Employee Discipline

Delilah was tired. She hadn't slept particularly well, as she had found herself restless after the events of the previous evening, from arousal more than anything else. She hadn't dared touch herself, however.

Self-restraint,

she had thought to herself over and over. She was sure Ms. Verity would be proud of that.

She had arrived on floor sixty-four half an hour early, but after knocking on the door to Ms. Verity's office with no response, she had ultimately ended up loitering around, fiddling with her bag. The wide corridor had plenty of room for chairs. Delilah wondered if she should suggest putting some there, now she was an employee of the department. Or perhaps, she could...

"Can I help you?" A voice brought her mind back into focus.

"Oh, I..." She turned to find a woman standing in the doorframe of another office just off the central hallway.

"Ms. V won't be here for another few minutes, but she doesn't take non-urgent appointments in the morning anyway. Did you want to leave a message, or...?"

"No, no, I'm the new girl. Um... I was told to be here at eight. I figured I should get here a bit early... I'm Delilah Tilly if that helps?"

"Delilah... Delilah Tilly... Ah! Of course!" A look of realisation dawned on the woman. "Cherry told me to expect this at some point. I didn't realise it would be quite so soon, though... She could have given me a bit more of a heads-up..." She began to mumble to herself before cutting herself off and extending a hand. "Amy Estevez, Senior Administrator for the department."

Delilah shook it. A thought dawned on her. She had to assume that this was one of the submissives Ms. Verity had mentioned offhand as if it were nothing. She was a little surprised. While she could picture Cherry and Ms. Verity... Well, she tried to move her mind from what she could picture

them

doing together, Amy seemed like any other person who worked in Grandvale-Lilton. She wore fairly regular office attire - White blouse, grey jacket and trousers, brunette hair tied back in a ponytail; There was little out of the ordinary, save for a red, silk scarf tied around her neck that added a touch of colour.

"I'm Delilah. Delilah Tilly. Still." Damnit. She had already told her her name. "I do... Uh... Well, I guess I

did

data entry and stuff, mostly. On floor three."

"Way down there in the trenches, huh? What did a little worker bee," a phrase Delilah was almost able to mouth to herself before Amy had even said it, "like you do catch Ms. V's eye? Something

naughty

?" Delilah bit her lip.

Naughty?

She thought.

Well...

As she was about to answer, Amy cut her off. "Wait, don't tell me. No time. She'll be here soon and she'll want to talk to you once she's got her coffee, so I better get you started..." She led Delilah swiftly down the corridor, pointing to each door along the way - Breakroom, supply cupboard, bathrooms down the hall and to the left.

Opening a door halfway down, she led Delilah into a large room lined with row after row of slightly dusty metal filing cabinets. "Now, assuming she had in mind for you what I think she does, this should be yours," she said as she patted a desk against one of the walls, empty save for a computer. "While Ms. V

does

think there's a certain dramatic flair that comes with brandishing a folder, IT won't get off my back about 'data storage modernisation'... So she is

finally

relenting and needs someone to back up... Well, all these files onto the system."

Great. Delilah's new job was essentially the same, just sixty-one floors higher. She sighed, placing her bag down. At the very least, she would be closer to Ms. Verity up here. She wondered how much Amy saw of their boss.

More than the girl tucked away behind a filing cabinet, most likely

, she thought. "I mean, that's nothing too hard. But sitting in a dusty file room isn't exactly what I had in mind..."

"Oh, yeah?" Amy pulled open a drawer and rifled through the folders. "Well, before you came along, I've had to do this so far, and it's a bit below my pay grade too. We don't always end up in jobs we expect." She turned and dropped a stack of folders onto the desk. "No offence, of course. What

did

you have in mind?"

Delilah looked around at the metal columns that filled the room. She could hardly say 'being on my knees under our boss's desk all day' as she had often fantasised about over the last month. "Honestly, I'm... Not actually sure. Ms. Verity didn't really say... She just asked if I wanted to work for her last night and I said yes."

"Wow. Short notice. No wonder nobody had told me you were coming today. So, Ms. V told you to jump, and you just asked how high?"

"I wouldn't... When you put it like that..."

Amy chuckled, hardly seeming to listen to Delilah's reply. "Oh, I bet she

loved

that. Doing exactly what she says, without even thinking? I think I can guess what she sees in you!" She winked playfully. Delilah was about to protest, but Amy hardly seemed interested, already turning back to the desk. "Well, it doesn't matter if it's what you expected. You can do it, can't you?" She grabbed a folder from a desk and pulled out the papers inside. "Most of the stuff in here should be on the system already. The main things we care about are rule violations and disciplinary actions. Most of the time, it's nothing interesting. Some unauthorised days off here, sloppy work there... It doesn't matter either way. Anything to get them into Ms. V's sphere."

Delilah furrowed her brow a little. "Her sphere?"

Amy stopped rifling through the folder. "Sphere of influence. It's usually the little things that pull you into it. And once she can watch you, she

always

finds something a little bigger. A little more serious. Or at least something she can

construe

as more serious. Suddenly, you're worth looking at even closer. She's permitted to look into your out-of-work activities - for entirely work-related purposes, of course - until she finds something she can bring you under her thumb, and keep you there. Just in case she ever has need of you." The way she jumped from step to step made it sound like the most obvious process in the world. Delilah frowned.

"That... Sounds like blackmail..."

Amy tutted. "It's all stuff she could, at a minimum, pull any employee aside for a warning for. It'd all go on file anyway. It's just that this way, useful employees don't get punished over silly little things, so long as they otherwise stay in line. Everyone wins! And if someone

really

wanted to avoid any of that, there's a simple solution: Don't do anything wrong in the first place." Delilah contemplated just how long she might have been on Ms. Verity's radar, but her trail of thought was cut off by a relieved sigh from the room's entrance.

A mousy-looking woman with pastel-pink dyed hair had stuck her head around the door. "Oh, Amy. Thank goodness, I've been looking all over for you. Could you call Facilities? The coffee machine's working, but it's being so slow and..." She trailed off as she saw Delilah leaning against the desk. "Oh, um... H-hello..." Delilah was about to greet her in turn, but the girl's focus had already shifted to Amy, beckoning her over. "Is she... The new girl?" Violet whispered as Amy approached, looking from her to Delilah. "The one Cherry said would probably be coming soon?"

"Yes, she is. Violet, this is Delilah. Delilah, this is Violet."

Delilah raised her hand to wave a little, but once more, Violet had already turned back to Amy. "And... And that means I'm no longer...?" She mimed a ladder with her hands and pointed downwards.

"I suppose not," Amy shrugged.

A flash of excitement shot across Violet's face. "And... And... And so that means I finally get a chance to...?"

Amy nodded along with another shrug. "I suppose so, if you really want to." She tried to appear disinterested, but it was hard to disguise the curl in the corner of her mouth.

Violet turned to Delilah and stepped forward, pausing for a moment. "Hey! New girl!" In the silence, Delilah could hear her breath quivering just a little. "I... Um... I w-want you to kneel?" Her inflection made it sound like a question, her voice just as shaky as her breath.

"Huh?" Delilah was caught off-guard.

"I said... I want you to kneel. Now!" Violet said as assertively as she could muster. Delilah turned to Amy, only to find her raising an eyebrow, giving her no clue what was expected of her. She slowly sank to her knees. Violet could hardly hide her stunned look, quickly turning back to Amy to excitedly clap her hands in a way that undermined her attempt at appearing stern.

"I want you to... Um... Ah! I know! Expose yourself!" All the same, she was rapidly growing in confidence and it was obvious.

"H-huh? I can't when I'm..." She looked to Amy for help but only found her leaning back against the wall, watching with curiosity.

"Just... Don't question! Just do what I said!" Violet did her best to put on an intimidating frown. It wasn't the most convincing - all of it felt performative, as if the pastel-haired woman was doing what she thought she should, or perhaps just could, rather than what came naturally - but Delilah slowly lifted her skirt and tugged her panties aside. By this point, her cheeks were turning crimson, and she found it easier to look off to the side rather than make eye contact.

Violet slowly started circling Delilah, looking down at her. Delilah watched her legs leave and step into her view again. "Now, I want you to..." Violet abruptly froze as she stepped back behind Delilah. Delilah turned around and saw her staring in the direction of the door. There, leaning in the door frame with her arms crossed, was Ms. Verity.

"Don't stop on my account," she said. "Continue," she motioned with her hand.

Violet remained still for a moment, before circling once more. "I... Um... I would like you to... Uh..." She clenched her hands, palms becoming clammy. Her voice was shaky once more, and her confidence had evaporated.

"I told you to continue, Miss Zeiger. You've been in her position more than enough times to know how this goes."

"I-I..." Her cheeks had turned just as rosy as Delilah's. Delilah looked from Violet to Ms. Verity, uncertain of what to do.

Ms. Verity chuckled a little and shook her head. "Very well..." Stepping forward, she beckoned Violet over to stand in front of Delilah. "First of all, you really ought to stand up straight, dear. You'll never command respect while slouching." She placed her hands on the small of Violet's back, forcing a little gasp from her, and adjusted her posture. "You shouldn't be letting her gaze wander like that either. In the moment, you must be the focus of her entire world." Reaching around her, she took a firm grip on Delilah's jaw and turned her until she was made to look directly into Violet's eyes. "And finally, you shouldn't be telling her what you

want

her to do. You should tell her what she

will do.

Now, tell her. Give her an order. Something simple."

Violet paused, trying to think of something off-the-cuff to command. "I wan-..." Violet cut herself off. She stared directly into Delilah's eyes. "Kiss the tip of my shoe." There was still some uncertainty in her voice, but it was clear she was suppressing it with all her might. Delilah's eyes flicked to Ms. Verity for just a second, as if seeking approval. She stared down at her expectantly. She was uncertain whether it was Violet alone compelling her, or the fact that she was backed by Ms. Verity, but after a moment's hesitation, Delilah slowly lowered herself onto all fours and placed a kiss on the tip of one of her shiny black Mary Janes.

"Wonderfully done," Ms. Verity beamed. She placed her hands on Violet's shoulders and leaned down until her lips were less than an inch from her ear. "Now, Miss Zeiger. While I can see you're enjoying having a subordinate of your own, let's not forget your own position. Tell me. When I task you with bringing coffee to my office precisely when I arrive each morning, am I merely telling you what I

want

, or am I telling you what you

will do

?"

"W-what I

will

do, miss." Violet's forced confidence had evaporated. She was like putty in Ms. Verity's hands.

"Then is there a reason you have not done it yet?"

"I'm sorry, miss. The machine was slow, and then I-I got distracted..."

"Don't apologise. Just be a good girl and do it." Violet nodded profusely as Ms. Verity stood back up. Once Violet had stepped out of the way, Delilah was left looking up at her new boss, a position she was quickly becoming intimately familiar with. "I see you already understand what it means to be at the bottom of the department hierarchy, Miss Tilly."

"Believe it or not, I didn't have to tell her," Amy added, picking the folder up off Delilah's desk and tucking it back away in the drawer it came from.

"Oh, I can believe it," Ms. Verity chuckled, before turning back to Delilah and lifting a finger. "Come. My office. We need to have a little chat. Ms. Estevez can sort out your new contract and finish showing you around this afternoon."

Delilah dusted off her knees and they started walking down the hallway. "I-I... Um... I hope that woman isn't in trouble because of me. Honestly, it's probably partially my fault, really, I..."

"Miss Zeiger? There's no need to try to be a martyr, Miss Tilly. She may need a little 'reminder' about the coffee, but no. I'm impressed, not angry. Here I am, thinking that she doesn't have a dominant bone in her body, and yet she still manages to surprise me. It would be awfully useful to have another under me who knows how to be dominant, should the situation call for it." Ms. Verity turned to Delilah and flashed a grin. "It would simply mean she would be better able to act as a perfect instrument of my will."

As the two reached the door of Ms. Verity's office, Violet rushed after them, a cup and saucer in hand, and held it out to her boss. "I-I'm so sorry for the delay, Ms. Verity. It won't happen again."

"No, it certainly won't," Ms. Verity said firmly as she took the up. She bent down and whispered, "Come by my office at around three. We're going to have a little talk about your behaviour back there." Pushing the door open with her hip, Ms. Verity stepped into her office while Violet was left with a look of uncertainty on her face.

Turning back, Delilah leant over and whispered, "Don't worry, she's not mad at you," before closing the door behind her. It was an unusual feeling, to be the one in the loop rather than out of it.

_____

Sitting on Ms. Verity's desk, looking over a piece of paper, was an unfamiliar woman, the sleeves on her shirt rolled up and her jacket (presumably) left draped over the back of a chair. Chery sat to her left, head resting on her shoulder as she clung to her arm. The woman was closer to Ms. Verity's age than the others Delilah had met, perhaps in her early 40s too, and the frown lines etched onto her forehead made it seem as though she would usually come across as rather stern, but as Ms. Verity and Delilah entered the room without the others noticing, she had a broad grin across her face.

"And then he says," the woman said, reading off the letter, hushing Cherry's giggling so she could continue, "there was 'clear bias against me throughout the process'. Must have hired a private investigator to figure that one out! Oh, oh! And here's the best bit, right at the very end. He says, 'P.S. I am submitting this complaint as a physical letter rather than by email due to fear of retaliation should she intercept my communications'!"

Cherry gasped, "Noooooo way! He went that far? But then like... How did you get it? A secret friend in HR?"

The woman tapped her nose. "You know me. I never reveal my methods."

"It's awfully quaint, isn't it?" Ms. Verity spoke up as she approached the pair, immediately making them sit up straight in attention as they realised they were no longer alone. She reached over and took the letter with her free hand. "I'm surprised he didn't go as far as write it by hand."

"So, what do you want me to do about him?"

Ms. Verity skimmed over it. "You still have contacts in the other companies in the city?" The woman nodded. "Fire him. If he's still going to put up a fight, let other potential employers know what a troublemaker he is. Hardly the most elegant solution, but given the circumstances..."

Delilah blinked in shock at how casually Ms. Verity issued the command, while the woman simply nodded. "Understood. I'll see to it, then look over that list from Legal." The woman scooped the jacket off the chair and headed towards the exit. As Delilah watched her walk past, the woman paused for a moment to let her cold, grey eyes run over her body with analytical precision. She said nothing, leaving without another word.

"Ms. Beauvoir has her hands quite full this morning, as she often does, so do excuse her lack of formal introduction. Sit, Miss Tilly," the executive said, gesturing to the chairs in front of the desk as she took her own. Delilah did so, while Cherry took her place a little behind their boss. After sipping her coffee and reclining, Ms. Verity asked, "Did Ms. Estevez at least get the chance to explain what your work will entail before Miss Zeiger derailed your little tour of the department?"

Delilah gave a nod. "It's pretty similar to what I was doing before, so... I should be able to manage."

"With better pay and benefits, of course. That should go without saying. But we both know that's not what interested you about the position."

"...No, it's not, Ms. Verity. It was because of you." Though she lowered her gaze, Delilah figured she was well beyond the point where she could reasonably act coy about her desires. In a way, it felt refreshing to be more open about them, and Ms. Verity's wide grin made it evident she was pleased to hear it. That didn't mean she wouldn't blush about it, however. "Still, it might take some getting used to..."

Ms. Verity's smile didn't quite sink - It rarely seemed to leave her face, and Delilah still hadn't figured out whether it was meant to make her more approachable, or more unsettling. Nevertheless, it faded ever so slightly as she sat up and placed her coffee on the desk. "In what sense?"

Delilah fiddled with her fingers a little too. Questioning her boss on the first day of her new job? Seemed like a bad idea. She did, however, recall that Ms. Verity had claimed she saw honesty as a virtue from her employees. That didn't make it easier. "Well, your methods... I mean... For instance... That thing you were talking about, with the letter... I mean... Doesn't it all seem a bit... much?

"I'm sure Mr. Neilsen is an intelligent man, but he was still foolish enough to repeatedly get on his superior's bad side. And then, even more foolishly, he sought to challenge my judgement when I rather graciously reassigned him rather than firing him outright. With that kind of disregard for my authority, it's essential to make an example, lest this place fall into utter chaos." It still hardly sounded fair to Delilah.

"This isn't the first time he's shown up on our radar, you know. He's had chances," Cherry added, hands clinging to the back of Ms. Verity's chair.

"And... And... The 'leverage' in all the records, for instance. It all seems a little... Invasive... I mean..."

Ms. Verity could see Delilah's conflicted feelings painted across her face and sighed. She stood up and walked around the desk, placing a hand on her cheek. She took a moment to gently hold her until Delilah stopped talking. "Miss Tilly, if I assured you that everything I do is

well

within the rather broad authority granted to me, would that help? Perhaps. Perhaps not," Ms. Verity answered for Delilah before she had the chance. "But really, it would do you better to simply disabuse yourself of notions of what is 'allowed' or 'disallowed'. It's such a terribly restrictive way of thinking. After all, someone who took a strict interpretation of what was

allowed

might find issue with the little... 'trysts' we've had together, don't you think?"