Chapter 9 - the new girl in town: part 2

22.
"So what'll it be," asked Annie, a cheery smile on her face.

Ignoring the question Lettie Kincaid, accompanied by her two slender friends, leaned nonchalantly against the bakery's counter, their eyes locked on Faye.

"That was some show you put on a while ago," said the golden haired girl.

"Show?" Faye responded, furrowing her brow, her wide eyes taking on a perplexed look.

"You know," Lettie grinned; "at the party. I don't think I've ever seen anyone dance like that."

"Well, um, thanks," said Faye, a slightly shy smile on her face.

"You're welcome," said Lettie. "It really was amazing. I'd love to learn to move like that."

"Come on, you know the rules," whined Annie, interrupting the conversation. "If you want to hang here you all have to buy something."

"Alright," Lettie sighed. "I'll have one of those then," she said, pointing towards a basket full of cinnamon rolls. "Go on girls," she turned to her friends; "you order something too."

"Alright then," smiled Annie, handing a cinnamon roll over to her friend; "that'll be two pounds please."

Having handed Annie her money Lettie, for a moment, quietly studied her newly purchased treat, turning it over in her hand.

"Actually, you can have it if you like," she said, pushing the cinnamon roll towards Annie. "I'm not really into sweets." A mischievous gleam in her eye she glanced down towards the chestnut haired girl's squishy midriff. "That's more your thing, I think."

Both giggling Lettie's friends followed suit, handing their recently purchased delicacies to the tubby girl behind the counter.

"Come on, I can't eat all this," protested Annie, one hand on her tummy as she gazed down with obvious desire at the pile of pastries before her.

"I'll have some if you don't want them," chimed in Faye.

"Best be careful," Lettie giggled, looking at the slender girl; "otherwise you'll end up having to wear one of Annie's hand me downs again. This time it might even fit you."

The two girls beside Lettie both giggled as a bright blush spread across Annie's face.

"Anyways," said Lettie, moving the conversation back to where it'd been some minutes ago; "as I said, I'd be delighted if you'd teach me that dance of yours."

"I'd love to," answered Faye. "But I'm not sure I could. I've no idea how I learned it myself. It's just something I do."

Saying nothing Lettie stared at the girl for a moment. Then she laughed.

"You're amazing," she said. "You know that right."

"What, me," Faye grinned, blushing as she grabbed herself a croissant from the tiny snack pile suddenly resting in front of Annie. "Come on. Don't be silly. I'm nothing special."

Watching, a little while later, as her three friends vanished down the street Annie took a bite out of Lettie's cinnamon roll. More calories, she sighed, squeezing her tummy as she chewed on the tasty treat, just what her figure needed.

In the weeks since Lettie's party the bakery had seen a boom in business. Suddenly people were walking through the door like never before. Usually, allegedly, to buy some small, cheap little snack. Annie, of course, knew perfectly well what really drove them all to the bakery.

Looking at Faye she found she could hardly blame them. The girl really was astoundingly beautiful. When behind the counter she always met her customers with a sweet, charming smile, only too happy to talk, listen, and joke about for a couple of minutes.

Faye was still chewing on the croissant she'd grabbed from Annie's snack pile, obviously enjoying every bite. Looking at her Annie couldn't help but smile. She seemed to take such joy in the simple act of eating. As she watched Annie could almost taste the croissant on her own tongue, almost feel as it filled her tummy.

Annie, of course, knew only too well what complicated consequences such simple pleasures might have. Having, for the last few days, studied the girl she could swear Faye was starting to round out. Her curves looked to have gotten fuller, her flesh softer and squishier. She could swear the girl was putting on weight. Weeks of snacking were finally starting to catch up with her. Soon she might end up too chunky to fit into even the largest of Annie's dresses.

The tubby girl's smile broadened at the thought. She couldn't help but feel a certain glee at the idea of tiny, perfect little Faye having her figure overtaken with fat. It wasn't particularly nice of her, she knew. But really, if the girl kept on stuffing her face she'd have no one to blame but herself.

Of the three snacks Lettie and her friends had left lying on the counter only the last, a blueberry muffin, now remained. As Annie looked at the tasty treat it seemed almost to scream for her to eat it. She knew, of course, that she shouldn't. She'd already had too many treats today. She was about to offer the thing to Faye when suddenly Niall popped his head through the door into the innermost parts of the bakery and called the girl away, probably to taste some newly baked delicacy of his.

Soon after Faye had left the room the bell at the front door signalled the arrival of another customer. Looking up from the tasty pastry on the table before her Annie found her tummy suddenly all aflutter as Harry Miller walked into the bakery.

"So, um," she stammered, her cheeks pink; "what'll it be."

Having stopped in the doorway Harry's eyes scanned the room. When he found only Annie behind the counter his disappointment was palpable. Without saying so much as a word he turned and, with the tinkle of a bell, left the same way he'd come.

Letting out a deep sigh Annie grabbed her muffin and dug in.