(While technically BDSM, this is a comedic story)
*
Peggy looks at me and as if she's reading my mind says, "You will be working late today."
I try not to let my groan of despair be too audible. Peggy is nice enough to pretend not to notice.
"What can you tell me about Sylvia Winton?" Peggy begins.
"Head of Human Resources, she's married with no children. She's forty-seven and has been with the company twenty-five years. She has no known hobbies or any religious background."
"That's not much to work with," Peggy sighs. "Is there anything else?"
"Her husband is a non-entity; she doesn't bring him to any corporate parties. There was a rumor that before I got here she had an affair with someone in General Administration, but things went poorly. He was fired under suspicious circumstances and his marriage fell apart; a real ugly affair."
"How do you find this stuff out?" Peggy asks.
"People treat me like an idiot," I admit. "They say all kinds of things around me. I tend to remember what I hear. She's also never had an intern make it into the company which considering her time with the company is a bit odd."
"Joshua, who does she bring to corporate functions?" Peggy grinned.
"Usually a junior members of HR; either male or female; it doesn't seem to matter. They don't do much except follow her around and get her stuff."
"Joshua, have I told you how rewarding it is to work with you today?" Peggy smiles down at me. I get all warm and fuzzy inside.
"Actually, have you ever told me that?" I question.
"Well, I should do it more often. Now, I need you to send out a memo. You are forming an exploratory task force to create a new Intern Retention Program. I'll have you the names for the e-mail by lunch."
"Peggy, what is an Intern Retention Program?"
"Joshua, don't worry about it. I'll tell you what you need to do," Peggy assures me. I sigh in relief. For a moment I thought I'd have to do some work.
(Later that Afternoon)
"Mrs. Winton ..." Peggy informs me as Sylvia Winton comes storming into my office. The lady slams the door shut and bears down on me. I'm glad I pissed a few minutes ago because I would certainly be pissing on myself now if I hadn't.
"Mr. Townsend," Sylvia sneers, "what in hell are you doing launching a project in Human Resources without my express permission?" My hands are trembling. I look down at my palms.
"Mrs. Winton -- Sylvia, this is a project my Father wanted to put forward to pave the way for your appointment as Head of General Administration. I wasn't supposed to inform you at this stage, but I respect you. This is really a formality to bring a few members of the board around to his way of thinking. After all, if this was a hatchet job would he have given this project to me?"
Sylvia glares down at me. I gulp. Her glare becomes a sinister smile. She leans down on my desk and looks over the top of her glasses at me. All I can think of is how huge her breasts are. Good God I had never known any that big and firm before. She walks around, blouse buttoned high, but no jacket and lean over my desk. I gulp again, but for a different reason.
"Well," she purrs, "Joshua I respect your candor in this matter. I certainly won't tell anyone that you let this slip. Perhaps we can get to know each other better."
"I occasionally work late. Do you work late sometimes as well?" I ask innocently. She leans forward a little more and leers.
"I do indeed work late most nights. Maybe we can do something when we finish," she tells me.
"Maybe I can stop by your office," I respond. She looks like the cat that ate the canary, or what I imagine a cat would look like if it ate a small bird. I've never had a cat ... or a bird.
"I'm glad we cleared this little matter up. I expect you to keep me informed of the projects direction," she commands me. She pulls herself up straight, pushes out her exceptional bust line and strides to the door. She has a large ass too. She's a bit on the hefty side, but definitely succulent. She gives me one last look before opening the door and heading out. She clearly enjoys me enjoying her figure. I look at the little symbol drawn in pen of a fish on my hand.
Peggy comes in and shuts the door.
"Well?" she asks. I deflate and slump in the chair as a response. "Your survived; be proud of that," she tells me. "Did you stick to the script?"
I hold up my palms to her which have all the relevant notes scribbled on them, including the little fish that was to remind me that she is a piranha.
"Tomorrow the real work begins," Peggy promises me. I try not to let the disappointment show in my face. The weekend is only two days away and I was hoping to kick things off early Thursday afternoon. I have the feeling that Peggy is going to nix my plans.
(Thursday Morning)
Cecilia Lynski, Keisha Lynn, and Walter Rand are sitting in the Joshua Townsend's office with Peggy and me. I'm really wishing I wasn't Joshua Townsend right now.
Keisha seems to have some idea what is about to happen. Walter definitely does. He is the one who has approached Peggy. Poor Cecilia looks alone, downtrodden and dispirited. For my part, I have my lines. Peggy tells me I have to act brave and get the ball rolling.
"This program has two goals; the first one is to find out why interns weren't being retained in Human Resources and to deal with those problems. Each of them had terminated interns and Joshua Townsend wanted to know why," Peggy begins.
"Ms. Lynski, please tell me why you terminated your latest intern?" I lead off with. She flinches.
"They weren't working out," she responds weakly.
"So, Mrs. Winton didn't demand you fire Janice Nesmith? That is how it looks to us."
Cecilia looks like a cornered animal. Peggy leans forward, but I speak first.
"Cecilia, how is your private life? You've broken up with your boyfriend of five years. Did she demand that of you too?"
Cecilia starts to tremble. "I can't go against her," he rambles. "You don't know what she's like."
"Oh, I think Mr. Townsend and I have developed a firm idea of what is going on. We know what she is doing and we are putting a stop to it," Peggy begins.
By 'we' I hope Peggy is talking about 'she' and not 'me' or 'us', because I'm clueless about what's going on. I'm figuring out that Sylvia Winton isn't a nice person. I already know she is a scary person.
"She scares the crap out of me too," I tell Cecilia as I put a warm hand onto her cool trembling one. She looks into my eyes and hopefully sees something besides a vacant stare. She smiles at me, gulps and nods.
"She's terrifying alright," the woman sighs, "but what can I do?"
"We can stand up to her," Walter says. "Mr. Townsend is going to help us put her in her place. What she's doing has got to stop. We are people after all."
I am wondering how Peggy has gotten my Father involved when I notice that everyone is looking at me. Then it dawns on me that by 'Mr. Townsend' they mean me and that by 'going to help' they expect me to stop Sylvia from doing God knows what. I don't remember this being part of the job description for Office Drone.
"Mr. Townsend ..." Peggy starts. I make a command decision, off script.
"Please, everyone call me Joshua. Mr. Townsend is my Father," I announce. Peggy nods.
"Joshua wants to know what each of you have been forced to do for Mrs. Winton. From there we can formulate a plan to give her a dose of her own medicine. She's going to learn what it feels like to not be the person on top."
I learn a few things over the next several hours. Chinese take-out is better when you swap dishes with other people. When you get into a close conference with women they tend to drop down a button and loosen up their hair. Just because you are an excellent note taker doesn't make you less of a man. Also, Sylvia Winton has some serious issues as in the woman is sexually twisted and demanding -- the words S&M and nymphomaniac come up.
During a break I have to ask Peggy what a nymphomaniac is. For the life of me I can't figure out why this is considered a disorder. Someone can want too much sex? Seriously? Peggy also stops me from taking a magazine and going to the bathroom for a little personal time. She tells me it is unprofessional, as is apparently begging Paulette to meet me in the storage room. I have never worked so much in one day my entire time in the company. I tell Peggy I won't be in tomorrow. She tells me that I will. I show her who is boss. I cancel my plans for tomorrow.
I learn she has deceived me. I will be working Saturday, and Sunday too. I pull Peggy aside and tell her there must be some law against making people work on the weekend -- at least rich people. She tells me those are Child Labor Laws, but they no longer apply to me. Apparently being child-like doesn't qualify. Peggy says she had confidence in me. I don't know why but that matters. I am so upset that I almost miss the decision that I will be a critical part of their plan. I think these people have lost their minds. I can't be trusted to buy myself a birthday present I like.
(Later that Friday afternoon; end of the work week)
I come around my desk when Sylvia Winton walks in. She looks me over. My shirt is half unbuttoned and I've taken my shoes off. I resist the urge to throw myself out the window, which is good because I'm four stories up and Peggy says the glass is unbreakable. I'm supposed to be Man-candy which is another name for bait.
"You said you had something you needed my help with, Mr. Townsend?" she says with suspicion.
"Please, call you Joshua," I say as I work a smile onto my face. "May I call you Sylvia?"
"You may call me Mrs. Winton for now," she responds with a hint of interest.
"I would like to do things with you Mrs. Winton. Would you like to do things to me?" I offer.
"To you?"
"I feel ... like I've been bad. You are such a powerful woman. Do you think I've been bad?"
Sylvia reacts by shutting and locking the door as she licks her lips.
"What makes you think I would do anything to you?" she smiles.
"I felt something when you came into my office yesterday. I've never felt anything like that before. You can teach me things; things I need to know. Can you teach me?" I tell her. This isn't a total lie. I felt something yesterday when she came into the office -- terror.
"I think you have been bad, Joshua and I think I should teach you how bad you've been," she grins with a raw hunger that nearly sends me off my game.
"I have a new desk," I gulp.
"I see that," she says without taking her eyes off mine. Peggy says that I have to possess a certain look of fear to keep her interest. That is definitely not a problem.
"It has all kinds of places you can tie me down on. If I get scared you will let me up, right?"
"Of course I will, dear boy," she purrs. Okay, I may be an idiot but even I know she's lying. I fight to hold back the tears. Instead I back around to the side of the desk.
