Involuntary Secretary - Part II
by Barbara Lynn Terry

(Author's Note: In one of the comments from the last chapter, someone said that because Paul accepted the job so readily that he wasn't an involuntary secretary and that the title is misleading. I think the title is very appropriate. What man will swallow his dignity, pride and masculine ego, to work as a woman in order to survive? Not many I will be willing to bet, but working as a woman is better than starving to death. Because Paul was out of work and recently laid off, what other options did he have, but to take the first thing that came along. Thus the involuntary part, because of his need to survive.)

Chapter III - Paula reports for work.

Monday dawned too early for me, when Laura woke me up, saying we needed to get me ready for work. I looked at the clock and it said five o'clock. I tried to argue that it was too early, but Laura said we had to get me ready, and that I needed to take a very nice bubble bath, and then I needed to get my makeup on, and then get dressed. Then she said we would have just enough time for a jelly bagel, and be on our way to work.

She looked at me in my bedraggled state and said I was sure a sight. She giggled and said not to worry because she look about the same when she got up. I went in the bathroom, and ran my bath water putting in some apply/jojoba bubble bath. I brushed my teeth while waiting for the tub to fill up. After the bubbles looked like a mountain of suds, I got in the tub and slowly lowered myself in. I sat there squeezing the water all over me, then I washed in earnest, and rinsed the errant suds off with the sprayer. I stepped out of the tub and patted myself dry with the soft terry towel hanging on the towel rack. I put on some lotion and body powder, and went to get dressed.

Laura had my outfit alrady picked out. It was the black knee length skirt with the light rose top. She had a pair of rose slingbacks on the floor, and rose colored lingerie. I put on the hi cut panty briefs, and then sat down and put on my nylons. I put the bra on, and with the breast forms, took me a little bit, but I got it fastened behind me. I put on the rose colored half slip, and sat down to do my makeup. I made a few mistakes, but all in all, I did really well. I see what Laura was saying. Because I had never applied makeup to myself before, she knew I would make a few mistakes. After she saw everything was perfect, she said I should get in to my blouse and skirt.

By the time I was dressed, and my hair in a neat pony tail, it was six fifteen. We went downstairs and put a couple of bagels in the four slice toaster. When they popped up, we spread a little jelly on them, and we were off to work.

"Well, not a bad morning. So far so good, but the real test is coming up. You will not only be transcribing hard copy and dictation, but you will have to interact with your customers. You will be given a list of clients that do business with us, and you will either keep them as customers or they will soon tire of us and go to someone else. So the success of whether they stay with us or not, is up to you. Nobody else can tell you how to interact with your clients.

"Miss Darnell is going to be watching you like a hawk. She told me Friday that because you have the right attitude and you are willing to learn how to live as a woman, is the reason she hired you. When you were in her office talking with her, Stephanie told me that she wished you would get the job. She said many men wouldn't be able to pull of the feminine look, but you are so feminine looking, even in guy clothes, that you could be accepted anywhere as a natural female. Anway, if you look in your purse, you will see I transferred all of your things from your wallet in there. I also got you a lavender ladies wallet that fits nicely in your purse.

"One other thing. When you get up from your desk to use the ladies room, remember to always take your purse with you. A lady's purse is her life, because it has all of her identification in there as well as her credit cards, if any. I put all of that in your purse, and a little money that you can use to buy your lunch with. After you get your first check, I will go over a budget with you, so that you will have enough money to last til the next paycheck. Well, here we are Paula. Zero hour is upon us."

Laura parked in the parking spot that was the same number as her employee parking sticker. These stickers were issued for the life of the employment with the company. When we had to go the main branch, we parked in the guest parking lot, near the building. When security checked our parking stickers against their company master sheet, they would know that we were employees of the company, there on business.

As we got off of the elevator, Stephanie greeted us with a cup of piping hot coffee. "Good morning Laura, Paula. You look especially radiant today Paula. I just knew you were one of us when I first met you." I cringed a little, and thought that yes I am dressed, living and working as a woman. But what other options were open to me?

I just smiled at her and said, "Thank you, Stephanie."

Laura showed me to my desk, that was three rows and almost at the front, near Marie Darnell's office. I was shown my dictation machine, and I was shown my list of clients. This particular floor transcribed medical documents and intereacted with the chemical companys that made medicines. It was our job to tell them which doctors and hospitals needed more samples to give to patients. One such customer I was told to watch out for because their salesman was a wolf. He thought he was thee God's gift to women. Laura cautioned me not to get into a compromising situation with him, and never meet him at his hotel room. She said his name was Frank, and I would know him as soon as he walked in, because he would try his hardest to get me on a date so he could get me in bed.

I didn't have long to wait to meet Frank. He came in about eleven o'clock and was talking to Stephanie, when I saw her point me out. He looked over at me and smiled. Then he came over by my desk.

"Hey cutie, you're new here. Name's Frank and I sell for Uni-Labs, Inc. Say you know something, there's a dance at the Friar's Club. I'm a member. Would allow me the honor of escorting you to the dance, m'lady?"

"Hmmm, so proper and gentlemanly. How can a girl refuse." He started to smile, but then I excused myself. "If you will excuse me, uhm, Frank, I have to get these letters in to Miss Darnell. It was nice meeting you, and you know the way out. Right?"

"Does this mean you're not going to the dance with me?" I just rolled my eyes and he got the message.

I took the letters in by Miss Darnell for her signature, before sending them out.

"Excuse me, Miss Darnell, but here are the letters you wanted to look at and sign."

"Thank you, Paula. I see you had your first run in with that letch Frank. You did right by refusing to go to the dance with him, because he expects favors. Laura taught you well. Here you go, make sure they go out in the evening mail."

"Yes, ma'am." I left to go back to my desk and put the envelopes in the printer to print out the addresses where the letters had to go. Then I put the letters in the proper envelopes, and took them to the mail chute.

Since the mail chute was by Stephanie's desk, I poured myself a cup of coffee, and put the creamer and sugar in, and went back to my desk. I saw Stephanie smile, because she didn't have to get me my coffee. I figured I would make about three maybe four trips to the mail chute, and I could get my coffee then. Oh I know. I'm a rebel and don't listen too well. But hey, I'm right there, so why not get it myself? It doesn't take long.

After I got back to my desk, the phone rang. It was a lady from Uni-Labs, Inc., asking me what was the problem with Frank. I told her, and all she said was, "oh". She hung up without another word, and when Frank came back in, he was smiling from ear to ear.

"So, sweets, how about coming to that dance with me?"

"Alright, I may have to be nice to you when we are conducting business. But this isn't business, and for my money you can sink in a pit of quicksand. You are rude, crude, and a jerk. Now, leave me alone, before I call security and have them escort you out of the building. By the way, I talked to Sandra at your office. She said she will take care of you when you get back. So shouldn't you go and get your spanking, little boy?"

"I will tell Marie that you are being rude to the customer."

"She already knows that and said I was right in turning you down for the dance. She said you want favors from the girls you take out. Is that true?"

"Well, if I'm going to spend my money on a girl, the least she can do is let me get a little."

"Get out!!! I am calling your office to see if you can be replaced. You apparently have no respect for women. We are not sex objects for you to get your jollies off with. We are human beings, and we deserve the respect as such. Now you get out of here before I call security."

He went to Marie's office and knocked on the door. After being told to come in, he entered and closed the door. He was in there less than three minutes, when we all heard Marie say; "And you will not be bothering any of my girls again. Paula is right in telling you off. You are nothing a letcherous fool, and I am calling your office and having you replaced. You had better leave now, or security will escort you from the building."

"Awww c'mon Marie, it's me Frank, your old friend."

Marie Darnell pressed the call button for security. Two me in police like uniforms came in a took Frank out of the office. As he was leaving, he looked back and said; "this isn't over. Nobody throws Frank Brainerd out."

After they had Frank off of the floor, I heaved a big sigh. Not that I would have backed down from him in a fist-to-fist fight, but I promised Marie and Laura that I would be a lady and behave like one. But with guys like Frank, it is so hard at times not to just hit him once where it counts, and have him out for the count. But being a lady now, I am supposed to be above such brutish things. But it is so damn hard though.

I sat there and thougth as I did my work. What is it that I have gotten myself into? I mean on Friday I was guy looking for work, and now I am a woman working in a typing pool. Life just seems to go from strange to stranger. Instead of stranger than fiction, it should be stranger than reality, because this reality really sucks. I guess fighting off men's advances is part of being a woman, so here I am. Is it fair that the only job open was for a woman, and that Marie hired me because of my typing ability? Or was it also because of my looks too? I can't help the way this body grew, or didn't grow.

So maybe this is the only job I can get for the time being, but it could be worse. I could be starving to death and homeless. I finished the reports for Uni-Labs, Inc., and put them in my out basket. I then turned my attention to Dr. Robert Frost (no relation to the famous poet). I had to transcribe his medical reports, and get them back to him by Friday. This was an interesting job, really. It had so many facets to it, that it kept me from getting bored. I also had to deal with the phone calls from customers wanting to know who needed what supplies. By the time five o'clock came around, I was thoroughly bushed, and could use a nice drink.

As I was covering my computer for the night, Marie came out and congratulated me on a job well done. She also told me that Frank was being replaced by a woman named Cynthia. Marie said she was told that Cynthia had a good sense of humor, but also took care of business.

"So, Paula, are you ready to join the girls for a after work drink?"

"Yes, Miss Darnell."

"The work day is over, you can call me Marie. We go over to Kathy's and have a couple before going home. After a hard day at the office, this is what we need to unwind. You did very well today, Paula. Laura didn't have to tell you what to do at all."

"Like I said, Marie, I work on office computers. So I have seen first hand how the secretaries do their jobs. There were a few words on Dr. Frost's reports that I had to squint to figure out. But, it was an interesting experience."

"Paula, the reason I hired you, is because you were willing to obey our rules, and conduct yourself like a lady. Most men would rather starve than put on a dress and high heels and work as a woman. But I saw something else in you, too. You are delicate boned, have nice feminine features, and a high voice. Anybody talking to you would think you are a genetic woman. As far as we are concerned, you are. I am proud of the way you handled that letch Frank. It is like you have been a woman all of your life."

"Well, no, I haven't. But you see Marie, I swallowed my pride when I was laid off from my other job. I said that a job is a job, and if you get hired, you do the job well. Well, wearing women's clothes, and being treated like a woman by men and each other, I just look at it as something that I am compelled to do in order to survive and pay my bills and eat. If I have to learn a new way to live by being employed as a woman, then so be it. But right for now, I have no complaints. I mean, if there had been a computer maintenance position open I would have preferred that over working as a woman in a female typing pool. But I had no choice, and here I am, high heels and all." We all giggled, and then we went down three blocks to Kathy's. Believe it or not, Kathy's was a smokless bar, because Kathy wanted her customers to enjoy themselves without having to breathe in someone else's smoke. She had a lot of customers because of it. When we walked in Kathy greeted us.

"Hi girls. I see you have a new member to the group."

"Yes. Kathy this is Paula, and I just hired her to fill Carmen's vacancy." Carmen I was told, was an hispanic woman that liked to tell the men off, even the higher ups in the company so they fired her. That was why the ad was in the paper.

"Well Paula, I'm Kathy, and I run a very decent place here. There is no smoking, and there really isn't much swearing or cussing that goes on either. I mainly have women customers because the men feel if they go to a bar that entitles them to smoke and try to pick up one night dates. And the swearing and cussing they do with every other word we can do without. The men that do come in here respect my rules, and they get along very well. So welcome to my little place in the world, and I hope you like it here."

"Thank you, Kathy, I'm sure I will."

Kathy and Marie played bar dice, and in this bar you only played for fun. Stephanie, Laura, Sonnie, Tammy and I sat at one of the tables, and we were talking about how I liked my job so far.

Sonnie is really outgoing, and has definite ways that a woman is supposed to look to be her ultimate feminine best. Her auburn hair was immaculate in a high pony tail, and her clothes were the best she could buy. In other words, expensive.

Tammy was just the opposite of Sonnie. She was more laid back, and seemed to enjoy the things and people around her. She has pitch black hair that shines, and her clothes are colorful, but not that expensive.

"So, Paula, how do you like working for the Iron Maiden?"

"Iron Maiden?"

"Yeah, that's what we call Marie when we're working."

"I like working for Marie, Tammy. She may require certain things when we are working, but I bet that is so she doesn't have to have her male supervisor coming on the floor so much. As long as we do our jobs well, all we have to worry about is Marie."

"You'll do," Sonnie said with an evil grin.

"What do you mean by that, Sonnie?"

"Well, several of the girls were wondering why a man would take a job as a woman. But listening to you, and seeing how you act in public, I think you will work out perfectly."

"I still don't get what you mean."

"Well, several of the girls and I want to know if you will join our aerobics class that we go to twice a week. There won't be any outsiders, just us from work. See, we figure if you're willing to work as a woman, then you should exercise like a woman. Let me ask you something, though. Do you do any exercising at all?"

"I jog, power walk with two pound weights in each hand. I like to go swimming, and I play tennis on the weekends with a friend of mine."

"With all of that, and you still have a modest feminine figure. That is interesting. So, would you be willing to join our aerobics class? The fee is only thirty-five dollars for three months."

"I don't see why not, Sonnie. I do like to keep in shape."

"Paula, I play tennis too. Do you think that your friend would like to do a doubles match?"

"I can ask him, Laura. I don't see why not though, and I think that the aerobics classes would do a lot of good too."

"Great!" exclaimed Tammy, jumping up and down in her seat.

"Get a grip, girl," Laura said to Tammy. "I know you're exicted to have Paula in our class, but it is only a class after all. You make it seem that she is agreeing to be a bride's maid at your wedding."

"I would invite her, Laura, but I'm already married." We all giggled, and then Marie came over.

"Well girls, did she agree?"

"Yes, Marie, she did. She even plays tennis too."

"Paula, you play tennis?" I nodded. "Would you like to do me a big favor?"

"Like what, Marie."

"Like have blood drawn, and sent to our company doctor. If you exercise by playing tennis, and you still have these feminine features, I'm interested in finding out a few things. It may be nothing, but I am curious. Do you jog, lift weights, or do any heavy lifting?"

"Yes. I lift weights, but only in my weight class though. I don't do real heavy lifting like the macho guys do, but I left in my weight class to keep in shape. I jog, and I power walk with two pound weights in each hand, and then there is my tennis."

"So you lift weights, and your arms are still that round. You don't seem to have the muscles most men have. I'm not making fun of you, but these are things a woman notices about men. You're more female than you think you are."

"Why do you say that, Marie?"

"Because with all of the exercising you do, and the lifting weights, you should have bigger biceps, but your upper arms are round like ours. They aren't bulky. Most men that lift weights, get to where the weights they are lifting get too light for them, so they go to the next higher weight. That is why I can't figure out how you still have a feminine figure, soft skin, feminine muscles, and you have very angelic features and a high voice. What I am wondering if maybe you are intersexed, but just don't realize it. That is why I want you to go to the hospital lab and have blood drawn, so we can find out.

"Honey, if your blood shows that you are female, then we can do something about that. You are the first man I have ever hired, but it doesn't mean that I am clueless about other people who others call "different". If you are intersexed, then we can have the company pay for a maternity leave, so you can have the surgery to correct what needs to be corrected and that will also give you time to heal. Some of the girls who take maternity leave also work at home, and fax in their completed transcriptions.

"If this is what is happening to you, do you think you could work at home?"

"I think that this is far fetched, but I will be willing to have the blood drawn. It isn't going to show what you think it will, but I am willing to do it. I can work at home too."

"That's all I ask."

Time was getting the better of us, and we said good night to Kathy, and we left. While the others went their way, Marie asked Laura and I if we wanted a ride home. We accepted, and Marie drove us home.

"Paula, do you think that maybe you are so feminine looking and have a high voice because you are intersexed?"

"I don't think that is what it is. Laura. I mean, I have had blood drawn before and I was never told anything different about my sexuality."

"Well, we will find out."

When we got home, Marie declined to come in for a nightcap, and left to go home.

"So what do you really think about what Marie said?"

"I don't know what to think. I have always had people make jokes about my looks. Some of the guys even called me cutie, or sweetheart, but when they found out it wasn't bothering me, they picked on someone else. So, I really don't know what to think."

"Well, we will see. Our doctor will write up the blood draw order tomorrow, when Marie calls him. Aren't you curious as to why you have never bulked out like other men?"

"It's just one of those things. Right? I mean, I just take after my mother, instead of my dad."

"Maybe, but no man can look like you and not have an abundance of estrogen inside. But, anyway, we will see what it is. You know, when I met you on Friday, I never gave it any thought about you not being totally male. I just thought it was cute that a guy could let go of his ego, and actually take the first thing that came along for work. But now that I think about it. We are the same size, and you don't stretch out my clothes like a man would, either. Tomorrow is Tuesday, and if everything works out the way Marie thinks it will, you should be in the hospital by Friday. Now, don't get me wrong. I think it's wonderful, and if Marie is right, then ... Oh! By the way, you didn't sign the papers for our attorney. I forgot to tell you that they were in Marie's office waiting for your signature. But you can do that tomorrow, when he comes to pick them up."

"Why didn't Marie tell me, I was in her office?"

"Maybe she forgot too. But when the attorney sees you haven't signed the papers yet, Marie will call you in. On your desk is a small console with three lights on it. The green light means that another secretary want's to talk to you, and you just press the ok button. Then she will come by you and talk about whatever it is. The yellow light means you are wanted in corporate which is on the eighth floor, and the red light is for Marie. Each time one of those lights come on, you just press ok. Corporate usually will call you on your phone and ask you for papers or to confirm an order. But sometimes they will use the light. Let's get into something comfortable and watch a movie. What should we have for dinner?"

"Well, I have had enough of pizza for a while. How about a nice chef's salad, and a goblet of wine?"

"Sounds good to me. You pick out the movie and I will make the salads."

We both went to get in to our nightgowns. I chose a baby doll with a matching pengoir. Laura chose a similar baby doll, and then she went to make the salads, and I started looking through the movies. As I was looking at the cases to see what some of the movies were about I came across a movie called Imagine Me And You. I had never seen it before, and looked at the case. I saw it starred Piper Perabo, and the way it was described was a lesbian movie.

When Laura came back out, I held up the case, and said, "how aobut this one?"

"That's one of my favorites. Yes. Have you ever seen it before?"

"No I haven't."

"I think you will like it. It is more a case study about a lesbian romance rather than the all the sex involved. I think you will see what I mean. Put it in, and your salad and wine are ready madame." We both giggled, and I put the movie in.

As we watched the movie I couldn't help but figure that this new bride was struggling with her hidden sexuality with the girl who owned the flower shop. The title was from the Beatles song, and you heard it now and then throughout the movie and toward the end. When the movie was over, Laura asked me how did I like the movie.

"It was different."

"What did you think about the glances each other gave, when the bride was looking at the photographer taking the wedding pictures?"

"I thought that this is where it starts to get interesting. Who played the photographer?"

"Lena Heady. I have another movie we can watch tomorrow. It is called Tipping The Velvet, and is set in Victorian Engalnd."

"Sounds intriguing."

"It's a wonderful movie. It was on BBC and then they put it on DVD. There are three discs to the set, because it was shown as a mini-series. It stars Rachel Stirling and Keeley Hawes. We will watch it on Saturday I think. If you're not in the hospital then. So, what say we get to bed, because we have a busy, busy day tomorrow. When the doctor calls in the order for the blood work, you go to outpatient admitting, and they will register you. You just tell them Dr. Corby sent you for labs."

When we got to my bedroom, we hugged each other good night, and I went right in and got in bed. I must have been more tired than I thought, because I slept through the night, and got up before my alarm went off. Well, here we go, day two of a new job working as a woman. *Sigh*.

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This is another short chapter introducing another monkey wrench in to the machinery. Will the blood work show Paula to be Intersexed? We will just have to wait and see.