Chapter 6: Sara's Diet
Sara stepped out of her car and pulled down her black leather skirt that had risen to expose most of her leg as she operated the stick shift of the vehicle. She walked up the sidewalk to the front door absentmindedly smoothing her silk blouse while she walked. It was late and the lights were off. Her mind was on business, it was always on business, a list of things to do that never got any smaller. The mannequin suit was a huge success by anyone's standard and now three years after she first put it on her husband, she was the executive officer of a well-established company.
As CEO of SMS Creations (they dropped the name Sara's Mannequin Suit on the advice of the marketing professionals) Sara worked long hours and there had been some unexpected physical consequences. She had no time to exercise and quick food is usually bad food so Sara had put on more than a few pounds.
She pushed open the front door and dropped her purse onto the floor inside the door. She kicked off her heels and was looking forward to a nice long bath. She spotted Gavin sitting on the couch in his usual T-shirt and shorts. "What time did you get home?"
"Oh, about four or so. I had some stuff to do here." Gavin responded.
"Figures," Sara shook her head, giving Gavin a dirty look, obviously resenting his extra leisure time.
"Did you have network problems? Were there any technical issues at all with anything that I run at the company?" Gavin asked.
"No, but I work so much and you..."
"I am efficient. Everything in the server room is automated and the second something weird happens I know about it on my cell." Gavin held up a small silver object.
Sara plopped down beside her husband pulling the clip out of her hair letting the blond locks fall across her shoulders. "You are good, but computers are better behaved than people."
"Listen Sara, you started the company three years ago and demand for the mannequin suit and all the additional products created by SMS have only grown with every quarter. It's time you took a break."
"Yeah, I know, and I've decided to get back in shape, what's the point of having a successful company if I die from heart disease from being over weight."
Gavin nodded. "This new house we bought has a fully decked out exercise room, you should use it."
"Not enough, I have to control my diet. And I want your help." Sara's face hardened with her determination.
"My help, how?" Gavin said.
"I'm going to tell some of my friends at work that I need to control my diet and if they catch me sneaking junk food they will be instructed to tell you."
"Me, why tell me?" Gavin was getting confused.
"It's your job to come up with some suitable consequences for my mistakes, if they are severe enough than I should be able to resist the temptation."
"Sorry, Sara, that won't work."
Sara looked surprised. "Why not?"
"Your friends at work will fear for their jobs and won't say anything."
"I'm not talking about just anybody. I was thinking Angie and Nadine."
Gavin nodded, they were close friends and would not worry about being fired. "Well, ok, I'm game. I'll just wait for the call from one of those two."
Sara nodded. "Thanks. And I'll try my best to make sure you don't get that phone call."
* * *
The first two weeks Sara saw exciting results, she replaced chocolate and fast food with fruit and vegetables. She had more energy and was thinking about an exercise program when Nadine rushed into her office. Her brunette hair was piled on top of her head in her usual business style and she wore a knee length black dress with a fitted jacket. "What's going on?" Her well maintained figure allowed for her to pass as a woman much younger than her current age.
Nadine took a moment to catch her breath. "I just spent fifteen minutes on the phone with a client from Vegas who claims that the custom made suits they ordered split at the seams when their performers had a dress rehearsal this morning?
"Huh? How is that possible, the production process does not create seams?"
"I know, I told him that," Nadine said waving her hands in exasperation. "but he is threatening to cancel his order anyway."
"How big of customers are they?"
"They spent $116,000 last year alone." Nadine said slowly.
Sara about choked on her own tongue. "Get me their number."
Nadine left and Sara suddenly felt ravenous. She was getting used to being hungry but now she needed chocolate. Chocolate is always the perfect stress killer, so she decided to walk down to the break room and grab the number from Nadine on the way. She returned hiding a small package of fudge inside a folded newspaper.
Sara stuffed a couple pieces of fudge into her mouth before dialing the number and enjoyed another while she was connected to the production manager. As it turned out, there was a saboteur inside the production company who caused the damage, and the production manager had wrongly blamed SMS Creations. The man was profusely apologetic and Sara managed to guarantee several thousand more in sales by offering to repair the suits without charge.
Sara did not expect the production manager to call Nadine back to apologize for his behavior. Normally this kind gesture would not be a big deal except Nadine ran back to Sara's office bubbling over with excitement only to find Sara helping herself to her seventh piece of fudge.
"I was beginning to wonder if I was going to get to call your husband." Nadine smiled as Sara unsuccessfully tried to hide her lapse.
"It's only a few pieces, you don't need to involve him yet." Sara begged.
"Slippery slope, Sara. It's best if we nip it in the bud." Nadine walked out of Sara's office with a smirk on her face.
Sara worried a little about what her husband would do but ultimately she trusted him. His creativity knew no bounds, as evidenced by the highway barrel idea several years ago that Angie still talked about. So curiosity eventually got the better of her and excitement replaced nervousness. She walked into the house that evening to find her husband in his usual place on the couch lounging in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, his typical evening attire.
"Hey there babe, got a call from Nadine today. I thought you weren't ever going to screw up." Gavin grinned.
Sara shook her head. "Nobody's perfect, so what do you have cooked up so I can redeem myself?"
"Ah, it will probably be best if I keep the details to myself but you do need to shower and put your hair into a single braid, then meet me in the workout room downstairs."
"I know what's coming." Sara said.
"I doubt it and don't bother guessing because I will neither confirm nor deny. Get going." Gavin laughed and pinched Sara on the bottom on the way to the basement.
Sara enjoyed her shower and took her time twisting her blond hair into a single braid falling down the middle of her back. She expected to have to work out on the exercise equipment, likely by force, probably wearing something revealing. In hopes of distracting her husband from his plans, she donned a short white silk robe and walked downstairs into the basement.
The workout room was full of various pieces of exercise equipment, much left by the previous owner. Running and climbing machines were oriented towards a large television in one corner, and racks of weights and bars were neatly arranged along the adjacent wall. Gavin stood on the opposite side of the room from the large television where the floor was covered with tile instead of carpet. On the tile was a large stainless steel spa tub often seen in athletic locker rooms or rehabilitation hospitals.
"Love the robe, unfortunately you're going to have to drop it and slip into this." Gavin reached into the tub and pulled out a pile of shiny white latex.
"Is that one of our designs?" Sara asked.
"Yes, and it uses the latest polymer so you don't have to worry about your toenails snagging it or anything."
"Why white?"
"It was available and you look good in white." Gavin indicated the robe hitting the floor around Sara's ankles with a smile.
Sara took the garment and stretched open the neck. The lack of a zipper on all SMS Creations suits were a huge selling point, helping them to leave their competition behind despite constant efforts at forgery.
Sara pulled and tugged on the suit until her feet were legs and feet were being gently hugged by the tight garment. "Um, there seems to be a problem, I can't find the arm holes?"
"They are internal."
"You mean this is..."
"Yep, it's the suit Angie designed for that special customer. I had her make one for you. She was surprisingly excited about the prospect and got this to me in record time."
"Probably because we don't have much call for armless suits," Sara said. "Help me get this on."
Gavin helped Sara slip her arms inside the suit and into the sleeves keeping her arms fixed at her sides. Gavin pulled her hair out of the snug collar and smoothed out the wrinkles. Standing before him now was a glossy white woman with no arms. "I'm surprised I get to keep my legs." Sara said sarcastically.
"Well I need you to step into the tub but after that I guess I can..."
Sara stepped into the tub, "No, no, I'll be fine as is."
"Please sit down I need to grab a couple of more things. Oh but first I need to apply this to your lips." Gavin produced an oversized chap stick container.
"What, you don't want me to talk?" Sara pouted.
"Well, you know, um...no." Gavin laughed.
Sara stuck her tongue out at him before allowing him to spread the adhesive onto her lips. He pressed them together and made sure there were no gaps by holding her nose and listening for air getting past. Sara of course said many things some of which Gavin recognized but now were mostly indistinguishable grunts.
"Now, now this was your idea remember." Gavin said as he patted the top of her head. "One more thing and your punishment will begin." Gavin tied a thin piece of cord to her braid and then loosely tied that to a pipe on the back of the spa. "There now you can't stand up but you can move your head right."
Sara twisted her head from side to side and up and down but when she tried to lean forward more than a few inches the cord stopped her.
"Excellent now, sit tight and I'll be right back." Gavin left the room.
Sara bent her legs and tried to get push herself up but all but the smallest movements reminded her that her hair was tied to something on the back of the tub. Her hands were useless trapped inside the interior sleeves of the suit. The only silver lining was the tightness of the suit pulled all her remaining unsightly bulges back under control, though she doubted Gavin even noticed. Her thoughts were interrupted the sight of her husband pushing a mover's dolly attached to which was a 50 gallon drum.
Gavin stopped near the spa tub and rolled the drum off the dolly. He released a ring around the top of the barrel and set the lid aside. Due to her lower position in the tub she could not see the contents of the drum but she knew whatever was inside was going to join her quite soon.
"I'm a big believer in the punishment fitting the crime, so in light of that," Gavin dipped his finger into the drum and stuck it into his mouth. Sara saw it was covered with a viscous mud-like material. "You will be covered in some of the tastiest fudge I could find in bulk."
Sara's eyes popped out of her head.
"Normally fudge is so thick it won't pour at all but this stuff has been sitting in the sun for a couple of hours so it should ooze around your body nicely. I suggest you bend your knees, this stuff will be heavy and I don't want to stress your joints."
Sara futilely squirmed around in the stainless steel tub in an attempt to dodge the thick chocolate as it slowly ran out of the barrel. Gavin labored under the weight of it as it slowly filled the tub. The thick fudge spread out across her body moving at a snails pace as it climbed her rib cage. By the time the fudge covered her chest the barrel was light enough for Gavin to lift it onto his shoulder.
Wiping sweat from his brow Gavin sat the barrel down. "There's a bit left, but I don't have a spatula big enough." Gavin laughed.
Heavy and warm fudge covered Sara to her neck. It oozed in and around every part of her body and the little movements she could achieve only served to settle it around her. Worst of all, the aroma was overpowering. She wanted just a taste but her tongue was trapped behind her lips. It was maddening
Gavin released her hair from the back of the tub. "I don't think you'll be going anywhere now." Sara tried to raise her body by bending her waist but the weight of the confection prevented any large movements and with her hands trapped leverage was non-existent. She could only glare at the man whose bright idea this was.
"Now don't give me that look, you asked for this as I recall. You don't want to know how much this stuff cost either." Gavin looked at the barrel with a puzzled expression. "Not sure what I'm going to do with it afterwards. I mean the tub is clean and your body is clean so it is still sanitary and edible. Perhaps I'll donate to a local food bank or soup kitchen..." Gavin sat down on the tub and thought about this while idly licking one of his fingers.
Sara could not believe this, surrounded by fudge but unable to taste a molecule of it. She tried to glare at her husband but he was paying her no attention at the moment. She tried to move around but even bending at the waist proved difficult and bending her knees was impossible.
"I almost forgot," Gavin said suddenly and reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "Angie and Nadine wanted to see what I came up with."
Sara jerked her head back and forth and made as much noise as she could with her lips sealed. She would rather stay in the fudge for another day than have her friends see her like this.
Gavin put the phone to his ear and smiled at his wife. "It's all part of the punishment, the more deterrent the better. You were doing so well too."
Angie and Nadine arrived less than an hour later. They wore casual clothes which for Angie meant a green T-shirt dress that fell to her knees and was tight enough to show off her well maintained body. Nadine, though she looked great for being in her forties, opted for a not-so-tight, calf-length sundress made from a satin-like floral print. Sara remained still when they entered so as to not attract their attention but Gavin was quick to point out her predicament. "She's right over here ladies. And I love that dress Nadine."
Sara rolled her eyes, her husband always did have a thing for shiny materials. "Thank you Gavin." Nadine stepped close to the tub. "A mud bath, I'm not sure that's much of a consequence, I enjoy them whenever I get a chance at our local spa."
Angie went to the opposite side of the tub and touched the content of the tub with her finger. "Your allergies must be acting up Nadine, can't you smell that. Sara's buried in fudge." Angie stuck her finger in the tub and licked it off with relish.
"How appropriate," Nadine said while brushing a few stray hairs out of Sara's eyes. "I take it she can't enjoy her bath water?"
"No, I'm afraid not. She enjoyed it earlier today remember." Gavin said.
Angie laughed. "You are amazing, you always have such creative ideas."
Nadine looked at Gavin and Angie with a puzzled expression. "You make it sound like you've done something like this before."
Gavin looked from Nadine to Angie and then to Sara who smiled despite her predicament. "Well, uh, just before SMS became successful Angie did something to Sara and I and well we did something back."
"Really," Nadine smiled. "Do tell."
Angie interrupted. "Do you mind if we enjoy a bit of fudge first before we reveal all the secrets of our past."
"Sure but I better get some bowls, Sara is encased in an armless catsuit so the fudge can be eaten later, I was thinking of donating it."
Angie laughed. "I bet you look delicious in that creation of mine, though perhaps not as delicious as you do covered in fudge. That's a tough choice."
Sara wrinkled her nose at her friend and tried to shift her shoulders around to get more comfortable.
Gavin returned with bowls and spoons and the three of them scooped off of Sara. The surface of the fudge had cooled to a point where the holes created by their spoons remained. "I doubt I'll ever taste fudge again without thinking of you Sara." Nadine said.
Sara shook her head.
"Now Gavin, what was this you have to tell me about some creative thing you've done in the past." Nadine asked.
Gavin sat on the edge of the tub and told the story of the kitty costumes and the barrel near the highway. Angie interjected from time to time adding her particular point of view and Nadine sat in stunned silence. "Wow, I thought getting you in that playing card costume was unique but I see it wasn't."
"It was unique, just not shocking." Gavin said.
Nadine turned to Angie. "So do you exceed the speed limit on that highway ever?"
Angie smiled. "It's been three years and I still drive under the limit."
They all three laughed and even Sara managed a smile. "So what's next for Sara?" Angie asked.
"Well, she gets to clean up." Sara's eyes got big and Angie and Nadine laughed. "Well that's our cue to leave. Have fun, Sara." Nadine kissed the top of her head.
"Yeah, have fun Sara." Angie said as she rubbed smeared fudge onto Sara's lips with one of her fingers.
Gavin returned from showing Angie and Nadine out and began to use a large bowl to scoop the fudge back into the barrel. He then pulled Sara to her feet when the tub was half empty. Using his hands he removed any excess and wrapped his armless wife in a large sheet and carried her across the room to a bathroom. He placed her in the shower and washed off the suit before helping her out of it.
Once her arms were free Gavin stepped out of the shower. "I'll free your lips once all the fudge is gone from here and in and around the spa tub. Just scoop as much as you can into the barrel and I'll get you some towels to clean up the rest. Once the place is spotless I'll free your lips and it will all be over. See you later."
Sara growled at the thought of the work ahead of her but she was always very efficient and knew it would not take long. She started by cleaning the catsuit and then the shower before moving onto the spa tub. She redressed in her white satin robe once the spa was clean. Gavin appeared just as she was finishing up.
"Ah I see you're about finished." Gavin took a long look around inspecting every nook and cranny. "You didn't hide any of this wonderful fudge hoping you could sneak down later for a snack did you?"
Sara was shocked and rapidly shook her head.
"Alright then, let me seal up this barrel and then I'll help you out." Gavin put the lid on the barrel and sealed it. He then used the dolly and took it outside.
Sara filled the spa tub with water and relaxed in the warm swirling water while she waited for her husband to return.
"So what do you think of my consequence?" Gavin asked as he applied the glue remover to his wife's lips.
"Quite the experience, I will probably never look at fudge again in the same way."
"Do you think you'll make your weight loss goals?"
"I doubt fudge is on my menu for the foreseeable future." Sara smiled.
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03.09.16