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This story is a continuation of I'm Dating Our Mailgirl. The 1st 4 chapters of that story should be read first for context. All characters are 18 or older and are completely fictitious as is Seahawk Industries. Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental and unintentional.
I CHECKED MY EMAIL
I had 17 unread email. I sorted them in reverse chronological order. The 3rd one was 9:04 AM Nov. 1, high urgency; distribution list was all employees in the corporate headquarters and the law firm on the 34th - 36th floor of the building. It was as 9 had described, but she left out that everyone was encouraged to attend the shearing activity. To encourage attendance, the mailgirl who has the most "fans" in attendance (that's what they called them (us?)) would be awarded an unspecified prize. A ballot would be handed out at each session and we would vote on our favorite. I was heartbroken when I read this email. I know how heartbroken 9 was when she told me what they were going to do. I don't think it was so much vanity over having her strawberry blond hair cut as it was having her human dignity further eroded. I wished there was something I could do to change this ill-conceived decision.
The seventh one was 11:37 AM Nov 1, high urgency; distribution list was all employees in the Seahawk building. In a cost cutting measure, the firm was eliminating the use of carrier services such as Fex Ex or DSL or the mail to any building in the 8 blocks immediately contiguous to the Seahawk building. That was a 9 block area, 3 x 3, with our building in the center. From now on mailgirls would make deliveries to any of those buildings. As a courtesy, they could also be dispatched to pick up packages. The local law enforcement agencies had been notified and to eliminate arrest or harassment for public nudity, if the girls were on a leash escorted by security, they were not to be stopped. The new plan would go into effect at 7:00 AM Nov. 4
The 11th email was 1:14 PM Nov 1, high urgency; distributed to HR, and the medical staff (there were 4 employees in that department to handle the ordinary emergency needs of any large corporation and such incidental tasks as organizing blood drives, inoculation drives, educational programs, wellness monitoring, etc.), In addition the email was distributed to 3 people who weren't employees but who I learned were the 3 people who showed up to minister to 6 when she had her psychotic break. And I was on the distribution list! There was no obvious reason in terms of my relationship to any of those others on the list. It began cheerily, "We are pleased to report that mailgirl 6 who had had some medical issues is well on the road to a complete recovery. We have been told that we can discontinue her dosage of fluoxetine. We are going to see how the mailgirls respond to a complete elimination of fluoxetine. As a precautionary measure 9, who has shown continued signs of psychotic behavior, has been switched from fluoxetine to vortioxetine. "Continued signs of psychotic behavior"? And why was I informed of this. Obviously I had a relationship with 9 but there was no official reason why this should have been sent to me. Was this just a way of getting at me?
The 14th email was sent 3:21 PM Nov 1, the same distribution list as the 11th and in addition the nutrition/food service department. Again, my name stuck out on the distribution list like a sore thumb. "In our ongoing efforts to improve the nutritional/medical well being of our mailgirls, we have been testing the use of Sulpiride as an antidepressent. We have been encourage by the results of the test in the past week when it was added to the mailgirls' gruel. While these preliminary results are quite encouraging, it does have the effect of increasing the possibility of lactation and it will continue to be monitored closely. Until we can evaluate the results, we will discontinue the use of this drug. The food service department will discontinue adding sulpiride to the gruel that is prepared for the mailgirls. 9 however will be given prescriptions of sulpiride which she can take on an "as needed" basis.
All of the email were from Rose Anderson. Just as my name stuck out on two of the email, Olivia Wallace also stuck out. Why was this accounts payable clerk included in the distribution list? I got the answer then I went back to my inbox. 7:21 AM Nov 4 high urgency; distribution list was all employees in the Seahawk building. Please join us in welcoming the new Supervisor of Mailgirl operations, Olivia Wallace. Olivia has been going through orientation in order to officially assume her new responsibilities this morning. We want to thank Rose Anderson for the admirable job she has performed since the mailgirl program was first instituted at Seahawk Industries."
This was starting to explain a lot.
So Olivia is the new mailgirl czar. I wondered if I could just possibly leverage her infatuation with me into a reprieve for the girls. I called her office. "Olivia, congratulations on your promotion. Let me buy you lunch today, are you available? Great, the cafeteria alright? See you there at 12:30."
At 12:15 I took off my bra. I applied some more makeup and unbuttoned the top two buttons of my blouse. Damn, why couldn't those little suckers be fuller. Oh, well. Maybe Olivia is a small boob person.
We grabbed our lunches and sat down. I selected a section of the dining area that was fairly unoccupied so we could have some privacy for a quickly arranged assignation in the middle of the day. I was debating between the subtle approach and the blunt approach. I decided to go with the subtle approach. If necessary, I could retreat to the full all-out assault.
I started right in as soon as we sat down. "Congratulations again on your new position. That's quite a feather in your cap."
"I know that you didn't just invite me here for polite office chit-chat. I know you want something, Monica."
"Please, you don't give me credit. Olivia, I know you've always been interested in me. Well, now I see you in a different light. Please don't think me vain, but suddenly I see you in a wholly different light. You've not just a mere clerk in Accounts Payable, but you are the mailgirl guru, the czarina." I batted my eyes at her. "Perhaps someone worthy of me dating."
"I was unworthy before? You're dating a mailgirl. Mailgirls are lower than whale shit in the corporate structure."
"You're right. Perhaps I've been blinded by infatuation. But now I can evaluate you differently. Wasn't it Henry Kissinger who said 'power is the ultimate aphrodisiac'? You now have power."
"Power for someone who wants something? What do you want?"
"I want you to rescind the edict about shearing the mailgirls' hair. It's too much of a humiliation. It doesn't promote the mailgirls mission of offering desirable sexual objects who can arouse libido in male employees. Heck, I'm sure having seen my reaction to 9 you realize they have an effect on female libido also. Having a bunch of Buchenwald refugees roaming around the building would completely destroy that mood."
"I hadn't thought about that. Maybe you are right. But if I give you this concession, there will be a price to pay."
Here it comes. "And what would that be?" I said as I batted my eyes.
"You're going to go out with me. I don't just mean Brew House out, but a full fledged date. Dinner, clubbing. . ." There was a dramatic pause. "And then a night of passionate lovemaking."
There it was, slapping me in the face. I was now to become a prostitute just to save my beloved 9."
I summoned all of my abilities to lie and I replied, "Alright, I can see that. Actually I would enjoy it so that isn't much of a price to pay. As soon as I see the email reversing the directive, we are on." The deal probably should have been sealed with a kiss, but we were in the cafeteria. We smiled and shook hands.
When I got back to my office, I opened my email. Nothing. refresh, nothing, refresh. There it was 1:44 PM high urgency distribution list was all employees in the corporate headquarters and the law firm on the 34th - 36th floor of the building.
"Postponement of shearing mailgirls' heads. Due to some technical difficulties, the planned shearing of the mailgirls that was to begin this evening has been postponed indefinitely. Please await further developments. We apologize to any of you who were anticipating this major event."
Postponed, POSTPONED. Has she tricked me? This has got to be clarified. But at least it did say postponed indefinitely. But I haven't yet defiled my body with Olivia's obscene tongue. But this has to be clarified.
AN UNEXPECTED VISIT FROM JOYCE PARKER
At about 2:00 I was surprised to see Joyce Parker coming toward my office. My office door was open, but she politely knocked. "May I come in?"
"Of course." Ms. Parker appeared different than she had when I first saw her. When she brought the mailgirls to our floor for orientation on the 1st day they were hired, her graying hair was worn in a practical bun like a librarian. Now her hair had been highlighted to accent their blonde features. She wore it in a short bob with sophisticated bangs which highlighted her hazel eyes.
"Monica, we haven't been formally introduced. I'm Joyce Parker, the Head of Corporate Human Resources."
"Yes, I know."
"I didn't even have the privilege of interviewing you when you applied for your position. I believe Bill Nelson and the head of recruiting made that entire hiring decision. Monica, I'm sure you are aware it is time for you six-month evaluation. I would like to meet with you tomorrow at 7:00 PM to go over it."
"Ms. Parker,"
She interrupted me, "Joyce, please."
I lowered my head. As a proper Southern girl, I was uncomfortable referring to someone in such a lofty position, especially one of my superiors, by her first name. "Alright, Joyce. Isn't that highly unusual?"
"What's that, dear?"
"Meeting with you, after work, for my evaluation."
"I've read you evaluation. I don't think either one of us gets high marks for doing things in a conventional manner. We'll meet on the 42nd floor. 7:00 alright, or is that too late for you?
"No, no. That'll be fine."
"Good, I've reserved a private room for us. We'll have supper. See you then."
With that she was gone.
ONE AND TWO ARE NOT SHORN
Olivia and I had not made it clear how her new edict might have changed our plans for the evening. Very uncharacteristic of me to leave so many loose ends dangling. There was to be no shoring at the fishbowl tonight, but was Olivia still expecting me to meet her there? I could have called her or emailed her or texted her, but I just decided to continue with plan A, even if it was without the spectacle of shearing 1 and 2.
Olivia was not there; I wondered if she just assumed out meeting was canceled. But as long as I was here I stuck around to catch a glimpse of 9 since I wouldn't see her again until Thursday.
Just before 8:00, food service came in with a big stock pot. They put 3 large bowls on the floor and ladled out what appeared to be overly generous portions of gruel. But this was the 1st time I had been in the fishbowl for the evening showers. Sure enough, the girls started coming in. My heart fluttered when 9 came in. She had no idea I would be here, and of course she could not see me. She was hand in hand with 10. I wasn't sure if the mailgirls had been informed that the shearing had been postponed. Perhaps 9 and 10 were bonding in preparation of being shorn together on Friday. Olivia came in and stood next to me. She gave me a kiss. It was a gentle kiss, but it was on the lips. I did nothing to indicate I welcomed that gesture, but I did nothing to repel the obvious advance. "I'm sorry I'm late."