Different Strokes

Georgia’s heart sank as she was summoned to her manager’s office. She exchanged glances with Linda who worked at the desk opposite, and she could see pity in Linda’s eyes, mingled with barely disguised relief.

Georgia stood up, smoothed her pencil skirt over her slim hips and picked up her pad and pen. As she slowly made her way up to Marcus’ office on the third floor, she took deep breaths, psyching herself up.  'Be assertive. Be assertive.' She repeated under her breath like a mantra.

Knocking his door briefly and striding into his office with apparent confidence, she felt she had made a good start, even if there was a tight ball of rubber bands sitting in her chest.

‘Marcus.’ She greeted him briskly.

As usual he was seemingly immersed in a report on his computer, knowing how uncomfortable the sustained silence made his visitor.

‘Shall I come back later, when you are free?’ Georgia made as if to walk towards the door.

‘No, no. I won’t be a minute.’ He had barely looked up from his computer.

‘Well,’ she said in a tight voice, ‘I have a deadline to meet, so maybe you can call me when you are finished …’

Looking up at Georgia as if he had just realised she was there. ‘Georgia, sit down.’ A brief look of annoyance gave him away before his features settled into its usual smug, patronising expression.

‘What’s wrong with you today?’ He asked her breasts. ‘Time of the month or something?’

‘Prat!’ she thought , adjusting her top while musing at the irony of his remark.

‘Just busy. Now, what do you want me for?'

‘Now, there’s a leading question,’ he leered.

Honestly, she thought, it was like being in the middle of a Carry On film when Marcus was about. Carry on in the Office!

‘No … really Marcus. I don’t have time for this.'

‘Hey, relax. You forget, I’m your boss. I’m not going to reprimand you for spending time with me, am I?’

Knowing this to be bullshit, she nevertheless let the comment pass, more concerned by the fact that Marcus had moved from behind her desk and stood behind her chair massaging her shoulders.

‘Relax, now. You are so tense,’ he smarmed.

Georgia closed her eyes and gathered all her resources. She could do this. She refused to be forced out of yet another job due to sexual harassment.

Six months earlier she had worked for a rival company. She had worked hard and had been a tough negotiator. She’d been a favourite with the MD who knew she got results and she had balls.

Then everything had changed. She had taken a huge personal step towards becoming the woman she had always wanted to be; a step that, in an ideal world, shouldn’t have affected the way she was perceived at work. However, the reality of the ‘Old School Network’ kicked in as she realised she was never going to be accepted in her current working environment –suddenly there were snide comments and often blatant sexual comments which made it impossible for her to work there any longer. So she had left for a more junior position, hoping to fast-track up the corporate ladder, determined to prove herself afresh.

But she hadn’t reckoned on Marcus.

‘Stop,’ she said now.

‘I’m only trying to help you relax. Ooh can you feel that knot in the back of your neck?’

‘I said, stop!’

Something in her tone clearly bothered Marcus. He turned the chair next to her back to front and sat astride it, frowning at her in mock concern.

‘What’s wrong, Georgia. I am sensitive enough to know when something is bothering my staff. Come on – tell your uncle Marcus all about it.’

‘OK.’ Georgia struggled to control the anger in her voice. ‘I’ll tell you what’s wrong. I don’t appreciate your chauvinistic attitude.’

‘Oh is that all? It’s only a bit of fun. You girlies take things so seriously sometimes.’

‘But can’t you see that you have no respect from the people who work for you?’

‘I wouldn’t be in the position I am in if I were not respected!’ Marcus had gone very red in the face, and Georgia took some satisfaction from the fact that she seemed to have touched a nerve.

‘Not by the girls in the office, you’re not. They are sickened by your clammy little hands. How you invade their space and are always touching them. And no, its not funny. It’s bloody intimidating, and you are a heartbeat away from an official complaint against you.’ She was standing now, fists clenched at her sides, heart pounding. Had she gone too far? After a pause that seemed to go on forever, Marcus stood up and took her by her too broad, slightly muscular shoulders

‘My dear, don’t you know that Tony knows how sensitive you girls are? He takes all your complaints with a pinch of salt.’

Reaching for his hands, noticing how her own enveloped his easily, Georgia looked demurely at Marcus and planted a wry smile on her face. ‘I’m sorry Marcus. You’re right of course. I’m just having a bad day, and I am very hormonal.’

‘Not a problem, babe. I understand.’ His satisfied leer was back. ‘What I don’t know about women isn’t worth talking about.’

‘Then you’ve probably guessed my secret’ She lowered her eyes shyly for effect.

‘Well, I have guessed that you would like me all to yourself. That’s really what these moods are all about, isn’t it?’  Marcus lifted her chin with a single finger and winked. ’But you know you needn’t worry. The others aren’t a patch on you. You’re special.’

As he kissed her, his hands began tugging her skirt up her legs. Georgia was cringing inside, but remained outwardly passive, safe in the knowledge that he would never want anyone to know about this experience.

He tugged impatiently at her tights, ripping them. ‘You must know you’re special.’ He panted. ‘You have that something extra I can’t put my finger on.’

And Georgia looked right into his widening, shocked eyes, as he put his finger on her ‘something extra’.