She's A Big Deal

“Ugh.  I hate flying.” 

The buck grumbled quietly, scratching his nose in an effort to ignore the terrible itching around the base of his antlers -- their growth had only ramped up since spring began, and the velvety skin had yet to break around the protrusions, adding to his irritation.  It didn’t help that his ears had yet to pop, giving him a dull headache to boot.  “You’d think Greenwood would at least spring for business class.”

“It’s only another hour,” his partner remarked blankly, glancing over a stack of papers set neatly atop her lowered tray.  A tigress in her early thirties, she adjusted the rim of her glasses with two large fingers.  “We’ll be on the ground before you know it.”

“Easy for you to say.”  The white-tailed deer was no stranger to travel, yet that didn’t make his disdain for long-distance trips any less apparent.  His ear twitched slightly at the sound of electronic beeps a few rows down along with the click-clack of buttons.  Even with the pressure in his ears, the sounds of Tetris were unmistakable, having lost more than a few hours clearing errant lines over catching up on sleep.  He shook his head briefly; figuring out how to improve his screen-clearing technique would have to wait.  “Meeting’s at 2:30 PM tomorrow, yes?”

“Mm-hmm.  Cromwell Corporation, off 29th and Madison, 20th floor.”  The tigress had already entered ‘Business Mode’, her responses nonchalant and to-the-point.  “Mr. Reeves will be meeting us on the ground floor when we get there.  He’ll take us straight to the War Room.”

“I can’t believe they call their meeting rooms that.”

“Not everyone thinks the same way we do, Kalen.”  The tigress placed her papers down, gently tilting her neck to one side, then the other.  She was already dressed to play the part of negotiator; a dark blue suit jacket, lacking any kind of shoulder padding, paired with a grey skirt cut off just below her knees, her blonde hair tied into a neat bun.  She topped it all off with her favorite perfume, a faint hint of vanilla and cinnamon that tickled Kalen’s sensitive nose.  “I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs, though.  Planes do leave me feeling a little cramped.”

Kalen winced at the feline’s choice of words, fully aware of the true meaning behind them.  “Don’t even joke about that, Janice.”

“When have I ever told a joke, Kalen?”  Janice smiled with gleaming white teeth, causing Kalen to sputter.  Perhaps it was the ‘predator-prey’ dynamic seated deeply in the back of his mind, but something about that grin never failed to set him on edge.

“I’m serious, Janice!”  Kalen sat back in his seat, rubbing his temples.  “I’m not trying to be a pain, but this is a big contract we’re in charge of, and the last thing we need is you playing big --”  Suddenly, he snapped shut, reeling back as Janice’s gaze bore into him.  “We can’t afford to screw this up.”

“That’s why they’re sending you, Kalen.  You’re an expert when it comes to business negotiations -- and discretion.”

Kalen sighed, louder than he intended.  “Yes, but Cromwell is a different beast.  We’ve never done business with anyone in New York before.  You’ve heard the horror stories about the CEOs there.  We could be jumping head-first into a literal shark tank.”

“Possibly.”  The tigress shrugged.  “That’s why I decided to come along.  To make sure things go as planned.”

“They only let you tag along because of your track record.  They don’t know what I know about you.”

Janice grinned again.  “As I said, you’re a master of discretion.”

“Janice, I --” Kalen started, quick to catch himself before he said something he’d regret.  He fidgeted in his too-small Coach seat.  “I’m all for respecting your secrets, you know that.  But you can’t solve every problem by making yourself a --”  His tone was suddenly hushed as his eyes darted around the enclosed space -- despite the roar of the jet engines, he didn’t want to risk anyone overhearing him.  “A giantess.”

“I only make myself gigantic when I need to.  And as long as Mr. Reeves plays nice, then I see no need to get any bigger than I already am.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

The buck groaned.  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“You have nothing to be worried about.  Besides, Manhattan is one of the few places where shifters are accepted --”

“Tolerated.”  Kalen cut off the tigress, his rebuttal sharp.

“-- and to my understanding, seeing a giant wandering the streets isn’t unusual.  No one is going to throw a fit if I need to resort to drastic measures.  Which won’t happen, because you’re amazing at your job.”  Janice gave the buck a knowing wink.  “I’m just here for moral support.  And as a trump card, if you need it.”

The deer’s tail twitched against the back of his seat.  He rubbed the side of his head, resisting the urge to scratch around the nubs of his growing antlers.  The velvet was beginning to grow sore around the bone, and the last thing he needed was to create a bloody horror show by picking at them.

“I mean it,” Janice reaffirmed.  “Greenwood thinks very highly of you, and so do I.  This is the biggest contract we’ve ever been offered, and you’re easily able to do the job of at least ten people, maybe more.  You’ve got this.  And if you get stuck, I’ll be right behind you.”

Kalen looked abashed at Janice’s compliments.  “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.  Now, let’s go over the numbers one more time.  I want to be sure we’re both on the same page before tomorrow.”

“Y-yeah.  Sure.”  Kalen reached down for his suitcase, opening up its contents.  Compared to Janice, his own efforts at organization were less than stellar, but he knew where everything was, and how to access it on command.  As he rummaged through his belongings, a mink stewardess passed by with a large cart full of snacks and beverages.  She offered him a drink, which he declined.  Janice, on the other hand, raised her paw.

“Could I have a glass of whiskey?”  The stewardess nodded, pulling a small plastic bottle out from one of the cart’s many cupboards, pouring its contents into a glass over a small stack of ice.  Kalen shot the tigress a glance as she took the glass from the mink with a smile.

“I don’t know how you can be so calm,” Kalen said.

“A business meeting is no different than any other facet of life.  As long as you’re prepared, and you keep a cool head, nothing can go wrong.”

Kalen chuckled.  “Coming from someone who can flatten a car like a soda can.”

Janice gave the deer a side-eyed glance, straightening herself in her seat.  Although she hid it well, it was obvious that being stuck in such a small space for several hours was causing her discomfort.  “I only did that once.  You’d think a CEO would know better than to double-park his car in the employee lot.”

All at once, Kalen’s face turned ashen.  “Wait, was that when we were in Seattle?  Oh, God.  Please don’t tell me that was your fault.”

“Okay.  I won’t, then.”  Janice giggled as she took another sip.

****************************************

Kalen had always been an urbanite; raised in the heart of the city, he was used to congested traffic, towering buildings, and an eclectic selection of fellow city-dwellers walking the streets.  But Manhattan was a different beast, leaving him in sheer awe.

Manhattan wasn’t so much a city as much it was an experience.  Every inch of the city was vibrant and incredibly loud.  Numerous billboards advertising everything from New Coke (which he secretly enjoyed, but would never tell anyone), to Marlboro cigarettes, all the way down to the latest Broadway hits plastered as far as the eye could see.  It was as if every inch of the city was alive, pulsating with raw, boundless energy.  It felt nostalgic and suffocating all at once.

The people were something else, too -- never before had Kalen seen such a wide variety of species and types.  Sure, there were the typical youth; the ones slung boomboxes over their shoulders, blaring the latest in hip-hop and rock for everyone to hear.  It all blended into the cacophony of car horns, police sirens, and construction work that became the city’s neverending background.  Then there were the men and women in business suits coming off their power lunches, who seemed either annoyed or ignorant of the boomboxers.  Young and old wandered the sidewalks and navigated around the congestion in the street as if it were second nature for them.  He saw at least two people talking on a cell phone, which came as shock, even to him.  He debated getting one for himself, but he’d need a second suitcase just to carry it around.  Not worth the hassle.

Just yesterday, he and Janice were navigating their way through Stapleton’s rather lax security lines to board their flight.  And now here he was, full of coffee and a BLT sandwich slathered with just the right amount of light mayo, waiting for his partner to catch up.  She decided she was due for a second cup of instant coffee and shooed the deer along ahead of her.  It was her idea to order a late lunch instead of taking a taxi straight to their destination -- a decision he was quietly grateful for.  He had forgotten to eat last night, and were it not for her insistence, he would have arrived with an empty, rumbling belly and an even worse temper.

He didn’t have to wait long; Janice pored over a document riddled with tiny typed text, drinking deeply from a to-go cup.  She looked past the rim of the paper to look down at him as she approached.

“You look nervous,” she stated plainly.

“And you look disappointed.”

“Perhaps.  I thought there would be more giants around here.”  Despite her monotone reply, it was easy for Kalen to spot the disappointment.

She was correct, though.  Given all the stories he’d heard of shifters wandering the streets of the Big Apple, he half-expected to see them in droves.  The roads were certainly designed for them -- a few avenues were built with widened medians that allowed a giant to traverse between traffic lanes without much difficulty or risk to other drivers and pedestrians.  The street in front of the building was just such an avenue, easily designed for a giant ten stories tall or more to wander past without a second thought.  And yet, nothing.

“Huh, you’re right,” he said at last.  “I’ve heard there are a few that migrate in from Uptown.  I guess they’re all staying up north today.”

“That’s a shame.  I’d figured they’d be all over the place.  Don’t they have an encampment near Albany, too?  First of its kind.”

“So I’ve heard.  They tend to keep to themselves, probably to avoid dealing with smaller folk, from my understanding.  That or the average person’s too scared to take their chances with a town full of ‘em.”

Janice chuckled to herself, drawing a look from the deer.  

“Don’t you get any ideas,” he complained.  “We’re not here to sightsee, and I don’t want to end up a giant canine’s lunch.”

“Oh, I’m sure they have rules for that sort of thing,” Janice replied sardonically.  “And it’s not like you don’t have plenty of experience dealing with giants.”

“Ugh, enough.  Let’s get this over with before I lose my nerve.”  Kalen made a move for the rotating door, but a firm hand against his shoulder stopped him in his tracks.  He looked back at the tigress, her expression stern.

“Breathe, Kalen.  You can do this.  We’ll be toasting a job well done before you know it.”

The deer’s body language suggested otherwise, but he took Janice’s advice, taking a slow breath, then exhaling.  “Right.  You’re right.  I can do this.”

“Atta boy,” she mused, as she moved ahead of him to press against the door, making her way inside.  They immediately noticed an elderly grey rabbit on the other side, standing in the middle of a lobby reminiscent of an art deco project from the 1930's.  He was short in stature and pushing sixty, rubbing his hand underneath his chin as he thumbed over an ancient pocket watch, nearly as old as the building itself.  Kalen addressed the rabbit by name, who looked up from his timepiece with a gruff expression.  It softened slightly as the buck approached him -- and immediately soured once he noticed Janice.

“Mr. McGuinness,” the rabbit said, offering his hand to Kalen, which the buck took.  He glanced over at the tigress in silence.  “I take it she’s your assistant?”

“Um, partner, actually,” Kalen said cordially.  “Mr. Reeves, this is Janice Pettigrew, she’ll be overseeing our partnership meeting.”

“Hmm.”  Mr. Reeves gave the taller feline one last look, before breaking the hand shake.  “My associates are already in the War Room.  Let’s not keep them waiting, shall we?”

“Yes, we’re eager to meet them!”  Kalen smiled as he allowed the elderly rabbit to take the lead.  Janice joined Kalen’s side just behind him.

“The old-fashioned type, huh.”  Janice muttered underneath her breath, loud enough so that only Kalen could hear.  “This is going to be fun.”

“Don’t take it personally, Janice.  We were running a few minutes late, he’s got a good reason to be grumpy.”

“Oh, I’m perfectly calm, Kalen.  I just hope Mr. Reeves proves a better businessman than a gentleman. For his sake.”

Kalen stifled a groan as the elevator dinged and the doors swung open, the rabbit wandering inside and pressing the 20 button.

The elevator ride was silent.  The rabbit examined his pocket watch a second time, thumbing over the old timepiece without much thought, leaving Kalen and Janice to their own devices.  Kalen’s usual plan of attack during the down time was to break the ice -- talk about the client’s families, what they had planned for the weekend, and how much of a shame it was that the home team dropped the ball at the last second to lose a nailbiter.  Mr. Reeves’s blunt demeanor suggested he wasn’t in the mood to talk sports or family life.

Then there was Janice.  Her fingers clenched and relaxed as she stared straight again.  It wasn’t like her to be this unnerved -- hell, it wasn’t even the first time a client looked down at her because of her gender.  Today felt different.  Maybe the gravity of her situation was finally getting to her; Kalen wasn’t sure.  What he did know is that a lot was riding on getting Reeves to sign the proposals from Greenwood.  If he could do that, everything else would fall into place.  Easy Street.

The elevator doors opened with a long ding as Mr. Reeves shuffled out, turning a corner towards an unusually ornate door which swung inwards.  Kalen and Janice entered, taking in their surroundings.  The War Room, as the rabbit eloquently put it, was nothing more than the typical meeting room -- a single long table stretched across the center of the room, dotted with chairs, with a series of windows at the far end that stretched from corner to corner, creating a fourth wall with a view of the world below.

Half of the seats were occupied by the executives that worked underneath the aging rabbit.  None of them were remarkable to the deer, and the makeup of his team was what he expected -- a few young hot shots (or brown-nosers, depending on who you asked), and just as many grizzled businessmen, each of them eager to get this meeting over and done with.  

Kalen’s eyes narrowed as he read the room.  Wait.  Eight executives, and all of them were male.  The only woman among them was a badger, who sat on the far end of the table.  Her eyes met the rabbit’s before looking down at the stack of papers in front of her, trying to avoid his gaze.  She was tall to boot, judging by her stature, which made her oddly demure behavior all the more perplexing.  She’d probably give Janice a run for her money, if this were a contest of height and not a battle of wills.

A few pleasantries were exchanged as the executives acknowledged the pair, who took their seats on the opposite end.  All of it was by the book -- a realization that put Kalen at ease.  All those terrible stories about shark tanks and broken dreams were just that -- stories.

“Well, Mr. McGuinness.  Shall we begin?”  Mr. Reeves took on the far end of the table, his chair more decorated (gaudy, if Kalen were being honest) than that of his coworkers.  Everyone aside from the badger looked at the buck with mild expectation.

With a short cough, Kalen went to work.

****************************************

“...and as you can see, with Cromwell serving as an outsource, we can increase our productivity by 75%, with a projected profit increase of 50% by the end of the fiscal year.  And those profits will only increase as our efficiency improves.”

Mr. Reeves wriggled his nose, nodding mechanically as he reviewed the stack of papers in front of him.  The other members of the board did the same, each of them making various noises of approval.  Kalen tried to hold back a cheeky smile; this was going better than he had imagined.

“Well.  I see you’ve done your homework, Mr. McGuinness.  I wouldn’t have expected that from a small-town business.”  Judging by the rabbit’s tone, it was hard to tell if he was giving the deer genuine praise, or a veiled insult.

“I have full confidence that our partnership will be beneficial to both Cromwell and Greenwood,” Janice added.  The rabbit seemed less enthused about Janice’s addition to the conversation, grunting quietly in response.  Janice raised an eyebrow at the rabbit, quick to shoot her partner a cryptic glance afterward.  Kalen cleared his throat, acknowledging the glance, but giving it no further attention.

“So, what do you say, Mr. Reeves?  Are you on board?” Kalen continued without missing a beat.

“Now, hold on.  There’s one detail that I want to bring up before we come to an agreement.”  The rabbit shuffled the stack of papers, pulling out one page in particular.  By the amount of red scribbles left on the page, Kalen knew all too well it wouldn’t be a quick inquiry.  “On page 14, am I correct to assume you’re asking our company to contribute 10% of our profits to charity as part of this partnership?  Is...is that your attempt at a joke?”

Kalen blinked in confusion.  “I’m sorry, I thought we had discussed this over the phone.  You did look over the contract, yes?”

“My associates did, and we all found this part perplexing.  Exactly what benefit do we gain by giving away our money to some bleeding-heart charity case that will never earn us back a single dime?  I mean, we need to eat too, you know!”  A few of the executives chuckled among themselves; the youngest, a cheetah, laughed more enthusiastically than the others.  Janice looked at him over the rim of her glasses, her eyes slit.

“I-I’m sorry, but I don’t think the request is unreasonable --”

“If I may,” Janice interrupted.  Kalen glanced over at the tigress in shock.  She gave the buck a confident nod to reassure him; he closed his eyes, nodding back reluctantly as he surrendered control of the conversation to her.  She leaned forward in her seat, templing her fingers.  “Greenwood has made it our goal not only to improve our company’s growth, but also our community’s.  The figures speak for themselves.  You wouldn’t have to give up very much.”

“Pardon me, but I was talking to him.  Not you.”  Mr. Reeves pointed rather bluntly at Kalen.

“And I’m just as capable of answering your questions, Mr. Reeves.”  Janice’s voice remained even and calm, but Kalen caught a slight hint of animosity behind her reply.

“More like you promised to suck his dick if he let you have your turn,” one of the executives muttered, a pointer pushing upwards of forty.  That earned him a few laughs around the board, including Mr. Reeves, who kept his response to a brief chuckle.  The badger kept quiet, hiding her disdain.  Janice chose to ignore the jab at her expense.

“We’re not asking you to make any major lifestyle changes.  We’ve always been of the mindset that a stronger and healthier community leads to a healthier business.  Giving up a little of your paycheck and a few hours of your time goes a long way toward --”

“Oh, you did not mention that part in your contract.  No, no no, I am not giving up my free time to babysit some crack whore’s smelly little brats just because she doesn’t know how to manage her money.”  What little amiability the rabbit had shown earlier was long gone, replaced by cold, calculated cynicism.

“Sir.”  Janice’s voice dropped lower, clenching her fists.  Kalen watched her tense up, his stomach sinking.  “With all due respect, it would be in very poor taste if one of our affiliates decided they were too good to give back to the very community they expect to buy their products without question or complaint.”

Another one of the executives spoke up -- a lemur, tall and lanky.  “I’m in agreement with Mr. Reeves.  Asking us to surrender our profits for something that won’t earn us any kind of monetary gain...well, that seems rather silly to me!”

“Exactly,” the cheetah said, rather loudly.  “It’s not fair that I need to give up my paycheck for someone I don’t even know!  I mean, what are you, French?”

The badger made to say something, but decided against it, simply grumbling out a quiet, half-hearted “I agree.”  Both the buck and tigress were quick to pick up on her reluctance to speak up, yet she made no efforts to challenge the rest of the floor.

“There you have it, Pettigrew,” Mr. Reeves said firmly.  “I can’t help but think you’re the reason this baseless request was included in our negotiations, but I suppose that’s typical of a woman to think more of what makes them feel good over what actually works.”  The badger’s head shot up, a sour expression on her face, which the rabbit was quick to brush off.  “Oh, hush, Ellen, you know what I meant.”  The badger bit her lip hard enough to nearly draw blood.  The rabbit returned his attention to the pair on the other side of the table.  “Be that as it may, I see no reason why we should agree to the terms as they stand.”

“Is that so.”  Janice looked into the rabbit’s eyes, a hard expression on her face.  “Am I to understand that you are declining our request?  Not even willing to negotiate a counter?”

“No.  If you want to throw your money away, that’s your business, not ours.  Now, let the men at the table get back to work, please.  We’re already behind schedule.”

“I see.”  Janice let out a quiet sigh, removing her glasses and placing them on the table.  Kalen’s eyes followed the large cat’s every move.  “May I be excused?  I’d like to freshen up a bit before we continue.”

The rabbit shrugged.  “Do whatever you want.  I’m sure Mr. McGuinness can manage without you.”

“I’m sure he will.  If you’ll excuse me.”  Janice stood up, placing her hand on top of the buck’s shoulder, flashing him a small smile before heading for the door.  Kalen’s face went completely ashen, quick to turn his attention back to the rabbit, raising his voice.

“Um, sir?  Perhaps we should all consider a recess?”

“I don’t see the need.  We’re almost done.”

Kalen heard the door close behind him.  He cursed under his breath.  He didn’t have much time.  Hell, it was probably already too late.

“I ask that you reconsider,” he began, struggling to keep his voice steady.  “At the very least, could you at least consider revisiting the charity part?  Preferably in the next thirty seconds?”

The rabbit’s expression looked cross.  “I’m sorry, Mr. McGuinness, but those terms are wholly unreasonable -- and unnecessary.”

“Maybe to you, but --” Kalen cleared his throat.  “Look.  I’m telling you this for your own sake.  Sign the contract, or you’re going to regret it.”

“I beg your pardon?”  Mr. Reeves shot up from his chair as all eyes fell on the deer.  “Where do you get off telling me how I should run my corporation?”

“I’m not!  It’s just…Janice -- Ms. Pettigrew -- she can be very...persuasive.”

“Well, she can crawl on her hands and knees for all I care!  The answer is no.  Now drop it, or I’m dropping this deal entirely!  Is that clear?”

Kalen could feel his face reddening underneath his white cheek fur.  It had already been three minutes, pushing closer to five.  He let out a defeated sigh.  There was no way to stop what was coming now.  And hell, the old bastard was asking for it.  Oh well.  It was his funeral.  “Alright.  But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Hmph.  Little brat.”  Mr. Reeves returned to his seat, the other executives bringing their attention back to him.  The moment he took his seat, a sound not too dissimilar to a thunderclap, followed by a heavy whoosh cut him off before he could utter a single word, as the windows were buffeted by a massive gust of displaced air that made the room shake ever-so-slightly.  A thump followed that, followed by another, and then another, as something incredibly large blocked the view behind the rabbit, casting the entire room in darkness. 

“What in the world --” he began as he turned around -- the color draining from his face once he saw the cause.  A pair of blue eyes stared back at him, pupils narrowing as they focused squarely on the rabbit.  A gigantic finger tapped at the glass -- not enough to shatter it, but forceful enough to be felt as much as heard.  Kalen placed his hand on his head in exasperation, biting back another sigh.

That same finger pointed down to the ground beyond the rabbit’s sight before the towering figure rose to full height, giving everyone in the room a rather full view of her ample chest, tucked away in a now very revealing suit.  The rabbit’s lip quivered as he tried to formulate words, only getting as far as a timid squeak.

“Guess we better get moving.  She’s not going to be happy if we keep her waiting.” Kalen’s voice was deadpan as he rose to his feet.  The rabbit whipped around in a panic, looking as if he had just seen a ghost.

“A-are you insane?  She wants us to go outside, after that?” Mr. Reeves cried out in terror.  “Wait.  T-that’s her, isn’t it?  That tiger woman, that’s her!  Did...did you set this up?”

“Perish the thought,” Kalen replied sullenly.  “You really should have said yes when you had the chance.  Now, come on, let’s get this over with before she gets any more bright ideas.”

“But...she’s a giant!  Giants aren’t supposed to just show up like that --”

“Are you coming or not?” Kalen shouted impatiently.  The tone in his voice was clear -- staying was not an option.  The rabbit balked, but took the hint and last and scrambled for the door, along with the other executives.  The badger followed behind the rest of her team, staring at the window for a few seconds longer before calmly making her way outside.  Kalen was the last to leave as he watched the rabbit smash the elevator button opposite the office entrance with his finger, hard enough that the deer was quite certain his finger would break before the button did.

“I don’t get paid enough for this,” the deer grumbled to himself as the elevator dinged to life, everyone swarming inside the moment the doors swung open.  Kalen stepped inside after taking a deep breath, shaking his head as the door closed in front of him.  The velvet surrounding his antlers began to itch again.

****************************************

The executives poured out of the elevator, scrambling for the rotating door.  They weren’t the only ones, either; every elevator dinged constantly as workers and visitors alike poured outside in droves.

“This is madness!” Mr. Reeves shouted as a marmot shoved him from behind, forcing him to stumble forward, nearly to all fours.  The main lobby had become a madhouse in the blink of an eye as everyone fought tooth and claw to get outside, only to find themselves greeted by a gigantic paw that covered three lanes of traffic, by itself.  Those toes flexed once against the concrete with a notable thump as car horns blared behind it, mostly out of sheer panic and reflex by the drivers behind the wheel.

Attached to that paw was an incredibly tall tigress, who looked down at the growing crowd of spectators as they spilled out onto the sidewalk.  Her dress had grown with her, clearly stretched tight several in places; all it would take was a large breath to send one of her dress shirt buttons flying off into the distance.  The rabbit’s face grew pale as he finally joined the crowd outside, staring up at the imposing feline as she tapped her foot impatiently with firm thump-thump-thumps.

Kalen was the last to leave the building, forcing himself through the crowds of gathered onlookers and scared employees, re-joining the executives as they simply gawked.

“Is everyone outside?” the tigress spoke in a booming voice.  Her tone hadn’t changed; she had the same commanding voice from before, yet there was added force to it, enough to cause anyone’s bones to rattle if she were to lean in close.  Her eyes narrowed as she peered through a few more windows, her long tail snaking back and forth, thumping against the windows of a skyscraper opposite the one she peered into.  Most of that building’s tenants had made their way outside, too.

“How should I know?” Mr. Reeves shouted.  The tigress leered.

“You don’t have to shout.  I can hear you just fine.  And by the looks of things, I’d say I’ve got a pretty good crowd.  Perfect.”  The tigress placed her hands together, cracking her knuckles with large snaps.  The buck knew there was nothing he could say that would stop what was coming -- all he could hope for is that she didn’t make even more of a spectacle out of this.

The rabbit looked back at his peers, all of them too scared to move or speak.  At least one of them smelled like he just pissed his pants.  Ellen’s expression suggested she was more intrigued than terrified, but just as focused on Janice as the rest of the crowd.  

“What the hell are you doing, Pettigrew?  You can’t just make yourself big like this in the middle of the city!  There are rules!  Regulations!”

“You know, you didn’t seem to care all that much about what I was doing a minute ago.  Funny how being the biggest girl in the city can change a man’s mind.”  Janice grinned deviously as she tapped her hips against the side of the building.  The entire structure winced and shuddered from the impact.  “But now that I have your attention, I’d like to re-open negotiations.”

“Are you talking about that crazy charity schtick?  No!  Out of the question!  I don’t care how big you are!”

“Oh, you may want to watch what you say, Mr. Reeves,” Janice replied with a sneer.  “Because your precious little company depends on it.”

Kalen closed his eyes in exasperation.  Terrific.  She’s playing “No Means Grow” again.

The bunny executive looked equal parts flustered and frightened.  “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, I would.  In fact, I like to play games when it comes to stubborn negotiators.”  She fixed her gaze squarely on the rabbit, still grinning, each fang longer than the rabbit was tall.  “The rules are simple.  Every time you say no, I get bigger.  And I keep growing until you change your mind.  Sound fun?”

The rabbit stepped back, looking at the enormous paw that covered the street mere feet away from him, then back up at the tigress.  “You’re crazy!  You’re really going to shift yourself in front of thousands of people?  Is this how all you country bumpkins do business?”

“No.  Just the best ones.”  Janice licked her lips.  “Oh, and the game started ten seconds ago, just so you know.  I really don’t think you’re going to win, but I’d feel guilty if I didn’t at least give you a fair shake.  So.  I think our deal is perfectly reasonable.  Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Reeves?”  The tigress’s gaze widened as she licked her lips in anticipation.  She knew exactly what the rabbit would say, even before he knew it himself.

He didn’t disappoint.  

“I already told you!  That deal is entirely unreasonable!  I won’t accept it!”

“That sounds like a no to me!”  Janice chuckled as her grin widened -- along with the rest of her.  Her foot was the most noticeable, or at the very least the closest in proximity in terms of her growth; toes flexed and curled, claws extending outward into the sidewalk as her arch stretched and keened.  The side of her foot flowed into another lane of traffic, pressing against -- and in most cases, shoving aside -- several cars as it expanded.  The rest of her followed suit as she let out a deep, haughty chuckle, her suit appearing to breathe with her as it stretched to accommodate her change in height.  A bizarre creaking noise made the windows of the skyscraper rumble and vibrate all at once.  She was having way too much fun with this.

When her growth came to a stop, she shook her head, much in the way a photo model might.  She was capable of draping her arm around much of the building with ease now; the rabbit’s floor came just past her waist.

“I wasn’t kidding, Mr. Reeves,” Janice said, her voice sultry and sinister all at once.  “Keep saying no, and I’ll keep on growing.”

The piss-scented executive -- a red panda -- managed to find his voice, leaning down to whisper into the smaller rabbit’s raised ear.  “S-sir, maybe we should listen to what she has to say --”

“Don’t you start!” the rabbit declared, struggling to hide the fear in his voice.  His voice was cracking by the time he addressed the giantess again.  “Pettigrew -- er, Janice -- you have to see where we’re coming from.  That’s a lot of money you’re asking us to throw away!  We can’t just --”

Suddenly, the tigress’s voice boomed, cutting the rabbit off.  She placed a hand behind her ear, leaning forward mockingly.  “Did I just hear you say ‘can’t?’  I like that word!”  The rabbit didn’t have time to scream as the tigress’ transformation began anew.  She leaned forward to make room as she began to fill out the space between those skyscrapers, rising ever higher -- ever taller.  It wasn’t just her height that was changing, either.  Her musculature was improving with each inch she gained, accentuating her increase in size and strength.  Breasts pressed firmly against the windows of Cromwell’s skyscraper as she giggled, chuffed, and even moaned.  This was more than a game to her, the rabbit realized all too late.  This was downright sensual to her.

Her striped tail snaked across the ground, becoming a traffic hazard of its own accord as she rose back up to her full height.  A helicopter began to hover past her; perhaps a news or a traffic chopper, she couldn’t be quite sure.  She gave it a cursory wave as its pilot seemed fixated on her and her alone.  She looked back down over her chest at the crowd below with a smile.  Despite her vantage, she could still barely make out the rabbit -- and her own partner as well.  She couldn’t make out either of their expressions, but she had a hunch.  One was horrified, the other annoyed.  That’s all she needed to know.

“You’re making this way too easy for me,” Janice thundered out, her voice now loud enough that everyone could hear her.  “Your buildings are way too close together, by the way.  It’s hard for a woman to stretch her limbs out!”

Before the rabbit could raise another fuss, a hand came down on his shoulder -- this time Kalen’s.  “Mr. Reeves, I highly suggest you give her what she wants.”

The rabbit looked over his shoulder, his face sullen.  “Why?  Isn’t she just going to stomp us once she gets her way?  Or eat us?”

“She’s not going to hurt you, but she’s not going to stop, either.  Not until you agree to our terms -- which I warned you about, for the record.”

“Oh, God.”  The bunny looked down, dejected.  

The tiger’s body was blocking out the view of the Sun, making everything below look imposingly dim.  Despite Kalen’s calm demeanor, there was no denying his own concern.  He knew Janice could make herself rather large, but it was rare for her to get this large, even for a problematic client..  Just how much bigger was she planning to get?  Hell, was she even capable of it?

“B-but...the police...n-no, the army, they’ll stop her, right?  She can’t just do whatever she pleases!” Mr. Reeves stammered, trying to keep his voice conspiratorial.  Janice simply watched, her smile never wavering.  For her, this was the best part.

“Whether they can stop her isn’t the point, Mr. Reeves.  The fact of the matter is, she isn’t going to stop until you say yes!”

“I...No!  I can’t!  Damn it, I just can’t!”  Mr. Reeves suddenly slapped his hand over his mouth, realizing far too late what just came out of it.  The other executives (and much of the crowd) shared a look of disgust with him as he oh-so-slowly returned his attention to the enormous striped feline.  The creaking had preceded her own laughter -- her growth spurt had begun anew, well before he had a chance to scream.  The sound was thunderous, to the point of being deafening; everyone watching the growing tigress held their ears as she rumbled to new heights, making the building’s impressive stature look mundane by comparison.

Janice’s dress continued to stretch and breathe, but the struggle was apparent.  Her skirt began to ride up her legs, looking more like a low-cut dress than proper business attire.  The fabric pinged at the seams as she filled it with more and more ever-expanding tigress, her stripes straining along with her outfit.  Were she to move in just the wrong way, the entire outfit would explode in a shower of tatters, yet it still held.  She had to shift her legs now, as the space she took up made it nearly impossible to navigate without making contact with the side of a building.

When she finally, mercifully, relaxed, she was now as tall as the entire skyscraper, its pointed tip meeting her eye to eye.  She plucked that tip between her fingers, and with a whine of stressed metal, snapped it clean away, tucking it between her teeth as if it were a toothpick.  Her hips brushed against where she estimated the rabbit’s office floor would be, giving that spot a comparatively gentle bump.  That bump caused the entire structure to wince from the impact, a resounding booming noise echoing off the urban jungle that surrounded her.  Yet, there was a calculated measure to her movement as glass rained down from her hip separating from the building, and onto an empty portion of the sidewalk where no one had gathered.  For that, Kalen was grateful -- despite how monolithic Janice appeared, she never set out to bruise anyone physically, just their egos.  And all it took was a quick glance at the faces of everyone surrounding her and her paws to see how good she was at it.

And then there were her paws.  Goodness, those paws.  Her entire foot covered every lane of traffic, sole stretched from one sidewalk to the other -- including the lane designed specifically for a giant to navigate.  Everyone in the vicinity had abandoned their vehicles long ago, as her toes and heels shoved them aside as if they were pebbles.  There was no getting around how damn big they looked.  Just one of her extended claws was as large as a military tank, if not even larger, their tips lethally sharp.  Several vehicles served as a punctuation point, as many of them now had punctures through their car doors and windows -- assuming they hadn’t simply been flattened underneath her toes, first.

If the context were different, someone could have mistaken her for a goddess.  Or at least, an incredibly sexy (and equally terrifying) business queen.

“Gotta admit, Mr. Reeves, no one’s let me get this big before,” Janice thundered, no longer making any attempt to lower her voice.  Windows rumbled, if not outright shattered, at the pitch in her voice.  She draped her arm around the skyscraper, embracing it as if it were a close friend.  Another shake of her hips, and another shower of glass and debris onto the sidewalk below brought her power into stark reality.  “As fun as this all is, I’m running out of space, and you’re running out of time.”

Mr. Reeves swallowed.  He was a speck on the sidewalk to her now.  “Running...out of time?”

“Yes.  It’s clear that you’re not going to take the deal, so I’m going to cut to the chase.  My next spurt is going to be my biggest.  And I’m not going to stop this time.”  She pointed off in the distance, towards the Empire State Building.  She’d come up about halfway, were she standing next to it.  “I’m counting down from five, and if I don’t hear what I want to, I’m going to make that look like a Lego brick.”

“For God’s sakes, stop!” the rabbit cried out, raising his hands up.  “You’re a monster!”

“Five.”  The tigress continued to grin.

“Look, maybe we can work this out --”

“Four.”

“Fucking hell, just tell her you’ll do it!” the cheetah ass-kisser from before shouted, dropping any kind of brown-nosing pretense.

“Three.”  She breathed deeply; a button did ping off her dress, flying off into the distance at alarming speed, landing into the surrounding river with a heavy splash.

“But she’s a woman!  I won’t let a woman tell me what to do!”

“Two.”

“Stop being a jerk and say yes!” Kalen shouted, his stomach twisting in panic.

“One --”

“Alright!”  The rabbit finally relented, his legs and arms shaking.  “Alright.  You win!  I’ll sign!  I’ll do whatever you want, just...stop!”

Janice looked down, surprised at Mr. Reeves’ outburst.  A flash of disappointment crossed her face, which she quickly replaced with that wide, toothy grin of hers.  “I knew you’d see things my way.  And look, the world didn’t end because you listened to a woman.  Don’t you feel better now?”

The rabbit’s pale face showed no emotion, his ears drooped forward.  Kalen breathed a sigh of relief; at least he wouldn’t have to explain to the higher-ups back at home why Manhattan suddenly found itself underneath miles of striped feline.  Or how, for that matter.

“Mr. McGuinness?” Janice said, her voice softening as she called out to her partner.  “Would you be a dear and head back up to Mr. Reeves’ war room?  I’m sure you can handle the paperwork without me...and I’m pretty sure I left it in one piece.”

Kalen, nodded once, half out of survival instinct, and the other out of begrudging respect.  “Yes, Ms. Pettigrew.  I’ll make sure things go smoothly.”

“Thank you.”  Janice smiled warmly, showing less teeth this time.

“Come on, Mr. Reeves.  Let’s go back inside,” Kalen said, pressing against the bunny’s shoulder to help guide him back inside.  The crowd hadn’t dispersed, but the expressions on their faces told them the worst was over -- for now.  Mr. Reeves disagreed.

“Not a chance.  You want us to go back inside while she’s like that?  I’m not going back inside.  That entire building is a death trap!”

“Trust me, you’d already be dead if she wanted it.  And she’d be far more creative about it.”  Kalen frowned.  “Still, unless you want to see what she looks like when she’s really upset, I suggest we conclude our business.  Now.”

The bunny hesitated, but nodded in defeat as he allowed the deer to guide him back toward the rotating door, among a sea of sour looks.  Just before they reached the door, Mr. Reeves felt a tap on his shoulder.  He turned around, noticing Ellen was standing over him, arms crossed over her chest.

“Mr. Reeves, sir?” she said, any and all apprehension gone from her voice.  “After we’re done with this signing, I’d like to have a little word with you about how you’ve been treating the female staff as of late.”

“Ellen?  Look, this can wait --”

“Oh, I don’t think you want to wait, sir.”  The badger grinned -- and creaked.  Her body didn’t make nearly as much noise as the tiger’s, but the rabbit’s expression grew frightful all the same.  Her dress didn’t quite expand as easily as Janice’s, tearing in a few places.  Despite her growth spurt being far smaller than the tiger’s, its effect on the rabbit was profound.

“Oh, God.  You’re...you’re a --” Mr. Reeves started, but Ellen only chuckled.

“I am.  And I should have done this a long time ago.”  She looked down at the buck, smiling.  “Thank your partner when you get the chance.  She’s a real inspiration.”

“Um, r-right,” Kalen said.  Ellen went inside first, ducking slightly in order to make her way inside, shoving the rotating door with one hand.  Mr. Reeves followed, looking half-dead.  Kalen gave Janice one final glance, smirking to himself.

I need to ask for a raise, he thought as he disappeared back inside, still under the giantess’s watchful eye.

****************************************

Kalen’s ears twitched as the music blared from the speakers above him.  Despite finding a table far away from the dance floor, it was still too loud for his tastes.   A woman passed by where he sat giving him a coy wink -- a white-tailed deer, like himself.  He gave her a small wave in response, which earned him a cute, teasing giggle just before she climbed down the stairs towards the illuminated dance floor below.

He hadn’t planned for an impromptu trip to a nightclub on the outskirts of North Manhattan, nor did he pack for it, settling for rolling up the sleeves of his white dress shirt, his collar unbuttoned.  Along with a pair of slacks and matching slip-on shoes to cover his hooven feet, he appeared more prepared for a church sermon than a night on the town.

Still, his partner insisted, and he couldn’t turn her down if he tried.  This was her victory, after all.  As usual.

“Hey!” Janice shouted as she approached him from behind.  He turned his head, smiling slightly as she handed him a small cocktail glass, filled with gin and tonic.  The sharp smell of juniper was enough to take his mind off things.  The tigress joined him on the opposite end of the table, cradling a dirty gin martini in the palm of her hand, the glass stem clenched between her middle and ring fingers.  She wore a pink t-shirt that exposed her midriff and jeans, her long blonde hair tied into a ponytail and dyed the same loud pink at her top.  She came prepared, much to Kalen’s surprise.

“Here’s to another successful business acquisition,” she exclaimed, bringing her glass halfway across the table.  The buck smirked, tapping his glass to hers.

“Cheers,” he replied, half-enthusiastically.  Janice's ears folded.

“Hey, cheer up,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.  “The boys at home are going to be thrilled that we’ve got Cromwell on board.  Our quarterlies are going to be awesome.  And we got them to cut a very generous check to a local orphanage as a good faith gesture.  I’d say that’s a big win!”

“Yeah.”  Kalen ran the hard tip of his finger against the rim of his glass, looking down at the table.  Janice’s tail flicked across the floor as she frowned.  It wasn’t hard to tell that Kalen was grumpy, and she knew why.

“Okay, I get it.  I’m sorry I lost my cool back there.  That meeting was your big moment, and I kinda stole the show.”  Janice looked uncharacteristically abashed, brushing aside a neon strand of hair with her fingertip.  “I’m always telling you to lead by example, and yet I couldn’t help but put that rabbit in his place.”

Kalen shrugged.  “No, it’s...not your fault.  I’m more pissed off at myself.  I thought I knew the man we’d be going to battle with.  If I had known he was such a misogynistic jerk, I would have asked Trevor to come along, maybe even Ryan if we were really desperate --”

“Hey.”  Janice’s hand pressed on top of the deer’s, cutting him off mid-sentence.  “Battles are one half preparation, and one half instinct.  That old fart may have been stuck in his ways, but he wasn’t stupid.  He’d never admit that he hated women being in charge of him until it was too late -- even if you tried to gore him with those antlers of yours.”  Her claw pointed at Kalen’s velvet-covered nubs, noticing a few scabs had formed near the base.  “You really need to stop picking at those, by the way.”

“Heh, yes, mother,” Kalen jabbed, trying to force a smile.

“I’m not that old.”  Janice grinned, taking a large gulp of her martini, licking her lips in that terrifying way only a predator knew how.  Kalen grew flustered, looking away to hide his blush.  “But I’m serious, Kalen.  You did a wonderful job.  Mr. Reeves was going to be a pain in the ass about the charity deal no matter how you spun it.  Being a woman-hating bastard just threw a bigger wrench into the gears than we expected.”

“Which is why I begrudgingly admit that I’m glad it was you that came along.  And that if you hadn’t made the first move, I’d have decked him myself.”  Kalen allowed himself a full smile now.  “Thanks, Janice.”

“Nuh-uh, none of that.  I’m only Janice on the clock.”

“Oh, that’s right.  Can’t let your secret get loose, Jaymee.”

The tigress chuffed loudly, pulling out the toothpick from her drink, taking one of the fat skewered olives into her maw.  “That’s why I like you.  You know how to keep your mouth shut.”

“How you’ve managed to get away with this for so long is beyond me,” Kalen warned, leaning forward.  “I mean, aren’t you worried about the press?  Or the cops, for that matter?  You did a number on that building, and don’t get me started on all those cars.  God, just how big can you get, anyway?”

To that, Janice shrugged.  “A girl never reveals her secrets, you know that.  Besides, I’m sure I’m not the only shifter that’s had a bad day at the office.  And if the cops wanted to hold anyone responsible, they’d be looking for a well-dressed businesswoman with a fetching hairdo, not a party girl looking for a good time.”  Her eyes glanced over at the dance stage below.  “Plus, if those suits know what’s good for them, they’ll know to keep their mouths shut about my little spat.”

Kalen groaned.  “I’m afraid to ask what’ll happen if they don’t.”

“Nothing you need to fret over.  Yet.”  Janice chuffed quietly as she drank her cocktail.  “Oh, you still needed to have Cromwell notarize the final contract, right?  Want me to tag along?”

“Nah, I should be good.  It’s just a few signatures, and I’m sure I can handle any rough patches.”  Kalen smiled.  “I’ll just drop your name if they raise a fuss.  That should keep things rolling.”

“Heh.  Good.  Oh, be sure to give Alex a call before you take your lunch tomorrow, let him know he can start drafting up some ads to share with Cromwell’s copy-writing team.”

“Alex?  Oh, you mean Mr. Coolidge.  Yeah, I’ll ring him up tomorrow.  You sure you’re okay with him handling that by himself?”  Kalen rubbed the back of his head.

“Alex has never let me down in the four years since he’s been with us.  He does good work.”

“If you say so.”  Kalen sniffed at his glass again, the sharp smell keeping him awake.  Despite how loud the music was, he wasn’t used to staying up so late, and he was already feeling sleepy.  The nightlife was never his style.  Janice stood up, going up on her toes as she took a long stretch.

“Alright, that’s enough work for one evening.  I’m hitting the floor.  Wanna come with?”

Kalen waved his hand in refusal.  “No, thanks.  The last thing you need are me and my two left hooves tripping you up.”

“Hey, it’s not about how good you are, it’s about having fun!”  She placed her hands on her hips, looking down at the buck knowingly.  Despite her best efforts, he still refused, but he knew how to let her down -- gently.

“Trust me, I’m having the time of my life just watching you.  You go enjoy yourself, get all that energy out of your system.”

“Oh, you may be waiting a while for that.  But I won’t disappoint.”  The tigress smiled as she turned around, heading for the stairs.

“Hey, wait,” Kalen called out, grabbing Janice’s attention before she reached the staircase.  “This is totally out of the blue, but I’ve gotta ask.”

“What’s up?”

“I can’t say I’m as familiar with giants as you claim I am, but I’m pretty sure none of them know how to make their clothes grow with them.  How the hell can you do that?”

Janice only smiled, winking at the deer.  “Maybe it’s magic.”

Kalen scoffed.  “Magic?  Heh, nice one.  I’ll buy that giants exist, but there’s no way you can magic up a wardrobe.”  Kalen looked at the tigress plainly, who said nothing in reply.  “I mean...you are joking, right?  Right?”

“Like I said.  A girl has her secrets,” Janice said coyly, before hopping down the stairs as quick as her legs could carry her, quick to hit the dance floor as Like A Prayer blasted through the speakers.  Kalen looked over the railing as she began to strut her stuff, her hips shaking to the beat...except for the fact every time she pumped those hips and swayed those arms, she looked taller.  And taller. And taller.

It wasn’t long before she was tall enough for her ears to brush across the ceiling, her paws thumping on the dance floor as she made the stage all her own.  Nearly everyone else fled the stage to avoid her footfalls as she lost herself to the rhythm, but more than few of them began to cheer her on.  And throughout that entire episode, her outfit stayed intact, as if it grew along with the rest of her.  All twenty-plus feet of her.

Kalen sighed, shaking his head with a smirk and a chuckle as the tigress conquered yet another jungle, the beams of light dancing across her body as she lost herself in her own world.

He allowed himself a moment to muse as he slammed back the last of his cocktail, ice and all.

What would I do without you?