I couldn’t say whether or not Paula planned it, but the swap took place the night before my first day of work post college. It was supposed to be my first day in a serious job. But instead of the innovative marketing company I’d dreamed of working through all throughout college, I was stuck working at Paula’s boring ass company as an accountant.
Waking up 25 years older was hard. The aches, the newly acquired flesh which hung loosely in some of the worst places. Paula was curvy, but at 47 it was nearly impossible not to be a little chubby. I’d been excited to show off my fashion sense to my new company, but in Paula’s body getting dressed was like choosing a method of torture. My new dress code was something from the 80’s. All high heels and pencil skirts. I could’ve made it work in my body perhaps. But in Paula’s? All I noticed was the fabric squeezing my fat and how every movement seemed unflattering.
But I had no choice. I followed Paula’s directions to her work. Only to find we were in the same office building. We “coincidentally” met up in reception. In my heels and Paula’s taller body I felt like a freakish giant. Meanwhile in my body she wore simple baggy clothes, concealing my youthful tight body under a cloak of comfort.
“Hey, Paula.”
She winked lacking any sort of subtlety and I could barely hide the disgust I felt.
“Hey. Ready for your first day?”
I felt dumb asking it. She had twenty years of work experience, I had a few summers in Walmart. Even in my mature dressed up body I felt everyone could see how nervous I was.
“Oh, absolutely! Apparently when there’s a new start here we finish early and go out for drinks!”
Bitch. She was stealing my perfect job. My life. No doubt I’d be stuck with some chubby gossips and perverts. I could hardly imagine how creepy my new boss would be to make women dress like this every day.
“Well, good luck.”
I couldn’t take any more, as much as I wanted to stop her. Only four more weeks right? It’d probably get easier from here