Chapter 4 - staying with the kendricks: part 3

10.
Niall couldn't help but stare as Faye, a distant look in her eyes, shoved another handful of greasy chips into her half open mouth. Seated at a table outside of a small street kitchen, only minutes away from the bakery, the two were having themselves a quick lunch.

Faye, much as Niall had expected, had found herself very taken with the bundle of greasy chips and fatty fried fish that he had bought her. Having gotten a taste of the cheap fare she'd shovelled it down her throat, eating as she had the night before, with single-minded ferocity unlike Niall had ever seen.

Faye's enthusiasm for her food had earned her more than a couple of strange looks. Those few other patrons passing by could hardly help but stare as the girl, forgetting for a moment all about her dignity, ate like a woman possessed.

Though Niall knew perfectly well that Faye was making a spectacle of herself he did not call it to her attention. Captivated by her shameless gluttony, by the utter joy she seemed to take in every bite of her greasy meal, he found that he simply couldn't bring himself to interrupt her.

Soon enough however the girl slowed her pace. With more than half of her hefty meal packed inside her tiny tummy Faye's attention had started to drift. She was glancing into the distance, her thoughts miles from the greasy mouthful she was currently munching her way through.

"You're very quiet" said Niall, a sympathetic half-smile on his face.

"Oh, sorry," said Faye, blinking as she brought her attention back to the here and now. "I guess I was thinking."

"A dangerous habit, what about?"

"Well," said Faye, looking wistfully at the bundle of greasy junk in her hands, "I'm just not sure what to do. I've no idea where I'm from or where I'm going. I don't have any clothes of my own. I don't even have the money to buy my own food."

"Well," said Niall; "it might not be much, but I'm sure the Kendricks wouldn't mind putting you up for as long as you need."

"Maybe, but I can't keep imposing on them forever, can I? I wonder if I shouldn't just go back..."

"Back where?"

Looking down at the dripping wrap of grease-fried food in her hands Faye's features formed a wistful smile.

"I'm not sure," she said.

For a short while the two of them sat in silence, neither knowing quite what to say. Then, at last, Niall, his gaze drifting down to where Faye's fingers were clutching her oily meal, spoke.

"Well," he said, a friendly smile on his face; "if worse comes to worse you could probably get a pretty penny for that ring of yours."

Faye glanced down at the white, glimmering band of metal wrapped round her left ring finger. Her expression turning suddenly very serious she shook her head.

"No," she said; "I don't think that'd be a good idea."

"Sorry, just trying to lift your spirits," Niall shrugged. "Anyways, considering how I found you last night now's probably not the time to be worrying about things like that. If I were you I'd just take it easy for a while."

"Yeah-" Faye smiled, looking up from the oily bundle in her hands."-maybe you're right. I guess I don't really need to think about all this right now."

"Of course I'm right," Niall grinned. "I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. Just enjoy your chips. With time I'm sure it'll all work out."

A thoughtful smile on her face Faye's grease stained fingers grabbed another handful of the fried treats and shoved them in between her greedy lips. Though his advice seemed, for the moment, to have cheered the girl up Niall could tell her worries were still weighing on her.

11.
As he squeezed between his strong fingers a lump of pale, pliable dough Niall found the image of Faye, her lips covered in grease as she gobbled her way through handfuls of chips, coming unbidden into his mind.

In the hours since that lunchtime spectacle he'd found himself able to think about little else. The image of Faye's immense appetite, so at odds with her slender figure, would not leave him be. Rarely had he seen a girl so eager to eat, so happy to stuff herself to the brim.

If Faye continued to gorge like today then what, he found himself wondering; might her appetite do to her figure? Was she perhaps one of those rare women who could eat as much as she liked without the slightest consequence, who could stuff her greedy belly with no fear for where all that food might one day leave her? As slender as she was she very well might be, but then again...

He dug his fingers harder into the soft, yielding dough.

Looking over his shoulder, out through the open door and into the front room of the bakery, Niall caught a glimpse of the girl. With Annie out running an errand Faye had taken it on herself to mind the counter for a couple of minutes. She stood leaning against it, absently nibbling through a small bag of cookies, an afternoon snack Niall had made for her, as she waited for Annie to return. Though he'd known her for little more than a day Niall could tell from Faye's posture that she was deep in thought.

Realising he'd been staring a little too long he turned away. Upon doing so he noticed Oscar Kendrick looking at him out of the corner of his eye, a bemused smile on his heavy face.

"You should probably keep your eyes on your work," said the town baker, his voice a slow baritone.

"Right," nodded Niall in response.

Saying nothing more the two both continued as they had.

Oscar Kendrick was a fairly large man, though not as tall as Niall he had thick arms and a round barrel of a belly. A man of few words the bakery was usually a quiet place when he was around, leaving Niall with plenty of room to think.

It was silly, he knew. He'd hardly known the girl for more than a day and already he couldn't seem to stop thinking about her. About her appetite, her figure, her mannerisms. She was unlike anyone he'd ever met.

Even so, she was only a guest. Soon enough she would leave. She would set off for god knows where with what little she had. The thought did not please him. Could she really manage on her own?

As he stood there, absently moulding the pliant lump of dough with his palms he realised that he did not want Faye to leave. He wanted to know more about her, about who she was, about where she'd come from, about...

So deep was he in thought that he hardly noticed as Mrs. Kendrick entered the room.

"So, what goodies are we cooking up here then?" The well-fed woman asked, leaning against her husband.

"Have a taste," said Oscar, putting an arm around his wife as he pushed a ball of dough, made to be baked into a cinnamon roll, in between her lips.

"Not bad," giggled Mrs. Kendrick. "You sure know your stuff old man."

Oscar said little in response. He simply smiled and squeezed his wife's well padded midriff.

Watching the two of them from the corner of his eye Niall couldn't help but smile. It was no mystery how the, if old pictures were to be believed, once slender Maggie Kendrick had come to turn into the hefty housewife she was today. Possessed of an insatiable sweet tooth and a husband who loved nothing more than to indulge her Niall imagined Maggie's figure had been doomed from the moment she met Oscar. Though years of overeating had long since robbed Mrs. Kendrick of her once slender frame her husband still seemed only too happy to spoil her with tasty treats. Niall doubted Oscar had the heart to deny his beloved wife anything she might want.

Anything she might want...

As Mrs. Kendrick, having enjoyed her snack, turned and tottered out of the room Niall moved to follow her.

"Excuse me," he said, catching up with her as she slowly made her way up the stairs to the second floor; "there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Yes?" The woman smiled.

"Well, it's Faye. I'm kind of worried about her..."

Turning towards Niall Mrs. Kendrick responded with a solemn nod, indicating that she'd been thinking about the same thing.

"Go on," she said.