Marlin was standing speechless, blankly staring at what was once a girl he towered over. She did not pay much attention, as she was looking at her document held in her manicured hands, taking into account the advice he just gave her.

After finishing her review, she looked back at Marlin and realized that he was blankly staring, which prompted her to ask "are you okay??"

"Oh yeah, I was just thinking about something".

Suddenly, she rushed to him and gave him a hug. Something Marlin never experienced from an employee.

"Thank you again for your help. I really love working with you. You don't make me feel like I am under you or inferior like most bosses do. You actually take the time to help me and I am very thankful for that".

Marlin tries to keep the hug natural, but he is just surprised at how large she felt in his arms. He felt so small. His hands on her back as he awkwardly hugged her felt much smaller, it made him self conscious.

Finally, she released him from the hug, and proceeded to say: "And actually, I never thought of it before, but the fact that you're kinda on the shorter side makes me feel like I am closer to you. It's what makes you such a great boss! I don't feel a misconnection between us or a difficulty in communication" she said while laughing.

"What do you mean?? But I am not really on the shorter side!" Marlin said, a little embarrassed.

"Really? Well I know it's weird, but I always felt that you're more like a classmate to me than a boss. It just feels that way, I know it is weird. But I really thought you are on the short side. I mean I am 5'6" and I think I am taller than you"

"No way!" said Marlin "That can't be!"

"Well let's measure up! Hey Lillian! can you come and compare our heights?"

Lillian came and complied. Marlin and Spirit stood back to back, while Lillian observed their height difference.

Marlin stood anxiously, afraid of an embarrassing outcome. He kept trying to straighten up as much as possible. He would not want to be embarrassed in front of his employees, looking so weak, would he?

As they stood back to back, marlin suddenly felt Spirit's budy brush against his upwards.

He paniced.

"Not again! please no!!"

"Oh yeah, you are definitely taller, Spirit! He is shorter than you".

Then suddenly, Marlin noticed that Spirit gave herself a boost standing on her tip toes, as he looked down. He felt quite angry, and protested "But she is standing on her tip toes!!! that's not fair!"

Marlin felt uncomfortable, with a tone that sounded like a kid protesting to an adult. But he was trying not to anger the witch again and shrink even further.

"Hahaha sorry, it was justa funny joke! Don't get mad".

Marlin was very angry. he felt so scared, and did not like what Spirit did. Suddenly, Marlin's office phone began to ring, and he rushed to answer it. It was another client.

After the long call, Marlin sat alone in his office unidstrubed in contemplation about his dilemma. He felt comfortable being alone. Somehow, being around others made him even more self conscious. What could he do to stop this? It certainly is some magical work, he thought. The thing with this feminine voice speaking frightened him. He was very lost, not knowing what to do next.

He killed most of the day being alone. before the end of the day, Finley came into the room as Marlin was staring outside the window. She disrupted his alone moments, which made him startle.

"You missed the 3 pm meeting, Marlin!!!"

Marlin was surprised. This is the first time she called him by his first name.

"Did you just call me by my first name??"

"Yeah, why, what's wrong? you act like it's the first time I do that, hahaha" She said as she approached him.

As she got closer, Marlin suddenly realized how much taller she looked to him. She was taller than he is! She used to be shorter than he.

She kept getting bigger, bigger, bigger, and bigger until she was close enough to him to continue talking, and for him to notice the difference. His eyes were level with her mouth.

"Whats wrong?? Why are you looking at me this way?"

She looked at him up and down, then proceeded to say "you know, it's kinda weird how much shorter than me you are. It doesn't really feel like we work together or anything. It is hard for me to picture that"

"What do you mean? height doesnt have to do with that!"

She ignored what he said and proceeded "It is kind of cute, to be honest. I neverr thought about it, but shorter guys are cuter".