I guess I have always been easy to intimidate. My first sex was a result of my boy-friend saying he would break off our relation ship if I didn't fuck him. From there it was easy for him to explore every conceivable position and introduce me to fellatio, cunnilingus and sodomy. Since I was only fourteen and dumb I ended up getting knocked-up. He decided that since he was going to be stuck for child support anyway he might as well marry me and get endless sex and a housekeeper.

I really tried to keep the marriage together. He did not like my daughter, complaining about her crying and the smell of diapers when she was a baby and the thought that he was tied down and it was my fault. He convinced me to have my tubes tied to avoid having more children. At least he began having sex with me more often after that. He became more irritable and restless as time went on and it became obvious he was seeing other women. I put up with it all as I didn't know what else to do. He had me drop out of school when we married so I had no education or job skills. In spite of my efforts when my daughter was ten years old he left one day and didn't come back.

Shortly afterwards I received notice from his lawyer to come in to discuss our divorce. I had already realized I couldn't keep the marriage going as he was getting more hostile every day so just went along with it. He took his clothes, a tv, and his car and moved out. The court awarded me the house and five hundred dollars per month child support. He was to continue making the house payments while I paid the taxes and upkeep. It didn't sound too bad. I thought I could get a job and with the child support I would be alright.

I got one check. When another month went by I tried calling his apartment. The phone had been disconnected. I called his lawyer to see if he knew where he was and was told that they had no idea and were also looking for him as he had not paid their bill.

The next shocker was a bill from a finance company. It turned out he had borrowed all the equity in our house. Since Washington was a community property state I would be obligated to pay the bill if I didn't want to lose the house.

By this time I was nearly broke and began to have daily garage sales selling our furniture and my better clothes to make payments and feed ourselves. Job hunting was terribly depressing. I found that even fast- food restaurants expected a high school education. I went to the welfare department for help only to be told that since I had child support and a home the only thing they could do was allow food stamps. It was obvious I could not afford the house so I sold it at a bargain price that only gave me about a thousand dollars after the bank and real estate costs were paid. I found a cheap apartment that I still could not afford unless I got a job since the welfare department would not help me till they could confirm the fact I had no assets.

I was at my wits end and depressed when I saw a little ad in the help wanted column.

"WANTED Receptionist. Must have good speaking voice. Attractive. Minimal typing and account work. Apply in person."

It gave an address down by the docks and a phone number. I called and set up an appointment the next day. He said to bring my resume. I didn't know what a resume was! I looked it up in the dictionary. Then typed it hunt and peck on a typewriter my ex had forgotten to take with him.

When I read it I was so depressed I began to cry again. All I had was an eighth grade education and no work experience except housework. By the next morning I had convinced myself to take the interview. I didn't look that great, it had been months since I had my hair done and my best dress was shapeless now that I had lost twenty pounds. My body actually looked great now that I was down to one hundred pounds but you could never tell in that dress.

I had sold my car so left early to make the bus connections. When I found the address there was a sign on the freight elevator telling me the office was on the top floor. When the elevator door opened I saw another sign directing me up a wide staircase. It turned out he owned the building and had built his office on the roof. It was a huge office with a desk near the door which I assumed would be mine if I got the job and a monster desk at the back of the room where he was sitting talking on the phone. He motioned for me to sit at a small couch facing a beautiful view of Puget Sound. I looked around while waiting and saw through an open door a large conference table with four chandeliers hanging from hooks in the ceiling. Two other doors were closed and I guessed that they were bathrooms or coffee rooms. There were windows all around and to keep from blocking the view all the cabinets and shelves were placed either above or below the windows. If I got the job I could see that I would be doing a lot of stretching to reach the top shelves or stooping for the low ones. I ended up watching him as he was quoting figures to the person at the other end. He was quite handsome with greying temples and a muscular looking body covered with an expensive looking silk shirt. He finally got off the phone and waved me over to stand nervously in front of his desk.

"I assume you are Janet Curtis who called about my job opening as a result of my receptionist leaving to marry. Unfortunately I introduced her to a very wealthy client who stole her from me."

"Yes Sir." I thought to myself that the job could have a great fringe benefit as I might find someone to marry that would solve all my problems.

"Alright. If I should hire you the job consists of answering and screening my calls, typing invoices, and faxing my hand written notes to customers. The starting pay is $800.00 per month for the first month then a $50.00 raise if your performance is good. I provide accident and health, a company car since you will be expected to run errands for me and I provide your work clothes. Let me see your resume."

I handed him my pathetic sheet of paper. It only took him a minute to read it.

He looked up at me obviously angry.

"This is the worst resume I have ever seen. You have no education and no experience. Why in hell did you think I would hire you."

I answered with a quavering voice.

"Sir, the ad just said some typing and good speaking voice. People have told me I am attractive. Please Sir. I am desperate, my husband has left me and I don't know where to turn. I am not dumb. I can learn and will do anything you want if you give me a chance. I typed my resume."

"Oh yeah. I am really impressed. It is not in a proper format, there are spelling mistakes and bad punctuation. As far as appearance is considered your hair needs to be done and God knows what your body looks like in that oversize dress."

I began to cry. He let me stand there sobbing for awhile then said,

"You might not even want this job. The clothes you will be wearing are much more revealing than that sack you are wearing. I have a lot of time and money invested in my receptionists before you can even start work. I send you to a hairdresser, your clothes are tailor made, and I have to pay for a physical for your insurance. I have to train you to do the work and it may be necessary to introduce you to corporal punishment to insure your good performance. Do you understand and do you still want to work for me?"

I certainly knew what corporal punishment was. My principal would give us "swats" at the smallest infringement of rules. I also understood the logic of the cost to him to fire someone after he had all that invested.

"I guess you mean like the 'swats' they gave us at school. I would not mind. The threat might make me try harder."

"Yes. You say that now but when it becomes necessary, to use your term, 'swat' you it may be a different story."