Pete stood high on a ladder holding his soldering iron close to the projector's main circuit board. It wasn't the first time, or even the fifth. There was no avoiding it. The club's shrinking projectors needed constant maintenance. Pete had no doubt whatsoever that the origin of the shrink tech was to blame. But absolutely everything was manufactured in China, so what could be done? He often wondered. It was too expensive to make anything in the USA. That's what the reporters always said on the nightly news, when he actually had time to watch it.
It wasn't a bad gig. The pay was okay, but certainly not great. He figured he was soon due for a raise after working at the club for a little over a year. It wasn't like the club was hurting for cash. Crowds of men were practically tripping over themselves to live out their shrunken fantasies. He'd seen a few female clients as well. But there were definitely more male members. Yeah, he assured himself while he cleaned the hot tip of his soldering iron, they could afford to pay him a bit more.
Every six months, his performance was reviewed. The performance reviews were required by law due to the dangerous and sometimes controversial nature of the shrinking technology. Pete always scored high marks in all areas. His work was impeccable. The place wouldn't keep running without him. That's what the club's manager, Rachel, always told him. She wasn't fond of the made in China junk either, since it was a constant source of frustration. But Pete always made her headaches go away. And he knew deep down that she appreciated his efforts.
In addition to his technical abilities, he always got along with his fellow employees. None of the members had ever lodged a complaint against him either. But he was a little surprised after his very first performance review. He kind of expected to get written up. It was because of his crush on his boss, Rachel. She'd threatened to write him up if the unwanted advances continued, more than once. But the first performance review came and went with no write ups.
Pete could still vividly recall the first time he openly revealed his interest in her. Rachel was working in her office after hours, busy with financial reports or something. His presence went unnoticed at first. She was obviously consumed with the task at hand. Glancing down at the tiled floor, he could see her strappy sandal dangling precariously from her petite toes. The glass top of her desk gave him a nearly perfect view, when it wasn't covered with papers.
"Is there something I can help you with Pete?" Rachel looked up at him for a moment before returning her attention to her computer screen.
"I like your shoes." he blurted out rather awkwardly.
"Thanks Pete, it's sweet of you to notice."
Pete told himself that the hard part was over. He had finally broached the subject of his admiration. Men came to the club every day to shrink themselves and explore their wives' or girlfriends' footwear. Surely he could do it too! What would it hurt to ask?
"You always wear the cutest shoes!"
Rachel folded the screen of her laptop down and looked up at Pete. She looked straight into his eyes. "Is there something on your mind, Pete?"
He could feel the excitement bubbling up within him. Now was his chance! "I was wondering," he took a deep breath, "if you would let me explore your shoes some time. I don't mean right now! I know you're super busy. But maybe some time next week? You can pick the shoes. Any of your shoes would be cool. I would only borrow them for 45 minutes, maybe an hour tops. Then I'd bring them right back."
"Pete, have a seat." Rachel motioned to one of the chairs in front of her desk. After he seated himself, she continued. "I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone else who asks."
"No? Are you going to say no?" he interrupted.
"That's right. No."
Pete could already feel his excitement fading away, replaced with an overwhelming sense of rejection. "It's just that, I can't stop thinking about it! I know it would be an amazing experience. Only once, and then I'll never bother you again. What if I say please?"
"What if I remind you that I'm your boss, and this is highly inappropriate?"
Her stern gaze made him shift uncomfortably in the stiff chair. "Geez, sorry I asked."
"I highly doubt that. Anyway, there's a problem with the projector in Suite 3. Please go and fix it."
He had been all too happy to flee the awkward situation at the time, but had never completely given up since. If he could just think of the right thing to say, then he knew Rachel would listen. It was all about the wording and the mood. There had to be a way.
That was then, but today would be different. His repairs completed, he stood in the long hallway between the various suites on either side of him. Rachel was seated at the main reception desk, prepared to welcome any incoming members. It had been a rather slow day. She lazily flipped through the pages of a magazine. Rachel was a stunner, a real Asian beauty. He often caught himself staring. He couldn't help it. If he could only think of the right words to break down her defenses!
"The answer is still no, Pete." Rachel called out to him without even looking up from her magazine.
"I figured as much." he answered back.
"Go and run diagnostics on the projector in Suite 4. People are complaining that the shrinking process is taking longer than it used to."
Yep, he thought, it's definitely time for a raise.