Chapter 2 - two

Jeff was in a terrible mood. He had only managed to sell his expensive clothes and shoes for a fraction of what they had cost him. At this rate, he'd never even begin to start paying off the money he owed. On top of that, he had moved into his "new" apartment. It was the cheapest he could find on short notice, and he was stuck sharing a cramped two-bedroom with an Indian grad student who enjoyed cooking traditional foods. As a result, the apartment smelled faintly like Indian cooking spices, a far cry from the designer scents Jeff used to wear. The smell had quickly been absorbed by all of Jeff's belongings, which he resented deeply.

He hated his new situation. He knew he would have to immediately stop hanging out with everyone who had known him before. He knew he could never bring a girl back to his new apartment without feeling horribly embarrassed, and the thought angered him. He deserved better. He finished unpacking his few remaining belongings and peered at himself in the chipped mirror hovering precariously over the tiny porcelain sink. He looked tired. His skin was looking pale without his trips to the tanning salon. "I look like complete garbage," he thought angrily as he threw himself on a mattress that lay on the floor and stared at the dingy, water-stained ceiling.

A more humble man would have shouldered the burden of newfound austerity with honor, would have realized that it was the just punishment for taking things that did not belong to him, but Jeff was not remotely humble. He still loved nice things, still hungered for the high life. His changed surroundings didn't teach him anything.
He felt no relief at the thought that he was keeping his job. He felt only despair, resentment, and self-pity. And on top of that, he had just received a huge box of bakery treats to write a report on by Monday!

Those sugar-filled 'fat-bombs' were definitely NOT on his diet. He didn't want to balloon like that clown Andrew. Andrew embodied everything about fatness to Jeff: he was sloppy, awkward, uncomfortable around women, had no confidence, and always seemed to be shuffling around with his head down, moping, or being taken advantage of by the other workers to do their menial tasks for them. He never stuck up for himself. He must have no hobbies besides eating. He was a joke. Jeff would rather die than end up a poor slob like that. No self-respect.

Jeff sat up and sighed as he reached for the bakery box. He pulled out the checklist and tried to complete as much of it as he could without actually tasting anything. He smelled the delicious, tempting pastries, picked up each one and inspected it. Made careful notes. Maybe he could convince his roommate to try them for him. He sighed again. Tomorrow was Monday...the start of another week living like some poverty-stricken monk. He wondered if Melissa would like him more if he showed her how hard he was trying to pay back the money, even though he secretly hated every minute of it.



Monday found Melissa in the office conference room in a muted teal pencil skirt and matching slim cut blazer that accentuated her narrow waist. The color set off her creamy complexion and warm coppery hair. She crossed her legs elegantly as she waited for the presentations from the two young men sitting across the conference room table. Jeff cleared his throat and naturally assumed that he would be the first to speak, but he was surprised to be interrupted almost immediately by an eager Andrew, who seemed to be in high spirits that day.

In contrast to his ravenous disposal of the first bakery box, he had taken his time with the second one, and made thoughtful, insightful comments. He had found the task stimulating, inspiring, and, of course, delicious, and every bite of that extra-large box had been disposed of by midnight.

"I was overall extremely impressed with the quality of the ingredients, but also with the craftsmanship that went into these things. They have a lot of bakery standards...doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, ....but they also have a lot of unique flavor combinations that you just don't see anywhere else. I think we should focus the campaign on the artistry of the cupcakes, both in the flavors and in the decoration, and then the more unique items." He shuffled through his notes. "I've selected a few to highlight, starting with the key lime beignet. Perfect combination of light, crisp dough and tart filling....the lime keeps it from being too cloying. The muffins were nice, but too conventional. Everyone does blueberry, chocolate chip, orange cranberry. The cinnamon rolls were great, but almost too much...reminded me too much of a 'Cinnabon', you know? Yeasty dough, loads of cream cheese icing. If the dough was flavored a bit more strongly, it would be a hit, maybe even toss in some Grand Marnier or Amaretto. Next highlight I'd like to pitch is that chocolate cake."
Melissa smiled, remembering the large slices she "shared" with Gracie each week.

Andrew continued. "The rest of the list is comprised of items like the beignet, which combine traditional sweetness with a little something extra, like the salted caramel pretzel cupcake. The addition of the salt cuts the sweetness. Also the honey-bourbon-glazed shortbread, the caramelized pecan and blue cheese pear torte, and the cheddar-apple pie!" Andrew had clearly put a lot of thought into the direction of the project. Melissa was extremely impressed. She also noticed how his face lit up when he spoke about the high-quality treats. She smiled.