THE ANONYMOUS ACCOUNTANT.
It all started nearly a year before. Anthony, Tony to everyone, and
Erica his wife were bored with their sex lives after nearly ten years
of marriage and started various things to spice it up. For a while
they tried some light bondage but neither of them were enthusiastic and
didn't like to be the bound one, so they only carried on for a while,
still looking for something they really enjoyed. A friend of Erica's
suggested swapping, but she knew she'd be lucky to find someone as
good at fulfilling her as Tony and anyway he was adamantly against it.
He was even cross when she mentioned it and he seldom put his foot down
against anything. For months they carried on looking for something
else.
They each had reasonably paid jobs, she was senior quality controller
for a company across town and he worked locally as the accounts
department manager for several businesses run by Christine Black and
owned by her and her family. She was winner for three years of the
town's business woman of the year award. That was where there was a
contrast between the two. Erica was bored with her work and found that
if she did her job well, no one noticed her, but if something went
wrong, even if it was nothing to do with her department she got the
blame. She accepted that she probably wouldn't get any further
promotions within the firm she worked for and Tony knew she was looking
round for a possible move.
By contrast, no one noticed the work Tony had done, since the business
was owned and run by Christine's father who was now retired, and that
was the way he liked it. It was ironic that several times he had to
juggle with the finances to make some new scheme of Christine's work
and because he was always successful, she'd won the awards. Many men
would have resented someone else getting the plaudits when they had
done most to deserve them, but he didn't like the lime light so it
suited him that way. What he didn't realise was that Christine
actually resented him for his part in her success. Illogical though it
was, she was constantly afraid that one day he would expose her for the
fraud she really was.
It was the same at home. He did the bulk of the cooking and cleaning
the kitchen, on the understanding that Erica did most of the other
household jobs. In practice though he couldn't sit and relax if she
was working so he often took on most of those tasks as well.
It was with this background that Erica accidentally came across the
Fictionmania site while she was searching for a possible new source of
the crime books she liked to read. She nearly skipped passed it, but
pressed the 'enter' button and read the first story she came across,
about a wife who feminised her husband. Ignoring the reason that he
was lazy, she nevertheless found the woman's control over her man ten
times more erotic than just tying him up. Tony wasn't the most
masculine of men, she could easily imagine him in a dress or better yet
a short, frilly maid's costume.
Part of the attraction though was the thought that he didn't really
want to dress up, that she would be controlling him. By coincidence it
would also helpful in the direction of her job search and she was
encouraged by discussions she was having. But more of that later. How
was she going to be able to do it? She talked about it with her friend
Zoe and she had sufficient cunning to come up with a plan. They would
arrange that he was tempted to have an affair with her friend, then he
would have to show repentance by doing as he was told.
"I can seduce any heterosexual man alive," she told Erica and looking
at her friend's body and the way she dressed, anyone would believed
her.
They arranged that Zoe would visit them on the Friday evening for a
meal and because Tony drank little when they were entertaining, he
would be pressed into running her home. Erica did some shopping in
preparation for the big day, but not too much as she didn't want it to
appear too well planned. She did however do some investigation of a
couple of shops and found one that would be ideal for what she wanted.
She booked him for an appointment to have a complete makeover in the
'TV World' shop in town.
Zoe duly arrived on the evening arranged, apparently a little upset.
She told Erica, in front of Tony, that everything was going wrong for
her at the moment both at work and for her family. Privately, when
Tony was out of the room preparing the meal, she explained that most
men fall for a sob story and he would soon be putty in her hands.
The women both wanted to know how he was able to cook a meal as good as
it was when he hadn't been home from work that long.
"It's all in the prep," he told them. "Last night I got all the
ingredients for the main course ready and I devilled the chicken livers
for the starter, so they just had to be reheated in brandy then with
the croutons and added to the salad tonight. I admit that I came home
a little early from work to do the cr?me brul(es for the pudding. So
you see it wasn't that difficult."
During the course of the meal Zoe appeared to be getting quite merry on
the wine, so Erica suggested to her husband that as he wasn't drinking
much, he could run her home. At first he offered to call a cab, but
when she was more insistent he agreed to do it. Just before they left
she also told him not to wake her up when he got back as she would be
asleep.
"You're such a nice person Tony, don't you ever let your hair down?"
she asked, once they were alone in the car.
"Of course I do Zoe, but when I'm doing a meal I like to keep a clear
head or I either forget things or do them wrong. I go to a lot of
trouble cooking because I love it, so I don't run the risk of spoiling
the meal just so I can drink. Anyway I'll have a nightcap when I get
back."
It wasn't long before they arrived at Zoe's large detached house in a
rural spot outside the nearest village.
"Would you be an angel and see me in?" she asked. "Just until I can
check that all the windows and doors are all still secure."
"Of course."
They went together to open the front door and she asked him just to
wait in the living room while she checked everything.
"I don't know why you don't get an alarm system if you're that
worried," he called to her as she hurried off.
She returned and in only the three or four minutes she'd been out of
his sight, she'd taken off her dress and put on a sheer nylon negligee.
His eyes nearly popped out when he clearly saw that she was wearing a
basque and stockings and clearly no panties.
"Erica's gone to sleep Tony, why don't you have your nightcap here?"
Before he could react she'd thrown her arms round his neck and kissed
him deeply, pushing her tongue between his lips. He only hesitated for
a second, she'd taken him too much by surprise.
"I'm sorry Zoe, you're a very nice person and if I wasn't married..."
She smothered the end of his sentence with another kiss.
"You don't have to rush off Tony, I've always wanted you."
He pulled her arms away from him.
"I'm sorry Zoe, I'm married and I take my vows seriously." He walked
out without looking back.
'Something's odd about that,' he thought to himself as he drove home.
Back at his house the telephone rang, Erica picked it up, not expecting
the caller to be Zoe, she was convinced that by then Tony would be in
bed with her, something she had some misgivings about.
"Erica, it's Zoe, he wouldn't come to bed with me. You've an absolute
treasure there, hang on to him." She put the phone down and waited for
him to return.
When Tony arrived home, somehow he wasn't surprised to find Erica up
and waiting for him. He was about to speak when she grabbed his chin
and looked closely at him.
"Since when did you start to wear lipstick?"
"Since your friend grabbed me and tried to push her tongue down my
throat. What is it with her?"
"She's just rang me and told me you made a pass at her. I didn't
believe it but I do now I see the evidence."
"She's lying, she came on to me practically naked."
"You're the one lying, sleep in a guest room tonight, we'll discuss
this in the morning."
With that she flounced off, pleased that she'd been able to get him on
the defensive and at the same time knew he'd been faithful. He poured
himself his promised large Cognac and sat down to figure things out.
He was up and dressed by eight thirty the next morning, a little later
than usual at weekends, but was surprised to see that Erica had beaten
him to it and was already drinking coffee in the kitchen when he
arrived. She didn't return his morning greeting and waited until he
had finished his first cup before she spoke.
"I'm disgusted with you. Fancy trying to take advantage of poor Zoe."
"There's nothing poor about Zoe and she tried to get me to stay with
her."
"I don't believe you and I'm going to see a divorce lawyer first thing
on Monday."
"Oh, come off it. I didn't do anything but I admit it's her word
against mine. I can't prove it but I've never lied to you and I'm not
about to start now."
"You may not be able to prove what happened last night but you could
stop me from being suspicious in future, that's if you want to?" she
questioned his intentions.
"Whatever it is, if it sets your mind at rest, I'm prepared to do it."
He had walked right into the trap she had laid.
"If that's the case, come with me." She led him back up the stairs to
their bedroom.
"Take off all your clothes and come into the bathroom."
He did as she asked and was soon sprayed all over his body and chin
with a foul smelling foam. She told him to wait ten minutes, then get
in the shower. When he did it was to relieve the stinging sensation,
but was taken aback when all his body hair disappeared down the drain.
She gave him a soothing lotion to rub into his skin and whilst it did
as advertised, it had a very flowery perfume that disconcerted him.
"Put this on." She handed him a panty-girdle which he complained was
too tight.
"Why do you want me to put it on anyway, only women wear these."
"Because that's what you will be wearing until I'm convinced that you
aren't going chasing after every bit of skirt around. I've already
phoned someone to give you a makeover, and from now on you'll be
wearing women's undies all the time and skirts when you're home. That
way I'll know I can trust you."
He protested vociferously, but the more he complained the more she told
him that it convinced her that he wanted an affair. In the end he put
his clothes back on over the uncomfortable garment with Erica's promise
that the rest of his clothes would soon match, ringing in his ears.
She drove him into town and to the car park for a small shopping mall.
He nearly bolted for it when he saw the sign for 'TV World' and it
became obvious that they were headed for it. She handed him over to
the manager who introduced herself as Dawn Williams, then went off to
treat herself to the breakfast they had both missed.
"I hear you've been a naughty boy then," she told him in a disapproving
tone.
"That's what my wife claims to think," he replied, then had a thought.
"When did she make this appointment?"
"I don't know, a couple of days ago I think it might have been three,
why?"
"Well last night a friend of hers tried to come on to me, I told her
that I don't break my wedding vows but I've still ended up here."
"Well I don't know anything about that." Dawn was surprised by his
answer. "My job is to make you passable as a woman but I don't do
anything against someone's will. Do you still want to go ahead?"
"So long as you don't do anything permanent, I'll just go along with it
and find out what this is all about."
"Have you ever dressed up before?" she asked.
"No, and I've never had the inclination either."
"Your name here is Tammi, two reasons, one your wife wants you to be
known as that but two, is that all our clients use a pseudonym for
their anonymity while they're here, OK?"
She took him though to a small room that had a wash basin but was also
done out like a stage dressing room, it even had pseudo 'stars'
photographs on the side wall, most of them unfortunately obviously men
in drag. She had him strip down to his panty and started by gluing
silicon breasts to his chest. She explained that she had chosen 'C'
cup size, rather than the 'DD' that his wife had first suggested.
"She wanted you passable as a woman Tammi not a charade, so she said
she would go along with anything I felt was right. You are lucky
having a small frame and a cute face so my job will be fairly easy, but
bigger breasts would just draw unwanted attention, from what you say."
Even so he was surprised how heavy they were, the pull not much reduced
after she fitted him with a bra to help support them. Then he was
moved to the seat in front of the wash basin and while Dawn shampooed
his hair, a young girl came in and gave him a manicure and pedicure,
painting all his nails frosted pink and all of it very relaxing and
pleasant for him.
"Your hair is long enough to give you a unisex style and I'll show you
how to brush it slightly differently occording to whether you are
presenting as a man or a woman."
Once she had finished blow drying it and shown him how to accentuate a
more masculine look, she brushed it into a very feminine shape, then
started on his make up. She applied each cosmetic, then wiped it off
and had him try. He realised that he had a natural knack for doing it
and she commented that she only spent half the time tutoring him as
usual because he picked it up so quickly. With his permission she
shaped his eyebrows just a little, enough so they were tidy enough for
a woman, but not out of place on a man's face. His lipstick was a
creamy frosted pink to match his nails.
"The next bit is a little uncomfortable, I'm afraid," she explained.
"Woman even often larger women have a bigger waist to hip ration than
men, so I'm afraid that we'll have to pull in that waist of yours."
She placed a corset round him, fastening what she called the 'busk'
front, then tightening laces at the back.
"We don't have to go mad in your case, you already have a fairly slim
waist, but now you can see that already you have a much more girly
figure."
He was surprised at how easily the reinforced garment had pulled in his
waist with only a modicum of discomfort and by the time he had a pair
of 'nude' shade, sheer stockings up his legs he decided that the whole
experience wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Dawn held out a
summer weight, lemon yellow dress for him to step into and helped him
on with a bolero top that went with it. He then had to balance on a
pair of white strappy, three inch heeled shoes and they wasn't so easy
to get used to. She had him walking up and down, sitting down and
standing up, all the while pointing out the most lady-like way to move.
As with the make up, it didn't take him long to get the hang of it.
"I know you said about nothing permanent, Tammi, I'm going to pierce
your ears for earrings, but if you leave them empty they will heal
over, is that OK?"
He agreed for her to do it and she made two holes in each, placing a
citrine stud in the top ones and three small similar stones hanging
from a delicate gold frame on the bottom ones. She added a citrine
necklace, bracelet and slid a very delicate wrist watch over his hand.
"Now I want you to talk to me in a more feminine manner," she told him.
"Try breathing out and then speaking in a sort of whisper."
After a few minutes even his voice sounded different and as he
practiced speaking he was looking in the mirror and even he wasn't sure
he'd recognise himself. She made suggestions as to his pattern of
speech, picking up on what the other person was wearing, for example.
It occurred to him that Dawn was very skilled at what she did.
His ensemble was finally finished with a wallet and handbag in white
leather and with a tiny yellow, lace trimmed hat she called a
'fascinator' pinned to his hair, he was ready to go to the front of the
store to await the return of his wife. He was amazed to suddenly
realise that they had been working on him for over three hours.
He sat there for a few minutes and then picked up one of the many
women's magazines and started to read a cookery article. Dawn's
assistant brought out a small carry case with all the cosmetics and a
few other things for him to use at home. One other woman was sitting
waiting.
"Is it your husband being made over?" she asked him.
"I love your shoes," he replied, ignoring the question, "where did you
get them?"
They were still chatting when Erica walked in and up to the counter,
glancing at the two people sat there talking on her way.
"Can you tell me how much longer my husband, Tammi Waltham is going to
be?" she asked the girl.
He stood up and walked over to her and spoke with his best breathy
voice.
"Can I help you madam?"
"Yes, I'm waiting for my husband..." Her mouth opened and she laughed.
"It's you, it's really you."
"I understand you've already paid so shall we make a move?" He pushed
his hand through her arm and together they walked out of the store.
When they got back to the car he saw numerous packages and bags on the
back seat but decided not to ask, he had an ominous feeling about them.
Sure enough, as soon as they were home she organised him.
"Take all your new things up to the bedroom you used last night and put
them away and don't spend all afternoon on it. When you're done change
into a black skirt and white blouse and put on a pair of black shoes,
you'll find all those things there."
It took three trips to take all the packages, he didn't want to carry
too much at once, he was still a little unsure of walking in his heels.
He unwrapped a plethora of undies, mostly very sexy and enough to
satisfy the needs of a most demanding woman. He especially noticed
three Basques (he knew the name from when Erica wore one under her
wedding gown) and some of the panty girdles were padded. Most
disturbing were the shoes. There were six pairs and the lowest heel
was five inches high. He had enough trouble with the ones he was
wearing, how he would cope with these he had no idea. There were
several pairs of stockings, mostly sheer black, but some patterned ones
and a number of sheer pantyhose.
There were three more dresses, one of them in a very lightweight silk
material he guessed, the other two in cotton, and two very short black
skirts, one flared the other straight with three or four sheer blouses
in white or pink. It was from these he chose the straight skirt and
white blouse to change into. The skirt hugged his behind and was so
tight that although it was short, it restricted the length of stride he
could take. He placed the shoes on his feet but it was several minutes
before he could walk at all in such high heels.
One bag had an assortment of aprons. Three were practical cotton ones
with a bib front and covering almost anywhere that might get splashed
in the kitchen, others were silly little pieces of lightweight, frilly
material. He thought these were called 'hostess' aprons, meant for
decoration rather than real use. Anyway, as everything was put away he
took all those down to the kitchen as that was where they would be
used.
"You look very nice in that Tammi, but put one of the small aprons on
to finish the look, you can slip into a large one when you cook and
when you take it off you'll be ready to serve."
"What am I, the maid?" he asked, shocked at her attitude.
"If you don't want a divorce you'll be what I want you to be," she
scowled. "Unless you want to go running off to one of your
girlfriends."
In spite of his complaints he tied a hostess apron round his waist with
a neat bow, then donned a large apron to start the evening meal. He
suddenly realised that he was very hungry, having missed out on both
breakfast and lunch but realising that as he probably wouldn't be able
to eat a great deal while in the tight corset, he settled on a fairly
plain steak and salad for dinner.
That night he was again banished to the spare bedroom, but he slept
well and with a clear conscience. Erica on the other hand, while
enjoying the power she was wielding over him, was already missing his
love making but was determined to last out for at least a few more
days.
Sunday he was content to spend most of the day cleaning their silver
service and a couple of other jobs that kept him out of the way of his
wife, he was afraid that she would come up with some other scheme to
humiliate him.
Monday morning though, she stepped in and supervised his dressing for
work. He had hoped that she would have got over whatever it was that
she was up to by then, but no such luck. She allowed him to remove the
breast forms and corset, but insisted that he wear a bra, panty and
suspender set under his work suit. He also had to only have stockings
on his legs, saying that socks over the top of them weren't necessary.
He tried to leave his earrings off, but she just put in two sets of
gold studs that she gave him.
The undies were all black with lace trim and she could see that they
were visible under his white shirt, even if his tie obscured the view a
little. It certainly didn't hide what he was wearing from his
secretary, Pat Coomber. She waited until about eleven, then could
stand it no longer.
"Tony, why are you wearing a bra and earrings?"
"It's Erica, Pat." He decided honesty was the best policy. "She
somehow got it into her head that I'm being unfaithful so she's told me
I have to wear women's underclothes all the time and dresses when I'm
not at work. Obviously I could just say no, but I've decided to go
along with it and try to find out her real reason."
"She knows you're not having an affair?"
He told her the story of giving Zoe a lift home and how she'd tried to
eat him and that the makeover appointment was made before it happened.
"It was all a set up but what I can't work out is why?"
"Well Tony, you have my sympathy, if there's anything I can do to
help." She sat in his visitor's chair. "I've been here three years
now and I think I know you pretty well. When I first started I really
fancied you and I thought I made it very clear that I'd be open to a
little, shall I say, extra-caricular activities. I don't even know if
you noticed. I quickly learned that you are a one woman guy and I know
it's not just me. I've heard of at least two other women who've wanted
to lead you astray. You're too nice to have to put up with stupidity."
At that moment his phone rang and when Pat picked it up it was
Christine Black, the boss, wanting to see him. He went straight along
to her office.
"Tony, I've made an offer for J.J. Jones Manufacturing and I want you
to look over these figures. I know I should have asked your opinion
before, but I met up with Jack Jones on Saturday and he asked me if I'd
put a figure to an offer I sort of hinted at last year."
She stopped talking and looked at him.
"What are you wearing under your jacket?"
He told her the story he'd just related to his secretary, adding that
if she wasn't happy about it, he'd change immediately.
"No, there's no need to change, there are laws allowing whatever
orientation you want, so long as you do your job. Now can you think of
any reason we shouldn't expand in Jones's direction?"
"No, but I can make some enquiries if I'm careful. My wife works
there, she's the senior quality controller. Obviously I can't ask her
for insider information but I can ask generally if there's any reason
he wants to sell right now. I'll also go over the returns they've
given you and let you know what I think."
"Good, now in the meantime can I make a suggestion?" He nodded. "I'll
bring you in some clothes to put on tomorrow, on top of your underwear.
Perhaps if she sees you don't mind, even enjoy it a little, it will
encourage your wife change her mind."
He took the figures back to his office and looked through them.
Christine had offered just over eighty million for Jones, which his
immediate gut feeling told him was a gamble. He knew that she would
have to take up finance for at least half that, and adding interest on
nearly fifty million each month until they got the returns was
something she may not have factured in.
He went through the figures on their profit and loss accounts and
something didn't make sense. It seemed that over the last five
financial years there had been a fairly steady decline in profits from
seven million, five, three and three until the last year when they
seemed have done very well at eight million.. He couldn't go any
further without more information but he e-mailed Christine then and
there, telling her he wasn't happy with what he could see.
That evening when he got home, Erica allowed him to eat with her,
making sure he realised that it was a privilege. Without telling her
of his interest, he gently asked about things where she worked. She
assured him that everything was just going along as normal, their order
books were fairly full and they weren't reducing prices or anything
that would indicate a problem.
The following morning he tried to leave his bra off and almost got out
of the door.
"You deliberately tried to defy me, didn't you?" she shouted at him,
dragging him by the arm back up to the bedroom.
There she had him strip off his shirt, jacket and tie, and fixed the
silicon breast forms back on his chest, then put his bra on before
allowing him to redress. He found that he had to walk with his
shoulders hunched to disguise the lumps sprouting from under his jacket
which he couldn't do up.
Christine called him to her office first thing and presented him with a
pastel green skirt suit and frilly blouse to wear together with a pair
of four inch heeled matching shoes.
"Must I wear these, Christine?"
"Yes, you can't go around in a man's suit with breasts," she replied.
"Put them on."
Reluctantly he stripped off and redressed in the clothes she had
provided, surprised that everything fitted so well.
He quickly brushed his hair over with his fingers to give it the less
masculine shape and Christine gave him a lipstick to put on.
"Now you're decent enough to go out. Do you know 'Hair Apparent' our
salon just down the road? Go down there and ask for Sally, she'll do
your hair and make up properly and then come back to show me."
"Before I go, have you read my message about the offer for Jones's?"
"Yes I have and I think you're being overly cautious, they're a good
business and been established more than forty years, now run along
there," she patted him on the behind and sent him on his way.
At the salon Sally quickly brushed his hair then set it with a good
dose of spray, then she started to pluck his eyebrows more while a girl
started gluing false nails on his fingers. Rather than the subtle look
he had from the makeover, this was very much over the top. All his
nails were lacquered bright red, the ones on his fingers extending
almost an inch passed the end of his natural ones. The make up was
painted on by Sally, with a series of brushes and he had to wait twice
while several coats of it dried. It wasn't like any make up he'd ever
seen used before. She glued false eyelashes onto his lids as well,
making almost a breeze when he blinked.
It was only when he was done she let him look in the mirror. He could
have cried. It wasn't that she did a bad job, but his face looked like
a super model's before she strode down the catwalk. His eyes looked
huge and his lips gave the apperance of being plumped up and were
bright red and glossy. He asked about them.
"It's the latest thing, a lipstick that swells the lips a little
without the need of Botox injections," Sally explained. "You've no
need to worry about being able to do it yourself, just come back here
every two weeks for a check on wear and to have your nails filled."
"You mean this won't wash off?" He was furious.
"It's all done following Ms Black's instructions so you should take it
up with her."
"I hope you're insured against disfiguring people against their will."
This upset her and she just muttered, "I'm sorry," before he left.
He returned to the office and went to see her without making an
appointment. Her secretary asked him to wait just a moment as she had
someone with her. He sat in her reception area fuming until finally he
was told he could go in.
As he entered her office he had a shock. Erica was sat in one of her
visitors' chairs.
"Take a seat Tammi."
He looked at his wife with a puzzled expression, horrified that
Christine had just used the name his wife had given him, but she simply
smiled back.
"I've taken into account your comments about the take over and decided
that you're looking to much on the downside and not taken enough note
of the tremendous kudos it will give the group. That alone should
bring in more business and it will cover any extra expenses that you
are worried about.
Now, I have something else to tell you. Your wife and I have had
discussions over the last few weeks. I need someone who will have an
oversight of all divisions and departments of the group, to ensure that
we work with the maximum efficiency. The post will be that of Director
of Services and I'm pleased to tell you that Ms Waltham has accepted
the position. I am going to move my office over to the suite at the
building in town that holds the administration staff at Jones's, it's
rather more prestigious for a headquarters and Ms Waltham will take
over my office here.
From today, you will report to her and she will pass on anything she
thinks relevant for me to see. She has already looked at your staffing
levels and will make the changes that she recommended to me, so she
will let you know about those in due course. For some time now you
have been getting over familiar with me, I never gave you permission to
call me by my given name for example. That's the reason that Ms
Waltham and I came to the conclusion that you needed to be shown who is
boss here before she started.
In order that there is no confusion, Ms Waltham has already completed a
change of your name by deed pole last week and you have been officially
Tammi Williams for several days. She told me that she allowed you to
keep your middle name in honour of your father, William, but she added
an 's' and made it your surname.
I know this is all a lot to take in, but I'm sure you will be happier
with this arrangement, after all you're not really an assertive sort of
person, are you? Now you will have your better half to guide you here
and at home.
Now I'm leaving to go to my new office, keep up the good work Erica."
With that she picked up some papers and put them in her briefcase,
taking that and her handbag and left, kissing his wife on both cheeks
as she moved round behind the desk, but with no further word to him.
"I am going to change my clothes back to male ones," he quickly said
before she could leave the room.
"Good luck with that, you're going to look pretty odd as a man with
make up on and it's the sort you can't wipe away." She laughed and
left.
"How long has this been going on Erica?" he asked once they were alone.
"Tammi, I think it best if you called me Ms Waltham both here and at
home, otherwise you might forget yourself and blurt out my Christian
name at the wrong time. Now then let's get down to business.
At the moment you have five staff but each division in the group has a
small accounts department, so I can't see why you would need so many.
I am arranging that each division completes their figures to one stage
further than they do at the moment and provide you with their profit
and loss accounts quarterly. I will leave you with one assistant but
I'm afraid the rest will have to go. You just won't need them.
You also won't now need a secretary, if you need any letters done you
can use the sales department typing pool or do them yourself, you'll
have lots of spare time. After all you will only be aggregating the
different divisions figures quarterly and annually, not monthly,
quarterly and annually as you do now and the balance sheet is only
wanted annually.
Because you will have a lot less responsibility, I have decided that
your salary should reflect the change but although you will be paid
less, I will be earning considerably more, so our joint income will
still be more than it has been.
Any questions?"
"Are you for real?"
"What do you mean Tammi?"
"Do you have any idea what I do here?"
"Of course I do, I've been questioning you at home for the last month,
don't you remember telling me how little you have to do? Not in so
many words of course, but you just move a few profits around mainly."
"That's because my principle job is analysis of all the figures monthly
so that I can catch something going wrong at the earliest stage. Many
of our divisions supply others from time to time and I have to have
separate returns of all internal sales. They all try to overcharge
each other, to make themselves look better. They say that it doesn't
matter, it's all the same business, but it does."
"No it doesn't Tammi, you're wrong and wasting your time. So long as
the profit overall is good, what does it matter where it comes from?"
"Can I keep Pat Coomber as my assistant? She knows more about the
overall aspects of the work better than anyone."
"Yes, I'll give the others notice today, but they can leave
immediately, I don't want any sabotage from them."
He got up and walked out of her office without another word. When he
got back to his, Pat was shocked at his apperance. Not only was he
completely feminised, his red eyes looked as if he had been crying.
"What's happened? Why are you dressed like that?" she wanted to know.
"The world's gone crazy," he told her, "the accounts department has
been closed down except for us two and my wife is now in charge."
Later that afternoon he was called back to see his new boss.
"I've been discussing the changes and I hear that you have been
suppressing the forestry divisions profit figures to make others look
good. I've told them that they can now charge a market price and
because they make far more profit than you've allowed them to show,
I've authorised an increase in staffing from eleven men to thirty one.
That will increase a very profitable division's output and we will reap
far more rewards.
Now that he has more responsibility the forestry manager, Trevor Wilks,
is therefore entitled to a substantial rise and a dedicated office
here, so he can report directly to me. You'll have to give up yours,
move yourself to what used to be the general accounts office so he can
move in.
I've also changed my mind about your assistant, you don't need one, Ms
Coomber can be kept on as the forestry manager's secretary. Give me
your car keys, you're not entitled to a company car, it's only managers
and above and you have no one to manage. Don't worry, I'll usually be
able to give you a lift to and from work."
It was Pat's turn to cry in sympathy for him as he moved his personal
effects into the open general office where he noticed some girls from
sales were also settling in. As he said goodbye to Pat, a smirking
Trevor Wilks was installing himself.
"I always thought you were a fag, Tammi," he called, emphasising his
new name.
That night she drove him home, but noticed that he was silent all the
way. She knew he'd suffered a blow to his ego, but was confident that
she'd soon get him as cooperative as usual.
"Aren't you going to congratulate me on my new job Tammi?"
He remained silent.
"Don't sulk, I'll tell you what, we'll stop at that new French
restaurant that's just opened and see what it's like."
She pulled over to a parking space at the side of the road almost
outside their destination and they went in to find they could have a
table immediately. The meal didn't go well. He couldn't face more
than a few mouthfuls and didn't give an opinion about the food,
something he had always something to say about all their married life.
When they got home she told him to get the bottle of Champagne out of
the fridge so they could toast her success. He opened it automatically
and poured her a glass.
"Come on, you can have a glass as well, Tammi."
"No thank you, I've got nothing to celebrate. I'm thinking of those
good people who haven't got a job tonight."
"If you're determined to spoil things for me you'd be better off going
to bed. I hope you thanked Ms Black for that expensive make up she had
used on you. Oh, and by the way, you're no longer on our joint bank
account, that is someone called Anthony Waltham and he's gone away,
I've advised the bank so don't try to draw any money."
He was totally shocked, but ignored her and went to bed.
The next day a man from maintenance came round. By then all the desks
in the old accounts department were filled by girls from various
departments and the man was carrying desk names bearing their job
descriptions; Sales, Purchasing, Secreterial and in his case;
Bookeeper. When all the women working in the room were told his name
it was Tammi Williams and none knew his relationship with Erica
Waltham. That was probably why they showed no reticence when talking
about her. Concensus was that she was obviously a stuck up bitch and
had no idea about the practicallities of their work.
"Why on earth are we up here when everyone that gives us work is in a
different building?" one woman told him.
Another said that the bitch thought all their work could be given to
them over the phone.
"That's crazy," another chipped in, "by the time they've read out what
they want ordered, they could do it themselves. I know they wouldn't
link requests, so instead of one big order for several people they'd
put in separate ones, but we aren't going to work efficiently anyway.
They won't splash out on PC's or Pads for everyone."
"And if we've got a quiery about a purchase order we've got to track
down the person and show them their requisition form to work out what
they've written. I shall spend half my time running round the
building," yet another told them.
He was called to Erica's office just before lunch.
"Tammi, looking at your workload now, I think that it will be enough
for you to work just until three thirty each day. I'm told there's a
bus that goes about five minutes after that from right outside to
within a few hundred yards of my house. I want you to take that each
day and that will give you a chance to do the housework and prepare my
evening meal.
When you get home today you'll find I've laid out a uniform for you to
wear while you're at home, on my bed. I've ordered some more and
they'll be delivered tomorrow with all their accessories. I want you
to put them away in your room.
The reason for this is that I've been thinking what you said about
being my maid. I think that until you can learn not to be cheeky to
me, that is exactly what you'll be all the time you're not working
here. Have my meal ready at six every night unless I tell you
otherwise. Oh, by the way, I have a guest coming to dinner tonight so
cook appropriately, we'll be going out later."
He turned on his heels and walked out without saying a word to her,
which from her point of view was rather disappointing. He did think of
something he could do, but didn't want to take drastic action so soon.
At three thirty he did as he was told.
He had another shock when he arrived home. There on their bed was a
joke of a French maids outfit. He was going to ignore it but decided
that if he really wanted to know Erica's intentions, he had to let her
have her head. He put it on, including the matching shoes with now
five inch heels.
Just like with the uniform, he thought about rebelling with the meal.
It crossed his mind to cook them egg and chips, but his pride in his
cooking wouldn't let him. He prepared a normal three course meal plus
cheeseboard. He was in the kitchen when he heard Erica arrive home,
talking to someone as they came in. He waited until she called him and
was humiliated to find Christine there with his wife.
"I put another two bottles of Champagne in the fridge Tammi, open one
and serve it properly this evening."
"I see you've finally found your vocation Tammi, but don't you normally
curtsey when you enter a room and when your Mistress gives you an
order?" Christine added.
He turned and walked out of the room to get their bottle.
"Come back here this instant!" Erica shouted and he was so surprised he
obeyed.
"If you don't do as you're told you will be taking the morning coffees
round at work tomorrow in that uniform."
He relented and curtseyed to them. He returned shortly with the
Champagne and two glasses, poured for them, then curtseyed again and
retired to the kitchen. He was both humiliated and furious but decided
to serve their meal and then go to bed. As he presented each course
the women lost no opportunity to harangue him and call him names,
mainly pointing out what a sissy he was, not fit to be called a man.
"I have a tame surgeon friend Erica," Christine told her, "if you
decide to go ahead it's no big deal to lop off all those nasty growths
between her legs you know."
"Oh that would be lovely Christine, she'd be perfectly smooth down
there, her clothes would look so much neater," she replied.
"Did you know that there's an organisation that arranges to brainwash
sissy maids so that all they want in life is to serve their mistress?
Bookkeepers are ten a penny, he could be replaced and then work full
time as your maid," Christine suggested.
"Really, do you have their contact details?"
All this was spoken in front of him so he hoped it was just to worry
him. When he was told that they didn't want any cheese, he cleared the
desert plates and went to complete the cleaning in the kitchen. Then
he heard the front door bell ring and Erica called for him to answer
it. Two men were standing there, one he recognised as Trevor Wilks
before he introduced himself and his companion, Mike Jones.
"We are expected girl," he said as they walked in. Tammi showed them
through to the living room, where the women were relaxing after their
meal. They stood up and greeted the new arrivals each with a kiss on
the cheek. They had three couches in the room and the men sat, Jones
on one with Christine, Wilks on another with his wife.
"Would you like a drink before we go?" Erica asked and they accepted.
"Tammi, open that other bottle of Champagne." He curtseyed and left
them all laughing their heads off. He hadn't thought things could get
any worse and they just had. He knew that things at work could never
be the same again, let alone the changes in his marriage.
After they had finished the bottle, they all went out without telling
him where they were going or what time Erica would be back. He
finished in the kitchen without eating anything, he was too sickened by
the turn of events, he just went to bed.
He was woken in the night by the noise of his wife coming home but he
ignored it until a while later he heard sounds of regular movements
coming from her bedroom. He knew what she was doing and what he had to
do the next day.
There was no sign of Wilks in the morning, he had left during the night
but Erica made sure to tell him to put fresh linen on her bed when he
got home. The only source of pleasure for him was that she had an
obvious hang over. She wore her dark glasses and drove very carefully
into the office.
He made a couple of phone calls then at midday lunched with Pat, going
to a local pub with a good food menu and sat down in a private stall.
"It's terrible Tony," she told him tearfully, "I've been groped six
times by Mr Wilks before I lost count, I'm just not going to stick it."
"That's not right Pat, put in a written complaint about it."
"I did, but your wife tore it up in front of me and told me to suck it
up."
"Right that settles it, have you got your car with you?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Good, I have someone to meet and I'd like you to come with me." They
went back to the office car park.
"We'll be late back to work, will it matter?" she asked him.
"No, and you'll see why when we get there."
He gave her directions as they went through the town, but would only
tell her that the person they were going to see would be a surprise.
It certainly was a puzzle for her as they pulled up in a wide drive
outside what could only be described as a mansion. A uniformed man
opened the door.
"Tony Waltham, I am expected." The man showed them in.
"Tony, why on earth are you dressed like this?" an elderly man greeted
them.
"Mr Black, this is, or rather was my PA Pat Coomber, Pat, this is Mr
James Black, previously the MD but still the major shareholder in the
Black Group."
Mr Black showed them both over to armchairs and offered them a drink
which they declined, explaining that they'd only just had drinks with
lunch.
"I'm sorry to come to you, but you know you told me to keep an eye on
things and I'm afraid they're about to go pear shaped."
He explained the changes, told him about the Jones takeover and his
opinion, and even the problems his ex-PA had with her new boss. It
took best part of an hour to go through it all, by which time they'd
changed their minds and were sat with a tea tray, helping themselves.
"Can you leave it all with me Tony? So far we've paid no money over
for Jones, I know because that amount would need my signature and I
know nothing about it, which means that all this is going off half
cocked. I'll call you tomorrow, is that OK?
Oh, I nearly forgot, do you bank with Westshires?"
When he received the affirmative to both questions he continued.
"Harry Banks is a good friend of mine, you know, the Westshires Bank
Manager, he would be with a name like that wouldn't he? I'll have a
word with him and get your accounts blocked until you can sort it out.
Is that everything covered for the moment?"
"Yes James, that's fine by me but I'm going to let Pat stay at home
until this is sorted, there's no reason she should have to put up with
behaviour like that."
"Of course, I'm so sorry young lady, there's no excuse."
"If you don't object, I would quite like to stay at work," Pat
responded. "If Tony can put up with what he's suffering I can manage
as well and I would quite like to be there if action is going to be
taken."
"That's no problem Pat, I hope you enjoy the show." He laughed and was
still doing so when they left to return to work.
Tammi wasn't even missed, but when Pat returned to her desk her new
boss, Trevor Wilks, demanded to know where she had been.
"To find out what my legal rights are if you continue to sexually
harass me," she replied, assuming that attack was the best form of
defence.
"Good luck with that," he laughed, but she was left alone for the rest
of the afternoon.
At the three twenty Erica phoned through to him to say that he would
have to find his own way home, she had a business meeting to attend so
not to wait up for her.
He had some cash in his purse, he knew his cards were no longer any use
to him, so decided to splash out and got a taxi home. He got changed
then made himself something to eat and cleaned the kitchen, bathrooms
and his bedroom, he left her bed and room untouched, making the point
that he wasn't going to clean up after her boyfriends. He was watching
the late news bullitin on the television when the door opened and he
heard his wife saying 'shush' to someone.
The door of the lounge was opening slowly then suddenly pushed open.
"What are you doing up?" she demanded.
"I live here, remember?"
The door opened further and Trevor Wilks, the forestry manager walked
in behind her. She took his arm and guided him to sit with her on the
couch then turned to him.
"As you're up you can get us drinks, two glasses of that good Cognac,
not the rubbish."
"Get them yourself."
"How dare you!" she yelled at him. "Do you want me to fire you?
Because if I do you'll be jobless and homeless and without a reference
so the only way you'll earn money is using your body. I hear there's
quite a call for Nancy boys."
"You are my wife and I own this house, I was left it by my parents and
your name isn't even on the deeds so if anyone's going to be homeless
it's you. Now take your boyfriend and get out."
"You think I hadn't thought of that? Your signature's on a quit claim,
naming me as the owner. Now get those drinks."
"Presumably you and your cohort forged that as well as my signature on
the deed pole?"
"I'm telling you nothing about that so take your proper place here and
get me those drinks."
He got up and started to walk out of the room, she grabbed his arm.
"You walk out of that door and you'd better not think of going to work
tomorrow because I'll have security remove you. I'm in charge now, get
that through your head and also remember that I'll have whoever I want
in my bed in my house."
He walked out of the door.
Erica was shocked, she didn't think for one minute he'd not do as she
said. He always did . He never refused her anything. For a second
she thought she ought to go to him and say it was all a mistake, she
didn't want to lose him. Then she realised that he would have to come
crawling back if he didn't want to live on the streets. Christine had
told her that what they had done was foolproof, people might suspect
that they'd colluded to forge and witness his signatures, but they
couldn't prove it. She was in total control of him now at work and
home. Perhaps she should have left it a while longer before she took a
lover, but she missed sex and perhaps had a little too much to drink
the previous night, so he just had to accept that what was done was
done, she was going to live her life.
"Fine, come on Trevor, we'll take the bottle to bed with us," she took
the full bottle of Cognac and glasses from their drinks cupboard and
led him upstairs. Unfortunately changing the bed sheet before they
could get into it didn't start the romantic night she had envisaged.
Tammi lay in bed fuming. He'd changed into a nightdress and was
listening as his wife was in the throes of orgasm with another man. In
the morning he heard them have sex once more, then get up and set off
for work. He dressed carefully, wearing a lilac skirt suit that he
knew looked good on him. At eleven, as arranged, his lift arrived.
When Erica arrived in her office she was surprised to see Christine
there.
"My father's called a meeting and told me that he doesn't want to go
all the way over to Jones office so I told him that I'd meet him here.
Can you give us a few minutes when he arrives?"
When James Black announced himself to Erica's secretary, she went to
excuse herself but he told her to stay as it was something that
effected her as well. He took the seat behind Erica's desk and placed
his briefcase on it in front of him.
"You're Mrs Waltham, aren't you?" It was a rhetorical question. "Is
it true that you want to take over J.J. Jones, Christine?" he asked his
daughter.
"Yes Daddy, I've spotted a marvellous opportunity and I've told them
that we'll get everything done and dusted by the end of the month. I'm
already shadowing their MD so I'm ready to go at the earliest moment.
Anyway, what are you doing here? I'm quite capable of running things
without your help."
"Have you passed this by the board?" He ignored her other points.
"I've had a word with a couple of the directors and they can't see a
problem."
"What did Tony Waltham say about it?" He looked at her intently.
"Not much, he was reserving judgement." She had chosen her words very
carefully, not wanting to be caught in a lie.
"What have you had from him?"
"Daddy, I have to tell you that Tony has turned a bit odd. He's
calling himself Tammi now and wearing women's clothes. I don't think
we can trust his judgement any more. If you don't believe me ask
Erica."
"Let me see what he sent you Christine."
She handed over her tablet that she had in her briefcase, opening it at
the e-mail.
He read it out.
"I STRONGLY ADVISE CAUTION WHEN DEALING WITH JONES, NOT ONLY WOULD WE
BE OVER REACHED, THEIR P & L ACCOUNTS LOOK WRONG.
I'LL GO INTO IT FURTHER BUT IT MIGHT TAKE SOME TIME.
TONY"
Christine was blushing, Erica hadn't known about any of this and was
surprised to see her strong leader lost for words.
"What are this month's figures showing? Do we have the anticipated
surplus or is the trend the same as last month's?"
Christine turned to Erica.
"Have you got those figures?"
"Err, no, I didn't think you wanted them every month, I thought
quarterly was enough to show trends."
"Get Tony, he'll have these numbers at his fingertops," Mr Black
snapped at Erica.
"I'm afraid he isn't in today Sir, he wasn't feeling well." Erica was
beginning to regret all those drinks the night before, she was getting
a splitting headache.
"One of his staff then, they're all pretty bright."
"I'm sorry Sir, but I discussed the situation with Ms Black and we
decided it would be a cost saving if we had all the divisions do their
quarterly returns in house, then all Tony had to do was to agregate
them just every quarter."
"Christine, I want you to think about the matter of this takeover. I
got a copy of that e-mail to you and did some digging, which of course
Tony would have done if he hadn't been so pre-occupied. J.J. Jones is
under investigation by the Inland Revenue and the Fraud Squad. Would
you like to reconsider your opinion of the proposed take over?"
"Daddy, I din't know, you know how careful I am, I would have spotted
it in time, I'm sure."
"Mrs Waltham, I called the forestry office before I came over. Why
have you allowed them to treble the price of their products? Other
divisions have to buy from them, so they will have to pay, but forestry
will sell nothing outside the group commercially at those prices, so
all their profit will be on paper and will reduce either the profits of
other divisions or they'll have to put their prices up and reduce sales
over the entire breadth of our company. Is that your idea of good
business?"
Erica had turned white and her mouth was moving but she could only turn
silently towards Christine for support. Mr Black got up from the desk
and opened the office door. A man and a woman entered.
"Mrs Waltham?" She nodded. "Please sign for these papers just here.
Thank you. To save you going right through them they are firstly a
divorce petition from your husband and secondly a writ for damages for
assault and thirdly a restraining order to prevent you approaching
closer that one hundred metres of your husband. That means that you
will have to find somewhere else to stay while proceedings are in
progress."
They left as Erica started to cry. Never in her widest dreams did it
occur to her that Tammi would do anything to hurt her. Didn't he know
it was only a game? Admittedly she no longer thought of releasing him
from his service to her, she was enjoying it too much, but he always
did as she wanted and now this?
Then two more men came in.
"Mrs Erica Waltham and Ms Christine Black, we are police officers and
require you to accompany me to the City police station where you will
be questioned in relation to an assault on Mr Anthony Waltham and
fraudulent representation of official documents. If you come with me
voluntarily, out of respect for Mr Black I'll not place you in
handcuffs, but if you refuse I will arrest you."
As they walked out, the women were shocked to see both Tammi and Pat
standing there watching. Mr Black called Trevor Wilks in to the MD's
office. By the time he got there, Tammi and Pat were comfortably
seated in the two visitors' chairs, Wilks had to stand in front of the
desk and face the wroth of Christine's father.
"Words fail me to express the way I think about your actions. You
assaulted a female member of staff and you have deliberately
misrepresented your division's profit by raising prices to a completely
ridiculous levels. This action is borderline criminal and it is only
my disgust at having to deal with you that prevents me reporting your
scheme to the police. As it is you are being instantly dismissed and
the only money we owe you is for work up to today and any holiday
entitlement. You will receive those payments in the next forty eight
hours. Now get out."
He left without a word.
The three left in the room all let out a long breath.
"Tony, I suppose I have to call you Tammi until you can get rid of that
paint on your face."
"I prefer Toni with an 'i' as I have to stick with the clothes for the
moment, if you don't mind James."
Pat noticed that Toni called Mr Black by his given name, she thought
she heard him do it at the mansion, but assumed she'd misheard.
"No problem Toni, now, do you think you can undo the damage my stupid
daughter's done?"
"It will take a while I'm afraid, but yes, I can sort it out. I've
already phoned our sacked accounts staff and they'll all be only to
pleased to come back, but I've told them they can keep the extra pay in
lieu of notice as compensation for their worry."
"Quite right, what we discussed on the phone this morning, would you
like to ask her?"
"Thanks James, I'd love to. Pat, I'm going to take over as MD, I'll
obviously help you if you need it but I'd like you to take over my job.
If you're agreeable it will almost double your salary, but obviously it
will involve a lot more responsibility. If I didn't think you could do
it I wouldn't offer it to you."
Pat was over the moon and the next move was to call a meeting of all
managers in the group that had been effected by Christine's changes to
get things back where they were.
All the while this was going on Toni was being contacted on and off by
his solicitor to let him know how things were going. He was given the
option of just suing his company, as both of the parties that damaged
him were employees, but although he knew he would get less from Erica,
he opted just to action against her and Christine personally.
He got a surprise ally when Zoe turned up on his doorstep. She made a
statement to his solicitor about how it all started and Erica's
motivations, both domestic and professionally. During the course of
the next few weeks he actually dated her a few times, that is he went
out socially with Zoe, but never more than that. It was after his
divorce was finalised that he asked Pat out.
The financial aspects of the divorce were held inobeyance until after
Erica's criminal trial. She pleaded guilty, unlike Christine who went
down fighting to the end. The result of that was that Erica only got
four years, three of them suspended, but Christine, who was deemed to
be the driving force as well as the boss, ended up with five years
which she would have to serve, less good behaviour time off.
The salon that stained Tammi's face agreed an out of court settlement
of fifty thousand pounds and the police agreed not to bring charges.
The result of the divorce was that Toni got his house back, together
with all their savings and bank accounts, less five hundred pounds that
Erica could keep. The judge had personally witnessed Christine lording
it over everyone when she won her awards, so was delighted to bring her
down a peg or two by awarding Toni more than a million pounds against
her. As a result of her father disowning her, it meant she had to
offer him her shares in Black's, which at the time were worth slightly
less, but soon far exceeded his award with the value he was able to
increase the group by. James Black also added to them with another ten
percent shareholding as a wedding present.
Toni stayed as Toni with an 'i' even when he and Pat got married. It
was only after the arrival of their first child that he hung up his
suspender belt. Not permanently, but not to interfere with
conventional family life.