Working Relationship Ch. 13

Back at the office Sarah tapped on David's door and opened it to let him know they were back. David motioned her to come in so she entered and closed the door behind her.

He came round his desk and as he motioned to her to sit down, he opened the door and said to Janet, "We are not to be disturbed Janet." Closing the door again he returned to where Sarah was sitting and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

"How did it go with John after I left last night," he asked? "Did you find out anything more?"

Sarah nodded, "It took a little 'persuasion' but he corrected some of the things he had said in front of you and I think I got most of the story of what had happened at the social club. I think I also found out almost everything that he has been doing and he has admitted he has been going to that club for around two years. The incident he told us about was by no means his first and the level of his involvement with other gay men over the years has been much higher than he admitted in front of you and far higher than I am prepared to accept."

David was surprised at this, "How does that affect the situation between us," he asked? "Last night when I left, as I understand it, your intention was that John was going to remain as your husband and my involvement would be that of your lover, making John a cuckold. Has that changed?"

Sarah smiled. "The situation we discussed last night has not changed," she said. "To the outside world I am still married to John, but after what I found out last night, sexual contact between us is finished. His only sexual outlets will be with his male 'friends' and even then only when I allow him the time to visit them. He is permitted to enter what is now my bedroom for housekeeping reasons only, unless I specifically invite him, which will be at my discretion and I promise you will never again involve sex. His bedroom is now what used to be the spare room. Within the house he will take a far more active role in household chores than he has up to now and while he is living under my roof, he will do exactly as I tell him. I have made arrangements for a friend to keep an eye on him tonight, to ensure he does not try to sneak off to that gay club. Everything is in place for us to have a pleasant evening together and assuming things go as I hope they are going to, by the time John returns after closing time, we will already have fulfilled his desire to become my cuckold in the fullest sense of the word."

Sarah stood up. "Now, I will be back on Monday and in work everything is going to look normal. No extended lunch breaks and no suggestion of anything unusual happening between us outside work. Is that clear?"

David smiled, "That is clear and I promise I will be careful" he said, and then he hugged her and whispered in her ear, "Mistress".

Sarah pushed him back and with a stern expression she said, "Be careful what you wish for. I suggest you speak to John to find out what it feels like when I take up that position in a relationship. There were things he didn't want to tell me that he suddenly volunteered after I had to correct him only twice with that strap I bought in town. He freely admitted all kinds of things rather than risk displeasing me by lying about them. I didn't realise until last night how much that feeling of power and being in charge would affect me. Dinner will be at 6:30 so I will expect you at about 6. Now I had better go and let you get on, but give me a few minutes with Janet before you call her for anything." She glanced at what he was working on and said, "I'll tell her to bring you the 'Brown V Brown' file when I leave. It's best if she thinks you don't know anything about any relationship which may happen between us. Don't be too disappointed though, I'll bring you up to date with anything which looks as if it might develop, tonight."

As Sarah left his office she carefully made sure she closed the door before she opened the filing cabinet, took out the 'Brown V Brown' file, placed it on Janet's desk and sat down beside her.

"He is going to need that one quite soon," she said quietly, "So when I leave; take it in for him. He didn't ask for it but I know he is going to want it, so you can tell him I asked you to bring it in if you like."

"Janet, I am a little bit unsure of how I feel at the moment. I don't know whether what I am feeling is a result of being so grateful to you for what you did yesterday or if it's real and if so, what I should do about it."

Janet took her hand and said softly, "You don't have to do anything about it. I understand that at the moment your feelings are a mess and you need time to let them settle down. There's no rush, I'm not going anywhere, take all the time you need."

"How long have we known each other Sarah," she asked?

"About 2 years," replied Sarah.

"If you are interested, it is 2 years, 3 months and, 2 weeks," said Janet. "Well, that's not actually true; it is really 1 week and 3 days, but 2 weeks is close enough. I actually met you on Wednesday, March 27th 2012 at about 10:15 in the morning when I came into this office with some files for Mr Branson. If you remember I tripped coming through the door and dropped everything on the floor. You were really nice and helped me to pick them up and put them all in order."

Sarah was dumbstruck. She did remember the incident now she was reminded. Janet had seemed so shy she had felt quite sorry for her.

"Ever since that day I have tried to model myself on you," continued Janet, "I had only been here a couple of months myself, but it was your first week and you seemed so calm and in control, I knew then that I just wanted to be like you."

"But you actually remember the date," said Sarah. "Now you remind me I do remember you dropping those files and us picking them up together, but to still remember the date . . . .?"

Janet was looking down at the desk, she was blushing and she couldn't look at her. "Don't you remember the day when you fell in love?" she asked in a whisper.

"Oh My God Janet!" exclaimed Sarah, "You have been in love with me for over 2 years and you have never said anything? I didn't realise, honestly, I had no idea that you felt that way . . . . . Then yesterday you came in here and found me unconscious. One moment I was sitting at this desk, reading a text message and the whole world seemed to consist of pain and the next I was in your arms and the pain had gone. I just knew I wanted to stay in your arms because you had taken the pain away and I felt safe. You were holding me and somehow I knew I was safe. I have never in my life made advances to another woman, but I kissed you. Right here in this office; without thinking about possible consequences; I kissed you. I couldn't get it out of my head last night. What must you have thought of me? I had no right. Yes I had heard the rumours but even if they were true I had no right . . . . I hoped I would see you today because I needed to apologise to you. I don't know why I did that, but it wasn't meant to hurt you, I would never deliberately hurt you."

"Don't be silly," whispered Janet, "You didn't hurt me. That moment was everything I had dreamed of ever since that first meeting. I would have happily spent the rest of the day just holding you in my arms and when you kissed me I almost exploded with joy. You didn't hurt me, I love you and I'm glad I was able to help you when you needed me. How could being needed by you, even if it was only for a few moments ever hurt me? You are a happily married woman and you think of me as your friend, which is all I ever hoped I could be. Today you stood up in public and defended me against a bully, even though you knew she would get back at you by spreading rumours about you for doing so."

Sarah grinned. "She will be the sorriest person in this company if she does," she said, "I don't make idle threats and I warned her that I would be watching her. Janet, you are my friend and nobody bad mouths a friend of mine within my hearing."

"Yes! I had heard rumours about your sexuality, I would be a liar if I said I hadn't, but your private life is your own affair. Now, suddenly your private lifestyle matters to me . . . . . I'm sorry . . . . I know I am not making much sense at the moment, but that's because I don't know what is happening to me. I'm not messing you about Janet, I promise you that."

"All I can say for sure is that when I kissed you the first time, I didn't even know for certain where I was or what I was doing. You were holding me in your arms and I felt safe, perhaps on some level I knew you cared and that was everything I needed at that moment. If that had been the end of it, I could rationalise what I did and let it go. But then I regained some sense of where I was and what had happened and being in your arms was still where I wanted to be and because of that I kissed you again. That was not a reaction to having fainted or the pain that had caused me to do that. I made a conscious decision to kiss you, a slightly woolly headed decision I admit and I certainly didn't think about possible consequences, but it was my decision. I know I felt you respond, you kissed me back Janet and something inside me jumped for joy. Over this weekend I am going to have to figure out what that something was and where that leaves me. Maybe it doesn't mean what I think it does, maybe it means even more -- I don't know, but one thing I do know is that I have found a new friend that I am always going to care about. I can't tell you that I love you Janet. Love is a word that is thrown about far too easily these days in my opinion. When I tell you that I love you, it won't be said like that, it will be a real and genuine confession of how I feel."

"Oh God! . . . . . Did I really say that? . . . . . I said 'When' didn't I? Please forget I said that . . . . . I am making such a mess of this. I need to think about what I am saying and I can't seem to think objectively while I am here with you holding your hand. Janet, until I have time to sit quietly and sort out my head I don't know what I am saying. Will you give me this time to think and I promise we will talk properly about our feelings. I'm not used to not being in control of myself and at the moment I don't know what I am saying or where my life is heading."

The intercom buzzed and David's voice said, "Janet, could you look out the 'Brown v Brown' file please?"

Janet pressed the answer button, "Yes Mr Branson," she replied.

"I must go, I have taken up far too much of everyone's time," said Sarah, "But you and I need to talk and not here. I swear sometimes I think these offices are bugged. This weekend is going to be a very busy one for me. David is coming to dinner tonight and I think John has every intention of getting him very drunk. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he spends the night in our spare room and has a terrific hangover in the morning. I will have to do what I can to protect him because from the mood John was in this morning, I think he intends to be very grateful for all David did. The rest of the weekend is pretty much spoken for too, but I will see you here on Monday."

"If you could try to keep an evening free sometime in the week, perhaps we can have an evening together to talk. I have to put my head together and do some very serious thinking. Janet, what you have just said has, I admit, knocked me back a bit. 2 years, 3 months, 1 week and 3 days? I can't believe I didn't know how you felt about me. At the very least we are going to be friends, close friends. Take that file into David and don't worry. Whatever happens will be happening between friends and I will never intentionally hurt you."

Janet got up and picked up the file from her desk. "Take all the time you need" she said, and then she bent down and kissed Sarah briefly on the lips. "I will be here whenever you want me, I'm going nowhere, I'm happy just to be your friend."

-----

As Sarah was approaching the door into reception, Patricia and another girl were coming the other way. As they drew level she heard Patricia say to her friend, "There are far too many dyke's in this place."

Sarah didn't hesitate, she spun on her heel. "You two girls," she barked, "Come with me."

Patricia replied, "Fuck off bitch! You're not my boss, you can't order me around." She nudged the other girl and they both giggled.

Sarah didn't speak; she just followed the girls back into the typing pool. Completely ignoring them, she went straight to Mrs Roberts's office and tapped on the door. Gina looked up and motioned her to come in.

Closing the door behind her, Sarah took a seat and, putting aside the previous days trauma, she told Gina what had happened in the pub and then what Patricia had said in the corridor when she passed her and another girl returning from the toilets.

Gina sat for a moment considering her course of action and then she picked up her phone. "Christine," she said when it was answered, "Can Mr Macintosh spare me a couple of minutes please?" She listened for a moment and then said, "Thank you, I am on my way up now. Could you ask someone from HR to join us, I think they might be needed."

She hung up the phone and smiled at Sarah, "If you can spare a few minutes I'm sure Mr Macintosh would prefer to hear this from your own lips." Opening a filing cabinet she took out two files.

Opening the door she stepped into the main office. "Patricia! Jenny! Leave what you are working on and come with me." She led the way to the lift and ushered both girls into it, Sarah and Gina getting in behind them. On the first floor Gina led the way to Mr Macintosh's outer office.

Christine was waiting and said, "Go straight in, he will see you right away."

Gina looked at the two girls and said, "Sit there, and do not chatter, I will send for you when I have spoken to Mr Macintosh."

Stepping inside Sarah closed the door behind her, cutting off any chance that anyone in the outer office could hear what was being said. Mr Macintosh was leaning back in his chair wondering what this was all about.

Gina began. "Sarah phoned me just after lunch, to inform me that she had just had an altercation with one of my girls. It took place in 'The Unicorn' and I believe it was because Sarah was having lunch with Janet. It appears that as Sarah was leaving the building just now, two of the girls from the group in the pub were coming back from the toilets and the one Sarah had had the altercation with said something abusive. Sarah has complained to me and I thought it serious enough to bring to you."

Mr Mackintosh looked at Sarah, "Can you tell me what was said Sarah?" he asked.

Sarah went through what had happened, including her suggestion about timekeeping and amount of alcohol being consumed. She also stressed that neither Janet nor she had drunk anything at that point. Janet was sitting outside in the picnic area and so wasn't involved in the argument which took place in the bar. Janet was on orange juice and lemonade while she only had a half pint of lager shandy.

Gina took over, saying that following Sarah's phone call, she checked what time the group returned and took a breath sample from all four of them. Although none were over the limit, they had all been drinking. Although they had been on time coming back from lunch, within10 minutes all four had disappeared to the toilets and were gone for over 15 minutes. She then spoke to the group about the length of time they had been away and the number of trips to the toilet that they were taking during the day. When Sarah encountered them in the corridor it was on their second trip to the toilets since lunch.

Sarah then told him what Patricia had said in the corridor and her response when Sarah had spoken to her. As she said this Mrs Brownley from HR was shown into the room.

Mr Macintosh asked Sarah if she would go through what had led up to this altercation and the reason for what had happened to her yesterday. Once again as Sarah told the story, both Gina and Mrs Brownley were visibly shaken. Gina then handed the personal files of both girls to her and she glanced through them, noting the number of times both girls had been spoken to about timekeeping, shoddy work and attitude.

Gina and Sarah then left the office, leaving Mrs Brownley with Mr Macintosh. They waited in Christine's office. Both of the girls now seemed a bit chastened by being here as they must have realised they were in very serious trouble. Patricia was trying hard to look unconcerned, but her friend was almost in tears.

Within a couple of minutes Christine's phone rang. Picking it up she listened for a moment and then said "Of course sir." Cutting the connection she dialled a number and said, "Could you send two people up to Mr Macintosh's office . . . . . Yes, right away please. Thank you." Then she hung up and said, "Would everyone go in please."

Mr Macintosh was looking very stern and while he asked Gina and Sarah to sit, the girls were left standing in front of his desk. Then he read them the 'riot act', finishing up by telling them that they were both being dismissed for what he considered gross misconduct, adding that during their short time with the company, neither of them had distinguished themselves for anything other than the number of times they had appeared in front to their superiors on disciplinary matters and the amount of time they spent in the ladies toilet. Security would be escorting them both back to their desks to collect their personal belongings and they would then be escorted off the premises. Anything owing to them would be sent to them in the post, together with the documents confirming the reason for their dismissal.

Turning to Sarah, he said, "I apologise to you that this has happened. I have noticed that a culture of gossip and bullying has developed in certain sections of the company and I promise you I will stamp it out. I'm sure you could have done without this, coming right on top of everything else."

There was a knock on the door and Christine showed two members of security into the room.

"Would you escort these two young ladies back to the typing pool to collect their personal belongings please gentlemen," Mr Macintosh said, "They are then to be escorted from the premises and they are not to be allowed back. Christine, I want you to hear this, so you had better stay."

He turned to Gina and said, "You have a difficult task ahead of you. Too much working time is being wasted by girls who seem to think the toilets are there as a place for them to hang around and gossip. I will liaise with Mrs Brownley and look into a way we can monitor the amount of time that is being spent there. The problem as I see it is that most of the girls in your section are young and have come straight from school. They seem to think that they can continue in the same way they carried on there."

"They had better learn very quickly that this is not school. They are here to earn a living. I am paying them for their time and I expect them to work. They can mess around in their own time, not on mine."

"There are plenty of young ladies out there who are genuinely looking for work. No one is indispensible; anyone can be replaced."

"I have half an hour at 3:15 so I will come to your department to speak to your staff then. Please ensure that all of your staff are present at that time. Anyone who is absent had better have a much better excuse than 'I needed the toilet'. If they are unable to regulate their bladders like an adult, they have no place in an adult workplace. Mrs Brownley will be with me and I am going to explain what I expect from the people who work for me. Anyone who doesn't like what I have to say can pick up their things and follow those two out of the gate. They come here to work and all the time being wasted with gossip and toilet breaks is going to stop. I think it's high time staffing levels were reconsidered and the dead wood cut away. This directive is not limited to one department; it is going to apply to everyone. We have a lot of very good employees here, but from now on, anyone not pulling their weight is going to find they are looking for employment elsewhere."