A BRIEF CELEBRATION
Dan Evans stood at the end of the conference table with pen in hand to sign the new contract extending DDE's North American Mailgirls partnership with Hiromoto Industries for another five years. A company photographer who'd been summoned to the room snapped pictures as Evans inked his signature onto the paperwork, then handed the pen to Mariko who did the same. Then the two of them posed together for more pictures as the others in the room broke into applause.
Kelly and I watched all of this from our knees, the naked embodiment of what all of the dry language and legalese in the contract actually produced in the real world. We'd been stripped of our clothes, our names, and most of our rights as employees, and the goal was to create many more like us over the coming years.
After a round of handshakes and some small talk, Evans turned to Mariko. "The lawyers still have some mop up duty left to do on the paperwork so how about joining me and Barbara in my office? I've got some champagne on ice to celebrate the occasion."
Mariko smiled and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you Mr. Evans," she replied in her accented and formal English. "I would be most pleased to join you. Perhaps we can also invite these two mailgirls so that they may serve us?"
Evans turned and looked down on us. "Sure. Great idea."
Barbara also gave us a look but it was hard to tell what she was thinking. I hadn't seen her since that fateful meeting on Monday and now I felt a flood of conflicting emotions. Despite everything, I still had strong feelings for her and felt guilty knowing that I'd asked Mariko to bring her down. She'd left me no choice though, I told myself. This is the only way out, not only for me but for Kelly. The die had been cast so there was no turning back now anyway.
Kelly and I followed Dan, Barbara, and Mariko out of the conference room onto the tenth floor of the tower. This was the home of the company's top executives and had once seemed like a magical place to me that must be filled with extraordinary people. I'd been here enough now as a mailgirl though to know the truth: the people here weren't particularly special. There were some intelligent, highly productive people working on this floor but there were also fools, sycophants, and insufferable assholes. They may wear more expensive clothes and make more money but they weren't necessarily smarter or harder working than the people doing the less glamorous grunt work elsewhere that was vital to DDE's success.
The sight of a couple of naked, collared women obediently following behind their elite corporate masters would have once created shock waves here, but now it barely caused a ripple. In just two short years Barbara had thoroughly changed the culture at DDE, turning something that had once been unthinkable into an organic part of its business environment. This represented a preview of the seismic cultural shift that Barbara envisioned eventually taking place throughout American society.
The five of us entered Dan Evans' office, a large luxurious suite befitting the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. On the right side of the office near a large window overlooking the city was a leather sofa and chair surrounding a coffee table. Barbara and Mariko settled onto the sofa while Evans took a seat in the chair. I'd been carrying Barbara's laptop bag and placed it onto the floor next to her. "Pour the three of us champagne," she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am."
On a nearby bar a bottle of Dom Perignon was chilling in an ice bucket. Kelly popped the cork and poured the expensive champagne as I held the glasses. After serving them we were ordered back onto our knees and I once again took Kelly's hand into mine. "Here's to a long and successful partnership," Dan Evans said as the three of them raised their glasses, clinked them together, and took a sip.
"It's a shame Mr. Hiromoto couldn't make it," Dan said to Mariko. "I was looking forward to meeting him."
"Mr. Hiromoto sends his regrets he could not come," Mariko replied. "At his age he no longer desires to make such long journeys."
"Yeah, I don't blame him. How old is he now, if you don't mind my asking?"
"He is 72 now."
"Wow! And he still works full time?"
"Yes," Mariko replied. "Mr. Hiromoto has no desire to retire to a life of tending his garden."
"He's still as strong as an ox," Barbara interjected. I remembered my lone meeting with the man when I witnessed him whipping Mariko in his office. The man did seem remarkably fit for his age.
"Yes, he remains in very good health," Mariko said. She took another small sip of her champagne and then placed the glass on the coffee table. "Please excuse me but there is a subject I am required to bring to your attention. I have been compelled by Mr. Hiromoto to pass on a request from him once our negotiations had concluded."
"Sure," Dan said. "What is it?"
"Mr. Hiromoto requests that Ms. Anderson sign a two year Mailgirls contract."
"Um...what?" Dan laughed, not quite sure of what he'd just heard. "Is that a joke?" Barbara simply stared at Mariko with a puzzled look on her face.
"No, it is not," Mariko assured him. "He believes Barbara would be a more authentic spokesperson for his program in the future if she has served as a mailgirl." I felt Kelly's hand squeeze mine and I glanced over at her. She had a smirk on her face.
"He's serious then?" Dan replied. "Mr. Hiromoto really wants Barbara to work as a mailgirl for two years?"
"Yes. He wishes to purchase Barbara's contract and bring her to Tokyo to work for him." Kelly squeezed my hand again as a stunned look came over Dan's face.
Barbara had been uncharacteristically quiet but she finally spoke up. "Mariko, please pass my apologies on to Mr. Hiromoto but I simply cannot work as a mailgirl in Tokyo or anywhere else. I have many duties here that go well beyond my work in the Mailgirls program."
"I understand," Mariko replied, then opened her stylish handbag and retrieved her smartphone from it. "Mr. Hiromoto has provided me with a video that he believes may help persuade Ms. Anderson that becoming a mailgirl is the best course of action. I am afraid my phone has a very small screen. Is there perhaps a way to project this onto a larger screen?"
"Sure. Let me see your phone, Mariko," Dan said. His tone remained polite but I could tell he was becoming perturbed by the direction of this conversation. Barbara, for her part, wasn't showing any emotion but I could tell the wheels were turning in her head trying to figure out what Mariko was up to.
Dan spent a couple of minutes with Mariko's phone before handing it back to her. "I've downloaded and set up an app you can use to play it on the TV," he said pointing to a large flat screen television on the wall opposite the sofa. "Just select the video file and hit play." Then he got up from his chair, retrieved a remote from his desk and turned the TV on.
"Thank you, Mr. Evans," Mariko smiled. Seconds later a video began playing on the flat screen. It took me a couple of seconds to realize what I was seeing but when I did I reeled with shock. How in the hell did Mariko get this?
ENDGAME
"What the fuck is this?" Dan Evans asked as he stared at the television screen. On it was a video of Barbara putting a ball gag into my mouth as she prepared to whip me as I knelt naked on her floor. I knew exactly what this was now: it had been filmed on the day that I'd brought Lin to her office without permission.
