I'm a 50-Year-Old Man Trapped in a Stranger's Body... and Her Wardrobe Is Winning

"You've got to be kidding me... I guess all I can do is laugh."

The Great Shift turned the entire world upside down, and somehow I ended up trapped inside the body of a complete stranger.

The best part?

It happened during a business trip.

I called my boss and tried to explain the situation as professionally as possible—which is surprisingly difficult when your sentence starts with:

"So... I'm not Gabriel anymore."

After what was probably the strangest phone call of his career, he agreed to my improvised plan. By sheer luck, the owner of this body happened to be attending the very same conference in the same city. That meant I could still represent the company.

Just not as Gabriel.

Apparently, I was Natalie now.

Even thinking those words still feels surreal.

Eventually, I managed to contact my old body. Yes, that sentence sounds ridiculous no matter how many times I say it. Natalie—the real Natalie, now living inside my former body—was far calmer than I expected.

"I don't think we should involve the authorities," she said. "We both have important commitments. Let's just... keep going for now."

Just keep going.

As if swapping bodies were a minor inconvenience, like losing your luggage at the airport.

Speaking of luggage...

I decided to find something appropriate to wear for tomorrow's conference. I expected to see business suits, professional dresses, maybe a few blazers.

Instead...

The very first thing I pulled out of the suitcase was an elegant black lace bra that looked like it belonged in a luxury fashion advertisement.

I stared at it.

For a long time.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

I'm fifty years old.

Until yesterday, my biggest concern was renewing my car insurance on time.

Now I'm standing in a hotel room trying to figure out how an object made mostly of lace and optimism is supposed to work.

My wife never wore anything remotely like this, so I had absolutely no idea such elaborate designs even existed.

Buying new clothes isn't really an option, either.

First, because I'd be spending someone else's money.

Second...

Technically, I am someone else.

So I'll have to make do with whatever Natalie packed.

Of course, I'll wear something perfectly professional to the conference. A tailored blazer, sensible shoes, the whole successful-businesswoman look.

No one there needs to know I'm internally panicking every time I look in the mirror.

Still...

Once the initial shock faded, curiosity quietly started replacing embarrassment.

If this body swap turns out to be permanent, I'll eventually have to learn everything.

Clothes.

Hair.

Makeup.

Sizes.

Shoes.

How women's pockets somehow manage to hold absolutely nothing.

The whole package.

So maybe experimenting isn't such a bad idea.

Not today.

Today I simply want to survive the conference without tripping over my own heels or accidentally introducing myself as Gabriel.

But after I get back to the hotel...

Well...

Maybe I'll spend a few hours trying on everything in this suitcase.

Strictly for research purposes, of course.

After all, if I'm going to live as Natalie for the foreseeable future, I might as well understand why anyone would spend a small fortune on a bra that appears to be held together by three straps, delicate lace, and pure confidence.

Forty-eight hours ago, I was a middle-aged manager named Gabriel.

Today I'm seriously wondering which outfit best matches a navy business blazer.

The Great Shift has a very strange sense of humor.