From Bank to Bordello

EXTRACT 1

 

"Ladies, if I could have your attention again? I may have some good news."

All female heads turned expectantly towards the CEO.

"The new government guidelines do allow us to retain the skills of certain female employees. There's a list pinned up on the notice board. If you have any questions, please make an appointment to meet with Jack Blenkinsop. He'll answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your attention."

For a second Gabriel Franklyn's piercing blue eyes caught those of Maria and then he turned away hurriedly. Jack Blenkinsop had been one of Maria's junior HR managers, a rather bumptious, arrogant kid who was over a decade younger than her and who'd originally been her intern at Regional First. All around her tears were starting to flow. Half the female execs were already on their mobiles.

Maria forced herself to remain calm and tried to focus on her immediate problem. She made herself go to the notice board but, as she expected, her name wasn't up there. Plenty of others were though. Her friend Carolyn for instance had been demoted from Marketing Director to a junior secretarial position in the Marketing department. Her replacement as Director was a male. The Deputy Director was also a male. Carolyn's own Manager was a male too. So her friend would now be labouring under three men.

Not literally, of course.

Maria had no choice but to accept that the memo pinned to the notice board signalled the end of her own long career with RFB.

 

EXTRACT 2

 

Jack Blenkinsop eased his executive chair back a little in order to see the faces of all four girls at the same time. Even his impressively large desk was struggling to fit the entire quartet of female figures now bent across it. He decided to start at the far left. He'd arranged them by order of their age so the first to go would be Shaz, or as she used to be known at work, Sharon Dworkin, a 32 year old, former Accounts manager at Regional First Bank.

"Why are you four girls here, Shaz?"

"We're here, Mr Blenkinsop, because we've been specially chosen to test this month's instruments of correction, sir," answered the attractive, busty blonde.

Sharon made sure that she answered in the bright, enthusiastic way that RFB's remaining female staff members were now expected to respond. She smiled to show Mr Blenkinsop how pleased she was to have been chosen.

Jack shifted his gaze to her neighbour.

"And which instruments of correction will you be testing for us today, Bethy?"

Elizabeth Greer, 26 years old former senior PA to his predecessor, Maria Sinclair, smiled back at Jack showing her beautiful teeth. She was only a year older than him but that was enough to magnify her humiliation.

"We have three instruments today, sir; the hairbrush, the paddle and the strap."

"And which one are you looking forward to testing the most, Bethy?"

Elizabeth kept a smile rigidly plastered to her face while she searched for an answer.

Nevertheless, he could tell her mind was thinking what a stupid question!

"Erm, the hairbrush, sir," she replied brightly, not knowing which answer he wanted to hear.

"Right ho." Jack grinned. "Hairbrush it is. We'll give your arse an extra ration, as it's your favourite."

"Thank you, sir."

Elizabeth's lovely chocolate-coloured eyes seemed to acquire a patina of tears before she hurriedly blinked them away.

"Fifi, what are the rules of engagement today?"

Fiona Wolfe, a 21 year old recent graduate from the local university explained them to him.

"We must keep our eyes on you at all times, Mr Blenkinsop."

"And?"

For a second there was a look of panic in her eyes as she fought to remember.

"We must keep our hands on your desk sir, palms down."

"Yes?"

"Oh, and we're permitted to wriggle a little and cry, but not too much," she added in a relieved tone.

"Hmmm, it seems to me as if you haven't really been paying attention young lady. Stay behind afterwards, I think you need a little more homework."

"Yes, sir, of Course, sir," Fiona answered with a tight little smile despite the obvious feeling of dread in her stomach.

Jack nodded; although Fifi was very pretty, olive skinned and dark-haired, she was a bit of an airhead. Quite how she'd got her degree in Economics, he'd never know. Not that a junior secretary actually needed any sort of degree nowadays. Just a nice face and the correct attitude.

He turned his head to the end of the line. There she was, his new girl, the 18yr old intern he'd personally chosen from several applicants. Lorna really was something special, a tall, stunning blue-eyed blonde.

 

EXTRACT 3

 

Maria logged onto 'Minder'.

She panicked. Where was her profile?

Then she found it in the 'Deleted' section.

A standard message stared at her from the screen.

"Subscriber, your profile has been auto-deleted due to the fact that you received 10 consecutive 'Down Swipes'. As you were made aware when you joined, the purpose of your profile is to receive 'Up Swipe' expressions of interest. Therefore, our Moderators suggest you meticulously reconsider your data and responses and reload them, along with suitable photographs. It may well be that you need to make yourself more enticing in order to avoid 'Down Swipes'. Have fun and good luck!!"

The words blurred on the screen as she began to cry. She put her head in her hands and wept. It had taken her 3 hours to fill in the form. Now she had to do it all again.

Steeling herself, she reactivated her profile and carefully began to type in her names, bedsit address, unemployed status, age, two marriages, etc.

Suddenly a message pinged into her inbox.

The direct message came from 'ANONMALE79764'

 

END OF EXTRACTS