“T his is your pass card, you can use the gym anytime for the next thirty days. At the end of the free trial we’ll continue your membership with the information you gave us on file. Any questions ?”

I shook my head, this was all information that I already knew. “Nope, just point me toward the locker room .”

The pretty blonde behind the counter smiled and indicated the direction I needed to go. I thanked her one more time before heading down the brightly lit hall. The gym looked just like all the others I’d tried over the past year. I never kept my membership for the whole month, but this time was different. I was going to make a change and stick with it for once. I glanced at my reflection in the mirrors as I pushed open the lady’s locker room door .

I wasn’t ‘fat’ per say, but something had to change. My thick brown hair was pulled up in a messy bun and the skintight leggings I wore showed every flaw that I had. Thighs that were a little too thick, a taut, but not petite waist paired with my small breasts. Frowning at the image, I kept moving until my bag was stashed in the locker room and I made my way to the workout floor .

As soon as I walked in, my stomach sank. Arabella and Ariana were there chatting with a few other members cheerfully. Their large breasts bounced up and down as they walked on side by side treadmills. Briefly, I thought about ducking back into the locker room and sneaking out before they saw me. The twins were acquaintances of mine, but that didn’t mean I wanted to chat them up .

Every time that I saw them, I got jealous. We’d graduated at the same time over a year ago, but their family had money. Within two months, each twin had matching breast jobs done. Their careers were put on the fast track and now Arabella was looking at a promotion with the law firm she worked at. Sure, I was certain that she’d slept her way to the top, but still, she had a job and I didn’t. Right away I felt very self-conscious about myself .

You couldn’t see the holes in my socks, but I still felt like I was dirty compared to them. They had it all and I was fighting just to pay rent. The injustice of it soared through my body as I quickly grabbed a machine further away from them. It was no use, the second I started to walk, Ariana looked over and saw it was me. Her face lit up at once as she tapped on her sister’s shoulder and they made their way over to where I was at .

A bead of sweat formed on my brow, it wasn’t enough for them to just wave. They wanted an entire conversation. There was no way in hell I was going to be able to continue to jog as we talked. Quickly, I turned the machine off again and smiled at them, blotting away the sweat with a towel. My throat was dry, I should have brought some water, but I didn’t have a container to put it in. Now I would probably have to spend the two extra dollars I had on a drink instead of dinner .

“Hey Tabitha!” called Arianna .

“Hey,” I said breathlessly. “I didn’t see you guys here. Thanks for the referral! This place is really nice .”

“No problem, we love it here. They even cater to those of us with post-surgery workout needs .”

“I didn’t even know that was a thing,” I muttered. “You mean like physical therapy ?”

She shrugged. “Well I don’t know the technical term or stuff like that. I just know we love it here! And the trainers are so totally understanding!” Arianna said as she popped a piece of gum in her mouth. “They are hot too .”

Arabella scoffed and wrinkled her nose. “Ew, I don’t know why you waste your time with guys here. You know they are only after one thing .”

Arianna pouted, “Well maybe that’s all I want too .”

“Better not let your dad hear you say that,” I interjected with a grin. “Isn’t there a dentist he wanted you to marry? Frank something ?”

Both of them squealed in unison before Arabella spoke up. “Oh god no. He is so last spring. Didn’t you hear? He lost his practice when his ex took him to court. No one is going to marry him now .”

“Oh,” I said, my cheeks flaming red. “I must not have heard that part .”

In truth, I hadn’t heard anything from any of the woman that I’d gone to college with. Most had moved on with their lives or moved away and I couldn’t blame them. New York was brutal to woman entering the workforce. It was a cutthroat world that I couldn’t seem to break into. I’d had interview after interview and they all ended the same. Someone else got the job. The excuses always changed for why I didn’t get it, but I knew it was because of how I looked. I was pretty enough, but in this town, there was always someone better .

Glancing down, I looked at Ariana’s breasts. They were large and perfectly sculpted. It was no wonder both twins had gainful employment. A few loose buttons on a blouse and any man would give them a job. I let out a heavy sigh and looked around. If they didn’t leave me alone soon I wouldn’t have time to get a workout in before my next interview. Plus, my landlord would be home soon. She’d been stalking the hall outside my apartment now for weeks, looking for her money .

“Aren’t they perfect?” asked Arianna with a sly grin. “The doctor who did them is simply amazing. And damn good to look at. Maybe you should give him a call ?”

“Yeah,” I muttered, wondering just how much that level of perfection would cost me. “Maybe I will. Got his number ?”

She pulled out her phone and unlocked it. Within seconds my own, outdated phone was chiming to tell me I had a new message. I didn’t pick up my phone or take it out of hiding from my pocket. The last thing I needed was for them to see I was still using last year’s model. These women loved to gossip, I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of it .

I smiled at her. “I’ll take a look when I’m done. I really want to get some time in on the floor while I can .”

“Got a hot date afterwards?” Ariana asked .

I shook my head, I’d never been one for lying. “No, a job interview .”

“Ah, well good luck. Give Dr. Powell a call, he could really help you out,” she said as they turned to walk away .

I climbed back onto the machine and started to jog again, but my heart wasn’t in it any longer. I didn’t need to lose weight really. My body was almost as perfect as the twins. What I really needed was a new pair of boobs like they had. Having breast implants put in was the same thing as getting your hair colored or buying the latest phone. It was just something you had to do in this town if you wanted people to notice you .

The money was another issue though. I knew that it wouldn’t be cheap, but I would find a way. Right away I thought about my mother and instantly shook my head. There was no way that I was going to call her. She was the last person in the world I would ever ask for help, even if I did know that she’d have the money to take care of it. It didn’t matter, first I had to see if I could even get it done. I knew that doctors would only work on people who had the money. I would have to fake it for the first appointment to see what kind of price I was looking at .

I ran for a few more minutes then turned off the machine. It was only after I saw the twins go into the sauna that I made a beeline for the locker room. I could shower and change at home. I didn’t want to risk running into them again and being forced to answer more questions about what I’d done with the last year of my life. It was shameful for me to see them. My deceased father had made sure to leave me money for college and now, with a degree, I still couldn’t find work .

I left the gym and started the half mile walk back to my apartment. I didn’t have the money to take a cab ride. My phone rang and I answered it at once, it was the bar I worked at about once a week when they had an opening on the schedule. It was the only thing that was keeping me fed .

“Hey Tabby, can you work for me tonight?” came Darcie’s slightly drunk voice. “I just don’t feel good .”

I ground my teeth. Tonight, I was supposed to go see my sister on campus. I hadn’t seen her in almost a month and it was driving me insane. She was my best friend and the only person in the world that I really cared about. Still, if I was going to meet with a plastic surgeon, I needed the money and tips for a cab ride .

With a sigh, I said, “Sure, when do you need me there ?”

“My shift starts in at five, will that be a problem ?”

“No problem at all,” I lied. “Talk to you later .”

I would have to get to my interview early and hope that it didn’t run late. Otherwise, I wouldn’t get the job for certain. The sparse money I made from working at the bar was money I needed now. I couldn’t take a chance of losing that job for another one that I probably wouldn’t get either. Looking down at my phone, I saw the message from the twins. I clicked on the link and called the number right away .

“Yes,” I stammered when the receptionist answered. “I wanted to see about getting larger breasts .”

“Then you’ve called the right place!” she said cheerfully. “Do you have a referral ?”

“Um,” I muttered. “No, I guess not. I just got the number from a friend. Do I need one ?”

“Of course not, but most of our clients come in on a referral from their regular plastic surgeon. Who do you use ?”

“I don’t have one,” I stammered .

Why would anyone have a ‘regular’ plastic surgeon? It didn’t make any sense to me .

“Oh,” she said, obviously not thrilled. “Well then I guess we will just leave that blank. The doctor has a nine opening in the morning, can you be here then ?”

“Absolutely,” I told her. “Is there anything that I should bring ?”

She paused. “Well, we ask for insurance and payment information after the initial consultation.” Her voice trailed off. “Why don’t you just come in and we can take it from there ?”

“Great,” I said, barely hiding the disdain in my voice. “See you then .”

I ended the call feeling more ashamed than when I first did. I hadn’t even met them yet and already the doctor’s office knew that I wouldn’t be like their normal clients. I wouldn’t come in wearing expensive jewelry and having my father or husband foot the bill for it. It was hard knowing that I was different, that I was poor in this area. As I walked up the flight of steps to my crummy apartment, I let my mind wander. I might not have money now, but someday I would be someone and the only person that could help me reach that goal was the good doctor Earl Powell .