The Women's Job - Part 7

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Monday was a very hectic day. I did call Ms. Castle and thank her, "I just love everything." I told her as Connie listened, grinning at me from her office.

It was Connie's idea, and it was good business, that any communications that needed to go to Castle be hand-carried, by me. She wanted me to have a lot of contact with Virginia Castle to help entrench us with her company.

Monday was a busy day but I still found time to call Christy and say hello. We made plans to go out Saturday evening. I told her I'd call her later in the week to confirm.

As busy as we were, I managed to sneak out Tuesday, with Connie's urging, and work out. I carried my workout clothes in the car now. So I could go anytime. I refused to change at the spa and used the men's room at work.

I knew when I went home Tuesday that I had to go to Castle the next day. "You have to wear something to impress her," Connie told me as we looked through the closet, trying to figure out what to wear.

"The plaid skirt is it." Connie decided. "With the cream-colored vee neck sweater."

I knew the day would come but I hoped it wouldn't be so soon. The skirt was styled after a Scottish kilt. That was its only saving grace.

Connie insisted that I had to wear the green pantyhose and my black shoes with it. I felt absurd when I stepped through the bedroom door. Connie thought I looked adorable. I didn't want to look 'adorable'.

A few people gave me some friendly ribbing but I knew they didn't mean it. It wasn't my friends I was worried about. As I drove my little red sports car across town, I tried to imagine what would happen to me if I was in an accident or got into some sort of trouble. What would happen to me when they found out I was on parole and threw me in jail. If I thought my first experience with jail was bad, it would be a hundred times worse if I got locked up in this outfit. Needless to say, I was extremely careful.

Ms. Castle was thrilled to hear I had come to deliver some papers, she was even more delighted when she came out to see me. "Dear, you look wonderful." I had to turn for her so she could get a good look. "What do you think of the line so far?"

I was ready to lay it on for her. "Everything I've worn looks and feels so great." I stepped back and touched the skirt. "I have to be honest, this is my first time wearing a skirt and I was a little apprehensive but it's so comfortable and everyone at work says I look great. My girlfriend can't wait to see me in it."

"I'm so very glad you like it." She looked at me pensively. "We're going to have to get you some new jewelry to go with your outfits. We have some lovely . . . I'm sorry Jeffrey, I mean attractive pieces in the collection. I'll make some calls."

"That's very kind of you. You have no idea how much I appreciate your giving me this opportunity."

"It's my pleasure dear."

I was on my way out, almost to the lobby, when she came after me. "Jeffrey, I'm having a party this Saturday and I'd like you and Ms. Sackett to come. You're welcome to bring your girlfriend if you like. I'd like to hear her reaction to the line too."

I knew I couldn't turn her down. "I'd love to come and I'll pass on your invitation to Ms. Sackett."

"Wonderful, I'm having some very important buyers over. I'll send over a formal invitation and some new things for you to try."

"I'll be anxiously waiting to hear from you," I told her. I wished I was as enthused as I tried to appear.

I went straight back to the office and told Connie how it went. She was delighted. "The party sounds like a wonderful idea. I'll have to buy a new dress, my nails are a mess. Jeffrey, give Joyce a call and schedule me for Friday afternoon." Joyce was the girl that came in and did her nails. As an afterthought, Connie turned to me and added, "Oh, and have her schedule enough time to give you a manicure too."

That surprised me. "A manicure?"

"Yes, your cuticles are a mess and your nails look terrible. We have to do something with them for the party."

A manicure!?

I had a hard time reaching Christy that morning, she had a shoot. When I finally did reach her, she thought the party was a wonderful idea. She wanted to know what I was going to wear. I told her we hadn't talked about that yet. She made me promise to call her when I knew so she could plan what she would wear. I told her I would.

I felt very strange, working in a skirt. The tights felt so alien as my legs brushed against each other. It wasn't that the outfit was uncomfortable, that wasn't it at all. I just felt so strange, it was a very different feeling. I had to remember to keep my legs together when I sat so I didn't expose too much. Thank God no one would be able to see what I wore under the tights.

That afternoon, at our shoot, Trish and the girls had some fun with me but I didn't mind their ribbing. I even played along, swishing my way around the set, acting like a girl. We had so much fun it was hardly like work.

I wore my new blue stirrup pants with the white cotton and polyester blazer on Thursday. The pants were almost skin-tight and Connie was right about my new undergarments not showing under them. As much as I hated to admit it, my new underwear was really very comfortable.

Around ten, Bobbie called from the lobby to tell me there was a messenger there and he had something for me. I asked her to send him back but she suggested I should come up and see him.

The young guy delivered my outfit for Saturday from Virginia Castle. He gave me a funny look when he handed me the garment bag along with the box in his other hand. Funny looks didn't bother me so much anymore.

I found out why Bobbie wanted me to come up front instead of sending him back. As soon as the messenger left, she insisted, "Let me see what she sent this time?"

Bobbie and I interacted a lot during the day and I liked her. I handed her the garment bag to open while I opened the envelope to read the note the messenger gave me.

"Oh my!" Bobbie exclaimed as she looked inside the bag.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's a wrap skirt, a blouse, and blazer." She said looking over at me surprised. "You're supposed to wear this to her party?"

"I suppose so." I let out a sigh. It was as bad as I expected. "I don't have much choice."

"Well make sure you get a picture of yourself. I'm dying to see how you look in it."

"No pictures!" I said laughing. There were enough pictures of me floating around the office. Terry had handed out some after that fateful day I filled in for one of the models. "Definitely no pictures!" Bobbie laughed with me.

"She's sending a limo to pick us up Saturday," I said looking up from the invitation.

"A limo!?" Bobbie exclaimed.

I picked up the garment bag and box and headed for my office. "A limo!"

Connie was excited when I showed her what Ms. Castle had sent. She wanted to see what was in the box.

The shoes were black, soft leather flats with pleats across the small toe.

The black pantyhose were not packaged like the other ones that had been sent over last week. They were Leggs, women's pantyhose. "She obviously couldn't get the ones she wanted so she substituted." Connie assumed nonchalantly.

A small box contained jewelry, including a delicate 18" serpentine necklace and matching bracelet, a set of three gold bangle bracelets, a ring, and a pair of earrings. The ring had a deep blue stone in a setting on a slender band. The earrings had matching stones on studs.

I was convinced that none of it was men's jewelry and Connie couldn't convince me otherwise. "Well, you'll have to wear it or she'll be insulted."

I knew that.

In the bottom of the box was a purse. Connie called it a shoulder bag but it was a purse. It was of the same soft leather as the shoes and about seven inches wide and four inches high. "I'm supposed to carry this?"

"Of course silly. Lots of guys do these days. You have no pockets in your outfit, you'll need to carry your things in something."

She was right, again.

It was after eight when we got home that night. I found the amount of paperwork and correspondence that Connie generated astounding. I was exhausted after our long day. Connie came in right after me. She found me collapsed on the couch beside the new things I’d dropped on the couch.

"I worked you pretty hard today," Connie remarked. "Why don't put your things in the bedroom and hang up your outfit so your things don't get all wrinkled. I'll make us a salad."

"I'll be out in a minute to help you." She had a tougher day than I did.

My appetite wasn't what it once was. A salad was fine with me most nights. We cleaned up the dishes, Connie went to do some laundry and I called Christy.

I described the outfit and the accessories they sent me to wear to the party.

"I'll understand if you change your mind about going with me." I was embarrassed about going out in the outfit. I could only imagine what Christy was thinking.

She surprised me. "Are you kidding? You invited me and you're not going to get out of taking me."

"Really? You don't mind being seen with me in my skirt?"

"Mind? I wouldn't miss it for the world. Just wait till you see what I'm going to wear."

I couldn't imagine. We talked for a few more minutes, making the final arrangements for Saturday and then we said goodnight.

Connie and I changed to watch TV for a while. I went in to get ready for bed at ten when the show was over that we were watching.

Connie heard me cry out from the bathroom and came hurrying in to see what was wrong. I was holding my chest. "What's wrong!?"

I tried to pretend it was nothing. "I'm fine. I just bumped myself." I didn't want to tell her that I had barely banged it and it made me see stars.

"Let me see." She insisted.

I was sure there was nothing to see. "I'm fine now, really!"

"Open your robe, Jeffrey." She stood impatiently waiting.

There was a good reason not to do that. I only had underwear on underneath, my new underwear and I had on a red pair.

"Enough of this." She insisted. "Let me have a look at you."

I gave in. My hands were on my chest and I put them down at my sides. My robe fell open. She paid no attention to what I was wearing, pretending it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I don't see anything." She looked closely. "Where did you bang yourself?"

I pointed to my upper chest, right around my nipple. "There's no marks."

"I don't know why it hurt like that. I've been a little sensitive there lately but nothing like it felt just now."

"You've been sensitive right there?" She asked, pointing to the right side of my chest.

"Both sides," I explained. "I thought it would pass but it seems to be getting more sensitive instead of less."

"You're going to go to the doctor and have him look at you." She stated flatly. She stepped back and I closed my robe again.

"I don't have a doctor." I hadn't needed one since I came down.

"That's alright, I'll get a referral from my doctor. I'll call her first thing in the morning and see if we can't get you an appointment somewhere."

I would have to dress as conservatively as possible tomorrow to go and see a doctor. If I ran home from work first, I could change into my jeans and a colored tee. That didn't cure the problem with my underwear. All my old underwear was gone. I would just have to put on a white pair and pray he didn't want to check me down there.

"So what did he say?" Connie asked when I got back to the office.

"He didn't know. He poked around, asked me a few questions, and took some blood. He said the results wouldn't be back till Monday."

"What kind of questions did he ask?"

"He wanted to know about my general health and whether my weight was normal for me. He seemed a little concerned that I’m so skinny."

"Anything else?"

"He asked me if I was taking steroids or any kind of drugs. He didn't know what could be causing the sensitivity since I told him I wasn't taking anything." I didn't even give my vitamins a thought. Besides, they were just vitamins.

"So did he tell you to do anything special?"

"He said it would probably pass and the swelling should go down on its own."

"Swelling?"

"Oh, he said I had a little swelling around my . . . "

"Where?"

"Around my nipples but he wasn't worried about it."

"We'll keep an eye on it."

I was content to let the whole thing drop. I was sure it was nothing.

I met Joyce later that morning. She was the girl that came in to do Connie's nails and give me a manicure. "Can you do anything with them?" Connie asked her when she sat down to look at my hands after finishing with Connie's nails.

"They're pretty bad." She told Connie. Turning to me, she said, "You should take better care of your nails."

I had bitten them for years. I only stopped about a year ago but with all the anxiety I'd been feeling lately, I had started again.

"The only thing I can do Jeffrey is to put on some acrylics. It's the only way I'll be able to make them presentable."

"Fake nails?" I asked apprehensively.

"You won't even be able to tell they're fake," Carol reassured me.

"Go ahead, Joyce. He needs to have something done for the party tomorrow." Connie turned to me. "Go ahead in my office where you'll have some privacy and don't give Joyce a hard time Jeffrey. She knows what she's doing."

I watched as she spread the mixture on my nails and out over the little forms. I was scared when I thought she was going to leave them so long. I was relieved when she filed them back, almost even with my fingertips.

"What's that for?" I asked as she brought out her tray of polishes.

"Don't worry Jeffrey. I'm just going to put on a few coats of clear polish to protect the acrylic."

It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. They were longer than I'd ever let them get but they didn't look too bad. The clear polish had kind of a high luster to it. I wished she could have skipped that part but it hid the tips.

It took me a while to get used to them being longer. I had to get used to typing and having my nails hit the keys. I made a lot of mistakes.

Christy couldn't meet me after work. She left a message that she was in a shoot and wouldn't be done till late.

I was content, if I couldn't see Christy, to go home and relax. Connie had a dinner date. She told me there was a 'certain someone' she went out with when he came to town. I was very happy to change into a comfortable pair of leggings and one of my new light sweaters from Ms. Castle and just curl up on the couch and watch TV.

I called my mom. I hadn't spoken to her in almost a week. There wasn't much I could tell her except about work. The rest, I left out.

She wanted to know when I was going to come back. I broke the news to her. I'd been nervous about telling her but it was time.

Mom was happy for me but disappointed that I would be so far from home. She told me that Tina was worried about me. Apparently, she'd been calling and calling the old number, at the condo, without getting an answer. I didn't tell Mom where I moved to or who I was living with. She would never have understood. I knew she wouldn't approve of my living with my boss, a woman. "I'm putting in a lot of hours and I'm pretty tired when I get home."

"Well, you better call her." Mom insisted.

I promised that I would and after the usual niceties, said goodbye.

Calling Tina was something I was very nervous about. When I left her at the airport in New York, it was to be for just a short adventure. I'd been gone for over a month and I had no plans to go back.

Tina knew me better than almost anyone. She would know, when she started asking questions, that I wasn't the person that she used to know. I didn't want to get into it with her. I decided that it was better to simply not call. She would learn what I was doing from my mother, sooner or later.

I had Christy now and while I still felt something for Tina, she wasn't even in the same class with Christy. No, let Tina believe it's over, I decided.

I tried going to bed but the butterflies in my stomach, over the party the next night, kept me awake. I found some of Connie's magazine's in the living room and curled up in bed to read. The only magazines Connie had were women's publications but I found them amusing. Sleep finally overcame me.