When Cheryl Allen accepted a paid internship offer from Vandergast Incorporated, she thought there'd be more filing. A recent graduate of Trussel State University, Cheryl's number one goal was to get into upper corporate management with a nice corner office, sit on her ass in a comfortable chair, and send e-mails all day. That was the life. Nobody would come and bother her, the somewhat nervous, shy girl that she was, only a few people would tell her what to do, and she could go home every night with a nice salary, pet her cat, and read. Vandergast Inc. was to be a stepping stone to the dream, but it was proving to be... a problem.
It wasn't that Cheryl didn't like the job. She loved the experience, and Gloria was such an interesting, funny woman with lots of great stories and insights on the business world. It was just... Gloria for some reason seemed to think "intern" meant "fixer". Cheryl didn't have a problem fetching coffee and donuts, which she happily did multiple times a day, but what she did have a problem with was tracking down dine and dashers or trying to get some crying lady to leave the bathroom or helping Gloria button up her pants after she ate too much lasagna. So stressful! Hadn't this woman heard of Microsoft Excel? Cheryl could make a mean spreadsheet!
So, when Gloria called Cheryl into her office that day, saying it was "URGENT; OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE" she feared the worst. She knocked and entered Gloria's large office. Cheryl was a slight, thin woman about 5'7" with bright green dyed hair and black, thick framed glasses. She dressed casually at work, wearing a Kate Bush t-shirt and black skinny jeans, which accentuated her wider than average hips and pert butt, about the only place on her body where she currently carried any excess weight. She carried a little notebook in her back pocket, which proved very helpful for working with Gloria, who has a habit of prattling request after request quickly in succession.
"Y-you asked to see me, ma'am?" Cheryl was intimidated by Gloria at her desk. She didn't look happy. Her mind was swimming. What could it be that she needed? She had a few ideas.
One that jumped out immediately was the health department. It was no secret that Gloria's restaurants catered to a very specific type of person, the type of person who might eat 3 whole entrees and then ask for dessert. Gloria had been facing pressure from the department of health to stop coddling Trussel's already massive obesity problem, but she didn't intend to capitulate. In fact, she wanted to go in the opposite direction altogether.
Another was Christina, the head chef at one of Gloria's other locations. A bigger woman herself, Christina had recently got on a diet kick, lost a lot of weight, and had been expressing displeasure in just how unhealthy the food was at the restaurant. It was a disaster waiting to happen, Cheryl thought.
Gloria also had just bought a new house, a nice big place in a quiet suburb. Maybe it had something to do with that?
That was all she could think of. Lord knows what would come out of that woman's mouth sometimes. Gloria gestured to the seat in front of her desk and said, "Sit," which Cheryl did, removing her notebook from her pocket as she did. She flipped it open and looked at Gloria, who had her head in her hands. "Cheryl, I don't know what's gonna happen with this. I normally know, but I just don't right now."
"I can try and help. What's the problem?"
Gloria sighed and said...
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