The smell of wood and fine fabrics assaulted her senses as Nina entered The Feminine Professional, the shop indicated by Sirius Software's instructions.
She was grateful that the store was empty, and that she didn't have to interact with too many people. After the ordeal she faced with Aaron Zakhrov, she was in no mood to debate the objectifying and archaic characteristics of skirt suits that his Draconian dress code enforced.
A saleswoman in an elegant black skirt suit and high heels greeted her politely. "Hello, my name is Margaret. How can I help you?" she asked Nina with a slight British accent.
"Hello Margaret, I'm Nina. I've just got a new job, and I'm supposed to get clothes that conform to a dress code." said Nina torn between admiration and derision that she felt at Margaret's attractive, yet traditionally feminine professional appearance.
Margaret nodded sagely. "You know, dress codes are not all that bad. Some propriety and professionalism in the workplace can do wonders for discipline.
I once thought like you, but I soon realized that if I wanted to be taken seriously, I needed to improve my own sense of style, discipline and propriety.
Clothes make the man or woman for the first impression, no matter how you slice it" she said as she led Nina towards a large mirror and got out a measuring tape.
Nina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She had heard that argument countless times before, and was already put off by Margaret's femininity and excessively formal shop.
"By the way, I was told that you accept Sirius Software employee credit cards?" she asked, trying to change the subject and showing Margaret the Sirius Software employee credit card.
Margaret's eyes widened at the card, "My. My. So you are Mr. Zakhrov's new personal assistant." she said.
"You know him and the job posting?" asked Nina in surprise.
"Of course I know him. My husband designed that headquarters of his, and he is one of my angel investors. A very gifted and intelligent young man of wealth and taste." chuckled Margaret.
"Intelligent and gifted? He's a misogynist and a sexist pig from the 1940s! How can you endorse a dress code that mandates high heels? Who does he think he is?! Forcing women into those sexist, oppressive torture devices? How does he expect women to walk in those things?" ranted Nina stepping away from Margaret in agitation.
"Now that's quite enough ranting miss Nina. You could have always turned down the job if you are that opposed to them" said Margaret coldly. "Aaron Zakhrov may be a traditionalist and an autocrat, but don't you dare accuse him of misogyny!" she thought furiously as she fought to keep her professional demeanor.
Nina flushed, realizing that Margaret herself was wearing high heels. "I'm sorry. I'm just under a lot of stress. I just had the most unpleasant interview with that man of wealth and taste" she apologized grudgingly.
"Well what did you expect showing up for an interview like you've just come from a morning jog? The red carpet treatment?" thought Margaret coldly as she surveyed Nina in her over-sized hoodie and yoga pants.
"Well, not to worry. Now what kind of style and color would you like?" She asked, showing Nina a clothing rack of blazers.
"You know what? I think I'll manage on my own." said Nina, eyeing the blazers' tapering waistlines, plunging necklines and shimmering material with distaste.
"If that pig Zakhrov thinks he can dress me up like some stereotypical sexy secretary he's got another thing coming!" she thought furiously to herself.
"Of course. Just let me know when you are ready to pay" said Margaret and left Nina to her own devices.
----
Nina returned with her arms full of blazers with high necklines in bright colors and matching, flowing ankle length skirts.
"Are you sure about these?" asked Margaret as Nina dumped them on the billing counter. While technically within the definition of a skirt-suit, the blazers and skirts Nina had picked out were intentionally over-sized and unflattering.
"Just ring them up and keep your internalized misogyny to yourself!" snapped Nina tossing her the Sirius Software credit card.
"You know, Mr. Zakhrov is not somebody to be trifled with. Your little protest is going to affect you far more than him" warned Margaret.
"We'll just see about that! I refuse to let some chauvinist pig force his problematic preferences on me like some dress-up doll!" snarled Nina.
"Don't say I didn't warn you" sighed Margaret as she rang up the purchases and packed the clothes into bags.
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." Nina growled back, her defiant black eyes daring him to comment on her appearance.
Her 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, 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.