"Here you go!" Stacy chirped and set the steaming cup in front of her latest admirer. He said his thanks, eyes ogling her chest, then her rear as she walked on. Everyone did it. She didn't blame them, after all she had more curves than her co-workers, though Mel wasn't anything to sneeze at. Maybe ask her out sometime, Stacy thought, but pushed it down in an acidic pit. No dating co-workers. It'd just remind her of everything.
But she never forgot. Everyday, she regretted taking that deal, stared at her phone for minutes at a time pining for a call or a text saying she was free, yet it never came. Nothing did. Those suits hadn't contacted her in weeks either, not that they cared. Who did?
"Everything alright?" Mel asked.
"Yeah, fine. Why?"
"You're frowning."
"Oh, sorry," Stacy said and made a show of wiping her face, the scowl coming off on her hand, "All better."
Mel chuckled and rolled her eyes, "You're allowed to frown once in a while. We're waitresses, our job sucks. No one expects a smile 24/7."
"Thanks, but that's how I do things. Service with a smile can improve someone's day."
"Or they snap at you for it."
"Hmm..." Stacy knew who she referred to. It was that awful blonde girl that frequented the cafΓ©, always scantly clad, with big, rotund boobs faker than her hair and an attitude like highly-condensed saccharin mixed with cobra venom. There was no better description for the appearance that, from afar, Stacy otherwise enjoyed, juxtaposed by a personality so bratty that she was tempted to slap her. She never slapped anyone! Even the bullies way back in school that would take her lunch, or rip her clothes and make her do jumping jacks because her belly jiggled. Some people were just worse.
This girl didn't have any better case. There was something about the way she looked at Stacy, like she knew everything in her personal life and took glee from its dismal mediocrity. Of course, the fact that even the slightest imperfection in her order was met by poison, including a remark about Stacy using her breast milk for the coffee. She didn't deserve it, not one drop.
Not that Stacy did much with it anymore. The last time she mixed her own milk into an order was simultaneously her brightest day in weeks, and the rebirth of a dark cloud in her mind. That was when Carmen showed up, accompanied by a cute redhead. Watching her drink her milk again, even if from afar, renewed all her memories. All those evenings working side by side, then the nights, few as they were, spent feeling the love of another.
Which just made her new life all the lonelier. She had Mel to talk with, the others weren't bad either, yet none of them made work seem like a hobby anymore. At Sooth the Soul, she didn't glance at the clock - too busy stealing looks at Carmen's figure - and those breaks were so precious - because of Carmen - that she cherished it all.
"You're frowning again," Mel said.
Stacy didn't try clearing it up. Her body felt heavy, "I'm taking my break, is that okay?"
"Sure. We're not that busy right now."
It was worse than yesterday, but this reoccurred without fail. Something, the smallest reminder, and all she thought of was Carmen. Carmen, Carmen, Carmen... then resentment toward those people that forced them apart filtered in. The hardest part was the arousal. It made identifying feelings harder when thinking of her ex-girlfriend made her horny.
Not to mention the constant urge to masturbate while at work. That wasn't the reason for taking her break, since it was futile anyway. Nothing since that night made her cum. Maybe that explained her frequent binges. She had good money from the insurance, enough that with her job she could live comfortably for many, many years, which meant extra food budget. Without her own shop, there was nothing to captivate her. So she ate.
And that showed. Stacy pulled on her bra straps, which bit deep into her shoulders, its cups too small and under prepared for her leakage. Fortunately, half her weight gain bypassed her stomach in favour of her hips and bust. She'd gone up four cup sizes since the fire and none of her old pants fit. She could try a skirt, but none covered much past her butt cheeks, and she only wore them for special occasions. They were more for a partner's sake, easy access. She wore one to work and, when it slowed down enough, Carmen snuck a finger underneath. The door to the break room opened and startled her.
Moisture spread from her nipples. Less obvious to observers, but just as prevalent to her, a musky dampness pooled between her thighs. Frustration didn't begin to comprehend her needs. This was her life now.
She reheated leftovers from last night and grabbed a muffin, burying her desires in calories. Good thing her scales broke last month, she'd already gained ten pounds by then and her habits were only worsening. There was still so long left in the day, or it felt that way, despite only being a couple more hours for her shift. As she ate, she wiped at her top until the stains were unnoticeable.
"I gotta get it together," Stacy sighed. It was obvious Carmen had moved on, but that was youth, they had new relationships every other week. Not that Carmen was like that at all. If not for that fire, they'd have gone to that cabin, performed sapphic rituals only for their enjoyment and continued even when they returned. No, if she kept thinking of what could've been, she'd cry. Tears of frustration and loss hurt more than she cared to admit.
Her break finished and she returned to work. That unruly girl with the fake boobs was back, her expression sour, and none of the other servers ventured anywhere near her. Stacy breathed deep and forced a smile, a practice she'd grown used to lately.
"Hello, has your order been taken?"
"You took your fucking time, fat ass. Get me a latte, extra foam, and a cranberry muffin. A good one, not that shit from last time."
"Okay," Stacy said, jotting it down in her little pad, "Anything else?"