My first story attempt: Anthroplogy Research

[CoastalBunny]

Hello everyone. I have always been a bit of a lurker around Curvage but recently felt like possibly contributing a bit.

This is merely a first attempt here, and just the first chapter (just getting some of the details out in the first chapter), but I thought it would be fun to share this story.

It's about a girl named Julie who needs some field work experience before she can get accepted into a graduate program.  She thinks she has found the most relaxed and easy going research project of just observing some food habits of varying cultures, but she may have ended up biting off a bit more than she can chew.

As a newbie to this, I would certainly appreciate any and all criticisms (or even some compliments!).

This isn't an unrealistically massive gain story, but it still should be quite interesting when it's all said and done.

Hope you enjoy chapter one!

Anthropology Research Chapter 1:

After four years of college and thousands of dollars in debt, Julie had finally obtained her bachelor’s in anthropology.  As happy as a time as this should have been for her, it was only the start of what would be a frantic challenge to get into a graduate program. 

Let’s back this up a little bit.  Julie had always been very dedicated to school and her job.  She stood at barely 5’2”, and throughout her four years of school her weight had fluctuated, but not by much.  You wouldn’t call Julie incredibly curvy, but she wasn’t the lightest girl at school either.  She had always had a very prominent rear and hips but they flowed with her hour glass figure perfectly to match her equally prominent chest.  She had entered college at 110 pounds but after her freshman year had jumped to (what was at least for her) and outrageous 130.  She finally ended up settling down at a buck twenty by her junior year.  But as it seems we all do, she had to “look her best” for graduation and had unhealthily dieted her way back down to 110.

“Hey Julie, did you apply yet?”

“No shoot! It completely slipped my mind. Are they still accepting applications?”

“Yeah girl, just go find professor Moskiwitz and keep your fingers crossed!”

Julie knew in order to get into the graduate program at her school that she would need some field work.  She had been putting it off her entire senior year.  Balancing her grades and work had left her little time to get any real experience in anthropology.  She had already applied to a dozen or more different field work opportunities (anything from just being a shovel bum to data entry), but this research project seemed like more of a vacation than work.  She was applying for a chance to observe food pattern behaviors of different cultures.  If accepted she would be traveling around Europe experiencing how different families held their dinners, what food habits the tended to have, and anything else she would find interesting.  Her job would basically be just to jot down what she experienced each day and let the researchers put it all together.

Less than a week later she had received her letter which would determine whether she spent the next few months strolling around Europe or sweating it out while digging in some gravesite in North Carolina.

To her excitement, she had been accepted.

Enclosed in the letter was information about a mandatory preliminary meeting that she was to attend.

After a few days, Julie found herself sitting in one of her old classrooms listening to Professor Moskiwitz.

“Congratulations on being accepted to the research project.  I’ll try not to keep y’all long but there are a few things that we need to go over.  Firstly, etiquette.  For the most part, we all need to understand that we are the guests in the countries that you will be visiting.  Keep an open mind and remember that certain cultures find it very dishonorable to turn them down when they offer you anything.  So even if you know for a fact that you hate sour kraut or that you’re already full, take the offering.  No need to kill yourself so don’t have anything you’re allergic to, but we really can’t afford having our university get a bad rep for having a few picky eaters.”

“Why is he talking about eating? I thought we were just going to observe their habits?” Julie said to the girl next to her.

“Come on Julie, get real, this is anthropology 101 stuff right here.  The best way to observe is to interact. It would be more awkward if we were just there to sit in the corner and write down everything on a notepad.”

Just then Julie’s stomach turned a bit, as she knew what she had just gotten herself into.. or so she thought.

[CoastalBunny]

Chapter 2

On the way home Julie looked through the packet which detailed what she needed to bring with her. It consisted of toiletries, notepads, a laptop, and then a few optional items like a camera although a disposable camera was going to be given to them.  Everything seemed in order until she got to the bottom of the list:

“Due to the fact that you will be visiting varying countries during your research, we have found it best in the past for our researchers to purchase clothes when arriving in different countries due to the varying weather conditions you may experience.  You will be given a monthly allowance for this.”

“Well that should make packing a heck of a lot easier at least.” She thought to herself.

Several days later she was off for the last meeting with the rest of the researchers before their trip.  They were split up into small teams who would stay together in hotels during their trip and were told to work together in creating their final report on the country they visited first.  Julie’s group was given Italy as their first destination.  The next day they were off.

By the time Julie and her group had arrived to their hotel room, they were all exhausted and just a bit hungry, but there was no time to relax yet as they had their first dinner session with a local family nearby.  Julie’s group had decided in order to not intimidate their host family, only one of the researchers would have a notepad with them and take down notes and that they would get together back at the hotel to share things of importance.  Upon entering the house they were greeted individually by the family.  It seemed like they were at a family reunion with so many family members present.  From the living room Julie’s group could smell the delicacies that awaited them.

“I hope you Americans brought that American appetite with you tonight, we have a whole feast prepared that we are sure you all will enjoy!”

And oh did they ever. Julie’s jaw nearly dropped when they entered the dining room. Was this really just a dinner or was the Italian army going to be joining them? The food was all set out on one very long table.  Julie thought to herself it looked familiar to a medieval feast that a king would have thrown after a great victory.  Awaiting Julie and the others were dishes that they were familiar with (spaghettis, risotto, pizza) but there were also new dishes which she had never seen before.  And so they sat down and began their dinner.

The hustle and bustle of it all was so disorderly organized.  Plates being passed around, different foods being piled onto everyone’s meals.  It was almost pointless to ask for anything because everyone was getting a bit of everything.  Before Julie knew it she had already finished off a plate.  She sat back awaiting everyone to finish their meals when the mom of the family took Julie’s plate and started piling on more food.

“Oh no, no, thank you though. This was all delicious but I’m fine.”

“Don’t be silly, you have barely started! You have to try the polenta and the tagliatelle. Oh and maybe some cappelletti.  But you must have the tortellini.”

Halfway into her second plate and she was already near bursting.  The food was so heavy feeling.  Pastas, cheeses, meats.  It seemed as if there was no end in sight.  But Julie knew if she was going to be doing this another few months that she had to acclimate herself eating a bit more than she was used to.  She thought, “What the heck, it’s Italy for God’s sake. I may as well just enjoy it.”

[CoastalBunny]

Chapter 3

All the girls on the walk back from the dinner were moaning and holding their freshly bloated stomachs.

“I can’t believe how much food they had.  It felt like they didn’t even bother eating any of it themselves.”

“For real girl.  Wine, two plates piled high, and desert.  What a welcome to Italy.”

“Only two plates?  Lucky you, I was sitting next to the mom of the family! After my third plate she nearly scooped me a fourth.  Thank God someone brought in the deserts before she could.” Julie said to the group.

“At least tomorrow we can take some time to recover and possibly walk off some of this meal haha” said one of the other girls.

By the time Julie and the other girls had arrived home, Julie was exhausted.  She had just enough energy to brush her teeth, clean her face, and change into some clothes.

“Crap… That’s right, we didn’t bring any clothes to sleep in.” Julie said.

“Speak for yourself Julie, I’m pocketing that clothing allowance”

Too tired to care, Julie just rolled into bed and laid her hands down on her stomach, trying to ease the discomfort.

The next day Julie awoke to find everyone had already left the hotel.  Julie gathered a few things, fixed her hair, put on some makeup and was out the door.  Still feeling a little bloated, she began her venture the way any girl in Italy would on a free day: shopping.  There were so many stores that she didn’t even know where to start.  Eventually something in the window caught her eye and she stepped in.

“Do you have that dress over there in a 4?”

“Pardon me?  You must not be from around here.  How about I just grab a few sizes and you try them on.  You go ahead on back to the changing room.”

Before Julie knew it the employee had brought back the dress.  Size 36.  “I suppose I didn’t think about the size difference.”  She thought to herself.  She slipped it on but it was just a bit too tight for her liking.  The employee looked around and found the same dress in a size 38.  This one fit nearly perfectly, just a bit loose but it would do the trick.

“You look wonderful dear.  Now that we know your size, I’ll start bringing you whatever you want for you to try.”

An hour later, Julie walked out with a few new dresses, some new jeans and some nice shirts.  Her shopping adventure was just beginning.  She hadn’t splurged on clothes in so long.  By the time that her adventure was over the sun was already beginning to set.  Carrying bags upon bags on the way back to the hotel her stomach reminded her that she hadn’t bothered to eat all day.  Lucky for her there was a nearby pastry shop still open. 

“What may I get for you darling?”

“I’m not really sure.  I’ve never actually had Italian pastries before.  What’s the fan favorite?”

“Well we have a lot of delicious sweets, but our cannolis are our number one seller.”

“Never had one but I’ll definitely try anything once.”

A few moments later and Julie took her first bite.  It was like a wave of ecstasy and delight had just flashed through her body.  She wasn’t even sure if she should continue chewing or just enjoy the flavor.  The soft flaky outer dough combined with the fantastic sweet filing.  It seemed almost unbelievable.  The first time in her life that a desert was not too sweet and not at all bland.  Just then she realized she had been sitting there with her eyes closed not even chewing.  She came to and began finishing the treat.  And just like that, the cannoli was finished.  It was a satisfying yet disappointing moment for her. 

As she headed to the door and thanked the chef, she realized she wasn’t limited to just one cannoli.  So instead of leaving she began to get a few more.  Each and every bite was if it was the first time she had ever had one.  Eventually she went to stand up to order another when she realized just how full she was.

“Shall I prepare you some more sweetie?”

“Oh I would love to but if I keep eating these I won’t fit through that door!  I think it’s best if I come back another time.”

“Well, how about a few for the road?”

“I shouldn’t, but the girls back at the hotel have got to try these.”

And so Julie began her bloated walk back to the hotel just up the street with her bags of clothes and her freshly prepared cannolis.  As she headed upstairs one of the girls spotted her and they stopped to talk.

“Hey Julie, been out shopping it seems?”

“Yeah, I found a bunch of great things, can’t wait to wear them around.”

“Cool girl, we went shopping earlier too.  We tried to wake you but you were out cold.  Did you do anything else?”

“Nope, just visited a few parks.  But I’m a bit tired so I’ll head up to bed and see you tomorrow.”

As Julie walked away it occurred to her that she had just lied about where she had been.  “Why did I do that?  There was no reason to hide that from her.”  Julie set her stuff down, kicked back in her room, began watching some Netflix and casually grabbed the box of canollis and set it on her belly.  Halfway into the movie she was searching through the box and couldn’t feel another canolli in the box.  She sat up slowly to look in the box only to find it empty. 

“Oh shit.  Maybe I shouldn’t bring these to the hotel with me after all…”

[Barkis]

So far so good!

[CoastalBunny]

It has been quite a while since I posted anything to this story, but I got some encouragement and motivation to continue it recently, so without further delay, here is the next installment of my story.

-------

Chapter 4

Throughout the past two weeks, Julie found herself in a comfortable rhythm of shopping, site seeing, doing her field study, and of course visiting her favorite pastry shop.

The hustle and bustle of the events had become second nature, and was even able to start giving families suggestions from the past homes she had visited.  It was almost as if she was becoming indoctrinated into the Italian lifestyle.

“I can’t believe we only have two more days here, it’s so beautiful in Italy that I never want to leave” said one of the girls.

“I know, but we’re headed to Paris next! The country of love! We really are lucky to have landed this study.  We’re seeing the world and getting paid to do it” said Julie.

“I know it’s amazing.  But it’s not without its downsides” said another girl as she patted her belly.

“Haha please I’ve probably gained life 5 pounds since I’ve been here” said the first girl, “you’re probably just a bit bloated.”

“Whatever it’s been for me, it’s definitely been worth it.  It’s not like we’ll always live our lives like this” said Julie.

As the girls got up from lunch to head back to the hotel, Julie had to tug on her dress she had bought a few weeks ago.

Julie’s belly was only slightly rounder, hardly noticeable in a t-shirt, however in her dress you could see where it pinched in on her sides a bit.  But her already curvy bottom had taken the biggest hit as of late showing just how prominent her pear shape was.  It’s not as if she was fat by any means, but with the way she had been eating more than usual and the fact that her field study didn’t cause her to be on her feet all day (like her old job waitressing) it was certainly starting to take effect.

“You girls go on ahead, I need to stop somewhere on the way back” said Julie.

---

“Julie! Welcome back! Thought I would have seen you a few minutes ago” said her favorite pastry chef.

“Oh I was out with the girls for a bit, sorry I was running late”

“No problem dear, we were expecting you as usual and had a fresh order of cannolis come up just a few minutes ago”

“You’re so sweet for making a batch just for me, I really do appreciate it, and I hope it’s not too much trouble”

“Not at all sweetie, here, try one and see if it’s to your liking” said the chef.

Julie gleefully took the succulent dessert and bit down into its gooey center.  Just like her first time, and every subsequent time, it was just as if life itself paused for her to enjoy the treat.  She let out a light moan as she savored the dessert and her back shivered ever so slightly in delight.  It felt like an eternity to finish the treat, but when it was gone it seemed over in an instant.

“Just as wonderful as always” Julie gleefully said.

After a few hugs and a swipe of her debit card, she was out of the store walking back to the hotel with two dozen of her favorite cannolis.

Of course she couldn’t resist herself on the way back and helped herself to the treat as she walked, savoring every single bite.  By the time she had arrived back to the hotel, she threw away an empty box and carried the rest upstairs.

She readied herself for their next family visit, changed into some clothes – a bit tighter than she remembered, to which she blamed a bit on her eating habits and mostly on her inability to not shrink her clothes in the wash – and then was off to her next study.

All throughout her large meal, she could only think about how much she wanted to get back to the hotel, change out of her clothes into her sweatpants, turn on her laptop, and open up her box of treats.  It was as if her existence had began being scheduled to the next time she got to enjoy her next tasty bite.

By the time her meal was over, she had wolfed down 4 entire plates of food, unbuttoned her pants, and demolished a dessert course – which of course she scoffed at not being anywhere on par with her usual delectable. 

As the group walked home (holding their bloated bellies as customary), the girls chatted away about their findings, what they enjoyed, just generally anything in general.

“Julie, your pants are still unzipped.”

“Oh whoops, completely forgot, was so comfortable that I didn’t even realize it”

She went to pull up her zipper and realized just how difficult it was.  She twisted, tugged, and barely managed to get the zipper up, but as she sucked in her stomach and tried to button the pants, it was clear she was not going to be closing her pants any time that night.  She stopped sucking in her stomach and her belly push back against her pants unzipping them all over again.

“Haha! Looks like you’ve been enjoying your stay in Italy the most Julie!”

“Shut-up Maggie.  It’s only like 8 pounds, NINE at the most” Julie scoffed.

“It’s ok Jules, I’m only teasing, you’re not the only one who has put on a few” Maggie said as she patted her own stomach.

The girls all laughed at their disposition, and by the time they had gotten back to the hotel, they had thoroughly ridiculed each other about their recent gains.

Later that night, Julie laid in bed with her laptop on her belly watching it lift up and down as she breathed, enjoying her cannolis as she thought to herself:

“It’s ok Julie, it’s only for a few months, and besides, portions are smaller in France.”

[CoastalBunny]

Chapter 5

The next day, all the girls woke extremely groggy and a bit sad – it was their last day in Italy.  They packed up their stuff, got changed into some nice clothes (Julie grabbing her freshly cleaned dress from the drying rack), and headed separate ways to enjoy their final days in Italy each in their own ways.  Some headed to see sites they had missed previously, others headed shopping, Julie headed to the pastry shop.

It had not been until that morning that Julie realized this was quite possibly the last day she would ever get to enjoy the fantastic delicacy that was THE cannoli.

Once Julie arrived at the shop, she explained to the chef her plight and how sad she was to have to leave Italy and the shop the next morning.  The chef calmed her down, asked her to take a seat, and just enjoy her last day there the best she could.

Plate after plate after plate of cannolis came from the back.  The moment she had finished a plate, another was ready.  As time passed, Julie’s inner self was crying out to her about how this was the last time she may ever get to enjoy this wonderful ecstasy of passion in a bite.  And with each passing plate, she began getting more frantic about her time remaining there.  She must have been there hours but finally, she had eaten herself into a food coma and just passed out head on the table with a dribble of ricotta running down her cheek.

After some time later, she suddenly woke up, hair disheveled, dress wrapping her tight, and looked around.  She then noticed something which made her heart drop – the street lights outside the window were on.  It was dark.  She had slept a few hours, and this to her meant she had slept away a few hours of enjoying the final moments of the pastry shop.

The chef was closing things down as Julie turned.

“Please, please, please, can’t you stay open a bit later? It’s my last night here!” Julie whined sounding like an addict.

“I’m sorry sweetie but I’ve got a family to get back to, but don’t worry, it’s not like I didn’t see this coming.  I’ve prepared you a few boxes to take back with you.”

“Oh my God, you’re the greatest.  Thank you so much again.  I’ll be back one day, I’m sure of it!”

And just like that, her visit had ended.  Walking back with a bag of 4 boxes (a dozen in each), she trotted back to the hotel munching away at her final treats.

Back at the hotel, she stayed up watching Cake Boss on Netflix enjoying each and every cannoli.  Her dress strained with each ensuing bite just a bit more.  Soon enough she had only a box left.  Completely stuffed though, she knew she couldn’t handle another bite.  As much as she wanted to continue, she had to stop.  She got up from the bed ever so slowly holding her extremely bloated (and rather pudgy now) belly.

“There’s no way I’m going to get this thing off tonight, it’s pinching me like a sausage.  Screw it, I’m just gonna go to bed.  Today has been the worst-best day of my life.”

The next day, Julie awoke in the early morning.  Slightly less bloated but still completely cocooned in her dress.  She laid there and polished off the last box of cannolis knowing she couldn't take them on the plane with her.  As she finished the last cannoli, she sucked on each of her fingers trying to get a final taste in her mouth, and shed a tear.

“To Paris…” she said in dismay.

[Guest ThatRicerKid]

This is a great story. Keep the chapters rolling! :thumbsup:

[lolhax123]

yep yep yep!

[CoastalBunny]

I'm incredibly bad at being consistent.  Oh well!

===================================

Chapter 6

"You lost my luggage!?!"

Julie stood there in shock, anger, and nearly on the brink of tears.

"Madam, please, try and relax.  These things happen all the time.  And we have an excellent success rate of finding anything lost.  Please just let us work with you and I'm sure we can come to a reasonable accommodation.  We will be more than happy to comp the flight for you."

"I know you're trying to help, but this flight is already covered by my university.  Paying them for the flight doesn't help me at all.  Heck, I probably have receipts for most of my stuff in my purse still..." Julie attempted to calmly state, although tears were beginning to accumulate in her eyes.

"How about this then madam.  Generally our policy is to comp the flight and under certain circumstances, as in when the cost of the luggage lost is more than the flight, we also offer additional pre-paid Visa cards for the difference.  In your case, we'll offer you the cost of the flight directly to one of our pre-paid cards, and if you do not hear back from us in five days then contact us again and we will be happy to electronically send you the cost of the luggage as well.  That is really the best we can do.  I'm sorry."

Maggie attempted to calm Julie down a bit, offering her a tissue.

"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea Julie.  And besides, you're going to get another clothing allowance for here too.  Just means you can splurge on Paris's fashion and not be walking around in those gaudy Italian clothes," Maggie jokingly said.

Julie, after a few moments to relax, pulled herself together, and thanked the gentlemen for his assistance. 

The girls all piled into a taxi van on their way to the hotel with eager looks on their face.  Everything they saw just as they imagined it would be as they road through the streets of Paris.  Such history, beauty, old and new, it was fascinating.  As they pulled up to their hotel and climbed out the girls all giggled when they saw exactly where they would be staying: IBIS Budget Hotels.  Not exactly what they had been expecting, but really there wasn't much to complain about when it came to a free trip to France.

One after the other, they began pulling their baggage from the trunk with Julie standing off to the side, feeling slightly more dejected as each girl passed with their luggage.  Finally, she reached in to grab her purse, and spilled it all through the trunk.

"Things are really going my way today," she thought to herself.

Once inside the hotel, the clerk could tell she Julie's day didn't appear to be going quite as well as the others and offered to help her get her room key first.  Begrudgingly, Julie accepted.

"I think I'm going to try and make today a bit better somehow and hit the streets for some clothes to wear here.  I'm not exactly dressed for the occasion," she said pointing at her dress from yesterday.

"No problem Jules.  If you want any company later let me know, I'll be fixing up my room for a bit but feel free to contact me later tonight if you want to do anything before our 'work' starts again tomorrow," Maggie playfully said.

And just like that, she was off.  Julie playfully skipped towards her first destination before feeling slightly lightheaded.  The whole process seemed so reminiscent of her time in Italy.  Strolling through her first shop not even sure if she could afford some of the clothes on display.  Looking through, she came to find a cute pair of jeans and once again, unsure of just how the sizes worked in Paris.

"Excuse me 'mam.  Could you help me?  Sorry for my ignorance.  I just flew in from Italy and I'm not sure if there is a difference in clothing sizes.  Is there a difference between a 38 in Italy and a 38 here?"

"I'm not sure either, but I think a 38 would fit your frame quite well.  Really help accent your curves."

Julie smiled politely and thanked her although still in the same position she was in earlier, not knowing how the sizes worked.  She took the 38 to the back along with a few shirts and jackets to try on.  It fit wonderfully.  She put her hand on her hip and struck a pose admiring herself and giggled a bit. However she was feeling a bit perplexed on how she was the same size considering she felt she looked differently.  Ultimately she just brushed it off as something to do with the lighting.

"Still the same size as when I got to Italy.  All of Europe must have the same sizing charts or something," she said gleefully.

So from store to store she shopped, however actually stopping for a dinner this time.  She found a quaint corner cafe for small sandwich, coffee, and some beignets.  She didn't overindulge herself this go-around as she was feeling quite confident in her body at the moment after slipping into clothes the same size as when she arrived to Italy (or so she thought) and didn't want to test her luck.

[noonshoes]

Great read. Please keep writing!

[CoastalBunny]

Chapter 7

"That family was way over the top.  If anybody fits the cliché French family, it was them."

"I know! And we were so underdressed! It was like they set us up to look like dumb Americans.  And the salad course after the main course? I understand the thought process of 'cleansing the palate', but did they have to be so snarky about it?" said Julie.

"At least it was a solid five course meal.  Everything here so far has felt more like a snack.  But even with all the issues with that family, the dessert was to die for!"

Some of the girls winced after Maggie brought up the dessert.

"Yeah, well, it was alright.. far too rich in my opinion.  Maybe it wouldn't have tasted that way if they hadn't crammed the cheese plate down our throats right before."  Julie stated with a pout.

A few of the girls rolled their eyes at Julie.  She was constantly criticizing every dessert these days.  Too rich, too dry, too small, too decorated, literally nothing was satisfactory to her.  And it was starting to bother some of them. 

But Julie chose to ignore them.  She knew in her heart what the most decadent dessert on this green Earth was, even if she knew she would likely never find a replacement no matter how hard she tried.

And she certainly had been trying.  Whenever they would go out, she was asking what the best dessert was from the server and after ordering it was always ending up dissatisfied.  It was so out of hand that she even asked which Icee flavor was best at the movies.

It was as if the cannoli had left a void in her tastebuds that no dessert could fill (unlike her expanding waistline which was clearly filling her pants these days).

"You know, maybe you should cut back on the desserts for a bit Julie.  You kinda look like you've been enjoying this research trip a bit more than the rest of us."

"Please!  I'm still the same size as when we started this.  Besides.. rude!"

"Two things Julie.  One you may wear the same size but you're certainly not the same size.  You practically have to unbutton your pants BEFORE every meal these days.  And two, we are just tired of your 'know it all' attitude.  We get it, you're smart.  But you don't have to critique everything we say too.  We're here to learn more about food habits of different cultures and how the family aspect integrates with it.  We're not food critics."

Julie's mouth nearly dislocated from her jaw her mouth dropped so far.  Who was this girl to talk to her so blatantly? And did the girls really notice her undo her pants before each meal? She thought she had been sneaky about it..  It's not like she had anything left from her clothing allowance to find anything more comfortable.

Her mind quickly got back on track to the argument she was having, yet she was still lost for words.  The only thing she could do is just stare at the girl.  It's not like Julie was very intimidating, but the girl clearly began to regret how straight forward she had been with her.  That, and she realized they still had plenty of time together on the research trip.

Before she could say anything, Julie yelled at her one more time before storming off.

[CoastalBunny]

Chapter 8

After storming off, Julie headed out to clear her head.  She knew she had been putting on weight, but she had kept convincing herself every time she squeezed herself into her pants that she had only gained a little bit and that she was just bloated from the previous meal.

Out of seemingly nowhere, she got it in her head that she would start watching what she ate and be more active.  She got tickled at the idea of getting back into shape.  Images of her curvy but still firm frame returning motivated her to start tonight. 

She looked up the nearest clothing store and shopped around for some cute workout attire.  Yoga pants, tank tops, etc.  Although she hated dipping into some of funds, Julie walked out of the store wearing one of her awesome new workout outfits.  She was stoked to start, and happy that her pants were actually fitting well, that she began a jog back to the hotel.

She didn't even break a sweat.  Probably because she made it only about three minutes before deciding she needed to gradually work her way back into shape.  So although she felt begrudged on her failure to make the run home, she still walked the rest of the way at a rather brisk pace, excited for what was to come.

The next day she woke up fully motivated to start her diet and workout plan.  Julie had decided in order to cut out calories throughout the day that she would just have a yogurt for breakfast, a snack for lunch, and then eat a rather full meal for dinner.  Her thought process was if she could make it to dinner, she could eat enough to sustain her until the next morning.  It had worked in the past, and the schedule fit her schedule for the research meals the group had been attending.

She walked everywhere that day.  After 'lunch' she hopped on the treadmill at the hotel for about a mile.  And by dinner, she was starving.  Still, she was good at dinner.  Feeling calculated and proud of her day Julie began her walk back to the hotel when she passed by a small cafe.  She had been good to herself that day and was probably way below her allotted calorie count anyways so Julie stepped inside to grab a coffee.

"Just a coffee 'mam?"

Julie hesitated, looked around and saw a couple sharing a small dessert across the way. 

The sensation of the emptiness the cannoli had left her creeped it's way back into her stomach.

"I think I'll try one of those desserts that they are having too."

Although not entire proud of her decision, she still figured she would be behind her calorie count, and she had been so good today working out and eating well that she could afford to splurge a little.  Besides, restrictive diets always fail.  As long as she didn't overindulge too much she would still be fine.

Of course when the dessert and coffee arrived, it failed to live up to the hype again.  The server refilled her coffee when she was close to being done with the dissatisfying dessert and asked if she needed anything else.

"Well I can't just sip on the coffee without something to eat," she thought to herself.

And so she ordered a different treat, once again not hitting that unknown void for her tastebuds.

After leaving, she kicked herself a little bit.  She had done so well that day she thought that and then she had gone and ruined it.  Well, not ruined it.  She was sure she had still eaten only what she needed.  Julie was positive she would trim down if she ate like that and kept working out.  Maybe not at the pace she intended, but slow and steady wins the race.

And so the cycle began.  Hardly eating at all early in day, 'working out', and having a decent dinner and a snack after hours.  Several weeks later, their time in France began to wrap up.  Up next, the United Kingdom.

[CoastalBunny]

Chapter 9

"Hm.."

"Mhhmm"

"Eh?"

"Mhm"

Julie stood in front of the mirror at  her new hotel.  Turning and eyeing her body from several different angles.

Her ass looked good.  Still wider than she thought it would be at this point, but good none-the-less.  She sucked her stomach in and pushed it out a few times.  Not quite sure what to think.  She felt good.  More energized, happy, you know, all the normal benefits of working out and eating right, but it just didn't feel like she had lost much weight (if any at all). 

She had grown accustomed to her yoga pants and sweat pants lifestyle lately.  She stared at her butt one more time trying to decide how she felt before ultimately putting it to the test - her French size 38 jeans. 

It had been nearly a month since she had worn anything without an elastic waistband.  Nervously, she put one leg after the other into them and began to slide them on.

"Wow.  These are tight."

"Tighter than I expected."

"But not where I expected."

She felt like her rear end was about to shred right though her jeans.  Her thighs were hard enough to wiggle through each leg, but she was pleasantly surprised by the fit on her waist.  By no means was it loose around her midsection, but she didn't feel the need to unbutton them.  She gave herself a mental high-five at that moment.

Julie attributed how tight they were on her butt and thighs to the fact she had been working out lately.  For sure her lower half had put on some muscle since she was walking everywhere.

After fighting to peel her jeans off, Julie admired herself again for a few moments, convincing herself she could see a drastic change in her body.

"You coming Julie?"

She quickly spun around to the muffled voice coming through the door.

"We're all waiting on you," Maggie said teasingly.

"Yeah, I'm on my way, just putting my hair up real quick"

Buying herself some time, she grabbed her yoga pants and slid them back on.  She thought to herself that even though her bottom half had grown a bit, that yoga pants can make any pair of legs and ass look good.  She blew herself a quick kiss in the mirror and off they went.

------------------------------------------

"That was a wonderful meal there Mrs. Mullin," one of the girls stated.

"Well you act like it's already over!  I'd be a barmy host if I went without offering dessert to you hunky-dory researches!"

"That would be lovely Mrs. Mullin, we really do appreciate your hospitality," Julie politely added.

Mrs. Mullin then picked up a few plates and walked back into the kitchen, humming the entire way.

"I know it's not Paris girls, but the UK is actually pretty interesting."

"That's for sure, and the people here nearly match the hospitality of a southerner!" another joked.

"We really are lucky.  Of all the projects we could have gotten after graduating, we got to take a trip around the world," Julie said happily.

After a few moments, Mrs. Mullin returned with a boxy looking cake and began offering slices to the girls.

"Oh my God Mrs. Mullin! This is fantastic!" the first girl squealed.

"Wow.  Just wow.  I could make an entire meal out of just this.  Julie you're not gonna have anything bad to say about this one!"  another teased.

Julie laughed, smiled politely and graciously accepted her slice.  Before she even had the opportunity to take a bite, one of the other girls was asking if they could have another slice.  Most of the time the girls would have teased each other about taking seconds at dessert, but nobody said a word.  Julie took a long, wanting gaze at her slice. 

"Could this actually be that good?" she thought to herself before taking a bite.

The moment it reached her tastebuds she could tell this was better than everything since the cannoli.  It was amazing.  She began to slowly bite into it, savoring each and every bite.  It really was delicious.  As much as she wanted it to take the cannoli's place, there was just something missing.  She couldn't quite put her finger on it.  She asked for another slice like the others had and dug into it again.  Each bite was wonderful, yet left something to be desired.  She even asked for a third slice (noticing she wasn't the only girl in the room doing so)  and kept trying to pinpoint exactly what needed altering to really match the cannoli. 

Before she could ask for a fourth slice, Mrs. Mullins informed the girls they had wiped her clean of the cake.  A few of the girls pouted, some made audible moans of sadness, but Julie sat there wondering how she could get her hand on some more of Mrs. Mullins cake.

The girls all graciously thanked their host before leaving and gave her all the information she would need so Mrs. Mullins could see the outcome of the research in the future, but as they left Julie made sure she was to be the last one out.  Stopping at the door she turned to Mrs. Mullins.

"That cake, what was that?"

"Oh it's called a Battenberg cake, I'm so glad you all enjoyed it."

"It certainly was wonderful.  Is that your recipe?"

"Ha, funny you should ask.  As much as I wish I could take credit for it, I actually had ruined the dessert I had made for you girls before you arrived.  I ran out to pick those up right before you all got here.  I'll have to let the Shoppe know how much you all enjoyed it."

"Which store was that you got it from?  Since the girls loved it so much I thought I would surprise them with it at some point in the future."

"Of course!  Queen Viki's Delight is the place.  Just about two blocks away from here."

"I appreciate it again Mrs. Mullins.  They're gonna love it when I bring it back to the hotel in a few days."

At that point, Mrs. Mullins gave Julie a quick hug and wished them good luck on the rest of their trip.  All the while Julie had already zoned Mrs. Mullins out.  She was on a mission to get to the Queen Viki's Delight.

[CoastalBunny]

Chapter 10.

"Just in time!" Julie thought to herself gleefully.

She walked inside the to look around when she was greeted with a boisterous hello by one of the staff members. 

"Hello there!  Since this is your first time here I'll let you know we'll be closing up in just a few so we can't take any custom orders right now, but you're more than welcome to what we have made right now."

"Thanks, I appreciate it, but how did you know this was my first time here?" Julie questioned the employee.

"Well that's easy!  Because I've never seen you before!  I know everyone who comes here.  Because if they come here once, they'll come here again!"

Julie could tell the staff member was rather cocky about the success of the shop but also figured he had a reason to be.  After all, Julie had just tried the Battenberg cake only a short while ago and was now standing in the shop looking for more of it.

"You strike me as a pie kind of girl."

"You would be wrong actually, but I'm sure you're right with about 50 % of your customers," she jokingly shot back.  "I'm actually looking for a Battenberg cake.  Do you have any left for the night?  And what was that comment about custom orders when I first walked in?"

"I like your style there," the employee stated.  "We do in fact have Battenberg left, two of them in fact.  As for the custom orders.. well we are a small place as you can tell and people around here don't exactly have the same tastebuds as each other, so we offer up our baking skills and recipes to be tweaked to fit the individual.  It's how we know you'll keep coming back too," he said with a sly smile.

Wow.  Jackpot.  Julie had practically stepped into a Research and Development bakery.  Instantly her spirits lifted and she began to fanaticize about creating the perfect dessert.  As she did cartwheels in her head she ordered both of the Battenberg cakes available and began happily strolling back to the hotel.  Not once since biting into the cake at Mrs. Mullin's had Julie thought about her 'diet' and 'workouts' she had been doing.  It was as if they had become a distant afterthought and replaced by the need to solve the puzzle to the Battenberg cake.

-------------------------------------

"Ughh.... so good... yet, it doesn't hit the spot...."

Julie began to wonder how each bite of the cake was momentarily satisfying but then quickly replaced by almost a sense of hunger and needing more in order to try and fill that void in her stomach and her tastebuds. 

Julie had been trying for two weeks now to get the cake just right.  Time and time again it was proving to be one step forward two steps back.  Nothing had worked.  She had even gone through the trouble to order specialty ingredients just for the Shoppe.

As she went to stand up to roll the dice again, she was greeted by her stomach reminding her that she had been there for five hours already.  She certainly had indulged quite a bit, but the baking times for her experimental dessert had helped keep her from feeling too stuffed.  But now, being forced to sit back down and feel bits of her jiggle as she did (a sensation she was beginning to become accustomed to), she brushed off the crumbs from her expanded waist and decided she would have to try again another time as dinner with her fellow researchers was soon approaching.

She thanked the gentleman behind the counter and trotted on down towards her next destination.

"Oh wonderful," she thought sarcastically as she sat down at the dinner table, "Another native too lazy to cook anything up besides a quick fish and chips meal." 

As if the constant dessert snacking hadn't been hard enough on her figure, the fried food of the UK was starting to perturb her. 

"It's not like there are even that many fried dishes here..." she grumbled to herself.

During dinner another one of the girls had started off on some tangent about how kind the hose had been, blah blah blah.  It was the same story she had heard nearly every meal.  Instead of letting it get to her,  Julie decided to zone her out and pull up her phone to stare blindly into her Facebook.

"Cute video."

"That was funny."

"Who posts something like that?"

"Haha, a cannoli from back home.  Funny."

While looking at the picture she began to wonder what exactly was in a cannoli.  Of course this led to a quick Google search when she came across this line:

"In either case, the cream is often flavored with vanilla or orange flower water and a small amount of cinnamon."

And there it was.  It finally hit her what the Battenberg cake was missing.  Just a small amount of orange flower water for a slight citrus taste.  It had been missing a tart flavor the entire time.

Dinner couldn't be over fast enough.  Trying as hard as she could to make herself look patient, all she could think about was getting back to the Shoppe and seeing if she had finally stumbled upon the concoction of a lifetime.

Hugs were given.

Courtesies were exchanged.

One last quick comment about how the girls hoped to see this host again next time.

And she was finally off.

[CoastalBunny]

Chapter 11.

While on her way to Queen Viki's Delight, Julie gave a quick call to make sure they had what she needed.

"We certainly do, want me to get one going?"

"You're damn right I do!" She said happily but rather seriously.

"Not a problem, we'll see ya soon!"

Upon walking in, she could smell the wonderful aroma of the soon to be delicacy.  It was like someone had gently put their hand on her shoulder and led her to heaven.  As the anticipation built up within, she began to fidget nervously and wonder just exactly how this one would turn out.  She had such high expectations now that anything less than perfection would be a disappointment.  And as time passed, the aroma of the Shoppe got better and better until she was no longer smelling the Battenberg cake in the oven as now it was the real thing sitting in front of her.

She quickly grabbed her fork just to turn around and slowly slide it through the cake watching as a piece  gracefully fell into the welcoming prongs.  Closing her eyes, she gave it one last smell before finally putting the potentially glorious dessert into her mouth.

And oh was it so glorious.

She scarfed down that slice so fast that she nearly choked on it.  While starting on her second slice she walked up to the counter and called for the baker.

"Fill your ovens.  I'm taking as much of this as possible tonight."

---------------------

All she had been doing for days was waking up, heading to Queen Viki's Delight, and gorging herself for hours on end only to turn around and take boxes home with her at night.  By this time her sweatpants had began to dig rather furiously into her widening waistline and had been stretched to a near extreme limits on her ass and thighs.  She felt primitive, trying to make up for lost time since this sensation had occurred in Italy. It was so much, that Julie had begin to miss dinners with the girls.

One night, Maggie finally had enough of Julie dipping out on their research and decided to show up to her room.

"Julie, I know you're in there.  We've gotta go to our next house.  And you're definitely coming this time."

"Ok ok ok, I'll meet you all there, just going to change first."

"No Julie, you're coming with me this time.  I'm not leaving until you come.  It's supposed to be a nice dinner anyways, why would you want to miss this?"

Frustrated, Julie knew when Maggie was being serious.  There was no chance she was going to get out of this meal.  Feeling defeated, she heaved her weight up from the bed and shuffled to the drawers to put on some clothes.

Just as she stepped into her panties and began sliding them up her lower half, they began to pinch her just below her cheeks.  She tried over and over again to wiggle her extraordinarily tight panties around her plump backside and when she had finally managed to get them past her round thighs and onto her rear end she heard it.

*rrriiiippppppp*

Whipping her head around she saw as the outer side of her panties had flown apart and dangled helplessly along her thigh.

Panic began to set in as she wondered just how much she had put on, but before she could really start to think too much about it Maggie began knocking on the door again.

"Julie, let's gooooooo."

"I'm, uh, having some issues.  Give me a few more minutes."

The side effects of sweatpants and t-shirts was finally showing itself.  Julie reached into her drawer and decided to see if she could squeeze on a pair of khakis and one of her button up shirts.

The shirt fit, but only by a few necessary buttons.  Her soft luscious belly uncontained by the shirt while her chest pushed against the buttons clearly showing her bra through the gaps of the shirt.  As for the khakis, they stopped helplessly below her ass cheeks with no possibility of them making their way any further.

"Let me in Julie.  I can help you pick out something.  But we need to hurry."

"I'm not decent though!"

"For crying out loud Julie, just let me in. I'll get over it."

Reluctantly, Julie obliged.  Opening the door while trying to hide herself behind it.  Maggie swooped in and immediately noticed not Julie, but the pile of boxes on the floor of the Battenberg cake.  Finally turning around, Maggie couldn't help herself but to incidentally spout out 'what?!' before regaining her composure.

The two girls looked at each other clueless  of what to say before Julie finally spoke up.

"I think I've gained some weight... which is why I couldn't find anything to wear... it had nothing to do with choosing an outfit..."

Maggie starred dumbfounded at her while trying to come up with something to say, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was,

"A little?"

"Yeah, I mean, these are a 38 in Italian/French sizing.  The same as when I got to Italy.  I know they don't fit and neither would a 40.  But a 42 would probably be fine.  That's like an 8.  It's just two or three sizes, not like my 2's fit me that well before,  so yeah, just a little."

"Julie, what do you mean a 38 Italian/French?  You know they aren't the same size.  Right?"

Julie looked at Maggie shocked by that statement.  What did she mean they weren't the same sizes?  38 equals 38.

"Jules.  A 38 in Italy is a size 4.  A 38 in France is a size 8.  A French 42 would be a 12, and even that wouldn't fit you right now."

A size 14.  Julie, Mrs. 5'2" curvy size 2/4 had put on 10 to 12 sizes in just a matter of months. 

She sat back on the bed and began to think about all the wonderful desserts she had which did this to her.  Debating whether it was worth it, if she could get her old body back, what she was going to do with all these cakes.

"How did this happen Julie?"  Maggie asked.

"It just, I don't know, I knew I had gained some weight, but a size 14?!? That's absurd on my frame."

Maggie bent down and opened up one of the boxes near the bed and recognized the Battenberg cake immediately. 

"Is this the same thing Mrs. Miller had?"

And before even receiving an answer, Maggie took a piece and chomped into it out of curiosity.  But it was too late.  Julie could see Maggie melt her back into the wall and shiver for just a moment.  By the time she opened her eyes, she was already reaching for a second piece before even finishing the first.

"How did you find this? I'd thought about this at every dessert since that dinner.  This is.. superb."

"Mrs. Mullins told me where she bought it from.  I just got them to tweak the recipe a bit."

Maggie took another bite and let out an audible moan as the flavor sunk in. 

Julie paused, looked at Maggie, then gazed at her own body.  She quickly grew jealous of Maggie.  She no longer had the fully toned physique that she had arrived with but still a hot girl's body by most standards.  Without thinking too much about it, Julie broke Maggie's concentration momentarily.

"I have way too many of these here.  If I'm going to fit into any of these clothes again I have to get rid some of these.  Will you take a few of these boxes back? I'm sure you and the other girls can find a way of getting rid of these."

Maggie, already on her 3rd slice, had her mouth full of a bite at the time and gave Julie an ecstatic head nod in compliance.

After handing Maggie a few bags to cart away the boxes, Maggie (on her 6th slice) began her way back to her room. 

Julie closed the door behind her and shed herself of the poorly fitting clothes.  After changing back into her almost equally ill-fitting sweats and t-shirt, she laid back on her bed and began to debate whether she should feel guilty handing Maggie so many boxes of the clearly addicting dessert.  Laying there with a piece of the cake in one hand and the other on her tummy, she took a deep breath before shrugging off the potential damage she has done and returned to grazing on what she had remaining.