Nina pressed her hand into the hand-print lock of Sirius Software's main entrance door. The huge door hissed open and Nina stepped once again into the empty lobby. The bright yellow over-sized blazer and long skirt that she was wearing over a t-shirt, yoga pants and sneakers felt heavy and uncomfortable on her. The blazer sprawled across her shoulders, and her skirt trailed along the smooth black lobby floor.
She shuffled towards the elevator, taking care not to trip over the trailing skirt and rode the elevator to the 128th floor, smug satisfaction coursing through her that she had circumvented the objectifying and sexualizing nature of Aaron's Draconian dress code. Though they were uncomfortable, the blazer and skirt effectively hid her figure and de-emphasized her bust.
She settled down at her new desk which was right outside the CEO's office and booted up the new computer that was installed there.As she was trying to make sense of the computer's unfamiliar interface, the CEO's office door hissed open and Aaron strode out in his signature black leather business suit, his boot heels clicking menacingly on the granite floor.
"Good morning Ms. Avanthika," he greeted her, his icy blue-eyed gaze taking in her ill-fitting bright yellow blazer, very long bright yellow skirt and sneakers that she wore as her way of defying his dress code, and the thin band of dirt and grime the hem of her skirt had already accumulated from trailing on the floor."Morning" she growled, her defiant black eyes daring him to comment on her appearance.
Nina's defiance crumbled as Aaron slowly approached her desk. Her heart started pounding, and she shrank away from him, trembling as he towered over her while leaning over her computer."Your browser, email and chat applications are accessed from this menu" He explained coldly, pointing to an icon on her screen. With that, he straightened and left her.Nina sighed in relief as he left her, cursing herself for shaking with fear at his intimidating presence.As soon as his door closed with its signature boom, she launched the email and chat applications and started her campaign to change the corporate culture at Sirius Software, pinging employees and sending out emails, calling upon them to take action against the oppressive policies, and sexist dress code.
Aaron sat in his office and got to work. He had deliberately not given Nina any instructions or duties to see if she would be proactive in her role as his personal assistant, or would she just use her access to his company's systems to try and continue her attacks and activism.
His automated email and instant message monitoring and moderation programs blocked Nina's campaign attempts, flagged them as employee contract violations and notified him.He gave the rapidly accumulating notifications a cold glance before he muted the notifications and got back to coding, confident that his measures to protect his company from activists was in working order.
At around 5 PM, Aaron's chat application chimed with a message from Nina. "I'm leaving for the day" it read.Aaron, deep into his coding, just reacted to the message with a thumbs up emoji.
Nina woke up the next morning to several text messages from Sirius Software and her bank.The messages said that she had accumulated several employee contract violations, for which she was now liable to several thousand dollars in fines and that the amount had already been deducted from her meager savings account leaving her with just enough money in her account to travel to Sirius Software for two days via Uber.
Horrified at the brutal efficiency of Sirius Software's systems, and furious with herself for her naïveté in assuming that her campaign attempts wouldn't be blocked, Nina frantically typed an email to Aaron demanding an appeal. The only reply she got was "Actions have consequences. You read and signed the employee contract". With a sinking feeling, Nina read through the copy of the employee contract that Aaron had helpfully attached to his cold reply.Sure enough, there were clauses forbidding the use of Sirius Software's internal communication systems to discuss politics, religion or ideology.She had been so caught up in defying his dress code mandate, and so eager to start agitating for change, that she had forgotten all about those other clauses.
She typed a scathing reply to Aaron, accusing him of abuse of power and harassment, and threatening to sue him in court.
Not receiving any other replies, she quickly dressed, jumped into an Uber and raced to Sirius Software.
Nina slammed her hand into the hand-print lock on the main entrance door, but it refused to budge, displaying a red "Access Denied" sign.Seething with rage, she buzzed the intercom. "Let me in you monster!" She screamed.
From his office, Aaron watched her through his security cameras and answered coldly through the intercom. "As of today, and as per the terms of our contract, your employment has been terminated. Get off my property."
"How dare you! I have rights! You can't just clean out my savings and then fire me!" shouted Nina through the intercom.
Deathly silence followed, the door still refused to budge. Nina buzzed the intercom again.
"You can't do this to me!" she screamed.
Still silence from the intercom. Nina's anger started fade and worry started to surface. Despite her threat of suing Aaron, she knew that he could easily command an army of expensive lawyers to counter her claims. A negotiation here and now would be better than through the legal system.
"Please can we talk about this?" she pleaded into the intercom.Dead silence met her pleas. Her worry and fear started to build.
"Please Aaron, lets talk about this. I'm sure we can resolve this without the courts" she said into the intercom again.The intercom still remained silent. Nina started to get more anxious and desperate. Tears started to overwhelm her."Please! Please! Just give me another chance" she cried into the intercom.The door finally hissed open and Nina stumbled into the empty Sirius Software lobby once again.
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 to hide the t-shirt, yoga pants and sneakers she had on underneath, 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. She started to tremble as she painfully got into a kneeling position, the gravity of her situation finally dawning on her.
"From now on, you address me as 'sir' or 'Mr. Zakhrov'. I will not brook any further insubordination. Are we clear?" asked Aaron's icy voice, sounding even deeper and more menacing in the darkness.
A mixture of dread, helplessness, and anxiety flooded through Nina. Her right shoulder, temple, hip and ankle throbbed painfully from the fall. The inky blackness of the office pressed around her, making it difficult for her to breathe. "Y-Yes sir" She answered softly.
"As you have already realized, attempts to infest my company with your vile and unsolicited ideology will result in severe consequences. I expect you to keep those misguided opinions to yourself and perform your duties as my personal assistant. I have neither patience nor tolerance for social justice obsessed vermin. Are we clear?" thundered Aaron's voice again, reverberating loud and menacing in the darkness.
"Yes sir" Nina whimpered. Each syllable of Aaron's voice felt like a physical blow to her, the reverberations increasing the throbbing in her right temple.
"And finally, I expect you to present yourself in a tailored skirt-suit and high heels. Any more foolish, and pathetic attempts at defying or protesting my dress code, will result in immediate termination. Are we clear?" thundered Aaron's voice again.
"Yes sir" Nina whimpered again, trembling at the realization 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. Fear, humiliation and helplessness coursed through her as 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." he ordered coldly."Yes sir. I will address you as 'sir' or 'Mr. Zakhrov', I will keep my opinions to myself and do my work as your PA. And I will follow your dress code sir" said Nina quietly to his boots. Overloaded with emotions, she fell at his feet in uncontrollable sobs.
As Nina's sobbing slowly subsided, she felt a sort of numbness come over her, and she realized that she had made a small puddle of tears and snot on the black granite floor of the office, and her over-sized clothes were sticky with sweat."Clean your face and then clean that mess you made on my floor." spat Aaron coldly, tossing her a box of tissues.Not daring to incur his wrath again, Nina quickly wiped her face, and then wiped up the puddle on the floor.
"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 coldly 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.
Neither her Women's Studies course nor her favorite feminist podcasts had prepared her for the ordeal she had just faced. Just who was Aaron Zakhrov? She had never felt intimidated by men before, even by men in positions of power and authority like the dean of Boston University, or the strict principal of her public school.
However, Aaron's powerful presence, the way he ruthlessly obliterated her savings through heavy fines, forced her to beg for her job back, and his cold, uncompromising demands, coupled with his complete control over the Sirius Software building, 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 for now, but I will make him change them!" she said firmly to herself as she gathered the over-sized blazers and long skirts to return.
Margaret looked up in surprise as Nina entered _The Feminine Professional_, carrying a large bag filled with the over-sized blazers and long skirts she had bought. Nina looked haggard and drawn, with an air of defeat and resignation about her."Um, can I return these? And can you help me with a new wardrobe?" asked Nina in a small voice, her face red with shame."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.
Conflicting feelings and sensations coursed through Nina as she surveyed herself in her 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.
Contrary to her expectations, Nina 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. These opposing emotional forces morphed into a sense of confusion and fear.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.The heels made a rhythmic clip-clopping on the tiled floor that a part of her found extremely satisfying, and another part of her found extremely annoying.
"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?_" she thought furiously to herself. 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 he hadn't known existed before.
Sensing Nina's confusion, Margret 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, sales targets and even 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.
Nina found herself once again in front of the Sirius Software building, only this time, she wore a new black turtleneck top, a single breasted black blazer with notched lapels and nipped waist, a black pencil skirt, black pantyhose and black leather pumps with six-centimeter stiletto heels. She pressed her hand into the hand-print lock and the door hissed open.
With a sigh of relief she entered the lobby, her heels making a loud clicking sound on the smooth polished black stone floor. The echoes and reverberations of her clicking heels served to liven up the empty lobby, a far cry from the oppressive and eerie silence she had felt during her previous visits.
She got off the elevator and found Aaron's office door open and Aaron himself, leaning casually against the door frame, with his arms folded. She was again struck by how tall and imposing he was in his black leather business suit.He surveyed her as she approached, his eyes taking in her new outfit.
"Good morning Ms. Avanthika. I see you have decided to follow my instructions. I must say this look suits you" he said.Nina found herself blushing at his compliment, yet feeling furious and objectified at his scrutiny. She shook her head to suppress her conflicted feelings. "Thank you sir. What are your instructions for today?" she asked neutrally.
Aaron beckoned her into his office where handed her a phone and tablet computer with a stylus. "Use the phone to communicate with me when we are separated and the tablet to take notes" he instructed.
Maintaining a cool and professional expression, Nina put the phone in her purse and switched on the tablet computer. She launched the note-taking app and stood ready with the stylus.
"We have a presentation for overseas business partners at 12:30 across town. I believe that that is the only appointment we have outside the office today. I need you to pull any information you can find on the partners and give me detailed profiles on their backgrounds and preferences two hours before the presentation" Aaron instructed Nina."
Yes sir" said Nina crisply, and returned to her desk to begin research. The office door closed with its signature boom as she left the office making her jump a little.
She had a little over an hour to complete his task and resolved to do it well. She knew full well what would happen if she dared disobey.
As she worked, her thoughts drifted back to Aaron. While still extremely Stoic and intimidating, her brief encounter with him, now that she had swallowed her pride and conformed to his dress code, was not as threatening or hostile as when she wore her baggy hoodie and yoga pants or her over-sized blazer and ankle length skirt. Nina grudgingly acknowledged that her new fitted black blazer and skirt made her feel more put together, and less intimidated by him. A small part of her was secretly grateful to Aaron for forcing her to adopt his dress code, even as the rest of her subconscious screamed in outrage and berated her for succumbing to Aaron's patriarchal demands like a filthy sellout.
At 10:37, a few minutes after she had sent Aaron the information she had found on the partners, the CEO's office door hissed open, and Aaron strode out, with a backpack slung across one shoulder. "Come along Ms. Avanthika, we have a presentation to get to. I need you to observe and take notes" he commanded as he passed her.Nina quickly powered off her computer, snatched up her purse, and fell into step behind him, tottering a little in her heels.The elevator doors hissed open, and they stepped into the confined space.Nina shivered a little as she felt Aaron's powerful presence next to her.She shrank away from him, pressing into the wall of the elevator, her emotions a conflicted mess as he recalled his previous treatment of her and not wishing to incur his wrath, while at the same time harboring a perverse attraction to that very power of his.The doors hissed open, and they stepped out into the basement level of Sirius software.
Nina gasped in awe at the basement lobby of Sirius Software. It was brightly lit, and contained shelves and lockers for personal effects. The mystery of where Sirius Software's other employees entered the building finally revealed itself. At the far end, was another heavily reinforced door.It hissed open as Aaron pressed his hand into the lock, and they stepped into a cavernous, brightly lit parking garage. Various cars and motorcycles were parked in spots marked by yellow lines. To the left of the parking garage, was another massive door with an ominous yellow radioactive hazard symbol. Nina suppressed a shiver. The ominous symbol and the implications behind it, that Sirius Software had its own nuclear reactors, made Aaron and Sirius software seem even more intimidating. Just who was this young man that he was able to commission such a stronghold yet be so secretive and reclusive?
Aaron led Nina to a spot marked CEO RESERVED. A massive, black, low slung car was sitting in the parking area, looking more like a black space-ship than a car. It seemed to be composed of almost entirely flat surfaces, save for the row of six massive exhaust pipes sticking out of the rear like fighter-jet engine nozzles. Aaron pressed a control on a key fob. The car chirped, and its doors swung open in a vertical scissor-like fashion.
Aaron got into the driver's side, and with some trepidation, Nina got in on the passenger side. She looked around the interior of the car as she closed the door and settled into the plush black leather seat. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. The dashboard was a fixed-function LCD unit, and all the controls were mounted on the steering wheel. The car smelled of leather with a slight sterilized tang of ozone.
"Seatbelt" commanded Aaron, making Nina jump. She quickly reached behind her and fastened her seatbelt.Aaron started the car, the engine let out a loud and powerful rumble as he slowly pulled out of the parking spot and onto the entryway of the basement garage. The garage doors slid open, and a thrill of foreboding ran down Nina's spine. She quickly gripped her seatbelt and the door handle. With a powerful roar, the car shot forward at a blistering pace. In a flash, they were out of the garage and streaking down the access road. Nina shut her eyes as Aaron expertly turned onto the highway weaving seamlessly through the late morning traffic.With deep, calming breaths, Nina regained her composure. "What kind of car is this?" she asked."This is an Albrecht Automotive Streikkämpfer. It's a supercar that is inspired by the 1990s" said Aaron nonchalantly as he drove."The 90s? How is this thing so fast?" asked Nina as Aaron effortlessly overtook semi-trucks, SUVs and other cars as if they were standing still."I believe I said it was inspired by, not from the 90s. It's perfectly capable of hitting 350 km/h." said Aaron coldly.Nina swallowed nervously. She wasn't a car person, but she knew that 350 km/h was ridiculously fast. She held onto the door handle for dear life as the Streikkämpfer sped down the highway.