John Farwell

Blackmail Boss

London was windy and cold as Gillian Blake walked onto Graysend Road in the direction-indicated to her by an impatient Londoner of the women's residence where she was to live until she could find another place of her own.

Stone, smoke and rain help give the city as it is called by the people from the country it's special character, and on this winter day, it was quite gloomy, the young woman thought as she looked up at the gray limestone building which must have been white originally but had acquired Its 'antique' finish through the layers of soot deposited on its facade year after year by the numerous factory chimneys that envelop London in its 'pea soup,' ghost-like atmosphere.

Anyway, the residence club, as it was called, would have been pleasant enough in the spring, but in February, it just looked cold and austere, unfriendly and forbidding. Gillian began wondering if she had done the right thing in coming to the capital, but where else could she go? She had to find work, time to settle down and forget the painful experience that her marriage and subsequent divorce had been, and London had seemed just the place.

Gillian brushed away her gloomy thoughts with a loose strand of hair and determinedly grabbed her small suitcase and entered the lobby of the building.

She was assigned a room with another woman, a girl about her own age who was also divorced. When she knocked at the door of her new room, her heart pounding with apprehension at the idea of living with somebody else, a cheery and rather loud voice told her to come in.

"I'm Gillian Blake," she said meekly, "I guess I'm your new roommate.

How d'you do?"

"Hello, I'm Jessica Evers," the other girl said. "Welcome to the home!"

She laughed and her whole face seemed to light up. Her make-up was too heavy, Gillian noticed, yet she had a kind of earthy, jovial quality that she couldn't quite pinpoint.

"I know it's not much," Jessica continued, "but with a little luck, you'll be out of here in a week or two, no one ever stays very long in this place!"

"Why are you still here if that's the case?" Gillian couldn't help asking her.

"Oh, I move in here between boyfriends," Jessica said nonchalantly,

"which happens to be the case at the time, but just give me a few days and I'll be on the move again!"

"I see," Gillian added, not knowing what else to say.

"Where are you going to work?" Jessica enquired, "Do you have a job already?"

"No… no, but I've written to several places and I'm to have interviews tomorrow."

"Well, they need a new girl in my office. Do you type?"

"Yes.. at least I learned it in secretarial school," she answered.

"Oh… an educated girl, they'll like that!"

"Where do you work?" Gillian asked, not sure she would like the same type of office, but she did need a job and right away.

"It's nothing glamorous, but it's quite close to here and there are several swinging single men there, so that's a start!"

She laughed again and moved to the other bed so that Gillian could put some of her things away.

"Listen," Jessica told her as she began filling her drawers, "I know what you've been through and divorce is never a nice thing, but give yourself some time and you may learn to like your freedom again."

"How did you know that I was divorced?" Gillian asked, surprise showing in her expression.

"Oh, they always match roommates up like that and I've been divorced, so I assumed that you were too."

"Just a few weeks ago," she told her, "It was awful, and I'd rather not talk about it right now.',

"Alright with me," Jessica said, "but when you're unpacked, I'll take you to the dining room and introduce you to a few of the other girls if you don't mind."

Gillian put as many of her things away as she could and stored the rest under her bed, then followed Jessica to the dining room.

Jessica introduced her to several of the other girls and they all ate together. She was beginning to feel more at home, but the thought of looking for work the next day was scary and she confided her feelings once again to Jessica.

"I told you not to worry about it, dear. I know that I can arrange it all. Try it, and if you don't like it, at least you're working while, you look for something else!"

"I guess you're right. What time do you go to work?"

"We'll go in early so that I can introduce You to Mr. Wiles, the manager, and get you to fill out an application, so be ready to leave at about eight' o'clock, fine with you?"

"Fine, I hope it works out!"…

The next day, Gillian was up at six-thirty and getting ready for her day of job hunting. She hoped that Jessica's firm would hire her so that she wouldn't have to look any further.

"Up already?" Jessica called to her. "You're nervous, I bet! It always happens!"

"I just want to find a job, anything, and I guess I am nervous. It's the first time I've ever had to find a job and I'm not sure what to do!"

"Darling," Jessica winked at her, "With your figure and face, I doubt that anyone will even care if you type or not, so relax!"

She had to laugh, Jessica seemed so sure of her-self and she secretly wished that she could be more like that, more open and natural, more self-confident.

There were women and girls of all ages, some looked as though they were very poor and others looked as though they were show girls, heavily made up and gaudy, and some looked very much like herself, scared and confused.

They ate breakfast which consisted of a terrible porridge and scrambled eggs, then walked across the street to take the 'tube' that would leave them very near the office.

The tube was not very crowded that early and Gillian was glad, because she had heard so much about the pushing and shoving in London that she wasn't sure that she would be able to handle it the very first day.

They arrived at the office shortly after eight and Jessica took her directly to a small office in the back of a very large room that was filled with desks, typewriters and other office machinery.

"This is it," Jessica told her, "It's not much but the people are nice and they aren't too strict about lunch hours and things like that… you know it means a lot!"

Gillian didn't care what the rules were or how strict they were, all she cared about was getting a job that would keep her busy so she wouldn't have time to think about Peter with that other girl, and his handsome face mocking: "You are frigid… frigid.. frigid…!"

Jessica knocked lightly on the door and a strong male voice told them to come in.

"Mr. Wiles, this is Gillian Blake. She's just moved into the hotel, this is her first day in London, and she needs a job. She can type and I thought that maybe,she could take Alice's place."

"Well, maybe she can. Have a seat, Miss Blake, and thanks Jessica…"

Jessica turned and walked out of the office, leaving her there with Mr.

Wiles.

He smiled at her, watching her wiggle nervously in the chair, her skirt creeping just above her "Ever work before?" he asked.

"No sir, I was married, so this would be my first job." Gillian answered nervously.

"Oh, you're divorced?" he asked.

"Well, yes, I am, does it matter?"

"Not at all. In fact, I prefer it because then you may stay with us longer. The single girls get married and the married ones have babies, but the divorced ones usually need their jobs and therefore we can count on them."

"It never though of it that way," she muttered.

"How's your typing?" he asked, but he didn't really seem too interested in her answer, he was more intrigued with how she moved, how she held her hands and his eyes lingered on the large, full curve of her upthrusting breasts.

"About sixty words a minute," she lied because she had no idea how fast she could type.

"That'll do," he told her. "The job isn't very challenging, but maybe in time we could move you to something else. Well, Miss Blake, are you interested?"

"I'll take it," she said, not bothering to ask the salary.

"Good, fill out these forms and you can begin today."

Her hands were shaking as she filled in the blanks on the application and handed the papers back to him. His hand brushed against hers when he took the application and he grinned at her.

Gillian had never met a man like this Mr. Wiles, so sure of himself, and so obvious in his admiration for her figure. It made her feel uncomfortable but at least it assured her that she was still attractive and this felt good.

He showed her to her desk and introduced her to the other girls in the office.

"Watch out for him," one of them warned. "He's a big flirt and a pincher!"

She laughed and told them that she would be careful and thanked them for the warning.

"I see you're all set." Jessica said, "welcome to the ranks of the working people!"

"Thank you so much, Jessica," Gillian said, a real emotion in her voice.

"This really helps finding a job right away."

"Don't mention it, besides, I'm glad to have some one to travel back and forth and to work with."

Gillian spent most of her first day just getting to know the routine in the office, but when it was about time to leave, Jessica told her that several of the men were going out for a drink and would like her to join them.

"I don't know," she hesitated, "Should I?"

"Come on, they're harmless and besides, it saves us some money. We won't be out too long."

The girls put on their coats and followed the rest of the people to the 'lift'.

"We're meeting them across the street at this little pub. It's nothing fancy. but it's a nice place."

The men were already there when they arrived and stood up to let them slide in the large booth. Jessica introduced her to everyone, and one young man said:

"I saw you in the office this morning, and I must say you're the prettiest addition we've had in some time."

"Thank you," she stammered. "I know I'll like it there."

One of the older men ordered a round of drinks and she began to relax for the first time in weeks. It was a strangely exhilarating feeling not to have to worry about cooking dinner, or clean B house. She was in London, working on her first job and she could do whatever she wanted to, she didn't have to wait for anyone or on anyone., They drank and talked, mostly about the office, the men all looking for her attention.

"Does your family live in London," one of the men asked her, "or are you here all alone?"

"Alone, I'm afraid, my family lives quite far from here."

"I doubt that you'll be alone long," another man laughed. "Not with your appearance!"

She had never run into men like these in her life. They were so blunt, so open and obvious, yet she didn't find it offensive, in fact, it made her feel good. She couldn't remember the last time Peter had told her that she was beautiful, or even noticed that she was anything other than just there.

She was finishing her third drink when two of the men announced that they had to leave. but Jessica and two other were going to stay a while longer. Gillian's head felt light because she hadn't eaten anything since lunch and it was now close to seven o'clock.

"Stay with us," one of the men told her. "We can all get something to eat and then have some more drinks. After all, we have to celebrate your first night in London properly."

She looked over at Jessica to see if she was going to come with them and she nodded and said: "Sounds great, I'm for it."

Jessica was sitting very close to the other man who appeared to be about forty. He was attractive in a rugged sort of way and Gillian could tell that his hand was resting on Jessica's knee.

"Don't mind the lovebirds," the other man told her. "They're the talk of the office, but it's nice to see two people so happy together!"

She wasn't sure what he meant, but she was certain that the other man was married, she had seen his ring, and she wondered if this was Jessica's ticket out of the hotel.

They ordered another round of drinks and she knew that she would have to get something to eat or she would be sick.

"I'm starved," she admitted shyly, "and I'm afraid that the drinks are making me dizzy. Will we be going soon?"

"Anytime you say," her companion told her. "In fact, we can leave right now and meet them love-birds at the restaurant, how's that?"

Jessica looked over at them and said that it was fine with her and that they'd be along shortly, so she let her date help her out of the booth and guide her to the door. His hand was strong on her arm, holding her firmly so that she wouldn't stumble and she was grateful, because her legs felt like rubber and her head was swimming, but once she was outside, the cold night air helped clear her head.

"It's just about theatre time now, we'll never get a taxi. The restaurant is just a few blocks away. Do you think you can make it if we walk?" he laughed, taking her hand.