Office Exchange                   by: Anne O’Nonymous

 

Heads turned as she walked across the workroom floor, floral perfume giving warning of her approach, tapping away on 3" heels, with taffeta petticoats rustling under a full skirt and long, shoulder-length hair gently swaying to and fro in time with her steps. The few men working there admired her legs, encased in black seamed hose. Their eyes followed her across the floor and up the stairs leading to the main offices. They could only look as anything else would get them fired for sexual harassment!

Opening a paneled door, her ordeal finished, she started down a carpeted hallway towards the area where her desk was positioned. As she reached her desk, the first thing that caught her eye was a note: "James, please see me as soon as you can! Aunt Vera."

She sat down in her chair, hard! James was a name from the past, Aunt Vera saw to that. The name was now Janice, and she was Ms. Susan’s Personal Assistant, in reality a secretary. Eight months ago, she was the secretary and he was a VIP. "Oh well, I’ve got to water the plants first," Janice thought. She got the inner office key, went into the private bathroom, filled the watering can kept there, and went about her first job of the day. After she finished that, a check of Ms. Susan’s desk for any instructions. That’s when she found the second note: "Susan, I must see you at the earliest opportunity. I have a most important duty to perform! Vera."

Vera referred to Vera Lord, CEO of Lord’s Ladies Inc., Importers and Distributors of Fine Ladies’ Underwear! His Aunt! Of course, Susan was Susan McGill, Janice’s immediate superior.

"Now what! I thought I was doing well! At least I repaid almost half of what she said I owe. If I get fired, I won’t be able to repay all of it," Janice thought, "Well, I won’t know what she wants until I get there!"

Janice set off for the executive offices of her aunt. Along the way, she said hello to all the new friends she made over the last six months. Some lunch and shopping chums, and some to just chat with. She knew she’s going to miss them--they had all become such great friends. The next few steps were hard as Janice tried to fight back tears at the thought of losing them. Emotions seem to be easier to express now, and tears seemed to be so natural.

At last, she came to Ms. Gloria Peters, Vera’s friend, secretary, and personal assistant. "Janice, how nice to see you! She’s been waiting for you," Gloria said with a smile. After a kiss (goodbye, maybe?) and a hug from Gloria, Janice entered the executive office with petticoats rustling, curtseyed to the woman behind the desk, on the phone at present, and waited for permission to sit.

Vera Lord was a woman in her fifties who looked like she was in her thirties. All business woman, no nonsense about her. Strict as an English Governess. She saw her "niece" enter and curtsey, and she smiled inwardly at that. A nod in her direction was enough to indicate she should sit.

Janice saw the nod, gave a second curtsey, and sat down, next to Susan, carefully tending the skirt and petticoats she was required to wear. That taken care of, she folded her hands in her lap and remained silent as she had been taught.

Her thoughts went back to a Friday, eight months ago, when this all started.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"James, I had an audit of the books in your section, and there is a discrepancy of $10,650. Now a sheet you signed indicated that all the bookkeeping figures were correct. Did you look at those numbers and check them?"

"Truthfully, Aunt Vera, I didn’t! I get so many papers to sign or initial, I just can’t keep track of them all."

"This is getting to be a habit. First, three shipping dates were off by two days, then a letter of apology goes to the wrong customer, now this. You do know you are responsible for all monies handled in your area? You may be my nephew, but I don’t think you’re right for this position. I can’t fire you, because of the audit discrepancy, and I won’t have you in shipping, because you aren’t big enough."

He remembered it was at this point Susan entered.

"You wish to see me, ma’am?"

"Yes, Susan, and please call me Vera. Starting Monday, you will be VP in charge of Shipping and Customer Relations."

"I don’t understand, isn’t your . . . ," Susan started to say.

"Wait a minute, Susan, and you’ll understand. OK, now for you, James! You owe the company a little over ten thousand, let’s make it an even ten grand. You will be Susan’s personal assistant, and work at the same rate of pay as all the other secretaries. A one hundred dollar deduction will be made weekly as repayment. Now, since you will be working as a secretary, you must adhere to the office dress code!"

Now the entire office staff was female, and one rule was: "Skirt-suits or dresses shall be worn. No pants, slacks, or shorts! Office personnel must, at all times, present a feminine appearance to visitors."

"Aunt Vera, I can’t do that. I’m a man," James exploded!

"You will do as I tell you, young man, or you can repay me now and find some other job!"

There was no other choice, his debts saw to that. "You know I can’t pay you! I’m in debt now, so what choice do I have?" James said, trying to control his frustration.

"None, really. Now, as I was saying, you will adhere to the office dress code in its entirety. Do I make myself clear!"

"Yes, ma’am," James replied. He wished he could fight back a little more, but she had him over a barrel.

"Now, since you need a little more, shall we say punishment, rules for dress, you will do the following: you must always be well made-up; you will always wear a slip or petticoats and seamed stockings; when entering my office or Susan’s, you will curtsey; and, I want to be able to hear you coming, so you will wear heels at all times. Is that clear!"

"Yes, ma’am," a defeated James said, his head hanging down.

He remembered the weekend from Hell, all in preparation for his debut as Janice on Monday. Instructions in makeup, heels, dress and curtseying. He thought they would never end. Then Monday came, and his first walk from employee parking--all those eyes on him. At least he was welcomed by the "girls." Vera’s voice jolted him back to reality.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"James," Vera started, "I asked you and Susan in here today because . . . this isn’t easy for me to say . . . I made a big mistake! Umm, I had the audit figures rechecked, and, it seems, the auditing company missed some records. They were unavailable at the time of the audit, and they were, well, just missed. There is no error in your department!"

"James, I can be out of your office by the end of the day," Susan said.

"You mean I can have my old job back," James said excitedly, "and I can go back to wearing pants, too."

"Your old job at your old pay and your old clothes," Vera added.

He sat there for a minute, thinking. Thought after thought flooded through like a torrent of water after a severe rainstorm. Back to HIS office, and the way it was before. Back to closed doors and isolation. Lunches he or his secretary brought in. His secretary sticking her head in the door once in a while with papers for him to initial--not sign, initial mind you.

"No, auntie. I want to stay as Susan’s secretary. When I worked in that office, I was separated from everyone, like I had some disease. I ate lunch in there. Susan came in once in a while to give me papers to initial or sign. Papers she passed on to me! I came in and stayed all day not really contributing anything or knowing anyone in this organization. In the last eight months, I got to know people in the office. Do you know Caroline’s daughter’s name? It’s Chris! I went to a baby shower! I file, type, make coffee, greet people, and lunch and shop with the girls, my friends! I don’t want to go back to that lonely, separated existence in that office--it’s a prison to me. Please, Aunt Vera, just let me stay where I am!" Janice pleaded."

Vera was not surprised by this turn of events. "OK, you may stay, but I must insist on all the rules staying in place!"

"Auntie, I wouldn’t have it otherwise!"

Susan sat for a minute, looked at Vera. Vera nodded her assent to go-ahead with what they had previously discussed. She got up and walked to where Janice was sitting. Her hand went to her pocket as she knelt down in front of Janice. "Over the last few months, I’ve worked closely with you. I saw a wonderful person; kind and thoughtful to all around her. Janice, I’ve fallen deeply in love with you," Susan said as she carefully opened the ring box, and took out an engagement ring, "Will you marry me, Janice?"

"Oh, God! YES! I’ve been wanting to say the same to you for so long. I have come to love you more than life itself," James said, as Susan slipped the ring on his now feminine finger, "I’ve got to go and show this to all the girls! Ma’am, may I be excused, please?"

Vera smiled at her, and said, "Try to get some work done today, dear."

"I’ll try, but I’m so excited," Janice squealed, then broke into a fit of giggles, "I feel just like a schoolgirl!" She left the office to show her engagement ring to everyone there.

Back in the office, Vera looked at Susan and smiled. "That worked out really well," Vera said, "I think he will be very happy as your secretary!"

"He will when he sees his raise," Susan said, "So how was the medical report?"

"The last tests showed his stress level is down, heart rate and blood pressure are near normal, and he seems to be happier and more content. Susan, if you ever tell him the whole story about the shortfall being a phony, just to get him in dresses to reduce his stress, I’ll personally see you don’t get a Christmas bonus!"

Susan smiled at the thought, then said, "Who would have thought dressing a male in pretty things would prevent him from having a possibly fatal heart attack!"

"Well, Susan, in this case it seemed to work. I want you to have James as a wife for as long as possible!"

"Me, too, Vera, me too!"

 

That’s all folks---Annie O

 

 

*********************************************
© 2001 by Ann O'Nonymous. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.