Daphne

(21) Penny

"Ma'am? Can we talk?"

Penelope greeted Daphne as she returned to her office with Terri and Virginia. They all filed into her office and Daphne introduced everyone.

"I watched the video feed. Most of us on the secretarial staff did, and the rest have probably seen the archive by now. Ma'am, when I was assigned to work for you I'd already seen the emails. I thought my career was over... We're all proud of you for fighting and I'm honored to manage your office!"

"Thanks. We're going to be working closely, so, please, call me Daphne."

"Thank you! Just so you know, your in-box is overflowing with face-to-face meeting requests. More than eighty at last count."

"Eighty?"

"More. Maybe a hundred by now."

"Wow. I'm not sure I can manage that as one-on-one, face-to-face luncheons... OK, send everyone acknowledgments and inform them that due to the unexpected magnitude of everyone's interest in my private sex life – emphasize 'private'; that might shame a few of them away – we have to work out a plan to accommodate everyone. Assure them that my commitment to be transparent and to stay ahead of the rumor-mill is unwavering. Apologize for the delay and promise that we'll be in contact. CC: the email so everyone can see just how long the list is. That way they'll know we're not just stalling and it may persuade a few more to drop out as well. Got it?"

"I'm on it!" Penny spun on a dime and disappeared.

An hour later, there was a knock at the door. Penny let herself in. Terri and Virginia were still there.

"Daphne, I am more than just a secretary and receptionist. I am your closest confidant in this company. Hardly anything happens in here unless it crosses my desk on the way in, and again on its way out. I now find myself doing a lot of work to help you with something that I have not been briefed on." Penny took a breath. "Ma'am, I honestly don't really want to know anything about your sex life, but I find myself in the uncomfortable position of needing to know. Part of my job is to help you create presentations; I simply cannot be kept in the dark and still do my job. You need to tell me everything, particularly whatever it is that you intend to say to everyone else."

Daphne leaned back on her chair. Penny was right. She looked at her friends; they were nodding.

Daphne: "Penny, nothing that happens or is said for the rest of the day will ever leave this room, is that understood?"

Penny, defensively but defiantly: "Ma'am, nothing said in here has ever left this room as long as I've been here."

"I apologize for questioning your integrity. And thanks for being blunt with me just now."

"You said you like to dish it out straight and right between the eyes. Some folks like to dish it out but can't take it themselves. I wanted to see if it's a two-way street around here."

Daphne looked at her new assistant. "OK, here's a standing order for you: don't ever sugar-coat anything, particularly bad news. If I'm going to respond to a crisis I've got to know the full dimensions of it. Got it?"

"Absolutely!" Penny nodded. Inwardly, she was elated.

"Great! Now pull up a chair and let's get started."

A minute later, "When I was in college I worked for a man who sells kinky sex toys: B&D/S&M stuff. I was one of his models, but we didn't pose in photographs. His clients came to his warehouse and we modeled and demonstrated Leo's products live. The very nature of the work was that we were naked and tied–up while we were working. The pay started at $750 a day for two full days – 48 hours – of being naked and masturbated by strangers.

"But that is not the whole story. I can't explain it except to say that Leo's is so emotionally rewarding for me that I still go back there a few times a year. I took Mr. Flynn and his wife to Leo's last Friday evening and within a couple of hours they understood the attraction completely. I think that you need to understand, but we don't have time to go to Leo's right now."

Daphne glanced over to Terri and Ginnie. "Girls, care to tell Penny who you are?"

"I'm Terri, and I work for Leo. During breaks I visit the girls and chat with them, give them massages... I do whatever they need to calm down and relax between sets."

"I'm Virginia, a university student and I model BDSM gear at Leo's most weekends, just like Daphne used to. In fact, I was the model last Friday night; Mr. and Mrs Flynn enjoyed evaluating sex toys on – and in – my body all night." She smiled and closed her eyes, recalling the event. "I enjoyed their efforts; I orgasmed in their hands multiple times."

Penny was momentarily astonished at what she was hearing.

Ginnie continued: "The work is easy, often fun, and I'm really well paid. And there's one more thing: Daphne introduced me to you as Virginia, but that's not my real name." Ginnie gulped, took a breath, and continued: "At Leo's we all have noms-de-guerre – names that are not our real names so we can talk to each other without revealing our true identities. Everyone there, and everyone here, including Mr. and Mrs. Flynn, only know me as Virginia. I've only known Daphne as 'Tamara' until the other day. My real name is Roberta." She shrugged at Daphne and Terri: "I figured that you might as well know. I'll be working here soon and you're going to find out anyway."

Daphne: "You know your secret is safe with us." Terri nodded. "Well... Duh!"

Penny: "What's this about her working here?"

Daphne: "Mr. Flynn offered Ginnie ... er, Roberta ... a spot as a summer intern, and also a regular gig when she graduates next year. Penny, I don't mean to insult you, but I imagine you know how important this is: When Roberta leaves this room, Virginia and everything about her stays in here. Yes?"

The secretary nodded. "Of course!"

Daphne started explaining how she got recruited, her fantasies, and why she goes back. Roberta kept saying "Wow! Me too!" Terri spoke briefly about her role there.

After a half hour, Penny said "I think I mostly 'get' it. I've thought about that stuff once or twice... or more... and it makes me really wet. I've never had the nerve to actually do it – it's simply too scary for me to try it in real-life."

Daphne said "Well, we know a place... you know... if you ever..."

"Ha! No! No thanks..." The girls were all smiling at Penny. "Look, forget it. Anyway, I think your presentation is all wrong; it's muddled and won't work the way you hope. I have a strategic suggestion for your meetings: You've got to lay a foundation that everyone can relate to before you move on to talk about getting recruited and getting paid to experience them for real at Leo's, and everything else. Lead off talking about fantasies. That's where your story actually starts, isn't it? And it'll make the rest seem more like a pursuit of sexual adventures rather than being a stripper or a slut. I think almost everyone can understand a quest for adventure, even if they think the quest itself is kooky; far fewer are sympathetic of the latter."

"Penny, I'm glad you're on my side!"