chapter 2 - the interview

“So you’ve been a production intern at McCann for just about a year now, huh?” the Seabourn hiring manager asked.

“Yes!” Eliza said excitedly. “And it’s been absolutely wonderful, I’ve had a lot of really educational experiences. However I’ve been hoping to refine my skillset to focus more on talent acquisition—”

“Haha whoa,” the manager cut in. “Look, no need for business jargon here, we’re not that kind of company. I want you to feel like yourself. Relax, and please grab a doughnut if you want.”

“Okay,” Eliza blushed. She began munching as the interview continued. There were initially a dozen assorted doughnuts on the table when the interview started, but as the meeting went on, only five remained. Eliza was too distracted to notice she was doing what she always does with free food—completely demolish it. If she were at home feasting on a dozen doughnuts, her comfy lounge clothes could handle the stretch without issue. However, the tight interview outfit she’d worn was becoming tighter and tighter as her belly expanded with each sugary, carby doughnut. Surprisingly, this didn’t slow down Eliza at all. The fullness she was experiencing actually gave her a sense of safety, and a feeling that she was okay in this moment. This gave her a major confidence boost.

“What would you say is your biggest gripe right now at McCann?” he asked.

“Honestly, being an intern for this long is a drag,” Eliza said, leaning back in her chair a bit, taking a self-assured bite. “I’m totally ready for more responsibility by now. Not to mention, being able to afford to eat would be pretty cool.” (motioning with the doughnut in her hand).

“I hear you there,” he said, smiling and looking down at the few remaining doughnuts. “I’ll tell ya, you seem like a smart, cool person with a good head on your shoulders and a stronger resume than most of the folks I’ve chatted with. The things Eric said about you really impressed me, and meeting you in person is just sealing the deal. I’d love to offer you the gig right now, but we’ve adjusted our onboarding process slightly. You’d need to go on a two-week probation period, sort of like a trial for the other crew members to get to know ya and see how they like working with you.”

“That sincerely sounds incredible. Thank you, umm. Wow. I wasn’t expecting this to go so well. Can I ask what this position pays?”

“The test period unfortunately pays squat, but you get free room and board, and access to the staff kitchen, which is actually a pretty sweet perk. You’ll get first dibs on everything that goes out to the buffet tables. And if you want anything a la carte from the main menu, just let them know what you want they’ll make it fresh for ya.”

“That sounds fair,” Eliza said, trying to contain her excitement about the unlimited food access. “When would this test period happen?”

“As soon as you’re available. We have ships leaving from the cruise terminal every day.”

“Oh okay. I haven’t used any vacation days yet this year. Combined with sick days, I’m sure I can make it work!”

“Awesome. Send Eric an email with your avails once you know ‘em.”

“I will! Thank you so much for this.”

“Welcome aboard, Ms. Miller.”

Eliza stood up to shake the manager’s hand, and noticed one of the buttons in the middle of her blouse had somehow come undone. Her heart raced as she hurried to the elevator and exited the midtown office building. She stifled a smile. The interview hadn’t taken nearly as long as she’d planned for, however, so there was still at least an hour before she was due back at work. A trip to the gym struck Eliza as a good way to expend this giddy energy.

As she changed into leggings and a sports bra in the lockerroom, the fully walled mirror showed the body of a toned, somewhat underweight young woman. However, her mindless doughnut binge left a massive food baby on her, leaving her looking a few months pregnant.

Despite these occasional binges on free office food, Eliza was only 115 pounds at 5’4”. Her thin physique made her appear taller than she was, and her wardrobe had become increasingly elegant the longer she spent in New York. Being thin and fashionable was a cultural imperative in the city, and especially so in advertising.

On the treadmill, Eliza daydreamed further about the new adventure she was soon to embark on. Not only would it be glamorous, but she would finally be doing something career-wise that she thought she’d truly enjoy. The idea that food would no longer be something she needed to steal from meetings excited her as well. Eliza wasn’t worried about staying fit, though. While she was aware that cruise food wasn’t the healthiest in the world, she knew these ships were decked out with state-of-the-art fitness centers and offered free pilates and yoga classes every day. If anything, Eliza figured she could actually end up in better shape with all of those resources nearby…

These fitness fantasies distracted Eliza from realizing her little food baby was poking out beneath her workout shirt as she jogged. Feeling out of breath more quickly than normal, Eliza hit the stop button only a half mile into her run.
“Ahh, I’m probably crashing from all that sugar,” Eliza thought to herself. She looked down and noticed her belly poking out a bit.

“Who cares, I deserved a treat! I totally crushed it in that interview. God I’m so stoked for this job!” she thought excitedly.