The incessant chirping of his alarm clock was a cruel symphony to Joe's ears. Dragging himself out of bed, he stumbled towards the mountain of clothes he’d hastily piled up the night before. In his half-awake state, Joe dumped the two bags – one filled with the suits that Lilly had surprised him with and the other with his “New” shirts – onto his bed. He placed a pair of suit pants on there as well and went to grab a quick shower. Time was ticking.
"Close enough," he muttered to himself, pulling on the trousers after finishing putting on “His Bra”. If only he hadn’t made that stupid bet with his sister in the first place but he was not backing down from it. They were surprisingly comfortable, a little high-waisted perhaps but comfortable nonetheless. “Now a shirt.” He said as he reached into the pile of clothes now lying on his bed. He picked a white light-weight shirt from the ones that Lilly had loaned him. He knew that it would fit around his new attributes, something he had to thank Lilly for.
He really couldn’t be angry at her for too long she was only trying to help him win the bet. She just had a different interpretation of the rules than he did that was all. He grabbed a jacket that he thought matched the trousers and checked the time on his watch. “Shit.” He said after noticing the time.
He practically flew out the door, fueled by caffeine withdrawal and the fear of being late. The drive was a blur of red lights and near misses. Finally, he screeched to a halt in the office parking lot and bolted inside. Hoping that he wasn’t late, Rebecca might be working for his uncle but would not hesitate to chew him out if he was late again. His Uncle Christian had let him know in no certain terms that he would not get special treatment at the office because of this fact. To Rebecca he was just another employee, she had even told him as much on his first day.
He walked inside and saw Sara sitting at the reception desk. Was that woman ever late he thought. “Morning Sara,” Joseph said greeting her as if it was a normal morning.
“Morning Joe. How was your first day in the pool?” She asked seemingly genuinely interested.
“Different but not too bad,” Joseph answered honestly.
“That’s good I know those girls can be a little … well you know.”! She said as if she was searching for the right word to use.
“I better get going to my desk I don’t want to be late this week not with everything,” Joseph said trying to politely end the conversation. Not because he didn’t like Sara but he didn’t want to be late.
“Oh sorry I hadn’t noticed the time. You had better get going then.” Sara said in reply as she saw the time.
She watched Joseph walk away towards his new workstation noticing that something seemed different about him from yesterday but she could not work out what it was.
Rebecca Green was already at her desk, a picture of poised efficiency. She glanced up as Joseph passed, her eyes widening slightly. She recognized the charcoal suit instantly. It was from the new collection, a design she had been wearing at a conference in Paris just last month.
She fought back a smile. Should she say something? It was undeniably awkward. He seemed blissfully unaware. She decided to remain silent. For now.
The morning wore on, and the whispers began. The girls, in the office, notorious for their sharp eyes and even sharper tongues, had noticed the unusual cut of Joe’s suit almost immediately. Giggles were exchanged, and knowing glances passed. Still, no one dared to mention it directly to Joe.
Halfway through the morning, however, Rebecca couldn’t resist any longer. She buzzed Joe on the intercom. "Joseph, could you come into my office for a moment?"
He entered her office, a little hot and flustered with the morning’s work, to see his boss smiling.
"Joseph," Rebecca began, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes, "I see we have very similar taste in fashion today."
Joseph blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
Rebecca stood up, revealing her charcoal suit, a perfect match to his. The penny dropped. His face paled. He stared down at his attire, finally registering the subtle, yet undeniable, differences. The narrower lapels, the more fitted waist, the slightly shorter trousers. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
He was wearing a woman’s suit. One of the suits that Lilly had put into the second bag that she had given him last night.
"Oh, my god," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Rebecca chuckled. "Well, it’s quite the statement to make, Joseph. A little… avant-garde, perhaps?"
“My friend Lilly who has been helping me with the bet put some stuff into a bag for me. I must have picked the suit out without noticing this morning. I was in a rush you see, I didn’t want to be late you see, and…..” Joseph rambled.
“Well mistakes can happen I suppose. Especially if you are in a hurry. I must commend your friend's taste in clothes we need to try and fix things for today.” Rebecca said once Joseph had taken a break in his rambling.
“I could go back and change?” Joseph offered.
“I am afraid that is not an option. Today is a busy day and I need everyone here. I do have an idea though.” Rebecca said with a smile on her face.
