You lay it on thick

"Um... Raymond wanted me to convey his apologies for not being as... responsive as we.... he... the company, I mean, could have been." You stopped and smiled at Bernard, hoping he'd say something.

Bernard just... stared back at you. He tilted his head slightly as if listening to a high pitched sound. He sat back in his chair, picked up the receiver on his phone, and dialed a number.

"Raymond sent someone. She's not right," he muttered into the phone.

Uh oh. Was he onto you?

"No.... No.... She's not right!" he repeated, more emphatically. He then looked directly at you, his eyes working up and down your body. "Yes, that would be acceptable."

Bernard hung up the phone.

"Um... Bernard.... Mr. Woodrow?" you asked.

"Shhhhh!" Bernard said, putting a finger to his lips as he did. "Not yet. You're not right."

OK, that was weird. This whole thing was weird.

"Maybe I should go," you said. Turning, you started to the door.

It opened, and the older receptionist was standing with her hand out, as if she had just been about to open the door.

Bernard stood, placing both hands on his desk and leaned forward. "Dorothy, she's NOT RIGHT!"

"Yes, yes, Bernard," the woman, apparently Dorothy, said. "Don't worry. I'll make her right."

Things had just taken a hard left from weird onto completely messed up.

"If you'll come with me, dear," Dorothy said, a sad smile on her face.

"You minced after her, your feet beginning to hurt in the heels after being on them so much. "What's going on?"

Dorothy sighed. "Bernard is a gifted businessman. His instincts have taken his father's business and allowed it to blossom," she said as she gestured for you to walk down the hallway with her. "Unfortunately, he has his demons, and I try to overcome them to allow him to focus on the business."

"OK," you said. "But what on earth did he mean by my 'not being right'?"

Dorothy again gave you that sad, warm smile. "Raymond has been assisting Bernard for years now. And when he sends over a pretty girl like you, well, they're dressed more to... Bernard's tastes... to make him happy, you understand."

"Wait...Raymond sends girls here..." you started to ask.

"...and to get Bernard to listen, they have to be presented appropriately." Dorothy finished. "It's just clothes, dear. You'll be fine. Let's get you properly attired so that you can finish what you came here for."

You ground your teeth. Raymond had pretty much set you up with doing this, but because the company could suffer if you didn't, you pretty much had **** but to put on whatever Bernard needed.

You closed your eyes and opened your clenched fists, taking several deep breaths before following Dorothy again. She opened a door, flicking on a light switch, and motioned for you to enter. "You can change in here, honey," she said.

You walked into the room, which was apparently an unused office. "If you'll give me just a few moments," Dorothy said, looking you up and down. "I think we have something in your size. I'll be right back."

You sat on the unused desk in the room, crossed your leg, and kicked your foot for several minutes, waiting for Dorothy's return, fuming all the while. There was a knock on the door, it opened, and Dorothy peered through the crack. "Here, Jane. Put this on, and we'll go back to Bernard."

She handed you a bundle of clothing..