This choice: After few weeks at the new job. • Go Back...Chapter #5After few weeks at the new job. by: leedsbloke   "Shit shit shit," Zach whispered to himself as he fumbled with the buttons on his work shirt. It was a dress shirt that wore often. He had a few of them, because god knows he wasn't too good at laundry.
He was already running late and now he was having shirt problems. Zach was perplexed, this shirt fit the other day but he was having problems with the buttons this morning. He figured it was just a fat day, but the truth is it has been a part of a pattern. After three weeks of his new job, the pastries were adding to his waistline. Not to mention the fact that he only worked three days a week and still had his evenings and nights to do whatever he'd like with. He'd made some new work friends that he'd go drinking with nearly every work day.
Dean and Jared were in the other room getting ready for work as well. They always started fairly early but Zach was usually out of the house before them since he worked earlier and got off earlier. "Problem, bud?" Jared asked as he heard a frustrated Zach in front of the bathroom mirror. Jared was sipping a coffee and taking his time. He was an early riser and almost always awake before Zach despite him going to work later. He was entertained every morning watching Zach stumble out of bed and run off to the coffee shop, a job he just started and was still often late for. He's lucky he has friends that cover for him and that his manager liked him.
Zach got the buttons fastened and smiled looking at himself in the bathroom mirror. He gave his beard and his hair a once-over with a comb and headed out to the living room. "All is good," Zach said giving a thumbs up to Dean and Jared who were sitting at the kitchen table.
Zach eyed some doughnuts on the table and went in to grab a few. "You get all the snacks you want at work, why do you need these?" Dean quipped. Zach had a mouthful of doughnut and didn't respond right away.
"I don't know I'm hungry," he said in response, talking through the chewing of his second doughnut.
Just then the stress of Zach's growing gut gave way and bounced a troublesome button off his shirt. They had already been stretched to their limit to so it was a matter of time. Jared just laughed hysterically in response.
"Fuck. My other shirts are dirty," Zach said looking down at his shirt which was exposing some flabby, hairy flesh.
"Think that maybe this is a sign you maybe need to lay off the pastries?" Dean said, in the most encouraging way that he could.
Jared just scoffed, knowing Zach was incapable of laying off any food or drink, especially recently. He doesn't recall having seen him in the apartment without one of the two in hand.
Zach poked his flabby gut. It was clear he'd gained another ten pounds or so since starting the job. At least it was clear to everyone around him, while Zach remained fairly oblivious. If he did realize it, he certainly didn't care.
"Thanks, that's helpful bro. I can't go to work like this," Zach gestured.
"Don't you wear an apron?" Jared responded coyly. "Just get in there and put it on before anyone sees."
Zach liked the idea. He knew how smart Jared was and saw it as a better alternative than digging into his dirty laundry hamper and digging out one of his shirts covered in coffee and pit stains, or both.
Zach walked over to Jared and gave him a playful kiss on the head, and belly bumped his head in the process unintentionally. "This is why you're the smart one," Zach said with a cheesy grin. He left the apartment knowing he was late and tried his best to not draw any extra attention to his button-less shirt.
A few minutes and a few glares later and he's at the coffee shop where he tries to cross his arms to hide the hole and get his apron on. He slides past one of his coworker, ties the apron and lets out a sigh of relief which may definitely have caused another button to come off, but at least know he was covered.
"Hey Zach," he heard and turned around to see...   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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