Side character is a woman in charge of a traditionally masculine enterprise, something like a used car lot, a wrecking yard, ship drydock, rough and tumble kind of place* She's fully, more than fully capable of running the place. Nobody messes with her, and her personal office is appropriate to the business. It's a working place, not all brass and glass, but faux wood paneling and industrial carpet. Serviceable practical furniture that's obviously seen use. There's no way in Hell she's going to decorate it with cutesy little posters of kittens, needlepoint throw pillows, or flowers that are changed regularly, but the MC is a con-artist who is expert at reading someone's socioeconomic status, hobbies, and interests by seeing the space in which they live or work. So can anyone help me with the subtle hints that will lead him to realize, before the side character enters, that the office probably belongs to a woman and not a man? Light stereotyping is fine here, I'm not trying to write a social justice manifesto. Thinking extremely neat and well-organized, and.... blank. Spoiler: * It's actually the main office of Hell, and the lady in question is Satan, Queen of the Abyss, but it still looks like the office on a job site.
Shoe/work clothes size. If she has clothing for work, they could be several sizes smaller than a man's. Also maybe a small jar for her wedding ring/earrings standing on her desk (would be only prudent for safety reasons to take them off for physical work). Possibly hand creme for after cleanup. ETA: I should have read the spoiler before responding . But I still think the hand creme has possibilities...
Based on my experience with used-car lots and wrecking yards, if the office is clean it would be a major tipoff. High heels at the base of the coat rack?
Chapstick. I hear it's hot there this time of year. Bad for chapping. Perhaps a diffuser/humidifier. Something that help with smell, women generally have a better sense of smell. Even if it's just something that neutralizes scents. Overall I'd say something practical, but most the times a female buys it.
Why not incense sticks? I kind of like the idea that she thinks the smell is bad and wants to neutralise it in her office.
Lack of a urinal in the executive bathroom? But more seriously, a mirror on the wall? As a woman in a man's world, I think she's going to be *more* careful and conscious of her appearance.
Agree on the hand cream. Women wash their hands more frequently than men (wash hands every time we are in the bathroom, even if you don't use it). Our hands tend to be drier. But pens would also be something to think about. Maybe she has a nice pen, not some cheap bic/biro or branded pen. Different ink maybe? Or a stylish notepad/diary. Or a small, slightly hidden postcard of something nice or scenic. I disagree on the the above mentioned heels under the coat rack if this woman is already at work. If a woman is going to have a different pair of shoes at work, she is probably wearing runners into work and then changing into heels. Heels present would be fine if the woman hasn't arrived yet. Tote bag, or some other type of bag that isn't a purse or backpack is a common one. I am not overly 'girly' in my decorating and these are all things I have done.
I'm a security guard who's co-workers are only about 25% female. One thing I notice is that the men, if they carry bags at all, carry backpacks, while the females will store their handbags in the lockers. Also they definitely love their lotion/moisturizers.
Expanding on the spoiler (I deliberately withheld information so as not to color responses), the lady in question is Satan, Queen of Hell. She's 8 feet tall and with a basic "demon" build (no obvious secondary sex characteristics) and covered in jet-black feathers. I like a lot of these ideas though, need to look up what sort of skin problems parrots get on their legs, but a vaporiser or scent diffuser and a mirror are particularly good. Last night Mrs. A got cranky when I once again failed to use a coaster. Probably don't see many of those in job site offices.
