Read Online The Devil Eats Here (Multi-Author Short Story Collection) by Alice Gaines, Tara Maya, Rayne Hall, Jonathan Broughton, Siewleng Torossian, John Hoddy, John Blackport, Douglas Kolacki, April Grey - Free Book Online

checked.”
    “You’re in fabulous shape, Cyn. I bet you were at the gym bright and early today.”
    “Of course,” Cyn said.
    “You’re strong. You have great muscle tone.”
    “I guess.” Sometimes, sweaty guys using the exercise machines after her had to lower the intensity setting.
    Of course, Jenny did not have that problem. Although she carried a few extra pounds herself, she never let them spoil her fun, and she was a lot slimmer than Cyn anyway.
    “Your skin glows,” Jenny went on. “You radiate health.”
    “Yeah, yeah. I glow and radiate. I’m a regular x-ray machine.”
    The waiter brought a bowl of guacamole and more chips.
    Cyn dug into the creamy pile of green, savoring the soft texture on her tongue. “Here goes weeks of dieting.”
    “No one can live on carrot sticks and low-fat salad dressing,” Jenny said.
    “I could.” She could if the world would cooperate.
    “You could exist on that,” Jenny said. “Not live.”
    “Okay, then, I exist.”
    “That low-fat dressing is vile.” Jenny huffed. “It isn’t working, anyway. It isn’t making you thin: it’s making you miserable.” She leant back. “So, will you tell me why I had to meet you here on no notice?”
    “I didn’t get the promotion.”
    Jenny's head snapped up. “Has Stewart lost his mind?”
    “If he ever possessed a mind. He hired someone from the outside. A size six.”
    “Hire someone who doesn't know the company? Even Stew the Poo can't be such an idiot.”
    “Don’t underestimate him. He gives idiots a bad name.”
    The waiter bore a huge platter of beans and steaming rice, an enchilada and a taco, a chile relleno, more creamy guacamole, sour cream and cheese – gooey, melting, fattening cheese - with a cloud of spices floating over the whole thing.
    Cyn dug into the beans. They oozed calories. Was it possible to smell lard? “Eat your lunch. It’s delicious.”
    Jenny finally helped herself to spoonful of guacamole. “He used you, didn't he? He wanted someone to do the manager's job without a manager's pay. He lured you with the promise of the promotion, and you fell for it. What's his excuse?”
    “He wants someone who projects the right image on the company website. A slim image.” Cyn finished her chile relleno and moved on to her rice, savouring the firm yet melting texture on her tongue. “And he wants to pork this woman. It's probably an unwritten part of her job description.”
    Jenny grimaced. “Would you want a job where you have to pork Stewart?”
    “Ewww.”
    The two of them ate in silence for a while, savoring the colors, flavors and scents of the Mexican cuisine. At last, Jenny asked, “So, what are you going to do?”
    “About Stewart, I can do nothing. And I doubt I could get a better job.”
    “Why not?” Jenny said. “You have the qualifications, you have the skill. You understand how customers tick and how to get them to buy. And now you have management experience, too. You’re so well qualified. You just have to find the right company.”
    “What company would that be? They all want stick women to adorn their offices.” Cyn wiped her mouth with the starched linen napkin. “I have another idea.”
    She reached into the pocket of her jacket for the brochure from the clinic and slid it across the table to Jenny.
    Jenny's lips narrowed. “No, honey. Surgery is not the answer.”
    “I called them this morning. I can have it done in a couple of weeks.”
    Her friend crumpled the brochure into a wad and set it on the table. She clasped Cyn's pudgy wrists. “Don’t you dare even think of such a thing. Just an anesthetic mistake can kill you.”
    “Lots of people have had it done.”
    “People who need it,” Jenny said. “You don’t.”
    “Nothing else is working.” Cyn rested her palms on the table and leaned toward her friend. “To be thin, I'd sell my soul.”
    The room changed. The walls leaned inward, and the floor shook.
    Cyn clasped the table edge.
    “Are you all