Ivoluntary Secretary - Part 4
by Barbara Lynn Terry

Chapter 1 - Frank Brainerd.

Laura turned off the tv, and then both ladies went to bed. Paula was drained, because even though she voluntarily accepted this position, she was still in doubts as to whether she chose the right job. All of her life, Paula always thought that a paycheck was a paycheck, but, until now, had no idea it would lead to this. What was she to do, she thought?

She figured she could put her name in the trades. That way someone needing a computer expert, would see her name and call her. Him? Huh? What?

It is amazing what we think about in hindsight. But, Paula was in serious doubt. Today had only been her second as a female typist in an all female typing pool. Was she ready to continue?

Somewhere during her thoughts, she fell asleep, only to be rudely awakened by the alarm clock. She wanted to throw it out the window, but got up. She put her robe on and went to run her bath. She got out her clothes for the day. She took out her cream colored sleeveless sheath dress, cream colored lingerie, tan nylon, stay up, stockings and her cream colored, 2 inch heels. She sat down to do her makeup, while Laura got her things for her bath. She didn't soak in the tub, because she diidn't have that kind of time. After making sure she was clean, Paula got of the tub, pulled the plug, wiped the tub clean and went back to her bedroom. Paula put on her makeup by first doing the eye liner, then the eye shadow and then she put on a dual foundation/powder with a makeup brush. Making sure she didn't look like a clown, she got dressed. She already had her cream colored panties and bra with the lace cups on. Next, she put on her half slip, then stepped in to the sheath dress. She sat down to put on her nylons, and after she had them in place, stepped in to her two inch pumps.

Just then, Laura came from the bathroom.

"I will meet you downstairs, Paula."

"Alright, Laura."

Paula went downstairs and started making the breakfast. She got out the toaster struedel and when hers was done, Laua came in and put two in the toaster for herself. They sat there, eating their breakfast, when Laura just had to ask Paul thee inevitable question.

"Well, girlfriend, are you ready for your third day in no man's land?"

"If it is no man's land, then what am I doing there?"

"Because, inside of that male exterior, beats the heart of a woman. Male is only descriptive. What there is in here" she pointed to her heart. "Is the generous heart of a woman, who knows how handle men. That is something you don't kow how to do, overnight, without first you had some kind of training. You have been more woman inside than you really know.

"Sometimes, it takes to stranger to see you objectively. This is what Marie, I and the other girls have been doing. We were very relieved when you stood up to Frank Brainerd. That took a lot of courage."

"Yes, well, I got really mad at him telling me I have to go with him to a dance. I wanted to make sure he heard me good, the first time. When he came back, and told the officers that he was with Uni-Labs, I almost burst out laughing. It is a good thing Marie told the officers what was what."

"Well, Paula," Laura said, with an evil grin. "What say we get to the office?"

"Sounds like a plan to me, girlfriend."

Both ladies put their paper towels in the trash and then went out to the car. After buckling in, Laura drove to the office. She drove in to the parking structure and in to her assigned space. They went in to the building, and after showing their employee badges, they went up to their floor.

Stephanie greeted the two ladies as they came in the door and poured their cups of coffee.

"Good morning, Laura and Paula. Paula, I have already called the police just a couple of minutes ago. That letch Frank Brainerd showed up, looking for you. He said he would be back. He said you are going to go to the dance with him, or he would kill you, because if he can't have you, nobody is going to. So, I called the police."

"It's alright, Stephanie. I am going to go my desk and see how much work I have, while having my first cup of coffee. If the police show up before Mr. Brainerd gets here, have them wait in Miss Darnell's office. I will have my intercom turned to talk, so they can hear what is said at my desk. There is more than one way to skin a hot dog, I mean a Frank." The ladies giggled at Paula's play on words.

Paula and Laura went to their desks and started sorting through their in baskets. After Paula saw that she had a full morning of transcribing and filling writing orders, she placed the papers in two stacks, and began with writing the orders for Cynthia Stevens of Uni-Labs, Inc., to pick up.

Three minutes later, the two police officers who took Frank Brainerd out the first time, showed up. Paula turned her intercom to talk and asked the two officers if they would wait in her floor manager's office. They went to Marie Darnell's office and waited for Frank Bainerd to show up.

They didn't have long to wait, when they heard him coming in.

"Where is that bitch that got me fired?" He looked ahead and saw Paula at her desk. "There she is. Come with me bitch, we're gonna have a little party."

"I am sorry, Mr. Brainerd, but I have work to do. Something you forgot when you got the idea that that thing between your legs needs more attention than your stomach, your wallet, your bills and your rent. By the way, it was you who got yourself fired. You could have been a good salesman, Mr. Brainerd, but you chose sex over work. Now that is what I am doing here; working."

Frank Brainerd grabbed Paula by the arm and yanked her out of her chair. He started toward the door, when the two officers came out of Marie's office.

"Let her go, sir, or we will have to arrest you for kidnapping in addition to felony injury by conduct regardless of life." The officer took his tazer out, and started walking toward Frank. "I thought the last time we were here, we told you to stay away from here. What are you doing back here?"

"That is none of your business, cop. I'm taking this bitch outta here. Don't try to stop me."

The officer made like he was going to fire his tazer and Frank moved Paula in the way. The officer, who was a marksman, fired his tazer at Frank's arm, and Frank went down, again, like a rock

The burly officer handcuffed Frank, and explained his Miranda rights to him. Then the two officers gave Paula a show order for the district attoreny's office the next day. The officer told Paula that Frank was being arrested for attempted kidnapping, attempted murder and endangering safety by conduct regardless of life. He said these charges, when convicted of them, would keep him prison for the rest of his life.

"Are you all right, Miss?"

"Yes, officer, thank you for asking. I'm just going to get another cup of coffee and get back to work. I will be at the district attorney's office tomorrow morning."

"Have a good day," the officer said, placing his hand on his cap visor and nodding his head slightly. The two officers then left with Frank in tow.

Paula got another cup of coffee and went back to her desk. The first thing she did was turn her intercom to listen after saying thank you to Marie Darnell. Then she wrote a few more orders that needed filling, transcribed a few more doctors reports, and then it was lunch time.

Marie Darnell came out of her office, and announced that because of the problem with Frank Brainerd, and the nerves of steel that Paula shows she has, "I have asked corporate to give us the rest of the day off. Paula doesn't have any more work until tomorrow, and eveybody else is finished, too. I say we go to Kathy's and have a party because that creep finally committed crimes he can go to prison for."

Chapter 2 - Kathy's Bar and Grill.

They walked the short distance to Kathy's and found four tables to accommodate everyone. Marie told Cathy to bring the best brandy and whiskey to the table, because the girls were celebrating. When Kathy asked what the celebration was about, Marie stood up and said ...

"Because today, one of my girls stood up to a jerk and a creep by the name of Frank Brainerd. The police have him on three separate felonies all from the same incident."

"What was the incident, Marie?"

"Kathy, our new girl, Paula, was actually accosted by Frank Brainerd. The police were waiting for him in my office. Paula had her intercom on talk, and we heard everything he said to Paula. Paula asked him to leave so she could do her work, and he grabbed her and was going to leave with her, but the police stopped him with one of their tazers. They gave Paula a show order for the district attorney's office tomorrow morning. A few of the girls are going to go with her to show that Paula isn't the only one that Frank Brainerd has tried to pick up when he came to get the fill orders for his company. He was fired from Uni-Labs Inc., yesterday. This is the second day in a row that the police had to remove him. This time, though, it is very serious, so I called a half a holiday after corporate said it was alright under the circumstances."

"I am very familiar with Mr. Brainerd, Marie," Kathy added. "He has come in here looking for dates. I have repeatedly asked him to leave and stop bothering the customers, and he very angrily told me where to go in not so nice language. I was going to call the police, but he did leave, probably to go cause trouble somewhere else. I am glad he got fired, because now he can't fall back he lost his job from being arrested.

"Paula, would you like to play darts? You can make believe that the dart board is Frank Brainerd."

"Yes, I would love to play darts. Thank you, Kathy."

"No problem, Paula. I will bring you a drink. What do you want?"

"A pilsner will go nicely."

"Done."

Paula got the darts from the dart board, and stood at the tape that marked the line where you were supposed to stand, to throw the darts, when you were league playing. Paula took her time and carefully tossed the first dart. It hit just under the center bullseye. The next dart she tossed just a bit higher and it landed in the bullseye. The girls all cheered as Paula tossed one dart after the other. After all the dasrts were thrown, Paula sat down in a chair and began crying. Marie and Laura went over to her and sat with her.

"Paula," Marie said, soothingly. "It's going to get better. That letch is in jail, and doesn't have any money for bail. He will never bother you again. With what the two officers heard and saw in the office, the district attorney is going to have him in jail for a lot of years. Believe me when I tell you, that you were the only one who had the courage to stand up to him."

"It wasn't courage, Marie," Paula said through her sniffles. "It was anger. He made me so mad, telling me I am going to go with him. What he told Stephanie, too, was enough for me to warn the town that the British were coming. So, that is why I had my intercom on talk. I will take the tape with me tonight, because they want me there at 9:00 in the morning. I will give the tape to the district attorney."

"Alright, Paula. Do you want something to eat? It is lunch time."

"No, Marie, I am not hungry."

"Well, we will see. Kathy, bring us some sandwiches and salads."
"Is she going to be all right?"

"Yes, it is just this whole situation with Frank Brainerd. When she was telling him off, she didn't have time to cry or even be scared. She just needs time after this whole thing is finally done.

"I'll be all right. I just needed to get it out, before I screamed."

"Paula, if you must scream, scream. We will all understand. Believe me when I tell you that I have screamed a few times, when that bastard tried to pick me up. Go ahead, girlfriend, scream."

Paula let out a very shrill scream. Laura had a reason for telling Paula to scream. When a woman screams, it is a high pitch sound. When a man screams, it is a low, gutteral sound. Laura, after hearing Paula scream, knew that Paula had just crossed the point of no return, whether she realized it or not.

Laura is going to have to keep a close eye on Paula from now on. Whether she realized it or not, Paula has always been a woman. Now it is up to Laura to make Paula see that.

"Listen, girlfriend," Laura said to Paula. "This is a celebration, so let's not worry about what happened. Let's celebrate putting that creepy letch away for the rest of his life."

Wiping her eyes, and blowing her nose, Paula smiled a weak smile, and then got up and joined the rest of the girls.

"Sorry, ladies, so, what are we going to do now?"

"Well," Marie answered. "We are going to go nuts having a party. There is food, drink and merriment. We will tell jokes and stories and talk about one hunk after another. In other words we are going to have fun, fun, fun. So, ladies, let's get this party started."

There were jokes that kept the ladies laughing so much they had to stop, otherwise they would pee before they got to the restroom. She doesn't know if it was appropriate or not, but Paula told a joke about a traveling salesman who tried selling himself but wasn't very good at it. So, after failing to sell himself, he decided to sell his product, for which he was more successful. Then a thought crossed his mind. "So, it's the old sell the product gimmick." The ladies laughed and said that was what Frank Brainerd should have thought of doing. This went on and on, until Kimberly decided to tell a story of the day the milkman, and yes, the ladies groaned. But, she told a story of the day the milkman came by her house to deliver her daily ration of milk. How the milkman asked her out, and how she politely refused. The whole story lasted about six minutes, because there were some very intense moments involved.

"Kim," Paula started to say. "The next time the milkman wants to take you out, say yes. You aren't married, and you don't have any children. All you have is you. So, go out with him."

"Did I mention he is 47 years old, and I am only 29 years old?"

"No, you didn't, but what has that got with anything? If you have feelings for this guy, go out with him."

"That's just it, I don't have feelings for him."

"Oh!" Was all Paula could manage to say.

Paula went to tell Kathy that they would like two more pitchers of beer and another bottle of brandy and one of whiskey. She went back by the group, and said the order would be right up.

Marie wanted to know who was hungry, and everybody said "me". Marie ordered burgers and fries for everybody, so Kathy said the orders would be right up.

The orders came as Paula finished her drink. Drinking alcohol always made Paula hungry, so she made herself a small plate, and sat down by herself to eat it.

"Paula," Marie asked. "What's with the lone wolf? Come by us and join the guessing game."

"I don't know, Marie. I don't really feel like playing any games. It's this whole Frank Brainerd thing. Why is he even bothering with me? CIf I told him the truth, I'm afraid he would hurt me."

"We're here for you, Paula. You're one of us, and we protect our own. We won't let him near you."

Paula gave a weak smile and said 'thanks', but still said she wasn't up for any games.

"Marie, I'm not very good company. Would you call me a cab? I want to go home."

"Paula, do not allow Frank Brainerd inside your head. He is only doing this to get a rise out of you, and so far he is succeeding. You can't let him do that."

"I guess you're right, Marie, but he is the one who started this. I wonder how he would handle knowing the truth about me?"

"That's my girl. Keep thinking like that, and you will be able to enjoy the rest of the party. Come on, girlfriend, let's join the others."