Spanking & Chastening: Denudation

Stepping off the elevator onto sub level one, it was not hard to imagine it as the dungeon of Quondam Tower. Like the screams of nameless victims, the walls contained the ear piercing mechanization of the mail room, shielding its very existence from the more glorious levels above. The soft flicker of fluorescent lighting and the absence of external sunlight combined with the metallic surfaces of endless sorting tables, machinery and carts, gave a chill to the air despite the warm breath emanating from the machines. I briefly wondered if that was the real suffering in Hell; Endless fire and flame devoid of even the slightest comfort of warmth.

At the edge of the large open room I stood appraising the situation, looking for any indication of the direction I should proceed. Nearest me, four men worked a machine bundling together stacks of letter sized envelopes and then sorting them onto nearby carts. They were each wearing a dark blue jumpsuit with gray patches on the shoulders and one above their left breast embroidered with their first names. Looking around, I noticed it appeared to be the uniform worn by everyone on the floor, meaning I was going to stand out in my white blouse and black business suit.

"Virginia?" One of the men nearest me turned and asked, shouting to be heard over the equipment. I nodded. "Mr. Zephyr is just down there in the office on the right."

My gaze followed his pointing finger down the narrow walkway and easily spotted the Plexiglass window a few yards away in the middle of an otherwise unadorned white wall. I nodded a quick thanks to the man and carefully made my way to the office. The door was closed and rather than bursting in, I decided it would be wisest to knock and wait, even though I was not certain the sound of a knock could actually be heard over the roar. I was just about to knock for a second time when the door swung open, revealing a big man, tall, beer-bellied and probably in his mid-forties. He pulled me inside and quickly closed the door.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Virginia. Mr. Foley only called down about your coming a few minutes ago. I'm David Zephyr by the way," He said, holding out his hand to me and I grasped it for a quick double pump.

He gestured toward a metal framed chair with a torn cushion in front of his desk and waited for me to sit down before seating himself behind his desk in a squeaky executive chair that barely deserved the name. My expectations had prepared me for everything except the pleasant, polite man, treating me with respect. His face bore a warm smile, so contagious I found myself relaxing and even smiling back at him.

"I have to say I was expecting someone older. I mean Virginia is an unusual name for your generation," He said.

"I get that a lot," I replied, although other than thinking it myself when Mr. Candle dropped the name on me, I had never heard anyone express a similar sentiment.

"Right, of course," He said, fidgeting his hands on top of his desk. "Working down here, I of course know who you are. I think everyone does, I mean everyone up in Q5 is pretty much well known around here. Not that I had any idea what you looked like, I mean if I'd been up in the lobby last month I would have, but I wasn't so I just heard the rumors like most. Who'd have thought I'd have you sitting in my office?"

"Not me," I said.

"Sure, me neither, except breaking rules like that, not that I have any idea what rules you broke, but I mean you had to know there'd be consequences," He said.

"In the moment, I hadn't even realized I was breaking a rule," I said, feeling a need to explain myself.

"Of course. I guess that's how it is for most. I mean who would willingly put themselves in that kind of a situation?" He said.

"No sane person," I said with a nervous laugh.

"Ain't that the truth," He said, laughing a little himself. He leaned back from his desk causing his chair to creak loudly in protest as our shared laughter faded into an awkward silence. "I really can't believe you're down here. I mean it's something of a privilege, not for you of course, but for me. I'm sure you'd rather be just about anywhere else."

"I can think of worse places," I said.

"You're too kind," He said, sitting up straight again and leaning forward to the tune of more creaking. "I mean most executives who find themselves down here are just insufferable. But you, you have this wonderful attitude and such a pleasant demeanor. You're definitely deserving of respect and please believe me when I say I have the utmost respect for you."

"Thank you," I said, blushing at the unexpected compliment on a day I expected none at all.

"It's really too bad we have to meet like this," He said. "I mean in other circumstance we might have been friends, well maybe not friends, but at least well-met acquaintances. Of course, things being as they are, you will probably leave here despising me. I'm sure you understand it's the circumstances and nothing personal."

Sweat glistened on his forehead and he rocked back and forth in his chair almost imperceptibly except for the chair's irritating creak. His fingers tapped silently on his desktop almost like he was typing on a keyboard, while his eyes darted from me, down to his desk and back again. I felt a twinge of sympathy for him, it was after all my fault, having committed an action which trapped not only myself, but this kind man, in a situation neither of us were quite prepared to handle.

"Mr. Zephyr, you've already been so kind, I could hardly leave here with anything short of respect for you," I said. "Obviously, we both have our roles to play here, but you should not feel badly about doing your job. I certainly won't be holding it against you."

"Call me David, please," He said.

"Mr. Foley—

He said, "By all means if Mr. Foley walks in here, call me Mr. Zephyr, but otherwise it's just too weird. I mean I'm having a hard enough time following disciplinary protocol and addressing you as Virginia instead of Miss West. It's just totally upside down for you to address me so formally while I'm forced to be more casual."

"Alright," I said with a smile, "David it is."

He dipped his head in a single nod and said, "Thanks. You have no idea how refreshing it is to have someone like you in here. I mean most of the time the people in that chair are blaming me as if I was the one who made them break the rules. It's just great to see you understand and even accept responsibility for yourself. Of course, I guess I shouldn't expect anything less of you, being like one of the five top people in all of Quondam."

"If I could have found a way out of this mess, believe me, I would have taken it," I said. "But I know it's way passed time for that and this isn't the place for it in any case."

"Right you are," He said, "And it's probably time we got down to business. I mean it would be great to just sit and chat with you, but of course I've got a job to do and you're here for discipline not socializing."

"Too true," I said, contemplating what miserable assignment he must have in store for me.

He said, "Obviously you are here for disciplinary duty. The duty part is pretty straight forward. After lunch break you'll be assigned a delivery cart which you will be responsible for delivering its contents in an accurate and efficient manner. One of the regulars will brief you on the procedure, but it's fairly simple if you can read a map."

"Sounds easy enough," I said, nodding.

"The disciplinary part, we'll go ahead and start now if you would be so good as to stand up," He said and I reluctantly rose to my feet as I suddenly realized I was almost certainly in for a spanking from him. "And of course it will last the rest of the day. I mean in one form or another as discipline comes in many shapes and sizes."

"I understand," I said although I was not certain I did.

"Now to start with, and I must admit I've been looking forward to this," He said, stepping out from behind his desk, leaving nothing between us except open air, "You will undress yourself and I do mean completely, making a neat stack of your things on my desk placing the bulkiest items on the bottom with the exception of course of your shoes, which should go on top."

I gawked at him, my mouth agape as all the blood drained from my face. He stared back, the gentle smile still plastered on his face, as he unashamedly anticipated an unobstructed view of my naked body. The very prospect sent the blood rushing back into my face with a fiery vengeance, leaving my ears tingling with the unmistakable burn of shame. I blinked away the early clouds of tears threatening to fall and closed my mouth, forcing my trembling fingers to raise themselves up and unbutton my black blazer.

"Come on now Virginia," He said, "Stop dawdling or I'll have to ring Mr. Foley and recommend extending your discipline. I mean it's not like you haven't stripped at work before."

"Sorry," I said, hoarsely as my blazer fell open exposing the full length of my white blouse. I quickly shrugged out of the blazer and then folded it into a neat square on his desk. My fingers moved on to the top button of my blouse and unfastened it before deciding instead to unclasp my skirt because it was in all likelihood bulkier than my blouse.

He said, "I always find it fascinating to watch an embarrassed woman undress. The question of course arises as to what she is more ashamed to bare to my eyes first; Her bra or her panties? In the end it of course does not really matter because I will see both and in fact what is underneath as well. I mean you should realize it's not really all that bad. I am after all only one person and I have of course seen it all before, not you, but plenty of others. In any case, it is certainly less embarrassing than being in the lobby or delivering mail as you'll learn firsthand later on."

I slipped my black pencil skirt down my legs until it bunched around my ankles while he spoke. Careful not to snag my heels on the skirt, I stepped out of it and then leaned down to pick it up from the floor. My hands continued to shake as my breath grew shorter while his words and their meaning became abundantly clear. I folded the skirt into a rectangle which fit neatly inside the bounds of the square folds of my blazer and left it to rest on top.

My fingers struggled with the tight buttons of my blouse, making the act of unfastening it a slow, painful affair. A quickly glance at David revealed a growing impatience and I wondered just how close he was to following through with his threat to have my time extended. The last button free, I hurriedly shrug it off my shoulders only to realize I had forgotten the cuffs. Rather than pulling it back on and unfastening the remaining buttons, I tugged my wrists through the cuffs nearly tearing the blouse in the process. David watched in silence.

I folded my blouse into a tight square and laid it to rest atop my skirt and blazer. As naked as I felt standing there in my underwear, stockings and heels, I was not naked enough for David Zephyr and he let me know by tapping his foot. I stepped out of my heels and then carefully removed my stockings a leg at a time so as to avoid snagging the delicate nylon. I folded the stockings together into a rectangle and laid them on top of my blouse.

"And the dilemma returns only stronger," He said. "Do you remove your panties first and expose your front and rear knowing it will only be a short while more before your rear is burning from more than shame or do you choose the bra and leave your embarrassed, hardened nipples and breasts to swing free in the air as you maneuver lastly out of your panties? I mean it doesn't really matter, but to women it really seems important at this particular moment. Maybe you could satisfy my curiosity and explain it?"

Much as I wanted to strangle him for all his enthusiasm at the expense of my modesty, I had to remind myself he was really only doing his job. He had a job to do and if I am honest, I too would find a certain amount of satisfaction, if not enjoyment, in his position. The job of supervising the mail room was undoubtedly an otherwise thankless and depressing chore, worse than anything I imagined upon first seeing the mail room. Disciplinary situation aside, he seemed like a genuinely nice guy, although to be honest I would probably have never gave him a second look if I had passed him on the street or sat next to him on a barstool. I swallowed what little pride I retained and accepted the inevitability of my situation because only through a vicious twist of fantasy could David Zephyr be blamed for my troubles.

"I can't speak for all women," I said, "But for me it boils down to the fact it is the last decision I have any control over, at least in regard to my modesty. I know I'm going to be naked anyway so it doesn't really matter and if you have a preference go ahead and voice it."

"You know, I really do like you Virginia," He said. "I mean most would just stand there and stare at me with hatred in their eyes and a mute tongue in their mouth. Go ahead and make your last free choice as you wish."

I hesitated for a half second considering my options before hooking my thumbs inside the waistband of my panties and dragging them down until they fell freely to my feet. My reasoning had nothing to do with exposure, which I realized was completely unavoidable, and everything to do with convenience. It would be simpler to complete my stack on his desk with my bra being laid on the very top of the stack before adding my shoes, already discarded on the floor. I imagine David would have been disappointed to learn his thoughts on embarrassment and exposure had not even entered into the equation.

Leaning down I scooped my panties from the floor and folded them in half and then in half again making a small square of the thin material. I lifted my stocking from the clothing pile and laid the panties down on top of my blouse and then placed the stockings on top of my panties remembering his instructions regarding bulkiness. With only my bra remaining, I turned to face David and reached up behind myself to unclasp the hooks holding it in place. The hooks decided to be particularly stubborn and I nearly gave into frustration and asked for assistance when they finally gave. I quickly tugged it free and let it drop down my arms until I was holding it by the strap in my right hand. The cups folded neatly into each other and I stuffed the straps into the back. Without bothering to cover myself I reached out and placed the bra on top of the stack and then leaned down to collect my heels. Setting them on top I turned once more to face David with my arms dangling loosely at my sides despite the shameful blush decorating my skin.

"A little on the slow side Virginia," David said glancing at his watch, "However, considering your cooperative attitude I'm going to let it slide this time."

"Thank you," I said.

"It really is a pity I have to put you through this, not that I'm not enjoying the view," He said, his eyes looking me over from top to bottom. "I mean I just hate having to be the bad guy."

"That's okay," I said. "I really hate having to be the bad girl."