"I Get To Pick The Costumes"

Diane ought to have been feeling over the moon about Debbi's resignation. It left the field clear for her to continue advancing within the company. But part of her would miss the opportunity to continue tormenting Debbi with occasional humiliating stunts. And now, of course, there was this feeble attempt at a retaliatory stunt. Trying to rope her into being Debbi's opponent for the mud wrestling fight. When it was initially proposed Diane had naturally refused, affirming that it was absurd to expect a high ranking executive such as her to partake in anything so demeaning. Jeff and the MD had backed her up but unfortunately for her, Eamon happened to be present on one of his periodic visits from Dublin and he had reminded them that it hadn't stopped Debbi, a similarly high ranking executive, from being the butt of several such escapades. Diane had always suspected that the old roue who had founded the company had a soft spot for Debbi.

Diane's next strategy was to confront her erstwhile accomplices. She first approached her cousin Elizabeth who was on an internship with the company from the previous year's graduate intake. "I'm afraid it's going to have to be you that fights her Lizzie" Diane had begun. "Er, I don't think so" Elizabeth had replied. "I don't think daddy would take too kindly to that" she emphasised. Diane always exaggerated her minor aristocratic family ties and it was Elizabeth's side of the family that were by far the more influential. Admitting defeat, Diane turned to her other alternative. "Well, it seems as if it's going to have to be you then Aditty" she confronted the Asian girl she had mentored. "No way" was the quick response. "I'm playing my MWIS card." "What on earth's an MWIS card ?" Diane wanted to know. "Muslim When It Suits" Aditty explained. "A good Muslim girl could never expose herself to something like that" she grinned. "But you're the least pious Muslim I know" Diane spluttered, regarding Aditty's tight black skirt that sat well above her knee and somewhat undermined the significance of the headscarf she was wearing."How many other Muslims do you know ?" retorted Aditty. "Anyway, like I said, Muslim when it suits and it suits me now !"

Diane could only imagine the HR consequences if she attempted to coerce Aditty to take part. And in any case, she didn't know what Debbi's response might be to having an alternative opponent foisted on her. She made one final attempt to enlist Jeff's support but he did not dare to go against Eamon and there was also the not inconsiderable cost of cancelling the equipment they had already hired. Diane had no fear of losing the fight to Debbi but even so, she would be bound to get a little grubby. "Alright, I'll do it" she finally conceded. "But since she's picked her own opponent, I reserve the right to select our respective costumes !" "That sounds fair" agreed Jeff.