Chapter 2 - the plan

Two weeks passed and much to Chelsea's dismay, she found Michelle's assessment of Brent to be impeccably accurate. Nearly every day he came by her desk saying that he just wanted to make "small talk", but all that meant was that he felt like looking her over as he bragged about his successes.

Chelsea did everything she could to get him off her back, but nothing seemed to work. Even when Chelsea would end a conversation abruptly by pretending that she needed to use the restroom, Brent would continue to hound her until she entered the ladies' room.

The situation reached a boiling point on a Friday evening as Chelsea left work. As she strode across the parking lot, she glanced over her shoulder only to find Brent stomping towards her; he looked positively irate.

"Hey!" he shouted angrily. In retrospect, it was clear that Chelsea should have ignored him and kept on to her car, though at the time she stopped suddenly, frozen with fear. Brent closed in on her quickly, his eyes seethed with anger and his face was bright red.

"I'm not somebody that you can just shrug off. What's your deal, blondie?"

"I...I...I have boyfriend you jerk! And since you obviously can't take a hint, read my lips: I'm not interested in you!"

Brent scoffed. "Oh, if I had a dollar for every time I've heard that...I'd be an even wealthier man. Let me guess, though, boyfriend still lives back home, huh?"

Chelsea squirmed in place and glanced away.

"Ah, that's a yes." Brent leaned in and talked in stern, but hushed voiced. "Listen, cutie. I don't give a shit about your loser boyfriend. Do you want to get fired? Because I've got the ear of management and just one word from me will ruin your career and send you packing back to your shitty hometown in nowheresville."

Despite Chelsea's best efforts to hide her emotions, her eyes began to water.

"Oh, that's always the Achilles heel with you debutantes: overvaluing your career. Such a pity." Brent's expression softened as a smug look appeared on his face, it was the same one that always showed up when he learned of a weakness he could exploit.

"Look, I'm not a creep, I'm just a man who really enjoys the company of beautiful women." Chelsea couldn't help but shudder as Brent spoke. "All I'm asking is that you, let's say, indulge my interest. We'll talk at work, you'll wear the outfits I like, etc. We don't have to date, but in a few months...well, who knows, right?"

"You're disgusting," Chelsea spat as a few tears now rolled down her face.

"Ah, get it out now, because talk like that is sure to get you fired and we wouldn't want that now would we?" Chelsea looked despondent and slowly shook her head as she stared at her feet.

"Well, I'm glad we had this little chat Miss Chesterfield. I'll see you bright and early on Monday. Might be a good day to wear something floral patterned, don't you think? Have a wonderful weekend."

Brent walked past Chelsea and entered his luxurious, black BMW with a smug look still plastered on his handsome face. As he drove off, Chelsea continued to sob as her mind tried to grasp how her dream job had turned into such a nightmare so quickly. She entered her old, but reliable Honda Civic, feeling defeated and helpless. How could she possibly fight back against Brent's relentless coercion? Just then, Chelsea remembered the conversation she had with Michelle, the one she had dismissed out of hand so quickly. Suddenly, the idea didn't seem as unthinkable as it once was.

~*~*~*~

Later that evening Chelsea video chatted with Jason via Skype and brought him up to speed on her terrible day. She hadn't previously brought up the issue of Brent, hoping that it would have been resolved by this point.

"That son of a...if only I was there I would beat that shit out of that creep. God, this is so messed up," Jason fumed.

"I know, honey. Unfortunately, I've got to tackle this one on my own."

"So what are you going to do?" he asked.

"Well, that's part of why I called. I need your advice. You see, I have an idea, but I don't think you're going to like it..."

"Really? If it means getting rid of this jerk, I can't imagine that I'd be opposed. Let's hear it." Jason sat at attention, waiting for Chelsea to continue.

Chelsea sighed, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes before speaking. She spoke quickly and the words shot of her mouth like they were fired from a cannon: "Brent is incredibly vain and shallow so I'm going to put on some weight in hopes that he'll leave me alone."

Jason tried to process what he had just heard while simultaneously holding back a laugh. However, after a few seconds, he couldn't help but snicker.

"Ah, I knew you'd laugh at me! I don't have many options here, Jason! I can't give up the career that I've worked so hard for and just started!"

Jason regained his composure and began to explain his reaction. "I'm sorry, Chels, I know you're in a tough bind here. It's just that it sounds so silly. Where did you get such an idea?"

"Well, the girls in the office have apparently done the same thing and had success, so I figured, why not me too?"

"You mean they've all gained weight since being there and he leaves them alone?" Jason inquired. Chelsea confirmed with a nod. "Do they seem happy?" he probed further.

"Yeah, actually, they're all super nice and sweet. They're just a bunch of...well, softies."

Jason chuckled again, still trying to fully comprehend what he was hearing. "And so in terms of you "joining them", what are you planning to do, specifically?"

"I don't know, I was thinking maybe I could gain 15 or 20 pounds? Just enough that he leaves me alone."

Jason looked at her skeptically. "You really think you can manage that?"

"Have you already forgotten about how much I ate in college? During final weeks I was a force of nature. Cramming for exams and cramming pizza down my throat..."

"Yeah, but to gain that much weight you'll need to pig out more consistently. And no more exercise either, so put those workout outfits in the back of the closet."

"Listen to you and your advice. It's almost like you want me to get soft and chubby!"

"I just think if you're going to do this you need to commit and do it right. No sense in half-assing it." Jason looked serious and pondered the matter further. "How long are you planning to keep this up?"

Chelsea looked stumped, she hadn't really thought that far ahead. Although Brent might be repulsed with her after she added a few pounds, there was no telling how much extra weight that would require or whether he'd simply hound her again if she decided to diet. She knew she needed a more permanent solution.

"Well, I suppose this is just a temporary measure. All the while I'll be looking for ways to get him out of the company. I can drop the weight once he either goes away or you move in after a year."

The young couple silently pondered Chelsea's idea for a few more moments though neither of them raised any additional questions.

Eventually, Chelsea broke the silence. "So, what do you think?"

"I think that...Thanksgiving is going to be a lot more interesting now."

Chelsea smiled knowing that she had won his approval. "You're the sweetest boyfriend a girl could ever ask for, Jason. I promise that I'll make this up to you," she said, winking seductively.

Chelsea felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, which was ironic, given the discussion. "You know, a part of me is actually relieved that I can let loose a little bit. There's so much pressure in my office with all those damn baked goods. It takes all of my willpower to resist! I probably would have started gaining even without this plan," Chelsea seemed momentarily distracted and added, "Speaking of which..."

Jason watched as Chelsea disappeared from the video chat screen and returned a few moments later. "Oof, I guess I've already indulged than I thought. Big girl here is weighing in at a hefty 132 pounds."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah Chels, you're a real load."

"Hey, for a shorty like me that's not nothing!" she retorted, her golden blonde hair swayed from side to side as she enthusiastically protested by showing off her "curves" to Jason. "I haven't been this big since Freshman year!"

"Well, you'd better buckle up little lady because that ain't nothing."

"Don't you mean unbuckle? After all, I'm going to need a bit more room in these pants while I grow this belly of mine." Chelsea re-opened the pizza box that she had put aside earlier and grabbed another slice. She stood in front of the camera, melodramatically munching on the slice and pretending to savor each bite.

The young couple shared a laugh and Jason added, "There might be hope for this plan yet!". Chelsea smiled, knowing that she now had a way to fight back.