The Promotion, Part 1 (Patreon)

Summary: Intern Claire has been manipulated into stuffing herself at the behest of CEO Dinah Grace, who has control of Claire’s future job prospects and university credits. Despite all the resentment at what has happened to her body and struggle to simply keep up with her life in the face of Dinah’s demands, Claire is determined to pass her final review, get the job and make this all worth it… but making Dinah fall from grace has its own temptations. Contains: Female: stuffing, weight gain, and more. Plot line created by Opik Oort.

Note: this is a companion piece to Opik Oort's ongoing comic of the same name.

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Claire released a belch.

She blushed and covered her mouth even though she was alone.

Usually Claire was more poised than this, but the indigestion had been relentless lately. With the new internship came business lunches and client dinners. Claire wasn’t complaining. The tab for dinner the previous night had come to $1200 just for Claire, Dinah, and their new client. The three had wined and dined at one of the city’s top restaurants while negotiating contracts. And that had been a typical day at work. Ever since Dinah had taken Claire under her wing, Claire had gotten a taste of true luxury.

Dinah was Claire’s boss and mentor. She took Claire everywhere, allowing Claire to shadow her. The woman was amazing, not to mention generous with the company credit card. Claire had learned more with Dinah over the last month than she had learned so far throughout her college education, and she was in her last semester.

Claire straightened up her blouse in the mirror. It occurred to her that it had gotten quite tight; tighter than it had been when she’d worn it a few weeks earlier. A little weight gain. Understandable. This was a big transition for her. She was putting in a lot of hours at the internship, and she was certain they would hire her at the end of the term. So some minor weight gain was well worth it. She just had to keep it together. She would get back on her gym routine once she got the offer. Besides, it didn’t look awful.

Claire’s face was fuller, cheeks a little rounder. Her typically small breasts were now bulging against her bra cups, which probably didn’t look particularly professional. She might have to get a couple of new pieces of clothing.

Claire slid her hands along her skirt. Her thighs were a bit thicker, as were her arms. Her hips were fuller and rounder, which made her look more womanly than she had before. And her abdomen had softened, enough that it was starting to curve outward. Her whole body was soft now; almost pudgy. But she couldn’t be too bothered. She was simply out of shape. No longer skinny.

Her phone rang. Claire quickly lifted it off her dresser and held it to her ear. “Hello?”

“We're outside,” said Dinah’s sharp voice.

“Coming,” said Claire, grabbing her purse, shoving her feet into a pair of black flats, then hurrying out of her bedroom. She went downstairs and out the front door, where a black limo was pulled up to the curb, looking so out of place parked alongside her dorm building.

The driver was standing beside it. He opened the door, and Claire clambered inside. The interior was dark and cool, and Dinah was sitting there as poised as ever, legs crossed, back erect, as she sipped from a champagne glass. This was her natural environment, and Claire wanted desperately to be just like her one day.

“Eclair, darling?” Dinah nodded to a pile of pastries on the minibar. Dinah was always surrounded by delicious snacks, though she never seemed to eat them.

Claire couldn’t resist. “Sure,” she said, picking out a particularly plump danish. She took a large bite, sweet cheese and chocolate gushing into her mouth. It was absolutely amazing. But of course, Dinah only bought the best of everything.

“Glad to see you brought an appetite,” said Dinah. She took another sip of her drink. “We have a meeting with Mr. Greene today. I figured we’d go all out.”

Claire gulped down the food in her mouth. “Of course.”

Not for the first time, Claire acknowledged that this was the opportunity of a lifetime. She had a dream job, an amazing boss, the most sumptuous of experiences — she could hardly believe her good fortune.

“Have another,” Dinah invited, once Claire had finished her pastry.

Claire knew she shouldn’t have, but she couldn’t help reaching out to lift another danish. She had really developed a sweet tooth in recent weeks. This one tasted incredibly buttery, the crust practically melting in her mouth. She hardly contained an appreciative moan.

“I have to say, I’ve admired your growth these past few weeks,” Dinah said evenly as she gave Claire a once-over. “If you keep it up, I think you’ll have a bright future with our organization.”

Another gulp. “Thank you,” Claire managed.

The limo stopped. Not a moment later, the driver opened the door for them.

When Claire climbed inelegantly out of the vehicle, she was admittedly confused. “McManny’s?” This was a franchise restaurant. It was a mid-priced family-dining sort of place rather than one of the unique, luxurious, Michelin-rated venues Claire had gotten used to. They must have been at the wrong place.

But neither Dinah nor the driver gave any indication of that. “Is there a problem?” asked Dinah.

Claire reddened. “No, of course not,” she said as she followed Dinah inside.

In the threshold was a man in a fine Italian suit. He looked just as confused as Claire was.

“Mr. Greene, I’m so glad you could make it,” Dinah said.

“Dinah, it is a pleasure,” he responded as he looked around in uncertainty.

The restaurant was packed with families and the occasional tipsy blue-collar worker indulging in the tacky happy hour offerings. The hostess seemed to recognize Dinah, and led them to a table towards the front. There was a baby crying nearby. The place was just loud.

“Should I bring out the first course?” the hostess asked.

“Please,” said Dinah. It seemed she had ordered ahead. Claire, who knew little about fine dining, had already gotten accustomed to Dinah ordering for her.

Several waiters abruptly swooped down on the table with large platters of food. The dishes looked piping hot, some of them still smoking. Dinah had timed everything perfectly. The woman was anally retentive, but Claire would never complain about it. Dinah demanded great service, and always got the best, no matter where she was.

Mr. Greene appeared both amused and delighted. He seemed to enjoy the novelty of eating amongst the commoners.

Claire was surprised to see that her meal appeared thrice the size of Dinah’s and Mr. Greene’s.

She had always been a thin girl; almost frail-looking. She knew that Dinah wanted her to look stronger. Dinah was investing in her; grooming her to be at the top someday. And Claire was representing Dinah. Dinah, who was almost regal in her poise, while Claire was just flimsy and unsure of herself.

“Clients like a girl who can handle a good steak,” Dinah had told Claire the first time they dined together.

There was a massive steak on Claire’s plate, in addition to potatoes, vegetables, a large bowl of macaroni and cheese on the side, a basket of bread, a mountain of fries, as well as some fried dumplings. This restaurant really did just serve a random assortment of things.

“Dig in,” Dinah said coolly, watching Claire intently.

Claire lifted her fork.

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