Chapter 66
Legal maneuvers

Merry went to work on Monday in a flowing, knee-length brown skirt, an open necked silk blouse that displayed a bit of cleavage, low black heels, her new collar - the decorative one with the 'cameo' - and an aura of trepidation. She diffidently approached Ann Newton, the office manager, and asked, "Ann, does the Firm have a written dress code?"

"Uh, what if I suddenly felt a need to be a 'freer spirit'?"

Ann frowned, and took in today's ensemble for the first time. On the surface, it was pretty demure, but upon reflection Ann had never seen Marilyn in anything but a pantsuit and high-necked blouse. Marilyn, in a skirt? And showing cleavage? Waitaminnit, is that a nipple poking out there? "Why the change?"

"Uh, it's difficult to explain." Merry colored. "I, uh, really need to know if there are defined standards - oh, and if there is a sliding scale, I need to know THAT, too."

"Well, Dear, I was pretty sure you understood, but, yes, there IS a sliding scale. The receptionists are allowed to be much more 'decorative' than the clerical staff. Administrative assistants require a certain amount of restraint in dress so as to be appropriately dressed for client meetings and court appearances. I KNOW you're aware of this..." Ann still didn't understand.

"Well, I DO understand, but my approach has always been a little extreme. I'm kind of, uh, looking for the middle of the road."

"Okay, what's REALLY going on?" Ann and Marilyn were more than just acquaintances, if less than 'bosom buddies' - and Ann smelled a rat.

"Umm. Okay - let's say that Robert confronted me about the cost of my wardrobe. Let's say he indicated that he thought that I was spending a lot of money on clothing that he didn't even feel was flattering. Let's say that he thinks that if I go to more varied clothing, I can mix and match and save a bit while actually looking a bit nicer."

"Let's say you just fed me a load of hooey! That doesn't sound like the Robert I know!" Ann favored Merry with a VERY dubious glance. "Marilyn, you're not having an aff..."

"Oh, no! Nothing like that!" Merry took in Ann's skepticism, swallowed, and continued, "Look, I don't really want to go into details, but... well, over the last few days, things have changed at home. Robert ISN'T the 'Robert you know'! We're, uh, doing things differently."

Ann got up and closed the office door. "C'mon, Marilyn, give!"

Merry still wasn't ready to bare her soul. "Well, Robert's throwing his weight around quite a bit more. It seem that last week, we discovered that some things I've been giving him grief over for quite some time were really MY fault - and the bill's come due, if you know what I mean?"

Ann looked troubled, "Do you need help, Honey? Should I ask the cops to visit?"

"Oh, no! Don't misunderstand me! Robert may be riding me a bit but," she colored, "I'm actually enjoying it. Besides its only fair - I've been riding roughshod over him for the past 20 years!"

"So, what REALLY happened?" Ann was still dubious.

"Well, I spend too much. And Robert says he's tired of me looking like a frump. He wants me in skirts, and he wants me to show a little bit of cleavage - and a couple of other things... When I pointed out that it might cause trouble at work, he indicated that he's prepared to be reasonable - if there is a dress code, he'll work within it to see to it that my job isn't jeopardized."

"So, you want me to knock out something official-looking that allows you to continue to wear your old wardrobe?" Ann smiled. The war of the sexes...

"NO! You just DON'T understand! This is NOT about pulling a fast one on Robert! I'm trying to do this RIGHT! I want to know EXACTLY how little or how much I must wear to keep my job!" Merry was becoming seriously upset. Why was Ann so willing to conspire to fool Robert? Merry had no interest in that. She'd played such games before - but frankly wondered if she would ever want to again. She knew that if she went home to her master with some bullshit story, he would detect it, supporting document or no supporting document. Frankly, she shuddered to think what he might do at such a massive show of disrespect. She didn't fear a simple beating; that was for peccadillo, like failing to follow some simple instruction. No, he would bring out the big guns: the dissolution of their relationship. She had absorbed the import of his declaration that their old relationship was dead, and that the failure of their new one would result not in the resumption of their old relationship, but a parting. She had explored the consequences of that course of action while lying snuggled against him while he slept the previous night, and found them hideous. Merry truly loved Robert; as for the pit of loneliness and despair that would open beneath her if he should turn her away... Merry discovered that she couldn't bear to contemplate it. This became the foundation of a desire to please her husband/master more compelling than any application of a whip could ever be.

"Whoa! Okay! Okay! I'm sorry! I just thought..." Ann regrouped. "If I'm to do this right, I'll need to speak to the partners. It's one thing to do this off the cuff..."

"I'm sure Robert would accept a document from you, if it wasn't an obvious attempt to jerk his chain. He's not stupid, though, and, well, if I jerk his chain now, it would be disastrous. I'm kind of on probation." Merry couldn't meet Ann's eyes as she finished this declaration.

"Honey, it still sounds like he caught you with a man. Come on, tell me what's up!" Ann wasn't going to back off.

Merry sighed, "Okay, this can't go ANYWHERE! God knows what the partners will think! Recently, Robert and I began experimenting with an 'alternate lifestyle'..."

"Like swinging?" Ann interjected.

"Well, you have the general idea, but that's not it. Anyway, in the process we discovered that our sex life sucked, not because of any failing of Robert's, but because I had a somewhat limited concept of sex. I discovered that if I let Robert run things, sex got a LOT better!" Merry began blushing at this point. "Yesterday, I insisted that we move forward with this new relationship. Robert was... reluctant. He insisted upon several things, all of which are well within his rights under the new regime. High on the list was that he controls the pocketbook. And he said he was tired of seeing me in clothes that cost hundreds of dollars and made me look mannish. He has directed that I should 'please the eye', particularly those of men. So whatever minimum standard you set, that's what I'll meet."

"The minimum?"

"If I anger him in any way, it will undoubtedly be the ABSOLUTE minimum. In fact, given the talent for conniving that Robert is displaying recently, I'm likely to be operating within the letter, but NOT the spirit, of any guidance you publish." Marilyn permitted herself a small smile.

"That's preposterous! Where does he get off? He can't order you around like that! It's medieval!" Ann huffed.

"Ann, Ann, you still don't get it! He can, and he will - because I asked him to!"

"It's ridiculous! If I didn't know any better, I'd think you sold yourself into slavery!"

Merry stood there, smiling ruefully. The silence lengthened, while the lights went on in Ann's brain...

"No! You're kidding!" Ann was aghast!

"Do you like my necklace?" Merry asked, playfully. She was actually beginning to enjoy this! "Come, take a closer look."

Ann stepped in, fascinated. The 'cameo' - it wasn't the standard woman's bust, it was a stereotypical rendering of a large-busted woman, dressed only in chains! "Ohmigod!"

Merry turned around. "Take a look at the back, under the Velcro tabs!"

Ann lifted the tabs, finding the D ring and the engraved tag. She read the engraving, then, "Merry?"

"It's what my master chooses to call me. He said it's because my job is to make him merry!" Merry was enjoying Ann's discomfiture hugely.

Ann sat down. Bewilderment had robbed her of strength. "I still can't understand why you would ASK for this..."

"At some point Saturday evening, I discovered that I was a foolish, useless, wasteful, lazy, hung-up, arrogant, selfish, totally blind little cunt who was on her way to divorce and a life of loneliness and despair."

"He called you that?!" Ann was working up a new head of outraged steam.

"No, not one word of it. My daughter, son, and future daughter-in-law gently enlightened me. Robert made no charges at all, merely put up with my foibles as usual."

"I still don't get it. What's in it for you?"

"I don't have to live up to the half Victorian lady - half Helen Reddy self image that I've been beating myself up with. I don't have to pretend to be liberated and coolly in charge. I don't have to spend huge amounts of money to prove I'm as good as anyone else. I don't have to pretend that sex is dirty. If my master wants me to be a total slut, I can be - it's his responsibility! I'm free to express myself without having to worry that others won't think me worthy - I'm not! I'm a slave! I do what my master tells me to do!"

"Does he beat you?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes he punishes me in other ways. But I always know EXACTLY why - he has me write it down! He doesn't inflict pain just because he can - neither of us is into pain. He punishes me because I screw up. I need periodic lessons on who is 'Boss' - he makes sure it's clear."

"Sounds awful."

"It isn't. My role is clear. My limits are set. It's harder on my master. He's responsible. He makes the decisions. He punishes my transgressions. He does the hard things that must be done to maintain my fear and respect. He's good at it - gifted, even - but it wears on him, because he's not callous and hard by nature. He can't indulge me, because I'm crafty and selfish, and lazy, and disrespectful, and I'll take advantage of him. He has to remain constantly vigilant, watching for signs that my worthless nature is surfacing and must be controlled. It's a lot of work, and my master was reluctant to take up the burden. But he did, and I'm happier for it."

Ann shook her head. "You sound totally brainwashed."

Merry laughed. "I'm not. I've just discovered another plane of existence. I'm experiencing the life we gave up to be 'liberated'. And I've discovered that for me, it works."

Ann sighed, "What must I do?"

Merry laughed. "Ensure that you are very clear about standards. If you leave room for guesswork, my master will guess - low. You must define the 'bottom line'. In the meantime, we'll go with temporary guidance. Is this ok?" Merry spun in a circle.

"I'm not sure," Ann announced, dubiously, "Are you wearing a bra?"

"No," Merry responded, "and it's virtually non-negotiable. In fact..." She raised her skirt until fur showed. "I think that the best you can do there is to dictate that it be invisible under normal circumstances. You could require that my blouses be opaque - and you might be able to get away with requiring a bra for court appearances."

Ann laughed. "I'll bear that in mind. Panties?"

Merry grinned. "Smartest would be to require that the crotch never be exposed under normal circumstances. Maybe you should dictate skirt length - and not allow splits that expose the crotch. But if you go too far, you'll only make life difficult for us all. Try to be realistic. My current guidance says no bra or panties. At home, it's even less!"

Ann grimaced, "Maid's outfit?"

Merry shook her head. "Collar. That's it, unless I'm cooking. I'm allowed a big protective apron, then."

"Damn! What about the kids?"

"They understand perfectly. Dina's an absolute horror - she's in charge of my wardrobe selections. And she's very visibly Robert's girl." Merry smiled.

"And Ricky?"

"Rick - he's grown up quite a bit recently, by the way - has this Amazon of a girlfriend that I think he's physically attached to, somehow. But when she's not physically connected, she's kneeling at his feet!" Merry related, "Nice girl, too!"

Ann shook her head. "I'm gonna have to pay a visit. I've got to see this!"

Merry quirked an eyebrow. "Want me to just get naked here, and get it over with?"

Ann roared, finally comfortable. "Okay, let me see what I can do. Get out of here, Honey, and go back to work. Do I call you Merry?"

"You don't have to - it's my master's name for me. But you can...." Merry shot her a grin as she went through the door.

At about 11:45, Gina, the receptionist, buzzed Ann, "Robert Nellis on one."

"Thanks," Ann replied, picking up. "Ann Newton."

"This is Robert Nellis."

"Good morning, Robert. What can I do for you?" Ann was cool, reserved.

"Has Marilyn spoken to you..."

"...about the Firm's dress code?" Ann continued archly. "Yes. We had quite a conversation. Naturally, I didn't understand. Eventually, I think I got all of the pieces."

"I see." The thought that percolated through Robert's mind unspoken was 'I think...'

"This will take a few days. Up to now, we didn't have a formal document. Marilyn's dress was always more than adequately conservative - an example to others, even. I'm going to have to poll the partners and get concurrence. In the meantime, the outfit that she wore today is adequate to the broad range of her duties - with the exception of actual courtroom visits." Ann continued to be cool.

"And the issue there?" Robert demanded.

"Marilyn will need to wear a brassiere to court."

"Mmmm. Okay." Robert sat there, wondering if he should mention panties...

Ann read his mind. "I plan to recommend that she wear outfits that do not expose her crotch under normal conditions. I gather that it is enough that she risk exposure, without actually being exposed?"

"I think so. For now."

"Robert, what's REALLY up, here? Do you two need help?"

Robert was honest, "I don't know, Ann. I don't think so. Our relationship has drifted somewhat in an odd direction, but I don't think we've gone quite to the point of being totally bizarre, yet."

"How far is it going to go?" Robert's obvious concern had defused Ann's hostility.

"Well, Marilyn has a healthy aversion to pain, for which I'm thankful. Discipline, I can do - but I'm NOT a sadist. I don't think we will have to go much farther."

"Robert, I have to tell you - this change..." Ann mused for a moment. "We used to have little hen conferences, you know? Titter about what hoops she was going to put you through so she could get you to fall for her next little project..."

Robert laughed. "I can just imagine. Guys do it, too."

"I offered to push out something that justified Marilyn wearing pantsuits - and she hit the roof! She INSISTED that I take the whole thing seriously... It was such a surprise!"

Robert asked gently, "Does she seem happier?"

"Maybe," Ann replied. "That's kind of a funny question, coming from her 'master'..."

"Not really. She sees this - and I do, too - as very much something for her own good. I'm very proud of her. Her reaction to your suggestion confirms that she's taking the whole thing seriously. I'm almost ashamed that I called to check up on her!"

"I'm happy you did!" Ann mused. "I still don't understand, but I think I'm starting to get there. I was concocting this weird image of you... suddenly turning into the Marquis de Sade, or something..."

Robert chuckled. "It's an easy leap to make. Would it help to know that Marilyn formally petitioned me to accept her submission in front of a number of witnesses? And that at that point I had never physically abused her in any way?"

"I don't know. I think it makes it weirder."

"Maybe you should come to visit," Robert offered, "We could talk about it. I could use the opportunity to be candid with someone who is not part of the situation."

Ann nodded, then caught herself, "Maybe that's a good idea. I'll talk to Marilyn and set a date."

"No," corrected Robert pedantically, "You've spoken to ME - Merry doesn't count. If Merry had invited you, things would be different - but I own her, and I make her decisions in these matters FOR her..."

"Oh, I forgot," Ann backpedaled, trying to cover her confusion.

"I almost did, too," Robert responded ruefully, "How's Wednesday evening? Around 7:00?"

"Too early. 7:30?"

"Fine. See you then. Bye!" Robert rang off, leaving Ann to wonder 'What am I getting myself into?'

Merry was sitting at her desk, trying to figure out which of the partners she was going to ask for her unusual legal advice. Her immediate boss, Bertram Chalmers? Bert was the senior partner at the Firm, but he was almost sixty and certain to look at the whole thing askance. Besides, it would color their working relationship, maybe forcing an end to it. Jason Fitts? No, he was a known horndog, and kind of slippery. He would be busier trying to find a way to work the whole thing to his advantage than he would be working on the problem. Todd Fredricks? Too young. That pretty much left Alicia Duquette. She had been Merry's first choice, due to her sex - but she was an outspoken feminist, who might be offended by their peculiar relationship. Still...

She was still turning it over in her head when Bert buzzed her. "Marilyn? Are the Ingersoll papers ready yet?"

"Yes."

"Could you bring them in, so that we can go over them one more time before they arrive?"

"Certainly, Bert - I'll be right in." Merry collected and checked the folder, and strode into Bert's office, tapping perfunctorily upon the door first. Then she did something that she had done a thousand times in that very office - she bent over the desk and arranged the papers in front of Bert for his inspection. But THIS time, for the FIRST time, she was wearing an open necked blouse.

Bert glanced up - and stopped dead, captivated by the vision of Merry's pendant breasts framing a swath of flesh that extended to below her navel - a view totally unimpeded by any hint of a brassiere. Now, to be fair, Merry's nipples remained hidden - but the unexpected sight took Bert's breath away.

The moment of inexplicable silence caused Merry to glance up, and she caught Bert before he could collect himself, causing them both to blush. Merry pulled up a bit as Bert commented dryly, "New outfit, huh? Very nice."

Merry's nipples made themselves known as they created bumps in the front of her blouse. "Uh, yeah. Do you like it?"

"Very much. Has your husband seen it?" Bert thought that a gentle reminder that he was aware of Merry's marital status was indicated, and might put her more at ease.

"Oh, yes! He specifically approved it for wear to work!" Merry gushed, then blushed, realizing what she had said.

"The whole ensemble?" The other question, 'Including the missing parts?' was there, even though it went unspoken. "I must thank him."

"Really?" Merry responded, "Ann and I were concerned that it might verge on being inappropriate!"

Bert pursed his lips, and shook his head. "I'd say you have some distance to go yet."

"I was concerned that you might view this as a bad thing - a relaxation of the standard you had come to expect in me. We were under the impression that my penchant for formal clothing was one of the reasons you hired me."

Bert sighed. "I hired you because of your efficiency. I couldn't wait for Jerry Fischer to retire, so I could snap you up. But as for formal clothing - I hired you because you managed to make it look good, not because I preferred seeing you in it. Any effort on your part to make the view more pleasant - I'm required to insert the stipulation 'within reason' here, whether I like it or not - will be welcome."

Merry smiled. "Perhaps Robert is correct, after all!"

"Hmm?"

"He indicated that I should 'please the eye' - especially those of males!" Merry dimpled.

"Most considerate of him." Bert sighed. "I suppose we should get back to work..." The pair spent the next 20 minutes exhibiting their normal professionalism.