David stepped out of the elevator, his heart racing as he began to make his way down the hallway towards the reception desk. He glanced at Hannah by his side, who gave him an encouraging smile, but David couldn’t shake off the feeling of anxiety that was creeping up on him.

“Please don’t let anyone notice the changes…I’m not quite ready to face that yet,” he thought, nervously.

As they walked down the hallway, David could hear the hustle and bustle of the office. The sound of, keyboards clicking and people talking as they were arriving filled the air. But amidst all the chaos, two things stood out to him the most – the clicking of Hannah’s heels on the tiled floor and the floral scent of her perfume.

As they approached the reception desk, David’s nerves were at an all-time high. He felt like he could feel the eyes of his colleagues on him, and he couldn’t help but feel self-conscious.

Hannah took up her position behind the desk as David signed himself in,

“So David, you, me and Steph again for lunch?” asked Hannah with her usual warm and friendly smile.

David couldn’t help but return her smile. It was a simple gesture, but it made him feel at ease. It was as if her smile had the power to calm his nerves and make everything feel right in the world.

“Sure,” replied David, his nerves evident in his voice.

“David,” stated Hannah, placing her hand on his once he had finished signing his name, “Everything will be fine…you know,” she said with a reassuring smile.

David looked his friend in the eyes,

“I know…I signed myself up for this after all,” he joked, laughing anxiously as he turned to head to his office.

“See you at lunch,” said Hannah, her usual huge beaming smile, replaced by one that was almost sympathetic in nature.

“Yeah…sure thing, see you at lunch, replied David, his heart still feeling as though it was about to jump from his chest.

As he made his way towards his office, he couldn’t help but feel rather self-conscious. Even though nobody was paying him any attention as he passed them by, David felt sure that everyone was staring at him. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, David arrived at his office. He opened the door and stepped inside, hastily closing the door behind him before taking a deep breath and heading to his desk. He placed his coffee cup and cell phone down on his desk and neatly hung his suit jacket over the back of his chair before taking his seat. As he took a deep breath and began to log onto his computer, he heard the familiar, upbeat whistling as it came down the corridor. David closed his eyes just before he heard the sound of his office door opening,

“Gooood morning,” stated Andy as he entered the room.

“Morning Andy,” replied David as he tapped away on his keyboard.

As Andy approached his desk, he stopped abruptly a few feet from David,

“Hey…erm…Davy…” he said, “Have you erm…been on a new diet or something?”

David sighed, “No…” he answered sheepishly without looking at his colleague.

“Hmm, just wondered,” Andy replied, “You seem to have…you know…shed a few pounds that’s all,” he continued. “Not that you need to…but if you had, I’d love to know your secret,” he laughed, patting himself on the stomach as he did so before continuing to whistle as he took his seat. David rolled his eyes before continuing to work on his computer.

Sometime later, the door to the office opened and in walked Kevin Brooks.

Kevin Brooks was a man who exuded arrogance in every word and action. He walked with a swagger, as if he owned the place, and looked down upon his colleagues with disdain. Kevin was the assistant manager, but he was not well-liked at all. In fact, he was known to be an arsehole. The employees couldn't understand why someone like him was in a position of power. The only reason that anyone could think of was that he was cut from the same cloth as his superior, Mr. Edwards. They were both arrogant, chauvinistic, rude and incredibly difficult to work with.

 Kevin's attitude towards women was particularly repulsive. It was well-known within the office that he had slept with almost every single female employee at least once, using his position of power to take advantage of them. He flaunted his conquests, bragging about his sexual escapades as if they were badges of honour. His female colleagues were nothing more than objects to him, to be used and discarded at his convenience.

But there was one woman in the office who had managed to escape his advances – Hannah. She was the only female employee who had not fallen prey to his charms. She was not intimidated by his arrogance and refused to give in to his advances. This only made Kevin more determined to conquer her, as he saw her resistance as a challenge.

He entered David and Andy’s office, his brown hair slicked back just as he always wore it.

“Sanders,” he barked as he walked towards David’s desk.

David looked up as he saw him approaching,

“Hey…I’m talking to you, can you hear me? Or are you deaf as well as stupid,” scoffed Kevin as he laughed, seemingly finding his own words rather amusing.

“What now?” David thought, rolling his eyes as he turned to look at Kevin.

“What?” asked David, his tone somewhat abrupt.

“Woah, hold on there pudding…do I have to report someone’s rude and ill-tempered behaviour?” joked Kevin, “Don’t take that tone with me,” he added with a condescending attitude. “So anyways…the boss man needs a presentation to put forward to a potential retailer in a meeting next month…and guess who has the privilege of doing it.”

David’s heart sank. He knew what this meant. It was a big opportunity, one that could potentially lead to a promotion or a raise. Yet last time something like this came up, Kevin, with his conniving ways, had managed to snatch it away from him. He had worked hard, put in extra hours, and always went above and beyond for the company. And yet, it seemed like Kevin always managed to take the credit for his hard work.

“Me then?” scoffed David,

“That’s right,” replied Kevin, “I mean, I’ll be delivering the presentation and all, but why bark yourself when you have a dog…right,” he laughed as he began to leave the office. “Oh and erm David…is it cold in here…or is it just…well…you,” he sniggered, pointing to David’s chest as he shut the door.

David glanced down to see what Kevin was referring to. And there he noticed just what he had meant, poking through his shirt were two, large and hard, prominent nipples.

“Arsehole,” thought David, quickly slipping back into his suit jacket, “So…once again, I’ll do all the work and Kevin will end up with all the credit no doubt.”

 

David made a start on gathering some of the information required for the presentation. Lost in his thoughts, David didn't even realize how much time had passed. He was so invested in his work that the next thing he knew, there was a gentle tap on his office door. Startled, he looked up to see Stephanie peeking her head through the narrowly opened door.

“David…are you still coming for lunch?” asked Stephanie with a smile.

“Erm…yeah…sure,” muttered David in response, “Lunch time already?” he laughed, looking at the time on his computer screen before locking his computer and getting to his feet.

David gathered his belongings and began to follow Stephanie out in the hallway.

“Have you lost weight David?” asked Stephanie, her voice sounding rather concerned than anything else.

“Erm…long story Steph,” replied David with a nervous chuckle, trying to make light of his situation. As they walked towards the exit, David couldn't help but notice something else about Stephanie. She was now slightly taller than usual, or at least, she was from his perspective.

“It must be her shoes,” thought David, looking down at Stephanie’s feet, however, they appeared to be the same shoes that she often wears for work, they were black, leather shoes with a heel that was around two inches tall. “Odd,” thought David, whilst Stephanie was always slightly taller than him due to her heels. When she wore flat shoes they were both 5ft 9 inches tall. And yet in this moment, Stephanie appeared to be at the very least 3 to 4 inches taller than him. Stephanie She was frequently hired to model for the company they worked for as well as others, thanks to her striking looks and statuesque figure, she always seemed to exude grace and poise.

As they got to the reception desk, Hannah greeted the pair,

“I’ll be right with you guys,” she stated, “I just have to finish something up.”

As Hannah continued to work behind her desk, the girls were chatting amongst themselves whilst David couldn’t help but think about the height difference that now seemed to be, between him and Stephanie.

“Have I been slouching at my desk…yeah, that must be it,” pondered David, stretching his back and trying to stand as straight as possible. And yet, this still made no difference whatsoever.

Hannah grabbed her purse and stood up from her chair,

“Right, let’s go,” she stated with a smile as she looked at David.

The three of them made their way towards the elevator, David, in the middle, flanked by his two colleagues. However, now he noticed that it wasn’t just Stephanie, but also Hannah who looked slightly taller than him. Hannah was around 5ft 7 inches tall and was usually around the same height as David when she wore her heels and yet now, he was walking in the middle, looking up at both women.

“I have definitely shrunk…must be another change,” he thought, as they stepped into the elevator.

As the elevator descended, David was standing, admiring his reflection in the mirror. He found that the legs of his trousers fit exactly the same as they had that morning with the hems still folded up. However, his suit jacket now hung down further than his waist and had also become slightly long in the sleeves, not enough to completely cover his hands, but it did now cover a portion of his palm.

He quickly folded up the cuffs of his jacket, trying to hide the fact that it was now too big for him. Soon, the elevator doors opened and they stepped out onto the ground floor. As they made their way to their usual little café for lunch, David couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious.

As they sat and ate their lunches, Hannah and Stephanie discussed work, whilst David looked rather deep in thought. This, however, quickly became noticed by the two ladies.

“Is everything alright David? You’re much quieter than usual,” asked Stephanie.

“Hmm…yeah, yeah…I’m erm…I’m fine,” muttered David in response.

“David…have you given any thought on how you will explain your… changes in appearance to everyone else at work?” asked Hannah.

“I don’t understand, what’s going on?” asked Stephanie, sounding a little concerned.

“I wasn’t ready too…but hey Hannah, thank you…why mention it right now?” thought David, rolling his eyes.

“Erm…no…I haven’t…I haven’t given it any thought at all,” he replied, laughing nervously.

 “I think you should David, it’s getting rather noticeable now,” added Hannah, smiling almost empathetically at her friend.   

David noticed Stephanie was now looking at him rather expectantly, waiting for him to explain himself. He knew he couldn’t avoid the conversation any longer.

“I erm…I…” mumbled David, wondering how to phrase what he had done and what was going to happen. As he tried to find the right words to explain himself, Hannah quickly intervened.

“So…basically you know all the problems that David was telling us about,” explained Hannah.

“Mmhhmmm,” replied Steph, taking a sip of her coffee as she listened intently.

David felt his face begin to turn hot as he began to flush,

“So…” began Hannah, lowering her voice as she leaned in towards Stephanie, “David has found a way to…solve shall we say…some of his woes…financially that is.”

“Oh…okay…that’s good right,” replied Steph as she smiled at David.

“He…erm…well…signed himself up for one of these…clinical drug trials…” Hannah continued, “However, the drug that is being trialled  for transgender women.”

Upon hearing this, Stephanie’s eyes widened,

“Wait…what…how…” she muttered, “David, you never told us you…”

“I’m not,” said David, “I just saw dollar signs and thought hey, why not,” he explained.

“And I’m guessing these changes you are referring to are…” started Stephanie.

“You guessed it,” replied Hannah, “David is going to be one of us,” teased Hannah, David felt his face become even hotter after hearing Hannah describe it like that.

“Oh…my…god,” stated Stephanie, getting rather excited, whilst still trying to lower her voice to not draw attention to their conversation.

“Relax, it’s no big deal,” stated David, “I might end up looking like a girl, but I’ll still be a guy…besides…the effects are only temporary,” he explained with a mouth full of his sandwich.

“I can see that,” laughed Stephanie, to which Hannah also began to laugh. “But this does explain a few things,” added Stephanie, her tone becoming serious once more.

“What have you noticed so far, Steph?” asked Hannah.

“Well…when I came to get you…for lunch…didn’t I say you’d lost weight?” said Stephanie, taking a sip of her coffee as Hannah nodded.

“You did,” said David as he rolled his eyes, “I’ve also noticed…I seem…a little…shorter,” he explained.

“Oh, that’s different from this morning,” stated Hannah, "let’s see,” she added, kicking off her shoes and standing up. “I’m 5ft 7 without heels,” she explained.

David sighed and stood up, taking a deep breath as he stood next to his friend.

“Oh…my…god,” exclaimed Stephanie, “You guys are exactly the same height,” she added, placing her hand to her mouth in astonishment.

David sighed as he picked up his litter from the table to dispose of it,

“See…” he exclaimed, “I was 5ft 9 before all this,” he clarified as he picked up his suit jacket from the back of his chair.

“OH!” exclaimed Stephanie, who hadn’t taken her eyes off David, since she was told about his changes. It was as though she was trying to spot them herself.

David stopped in his tracks, he and Hannah both looked at Stephanie,

“Shhh not so loud,” stated Hannah before she turned to look where Stephanie was looking. “Erm…David…I’d leave your jacket on for the rest of the day, sweetie,” she explained, trying to be discreet about his budding breasts, peaking through his shirt.

David’s face turned red with embarrassment as he quickly put his jacket back on.

“From what I can tell, David, they look…more developed than they were this morning,” explained Hannah.

The three of them left the café and began to make their way back towards the office,

“I do think though David, Steph I’m sure you will agree, that you have to warn everyone at work that you’re going to start…looking different, don’t you think,” stated Hannah, to which Stephanie nodded in agreement.

“I agree David, it will stop any further embarrassment later,” said Stephanie with a smile, “If you want, I can check Mr Edwards’ schedule when we’re back in the office and maybe, you can have a private word with him to begin with.”

“That would be a great idea Steph,” replied Hannah, “Does that sound okay with you David?”

David's face turned red with a mixture of both embarrassment and gratitude.

“I know we sound like we’re forcing you into something that you may not be ready for,” explained Hannah, “But believe me, the longer you leave it, the more awkward and embarrassing it could become. People…people can be rude, they’ll comment, ask questions…And the last thing we want for you David, would be for people to start talking about you behind your back.”

Deep down, David knew she was right. But what he wasn’t looking forward to, was having to talk to Mr Edwards, the guy was a grade-A jerk. Then on top of that, the likes of Kevin Brooks, Mr Edwards Mk 2, finding out, he was a big enough arsehole as it was without feeding the guy ammunition. However, the girls were right, the flip side of the coin was only to allow people to find out for themselves. All that would do would give an open invite for office gossip and sniggering.

Before David could respond, however, both Hannah and Stephanie looked at each other before Hannah spoke up once again,

“Look…we know how awful it can be having to speak to Mr Edwards…how about one of us…or both if you prefer, we can attend with you,” said Hannah, flashing her warm, comforting smile that always seemed to help David relax.

David couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had always known that Hannah and Stephanie were kind and understanding, but this offer was beyond anything he could have imagined. It was a true testament to the strong bond they had formed as colleagues and friends.

He felt a wave of relief wash over him as he accepted their offer. The thought of having a support system during the meeting with Mr Edwards was a huge weight off his shoulders. He knew that with Hannah and Stephanie by his side, he would be able to face the situation with more confidence.

“Jesus,” stated David as the trio got close to the office building, “This morning, I’ve already set up, telling my Mum and my Sister…then I’m seeing the guys for the first time since this started…and now at work too,” he explained as he laughed nervously.

“Well, might as well get all three out of the way straight away,” said Hannah, smiling at her friend.

“I’ll catch you guys up, I need to try and piece my head back together,” stated David as he left the girls and headed to the designated smoking area in the alleyway.

As he took a few deep breaths and gathered his thoughts, David realized that Hannah and Stephanie were right. He had to face this situation and own up to his mistake. He couldn't keep running away from it.

“They're right. I did this. I need to face it and own it,” David thought to himself.