Sara felt rather naughty. She had just started to dry herself off when Ben had knocked on her door. She never felt uncomfortable around him in any form. She originally thought it was because of his blindness; but now she realized it was because he was such a good friend. Steam was still hanging in the air as they sat. Sara was only wearing a light sleeveless shirt around her shoulders and it stuck to her slightly damp body. She couldn't find any underwear that would fit in such a hurry (there probably wasn't any anyway) and this was the only thing she found that she could squeeze into, and this was mainly due to the fact that she didn't button it up.

  She was flashing Ben with everything; she had done this before, but right now it was particularly mischievous.

  "So what brings you by Benny?"

  He smiled sheepishly, his eyes blankly moving back and forth.

  "I was just worried about you. Are you still having those dizzy spells?"

  "Yes, but I'm okay with them now."

  "Good, I talked to Stephanie last night."

  "Really? What did she say?"

  "She was worried about a couple of things. Beside stressing out about what to get her friend Nikki for her anniversary..."

  "The one in Vegas?"

  "Yeah, she was also concerned about you for some other reason; though she wouldn't tell me why."

  "It's no big deal. Everything's all right Ben. Thanks for the concern."

  "I'd like to think it's a little more than concern."

  "You're right," Sara put the last bit of her pastry in her mouth and quickly swallowed it. "Are you going to finish your bearclaw?"

  "No, go right ahead." Benjamin laughed, "you sure are hungry this morning."

  "I think it's all of the running we're doing, I have more of an appetite."

  "That's cool," he cleared his throat, "so, I was wondering if you wanted to go out this evening. Maybe we could catch a movie and I'd take you out to Sakura Bana up in Encinitas. I know how much you love sushi and I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate you being okay, not to mention further cheer you up."

  "That's a great idea Ben, I'd like that."

  His heart skipped another beat.

  "But I think I should keep tonight free."

  He almost dropped his coffee.

  "Why is that Sara?"

  "Well, I went out with a guy I know from work last night. Things went really well and I have to make sure what he wants to do first."

  "That's ... wonderful. Um, I have to get going then."

  "I'm kind of nervous about it too. I've had my eye on him for a while."

  "I need to go and clear up a problem I've been having with the phone company."

  "I'm sorry, what did you say Ben?"

  "Nothing, can you help me get to the door? I just wanted to drop off this stuff and now I have to get going."

  She got up and put an arm around him. He could feel her skin but only dwelt on how wonderful she smelled.

  "Sure, be careful."

  "You too, have a nice day, it's supposed to be nice and warm."

  Benjamin was so depressed, he didn't even notice that Sara's arm was holding his from a higher angle, or that her hand was substantially larger than usual. He just walked outside and tapped his way down the street.

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  Sara stepped out of her taxi. She offered the driver a twenty for his trouble but he just waved it away with a smile. He nodded and watched as she closed the door and walked away. The driver sighed and pulled out into traffic. Sara put the bill back in her purse and tip-toed into the store, trying her best not to get her bare feet dirty. She brushed a few pieces of lint off of her suit.

  Her dark blue skirt hugged her legs and she held it up with a thick belt that was hidden beneath the purple jacket. It was buttoned up over a white collared shirt. She thought about putting a tie on as well, but eventually decided against it. The shoes she had bought the day before didn't fit anymore and she was going to have to grab a pair from Nordstrom's. She opened the front door and walked inside.

  Everything looked so small to her and she laughed inwardly at how mildly absurd it all seemed. Most men, and a woman or two, that she passed would give her long glances as she walked by. Sara made a point to toss her long hair about as she moved, giving them the full effect of her statuesque beauty. She walked past the perfume counters and found the elevator that led up to the formal wear and, across from that, the furniture section. She reached the top and scanned the floor.

  There was an unfamiliar face at Shawn's station. They looked at each other for a few seconds and then she gazed around again. Sara knew he was working today; she had checked the weekly schedules, but he was no where to be found. She frowned.

  Distraught, she headed for the shoe department. She passed the salesman who gawked at her. She had actually eaten with him a number of times, but today he just stared. She walked into the back and he shook his head, realizing he hadn't seen where she went. Sara rummaged through a number of boxes, trying to estimate her new size. She had small feet and her growth spurts had only added a few inches to them. She found a pair of purple heels and began to take them out of the box.

  "Excuse me."

  Sara's head shot up.

  "You're not supposed to be back here miss. This area is 'employees only.'"

  Evelyn Drake was standing above her, tapping an impatient toe. She evidently didn't recognize her.

  Sara smiled.

  "I'm sorry, I was looking for someone."

  "Well you won't find them back here."

  "Maybe not, but maybe you can point me in his direction. I'm looking for Shawn; tall man with light brown hair and glasses. He should be working here today."

  "He called in sick."

  Sara looked puzzled.

  "Apparently he had a rough night last night and he had to go to the hospital to have a few stitches put in his head."

  "What happened to him?"

  "He said he went out with some crazy, bitch co-worker."

  Sara's mouth widened in horror and outrage.

  "And, quite frankly, I'm thinking the same thing of you. Just what are you doing back here. Are those store shoes? That's Nordstrom's property!"

  "Oh, it's okay." Sara stood up. With their matching heels, neither woman was taller than the other. Evelyn took a step back, she wasn't used to such an opposing stature from a woman. Sara smiled a cocky smile. "I work here."

 Evelyn examined her from head to toe. She was always considered by almost everybody as a magnificent specimen of a woman. But while they were in fact the same height, this rival was, by far, more of a woman than she could ever hope to be. Her long legs were strong and firm while Evelyn just sported, what she had originally deemed wonderful, toothpicks. This woman's arms were toned, unlike Evelyn's supple, yet flabby ones. She had an overwhelming sense of power that made Evelyn feel inferior, the one thing in the universe that she couldn't stand to feel.

  "I've never seen you here before, and I'm the supervisor!"

  "Yes, I know you are Miss Drake; Miss Evelyn Drake."

  Evelyn's knees began to shake.

  "Miss Bitch. You don't mind if I call you that do you? Bitch?"

  "I, uh..."

  "Don't tell me you don't remember me? Don't you Bitch?"

  Evelyn stared forward into this beautiful woman's face. She felt inadequate, petty, in her presence. Her eyes were gorgeous and familiar; she knew she had seen those amber colored eyes before. Those kaleidoscope eyes.

  "No, I can't say..."

  "Why, it's Sara. From formal wear. You've been pushing me around for over a year now."

  Evelyn's voice caught in her throat and she choked out her words.

  "No, you can't be!"

  "I can, and I am." Sara stepped forward and poked Evelyn's inferior chest with her index finger. "You always took some sick sense of pleasure out of picking on me everyday didn't you?"

  "I never meant..."

  "Everytime you saw me you knew it was another chance to make your pathetic little life a bit more tolerable by taking out your frustrations on poor little Sara."

  "I didn't think..."

  "You didn't think it mattered? You didn't think I'd mind? You didn't think at all?"

  "Please, I..."

  "It never crossed your superficial cares that anyone not on your level mattered. I was beneath your attention, but not anymore." Sara felt the familiar wave of vertigo beginning to surge, but she was too far along her roll to stop. "Now we're on the same level and it's time you gave me some respect." Both women heard the creaking of the buttons on Sara's suit.

  "Wha... what's happening to you?"

  The light shade of Sara's undershirt began to peek through from in between the lapels as the buttons tried to pull themselves out of their holes. Sara's toes began to push through the front of her heels, her feet widening the holes as they grew. The cuffs of her suit began to creep up her forearms, a thin old bracelet was left alone on her wrist as they withdrew.

  "Normally I treat people the way I want to be treated; golden rule thing, you know." Sara's top button snapped, forced open by her firm breasts that pulsed forward from the minor release of pressure. "But I don't think you deserve that much." Sara's head slowly began to rise above Evelyn's; her tall body starting to be slightly dwarfed by the burgeoning amazon.

  "There's no need to..."

  Another button broke with a loud pop and it flew at Evelyn with frightening velocity. She just barely flinched out of it's path as it flew past her head and clanged against a steel pole. Sara's skirt tore as she spread her legs slightly apart, her thigh rending the thick fabric as she endeavored to keep her balance.

  "Oh, I have a need. It's been building ever since the first time you picked on me and it's increased with every joke, every abusive comment, every deed that was meant to make my life miserable." The last two buttons, stretching their last threads as they split under the increasing strain, snapped simultaneously. They flew off in the same direction as Sara's lapels whipped open; the buttons on the shirt she wore underneath began to show the same signs of weakening as the small plastic disks started tugging on the polyester blend.

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