Office Slave II

by J. W. McKenna

  She spotted him almost at the same time and scurried away, as if he might come after her with a tire iron. That's twice that female employees have turned on him, he mused. He got revenge on one by turning her into a sex slave and he will get revenge on the other by firing her. He went into his office.

  The call came an hour later. He had been looking over the projections and was in a very bad mood, seeing how Sawyer Manufacturing had lost fully thirty-one percent of last year's business. He had already laid off ten employees, but it appeared he'd have to lay off at least ten more to keep the finances on an even keel. The business was far less fun to manage than it had been last year.

  When the phone rang, he half-expected it to be another customer, canceling another order. Instead, he heard the voice of his attorney on the line.

  "Jack? Great news! Franklin just called. They're folding up like a cheap tent in a windstorm. She's ready to offer you a reduced charge with probation and a two-thousand dollar fine."

  "What's the charge?"

  "Second degree sexual imposition. Normally, it carries a six- to nine-month prison term, but she's agreed to waive that. Probation would be for two years. It's a great deal, Jack."

  Jack almost felt disappointed. He had been burning with curiosity about what blockbuster Ellen would have revealed at trial. Now he might never know. Plus, he'd have a record, even if it was only a misdemeanor. On the positive side, it might allow him to save his business.

  "You think I should take it?"

  "Take it? Of course you're going to take it! You understand that under the original charges, you faced twenty years?"

  "I know. Okay, it sounds good.” He paused. “But—what happens to Ellen?"

  "Ellen? Oh, they dropped the embezzlement charges against her as well. She's free to go. I suppose she'll leave town, try to live this down. I mean, wouldn't you?"

  "Yeah.” Jack felt a pang deep inside and wondered if he'd ever get to see her again.

  "You don't sound thrilled."

  "Oh, I am,” Jack recovered quickly. “It's just, you know, all so sudden. I'm still processing it."

  "Well, get over it. Diane's going to give a press conference in an hour to announce the deal. I have to call her back and give her our decision."

  "Yeah, go ahead. I'll take it."

  Jack stayed in his office for the next hour, trying to concentrate on his work. He turned the TV on and kept the sound down so he wouldn't miss the announcement. When it came, it all seemed so surreal, as if they were talking about someone else.

  Diane Franklin stood up before the huge crowd of reporters and announced the plea bargain. She tried to put a positive spin on things, but the reporters weren't buying it. They were going to be deprived of the best trial in a decade and they demanded to know why. Diane fielded the questions as best she could, but she was clearly flustered and frustrated. When she left the podium, it was more of an escape from the brutal questioning than a dignified retreat.

  Jack turned the sound down when the reporter faced the camera to give her summary. He didn't want to hear any more. He knew the crowd outside would grow and he'd have to fight his way through it. He thought about where he might go from here. Should he stick it out and be the butt of jokes in the community for the next decade? Or should he sell out, buy a sailboat and disappear? He smiled ruefully. As pleasing as that idea sounded, he knew he had to stick around for his probationary period. After that, he could run away, if he was so inclined.

  The phone rang. He picked up, expecting Sam. “Jack?” The soft, lilting voice made his heart pound.

  "El ... Ellen?” He couldn't believe it.

  "Yes, it's me."

  "Does your attorney know you're calling?"

  "No, she'd have a fit, I'm sure.” She breathed lightly into the phone and Jack could picture her perfectly in his mind. “I assume you saw the press conference."

  "Yes, yes I did. And I understand you helped destroy the DA's case against me. I think I owe you a thanks—and an apology."

  "An apology? For what?"

  "For what? For, you know, making you do all those things."

  "Jack, I think we should talk. Can we meet somewhere, sometime?"

  "Why, sure. I have to check with Sam—"

  "No, don't. I mean, please don't. The attorneys will tell us it's a horrible idea."

  "Well, sure. I mean, the criminal part of the case is over, but I have been convicted, so I expect you'll be suing me next."

  She spoke firmly. “I won't sue you, Jack."

  He was taken aback. “Why not? I probably would, if I were you."

  "Jack, in the last six months, how much have I earned, you know, according to our little deal?"

  Jack called up the spreadsheet on his computer and said, “Looks like a little more than one hundred thousand."

  "And you've said that's mine, right?"

  "Right. I won't cheat you, Ellen."

  "I know, Jack. If you sent that over to my attorney, that would satisfy me as far as any lawsuit goes. I'll have her draw up some paperwork."

  Jack was stunned. “Well, sure. Thanks."

  There was an awkward pause. Then she said, “I know you've got a lot to think about and to do in the next week or so. Why don't I call you back, here, later on? If you want to talk, we can meet. If you don't, we won't."

  "Uh, okay. Sure.” Jack didn't want to tell her he missed her. That he thought about her all the time.

  Chapter Fifteen

  "I feel like a secret agent,” Jack said as he slipped off his raincoat and slid into the darkened booth across from Ellen. He no longer thought of her as “El"—that name and what it represented had been burned out of him during the weeks of intense publicity following his arrest. They were meeting at Yancy's, a restaurant thirty miles outside of town. Both had taken care to shake off anyone who might be following them, but it was mere precaution.

  In the two weeks following the press conference, life for Jack had returned to a near-semblance of normalcy. The press had disappeared from his parking lot and moved on to a new scandal—a local psychiatrist was being investigated for having sex with a nameless patient. Jack's customers had begun to drift back, although every man expressed disappointment that El was no longer available. Jack believed many felt guilty for publicly yanking their business when privately they had enjoyed El's charms.

  "Hi, Jack."

  The sound of his first name, coming from Ellen, startled him. She had called him “Mr. Sawyer” for months, years even, and now she seemed to have regained her old CFO persona.

  "Can I buy you a drink?” Jack looked around for the waiter.

  "I'm all right,” Ellen said, holding up her glass of white wine. “I got here a little early."

  The waiter approached. “I'll have a martini, on the rocks,” he told him. The waiter vanished.

  "This is a surprise, I have to admit. I figured you'd be really angry at me."

  "Yes, I should be, shouldn't I? But I'm not. Do you have any idea why?"

  "Uh, no, not really.” Jack thought maybe Ellen was so caught up with remorse over the embezzlement that being his sex slave made sense somehow, but that seemed a weak reason following his arrest.

  The waiter returned to place a cold martini in front of Jack. It gave Ellen time to take a deep breath.

  "Well..."

  Jack took a sip of his drink and waited.

  "I'm not sure how this is going to sound to you."

  "Try me. I promise to keep an open mind."

  "OK.” Her dark eyes fastened on Jack's. “You probably know that you couldn't have gotten me to do those things if ... well, if I didn't agree to them. I mean, I could've chosen prison. Or I could've had you arrested after a short time and maybe even gotten a lighter sentence myself."

  "As I recall, prison terrified you."

  "Yes, yes it did. But there was more going on."

  Jack raised an eyebrow but didn't speak. He knew this to be true, but he'd never fully been able to explain it.
He hoped Ellen could.

  Ellen blushed. “I know this sounds strange, out in the light of day to be saying this, but ... Jack, I needed to become your ... um, slut.” She turned an even brighter shade of red and looked away.

  "Oh, please don't be embarrassed. I suspected something like that."

  "It was actually my crooked shrink who got me to see the light. He helped me to understand why I'm so easily used."

  "Listen, I'm sorry about—"

  "No, don't be. It showed me, um, my proclivities. But only for the right man."

  Jack raised both eyebrows. He put his drink back on the table, his eyes never leaving Ellen's.

  Ellen put her palms out. “Jack, I don't expect anything to come of this. I just thought you should know. I, uh, liked being your ... well, under your control. It satisfied some deep inner desire I must've had since childhood or something.” She laughed lightly. “I don't pretend to know exactly why I'm this way. It probably has something to do with my father, or some of my early boyfriends.” She didn't explain further and although Jack was curious, he decided not to press it. “My shrink even suggested that I subconsciously sabotaged my marriage and my job, in order to start my life over in a different way. I'm not sure I can recommend going about it the way I did, but..."

  "So you don't hate me?"

  "No, Jack. Do you hate me?"

  "No! Of course not."

  "I did embezzle quite a bit of money from you."

  "Yes.” He seemed embarrassed. “I was paid in full. The anger's gone."

  "Good.” Ellen took another sip of her drink. “You showed me a side of myself that's both terrifying and exciting. I lived the life I guess I always wanted to. To be a complete sex object, to be desired by many men, to be told what to do, without thinking about it.” She shook her head. “I think I've almost gotten it out of my system. Almost."

  "So you kind of miss it?” Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing.

  "Well, if you think I'd like to report to work Monday as your company slave, no. I don't miss it that much. But I do miss part of it. The abandonment of all responsibility. Awaiting your orders. Doing your bidding. It's somehow quite freeing, you know."

  Jack shook his head. “No, I don't know.” He chose his next words carefully. “So, what are you going to do now? For a job, I mean?"

  "I don't know. If I had my way, I'd be a kept woman to some rich man. Just lie about the pool all day and eat bon-bons."

  "And be his, um, slut?"

  Ellen tipped her head. “That's the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, isn't it? For most men, no, I don't think so. But for the right man, yes, I would."

  Jack was stunned, but he covered it well. “How do you go about finding the right man?” He really wanted to ask, Would you want to stay with me?

  "I don't. I guess I just have to hope he finds me.” Her eyes locked on to his.

  "No you don't.” Now it was his turn to blush. “I mean, you don't have to find him. You've already found him."

  "Oh, Jack, that's nice to hear and all, but I think we have too much baggage between us, don't you?"

  "Maybe. All I know is, I've missed you these past few months. I was almost looking forward to the trial so I could see you again. How strange is that?"

  She smiled and the room seemed to brighten. “I missed you too, Jack."

  "Really? I figured you'd be gleefully planning your testimony, plotting your revenge."

  "No, even from the start, when Franklin made me that offer I couldn't refuse, I didn't want to go through with it. Consciously, I was appalled by my behavior, but subconsciously, I knew I had myself to blame. I didn't want to see you go to prison any more than me."

  Jack took another sip and finally asked the question that had been on his mind since his attorney had told him the case was imploding. “So, tell me, Ellen, what was the big secret that caused the D.A. to back down?"

  She smiled again. “Maybe that should be my little secret."

  He reached across the table and touched her forearm. He felt a sudden rush of emotion, almost like electric sparks. “I could always command you to tell me."

  She placed her free hand on top of his. “Well, if you put it that way, I guess I'll have to.” She paused for effect. “You know that when I was taken from your factory, I was still a bit, um, addled. I had sex on the brain, thanks to you and that damn jewelry. People picked up on that. The shrink the DA hired to evaluate me screwed me instead. I was so eager to please and lost that I substituted them for you, I guess. Someone told me to do something and I did it."

  "So that's the shrink I've been reading about! You were the patient? And you threatened to testify to that in court?” Jack couldn't believe it.

  "Yes."

  Jack sat back, stunned. His martini sat forgotten on the table. “Now I understand things better. About why the cases fell apart, I mean."

  "The DA wanted to try me for the embezzlement, but I told my attorney that I doubted you'd testify against me. Was I right?"

  He nodded. “You bet. I couldn't've gone through with it."

  They each sipped their drinks, thinking about their close calls.

  Jack asked suddenly, “Do you have a place to stay?"

  "Since the trial was dismissed, I've been living at the hotel. Tami—the officer—is gone, but the management checks on me. My attorney expects my finances will be straightened out soon."

  "Yes. I sent over a check to your lawyer last week. I'm surprised you haven't gotten it by now."

  "Oh, I guess there are a lot of expenses they have to take out.” She sighed. “They're treating me like a child, you know. Like I don't have a brain in my head."

  "Just make sure no one steals from you. You should have enough to live on for a while before you have to worry about working."

  "Yeah. Thanks for that, Jack."

  "Hell, you earned it.” Jack noticed that her hand was still resting on his and he thought about all the anger he had directed her way over the last two years. All the pain he had put her through. And yet, she's still here, forgiving him.

  "I'm not sure I can let you go,” he said, blurting out the truth.

  "I'm not I'm sure I'm the submissive little slut I was before,” she responded and there it was. If they were to get together, it would have to be on her terms.

  "You got it all out of your system?"

  She tipped her head. “Mostly."

  "But there's part of you that still needs it, right?"

  "I don't know. I'm still processing all that."

  Jack understood her reluctance to talk about her future. “What will you do next? Will you stick around?"

  "Just until the check clears. Then, I don't know."

  Jack gave her a half-grin. “You really have this all figured out, huh?"

  She laughed. The sound was pleasing to his ears. “OK. I admit it—I'm a mess. I'm confused, I'm embarrassed and I feel remorse. Right now, I think the best thing to do is to leave town and try to start again somewhere else."

  "I'm sorry to hear that, but I understand.” He shrugged. “I'd leave too, if I didn't have to stick around for this probation."

  Silence descended over the pair. There seemed little else to say.

  Finally, Jack finished off his drink and placed it carefully down in front of him. His eyes locked onto hers. “Will I ever see you again?"

  "I don't know. I'm not trying to be coy, I just simply don't know what's going to happen next. I have people offering me book deals, guest spots on news shows—but I don't want to exploit myself for financial gain.” She laughed. “How ironic is that?"

  Half of Jack's face crinkled in response. “I'm really going to miss you, Ellen."

  "And, I'm sure, in my own way, I'll miss you too."

  They stood, suddenly awkward with each other.

  "You know where to reach me, if you ever want to talk or drop me a line."

  "I know."

  "Well, ‘bye."

  "Goodbye, Jack.” She reached up sudd
enly and kissed him on the cheek, then pulled back, tears in her eyes. Jack reached up and touched his skin and felt that same electricity there.

  "Are you sure we want to do this?"

  "I don't know. If it's a mistake, I'll know it, later."

  He nodded. “I'll walk you out.” He tossed a couple of bills on the table and followed her to the door. Outside, the sun had just dipped under the horizon, casting a red-orange glow across the sky. It seemed a magical moment.

  He stood, shifting from foot to foot as Ellen unlocked her car. “Goodbye, again. Call me sometime.” Her hands were on the door frame. He placed his hands over hers.

  She looked into his eyes. “Goodbye, Jack.” And she slipped her hands free and drove off. Jack watched her go, his heart sinking.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The next two years passed slowly for Jack. Ellen, as she had planned, left town almost immediately and he hadn't heard from her since. He concentrated on rebuilding his business, but quickly found his heart wasn't in it. Nevertheless, he went through the motions, all the while secretly planning to sell the business as soon as his probation was up. With new clients replacing some of those who had bailed out, he figured the operation was worth about ten million, of which he owned seventy-five percent. After taxes and expenses, he'd probably clear six million. A nice bit of change—but would it be enough? What would he do? He'd been wrestling with that question for months.

  Six months before he was completely free of the justice system, Jack put out feelers to his competitors and soon had two firm offers. One company offered twelve million, but they planned to simply take Jack's customers and close down the plant, making all the equipment in Mexico and China, where labor costs were far cheaper. He didn't want to do that to his employees, although he was realistic enough to know that the day would come. He accepted the second offer, for nine-point-five million, on the promise that they would keep the plant intact for at least two more years. It was the best deal he could make.

  When he went to his probation officer for the last time, he was semi-rich and at loose ends. He shook the officer's hand and said he was leaving town.