Chapter 1: Back in Town

Jake hadn't been sure what to do after high school. He found himself sort of going through the motions and earning a degree he wasn't passionate about at the local no-name college. In the end, he found himself working at the small cafe where he'd started a few years back in high school. At this point he was practically running the kitchen, with very little help from the owner whose passion for it had wained. But, Jake didn't mind so much. He was finding a bit of a passion for it, and the cafe was doing well with a decent set of regulars.

Recently, a new regular had caught his attention. Each Sunday, a cute brunette and what he assumed were her parents would come in for brunch. Even when Jake didn't get a chance to get a glance, he knew they were there when an order came in for their usuals: eggs and toast for the mom, the "scrambler" for the dad which had a bit of everything, and some variety of pancakes for the girl.

The girl seemed somewhat familiar, and after looking through an old year book, he was fairly sure it was Bridgette from the grade behind him. He hadn't made much note of her years ago, but it was a different story now. She was rather plain looking back then, but now her hair was long and flowing, her figure nice and womanly, and she normally sported some kind of dress or crop top and jeans that did a good job of showing off her new body. Perhaps she was back in town after college? Or maybe she'd never left and the new Sunday ritual was happenstance? Either way, he found himself taking extra care with their order.

A few months went by without note, but then one crisp Tuesday morning Jake heard "order for Bridgette" called out. Stealing a look at the counter it was confirmed, there she was grabbing her order. By the looks of it she was on the way to work. Dressed in a cozy deep red turtle neck shirt tucked into a black skirt with leggings--it was a professional look, but one that still succeeded in showcasing the lovely figure underneath. Jake wrenched his eyes back to the business at hand but found himself a little distracted by the new development.

Apparently, the cafe was a convenient stop to make on the way to work, because over the next couple weeks it became a daily ritual. Just like her Sunday brunch, she was a creature of habit. A raspberry Danish and coffee became the start of every day. The task of making the Danishes went from being a chore to a point of pride aimed at keeping Bridgette coming back for more.

And she did...every morning without fail over the ensuing weeks. And apparently it had the effect of increasing her appetite in the morning, because she started adding in a donut, a scone, or whatever else was an easy grab and go item--always in addition to her regular Danish...or two, or even three! Yup, after a couple months she was regularly having a rather indulgent start to her day.

Surprisingly, it didn't seem to impact her figure. Or, perhaps he hadn't noticed? Bridgette was always wearing a jacket to buffet the colder temps these days so it would be hard to notice, especially since he saw her every day. At the next brunch he would try to grab a look, just out of curiosity.

So. after the familiar brunch order was made, Jake maneuvered to gain a peak at Bridgette—and, perfect—she was seated just right to get a good side profile. Maybe it was the sweater, some bloating, or just the way she was sitting, but smart money would say there *was* a little pudge coming on. Reaching back to some mental images from the summer, and there wasn't any doubt. But, instead of feeling concern or disgust, it was.. hot. Wait, what?