Chapter 2

Heather was a bright girl and, let's face it, the job isn't that tough.  In no time at all she had the basics down.  Fortunately we both worked the day shift, which was pretty quiet.  That was nice, since it gave us ample opportunity to chat.  After just a few weeks I felt like we were becoming fast friends.  Of course, I wanted more, but she didn't know that yet.

The other part of my plan was also in full swing.  One of the first things I showed Heather was when to check all the candy we kept by the registers.  Of course, you couldn't sell past-date candy, so we got to eat it ourselves.  She became the unofficial "candy checker", and I'm pretty sure she was eating a bar or two each time she found a box too old to sell.  We also started eating lunch together.  At first she always brought it in with her, but I convinced her it was much more fun to visit one of the many eateries within walking distance.  We ate pizza, subs, Chinese, and even made a few trips to a buffet.  My own intake was increasing, but I countered that by simply upping my gym time.  

I also came upon the brilliant idea of keeping a candy jar in the break room.  Not to mention the fresh baked cookies and brownies I started bringing in for my coworkers.  Through trial and error I learned Heather's favorites, and made sure they were readily available to her.  Plus, this really made me popular with the other workers.  Free candy and homemade goodies are certainly nothing to sneeze at.

"Hey Jenna," Heather mumbled through a large bite of Baby Ruth.

I fought back a leer.  "Hey Heather, find some more past-date candy?"

"Yup!" Heather paused to swallow.  "Fortunately they still taste good!  Or, maybe unfortunately."

"Why unfortunately?" I asked.  "How can good-tasting free candy be a bad thing?"

"Well, when one stops spending their entire evening in the gym, and one starts eating junk she never ate before, one comes to find that one's jeans don't, um, button up so well."

Heather tried for a rather sardonic aloofness, but her face was turning slightly pink.  I felt a familiar tingling and tightening sensation in my lower stomach, one that usually came when I espied an especially delicious chubby chick.  It was almost too good to believe that there were already noticeable results.  The challenge now was to make sure she didn't freak out and try to lose it.

"Oh please, you're a stick," I scoffed.  "I mean, you're practically swimming in that shirt."

"Not for long, at this rate," she replied. "And see what I mean?"

She grabbed the back of her polo shirt and pulled it so that it clung tightly to her body.  I honestly couldn't see much of a difference, other than possibly the slightest convex curve just above her belt.

"What I am looking at?" I asked.  "You're the most absolutely ridiculous person I know if you think you can call that getting fat.  For lunch today we're going to Eddy's and we're gonna eat the 3/4 pound burger with fries and milkshakes.  And I don't want to hear another word about it.  You're relaxing this summer, remember?"

"Hehe, you're such a good friend," Heather giggled.  "And maybe we can get dessert with lunch."

"It's a date," I grinned.