Back home and “sick”, our lead tugs at the stuck bra on his growing chest. He scrolls on his phone in a panic, diving into every page and menu on the store’s site but can’t find any contact information for the company he ordered the garment from. No search results, no reviews, and not even an FAQ on the site. He growls at the phone when there’s a bang on his door. He throws a blanket around himself and opens it up to see his boss holding out a small brown bag. She felt bad about seeing him leave in such a rush so she brought soup for him. She believes it’s some kind of chicken soup. She wasn’t sure what he enjoyed but the man at the shop said everybody would like this. He’s stunned but accepts the soup. His boss is silent for a moment before saying that she felt bad she knew so little about him as a person. They’ve had their differences at the office, but maybe it’s time she worked on getting to know him better. She holds out her hand and proclaims that she would like to be his mentor. It would be good for him and it would look good to the higher-ups to have her lead an underling to a better role. He gently takes her hand and agrees to the offer. As they shake, his knees tremble and he feels a shiver through him whole body. The boss says that he must be cold, so stay wrapped up and eat some hot soup, then she turns down the hall and exits. He stares at the soup before grabbing at his hips that seem to be jutting out further.
The next morning, his boss arrives to personally pick him up so they could chat on the drive to work. She struggles asking basic questions about his life, but not a single word about his now easily visible curves or the fact that his hair grew several inches over the commute.
Back in the office, nobody else says a word either. It feels like he was going crazy. How could nobody call out that he was changing this way!? He tries holding folders and binders in front of his chest and the bra but one glance towards him and everybody just seems to accept the new version of their coworker.
After lunch, his boss returns to his office and says that she had concerns with how he is dressed and he almost feels elated that somebody finally noticed. Only to come crashing down when she says that it is important that managers look the most professional and his off-the-rack outfits just look cheap. To initiate their mentor relationship, she’d be honored to buy him a new business outfit.
While his boss and the tailor discuss clothes off to the side, our lead stares dejected into the mirror. Glaring at the bra reflected back at him, this was defeat. It had grown with him as he changed. Expanding as he did, pushing up and proudly displaying his chest, which always seemed to expand that much faster than the rest of his curves. He startles back out of his glowering when the tailor holds up a blouse for him to try. She apologizes at making him jump and jokes that if she had a figure like his, she’d stare at mirrors too. His bra is a wonderful piece and she’s jealous she didn’t get to make something like that herself. He half hears some question she asks and his boss’s response that she’s the one that wears pantsuits on the team, so he’ll be happy to try on a few skirts.