Growing into the Job, Post 525: Previously...

Previously…

The SUV door had shut with a soft, satisfying click. Josie had climbed in on the driver’s side, Lakshmi into the front passenger seat, and Aubrey was already in the back beside Dr. J. Shanette and Randi had lingered for a second, watching them pull away.

“Did you see him,” Shanette said softly, crossing her arms beneath her big bust, “Tiny thing. Didn’t even try to argue when we helped him up.” She had a couple hours before she’d need to leave for the new Vendare Center, the redesigned mall where the fashion show would be, where she’d be performing.

“Yeah and did you see how small his butt looked on that seat?” Randi snickered, starting to walk, her high-heeled sandals clicking against the concrete. “He’s like... what? One throw pillow away from a booster?”

“Girl, stop," Shanette laughed, "You’re gonna make me ovulate.”

Randi snorted. They headed back toward the rear entrance, Randi's floral skirt catching in the wind. She barely glanced at the group of men leaning against a nondescript van, eyes bugging out at her suddenly exposed legs and the figure of her even taller, even more curvaceous friend. “You know he’s not going to make it, right?" she said matter-of-factly, pushing her skirts back down, walking past the guys, "To that appointment?”

That furrowed Shanette's brow. “But…Melissa wanted us to try to get him there?” 

“Yeah but honestly... I think she knows he’s not gonna make it. I think she wants it that way. Made it that way.” 

Shanette stood up straighter. “Wait. You think she planned for it?” 

“She kinda hinted that to me, yeah,” Randi said carefully, “that he might start feeling sick on the way. Like, really sick.” 

“Oh, wow, okay…” 

“She said it’ll be something that happens when he gets too close. Like when he starts really trying to figure out what’s happening to him,” Randi added with a knowing look. “Like a…a failsafe or something.” 

Both girls were quiet for a second. 

"She doesn't want him to know it's her that's doing it, even if she’s not doing it on purpose. I mean, she loves it, but she’s not, like, actively trying to shrink him," Randi said, low, as they approached the front doors, "At least not yet." 

Shanette whistled low. “Yikes…she can be scary.”

“Yeah, huh?” Randi replied, stepping onto the concrete of the entrance, “Good thing she’s got us. To keep her from…I dunno…”

Her voice trailed off, not waiting to explore too deeply the idea of what a world with an untethered Melissa Monroe might look like.

The two women entered Far Horizons through the front door, and went back to work.

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thanks to ArtByAnuar for the original/base ai image