Dumburger - Tasty and Cripsy

Chapter 1 - First Day at Dumburger

I’m Jasmine, and it’s official: today is my first day at work. I never imagined my first job would be at a fast food place with a ridiculous name like "Dumburger." I showed up this morning, both excited and nervous, wearing my extra small uniform, which, I must say, looked huge on me. I felt tiny, especially next to Tammy, my only coworker so far.

When I arrived, she greeted me with a smile so wide it would make anyone feel awkward.

"Are you my new coworker?" she asked, giving me a curious and amused look.

"Yeah... Hi, I’m Jasmine. Nice to meet you," I replied, trying to sound more confident than I actually felt.

Tammy was imposing, not just because of her size, but also her attitude. She wore the same uniform as me, but on her it looked like the seams were about to burst. It almost looked like a custom-made dress... one no one would ever ask for. She wore heavy makeup, with lashes that seemed to tickle you just by looking at them, and she spoke with a cheerful yet slightly irreverent tone.

"Jasmine! Nice to meet you, I’m Tammy," she said. Then, without wasting any time, she threw in a jab. "Wow, you're so skinny! You’d better watch out here, you know? The food we serve is really good and greasy, you’ll be gaining weight in no time."

I gave a shy smile and nervously twirled a lock of my hair around my finger. "Well... I’ve always been thin, so I don’t think it’ll be an issue."

She laughed, and at that moment, I realized that Tammy doesn’t hold back with her comments.

"We'll see! Eventually, you’ll fall for it too, trust me. Everyone does! What do you usually eat, Jasmine? Just salads and light stuff, right?"

"More or less... But it’s okay, I’m here to work, not to eat."

Tammy laughed again, a full, musical sound that seemed to underline just how little I knew about the place I’d landed in. "Sure, honey, like that’s going to happen. Just wait till you find out that employees get free meals and drinks!" she winked at me. "You’ll get hungry, trust me."

I gave her a skeptical look, trying to hide a smile. She seemed genuinely proud of her "role" in carrying on the legend of how "curvy" she was.

"Alright, let’s get started! You’ll mostly work at the register, but today I’ll have you try the drive-thru. It’s easy; just listen carefully and put the customers’ orders together."

Her instructions were quick, almost as fast as the glances she threw at me every now and then. She was a chatterbox, but she genuinely seemed to want to teach me. So, I followed her to the small drive-thru station.

"Ready for your debut?" she asked with a teasing smile. "I’ll handle the first customers. You watch and learn."

Before long, a car pulled up to the microphone at the drive-thru. Tammy pressed a button and, with a sing-song voice, greeted them, "Welcome to Dumburger! How can I help you today?"

The customer’s response was blunt and straightforward: "A large Dumburger meal with a Coke, two medium cheese fries, and a milkshake."

Tammy quickly typed everything into the system with impressive efficiency, and then, with a perfect smile, asked, "Will that be all with card or cash, darling?"

I watched the whole scene, amazed by how at ease she was with the customers. But when it came time to prepare the food, the anxiety I had been feeling all morning returned.

"Your turn," Tammy said, giving her thigh a light tap. "Go ahead, grab everything from the monitor and set up the bags."

I stepped forward, carefully studying the list of orders. Large burger, large fries, two medium cheese fries, milkshake. Okay, nothing impossible. I set to work, gathering each item with near-obsessive precision.

Once I finished, Tammy turned to me and excitedly announced, "Now go to the window, Jasmine. It’s your moment!"

I took a deep breath and walked up to the service window. With a little hesitation, I opened the small handle, revealing a customer on the other side waiting patiently.

"Good evening, your order’s ready," I said, trying for a smile.

The man nodded politely as he took the bag. "Thanks, sweetheart," he said before walking off.

I stood still for a second, a bit stunned. Then, as I walked back in, I caught Tammy’s approving gaze.

"See? That was easy, right?" she asked, giving a shrug.

"Yeah… I think I can handle it," I replied with a genuine smile.

The morning dragged on slowly. I had gotten over my initial shyness and was settling into the job, but with a colleague like Tammy around, it was hard not to feel like I was being watched constantly. She was always there, ready to offer unsolicited advice or brush off difficulties as if everything were a breeze.

"See? I told you this job is easy!" she said, coming over casually, once again adjusting her soft belly in her T-shirt. "With a little practice, you'll be just as quick. I’m sure of it!"

And sure enough, a car pulled up, and Tammy moved with such speed and skill that she looked like a true drive-thru juggler: taking the order at the speaker, typing everything into the monitor with precision, and preparing the food almost before I realized it. Then, with a sparkling smile, she waved the satisfied customer off.

"Done!" she said, thumping her chest triumphantly.

"Wow, you're fast... for being, well... kinda heavy," I said before I could stop myself, in a tone that might have seemed provocative, but it had slipped out without any ill intent. I didn't think much about how insensitive my comment was.

Tammy didn’t lose her cool, although it was clear my comment had annoyed her a little. She put one hand on her hip, the other on her belly, and laughed. "Oh, listen to you! And for the record, I'm not 'heavy', I'm 'curvy,' thank you very much. There's a big difference!"

"No, Tammy. Look at yourself," I insisted, motioning to her soft stomach that she made no effort to hide.

Finally, with a shrug and a look somewhere between amused and resigned, she responded, "Okay, okay! I'm heavy, fine? But at least I'm heavy and happy. And honestly, who cares? A little extra weight never hurt anyone."

I didn't reply. I decided to change the subject.

"So, what exactly do I need to do today?"

Tammy studied the room for a moment, eyeing the calm atmosphere. It was a quiet day, with only a few sporadic customers breaking the silence. "Hmm... not much at the moment. You can relax for a bit. It usually picks up again in about ten or fifteen minutes."

I shrugged and pulled out my phone to kill some time. What I didn't know was that Tammy was still watching me, maybe still a bit upset from my "heavy" comment. The hours slowly ticked by until the clock read noon.

"Lunch time," she announced, coming over. "You’re hungry, right?"

"Yeah, pretty much," I answered. "How much time do we have for lunch?"

"An hour," she said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from my phone. "And guess what? Lunch is free for us employees! It’s the best part of the day, I swear."

"Ah… interesting," I muttered, suddenly realizing I had no idea what I felt like eating. But the thought of free food was tempting. "Well... if it’s free, maybe I’ll try something."

With a smile that made her eyes sparkle, Tammy tugged me into the back, to the employee area. "Of course it’s all free! It's one of the perks of working here. The best food? Definitely the burgers and fries."

"I was thinking of something simple," I said hesitantly. "Maybe a burger and water?"

Tammy stopped dead in her tracks, staring at me with wide eyes. "A burger and water? No, no, no, no. What a sad meal! No fries? No milkshake?"

"I've never had a milkshake."

There was a beat of silence as she looked at me, incredulous. "You’re joking, right? You’ve never had a milkshake? How is that even possible?"

I shook my head, feeling almost guilty. "No."

"I can’t believe this!" she exclaimed. "Oh my god, today’s the day your life changes! You have to try one."

I had no idea how to respond, so I just let her decide.

"Let’s do this," she said, her excitement building. "You’ll have a burger, but not just any burger, a double. Then large fries and a Coke. And, of course, a large milkshake!"

"Isn't that a bit much?" I asked, still hesitant.

"No way! You’re as skinny as a rail, you can totally handle it," she paused to look me up and down. "You’re not like me, all ‘thicc,’ so go ahead, eat whatever you want, sweetie."

That word made me smile, even though I could hear the hint of frustration in her voice. In the end, I ordered exactly what she suggested.

When I sat down at the table with her to wait for my tray, I noticed Tammy was looking at me with a triumphant air.

"I’m so excited for your first milkshake," she said. "You’ll see, it’s something special!"

"Okay, but I don’t get all this excitement. It’s just food, right?"

Tammy’s eyes went wide, like I’d said something sacrilegious. "Just food? Don’t even joke! A milkshake is an experience! You’ll remember your first one forever."

I laughed. "I highly doubt I’ll care that much."

"You’ll see," she replied, convinced, as our order arrived.

Tammy pushed my tray toward me like it was a precious gift. I looked at her, not sure whether to laugh or give in to my curiosity. Maybe the milkshake really did live up to all the hype… or maybe it was just Tammy who was overly invested. After all, people who are heavy love these things.