by Avery, T. C.
The “Three Kings Travel Agency” looked after her from day one. Employment, of course, was the key, but they also provided her with a solid grounding in the industry, and even funded her ‘further studies’ and qualifications for progression within the company.
The initial Job description, which Jody had learnt by heart years before, went, “In order to be a successful travel agent you must be accurate, detail-oriented, well-organized, professional and courteous. Good writing and interpersonal skills as well as sales ability are also necessary.” She improved on the list adding her enthusiasm, her positive attitude and her hard work.
There were also a few characteristics she brought with her that came in very useful, though were not technically required, including, cunning, positioning, scheming, and “femme Fatale”. She was, of course, very careful not to display these private idiosyncrasies to those who had no need of this information.
Although Jody initially thought she’d been ‘thrown in at the deep end’, she soon realized that things were not that manic after all, and her work load gradually became manageable, unlike a vast array of annoying customers and their ridiculous holiday expectations. Incredibly, it was always the budget conscious and those who should be spending their money on more important things that were the hardest to please, the most difficult to deal with and the quickest to complain.
As time went on she learnt ‘not’ to pay too much attention, to nod in all the right places and to save herself a guilt complex and a breakdown by not taking things personally.
Jody worked hard. She studied hard too for her CTA qualification (Certified Travel Associate) across all twelve of her disciplines.
Gradually she worked her way up from ‘Receptionist, Teas-maid, and Filing Clerk Extraordinaire’, through, ‘International Weather Girl’, ‘Paperwork Checkist’, ‘Travel Document Organizer’, and ‘Complaints Sounding Board’ right the way up to ‘Hotel Advisor’, Flight Co-ordinator’, ‘Booking Agent’ and finally, ‘Sales Person of the Month’. Woohoo!
In a little over the required minimum of eighteen months, Jody became a fully-fledged Travel Agent in her own right. She had her own business cards, her own regular clientele and her own office. She was finally ‘Upstairs’ and away from the front desk and all those “Bloody pests and poor people”. To use a common turn of phrase (or two) ‘The sky was her limit’, and ‘The world was now her very own private oyster’.
As with most people her age, Jody could also play hard. She learnt how to drink, and how ‘not’ to drink on a few occasions. She learnt about pubs and nightclubs and how to dance, and how to appreciate the loss of certain inhibitions at all sorts of appropriate and not-so-appropriate moments. She learnt all about the power of beauty, of women, of beautiful women, confident women. She learnt how she could use this to her own advantage. But best of all, she learnt how to have fun, how to get something back out of her young life, and she worked out the finer details of how to get to where she wanted to be. And critically, for her, she worked out how to use all this hard and well-earned knowledge to get her own back. W.A.I.F.A. was the goal after all, and “All roads will be leading there. Not Rome.”
Of course she also had to cope with, and deal with, all the other things that went on in large companies and specifically offices. First there was the hierarchy. Then there was the politics. Of course there were all the unwelcome ‘advances’ and occasionally there were some welcome ones too.
Luckily she picked things up quickly and kept her nose clean in the process. Gossip, bitchiness and the ever-present and ‘oh so helpful’ advice was constantly on offer from everyone, since ‘they always knew best’. But a little guile and instinct together with a pinch of diplomacy and tact worked much, much better for Jody.
The secrets, the cliquey camaraderie and the “If I were you” guidance counseling was regularly offered, outwardly appreciated, occasionally accepted, but rarely adopted. Yet she still came out on top.
The money wasn’t too great to start with, but together with a little help from her ‘London Weighting’ and a small inheritance left to her by Grandma, she had enough to survive on and enough for a little fun.
Her CTA qualifications and her growing portfolio of business clients, and wealthy individuals, brought about more freedom, more disposable income and a new place to live. No longer would she have the hour-long trawl to her ‘grotty’ little digs in Potters Bar, just inside the M25. She now had a pretty respectable bed-sit in the heart of Hammersmith that you could actually “swing a cat” in.
Nights on the town, had, in one fell swoop, just become bearable, as she didn’t have to secretly stash away at Julie’s in the YWCA rentals anymore. Progress, privacy, her own personal touch and the ability to have ‘boys’ over for dinner (wink, wink) were all now ‘hers’ for the savouring.
One particular Friday night, Jody and a few of her colleagues had decided to go straight out on the town, rather than do the usual, ‘home first and back in for a drink’, thing. Work clothes would suffice for once, and since they were a “High Heeled Band O’ Bad Ass Bitches” anyway, they could get away with it.
So, Covent Garden it was, ‘R.T.D.’s all round, and by the third bar and the fifth drink the conversation got around to money, or rather the lack of it, for most of them.
“One of my friends is a Lap Dancer”, said Amy. “She does three nights a week down at that one in Soho. You know. The one with all the blue neon lights outside.”
“Fuck off!” screeched Sam, “I’m not doin’ that. They’re full of ‘dirty old men’ and foreigners.”
“So what? They can’t touch you, y’ know. Not if you don’t want them to, and anyway the money’s really good. She makes more there in a night, sometimes, than I get in a week. I’ve even thought about it a few times.”
“Why haven’t you done it then?” chipped in Rachael.
“Too scared, all those eyes, just leering at you, with their tongues ‘anging out and their ‘ands in their pockets.”
“You don’t know them. You’ll never see them again. And anyway, it could be a lot of fun.” Rachael carried on. I’ve always wondered what it’d be like shaking ‘these puppies’ in some guy’s face for money.
“You’ll have to shake more than your ‘puppies’, you silly cow” Says Amy. “They’re all nude now. Everything! Right down to your ‘bits’.”
“What if you don’t want to?” Sam chips in again.
“Don’t do it then.” says Jody, entering the conversation from stage left coz now it’s starting to interest her.
“Are they really full of ‘dirty bastards’ and foreigners?” She asks.
“No! Amy says, getting all knowledgeable and matter of fact. Me friend says it’s just like going to one of them Chippendale shows, but its women. They’re quite expensive as well, so you don’t get all the ‘Old Gits’ in there. And so what if it’s full of foreigners. I like a bit of ‘foreign’, and just like Rachael says, your never gonna see ‘em again anyway."
“Do you really have to get your ‘bits’ out? You know, spread your legs an’ everything?” asks Sam, taking things a little more seriously now.
“I’ve no idea. I suppose it’s up to you, how far you go, but me friend says that the big money’s all in the private booths. The stage is good to start with and for when it’s quiet but the ‘buggers’ all want more. If you do the Lap Dancing stuff and ‘get it all up in their faces’ you make hundreds."
“All right! So when do we start?” Rachael decides to officiate and get things moving.
“I’m not doin’ it.” Sam gets in quickly “I was only asking”.
“Chicken!” replies Rachael.
Jody decides to throw the gauntlet down and see who’s really up for it. “Now!” she says, firmly, “let’s start now!”
“OK” Said Rachael. “But we should have another first. Whose round is it? You coming Amy? Since you started it?”
“No chance! I can’t bear the thought of all those eyes.” I’ll get the drinks in though.
Who’s havin’ what?”
Whilst Amy heads off to the bar with Sam in tow Rachael leans in towards Jody and quietly demands “Are you serious, or are you just havin’ a laugh?”
“I’m game if you are. I could really do with the money” she fibbed, “and you never know it might be fun.”
“But I haven’t even seen you naked, yet, young woman!” Rachael burst out laughing.
“Well, so long as you pay the same as everyone else, you never know!” Jody quipped in her best Madame’s voice, and they continued sniggering and ‘taking the piss’ out of each other until the others returned with more drinks.
Sam asked them if they’d decided to give it a go, to which Rachael replied, “Maybe, not sure, might talk to some of the guys and see if they know any good clubs.”
“Not sure that’s such a good idea,” said Amy. “What if they go there too?”
“Good point,” Jody joined in. “We’ll have to think about that then.” In truth, it had already crossed her mind and although she’d been getting secretly excited at the thought of it all, her and Rachael decided to re-convene and make a ‘proper plan’, another time.
Right now it was time to drink and give the guy’s in the bar a jolly good letch.
“Marks out ten,” said Rachael. I’d give him one!”
To which they all joined in with some lewd and dirty comments of their own, then proceeded to giggle and debauch their way through the evening.
Jody wasn’t required for the Saturday roster anymore as she was now in the senior ranks, and to a degree, so long as targets were met, and business came in, she could almost do as she pleased. She clearly surprised a few bleary eyed junior agents by turning up on this Saturday. They almost jumped to attention from their ‘sorry ass’ slumbers trying to cover up the excesses of the previous night. It didn’t work and Jody milked the moment all the same with a few ‘tut, tuts’ and belittling looks of mock despair and disapproval.
“You can all get back to sleep,” she said. “I’m only here for five minutes.”
Following on from where they left ‘The Plan’ the night before, she was here for the phone numbers of some of her more discreet clients. They’re not the sort of numbers you keep on your mobile.
She ‘swanned’ her way through the shop and then behind the counter, slapping Ben on the back of the head as she passed him. He fell forwards to place all four legs of his non-recliner back on the floor and spun quickly to catch a ‘none too subtle’ ogle of her arse.
He drew in some air, and leaned back with his arms behind his head in a state of ‘content’ for his moment and was then smacked on the head again by one of the other girls.
Upstairs, Jody went through her files looking first for Bill Anderson. In Jody’s calculations, the guys in the office, and the blokes she knew socially, were all too young to be of any use with this kind of homework. Sure they’d know all the best places to go, but they’d be dangerous. The bastards would turn up and spoil the whole thing. They were too risky. Bill, on the other hand was almost like an uncle to her, an ‘older’ friend. Full of smut and innuendo, of course, he is a bloke, but old enough to be her dad.
Bill would most likely be over the moon to help. A little ‘under the counter’ assistance to reward her for the ‘more clandestine’ of his travel arrangements would be ‘right up his street’. “He’d see her right,” she thought.
She called him.
“Bill, I need your help please.”
“No, I’m not in trouble, I have a little favour to ask but you’ve got to keep it to yourself, promise?”
“I’ll do my best. What is it?” he asked.
“Well, I’m not quite sure how to put this. So I’ll just say it. Me, and my friend, Rachael, want to give Lap Dancing a go. We think we’d be good. The money will come in handy and we love dancing. What do you…”
Bill interrupted, saying, “I don’t have any night clubs, I run a trucking company.
“I know that,” Jody jumped back in. “I just wanted your opinions on where to go, either for a job or to talk to someone who has contacts. Can you help us or do you know someone who can?”
“Now, you know I don’t go to those sorts of places.”
“Yeah right!”
“OK, OK. Well, as a connoisseur of such delightful establishments I can definitely tell you where not to go. I have a club card for ‘Stringfellows’, but the best place I believe is the new one just off Shaftesbury Avenue.
“What’s it called?”
“Leave it with me for now. My mate Barry knows one or two people down there. I’ll do some asking around and see if we can’t get you looked after. And,” he paused, “can I have the first dance?”
Jody knew he’d said it as a joke but she also knew it came with a lot of hope and sincerity.
“I’d love that little bottom of yours rubbing around in my lap,” he added.
“I know you would. But would your wife approve?”
“She doesn’t care about strip clubs, and anyway she doesn’t need to know. About you I mean.”
Bill’s pleading smile was obvious, even over the phone.
“We’ll see. It depends how good you are to me.”
“…. And Rachael,” she quickly added.
“I’ll be good then,” he said. “Leave it with me, and I’ll call you later.
“Thanks Bill. You’re the best.”
Jody was getting all excited again, and called Rachael to tell her about progress so far. She didn’t bother with any other contacts since Bill looked likely to come up trumps.
It was close to four o’clock when Rachael turned up at Jody’s place. Jody let her in at street level and, ushering her up the stairs quickly she said, “Come on, hurry up, I need a pee.”
Once in the bed-sit Jody pushed past Rachael and ran for the bathroom. “What do you think of the place?” she asked, to the accompaniment of gushing urine. “Not bad eh’ for six grand a week” She added with just a hint of sarcasm.
“They saw you coming” Rachael replied “What do these letters mean?” and she spelled them out
“W.A.I.F.A.”
Without missing a beat Jody (now washing her hands) replied “Oh it’s a small animal charity I support, from back home. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it. It’s called “Welfare And Impunity For Animals”. I just do a little bit on the side for them with my mother. Quite boring really.”
“You must’ve been doing it for a long time. This little book’s pretty grubby. What’ve you got in here?” she said opening it up, but Jody had sneaked up on her and quickly reached around and snatched her obviously ‘private’ little record book from Rachael’s nosey little mitts.
Rachael turned her attentions to the next object of interest on Jody’s bedside table. Picking up a shiny torpedo shaped object, and twisting the knobbly base, it sprang to life, “Bzzzzzzzzz”
“You need a man, missy” Rachael said, staring at Jody and simultaneously poking the vibrator through her fingers.
Jody snatched for ‘this’ also but Rachael whisked it away behind her back. “Is it a good one?” she enquired.
“It’s only for show. A paperweight, you know” Jody began to giggle,” and I do have a man, men, I mean, I have had men, a man, oh shut up!”
Eventually settling down to a ‘nice cup of tea’, on the sofa, with her knees under her chin, Jody finally got round to their joint adventure. “Anyway,” she says, “Bill came back to me this afternoon.”
“And?”
“We’ve got a ‘try out’ tomorrow. Apparently they do auditions on Sunday’s coz they don’t open. He said we should take the week, to make sure we knew what we were doing, but I thought it would be best to ‘strike whilst the iron’s hot’ then we don’t have time to chicken out. So, Bill’s coming to pick us up here, at three tomorrow and taking us down there with his mate Barry, who knows the owner.”
“We’ve got some work to do then,” Rachael leaps into action, “have you shaved?”
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“No I’ve got a three-day stubble down there” Jody laughed.
“Well you better had, an’ I need one too. Don’t really wanna go flashing pubes out of mi thong. Should I do a landing strip or get rid of the lot?
“Strip first, then, check if it’s OK. You can’t do it the other way round, dopey.”
“Yeah, yeah, anyway, we should get down to the video shop as well and get some strip show stuff out. I’ve seen ‘Dirty Dancing’ but I don’t think that counts. Not Dirty enough!” She burst out laughing.
“I beat you to it,” says Jody, “I’ve already got some.” And with that she pulls out three DVDs from behind her cushion and acts like a “naughty, guilty, girly” and loving it.
Unbeknown to Rachael they were actually part of Jody’s growing collection of ‘educational’ videos and DVDs. Research primarily, of course, and necessary assignment work for her ‘Big Plan’, but she got to quite like her homework and the hands on self tutoring that went with it, in private.
This would have been a perfect opportunity to attempt a little ‘girl on girl’ experimentation, but Jody decided she couldn’t afford to mess things up, just as the ‘practical side’ of her plans was starting to take shape. It would have to wait for another day.
A very enjoyable evening of smut, however, was had by all, which included: some personal grooming; a lot of striptease watching (and rewinding, and watching, and watching again); plenty of white wine; some rude and silly dancing, and some boobs in faces, but the closest they got to flesh was “cammies’ and knickers.” Your typical bloke’s perfect slumber party really, but without the lesbian action.
Bill was on time and the girls were ready. Well almost. They’d wound themselves up in to a tightly sprung bag of nerves all mixed up with excitement, trepidation, giggles and uncertainty. Not the best of cocktails for an audition but a healthy one under the circumstances.
On the way, Barry gave them instructions on conduct and what would be expected of them. There would be other girls auditioning also and competition would be stiff.
“Just like the audience,” according to Bill.