Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Revenge - Chapter 33 – Part 1 of 2



Revenge
By Karen Singer


Chapter 33 – Part 1 of 2

All you had to do sometimes to get what you want, is to be firm about it…and stay firm about it.  That’s the way Ruth saw it.  She had gotten more perturbed by the minute talking with Richard Feinbaum.  The man was only interested in what he wanted, and not willing to look at what she wanted.  It was her case!  Lawyers!  All they wanted was to make money.  And by the looks of that company, they made tons! 
She wasn’t sure about this Mel person that the two lawyers had mentioned.  And the part that concerned her the most was the word “kinky” that Richard Feinbaum had thrown out.  And the way he had said it, evidently she was notoriously kinky.  She couldn’t even imagine what that meant.  But in the end, she had finally agreed to at least meet with the woman – after Harry Feinbaum and probably his patsy son too had their little talk with her to get her completely onto their side. 
Well, if they called and said the woman would meet her, then she would at least give her a try.  She would at least talk with her.  If she didn’t like what she saw, she would take her business elsewhere.  She was certain that the legal fees surrounding ten million dollars would be enough to catch the eye of lots of decent qualified attorneys – probably anywhere. 
The part that Ruth was just as much concerned with now, was all her materials she had put together.  Harry Feinbaum had insisted that they remain in his company’s safe.  Well, she had all her originals on her computer at home if she needed them.
One way or another, she was going to get what she wanted!

--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---

“But it’s pink!”
“So?”
“So it’s pink!’
“There’s nothing at all wrong with the color pink!” Diane told him.  “Lots of men wear pink shirts all the time.  I’ve seen it myself!”
Steve shook his head.  “And how about this one?  Look at all this design stuff going straight down the button line.  How the hell am I going to hide that, even with a jacket on?”
“Wear a tie,” Diane suggested.  “It’ll cover it right up.  You’d probably look good in a tie anyway.  The jackets you wear look nice on you.  The new jacket we got you looks really…sharp.”
Steve looked at her.  He would have said thanks, but he was too perturbed by everything going on.  Not perturbed, just plain angry!  “Maybe a tie will work,” he finally conceded.  “Maybe!”
Diane shook her head.  “It’s your choice Steve.  I told you what they want.”
“What you want too!” Steve was quick to point out.
“Well, yeah,” she admitted with a small smile.  “I’m afraid I do have my…dominant side sometimes.”
“So I noticed.”
But it was the other side of her that she was thinking about then.  The submissive side of her that was so unfilled. 
“I guess this other shirt isn’t too bad,” he said as he looked at it.  “At least all the lace designs will be hidden by my jacket.  And since it buttons down the front like the others, it won’t be too noticeable.  I’m just worried about the material being so different.”
“You can wear a tie with it too if it worries you,” Diane suggested.  “With any of them in fact.  Maybe nobody will notice anything else.”
“I don’t have a tie that will go with a pink shirt!”   
“We’ll find you one then,” Diane replied stubbornly.
“I am going to be sooo broke!”
“Hey, at least I didn’t make you buy me my dinner.  I paid for that myself!”
Steve only looked at her angrily.  “What else do we need to get?  I’m embarrassed as hell just shopping for this junk.”
Diane smiled.  “Doesn’t bother me in the least.”
“No.  Of course not.  You’re a woman.” 
“At least you noticed,” Diane replied.  “Since we’re here, let’s see what kind of pants they have.  And after that, I can’t wait to take you shoe shopping.”

--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---

Wednesday morning, Steve took a good look at himself in the mirror.  A very critical look!  He and Diane had spent another small fortune last night.  Money he really couldn’t afford to spend just then.  He now had three new shirts – blouses actually.  But they were shirts.  Just women’s button down shirts.  He had two pairs of women’s slacks that Diane had “insisted” he could make work, even though neither of them had any back pockets and the cut of them was simply all wrong.  And since the shoe store had a buy one get one free sale going on, he now had a pair of black women’s loafers and a pair of brown “booties” as Diane had called them that she had felt certain he could make “work” as well.  She had felt certain.  Somehow he didn’t think so.  Especially in the case of those dumb booties.  He also had a new sport jacket he was wearing just then and a number of ties to go over all his new women’s shirts.  He’d rather think of them as shirts than blouses, even though he didn’t know if there was a difference or not. 
He studied his image in the mirror.  Yeah, no doubt the tie looked pretty good with the jacket.  But what would everyone say since he was wearing it?  He never wore ties to work.  He didn’t used to wear jackets either.  But he did now.  He didn’t have much of a choice.  It was either that or take the chance of someone noticing his bra straps under his shirt.  Not a good idea!  And now his tie hid the feminine decoration that went all down the button-line of the shirt he was wearing.  Not to mention it hid more of the softer material of the shirt itself.  So his tie was mandatory as well – not to mention the tie clip to make sure the tie stayed in place.  But the tie did nothing to hide the slightly odd shaped collar of the shirt.  Hopefully, it wasn’t too bad.  Hopefully. 
But overall, as he studied his image, he thought he looked…pretty darn good.  As long as he ignored the fact that he was wearing a women’s shirt under his jacket, a new matching bra and panty set, a garter belt, and stockings attached to the garter belt as well.  The shirt he was wearing he considered to be the lesser of all the evils the darn witches had thrown at him.  And in truth, it wasn’t much less at all.  Hating his entire life, he fearfully went to work.

--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---

Mr. Carter noticed it immediately, shortly after Steve got to work.  “Steve, you’re looking good today,” he said as he happened to run into Steve early that morning.  “New jacket?  And I like your tie.”
“Uh…thanks Mr. Carter,” Steve replied, somewhat happy for the compliment, and even happier that his boss didn’t notice what kind of shirt he had on under his jacket. 
Mr. Carter didn’t mention it of course, but he was sure that the tie was another move on Steve’s part as a sign that the guy was looking for a promotion.  Well, he had already done his part for that.  He had already submitted Steve’s name.  It was time now for Steve, and as far as he was concerned, Steve deserved a promotion.  A small one anyway.  But even small ones could lead to bigger things in the future.
As he walked back to his own office, Carter thought about the nice tie and jacket that Steve was wearing.  But even more, he was thinking about the collar of the shirt Steve was wearing under his jacket.  It had looked…different.  Perhaps a bit more feminine.  But then, that’s the way the styles seemed to be going lately, and he knew that Steve had always prided himself in trying to keep up with the latest men’s fashions.  But as far as Carter was concerned, for himself, he’s stay with the old stuff he was more comfortable with.  He supposed he might be getting old. 
Ten minutes after Steve got back to his desk, he got a text message from Carla, asking him to photograph “everything” feminine that he was wearing and send the pictures to all four of the witches.  Wishing he still had his gun, and wishing even more that he could use it, he took a break and went into one of the stalls in the men’s room to do just that.  Witches!  Who would ever believe?  But he believed.  He knew what they were capable of doing for a fact!  And he was still over-awed by their power.

--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---

You don’t say no to Harry Feinbaum.  That was the old adage in the business.  What Harry Feinbaum wanted, he got.  To a point.  But Mel had said no to him once.  So had her father.  Neither of them wanted to work directly for him.  And both of them had wound up instead with a very lucrative partnership with Harry’s company doing contracts and mergers between huge corporations. 
Not that Mel really needed the extra money.  She didn’t.  Despite the way she lived, she was one of the richest women in the state.  Actually, since her fortune was now growing faster, she was edging up the list of the richest women in the country.  She just didn’t believe in living that way.  She believed in working and earning what she got.  She believed in…respect.  Earned respect!  It was just parts of her life that tore much of that respect away.  Parts she would never conceive of doing without anymore.
It was the middle of Wednesday morning by the time she “got around” to striding down the hallway toward Harry’s office.  The business suit she was wearing was a new one.  Very conservative, but still elegant.  Her stupid heels though were new and hurt.  Not that it mattered that much.  They matched the deep mahogany tones of her suit. 
As she proceeded down the hallway, she saw Dick Feinbaum come out of his office and turn towards her.  Dick was a fine looking man.  Very fine!  They had somewhat grown up together.  She had even dated him back in High School.  But he was married now and had a real nice family.  She was married too, just no family.  Dick was more family oriented than she was.  But she had everything she needed or wanted at that point in her life.
“Dick,” she said pleasantly to him as she got close.
“Mel,” Dick returned politely.  “Dad’s waiting for us.”
Mel didn’t miss the fact that Dick was going to be in the meeting as well. 
The door to Harry Feinbaum’s office was open, waiting for them to arrive.  They walked in and Harry immediately stood up from behind his desk.  “Mel,” he greeted her.  “Good to see you again.  How are things?”
“Good,” Mel replied.  “Very good.  And you and your wife?”
“Couldn’t be better,” Harry replied.  “And your husband?”
Mel smiled broadly.  “Trust me, couldn’t be better.  Now what’s this big deal that Dick mentioned over the phone?  Who’s buying who now?”
Harry gestured toward the large seating area in his office by the window.  “Let’s sit.  It’s no merger.  It’s nothing like this company has ever handled before, and it’s nothing we’re going to get involved in this time.  At least not that directly.  We’ll partner in the back instead.”
“And you want me to take it?” Mel asked skeptically as she headed for the seating area and sat down on the sofa.
“We’re…hoping,” Dick replied as he took one of the single chairs across from her.  “We had a client bring us some…materials she had collected.  Mostly recordings and all the transcripts she made of them, detailing what’s been going on inside the company she works for.”
“Sounds like something for the FBI, not us,” Mel pointed out.
Harry nodded.  “It is actually.  But the problem is her list of demands.”
Mel’s eyebrows went up.  “Demands?”
Harry nodded, but it was Dick who answered.  “I talked to her until I was blue in the face yesterday, but she wants to pursue this case as a sexual discrimination case.”
“Sexual discrimination!”
Dick nodded.  “Believe it or not.  The problem is that she’s recorded conversations detailing some very illegal activities going on inside her company, particularly in regard to governmental contracts…”
“And that’s not the worst of it,” Harry added.  “She’s got recordings of…I guess we can call them henchmen, detailing things they’ve done to politicians and other major players, including a few that sound like murder.  And it’s all material that now that we’ve seen it, and know about, we could be libel in the end for having that knowledge and not doing anything with it.”
“And you’re still trying to pawn this thing off on me?”
“The woman won’t see reason!” Dick replied.  “She wants this to proceed as a sexual discrimination case and nothing less.  If we won’t help her, and you won’t help her, then she’s going to go looking for someone else who will.”
“What she wants,” Harry told her, “really amounts to blackmail, not any kind of legal proceeding.
Mel smiled.  “Harry, I’m surprised at you.  You should know that the heart of every sexual discrimination case, is blackmail.”
“Will you at least look at the case?  Talk to this woman?  She’s too determined with what she wants.  Yes, some of it I can see, although to be honest, no judge anywhere is going to award any of it.  But there’s also a few things in her list of demands that I can’t for the life of me understand.”
“One thing in particular,” Dick added.
Harry nodded.  “Yeah, one thing in particular.  Her number two item.”  He shook his head.  “I’m afraid Mel, that that one may be more up your alley than mine.”
That got Mel’s attention.  “What is it?”
“I’d rather let you see it, along with everything else.  I just suggest you keep it all under a very strong lock and key.  In fact, I’ll have a currier deliver all the materials to you later today.  Maybe you can meet with her and talk some sense into her.”
“I have to see what I’m dealing with first.”
“Someone…adamant!” Dick replied.  “You’re dealing with someone adamant.  Too adamant.”
Mel nodded.  “Call her.  Give her my number.  Send her in.”
“Most likely Mel, she won’t come until after she gets off of work,” Dick told her.  “She seems to be very concerned with her company finding out what she’s doing.”
“I can see that,” Mel replied.  “Especially if you’re talking possible murder implications.  Tell her to give me a call.  I’ll warn Andrea to expect it.”

--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---

Ruth got the call late in the morning from Richard Feinbaum.  She took the number for the new attorney and recorded it on her phone.  Then she went and found somewhere more private where she could talk.  She phoned the new number and got through to the attorney’s secretary…she supposed.  But the woman seemed to be expecting her call.  A minute later, an appointment with the new attorney was set up for as soon as Ruth could get to her office after work that evening.  Ruth got some vague directions, and realized immediately that she’d have to call her husband once again to pick up her kids.  He wasn’t going to like that, but at least he was still backing her all the way in this quest of hers.  For that, she was fully grateful.  Her husband really was a gem.

--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---

A tie?  Mike noticed it from all the way down at the other end of the room.  He didn’t miss of course the fact that Steve had begun showing up to work in a jacket every day now.  But now a tie as well?  It wasn’t a good sign as far as he was concerned.  Not when he was out to get himself a promotion.  Obviously, Steve wanted that promotion as well. 
Still wondering just that, Mike made the trek to Steve cubicle at the other end of the room.  “Steve!” he said as he got to Steve’s desk.
“Mike!” Steve replied, turning quickly in his seat.  He wasn’t happy at all to see Mike there.  Mike’s presence immediately made him all too aware of the woman’s shirt he was wearing under his jacket, and he was all too worried that Mike might notice. 
“What’s up with you lately?”
But with a question like that, Steve wasn’t sure what Mike was referring to.  Had he heard about the club Friday night?  “Um…what do you mean?”
“A tie?” Mike asked.  “A damn tie as well as the jacket?”
Steve breathed a bit easier.  “So?  I want to wear a tie.  What’s your problem?”
“I want that promotion too!” Mike told him.  “And I’m working hard to get it.”
Steve hadn’t even thought about any kind of promotion – which would certainly be nice.  Not to mention how much he needed the extra money lately.  “Uh…whatever it takes,” Steve replied, a grin actually coming to his face.
“Well tie or not, I’m working my ass off to get it,” Mike told him.  “So don’t go planning on just a stupid tie to do all the work for you!”
“Oh,” Steve replied, a sly grin now on his face.  “Trust me, I’m not.  But I’ve been working my butt off too, and I really need that promotion.”
“Yeah, to pay for all the new clothes you buy all the time.  Another new jacket?” Mike asked.  “And that shirt, no doubt the latest fashion as well.  Damn, the collar looks different.  Latest fashion no doubt.”
“Uh…maybe…sort of…something like that,” Steve replied nervously.
“Well, I just want you to know that all your new clothes aren’t going to get you that raise.  I earned it!  I deserve it!”  He walked out angrily and headed back to his own desk.  Damn Steve.  Trying to use something so callus as what clothes he wears to get the promotion.  But as far as Mike was concerned, it wasn’t the clothes you wear that mattered.  It was the job you did!  Unless of course you were talking about getting a woman.  But in that case, he’d never buy himself a shirt with a collar that could look that…feminine.

--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---


Friday, October 27, 2017

Revenge - Chapter 32 – Part 2 of 2



Revenge
By Karen Singer


Chapter 32 – Part 2 of 2

It was nearly an hour after Diane got back from lunch before she was able to be alone long enough to read The Sorceress’s email.

Dear Diane,

Forgive me for being late in getting back to you.  I have been giving your request a lot of thought.  I’m sorry, but in the end, I will not do what you asked.  And trust me, it will be much better for you if I don’t. 

Any illusion of love that I give to Steve, would only be a hollow shell with nothing in his own experiences and feelings to back it up.  With no true emotional content, it would be something so fragile that the simplest gust of wind would shatter it and blow it away.  You wouldn’t want that happening.  And knowing Steve, he would find some way to make you miserable for it – most likely emotionally, since hopefully he can no longer harm you physically. 

Diane, like it or not, I believe that love, true love, must be earned.  It must grow from mutual interaction and understanding.  And as much as I realize you believe you love Steve, I find it hard to believe that it can be anything more than that schoolgirl infatuation you talked about.  Please try to move past him Diane. 

Once again, I’m sorry I can’t help you,
The Sorceress

Diane closed the email, completely disappointed.  She had been so hopeful, but the Sorceress wouldn’t help.  Was it possible that the Sorceress was in love with Steve herself?  Was that why she wouldn’t help?  But thinking about the ways the Sorceress had already punished Steve, she had a feeling that wasn’t the case at all.  As far as she could see, the Sorceress hated Steve. 
So she was stuck.  No boyfriends.  No love.  Not even Steve.

--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---

There were three fairly excited women waiting for Steve when he got to Monica and Diane’s little office that night.  Ruth had told the others that she couldn’t be there after work again.  She explained that she had to do something for her husband before he got home.  Nobody blamed her or thought anything more about it. 
Steve finally came sauntering in somewhat late.  Since he wasn’t happy about having to do something so stupid like this every night, he saw no reason to hurry.  Let the witches wait on him.  Besides, he had been trying to finish up something he was working on, so he had a legitimate excuse. 
“Hello Stevie,” Monica said, her voice all too lilting as he walked into her office.
Steve looked around.  “Do we have to wait for Ruth?  I know she was here today.”
“No Stevie,” Monica told him.  “She had to run tonight.  Sorry.  But if you like, I’ll call her and tell her you’ll be glad to give her a private show in her office tomorrow to make up for it.  Would you like that?”
“No!” Steve said flatly.  “Can we just get this over with so I can go home?”
“Why sure Stevie.  We’re all waiting.”
Two minutes later, Steve was pulling his pants back up and buttoning his shirt up again.  “Can I leave now?” he asked disgustedly.
Monica got up out of her chair, went over behind Steve, and pushed him toward her chair instead.  “Sit!” she ordered.
Steve sat, but he was now worried about more trouble.  Especially looking at the faces of all the witches in front of him.  “What now?” he asked.
“Stevie, Stevie, Stevie,” Monica said.
“We’re bored just seeing your underwear every day,” Carla blurted out. 
“So can I finally stop wearing the panties and other junk now?” Steve asked hopefully.
“Stevie!” Monica replied sternly.  “You’re in those things for life!  So start getting used to it.”
“No, we were thinking of something…else,” Carla added.
Diane said nothing, but she giggled. 
Steve looked around the room at all of them.  “What now?” he asked, knowing he wasn’t going to like what they had to say.
“Why Stevie, what else, is actually going to be completely up to you every day…to a point anyway,” Monica told him.
Steve looked at them warily, just waiting for the real problem to drop.
“You see Stevie,” Monica said.
“We want to see you wearing something different every day,” Carla finished.
“Something feminine!” Diane stressed, to make sure he understood what they were asking for.
Steve blinked, trying to understand and comprehend it.  “Uh…like what?”
But this time it was Diane who got up out of her chair and went over to him.  “Steve,” she said as she leaned down and ran her hands down the lapels of his sport jacket.  Maybe you should get yourself a new suit jacket to wear to work.”
“True,” Carla agreed, with a small laugh.  “He might need it.”
“Uh…okay.  A new suit,” he asked, “or just the jacket?”
“Whatever you like,” Diane told him.  “But I think a nice new jacket would be fine.  Something…handsome.”
Handsome.  That didn’t sound bad to Steve at all.  The part that had him mystified was that Diane had stressed that he had to wear something feminine.  And a handsome suit jacket didn’t fall anywhere near that category.  “I guess I can do that,” he replied.  “At least it’s not…wait!”  A bad thought struck him.  He looked up at Diane.  “You said feminine!  You want me to start wearing a woman’s jacket to work?  I’ll get laughed at!”
“That sounds nice,” Monica replied.
“I’ll get fired!”
“No!” Diane said quickly.  “I mean get yourself a new men’s jacket.  The rest…well….”
“What for?” Steve asked, knowing once again that he wasn’t going to like the answer.
“Diane,” Monica said.  “You came up with it, so you explain it to him.”
Diane giggled and sat down on Monica’s desk in front of him.  “Steve, this is the way it’s going to work now.  You keep wearing your pretty undies.  In fact, I really think you need some more.  Variety remember?  And I’m sure you don’t want to keep wearing the same old things all the time.”
Steve said nothing, he only kept looking angrily back at her.
“And then,” Diane continued as she leaned down again and pulled apart the lapels of the jacket he was wearing.  “We were thinking about a couple of things you can do.  Like your shirts for instance.  We all know that there are pretty shirts and blouses you can wear under your jacket that will mostly be hidden by the jacket.  So if you’re careful, nobody will ever know.”
Steve looked at her incredulously.  “Blouses?  Under my jacket?”
Diane nodded. “Mm-hmm.  There are some very nice ones available.  Just look around.  You’ll find some that will work.”
“And if not,” Monica added.  “You’ve already got some great ones at home you can wear instead.  Uh…they may not be as unnoticeable as some other styles you could get yourself, but Stevie boy, once in a while we want to see you wearing something pretty on top – over your pretty bra, and under your stupid male jacket.”
“A blouse?” Steve asked again, not believing it.
“That’s one thing,” Diane told him as she released the lapels of his jacket and sat back.  “Then there’s your pants.  You really need some new ones!” she said.
Feminine ones!” Carla pointed out.
“Of course!” Diane agreed, trying unsuccessfully not to giggle.  On days you don’t want to wear a pretty blouse, you could wear some pretty pants instead.  You know there are some women’s styles available that nobody would ever think twice about.”
“Mostly anyway,” Monica muttered.
Diane nodded.  “Mostly.  You’ll have to see what you can find.”
“Blouses, and pants?” Steve asked.
“You certainly can if you like,” Monica replied.  “But actually, we were thinking more in line of blouses or pants.  Your choice each day.”
“And then there’s your shoes.”
“My shoes?” Steve asked, totally aghast now.
“Of course.  That’s something else you could get that could be feminine, and still not show…too much.”
Those are just some of the things we were thinking about.  You wear something different each day,” Monica told him.  “Either a blouse, women’s pants, or women’s shoes.  What you wear is up to you, but you change it every single day to something different!”
“But…besides this being impossible, I’ll go broke!” Steve argued.  “I can’t afford it!  My credit cards are almost maxed out as it is!  Do you have any idea what that trip to Saint Thomas cost me?  A fortune.  And don’t forget that diamond ring I just bought you.  That was expensive too.  I’m running out of money!”
“At least you have credit cards!” Monica replied sternly.  “Some of us don’t have even one!  Find a way if you have to.  I don’t care how you do it.”
“Now,” Carla added, bringing the subject back to where she thought it needed to go.  “We’re going to try another little change too.”
“Something more?” Steve asked, totally aghast.
“Yes,” Carla replied.  “Instead of us checking you every day, which we still might want to do, one of us will call you and ask you to go to the men’s room and take pictures to send back to us of yourself and whatever you’re wearing that day – including your pretty undies!”
“That will be so much simpler on us,” Monica agreed.  “And Stevie, there’s a bonus in it for you as well.”
“A bonus?” he asked, not believing it. 
“That’s right,” Carla replied.  “Doing it this way means we won’t have to see you down here every single night.”
“But there will be times,” Monica added quickly, “probably at least once or twice a week, when we’ll still want to inspect things closer.  And you’ll never know when until one of us gives you a call.”
Steve looked around at all of them, disbelief written all over his face.  “How the hell am I supposed to do it?  It’s crazy!  Someone will find out for sure, and I’ll get fired!”
Monica shook her head.  “I’m afraid that’s just a chance you’re going to have to take.  You may have to get a bit creative, but you’ve got no choice.  Oh!  And Stevie,” Monica added, a distinct note of threat coming into her voice.  “Remember that nice man you wanted so badly to go to bed with after the club Friday night?  If you tell anyone what we’re forcing you to do, I can guarantee that you’ll find yourself so addicted to wanting sex with men like that, that you’ll do anything to constantly get more, and more, and more…for the rest of your life!  And Stevie, you know perfectly well by now that I can, and I will, do that to you!”
There was so much threat in Monica’s voice that Steve had no doubt at all that she’d really like to do that to him.  He said nothing though.
“Now go home Stevie,” Monica told him.  “We’ve got to get out of here ourselves.
Diane followed the others out to the parking lot and got into her car.  But her mind was completely focused on Steve…and the disappointing message she had gotten from the Sorceress.  In the distance, she saw Steve pulling his car out of a parking space.  A thought struck her and she quickly pulled out her cell phone and dialed his number.  She saw his car stop and knew he was answering his phone.  “Hello Steve…”
“What!” Steve answered angrily. 
“Um…are you just going home now, or are you going shopping?”
Steve considered that.  “Shopping I guess.  You’re not giving me much of a choice.  I don’t have anything I can wear under my jacket that won’t be too…noticeable.”
Diane couldn’t help herself, she giggled slightly.  “Look Steve, would you like me to go with you…to help you?”
“Help me?  Didn’t Monica say this was all your perverted idea in the first place?”
“Yes.  It was my idea.  Monica and Carla both wanted to make you show up at work in a dress.  Ruth quickly put that idea down though since she didn’t want you to get fired.  This was the best…compromise I could come up with for you.  So yes, it was my idea, but I was only trying to help!”
“Ruth kept them from making me wear a dress to work?”
“Yeah, she did.  You can thank her yourself.  Like I said, both Monica and Carla wanted it to happen, and I know Monica was already talking about a spell to make you do it,” she lied, but it was only a slight lie.  Monica had mention getting the Sorceress involved. 
Steve didn’t know what to think.  “I’d say thanks,” he said, “but somehow I’m still not that grateful.”
“I get that,” Diane admitted.  “But if you want, I am willing to go with you to help you find some clothes that will work.  Hopefully anyway.  It was my idea.  I should be able to tell what we want and what will work for you.”
Steve considered it.  “Okay,” he finally gave in.  “Where to?”
“The mall of course.  Where else?”

--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---

As always, Susan checked her email before going home from work.  She was surprised to find another one from Monica.  She read it and smiled.  So now they were forcing Steve to switch between women’s shirts, pants, and shoes with his usual male attire every day.  How…interesting.  And she just knew how much Steve was going to enjoy it.  Actually, she knew that Steve wasn’t going to enjoy it at all, but Karen certainly would.  Most likely, Karen would be in heaven.

--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---

Ruth had gone to the Feinbaum offices and checked in at the reception desk, glad that they were still open.  But instead of being sent to wait, the receptionist told Ruth to go to the elevators and take one directly to the top floor.  Someone would meet her there.  When the elevator opened on the top floor, she found a woman standing directly in front of her, waiting.  “Mrs. McGruder?” the woman asked.
“That’s me,” Ruth confirmed. 
“Right this way please.  “Mr. Feinbaum is expecting you.”
Ruth followed the woman down the hallway almost to the very end…but not quite.  She noticed another small waiting area just beyond where they were as the woman now stood in front of an open office and motioned her in.  Ruth entered the very large, very masculine, and very expensively appointed office.  She saw a handsome middle-aged man stand up from behind his desk.  She noted immediately that his suit probably cost a fortune.
“Mrs. McGruder?” the man asked pleasantly.
“Yes,” she replied.
The man shook her hand.  “I’m Richard Feinbaum.  Vice president of the firm.”
Vice president.  That explained a lot.  “I had read that the head of the company is Harry Feinbaum,” Ruth replied.  “Are you his son?”
Dick smiled.  “That I am.”
Now Ruth understood.  But still, the vice president of the company himself – and the son of the man in charge.  That was saying something for her little sexual discrimination case.
“Have a seat Mrs. McGruder,” Dick told her.  “Let’s discuss this.”
Fifteen minutes later, Dick Feinbaum was getting frustrated.  The woman wasn’t listening to reason.  “Mrs. McGruder, you’ve got very damaging material here, and that’s despite the fact that none of it may be admissible in court.  We need to look at a better way to deal with it.”
“No, Mr. Feinbaum,” Ruth replied firmly.  “And those demands I put together, I want each and every one of them!  And I mean all of them!  I thought long and hard about all those items, and that’s what I want, not just for me, but for my family.  I went to a lot of trouble over the years to get that stuff.  In fact, I was planning on waiting a little while longer to get even more information when the company completes this latest government contract.  But after that last meeting I recorded, I knew I had more than enough already.  No, if you won’t help me,” she said as she stood up, “then I’ll find someone else who will.  Now kindly let me have my things back.  Now!”
Dick stared at her.  He couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t listen to reason.  She was being too adamant about things she really knew nothing about.  And her personal list of demands was…well, some of them probably okay, but others – ludicrous!  “Mrs. McGruder, I can tell you right now that no judge in the world will go along with those demands.  They’re not gonna’ happen!”
“I don’t care Mr. Feinbaum.  As I said, I want what I want.  And I’m sick and tired of being treated like a second class person – and that includes from you!  Now my things, please.”
“Mrs. McGruder, I’m not trying to treat you like a second class person.  Believe me.  Quite the opposite in fact.  I’m trying to deal with you as a respected client.  And trust me, this material you brought in makes you a doubly respected client.  But the way you want to go about this is all wrong.”
“My things Mr. Feinbaum.  If you please!”
Dick held his temper as he stared at her.  The woman was simply not listening to reason.  He had to do something here.  He made a small decision.  “Tell you want.  Let me call my father.   I told him earlier about the type of material you brought us, but none of the details.  Will you at least give him a chance to see what he thinks?”
Ruth stared at him for a moment to consider it.  “Very well.”  She sat back down.
Dick picked up his phone.  “Penny, is my father still here?”
“He’s just leaving now, Mr. Feinbaum.”
“Can you stop him and send him in please?”
A moment later, the door to Richard Feinbaum’s office opened, and Harry Feinbaum himself entered.  He saw his son sitting at his desk with a woman sitting across from him.  “What can I do for you Dick?” he asked.
“Dad, this is Mrs. McGruder, the woman I told you about earlier with the case she wants to pursue as sexual discrimination.”
“Ah yes,” Harry replied.  He shook his head.  “Not the way to go, Ma’am.  From the few things that my son has told me, we need to look into other options.”
Ruth shook her head.  “No!  As I told your son.  I want what I want.  All of it!  Now kindly give me my things back and I’ll find someone who will prosecute this the way I want.”
Harry looked at his son.  “Maybe I better have a closer look at some of this.”  His eyes went to the seating area away from the desk.  “Let’s sit somewhere more comfortable.  It’s been a long day already.”
Harry Feinbaum poured through a few of the papers, not reading them thoroughly, just enough to get the gist of what was going on.  But in the end, he kept returning to Ruth’s list of demands.  “Where did you ever get an idea for this…second item?” he asked.  “Yes, I can see ten million dollars.  I can see that you want a percentage of women promoted in the company, and I can certainly see where you’d want the salaries of the women brought on par with the men.  But this second item is…ridiculous! 
“I want, what I want,” Ruth told him firmly.  “And whether you agree or not, I want to pursue it.”
Harry stared at her.  “I’m sure that Dick told you we don’t handle sexual discrimination cases here.  They’re not the kind of law we specialize in.”
“Then either recommend someone to me who will, or please finally give me back my materials so I can find someone myself.”
Just as frustrated as his son, Harry looked to Dick and shook his head.  Then he looked back to Ruth.  “There’s an outside attorney we partner with.  A woman.  She’s a genius when it comes to contracts.  I tried to hire her here and she flat turned me down.  But there’s a chance she might take your case…especially since you seem so…adamant that all of your demands get addressed.”
Dick immediately knew who his father was talking about.  “Um…” he added, “I’m afraid this woman has a well-documented…kinky side.”
“Kinky?” Ruth asked skeptically.
Dick nodded.  “I’m afraid so.  But trust me, she’s good at what she does.”  He turned to his father.  “You want to turn this over to her?”
“Only to take the lead,” Harry Feinbaum told her.  This time, I think we’ll partner with her in the background.  This thing is too big for one firm anyway.”
If she’ll take the case,” Dick replied.
“True,” Harry admitted.  “She very well may not.” 
“Well, can you at least find out for me?” Ruth asked.  “So I know if I should go to her, or go find someone else.”
Harry nodded and turned to his son.  “It’s late, and she’s probably long home by now.  First thing in the morning, call Mel.  Get her up here.  I want to talk to her personally before she meets with Mrs. McGruder here.”