chapter 3

Jamie's alarm clock rang way too early on Monday morning. The staff meeting brought another insurmountable pile of work. Luckily, she was highly praised for the first round of articles that she wrote last week. It seems as if writing about such delicious food on such an empty stomach allowed her to describe every facet of the meal in vivid and mouthwatering detail. "Keep up the good work, we've already gotten a ton of emails from readers who can't wait to hear more from you and restaurant owners from some very exclusive establishments who want you to visit." Said Jamie's boss in front of the entire staff. Once she returned to her desk, she was overcome with a wave of stress and anxiety as she looked at her calendar, but she was also thrilled about the praise she received. Not only were people happy with her work, but aside from her insane workload, she liked this new set of responsibilities. After chugging a large cappuccino (her new secret weapon for getting through the more rigorous workday) she sat down at the computer and lost herself in her duties. By the time 5 o'clock rolled around she still wasn't even close to being finished and she had a reservation with a new restaurant at 7. "Ugh, I'm swamped, I really think I need to call Amy and cancel on boot camp tonight." Jamie thought to herself sadly. She picked up her cell phone, took a nice long sip from her second cappuccino of the day, and dialed Amy's number. Amy wasn't too happy about the cancellation, but sensing the stress in Jamie's voice she tried to tone down the bridezilla act and be a little bit more understanding. When Jamie finally powered down her computer for the day and met Gabe outside the restaurant, she was ready to blow off some steam. The restaurant was a stylish Italian place and Jamie was finally beginning to relax over a glass over red wine when their appetizers came out. Gabe dug into the food voraciously, while Jamie took only a bite of each dish. Then she watched, still hungry, as Gabe happily ate the rest of the delicious food. When the main course arrived, Jamie allowed herself a few more bites, but still left about ¾ of her meal untouched. It was one of the best meals she had ever eaten, and she watched feeling a little sad as Gabe polished off the rest of his lasagna. Gabe finally noticed that Jamie was acting off "Babe, what's wrong? Stressed? You've been working like a dog lately." Said Gabe looking concerned. "Well it's stress and work and planning this wedding, but it also stinks to be around food all day and barely be able to eat a bite. I've never allowed myself to eat food like this and it's all so good, but I've got to focus on my figure. I only need to hold out for a few more months, but I'm actually good at this." Jamie said thinking out loud. "You should just relax a bit, you've had a flawless body for years, a few unhealthy meals every week is not going to turn you into a pig. Plus, you spend so much time at the gym you'll just work off all those calories anyway. You'll be fine, plus you're a stick. You know I would love it if you got a little bit of an ass." Said Gabe smiling slyly. Jamie thought it over for a few seconds "yeah, you're probably right, I've been a steady 125 for years now. I just need to accept that I've got a fast metabolism, I probably wouldn't be able to put on weight even if I tried. I've been so stressed, I do need to relax" Jamie said as she picked up her fork again.

The rest of the week was more of the same. The work was constant, typing, emailing, running around the city, tasting, eating, drinking, networking. As her workday got longer it left less and less time for her other interests and what little free time she had was spent making wedding preparations. Jamie slowly allowed herself to start eating more of the delicious food surrounding her every day, but she was incredibly cautious, weighing herself in the morning and every night. But as she expected, it was a steady 125, which was especially surprising considering she had to cancel on meeting up with Amy at the gym every night this week. Every time she consistently saw the 125 flash before her eyes, she became more and more secure, eating just a little bit more every day and checking the scale less and less. By the time the engagement party rolled around, Jamie wasn't concerned about having to ration herself throughout the event. It turned out to be a great party and even Amy couldn't find anything to complain about. The one thing everyone could agree on is that the food was amazing. Jamie left at the end of the night feeling more stuffed than ever before. "That party was fantastic if I do say so myself." Said Jamie as she collapsed onto the bed "Mind unzipping my dress Gabe? I'm wiped." Jamie had worn a stunning short royal blue form fitting dress to the party that was feeling way too tight after a night of food and drink. Gabe unzipped the dress and it loosened around Jamie's body "Aaah that feels better." Said Jamie pulling off the dress until she was only wearing a pair of sheer black tights over a set of alluring lace underwear. "Check out this food baby." Said Jamie examining herself in the mirror and rubbing her gut. Her belly was stretched taut against the tight stockings making it look like she was just starting to show a pregnancy. "Well that's a new sight! How far along are you?" Said Gabe jokingly caressing the swell of her tummy. "Yeah yeah! Don't get too attached Mr. it'll be back to normal tomorrow!" Jamie joked back as she climbed into bed, not bothering to take of her stockings, bra, and underwear, and passed out after an exhausting week.