The Air Stewardesses' Footmen Ch. 03

"Pam, I can tell you the Darren's of this world will not serve us willingly or well; will not serve us at all. They are self-serving and self-centred. And the well-intended tolerance of softhearted slack-cutters is misguided compassion that will only encourage their purely selfish ways. So, Pam, rather than being so lenient with Darren and letting him off so easily, you should have put your foot down. Made him do what today he has re-signed up to do: administer your post-flight foot massage agreeably."

"Yes, Donna, I'm sure you are right," said air hostess Pamela.

"As for Debs, she can rest assured that I will mention Darren's appalling rudeness and his gross disrespect to her in my Cabin Crewman Conduct Report. In fact, Deborah can denounce Darren herself. I think Deborah should go to Ms Gina Summers, whose door is always open in these respects, and lodge a complaint against Darren. Darren has proved himself disagreeable. It would be goodbye to a poor excuse of a cabin crewman and good riddance to an even poorer after-flight footman."

"Air hostess Pamela said, "Darren made a big mistake getting on the wrong side of you, Donna!"

Senior Stewardess Donna shrugged her shoulders. "Darren has only himself to blame. And I don't mean to sound harsh, Pam, but we don't need to endure the unbecoming behaviour of coarse and uncouth cabin crewmen anymore; thankfully, that is all in the past. With our new-era empowerment, we hosties not only have the power of verbal chastisement, but the influence with our COO to have substandard cabin crewmen strongly reprimanded, severely disciplined, or even dismissed."

Air hostess Pamela said, "Yes, Donna, but we should use our new powers wisely. With so few of them left now to lighten our own workload in-flight, my inclination would be to discipline a wayward cabin crewman with a personal admonishment and warn him about his conduct."

"Yes, after their trimming-down tactic proved over-successful today, even the COO Ms Gina Summers and Chief Stewardess Lois Lawson are concerned that our cabin crewmen are now spread too thin on the ground. And some of those may soon resign, too, finding themselves unable to consistently satisfy the uncompromising high-quality standards that we will expect of them from now on. But the revised-contracted cabin crewmen who remain will be pure gold. Unlike Darren, they will embrace the spirit of our COO's new era Subservience to Stewardesses directive and fully commit themselves to provide our after-flight foot service with utmost agreeability."

"Yes, Donna. I suppose you are right," agreed air hostess Pamela.

Air hostess Pamela, apparently, had decided not to further defend the revised-contracted cabin crewman she had not duly denounced for his substandard performance tonight at post-flight foot service but rewarded instead with an undeserved escape to the pub: Darren the Disagreeable.

Darren had stoked up Senior Stewardess Donna's ire. Sufficiently so that not only did Donna want Darren drummed out of BlueSky Holidays at the double, but she would dearly love to give him a parting present to remember her by - a stamp of her uniform black three-inch heel pump shod foot on the part of his anatomy that she was too ladylike to name.

Air hostess Deborah said, "Donna, Pam, I can confirm you are both right in your assessments of Cabin Crewman Terry here. Terry is a post-flight delight. His heart is really in it. Terry impeccably observes the revised-contracted cabin crewman's code of silence during post-flight foot service. He is a natural masseur, too. And not only that, but I can sense his great contentment at being of such service to us."

Air hostess Pamela said, "Debs, that is also my impression of Cabin Crewman Terry. How very different to Darren! I have been watching Terry. And like you, I have no doubts that his heart is truly in it. Terry is an air hostess's dream: An agreeable after-flight footman."

Senior Stewardess Donna said, "And Cabin Crewman Mason, too, shows early promise. He has passed my first-stage expectations of him with flying colours and continues to meet my high-standard requirements. I am very much impressed with his First-Night footmanship. Mason is instantly obedient to my commands, totally compliant with my instructions - and he hasn't uttered a word! And Mason has a wonderful touch. Strong fingers, yet tender and careful with his ministrations. He seemed nervous and was tentative at first, which is understandable. But with my encouragement and coaching, Mason soon gained confidence and settled with ease into his new post-flight role. The early indications are that Cabin Crewman Mason has the potential to become a first-rate after-flight footman."

Air hostess Pamela said, "Donna, have you given any thought to how much overtime you want to work during our temporary staff shortage?"

"Yes, Pam. Debs and I have discussed it. In the morning, we will contact Crewing. With today's resignation of all but six of our own cabin crewmen, Debs and I want to benefit from the cabin crew shortage. We want to take full advantage of the COO's hosties-only offer of triple-pay overtime with extra travel concessions. And cash in, we will, because it will take a couple of months for enough of the new hosties to arrive and settle in. Yes, our feet will be killing us like never before, but now we have the consolation of the post-flight foot services of our cabin crewmen."

Air hostess Pamela said, "This is surely a one-time opportunity. So yes, Donna, I agree it would be foolish to miss out on the COO's fantastic offer. Some of the bonuses we earn will provide the spending money for our extra holidays when eventually we take them. I've already made plans for my two days off. But I'll contact Crewing tomorrow and ask about working some of the triple-pay overtime with bonus travel privileges."

Senior Stewardess Donna said, "Well, Pam, enjoy your after-work glass of wine at Cindy's Wine Bar with tenderfoots Julie and Analise. And enjoy your two days off. I'll maybe see you on Thursday, depending on the revised shift schedules that the girls in Crewing devise for me."

Air hostess Pamela turned to Terry. "Cabin Crewman Terry, thank you for so kindly offering to clean and polish my after-shift uniform pumps for me. I am extremely delighted that your extraordinary agreeability extends to your relieving me tonight of the pesky clean-and-polish chore that is my pet hate. But Terry, I don't want to take undue advantage of you. So don't stay too late after your post-flight foot massage duties, cleaning and polishing your air hostess colleagues' uniform pumps - you must bear in mind your regulation rest-period parameters."

Not taking his eyes from air hostess Deborah's dark nyloned sole in his hands, mere inches from his face, Terry replied, "Miss Pamela, as it happens, Mason and I are both rostered a Day-Off tomorrow. And so, our post-flight foot services for our female counterparts tonight are not subject to rest-period restrictions - we've got all night."

Air hostess Deborah sighed blissfully and said, "Cabin Crewman Terry, that is really lovely. I could sit here and let you do this for me for another hour. Would you like to massage my other foot again for me now, please? And please, the same again; it's pure perfection."

"Of course, Miss Deborah. I was just awaiting your instruction," said Terry.

I heard the faint whooshing sound as Terry pulled down on the three-inch heel of Deborah's other black uniform pump.

Air hostess Deborah said, "Terry, you are the epitome of cabin crewman agreeability. Your superlative attentiveness to me tonight will be duly accredited. I shall record my own highly praiseful annotation on Senior Stewardess Donna's post-flight Cabin Crewman Conduct Report. Your general attitude of compliance and cooperation to after-flight foot service is highly commendable, the benchmark that all revised-contracted cabin crewmen should aspire to. Not only do you adhere dutifully to the letter of the Subservience to Stewardesses directive, but you embrace the essence of Ms Gina Summers' females-first priority ideology. Your faultless subservience to me is exemplary. If you have started as you mean to go on, I have total confidence in your future as a valued cabin crewman with BlueSky Holidays. Because I assure you that, including myself, you will have no shortage of female colleagues to champion you."

Terry said, "Thank you, Miss Deborah. And yes, I have started as I mean to go on. I am beholden to you, Miss Deborah, for what I fully understand is your proviso patronage that might influence Ms Gina Summers to continue to conditionally retain me as a BlueSky Holidays cabin crewman. And I will do anything and everything I can for my female colleagues to ease the current critical shortage of after-flight foot service providers."

Air hostess Pamela said, "I'll second what Deb's just said. And I include myself, not only as a champion to defend Terry from our cabin crewman culling COO but also as a cheerleader to spread the word to hosties of Terry's voluntary foot services."

Senior Stewardess Donna said, "And you can add me, too, to the list of Terry's champions and cheerleaders."

Air hostess Pamela said, "Okay, then. Donna, Debs, I'll leave you both to it and be on my way. Because after drawing the short straw with Darren's idea of post-flight foot service tonight, he's not the only one who needs a drink! So I'll go and join Julie and Analise at Cindy's Wine Bar."

But then, the time on the crew room clock at 23:05, two all-female cabin crews bustled in with their delighted exclamations at seeing Terry and me on our kneeling mats providing post-flight foot service for the throne-like seated air hostess Deborah and Senior Stewardess Donna.

Senior Stewardess Donna said, "Well, that's decided it: Debs, we'll have to play fair. We should release Cabin Crewmen Mason and Terry to Senior Stewardesses Dianne and Violet and their crews. Because of today's big walkout, Di and Vi and their hosties have had to work their flight duties without a cabin crewman. We've had our fair shares of Mason and Terry tonight, and it would be selfish of us to try and monopolise them. So, Pam, if you help Debs and me with the Duty-frees money count, we'll all go and join Julie and Analise afterwards at Cindy's Wine Bar."

Air hostess Deborah said, "It's a shame to give up Terry just yet. But yes, you are right, Donna. We have to consider other hosties and share our after-flight footmen fairly. And now that you've put the idea in my mind, Donna, a nice glass or two of after-work Merlot would go down lovely."

Senior Stewardess Donna and air hostess Deborah reinserted their dark-pantyhosed feet into their black three-inch heel uniform pumps.

I didn't know about Terry. But my arms, hands and fingers were tired from the surprisingly hard work of providing for Senior Stewardess Donna the after-flight favour I'd once flatly refused her. All be it, not an indulgent courtesy now but her new-era rightful entitlement and my revised-contracted bounden duty, performed for her in mandatory silence on my regulation-issue kneeling mat.

Senior Stewardess Donna got to her feet and looked down at Terry and me, shoulder-to-shoulder on our kneeling mats. "Thank you, Cabin Crewmen Mason and Terry. Your compliant and cooperative after-flight foot service to us tonight has been impeccable. Your submissive demeanours were irreproachable. And your offers to remain behind afterwards, to provide after-flight foot service to later returning air hostesses and then to polish their uniform pumps is highly laudable. Your agreeability will be duly recorded in glowing terms in my Cabin Crewman Conduct Report. I am sure the COO will peruse my report with pleasure. When air hostesses Pamela and Deborah, and I are ready to leave after counting our Duty-Frees takings, we will be sure to leave our after-shift uniform pumps outside our lockers for you to clean and polish for us. And at Cindy's Wine Bar, I will pass on the good news to Julie and Analise that they won't need to come in early for their next shift to clean and polish their uniform pumps because Terry and Mason have done it for them. Now please remain where you are on your kneeling mats to provide post-flight foot service for Senior Stewardesses Violet and Dianne and their crews."

"Yes, Miss Donna," Terry and I said in unison.

Senior Stewardess Donna and air hostesses Pamela and Deborah then left Terry and me and went to find a table to count their Duty-Frees takings before joining air hostesses Julie and Analise at Cindy's Wine Bar.

And that was the cue for the ten newly arrived female cabin crew to move in on Terry and me, which they did with gleeful squeals of anticipation; evidently, they were opting to leave their debrief and their Duty-Frees money count until after their foot service.

The latest returned air hostesses quickly organised themselves. They occupied the three vacated stackable seats and brought three more, seating two separate throne-like seated trios.

Having pulled rank, the first two centrally seated, foot service receiving air hostesses were Senior Stewardesses Dianne and Violet, and they were each flanked by two in-waiting air hostesses from their own crews.

On his kneeling mat, with the meek humility of an unworthy worshipper, Terry looked up solemnly at the face of his trio's centrally seated air hostess, Senior Stewardess Violet.

On my kneeling mat, a brief moment of eye contact with each of my own throne-like seated trio of newly empowered air hostesses was enough to coax me to lower my eyes and keep them cast downward as I knelt before the central, foot-service receiving seat occupied by Senior Stewardess Dianne.

Awaiting their turn to occupy an outer in-waiting seat, the remaining four air hostesses stood by their respective trio to watch and comment on the performance of their own after-flight footman.

And now, as I'd seen happen with Terry and Darren earlier, the two pairs of outer seated in-waiting air hostesses put up their tired and achy feet on their knee-bound and silence observing after-flight footman's conveniently positioned shoulders as if it was part of the service. And, ankles crossed, these 'outriders' heel-popped or dangled and swung a uniform black three-inch heel pump to waft their dark nyloned after-shift feet fumes in their enfeebled footman's face to pass their in-waiting time.

Which, in turn, was the cue for the two centrally seated Senior Stewardesses, Violet and Dianne, to present a dark nyloned foot to their respective after-flight footman to unshoe.

In-service for the second time tonight on my kneeling mat, I observed strict silence as I supported the relaxed weight of a centrally seated returned air hostess's outstretched dark nyloned leg. This time, it was Senior Stewardess Dianne.

I had worked under Senior Stewardess Dianne many times, and she was great to get along with. But now, this was a different Dianne. Emboldened with her new empowerments under the Subservience to Stewardesses directive, Dianne was coming out of her shell and showing her alter ego.

Senior Stewardess Dianne wordlessly directed me to first remove her expectantly proffered left shoe. And now I was staring at Dianne's dark nyloned left sole, level with and mere inches from my face. And at my obedient compliance in then following her foot massage instructions with unfailing exactitude, Senior Stewardess Dianne sighed contentedly, flexing and scrunching her toes pleasurably in her new after-shift consolation.

And, lost again in single-minded focus as now on my kneeling mat I silently served Senior Stewardess Dianne, I found that despite the renewed dull ache of my continually supportive arms and the returning tiredness of my constantly ministering hands and the recontinued strain to my ceaselessly manipulating fingers, these resumed discomforts were endurable. Because holding Senior Stewardess Dianne's warm, tired and achy after-flight dark nyloned foot in my ministering hands and watching her toes flex and scrunch in pleasureful relief was my own consolation.

Having been expertly initiated to after-flight foot service by my proviso protectress Senior Stewardess Donna, these prolonged achy and tiring repetitive-strain endurances (afflictions common to revised-contracted cabin crewmen?) were overcome, overridden - all but banished.

The four in-the-queue air hostesses, observing as they awaited the vacancy of an outer in-waiting seat, commented on proceedings and suggested technique-improving tips to their own after-flight footman.

Of the many appreciative pats on the head for genuine efforts to please and the plenitude of plaudits for a promising opening-night performance, I estimated that Terry and I shared our acclaim about fifty-fifty.

***

By the time Terry and I had provided Senior Stewardess Violet and Senior Stewardess Dianne and their all-female cabin crews with their now contractually entitled post-flight foot massage, the crew room clock was showing 00:50.

This latest ten returned air hostesses had then left us with promises of good words for us in their flight supervisor's Cabin Crewman Conduct Report. And, informed by Senior Stewardess Jasmine's message on the crew room noticeboard or by the ever-helpful Terry, with their parting reminders to clean and polish their uniform pumps that they would leave outside their lockers for us.

I recalled Captain Amanda Mandelson's confident and now proven prediction today during our flight to Madeira. The former air hostess of five years had said that almost all returned air hostesses would most eagerly avail themselves of their new era after-shift foot massage service provided by their revised-contracted cabin crewmen. Captain Amanda, who had termed her hazard-of-the-job foot soreness as 'the affliction common to air hostesses', had vented her frustration in bemoaning the belatedness of the benefit. Because, she told me that, had post-flight foot service been available during her five years of walking the aisles of holiday jetliners in her uniform black three-inch heel pumps as a hostie, she would have made the absolute utmost of her bounden providers.

And, as the systematically transitioning (vacate-and-succeed) trios of my five female counterparts of Senior Stewardess Dianne and her crew had looked down on me from their throne-like seats as I provided a post-flight foot massage for the centrally seated stewardess and served as a footrest for the two 'outriders' on my kneeling mat, I had sensed the shifting tenor of our relations.

I had worked with them all many times before, and I got along great with them. But now, confident in their new authority over their cabin crewmen counterparts under the Subservience to Stewardesses directive, they were showing their true selves. Subdued and withdrawn, I could no longer meet the eyes of my air hostess colleagues as an equal. But then, I was no longer their equal. I was now their after-flight footman.

But Terry, unfazed by his emasculating subjugations by his methodically switching throne-like seated trios, seemed insatiable to both behold and hold the returned air hostesses' just unshod dark nyloned soles. His appetite for post-flight foot service was undiminished, even after attending first Senior Stewardess Jasmine and her four air hostesses, followed by air hostess Deborah, and then Senior Stewardess Violet and her four female cabin crew: air hostesses Carol, Alison, Suzanne and Angela. And neither was Terry concerned about meeting the eyes of his succession of centrally seated air hostesses; their dark nyloned sole level with and inches from his face, he concentrated solely, as it were, on that.

Also, by now, my arms and hands were tiring. Unused to such unusual labour demands, the cumulative physical exertion was beginning to win out over my stoic willing compliance and was no longer so easily endured.