CHAPTER TWELVE #2
My stomach twisted in suspicion. ‘One person?’
Freddie’s pursed lips and flaring nostrils came to mind. The intensity of his glare the third time I’d told him I didn’t have the capacity for his work as well as my own. His superiority shrinking under my unwavering response.
You need to kiss Freddie’s ass and pretend you enjoy it.
Shit. I was digging Nora into a hole she’d need to climb out of. Which would be really hard if she wore these ridiculous shoes again. I stretched my leg forward to glance at the heels I’d been stumbling around the office in all day.
‘Nora, you’re doing it again.’ The brunette raised her eyebrow at my outstretched leg.
All right. Action time. What would Nora do?
‘Argh. You’re right, and I don’t even realise when I’m doing it.’ My hand flew to my forehead with every dramatic flair I could muster.
I glanced at the name tag on her desk before reaching her confused and possibly concerned gaze. Was I portraying Nora wrong? There was one thing I was sure about Nora, she read books with ridiculous titles that told her how to live her life.
‘I read this fantastic book the other day about assertive communication.’
Maisy, apparently, raised her eyebrows in interest, then lowered herself back into her seat as I basked in relief. I wandered to the hard wooden chair and rested my ass on the uncomfortable base.
‘You see, it says to focus on the three Cs: confident, clear, controlled. Then there’s this other book I read about body confidence, and it suggested focusing on the way you hold your body.
For example, I found myself constantly trying to fold my body in on itself, to make myself appear smaller.
Like, I crammed myself into my desk so I wouldn’t get in anybody’s way.
To be honest, it caused me to have stomach cramps.
So, I’ve started widening my shoulders and straightening my posture.
I’m so sorry if that came off any other way.
’ I couldn’t believe the shit spewing from my mouth.
Maisy’s head bounced with agreement. ‘Of course. It’s all a misunderstanding. I thought it was so strange when Freddie said you were flaunting your breasts.’
I knew it was that bastard.
‘Don’t you worry about it, Nora. I’ll ensure this isn’t included in your work performance and make sure I state very clearly it was a misunderstanding. There’s no need to apologise for the space your body takes up. It’s as deserving as anyone else here. Men don’t really get it, do they?’
Women supporting women, that’s what Mum always rambled about at the dinner table. I’d exchanged smirks with my three brothers, and Dad had simply nodded along while imagining himself on a golf course. I’d have to tell her this story. Well, an altered version.
‘I won’t hold you up any longer,’ Maisy continued.
I stood from the chair with an ache in my stomach, as though I’d eaten too much or had five days backed up in my bowels.
The painkillers had kicked in, but perhaps I was ready to release a monstrous hangover shit.
As I walked to the door, Maisy gasped from her desk.
I spun around as she rummaged through her desk drawers.
‘Stop, stop. You’re going to need a change of clothes. Let me find something to cover the back of you.’
I twisted to look at myself and found a red stain on my dress. Blood. Oh my god, Nora was bleeding! My heart raced; my fingers trembled. Holy shit, Nora’s body was in trouble. What would happen if she died? Does that mean I’d die, too?
‘Don’t worry about it,’ I blurted to Maisy.
Opening the door, I raced through the office to the bathroom and fumbled with the lock on the door four times before it finally clicked. I fished through the tiny thing Nora insisted was a pocket despite barely fitting half a phone inside and dialled my number.
‘Nora? You’re bleeding! There’s blood on the back of your dress. I need to take your body to the doctor. Oh, my god, is it serious? What should I do? Has it happened before?’
‘Corey?’
‘Yes, it’s Corey,’ I whisper shouted. Wasn’t she sensing the urgency in my voice?
‘Hang on a sec.’
The seconds were agony.
‘I must have lost track of the weeks. It’s my period.’ She sounded eerily happy at the idea of all this blood.
‘Your what? What do I do? Should I go to the hospital or do you have a regular doctor?’
She cackled so loud I distanced the phone from my ear.
‘I’ve got some tampons in my drawer.’
‘I’m sorry, I think I misheard you. I thought you suggested I rummage through your drawer for a tampon.’ Nervous laughter bubbled up my throat.
‘You need to insert it to stop the blood, but you’ll still need to go buy a new dress and undies.’
‘Nope, I heard you correctly.’ Dread filled my already bloated stomach.
I hung up the phone before Nora could finish, because I was not doing that.
I also wasn’t spending the rest of the day with a giant stain on the back of my dress.
The handle rattled, then someone knocked on the door as they yelled through the office asking why it was locked.
I opened the door, and the blonde from the other side fell into me as she tried to barge her shoulder against the now-open door.
My chest tightened, and my nose started to sting.
Not only was I in a women’s body, but I was also experiencing things I never wanted to experience.
What if ten years go by and I’m still dealing with Nora’s menstrual cycles?
‘Oh honey, are you okay?’ she asked.
‘I’m fine.’ I wiped the tears from my cheek.
‘Nora, I need those reports,’ Freddie yelled from his office doorway.
I stomped to my desk and snatched Nora’s bright yellow bag from the floor.
‘I’m unwell, I need to go home,’ I sniffed.
‘A few tears don’t make you unwell,’ Freddie smirked.
I’ve never wanted to pummel a person so hard in my life. Once I made it back to my own body, his office would be my first stop.
‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’ I turned and walked to the elevator with my bag covering my ass, ignoring the flustered lists of things he yelled he needed from me.
The thing was, he didn’t need the data.
He needed Nora.
And right now, so did I.