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 ï>¿Mailgirls On The Run by eltree

   Chapter 16

   Mailgirl Twenty-two woke early Tuesday morning.  Even without checking
the time on her MMU she knew it was early because the grille across her
sleeping niche hadn't retracted yet.  She watched Mailgirl Seventeen exit
the dormitory through the door into the lounge -- either Seventeen or her
partner on the breakfast run must have made enough noise to bring her to
consciousness.

   Twenty-two stretched out as much as she could in the cramped space --
the sleeping niches were fine for the shorter women, but at 5' 10" she
couldn't completely straighten out even on the diagonal.  It had been a
hard week.  She was in the best shape of her life following just over a
year of racing about the five floors of the SG&T headquarters building, but
the last week had been over the top.  A week ago Saturday she had seriously
overachieved in the training session, then a severe cropping on Monday,
running on the treadmill on Thursday followed by six of the best with the
paddle for exceeding twenty-five demerits, and then another training
session two days ago.  She hadn't been as stupid as the previous Saturday,
but dashing from office to office didn't fully prepare you for running
repeat 3k loops.  That was Megan's thing, not hers.

   And thinking of her sister, she had given off some strange vibes
Saturday morning.  There had only been three men joining Megan and the
mailgirls in their second session: Ken Jensen who had been chatting up
Megan the previous week, Mr Stevens from Auditing, and Brendan who had come
with Sara (the ex-Mailgirl Five) and her fiance the first time.  Megan had
been rather obviously not running with Ken or Brendan and was doing her
'not into boyfriends' manner which Twenty-two remembered from Megan's high
school days.  It wasn't her totally freaked 'they all saw me on my knees
eating dog food in the nude' that she sported for months after returning to
work as a financial analyst; no, it was definitely the 'attracted to boys,
but what do I do' mode.  Maybe she'd just ask Megan if she had sex the next
time she saw her.

   Richard from Chicago had not been at Sunday's training session.  She'd
enjoyed flirting with him the week before, but that had led to her Monday
punishment.  Mistress V said that he had been counseled about his behavior
so mayhaps his absence wasn't surprising.  She wondered how long his
resolve to avoid her would last.  It looked at though Megan had moved on
from him and she was the other Brooks sister on offer.

   Her MMU buzzed and the grille slid open so it was time for another
soul-baring, well skin-baring, performance as Mailgirl Twenty-two.

   Megan strode into the SG&T building, her head still whirling from the
events of the past few days.  She'd politely send Brendan home after brunch
on Saturday, then spent much of the day responding to texts from Lin Chang.
Not only had Dr Rodriguez surprised her daughter with her visit, but first
contact was made in the company of the college president.  Maria seemed to
handle the reunion well as far as Megan could tell from Lin's texts, but
after nearly two years as a mailgirl what would faze her.  Sunday morning
had been another relaxing, long run with Ken Jensen and they'd met other
runners in the park where they'd met before heading out on the Rock Creek
Trail.  Sunday evening had been a reassuring virtual therapy session on the
phone with Sarah where Megan rambled on about Mistress V's revelations,
Maria's mom, and Brendan.  After serving as Sarah's confidant / shoulder to
cry on for the year after she met Sam it was the taller brunette's turn to
provide some emotional stability.  Monday she ran a holiday 5k put on by
the Montgomery Road Runners, finishing third woman despite treating it as a
training run and a chance to meet other runners.

   Following the long weekend, it was time to face down Ms Barnes.  She had
been absent again on Friday which Megan appreciated as that had given her
more time to process the introduction of Dr Rodriguez into the frame.  And
Mrs Soames.

   Once at her desk the first thing she brought up on her screen was the
Mailgirl App which was a clear sign of a screwed sense of priorities.  She
knew that it was at the top of the startup list for many of her male
colleagues, and yes, a few of the women as well, but still she wanted,
needed to focus on finance, not naked women.  The only punishments listed
for today were the traditional six of the best for exceeding twenty-five
demerits and those were Mailgirls Eight and Nineteen.  She brought up the
statuses of the runners: Twenty-three was "off duty", Fourteen was
"off-campus" and the others all "on-duty." Twelve was at Auditing, the
others were en-route, none to Human Capital.  Megan knew of employees who
held onto outgoing deliveries until they judged their favorite mailgirl was
most likely to do the pick-up.  Rank and file didn't have the ability to
specify mailgirls, that was generally reserved for executives.

   Her calendar app popped a notice up onto her screen that she had an
appointment in Human Capital in ten minutes.  Might as well get all the
mailgirl crap out of the way first thing so that I can get to work.

   Megan walked up to the third floor and made her way back to Human
Capital.  Miss Bradley announced her arrival and said, "You can go right
in."

   Ms Barnes rose to her feet as Megan entered, "I've had more than enough
of you, Ms Brooks.  You have access to the Mailgirls Lounge and Dormitory
for the sole purpose of training mailgirls for the Corporate Challenge
Race. That does not entitle you to lead tours for any curious individual or
to question the bank's treatment of mailgirls.  You leave personnel matters
to Human Capital and Human Resources and stick to your desk.  As you have
been officially assigned to work with these mailgirls Human Capital will
have input into your next performance review and it will not be positive.

   "Your qualifications to train these mailgirls to race are that you ran
track in college and that you continue to run.  But, as you have pointed
out many times this takes you away from the job that the bank pays you for.
I will propose to Mr Soames that Mailgirl Twenty-three take over training
the others.  She also ran collegiately and did quite well.  It's the
obvious answer.  Do yourself a favor and tell your friend Mr Starnes that
you want this to happen."

   Megan considered the proposal for half a beat before the image of
Maria's bottom came to her mind.  "Ms Barnes, I did not seek out this
project, but I am going to carry it through to completion.  Mailgirl
Twenty-three needs to be focusing on her own recovery and learning to be
the best SG&T mailgirl that she can be."

   "Then I have no choice but to lay your misbehavior before Mr Soames and
have you removed."

   "Did Security tell you who I escorted into the Mailgirls Lounge?"

   "A Dr Rodriguez.  I supposed you

   e going to say you took him to examine Mailgirl Twenty-three.  The
Medical Center has kept a careful eye on her, you needn't have interfered."

   "Well, actually Dr Rodriguez said that her sister was the psychiatrist
and perhaps she could help Twenty-three.  No, Dr Rodriguez has a doctorate
in Electrical Engineering, but more importantly is a newly appointed member
of SG&T's Board of Directors.  She is also a sorority sister of Mrs Soames
and when she wanted to speak privately to me she shooed Mr Soames out of
his own office."

   "It doesn't matter; you exceeded your authority when you took a visitor,
especially a distinguished visitor into those spaces."

   "Oh, and I should also mention that Dr Rodriguez is the name she goes by
professionally.  She is also the elder Mrs.  Maria Hyland.  She invited Mr
Fforde, me and my date to dinner and the symphony Friday night and was then
planning to attend Convocation at Hood on Saturday.  Professor Chang sent
me multiple texts on Saturday alerting me that Maria's mother was on campus
in the company of the college president.  While I didn't bring up the
stripes across Maria's ass and I doubt that she bared her buttocks to her
mother, I suspect that Professor Chang was less reticent.

   "If there is nothing more, I need to post the training schedule for this
week and then get back to work.  There will be no exceptionally harsh
treatment of the women in training and Mailgirl Fourteen will return to
work without incident Friday morning." Megan turned and walked out.

   Once back at her desk Megan called Bob Starnes and alerted him to Ms
Barnes' proposal and the potential influence of Dr Rodriguez.  She then
drew up the schedule for treadmill training.  Due to the short week -- even
most of the mailgirls had gotten the holiday off, a stay-cation for them --
Megan decided on Twenty-two and Twelve on Wednesday, then Four and Fifteen
Thursday morning, and that left just Three since Fourteen wouldn't be back
until Friday morning.  She decided that Three could pair with Twenty-three
Thursday afternoon; Felicity would know enough not to overdo it.  And now,
time to do real work.

   After an uneventful (and mailgirl free) rest of the day Megan was about
to shut down and head home when she received a request for a meeting with
Mr Fforde in ten minutes.  She resolutely logged out and walked up to the
Legal Department.  The middle-aged (not a mailgirl candidate) secretary
waved her on to an office back in the corner.  Mr Fforde sat behind his
desk watching Mailgirl Twenty-three on her knees in front of him scanning a
sheaf of papers.

   "Nothing obvious appears to be missing, though if they absconded with
some t-shirts I wouldn't necessarily pick that out from a listing."

   "It is traditional to confiscate mailgirls' lingerie, some firms have
been known to repackage panties and sell them.  Aside from that, the San
Francisco office agrees.  They did a physical inventory and checked that
against the listing you signed off on two years ago.  The paralegal who
went through your boxes did note that the violin was badly out of tune, but
otherwise playable.  He wasn't impressed by the climate control in their
storage facility.

   "We now have your W4, your W2 and tax returns from last year, and your
pay summary.  Based on that we're overpaying our mailgirls.  Your signing
bonus went onto your student loans and regular payments were made through
the rest of your employment there.  They did not pay a completion bonus,
presumably since your Mohr Brothers contract was terminated prematurely. 
We still have no information on any retirement account and your current
bank balance is just over $11,000, now in an account at SG&T.

   "We will now turn your case over to the San Francisco district attorney.
I'll arrange for Ms Stevens to take a deposition from you."

   "Twenty-three looked down at the floor, "Thank you."

   "San Francisco will ship your possessions here.  You'll at least want
clothing at the end of your contract here.  Would you like your violin
delivered to the Mailgirl Dormitory?"

   Megan broke in, "Mailgirls aren't permitted anything not supplied by the
bank."

   "If Community Relations can sell the fifth floor on a Mailgirls Running
Team, I can pitch a string quartet.  According to her profile Mailgirl Five
plays the cello.  Put her on stage with the instrument between her legs and
the neck nestled in her cleavage and the entire fifth floor will be
panting. I'll talk to Human Capital about targeting musicians in their
recruiting.  I'll have the violin sent to a local music store to put it
back into playing condition."

   "Yes, thank you."

   "Now we have to put you back to work; student loan payments wait for no
mailgirl.

   "And Ms Brooks, I'm going to expect you to alert me to any undue
attention paid to either Mailgirl Twenty-three or Fourteen by Ms Barnes or
Mistress V.  I will defer to your expertise in assessing whether Human
Capital is going off the rails."

   * * * *

   After a brisk 45 minutes on the treadmill in her condo's fitness center
Megan settled down to make a risotto leavened with a glass of vino verde.
Maryland in the summer was hotter and more humid than Chicago or Iowa and
she confined her outdoor training to the early morning.  Now, running in
what the locals laughably called winter...  She cleaned up from dinner and
poured another glass of wine before calling Brendan.

   Checking in with Sarah was easier.  "You heard from Fforde about
Mailgirl Twenty-three?  Her stuff is being shipped here and he told her
that he would have his violin tuned and delivered to her in the dormitory.
He said he has a vision: if Mailgirls can run, why not a string quartet? 
Apparently Five is a cellist."

   "Vision or wet-dream?"

   Megan giggled, "He was behind his desk when he said it.  Maybe that will
give Ms Barnes something else to train her ire on.  I'm hoping the threat
of Dr Rodriguez's wrath will get her to back off some.  Pointing out that
Fourteen's mother is now on the Board of Directors did seem to give her
pause.  And yes, I finally opened your housewarming gift Friday night --
there are still plenty of condoms left, it is a big box.  I'm not sure when
I'll have the courage for a repeat performance.

   "Mailgirls on treadmills the next two days including Twenty-three and
then outside Sunday morning.  Fourteen is due back from college Friday
morning.  I'll check in with her and Lin Chang on Thursday to see how the
week went.  She had her first class today."

   "I freaked out when we were delivered back to SG&T after our vacation
week.  I know you complained about being shipped in a pet crate, but I
don't know that I could have hopped on a plane and then taken an Uber back
to the Mailgirl Locker Room.  Fourteen's had a week of freedom with money
in her pocket and you really expect her to just deliver herself back
there?"

   "Not to mention that she has the financial resources to tell Human
Capital where to shove it.  I still expect to meet her at the MARC station
Friday morning.  I wonder if I can put in for mileage and parking?"

   * * * *

   Megan looked up from her desk to find two mailgirls standing in front of
her.  Mailgirl Twenty-three had just placed the Grinnell alumni magazine in
her in box.  Felicia looked especially thin and pale compared to the
statuesque brunette by her side.

   "How is your first day working as a Mailgirl going?"

   "This mailgirl regrets her poor performance and will work hard to
improve..."

   Mailgirl Eighteen broke in, "She's getting lots of shit about her about
her looks.  We've heard multiple promises to complain to Human Capital
about their recruiting and not a few comments that I need to renew my
contract so that SG&T can continue to employ mailgirls that meet the
standard."

   Twenty-three looked at Eighteen in horror.

   The other woman grinned "You can only say that sort of thing in the
dormitory or to Ms Brooks and then only when you're out of earshot of
everyone else."

   "Has Ms Barnes said when she will start you on full service?"

   Twenty-three went even paler.

   "This is not your old firm.  I mean working twelve hour days racing the
clock to deliver documents and electronic messages throughout SG&T."

   "This mailgirl has just been given her instructions for today."

   "Typical.  Well, they're going to have to go into full training mode
soon.  Eighteen, when does your contract end."

   "My last day is October 26th."

   "Any thoughts about staying on?"

   Eighteen looked down and breathed out, "I hope not."

   Megan flashed back to her meeting with Dr Rodriguez and smiled, "I
understand Marcy.  Maria's mother can look after her now.  She just moved
into the area and met up with Maria on Saturday at college.  Just train
Felicia so that she can help the new crop of mailgirls."

   Eighteen said, "Thank you." Twenty-three looked confused.

   "Felicia, I've scheduled you on the treadmill in the Fitness Center
tomorrow afternoon.  Don't overdo it.  Now, off to deliver the rest of your
vital mail."

   Beyond bringing up a window to keep half an eye on Mailgirls Twelve and
Twenty-two as they ran in the Fitness Center Megan spent the rest of the
day on bank business.

   Thursday was mailgirl free -- well, again she kept an eye on the two
sessions in the Fitness Center, but saw no reason to make an appearance
there.  Spending less time on mailgirl issues was definitely good for her
peace of mind.  She was finishing up for the day when she heard a rap on
the open door to her office and an unknown,slender red-headed woman stepped
in.

   "How can you train in this weather?"

   Megan looked up "Can I help you?"

   "Oh, I know the Olympics are usually held in someplace much too warm for
distance runners: Tokyo, Rio, Beijing, Atlanta -- but, why?"

   "During the summer I run early in the morning to avoid the heat, but
fall lasts through Christmas and the winters are mild and who are you?"

   "Oh, sorry, I'm Charlotte Johnston, newly assigned to the Washington
office.  I've been happily working remotely for the last two years, but now
that I've landed in Northern Virginia Ben insists that I have to make
occasional appearances here.  So, here I am.

   "And I run and I'm told you're heading up SG&T's women's team in some
sort of upcoming race."

   "The Corporate Challenge 10k is a competition between teams from
companies and government agencies throughout Central Maryland.  Community
Relations thinks our participation helps us fit into the local business
community.  They even went so far as to volunteer to host this year's race
which is in just five weeks."

   "So what genius decided that fielding a team of naked women would help
the bank fit in?"

   "Well, the fifth floor wants to win as well and our women's team last
year was pretty pathetic.  They arranged for a couple of men to transfer
from Chicago and San Francisco to bolster the men's team, but there seems
to be a problem persuading fit young women to transfer here.  Most are not
interested in being impressed as mailgirls."

   "I spent three years working in San Francisco so I understand about
mailgirls, but what makes them think a bunch of Hooters' girls can run?"

   Megan blushed.  "Last year I finished fourth in the race, several
minutes ahead of the next SG&T woman, less than a month after I completed
my mailgirl contract.  I pointed out that I ran in college unlike the rest
of the mailgirls, but I was told to select and train a team.  We ran a
series of time trials and in the last we had five women inside 40:30, which
is not world-beating, but impressive for rookies with no training and no
real incentive to do well.  Spending all day rushing from office to office
across five floors does get a girl into shape.  So now, the six mailgirls
selected for the team are running on the treadmill one day during the week
and training on the course one weekend morning."

   "Are the weekend runs mailgirls only?"

   "Some of the men run with them and I've had some friends also help out."

   "I bet I could get my husband to come.  Running's not his thing, but
naked women..."

   "Please, we get enough oglers already without importing them."

   "No, I'll let him know he can only come if he runs.  He's Air Force so
he's in pretty good shape, just not a fan of running."

   "How quick are you?"

   "My last race was a 1:18 half marathon in Scotland, but I haven't raced
since we moved to Virginia in July and I will tell you that I'm not a fan
of running in this weather.  I grew up in Chicago, ran D3 track in
Minnesota, then the Bay Area, and after we got married spent two years in
the North of England.  This could give me a reason to get myself back onto
the roads and I can tell Ben I'm doing it for the bank."

   "Ben's your husband?"

   "No, he's my cousin and my boss.  I work directly for him; I don't
report to anyone here at all.

   "Any suggestions as to where to eat around here?  I've tried driving
back across the Potomac at this time of day and it's just not worth it.  I
told Anthony he can get his own dinner and I'll be home when the traffic
subsides."

   Megan had thought she could get a run in first thing Friday morning, but
sleeping through the alarm had scrubbed that notion and only the incoming
text from Lin Chang that Maria was on the MARC train had gotten her moving.
She skipped breakfast to get to the station in Germantown in time to meet
the train arriving at 6:55 a.m.  There was a train due in at six, but Lin
had firmly said no to getting Maria to the station in Frederick for a five
a.m.  departure and they had both reluctantly agreed that catching the
later train would inevitably result in at least six of the best if Maria
arrived in the locker room at 8:30.

   Maria was still half asleep when she got onto the train in Frederick. 
She was awake enough to set her phone alarm for ten minutes before the
train was due in Germantown; sleeping through her stop would be
unfortunate.

   Then, having been so thoughtful she couldn't fall asleep.  Even after a
week the feel of clothing against her skin just felt wrong and somewhat
uncomfortable after two years of nudity.  She had worn panties and a bra
while on campus, but as directed she was returning to work sans
undergarments.  The front of her jeans rubbed against her hairless pudenda
and she was all too aware of several men staring at her chest as her
braless breasts thrust against the cotton blouse.  She would have thought
that after the aforementioned two years of nudity she wouldn't react to men
blatantly eyeing her, but....  She kept her eyes to the floor and waited
for her stop.

   Trying to ignore the unwanted attention she focused on her bone to pick
with Ms Brooks.  She had just had a week of freedom where she could be a
normal college student and not a naked mailgirl.  And while she didn't fit
the stereotypical pattern of an 18-22 year old college student, she wasn't
an oddity at Hood which had a substantial number of men and mostly women
returning to their studies at both the graduate and undergraduate level
after years in the workforce.  And then her mother showed up -- well, that
was not atypical for new students to experience, but their mothers probably
hadn't spent the last two years knowing that their daughters spent their
days running around in the nude, eating from bowls on the floor, being
caned and paddled in public.  A little warning would have been appreciated.
Yes, focus on what she would say to Ms Brooks.

   Her phone buzzed her ten minute warning -- assuming the train was on
time -- and Maria sat up.  Germantown was the stop after next and she had
no possessions to gather up.  Her cell phone was in her back pocket, her
rail pass, drivers license, and a credit card were in a front pocket.  She
was going to lose everything when she stepped onto the loading dock at SG&T
so there was no reason to hand over to Ms Brooks more than was absolutely
necessary.  Strictly speaking she only needed the rail pass, but the other
items let her hold on to being a real person and not a naked chattel for
just a bit longer.

   Passengers had been flooding onto the train at every stop with very few
people getting off and that proved to be the situation at her stop as well.
She was happy to escape and after working her way through the knot of
commuters bent on boarding spotted Ms Brooks waiting for her.

   "Ms Brooks, how could you let my mother descend on me without warning?"

   "Maria, I think you can call me Megan when you're not being a Mailgirl.
You are after all an older and more experienced woman than me.

   "I got the distinct impression that she wanted to meet you on her own
terms and she's not a woman I would want to cross lightly.  Besides, I'm
using her to try to keep Ms Barnes under control or do you want to ride the
train to Frederick with a freshly welted ass every week?  Did your mother
tell you that she is now a member of SG&T's board?"

   The conversation paused as they climbed into Megan's Civic.

   "No, she didn't mention that.  She did tell me that she's moving here
and has a job teaching locally.  My brothers have been trying to push her
out of the company since Dad died.  I hope she didn't give in just to hover
over me."

   "She said that she needed to get out of the way to allow her principal
researcher to take over or risk losing him."

   "That's okay then.  She's had a tense relationship with my brothers as
long as I can remember.  Mom is better with designing systems than
relationships and the boys resented her stepping into their mother's place,
My dad was widowed, not divorced, but that didn't seem to make a difference
to them."

   "So, how was your first week at school...."

   Megan pulled her Civic up to the loading dock and Maria stepped out. 
She quickly stripped down muttering "This is going to really suck in
December." Dropping her shoes and clothing on the passenger seat she
mentioned "my phone, license, etc are in my pants' pockets."

   "I'll lock them in my desk until Monday afternoon."

   Once more in her mailgirl uniform Fourteen walked up the steps and rang
the bell beside the door.  It opened and she disappeared to rejoin her
twenty-three naked co-workers.

   Mistress V had just done a cursory inspection of Fourteen, directed her
to touch up her makeup, and ordered her back to work.  More than a dozen
runs later she had a few minutes on the mat at the entrance to Contracts
kneeling next to Mailgirl Two.

   "I saw your mom in the Locker Room last week," the black girl whispered.

   "She caught up to me at college on Saturday."

   "But, you don't need the money; why did you come back?"

   "I signed a contract, I will fulfill my obligation.  Knowing that there
is an end to this really helps.  Besides, my mother promised that she
wouldn't drop in on me here."

   The Contracts Admin leaned over and hissed, "Quiet, you two." just as
Fourteen's MMU chimed with her next delivery and she sprang up before the
admin could assess a demerit.  Two's MMU joined in two beats later.

   Mailgirl Twenty-two received her off-duty notification just before six
and made her way down to the Locker Room.  She caught up with Eighteen on
the final flight up stairs to the basement and hailed the sultry brunette,
"I'm done for the day, how are you doing?"

   "I was on the mat at Mr Soames' office having just run from Real Estate
and Tiffany as usual waited to acknowledge me until I was officially late.
I'll be on the list for Monday.  But, more importantly Thirteen was in
Human Capital for her exit interview -- her last day is in two weeks.  You
know what that means."

   "Sendoff tomorrow.  This is the first since Eleven in April;
Twenty-three was gone before we knew it."

   Megan had spent the rest of the work day doing bank business and walked
away from her desk that evening feeling good about it.  Madison, another
analyst in Mr Bratz's group, tossed out an invite to meet up with the gang
at a local watering hole after work.  This was the first overture to normal
relations that she had received in the nearly a year since returned coming
to work wearing clothing.  She did stop by and wound up staying long enough
that she ordered a burger (rare) and fries to go with her red wine. 
Inevitably, the conversation turned to mailgirls but it concerned the
running team and not her personal history.  She wasn't the first to leave,
but eventually bailed explaining that she was committed to an early morning
run the next day.

   Not so bright, but definitely early Saturday morning Megan was at Lake
Needwood admiring the vista of the mist over the water while the mixed
group of some twenty runners straggled in.  Some had obviously not followed
her lead on an early Friday night.  Still they all headed off at a relaxed
pace south on Rock Creek Trail before the pack split at Randolph Road.  The
marathoners-in-training continued south while the differently ambitious
turned back.  That meant they faced the one significant hill on the route
twice in little more than a mile and then the run heated up.  Two of the
men disappeared into the distance at a pace she didn't try to match.  She
worked hard to stay with Ken and Shayla and was quite happy when they eased
off on the final grade back up to the lake.

   As they walked around the parking lot cooling down and drinking from the
bottles put out by the speedsters Shayla asked, "Would you be interested in
running for the club at the Hood Invitational in two weeks?  They'll have a
dozen or so area colleges, plus a few club teams.  We're talking D3 schools
and generally the second tier of those."

   Megan said sure and Shayla responded that she would bring along a club
singlet for her to wear in the race.

   Mailgirl Thirteen, soon-to-be Colleen O'Brien of Miami, Florida was
working the afternoon shift when her MMU directed her to report to the
Locker Room shortly before the dinner service began.  As she approached she
could see nearly the entire morning shift standing about on the other side
of the mirrored glass looking at the door.  She had taken part in the
send-off for eight former mailgirls and knew what awaited her.  She raised
her MMU to the lock to enter the mailgirls domain and asked, "How do you
get IT to hack the system to send me here now?"

   Ten answered, "We promise to not obstruct the camera angles of the
bench. You'll get a video to take home when you leave."

   Thirteen sighed and allowed herself to be escorted over to the showers
so that the festivity could begin on a clean slate.  After some very
intimate and arousing scrubbing, despite the cold water, she was hustled
into the Dormitory away from the eyes of those in the upper lobby.  She
allowed herself to be strapped down onto the whipping bench by her fellow
mailgirls.  Six noted, "We've had some unfortunate outpourings when we
waited until after dinner, but don't worry, you'll be sated before lights
out tonight.

   A blindfold was applied and then the touching began.  Some interminable
time later Thirteen was still coherent enough to notice when fresh pussy
clamped over her mouth and deduced the rest of the afternoon shift was
arriving.  She was assaulted with fingers and tongues and teeth for hours,
stroking, and probing and nipping at her flesh and holes.  Multiple times
her eyes rolled back in her head, but they kept bringing her back with cold
water.  When the lights went out at ten twenty-three mailgirls were behind
the grilles in their sleeping niches while Thirteen was still strapped down
in the middle of the room.  Her last conscious thought was that I'm going
to miss out on the other five send-offs.

   Megan woke during the night to the steady drumming of rain against her
bedroom window.  Oh, they're not going to like that...  it could rain race
day and it would help to be prepared...  and then sleep reclaimed her.

   The day dawned overcast, but nothing was falling from the sky. 
Mailgirls running in an Iowa winter wouldn't work...  there are no
mailgirls in Iowa or even Chicago...  maybe, I should go home...  And on
that note she awoke.

   The women in their underground domicile had missed the rain entirely. 
Weather and the changing seasons were of no concern for a mailgirl; such
were only to be observed fleetingly or while staked out in the courtyard,
not a facet of nature to be experienced and enjoyed.  That might be the
worst part of being a mailgirl, narrowing the world to such a limited view.
No, the worst part was the cane and its ever present threat.

   She led the half-dozen naked women out the front door of the SG&T
building thinking that rain would cut down on the oglers.  No such luck
today, the crowd was growing as she looked out, the mailgirls helping each
other into their running uniforms of minimalist shoes and bras.  Brendan,
Richard, and Ken were standing by the water table; also Charlotte and a
tall trim, blonde that she posited to be the Air Force husband.  The
spectators -- almost wholly male -- clapped and cheered as her charges
paraded to the starting line.

   "Charlotte, you made it."

   "I told you that I would.  This is my husband, Major Anthony Jones.  And
this is Megan Brooks who is more or less in charge of this madhouse."

   "I hope you can keep up with out team, they won't wait for you."

   "Oh, I think the view will be delightful from any angle.  And call me
Tony."

   "Tony." Megan had to concede the point in that exchange.

   The dozen runners did an easy 3k warm-up, Major Johnston staying up with
the group without notable distress.  The first 2k interval was led by
Mailgirls Three and Four, Megan running easily with her sister and
Charlotte.  Glancing back at turns she could see Fourteen and then the
Major doggedly sticking with Twelve; Fifteen and Twenty-three bringing up
the rear.  On the second 2k run Ken led the way, setting a strong pace for
Three and Four; Megan striding along with Brendan.  Felicia and the Major
trailed the field.  Felicia sat out the third run, the Major giving in
after the first 1k loop; Charlotte finished up with Samantha.  Megan and
Brendan pulled away on the last of the six runs with Three and Four running
strongly behind.  Richard and Samantha finished together -- Megan thought
her sister had probably had to work too hard to be flirtatious.  Charlotte
gave a good account of herself pushing Maria through that final effort. 
Felicia and the Major joined back in for the 1k warm-down, they seemed to
have established some rapport while cheering the others on over the last
three intervals.

   After that final loop Megan steered the mailgirls back into the building
and down into the locker room, hoping to minimize complaints from Ms Barnes
on Monday.  She told them all that they did well and then walked back up to
the lobby where she met the others.  Unsurprisingly, the Major was staring
down at the Locker Room and the naked women disappearing back into the
Dormitory.

   "Well, Major how did you find our team today?"

   He jerked his attention around to find Megan and Charlotte coolly
regarding him.  "The Air Force only calls for a three mile run to prove our
fitness.  I went over and above that today, but the company was worth it.
My whole flight could be inspired to train with this inspiration."