The Corrigan Rocking Chair Company employees were sent home early when the plant lost power just after lunch. It made for a slow night at the Sitting Bull, leaving plenty of free time for the bar staff to fuck with the low man on the totem pole, Jimmy the porter.

When DeeDee got the news that the factory had shut down, she called Mike to see if she should send people home, since the usual rush wasn’t going to materialize. The boss didn’t want to cut his crew’s hours without notice like that, especially the waitresses who relied on tips they wouldn’t be getting, so he told the bar manager to leave it up to each worker whether or not they wanted to stay on the clock.

Two of the barmaids, Cindy and Charlotte, decided to split, as did Marco the cook, although the three other waitresses and Tank the bouncer stayed on to earn the easy money. Jimmy wasn’t sure whether Mike’s permission to go home had also applied to him, so he slipped away to the phone booth and called his master to double check.

Mike answered on the third ring. “Hello?”

Jimmy glanced around to ensure nobody was within earshot. “Um, hello, sir. DeeDee said everyone could go home if they wanted, and uh, I was wondering if I could leave, too.”

“No, DeeDee wants her car washed and some other stuff done. I told her she could have you all night for whatever she needed.”

“Oh. Um, uh, yes, sir.”

“What’s wrong, Pee-Wee? You sound so sad.”

“I … I don’t know, sir. I was just hoping to … you, know, hang out with you guys tonight.”

Mike guffawed. “Aw, poor Pee-Wee, were you hoping to lick my cum from Nikki’s pussy?”

“Um … uh, y-yes, sir.”

“Well, I’m taking her to the Nazareth concert, remember? You’d just be sitting at home alone, anyway. So, stay at the bar and do what DeeDee says, m’kay?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

Mike chuckled. “DeeDee’s mean, isn’t she?”

“Um, yes, sir, she can be.”

“Well, she’s on to you now, just so you know.”

“Wha … what do you mean, sir?”

“I mean, she knows about you being our little bitch-boy.”

“W-what? H-how?”

“Well, the other day after Nikki came with me to the bar, she asks me, ‘Why is Jimmy so scared of his wife?’ She’s a smart girl — that’s why I made her manager. So, I told her.”

Jimmy huffed. “You told her?! What the fuck did you tell her?”

There was a gasp a split-second before the receiver crackled with Mike’s booming voice: “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to? You better watch your tone, boy, if you know what’s good for you.”

The wimp wilted. “Uh, s-sorry, sir. I—”

“You’re damn right, you’re sorry. What’s going through that feeble little brain of yours, thinking you can talk to me like that?”

“Sir, I’m very, very sorry, sir. It’s just … um, is everyone at the bar gonna know now?”

Mike smacked his lips. “Don’t worry — DeeDee can keep a secret. That’s why I told her — she’s gonna be an important part of the expansion, and I want her to be in the loop about everything.”

“Um … sir? Can I … can I please ask what … what you told her?”

“I told her everything, Pee-Wee — about Nicole and me being in love, and how it turns you on being treated like a little bitch, and how instead of running off together, we let you stick around and be our little bitch. I mean, that’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“Y-yes, sir.” Jimmy’s face felt hot.

“I didn’t go into details — like, I didn’t tell her how much you love eating my cum out of your wife’s pussy, or how you suck my cock clean when I’m done fucking her.” Mike tittered into the phone. “I mean, we gotta keep some secrets, ain’t that right, Pee-Wee?”

“Y-yes, sir, thank you, sir. Um … sir? Did you, uh, tell her about Red, too?”

“No, that’s for Red to put out there if he wants. I’m not gonna say anything about him and neither is Nikki. Listen, Pee-Wee, we don’t want our private business getting around any more than you do. But DeeDee’s a trusted friend, so I told her, because I don’t want to have to hide shit from her. Now, we’re done talking about this — it’s time to hang up and get your little pussy ass to work. See what chores DeeDee has for you, and do whatever she says. And do it with a goddamn smile on your face, you hear?”

“Yes, sir. Um, you guys have fun at the concert, sir.”

“Thanks, Pee-Wee, I’m sure we will. Seeya!”

The line went dead.

Jimmy wiggled out of the phone booth feeling like a zombie. As he plodded toward the bar he locked eyes with DeeDee, and her smirk sent chills through his scrawny frame.

“Come into Mike’s office for a second,” she said, turning and walking away without waiting for an answer. Jimmy followed his manager into the private room.

DeeDee locked the door, sank onto the futon near Mike’s desk and crossed her legs. “So, Mike told me all about your little situation with him and your wife.”

“Um, yes, Ma’am, I just talked to him.”

“Ugh, don’t call me ‘ma’am,’ that sounds old. Say, ‘yes, Miss,’ when you answer me, you hear?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“I don’t want you calling me that around other people — but I will be talking to the staff about you. Don’t worry, I won’t tell your secrets unless Mike wants me to, although I am telling everyone you’re back on probation. Mike says we need to keep you on your toes and he suggested we put you back on probation status.”

Jimmy gulped. “Um, Miss?”

“What?”

“I was just on the phone with him, and he didn’t mention me being back on probation.”

“You think I’m lying?”

“Oh, no, no, Miss, I’m sorry, I just … well, he didn’t mention it, that’s all.”

DeeDee snorted. “Maybe he wanted it to be a surprise, who knows? All I know is, he wants you back on probation — so you’re back on probation. Now, the last thing I want to have to do is babysit your skinny little ass again, but if that’s what Mike wants, he’s the boss, so that’s what we’re gonna do. Understand, Pee-Wee?”

“Yes, Miss.” Jimmy squirmed at hearing his manager use the nickname that humiliated him and pushed his submissive buttons. He also felt like a sap that Mike had put him back on probation for no apparent reason, other than to fuck with him, without even bothering to mention it to him.

His little dick started to stir until DeeDee interrupted his reverie: “Okay, enough bullshitting — let’s put your skinny little ass to work.”

“Yes, Miss.”

DeeDee scooped up a pen and pad from Mike’s desk and scribbled before ripping off the piece of paper and handing it to Jimmy. “This is my address. You need to drive to my house and unscrew the garden hose from the spicket out front. Then come back here and run the hose from the kitchen out the backdoor to the parking lot. There’s wax and stuff in my trunk; I want my car gleaming, you hear?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Inside and out.”

“Y-yes, Miss.”

Dee-Dee pointed to the door. “Why are you still standing there? Go.”

It was a short drive to DeeDee’s house. Jimmy made the trip and had his manager’s car washed, waxed and polished in about an hour. When he finished, he returned DeeDee’s car keys, grabbed a can of Fresca from the cooler and plopped down in a booth near the jukebox to take a break. As he sipped his soda, he watched Tank showing off for the girls up front by bench-pressing his fiancé Gloria and her fellow barmaid Terri at the same time, balancing the ladies on each hand and hefting them up and down, much to their giggling delight.

When that stunt was over, Gloria, Janet, and Terri tried arm-wrestling the burly bouncer at the same time, but all three barmaids couldn’t budge his hand. The girls joshed Tank about his gargantuan strength for a few moments before Terri suddenly looked across the bar at Jimmy and yelled, “Hey, let’s see if Superman over there can beat him.”

Jimmy squirmed in the booth as all heads turned his way.

Terri crooked her finger. “Get over here, Jimmy.”

With a fluttering sigh, the scraggy porter slid out of his booth and skulked toward the three women and the bouncer.

“Um, hey.” Jimmy crammed his hands in his pockets. “Uh, what’s up?”

Terri jerked her thumb toward the bouncer. “See if you can beat Tank.”

“In arm wrestling?” Jimmy glanced at the larger man with a weak smile. “Are you crazy? He’ll kill me.”

Tank scoffed. “Gloria would kill you in arm-wrestling.”

“Ooh, I bet she would,” Janet gushed. “Who wants to bet?”

“What’s the bet?” Terri asked.

Janet thought for a second. “A beer. I’ll bet a beer Gloria can beat Jimmy in arm-wrestling.”

“I’ll take that bet,” Terri said. “Jimmy’s skinny, but he’s still a guy.”

“Jimmy’s no guy — you’re on!” Janet looked over at DeeDee and the assistant manager Lisa, who were chatting by the cash register. “Hey, you guys want in on this action?”

DeeDee shrugged. “What action?”

“I’m betting a beer that Jimmy can’t beat Gloria in arm wrestling.”

Lisa sniffed. “You’re gonna get pretty drunk then — Gloria does roller derby. There’s no way Jimmy beats her.”

“Wanna bet?”

Lisa waved her hand. “Nah.”

Janet turned to DeeDee. “How about you?”

“No, I don’t feel like losing tonight,” DeeDee replied.

Although Jimmy got turned on whenever Mike and Nicole humiliated him, he found nothing erotic about the indignity he was enduring at the hands of his coworkers — it was merely pissing him off. He was smart enough to bite back his anger, although he ventured, “Aw, come on, guys, I really don’t feel like arm-wrestling right now. Um, my … my wrist hurts from where I banged it on the cooler door.”

DeeDee shook her head. “Uh-uh, you’re still on probation, remember? If Gloria wants to arm-wrestle you, then you’ll do it.”

“Hell, yeah, I want to!” Gloria clapped. “Let’s go — I’m itching to kick this little runt’s ass!”

With gritted teeth, Jimmy sat at the table opposite Gloria, determined to teach her a lesson. They locked hands. Janet held up her fingers and counted down: “Three … two … one — Go!”

Poor Jimmy gave it everything he had but Gloria eventually bested him, slamming his hand on the tabletop to the cheering delight of the rest of the bar staff.

“Atta boy, Jimmy.” Janet clapped the dejected porter on the back. “For once, being a little wimp paid off. I’m gonna buy you a beer.”

“No beer,” DeeDee interjected. “He’s on probation. You know what, though? Go get everyone else a beer, Jimmy. In fact, let’s do shots. I’ll buy.”

“Take it out of Jimmy’s pay for being such a wimp he can’t even beat a girl arm-wrestling.” Terri spat with her pride stung from having lost the best.

DeeDee pondered the suggestion for a moment but declined when it dawned on her that taking money from Jimmy would punish Mike and Nicole, since Mike had told her that Jimmy turned over every dime he earned to his wife.

“Nah, we’ll just have him wash everyone’s car instead. He brought my hose from home, so just give him your keys and he’ll get ‘em all done.” DeeDee replied, turning to Jimmy. “Make sure you do everyone’s cars as good as you did mine.” She glanced at the clock. “You’ve got three hours before closing time, so I suggest you get cracking.”

Tank called: “Make sure you get those whitewalls real good, you hear me, boy?”

“Yes, s— um, gotcha,” Jimmy said, heaving a sigh of relief — he’d almost slipped and said, ‘yes, sir.’

The milksop was grateful for small favors as he trudged outside to wash his coworkers’ cars.