Stocking Tops Pt. 07

CHAPTER 1

The weekend couldn't come fast enough for Claire Peach. In Lee's first days working in the extremely up-market offices of Paterson Advertising he'd arrived home grumpy and muttering about environmental harassment.

The sore head was even sorer when he arrived home on Thursday night.

"Darling, you are just not an ivory tower person but then again think about all those stocking tops around throbbing thighs imprisoned in those corporate structures each day."

"Stocking tops can go and get fucked."

That was an unbelievable comment from Lee but his wife battled on bravely.

"They probably will after work finishes," Claire said, and with that greeted by a scowl she knew Lee had it bad. "Look Debbie and Christie and their husbands are going to a restaurant tonight that has mini theatrical acts between courses. Should I attempt to book at their table?"

"No, you go. I'll look after the kids."

"Their names are Vicky and Payton Lee."

He glared at her.

"Oh god, I'm taking you out to get you drunk so you can relax. Claire tried their regular baby sitters and luckily because of the short notice scored with the third university student who loved coming to their house with the huge plasma TV screen. The company purchased one for Lee and one for his business partner James Krug, ostensively to watch their ads and the ads of main rivals, but James' wife Sheila and Claire giggled that the big screen installation was for the guys to watch 'Playboy Mansion'.

At the restaurant Claire ordered an extra handle of beer for Lee. "He's having bad days at the office due to the hostile environment," she explained.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing." said Debbie's Joe. "All the advertising agencies I've been in are crammed with blonde chicks spilling tit over the top of tops and their skirts are above their hips."

"Yeah, but listen to the same bitches complaining relentlessly about supermarket prices, wanting time off because the kids have colds or being terrified because they've missed a period and farting because they ate pizza with onion the previous night."

Debbie and Christie who were sitting on either side of Lee looked as if they wanted to sit at another table or at least swap to put their husbands alongside the mutant called Lee.

Joe asked, "What the fuck is environmental hostility? Toilets blocked with condoms and bird shit falling off the rafters?"

Debbie now looked if she wished she'd left Joe at home.

"The air-con has to be turned up higher to offset sun heat radiating through the glass, so people talk louder over the higher noise. The elevators whirl, zoon, click and clunk all day – we have six of them running on the wall against the office where I'm stationed at all this month and..."

Claire had been thinking she'd better take Lee to another table but looking around saw the restaurant was jammed – unusual for 7:00 on a Thursday night she thought. Then she had an idea so interrupted Lee, "Darling, I'm sure everyone would be more interested in hearing about Polly Blackett."

"Polly Blackett, you know Polly Blackett?" Christie said, moving closer to Lee.

"Well, we are talking over this advertising company that's a little bigger than our company," said Lee. "When the bad news is given to the staff of this other company they became very grumpy indeed. So I attempt to give them this morale-boosting little speech and prepared to fuck off before becoming stiff-armed by some of the women or had my teeth re-arranged by some of the ugly guys when this blonde pipes up and invited me to stay. She jumps on to a table chanting for me to stay, others join her and she shows me her stocking tops."

"Oh Lee, you're still not into that childish practice are you?" said Debbie.

Mac help up his handle (tankard) and said, "Atta boy Lee. I bet that addiction has gotten you more fucks than feeds."

Christie thumped her husband and told him to shut up. The other couple at their table was all ears.

"This blonde is 6ft 6in tall and would weigh in around 210lbs I would think but no way am I going to ask how much she weighs," grinned Lee, looking more like his old self. "I could understand why the other staff seemed a little scared of her because when she stands in your face she's as big as an outdoor latrine. Then I find she's a former female heavyweight boxer who retired undefeated with eleven international fights under her belt. What's under that belt would be a cave I reckon."

Even all the woman laughed.

"Well, although Polly Blackett is creative director of retail work she's taken upon herself to fetch me coffee, even when I don't want it. When I go to sit beside someone in the café at lunchtime two people move out quickly because they see Polly coming and she takes up the space of two ordinary people. She dusts my office twice a day and if my phone goes and I'm not in my office Polly hurdles two desks to get to it before the ringing stops. I'm supposed to be her boss but I get the feeling I'm her mascot."

When the laughter subsided the choice of soup or prawns was served and then a male and female came on stage and told jokes. It was quite entertaining. Then a family of four Chinese jugglers who were excellent performed. A one-act play followed the entrees and after the main course the compere announced as a special treat, four of the cast rehearsing for the sensational new musical, 'Stocking Tops' would perform for them.

"The full name of the show and other details are being announced on the last Saturday of this month," said the compere. "We ask that no photographs be taken so if you see anyone using a camera or pulling out a mobile phone please call a waiter and that camera or phone will be confiscated. Many of the cast have been dining here regularly and want to produce this teaser for you to judge your reaction. Please don't over react otherwise it won't be a test. Thank you. So, take hold of your seats as we present our excerpt from 'Stocking Tops'."

"This is being attributed to you isn't it Lee?" said the other woman at the table. "I'm David Morgan's mother and this is my other son Jason."

"Oh hi Mrs Morgan. I'm Lee's wife Claire and spend a lot of time with Monique." Claire then introduced everyone.

Three young women, looking gorgeous in bright red and black Can Can costumes walked on stage to warm applause and began a dialogue.

"My mother used to wear stockings as a girl, went into tights for years but after Stocking Day Australia never wore pantyhose again."

"My mother and mother-in-law wear pantyhose but when they dress up it's always panty stockings."

"I was eighteen and wore stockings on my first date with this guy and late that night he said I looked sexy in stockings."

"What was a guy looking at your stockings on your first date?"

"Oh, he had curly blonde hair and looked a little like Lee Peach and I knew I'd show Mr Peach my stocking tops so I said, 'Ruben, I'm going to give you a real treat. Please be gentle with me."

The performers grouped and giggled and one said. "Listen."

The other two cupped their ears but said they heard nothing.

The performer who said she'd heard something commented, "Lee Peach single-handedly liberated women in Australia on that eventful day a little over five years ago when he inspired women to flash their stocking tops. Probably three million Australian women flash on that day."

"But there were others involved including James Krug and Sheila and Claire who later became Lee Peach's wife.

"I bet she gets her stocking tops licked every night"

(Everyone at the table including Lee looked at Claire who shot her hand over her mouth in embarrassment).

"Don't be so disgusting Miranda. Teenagers wearing stockings could be corrupted by that comment."

"Charlotte, I have my stocking tops licked recently. It's not about sex really, it's about love and I think the freedom to flash our stocking tops when we feel perky is a god-given right?"

"An assumed right surely, not god-given?"

"Well okay. No need to get picky."

The sound of light, throbbing music came from behind stage.

"Listen, I hear something."

"So do I."

"It's what I heard before – the long ago heartbeat from the womb and now the baby is a woman, in early maturity and anxious to celebrate her freedom."

"How can you tell that?"

The third performer said, "You see nothing."

"I feel it; listen."

"Yes, it is a woman."

"Yes, and singing. You seem to know who it is. Who is it?"

"I don't know who she is but she sings for all of us. Here she comes..."

The music from behind the stage wound up into a heavy beat...

(Claire called to Lee: "They're done it; they've introduced an anthem. He signaled with an upturned thumb).

There was a large thunderclap and Monique appeared on stage, pirouetting and then falling into the splits facing the audience and slowly she rose, resplendent in a lime and black Can Can bustier with spaghetti straps and black lace-up across the bodice, long black gloves, with cutaway petticoats and lime skirt edged in wide black lace and the front of the skirt sweeping around her legs to be gathered just above her groin, revealing black panties and coarse black fishnet stockings. As she rose slowly to full height the music changed to the strident anthem and she began singing it accompanied by the three chorus girls.

(Claire looked across at Lee; he was dabbing his eyes and she began crying, letting the tears fall. Claire looked around and apart from just a few men and two women, everyone else appeared less than entranced. Monique's voice was clear and she boomed out the words in praise of stockings as being a gift to women and because of the national event known as Stocking Tops Day Australia the right of women to exhibit themselves within reason, to fell free about it and to celebrate there freedom in that way had been recognized by Australians and could never be taken away from celebrating women.)

As the anthem reached its finale the four women joined hands as they dropped their skirts to the floor to show their stocking tops. They raised their hands high and smiled up at the ceiling in joy, as the curtain fell.

There was a silence and then capping begun. But there was no cheering and the applause clearly was lukewarm. Claire looked at Lee, devastated; he smiled at her weakly and shrugged. The cast behind the curtain must have been devastated as well, because there was no curtain call.

* * *

Claire choked, "Lee please take me home" but as he went around the table to him he said to the others, "Claire has been on the sideline with this production and the reaction here tonight by the audience has been a bit of a disappointment for her. We are going backstage and will return in fifteen minutes."

They left the room.

Claire, shaking said, "It's a disaster. Through my stupidity I've lost my father and friends $4 million."

If she expected sympathy from her husband, Claire was left groping. All Lee said=was, "Do you think so?"

She bawled and was virtually dragged to backstage via the cloakroom passage.

The four women were grouped around David Morgan. Monique broke away to hug Claire and she wept, "There will be no trip to Paris for you my friend. This is a disaster. David, this is Claire's husband."

"Of course Lee, how are you man? Well, we came close to bringing the house down – collapsing it, I mean."

"But you have a tradition, 'The show must go on.' Is that correct?"

"Yes, but in this case..."

"How many people are there in the cast?"

David swallowed and said thirty-three and one guy who symbolizes Lee.

"And is what we saw representative of the show?"

"Pretty much. Although it's the finale the show is a mix of dialogue broken up by dancing."

By then everyone was listening to the two men.

"Fairies at the bottom of the garden stuff."

"I beg your pardon."

"I saw no drama – and the show has been called a musical. How many songs are there?"

"Four. But we call it a celebration. Someone in the media called it a musical and the name has sort of stuck. We call it a celebration of stockings."

"Do the chorus girls show their stockings all the time."

"Yes, from first-entrance."

"Where's the drama in that?"

David looked pained. "Lee the theme is a celebration."

"Yes David, and a celebration with little drama and no surprise...am I correct?"

"I think you should be talking to the producer and director."

"David, you are the boss. I'm talking to you. There is one month to opening right, my birthday, right?"

"Yes."

"Well this is time to make changes, big changes, and it could work if you have a dedicated crew."

"We have a dedicated crew but I resent this interference."

"David, listen to me. You have an artistic streak in you but you work as an administrator and as I understand it you largely wrote the script."

"Yes."

"And as an administrator interfered with the stage management and direction."

"I resent that comment."

Lee knew he was making little headway so switched tack. "David, do you know the name of my advertising agency?"

"Yes, Aussie Battler."

"Good, and that's the spirit needed to get this production up and running on the right track. When are rehearsals tomorrow?"

"Starting at 10:30."

"Good. I invite you to come to my office at 8:30 and watch who serves us coffee. That will be the start of ideas I am developing in my head. Also recognize the need to add another either to ten guys to the cast."

"Lee, I really don't think so. In fact..."

Claire interjected. "Shut up David. This is probably your best chance, although a slim one. Like you Lee is primarily an administrator but he's probably the world's top authority on stockings. Monique, do you believe in Lee?"

"Yes Claire I do, absolutely. David, give Lee all day tomorrow to get through to you. We are frightened as this has been a big shock to us tonight. It wasn't your idea for us to perform here tonight, but it delivered although not was we expected. Don't wallow in pride David."

Lee held out his new business card. David took it and said he looked forward to playing games with Lee in the morning.

As Claire and Lee returned to their friends, Claire said she hoped Lee knew what he was doing. "Somehow I feel a lot better."

"Thanks Bubba, you swung it for me with your comment in there."

"Bubba? You haven't called me that for years."

"You came through for me darling, just when I'm bored up to my teeth. I'm an ideas guy, not a nit-picking admin guy. I'm really glad I came here tonight and had my bell rung. You get Bubba when you come through for me and a present as well."

"Oooh. What kind of present?"

CHAPTER 2

David's mouth shot opened and he attempted to back-pedal his chair and he whispered 'Holy crap" to Lee.

Polly Blackett said 'Hi' as she handed David his coffee but noticing his shaking hand placed it on the desk beside him.

"Who's this little darling boss?"

"David Morgan, but back off Polly if you are thinking of taking a bite. His preference is not women."

"Thank you for that useful information boss. He still looks cute though."

After Polly handed Lee his coffee he said, "Polly, despite his preference David would like to see your stocking tops."

"Yes boss," Polly said, facing David and hoisting.

It takes time to look at almost 3ft of stocking leg, still very muscular leg because Polly still works out and run circuits of a park most evenings to keep her weight down.

David, eyes rather huge, completed the inspection and gulped. "Holy crap Polly, you have magnificent legs considering."

"Considering?" she almost snarled.

"I meant considering you are a giant."

"Oh thank you," Polly said beaming. "Is that all boss?"

"Yeah, get your butt out of here. We want you to come with us at 10:00 to watch a stage rehearsal and meet the cast."

"Okay."

David scratched his head." Aren't you interested to ask what for Polly? I'd like to know what for."

"The boss will tell me when he's ready."

David said no when Lee asked had he had breakfast. Lee grabbed his jacket and took David out to a café and talked to him about eight bikie girls who wore motorcycle boots, fishnet stockings, something that represented a skirt and leather jackets with support from their tattooed motor-cycle gang guys who interrupt a rehearsal. They tell twenty girls of the chorus rehearsing for the celebration of stockings production to take off their stockings or get flattened. The head of the chorus asked why and the female leader of the pack snarls, "Because you uptown tarts are bringing stockings into disrepute, turning them into vaudeville."

A slapping and hair-pulling fight begins between some of the motorcycle chicks and the cast while the bikies and the rest of the cast gather to stop it...

David listened bug-eyed and when Lee had finished he asked, "Are you sure you haven't been a scriptwriter?"

"Of course not, but I was an active member of the drama group at university and as well as presenting plays we were lectured on theatre as it was part of the studies of those club members taking drama studies and who were the majority."

"Interesting. So let me get this straight. Most of the show runs as a rehearsal?"

"All of it apart from the final seven minutes when the bikie gang and the cast settle their differences and everyone including the drama coach, dance coach, director, state manager and producer settle their differences and the director yells, "Now let's run though the finale. The dialogue we heard tonight takes place, everyone takes their position, the music booms and Monique, dressed only in stockings and a thong enters backstage singing the anthem with the cast changing softly, 'Stockings, stockings, stockings..."

"I like it. We would like to make changes – er, the director and producer I mean."

"That's fine. We'll all in this together mate. We must save the show and it must go on."

David smiled. "Would you like to repeat all the changes as you have outlined to me to the cast when we face them this morning."

"Yes. I'll feel safe with Polly standing beside me."

Lee had after-lunch coffee with Claire and told her about the success he'd have with David and then with the cast. Clair was delighted and excused herself. When she returned she said, "Darling, if you think this is unethical I want you to bury that thought. Artistic people don't understand that bad publicity is as good as good publicity provided there is an upturn."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"Just drink you wine dear. A reporter and photographer from The Telegraph are on their way here to talk to us about the show and will call in on David and the cast on their way back to their office."

* * *

That evening Monique arrived for later dinner. Although it was school next day Vicki (she now insisted everyone call her Vicki with an 'i') was allowed to wait up to see Monique and the visitor put Vicki to bed. Vicki was told about the things children Monique knew in Paris did after school.

Monique embarrassed Lee when telling Claire how inspirational Lee had been in motivating the cast who's heard about this disaster with the presentation at the restaurant the previous night. "He spoke so well and with an urgency that made an impression on us. His ideas seemed like a patch-up but I think we can blend them into what we have already developed. It must be seamless you know otherwise discerning people in the audience will notice, including the critics. This Polly, she is now with us a she is awesome. Everyone looks up to her," Monique giggled.

"Polly, what is she doing there?"

"Plenty Claire, she will be quite pivotal in the rearranged production."

"B-but what does Polly know about acting, dancing or singing? Nothing I would think."

"Quite right Claire, absolutely nothing. But your clever man here says the part he has suggested for Polly requires her just to be herself. We have discussed this and we think the audience will laugh and take the side of Polly that she will become a star and she will leave them...how do you say?"