A beautiful Sunday early in the summer I finally decided that I’d had enough. This had to end!
I had reviewed my life and decided I really had nothing to lose. Well, I liked the small town I lived in. The sea and the countryside were lovely and I liked the people in town but if the worst came to the worst I could very well live somewhere else. The place IS a bit isolated and backwards. For example the owner/CEO of the only major employer here, where I worked as the CTO, was the opposite of progressive. He even insisted on a strict dress code. Suits for EVERYONE in the office. No matter if you had no customer contact or the temperature went over 30 C. Of course the ladies had to wear skirt suits. Perhaps that was better in the heat but they weren’t too happy about the high heels.
Anyway, I had had enough. Going through my finances I realised I had enough to retire, even if I was only in my early 40s, (well, if I lived modestly) so why should I go on living a lie? No family, no responsibilities. Why had I not realised this earlier? I decided that if I was going to break with the past I should do it with a bang.
Monday morning I got up early and spent several hours making myself as beautiful as I could. Without being immodest I have to say that actually is not bad at all. The luscious hair that I keep longer than my boss liked is really beautiful in the proper feminine form. My features have always been considered “pretty” and with some expert application of make-up … My body is firm and strong and with the right enhancements any lady above 25 would envy me. As for the legs… Well, in my not so humble opinion they are the most stunning in town, especially newly depilated and in thin black slighly shiny pantyhose. Good thing too since during my vacation in France last year I had found this gorgeous silk suit, very strict and proper apart from the outrageously short skirt. As for the shoes: if they erred regarding the dress code it wasn’t because they were too low. A pain to wear but I loved them since they added that little extra to my legs. Not that I expected to wear them for long. I firmly expected to be terminated within five minutes from clocking in.
I can’t say that I was disappointed by the reaction at the office, at first. Everyone stopped working and just gaped. Then Anne, one of the mid-level managers in Finance, started applauding and said:
“Mike, that’s great! I hadn’t expected you to take this stand against the dress code. This gender-bending assault on it is fantastic. If anything will get through Mr Wainwright’s thick skull this is it. You look lovely by the way.”
That set the pattern. Everyone assumed that I did this as protest against the stupid dress code. Oh, so be it. I might just as well get fired for that as for the real reason.
I had reason to talk to Mr Wainwright just before lunch. Strangely enough he made no comment. No comment at all! What was going on? This wasn’t the opinionated retrograde I was used to. Usually he wouldn’t lose a minute before berating me.
Late afternoon there was a management meeting. After the meeting Mr Wainwright asked me and the head of HR to stay and come into his office. OK here it comes. He was just waiting for the right support to avoid making any expensive mistakes when firing me.
“Jeff, Mike here has made me realise that the dress code is a bit out of date. Please prepare a memo rescinding the dress code and just replace it with a text about being appropriately dressed for the function and weather. I’ll sign it first thing in the morning. You can leave now”
Jeff left.
Right. That just left me and Mr Wainwright alone. What was going to happen now?
“Nice suit. Where did you get it?"
“There was this lovely small boutique in the 7th arrondissement …” Ooops I just outed myself after having unwittingly established a great cover. Oh so what? That’s what I had tried to do all day long. I could see that what I just had said really penetrated his mind. There was something that shifted in his eyes. I could see understanding there. For the first time ever I had the feeling of really being seen as the woman I am.
“If you wear a skirt tomorrow please don’t wear that one. You can go now.”
He started reading a production report.
“Why not?”
Without taking his eyes from the report:
“Because those legs of yours distract me too much. By the way … if you have nothing planned for tonight … would you mind having dinner with me?”
Comments
surprise!
giggles.
Talk about inappropiate
Hey, don't wear that sexy dress and have a date with me! Hello, HR! That being said, I loved the sentiment and story.
As my old boss (female) used to say, 'That's nice, but what have you done for me lately?'
What's next on your story agenda, Bru?
Sincerely,
Santacruzman
Considering that I just posted this
there is quite a risk that you may have to wait a little for the next one. It all depends on when I get a silly notion in my head.
And yes, the CEO is behaving totally inappropriately. The question is what to do about it?
So...
The Boss wasn't as backwards as you thought, eh?
Oh, the title. I thought being "terminated" meant something considerably more permanent and irreversible, done by someone under considerably deeper depression.
-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)
By now you should know better when you see my byline
On a more serious note: When I write one of my dark stories I try to warn you.
At present I'm unlikely to write one of those.
Giggles profusely!
Lovely! Pictures please! Loving Hugs Talia
I had two ways it was going to go
One was the boss got the hots for you and the other is he's a very closeted CD and that's why he asked where you got the skirt. Either one worked. Reminds of the Belladonna story where the CD boss catches the closeted CD employee and outs him to the company so he can out himself later.
Commentator
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Actually
I started out with B in mind but as I wrote the story it veered towards A.
Just when you think
you know what to expect from a Bru twist, the twists get twistier - not that I'm complaining.
When I set out to be terminated
I was expecting a twist in there but I thought it was gonna be shopping information not asking for a date, if he wanted to be fired this could give him another opportunity to tick off his boss, or for a lawsuit to make his retirement a little more comfortable.
I knew something was coming.
After all, this is a Bru story. I still got caught by surprise.
Well, regardless of how it
Well, regardless of how it turned out for our "heroine", I loved it. Somehow, I see HER staying there and working, more likely as Michelle, rather than Mike. Either way, it works for me and hopefully for him/her as well.
And now we interrupt normality with a Bru story
After the story, the lovely sea and the countryside will proceed as normal, or a reasonable facsimile. Almost always a twist and a smile to a Bru story. :)
Sigh...
There goes a story that I worked on earlier in the year. Similar themes and outcome. Just never got around to finishing it. Now you beat me too it. Well done. A very nice short tale.
Perfect.
Samantha
It's so depressing...
... when a story comes and preempts one's own story. I inadvertently did that to someone with one of my stories. I nearly did it again (to Bru of all people) with a snarky off comment to another post, about a possible twist ending.
-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)
I love a nice short story
I love a nice short story like this with a twist. Nice obe.
Well,...
... that did not go as expected!
*giggles*
>i<
Best laid plans
A saying goes, the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. And his plans to be terminated from a job he didn't like by wearing the required clothing for women employees, backfired in a big way.
He hadn't counted on getting applause for his boldness, or being complimented by the boss of having nice legs. Or being asked out to dinner by the boss. Or, the unexpected consequences of a revised dress code.
Others have feelings too.
Supercute
This popped up as a random solo -- it's so cute I could die.
- io
It's nice...
... when a Bru story pops up as a random solo.
-- Daphne Xu (a page of contents)
Good thing that you found it then :)
To continue with the shameless self-promotion:
Since I have posted more than 80 stories here there might be one or two other stories that you like.