Whatever her job was, Karyn had discovered that she was good at it. No, that's not right. She wasn't just good at it. She was the best.
Smoking her cigar, feet up on her desk, she had watched the trio of men walk into her office, looks of uncertainty on their faces. There was something about the men that she didn't like, something that made her feel unsettled, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Each man was of middling height, short cropped hair, and wearing an unremarkable suit. They had come into her office to present something to do with quarterly earnings using a poorly put together slide show that highlighted not how the company was performing, but rather how miserable they were at communicating their points.
"Pathetic," Karyn muttered around her stogie, watching the man on the left, Angus, drop his notes for the third time.
"I'm sorry, sir," the one of the right, Walter, grovelled, "We had practiced so hard, and we thought that we'd be able to do this right."
"I told you we weren't ready," Tom griped in a whiny voice, "We should have practiced more!"
"Maybe we're just not cut out for this kind of work," Angus sighed.
"Nonsense!" Karyn slapped the desk in front of her. She swung her legs down, stood up, and walked around to face the trio of men. She noticed that they dropped their eyes as she stared at them, which she liked. Karyn was important, after all, and they should show a little deference.
"Your problem isn't preparation," she said, poking Angus in the shoulder with left hand, "It's confidence. How can a group of men like you expect to be taken seriously if you don't have confidence?"
"Confidence, sir?" Walter said in a tiny voice.
"Confidence!" Karyn repeated.
"But we practiced so hard!" Angus said, resignation in his tone, "and we're just not good at it!"
"Confidence doesn't come from notes, or presentations, it comes from how you present yourself," she grabbed Angus by the wrinkled tie, "and right now you're presenting yourselves as a bunch of slobs. Nobody would ever take boys dressed like you seriously, not in a business environment."
"But this is how we always dress..." Walter began.
"And look at where it's gotten you! Giving terrible presentations, feeling like failures. Completely unattractive, completely devoid of style."
Karyn walked out of the office and grabbed her secretary (Alex Timmers, by the sign on his desk) by the well manicured hand and pulled him back into the room with her.
"Now here is a boy who knows how to get things done!" she indicated the pink-clad Alex, "A pencil skirt to show that he is all business, but a nice neckline to show that he's still fun. Some make-up to make people sit up and take notice of his expression. And heels! How in God's name is anyone supposed to take a boy seriously unless he wears heels!"
The three pathetic presenters were staring at the secretary as if his attire was a new revelation, as if a switch had gone off in their brains revealing a great universal truth.
"Alex," Karyn said after taking a puff of her cigar, "Take these three out shopping. Don't come back until they look a little more... professional. Then we can see how well their presentation goes."
It took less time than Karyn would have anticipated, but soon enough the three men were paraded back into her office. Alex wore a proud smile on his painted face as his boss took in his handiwork.
All three men wore matching outfits, which was a nice touch, thought Karyn. Short black miniskirts topped with a wide-buckled belt, white blouses that were buttoned only so far, and tall strappy heels. Each man had a gold necklace, painted nails (fingers and toes), and an ample amount of make-up on their faces. They all looked adorable, confident, and of course, professional.
"Finally," Karyn said, smiling, "Now we can finally have that presentation. And if you do a good job, maybe I'll give you a little bonus."
All three boys giggled, then began their bubbly presentation, which, thanks to Karyn's advice, went much better.
The Spirit watched Karyn's progress and was amazed. Not only had she acclimated to her new environment, but she had a knack for feminization, just like the Spirit! The way she handled those men was amazing. Such force, such finesse. With both Jon and Kelli to manipulate, the Spirit was finding that its attentions were being far to split. Maybe it was time for a little help...
