Chapter 2

“What do you mean, I gotta go out and meet your dumb business clients, George? Can’t I just order in while you and mom go to your stupid dinner?”

Grace whined, barely looking up from her Instagram swiping.

“Grace, he’s a family man. Tony’s a great guy, said he wanted to meet all of us. Plus, he owns a bunch of these restaurants and says he’s looking to hire an intern or something. Maybe we could line you up with something, a new opportunity for you to start fresh…”

Grace pouted. “I don’t wanna work in some stupid restaurant and be a waitress. I’m still, you know, mourning college. I need time to heal and self care!”

George didn’t know how three meal boxes from Taco Bell promoted healing, but he wasn’t to be discouraged.

“Grace, you’re coming with me and your mother tonight, or I’ll call the cell phone company and disconnect your number. Cut off the Internet. Then what will you do? Try to learn how to read again? It’s one night, you don’t have to talk, just sit and enjoy the food.”

Grace huffed. “Fine. This place fancy? I gotta dress up?”

George looked her up and down. She was still wearing what she slept in–old yoga pants and a tank top with no bra. The pants clung to her legs like a second skin as a slab of stomach just poked out of the waistband. The tank top had some nacho cheese stains on the front, clinging tightly to her bulging boobs. She probably weighed another 15 pounds more than the picture Tony saw. George knew that had to be a good sign.

“I’d change, and maybe try showering too.”

A few hours later, the family piled into George’s latest Lexus and headed into Valentinos. George escorted his bombshell wife on his arm, beaming with status and the look of a man without a care in the world. Grace followed sullenly behind, head down in her phone as she swiped on TikTok mindlessly. The host led them to their seats at a prime table in the back, when Grace walked into something solid.

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going, you…” Grace trailed off, looking up at a large Italian man, eclipsing her by over a foot of height. She stared at his gut in this designer shirt, the surface she bounced into it. There was a diamond tie pin at eye level.

“Grace, this is my colleague, Tony. Why don’t you put the phone away, sweetie.” George pleaded, hoping Grace didn’t fuck it up already.

“Ah, I forgive the little lady, accidents happen! Why, George told me he had a beautiful family but he never mentioned both his girls were models!”

Christina blushed and demurred, even though she was in fact a model. Grace scoffed and looked herself down. Although fairly oblivious of her recent weight gain, she knew she was still short and plain. Plus, she hated models. Skinny bitches that weren’t social justice warriors.

Tony, however, saw potential. He saw a girl oozing flesh out of a summer dress. One that clung tightly around the middle where he could see her belly button pressing heavily into the linen. When she sat, her thighs pushed her tummy up, which pushed her cleavage up and over the dress. She didn’t wear a bra and Tony almost drooled seeing the outlines of her nipples pressed hard against the light fabric. The girl was bigger than the picture showed. Clearly DDs now, crammed in a dress that must have fit months ago. Spaghetti sleeves diggining into soft arm flab. Now, he just had to work his charm.

“I’m serious George. Now, I know I came here to talk business, but maybe I should be talking business with someone else. Grace, gorgeous Grace, tell me. What are things you like to do?” He patted her exposed knee, and looked her right in the eye. Grace cooed. No one had called her gorgeous, ever. This man radiated confidence and dominance. So what if he was big and older? Plus, flirting with him would piss George off, her favorite hobby.

She flipped her black hair over her shoulders, and said “Well, I gotta admit, I love lots of things. I’m, like, taking a break from college right now to find myself and learn lots about the world and all it has to offer. It’s been like so spiritual being outside. Of course, I don’t have to tell a man of your staggering intellect that. You clearly only seek out the best.”

Grace purred a little and put her hand on Tony’s arm. Her mother was oblivious, and George smiled. This was going to work out perfectly.

“Well, you see, the thing is Grace, I do love the finer things, but there’s still lots for me to learn. I own these great restaurants that I want to share with the world. And I’m a man who knows how to talk, but not to your generation. My nephew’s been telling me about this social media thing, the tick tocks and Instagrams, but I can’t figure this stuff out. I tried talking to some marketing firm, but I keep thinking I wanna keep it organic. Just show what makes my restaurants special–someone loving food and the experience. But I don’t know where to begin when creating this type of content, as they say. I’m worried about my business.”

Grace smiled and leaned in a little closer to Tony. She was stone sober but somehow drunk of this man’s influence. “I could help you, Mr. Ricci. My daddy said you were looking for interns, and I could use my experience to launch your and my brand, you know. Self care and love.”

George rolled his eyes. Grace never called him ‘daddy’ unless she was begging for something, usually money. He had to play his cards right or else the whole thing could collapse.

“I don’t know Gracie, don’t you think you wanna try going back to college next semester? We can get you into a nice community college, nearby!”

Grace banged her fist on the table and sulked.

“So you tell me to get a job, and when your nice friend here practically offers me the opportunity of my dreams, you get to be a jerk and take it all away from me! I want to do what I love–living life! YOLO. I’ll make some money so you and mom can get off my back. Right Mr. Ricci?”

She put both her hands on Tony’s forearm and leaned in even further, so her obscene tits were resting on the table, almost flipping out of her top. Tony looked at George and nodded.

“Let’s talk business. You sound like a smart lady. Fun, connected. Here’s what I’m envisioning. Big picture. Some super smart and edgy lady, like you, my dear, tries out the dishes in all my restaurants. You know, goes through the whole menu, giving reviews and feedback. Maybe we do them live, like you kids say, or have clips. But the important thing is that you try every dish, and finish every dish. We gotta have honest and thorough feedback!”

Grace nodded dumbly as she subconsciously slathered butter on the bread in front of her, cramming it in her mouth while Tony spoke.

“Mmph that sounds right up my alley. I’m all about honesty and social media integrity, helping out small business and promoting a female brand!”

Tony laughed at the nonsense spewing from her buttery maw, but disguised it well.

“You’d be perfect. We need a real woman’s opinion, not what these celebs want us to eat and try. A real woman influencer. Body positivity!”

Tony signaled for a waiter to bring a tray of prosciutto and cheese to the table, directly in front of Grace. She switched over mindlessly, watching Tony with rapt attention as she unwound the salty meats.

“I got a lot of restaurants, Grace. I own about a dozen in the area. And maybe if we’re successful, I help launch your brand to other restaurant friends. I’m hearing your dad and you had some unfortunate miscommunications at your college, is that right?”

Grace snorted, her mouth crammed with olives and cheese.

“We see how this monetization goes and our restaurant profits. Consider your payment in exposure and whatever I make helps your daddy make his problems go away. How does that sound?”

Grace paused, and mulled it over. George knew he was almost in the clear. His financial problems would disappear and this slob of a stepdaugther could be out of his life for a while.

“I don’t know, Gracie. Seems like a lot of work. I’m not sure you’re ready or able to work that long…you’re so young…maybe I can see if I can get you something at a law firm, filing papers. Great place to start…”

Defiantly, Grace sneered. She glugged down the Pepsi she was drinking and spat out: “You’re not even my real dad. I’m a 20 year old woman, I’m an adult! You can’t tell me what to do. How’d you even stay friends with a nice guy like Mr. Ricci? He’s offering to help us out, and you think I can’t handle it! How selfish!”

George sighed and threw up his hands in mock frustration. “Okay Tony, she’s yours. What’s next?”

Tony’s eyes gleamed and he eyed Grace up and down like a wolf eyeing prey. He could get what he was denied so long ago, and with so little effort.

A dumb chubby girl stuffing herself, just for him. At his command. One he could make money off of, and who was stupid enough to manipulate into more. He could see the way she looked at him. This girl wanted to make a confident man she respected happy, with no regard to her own emotions. She’d get her pleasure from his, and do whatever he wanted. A hungry body for him to fill with whatever he wanted, whenever. It’s good to be the boss.

“Well Grace, let’s consider right now a try out. You do okay, we hire you on. Sound good?”

Grace nodded enthusiastically and began reading the menu. Tony yanked it out of her hands.

“Oh no, that’s not how this works. I’ll tell you what you’re getting. Got it?” he said low, and into her ear.

Grace shivered. This big man had her shifting in the seat, trying to dissipate some of the heat between her legs. What the heck was happening. She could only nod.

“I said, you got it, Grace? Answer me!” he growled, wrapping his arms round her bicep and giving it a sharp squeeze.

“Yes sir,” she whimpered, shifting her legs a bit more in the tight summer dress.

“Waiter!” Tony snapped. “I’m ready to order. But can you get me and the lady a separate table?”