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.”