Undercover

Warren's office

"Dress sexy, you say? What's wrong with this dress?" Erin was practically fuming as her old boss and trusted friend, Warren, gave her grey-coloured business suit a setting-down.

Warren just grimaced and looked her over before answering. "Everything. It's mousy, grey coloured and ill fitting. It will not do for this specific assignment."

"Hrmf," Erin answered. "What's my suit got to do with the assignment you want to give me?"

He paused before starting to explain. "I've just discovered signs of embezzlement in one of my companies," Warren explained. "But, since I lack the proof, there is nothing I can do - yet. It would be your job to provide me with that proof, and in order to do that you need to go undercover."

"As what exactly?"

"As a secretary."

"You must be joking! I'm an analyst. What do

I

know about being a secretary?"

"Then I suppose you will have to learn a new trick or two," Warren smiled. "Because I definitely need your analytical skills in order to get the proof I need. You would be absolutely perfect for the role." He studied her outfit one more time. "Well, as long as we make a few necessary changes first."

"What changes?"

"Oh, just some small adjustments to your appearance, that's all. I've already asked Stella to give you a hand."

"No way! Stella can hardly dress

herself

properly and you want

her

to help me? What sort of secretary am I portraying anyway? The platinum blonde bimbo-kind of a secretary slash mistress?"

"That would be perfect," Warren interrupted with a broad smile. "No one will suspect you of doing anything suspicious."

"They won't suspect me of having a brain either."

"Even better," Warren grinned at her. "The set-up is just perfect."

"So, you want me to wear some dreadful clothes and stop thinking for a few months, is that it?"

"More or less, yes."

"In that case you had better add a raise to my salary in addition to that promotion you promised me. Detecting fraud is one thing. Dressing like a whore is completely different."

"Now, now," Warren interceded. "You will be decently dressed - only a bit sexier than your normal outfits."

"Exactly how

sexy

do I have to dress?" Erin asked suspiciously. "I detest heels and miniskirts for instance. And leather boots are simply out of the question. I would rather kill myself than wearing anything that dreadful."

"Discuss that with Stella, will you? We can always come to a reasonable agreement on this as long as you dress appropriately."

Erin just sighed. "Just put in that raise, Warren, and I will do what I can."

Her old boss just smiled and nodded, "I knew you would enjoy the challenge." As she walked toward the door, Warren interrupted. "One more thing. Keep a close eye on this Mason fellow, will you?"

"Why? You think he's involved?"

"I'm not sure yet. But, due to large the scale of the embezzlement it's a miracle if he hasn't noticed anything. My bet is that he knows about the fraud, or worse: that he's the mastermind of it. Either way I need the evidence to sack the culprit."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do."

***

Later the same evening, Erin was still pondering about the information Warren had given her. She had wanted a new challenge but she could never foresee Warren giving her such a strange task. He clearly suspected this Cade fellow and she would really be put to the test in this assignment. It would have been so much easier to just go as herself, but that would probably set the suspects on high alert from day one. This way, she would have the chance to get under their skin and reveal a lot more than she usually would. Still, she wondered if she had the skill it took to post as someone so completely different from her usual self.

But first, she needed to solve the clothing problem. What to wear, what to wear?

After 30 minutes of hard thinking and she gave it up and called Stella, begging for her help.

Stella was her favourite friend, but they had always had completely opposite tastes when it came to clothes. Where Erin's clothes were grey and classic - at least according to herself - Stella always followed the current fashion and preferred revealing clothes that showed off every attribute she had -- and that was not few.

Stella came right over and she brought along a vast quantity of boxes and bags. Even Erin's entire wardrobe was smaller, she thought as she stared at her friend unloading all the boxes.

"Did you really have to bring that much along?" she asked suspiciously. "It's only a three month's assignment, and I do believe that the washing machine has reached the wilderness as well. And I really hope they have electricity, otherwise I'm out of there faster than you can spell

candles

."

"Oh shut up, will you. Don't ruin the fun. I have been planning for an entire week now after Warren first asked for my help. This will be the perfect opportunity to give you a new direction in life, and for that you'll need many outfits," Stella smiled happily.

"Wait a minute," Erin said suspiciously. "Did Warren tell you to go shopping for this assignment?" Stella just nodded exaltedly, as Erin groaned in frustration. "He did? How could he when I had not even been asked? He knew I would accept, didn't he?"

"Well, of course he did," Stella interrupted. "You could never resist a challenge, now could you? And just admit that you have been bored stiff in the last few months. You told me so yourself. So quit wining and let us get started, shall we? We have a lot of work to do to get you ready for this assignment. Oh, I can't wait to see the end result. This will be so much fun!" Stella smiled happily.

Erin was not so sure what the end result would be, but she had every confidence that she would definitely look like the silly sectary she was supposed to portray. No doubt about that.

Stella started opening the boxes and spreading clothes all over the living room as a cascade of good advices flowed all over Erin. She could barely follow or understand all the good advices but the clothes were absolutely dreadful as far as she was concerned. Most of them looked like they had last belonged to a prostitute.

"I'm not wearing that," she said pointing at a light pink top, which displayed more cleavage than it concealed. "You simply can not be serious. And the colour is just plain dreadful! I hate pink!"

"You know, girl," Stella interceded. "Baggy clothes will never land you a bloke. This one will."

"Most likely he would just ask for my price," Erin grumbled to herself.

"Well, why don't you start to put on the clothes and we'll see what suits you best, Stella suggested.

***

After a ton of make-up, hair ripping and trying on a dozen of different outfits, Erin was definitely ready to go hunting males - preferably with a shotgun. Or perhaps she would just shoot herself instead. No torture could beat this. She felt practically naked in the short skirt, high heels and the skin-tight top. She wondered how she was going to move at all without showing off too much skin. It was one of the outfits Stella had settled for in the end.

"Wonderful," Stella beamed behind her. "Just wonderful. And that pink colour is just perfect for your light skin. But I think you need to show a bit more of that cleavage."

"I think it needs a shawl. A large one."

"Never!" Stella drummed on. "This is just perfect to get some male attention. Just remember to bend from the waist, not at the knees. That way you will show off both cleavage and legs."

"Why don't I simply strip down completely? That might get even more attention."

Stella just sighed.

"Sorry," Erin said. "I'm very glad you are helping me. It's just so much new stuff to learn. Like, how am I going to walk with these heels?"

"By practising, of course," Stella said slowly as if trying to instruct a difficult child in the arts of mathematics. Well, this felt far more difficult than mathematics, Erin thought.

"Now try to walk across the floor," Stella suggested. Erin stumbled across the floor, her entire body bent forward as she tried to adjust to the high heels.

"No, not like that. Try to straighten your stature and keep your shoulders back. Show off those boobs, will you?"

"Nothing much to show," Erin admitted with a laugh. She had never been the most endowed in that particular department.

"Well, if you straighten your stance they will seem bigger than ever before," Stella explained.

"No, that's the padding," Erin laughed. "You put so much extra padding in there that any guy I pick up is bound to be disappointed when he realise it's mostly fake."

"Don't be silly. Now, try not to bend your knees so much. You need to feel more comfortable in those heels before you can convince anyone."

"These are not heels. They are torture instruments," Erin grumbled.