chapter 1

Kerry had been searching for a new job for months. After being laid off during the pandemic the opportunities for new employment was slim to none. Fortunately she had put away some emergency money for just such an occasion and was able to weather her lapse in employment with relative ease. Now that things were slowly opening back up Kerry had resumed putting resumes out into the world, hoping she would get a call. She had already hit several interviews and while not successfully landing the positions, she knew she was getting better at them.

She did periodically wonder if her appearance was at all involved with the decisions around extending her an offer. Kerry was rather cute, at 26 years of age, but not in a completely conventional way. Her chubby cheeks were rosy with warmth and bunched into dimples when she smiled along with a thick double chin. She wore her auburn hair up in a bun most days and her blue eyes were shielded by a pair of dark rimmed glasses, giving her the resemblance of a librarian. Simple blouses with buttons that strained just slightly to contain her bosom and protruding belly were often her choice for the types of admin/office positions she was applying for along with skirts or slacks did their best to contain her rotund lower half. At 310 lbs most of Kerry’s weight was held below the belt, so to speak, and her hips and butt jutted out at her thick waist on all sides giving her a well-defined secretary spread.

She had obtained said spread at her previous job. While never a “gym nut” as they say Kerry had kept in relatively decent shape throughout school, but that ended when she was fresh out of college and no longer had easy access to the campus gym. Add on the fact that she was now making some real money that she could spend on food an alcohol and the end result was inevitable. What had already been 100 some extra pounds over the last 4 years was exacerbated more by many months of quarantine with little to do, but eat and laze around the house.

She couldn’t be sure that her weight was a limiting factor, but she also saw the way some of the interviewers looked at her upon first glance. The judgment was there, she just hoped they needed to fill the position more than they cared about giving an offer to a fat girl, whatever that may mean to them.

Fortunately, Kerry would not have to ponder this for much longer as she finally received a call back. It was a job working the front desk at an architecture firm. The pay was great (a bump from her last job) and they wanted her to start as soon as possible. She couldn’t believe her luck and she did her best to temper her expectations for her first day.

She heaved herself out of her car and made the short walk up to the impressive building on a warm Monday morning. A converted warehouse was now the shell for luxury office space with a great view overlooking the city. Finding the company name on the plaque outside the elevator bank she realized the architecture offices were in fact located on the 8th and final floor. Calling the elevator and shuffling in, she poked the number 8 on the panel and waited for the doors to close.

Just as the door started to extend across the threshold a voice called out “Hold the elevator!”

Kerry fumbled with her purse as she tried to stick her arm out (a leg was out of the question as it would surely cause her to lose her balance and topple over), but just then a thin hand with nimble looking fingers chopped through the remaining open space and stopped the elevator from closing just in time.

The door retracted and in slid a young man with messy brown hair and a thin layer of brown scruff that coated his jaw line. He wore a billowy blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, which that looked oversized on his wiry thin frame. A belt cinched tightly around his waist, necessary to keep his charcoal slacks from falling from his boney looking hips. He appeared to be around 5’9”, but his thin lanky frame made him seem taller.

“Sorry about that, not used to elevators yet I think.” Kerry blushed at not having been able to save the door for the handsome young man.

“Ah no worries there, could you press…oh never mind looks like were both going to eight.” He replied with a smile and a friendly twinkle of his deep blue eyes.

Kerry nodded in agreement politely. They spent the ride up in awkward silence before the door finally opened.

“After you.” He said with a hand gesturing her through the entrance.

“Thanks.” Kerry said before plodding into the lobby of her new office and searching for the next step to make.

The man exited behind her and turned opposite of her down a hallway with the assuredness one has when following a path they have taken for years. Kerry spotted what looked to be the front desk and shuffled her meaty legs in that direction just as a thin middle-aged woman came through a glass door to the right.

“Kerry?” The smartly dressed woman asked, recognizing this must be her new hire.

“Yes.” She replied with a hint of relief that she would be stuck waiting for someone to fetch her.

“Hi, I’m Cindy, so nice to finally meet in person. I’ve been the one corresponding with you over email.” She explained as stuck out her hand to shake.

Kerry noted the odd feeling of the slender hand being enveloped by her chubbier fingers. The professional atmosphere along with dealing with new people for the first time in a long time was just a bit overwhelming. She was slightly self conscious of her bloated figure when compared to the two people she had bumped into so far.

Cindy jumped into her introduction to the company explaining the tasks that Kerry would be in charge of, the day to day of the office, and eventually took her on a tour of the space. The entire 8th floor was theirs and it housed several different conference rooms, cubical spaces, and private offices for the higher ups. Kerry did her best to keep up with Cindy’s instruction as the woman rattled off the wide breath of information.

Before she knew it, lunchtime had arrived. Cindy finally left Kerry to get settled in at the front desk as she needed attend to other work, having spent the first half of the day on boarding. Kerry retrieved the meager lunch she had packed from the fridge in the kitchen and returned to her front desk station to review some HR videos on company policy while she ate. The small salad with chicken she had thrown together was by no means her favorite, but with starting a new job and she had also decided to start a new chapter and try to eat healthier, having grown so out of shape the last few years.

“A fresh start.” She thought to herself as she plunged her fork into the bowl of green leaves.

Several minutes later her video was interruption by a delivery person who ambled up to the desk with a puzzled look on his face until he noticed the plaque on the wall behind Kerry. Recognizing that this was indeed the desk described in the drop off instructions he smiled at Kerry, took a picture on the bag, and then ambled back over to the elevator.

Kerry hefted herself up from the slightly uncomfortable chair she’d had to wedge her lower half into and pulled the receipt from the bag to see whom it was for. “John Dobbs” was listed as the recipient. She then pulled up he online company directory to see who this person was and where he might be sitting in the office.

The man from the elevator that morning approached the desk, interrupting her search.

“That’ll be mine.” He said with a smile. “By the way I’m John, didn’t realize you were the new front desk administrator when I bumped into you this morning.”

“Oh, I was just looking to see where your desk was to bring it over. I’m Kerry, nice to meet you.” She said looking up from her computer screen.

“Oh you don’t have to bother brining it back to me. I can walk out to grab it.” He said revoking her offer.

“Oh, well thank you, but I probably could use the steps.” She said with a small laugh.

“Nonsense!” He replied. “But if you beat me to it I guess I can’t stop you.”

John thanked her again for receiving his meal before heading off to his desk with it, which Kerry now knew was in the far back corner based on what the directory map was showing her. Wanting to show initiative having just started her job, she was determined to drop off the next lunch that arrived.

As luck would have it that person happened to be John once again. The following day another delivery app person showed up around noon and dropped another bag of styrofoam containers at her desk. Kerry found John’s name on the receipt and immediately scooped it up to take it to him. The walk was somewhat long and it took her some time to waddle back to where he was located, but eventually she found him. Slightly out of breath, her cheeks rosy with exertion, she smiled to him over the half height cubical wall.

John looked up from his computer, realizing he’d been beat to the punch today.

“I told you I’d grab it Kerry, but thank you.” He said appreciatively.

“Oh its no problem at all.” Kerry replied.

“Well get used to greeting delivery guys because I have gotten into a bad routine of not packing my lunch now that we are back in the office, delivery just seems like the easiest option.” John explained.

“Oh I totally understand. I got into some bad habits as well and I’m trying to break out of them.” Kerry replied a little self-consciously with her hand gravitating towards her middle.

“Ha guess this is the new normal, thanks again.” He joked as he pulled out containers and began to dig in.

Kerry nodded in agreement before making her way back to her seat at the front desk, taking a long pull from her water bottle after she shimmied back into her chair.

“I really need to get in better shape. Guess I will if I keep bringing John his lunch all the way back there.” She giggled to herself as she quenched her thirst.