Boss Lady

Out for Blood

"Ethan!", I cried on the phone. " Somethin is wrong with my vagina. I am bleeding like a sliced turkey."

This was not supposed to happen. Today was race day and we were supposed to be at the starting point of the marathon in about an hour.

And cue the horror, my period had started on this day. I swear life was deliberately showing me the middle finger. The entire office was about to show up and the boss was about to miss the race.

I was done.

"I didn't need that picture in my head. I will be traumatized for life.", he responded though he sounded perplexed.

God damn! I didn't want to miss the marathon. I had trained hard and for long hours.

" You can still watch from the stands. Your presence here will be publicity enough.", he reasoned. At that moment, I hated being a woman. I hated this weakness of mine. I hated that I had to put a stop to my dreams because of this. And because I hated it so much, I turned it into a challenge.

"Or, I can run the race.", I told him. Damn period cramps! This was my day and I was running the show.

Just then, my stomach churned violently. Fucking hell! First day of periods was no joke.

"Running 26 miles while menstruating is a bad idea, Sana. The pain will be excruciating", he warned. He was a medical professional. Of course, my comfort was his first concern. But this wasn't about me. This was about the 2.3 billion girls who didn't have access to that comfort.

"Fuck safety. It's time to shake shit up. I am doing this. ",I told him and hung up.

Fate was out for blood. I would give it to that bitch.
                      ________________

" No sanitary pads. I can't risk chafing my inner thighs. I won't be able to run  26 miles.", I said while standing in the tent with my executive team. Ethan hovered in the corner but wisely stayed silent. This was a Boss Lady show right now. The PR coverage of the event was be massive and would draw enormous funding from the crowd.

"A tampon wouldn't last that long.", Jules gave the verdict.

"Menstrual cup is out of the question.", Bree said.

Could you believe this shit, only three inventions had been made in the entire history of menstruation since the beginning of time.

My girls nodded.

"I go free then.", I said when nothing seemed to work.

Bree, Georgiana, Laura and Jules looked up, their eyes wide. Even Ethan said a 'hell no'.

"It's my decision. There's nothing you can do about it.", I said shrugging.

"Boss, be serious. You can't run 26 miles in blood soaked leggings.", Georgiana said.

" Madame Gandhi did it at the London marathon. I can do it too.", I explained.

It was going to be painful. It was going to be hell. But what better reason was there, to take a walk through hell?

"Be reasonable. Think of the press coverage this would give us. We would be the talk of the town for the right reasons. The crowd wants a show. Let's give them one."

No one could fault my logic.

"Think about the hygiene issues.", Ethan said, the only one thinking remotely logically.

"The problem is that Ethan, no one but the girls think about it because people won't talk about it. If I go free-flow, it will shake people into talking about it. Grand speeches and statistics can only do so much. We need action and we need money. They watch me bleed, they donate more to the cause."

It was brutal business really. My executives nodded, their faces hard. They got it. Charity was in very few people's nature.

"Take ibuprofen. It will numb the pain, a little.", Ethan said, his gaze stormy. He wasn't happy but he wouldn't contradict me. I realized how much he respected my decisions and that was more than anything he could ever give me.

I nodded and took two Advils. Then I breathed out hard, lacing my shoes.

"Let's go, people. It's showtime."

We stepped out of the tent into the raucous crowd with Ethan holding my hand tight.