Chapter 4: Attempted rape

"Come into my office Miss Causton please." From Mr. Sotherby's manner, I knew I was in trouble. "Sit down please."

To my surprise I heard the magnetic door catch click and knew he had locked it. We knew he did that at times when Mrs. Rosenthall was in the there and the office girls made many obscene suggestions as to what went on behind the locked door but none ever found out. I didn't have long to think about it before the shock announcement. "Miss Causton I have decided to put the sales analysis out to private tender," he paced the room while giving me the information. "You may of course apply but in view of your past record..." He stopped and tears flowed from my eyes. I was being sacked. Sacked in an underhand way. For the first time since I left school I was going to have to look for work.

"... In view of the years you've been with us, I am in a position to arrange for a transfer to another department if you wish."

My face brightened. "Oh if you would Mr. Sotherby. Thank you."

"Such a transfer comes at a price though, a price you might be prepared to pay after having spent a dirty weekend with that computer geek of yours. A price that many girls have to pay to advance in any firm." He'd walked behind me by then and I felt his hands on my shoulders and his thumbs start to massage my neck.

"Oh no, he expects to have sex with me in return for keeping a job here. That's why he locked the door. I've got to get away." However much mind thought of escape my body held still at first in terror and then while I weighed up the situation. His hands now slipped down the front of my blouse, bursting off several buttons on the way. I felt him rub my tits, at first gently and then squeezing them painfully hard. I guess he must have mistaken my show of fear for acquiescence but I was remembering back to my sixth form days and a lecture we had from a blunt talking woman police officer on self-protection.

"Girls, if you find yourselves in a rape situation you need to weigh up the chances of escape or of overpowering your attacker. It there are several men or they are too powerful or have you helpless, I'm sorry to say this, but it is better and less harmful to you to allow them to rape you. If it is a one on one confrontation and there is a good chance of getting away with it, fight like a wild cat. Kick, bite, scratch, head-butt and scream at the top of your voice. Often the rapist will be someone known to you, perhaps someone you trusted and who is taking advantage of you, then you will have an even better idea of whether to fight or give in. In many cases it is better to wait before starting to fight. Wait until your attacker thinks he has you just where he wants and is a little off his guard, then strike or run. I expect many of you have heard the old saying, 'A girl with her skirt up can run faster than a man with his trousers down, ' but only do this if there is a more than even chance of getting away. In a classroom such as this, it is easy for me to tell you to stay calm and pretend to let him have his way and wait until the moment is right and then strike and strike hard but in fact you will probably be terrorised and it will be difficult for you to think straight but if you can, keep calm and ready yourself. You will have one chance and one chance only to do sufficient damage and cause him enough pain to disable him for long enough to get away, so hit hard. I'm sure many of you already know, the place where a man is most sensitive is between his legs; his testicles, his balls in your language. They are very delicate organs and a sharp blow to them will cause him severe pain. Use your knee if you are close or your foot if you get a chance. Remember, kick as hard as you can." She demonstrated with one of the girls without actually touching her. I remembered her lecture as clearly as if it had been yesterday.

Sotherby's hands left my tits and I heard the sound of his zipper being lowered and a moment later he was in front of me with his prick exposed. "How about giving this nice juicy piece of meat a lovely long suck... AAAAAAHHHHH!!" I struck.

My knee came up hard just behind where he was holding his penis and almost simultaneously I raked all my fingernails down his face. Screaming as loudly as I could, I punched and kicked at any part of his body that came in range. He doubled up and clutched his groin. Somehow our legs became entangled and I fell to the floor. Blindly almost, I lashed out but he must have recovered a little because I took one blow to my face that nearly knocked me unconscious. Rolling over, I pulled myself up by the chair and recovered sufficient strength to pick it up and throw it at him. It smashed the water cooler making even more racket. Still screaming and yelling I ran to the door but the catch wouldn't open and banging on it seemed ineffective.

By then my strength was going and with one eye closed I blurrily saw him coming for me again but I don't remember much of what happened after that as suddenly the room was filled with all the girls from the office and by shear force of numbers they overpowered Sotherby. Almost without knowing it, I found myself in an ambulance with Jerry beside me.

They released me from hospital the next day and Jerry took me to his home and comforted me. I never went back to live in my old flat.

There followed the inevitable police questions. I did have pleasant policewoman, trained to deal with abuse victims but I had to relive the experience several times over. It was made worse because Sotherby accused me of trying to seduce and then attacking him when he told me I was sacked. The accusation had to be investigated and although the girls all testified on my behalf, there was little I could do to prove what went on behind the locked door. That in itself was a point in my favour. According to company rules, no male member of staff was allowed to interview another member of the staff behind locked doors, and the fact that Sotherby still had his flies open and his penis out when Mrs. Rosenthall activated the door from her side and the girls burst in.