Repercussions and New Pressures
When the plane landed, I knew I had been fucked during the trip in more ways than one. I deliberately set out to find Ferguson my first day back in the office to ask who had seen me in the lottery. He sort of smiled and said, "Oh, a number of people you know, a number of people I know, and a lot of people that neither of us know." I lost my temper and said, "OK, asshole, who of the people I know." Ferguson named four other firm partners (two of whom, Ms. Gentile and Ms. Hochwasser, are women) and then Leslie, and Chiara as having watched with him at Mann's condo. Ferguson knew that Jacobs had seen it with his father. "But don't worry, Laurel, they are all sworn to secrecy and the material the BLC and I have on each of them really assures that they will not be able to spread the word of your little display. Also, anyone who thought of disclosing Bolrian secrets would have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his short life until the Bolrian security police got to him. They reportedly are not afraid to travel around the world in the service of their country."
I tried to work as I had before. The people who had seen me were fairly discrete. Leslie seemed to trust out her breasts mockingly when I gave her an assignment she did not like. Chiara gave me a slightly funny look when she first saw me afterword but maybe I was just imagining that. The firm partners who had watched with Ferguson treated the matter like they treat client confidences. Maybe Ms. Gentile cracked a slight smile when I suggested that we keep certain client secrets more confidential as one could never know who was watching. Ms. Hochwasser worked in another department. Mann kept Jacobs away from me for a few weeks by sending him on a trip to London to work with one of our British clients.
The biggest problem was in my head. I felt like the world had seen me nude and presenting myself for sexual servitude. Even worse, I felt like I had really wanted to be a sex slave for at least a few minutes. Sometimes, I felt like, since I had displayed myself as willing to become a permanent sex object, I might as well offer to entertain the hundred or so firm members and staff at the next firm holiday party.
I got my work done but I also found a time to see a therapist. I did not tell the therapist about the Lottery, of course, but did say that I had done something really out there sexually and was plagued with feelings of sexual tension and a bizarre desire to go further. She suggested I had been too repressed before and "with the cat out of the bag," I was overcompensating. She suggested I take up dancing or tennis or something else that would allow me to be more physical but did not threaten to ruin my career. I started going to a health club and working off some tension that way.
About three weeks after the trip, Crystal called and said that she, Paula and Kat were going to participate in a lottery in a couple weeks and did I want to go. I said that I had to work and I'd had enough the first time. Crystal said that I was kidding myself and she'd call again the next time they went. "Presumptuous little bitch," I thought.
Meanwhile, the merger and acquisition business was going downhill as part of the general economic downturn. Chiara was laid off along with a number of young lawyers in our department. I was called into a meeting with a number of senior partners. I was informed that unless I could come up with some more business, I should start looking for another position. It did not help that the value of my condo and my 401K had crashed with the economy.
I think many people would say that I should have started looking for work in a bankruptcy firm, maybe in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, where there would be less pressure. Maybe I could slow down, marry a nice man and eventually join the PTA. I instead called Walker and asked whether his firm could give us more business. He said that might be possible but he'd have to get back to me. Anderson said the same thing when I called him. Restraining my disgust, I talked to Jacobs, who had become a non-equity partner, and asked if he had any ideas.
I even sent an email to the BLC to ask if they needed any legal assistance. That was pathetic. I am not sure if I was even really trying to get legal business there.
The responses to my marketing efforts were about what you'd expect. Jacobs said when I saw him that if I needed financial help during the period before I found a new job, he might be willing to assist. He said he hoped I'd saved enough for rainy days. He added that he had his own problems as his father's company had lost 30% of its value on the NYSE. His father was under investigation by the SEC. Jacobs also suggested that he and I should form "some sort of partnership" in Connecticut. His focus on my breasts as he said that indicated to me that the proposed partnership would involve more than legal work.
The BLC responded that their needs for legal services in the United States were already being fully met by J. Ferguson and F. Mann of a firm in New York. That figured. The BLC added that it would be pleased to extend offers to me to participate in the Lottery and noted the BLC had sent numerous emails in the past weeks.
Walker said that he could definitely get me legal business if I wanted to move to Seattle or Dallas and do real estate and employment work but that there was nothing more to be done on the east coast. Anderson said that he was already doing as much business as he cared to do with my firm but that, if I wanted to go in house, he could offer me a position in Dallas, Hamburg or Kiev. He also emailed, "Crystal says 'hi' and she'll be calling you tomorrow."
No surprise as to what Crystal called about. She was back in Paris. Kat, Paula and she had had a wonderful trip to Bolry. She and Paula had gotten out in the first round. Kat had gotten out in the bikini round, where she had agreed to start. Crystal also said that a lot of people had inquired about me. Also, the engineer, Lena, said she hoped to see me again.
Crystal mentioned that the BLC had given up the long terms for what the chosen women became because they decided it really did not matter legally. "Slave" sounded better and shorter. There were now "sex slaves" and "pain slaves." Crystal added she was sure the BLC really wanted me to come back and would pay a big bonus if I participated as a potential pain slave. "Seems a lot of guys would like to whip you and take you down hard. Believe it or not, a lot of people think you are a total bitch and they like it. I'm jealous."
Although Anderson wanted her to scale back, Crystal simply had to go to the next lottery. She said Anderson would not let her skip a round but she knew I could get as much money as I made in months if I was willing to start as one of the 24 in the bikini round. Kat has already agreed to do it. Paula would be there. "I really wish I could." She then talked to me about an international tax law problem she had in one of her courses. I applied to the BLC.
They promptly responded that although this was not a special premium lottery like the one I had participated in before, they could offer $60,000 if I was willing to start in the bikini round, and $15,000 starting in the first round. Both figures included all expenses. They volunteered that they would at least double those numbers if I was willing to risk becoming a pain slave. I still was not willing to go that far and I was unsure how I was going to get time off from the firm to go to Bolry. The second problem was solved when Walker offered to pay the firm my usual hourly fee for my time to, at, and from Bolry. I should list "foreign risk assessment" on my billing records.
This was only my second lottery but, being a friend of Crystal, I was treated in Bolry like an old friend. Svetlana greeted me warmly and said how happy she was to see me again. Crystal joked that she was about to have a baby and this would be her last lottery because the BLC would not take a woman with dependent children. I did not understand what that was about. Crystal was definitely not very pregnant. The BLC room was better than most. I actually got some work done on the Internet.
Svetlana mentioned that there was a big audience demand for me to participate as a potential "pain slave." I did not know how to take it when she said that there had been many comments after my appearance from people who would like to "really fuck that incredibly hot N.Y bitch up good." Svetlana acted like it was a complement. She said that only a few women got that reaction and almost boasted that she was one of them back before her retirement. She said that Crystal was another. She was very sorry that Crystal had to quit but there was no choice.
"You really ought to try taking the pain slave risk. I did it even when a loss was much harsher than it is now. I'm told you might even like the ropes, whips and electrical charges. It all hurts terribly but is not nearly as bad as what the Bolrian security police did to me and are still doing to people who seek to overturn our great leader. The difference between pain and pleasure is not always clear. You would not have to fear permanent physical injury."
Paula said that in the future she was always going to participate at the potential pain slave level. "Doubles the money and the thrill.
Svetlana also introduced me to a number of the Lottery staff including the guy, Boltzin, who had gone to bed with me after the first lottery I'd done. He did not let out that he had met me before. Seems he is in charge of marketing research. He suggested that we should talk after the coming lottery about the plans for expansion to a second resort and the possibility of a male slave lottery. In particular, did I think that there were women who would pay big money to use a male sex slave or should they focus entirely on the gay market?
I met the Australian woman who had participated as a potential pain slave in the lottery that I watched in a very distracting situation. Matilda did look like a tough customer over six feet with strong legs that she displayed proudly along with her chiseled face, and ample busts. I thought, though, she was kind of tacky and overdid the Crocodile Dundee bit in her kangaroo leather skirt and outback hat and boots. Is her name really Matilda? She must have picked up my feelings. She told me, "Remember, sweetie, this is about making money. If a lot of men want to see me suffer and fuck me, the Lottery offers me more to participate. So, if I look like something out of the WWF, it is all money in the bank."