- his boss Jane, a 38 year-old red-head.

Leon had called it. Mona didn't work at his office but she seemed to know a lot about his day, his work, and "his crusty old boss", even though he seldom mustered the energy to talk about the place. But what sealed the deal was a little detail Jane forgot to hide.

"You don't look surprised," said Jane. She had long wavy red-hair and freckled skin that gave her a youthful quality she no doubt resented, as it undermined her image as a stern boss.

Leon could only smile.

"I figured you were Mona a while back. You and her, you have the same perfume."

When Jane leaned in next to him at work he smelled his girlfriend's scent. Wild Rose. When Mona kissed and embraced him he couldn't help but think his boss was near.

Jane frowned and Leon dropped his expression. He could tell she felt guilty about deceiving him, and he could only ruin the moment and say he called it.

"What made you disguise yourself? Is there even a real Mona?"

Jane sat down next to him and put her hand on his.

"In my line of work I make a lot of acquaintances but I don't make many friends. My only close family is my daughter Natalie, and she's so grown-up and busy she doesn't need me any more. So I found I had a lot of time outside of the office."

Leon nodded and listened. It was true. You didn't need to be in the office for all hours, you simply had to have something done to show for it by five o'clock.

"I found out from a friend in the office, I won't tell you who, about an agency that creates identities. You say what kind of appearance you want to have, young or old, man or woman, and they send you a skin-suit. It's artificial but it's life-like, it can age and grow hair and nails. I wanted to be a new woman called Mona. I wanted to be young and office-free again, if only on the outside. I just didn't mean it to get this far."

Jane looked down. Leon's hands were now around on her thigh and shoulder.

"I didn't want to go beyond meeting you at first. I'm your boss, it's wrong, I'm much older than you..."

She paused.

"But as Mona I did. As Mona I wanted a man to love. So I got carried away."

Her downcast eyes welled up with tears but Leon shhhed her pities and kissed her on the forehead.

"Now now, there's no need to cry. Here, let's take that suit off you for a minute."