I try my damnedest to push it out of my mind that I just called Rocky my girlfriend and focus on the task at hand—aka making everyone in the room forget about my new set of tits and knock out the agenda items on today’s list.
But the task at hand is a hell of a lot harder to achieve with everyone in the room staring at the way my new breasts peek over my protruding belly.
This conference room is the circus, and I am the clown.
To my surprise, Liliana, the head of human resources, smiles a little, seemingly impressed by my display. Several of the men in the room, however, wear their contrary opinion starkly.
If I’m honest, I don’t really care about the other opinions in the room. The only ones I care about are my own, Rocky’s, and Jared’s. He built this company on his back and did me service after service through the years. I’d never dream of disrespecting a man of his caliber. The fact that he’s Caplin Hawkins’s—one of my best friends—father only reinforces that fact.
Shit. Maybe I shouldn’t have played this one so loose when I first arrived?
I watch on in anticipation as Jared purses his lips for a moment, pondering a direction of action. It’s only at the end of a ten-second pause that he finally comes to a conclusion. “Right, then. Well, I can’t deny I’m impressed with your dedication to both your companion and your unborn child, Hughes. I should expect nothing less after all the years you’ve dedicated to this company, but I have to admit, this surprised me.” He chuckles as he pulls his chair back into position and takes a seat in it.
I follow his lead and do the same in my own, my fake belly and boobs jostling slightly under my suit as my ass meets the seat.
“How’s it been so far?” he asks, much to the shock of my peers.
I smile and laugh a little. “Surprisingly difficult, sir. It’s kind of amazing how quickly the body has to adapt to this kind of additional weight.”
Jared smiles nostalgically. “Victoria didn’t enjoy being pregnant with Caplin or Lena, but I always enjoyed the idea of it immensely. That kind of connection with your kids.” He shakes his head. “I never had to deal with the physical changes, though.”
I nod. “It’s amazing the things it makes seem impossible. Just this morning, I had to go with my slip-on loafers instead of the ones with laces.” Jared laughs, and I nod. “Couldn’t reach my damn feet.”
All manner of shell-shocked faces bounce between the two of us as we bond over my fake pregnancy in an executive-level corporate meeting.
It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you really put your mind to it—like convincing your boss it’s not weird at all to show up to a meeting with a pair of fake tits and a pregnant belly under your clothes.
Though, I have a feeling the reaction would have been altogether different if the body weren’t made of fabric and beads.
But also, it would have been entirely different if my boss weren’t Jared Hawkins. He’s a clever businessman with a weak spot for his kids. He’s made no secret of his affection for both of his children over the years, and as such, I knew he was the kind of man who could appreciate my gesture.
Sadly, I cannot say the same for the greater majority of corporate America, and that includes my late father.
Other than that, the meeting is business as usual. We talk about how it’s going in LA and the construction schedule for the new HawCom headquarters that are currently being built. We go over number projections and overexpenditures with a redistribution strategy, as well as some LA staffing recommendations and a few changes we need to make due to New York’s updated tax code. It’s exactly as it’s always been, and if it weren’t for the weight, I almost wouldn’t have realized I still had the pregnant suit on at all.
As the conference room clears, Liliana approaches me and sticks out a hand for me to shake. I take it immediately, smiling as the corner of her mouth starts to curve up.
“I have to tell you…I’m impressed,” she says softly. “You’ve always been one of the good ones around here, but I never in a million years expected you to take your gender compassion this far.”
I chuckle. “Honestly, I never expected I would either. But it’s right, and not just because it’s the right thing to do. Consider me enlightened with a way deeper appreciation for what women go through after sporting this thing for the past few days. I never would have understood if I hadn’t experienced it for myself.” I shrug. “Which is why it’s an assignment from the Lamaze class, I suppose.”