Chapter 28: Red Revolution
The French Knickers had been a success. They had been sent out as Valentineâs Day presents to our major customers, except the pair I gave to Serena. They had been a success in a different way. Now she is in control of her life and her man, which is as it should be.
A few customers had not appreciated the gift. One pair came back with a snooty letter signed by the Managing Director. I hadnât realised that they only bought formal ecclesiastical clothing from us. Iâm sure some Vicarâs wife would have appreciated the knickers but I suppose they werenât âsuitable for our businessâ as the MD put it.
That pair of knickers I sent to Ralph when he rang up asking if another pair could be made. There must be a story behind his request. Why did he want two pairs? I understood that he and his wife werenât too close and she didnât sound like the type to wear silk knickers. I bet she wears thornproof ones. So who did Ralph want two pairs of knickers for? Iâll ask him next time I see him.
When I next spoke to the secretary whose boss had returned the knickers she was furious.
âStupid old fool,â sheâd said, âany of the women in the office would have loved to own them. We were drooling over them. I suppose he returned them to stop us arguing over who should have them. If you get any moreâŚâ
We would. We had hundreds of orders for French Knickers and other lingerie. Mr. Jones might have to extend the factory. He had already recruited ten more staff just to produce lingerie. Serena had given them the usual explanation about his âappraisalsâ but her heart wasnât in it. On her last appraisal sheâd left him tied up for me to release. He had to send me out to buy a new shirt because she left his original one soaked in cum. How did he explain that to his wife?
It was nearly time for me to reveal the real reason I was a temporary secretary to Christopher Jones. I didnât need the work. I didnât need the grief that his âappraisalsâ caused his staff.
However I had gained from the experience. I had been practising my juggling and prestidigitation whenever I had free time. I had been initiated as a witch. I was gaining confidence in my occult abilities although the spell on the French Knickers had been my greatest work and seemed to have been an almost unqualified success.
I had tried to influence Mr. Jones to turn his sexual attentions to his wife instead of his employees. So far that hadnât worked unless the few days when he hadnât called some woman for an âappraisalâ counted.
The shop floor women and Serena their forewoman looked on me as a âwise womanâ who would solve their problem with Mr. Jones. They consulted me on so many things that I felt I was their personal agony aunt. Lunchtimes I had a queue of advice seekers. I used my common sense as much as possible rather than my occult knowledge.
Their husbands had improved their behaviour after Serenaâs Reshad and veiled sari-clad women had beaten a few others up. They werenât perfect; what men are? They were better and most now had employment that helped the familiesâ budgets. After only a month at the factory the improvement in the staffâs morale was incredible. Mr. Jonesâ âappraisalsâ were the only remaining flaw and it was that flaw that I had come to change.
Jane had hinted to Mrs. Jones that there was a problem. She hadnât been specific because Mr Jones was her employer, not Mrs. Jones. But Jane had said enough for Mrs. Jones to turn to me in my real job, not as a magicianâs assistant, but as an employee in an enquiry agency. She asked the agency to find out and report exactly what her husband was doing. That had been easy. I found that out on day one.
The problem changed as soon as I reported my findings, which Jane could have told her. I also reported Serenaâs words to Mrs. Jones. We understood that altering the situation could have dire effects on the workers. She, Mrs. Jones, wanted a solution that left him in charge of the factory, but without treating the workforce as his personal harem. He ran the company at a profit despite paying above average pay and providing fringe benefits for the staff. His skill was essential.
So far my witchâs potions and spells hadnât worked. He was less enthusiastic about his âappraisalsâ but still did them. None of the appraisees had dared to tie him up as Serena had done. All allowed him a simple fuck before they returned to work. In exchange they received bonus payments in their pay packets. He was treating them as prostitutes and they accepted it.
One evening I persuaded Serena to meet Mrs. Jones and I after work. Serena wanted a solution as well but was very worried about his reaction. We met in a Chinese restaurant that had very secluded alcoves and piped music. It was impossible to overhear a conversation in the next cubicle, which possibly explained the number of couples who did not act as if they were married.
I introduced Serena, who was very uneasy, to Mrs. Jones.
âMrs. Jones, this is Christopherâs forewoman, Serena.â
âSerena, this is Mrs. Jones.â
âBut please, both of you, call me Nicole. That is my name and I hope we will be working together to benefit all of us. Serena, Mary was working for me before she came to the factory. I sent her there to help you and the other women. Has she helped?â
Serena was embarrassingly effusive in my praise. From her description you would think I was an angel who had transformed the factory into a place of sweetness and light. I protested but the two of them overruled me. They even toasted me in rice wine.
After Serena had finished any awkwardness between her and Nicole had gone. We were three equal conspirators determined to change Christopher.
The plot we hatched was to destroy his power over the women of the factory by making him appear less awe-inspiring. As the manager he had power. We intended to show the workers that he was just another man.
We agreed the details and turned to more interesting matters. Serena told us what she had done to her Reshad and we laughed when she mentioned her mother wiping her arse across his face.
I knew that Serena was now wholly in charge. She couldnât have told about her errant husband so delightfully if she thought he might be a threat in future. Without mentioning names she told of some of the other womenâs punishment of their husbands.