to do. She headed down Walton Street to Shea Bros. Used and Rare Books. Back when she'd had a little money, before the breakup, it was where Laura - also an avid reader and book collector - would sometimes go to treat herself.

  Stooped little Ben Shea had helped her find the perfect gift for Mrs. Greenway, a book by John James Audubon signed by pre-eminent bird experts Roger Tory and Virginia Peterson. She paid the $400 price in cash and carefully tucked the book and the receipt in her bag.

  Next on the list was Jean, and Laura was touched that Max Greenway obviously valued the women in his life. It made her feel even worse for having spent his money on her son's tuition.

  The Greenways had an account at Simple Pleasures, a store featuring items for bath and body. Laura, remembering that Mr. Greenway's receptionist was about to have surgery, purchased a cashmere throw, sheepskin lined bedroom slippers before heading down to Fineman's Catering, where she purchased gift certificates for six catered meals.

  As the afternoon wore on, the crowds became a problem. But she was determined to finish. Laura rang her neighbor, Tammy, who sometimes babysat for her, and asked her if she would mind picking Evan up from school and keeping him for a few hours. Tammy, who was between jobs as a nanny, said she'd be delighted.

  Laura continued to shop, and soon her Jeep Cherokee began filling up with gifts. There was an underwater camera for one of Max's younger brothers, who'd recently taken up scuba diving. There was an antique map of Scotland and a tiny but expensive bit of illuminated manuscript for another brother and a electronic grain mill and pasta machine for a sister with a passion for gourmet cooking.

  Business associates were easier; Laura had gotten their wine, cheese and cigar preferences and matched them with gifts of to fit their tastes.

  It was 4:00 when she pulled up in front of Mr. Greenway's building. She was about to start pulling things out the back when he walked out the door.

  "Laura," he said. "You must be psychic. I was just about to phone you to check in."

  She started at the sound of his voice.

  "You're a jumpy little thing today. Too many rude salespeople can fray one's nerves, I suppose."

  She managed a smile. "Yes," she said. "I was just coming to tell you that.. well...I'm finished."

  He looked puzzled. "Finished? Laura, I thought it was going to take days and that we were going to keep up with each other....remember?"

  She looked around and blinked hard, determined to keep the tears out of her eyes. "I know, Mr. Greenway, but something's come up so I reduced it to one day. I'm sure you'll be pleased with the gifts. If you want to take them in and look them over."

  "Oh, not here," he said. "There's no point in hauling them up to the office and then hauling them back down. Would you mind if we just took them to my house?"

  Laura looked at him for a moment. All she wanted to do was get this over with. No, she didn't want to go to his house. But she knew she couldn't refuse.

  "Sure," she said. "I can follow you. Is it far?"

  "I live out at The Gables," he said.

  She felt herself cringe, as if the very mention of the community were some sort of omen.

  "I know where that is," she said. "I used to have.. I mean, I have clients out there."

  He looked at her again. "Are you sure everything's OK?"

  "Yes, no." She fidgeted nervously. He was so tall and intimidating, standing there in his topcoat and scarf. "I'll explain when we get to your house."

  "Fine, keep me in suspense," he said, his voice light, but it did nothing to brighten Laura's mood.

  "You can follow me," he said, climbing into a Lexus parked on the curb in front of her well-used Cherokee.

  As she drove, Laura made a quick call to tell Tammy she was going to be even later than expected. Evan, Tammy said, was fine. Tammy had gotten a Ni
ntendo Game Cube as an early present from her aunt, and she and Laura's son were playing Mario Sunshine. Evan had two messages for his mother. The first was, "I love you." The second was, "Don't rush home."

  Laura noticed as she snapped her phone shut that the year's first snowfall had begun. Just a dusting was forecasted, but she knew in the morning Evan would scrape together what he could and thrill himself with the first tiny snowball of the season.

  As she sped along after Max Greenway's car, she noticed the Christmas lights were beginning to come on in the windows of the houses she passed. It was supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, and she felt miserable. Now she was at the mercy of Max Greenway, who would determine how much worse things would get.

  Chapter Three

  Max Greenway's house was further back in The Gables than the Tighlman's was, taking up two huge lots on Egret Road. It was a large, two-story Dutch colonial covered in old brick, with slate shingles. A pea-gravel circular drive cut through the well-manicured lawn, upon which sat a sign reading, "Protected by Greenway Security Systems."

  Tiny snowflakes were swirling in the air as she and Max Greenway unpacked the bags and boxes from the back of her vehicle and carried them into the house.

  The interior suited him. The walls were covered in heart pine paneling. The furnishings were sturdy and sensible.

  "We'll just take everything in here," he said, as she followed him from the foyer into a great room. Carefully, she knelt on the floor and arranged the bags carefully on the oriental rug.

  For the next hour, she watched him examine next gift, biting her lip in anticipation and breathing a sigh of relief with each positive comment. He was especially impressed with the book Laura had picked out for his mother.

  "I've known for years she loved to read. Audubon, the Petersons - she's quoted them like they were Christ. And now here are their names. She's going to be absolutely ecstatic." He smiled. "You, young lady, deserve a bonus. Hiring you was one of the best things I've ever done.