Mailgirls Down Under Pt. 08

"I'll be fine here until then," Stuart stated.

Lindsay looked indulgent. "Unless I need to boot you out. Are you sure you're not suffering any jetlag, Stuart?"

"Fine and dandy," he insisted.

"Good," Lindsay responded. She looked at her watch. "We have the management meeting in ten minutes in the boardroom." She looked to Betty. "Is everything set up?"

Betty smiled past Stuart at Lindsay. "Oh yes, I sent the mailgirls out to remind the others." Lindsay nodded at Betty who then left the room.

"There's something about her," Stuart said.

"Oh yes," Lindsay agreed, "she's still loyal to Mitchell Johnson."

"And what's up with him?"

"Oh, he's twiddling his thumbs on the tenth floor. I drag him down every so often when I need to work how he used to do things. You'll like him, he's nice." Lindsay bared her teeth then laughed a little.

"Nice," Stuart repeated like he too was enjoying the taste of human flesh. "Well, let's not keep the rest of the management team waiting." He stood up, holding his laptop. Lindsay unplugged hers from the desk station and led her new manager out.

Lindsay and Stuart had kept the others waiting. Lindsay sat down at the head of the table. She presided over Shane, Belinda and Stuart who sat up near her. Down the other end of the table Betty worked at the AV. She pressed a button and suddenly it came to life. Mr Harada's male assistant, as ever in his immaculate suit, appeared on the screen facing Lindsay from the other end of the room. "Mr Harada will be with us in a moment," he announced. The camera there swivelled just quickly enough for the group in Melbourne to see the female assistant help Mr Harada into his chair. And to see him angrily wave her away once he was seated. The more observant watchers -- Betty and Shane -- also noticed that the assistant's usually perfectly straight black skirt was rucked up at the back.

"Good to see you, Mr Harada," Lindsay started, to make sure that their boss could hear her.

The old man stared out at them from the screen. "The whole management team," he noted. "Welcome all. I see you have a new face there."

Lindsay was about to continue but Stuart butted in, taking over. "Literally my first day here. Flew in last night," he boasted.

"Stuart is our new Operations Manager," Lindsay boldly announced, taking back the oxygen. Betty sat down a few seats away from the group and started to type onto her laptop, presumably recording the proceedings.

"I didn't know we needed an Operations Manager," Shane chipped in. He then smiled his trademark boyish smile to diffuse any hint of dissent. But he added "Mitch used to do all that."

Lindsay gave him her second most condescending smile. "I did a thorough organisational assessment. That was seen as one of the weak points. So I brought in Stuart from our US operation."

Belinda smiled at the newcomer. "I hope you are settling in," she offered.

Stuart frowned. "I'm sure I will. I had a few issues already with passport control coming into the country and booking into the hotel. There seems to be some issue with my passport. Not the friendly Aussies I'd been led to expect." He looked around the room somewhat irritated. Something was missing. "Shouldn't we have some mailgirls in here?"

Belinda was caught by surprise. "Why?" she asked, maybe too sharply.

Stuart seemed impervious to her tone. "Oh, we always like to have some around in our meetings. Makes the ambience more agreeable. And they fill up our coffees, serve the refreshments."

"Oh, I can do that," Betty offered, a little worried, maybe professionally slighted.

Betty then looked around to the others. Lindsay realised that she had better say something to that. "Sorry, Stuart, but I don't think that will work here." She certainly did not want any of the local mailgirls present when the group discussed management matters. She had worked out the danger of that.

Stuart crossed his arms. "Give me half an hour with any of them, we'll see." The others allowed themselves some laughter. Even Lindsay allowed herself a smile. Stuart smiled back at them, again not reading the tone of the room.

Shane spoke up. "Sorry Stuart, I didn't catch your surname."

Stuart turned to him, but stretched back in his seat like Shane was his underling, not the other way around. "Broad," he advised.

"Can't see any problem there," Shane noted seriously. Then he smiled warmly. "You should try our sports bars," he urged, as blokey as he could be. He and Betty shared a look which no one else in the room read. "They're very friendly, welcoming places."

Lindsay looked around. "Can we proceed with the meeting?" she asked. And then continued. "We are outfitting level 11 for the engineers. And that's where Stuart's office will be. So he can keep an eye on them." She nodded at Stuart. "I don't even know where they have been working but I want them in one place."

"How have they taken it?" Belinda asked.

Lindsay gave her an apologetic look. "That will be for you to find out," she told the head of HR. "Do you know where they have been working?" she asked her.

"I believe most of them have been embedded with our contractors," Belinda responded.

"And there have been overruns there. We need to tighten our belts," Lindsay advised. Mr Harada appeared to move his lips, about to comment. But he did not say anything.

"And the mailgirls?" Belinda asked. "Any changes there?"

"No," Lindsay replied. "They'll just have an extra floor to service."

Belinda was sure that there would be more to the issue than that, but that would come out later, not in the management meeting. And not in front of Mr Harada.

"I think I'd like another coffee," Stuart announced. "Can someone call a mailgirl?" Before she could react, he gestured at Betty that his beverage was not her responsibility.

Shane offered to call one for him. Don't let it be Jackson, Betty wished. Don't let it be Kimiko, Lindsay hoped. After a few moments, Jan strode into the room, tall and athletic. She was clean shaven, something which Stuart seemed to be checking. She went over to Shane and rubbed his shoulder affectionately. "Yes?" she asked him.

Shane pointed to Stuart across the table. "Our new colleague would like a coffee."

Jan rested her hands on the table and leaned towards Stuart. "Coffee," she asked him with a wide smile, "how do you like it?"

*

Wendy got the mailgirls together to impart the news. All seven of them were in the boardroom chatting. Wendy was about to start when Lindsay walked in with Belinda. The boss looked around and sniffed. "Nice atmosphere," she tried amongst the chatter. Belinda sat down amongst the mailgirls.

"Ladies," Wendy called which brought some silence.

Seeing that Wendy was at the head of the table and Lauryn had taken the other end, Lindsay chose to stand, incongruously in front of the print of a woman standing uncomfortably with her hands tied with a rope that also wrapped around her ankles. Her bound hands obscured her crotch making the pose almost demure. And the print was almost life size. Lindsay chose not to be distracted by either the print or the jocular attitude of the seven naked women sitting at the board table along with the other two clothed employees. Yet she tried humour at first. "Since you're the most important group on the staff I thought I would give you this news personally."

No one laughed. Oh well. She explained about the expansion to Level 11 and the appointment of an Operations Manager who would be based there, in charge of amongst other staff, the engineers on that floor.

Pam looked confused. "We're getting engineers?"

Lindsay tried to explain. "We've always had them. They just haven't been working in this building."

Lauryn piped up. "Engineers, the natural enemy of the Business Analyst."

Lindsay smiled at that. "I thought everyone was the natural enemy of the engineers." But she privately noted the implication that Lauryn considered herself a BA ahead of her job as a mailgirl.

"So why bring them in here?" Lauryn wondered.

Lindsay nodded at the point of the question. "I need to keep a closer eye on them. You know what they are like when they are not supervised."

"Who do we come under in this new arrangement?" Jackson asked.

Lindsay looked to Wendy. "We all come under HR," Wendy replied. She looked to Belinda who smiled all round.

"Yes, I'm your manager," Belinda confirmed. It seemed odd in some ways but they were generally happy with that. She was not aware that Lindsay had initially placed them under Stuart but had hastily revised that having seen his attitude. She had decided that the inevitable conflict was not worth it. At least not yet.

Of course they all had further points to raise. Fanny took her turn. "I can imagine issues with engineers," she started. "I hope that they are not going to be blokey, if you know what I mean. You know, the stereotype."

Belinda opened her laptop. "I have the stats," she replied. "There are twenty-one of them, only one female."

"That will change over time," Lindsay offered confidently.

Belinda looked around the table. "We should have a mailgirl induction session for them. It's a big change."

Lindsay shook her head. "I'm more inclined to let them loose and see what happens."

Jackson looked surprised. "I'm not sure if you're joking, Lindsay. But who knows, it may turn out all right. However, Lindsay, you do have governance responsibilities. If anything happens, you are personally responsible if you haven't done something along the lines of at least making them aware of their behavioural expectations."

Lindsay looked surprised. "I thought that sort of liability was a States thing. You're all collective responsibility here, I thought."

Jackson folded her arms, now well into management bargaining mode. "Well there are laws. Which admittedly haven't been tested. You can take your chances with them, I guess, see what the courts say about your fiduciary responsibilities." She smiled with that challenge.

Lindsay smiled back. "Okay, you've made your point. Let's give the engineers their mailgirl induction. I guess you and Belinda have some ideas."

Belinda turned to Lindsay. "We're working on it. I'll have a draft to you this afternoon." She sighed. "It's a proper presentation thing, not the on-line one that Stuart chose not to do." There was a murmur around the table at that revelation.

Lindsay took a breath. Why did Belinda have to mention that now? "Oh, one other thing," she started because it had to be told, "we're having a TV crew here on Tuesday. They are doing a story on mailgirls in Australia. Needless to say, look your best. And remember that you will be ambassadors for the company." She hoped that was not seen as a challenge. Lindsay glanced carefully at Kimiko, but she seemed to be disinterested, like she saw it as inevitable.

But that revelation raised the chatter amongst the mailgirls. They fired questions at Lindsay. Do we have to appear? What do they want with us? Whose idea was it? Lindsay hushed them down. Although she noticed that Jackson and Annette had remained silent, almost disinterested in wanting details like the others. Kimiko also kept silent. But Lindsay did not like the look on her face.

After waiting for the chance to be heard, Lindsay explained the situation further. "Shane is handling the logistics of the visit. So he has all the details. But I can tell you what I know. They will be interviewing me and one other, probably Shane. Then they will be filming some footage around the office. I am sure that they will be friendly and happy to talk to you if you want to talk to them."

The group looked around at each other unsure how to pursue it. Jackson eventually spoke up. "So the details?" she asked.

Lindsay closed her down. "I'll make sure that they go out in an email," she offered. And then since she was standing, it was easy for her to make an exit, having said what she intended.

*

Lindsay strode down Lygon Street as Jackson raced to keep up with her, panting. Lindsay had surprised her with her fast gait and evident endurance. The mailgirl thought she was in good condition. But she was no match for her boss. Lindsay stopped and waited for Jackson to catch up before they could cross at the lights, waiting for the red man to turn green.

To catch her breath, Jackson grasped Lindsay lightly by the sleeve. "I still don't know what we're doing here, this," she panted.

Lindsay smiled back. "Relax, you're on company time."

Jackson bit back at that while sucking in air. "Oh, so the company pays me to be your friend. Now I understand." Anyone watching would not see any warmth at all between the two women.

Lindsay gave Jackson her managerial stare. "I'm sure you'll come around. We're more alike than you realise," she advised.

Jackson was having none of that. "I doubt it." She looked studiously at Lindsay, failing to find any points of similarity.

Lindsay believed in what she had said though. "We're both born leaders, fighting the glass ceilings in a male dominated world," she pronounced.

They crossed the road with Jackson still complaining as Lindsay picked up her pace. "If that's true, we go about it completely differently," Jackson argued but mostly at Lindsay's back.

Lindsay turned, convinced of her view. "I don't think so. We both work to the same ends..." She strode away then stopped suddenly. "What the fuck is this?"

Jackson came up close to see what it was. A poster advertised Mailgirls In The Office. It was not fresh, and had not been completely plastered over. And although it was somewhat weather battered, the gist was clear from the bold type words. Although it was hard to work out what the photo or perhaps illustration had been. Lindsay glared at Jackson. "I thought you lot were shy of any publicity." She read the poster out loud. "One night only. And we've missed it. Damn, it would have been fun. Do you know anything about it?"

Jackson shook her head. "First I've heard of it." She examined the poster for clues. "Looks like a student production. So I guess it's not a surprise they staged it for only one night only."

"I'm curious. We should find out what we can about whoever did this."

"Why?" asked Jackson, despite actually thinking of doing the same thing. But she wanted to draw out Lindsay's line of thinking. "Do we own the copyright for the term 'mailgirls'? Although it would be interesting to find out how they dramatised the concept." And whether they cast a conniving boss, she considered privately.

Lindsay was definite. "You can't copyright 'mailgirls'. Believe me, I tried."

Jackson wondered how she could investigate further. Lindsay meanwhile had moved on, looking for her next cup of coffee, asking Jackson which place they should go to. Jackson explained that she had no idea which of the outlets was best and suggested that Lindsay select one that she liked the look of, the décor and perhaps the staff.

Jackson wondered that Lindsay's mind was racing with all the managerial things that she was juggling and that she had already forgotten about the Uni play. But over coffee, Lindsay brought it up again. "So there is some interest about you mailgirls in Melbourne," she started. "You see. It's inevitable. People want to know. And see you. You'll have to get used to it." Lindsay waited but Jackson did not bite at that, rather she sipped at her coffee, forcing Lindsay to continue her thoughts out loud. "Do you think things in the office would be any different for you if it all was more publicised? You do realised that in the States, our mailgirls are recognised in the street?"

Jackson realised that she did need to answer back. "I don't think there would be much change to how we operate in the office, given that the modern office is essentially a closed space. I mean what can you do? Organise guided tours through the building while people -- including us -- are attempting to work?"

Lindsay smiled. "Well, I may consider that."

Jackson was expected to laugh. She didn't. Rather, she continued in the same vein. "What would change would be our lives outside of work and our privacy after hours."

"But you would be known, famous. And you would be the face of the company," Lindsay urged like that could only be a good thing.

Jackson shook her head. "I'm not sure any of us would want that if the effect is to become public mailgirls twenty-four hours a day." Did Lindsay know she had been talking to Heather in the States?

They stopped the topic at that point. Jackson because she felt she had outlined her concerns as clearly as possible. And Lindsay because she was convinced that despite any concerns, it was inevitable that Harada Industries' mailgirls in Melbourne would sooner or later become far more visible than they were now. She believed what she had said. People wanted to know. And see. They both finished their beverages. And Jackson knew that meant shopping. For Lindsay.

*

Mitch and Jackson were chatting as friends, him behind his desk and Jackson over at his meeting table. She was partially distracted by a document that she had open on her laptop which she was constantly amending.

"You know," worried Mitch, "we, um, you haven't done the thing recently with me?"

Jackson looked up to give Mitch some more attention. "The thing?" she teased.

Mitch smiled at their renewed intimacy. "You know what I mean," he tried.

"I do? What is this thing?" she affected, crossing her knees.

Mitch took a deep breath. "Wanking off," he answered like he was uncertain about using those words.

"Ah," Jackson responded, "that." She smiled wryly. "Sorry, in these uncertain times I seem to have lost my sex drive." Although she hid that Mitch had surprised her. This was the usually uptight Mitch using that language! Maybe his demotion had loosened him up. But Jackson truly did not feel like a wank, as she had said. Although she was curious about Mitch's state of mind, in his new role.

But before any more, Fanny bustled into the room noting the dry atmosphere between the two of them. "What's up?" she asked as she planted herself next to Jackson. She looked to Jackson then Mitch.

"Jackson's lost her sex drive," Mitch reported.

Fanny looked at the other mailgirl, probing. "You have?"

Jackson rested her hands on the table. "It comes and goes," she sighed. "Why are we having this conversation?" Hoping that Fanny would not remind her of their mutual masturbation.

But Fanny looked over to Mitch and backed off. "Probably best if I stay out of it," she smiled, "you two sort it out."

Before Mitch could answer that, not that he particularly wanted to, Jan and Annette sauntered in and plonked on the couch. Jackson turned and greeted them, appearing happy that she could bury her personal issues for the moment.

Mitch looked to Jackson, finding his managerial bearing. She looked around and looked back at him. "Waiting for Lauryn," she advised. She then noted a prompt on her laptop. "She's busy," Jackson advised them, "got a message to deliver." The rest of the mailgirls laughed. "Come on, you lot." Jackson checked the message again. "She said to start without her."

"You're a lucky man, Mitch, four naked girls in the room with you," Annette cooed. "And another one on her way."

"I wonder how you do it?" Mitch wondered. "According to my app you're all busy with messages."

Jan looked over to Jackson. "Shall I tell him?"

Jackson gave Jan a scold. "You may as well now," she conceded.

Jan looked over to Mitch with a smile. "I hacked the app," she told him.

"When?" he reacted.

Jan shrugged. "Early on. It wasn't complicated. The mob downstairs turned off the security to do some customisations. And, well, they didn't turn it back on." She looked around. "It's just us who know. And you now."

Mitch looked curious. "So what do you do?"