Stuffed like the pasta

Chapter 1 - Status:complicated

"I can't believe he would just blow you off like this," Tara said leaning against the marble countered host stand. Her dyed blonde hair pulled back in a low ponytail as she kept her hazel eyes on the chocolate mint treats in front of her. As she turned her body to hand one to Crystal, she noticed how the buttons on Tara's button-down white shirt looked a little strained with her soft chubby belly hanging down against them. Leaning over definitely didn't do her any favors if she was trying to hide her recent weight gain.

"I know, but I kind of get it at the same time. He doesn't want to put either of us in a position that would be uncomfortable for the company or everyone else working here," Crystal said as she unwrapped the minty chocolate. She popped it in her mouth without even thinking about it. There was a whole box of them readily available at the host stand and both girls found themselves always munching on them when bored. It gave their mouths something to do besides talk while they waited for the next guests. "We had sex too quickly and he's just...I don't know."

"Still, even if he blows you off in public at least talk to you in private, right?" the 22 year old Tara said after swallowing. She stood up and stretched backwards. Crystal noticed her shirt untucked from her pants and briefly exposed her soft creamy spare tire. Tara gave her stomach a little pat before tucking her shirt into her tight black dress pants. "Ugh, I need to stop eating these damn things before I need new clothes. They're not helping."

"You think you'll get back with Patrick?" Crystal asked. Patrick and Tara were on and off again boyfriend-girlfriend. They had been together since senior year. Tara was one of those bigger volleyball girls back then but with very little muscle, and Patrick was a wrestler. Crystal watched as Tara would go through stages of depression and binge eating after every one of their semi-annual breakups. Right now, Tara stood at 5'4" without an ounce of muscle on her soft body.

Tara sighed, playing with the toothpicks. "I don't know.... Part of me just wants something different and part of me still loves him. We've been together so long and he gets me... We've talked about getting married one day and having like 4 fur babies."

"Well, take this break from him and see where things go," Crystal encouraged, putting another chocolate in her mouth and getting some menus. "And take this incoming table to 113... Good afternoon, folks."

Crystal couldn't help but watch Tara as she walked away, the waistband on her pants visibly pressing into her fleshy hips, her lower belly roll unable to be concealed through her shirt fabric. "Tara doesn't want kids but almost looks to be expecting," Crystal chuckled to herself.

The girls needed to alternate their lunch breaks and Tara went first. She ordered lasagna as her employee meal. Crystal couldn't help but glance at her best friend sitting in the empty back section of the Italian restaurant, knowing she was texting Patrick. On her own lunch break, Crystal ordered mozzarella sticks and soup as she scrolled through recent texts from Travis. Travis was the kitchen manager who she's gotten to know very well when they'd work the closing shift. Tara got Crystal the job here 6 months ago after they rekindled their friendship. Tara and Patrick had a bad break up, Crystal called her out for enabling him to control her, and they didn't talk for a few months. Tara met up with Crystal for coffee, Tara a few pounds heavier then when they fought, then she lost about 15 over the next few months. But now Tara appears to up 20, sitting at a soft 160, the heaviest Crystal has ever seen her. She hasn't gotten new clothes so those medium shirts and pants and rather tight. Crystal stood at 5'5", just a smidge taller than Tara, and mostly stayed 130lbs, but with some muscle from years of soccer and occasionally working out.

Crystal finished her 4th bowl of creamy sausage soup, because that was healthier than lasagna. She didn't want to become like Tara. Her pants were a bit tight after her meal but that's fine since Crystal usually had Tara do all the seating. Tara brought a basket of bread sticks up to the host stand with her to munch on between guests. After 3, Crystal definitely noticed stress lines around Tara's bottom 2 buttons. She wanted to keep her friend from stress eating all the bread sticks so she picked up her own pace, quickly eating 4 herself. The garlic butter and salt always made these so addicting, and when Crystal went to use the restroom, she came back to Tara with a new basket of 8.

"How are you still hungry?" Crystal asked.

"I'm not really all that hungry. Just stressed. I'm out of here in 30 minutes so using up all the work freebies I can. You gonna be okay closing tonight? I don't think Travis is scheduled."

"He's not," Crystal said, now reaching for one herself out of stress. "But I'll be fine. Maybe it'll force us into an opportunity to talk when we work together next." With her mind preoccupied, Crystal didn't realize she continued to eat, even after Tara's shift ended. Crystal finished her closing duties and the front of house manager, Sherri, gave an eager Crystal the desserts and a bowl of soup that were going to go out of date tonight (the kitchen staff didn't want them).

Crystal drove home, changed into comfortable pajamas, and ate her soup and 3 desserts as she finished her homework for class in the morning. She had taken time off from school after 1 year, and she was now halfway through her 3rd semester of classes.

The next 2 weeks followed the same routine. Crystal had school in the mornings and worked at the Italian restaurant in the evenings. She missed having time to work out but actually getting her degree was important to her. The kitchen staff encouraged her to take home the expiring food and desserts which would become her dinner or midnight snack. Tara wasn't the best influence when it came to health. After high school she completely stopped working out and near complete disregard what she ate, especially during break ups. Crystal was a close support system to Tara, finding herself following a similar coping strategy as both girls would eat their feelings throughout the day.

Travis had 2 weeks off and tonight was his first day back. Crystal would be closing with him like usual so Tara gave her encouragement throughout the time their shifts overlapped. Tara complimented Crystal's chocolate brown hair and deep brown eyes, how cute her makeup looked today and how her butt filled out her pants.

"These things are from high school," Crystal said, looking down at how her pants fit. "The material must be getting weird or something because they didn't used to be as fitted."

"You look fire, girl," Tara encouraged, not willing to hurt her best friend's feelings over telling her she's gained a couple pounds.

Tara waddled back from her lunch break cradling her stuffed belly. "Ugh, I ate too much again! I don't think I can walk. Can you seat the tables, please?"

Crystal looked surprised at Tara's buttons, so strained now that they were starting to gap and show her undershirt. "Whatever you ordered must have been REALLY good. You legit look pregnant."

"The Tour of Italy truly was great. And I freaking FEEL pregnant. I'd see me and think I was, too, if I wasn't on the pill and just had my period. You know how bloated and hungry I get around my period."

Crystal took her lunch break, almost not wanting to order food today because she knew she'd have to see him with all the staff around and wasn't sure how she'd be yet. She got herself 2 bowls of soup and an appetizer from the kitchen, glancing over to see Travis diligently working, not even sure if he saw her. She went to a back booth and quickly ate, determined for him to eventually see her. She returned to the kitchen for another bowl and another appetizer. Still nothing, just talking to the kitchen staff and training a new line cook. Eating those quickly, Crystal tried one last time, getting herself 2 desserts. Nothing from Travis. She didn't notice the 2 line cooks checking her out as she walked out of the kitchen.

"Did you see that cute hostess, man?" One asked the other.
"Yeah, I've been watching her leave the kitchen with large amounts of food and coming back for more with an obvious little belly."
"I've been making sure she's taking home all the food going out for the night."
"Dude, me, too! It's been fun watching her ass grow haha she's pretty hot. Seems like we had the same idea, to put some meat on her."
"Maybe we can get the other closing cooks involved. Just don't tell Travis or we could get fired."

Crystal also didn't see but Travis definitely noticed her. Especially her 3rd trip into the kitchen because her stretchy but tight dress pants were cradling an obvious food baby and bigger ass cheeks. Crystal was always blessed with thicker lower portions, but a modest B cup chest. She was oblivious that her stress eating was clinging to her body. She'd eat until she had an obvious (to everyone but her) food baby and the recent 6lbs gained so far settled in her hips and ass.

Frustrated with this outcome, Crystal scarfed down her desserts and returned to the host stand where Tara stood, rubbing her distended gut. Crystal was so mad she didn't pay attention to how full she was and agreed to seat tables so Tara could rest.

Crystal came back up to the stand after seating someone. "And I don't think he even looked at me once. Ugh. I'm hoping closing tonight isn't awkward." Tara looked at Crystal's waistband and fitted shirt, emphasizing her solid food baby as she continued nibbling on more bread sticks between seating tables. Tara was experiencing a new sensation as she watched Crystal's shirt slowly fill out throughout the rest of their shift. She wasn't bisexual, but was fantasizing watching her best friend eat herself out of her clothes.

Tara left and Crystal continued to eat chocolate and breadsticks the rest of the night until close. She finally started feeling really full and tired as she did her side work. Most of the servers left and so did some of the kitchen staff. Usually Crystal was the last front of house person there with one kitchen staff and whichever manager was on duty. Crystal went into the kitchen to help the kitchen close down. Travis came out of the managers office to finish helping the cooks and noticed Crystal's shirt had tightened around her belly as she worked. He was oddly turned on by this sight, imagining Crystal's ass filling out as stuffed as her belly until it was a beach ball. Travis shook himself out of that strange daydream. When it was just the 2 of them around, Travis lowly said, "you look nice today."

"You look distant today," Crystal snapped back without looking.

"I like you. I just don't want to lose my job," the 29 year old manager said. He stood at 5'11" with a slightly muscular build, sporting dark hair, green eyes, olive-light tan skin, and an earring. He'd be the guy who'd be "too pretty" for some women, but not Crystal. From the first time they closed and talked, she started catching feelings for this man of Italian descent.

"I get that, but you've straight up ignored my texts."

"I was overseas. I didn't get anyone's texts. I'm sorry if you took it that way. We're still just seeing each other so I didn't think I needed to give out a ton of details about my whereabouts."

"I'm sorry, Travis," Crystal signed, finally looking at him. She was avoiding eye contact because she knew the moment she looked at him she'd be caught up in her feelings again.

"Obviously I need to let you go home before Juan, so call me in 30 minutes and we can talk."

Crystal clocked out, took her food and desserts that the line cooks set aside for her earlier, and went home in a much better mood. She got changed into her pajamas and once again dove into what she brought home. She happily ate until her boxes were empty. She got up to throw them away and grabbed a sleeve of Oreos, brought them to the couch, and munched anxiously on them until it was time to call Travis. She felt a tight pang in her lower belly but tried to ignore it until she couldn't anymore. The elastic waist band on her pink pajama pants was cutting in around her belly button due to her greedy food intake today. "Ugh, I need milk." She got up from the couch, knowing that she was full but not realizing just how much she was really eating. The size small tank top she wore to bed was visibly fitted around her distended gut that honestly needed a medium.

She picked up her phone and called Travis. They talked for about 30 minutes about how they need to keep a very low profile but agreed they are not officially dating it. This made Crystal very happy, so much so after the phone call she pulled her pants waistband down and finished the rest of the second sleeve within the family pack of Oreos.