The Ploy

by Margaret Jeanette

 

Mabel Sutton was at wits end. She had married Jerry ten years ago and he has now proved worthless. She owned two shopping centers and numerous apartment complexes. She tried him at a number of jobs at everything available including being a janitor but he couldn't do a decent job at any of them. In bed she had to take the imitative to make love and many times he didn't respond to her advances. She considered divorce. She was at the end. She sat on the edge of her bed trying to think of a way out of this situation. Just then Martha, her maid came into the room. Martha was a strong-willed woman and did an excellent job. Mabel thought about Martha being her maid for over twelve years.

Martha looked at her and said, "You look troubled. Got problems? Maybe I can help. Tell me. I'll answer if I can. I don't know a lot about financial matters but if it's something else maybe I can help."

Mabel knew Martha meant well and decided to lay it on the line. She said, "I really don't know if I should be telling you this but I have to talk to someone. It's Jerry, I don't know what to do about him. He's useless. He can't do anything. He's lousy in bed. I have put him on at least fifteen different jobs hoping he would find one that suited him and he failed at all of them. What does he do all day here?"

Martha said, "Well, he plays games on his computer and watches the television mostly. I once suggested maybe he go jogging but he said he wasn't into jogging. He don't have a lot of drive, He just likes to sit back and take it easy."

Mabel asked, "Can you think of anything he might be able to do that would be useful?"

Martha said, "In all honesty I could use some help. This is a big house and there is a lot to do but I don't think Jerry would make a good maid. I mean I can't give the master of the house orders now can I?"

Mabel thought for a minute then said, "Do you think he could do a maid's job?"

Martha answered, "To be a good maid takes training and the ability to follow orders. Mister Jerry doesn't like to be told what to do."

Mabel asked, "If I gave you the authority to give him orders do you think you could make him useful around here?"

Martha said, "In all honesty I think I could make anyone useful around here but I may need to punish him to get him to do a good job."

Mabel said, "I have decided. You can have him as your junior maid. Now how are we going to get him to co-operate."

Martha outlined a plan for Mabel. Mabel was amazed at the cunning of her maid. She thought in business Martha could have gone a long way. Mabel agreed t get the things Martha suggested. They decided the sooner they started the better. After Martha left the room Mabel smiled to herself and felt better than she had felt in a long time.

The next day Mabel came home at noon with an armful of packages. She put them in the spare bedroom next to hers. She went down and had lunch with Jerry .

She asked, "Jerry, what do you do all day? You are here alone, it must get boring."

Jerry answered, "Well, I watch television and play on the computer . I keep occupied."

Mabel said, "Well Martha said occasionally she could use a hand. Maybe you could help her."

Jerry said, "I don't know anything about being a maid. Anyway that's woman's work."

Mabel said, "Martha is a great maid. All I'm asking is if she ask you for some help to give her some is all. I don't think she would take advantage of you do you?"

Jerry said, "No, I don't think she would. What kind of help does she need?"

Mabel said, "I don't really know but just keep in mind if she asks you try to help her in any way you can. I don't want to lose her as a maid."

Mabel knew Jerry knew she wasn't asking but telling him rather firmly that he better help Martha if she ask him for help .Mabel left to go back to work and Jerry headed for his computer. Late in the afternoon Martha came in by Jerry.

Martha said, "I have a problem. I am sewing a new uniform for the very formal occasions here and I can't get the hem pinned just right. I was wondering if you could help me."

Jerry said, "I don't know anything about pinning a hem, I'm sorry. I'll tell you what you tell me what to do and I'll try my best to pin it for you."

Martha said, "That's not what I had in mind. What I thought is if you could just put it on then I can get it pinned."

Jerry said, "It's four-thirty. Can't it wait until tomorrow. Mabel will be coming home soon."

Martha said, "Mrs. Sutton won't be home before six and this will only take maybe twenty minutes. Please will you help me?"

Her pleading worked and Jerry agreed. Martha took him into her room and started to take his shirt off. He asked what was going on.

Martha said, "To have the dress hang right we have to give you some form. You are going to have to wear this bra which has forms sewn into it. The dress has to look right. You'll have to put on some heels because a woman carries herself differently when she wears heels."

Fifteen minutes later Jerry stood in the sewing room with the uniform on and Martha knelt pinning the hem. Jerry jaw dropped when he saw Mabel standing looking at him.

Mabel said, "Don't you look lovely? Is that your uniform?"

Jerry said, "No. I am just helping Martha like you said."

Mabel said, "Well don't let me catch you in it again or it will be your uniform? Martha can always use help and if I see you in it again guess who is going to be her helper?"

Jerry looked down at the floor and quietly answered, "Yes, dear."

A couple of minutes later Martha finished and said, "There that wasn't so bad was it?"

Jerry said, "Not for you. Did you hear what Mrs. Sutton said to me?"

Martha said, "Oh yes, but don't worry. I think I'll need one more shot at seeing if the hem is right but we'll do it when we know she won't be here."

Jerry said. "Well I guess thank you for that. I really don't want to put it on again."

Martha said, "If we can do it when she won't be here why not? All I'm asking is for you to be a dress-makers dummy for a very, very short while."

Jerry said, "We'll see."

Martha smiled when Jerry left to change. She knew they had him and there wasn't anything he could do about it. The next afternoon Martha went into the computer room where Jerry was playing a game. Martha asked him if he would give her a hand with the uniform again.

Jerry answered, "I would like to but you heard my wife. What if she caught me wearing that again?"

Martha said, "It's 1:30. It will only take a half hour at tops. Have you ever seen Mrs. Sutton home in the middle of the afternoon?"

Jerry answered, "No, I guess you are right. Do you promise to make it quick?"

Martha said, "It won't take long. I just want to make sure the hem is straight. You will probably only have to have it on less than five minutes if the hem is straight."

Jerry agreed and went to put the uniform on. Today Martha added a many tiered petticoat assuring Jerry it was to make sure everything was just right.

They were in the sewing room when Jerry heard his wife say. "Jenny got sick so we didn't have lunch together so

I thought I would stop to check my calendar I forgot this morning. Well, will you look at this. I didn't know you wanted to be a maid. You look so darling. If that is what you want you can be the junior maid around here."

Jerry said, "I was just helping Martha. I don't want to be a maid. Honest, I was just helping her so she could see if the hem is right!"

Mabel said, "Well, from now on you are the junior maid. Martha is your boss and you will do what she tells you and I think you better do a good job or she'll make you see the error of your ways. We can't have a maid called Jerry can we, Martha? What do you think we should call our new maid?"

Martha said, "If I ever had a girl I thought I would call her Annette. How does that sound?"

Mabel said, "That sound good to me. It doesn't sound like anything masculine does it?"

Martha answered, "No, it is a very feminine name."

Mabel went and stood right in front of Jerry and said, "You are now Annette, and as Annette you will act as feminine as you can and you will learn to be the best ladies maid there is. Do you understand?"

Jerry had tears in his eyes but said he understood. Mabel smiled at him and turned and left. Martha said, "We have to get you looking pretty for your new mistress. Come on now first we have to give you a bath and get rid of that awful body hair."

She took him to the bathroom and put a depilatory on him and made him wait fifteen minutes for it to work. He felt many different sensations in the shower as his body hair went down the drain. He emerged from the shower and Martha gave him a flowery smelling powder puff after he had dried himself. He liberally applied the powder and Martha smiled at him. Then he was shocked as she knelt down and fastened something on his penis.

Martha said, "A maid don't need something like that besides it'll make you have to sit down to go to the toilet like any maid would." Jerry had never thought he would be in a chastity belt and blushed when she put a small padlock on it. She then led him into her room where she put a corset on him. She tightened the laces as tight as she could then had him raise his arms and tightened some more. She then went around in front of him and hit him squarely in the stomach. He wasn't expecting it and she told him to hold it as she tightened the laces some more. She tied off the laces and he felt faint and like he couldn't breathe. She told him to take shallow breaths and he would be fine. Then she took a pair of breast forms and marked them and his body to align them just right. She then put adhesive on them and attached them to his chest. He immediately noticed a change in his center of balance. Martha told him she was surprised that they were DD breasts. She didn't think mistress cared for big busted women. She helped him get the stockings on and showed him how to fasten them to the garters that were hanging down. Then she pulled a pair of black lacy panties up his legs. She finished dressing him and took him over to her make-up table and plucked his eyebrows into a very thin arch and applied lipstick, eye shadow, foundation and blush on him. Jerry looked into the mirror and saw a woman looking back at him. He stared at the shiny red lips and tears formed in his eyes . He felt a sharp sting as she pierced his ears.

Martha said to him, "I know you have had a lot happen to you so far today but it is for the best, believe me. I will help you as much as I can, but you are going to have to work with me. Now let me get your wig on so we can get to work." She got the long black wig and pinned it on his head then put a mob cap with ribbons for decoration on top of it. She then took him down to the kitchen and poured him a cup of coffee.

When they were settled at the table Martha said, "First I am going to have you scrub the kitchen floor and I want you to do a bang-up job on it or I'll punish you and make you redo it.."

They finished their coffee and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Martha showed him where the pail and cleaner were and told him to sweep the floor good first. He swept the floor and Martha looked at it and told him he did a good job. He got the pail and cleaner filled the pail with water and added the cleaner. Then he asked Martha where the mop was.

Martha said, "I told you to scrub it not mop it. You scrub it on your hands and knees. All maids have to start somewhere and you are going to start that way."

He asked where the rags were and she sent him to his bedroom for an undershirt. He blushed as she cut the undershirt into two pieces and handed them to him. She told him that after he scrubbed it with the cleaner to empty the pail and use clear water to rinse it good. He got down on his hands and knees and started. As he was doing it he noticed a lot of discomfort from the corset. When he finished scrubbing and rinsing it he called Martha. She looked at it and saw some suds all along the edge by the cupboards. She pointed it out to him and told him to do it all over again and reminded him he would be punished for not doing it right the first time. HE redid the floor and was really sore in the knees when he was done. He called Martha and she looked at the floor looking for any defects she could find. She didn't find any.

She said, "That is the way it should look when you are done. We can call this all finished after I give you your punishment."

He didn't have any idea what she meant when she said his punishment and followed her into the dining area. She pointed to a chair she had pulled out. He sat down and she told him he was supposed to bend over it. He asked not to have to do that and she said OK. She had him get up and she sat down. Before he realized what was happening she had him bent over her lap and was raising his petticoats and pulling his panties down. She took a long handled hair brush and started to spank him. By the third smack he was crying and by time she had given him tem good hard swats his rear was aflame. She pulled up his panties and told him to sit on the chair next to her.

Martha said, "Being a maid isn't always easy but if you do your best it shouldn't be so bad. I'll try to give you the benefit of the doubt but if I think you can do better you will be punished. Mistress expects me to train you to be an acceptable maid and I intend on doing that. Hopefully I won't have to punish you again. A big part of being a good maid is attitude. If you can maintain a good attitude it will be a lot easier for you. I know all of this is a big shock to you but try to see it from your mistresses side. You failed at every job she provided for you. If you fail ast this I don't know what she will do with you. What can you do if she puts you out with nothing. From your past I don't think you can do much. You are too nice a person to end up that way so why don't you tell me you are willing to try to be a good maid."

Jerry answered, "I will try to be a good maid. I don't know what Mabel has in mind for me I still love her but I never figured out what she really wanted from me. All those jobs she put me on didn't do anything for me. I just couldn't get interested in them enough to do the job she expected. I tried but it didn't happen. Some of them made me upset and I know I didn't have the right outlook for them. It was like having a dog babysit a cat, it just isn't meant to be. Right now I don't think Mabel cares anything for me."

Martha knew he was speaking honestly for once and said, "I'll bet that is the first time you ever thought about those things isn't it. You don't have to answer that but I'll tell you what I think. I think mistress still has some feelings for you or you would be out the door and left alone. What do you think?"

Jerry answered, "Right now I don't know what to think! I would love to think she still cares for me but if she did why am I now a maid?"

Martha responded, "Maybe she wants to give you one last chance. To remind you , you are now junior maid. In other words you are in training to be a maid. I am your trainer and would rather train you as a friend than as just a boss. I want you to come to me when you want to talk or have a problem. Do you want that?"

Jerry gushed, "Yes, I really appreciate that. I'll come to you if you don't mind."

Martha said, "Good that's settled. Now to get on with your training. First and most important you never call mistress by anything except mistress unless she tells you otherwise. Do you think you can remember that?"

Jerry answered that he thought he could. Martha then had him curtsy and continue to curtsy until he had it down. When he had it down she told him to curtsy anytime the mistress spoke to him and when entering or leaving her presence. It was time to start the evening meal and Martha started to teach him about cooking. He was a fast learner for cooking. Just before Mabel was due home Martha told him he was to meet her at the door to take her coat and hang it in the closet. He was then supposed to ask her if there was anything she wanted before dinner was served. If she wanted a drink or anything he was to take care of it.

He heard her car and went to the door. When she entered he curtsied and he asked her for her coat. She smiled and handed it to him he put it in the closet and asked her if she wanted anything before supper.

She said, "Yes, Annette, you can make me a whiskey and water. I'll have it in the living room."

He curtsied and went to make the drink. He thought about really goofing up the drink and then decided against it. He took the drink to her on a small tray and then put it on the table in front of her and curtsied again.

Mabel said, "You look wonderful! That must be your shade for make-up. Did Martha put you to work after I left?"

Jerry answered, "Yes, Mistress, she had me scrub the kitchen floor. It shines like new if I say so myself."

Mabel said, "Good, keep up the good work. You can go help Martha in the kitchen now."

Jerry curtsied and went to the kitchen. Martha asked him how it went and he told her it was OK. Martha explained to him that they would be eating after the mistress had her meal. Mabel ate in silence and Jerry had to refill her coffee cup twice. After she finished Jerry cleared the mess, rinsing the dishes and putting them into the dishwasher. By that time Mabel had retired to her study and Martha had their meal ready.

As they were eating Jerry said, "I was looking in the cookbooks and saw a recipe for something I think mistress would like. Do you think I could try to make it for her tomorrow by myself?"

Martha said, "If you think she will really like it go ahead. But if she doesn't you will get the blame and punished."

Jerry responded, "I think I'll take the chance. I enjoyed the little bit of cooking I did tonight. It was fun."

Martha said, "I never looked at cooking as being fun but I guess that's why everyone is different."

They made small talk and when they finished eating and putting everything away Martha told him the rest of the evening was his until the mistress wante4d to get ready for bed. Then he was to go and help her get ready for bed. Martha told him to try to anticipate what she would want done. He retired to the living room and watched a couple of shows on the television. He knew Mabel always went to bed at ten so at ten he headed to the bedroom. He did a wonderful job of helping her get ready for bed. When she was finished and getting into bed she told him he could get his nightgown on. He went to Martha's room and she told him he could wear the pink nightgown in her closet. He put it on and headed back to the bedroom. He opened the door quietly and went to the bed. He started to pull the covers down.

Mabel said, "What are you doing?"

He answered, "I am going to bed."

Mabel said, "A maid doesn't sleep with her mistress unless her mistress tells her to. You can sleep in the spare bedroom next door. Tomorrow move all your maid clothes into there so you have everything handy. Good night!"

Jerry silently went to the bedroom. After he had crawled into bed he lay there thinking about his situation. He realized he had never done anything during their whole relationship that Mabel was ever impressed with. He wondered why she had married him in the first place. He thought about how she had asked him to marry her. He wondered why she had asked him. He made himself a vow to do the best he could from now on. He fell asleep and slept peacefully. At six the next morning he was fully awake and felt really refreshed and good. This was something new to him. He went into the servants bath and did his morning routine putting on make-up as best he could and getting himself ready. He was just leaving the bathroom when he met Martha.

She said, "You look pretty good. You learn fast. As soon as you get your uniform on go down and start coffee. I'll meet you down there."

He went and got fully dressed in the uniform from yesterday and went down and started the coffee. He noticed a stain on the counter and was wiping it up when Martha came in. She saw him busy and told him he was doing a great job to keep it up. She told him he would be needing more uniforms so today she would be showing him how to sew. They started Mabel's breakfast and when it was ready Martha had him take it up to her. Jerry took it up and when he placed it on the small table next to the bed Mabel told him it looked really good.

She said, "You seem to be taking to being a maid very well. I must say it is a surprise to me. After you failed on all those other jobs I put you on I didn't think you could do anything worth while. Keep up the good work and I may see myself clear to find you a better job. Do you have anything to say?"

Jerry replied, "I have just one thing on my mind but I am afraid to ask because I might not want to hear the answer."

Mabel said, "Go ahead and ask. Nothing can be that great that it would end the world."

Jerry then asked, "Well, the question is 'Don't you love me anymore?"

Mabel was thunderstruck. She sat silent for the longest time. She knew she had to answer him but didn't know what to say. Finally she spoke, "You ask me a question I wasn't ever expecting from you. I really can't find the words to let you know how I feel about you right now. Can I ask you a favor?"

Jerry said, "You are the mistress, I guess you can do anything you want."

Mabel said, "I am not asking this favor as your mistress but as your wife."

Jerry said, "Sure, go ahead."

Mabel asked, "Can I hold off on answering that until some time in the future after I have figured out exactly how I feel about you and can give you a definitive answer you can understand. "

Jerry replied, "I guess so. I know it isn't an easy answer for you. Thank you. I'll go down and get bust downstairs now if it is OK with you."

She dismissed him and he went down and ask Martha if they could talk. Martha sensed it was something important and asked if it could wait until mistress left. He agreed and started cleaning in the dining area.. He was polishing the table when Mabel walked through and said a quick good bye Annette and left. He finished with all the chairs and was putting the cleaners away when Martha came in. She told him it was time to start learning how to sew. They went into the sewing room and Jerry sat on a chair next to Martha by the sewing machine.

Jerry asked, "Can we talk now?"

Martha agreed and Jerry continued, "I asked mistress if she still loved me and she asked if she could hold off on an answer to that. Do you think she still loves me or not?"

Martha said, "I can't tell you how she feels about you but look at it this way, if she didn't have some good feelings about you, you would be out on your own right now. Love goes up and down sometimes. Her love for you might be down right now but it isn't gone. I know for a fact she was frustrated with your lack of any success at anything she's given you to do. This may or may not be your last chance to hold on to her. How do you feel about her right now?"

Jerry answered, "I think I still love her. She was always bossy but never really wanted to harm me. I know I have failed her in the past and I really can't guarantee that I won't fail her in the future. I would hope not but you never know. I just wish I knew what was going to happen, it would make it a lot easier."

Martha said, "Do your best from now on and I am sure things will work out for the best for you and for mistress. Now, let's get started on a new uniform for you."

She started explaining about the sewing machine and started the uniform. Then she switched places with him and had him do some sewing. He took to it like there was no tomorrow. She was fully amazed at how well he did. By late afternoon they had completed the uniform. She had him take his off and helped him put it on. It was a dusty gray color with white trim. It fit perfect. She told him it was for weekday work when they didn't need a fancy uniform. She asked him what color he would like to wear for special occasions. He asked if lavender would be OK andshe told him it would be perfect. She said she would get the material and he could sew it all himself.

He went into the kitchen to start Mabel's evening meal. When she got home he met her at the door took her coat and put it away. She told him she was starved and he told her it would be on the table in five minutes. When she was seated him placed the plate in front of her. On it were two breaded pork chops, mashed potato with milk gravy and petite peas for a vegetable. He had made her a salad of two peach halves with cottage cheese on a bed of a lettuce leaf. She said it looked delicious and started eating. When it was gone she said that was one of the meals she had ever had . Martha told her Jerry had made everything. While Jerry was clearing up the dirty dishes and preparing Martha's and his supper Mabel had taken Martha into the living room.

Mabel asked, "How is he doing? Is he giving you any trouble?"

Martha replied, "He isn't any trouble. I am just amazed at how fast he took to cooking and especially to sewing. He sews like he has been doing it all his life. He does what I tell him and does it good. I never thought I would see a man who9 can cook and sew that good and seem to enjoy it. He is more concerned about you and how you feel about him. Forgive me for saying this but I really think he is still very much in love with you and it is tearing at him that he doesn't know how you feel about him."

Mabel said, "I know. He ask me this morning and I told him I would give him an answer. I have to tell you something that I don't want you to say anything to him about. Can you promise me you won't say anything to him?"

Martha promised and Mabel continued, "This afternoon I had some quiet time and all I could think about was his question about if I loved him. I can't find the words to answer him, I don't know how to express my feelings toward him. I don't think I have ever told him I love him in those words. If I did I don't remember it. I would love to ease his mind but I just don't know how! Do you have any ideas?"

Martha said, "Well, you maybe could get him a little gift to show that you care and hope he sees it as an answer to his question. I don't have a clue as to what you should get but it is only a thought."

Mabel said, "Martha you will never realize how being able to talk to you means so much to me. When it comes to business dealings I can stand with the best of them but when it comes to dealing with my own husband I am at a loss."

Martha said, "It isn't always easy to cope with those you are close to. You come to expect one thing and they do another. Heart to heart talks like we are having now help us understand ourselves and sometimes others. I have learned just in the last couple of days that your husband has a good head on his shoulders. He will admit to me when he is at a loss but I don't know if he is ready to admit something like that to you. I can tell you one thing he has very deep feelings and they can be hurt in ways that we can't see. The good thing is that some of the things that would wreck a so-called normal man don't seem to faze him, he just goes with the flow or something. You know what I am talking about? I am talking about most men if they were put in a dress would rebel until hell wouldn't have it, yet he accepted it. Not only did he accept it he is showing that he has talents he has never shown before like his cooking and his sewing."

Mabel said, "I know what you are saying and I agree. I didn't expect him to co-operate like he is with all of this. I don't know what to make of it. I have never in business had a situation remotely similar to this. Let me think on things for a bit, maybe I'll get a flash of lightning that will clear things up for me."

Martha went out to the kitchen to eat her supper. Jerry was just finishing his and Martha told him that he was doing a great job. Martha told hi that as soon as the stores opened tomorrow she would go into town and get him some material for a new uniform. He asked her to get plenty of lace for it, pretty lace. He told her he had an idea of what he wanted but he wasn't sure it would work out. She told him she would finish the duties for the rest of the night and for him to take it easy that he had done enough for the day. He grabbed a book from the shelf in the living room and headed for his bedroom.

The next morning he was up at six and seemed to hurry getting ready for the day. Hew started coffee and had a cup gone before Martha showed up. She saw the look on his face and the smile and commented on how nice he looked but it looked like he was up to something.

He handed her a piece of paper and said, "When you get the material could you stop at the grocery store and pick up the items on the list. I saw a recipe I just have to try. I know mistress will love it. I can't wait to make it to see how it turns out."

Martha caught his excitement and asked him what he was going to make. He told her it was a surprise, then asked for the list back and made some adjustments to the amounts. After Mabel had left and Martha told him that he knew what had to be done so he might as well start as she was going shopping. She said she would see him in a half hour to forty-five minutes. She was gone almost an half hour when the doorbell rang. He went and answered it.

A delivery man said, "I have something for Annette. Are you Annette?"

He answered he was and the delivery man handed him a tissue wrapped package and a card. He took the stuff into the dining area and opened the package. It was a beautiful bouquet of flowers. It was a huge bouquet of flowers. He looked for and found a large vase filled it with water and put them in arranging them a bit so they looked nicer to him. He put the flowers in the center of the dining table. Then he opened the card. It read- Annette, keep up the good work. I am proud of you! Mabel. He got tears in his eyes. Never before had she ever done anything like this. He had to sit down because it made him feel weak in the knees. Martha walked in as he was blowing his nose. She took one look at his teary eyes and very concerned asked what was wrong.

Jerry answered, "Nothing is wrong. I am just overcome that's all."

Martha noticed the flowers and asked, "Who are the flowers for and who are they from?"

Jerry said, "They are for me and they are from my wife. She has never done anything like this before. Here read the card that came with them."

He handed her the card and she read it and then gave Jerry a warm hug. She told him it looked as if he wasn't the only one who was changing. She showed him the beautiful lavender velvet material she had picked up. He was very pleased. He was more pleased when she showed him all the lace she had picked up. He could just picture in his mind what he wanted the finished product to look like.

Then he said, "First I have to put the meat in the marinade. Tonight we are going to eat the same thing as the mistress. If that is a problem you can punish me but I want to use tonight's supper to show you thanks for all that you have shown me. I have developed a special feeling for you, it isn't love like I have for my wife but closer to how a little brother might feel for a great bigger sister. I never had any brothers or sisters so I am only guessing but it is how I would like to imagine it."

Martha gave a little sob. No one had ever talked to her like that before. She felt so special at that moment she decided that no matter what she wanted him to do she would let him do what he wanted, even if it was to play games on his computer or watch television like he did before. She saw him cover the bowl the meat was in and put it in the refrigerator. He then asked if he could go get started on the new uniform. She told him to go ahead. He left to start . When she told him to come for lunch he refused telling her he wanted to finish the uniform before the mistress got home. By four he was done with it. He called Martha in and had her help him try it on. She was utterly amazed. IT was a thing of beauty with lace sewn in all around the bottom of the skirt and lace running up and down in front from the waist to the neckline which was edged in a different small fine lace.

She said, "It is beautiful! You did one bang-up job on that. It's too bad you have to cover that lace on the upper part of it though."

He answered, "But it don't have to be covered, watch!" He produced an apron pure white with matching lace to the uniform that covered from the waist down. When he put it on and had it tied he was a picture of beauty. Martha went up to him and gave him a hug .

She said, "Congratulations, the student has just passed the teacher. You never stop amazing me!"

He blushed and then she helped him out of it. He took it to his room and carefully hung it up. Then he went down to start the evening meal. He was making a special dessert that was supposed to be mint flavored when he couldn't find any mint flavoring. He thought for a minute then went into the living room and got the Crème De Mint from the liquor. As he was returning to the kitchen he thought about how it was last used last Christmas, no make that a year ago last Christmas. He didn't know how strong the mint was compared to the mint flavoring so he substituted about three shots for the quarter teaspoon of flavoring. He put it all together and put it into the upper oven, then checked the meat in the lower oven. The meat was starting to look just like the picture in the cookbook. He turned down the temperature on the meat so it wouldn't be over done when it was time to serve it. He put baking spikes in three very large potatoes and poked the skins to prepare them for baking. By the time he was ready with them the dessert had to come out. He raised the temperature on the oven and put the potatoes in. Then he poured himself a cup of coffee.

AS he sat with his coffee he really felt good about himself. For once in his life things wee falling in place. He thought about Mabel and decided that no matter what he wouldn't hold how she felt against her. He knew he had let her down in the past and couldn't blame her if she wanted him out of her life as her husband. He finished his coffee and prepared the table for his wife so it would be ready when she got home. When he heard her car door slam he hurried to meet her and take her coat.

She thanked him and told him she was starved. He thanked her for the flowers and told her supper was ready and that he would have it on the table by the time she was ready to eat.

As he placed the plate in front of her she said, "What a darling little chicken. Where did you get them?"

He said, "They are called Cornish Game Hens and I marinated them before I baked them. There is more meat on them than what you realize. Please save some room for a special dessert I made."

He knew she rarely ate any dessert but hoped she would try what he had made. When she had finished the entrée she raved over how good it was and asked him if he made it all by himself . He assured her that he had and asked her if she was ready for dessert. When she replied she was ready for it, he smiled broadly. He went and cut her a two by two-inch piece and took it to her. He stood there as she tried it. He was amazed at how fast she ate it. He knew she always doodled over desert because she wasn't a dessert eater.

She said, "That is really, really good. Is there another piece? If there is I could go for another."

Jerry just about leapt to get her another piece. When he placed it in front of her she asked, "Is there enough left that I might be able to take it to work tomorrow to share with the girls?"

Jerry assured her it would be ready for her She told him she wanted to speak to him after he had eaten his supper. She left and he and Martha cleared the table. Then he served up Martha her meal and sat to eat his own. Martha raved about the food and when they were done he got her a small piece of dessert. She told him if he ever stopped cooking the place would not be the same. He told her that the mistress wanted to speak to him after he ate and asked her if she thought he could put the new uniform on to surprise her. Martha thought that would be a great idea and told him to hurry and change and not to worry about the rest of the chores to be done that night. He quickly changed into the new uniform and checked his appearance in the mirror. He decided he looked OK and went down to the living room.

He entered, curtsied and said, "Mistress, I want to show you the formal uniform I made all by myself without any help from Martha."

Mabel looked at him and motioned for him to come closer. She took the edge of the skirt in her hand and felt the material . She could see it was a first-rate job of sewing. She let the material drop and motioned for him to sit on the couch by her. He sat a ways away from her and looked in her face. HE saw a dead serious look and felt a sense of dread.

Mabel said, "Do you remember Hogey Smith who owns the Great Western Supper club. Well he wants to retire and move to Arizona. He gave me a price to but it as it is and I accepted this afternoon. In two weeks I am going to take over control of it. Now I have a proposition for you. You can run it all or just the kitchen. I know that you like to cook so if you only want the kitchen I'll understand. You will be done being a maid and can dress as a man again. What do you say? Doesn't it sound good?"

Jerry sat for a minute then said, "I love you and know you are doing this for me because you care for me yet. But there is something I must tell you. When I was growing up and going to school nothing turned out the way it was supposed to. In class when there was a project for us to make mine never looked like the model the teacher showed us. I would look around at the others and see they made theirs look close to what the teachers looked like. I had trouble making toast without burning it. Then something happened that made it look like things might be turning around. I met you. We got married and I knew things were going to get better. Then you put me on all those jobs and the old times returned. Nothing went right! Whatever I did turned sour. I sat here with my computer and knew I had let you down. I didn't know what to do to change anything. Then you told me I was to be a maid. I didn't care for it when you first said I was now a maid but guess what. The first thing Martha had me do was scrub the kitchen floor. Guess what, when I was finally done with it I looked and saw I had done something right. I had done something I could be proud to say I did it for probably the first time in my life. Then I discovered I could cook and enjoy it. Then the most greatest thing happened. Martha showed me how to sew. When I started it was just doing as Martha showed me then I started getting ideas about how something should look to me. I didn't realize it at the time but I was getting creative. I have never been creative my life. I am at a point where I feel real proud of what I am doing and am confident that I am doing something right. You may not know or realize something. I have come to the conclusion that none of those jobs you put me on worked out for one reason. They all required that I boss someone and I am not a boss. It isn't in me to boss someone around. I know sitting here I am not much of a man in your eyes much less a husband but I have to be honest with you. So what I am saying is I don't think I am the person to run your supper club or your kitchen there, I'm sorry, I'll continue being your maid if you wish or you can file for divorce and I won't contest it. I used my imagination on how good I would be serving one of your formal gatherings wearing this uniform but I know it would be too difficult for you to explain that he maid is your husband. I'll try to understand whatever solution you come up with."

Mabel moved closer to Jerry and took his hands in hers and said, "I feel like crying. You have told me things I never realized. I know you are telling the truth. First you don't have to take any job at he supper club. Unless you want to be a waitress!" She kidded him She was chuckling and he knew she was joking. He chuckled with her.

She continued, "Jerry, dearest, I have come to realize in the last few days that you are really someone special. You have qualities that I never suspected. From right now you don't have to be a maid or a cook if you don't want to. I want you to come to our bed tonight as my husband. You can go back to playing on your computer and watching television. I'll tell Martha things have changed."

Jerry asked, "Can I be the one to tell Martha. I think I'll still help her if that is OK with you. She has so much to do but when there was both of us neither of us had to work too awfully hard."

Mabel said, "Sure you tell her. There is one last thing I have to say to you and I want to make up for lost time."

Jerry asked, "What is that?"

Mabel said, "I love you , I love you, I love you , I love you!"

They kissed and for the first time in their marriage both of them felt a special warmness and tingling in their bodies.

  

  

  

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