The Perils of Mandy Ch. 02

It opened with Mandy and sister Sam standing side by side, then making a complete 360-degree turn in tandem so their features could be compared at all angles. They each held up a sign in front of them, showing their respective names as they spoke, "Hi, I'm Amanda, call me Mandy," and "Hi, I'm Samantha, also known as Sam." Then, in unison, "We're identical twins." Mandy continued, "We're doing this short video because there has been some confusion about who is who, and some mistaken identities, and we want to set the record straight." Sam added, "Also, I don't want anyone to get false hopes about my sister, since I'm the hot one." Mandy rolled her eyes. The camera zoomed in on Mandy, and faded into a pre-recorded view of her going to classes and playing instruments, with a voice-over narration, "I'm a college music student - me, Mandy, that is - and here are some shots of me at school. I also like outdoor activities, hiking, rock climbing, bicycling." The view of the sisters side by side resumed, and the camera zoomed in on Sam, fading into scenes of her partying, grinding against young males, and undoing her bra, as her voice-over narrated, "Now me, Sam that is, I'm the girl of your dreams and can be seen anywhere the action is, and many places online where there is fine erotica." The video shifted to a scene of Sam bent over a table, facing the camera, a naked male gyrating behind her, as she mouthed rather breathlessly, "Try Samantha.com." The side-by-side view resumed. "We hope you benefited from this short video," Mandy said, with Sam adding in a sultry voice, "And remember all you big boys out there, it's Samantha.com." Mandy rolled her eyes again, commenting, "Oh well, let's hope that clears up any confusion." A credit followed: "Tell your short story with help from Daryl at Videobiographs.com."

Julie's reaction was similar to that of most people confronted with the Mandy-Sam Phenomenon. "I am totally amazed. You two are like the peas in the pod."

"So, please, Julie, do not share that video that M. Duval sent you with Romaine or anyone else. It's of my sister, not me, but I would get all the flak."

"Okay," Julie said, a little reluctantly. "And it is so sexy. Too bad. I guess I do not ask for your autograph, after all."

Mandy did not sleep well that night, going over in her mind how she was going to confront Duval, and what to say to him. She had a little time before her first class and went to the administration building early the next morning, telling the secretary she wished to speak to Monsieur. Philippe was in his own cubbyhole office, adjacent to the great man, so while she waited to see Duval she peeked in. He was staring at his computer monitor, and did not return her "Bonjour," looking at her with a blank expression, almost sad, she thought. She was about to ask him what was the matter but then realized what it probably was.

"M. Duval will see you now," the secretary said.

She turned around and went inside Duval's office, suddenly very angry, forgetting the careful speech she had rehearsed, and almost forgetting to check a button on her jacket.

"You are one backbiting son of a bitch," she told him as he began to rise. Anger flashed across the master's face and he scowled for a moment but recovered quickly.

"Is that the way bright American students greet the leaders of their institutions in the U.S.?" he asked, his countenance altered by a smug smile.

"It is appropriate if the institute heads are lechers who try to bribe and defame their students," she told him. "How many people besides Julie and Philippe did you send the link to that porn video?"

"When I send out information I share it only with those who can benefit from it - my assistant naturally, and people who deserve to be aware of any personal idiosyncrasies in those they interact with. Of course, circumstances sometimes warrant expanding the audience to be informed, which I am prepared to do."

"Even if the information is erroneous?" she asked.

"Amanda, it would not be to your advantage to test me anymore. The head of the institute has the right to void a fellowship and expel a student for any valid reason, including failure to apply oneself as directed and personal failings, such as adopting false identities and public displays of moral turpitude, of which I have ample evidence in your case."

"My moral state didn't seem to bother you when you thought you had a chance of fucking me."

His brow arched at the word, although it did not seem to shock him. More like it turned him on.

"Let us not quarrel needlessly," he said, the smile becoming more ingratiating. "The 'bottom line,' to use an American term, is that if a student were to change her mind on correct deportment, accept professional advice, and show gratitude to an administrator attempting to help her, it is possible that past conduct can be overlooked. On the other hand, if she persists in showing resistance, steering an independent course, and disrupting the institute there will have to be a parting of the ways."

Mandy tried to remember the speech she had prepared. "You know Monsieur that I do not come from a wealthy family. If I were to lose this fellowship and have to leave, it would set us back financially, and it would not look good on my academic record. All that from a case of mistaken identity. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Once more, there is sufficient evidence against you." He raised both hands to shoulder level, palms up, with a "what can I do" expression.

"I have a short video file on a USB drive that I would like you to see," Mandy said, holding it out to him. "Would you play it, please? It should clear up your 'moral turpitude' apprehensions about me, at least."

He sighed, took the small external storage drive, plugged it in, put on headsets, and opened the twins video. She watched his eyes bug out. He looked up at her and back to the monitor. When it had run its course, he closed the file, extracted the drive, and returned it to her.

"You see, Monsieur, you were given false information about me. I apologize if it influenced your selection of me for the fellowship, but I truly believe my academic standing and music potential warrant the assistance anyway. I apologize again if I have not met your hopes as a sexual companion; also if I have been rude to you, but it was not without provocation. Finally, I'm sorry that I disappoint you because I do not want to perform in a club libertin that has moral standards differing from my own. But can't we just shake on all that, let bygones be bygones, and go on from here?"

"I think we have talked enough," Duval barked. "If you pursue the job I have lined up for you and join me at the club with no more bullshit, we may 'shake' then. The entire bed may shake with us, and you will learn what it is like to be with a man. Otherwise, pack your bags, go home and fuck your little college boyfriends and be a nobody. I would like your decision by the end of the day. If I am not in the office, leave a written message with my secretary," he said. "In a sealed envelope," he added. He waved a hand in dismissal.

"So that video makes no difference to you? It doesn't matter that I'm an innocent victim of mistaken identity. You're still going to can me if I don't have sex with you or provide the meal ticket to your perverted club."

"You are so naive. I perceive that you are no angel, even if you are not the performer I thought. I don't care about your video, which may even be electronically fabricated. Play along with me and it will benefit both of us. Provide your answer today. Go now."

Mandy turned and opened the door. She walked past Philippe's office and the secretary without a glance and went to her morning class. Then back to her room, where she unhooked a small button-like object from the left lapel of her dress, and extracted a small boxy item from an inside pocket, unhooking a wire connecting the two. She then took a small SD card from the box, inserted it into her computer, and clicked a few keys. A surprisingly clear image appeared on the monitor, with sound crisp and understandable. She viewed it, smiling at the following dialogue:

"I think we have talked enough. If you pursue the job I have lined up for you and join me at the club with no more bullshit, we may 'shake' then. The entire bed may shake with us, and you will learn what it is like to be with a man. Otherwise pack your bags, go home and fuck your little college boyfriends and be a nobody. . ."

The recording was as good as the first one she had made the day before when summoned summarily to Duval's office, and he had said she should embrace necessary libertin activities outside of the classroom, rewarding him as other students had.

Mandy was very pleased with herself. She was not a techie but had followed the directions, connecting the button mini-camera/mic with the pocket-sized DVR, and got a serviceable recording. At first, she had been ambivalent about the going away present from John, who insisted the surveillance equipment could come in handy to protect her possessions or just to record her time in Paris.

She inserted a portable storage drive into a port on her computer and copied to it the files of the two conversations with Duval plus the twins video, and put it into an envelope with a short note:

M. Duval,

I suggest you review the enclosed material, particularly the recordings of our conversations. This information has been shared so far only with people who deserve to be aware of any personal idiosyncrasies in those they interact with. Of course, circumstances sometimes warrant expanding the audience. Consider the consequences to your professional reputation and status if that should occur. Be advised that friends of mine here and abroad have copies of this, and widespread dissemination will occur if I should be struck by a truck, meet with some other unfortunate accident, or disappear. So it is in your interest to keep me healthy and happy as a student at the Institute. Finally, since you asked my decision on your recent proposals, I again inform you that I will not be taking the club job, nor will I ever accompany you there again. May I suggest that you take the 200 Euros per performance that you offered me and apply it to Julie's wages. She must certainly be worth at least that much.

Your Humble Student Servant, etc. . . .

Mandy took a picture of the note and e-mailed a zipped copy of everything to John, then made copies on three other external drives. One was a backup for herself that she hid somewhere no one would be likely to search. Another she put on Julie's desk. Philippe's went into an envelope along with a note asking him to look especially at the twins video so that he did not "have a wrong impression due to false information received from a questionable source."

She went back to the administration building and left one sealed envelope with Duval's secretary, who promised he would receive it. Philippe was in and looked at her blankly as she gave him the envelope, asking him to review the contents when he had a chance. Then she turned and left.

When she returned to her room Mandy found Julie viewing the video of the Duval conversations. She showed anger until reading the note to the headmaster, then began laughing and hugged Mandy, saying, "That should keep him away from you, unless he is more stupid than I think, and you may even get me a raise. Thank you. I think I shall earn it having to listen to him curse you."

John Skyped her an hour or so later. It was still early in the U.S., but he had to let her know that he considered her "even more brilliant than beautiful and sexy, which is saying something huge." He predicted Duval would back off because he would be unable to explain away his "gross sociopathic behavior," but if Mandy was expelled, "this little college boyfriend will be all too happy to welcome you back to help you do what the shithead told you to."

She was preparing to go to the cafeteria when Philippe showed up, his hands behind his back, looking a little tentative but much more buoyant than in his office. "I felt a huge weight lift off my heart," he said, "even as I felt rage at Monsieur and shame that I had allowed his misuse of your sister's video to influence my view of you. Please forgive my attitude earlier today. And do not worry about Monsieur. If he persists in his threats I will inform him that unless he amends his ways toward students, every member of the institute's board of directors and all of our primary donors and patrons will receive a copy of your recordings, and I will personally see to it. You are magnifique. Please, this is from my favorite pâtisserie. His hands came from behind his back, and he handed her a box with a tempting cake, then turned slowly to leave.

"I cannot accept this unless you share it with me and Julie," Mandy said. He turned back, smiling, gave her bises on both cheeks, and said he was happy to comply.

And true to all predictions, she had no more unpleasant exchanges with M. Duval.