Chapter 4 - the unexpected feeder

Piper spent the next day recovering from her binge and Scott contemplated the drunken statement she had made before passing out. Piper didn't seem to have any recollection of that moment or if she did she decided not to mention it, perhaps out of embarrassment. Regardless, it played to Scott's advantage because he learned that she was becoming desperate and therefore more susceptible to his wiles.

"So she wants help, eh?" Scott thought to himself. Of course, he realized that he couldn't be the one to do so, as that would contradict his end of the bet, a facade he still wanted to maintain, for now. "Who else is there?" he wondered. He drew a blank but continued to pose the question. As fate would have it, he received the answer a few days later.

It was a cold, wintry night and Scott was at his job as an Uber driver when he received a request from "Amber" who needed to be picked up at "Magpie", one of the swankier restaurants in the city. As he pulled up in front of the building, he saw a heavy-set young woman with medium-length, chestnut brown hair approach his car. She wore an elegant, curve-accentuating black dress that highlighted her large breasts. She had a soft and gentle-looking face with a smirk that made her look like Tina Fey and, as Scott was about to discover, she had the wit to match.

The woman entered the car and told Scott her destination, which was about 20 minutes away. Once they were off, she opened the voice recorder on her phone and spoke aloud, "With its high-end French cuisine clearly influenced by the famous Marie-Antoine Careme, Magpie's dishes will bedazzle your taste buds and leave you..." She paused mid-sentence and belched loudly. "...a bit gassy." The woman stopped the recorder, turned her attention to Scott and said, "Pardon me. Sometimes thinking aloud is part of my process, but the dyspepsia is certainly not."

Scott was intrigued; this woman seemed very familiar but he didn't quite know why. He reflected on her eloquent manner of speaking, journalistic flair, and focus on fine food. Then it hit him.

"You must be Amber Spurr, the new food critic for the gazette. I'd recognize that prose anywhere. I really enjoy reading your column," he said.

"You are correct, sir, and thank you very much for your kind words. It's always nice to meet an admirer," she replied.

Scott glanced in the rearview mirror. He had only ever seen Amber's headshot before; he had no idea she was so...plump; she clearly enjoyed her work.

"It sounds like Magpie is worth the price then?" he asked, hoping to continue the conversation.

"Oh, indeed. I'd recommend starting with the bouillabaisse --- mmm, c'est magnifique! Next, an order of..." she continued on for much of the ride as Scott listened patiently, occasionally asking questions and adding a few droll comments. By the end of the trip, he had thoroughly charmed her.

"Scott, thank you for your company; you are a perfectly affable and courteous gentleman. We simply must have more of these outings. I always do reviews on Wednesday evenings - would you be willing to be my regular driver on those nights?"

"That works just fine for me. It's been a pleasure as well. I'll see you next Wednesday."

As Scott drove away from Amber's home, he reflected on their brief but meaningful conversation. He learned that Amber was a woman with refined tastes, intelligence, and a zest for life. Scott admired her and knew that there had to be a way for her to help him in his bet with Piper. After some thought, Scott came up with his shrewdest idea yet.

After two weeks of being Amber's chauffer, the two had developed a budding friendship. Scott was taking her home one night when he decided to execute his plan.

"Amber, I'm curious, what drove you to become a food critic?" he asked earnestly.

"Well, I've always had a passion for the finer things in life, especially food. I believe that everyone should strive to indulge in the most delectable meals that they can and cultivate an insatiable appetite. In my reviews, I try to inspire others to connect with their inner gourmet. You could say my dream is to transform people into foodies!" Amber replied excitedly.

Scott had correctly pegged her as one of those do-gooder types. This revelation increased confidence in his plan and he decided to go forward with his gamble.

"Wow, that is very inspiring indeed! It also makes me think about my girlfriend." Amber looked intrigued. "This might sound strange but, well, here it goes..." Scott told Amber all about the bet he made with Piper. Playing off Amber, he explained that his motivation for the bet was to get Piper to indulge her passions more. He also detailed the events of the past few months, being careful not to mention his schemes. Throughout it all, Amber listened closely.

"So, any advice that you'd be willing to provider her?" Scott asked after he finished. He crossed his fingers hoping that she wasn't about to laugh him out of his own car.

"Advice? Scott, it sounds like Piper and I were made for each other!" Amber exclaimed. "In fact, I insist on meeting her as soon as possible. I'll give her a tour of all the finest restaurants in the city, plus some greasy spoons for good measure. By the time I'm done with her, she'll share my excitement for food," she paused for a second and added, "and maybe this too," she said, winking and placing two hands on her rotund belly.

"You'd really do that? Thanks, Amber! Just one thing though, we'll need to have you two meet without her knowing I set it up. I don't want it to look like I'm trying to influence her," Scott replied. Amber nodded and they decided that Scott would help her bump into Piper in the next few days. Scott left feeling ecstatic that he had recruited an unknowing feeder to his cause. Unbeknownst to him, his night wasn't over yet.

~*~*~*~

Piper felt very stressed out. She recently began working three 12 hour shifts per week and her body was still adapting to the altered schedule. At work, she was tired and she now consumed energy drinks and high calorie cafeteria meals in an effort to stay awake. At home, she had difficulty sleeping and tonight she was restlessly paced around the living room at 11:00 PM. Her mind was fixated on the new doctor at work. He was a total jerk who treated nurses like garbage and Piper was stuck with him for the next few weeks. To top it off, she was struggling to gain weight. She felt anxious and irritated, desperate for anything to take the edge off. Piper walked into the kitchen, grabbed a cold beer from the refrigerator, and took a large swig.

She breathed a sigh of relief and felt the coolness emanating from the open refrigerator. Looking inside, she spotted a whole cheesecake and heard her stomach grumble. Her mind, still cluttered with the emotion, produced a singular thought: "A midnight snack might help..."

In her depleted state, Piper was incapable of resistance. She put a slice of the calorie-rich dessert on a plate, sat in front of the open refrigerator, and began to eat. She shoveled the cake into her mouth, enjoying the contrast in texture between the soft cheese and the crumbly graham cracker crust; her eating was punctuated by a few sips of beer. Before Piper even finished the slice, her thoughts drifted toward having another: "I must be hungry..."

She basked in the chill of the refrigerator as she hungrily gobbled down another piece. With each bite, Piper savored the sweet and rich taste of the cake. Her attention narrowed on eating and her mood slowly brightened with each new forkful. As she finished the second piece, she licked a few smears of cake off the plate. Piper's thoughts turned increasingly primal: "I need more..."

Whether it was the combination of alcohol and stress or some other factors, Piper's impulse control had evaporated. She grabbed a slice of cake with her bare hand and took a large bite. She felt swept up in the raw pleasure of the dessert and moaned softly. She continued to eat, ignoring the growing fullness of her stomach. Before starting on a fourth piece she had a brief moment of self-reflection.

"Look at me, I'm such a pig!" She thought back to the bet and her mood shifted. "Yes! I'm a pig!" Filled with enthusiasm, she returned to eating cheesecake.

Scott arrived home at midnight to find Piper in bed, moaning softly and rubbing her middle. She looked like she had swallowed a watermelon and her normally loose nightie was now tight around her swollen belly. Scott looked at Piper in disbelief and asked what happened.

"Just a little midnight snack," Piper replied as she stifled a belch. "Sorry to break it to you, but you're going to lose our bet."

Scott walked toward the kitchen to investigate. He opened the refrigerator and saw the damage: half of the cheesecake he had bought earlier that week was gone. He returned to the bedroom and asked, "Did you eat..."

"Half? Yes," Piper replied coyly. She heaved herself off the bed, grunting as she did. She kissed Scott sensually and whispered, "And guess what? I'm still hungry..."

The next day, Piper, filled with newfound confidence in her ability to complete the bet, went to the mall to upgrade the size of her wardrobe in preparation. After she bought some medium shirts and size 4-6 pants, she stopped to get ice cream at the food court. As Piper stood looking at the flavors, a large-breasted brunette approached her.

"Their Rocky Road is the best. Two scoops, waffle cone, can't beat it. Trust me," the brunette said confidently.

"Uh, thanks." Piper replied, clearly confused. She was at a loss for what to order so she decided to go with the stranger's suggestion. After a few licks, she was glad she did.

"Well?" the brunette asked.

"It's great! Thanks for the suggestion," Piper replied.

"If you think that's good you should try what they have at 'Ice House'," the woman sat next to Piper. "I'm Amber by the way.