Household Help 4 and 5

By brhmsj

berlioz53@yahoo.com

Copyright 2025 by brhmsj, all rights reserved

[8,268 words]

Household Help, Chapter Four

The Pool Party


This week Henry was working Tuesday and Thursday. It was the last week of school. Next week he would start his summer schedule with Mr. Ordway which meant more full days than just Saturday. He had wondered how much needed to be done that required his presence two or three full days but he had grown to enjoy his time with Mr. Ordway, and at the house, so was glad to increase his time there. He had odd moments of wondering how much time he’d be naked beyond pool time.

“So, if we are naked at the pool is the old guy going to be watching us, like a pervert?” Scott asked early in the week.

“Alright you cretin,” Henry said, annoyed. “I told you, he’s not old! And he’s not a pervert, so get over it.” Scott had the good graces to be chagrined.

“Cretin? Where’d you learn that?” Jim asked, unable to keep from laughing.

“Maybe if you went to English class once in a while you’d learn some vocabulary,” Henry shot back. These two were annoying. “So, to answer your question, smart-ass,” Henry had turned back to Scott, “he doesn’t let me swim alone, for safety. He’s seen me naked. Big deal. It’s his pool, if he wants to keep an eye on all of us, that’s his right.”

That silenced his buddies. “But you’ve been ok with him seeing you naked?”

“Not much of a price to pay for a good swim,” Henry replied. He didn’t mention his other nudity at the house. The first battle was getting the guys to the house and out of their clothes. One step at a time, he figured. Maybe the guys wouldn’t adjust to the nudity and be naked only for the pool. Time would tell.

When Henry arrived at Mr. Ordway’s on Tuesday after school, he didn’t have a definitive answer about pool guests. “I think they’re coming around to the idea of swimming naked,” Henry added, hopefully.

“You have until Saturday to bring them around to the idea and to bring them here.” Henry wasn’t sure if he was hearing the “or else” again. He remembered the book in the library about corporal punishment but put the idea out of his head.

“I want you to start on the ‘kid’s den’ downstairs. You’ll need two afternoons on it as I want some things done that have been neglected for a few years.” They had been sitting in the kitchen. “Leave your clothes here and we can go downstairs. I’ll show you want needs doing. There’s a vacuum cleaner downstairs.”

Would Mr. Ordway be expecting nude housework most of the time now or did this have something to do with the basement? Henry wondered why he would think that nudity and the basement would specifically be connected.

When they were at the bottom of the stairs Mr. Ordway said “if you dust and vacuum that should be enough for today and keep you plenty busy. Use the furniture attachment on the couch cushions. They’re probably full of dust, too. There are some other things that need doing but they can wait until Thursday.”

Henry went back upstairs to collect a duster, rags, and furniture polish. He suspected that the polish was for Thursday but it didn’t hurt to have it nearby. The room was bigger than it seemed, or maybe it was just there was a lot that hadn’t had attention for a long time. Henry wondered when it last was cleaned. It was tidy, though, which helped the job go smoothly.

Over an hour later Mr. Ordway appeared carrying a tray which had crackers and seltzer. “I thought you could use a break and some refreshment,” he said. “You’re doing fine work down here.” With a smile he added “and you’re not getting clothes filthy.”

“Thanks for the drink,” Henry said after he’d taken a big gulp. “I didn’t realize that I needed it. And you’re right about the clothes. I’m certainly getting myself dirty.”

“I’ll leave the seltzer for you. Come up when the first round is done.” With that he went back upstairs. What qualified as the “first round” was not clear but the inference earlier had been dusting and vacuuming.

As he worked Henry noticed there were two doors in the room. Judging by the noises he could make out behind one he decided that it was the door to the cellar area with the furnace and hot water heater and such. The other door was sturdier. It wasn’t decorated but by all appearances attention had been given to its design, particularly its solidity. Naturally Henry wondered what could be behind such a special-looking door. He decided that it was wisest to let Mr. Ordway explain if he wanted to.

When he’d finished what he thought was expected of him today he went upstairs. Before mounting the stairs he looked around. “I think I’ve done a good job,” he said to himself. Ultimately, though, it was up to Mr. Ordway to decide.

“Done for today?” the man asked when Henry appeared in the doorway to the living room.

“Yes, sir. I think you’ll be pleased. Well, I hope you will.”

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll be pleased. In the meantime you are filthy, young man. Get in the shower then you can have a swim. I’ll take a look downstairs while you’re showering.” Henry was more than happy to get under the shower and almost ran to the bathroom.

Downstairs Mr. Ordway was quite happy with what he saw. It was clear that Henry had worked hard. Mr. Ordway had been waiting for Henry to have full days for chores other than mowing as there were parts of the house the boy had not seen yet, and they needed attention as they rarely were used, if at all. The man was faced with a decision as to just how much he’d tell the boy about the house. Any old house had a history and this one was no exception.

Inspection done, Mr. Ordway went upstairs to the kitchen. He arrived just as Henry was turning off the water. A moment or two later Henry emerged with a towel around his shoulders. “I thought I’d use this for the pool, too.”

“No you won’t,” Mr. Ordway replied with his usual smile. “Drop it in the hamper. I have a fresh one for you by the pool already.”

“Wow, thanks!” Henry quickly put the towel with the laundry and was ready to go. Another quick swat to his bottom told him to get going and he scampered to the pool, jumping right in. It wasn’t until he was swimming that he realized how tired he was from his work. Still, it felt good to be in the water, but he didn’t stay in as long as usual.

“Getting out so soon?” Mr. Ordway asked as Henry came back to the patio, drying himself.

“Doing that room made me more tired than I thought!”

“It had to be done, son. I do appreciate your efforts. Thursday should not be quite so strenuous. Now, to other business. Are your friends coming on Saturday?” He’d already asked this. For some reason this was important to him.

“I still don’t know, sir. They won’t commit.” Mr. Ordway smiled at the use of “sir,” as he did now every time Henry used it.

“You best get them to commit.” Did Henry again detect a bit of “or else”? Why did he keep thinking that? Mr. Ordway had done nothing to indicate that there were repercussions for things, but he seemed to imply something. And why was he so adamant about Henry bringing friends? Was it just friendly, letting Henry enjoy the pool with his buddies? Or did the man want to see two more naked teens? Other than insisting that Henry spend a lot of time naked, so far Mr. Ordway had done nothing that Henry thought might be considered inappropriate. And he was coming to enjoy the nudity, even if still a bit embarrassed at times.

“Well?” Mr. Ordway interrupted Henry’s thoughts.

“Sorry, sir, I was thinking about what I could say to them. I think they are interested, they’re just being wimps about being naked.”

“You have your own example to show them that they need not be concerned.”

“Yes, sir, I know.” Henry settled in a chair. Mr. Ordway had more refreshments at hand. They had a relaxed chat, the naked boy and the clothed middle-aged man.

After a while Mr. Ordway said “you need to get home. Your clothes are in the kitchen. Get dressed and come by the office for your pay.”

Henry took longer than usual to get dressed. “Am I getting used to this?” he thought. Today’s salary was more generous than previous ones. Well, he had done more work today than on past days.

“You worked hard and you’ve earned this,” Mr. Ordway said after seeing the surprise on Henry’s face. “Come over right after school so you can finish.”

“Yes, sir!” Henry was out the door and on his bike to get home.

“Look you guys, Mr. Ordway is pressing me to get you guys to the house on Saturday,” Henry told them the next day at lunch. They’d found a table away from others and felt sure they couldn’t be heard. They kept their voices down, however.

“What if I get hard?” Jim asked hesitantly and after a pause. “Have you gotten hard?”

“No. At least not so far. I suppose it could happen. . .”

“Wouldn’t you just want to die if you did?”

“To be honest, I haven’t thought about it. Nothing feels sexual about being naked there.”

“But boners happen!”

Scott jumped in. “Look, if you get hard, I’ll get hard, too. Probably won’t be able to help it.” That started some chuckling. From all signs, Scott was willing to take the plunge, as it were. Jim would be outnumbered and likely would cave.

“You need to give me some sort of answer before I go back to work tomorrow,” Henry said quite firmly.

“Are you going to lose your job if we don’t do it?” Scott asked. He tended to be the more practical one of the group.

“I dunno. . . I hadn’t thought of that. . .”

“Well, I don’t want you to get in trouble and it might be fun to swim nude. I’m in,” Scott said. Jim said nothing. He had overnight to think about it, though.

After school Henry had a surprise. As he was walking home alone he heard someone coming up quickly behind him. He turned to look. It was Niko who was relatively new to the school and in Henry’s class. He was from Japan and his father was stationed here for work for a few years. Henry didn’t know Niko well but he seemed like a good kid. They’d never really talked, though. “Hey,” Henry said with the usual teen greeting.

“Can I walk with you?”

“Sure. What’s up?”

“Well, I. . . it’s kinda embarrassing.” Niko had lived in the US long enough to sound like a native. “I didn’t mean to overhear but it sounded like you guys said something about swimming. . . um, swimming naked.” He was blushing heavily. Now Henry was, too.

“What did you hear?”

“I won’t tell anyone! I swear! It’s just, well, I used to swim nude a lot as a kid before we came over here. Americans are so uptight. I miss it and was, well, wondering. . .”

Henry saw nothing wrong with having Niko join the swimming. “I need to ask first. I don’t know why he’d say no. You don’t mind being naked with an adult seeing you?”

“No. I’m used to it. It was normal at home, and in certain places.” That sounded cool to Henry. And embarrassing.

“Can you wait until Friday to get an answer?” Henry asked.

“No prob. Thanks, man.” With that Niko was off in his own direction. Life got more and more interesting for Henry.

Thursday he made his way quickly to Mr. Ordway’s house. Without being told he was out of his clothes and ready for instruction.

“You’re learning, son,” Mr. Ordway said as Henry was undressing. Henry assumed that was a compliment. When they were downstairs the man said “this furniture needs polishing. My mother had all these knick knacks which found their way down here after she died. I can’t bring myself to get rid of them. I doubt they have any value. In any case, you can see that some need a quick polish, too. Everything you need is here and I’ll leave you to it.” With that he went upstairs.

As he moved around the room Henry noticed that the “mysterious door,” as he thought of it, was slightly ajar. Not enough to see inside, though. Was this a test? He certainly was curious. The memory of Mr. Ordway’s “or else” voice was strong so Henry went about his work. This part of the job went faster than the first part had. Before long he was back upstairs, looking for Mr. Ordway for further instructions.

“Done already?” the man asked when Henry found him in the kitchen.

“Yes, sir. It went fairly quickly. I think I got to everything.”

“I’ll check later but I’m sure I’ll be pleased. You’ve been doing a great job.” Henry beamed at the compliment. “There are some more things to do today but take a few minutes now to chill. Anything you’d like to discuss?”

Yes, there was something. Two somethings now that the other basement door had beckoned him. Was this part of the test? Was it a test at all?

“I’ve been talking to my friends about swimming here. Scott has come around and Jim will, too, as he won’t want to seem like a wimp or be left out.” Mr. Ordway chuckled knowingly. Henry tried to read the man’s face, wondering if he’d see disappointment at not being asked about the downstairs room. He saw nothing.

Not getting a response beyond the chuckle, Henry continued. “But, ah, there’s another guy.” Mr. Ordway’s highbrows rose slightly but he said nothing. Henry didn’t think he’d be uncomfortable about mentioning Niko but for some reason he was. Silly, as he was sure Mr. Ordway would welcome another naked boy.

“His name is Niko. He. . . I guess he heard us talking and heard about the nude swimming part. That’s all he told me. I know he won’t say anything to anyone else. Anyhow, he likes to swim naked and wondered if he could come, too. I told him I’d ask.”

“Well, son, if you think he fits in I see no reason not to have him join us. Does he want to come on Saturday with Scott and Jim?”

“Yes, sir.”

Mr. Ordway smiled. “You like to call me ‘sir,’ don’t you?” Henry blushed slightly.

“It just seems right. You’re an adult, I’m working for you, it’s your house so you’re in charge. I guess that’s it.” There was a moment’s silence.

“It’s fine if you want to say it but I don’t need for you to say it. To be honest, son, it’s a bit flattering to an old man.” He kept calling Henry “son,” the boy noted to himself.

“You’re not an old man, sir,” Henry said with a smile.

“Thank you, son. Now, I do have some more things for you today. The bed in my room and the one in the guest room need fresh sheets, then the soiled sheets need to go into the wash. When that’s done I’ll see if there’s anything else. Tomorrow is the last day of school, isn’t it?” He was changing the subject. “I’m sure you’re excited.”

“I sure am! If I may ask, I’d like to spend more time here. I could work but mostly more time in the pool. Is that OK, sir?”

“Of course, my boy. You are quite welcome here.” He saw Henry relax at his response.

They were sitting at the kitchen table. The thought of more naked time was making Henry slightly hard. He still was a bit unsure about the required nudity but he had to admit that it felt good. It had happened gradually but Henry now was naked essentially full time at the house.

After Henry finished Mr. Ordway’s room he started on the guest room. From what he could see, the sheets needed no replacement but he obediently started the job. As he was working Mr. Ordway came to the door. It seemed to Henry that the man was giving him a searching look.

What Mr. Ordway said took Henry a bit by surprise as he still expected a comment about the mysterious door. “Tell me about Niko. Is he a classmate?”

“Ah, yes. We don’t know him well but he seems to be a good guy. He’s from Japan. His father is working in this country for his home company for a few years. I think some kids haven’t been very nice to him because he’s new but Scott, Jim, and I like him, just haven’t spent much time with him. Having him join us for a swim may be a chance to get to know him better.”

“From what you said it sounds like he’s fine with swimming nude.”

“He said it’s common in some places in Japan and in general he doesn’t understand why Americans are so modest.”

“You know how I feel about that,” Mr. Ordway said with his customary smile. “Are you eager to see him naked?”

With a slight blush, Henry responded “I hadn’t thought about that. Anyhow, he’s in a couple of gym classes and I’ve had glimpses after class. He’s one of the few boys who actually shower.” Mr. Ordway looked thoughtful. Henry was a bit confused by his ready willingness to discuss such things with the man.

“Finish up here, put the sheets in the washer, and after they go in the dryer you can go home.”

“Thanks, sir.” A little over an hour later Henry was dressed, in possession of his usual payment, and on his way home. Tomorrow would be a big day at school. Then there would be Saturday.

Saturday was still a workday for Henry. He was at the house by ten o’clock. Sheets needed folding, there was kitchen cleanup, vacuuming the main floor, towels readied for the pool group, and some other small things. Henry was more than ready for lunch when the time came around. He had told the guys to come at two.

“Best put clothes on when you answer the door, then all four of you can get undressed together. I suspect that may help any shyness.”

“Sure,” Henry replied.

It was getting close to two o’clock when the kitchen was in order. Henry pulled on his shirt and shorts, skipping underwear for now. Promptly at two the doorbell rang. Mr. Ordway nodded permission to greet the visitors. When Henry opened the door he saw all three of his friends, Niko looking very eager, Scott neutral, Jim still not so sure.

“You’ve got clothes on,” Jim said. Hopeful that he could stay dressed?

“And so do you at the moment, but it won’t be for long. C’mon in.” He led them to the kitchen. “Guys, this Mr. Ordway who I’m working for this summer. Mr. Ordway these are Scott, Jim, and Niko.” He indicated each boy as he said their name.

“Welcome, welcome,” Mr. Ordway said. As he shook hands with them he said “I’m delighted to have some of Henry’s friends visit and use the pool. It needs young people in it. You can undress here and Henry will show the way to the pool.” He showed no sign of leaving the room, which did not help Jim’s uncertainty.

Niko was naked the quickest. Henry was going a bit slower than usual in hopes that it would help the other two. When Jim realized he was the only one left who wasn’t naked he gave a sigh and his briefs joined his pile of clothes. All four had neatly folded their clothing and put things on a shelf, as indicated by Henry. Mr. Ordway watched without saying a word. He always found it interesting to see how a lad would react. There were no surprises from the new boys, given what Henry had told him.

All four had had gym classes together and, as we know, Henry, Scott, and Jim had played a few naked games as kids and did the occasional jerk off session. They’d seen Niko naked but never long enough to get a good sense of how he looked. Not surprisingly he had a smooth body, almost no body hair. His package was on the smaller side but good looking, uncut, surrounded by sparse straight black hair.

“C’mon, let’s get in the water,” Niko said and scampered to the pool. He looked back to confirm that he had permission to get in.

“Go ahead,” Mr. Ordway called as he took his seat on the patio. The first splash was heard. Jim ran to the pool because he was nervous about the older man seeing his junk, as the boys called it. He dove in quickly, Henry and Scott right behind.

“I didn’t know you were a swimmer,” Scott said to Niko who had done a couple of laps.

“Not competition but I do love to swim.”

Soon all four were swimming, diving into the deep end, and eventually wrestling each other in the water. Henry made a point of going after Niko who proved to be wiry and stronger than he expected. They had been in the pool for about an hour when, without any discussion, they all got out of the pool and went up to the patio. Towels were waiting for them. Jim had lost his inhibitions, having found swimming naked a wonderful experience. He hoped he could do it more often.

“Gosh, thanks Mr. Ordway,” Scott said. “Your pool is wonderful.”

“I’m glad you like it and I hope you will come to use it regularly.”

“Henry said swimming nude felt great and it does! I’ll never want a suit again,” Scott continued. Everyone laughed.

“Here are some snacks,” Mr. Ordway said, indicating things on the patio table. The sight of food overcame any concern by the boys about nudity. As they snacked there was a lot of chatter. Typical teen boy things. Mr. Ordway listened, quite pleased to have four good looking boys naked and enjoying themselves. The ad for household help had produced more than he expected. He really did need household help and Henry was proving quite capable. Henry was providing unexpected bonuses, too.

“Wait at least a half-hour before you go in the pool again,” Mr. Ordway told them when all the food and drink were gone. The boys happily talked, then Henry took them on a tour of the property, which was mostly lawn but with gardens along the side. The boys were impressed.

“Do you take care of this?” Jim asked.

“Not yet but I think he’ll have me doing it after a while.”

“Naked outside all day. Wow!” said Niko, the envy unmistakable.

“You can get wet again!” Mr. Ordway called. Quickly four splashes were heard and there was more frolicking for about a half hour. Scott got out of the pool and walked up to the patio to ask Mr. Ordway what the time was. It was nearly five. Scott went back to the pool.

“Hey guys it’s almost five. I should get going.” Jim agreed. Niko seemed reluctant.

“I don’t have to be home for a while,” said Henry.

Having heard that, Niko asked in a near whisper “could I stay for a while?” As the other two were dressing Henry asked if Niko could stay.

“Of course. I might put him to work, though,” Mr. Ordway said with a smile. Niko didn’t care if it gave him a chance to see the house. And not have to put on clothes.

The two clothed boys made their farewells, Mr. Ordway told them that they were welcome any time, and Henry let them out. He returned to the patio to find Niko and their host deep in conversation. Mr. Ordway was interested in what life was like for Niko here. He found the boy to be quite open and interesting.

As the chatting continued Henry noticed that Niko got hard. He gave no sign of noticing and certainly showed no discomfort or embarrassment. Apparently being hard was natural to him and it didn’t matter where or who saw it. Henry had avoided being hard in front of Mr. Ordway, though a couple of times it had been a near thing. He noticed Mr. Ordway give Niko’s erection a glance but otherwise he had no response. Interesting.

After a while Mr. Ordway said “you boys must have to get home for dinner. We can’t have you getting spanked for being late,” he said with that smile Henry now knew well. Henry blushed at the word “spank” and, to his discomfort, felt his penis swelling. Niko just laughed.

Before they left Henry was given his usual remuneration. The boys were going in different directions but talked a bit before separating.

“This was great,” Niko said. “Thanks for getting me the invite.”

“No prob. Mr. Ordway seemed pleased to have a group here. I’m working full days on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday now. I think I’ll be stopping by on other days to swim. He likes having someone around.”

“Cool. Let me know when you’re here. Gotta go!” Niko took off towards his home. Henry didn’t have his bike today but it was not a particularly long walk to get home. He went a bit slowly as he was reflecting on the boys’ visit. It had been a great afternoon. He also thought about Niko, getting the chance to spend time with him. And he’s cute, Henry thought. He wondered if Niko was a potential jerkoff buddy. Then his thoughts went to Niko’s unashamed erection. Henry was impressed and amazed at that. He’d never imagined anyone could be that way.

For the next couple of days Henry kept to himself, not emerging until Tuesday when he returned to work. He now eagerly anticipated his days with Mr. Ordway. More would happen as the summer went on.




Household Help, Chapter Five

The Mystery Room


As requested, Henry arrived a bit early on his next day of work. Mr. Ordway wanted to talk before work began.

“I know you’ve wondered why I stay clothed while I prefer you to be undressed. You wouldn’t be a normal teen if you weren’t wondering by now,” Mr. Ordway said after Henry had settled in. They were sitting in the kitchen. Henry thought it best just to listen for the moment. “When I’m alone I often am naked as I do enjoy it but when you are here, I am clothed. I doubt you’ve heard about it but there is a type of relationship with one or more people clothed and one or more being naked. It can be people of the same sex, like us, or both sexes. There are a number of combinations.” His familiar smile. “To be frank, some people use it for sexual excitement.” Again the smile. “I’ll use the tired old phrase that ‘you’ll understand when you’re older’.

“It also can reflect the relationship between the people involved. Here I am the mature adult, your senior, you are still in childhood. I am older and your employer which puts me in a superior position. So you being naked and me clothed reflects that dynamic. This is not all that unusual though it’s not something people talk about or admit to. Sort of like your peers who still get spanked.” Yet again the smile. “That’s what it’s all about really.” Henry was sure he heard a hint that there was more to it.

“I guess that makes sense. I hadn’t really thought about why you were doing this. I admit that I’m still not completely used to it but I enjoy being here and it’s hardly a high price to pay for your company and being here in this house. And the work isn’t anything I can’t handle. So, I guess, what’s not to like.”

“I’m glad to hear that, son. There was a time when men and boys were unconcerned about nudity in certain situations, such as swimming, or showering after sports. It was natural and normal. For some reason that has changed. I say that boys shouldn’t be modest but men shouldn’t be either. How did your friends feel about being naked here?”

“Niko liked it and definitely wants to come again. As you saw, being naked is no big deal for him.” Henry paused for a moment, wondering if Mr. Ordway would mention Niko’s erection. He did not. “To be honest, I haven’t wanted to talk to anyone since Saturday and haven’t said much to Scott and Jim. So far they’ve acted like it hadn’t happened.”

“Hm, interesting. There is work to be done with them.”

“I guess so and I guess that’s up to you, sir.”

Mr. Ordway smiled again. “Calling me ‘sir’ has come naturally to you, a reflection of the dynamic between us. From what I’ve seen I’d say that having to be naked here only reinforces your inclination to call me that.”

“Ah. . . I don’t know. This is new to me and. . . I don’t know. . . I guess I don’t know what to think.”

“Not to worry my boy. There may be some things to explore but only what you are comfortable with. Now, you’ve been clothed far too long today.” Henry disrobed and left his neatly folded clothes on the usual shelf in the kitchen. When the boy was naked Mr. Ordway said “it’s time you see the upper floors.”

On the second floor there was a third bedroom, nicely furnished. “I should have had you do some dusting and vacuuming in here already. You can do that later.” Mr. Ordway led Henry up another flight of stairs. “This was where my brother and I slept. It was nice having our own area like this, and the whole floor, too.”

There were two twin beds, a toilet off to the side with “WC” on the door. More shelves of books, in this case books appropriate to the various ages of childhood. Henry noticed that discretely in a corner a paddle was hanging on the wall. Mr. Ordway said nothing nor did he acknowledge it. He had talked about spanking a couple of times and there was that book in the library. Now that paddle. He and his brother must have been spanked as boys. Henry was not going to comment.

“This room hasn’t had attention for a long time, as you can see. To make housework easier, there is a vacuum cleaner on each floor. Today you can start in the second guest room. Just dust, vacuum, and polish, no need to change the sheets. This area likely will take up the rest of your day. I’ll call you for lunch. You definitely will want a swim when you get done.” They went back downstairs. Mr. Ordway showed Henry where the vacuum cleaner and other cleaning things were kept on that floor. “I’ll leave you to it.” With that he descended, leaving Henry to do his work.

This has to have been the girl’s room he thought as he surveyed the room. There wasn’t a great deal to do; the dusting was straightforward, he polished the few things that needed polishing, then vacuumed. That done, he decided to clean the mirror which was in great need of attention. He put the vacuum cleaner away and went upstairs.

It was clear to him immediately that this area was full of potential distractions. Things from the boys’ childhoods, from toddlers to teens, were in various places. Quite a few of the book titles surprised him as he did not think they were books teens would enjoy. The rugs had not been vacuumed in a long time and that alone kept him busy for a while. He worked for a couple of hours. When he had the room looking good he decided to tackle the WC. The cleaning off of accumulated dust was all that was needed but it was a full bath so it was not a quick job.

There was not much in the supply closet as this room was not used anymore. He was surprised to see an enema bag and nozzle. He knew what they were but had never seen one and was fairly sure there was not one in his own house. He wondered if the boys had digestive problems that required it but decided that was not an appropriate thing to ask about. Would Mr. Ordway tell him about it, or ever think to use it on him?

The enema bag made him think of the paddle in the corner. The paddle reminded him of the book in the library and here was something which could only be an instrument of corporal punishment. Again, he was curious but unwilling to ask. Something else that Mr. Ordway might tell at another time.

Tasks done, Henry went down to the main floor in search of Mr. Ordway. He was reading in living room. “I’m done, sir. I hope you’ll be pleased.”

“Based on your work here so far I know I will be. I’ll take a look later.”

“You and your brother certainly read some interesting books. Not stuff I’d expect high school kids to read. I haven’t read them!” Mr. Ordway smiled.

“I guess we were a bit unusual. The whole family is unusual, to be honest, but not in a bad way.” Henry felt that Mr. Ordway was giving him a searching look. There is no way he would not have seen the paddle and Mr. Ordway knew that. Was he waiting for Henry to say anything? Henry had decided to keep quiet about it and did.

“Come in the kitchen and get something to drink and some crackers or chips, then into the pool.”

“Shouldn’t I shower first?”

“Yes, you’re right. I don’t want the pool getting dirty. Which reminds me, you need to do some pool cleaning, getting leaves and things out. But that can wait until tomorrow.”

Henry was in the pool for about a half hour. When he emerged Mr. Ordway had a towel waiting on the patio. “I’ve been given permission to keep you for dinner,” he said as Henry dried. “There is a bit more of the house I want to show you and I don’t want you to feel rushed to get home.”

“Thank you, sir.” Henry now was automatically using “sir.” Was he going to see what was behind the other door downstairs? What could it possibly be?

“Nice and dry?” Henry said that he was. “Fine. Let’s go downstairs.” Henry followed. The solid door was ajar as it had been when Henry had cleaned the room.

They did not go into the room. “Sit down,” Mr. Ordway said, indicating the couch. He took a chair. “I’ve been thinking about some things to tell you about my family’s past and whether it even is appropriate to tell you. You have shown yourself to be mature for your age and I feel that we’ve become friends. I think you can handle it.” Henry felt stunned into silence. “You of course have noticed that door and no doubt also noticed that it is quite solid compared to the door into the cellar.” He was gesturing to what Henry now thought of as the mystery door. “I’m going to take you into that room in few minutes.”

There was a momentary silence. Henry felt it was best to let Mr. Ordway do all the talking right now. The man showed no expectation that Henry should say anything.

“My grandfather was what you’d call eccentric. He was born late in the Victorian Era and some things were quite different in those days, as you know, of course. In those days corporal punishment for boys was the norm and my grandfather was a firm believer in it, as his father had been. As you must know already, it was customary for boys to be caned at school. In some ways it was a harsh time. My father and uncle were not ‘spared the rod,’ though Dad never said that his father was unfair or too harsh, or ever caned them. His rule was that the punishment fit the crime.” With the familiar smile he said “you can’t pretend that you didn’t see the paddle hanging in the corner upstairs.”

“Um, yes. . . yes, I did, ah, see it.” The presence of the book on corporal punishment was beginning to fit.

“As I said, my grandfather was eccentric. Over time his interest in corporal punishment expanded, in a sense. With his sons he never went beyond paddling but he did become curious about instruments of punishment, of which there are many. He began a collection of such things. He had a wall put up to create another room down here which he could close off to the rest of family. Even my father didn’t know what was in there until he was an adult and my grandfather showed it to him. Dad didn’t wait so long to show it to us so my brother and I had seen it when we were still in high school. I really should find some place or someone who is interested in fetish and kink items and sell off everything, but somehow it feels odd to dismantle it after so long.”

With that he stood and beckoned the awestruck naked boy to follow him into the room. The door opened silently. Henry gasped slightly when the light were turned on. He had no idea what much of what he saw was. Among things he did recognize were paddles, whips of some sort, and what appeared to be a riding crop.

“What is that?” Henry asked when he found his voice, pointing to a giant X up against a wall.

“That is a St. Andrew’s Cross. If you’ve seen a Scottish flag you’ve seen it. St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. He was killed on this sort of cross. They are quite popular with people who are into what is called bondage and domination, or b&d, along with sado masochism, or s/m. Have you ever heard those terms?”

“Yeah, I think I have but don’t know what they are.”

“In these types of fetishes there is one person who is dominant, known as the dom, and the one receiving is submissive, called the sub.” He led Henry to the cross. “As you see, there are straps for securing hands and feet. You can be strapped in both face forward or back forward. As I said, these are quite popular among people into b&d.” Henry was very aware that Mr. Ordway had said “you.” Did he mean that as Henry specifically? “When you’re strapped on face forward the dom can paddle you or use various types of whips and things on you. Face forward he can use other things on you. Some doms like to masturbate their victim but keep him from ejaculating. That can become quite painful.”

For the moment Henry truly was speechless. Speechless in part because he now was sporting a full erection which felt as hard as any he’d ever had. Mr. Ordway made no comment but rather led him to a wooden structure that seemed to resemble a giant step. It, too, had straps.

“This is what I was told that my grandfather called Colonel Paine, spelled with an “e” at the end. His idea of whimsey, apparently. You lie down on this in a kneeling position and are strapped in for a spanking with whatever implement the dom chooses.” Henry still said nothing.

“If I may ask, have you been spanked?”

“Well, yeah, as a little kid. Aren’t all kids?”

“Not all but many are. Do you remember when you last were spanked?”

This was embarrassing as Henry’s last spanking was when he was twelve. He, Scott, and Jim got into trouble together. All three were spanked by their dads. They all got it, but that was small compensation.

“Do I have to tell?”

“No but you’ll feel better if you do confess.”

Henry didn’t get the rationale that likely it was in his best interest to tell. However now he felt he was understanding the “or else” implication. Did Mr. Ordway think he could spank him?

“You won’t tell?”

“Who would I tell?”

“Well, I was twelve.” The whole story spilled out. Mr. Ordway took note that all three pals suffered the same fate. Telling the story did nothing to relax Henry’s erection. All of this had him blushing deeply from embarrassment.

“Come back to the main room,” Mr. Ordway said when Henry finished the story. They resumed the same seats. “I know this is a lot to take in and there is a lot to learn if you have any sort of curiosity. Don’t be embarrassed by your reaction. It is quite natural and doesn’t necessarily mean an interest in bdsm. However, do feel free to ask questions. All will remain between us.” That was a relief. Except that Henry was getting curious. What would it be like to be on the cross? He’d never been paddled. Could he take the pain?

There were some minutes of quiet. Mr. Ordway let Henry reflect on all of this. When he saw that Henry’s erection had receded he said “let’s go upstairs and get dinner organized.” When they got to the kitchen he said “if you feel the need to get dressed, please feel free.” Henry felt relaxed being back in clothes.

As they were getting dinner ready, Mr. Ordway said “I haven’t been in that room in years, as you can tell by all the dust and filth. Since you’re doing all this work for me you may as well clean that room, too. You’ll need soap and water for that project. We can work that out the next time you’re here.”

As they dined Henry found his voice returning. “Did you father use that paddle on you?”

“You couldn’t miss that it is hanging in the corner. Yes, he did.” Mr. Ordway chuckled at the memory. “Usually my brother and me together. We got into a lot of mischief. My grandfather believed that boys were not too old to be spanked right up to when they left home. Dad continued that philosophy so my brother and I were spanked all through high school to the day we left for college.”

“Wow.”

“Yes. I got a good paddling a couple of weeks before I left for school. I deserved it.” He didn’t elaborate.

“Um, I guess I should say. . . confess. . . I saw a book in the library. . .”

Mr. Ordway’s laugh interrupted Henry. “The Value and Uses of Corporal Punishment. I thought you might have seen that. No need to be embarrassed. It was my grandfather’s. Dad kept it and I just never got around to getting rid of it. Would you like to look at it?”

Henry felt himself turn bright red. He stammered for a bit and finally got out a “yes.”

The familiar smile was on Mr. Ordway’s face now. “Feel free. You may find it interesting. Or, at least, educational. Remember, it is a reflection of an earlier time.”

“Ah. . . thank you, sir.”

“Do you know if you’re friends still get spanked?”

“No. If they do, they don’t say.”

“Enough of that for the time being. Once again you’ve done a sterling job and provided me good company. I’m glad we met.”

“So am I! I like working here and you’ve been more than generous with payment. And with other things, too, like dinners and letting me use the pool.”

“Just ways to keep you around more,” Mr. Ordway replied with a smile. He could see that Henry had more on his mind.

“Did you get, ah, enemas when you were a boy?” Henry asked. Mr. Ordway chuckled.

“Ah, you saw the old enema bag in the closet. It probably leaks now. My mother was a kind of health fanatic. You wouldn’t know it from a lot of what she fed us but somewhere along the line she got the notion that children needed weekly enemas. So, all three of us did, usually Sunday nights. My sister’s was private but my brother and I received ours together. She always had us watch the other get it. When we were little she’d put us over her lap for the process. When we were too big for that she set up a massage table in our room and we used the traditional side position.”

“How old were you when she stopped?”

“Same age as when our father stopped spanking us.”

“You mean your mother saw you naked every week?’

“She did. We were used to it by then and, as you know, in our house there was no undue modesty. I think it bothered my brother a bit but we had no choice. She also gave us enemas when we had digestive issues. Enemas are very good for that. Would like an enema sometime?”

“I don’t. . . know. . . I guess. . .”

“That’s for another time.” When dinner was done and they were in the kitchen doing the post-meal cleanup, Mr. Ordway said “I want you here early on Thursday so you can get to work on the punishment room. It’s filthy enough that you’ll need all day. And, no doubt, you’ll want to investigate things.” Henry blushed at that. “Yes, I see you do. Now, let’s finish up and get you home.”

Work done, Henry received his pay. He had walked today and was glad he had as it gave him time to think over things as he walked home. He wondered what he might find in the “punishment room” and had no idea what sorts of things to expect. As he walked it suddenly struck him that maybe someday he would be spanked by Mr. Ordway, maybe even on Thursday in the punishment room. Why would Mr. Ordway spank him? For doing something wrong? Just to do it? He wished he felt he could confide in his buddies but didn’t dare say anything about the room or spankings.

“Can we swim again?” Jim, of all people, asked that night when the three pals had some face time.

“You’re welcome any time, from what I can tell. Just remember the ‘undress code.’” They all chuckled at that.

“Have you heard from Niko since Saturday?” Scott asked.

“No. You guys?”

“No,” said Scott, “but I’m not surprised. He tends to keep to himself.” No one would admit it but all three boys hoped that they would get a chance to see Niko naked again, if for no other reason that he was the only one who was uncut. They’d all seen other uncut boys but being with Niko for so long was the first time that any of them had more than a glance.

“I’ll ask about Saturday. I’m working all day on Thursday. At some point I have to get leaves and stuff out of the pool, too.”

“Don’t work too hard,” Scott said. “Or hard at all,” he added causing raucous laughter at what all three knew was sophomoric humor. With that they signed off.

When Henry woke up Wednesday morning he was sure that he’d dreamt that he was being spanked by Mr. Ordway in the punishment room. He was weirded out by the thought that he’d dream about a spanking. Spanking was something he’d not thought about until Mr. Ordway asked about his most recent one. Did this dream mean he wanted a spanking? How weird is that he thought to himself.

“You seem to be in a bit of a haze today,” his mother said at breakfast. Henry certainly was!

“Sorry, Mom, just thinking about some stuff Mr. Ordway wants me to do later in the week.”

“You’re really enjoying the job and Mr. Ordway, aren’t you?”

“Yes. He’s a good guy and, as you know, he pays me very well. And I get to swim in the pool.” That slipped out. He knew what was coming.

“Really? I’ve not seen that you’ve taken a swimsuit.”

“Oh, ah. . . he has some no one uses any more. He made sure they’re clean!” he added to reassure his mother that all was hygienic.

“That’s good. I’m glad you can enjoy that.”

“Yeah, it’s great.” Henry turned his attention back to his breakfast and no more was said.

Henry spent another quiet day, chatting only briefly with his friends. He emailed Niko to see if he wanted to swim again on Saturday. It took a while but Niko did respond and say that he was hoping Henry would ask.

Otherwise he passed the time reading and, mostly, reflecting on spanking. Would Mr. Ordway really spank him? Did he want one? The man certainly had given him fairly regular friendly swats. These thoughts would not go away.