Office - Corporate Restructuring: Industrial Espionage

Eric read over his CV for what felt like the thousandth time, the quiet whirring of the waiting room’s fans slowly letting his mind wander. His whole working history (alongside some choice embellishments) had been compressed down to a double-sided sheet of A4. In a way, he found it reductive – he knew he was far more than what could be contained on a simple sheet of paper, especially with his industry experience. Eric adjusted his tie, loosening his collar as much as he dared while still maintaining a pristine interview look. He didn’t know how the other men who had been selected for the interview managed it in the stifling heat, though as he looked up from the paper he realised he was the last candidate left in the room. The ten or so men from earlier had slowly filtered through, no doubt being grilled by the notorious Mia. Eric had barely noticed them coming and going, his mind preoccupied with his own upcoming interview. The man brushed the back of his neck with his hand, feeling the sweat building up. He wasn’t usually this nervous about interviews. Had they forgotten about him? Or had they decided to interview him last to draw out his anxiety even further?

The door at the end of the room opened, and two women emerged – Eric knew that neither were Mia. He had read his brief well.

“Thanks once again for coming in!” one woman said, extending her hand to the other. She had dark hair, dressed in a bright blue top and black skirt that was crisp and professional. The other woman shook her hand cheerfully, dressed in similarly formal office attire.

“Thank you for the opportunity!” she said, beaming.

“Mia and I will let you know what our decision is by the end of the day. Have a safe journey home!” she said, letting the other applicant go.

“Good luck!” the potential new hire whispered to Eric as she passed, flashing him a smile. Eric returned it with as much enthusiasm as he could manage, trying not to betray his nerves. As he watched the woman go, he tried to remember if he had seen her in the waiting room before the interview. He was almost certain that it was a room full of men – had the woman managed to go in without him realising? Eric took a deep breath. He knew he was probably just misremembering – he was nervous, and had no doubt missed her.

“Eric, right?” the woman said, holding out her hand out towards him. Eric rose immediately, shaking it firmly, but not forcefully.

“That’s right!” he said, his voice echoing slightly in the now empty room.

“Great to meet you! I’m Danni, Mia’s personal assistant. I’m overseeing recruitment for the new role”, Danni said, letting go of his hand.

“Is Mia going to be at the interview? I’ve heard so much about her”, Eric asked innocently. Danni smiled at his question.

“We’ve heard that a lot today. She’ll be there, don’t worry. We’ll be with you in just a moment – sorry to keep you waiting for this long!” Danni said, heading back to the interview room and closing the door behind her.

Eric was glad he confirmed that Mia would be in attendance. For him, this was far more than just an interview – this was the first step of a long-term plan for corporate espionage. His actual employer had scrubbed any mention of him from the company’s payroll, and after providing him with a whole host of suitable vague but believable references, it was like he had never worked at the company at all. He looked over the CV once more, triple checking the job roles he had already long committed to memory. If he got the job, he was to infiltrate the company and try and learn the secret of their success, before disappearing for some feigned ‘health reasons’. He’d return to his old company with a hefty bonus and some newfound respect from his peers. Mia had rapidly become the talk of the industry, even appearing in a few business-to-business magazines that infuriated her competitors. No one knew how she was able to turn offices of tired workers into productive powerhouses – Eric hoped he’d be the one to find it out.

“We’re ready for you now”, Danni said cheerfully after leaving the man to stew in his nerves for a while longer. They walked down a long corridor, well furnished in modern, sleek materials. Through the long windows, Eric could see the city beneath them, thousands of distant lives flitting by. “I’ve got to say, we’ve both read over your CV. It’s very impressive, Eric”, Danni said, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor as she walked ahead of him. “Mia’s very interested in meeting you.”

“Great!” Eric said, trying to sound genuine. Had they seen through his ruse already? Was Danni being sarcastic? The two of them walked onwards, and Eric thought for a moment about the hundreds of employees that were working in the floors beneath his feet, all undoubtedly loyal to Mia. After an initial series of redundancies, their staff turnover had plummeted to record lows, and now they were recruiting a whole host of new staff. Eric hoped that he would be one of them. Danni held the door at the end of the corridor open for him, and he walked into the interview room.

“Eric! Thank you for waiting for so long. We both really appreciate it”, Mia said, rising from her desk to shake his hand. The office was as smart as she was, decorated with tasteful furniture and leafy green plants. The woman was beautiful, and she knew it, needing little to emphasise the elegance of her body. Her hair was immaculate, her makeup perfect. She wore a simple black dress, her entire aesthetic commanding respect and speaking of her authority. Yet, as Eric sat down in the surprisingly comfortable chair, Danni sitting down opposite him and next to Mia, he noticed the businesswoman’s warm smile, welcoming and friendly despite the circumstances. This was a woman that wielded the corporate power to make sure someone never worked in the industry again, yet the power was masked; implied through the confidence and charm she showed the world. Eric could somewhat understand the loyalty she inspired.

“Would you like a drink of water or anything before we begin?” Mia asked, smiling pleasantly.

“Water would be great”, Eric said truthfully. His mouth had felt dry since his long stint in the waiting room, and the heat was only going to make it worse. “Do you mind if I take off my jacket?”

“Not at all!” Danni said, getting up to take it from him. “I’m sorry about the heat – we don’t have too many male employees so it’s a delicate balance getting the office temperature right!” she said, placing his jacket neatly on a hook at the end of the room and grabbing Eric a glass of crisp water.

“Are you okay if we go right into the interview?” Mia asked. “Danni will be leading, but I’ll jump in where needed. We try to keep things relaxed and conversational”, she said, looking to her assistant who smiled confidently.

“Sure! That works for me”, Eric said, taking a sip of the water. Both women watched intently as he swallowed. The water tasted fresh and filtered, his parched mouth already feeling easier to talk with.

“Fantastic”, Danni said. The woman pulled out a smart black notebook and matching pen – most likely a gift from some high-level executive. “We’re both really curious why you want to work here, with us. What drew you to the role?” Danni asked, Mia nodding along thoughtfully. Eric tried to remember his rehearsed lines. Meeting the women in the flesh had flustered him more than he expected.

“The way I see it, your company is at the cusp of a really important change in the industry. Your sales are soaring, your staff happiness has skyrocketed, and you’re moving in new and innovative directions. That’s the kind of company I’d be honoured to be a part of”, Eric said, his voice sounding hopefully natural despite the buzzwords he knew he had to say.

“That’s really good to hear, thank you!” Danni said. “We’re very proud of the progress we’ve made.”

“But this is only the beginning”, Mia added confidently. With the way she spoke, Eric believed her. He took another sip of his water.

“How did you find out about the job, by the way?” Danni asked. “This isn’t part of the interview, don’t worry! Just curious”, she added with a gentle laugh.

“I saw it posted online!” Eric lied, the job posting being consulted on and discussed over several meetings with his own company executives.

“Everything is online these days”, Mia said.

“I don’t mind though! I like working with computers”, Eric added, trying to turn the question back towards his own skills. “I’m happy working on them all day long, not that my eyes like that…” he said jokingly.

“Have you worn glasses long?” Danni said.

“Glasses?” Eric asked, feeling a small weight on his nose and a pressure just behind his ears for what felt like the first time. “All my life”, he said, taking off his glasses and looking them over. They were large and rounded, with fashionable dark frames – smart and professional. He slipped them back on.

“Let’s get back to it”, Danni said confidently, refocusing their conversation with an approving nod from Mia. “While we’d love to hear how much you love our work, we’d like to focus on you as a person. We already know we’re doing well; we just want to know how you can help us improve even further”, she said. Eric smiled, trying to mask the panic that was rising in him as he realised all the research of their sales figures and targets was for naught. “Our offices are full of close-knit colleagues that love to work as a team. What would you say is crucial to effective teamwork?”

“That’s a great question!” Eric said slowly, trying to bide his time and come up with an answer. “I think sensitivity is key. You need to be sensitive to not only your team’s needs, but the emotions behind the needs too. If you don’t understand each other, how can you work together?” The two women nodded approvingly, and Eric felt the panic fade. This company wasn’t the authoritarian office he was led to believe – Danni and Mia genuinely wanted him to do well.

As he sat in his chair, Eric didn’t notice the changes across his skin. The hair across his body was fading away. The rough strands that clung to his legs, arms, and chest all vanished, softening until they disappeared entirely. Across his genitals, the hair vanished, except for a small, well-groomed patch at the base of his manhood. He scratched at his chin nervously, and his short, professional stubble crept back into his skin as if it had never been able to grow at all. His skin felt softer, and more sensitive to the feel of his clothes and the temperature of the room.

On his scalp, the opposite was happening. Eric’s neatly trimmed hair was growing rapidly. Soon, it fell naturally into a centre parting. He felt it tickling at his ears, but put the thought aside, trying to focus on the interview. As it grew, it seemed vibrant and healthy, the natural softness of his hair enhanced through a perfectly balanced regime of natural hair products. Blonde hair grew out, soon supplanting his older, darker strands. It finished growing as it sat comfortably on his shoulders, framing his face.

“So, next question”, Danni said, looking pleasingly Eric’s photo on his CV that now had matching long blonde hair. “We want all of our employees to be confident, both in their work and in themselves. How do you embody this mindset?”

“I think confidence comes from within”, Eric said thoughtfully. “You can do all the meditation and mindfulness you want, but ultimately, you’ve got to be happy with who you are when you wake up each morning. If you do that, it carries forward into your workplace!” Eric said, smiling as he looked between the women to try and measure whether his answer was what they were looking for. He had never been a strong improviser, but somehow the answers were flowing from him naturally, even if he was off the pre-prepared script he had been running over for months with his own company.

Underneath Eric’s suit trousers, his dark cotton boxers began to change. At first, their colour shifted lighter and lighter until it was a bright, almost starched white. As he adjusted in his seat a little, the material changed texture. The soft but practical cotton grew even softer, changing into a delicate, gentle silk. Slowly, the underwear began to shrink. It grew smaller, riding up his rear and sitting higher on his hips. Just as it was about to reach its final position, tiny decorative lace sprouted from the edge, finished with a miniscule pink bow on the crotch. All that Eric noticed was that his genitals felt for a moment more comfortable, cradled in the soft, silky panties.

He felt the pressure on his neck lessen slightly as his tie slipped away, darting inside of his shirt like a snake hiding from the light. The long scrap of fabric slipped over his newly sensitive shoulders, splitting in two, before tucking under them, joining together once more across his chest. As Eric answered, the tie changed, growing far more elastic, before turning into a bra completely. It was white and silky, the perfect match to his new underwear. The loose cups hung from his chest, unfilled. Unthinkingly, Eric rolled his shoulder, instinctively adjusting his bra strap.

“I can definitely see you embodying that confidence today, Eric!” Danni said. “Are you ready for our next question?”

“Sure!” he said, now feeling as though he was getting into the swing of things. The earlier interview nerves had faded.

“We expect our employees to be ambassadors for our company, and they’ll frequently be working across the industry, sometimes with our competitors or key stakeholders. What would you say is the best way to ensure you build a good relationship, even if you have different ideas as to how a project should be completed?” This time, Eric barely had to think, the answer almost leaving his lips before he had processed Danni’s question.

“First impressions count. You need to be able to walk into that meeting room and completely wow them – and not just with how you look!” he said, eliciting a small laugh from Danni and Mia. “How you act in that first meeting, whether you’re someone who will let others speak for you even if they have a less effective idea, or if you’re someone that takes charge, all of that will impact your relationship later down the line. You need to make your expectations clear from the start of any interaction.”

“Fantastic answer!” Mia said. “That’s the sort of attitude we’re really looking for.”

Eric grinned at the compliment from Mia. The interview was going better than he expected, despite initially being out of his comfort zone. Now, he felt in his element. Slowly, the smart Oxford shoes he wore lost their laces, the tongue of the leather sealing up into one seamless shape. Their mirror shine grew even brighter, and a smart heel grew, the shoes now looking closer to a pair of women’s heels than the comfortable, formal shoes he was used to. Eric stole a look underneath the table for a moment as he adjusted in his seat, feeling his socks change material from cotton to silk. He looked back at his interviewers, not noticing the change as the tights began to crawl up his legs. They clung close to his sensitive skin beneath his trousers, the colour fading as they turned into a pair of smart, nude effect tights – perfect for the office. Each finished at the top of his leg, beneath his groin which was still wrapped in the silky panties. As he had answered the question, the legs of his trousers began to stitch together, as if being reworked by an invisible seamstress. Eric adjusted his seating position once more, his legs getting used to the more restrictive clothing. He could feel his legs able to touch each other inside of the changing garment, both wrapped in tights. The bottom hem of the now long skirt began to crawl upwards, snug and supportive over his lower body. It rose just over his hips, the skirt finishing an inch above his knees. As he looked down at his smooth legs, politely crossed under the table, Eric didn’t see anything wrong – he had chosen his favourite skirt for the interview on purpose. He took another sip of water, and his ironed and pressed white shirt began to change. Unaware, Eric touched at the cuffs of the shirt. His heavy cufflinks had magically vanished, the shirt now coming in elastic around his wrists. Along his arms, the material began to billow out, growing and expanding so it hung loose across his body. Whereas at the start of the interview it had been tight and form fitting on his torso, now the shirt was far more generous with fabric. It was a flowing, comfortable blouse. The buttons that were once hidden by his tie disappeared and the neckline shot downwards. In a white blur that Mia and Danni watched with a knowing look between them, what once was Eric’s collar quickly knotted itself into a decorative bow, hanging down across his chest.

“It says here you were a yoga instructor – how interesting!” Danni said, looking over Eric’s CV.

“A yoga instructor?” Eric asked, confused. He had no memory of ever doing yoga, let alone being an instructor. He looked at the paper that he had studied so intently earlier, and sure enough, there was an entry in his job history of several years spent working as a yoga instructor. In an instant, the memories came back to him. “Oh yes! Sorry, that was a while ago!” he said, chuckling. “I only did it for a few years, but it was a lot of fun. That’s not part of the job description, is it?” he joked.

“It’s not, don’t worry!” Mia said cheerfully.

“Though we do have several office clubs running! A few of the girls were wondering if someone should start a yoga club…” Danni said, looking at the CV again with a smile.

As Eric briefly thought back to his time teaching yoga, more changes worked their way through his body. With a comfortable click, his shoulders slimmed down, soon followed by his torso which lost most of its bulk. His blouse warped and adjusted, reforming to fit his smaller body. His knuckles clicked, and Eric’s hands had reduced in size, the fingers becoming long, delicate, and dexterous, each topped by a perfectly manicured nail.

Across his hips, his pelvis painlessly reformed, stretching out his skirt as his hips widened. He found himself sitting more upright in his chair, his feet now no longer touching the floor as his spine compressed down, several inches in height vanishing in an unnoticed instant. The slight bulk from the muscle and fat across his body faded to match his far smaller frame, giving him a slim, athletic build. Already, Eric was feeling more flexible, the aches in his joints disappearing.

“Let’s not get off track”, Mia said, looking to Danni.

“Of course!”, Danni said, turning back to Eric. “So Eric, I know we’ve already spoken about what you think is crucial to teamwork. Collaborative working is at the heart of what we do, and we’d both like to know what you think it is that you bring to a team.”

“I’m glad it’s so important to you – I’m a real team player!” Eric said, the memory of him working mostly alone in his dull office fading. “I think what I bring is a sense of unity – I think people can sometimes go off in a particular direction when working as a team, and sometimes that’s not what’s good for the company. I’m able to take a step back and kind of view things from an outside perspective, helping to revaluate what our priorities should be. I might not be the leader, but I like being the person to tie everything together.”

“That’s what we like to hear!” Danni said. Eric looked between the two women. At first, he had been terrified, but now that he was in a room with them both he understood that they were nothing to be scared of – they were both professionals, trying to get to know him best. He felt a slight coolness on his wrist and looked down at where his watch just was. It had gone, replaced by a small string of white pearls, cold against his soft skin. He felt the same sensation at his neck and brushed at it with his nails to find a matching necklace. Just as he was about to question what was happening and how he didn’t remember putting on jewellery, Danni continued talking.

“We always try to hire the best person suited for the job. You might have heard things in the news recently about staff changes or mass redundancies – that’s not to be believed”

“Sometimes people aren’t suited for a role – whether that’s from the role no longer being what they wanted, or from the company’s vision and mission changing”, Mia added thoughtfully. “They can either try and change to suit the new standards or leave. That may sound harsh, but that’s just a part of good business.”

“And I think if you look at our latest figures, you’ll see that we’ve definitely made the right decisions!” Danni said, Eric nodding in sincere agreement. The idea of infiltrating this company was all but forgotten – this was a place he was genuinely excited to have a chance to work at. “That’s not to say we don’t make mistakes. In a fast-paced office environment, things can happen outside of your control that you have to take responsibility for. How do you deal with that?”

“That’s a really big question”, Eric said. “Can you just give me a second to think?”

“Of course! Take as long as you need”, Mia said. “Would you like more water?”

“Yes, please!” Eric answered. Mia picked up the now empty cup and headed over to the water fountain, her heels ringing out against the polished floor. Eric couldn’t imagine his old employer getting a drink for an interviewee. Perhaps this career change would be for the best? Mia placed the water down and he took a sip, the water blissful as he drank. He hadn’t realised how thirsty he was, but it had been a while since he had spoken so much.

“So, I think taking responsibility for mistakes is a crucial part of an effective business”, Eric said, having had time to mull over his answer. “I’m a firm believer that if you’ve made a mistake, you should own up to it, rather than letting someone else take the fall for it. Honesty is the best policy, after all”, he continued, Danni and Mia listening intently. “I think in order to admit your mistakes, you’ve got to have confidence in yourself.”

“Would you say you have confidence in yourself?” Danni asked.

“Absolutely”, Eric said resolutely. “I know exactly who I am, and what I’m capable of.”

“That’s fantastic to hear, and if this interview is anything to go by, you’re capable of a lot!” Danni said. Eric could feel his confidence surging. He had never had an interview go this well before, but he felt as though he would be a perfect fit for the company. He could tell that Mia and Danni would be fantastic colleagues and was excited to work with them. A pleasant smile settled across his features. His lips grew thicker, pouting subtly. The square jawline that Eric had once spent many hours shaving adjusted into a point, giving his whole head a more dainty, rounded shape. His bushy eyebrows were plucked and preened in a moment, his eyelashes curling. A dash of subtle, professional makeup accentuated his natural beauty, some soft red lipstick making his smile seem all the more real. Danni looked at Eric’s photo once more, the profile picture now indiscernible from that of a happy, professional woman.

Around his hips, fat began to build. Though toned, a layer of fat now gave Eric’s rear additional curves, his skirt stretching as his thighs similarly bulked up. The tights rubbed against each other as he sat. On his chest, the cups of the bra were being slowly filled as mounds of fat grew. His nipples grew larger, wider, swelling as two sensitive breasts were now cushioned within the bra.

“So, next question!” Danni said. She shifted some of the papers on the table, looking at her notes, and her pen accidentally tumbled to the floor.

“Don’t worry!” Eric said, reaching down to get it. Yet, just as his hand reached for the pen, he stopped, sitting back up and looking down at his body. Something felt odd, the perspective completely different to what he was used to. As he moved his hair, blonde hair moved with it at the corners of his view. The shirt and tie he was expecting was gone. From this angle, he could see down his cleavage, where two breasts were nestled beneath layers of silk. He became suddenly aware of their weight on his chest, the pressure they were causing on his back that he had been somehow ignoring. He was sat further back on the chair than he thought, and only now did he realise his feet weren’t touching the floor, swinging gently with his feet covered in some black, shining heels. His legs were out on display, smooth and hairless, and a skirt covered him from his waist to his knees. This body was not the one he was expecting. It felt different, far softer and smaller than it should be, with the broadness and strength of his male physique replaced by a petite, beautiful body. “What’s going on?” he said quietly, struggling to perceive what was happening. His voice sounded odd to him: soft, airy, and undeniably feminine.

Danni looked to Mia, panicked. The boss took charge. She extended out one hand to Eric, squeezing him gently on his hand. “It’s okay to be nervous, Erica. We’re here to support you.”

“Support me?” Eric said, confused. What was it that Mia had called him? The new name echoed around his head, repeating a thousand times in a second as it took hold of him. It felt odd, but it felt right. It was as if it was something that he had been unthinkingly searching for for so long, unaware and unwilling to find it.

“You’re a beautiful, powerful young woman, Erica. And we’d be really honoured to have you as part of our team”. With her touch, Eric was almost complete.

Underneath the skirt, still covered by the panties, the final change began.  Eric’s manhood moved of its own accord. It began to shrink smaller, filling with more nerve endings with every inch in size that vanished. It was little more than a knub, but despite its size it was tingling with unexplored sensitivities. Underneath it, a wet slit formed, and Eric felt his testes slid up inside of it, painlessly blossoming deep within himself, transforming into ovaries. Fleshy folds formed around the new organ, and it was complete. Eric’s manhood was no more, transformed into a fertile vagina.

Eric sat slack jawed for a moment. Mia squeezed his hand once more, and new thoughts shot through his brain. They surged through his memories, rewriting them to be similar, but viewing things from an entirely different perspective. A new, yet somehow old name was at the forefront of every memory that he ran through, every time someone had spoken to him in the past or every name badge at his previous employments. New hobbies and experiences appeared, matching his new CV. Any memory of his previous work, or the previous plan vanished. He was no longer Eric, potential corporate spy, but Erica, a young woman new to the city that was excited for her first office job and the start of her journey, slowly climbing the corporate ladder. She blinked rapidly, feeling Mia move her hand away.

“I’m so sorry!” she said. “I don’t know what came over me just then. What did you say?”

Mia and Danni smiled.

“We just offered you the job!” Mia said with a grin.

“Though, we’ve never had that reaction before”, Mia said teasingly.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Erica said embarrassed, her soft cheeks blushing red.

“Don’t be! We all zone out sometimes”, Danni said reassuringly. “What do you say? Do you want the job?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” Erica said, smiling. This job was perfect for her. It was all that she could want for, the perfect step in the right direction. It was a chance to work for a slick, professional company, with colleagues that knew what they were doing.

“Fantastic!” Mia said, standing up. The two other women did the same, and Erica shook their hands excitedly.

“I’ve just got one more question for you, Erica”, Danni said, looking to Mia who nodded, satisfied.

“Of course, anything!” Erica said.

“When can you start?”

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A commission for Username93845! This is part 4 of a long running series, and the other parts can be enjoyed in any order over on my DeviantArt page.