Gothic-ah Fashions

Meegan and Dill stepped out into the evening, the heat of the day escaping from the sidewalk in shimmering waves. She walked the six blocks to her studio as quickly as her three inch heels allowed. Once inside she strode quickly past the security guard that replaced the receptionist at six o'clock. She went past the elevators and through the door that lead to her manufaturing floor. She strode past the workers that were finishing up their peices so that they could go home for the evening. At the front of the large room stood a table with a megaphone and assorted forms. It was at this that Meegan stopped. She lifted the megaphone, depressed the correct button and spoke into the handset.


"Can I have your attention please?"

When all of the steaming, hissing, whirring, and buzzing stopped, and all eyes were on her, she continued.

"I need your help. We have an order for two hundred of B-78319 and S-31458 that has just been doubled to four hundred." A coruse of mutterings and groans were given and quickly squashed as Meegan spoke over them. "If you will come in at seven A.M. each day until the end of deadline, I will give you three paid days off. If you come in for four hours on Saturdays you will recieve an additional two days. However you must be here by seven A.M. each and every day and every Saturday for the full four hours to recieve the PDO bonus. You will also be paid time and a half during those hours. If you would like to help me out with this, please give your name and employee number to you HR POC, so that she can get a list to me. I will need to know by Monday. The new hours will start Tuesday morning. That is all. Enjoy your evening."

Meegan turned the megaphone off, set it on the table and strode from the room. As she reached the door the machines started back up, so that each person could finish his or her final piece before heading home to talk with their families about this new development. She knew she would be back down here in an hour's time inorder to speak with her second shift of workers. Meegan ran two fully staffed shifts of skilled clothing manufacturers. The line she produced required extreme attention to detail and the only way she could keep an eye on it was for her plant to be close to her studio. Though Meegan knew it was getting close to time to either open a third shift or purchase another space.

Her thoughts carried her through the elevator ride. When the doors dinged open, her mouth opened and began to issue orders.

"Lucy! Take Dill to the park, he needs to piddle." She gave the leash to a tall woman in a black skirt and yellow blouse and a pair of rather ugly shoes. "Here's his bag. The poo bags are in a little black container. Take a while to let him play. If you want, you can get in the fence and play fetch with him, but I'm not paying to replace those shoes."

Lucy smiled at her as she took Dill's bag. "Lucky for me, I wore a pair of Nine West's I don't acctually like." Meegan laughed and continued into her offices.

"Jennifer, I need you to get on the phone and find a caterer that will provide breakfast for first shift at seven A.M. and a light midnight snack kind of thing at about two A.M. for second shift, for the duration of this deadline." The short woman nodded as she wrote Meegan's request in a notebook that was perpetually in her hands. Meegan moved to the cubical that held her supplies manager.

"Jacob, I need enough supplies for three hundred more units of B-78319 and S-31458. I need them by Friday if you can manage it with our usual suppliers. If not, go with our secondary. Also, I need three more tables placed in the breakroom on the first floor by Monday for the catering team."

"Yes ma'am. I'll get on it now. Mark's in your office. He's been hiding there since he called you."

"Thanks." Meegan sighed. She walked to her office and sat behind her desk, avoiding the eyes of her sales manager. With a deep breath she looked up and met his gaze.

"Of all the stupid things you could do Mark, this is the worst. What would posses you to approve a doubling of an order for two hundred blue silk spider web patterned brocade bodices? The skirts are no problem, but as things are now, I have to put my entire manufacturing staff on overtime, a huge expenditure, that this order will not cover. Why? Why, would you tell him we could do it in the same amount of time with out asking me?" She lifted an eyebrow at the tall man, relieved that his clothes were something close to normal today. She didn't think she could handle orange tube tops and purple hotpants today.

"I...I thought we could handle the work load at present pace."

Meegan's jaw dropped, and she worked it a few times before speaking. "You...at..." She cleared her throat, pushing her anger at the man infront of her, into the back of her mind. "Mark, we just finished fashion week. We just had a show, a very very productive show. We have orders that aren't due for six months because we are full to capacity. I have had to put orders on hold until we catch up. What in God's name, made you think we could handle it? No...no...don't answer that. I don't want to know." She looked down at her desk and took several deep breaths, when she looked up her face was a calm mask and her voice the same.

"This is the last time you will approve an order of this nature with out my approval."

"Yes, Meegan." Mark stood, smoothing his well tailored slacks. "I'm sorry, Meegan." He started for the door, with a soft sigh, knowing he'd gotten off light.

"Mark, I don't want to see you around here for the next week. This kind of deriliction of duty will not be tollerated."

"Yes, ma'am." His shoulders slumped visibly as he went back to his office to put is email and voice mail on the out-of-the-office loops.

Meegan sat for a while, simply breathing. She hated, absolutly hated, discipling her staff, and Mark most of all. He was a good friend to her and he really did his job well. Her heart hurt, and she continued her deep breaths, trying to keep the tears from falling. When she finally had a hold on herself, she pulled her rolodex close and turned the knob until she found the number for the client. Lifting the phone she dialed the number, hoping that the time difference would have him still in his office. After three rings, she was in luck.

"McGrady Interprises." Said a nasally voice two thousand miles away.

"Mr. McGrady, please. This is Meegan Masters of Gothic-ah Fashions."

"One moment, I will direct your call." Meegan listened to the grainy, badly sung, country music for all of thirty seconds when another nasally voice picked up the line.

"Mr. McGrady's office. How can I help you?" Meegan sighed.

"This is Meegan Masters of Gothic-ah Fashions, I need to speak with Mr. McGrady please."

"One moment, I will transfer you." Again the same bad song filled her ear, this time for abit longer.

"Meegan? To what do I owe the pleasure?" Said a deep voice with a heavy southern accent in her ear.

"Well, Brian, I'm calling about your order."

"Something wrong, little lady?" She could almost hear him sit up in his chair, puffing up to argue with her.

"Not presicely. I just have some questions." Meegan kept her voice calm, when what she really wanted to do was tell him, 'Hell no, I'm not doing this for you.'

"Oh sure, shoot."

She hated talking to this man, he was her stereotype of the southern business man. He played the game of Good Ol' Boy to it's fullest and it pissed her off to have to play it with him. "Well, first I need to know if you want the same sizes or if you have different specs for these."

"Nope, I want 'em the same."

"Okay, so four of each size instead of two. That's fine."

"Well, great, was that all you needed?"

"No, I'm afraid there is more."

"Well, that don't sound good, little lady." Meegan heard his chair creak, and she imagined him sitting forward in it, much the way he had when she was there, discussing designs with him. It made her feel small and and beneath him. Meegan straightened her shoulders. 'Well, I'm the one with the ball this time, not him.'

"You see, Brian. Your order doubling, puts me in a bit of a bind."

"Well, Mark made it sound like it wouldn't be any trouble."

"Be that as it may," She was -not- dragging Mark's name in the mud with this. "I still have to produce eight hundred units of two different designs. That puts a huge strain on my work force. You also need to understand that I do not work on one order at a time. I have other orders promised at or near the same time as yours. Now, if you want four hundred more units in the same amount of time, I'm going to have to put my people on overtime."

"Well, what does that have to do with me?" She heard the irritation in his voice, and knew that he knew where she was headed.

"I'm going to have to increase your costs by two percent."

"What?" He practically roared in her ear. "Now look here, little lady, we have a contract."

"You're right. That contract states that I will provide two hundred bodices at fifty-seven ninety-five per unit and two hundred skirts for thirty-eight twenty-seven per unit, by a certain date. No where does it provide for four hundred more units at the same price by the same time. If you want them when you ask for them, I have to cover my costs."

"That's blackmail."

"No,sir. That's business" She nearly cackled into the silence. She'd won and she knew it, she just had to wait for him to admit defeat.

"Alright, but if I don't get all four hundred uniforms by the deadline, I will pay you two percent less per unit and you will give me what isn't finished, with out cost."

"No." She grinned at herself.

"No? What do you mean no?"

"I mean, you will pay what each unit is contracted for, regaurdless of delivery date. Your units will be completed on time Mr. McGrady."

"And if they are not?"

"They will be. You'll recieve the new contract via courier Monday morning. Do enjoy your weekend, Brian."

"Yeah, thanks."

Meegan sat and listened to the dial tone for a few moments, the sound seemed as satisfied as she. The feeling was firmly damped as she pressed the button to hang up. She lifted her finger and dialed in the extension for her legal department, and told the man that answered the details of the contract and to have it on its way by tomorrow.

She then dialed for Human resources.

"This is Martha."

"Hey, Martha it's Meegan. Do me a favor will ya? Take a vacation." Martha laughed, she'd worked for Gothic-ah fashions for as long as there had been one. She had helped Meegan get the label up and running, and had done nothing less than everything, and had never taken a day off.

"Sure thing, Meegan. Now tell me what forms you need for Mark."

Meegan sighed, count on Martha to cut right to the chase. "I need a suspension with pay form. I also need the forms to approve three extra PDO's for everyone working over time, plus another set for two PDO's for those working Saturdays. And I need the OT approval forms and I need a requisition form to pay the caterers with."

"Sure thing. I'll have them filled out and on your desk Monday morning. Anything else?"

"Yeah, take a vacation." Martha laughed as she severed the connection. Meegan simply sighed, and rested her head in her hands. The room had gone quiet and she listened to the little water fall in the corner of her room. She had almost completely relaxed when the shrill of the phone had her nearly jumping from her chiar.

"This is Meegan."

"Hey Meegan."

"Hi, Rachyl. Look I'm going to be her a good portion of the night. Can you be in at nine on Tuesday?"

"Yeah sure."

"Ok enjoy your holiday weekend."

"You too, Meegan."


She hung up the phone and powered up her PC, she had a lot of work to do tonight so that the place didn't fall apart by Monday.

Rachyl pinned her hair back into a right, neat knot behind her head and ran her hands down her body. Nervousness prevented any possible arousal - and she really could have used the release - but she didn't want to be late on her first day.
Reaching into her underthings shelf, she picked a light green sheer front-clasp bra and tugged it into place, then stepped into the matching bikini panties.
She made sure her chocolate eyeshadow was not smudged, and pressed her mocha-colored lips onto a toilet tissue square. "I just know she's going to make a comment about me being all in green ready for St. Patty's Day, as opposed to starting work the day after the Fourth of July."
From the unfettered hinge where the bathroom door used to be, she unhooked the hanger with the pale green blouse, slid it on and buttoned it, then slid the darker, almost pine green skirt over her hips, then pulled the matching jacket on. She felt in the pocket for the stylish ribbon she bought to go with it, but decided, instead of putting it on her chest - no sense teasing Meegan right from the start - and looped it about the knotted hair.

She picked up her lunch bag - with its sad contents of a banana, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a small bag of Fritos - and tossed in the ice pack as well as a bottle of water.

Rachyl surveyed the room. She was proud of herself... She'd done amazingly well, she thought, with the weekly budget she'd allotted.

Taking up her purse and doorkey, she slipped into her she turned off all the lights, except the one on the entrance hall "table", and let herself out.

She was glad she'd stopped at the library to look up the address of the Gothic-ah factory, but since she didn't know where exactly she lived (yet) she just picked the closest bus route, and walked to the stop.

The ride was quick - relatively - passing through a corner of the industrial district. Rachyl recognized some of the buildings, then spotted Meegan's condo, on her way down The Strip.

The bus stopped six blocks later.

She examined the outside of the building. Plain, grey brick. She hadn't expected that. The only thing she saw indicating she was in the right place was a rather plain sign which represented the clothing label affixed near the door.

She adjusted herself and stepped up to the tinted glass doors and pulled one open. She shivered from the blast of cool air and entered.

The lobby smelled clean, almost sterile, with only a wisp of scent coming from the receptionist at the far end, or maybe it was the flowers on her desk.

"But they look awful fake," Rachyl thought, as she stepped up to the woman.

"Rachyl Walker here to see Meegan Masters."

Meegan sat at her desk reveiwing and signing the hundreds of papers, that had been waiting for her when she'd arrived that morning, when the phone buzzed. She hit the button for speaker and kept working.

"This is Meegan." She said rather distractedly. It was the receptionist.

"There is a Rachyl Walker here to see you."

Meegan grinned into her papers. "Give her directions to my office and send her up." She hit the speaker button again and went back to signing.

Rachyl's heart couldn't help but speed up as she heard that silky voice, even through the intercom.

She forced herself to calm down so she could understand the nasal receptionist's instructions.

"Elevator to the third floor, take a right, at the aisle before the cubicles turn left, then a right at the end. Can't miss her office, it's all glass."

Rachyl nodded and mumbled the directions to herself. "Glass office, right left right. Got it. Thank you!" she said sincerely, then smiled to the woman and followed the directions.

The elevator ride was quick and silent, not even the hum or annoying twang of musak. She stepped onto the third floor and heard the quiet rumble of dozens of people talking - either to each other or on the phone, she guessed - and turned right.

The walls of the hall were almost completely covered from waist up with pictures of models or design templates, or completed designs hanging from mannequins. Before she reached the end of the hall, she saw a shocking, familiar picture - a dark red haired woman, with deep metallic blue eye shadow, golden highlights, and a pair of - now that she looked at it - exotic-looking black swirls under her eyes. She was dressed in a deep Egypt blue corset with matching spiderwebbed skirt...

She felt herself start to flush in memory of that brief moment when a woman - tall, willowy, with short-cropped blonde hair - asked her if she needed help. She turned to the woman saying, "I was on my way to Meegan Masters' office when this picture caught my eye. I'm fine, thank you though." She realized the woman was dressed in a t-shirt and very short shorts. "Rather casual here - unless she's just a visiting model," Rachyl thought.

Rachyl moved off before the woman could get a better look, either at her or the picture.
She made the turn at the cubicles, then made her way past, to the brilliantly glittering office at the end of the hall. The sun hadn't made its way so high as to illuminate much more than the edges of the south-facing room.

She stretched one more time before approaching the door, and knocked gently on the aluminum frame.

"Come."

Meegan continued with her papers. She knew this would take a good portion of the day, and was glad to have the distraction.

"Hey Rachyl. Give me just a minute more to get to a stopping place."

She signed several more papers, getting her to the end of that particular stack. Then looked up and smiled at Rachyl. Her eyes travel the woman's body and she very nearly didn't catch her frown.

"What are you wearing? Don't answer that. I can see what you're wearing. Do me a favor, Rachyl." Meegan pushed back from her desk and stood, revealing a low cut bodice laced from bottom to top that started in an ocean blue, the color slowly faded down through the skirt into black three inches above the skirt's ankle length hem. "Never wear that again. Our dress code in the office is casual."

She stepped around her desk, and embraced Rachyl in a tight hug, and whispered in her ear.

"That was a great movie. I have to go buy new batteries."

Rachyl felt her nervousness melt away as Meegan stood, telling her to never wear business attire again.

She was surprised, then, when the taller embraced her in the office, and felt heat bloom in both her face and belly when the movie and batteries were mentioned,

In a fit of spontaneity, she cupped Meegan's bottom and gave a gentle squeeze before holding her at arm's length. "Glad you enjoyed it. We'll have to catch you up to it sometime soon," she said with a wink.

Meegan, her eyes darkening as the two seperated, nodded. "I would like you to know, Meegan, that I plan to be ninety eight point six percent professional when working with you, and a hundred and fifty percent dedicated to my work." Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

Meegan laughed, letting the heat in her body settle into a slow simmer. "That is good to know."

Meegan took a yellow legal pad and a pen with the Gothic-ah logo on it, off the desk and handed them to Rachyl.

"Let's get started, shall we?" Meegan didn't wait for an answer, but started from the room and took a left.

"This is your office." The space was about half the size of Meegan's and contianed, a desk with computer, file cabinets, a potted palm and a single guest chair. "You will spend alot of your time in here. Your main functions will be keeping my schedule, booking caterers, bands, photographers, models, that sort of thing. You will attend client meetings with me. For those you need to be in Gothic-ah fashions."

Meegan made a u-turn and headed down the asile by the cubicles, taking a right where they parted in the center.

"This is Marketing, you work with them on venues and advertisement placement of shows." She walked further and pointed to her left. "This is sales. Our sales manager Mark will be back in the office on Monday, get to know him. You'll be working with him alot."

She would glance back aoccasionally to make sure Rachyl was keeping up. She moved on and indicated a cluster of four cubes. "That is Supplies. Anything that needs ordering go to Jacob, he'll take good care of you. We will have a staff meeting tomorrow so that you can meet all of these people. But don't worry about names, you'll learn them eventually."

Meegan headed for the elevators, and stopped to wait while it came.

"Any questions, so far?"

Rachyl shook her head. "No, not really. Taking notes, though, so if any come up, I'll hit you with them at the end of the tour."

"Sure thing" The two women stepped into the elevator and Meegan pushed the button for the second floor, and continued to talk.

"You will also run any errands I need done, including flowers, gifts, cards and that sort of thing. Don't worry, my cleaning lady takes care of the drycleaning."

Meegan chuckled at her own joke as the elevator dinged and they stepped out onto the second floor. They passed a door that stood ajar, but the darkness of the room prevented detail from showin.

"That's the client meeting room. When you get a chance go explore in there. It's a very cool space."

Meegan continued down the hall and opened a door marked Legal and Human Resources.

"Obviously this is Legal and HR. Come on. Let's get ou settled in with Martha so that you can get paid for listening to me babble."

Meegan gave a cursory knock on the door with Martha's name and entered a very organized space that was nearly taken up with file cabinets.

"Hey Martha. this is Rachyl Walker. She's going to be my new assistant. She's also a friend of mine so take very good care of her."

"Sure thing, Meegan. Come on in Rachyl." Martha stood and came around her desk offering a hand to the shorter woman dressed in green."You look like a leprechan dressed up for a meeting with the faeries."

Meegan laughed softly and put an hand on Rachyl's shoulder."When she's done with the paper torture, come back up to see me. I have some stuff for you to do."

"That woman will work you to death if you let her. Mind you keep your ground and you'll be fine." Meegan snickered, as she headed back up to her office and the stack of OT and PDO requests.

Rachyl replied with a smirk to the taller woman's joke about leprechauns, "I'm a couple months behind on my national holidays. I expect to be celebrating Fourth of July sometime around Columbus day."

She laughed as Martha did, and set to the paperwork. After almost an hour, during which Rachyl needed to make a copy of her driver's license and social security card, as well as consult the small book of information she kept hidden in her flat, she signed off on the papers and handed them back to Martha.

By the time Rachyl returned to her office Meegan had made it through another two stacks of her papers. She had two more and was ready to be done. Her hand hurt.

"Oh great! How did it go?" As she spoke Meegan opened a desk drawer and pulled out a small lock box that was tethered to the drawer.

"Well, apparently I've signed over my first born child, my rights to novelisation for the story of my life, any royalties for for my poems - published or not, any and all monies earned for playing in Major League Baseball will be forfeited to Gothic-Ah," she deadpanned.

"You got off easy, my last assistant had to give her right ovary."

Meegan put in the numbers of the combination into the lock, then pulled her keychain from her pocket and fitted a small key into the inner lock. She put her fingers inside and pulled out a black credit card that sported a halographic picture of the Gothic-ah logo and the visa logo. She locked the box back up and slipped it into her desk.

She then picked up the phone and dialed the eight hundred number on the back and spent a moment pressing buttons until the mechanical voice said to wait five minutes before using the card.

"Ok, this is yours. Use it only for pre-approved purchases. The first few times you use it they will be forced to call me to verify, a pain, but necessary. I have two tasks for you to complete before lunch." Meegan grinned. "Think you can handle it?"

Rachyl nodded as she explained the corporate card.

After she mentioned the tasks, her eyes lit up and she asked, "Does one of them include hiding under your desk making out with you? If not, we can make that number three. Of course, this would be point-seven percent of my unprofessionalism for today," she said with a wink.

Then she cleared her throat. "Of course I can handle working on my first day." She winked again, smiling.

"And speaking of lunch, do you want to go out somewhere, or order in?"

Meegan laughed and did her best to ignore the instant tug in her belly at Rachyl's words.

"Ok, first go to the second floor and to the door on the right, the one with the keypad. Enter the code Martha gave you and I want you to pick something else to wear. Then choose four other outfits. There are tags on them, just run the tags throught the scanner by the door. You can just leave everything in your office for now."

Meegan handed her the credit card with a small smile.

"Then I need you to go to the mall and buy a top for Veronica, I didn't see a brand name on it, but I'm sure you can find something simliar at American Eagle or The Gap."

Meegan opened another drawer and pushed trough some files, she pulled out a plain white envelope and took several twenties from with in.

"Cab rides and lunch today. Speaking of lunch. Jacob and I usually work out at the gym across the street, then he makes crazy good smoothies and I make salads. You can join us if you want to. I'll need to add you to the list at the gym if you do."

Meegan handed the bills to Rachyl and slipped the enveloped into the drawer not looking where.

Rachyl nodded at each directive. "Okay, last to first. Yes, I'd love to partake of the gym from time to time. Lunch sounds great. Who's Jacob?"
Without waiting for Meegan to respond, she continued, "New top for Veronica, got it. And regarding stuff to wear..." She cleared her throat quietly, and hoped she wasn't blushing (but she knew she was) as she asked,

"Anything specific you'd like, just one choice?"

"Jacob is the supplies manager."

Meegan chuckled at Rachyl's blush.


"You get five choices, that room is our surplus and slightly deffective pieces. You'll feel like a kid in a candy store. I always do."

Meegan pulled another pile toward her.

"Now off to work with you."

"Right, Jacob. Supplies manager. You never did say what he did."

Rachyl chuckled too. "Sounds like fun. You have my cell number, right? You're the only person who's allowed to call me from work."

She winked and blew Meegan a kiss, then exited the office out to her own.

She stood in the doorway surveying it for a few minutes.

Setting her purse and portfolio on the chair, she looked out at the doorway from the far corner. The potted plant got dragged to the left corner of the desk and the filing cabinets rotated so the drawers no longer faced each other. She booted up the computer and moved her phone to the center of the desk, then the monitor to the far left. She found the sheet of logins that Martha had given her, and typed in her username (so Big Brother - numbers intead of a name) and temporary password. She chose a new one, and logged into a rather boring Dell desktop. "I must find something nicer," she thought.

She glanced at the clock on the computer, and saw the time was nearly eleven. "Wow."

She poked her head back into Meegan's office. "My office is mostly set up. I'm going to go down to the store room and get those outfits. After that, I'll join you for lunch, then I'll hit the mall."

"Lunch is at one, so unless it takes you two hours to pick out clothes, get it done first. I have other things I need you to do after lunch, and I need you here to do them"


Meegan never looked up, continuing to sign the forms on her desk.










((Meegan out for now, please do NOT lock this thread. Thanks!))

"Sounds great, I'll be back at ten of one."

Rachyl let the door close quietly and very shortly found herself on the second floor, in front of the door Meegan had described. She tapped in the code and was rewarded with a quiet buzz, then the door unlatched.

Stepping inside, she was brought up short. Several aisles of clothes racks filled the empty space, and from the corner of her eye she could see shelves of shoes as well as drawers.

"Holy Hot Fashion, Batman."

Up and back through the aisles she went, examining the different fashions available, the multitude of colors (even though a good portion were black or red), the plethora of options. She realized she could spend all day inside, but the clocks at each of the four walls helped, and she gave herself half an hour to pick and change.

She eventually chose the requisite five fashions - a green bodice and skirt that closely matched both the color of her own business suit, as well as the style of Meegan's. A sleeveless, burgundy lace-up camisole with a sheer skirt. A blue and black bodice with a brocade front, and wave-patterned black skirt. A black, tight leather corset, as well as a bustle jacket to go over it, and tight leather leggings. "Might need to work out a bit before I put that one on," she thought, as her eyes spotted selection number five - the Egypt blue corset and spider print skirt.

She reached her hand out to it, then put it back at her side, then reached out again... "Oh come on, Rachyl, she didn't recognize you by the damned modelling stint, and there's probably little chance anyone in the office will either," she reasoned.

She pulled it off the rack and stashed it near the other choices, at the far end with the mirrors. She quickly grabbed matching shoes for most of the outfits - except the green one, since she was wearing something sufficient - and quickly shucked her suit and bra then slid into the bodice. As she put on the skirt - almost as an afterthought - she pondered removing her panties but then decided not to. She situated her breasts, made sure her makeup hadn't smeared, hung her suit on a set of hangers, draped a plastic bag over it, then left the surplus room.

She returned to her desk at exactly 11:35, grabbed her purse, turned on her cell, waved bye to Meegan (who probably didn't see her) then headed to the elevator.