Stacey's Fateful Encounter (Preview) (Patreon)

   Free from the dull grey walls and confined cubicles, the office workers aimed to relieve their pent up stress as they wandered about the luxurious mansion. The extravagant décor, elegant furnishings, and spacious rooms belonged to the CEO of their company, Thomas Pendlebrook. After a record breaking year in terms of profits, he had seen fit to open up his home to properly congratulate his team and push them towards a brighter and better future. While most of the partygoers were more than happy to lose themselves in conversation, exquisite food, and expensive liquor, there was one person who was regretting ever coming to the party.

   Taking up the quietest corner of the main room, Stacey slowly nursed a glass of wine. Peeking over her glass, her bespectacled eyes glanced at how her coworkers interacted and enjoyed each other’s company. Taking another sip, she brushed a dainty hand through her neck-length, blonde hair as a form of occupying her time. Tilting her head down, she wondered what had driven her to wear her best lime green dress out to something like this. Tracing her finger along the rim of her glass, she contemplated leaving the party at the first chance she could get. She didn’t think anyone notice, an advantage of her small size was that it made it easy for her to be ignored.

   “Just where do you think you’re going?”

   Stacey stopped moving and turned around to see one of the few people she got along with in the office approaching her. “Hello Henry.”

   “Hey there Stacey,” he said, approaching her with a drink in hand and wearing an orange polo shirt. “You doing alright?”

   “I’m fine,” she replied.

   Henry shook his head. “Come on now. We’ve been friends long enough for me to know when you’re lying.”

   “Then you also know why I don’t want to be here any longer,” Stacey replied, casting a quick glance at a group of people loudly talking over the music.

   “I understand that you’re not the outgoing type, but these aren’t strangers. These are the people you pass by every day in the office. You got a mingle a little bit. That’s how you make friends or meet Mr. Right.”

   Stacey stared at Henry blankly.

   “Sorry, figure of speech. Although you haven’t made much effort to find a significant other. My wife keeps telling me about this very nice woman in her book club who-“

   “Henry, I appreciate it, really I do,” she said, holding up her hand. “However, I don’t’ think I’m cut out for the dating world. I think I’m destined to just wander by myself for eternity, blending into the background while other people socialize.”

   “Stacey, you have to stop being such a downer. It’s a party.”

   “All the more reason I should leave,” she mumbled.

   Henry shook his head. “Okay, if you want to leave so badly you can go. I’m certainly not going to stop you.”

   “Thank you.”

   “On one condition,” he said, holding up a finger. “Just stick around for another five minutes.”

   “Why would I do that?”

   “Helps keep up appearances for the boss. Plus, you never know. Could be just enough time to find the certain someone that meshes well with you.”

   Stacey finished off the rest of her wine with a final swig and put down the empty glass on a table. “I highly doubt that.”

   “We shall see,” Henry said, starting to walk away. “Have a good evening Stacey.”

   Left by herself again, Stacey contemplated booking it for the front door. However, she knew the kind of hell Henry would put her through if she went back on her word. Staring at her empty glass, she figured it wouldn’t hurt to get one last serving of wine before heading back home.

   Wandering about the halls avoiding the throngs of people, Stacey found it difficult to recall where the kitchen was. The wait staff was nowhere to be seen, probably in the midst of preparing the dessert platters for the guests. As Stacey walked further away from the center of the house, she became lost in the maze-like corridors of the estate. While she attributed some of her poor sense of direction to her unfamiliarity with the house, the slight redness on her cheeks let her know the wine wasn’t helping her either.

   She stopped as she reached an empty hallway lined on both sides with stone busts. Looking at the stoic expressions of the silent statues, she couldn’t think of better company for herself. Leaning her back against the wall to rest, she reached inside of her purse to pull out her phone. Scrolling down to Henry’s number, she pondered whether it was better to scold him before or after she asked him to come find her.

   Stacey paused as she noticed a nearby bust shake. Lifting up her head, she watched as the other statues copied the same movement. Her confusion only grew as she felt the entire room quake from something heavy stomping its way down the hall. As the noise drew closer, Stacey’s imagination went wild with thoughts of a raging elephant stampeding through the mansion.

   From behind the corner peeked out a flabby belly encased in a tight, sequin black dress. As the owner of the jiggling gut made her debut, Stacey found herself mesmerized by the way the numerous fat rolls shook with each heavy stomp. The woman swayed back and forth on her feet, a red blush on her chubby cheeks hinting at the amount of alcohol she had drank that evening. Watching the woman’s heavy, melon-like breasts try to repeatedly break free from the strapless dress, Stacey couldn’t recall ever seeing her at the office.

   The woman continued her drunken stumbling, her wide hips bouncing against the statues as she made her way down the hall. Putting her back to the wall, Stacy allowed the hefty woman to pass. Her eyes scanned over the woman’s features, observing her thick-rimmed glasses and strands of black hair that reached down to her third chin. In the back of her mind, she couldn’t help feeling she had seen the woman’s plump lips and deep blue eyes before.

   “Out of my way,” the woman said, waddling past Stacey. Taking a few steps past the awestruck Stacey, the woman turned on her heels and nearly knocked over a statue with her double-wide rear. “Did you just grab my ass?”

   “What? N-no,” Stacey replied.

   Letting out a huff, the woman stomped towards Stacey. “You did. I felt it.”

   “I assure you Miss I-“

   “What you like making fun of fat women?” she asked, waddling ever closer to Stacey.

   “Not at all, I just-“

   Stacey let out a yelp as the woman placed her meaty hand on the wall behind her. “You have a lot of nerve doing that here,” the woman said as she loomed over Stacey. “I know just the thing to put you in your place.”