Mailgirls on the Run Pt. 04

Chapter Ten

// The problem with multiple files. Part Two ended with Chapter Eight and Part Three was Chapter 8 (obviously should have been 9). So this is Chapter 10 and to head off repeating that particular error I already have a stub for Part Five which is headed with Chapter 11. Sigh. //

Another too early Saturday morning. Megan looked for Brendan as she walked up to the building, but didn't spot him among the crowd beginning to gather near the starting line. SG&T was the place to be weekend mornings. Megan wondered if they were going to post a schedule of training runs once a team was selected. She, or Mr Starnes, was going to have to speak to Security about protecting the mailgirls while running - this whole project just called for crazies to come out of the woodwork, or woods, in this case.

All the tables overlooking the Mailgirls' Locker Room were occupied, everyone looking down at the floor show below. Megan could feel eyes following her as she descended to the lower lobby and entered the Locker Room. Six of this morning's group were already waiting for her, then Eight and Twenty emerged a few moments later.

"Okay, based on the last two weeks none of you figures to make the top six and qualify for the running team. Anybody want me to push the pace to give you your best shot to keep running?"

"My brother used to brag that he and his lacrosse teammates would take turns hiding out below the hill when running laps in practice, any chance we can take turns ducking out in the woods?"

"Mr Starnes will pay better attention than the lacrosse coaches and they keep an eye or camera on all of us for security reasons - that idea just sounds like an invitation for Ms Barnes to come up with a new and exciting punishment. I'm willing to stroll through this run, but you're going to have to convince Mistress V that you were trying or the mandated half-dozen will just be the start. Everybody topped up on water? Then it's up and out."

Megan led the way up the stairs and out through the lobby where she was startled to see a Channel 5 news van across the parking lot. A camera man was videoing the crowd near the starting line. Was this Ms Aldridge's work or Fox News looking for ratings?

"Five minutes, ladies" and then Megan jogged over to speak to Mr Starnes. "What's going on?"

"We're making the news. My ex-wife, your ex-boss, has promised them interviews with the two of us. I've called Jeremy, but his cell phone just goes to voice mail. Do you want to talk with them before or after the run?"

"I'd rather not appear on the Ten O'clock News drenched in sweat so it better be now. Plus, I can make it clear we're not postponing the start which will keep it short."

Mr Starnes waved over the camera man and reporter while Brendan strolled up. "We can't get results into the local papers for any race on the Striders schedule and you get a camera crew for a time trial. I'm impressed."

Megan was impressed that Brendan was looking at her and not staring past her at the eight naked women standing around the water table. "Mr Starnes, this is Brendan; Brendan, this is Bob Starnes who is my co-lead on the Mailgirl running program. Step back if you don't want to be on the news."

The stereotypical tv news reporter - thin and blonde, short skirt and blazer - came striding towards them on her four inch stilettos. "I'm Tiffany Ambergris here with Megan Brooks and Bob Starnes at Sloane Guaranty and Trust in Montgomery County where eight nude mailgirls are about to run a ten kilometer race. Megan, can you tell us what is happening?"

Megan looked directly at the reporter, "Tiffany, SG&T is hosting the Maryland Corporate Challenge 10k race in October as part of our outreach to the local community. SG&T is determined to be not only a gracious host, but also a competitive force in the event. Last fall our women's team finished well back. Local management realized that we have a pool of extremely fit, active women that we could draw from in fielding a team. None of our current twenty-four mailgirls have a track background, so this is the third in a series of weekend trials to select a group for further training in preparation for the race. The eight mailgirls that are not on duty today will start their run in a few minutes, the other sixteen will run tomorrow morning."

"Will they be wearing running attire for the race.?"

"No, nudity is a condition of their employment and at SG&T being a mailgirl is a 24/7 commitment for the length of their two year contract. They will just be wearing the collar with their ID tag, an ankle bracelet for the timing chip, and we're still sorting out a proposal for a sports bra, though that may be just for training. I imagine their race numbers will be stenciled on their chests and backs. And now if you'll excuse me, we have a race to get underway."

As the mailgirls moved to the starting line Megan heard the reporter speak to the camera man, "Frank, try and get some footage of the girls running that we'll be able to put on the air."

As Mr Starnes called out "Ready, steady, go," Tad pushed off on his bike, and the run began. Megan strided through the 1km loop around the parking lot and heard Mr Starnes call out "three fifty-five", then "three fifty-nine, four minutes" as she began the second lap with a detour by the water table to grab a cup of water. Megan eased into a comfortable pace leading the way across the parking lot and onto the tail into the woods. She reached the road noting the now familiar line of cars parked along the other side and the comforting presence of the SG&T security car. When she turned left onto the road she glanced over her shoulder back along the trail and was surprised to see just a lone mailgirl a good fifty yards in arrears. Turning left again on the road leading back to SG&T she could only see three mailgirls on the road behind her which meant the other five still hadn't emerged from the woods for the first time. This group was definitely resigned to the inevitable paddlings and had apparently come to the conclusion that they might as well put it off. Megan hoped that Ms Barnes and Mistress V wouldn't go nuclear at the finish. She eased her pace still more.

The crowd along the course from the edge of the parking lot to the finish was even larger and louder than it had been the previous week. Well, it wasn't that loud when she strode by, but the noise grew behind her as the mailgirls exited the woods. Megan made the turn to start her third lap and could see only four mailgirls stretched out along the course behind her. She kept glancing to her right and saw three more enter the parking lot before she picked up the trail again and disappeared into the wood.

Re-entering the parking lot she noticed Frank the camera man in position to video the crowd cheering on the mailgirls along the final straight. He wasn't recording her progression along the course. Starting the final lap she could hear Brendan shouting encouragement although she was sure that he could tell that she wasn't running flat out - still, she reflexively picked up her pace. She found herself just cranking her stride a bit faster and crossed the finish line for the final time to Mr Starnes' call of "forty thirty-seven."

Brendan handed her a cup of water as she came to a halt. "You looked very comfortable out there and finished with a rush."

Megan saw Mistress V standing by the water table, riding crop in hand. Brendan gestured to the forbidding figure whose quasi-dominatrix garb stood out in the casually attired crowd of men, "Who is that woman?"

"That's Mistress V - though I learned recently that her name is actually Wilhelm. She's the sort of den mother to the mailgirls and responsible for keeping them in line. And yes, I've bent over in front of her while she applied six of the best to my bare behind with that crop, or more commonly a paddle. Stick around and you'll see her use it on the last place finisher."

Megan looked back along the course and could see Seven and Eight striding along together.

"This is our slow heat and it looks like they all decided that they weren't going to avoid the paddle so they wouldn't kill themselves to get to the finish and confirm it."

Mr Starnes called out "Forty-one thirty-eight as the two women finished. Twenty was next in "forty-one fifty-five" then Eighteen and Twenty-four in "forty-two seventeen." Finally, One, Five, and Twenty-one trotted in together in "forty-three oh-one."

Mistress V advanced on the three tail-enders "Mailgirls One, Five, Twenty-one bend down over that table and assume the position." The three women rested their torsos on the water table knocking aside and squashing paper cups of water and grabbed the other side of the table, spreading their feet shoulder width apart. Her first blow caught the well-rounded backside of the plump redhead just above her ass crack, then a backhander landed at the top of the thighs of the tall blonde Twenty-one. The first strike to One's buttocks split the difference. Megan heard Brendan suck in his breath at the casual brutality of the beating while Tiffany stared avidly at the spectacle.

Then, "Mailgirls, back to the Locker Room, now." and the eight naked women headed straight for the building entry and disappeared inside.

Tiffany said "Too bad we can't use that on the evening news. That would do wonders for our ratings." Then she turned and walked over towards Megan. Megan was happy to see Jeremy shouldering his way through the crowd in the tv reporter's wake.

"Frank, come over here for the wrap-up.

"Well, that was very enlightening Ms Brooks. I understand that the initial impetus for this project came when SG&T Management realized that their fastest woman last year had been working as a mailgirl until just before the race. Did you find that delivering messages in the nude was sufficient preparation for the event?"

Jeremy came up beside Megan and responded, "Our management doesn't explain their decisions to the workforce any better than anywhere else, so that supposition is pure speculation. What we do know is that Bob Starnes and Megan Brooks are fine athletes with strong backgrounds in the sport and devoted to meeting SG&T's goals both professionally and in the community. I'm Jeremy Digness of SG&T's Community Relations Department and I can answer whatever questions you have while Megan has a chance to shower and change out of her running gear."

Megan gasped "Thank you." and bolted for the building.

* * * * *

An hour later sitting down to brunch with Brendan, Megan was still shaken. "Ms Aldridge must have tipped her off. Thank God for Jeremy - I know I was about to do something that I would regret."

"What were you going to do? And who is Ms Aldridge?"

"I don't know what I was going to do, but it wouldn't have come out well. Ms Aldridge was my boss in Chicago and according to Mr Starnes engineered my transfer to Maryland and the Mailgirls program. She showed up yesterday and showed me two videos: one promoting the Mailgirls program and a second documenting my life and times as a mailgirl. She says she shows the second video to women who 'need a bit of guidance.'"

"Ms Aldridge sounds like a real piece of work. Can't you bring her up on charges of sexual harassment?"

"That's always a tough charge to make stick and usually damages the complainant as much as the guilty party. Add in that I'm trying to re-establish my professional standing post-mailgirl experience and I think I'm better just to soldier on. I've gotten some solid expressions of support lately and I want to build on that and not remind everyone of those two years where I ran around naked, abasing myself to everyone in sight."

Brendan looked dubious and concerned. "Well, all right. I take it you expect tomorrow's run to be a different proposition from today."

Megan was much happier with the change of topic. "The eight women that ran today were the slowest in the trials over six and eight kilometers and none were excited about racing. Tomorrow's group isn't excited either, but a number of them have real talent and are competitive so they can lose themselves in the effort. They're all in excellent shape - mailgirls lead a healthy, active life, eat a wholesome nutritious diet, and get plenty of rest. Mailgirls are also constantly demeaned and told they are the lowest of the low so doing well at something is pretty heady stuff. Mr Starnes and I have both tried to point out to Ms Barnes - the Mailgirls coordinator - that pride in racing well and the mental abuse of mailgirls is contradictory, but the party line looks to be the old 'floggings will continue until morale improves.'"

"How do you put up with all of this?"

"Well, I was well compensated financially for my time as a mailgirl and I enjoy the job I'm doing now. Plus, I feel I have to keep an eye on my sister and every now and then I feel like I can strike a blow against the system. The Corporate Challenge may be a positive thing and I may have a chance to help rescue Fourteen who is fearful that one of our senior legal people wants to make her his personal mailgirl. That's part of what I've got going on tomorrow morning - I'll let you know how it works out."

Brendan seemed to be ready to keep the date going past brunch, but Megan was still somewhat shaken by the morning's events and begged off, saying that she had a friend - female - coming for an overnight visit and needed to straighten up the guest room. Their goodbye kiss was more than just a peck on the cheek and both Megan and Brendan parted feeling that this relationship was worth exploring farther.

* * * *

Back at her condo Megan dropped notes to Sarah and Lin about the Fox 5 camera crew. Then it was fresh sheets on the bed in the guest room and generally straightening up her already tidy home. She was at the grocery store picking up snacks for the evening when she got a text from Lin saying 'heading your way.'

Not quite an hour later Megan was sitting on her balcony when a sky blue Miata pulled into one of the guest parking spots. A few minutes later her phone pinged to announce a new message. She stood up and called out "I'll be down in a moment" and waved when Lin looked up at her.

Megan raced down the stairs and met Lin on the walk leading to the building and flung her arms around the petite Oriental woman. "It's so good to see you" surprising herself with the force of her feelings. Stepping back she continued, "You look really good, college life must suit you."

"And look at you: clothes, shoes, and everything. Do you know when you make your television debut?"

"I'll probably watch the ten o'clock news tonight, but if not I'll wait for Jeremy to let me know."

"Boyfriend?"

"No, Community Relations at SG&T. But, I did have a brunch date this morning after the run. He's a friend of Sarah's partner and a runner."

"You may be in recovery. Let's not talk Mailgirls just yet. Can we do something normal - check out the pandas at the Zoo..."

* * * *

Several hours later, two carefree, smiling, very attractive women climbed the stairs to Megan's condo. They'd eaten at the Zoo where the only unattached men in sight invariably had small children in tow. So the pair were admired, but not hit on. As she unlocked her door Megan suggested, "How about I open a bottle of wine and we sit out on the balcony until the mosquitos drive us in? White or red?"

"That sound lovely, white, I think."

Lin was leaning back, looking over the parking lot, when Megan emerged with a bottle and two glasses. "This is an Albarino from a Maryland winery; I picked it up at the farmers' market in Silver Spring before my Saturday mornings became dedicated to mailgirls."

Lin accepted a glass and raised it in salute. "Catching up or Fourteen, first?"

"Fourteen, I think. Then we can go on to the wider world."

"Well, assuming this part-time gig flies, we'll admit her and we've sketched out a tentative schedule of Tuesday/Thursday classes and a Wednesday seminar. She can take the MARC train up to Frederick Monday evening and then back here Friday morning - it'll be a reverse commute. She can bunk with me this fall and sort out housing and transport for the spring semester later. The admissions counsellor says that Fourteen shouldn't have any problem finishing her degree this academic year." Lin paused to sip her wine appreciatively.

"That sounds great. Let's hope she runs well in the morning."

"So how does this Mailgirl racing team work?"

"There are unlimited entries in the Corporate Cup - one firm had nearly fifty men and women running in last year's race. Only the top five men and women score - you add up their places and that's the team total; low score wins like in golf. I finished three minutes ahead of our next woman last fall and she took a job downtown. So, our effective team will be me and six mailgirls to be chosen by Mr Starnes and me. Three and Four look to be shoo-ins for the top six. Ms Barnes said SG&T is acquiring a former All-American from a West Coast company - did you know they can buy, sell, and trade mailgirl contracts? - and so she'll take a slot. Fourteen is one of five mailgirls, including my sister, in contention for the last three places. This special arrangement may give her extra incentive tomorrow. None of our current twenty-four mailgirls were serious runners in their previous lives and I'm not sure how excited they're going to be to give their all for SG&T while baring their all for SG&T."

"So, refresh my memory about Fourteen."

"Tall, classically beautiful brunette, late 30s. I wasn't a psych major, but my take is that she was deeply depressed post-divorce after a series of miscarriages which left her feeling inadequate/guilty, pick your adjective. Mr Fforde in the legal department here was a law school buddy of Fourteen's ex and he arranged her to not only get hired as a mailgirl, but also to take on-line courses. She kneels in front of a computer in the law library where he can monitor her via webcam. I'd say he's one of our typical management perverts, but she's pulled herself out of her funk and this part-time gig seems like it could be a good stepping stone back into the normal world. For a pervert, Fforde's done well by her, but she doesn't want to be swallowed up by him."

"And you've arranged a meet in the Med Center post-race?"

"Yes, just you and Fourteen, aka Marie Hyland Briggs, with Susan to run interference."

"And how is the former Mailgirl Two?"

"Well, work's great except for the shits that can't let go of me as Mailgirl Two. My boss has been especially supportive in a thoroughly professional way. Things are at best tense with my folks who are still horrified by me as mailgirl and firmly blame me for Samantha signing up. She really gets off on being a mailgirl; she treats it as a two year cos-play experience with pay. I'm exploring a relationship with a nice guy - we'll see how that goes if I'm majorly outed because of the whole mailgirl running scheme. But, a visible boyfriend may help rehabilitate me with my folks. And that assumes I don't freak out at a 'normal' relationship after two years of sustained debasement, frenzied masturbation, and girl-on-girl sex. For the past year it's just been me, my fingers, and my trusty vibrator.

"So what has Mailgirl Seven moved to?"

"My father decreed he no longer has a daughter and my mother will not challenge him. I meet up with my brothers and their wives, but they don't mention me in his presence. Dr Smithers saved me. She rages against mailgirls in general and SG&T's treatment of me in particular, so she lined up the job for me when I left and has mothered me for the past year. She's married, but childless, so select students wind up filling that niche for her. I'm finally getting to the point where I can get back into dissertation mode and move on with my life. No boyfriend/girlfriend in sight, just self abuse."