Stuck-Up Bitch

"Right," said Todd. "And remember, there's a penalty if you screw up. Also, this isn't just for next week's fashion show. We expect you to dress nicely on campus every day. I see you almost daily and I will be watching for progress. Don't let me down. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes Sir."

"Good. So we'll see you next week for inspection at 9am sharp. And don't forget to bring your money for Dr. Heppner.

Before you leave, please thank us individually by name for our time."

"Dr. Travers, thank you for your time, Sir." "Dr. Heppner, thank you for your time, Sir."

Anna couldn't concentrate on her teaching for the rest of the day. Her mind was awhirl. The money was a real problem. She'd counted on Earl's-er, Dr. Heppner's-payoffs to make the car payments. There's no way she could afford that now. She'd just drive it until they repossessed it, and then she'd get by without a car. It'd destroy her credit rating, but what could she do? She lived pretty close to campus, though walking would be a pain in winter.

And the rest of it? Somehow it wasn't so bad. At least she didn't get raped. Indeed, in retrospect she'd enjoyed it. Nobody had paid any attention to her body before. It was like going to a spa. Dr. Travers actually was pretty hot-she didn't mind him looking at her. The adrenalin rush made her high.

Chapter Four

Anna thought she'd followed all instructions as she prepared for her Thursday inspection. She mentally went through the list: lipstick, earrings, necklace, painted nails, shorter skirt. The secretary did a double-take as she walked through the door.

"You're looking sharp today. What's the occasion?"

"Nothing special," mumbled Anna. "Just an event for some students."

"Dr. Heppner is waiting for you. Please go in."

Anna walked in and shut the door behind her.

"Stand over there for inspection," said Earl.

Anna moved to the assigned spot.

"How do you answer him?" demanded Todd.

"Yes Sir," she said to Earl. And to Todd, "Sorry, Sir. I forgot."

"Be careful, Honey Pot. You're gonna get in trouble."

"Yes Sir."

They looked her over carefully.

"Did we tell her to wear stockings?" inquired Earl.

"I don't think so. But then we didn't tell her not to wear stockings, either, so I don't think we can fine her.

"Why are you wearing pantiehose?"

"I thought it looked better. And it's warmer, especially in the morning. ... Sir." She didn't tell them that it made her feel more modest and less vulnerable.

"Well, we're telling you now," instructed Earl. "You are not to wear pantiehose unless we specifically instruct you otherwise. Since we weren't explicit before we won't fine you. But now you have no excuse."

"Yes Sir."

"Take off your pantiehose. Take off your shoes, too. There's a chair for you if you need it."

"er-uh Yes, Sir," trying to hide her embarrassment this time. She slipped her hands through the waistband to push down the pantiehose, and then lifted her skirt enough to pull them down, sitting to remove her shoes and the stockings. She resumed standing, nervously wiggling her toes in the carpet.

"Did you shave your legs?"

"Yes Sir."

"Come here and let me see how good a job you did."

She moved over to Earl, who rubbed his hand along her calf and shin searching for stubble. Dr. Travers copped the same feel on the other leg. It was the first time they'd touched her-it made her nervous about what might come later.

"She did shave her legs," said Earl. "But not a very good job."

"Yeah. I think she needs to get them waxed."

"Look how she painted her nails," said Earl, holding her hand up for Todd's inspection.

"It's not really what we wanted, is it. Should we fine her?" She'd put polish on her nails, but no color. All it did was make them shiny. "Her toenails are the same way."

"I dunno. We can be clearer this week. We want you to color your nails, Little Girl. That means red or pink or green or black, or some color. It's not good enough just to polish them. And toenails, too. Understood?"

"Yes Dr. Heppner, Sir."

"Is your underwear clean? ... Show us what you got."

"Yes Sir." Last week her display had been ten feet away. Now she stood right between Earl and Todd. They could just reach up and molest her if they so chose. But the skirt was too short to hide her face. She nervously put on her best 'don't mess with me' expression.

"This might require more self-discipline than I can muster," said Earl.

"Be patient. The food's got to cook before you can eat it." Then addressing Anna, "turn around and show us your behind."

"Enough of that," said Earl, "before I lose control." She put her skirt down and turned to face them. "Did you use perfume?"

"Yes Sir, but not very much."

"Lean over and let me smell your cleavage."

She bent down over Earl, embarrassed as her blouse fell away from her tits. She could feel his breath, but he didn't touch her. Thank goodness.

"Where's the perfume?" inquired Todd.

"I put it behind my ears, Sir." She bent down so he could sniff.

"If it's there, it certainly isn't very much. I can barely make it out. What do you think Dr. Heppner? Did she pass inspection?"

"Have a seat, Sweetie Pie," ordered Dr. Heppner. Anna sat opposite them at table. He checked the notes in front of him.

"You mostly did a good job. You got the skirt, jewelry, and cleanliness right. You didn't follow directions with the pantiehose, but I suppose we can let that go. But you missed on the perfume. Your fine this week is $50, due next Thursday."

Anna couldn't help but think she got off light. "Yes Sir."

"Now please give me the money you owe me from last week."

She'd hoped they'd forgotten about that, but no joy. She rummaged around in her purse and pulled out the bills. "All I was able to get together was $200, Sir. I will have to pay you the rest next week."

Earl looked at her sternly. "You still owe me $200 from last week. The penalty is $20 for not paying in full, plus the additional $50 you owe from this week. Thus I am due $270 by next Thursday. Understood?"

"Yes Sir," though she wondered where the money was going to come from. Then she remembered that Friday was payday. She'd have to stall on some of the bills.

"Your minimum payment is $100, though additional penalties will accrue if you don't pay in full."

"Yes Sir."

"So, what's on the agenda for the coming week?" said Earl, looking at his notes. It was a rhetorical question and Anna didn't answer. He passed her paper and pencil to take notes.

"First, you've got paint your nails properly. Put on enough perfume so that somebody standing near you can smell it. And it should be on your cleavage." He looked at her for a response.

"Yes Sir."

"And you need to get your legs waxed. That's probably something you should do once a week."

"Yes Sir."

"That cleans up the misses from last week. So moving forward:

"Get your hair styled. Not just cut, I mean styled."

"Yeah," interjected Todd. "Choose a girlie cut, something that makes you look younger. You're not a matron, so don't dress like one."

"Yes Sir."

Earl continued. "You can only wear open-toed shoes. You've got to show off those nicely painted toes of yours."

"Yes Sir."

"And you need to wear high heels at least one day next week. You've got nice legs. Show them off."

"Actually," Todd interrupted again, "you should wear high heels two days next week. One of those should be next Thursday when you come for inspection."

"I don't own any high heels, Sir."

"Then buy some!" Earl ordered. "You're not paying me back yet precisely because we know this is going to cost you some money. Honestly, this is for your benefit, not ours, so quit your whining, Woman."

"Yes Sir." But she thought Earl was a liar. They weren't doing this just for her. (For all that, it was kind of fun.)

Earl got back to his list. "You need some new blouses. They don't need to be super tight, but they do need to show off your figure. We're not going to let you wear camping tents anymore."

"Let me add to that," said Todd. "One of those blouses needs to be translucent enough to show off the bra line. Of course, that means you need to buy a bra that has a sexy line."

"Yes Sir." She did not like this request.

"And last on the list, you need to step up the makeup and jewelry a notch. Now it looks like you're wearing it only because we're forcing you. You need to own it, Kitty Cat. The jewelry's gotta stand out."

"Yes Sir." Pretty soon they'd have her looking like a prostitute. Maybe that was the idea.

"So read the list back to me," demanded Earl.

She read off her do list: "Color my nails; more perfume; wax my legs; get my hair styled; wear open-toed shoes, including high heels; nicer blouses; and more makeup and jewelry, ...Sir."

"Good. I think we're done. Please remember to thank us before you leave."

"May I ask a question first, please Dr. Heppner, Sir?

"Yes." He eyed her suspiciously.

"This is a lot for me to do in one week. I don't really have the time or the money to get it all done. Can you please give me a longer deadline? Dr. Heppner, Sir?

Earl and Todd looked at each other. Todd shook his head. Earl stroked his chin. "If you can't get it done then you'll have to pay the fines. That won't save you any money, but it will save you time. Frankly, Button Nose, if it's time you need, you're looking at twenty years. That's a lot of time to think about what you could've done in one week. There's nothing more important for your career right now than following our instructions-at very least disobeying is going to cost you tenure.

"As far as money is concerned, you're just going to have to downsize your lifestyle. That's all there is to it. Get rid of the car. Drop the cable channels. Move to a cheaper apartment. I have absolutely no sympathy for you whatsoever when you complain about money. My daughter had to drop out of college because of you bloodsucking little bitch."

He glared at her angrily. By the end of his speech Anna was bawling. She reached for a tissue.

"Yes Sir," she managed to burble.

"You may go now."

"Thank you for your time, Dr. Heppner, Sir," she said through tears. "Thank you for your time, Dr. Travers, Sir."

Chapter Five

Anna dreaded the event toward which she now walked-the first faculty meeting of the academic year. She'd have to appear in public in her new, feminine attire. She-who led the charge to defeat the male gaze-wore a tight-fitting skirt that covered as much of her bare, waxed legs as she thought she could get away with. It went to just above the knee. The matching blouse fit snugly around her perfumed bosom, with ruffled, short sleeves. The top buttons were undone to expose cleavage, partially obscured by a contrasting scarf. Her feet bore open-toed pumps with two-inch heels in a color that matched the scarf. She sported bracelets with bangles on both wrists.

New earrings-echoing the bracelets-highlighted her girlie bob haircut, now perfectly primped and styled. And horrors, the beautician had even touched up her hair-a little color to hide gray roots. Her nails were bright red, and her lipstick a deep pink. Only the eyeliner was modestly applied.

It had been fun. Anna surprisingly enjoyed the shopping. She'd put it all on the credit card-the one that would probably get canceled in a few months. Even more, she liked the spa. The stylists, manicurists, pedicurists, leg-waxers-they all pampered and flattered her. It made her feel like a movie star. She didn't even mind the $250 bill.

Never had her entry into a room been like this. Heads turned her way, conversation stopped, eyes stared, and momentarily the crowd fell quiet. She smiled at them as nonchalantly as she could muster. Only then did they become self-conscious, trying to hide their curiosity behind sidelong glances and whispered gossip. She'd have caused less stir if she'd walked in stark naked.

Music prof Joe Jepperson stood too close to the door to ignore her. "Hello, Anna," he greeted uncomfortably. "How was your summer?"

"My summer was fine," she answered, truthfully. It was bad form for any man to comment on a woman's appearance, so she just smiled at him and let him stew. He slunk away, embarrassed.

With the new academic year, Anna no longer had any responsibility for organizing the meeting. That baton had been passed to Ellen Riggens, a biology professor. She dressed like Pigpen in the old Peanuts cartoon-dowdy, dirty, and unkempt. A demanding anti-masculinist, she employed her strong personality to enforce political correctness.

"What's the occasion, Anna?" she demanded.

"My book was accepted for publication, and I wanted to celebrate."

Ellen's face flushed red. "Seems an odd way to celebrate given the title of your book."

"Yeah, but it's also the start of a new research project."

"What?"

"I want to write a book that describes how I am treated differently when I dress in a stereotypical way. My hypothesis is that men will discriminate against me more. I can turn that into a memoir." She'd prepared this as an excuse, but the more she thought about it, the idea actually seemed pretty good. Making the best of a bad situation, she thought.

Dr. Riggens looked furious. Why? wondered Anna. What have I done to her?

"I think that's a terrible idea," said Ellen. She turned in a huff and stormed away.

Anna was happy to see Mary Jean standing nearby. She hoped for moral support. "Why are you doing this, Anna? I know you were experimenting with clothes, but really. You've got everybody jealous. They're furious with you!"

"They're just going to have to get used to it. I can't dress like a frump anymore. I'm still young and I don't have to."

They found themselves in line for refreshments. Like Anna had done last year, Dr. Riggens had shanghai'd Todd Travers into serving refreshments. After all, no woman could be expected to do such a demeaning task. Worse, they'd given him an apron to wear-a pink thing with ruffles on the bottom. It made him look like a transvestite. They'd probably castrate him if they had the power, thought Anna. She actually felt sorry for Dr. Travers.

She didn't know if the rule for respectful language extended to public places. That could be embarrassing for both of them. Still, she couldn't risk paying any more fines. So she figured she'd make it sound like an inside joke.

"Hey, Dr. Travers! How was your summer?" she proclaimed with a big smile and exaggerated camaraderie.

"Fine," he smiled back, seemingly grateful for her ruse. "Would you like tea or coffee?"

"I'll have tea, please, Sir. And a cookie." Anna realized that the Sir must have felt good after all the anti-masculinist insults. She was glad she included it.

Mary Jean couldn't sit next to Anna. "It will ruin my reputation," she explained. So Anna sat by herself in the back corner-nobody wanted to sit close to her. But then David Peprin came down the aisle.

"Anybody sitting here?" he asked, pointing to the seat next to her.

"No," said Anna, uncomfortably.

"He sat down. A gregarious man, Dr. Peprin talked enough for both of them. Anna looked around the room and saw the angry eyes staring at her. Mary Jean was right. It was anger born of jealousy.

The customary agenda for the first meeting of the year is for President Heppner to give a short speech summarizing the achievements of the previous year. He talked about how enrollment had increased, that the endowment was doing well, some new construction projects on campus, and an effort to start a music business program.

And then he mentioned the faculty accomplishments. "Professor Johnson, in our chemistry department, had a paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Dr. Allison had a solo exhibition of her paintings at the State Museum. It won wide critical acclaim. And most spectacularly, Dr. Greten, in the English department, had her book accepted for publication. The title is Defeating the Male Gaze, and it will appear in February under the Social Progress imprint. I think this is the first book from that department in over five years-it's a major accomplishment. Dr. Greten, could you please rise to accept our congratulations?"

That seemed unnecessary. Anna felt certain that Dr. Heppner did that just to humiliate her. But she was strangely not humiliated. She rose to polite applause, knowing full well that she-not they-was the empowered party.

As the meeting ended and they filed out of the room, Mary Jean sidled up to her. "Stay away from my husband!"

Anna, shocked at the anger and suspicion, nodded agreement. She didn't want to lose her friend.

Chapter Six

As Fall faded into Winter, Anna acquired the wardrobe, jewelry, and skillset to be an elegant dresser. Doctors Travers and Heppner set reasonable goals for her every week, including more makeup, new underwear, the occasional pantsuit, what to wear at the faculty picnic, and so forth. She found she enjoyed it immensely.

Only financial difficulties made it hard. Without Dr. Heppner's monthly payments she had less money to spend, and then the clothes, spas, styles, and treatments were all pricey. Her car had been repossessed in October, and she was just barely keeping her head above water with the credit card bill. Her credit rating had fallen below 600.

Now January, she arrived for her first inspection of the Spring semester. She stood in the usual spot awaiting instructions.

"The rules will change now, Anna," began Dr. Heppner. "We've spent the last semester giving you the tools to be an attractive woman. On that score we have manifestly succeeded. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes Sir," she replied, honestly.

"We certainly don't mind helping you out, but that's not my primary intention. My goal is to profit from the endeavor. Not just to recoup some of the money I had to pay you, but also to compensate me for the pain you put me through over the past ten years. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir." Her heart sank.

"It's much more fun to sex up an attractive young woman instead of a dowdy old lady. Isn't that true?"

"Yes Sir," she said, looking at the floor.

"Now come over here and sit on Dr. Travers' lap."

Todd wasn't dressed in his usual suit and tie. Instead he wore a sweatsuit, as if he were on the track team. She'd had a crush on Dr. Travers-even more so after this past semester. Sitting on his lap in front of Dr. Heppner was embarrassing-but it sent a tingle between her legs.

She sat as modestly as she could, the skirt folded under her thighs and knees pressed together. She realized that her hip rested against his hard cock. That caused her to blush. His arm circled her waist and held her close. It felt good on this cold, January day.

Dr. Heppner turned round to face her, his knees inches from hers. "Now take off your underwear."

The blush doubled down. "Y-y-yes, Sir." She started to stand up, but the arm around her waist held her fast.

"You need to stay seated," said Dr. Travers, calmly.

She looked at him in surprise, feeling his breath upon her lips. The blush got even worse. She turned away before he could kiss her, and thought about how she'd remove her underwear while sitting. Pushing at it through the waistband wasn't going to work.

She hitched up her skirt along the sides and grabbed the elastic on her pantie. She then commenced to wiggle it out from under her butt, using whatever freedom Dr. Travers gave her to shift her weight. Far from being helpful, Todd put his other hand on her thigh and lifted her skirt up. She felt his breath on her ear.