Chapter 1

"Well, one more time, welcome aboard Matthew, and I'll see you around. I'm sure you'll settle in just fine, but if you've any problems - any problems at all - you'll find me in reception."

Charlotte smiled at me as we stood before the desk that had been assigned to me, a plastic sign with my name on to prove it. She had just taken me on a tour of the office and introduced me to everyone so thoroughly that I had lost any ability to recall anyone's name almost as soon as they'd told me it. But that's always the way on a first day, at least for me.

"Thanks," I said, smiling back at the company receptionist. She was a pretty woman of medium height with warm brown eyes.

I assumed my seat, immediately fiddling with the height of the arm rests as Charlotte, with one last little smile for me, walked back to reception.

"It's the button on the side, mate," a man called Chris, and I knew that because I could read his name sign, told me. He had the desk next to mine, and I knew I would be working quite closely with him, at least, once I was up to speed.

"Ah, thanks," I said, finally managing to slide the armrests down so I could sit comfortably, no longer feeling like a praying mantis with my arms strangely propped up in front of me.

"No problem. What's on the agenda for you today then Matty?"

I looked down at the induction materials already laid out across my desk and found the small timeplan that had been printed out for me.

"Looks like I've got some training with a Caty most of the day."

"Ah, yeah, big Cate. She'll show you the ropes well enough."

"Don't call her that," a woman whose name sign I couldn't see from this angle hissed.

"What?" Chris protested in mock innocence.

"Just don't, it's not fair," the woman insisted, before turning to me. "Caty's really nice," she said, "a wonderful personality. No one knows more about this company than she does, I assure you."

"Well, that's good," I responded, uncertainly. "Which one was she then, I suppose I'd best go say hello? I've probably already met her, but there were so many names, I couldn't keep track of them all."

The woman smiled. "Well, I'm Sandra, in case you've already forgotten," I grinned my thanks, "and she has her own office around the corner at the end of the hall."

"Next to the canteen," Chris added.

Sandra shot him a look that I did not understand. I tried to remember the layout of the building, but I couldn't quite recall such an office.

"Mate, if you'd seen her, you'd not forget," Chris said.

"Chris," Sandra warned again.

"What's wrong with that?"

"You know what you're doing," Sandra answered him curtly, "and like I said, it's not fair."

Chris waved a hand. "Well, whatever. Matty, mate, she's usually a few minutes late anyway, but I'll take you over there now."

Chris pushed his chair back from the desk and stood up, stretching and yawning. It was just a few minutes past nine and I could see he was already on his second coffee.

"Too many sensitive people about, you know?" Chris said to me, when we were out of earshot of Sandra. "She's a big girl is Caty. It's not an insult, it's a fact."

"Right," I responded, unsure what else to say.

"She's nice, though, Sandy's right about that. She doesn't like me much though, but hey, we're not here to make friends, eh?"

"Not about to bring any daily apples in to curry favour, then?" I joked.

Chris snorted. "A doughnut would likely get me much further. Anyway, here you are."

He held open a door to an empty office, gesturing for me to enter.

"She'll be along shortly, I don't doubt. Anyway, probably see you at lunch, mate, and yeah, welcome and all that."

"Cheers," I answered, slipping into the room as Chris let the door swing shut, curtailing yet another yawn.

For a few moments I just looked around. Everything was stacked impeccably neatly, from the lever arch files, to coding text books, to the various green plants arranged at the ends of the shelves. A desk, much larger than my own, sporting two wide screens and quite a few filing trays filled with reams of printed paper was the main item of furniture, and once again, it was incredibly neat and tidy. Behind it was a wide computer chair, so wide that I was sure at least two of me could have sat side-by-side in the thing, without even our elbows brushing. There was a large mini-fridge in one corner with a small table next to it atop which resided a kettle and a couple of large mugs. I walked idly and saw three large jars of hot chocolate powder, but no tea or coffee. Turning, I saw that on one end of the desk there was a large, golden fruit bowl. I took a couple of steps toward it, but found it empty.

There was one other chair in the room, aside from the wide computer chair which I could only assume belonged to 'big Cate', and so I took it. Idly, I found myself wondering just how big this Caty was. I had met people like Chris before, and I knew his type. He would call anyone with a slight paunch overweight, and probably any woman over a size 10 as fat. Still, I thought, that chair was indeed very wide and sturdy looking, so maybe she would be quite large. That thought excited me, which was a little unfortunate, considering I was here to learn and work, not date. I had always been into big girls, and my last girlfriend had been significantly plus sized. We had broken up well over a year ago, but I still had a few items of her clothing lying about my apartment; not because I was hung up on her, just because I was lazy when it came to throwing things out.

I received no warning before the door was pushed open, and I span around in my chair just in time to see Charlotte enter the room.

"Hi," she said, smiling, "Chris said you were waiting in here for bi- Caty," she caught herself, blinking. "I just wanted to hear if you had any allergies or special dietary requirements? I'd just need to let the canteen know in good time, you see."

"Ah," I responded, "no. I eat whatever."

Charlotte smiled again, her gaze lingering on me a little longer than I felt comfortable with. "That's good, then. I'll let them know. Oh," she said, as she was about to let the door close, "here comes Caty now. Have fun, and see you at lunch."

Charlotte remained standing in the door, holding the door open. I realised that I could hear the sound of footsteps approaching, growing louder for every one that landed. They were slow and heavy, and went on for far longer than I would have guessed before I finally caught a glimpse of 'big Cate', to the point where the floor veritably trembled with each tread.

Calling a woman like Caty big was like describing The Louvre as quaint. She was massive. Absolutely massive.

Red, wavy hair tumbled about Caty's face, from which blue eyes twinkled above rotund cheeks spattered with freckles. Her lips were full and slightly parted as she was breathing heavily, a slight sheen of sweat visible on her forehead.

"Thanks, Charlotte," Caty said as the receptionist slipped away, leaving the huge woman to catch the open door before it swung shut.

It was almost a tight fit, I noticed, the width of Caty's fleshy shoulders and hips forcing her to turn slightly sideways to get into the office. But had she turned fully sideways, I realised the bulge of her gigantic belly would have prevented her ingress just as effectively. As it was, the enormous woman shuffled sort of diagonally through the door, before turning to face me, at last.

"Matthew, is it?" She asked, breathily.

Her voice was warm and resonant, but with a soothing overtone like the sighing of wind through trees. I could barely take my eyes from her. The shirt she was wearing frilled out over her forearms and around the collar, and where there was skin, paler than the rest of her face though equally freckled, I could see the edges of a few tattoos peaking out from beneath her blouse. She wore a bra darker than the shirt and I could see the size of the cups against the light fabric above, and so too could I see the way her generous bosom rested atop the upper part of her protruding stomach. I was almost disappointed that she had her suit trousers buttoned up over the naval, but then, I could only imagine how impractical it must be to have such a free hanging weight swinging from side to side with every laborious step, which would have been the alternative had she buttoned her pants beneath that giant belly.

"Matthew, right?" She repeated.

"I, uh, sorry. Yeah, Matthew." I gasped, jumping up from the chair and offering a hand.

She smiled kindly, two deep dimples appearing in her wide cheeks. "Great, I'm Caty," she said, taking my hand. "Welcome!"

Her hand was soft and warm, and slightly clammy, but I did not mind one bit. I held on a little too long, I realised, as she had to tug three times to get it back.

"Uh, sorry," I muttered.

"That's OK, there's no need to be nervous."

"Uh, yeah. Nervous. That's me," I said, trying to grin.

"Well, make yourself comfortable. I'll just need a few minutes to get myself set up, and then I say we should just dive into it, what do you think?"

"Uh, yeah. Sounds good," I answered, resuming my seat.

I watched, and felt through the floor, as Caty moved around the office which suddenly felt much, much smaller. She filled the kettle from one of the bottles of water sitting on top of the fridge and turned it on, heaping six large teaspoonfuls of chocolate powder into a mug in preparation.

"Do you want anything? I only have hot chocolate here, but there's tea and coffee outside."

"Uh, no," I said, "I'm fine. Thanks."

Truth be told, my mouth had never felt dryer, but I couldn't take my eyes from this colossal woman as she opened her bag, removing a sharing pack of ready salted crisps, opening it, and pouring it into the gold fruit bowl. She popped one into her mouth before sidling around the large desk to turn on her laptop. Just the way her stomach swept over the rim of the desk, and the way her broad buttocks had bunched so heavily as she'd walked almost sent me into a frenzy. She took a key from her pocket and opened a drawer, the contents of which made her frown.

"Hmm," she murmured, "I was sure there was at least one left."

"One left of what?" I asked immediately.

She looked up, slightly startled that I'd overheard what was clearly supposed to have been a private comment. She smoothed a lock of curly hair away from her face as I admired the way her round upper arm flexed into the softest, largest bicep I'd ever seen.

"Ah, nothing. I just usually keep some snacks in here, and I seem to have run out."

I leapt from the chair again. "I'll go and get you some, if you'd like."

The kettle had boiled and I was afforded the wonderful view of Caty navigating around the desk once more, admiring the way her thighs groaned up against one another as she took her careful, ponderous steps.

"Ah, that's very kind of you. But I'm sure I can sort something out."

"It would be no trouble," I insisted. "And then when I'm back, we can just dive right into it."

She looked thoughtful as she poured the hot water into the awaiting mug. "Well, OK then. It's hard to refuse such a chivalrous offer."

She made her slow way back behind her desk with the cup of hot chocolate, and fished her purse from out of her handbag.

"Here," she said, holding out a twenty pound note. "There's a corner shop on the bottom floor, as it happens. Just tell them 'Caty's usual' and they'll be able to help you."

"Alright," I smiled as our fingers brushed as I accepted the proffered note. "Want me to get anything else with the change?"

A faint flush crept into her freckled cheeks and her blue eyes glanced away. "There won't be any change."