Jonathan had been working in client relations for the same electrical contractors for almost twenty years. During that time, he'd seen plenty of changes in the company including five different bosses, the increasing importance of digital reviews and more recently the acquisition and rebranding of the original business. So, he hadn't been too worried when his ex-boss had retired, and it was announced that they would be replaced by someone from the new parent company.

Her name was Emma, and she was a decade younger than Jonathan and was very attractive. She'd been welcomed on her first day by the VP of Operations and introduced around. In the afternoon she had scheduled a series of one-on-one meetings with each member of the team to get to know them better. Jonathan had been the last but one to spend time with her and at first, she seemed very nice and friendly. Then things took an unexpected and downwards turn.

"So where did you study?" she'd asked.

Jonathan responded that he'd never gone to college and instead joined the company straight after leaving school at eighteen. He explained that he'd originally been employed as the office tea boy before getting a position assisting with new clients and slowly making his way up to his current position. Emma seemed very surprised this and Jonathan instantly felt a sense of coolness toward himself from his new boss.

After that first day things seemed to go downhill fairly quickly for Jonathan. When Emma arrived at the office, she'd insist on him going and getting her a coffee; he didn't mind actually doing that and did usually make a pot for the whole team before they arrived although, her tone when asking was very patronising. Then during the working day whenever he was assisting a colleague, she'd either give him a hostile glare or demand that he stop gossiping and return to his own desk. Things were even worse at meetings where all his suggestions and feedback were ignored or met with scorn.

By the end of the first week of Emma's start, Jonathan was pretty depressed and did contemplate handing in his notice. Luckily, he had no one who depended on him outside of work, no wife or children so he was free in that regards to leave but he did feel an overwhelming sense of loyalty to the company that had employed all this time and also to his fellow team mates. So, he decided to persevere for the time being and hope things involved.

* * *

Emma was very happy with her new role and was positive she could make a success of it. Before starting she'd drawn up a ninety-day plan to cement her position in the company and overcome those doubters who assumed she had only gotten it because she was related to the CEO. The first part of the plan called for her to learn as much as she could about the operation of the business before moving on to implement changes and optimise the output of her team. But, after just a week she'd already decided on one change: Jonathan needed to go.

She was unsure how such an uneducated person had gotten a job in such an important team when there were people out there with diplomas and degrees looking for work. Reviewing the client database also showed that Jonathan managed substantially less clients than anyone else on the team, which Emma assumed was why he had so much free time to chat to everyone and distract them from their daily tasks.

So not without a little remorse, he did seem a nice guy even if ill-suited for the company, Emma began to actively look for issues with his work. And it didn't take too long as she spotted a series of complaints from one of their regular clients for which he had recently been assigned. So, as her second week drew to a close Emma summoned Jonathan into the meeting room and asked him to explain the complaints from the client.

"I can't," he began to respond "I've only just taken..."

"You're fired!" Emma interrupted.

Emma was actually surprised by her utterance. Yes, she'd decided to get rid of him although hadn't planned to act quite so quickly or quite so rashly as company policy normally required one verbal and two written warnings before dismissing an employee. But Jonathan didn't object and simply gave her a slight nod before stepping out of the meeting room, collecting his private things from his desk and walking quickly out of the office.

The rest of the team didn't seem to realise what had just happened and Emma decided to wait until the end of the day to tell them. She called them all together just before five and explained that Jonathan was no longer part of the team and that his few clients would be redistributed among them all for the time being. This provoked instant shock and alarm from her new team both at their colleague's dismissal and the extra clients.

"We can't do this without Jonathan" one of them exclaimed.

Then they all began speaking. They revealed that it had been Jonathan who had trained each and every one of them when they first started. And that whilst he only directly managed a few clients himself he was always helping them manage theirs, and more importantly those clients he did manage were the most awkward and troublesome. Emma realised that she'd made a big mistake and only hoped this wasn't going to cause problems.

But alas, things got worse. In the days that followed the team seemed to have lost its way and the number of complaints coming into the office started to increase exponentially. It came to a head a few days later when the VP of Operations called to report that one of their most important clients was threatened to cancel their contract and could Emma make sure that Jonathan was assigned to the case as a matter of urgency.

* * *

Jonathan was relaxing at the campsite without a worry in the world. He'd visited the bank yesterday to arrange an overdraft in case of any financial issues until he could secure another job although for the time being was taking a long-deserved break. After a brief nap he headed to the nearby pub to get a bite to eat when his phone began to blow up with missed calls and messages to contact his former employer. Confused, he phoned the office only to hear Emma answer.

"Please I need you back at the office" she pleaded.

"But boss, you fired me" Jonathan replied.

Emma apologised profusely and withdrew the termination stating that she hadn't yet filed the appropriate paperwork with HR. She explained that not only was she in trouble but also the whole team and potentially the company itself. Emma said that if Jonathan was willing to return and help them out, she promised to make it up to him including writing him a glowing review and putting him up for a raise and possibly even promotion.

Jonathan was surprised by this sudden reversal of fortune and consented to return despite having to still work for Emma. He recommended some quick fixes for various clients over the phone and agreed to head into the office as soon as possible. However, for the threatened contract cancellation he knew that Mr Wilson the client would need to be handled in person as he wouldn't be able to get to them today Jonathan suggested that Emma send someone else to make initial contact.

* * *

Emma decided to take responsibility for the screw up and attempt to handle the disgruntled client herself. After passing one Jonathan's recommendation to the rest of the team she headed out in her four-by-four to visit the client. It was about an hour and a half drive and most of the route was through pleasant countryside which gave Emma time to reflect on her mistakes and not to prejudge people on such superficial characteristics as education.

When she got to the client, she had to wait a while at reception before being shown to see him. Mr Wilson was an older man and appeared less than happy with having to liaise with someone new. Emma apologised for the breakdown in communications and stated that whilst Jonathan was absent at the moment he would return soon and would continue to manage the relationship between the two companies going forward.

"So, who fucked up?" he asked curtly.

Emma instantly admitted that she had been the one to mess up. She explained she was new and had failed to learn sufficiently about both the business and her own staff before trying to implement some changes to improve efficiency which had backfired badly. Mr Wilson actually seemed to be quite impressed with the admission and agreed to waive the contract cancellation, at least for the time being. Emma relaxed somewhat upon hearing this and was about to leave when the office door slammed open and a young man in a mild state of panic rushed in.

The young man expressed regret that the modelling agency that they had been depending on to supply a couple of buxom young women for the charity event tomorrow had let them down. Furthermore, he'd tried phoning round other agencies and also put the word out around the company for volunteers without any success. At this Mr Wilson bitter expressed disappointment that two of the biggest money makers at the event wouldn't be running.

"I'll do it" Emma volunteered.

Both men were surprised by her interruption, the young man especially as he'd failed to take notice that she was even in the room. But after a moment or two they both began to grin and Mr Wilson asked the young man, whose name turned out to be Hal, to reserve Emma an overnight suite at the local hotel courtesy of himself. Emma thanked Mr Wilson and started to wonder exactly what she'd let herself in for as Hal showed her out.

* * *

Jonathan arrived back at work and encountered a slight issue when he realised, he'd left his access card on his desk. Luckily someone he knew saw him waiting and not knowing he'd been fired opened the door for him. He nodded his thanks and made his way up to the office to see the whole team sitting at their desks beavering away at their work. As he entered one of his teammates noticed his appearance and the look of relief on their face was noticeable.

"Thank god you're back" he cried.

"Missed me then?" Jonathan asked rhetorically.

Everyone got up and welcomed Jonathan back into the fold before attempting to detail the current problems they were having to deal with. Jonathan quickly got them organised and took over handling some of the more difficult clients himself. Between calls he would get updates from his colleagues and provide advice to help them in dealing with their own clients. But mostly what he did was simply encourage them to do their best.

It was the end of the day before Jonathan realised that Emma wasn't around. Initially he assumed she bailed on them, but the team explained that she'd gone to meet with Mr Wilson herself with the intention of at least deferring any decision on his contract. Jonathan knew that the client was holding his annual charity event tomorrow so decided to take a trip and attempt to mend the relationship.

* * *

Emma was met by Hal at the entrance to the Wilson grounds and guided her past a vast array of carnival stalls in a field. Hal showed her to a small outbuilding on one side which he said had been reserved as her changing room and also where she could get cleaned up at the end of the day. Emma was unsure why she'd been given facility and Hal's explanation didn't help her understanding and if anything just confused her further.

Things became somewhat clearer for Emma when she went into the building and finally got to see the costume. It consisted of a baby blue micro bikini and nothing else. She was mortified about having to wear it but realised there was no way she could back out now as she desperately needed to appease Mr Wilson so he wouldn't cancel the contract. So, she stripped out of her clothes and put on the revealing bikini before returning to find her escort.

"Wowzer!" Hal exclaimed upon seeing her.

And it wasn't only Mr Wilson's assistant whose eyes nearly popped out of their head upon seeing her so dressed. She felt very self-conscious about all the admiring glances she received as they made their way through the stalls drawing a small crowd of followers in the process until they reached a set of wooden stocks. Emma knew what was required and sat on the small stool provided whilst her ankles were secured between the boards.

Then to the great delight of the growing audience, a man dressed as a baker appeared wheeling a handcart laden with custard pies. Almost instantly people began to line up and reach into their pockets for whatever cash they had. First in the queue was a middle-aged man who was waving a five pound note and demanding a pie. Emma really wished the baker would give the man a pie in the face but knew that was to be her fate and simply sat their resigned to impending humiliation.

"Come on folks, pie the tart!" the baker called out.

"Who are you calling a ..." Emma began to say.

Suddenly the man threw his pie which sailed through the air before striking against the stocks; Emma suffered a little splatter from the impact but no worse. Next up was a young woman who also threw wide of the mark. Emma was starting to think that maybe she'd gotten lucky and that it would be a miracle if anything landed on target. Then another women stepped forward and hurled her pie, this time the pastry struck Emma perfectly in the face.

As her arms weren't secured, Emma reached up a wide the pie filling from out of her face only to see another customer purchase a pie and throw it at her. Once again, the pie hit her straight in the face much to the delight of those watching. At first Emma stoically accepted her punishment although soon she actually began to relax and enjoy her role, sometimes taunting the pie throwers or applauding when they successfully hit her. On one occasion a nervous looking young man threw a pie which ended up smacking against her bikini covered breasts.

"Hey, my face is up here" she indicated.

The crowd broke out into laughter at her witticism, and this encouraged even more of them to pay over their money and throw pies at her. Emma got completely covered in creamy filing and would occasionally clean herself off so as to present a better target for new customers. She was really getting into the spirit of the event, and it felt as if this was redemption for her recent actions although she was glad that no one she actually knew could see her.

After about forty minutes the pies had all gone and the baker unlocked Emma from the stocks. Hal had reappeared and helped her up from the stool before leading her back through the carnival. She felt a little self-conscious walking through the crowds covered in pie filling but forgot her discomfort when she noticed they were heading towards another attraction rather than the changing room to get cleaned up as she'd expected.

Above a large clear tank of water was a hinged bench. To one side was a large red and white target whilst on the other was a ladder. Emma realised now why they had wanted to hire two models for the event but unfortunately they now only had one volunteer for both stalls. Knowing her place, Emma immediately climbed up the ladder and took her place on the bench. She saw the woman running the booth attempting to drum up some business without much success so decided to take the initiative herself.

"Come on folks, drench the wench!" Emma called out.

This instantly provoked a reaction and soon a line had formed of people wanting the opportunity to dunk Emma. But before anything could happen there was a disturbance in the crowd as Mr Wilson made an appearance. He seemed to be very popular and it wasn't long before everyone was encouraging him to take the first go. He gave Emma a mischievous wink as he accepted a ball and tossed it at the target.

A dong sounded and suddenly Emma felt the force of gravity as the bench gave way beneath her and she plunged into the tank below. She submerged completed and took a moment or two to gain her footing and break the surface of the cold water. Mr Wilson and most of the crowd were laughing at her although there were more than a few casting lustful glances at scantily clad young woman. Emma took all this in her stride as she climbed back on to the bench ready for another dunking.

* * *

Jonathan knew there was little point getting to Wilson's charity event too early as it would be open most of the day. So he had a leisurely breakfast before setting off and carefully driving the two hours to the charity event. After parking he paid his entry fee and started taking a look around the carnival making sure to keep an eye out for his client. Jonathan had only passed by a handful of stalls when he spotted one of Mr Wilson's assistant and then the man himself.

Making his way over, Jonathan greeted them both and Mr Wilson expressed delight at his attendance. Jonathan attempted to apologise for the recent contractual issues but Mr Wilson explained that Emma had already done so and had even gone further by agreeing to make amends by helping out at the event.

"Is my new boss still here?" Jonathan asked.

"I'm pretty sure she's around somewhere" Mr Wilson replied with a smirk.

Slightly confused, Jonathan thanked his client and went off to hunt down Emma. There were loads of stalls including various games of chance or skill, those selling food and drink, and even one where some bimbo was getting pelted with custard pies. But Jonathan couldn't see any sign of his boss anywhere but kept on looking for quite some time before he succumbed to hunger and took a break to get an overpriced hot dog.

Sitting down he noticed the woman from the pie booth walking past accompanied by Mr Wilson's assistant Hal. He assumed she was either a model hired for the event or perhaps someone from the company who had volunteered to be messed up and ogled by every male present especially as she appeared to be wearing next to nothing. However, there was something vaguely familiar about her although he couldn't recall if and where he might have met the woman.

Finishing the hot dog Jonathan got up and found himself following the pair to a dunking booth. The woman clambered up a ladder, displaying her pert behind to the crowd in the process and took a position above a tank. A largish crowd formed to watch the woman get wet and people were already handing over cash for the opportunity to be the one to dunk her. Jonathan watched as she wiped some of the pie cream from her face and suddenly recognised her.

"It can't be" he said to himself in disbelief.

But it was. His new boss Emma was sitting there covered in cream, custard and the remnants of numerous pastry cases, wearing a bikini and about to be dropped into a tank of water any moment. Jonathan couldn't quite put his head around the situation and just stood there watching as people tried and failed to hit the nearby target. He had almost decided to have a go himself when a young woman struck the target and there was a loud chime before Emma's seat gave way and she dropped down in to the tank.

Jonathan couldn't help but gaze at his boss as the water washed away all the cream to reveal what an incredibly small bikini she was wearing. He did feel slightly guilty about leering at his boss's almost naked body but then again she had previously sacked him so he didn't feel too bad about it. Jonathan was tempted to step forward and let her know he was there but again held back as he didn't want to confront her quite so publicly.

* * *

Emma endured three sessions of pie throwing and two of dunking's before Hal lead her back to the makeshift changing room at the end of the day. She would have liked to finish up at the dunking booth as then we would at least be mostly clean if not dry, but instead she'd had to walk back covered in pies and then tidy herself up. It didn't help that someone had managed to land an unbroken pie upside down on her head which had then gotten stuck in her hair.

She had just managed to wash off most of the mess and was just about to get changed back into her own clothes when someone knocked on the door. Emma assumed it was probably Hal or maybe Mr Wilson thanking her for helping out so without a second thought opened it to discover Jonathan standing before her. She was momentarily shocked and simply stood there before realising she was still only dressed in the micro bikini and beginning to blush.

"You'd better come in" she stated.

"Yes boss" Jonathan replied grinning.

Closing the door behind him, Emma described her meeting with Mr Wilson and volunteering for the event without knowing what exactly she was letting herself in for. She explained that initially she'd been completely embarrassed by the situation but had gotten into the spirit of the event as the day went on. Jonathan expressed his admiration for her efforts and willingness to put things right, and was only disappointed he didn't get a go at one of the booth.

Having already apologised once by phone Emma decide to go one better. Turning round she located the remaining intact pie and showed it to Jonathan. He seemed to think she was threatening him with it so was somewhat surprised when she handed it to him instead. She then stood there with hands on her hips, pushing out her barely covered breasts in the process and decided to provoke him into giving her her just rewards.

"Let me have it you unedu..." she began to taunt him.

Jonathan thrust the pie hard into Emma's face and then proceeded to grind it around before letting go of the empty pastry case. Emma could feel the filing on her face and also dripping down over her chest as she also heard Jonathan start laughing. It was a wonderful sound and she only hoped that after a rocky start this could be the start of a new and rewarding relationship.

The end.