Content warnings for this story (click here for guide):
Karly emerged from the toilet carrying her bear and rabbit. This was getting stupid – fifth time in an hour! She’d had to excuse herself from a phone call just to run to the loo. She’d have to come off the Gaia juice – maybe she’d be fine without it.
Her new workwear from Mahri was pretty tricky to manoeuvre in the bathroom. Today her outfit was a pair of puff-sleeved short bloomer dungarees in pink checks, with a white lace heart on the chest. Pink light-up trainers, ruffled socks and a pink glitter headband finished the look. It was very Nina Rush, but going to the toilet meant undressing to the waist – not easy in a hurry.
As Karly passed reception, she heard Mimi and Fran whispering frantically.
“Did you email those forms for you-know-who?”
“Of course I did! Pretty jealous though – imagine if she got a spot on the programme.”
“Know what you mean. I never even heard back about my app.”
“But I thought Karly offered to look over it for you.”
“Yeah, but she must have run out of time. I just sent it off in the end. Guess I haven’t got what it takes to be a Mahri Powers girl.”
“Well, I imagine this one will get noticed. She’s had coaching sessions just for the personal statement.”
“Wow. She’s pretty keen on climbing up the ladder, huh?”
They shut up as Karly approached.
“Who’s that?”
“Oh, nobody,” said Mimi, shuffling some papers. “That is, they asked me to keep it confidential unless things progressed to the funding stage.”
“Did you say Mahri Powers?” said Karly, trying to sound casual.
“Yeah, she’s that career coach I asked you about a few weeks back,” said Fran.
Karly thought for a second about her plagiarism of Fran’s application.
“Oh,” she said. “I don’t remember that. Anyway, sounds like it’s more for executives than…admin staff…”
She turned to her office, her bloomered bottom wiggling, then stopped. She had forgotten to get a coffee. She could go back now but what would Nina Rush do?
“I want coffee,” she said to Mimi.
“Um, sorry?” Mimi squinted at the curt demand.
Karly tried to channel Rush’s advice. Be a brat, not a doormat.
“I. Want. Coffee.”
Mimi took a breath. “Uh, ok. Guess I was going out anyway. I just need to file these invoices first.”
“I WANT COFFEE NOW!” shrieked Karly, stamping her foot. The movement caused her to fart.
For a split-second, Karly froze in embarrassment, but then she remembered Mahri’s powerful ease around such things, and hugged her animal totems to her chest, pouting.
“NOW!” repeated Karly.
Fran elbowed Mimi urgently and Mimi snapped into action, putting down her paperwork and grabbing some petty cash.
“Right away! Sorry – I’ll go now!”
“Is there anything I can get you as well?” Fran asked, her eyes wide with shock.
Karly smiled, delighted with her impact.
“Hmm, no. But I’ll call your desk if I think of anything.”
She swaggered off to her office, a second little fart escaping as she went.
“Very good,” said Fran to Mimi, who was heading for the door with a cup in each hand.
“So we just indulge every tantrum she throws?” asked Mimi.
“For now,” said Fran. “Just until she’s convinced they always work.”
It had to be Celeste applying. There was nobody else it could be. That backstabber! Had Celeste found the Mahri Powers leaflet Karly had thrown away, or been spying on her, or just been looking around for ways to take her job? Well Karly would show her. Time to push through and wow her mentor.
“Dear Mahri, I’m reconsidering your “astronaut” solution,” she typed. “If you can recommend a brand, I am prepared to try them. I’m very positive about new adventures.”
Send.
She chanted to herself and shook her rain sceptre, then mixed up another supplement. She’d show her so-called friend what a real boss looked like.
A huge box arrived at the office, smelling of sweet powder. Pete was relieved to find it was very light. He knocked on Karly’s door, then peered through the glass panel. She was asleep in her chair! He grinned and signalled Fran.
“Oh shit,” she said, smiling wickedly. “Looks like the herbal sleep remedy in Karly’s special supplements is kicking in.”
Pete left the box just inside the door and gently closed it. Karly mumbled and cuddled her bear and rabbit.
“Not like she’s doing any less work than normal, anyway,” he shrugged.
Carting the huge box home would have been tricky, so Karly put half the contents in her filing cabinet and locked it. She cringed a little at the prospect of wearing one of the items inside, but even now, her bladder was nagging her.
She probably wouldn’t need them. Just good to impress Mahri with her openness.
Wearing her pink dungarees and light-up trainers, she went to the wine shop on the corner and chose a nice cabernet.
“ID please?” said the owner.
Karly snorted. “Seriously? I have been in before. I spent, like, £200 here for party drinks last month.”
“Just need to see some ID,” said the owner, calmly.
Karly felt where her pockets would normally be, but the bloomers had none. Her driving license was in her coat pocket back at home. Shit.
“Look, I’m a grown adult and I need wine,” she whined. “It’s Friday!”
“Sorry – I can’t risk it,” said the owner, taking the bottle to reshelve.
Karly snatched at it, furious. Time to channel her inner Nina Rush.
“I want the wine and I’m going to pay you and take the wine and that’s that,” she declared.
“No, you’re not.”
Karly scowled. Her tummy rumbled and she really needed to wee. That prick was just trying to seize her power. Well, no dice.
“Listen,” she said. “If I don’t get good service I’m going to write bad reviews on every platform I can. In fact, maybe you should discount it for me as a gesture of goodwill?”
She grinned condescendingly.
The owner grinned back.
“How about you leave my shop and don’t come back till you’ve grown up a bit?”
Karly saw red.
“I WANT WINE!” she yelled.
As she let loose, she felt a warm feeling spread across her crotch and down one leg.
NO. NO! She couldn’t be –
She managed to flee the shop before the owner could comment, her kiddy trainers flashing stupidly as she stumbled up the road to hide in a bush.
It kept coming, no matter how much she tensed and willed it to stop. Her trainer was soaked and the smell was unmistakeable. Karly stared in disbelief, praying nobody would spot her, and eventually the flow stopped.
She blushed scarlet, cringing at the icky feeling in her underwear and shoe.
I can’t believe I just wet myself in public. What just happened?
The next morning, somewhat refreshed by sleep, Karly looked at the Rejuvenais dress she’d laid out. It was a pastel yellow smock dress ending just above the knee, with puff sleeves, a sailor collar, stretchy shirring and embroidered bunnies on the hem. A large blue bow tied at the back. She’d chosen blue patent mary janes with a little block heel.
Yes, that would do for the monthly bullshit-to-the-board presentation. She’d had Fran make an attractive Powerpoint so all she had to do was dazzle them. Easy.
Last night had been a wake-up call, though. She’d rushed back inside, blushing furiously, and headed straight for the toilet. She spent so long wrestling with her dungarees that a fresh stream of wee soaked the crotch, and she had to give up and sit furiously on the loo in her clothes, letting it soak through the fabric and drip into the bowl. Once it had stopped, she managed to get her clothes off and throw them in the washing machine, before cleaning herself up in the shower.
Ughhh! she’d thought. What was happening? What if that bastard in the shop had seen her accident? She could never, ever go back there. So gross…so gross…
Even this morning, 10 mins after using the loo, she felt the pressure to pee growing inside. Shit. Maybe she’d need to go astronaut after all.
Well, maybe she could just try one on and if it felt too weird, take it off.
She took out one of Mahri’s special protective garments and opened it up. It was thick and padded, and Mahri had thoughtfully requested one with bears and rabbits on it.
Karly watched an online video showing how to put it on and taped herself snugly into it. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she blushed. It did look embarrassing. Thank god these stupid side effects wouldn’t last too long. Luckily her short dress was flared enough to hide the outline. It didn’t stop the rustling whenever she walked, though, and the slight waddle.
“You’re as strong as this bear,” she said in the mirror, holding up the two totems. “As swift as this rabbit. Total icon. You could run this business in your sleep.”
She yawned.
It was hard to feel convinced with a wad of plastic between her legs. Maybe some chanting would help.
“Ga Ga Ga, Ba Ba Ba, Da Da Da…” she repeated, feeling her power charging up. Much better.
Anyway, it wasn’t like she was going to use it.