I smiled up at her. Cindy's face was blank. She stared into my eyes for a moment, angry as could be, and then glanced away. She began unfastening her jeans.

"I'll take that as a 'yes, Mother, I understand,'" I chided. "Now, be quick about it. I know a naughty little girl whose bare bottom spanking is way overdue."

Slowly, Cindy tugged her jeans down off her hips, working to make sure her pretty, yellow panties didn't come along for the ride, a seemingly pointless effort. Then, there she stood, her jeans bunched about her ankles and her hands clasped before her, the very image of a contrite little girl, but for the furious workings of her jaw muscles. Ever the actress....

"Mother, about my panties..." she implored, her eyes never quite settling on mine. "Do I have to- I mean...geez...they're thin and, well...geez..."

I gave three quick snaps of my fingers and pointed to the floor.

Blushing a deep red, Cindy sighed and slid her panties down, slowly, finally letting them fall to join her jeans. At the same time, she quickly started to lower herself across my lap.

"Uh-uh! Hold it, young lady!" I ordered. "You get right back up!"

There was one more little item. As I said, Mother taught me the significance of ritual in discipline, and it was a lesson I did not want lost on my daughter. Cindy knew very well she was skipping another important step in the pre-spanking phase of her punishment.

I had never seen her angrier. She clasped her hands before her, tightly, trying in vain to conceal the telltale hint of young womanhood nestled there. I could tell she was having trouble maintaining her self control. Which was good. It is exactly this power over one's emotions and desires which was, and always is, at issue. The idea is to remind the girl who is being punished that, yes, indeed, she can control herself and even act against her childish instincts if necessary, the point being that such self control, exhibited earlier in the day, would have led to a far better late afternoon than she was about to endure.

I waited, tapping my thigh with the hairbrush. I did not think she would want to stand there long.

Cindy bit her lower lip, her eyes darting about, but always returning to gaze briefly upon the instrument of her forthcoming correction. I knew how her tummy felt. It was always a hard lesson, but such are the best learned.

Finally, she nervously cleared her throat and said softly, "Okay, Mother...I...I'm ready. I know I was naugh...naughty today, and I wa...want you to give me a good, ha...ha...hard, spank...spanking...okay-"

She again began to lower herself across my knees.

"Oops! Not quite, young lady," I said and tsk-tsked my disapproval. "Upsy-daisy."

Cindy stood and scowled, cocking her head as if she really had forgotten.

"Oh...oh yeah..." she said. I could see she was more than a bit peeved. "I forgot. Yada, yada...naughty...yada, yada...good, hard spanking...yada...on my bot...I mean, my bare bottom." She heaved a huge sigh. "Okay-" she added, looking me directly in the eye.

"Well, Cindy, I don't know..." I said, returning her gaze. "There's something about your attitude...Oh, well. Since you did ask so politely, I guess I may as well accommodate you. Maybe we should discuss your little, 'yada-yada' attitude problem while I have you over my 'yada-yada' knee."

I patted my thigh with the hairbrush.

"Okay," I said. "You may assume the position. And remember, I expect to have that naughty, little bottom of yours where I can get at it...right here!"

Using the hairbrush, I carved an appropriately round, little arc in the air, just above my right thigh.

Cindy pursed her lips. She then lowered herself into position.

I was pleased and proud to note she had not forgotten a thing, as she maneuvered herself into near perfect spanking position. When she finished, her hands were flat on the carpet before her, propping her up in front, while behind her jeans and panties dangled ignominiously, brushing the floor. More important, her adorable, round bottom, showing an acceptable trace of corporal pink which lingered from the hairbrush swats, was precisely where I had designated. So far so good.

I was in no rush. Believe me, when a girl is lying over someone's knee, with her bottom all bare, waiting is sheer agony. She wants the spanking to commence, but then again she doesn't. Not really. But she is embarrassed, and...well, you get the picture. I find it the perfect time for small talk.

"There, that's better," I said. "Now, don't you feel silly, making such a fuss over such a little thing-"

When she did not respond, I pressed the bristled side of the brush against the center of her bottom.

"Cat got your tongue, young lady-" I asked.

Cindy glared back up at me.

"No. And no. How's that-" She asked defiantly.

Amazing, isn't it -- defiance at a time like that-

"Hmmph! If nothing else, I'll give you an 'A' for pluckiness," I said. "Of course, you might want to consider what pluckiness is actually going to do for you right now, what with the predicament you've gotten your naughty, little self into. You might be better off going for a little contrition or forgiveness, don't you think-"

"Whatever..."

Thwop! I gave her a swat with the bristles, a bit more than a love tap.

"Ow! Hey!"

"Oops...sorry...that was just me being plucky," I said, thoroughly enjoying myself now. "It's kind of fun."

Thwop! Another one, a little harder. Cindy, simply moaned and clenched her bottom cheeks.

Now, dear reader, please, don't be put off by the fact that I admit I was enjoying myself. I know, I know, discipline is serious business, to be engaged in only for the good of the child, and never for the purpose of entertaining the adult. I appreciate that, but what's so bad about being so comfortable, so sure I am doing the right thing for my child, that I allow myself to appreciate the moment. I sure paid my dues on the receiving end -- of the very same hairbrush, by the way. More times than I care to recall, I was similarly positioned, awaiting what I knew would be a thorough and stinging chastisement. And, much as I hated it at the time, I do remember Mother seemed to find an endless array of opportunities to laugh and make light of what seemed so desperately humiliating and serious an occasion to me. We've even shared a few laughs about my spankings in her later years.

It's all a matter of perspective. I knew what I was about to do to Cindy was absolutely correct. She would be much the better for it. I also firmly believed that, were it possible to get into her heart at that very moment, she would agree. If not, I would have had quite a tussle getting her over my knee. In fact, I might never have been able to do so -- at least until her father got home. Anyway, there she was, her bottom uppermost and bare, familiar in its amazing roundness, though a wee bit fuller and broader -- womanly, if you will -- than I recalled. It still was one of the most outrageously spankable behinds you can imagine, and I intended to minister to it appropriately and with good humor. So much for my lecture.

"Oh, I see," I said, eyeing the bright pink area just visited. "Mum's the word, huh-"

Cindy's defiance, coupled with the tantalizing positioning of her terrifically taut, teen aged tush (hey, it's okay! -- I can notice these things...I am her mother, after all), had me more than ready to get on with the main event. But, anticipation being half the fun, I still hesitated to begin.

"I suppose you would like me to get started, wouldn't you-" I asked.

All I got was a single, firm nod.

"It's okay to speak," I chided.

Silence.

"Still nothing to say, huh- Well, okay then..."

I held the hairbrush high, menacing.

Cindy gave a little moan and squirmed her midsection, keeping her bottom cheeks tightly clenched. Why- I don't know. Anyone who's ever been spanked knows that only makes it sting more. Oh well...

When no spank fell, Cindy looked up at me, puzzled. Had she won a reprieve- Not likely.

I lowered the brush and said lightly, "Nope, not yet. Seeing you like this, with your cute, little heinie all bare and ready for spanking, reminds me that this is when we used to have some of our best discussions. I'll bet sometimes you even thought I was going to forgive and forget and let you off with no spanking. Am I right-"

Cindy scowled and looked back down at the floor.

"But you never did," she grumped.

"Right you are," I responded gaily. "And do you know why I always spanked you-"

"No...or yeah -- I bet you thought it was for my own good, or something stupid like that."

"Bingo! Give the girl a prize. But you said that like you don't agree. Why is that, Sweetie-"

Never one to resist sharing her point of view, even, apparently, when in as vulnerable a situation as she then found herself, Cindy said, "Because I bet the real reason you want to spank me is you just like to do it. You like to spank me. It's fun for you...right-"

Ouch! A bit too close to home, that one.

"Now, you just wait a sec..." I began.

"No. You wait! I'm right, aren't I- You like to spank me. Spank, spank, spank, that's all you ever do!"

She paused, glaring back up at me.