Monday morning, Jane went to work early, hoping to catch Monica before she got into the office. She sat in the parking
lot, waiting for her little subcompact car and her five-foot-two, plain-Jane body to arrive. But what she saw wasn't what she'd expected.
It seemed that Monica had made a few improvements. In fact, Jane hardly recognized her own body!
Her hair was darker, cut with shaggy, sexy layers around her face and very shiny. And her clothes fit her just snug enough to make the most of her curves.
Gasp! Monica had made her into a babe.
That wasn't the only change Monica had made. The car was new. Fire engine red. And a convertible of all things!
All Jane saw were dollar signs. New hair, new clothes, new car. Had Monica maxed out all her credit cards in a week? Jane couldn't exactly kill her if she had.
"Monica!" Feeling really strange looking at her own body from the outside, Jane dashed across the parking lot. "Jane!" Monica smoothed her black skirt down her legs. "We need to talk."
God, her voice sounded strange. "Yeah, we need to talk. Where's my car?" Jane asked, pointing at the convertible. "Where's my Lexus?" Monica pointed at the Honda.
"Long story." Jane motioned toward the building. "Want to talk inside? We can use your office." "Sure."
Jane hurried inside, unlocking the door with her key. She was relieved to see that no one else had made it in yet. They'd hopefully get at least an hour to talk things through in private before the rest of the staff made it in.
They both ran to Monica's office and headed for the leather chair behind Monica's desk. Monica made it there first. "Maybe I should sit there, just in case Mr. Kaufmann comes in," Jane suggested.
"Oh. Yeah. I forgot." Monica shuffled around the desk and sat in the chair opposite Jane. "What happened? Why am I you? How do we change back?"
"I don't know. All I remember doing is making a silly wish and then the next morning I woke up in your bedroom." "This is your fault! What were you making a wish like that for?"
"That's another long story I'd like to avoid right now if I could. Besides, how do you know it's my fault? How many wishes have you had come true?"
"I guess it doesn't matter. Can you un-wish it? I'd like my body back, if you don't mind. Not that there's anything wrong with yours."
"Thanks. I think. I want my body back too but I don't know how to make it happen. Heck, for all I know it wasn't my wish that caused this. And even if it was I don't know if I can un-wish it. I never expected it to come true. I've never had a wish come true before."
"Neither have I, but you have to try something. We can't stay this way forever. You wouldn't believe how shocked I was to wake up in your sweats, in your apartment...in your body...last week! By the way, we have to do something about that little cave you live in. It's a dump. And the neighborhood... I won't even go out to check the mail after nightfall. The only good thing about it is the balcony."
"Well, it's affordable. I don't have millionaire boyfriends buying me houses in the 'burbs for Christmas like some people do."
"Speaking of my boyfriend, have you heard from Jason?"
"Yes, you could say that. By the way, I like what you've done to my hair. It looks great."
Looking very pleased with herself, Monica smoothed the glossy brown hair with her hand. "It does, doesn't it? I have a fabulous hairdresser. It was quite a trick getting him to take me, since he doesn't know who I am. But thanks to me you are now a client of the extremely talented Geoff Laroque at the exclusive Laroque Salon in Beverly Hills. He gave me the works last week. You needed it. Good grief girl, when was the last time you had a pedicure? Your toenails were gnarly. I don't know how you dared show them at all this past summer. Please tell me you didn't wear sandals or I think I'm going to cry."
More dollar signs flashed through Jane's brain. Bells rang, lights blinked. That infamous cha-ching sound echoed in her head. "How much does the works cost at Laroque Salon?"
"Oh, I don't know. I put it on your credit card. It went through without a problem. Couldn't have been too much." "Oh no! What else have you bought? Those clothes look new."
"They are. You owned nothing but rags. I couldn't be seen in public dressed like that. You really should have more respect for yourself than that. You're young and pretty. What're you letting yourself go like this for?"
"I have more respect for myself than you do. You spend every penny you earn and more. I know. I tried to balance your checkbook. You're drowning in red. And what the hell is Hometown? You're sending them thousands every month. That's no way to live, way beyond your means Hey! My money matters are personal. I can't believe you're snooping." Monica's pout looked silly on Jane's face and if Jane wasn't so upset about this whole thing she might have found it funny.
"I'm just trying to help. That's more than what I can say for you. All you're doing is putting me in the poorhouse. How much is the car costing me?"
"I got you a great deal since you have A-plus credit. You got prime rates. The payment's only three hundred sixty-five." Jane felt sick. Monica was making a mess of her life. Somehow she had to stop her. "Only three hundred sixty-five? I can't afford that!"
"Sure you can. You've been saving four hundred a month. I saw it on your bank statements."
"I'm saving to buy a house. You're ruining my life! You need to stop spending my money and quit snooping."
"I didn't snoop. Your bank records were sitting right there. And I am not ruining your life. I'm making some much-needed improvements. You, my friend, were stuck in a rut. This is exactly what you needed. Now, what kind of mess are you making of my life?"
"I'm not making a mess. I'm helping you. Your finances were a disaster, and you weren't taking care of yourself properly. And Jason-"
"What about Jason?" she growled. "Tell me you haven't pissed him off. It isn't hard to piss him off."
"I haven't. We're getting along wonderfully. In fact, I'm helping you get him back. That is what you wanted right?" Monica jumped up and screeched. "You're what!" She poked a finger at Jane's nose. "Don't you dare touch him! That's just plain yucky, considering you're me and...you...you... I can't believe this!" "Then you don't want him back?"
"Yes. Of course I do. I might even like to marry him someday. But I don't want you to get him back for me. I don't want you laying your hands on him and kissing him-or would that be me touching him? You touching him with my hands? Oh. My head hurts. I can't think about this right now." She started pacing back and forth, and despite being frustrated by Monica's lack of appreciation for what she was trying to do, and her anger for what Monica had done to her bank account and credit, Jane noticed her butt looked pretty darn good in that skirt. It was weird, admiring her own butt. "I haven't touched him...much. Say, have I lost weight?"
"Five pounds." Seeming to have forgotten their prior topic, Monica did a little pirouette. "Can you tell?" "Yes! My butt looks smaller. And my hips. How'd you do it? I've been trying to lose weight for ages." "You were feeding yourself garbage. It's a wonder you weren't as big as a barge. I can't believe what I found in your refrigerator! The processed meats and white bread. And pasta by the bucket. Chips, sweets... What were you trying to do to yourself? Eat yourself to death? And what was with all that ice cream in the freezer? I swear you had more varieties of Ben and Jerry's in there than Meijers." "That was my emergency stash." "Looks like you were stocked for Armageddon. Please tell me you aren't polluting my body with all that junk." Jane shrugged and tried not to look guilty. "Not too bad." "Stand up and turn around." Jane stood and turned.
"Oh God! You are! Look at my butt! It has..." Monica gasped, "...bulges!"
Jane turned back around. "It does not. Those are called curves and they're perfectly normal. A woman should have them. If you ask me, you were too skinny. It can't be healthy being built like a boy...with big boobs."
"I wasn't asking you." Monica pressed her hands on the stone surface between them and gave Jane a stern look that was obviously meant to intimidate her. "Cut it out with the ice cream!"
Not in the mood for intimidation tactics, Jane rested her hands directly across from Monica's and stared her right in the eyes. Staring in one's own eyes was kind of creepy. "You stop spending my money!" "I'll bet you even ate red meat, didn't you?"
"Yeah? Well I'll bet you've maxed out one of my credit cards, haven't you?" "I maxed them both out."
Jane gasped. "Both? You bitch! You spent four thousand dollars in one week? Well, I ate a roast beef sandwich, tortilla chips and a quart of Chocolate Therapy and I'm not through eating yet! Hmmm...I think I'm in the mood for pizza today." "Pizza?" Monica screeched. "Don't you dare!"
"Or maybe a big, juicy hamburger with extra mayonnaise and a super-sized order of French fries. I'm going to put on a pound for every thousand you spend." Monica leaned closer. "You wouldn't!" Jane leaned so close their noses almost touched. "I would. Want to risk it?" Several heartbeats pounded in her ears before Monica backed away.
"No. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep my shape?"
"And do you have any idea how hard it is to keep my credit score?"
They looked at each other for a moment, their chests heaving, their noses almost touching, their faces twisted in anger 😠
