Nina slowly regained her composure as the elevator took her to the 128th floor.
She stepped out of the elevator, adjusted her over-sized bright yellow blazer and ankle length skirt, squared her shoulders and marched towards Aaron's office with renewed determination.
She would not let herself be intimidated or cowed by Aaron Zakhrov!
As she marched into his office, the door behind her slammed shut with a deafening boom and the office was plunged into complete darkness.
Fresh panic gripped her as the sudden darkness disoriented her, and afterimages of the office swam before her eyes.
She tripped over her trailing skirt and fell hard onto the unyielding granite floor, her purse flying out of her hands.
"Don't say a word unless I ask you a question or give you permission to speak!" thundered Aaron's deep gravelly voice in the darkness.
Nina felt around for her purse, but the complete darkness made it futile.
"From now on, you address me as 'sir' or 'Mr. Zakhrov'. I'm your employer, not your college buddy." said Aaron's icy voice, softer but more menacing in the darkness.
Nina started to shake as she painfully got into a kneeling position, the gravity of her situation finally dawning on her.
The inky blackness of the office pressed around her, she felt suffocated and started to hyperventilate.
"I don't negotiate or change my polices, and I don't tolerate dissent. I hired you as a personal assistant, not political activist." came Aaron's voice again, cutting through Nina's labored breathing.
Nina clenched her fists, trying to calm herself down. Her shaking subsided into a tremble.
"And finally, you are to present yourself in a tailored skirt-suit and high heels. Any more foolishness will result in your immediate termination with no recourse." said Aaron, before he thundered: "Are we clear?"
"Yes sir." Nina whimpered, knowing full well that she was at his mercy.
The office ceiling blazed white again and Nina saw Aaron towering over her. Cold, merciless fury in his blue eyes.
Nina couldn't bear to look him in the eye. She kept kneeling and looking at the floor fighting back tears.
Aaron's black leather boots entered her field of vision. "Repeat the rules I've set out for you Ms. Avanthika."
"Yes sir. I will address you properly, do my job without complaint. And I will follow your dress code sir." said Nina quietly to his boots.
Aaron reached out and gently stroked her head.
"Good girl." he said softly.
His touch sent electricity crackling from the crown of Nina's head, down to her crotch.
Her knees buckled, and she sank to the floor at his feet.
A tiny sob escaped her lips, before the rest came forth in a torrent.
As Nina's sobbing slowly subsided, she felt a sort of numbness come over her. She slowly rose into a kneeling position again.
Aaron tossed her a box of tissues. "Clean your face and then clean that mess you made on my floor."
Not daring to incur his wrath again, Nina quickly wiped her face, and then wiped up the puddle of her tears on the floor, painfully aware of the slick feeling under her now hot and damp clothes.
"Good. Now. You are to return those excuses for office wear you wasted your employee credit on, and get more appropriate attire. Then, you can take the rest of the day off to reflect on your actions." said Aaron after Nina was finished.
"Yes sir" said Nina quietly, unable to look at him. His office door hissed open, and she shuffled out to carry out his tasks.
----
Nina returned to her apartment, and fell onto her bed completely drained and exhausted.
Just who was Aaron Zakhrov? She had never felt intimidated by men before, deans, principals, even some politicians had not made her shake and tremble the way Aaron had.
His methods had stripped away her feelings of empowerment, and crushed any thoughts of reprisal.
Yet, at the same time, she felt a perverse admiration for his iron resolve to uphold his sexist views and the ruthless efficiency of his methods to thwart her activism.
Horrified that she would even entertain those thoughts, she shook her head and slapped her cheeks to regain her bearings.
"I have to play by his stupid rules." she muttered, "for now" she added and gathered the over-sized blazers and long skirts to return.
----
Margaret surveyed Nina's appearance, noting how haggard and drawn she looked, as she trudged into the shop carrying a bag full of clothes.
"Um, can I return these? And can you help me with a new wardrobe?" asked Nina in a small voice.
"Of course." said Margaret gently, and helped Nina into a dressing room.
Through the dressing room curtain, Margaret passed Nina first, a thick black pantyhose, then a black turtleneck top, a black pencil skirt, and a black single breasted blazer with notched lapels and a nipped waist.
Nina stared at her reflection in the new outfit.
The skirt suit was light, soft and comfortable against her skin unlike the over-sized blazers and skirts she had bought earlier in a spirit of defiance.
The blazer accentuated the curve of her bust and her narrow waist, emphasizing her hourglass figure.
The skirt emphasized her hips and created a uniform curve from her hips to her thighs.
The pantyhose blended with the skirt and elongated her legs.
She felt as if there were two personalities engaged in a tug-of-war within her.
One personality felt appreciation for the smooth, high quality fabric and the skilled tailoring of her new skirt-suit, and gratitude to Aaron and Margret for exposing her to this experience.
The other, felt like she was being forced into a costume like a dress-up doll.
As Nina continued to stare at her reflection, her confusion and fear started to give way to a new feeling - resignation.
"If I have to wear this stuff, I might as well be comfortable in it" she thought to herself.
Margaret joined her in the dressing room holding a pair of black leather pumps with six-centimeter stiletto heels.
"Isn't this a lot better than those ill-fitting suits you picked out?" she asked.
"I'd say they are more comfortable... Not sure how they are better though." sighed Nina.
"Baby steps my dear. Now let's get you into these shoes." said Margaret, and Nina sat down as Margaret helped her feet into the pumps.
"Alright now, stand up and remember to take it slow." instructed Margaret, offering Nina a hand to stand up.
The heels felt surprisingly comfortable as Nina got used to her new center of gravity while she walked around the store with Margaret close by her side.
"Ugh, this is a little too much at once." she growled, and sat down, trying to regain her composure.
"What's happening to me? I should hate this, but part of me likes it! Why?" the question burned in her mind.
She had always thought the practicality and comfort of her casual and non-conforming clothing was how she best expressed herself, but this new ensemble seemed to resonate deeply within her, speaking to a side of her that she hadn't known existed before.
Sensing Nina's confusion, Margaret sat down next to her and held her hands gently.
"Look, I know you might not like hearing this, but formal clothing is like armor. As comfortable your hoodie and yoga pants are, they don't exude an air of professionalism, seriousness and competency, particularly when they are over-sized. I found that out the hard way when I was studying business management. At first, I dressed casually as well. However, I soon found that people - both men and women - took me more seriously when I was more professionally dressed, and I got better grades, closed better deals and commanded more respect from my peers and professors." she said.
Nina looked at Margaret with a new-found respect and admiration. "Thank you, Margaret. I really appreciate your help" she said sincerely.
"You're welcome dear" said Margaret warmly as she handed Nina her new purchases. "Do come again" she said as Nina bade her farewell and hailed a cab to return home.