Chapter 02
The story so far:
The company is re-establishing an executive position that might (but won't) be called "Corporate Whore." Diane, a young professional in the manufacturing division, is surprised when her boss (Phil Uhler) tries to recruit her for the position. She agrees to an
impromptu
"feasibility study" in her boss's office. He is pleased with the results.
************
When she walked into Uhler's office Thursday morning, Diane had not decided whether to accept the new position. The rewards were large, but the drawbacks seemed pretty substantial too. For one, the job would probably play havoc with her social life--what there was of it. And it would doubtless make finding a long-term mate even more of a challenge. Not that she even had any prospects at the moment.
The sex itself would probably not be a big problem, she figured. She already took sex more casually than many people did. She refrained from having two-person sex with the partners of her good friends: that was her main inhibition. Beyond that, she was open to possibilities.
A bigger problem was self-image. She had long ago resigned herself to being a "corporate whore" in the metaphorical sense--sacrificing at least some principles as necessary to get ahead. There's just no getting around that in any corporation. But now we're contemplating "corporate whore" in a rather more literal sense, aren't we? Probably no one would use the W-word in her presence. Still, a spade is a spade even with a fancy ribbon on its handle.
Of course she would hardly be alone. It was understood that some of the more successful women in Sales would go to interesting lengths to keep an important customer happy or to land a new one. To be sure, the women were working partly on commission. They had some strong personal motivation to go that extra mile. In the presence of these women, male colleagues occasionally gave each other a knowing look or a smile, but Diane had never heard anyone actually speak a word of disparagement. In business, the most important moral virtue is success.
Intellectually, she was divided and uncertain. Emotionally, she sensed, she was inclining towards yes.
On Tuesday Uhler had informed her of this new position. The job overview had startled her but not, obviously, repelled her. Her own attitudes towards sex had been pretty advanced, for years. Even so, Diane had never considered prostitution--if that was the right name for this new job opening. Names aside, the increase in salary and perks apparently would be large.
For some reason, on Tuesday she had agreed to a "feasibility study" in Uhler's office. To her surprise, she found herself, on command, displaying her pussy to Uhler, stripping naked for him, kissing him, then kneeling and blowing him and--on her own initiative--swallowing his semen. And then, even more improbably than all that, enjoying delightful sex with the beautiful Cathy Polischuk, from Payroll. Too bad Uhler hadn't been able to stay and watch, she reflected. The sight of the two of them must have been lovely. Two days later, Diane's head still was spinning a little from Tuesday.
The three sat in the leather chairs around the low, glass-topped table. Diane sipped the remarkably good coffee Uhler had managed to procure. Chuck Barnsley, from Executive Development, was speaking with refreshing candor.
"Tolland Health and Beauty has been paused at an inflection point for too long," he said. "We know we have to change our approach. For one, our own brands are too mid-market. But the middle of the market is shrinking, along with the middle class generally. We've got to go either upmarket or down, or conceivably both, if we have the resources for that.
"We had a plan we were getting set to announce when the global pandemic hit. That upended everything. The supply chain and logistics suddenly went crazy in ways nobody had foreseen. Just as an example: glass bottles. Standard plain ones are still reasonably available, but custom-made fancy ones are extremely difficult to get. That's okay news for discount brands, bad news for Chanel, mixed for us. Catalog-grade paper suddenly is scarce because mills are switching over to corrugated cardboard--you can imagine why.
"The pandemic did us some good, too. Business for our contract manufacturing division has gone through the roof. Because even if a Chinese contractor manages to get a product made and packaged, getting it across the Pacific has gotten very dicey and very expensive. So what used to look like a liability for us now looks like a good asset: several U.S. manufacturing plants. Five years from now, who knows? An extra bonus for now: firewalls be damned, you learn a lot about a competitor's product by manufacturing it, and you start seeing new possibilities.
"The upshot is, the Powers That Be have now decided to move in several directions at once, and we'll see what endures. It would be prudent of me
not
to speculate on how this big initiative might affect profits in the short term, so I won't. We all know how the SEC feels about insider trading, so a word to the wise. Don't do anything before the public announcement.
Barnsley took another mouthful of coffee then set his mug down again. As he moved, Diane noticed how beautifully his gray suit fit him. Uhler's likewise. Her own business wear, including the silk-blend dress she was wearing, was decent enough but not in that league.
Barnsley continued. "We're going to make a serious effort to increase product development and sales--both upmarket and down plus contract manufacturing. This new position is a part of that effort. We tried a position like it before, in the 1980s. Results were mixed but encouraging. A mistake we made then was that the ladies were not well grounded in our industry. Clients would speak freely in their presence, but the ladies weren't attuned to the significance of what they were hearing--or often even the literal meaning. Eventually we realized that the position required an industry professional, not just an attractive outsider.
"The position faded away in the 1990s. A decision was made to bring it back now and this time do it right. You could be a big part of our doing it right, Diane. The benefits to the company would be large, we think. And your compensation would be commensurately large. We're all aware of your current salary. Multiply that by about 1.7 or 1.8. Beyond that, there will be a small clothing and grooming allowance. On occasion you may require some upscale duds, a fancy hairdo, or some high-zoot facial treatment that my wife could explain better than I could. Note I said "require," not "need."
Diane acknowledged the compliment with a smile. Barnsley continued, "Plus you'll have the conventional perks. Occasional performance bonuses when warranted. Reimbursement for necessary travel expenses. The standard employee benefits package but with the better health plan that the higher executives get. Needless to say, we want both you and our clients to stay healthy."
He took another sip of coffee, glanced at his wristwatch, and then returned to his explanation. "You'll have a private office--modest in size but private. And an appropriate title. We're thinking 'Manager of Client Services' has a nice, businesslike ring to it and a useful vagueness."
Diane broke in. "Not to put too fine a point on it, but exactly who would I have to fuck?"
"I'll try to answer that in the same candid spirit as the question itself," said Barnsley. "Often, nobody. The majority of your contacts will be with important clients. Sometimes all they want is an attractive and charming person to take to dinner, perhaps dancing afterwards. Or just to pay attention to them at a cocktail party. If you do find yourself having sex, it will usually be with a major client or potential client. A high-ranking executive or corporate counsel. You'd be a factor in cinching an important deal, perhaps the deciding factor. We're not going to waste you on mundane deals. You'll also continue to do some of your current work in manufacturing cost accounting and QA. Your more social responsibilities will ebb and flow. When they ebb, your other work can pick up the slack.
"When you are attending to a client, you will also be engaged in the ancient and honorable art of industrial espionage," he continued. "No cloak-and-dagger stuff, no break-ins, no miniature cameras. Just keep your eyes and ears open and hear what you hear and see what you happen to see. Obviously, if he wants to talk confidentially about his business, be receptive. And let the company know when you hear or see anything interesting. Again, that's why we want an industry pro like yourself in this position, not just a pretty face."
"What about in-house sex?"
"Yes, occasionally. Perhaps as a reward or incentive for outstanding achievement. Not a reward for you: for him. Or conceivably her. As a practical matter, plan on making yourself available also to anyone with the title of Vice President or above plus Chief Corporate Counsel, if he asks--and if your schedule permits. That's, I think, nine people. Of those nine, probably two or three are too old-fashioned--and at least one is too gay--to take advantage of the opportunity. In any case, we're talking once in a while, not every afternoon. One of the higher-ups may ask you to service another party. You'll report to the VP of Operations, Skip Mobley. If any problems develop, bring them to Mobley. He's a good man, and he watches out for his staff."
"Yes," Uhler concurred. Diane liked hearing that.
Barnsley continued. "He'll probably refrain from having sex with you himself, except at first, to assess your skills. How are you at anal, by the way?"
"It's not my favorite. I can do it."
"We'll work on making it easier and more comfortable for you, Diane."
"Thanks." She hoped he would pick up the sarcasm.
"Contraception?"
"I'm on the pill," she said.
"Fine. If and when you want, you can use a condom too, even insist on it if you care to. That's your decision to make. Use your best judgment of risk and reward.
"There will be a few weeks of training," Barnsley added. "You'll be fully dressed for most of it. Training in upper-class makeup and grooming styles... French cuisine and table settings... social customs in a few key regions... ballroom dancing, if you lack that. Geisha training, you might call it, or advanced finishing school. Don't worry: you'll do fine. I doubt you'll need much. And in all honesty, you'll use those advanced skills only rarely. But let's make sure you're prepared for anything. Plus we'll work on further refining your skills as a lover if and where warranted. Phil tells me you have
fellatio
pretty well mastered. We might work a little on deep throat."
She looked up at Uhler, startled. He smiled and then winked. Then he set down his mug and spoke. "An employment contract is drawn up, Diane. I've read it carefully. It's very standard, apart from the euphemisms and vagueness when it describes your duties. Legal must have had fun drawing this one up. Of course the key phrase is, "and other such duties as the Company may require." Chuck has represented what it says very fairly and accurately. I can show you the exact passages representing salary, benefits, and duties.
