chapter 4

William knew he had overdone it, this time seriously. What had been in his head as he ate machine-like, his attention distracted from his over stretching stomach by the business machinations he was struggling with?...first a heavy overdone brunch and an equally sumptuous late lunch. In the car driving back to the shop he could barely breathe and had to push back against the steering wheel to allow him just to take a deep breath, his abdomen beach ball like in his lap.

It wasn't until he staggered into the foyer of his office building that he knew he was in real trouble, his shirt had long given up, the bottom 4 or 5 buttons long gone. He was so big he was able to barely cover himself with his sport coat, fortunately a recent tailoring left it large enough for him to hold closed with one hand, long enough to get by his smirking receptionist.

Red-faced from both his gluttony and the effort to get as quickly as possible to the executive elevator, he thumbed the button repeatedly, aching to get out of these tight clothes and into something...well, a bit more roomy. Good thing the closet in his suite was well stocked, he mused as the elevator ground upwards, bad thing was that Orla (a beautiful and unusual name appropriate for such a beautiful woman) might still be there and see his disgraceful condition.

The elevator door slid open and his worse fears were realized. Trying to act nonchalant he avoided his new employee's gaze and moved he hoped poised and serenely to his desk. As he sat and leaned back he could not help but let a soft groan escape from his lips.

He flushed again as he glanced over and saw her looking at him with worried concern in her eyes...concern and something else. He blinked...something else and something different about her...she had somehow emanated a sexual glow this morning, but now it was even more intense. It wasn't his imagination; the atmosphere between them had changed.

Blushing, he mumbled an excuse, trying to defuse what signals he imagined he was picking up. "I...uh...I as I have been doing more often recently is overdoing the food thing. I, uh, get distracted and the next thing I know my plate is empty and I have ordered and consumed seconds. Often topped by dessert."

His belly ached and he stifled a grunt as his tortured abdominal muscles gave a sharp protest. Holding his hand to his belly that he thought out of her line of vision he continued "I'm sorry to expose you to my weaknesses on your first day, I have turned into a glutton with absolutely no willpower. Please go ahead and take the rest of the day off...I somehow have to make myself ready for this evening's business dinner and I'm dreading it. I'm sorry to have offended you, please don't think ill of me."

He stood and leaned forward on his desk with both hands, wincing in discomfort, trying to relax his stomach muscles, long having given up any pretense of covering his obvious indiscretions he released his jacket, sighing as the cool air teased his exposed skin.