A Little Cream for a Lotta Coco

Okay, just keep your composure, Photo Finish. You don’t know that Fleur de Lys knows of your rendezvous with Coco, or that you were even out at all! Certainly, if Coco, somepony you’ve worked with for so long now, couldn’t recognize you, nor any of the ponies at Pies in the Skies, then you can’t expect a paparazzo to be able to discern you from the disguise, now can you?

Don’t be so foolish! Nopony would’ve been actively trying to discern me from a disguise except for the paparazzo! He or she would be the only ones who would be waiting to do it! And after the fiasco that happened last night, it’s highly likely that a camerapony saw me there. Regardless of whether or not I was recognized, I was certainly seen with Coco and Silver when it all happened.

Photo Finish was making her way down the back hallway in as slow a hurry as she could muster. There was nopony in the hallway, as everypony else was in the main work area getting ready for the work day. Finish should’ve been as well, but Fleur’s being there early, on the day after the disastrous night, could not be ignored by her.

Did you check the Canterlot Cavorter for any reports on it?

No, I didn’t.

Did you hear anypony gossiping about it?

No, I didn’t.

Did somepony stop you and ask why your employee was seen vomiting?

No.

Then consider that if nopony’s stopped you to check on your employee, then nopony knows about what happened to your employee.

This did little to calm Finish’s nerves. Still, she pressed onward towards the backrooms, where the more high-class models would get ready in private. Pins had told her they were waiting in there for her, away from everypony else, and she was thankful for this; if the truth somehow got out about her, at least there’d be no employees to witness it. I can at least get through this without letting my staff know. She came across muttering from one of the rooms. She stopped, and could hear Fleur inside.

“You see how perfect this is, right? Surely she can’t resist talking to me after seeing these!”

“Yes, Fleur,” a deep baritone voice said. “But what gave you the inspiration for these?”

“Something I came across last night,” Fleur replied saucily.

Finish silently gasped. She knows. She saw Coco Pommel, and now she’ll expose me! Or maybe not so. Maybe she just wants to talk about Coco herself, and has no idea that I was there at all! But that means… That means that she’ll want Coco out of the picture entirely.

What are you going to do?

I’ll figure something out. She put her hoof up to the door. I will not lose her over this.

She knocked.

“Who iiiiis iiiiit?” Fleur asked.

“I, Photo Finish, have arrived!” Finish gulped.

“Ooh, come in! We have much to discuss.”

With a deep breath, Finish opened the door.

Inside, Fleur was sitting on one cushion, and a stout tan unicorn stallion with a red mane and tail was sitting on the other. Finish stepped inside and scrutinized his appearance, and she knew he was doing the same. Immediately, Finish noted his straight back, his solid legs, his unwavering eyes, his raised brow at her entrance. This was a pony that meant all business. He knows, for sure he knows… She looked back at Fleur, who was… grinning? Why would she be grinning at a time like this!

“Photo Finish!” Fleur exclaimed. Fleur’s posture was almost as rigid as the camerapony’s but her face was all a smile.

Better not let on that I know. “Fleur, darling!” Finish walked over for a hug, and received Fleur’s signature smooches on the cheeks. “I was not expecting you to be here this early! Or at all. You were not scheduled today.”

Fleur nodded. “I know I wasn’t, but my photographer here thought of something last night that I just knew you had to look at!

Finish put on her best smile. “R-really?”

“Are you unwelll?” The photographer asked. “You’re sweating.”

Damn his keen eye. “Oh, well, yes. You see, I am just so excited to see what Fleur has to show me!”

The photographer’s brow raised a millimeter higher, but Fleur’s eyes widened, and her smile grew. “Oh, I can’t wait! I know that you were busy last night, and hopefully I can help you see something we can work on.”

Finish nodded. “Of course!” She wants me to get rid of Coco, or at best chastise her for her actions last night.

“And now you’re fidgeting,” the photographer said. “Are you sure we haven’t caught you at a bad time?”

Why would he care about that? “No, now is a good time. Go ahead and show me.”

Fleur grinned and levitated the pictures to her. “Ooh, please be honest about it!”

Finish knew the pictures were levitating right in front of her. And she was thankful that her goggles couldn’t be seen through by the others, otherwise they’d know that she had her eyes closed. Okay, Photo Finish, think. What are you going to say about these incriminating photos?

Say that it was for the photo shoot! That you wanted to know which pie would be best for the scene.

And the disguise?

Say… that you didn’t want to be seen in public!

But then she’d know that I was skulking around with Coco at night, trying to avoid the paparazzi!

No, not that! You were trying to avoid everypony else, because you didn’t want your fans to see you.

That could work.

“I know you had that overweight mare go to Pies in the Skies, and I think this may be better for you.”

She does know! What about Coco Pommel?

What about her? She’s your employee, and you may do with her as you wish.

But you know how the Canterlot Elite are! They’d never work for me again, and they’d slander my name. I won’t have as many models to make shine!

You can salvage it! You just need a good justification.

“Photo Finish?” the photographer cleared his throat. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Finish said somberly. “I just need a moment to let it sink in.”

“Please,” Fleur said quietly. “Take your time.”

Well, I should open my eyes, and at least see where the paparazzo was hiding.

Remember, no matter what, keep calm.

With the softest gulp she could muster, she opened her eyes and took in the photos.

And then tilted her head in confusion. “Uh… what is it?”

Fleur clapped her hooves together. “It’s a tiramisu!”

Finish blinked. What she had in front of her wasn’t the disastrous scene from last night, or herself in disguise, or Coco Pommel with a swollen gut, or Silver Streak, or Pies in the Skies, or even a pie. Instead, it looked like a multiple-layered cake with a few layers of cream and a coating of chocolate powder on top. And there were multiple cakes in the window of wherever she was at.

“Oh… oh!” Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. “I see!”

Fleur clapped her hooves in excitement. “I’m so glad! When I heard that you were looking at pies with that other pony, I decided to look for something that may be more authentic, and this is what I found. I knew that I just had to bring some to Perfect Pixels to see what I saw.”

The stallion grinned. “It’s not like I could just ignore a mare knocking on my door in the middle of the night.”

Fleur blushed lightly. “I’m sorry about that, but it couldn’t wait. I didn’t know how long the store would hold that, or how long it would stay good until. I had to show you then and there!”

Perfect Pixels looked at Finish. “You see what I work with?” he asked with a smile. “Well, I suppose we both have the same client, so you’d understand.”

Finish chuckled along with Fleur and Perfect Pixels, but inside her mind was reeling. So, these aren’t pictures of me and Coco at Pies in the Skies, but of just some tear-miss whatever. But now I can confirm that this ‘Perfect Pixels’ is the paparazzo; there’s no way that a simple photographer with no close relationship to her would wake up in the middle of the night just to look at some cake. Now, not only have I avoided detection, but I’ve gained a crucial piece of information from her.

“So, Photo Finish?”

Finish snapped from her thoughts. “I am sorry, I’m afraid I did not hear what you said.”

“I said, do you think this would look good in the photo?”

Finish nodded. “Anything to make it seem more authentic! I would say that pies may work for some of our other shoots, but tear-miss-you will work much better with the angel hair pasta.”

“Er, it’s tiramisu. And yes, I agree. It’s highly rich—”

Finish started. “R-rich?”

“—and decadent—”

“D-d-decadent?”

“And oh-so-sweet.”

“And fatteni—I mean very sweet?”

Fleur nodded. Perfect Pixels, however, wasn’t willing to let her go so easily. “Were you about to say fattening?”

“No, I was not.”

“I believe you were,” Pixels continued. “Sure, having tiramisu is one of the more decadent things in life, but certainly not on its own. We’re trying to send a message of richness, are we not?”

“Yes, of course!” Finish trotted over to Fleur. “I was… just worried about Fleur’s sweet tooth, that it may get to her.”

“Oh, wow.” Fleur crossed her legs in a dignified manner. “Photo Finish, you have nothing to worry about. My figure will be just fine. I did not maintain my figure from carelessness, no matter the temptation.”

“Surely,” Perfect Pixels said to her in a pointed manner, “your more rubenesque clients have shown you the difference between reckless indulgence and simple appreciation.”

Finish paused. Why… how dare he! I ought to show him the error of his ways!

Wait a minute. Remember, Perfect Pixels is a member of the Canterlot Elite. That’s just how they view fat ponies.

I suppose you’re right. But still, ponies like Coco can show far more than ‘reckless indulgence,’ as she devours… an entire tiramisu by herself.“Yes,” she said dryly. She looked back at the photos. “You know, I think I will show one of these to my assistant, and then we can deliberate on how it would best fit the photo shoot.”

Fleur’s eyes narrowed. “You’re talking about the chubby one, right?”

Finish’s eyes also narrowed behind her glasses. “Yes.”

Fleur scratched the back of her head. “I know that she’s one of your employees, and she’s been with you a while, so obviously she’s trustworthy. But, would she really have the… erm…”

Finish could feel the beginning of a twitch in her brow. “Yes?”

“Patience, to keep herself off of the tiramisu.” Her voice faded into a whisper at the end.

Finish took a silent deep breath. “Fleur, I assure you, I understand what you mean. Coco Pommel has an appetite, as you can no doubt tell.” She saw Fleur’s face relax. “But rest assured, that she has a good understanding of food, and she will have the greatest chance of knowing how the tiramisu will work for your photo shoot.”

“Oh, speaking of the photo shoot,” Fleur continued, perking back up. “How’s the dress coming along?”

Finish smiled. Finally, something I can talk about without worrying. “It is going marvelously! You know that we have gone with a striking scarlet for your body to stand out.”

Fleur moaned. “That does sound like me.”

“And we thought about adding a sapphire necklace, so that would help your eyes pop with the picture.”

“Ooh,” Fleur said, bringing a hoof to her chin. “That does sound like it would help me stand out.

“Yes! And we will be making the hem nice and sleek , and the skirt smooth and silky for your figure. It will definitely fit the Bitalian image.”

Fleur clapped her hooves together. “I’m not too picky on how wide the skirt is, but I’m happy to hear that it would help me blend in.”

“Not to mention,” Pixels added, “that it would help show off your image.”

Fleur nodded. “Anything else?”

Finish thought. “Well, for the forelegs’ shoes, I was thinking about making them either a dark ruby or a lighter vermillion. It could go either way, so I would like to leave the choice up to you, and then let Coco know to design it like that.”

Fleur gasped lightly. “Coco is the one making the dress?”

The back of Finish’s neck bristled. “Yes, she is. Is there a problem with that?”

“N-no, I mean yes. I just don’t want food to get all over it.”

Finish’s eyes widened in shock. How dare she—wait, she’s got a point. We don’t want anything getting the dress dirty.

But does she really think that Coco would do something so unprofessional? She scrutinized Fleur, who was pawing at her pillow while biting part of her lip. Yes, it seems so.

“Fleur, darling, you do not have anything to worry about. Coco Pommel is up to my standards, and takes care in everything that she does. Even if she likes her food… a little too much.”

Fleur regarded her. “Right, I shouldn’t have doubted you. I just want everything to be perfect, you know?”

“Of course.” Finish took Fleur’s hoof into her own. “And I am here to make sure that everything is perfect for you.”

Fleur smiled. “Thank you. As for the gloves, I think I like vermillion better.”

“Then vermillion it shall be!” Finish looked over to Perfect Pixels. “Do you have anything to add?”

“Are there going to be any adornments on the skirt?”

“I had thought to keep it simple for Fleur, but we can certainly look into that.”

Fleur rose to her legs. “Then I suppose it’s time for us to leave! You’ve got to have your hooves full, and we’ve taken enough of your time.”

“Not at all.”

Fleur lowered her head to get close to Finish’s ear. “Just, please make sure Coco Pommel is careful, and doesn’t get the dress dirty.”

“Of course,” Finish replied, leading Fleur and Pixels out of the private room. “Believe me, we’ve got the best—”

“Can we meet this Coco Pommel?” Pixels asked. “I’d like to see her myself, to make sure that she’s the kind of pony who’d take the utmost care with Fleur’s belongings.”

“Oh, and speaking of which…” Fleur turned around and, using her magic, gave the tiramisu to Finish. “Here, you can show this to Coco and see what she thinks.”

Finish smiled, as wide as a Cheshire cat.. “Thank you! I am sure she will appreciate it.”

Fleur grimaced. “Just make sure she doesn’t ‘appreciate’ it all at once. It’s really rich and decadent.”

“I promise.”

Promise that I’ll see that she enjoys every bite to the fullest once she stops being sick.

Her scheming was immediately derailed by that thought. “No, Coco Pommel is not here today. She is at home sick.”

“Oh, well, in that case, we’ll come by in a few days.” Pixels turned to Fleur. “Let’s be off, and let Photo Finish to her work.”

Fleur waved at her. “Adieu! I’ll be awaiting eagerly for news!”

Finish waved back without saying anything. Her throat was burning from bile, and not even a deep, slow sigh could relieve it. The tiramisu rested heavily on her back. With a grin, she walked to the office refrigerator to put the tiramisu in, and to get a drink of water.

Well done, Photo Finish. Not only did you avoid the paparazzo and save your reputation, but you’ve updated Fleur on the progress of her dress, and got a nice fattening treat for Coco.

Do I try and feed it to her today?

Trying to push your luck, are we? Perhaps. At the very least, you can give it to her to put in her refrigerator. Then she can see it every time she opens it up for a meal or a snack.

But what if Fanny’s there? She would get suspicious if I were to just bring it in for her.

Tell her it’s for business. She can’t tell you off for business’s purpose.

You’re right.

And since Fleur gave it to you, you won’t have to worry about the paparazzo!

That’s right! She’d get suspicious if I weren’t to give it to her!

Unless it were a trap.

Wait, what?

But her thoughts were broken by one of her other employees asking for her keen eye as assistance in one of his tasks. She took a quick deep breath and followed him. No Coco meant no worrying about the models around her making snide remarks, or the employees shuffling around Coco’s bulk, or having to hide anything. Today, at least, would go smoothly.

Every meeting was smooth, every decision right, every shoot on point, and every client satisfied. Photo Finish had gotten through the work day without breaking a sweat, and now was ready to go home. Her employees had all worked hard to bring everything to perfection, and as a welcome change of pace for her—everything went off without a hitch.

She was high on the clouds as everyone was packing up. Her staff were all in good spirits as well, and everyone was chatting as normal as they walked out of the studio. She herself was about to stride out of there, when she saw Pins out of the corner of her eye.

“Pins!” She cried out. “Your work today was fantastic!”

“Thank you,” Pins said with her usual calm demeanor.

“We are on fire!” Finish cried to her, “and we are not going to stop!” She strode towards the front door.

“You’re forgetting something.”

Finish halted. “Huh?” She looked inside her saddlebags, but didn’t note anything missing. “Are you sure? I have all of my notes and paperwork right here!”

“What about the tiramisu?”

Suddenly, everything from the early morning came back to her. “Oh, right. The tiramisu for C—for me.” She slowly stepped away from the door. “Thank you for reminding me.”

“Of course,” Pins said, opening the door. “We wouldn’t want Coco missing out on a tasty treat, would we?”

Finish whipped about, but Pins was already gone. “Bah, of course she would say I would give it to Coco! She knows I do not have a sweet tooth, right?” She shook her head and walked over to the fridge.

Inside, aside from the various forgotten lunches from the staff, stood the tiramisu as gloriously as it had when Fleur brought it in. Finish licked her lips, not from the thought of eating any of it, but rather from the thought of bringing it to Coco, and watching her belly press against the table as she stared at the tower of sweetness. Her breath was visible inside the cold fridge, forming a soft layer of frost on the surface of the treat, and its soft, heavy echo reminded her of Coco..

She pulled it out with the greatest of care. A quick look-around at all of the recently opened supply boxes was all she needed to find something to put it in, so that nothing from the outside would be able to tamper with it. It was an inconspicuous box, something that nopony outside, not even the paparazzo, would be able to suspect of foul play.

With a wipe of sweat from her forehead and a quick look around to see if anypony was watching, she placed the box carefully on her back and finally made her way out of the shop.

The way back was always less crowded at this time, as tourists would be tired from sightseeing all day. Finish had a much clearer field to keep an eye out for the paparazzo, enough so that it seemed like it was a blessing from Celestia herself. She made it to the apartment with no nicks in the road, both figuratively and literally. It was like destiny was guiding her there.

When she went inside, the fanatic landlord was nowhere to be seen. She at first sprinted up the steps, but that only caused her to nearly lose the cake on her back. She went up slower, and she didn’t encounter any ponies along the way. The trip to Coco’s door was smooth and silent, with no interruptions as the rest of the trip had been.

It all happened so fast, it felt like her mind crashed back into her body as her hoof hesitated its knocking. “Wait, what if Fanny is still there?” She recounted the encounter from earlier, and she began backing up. “Should I come back tomorrow?” She looked at the cake, and then at the door. “No, no, I should get this done now. And if Fanny is there, then at least I will have an explanation.” She stepped up and knocked on the door.

A few seconds passed. Then hoofsteps came from inside. They were faster than this morning, and were still slow enough to know that they belonged to Coco Pommel. Finish’s heart raced; she didn’t hear any sign of Fanny at all. Okay, I just need to be myself, and not go overboard trying to get her to devour the tiramisu and I can get through this just fine.

The door opened, and Finish got a very good look at Coco as she caught her breath. The belly was less round than it had been this morning, instead sagging low underneath her, even past her knees. The rest of her body looked softer as well, and Finish became giddy even from the deeper dimples on her cheeks. Speaking of her face, it looked less green and more her usual light cream color. And instead of the grimace she had seen earlier, her face bore a smilet.

“Oh, Photo Finish!” The other mare stepped forward. “How was work?”

How was work? Is that all you ask of me? “It was fine, really. Nothing out of the ordinary. I am sorry that you were not there. How are you feeling?”

“Much better, thanks,” Coco said. “Thank you for checking up on me.”

“Of course!” Finish replied with a flourish of her foreleg. She felt the tiramisu wobble on her back, and immediately brought her hoof back down. “I would not forget about you, my sweet Coco.” The mare’s blush urged her onwards. “In fact, I have something to give you!”

“Really?”

“Yes!” Finish started turning. “Close your eyes.”

Coco did so, her cheeks quivering from the motion. Finish moved so her side was towards Coco, and leaned in to get the tiramisu near her muzzle. Coco sniffed, and her mouth simultaneously smiled and… grimaced? Was that a grimace?

“I don’t think I’ve ever smelled something like this before,” Coco said.

Finish beamed. “Open your eyes!”

Coco did, and her eyes widened like dessert plates. Her cheeks puffed out and her lips salivated. Finish watched with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. “Oh, oh my!” Coco’s eyes twinkled, and a hoof went to her belly. “Where did you get this?”

“Fleur de Lys gave it to me, and wants to have it in the photo shoot!” Finish rocked her body, urging Coco to take the dessert off of her back. “She wants your opinion on it.”

Coco smiled and took a step back. “I think that would be a great idea! Give an elegant picture like that some sweetness to it. But I don’t think I need to take it, Photo Finish.”

Finish frowned. “Coco, do you expect me to eat all of this by myself?”

“No!” Coco blushed. “D-do you expect me to eat it all by myself?”

“Y—” Finish stopped herself immediately. Wait, don’t let her know that’s what you want. Not yet. Let her ease into it. “No, of course not. It is a lot for anypony to eat by themselves. But you could invite friends like Pins and Fanny to have some.”

Coco beamed. “I could!” Coco turned to take her tiramisu to her kitchen, and Finish watched as her rump bounced, wobbled and jiggled with excitement. She flicked her tail fiercely.

“So, will you be good to work tomorrow?”

“I should be,” Coco called from the back. “A-are you leaving now?”

Finish wanted to come in, but felt like she wouldn’t get anywhere with her at this stage. “Yes, I require rest.”

“Do you want to try some of this tiramisu before you go?”

“Oh, no, I want you to have the whole thing.” Her breath caught in her throat.

“What?”

“I mean, I want you to try it first! I am hesitant when it comes to sweets.”

“Right, I should’ve known.” A few seconds passed. Then Coco’s voice came again. “You wanna watch me try some now?”

Finish’s heart lurched. “Are you sure you are well enough for that?”

A pause. “I think so. I’ll just take a bite.”

With a deep breath, Finish stepped inside. Coco’s apartment was pristinely clean, her sink empty, her dishes drying in a rack. “Did you do some cleaning while you were here?”

She found Coco blushing as she rounded the corner. “No, Fanny was the one that had done that. She said that it would help me get better.”

Finish rolled her eyes. “Of course.”

Coco blanched. “You’re not mad at her, are you?”

Finish grimaced. “No, Coco. I am just… trying to keep my distance.”

Coco frowned. “Okay.” She took out a fork from a drawer and walked over to the tiramisu. “I’d like to show her this. It looks delicious!”

Finish smiled. She walked over to the table and watched as Coco walked around it, perhaps looking for the perfect place to spear her fork in. At first glance, the treat looked uniform. But as Coco stopped, Finish caught a single part that was fluffier than the others, and as she could’ve predicted, Coco’s fork gravitated towards it. The tiramisu was stable enough to keep its shape as she pulled the morsel towards her.

Hesitation. Finish looked at Coco, who was staring directly at her. A few seconds passed. Then Coco closed her eyes and put the whole thing into her mouth. “Mmmm.” A deep breath through the nostrils. “MMMM!” Her smile was as big as her cheeks would allow, her dimples pressing into her eyelids in a way that made Finish’s heart flutter.

But Finish also noticed her hoof rubbing her belly, and the thought of the morning’s happenings came back to her. She took a slow, silent deep breath and continued watching her.

“Oh, my stars!” Coco chirped. “This is amazing!” Her fork plunged in again. Once again, there was hesitation as her hoof rubbed her belly.

C’mon, you can do it, Coco. Keep eating, you know you want to.

Finish reached up and took hold of Coco’s hoof.

What are you doing?

“Coco,” Finish said sternly. “You should wait until you are completely well before you continue eating this.”

The glint in Coco’s eyes were gone, and reality settled into her. “Oh… you’re right.” Coco smiled. “Thanks, Photo Finish. I’d probably go overboard if I kept eating.”

“Yes,” Finish agreed, daring to bring a hoof to Coco’s belly. “We would not want your tummy to get upset again, would we?”

“No,” Coco replied with a smile and a tinge of… something Finish couldn’t decipher. “Thank you, Photo Finish.” She set the fork on the table, picked up the tiramisu and took it to the fridge. Finish saw that her fridge had been stocked up with essentials instead of the fattening barrage of fast food from her earlier trips. “It looks like Fanny helped you out with food,” Finish said.

“Yeah.” Coco scratched her nape with her hoof. “She did a lot for me.”

Finish nodded. “And I will be sure to thank her the next time I see her.”

Silence. Then, Coco looked back up at her. “Now what?”

I don’t know. I… I don’t feel like doing anything except resting. I’ve kept my composure, but now I’m just feeling tired. “I should get home. I need to rest.”

Coco smiled. “Okay.” With that, Coco led her to the front door. “Thank you again for the tiramisu, Photo Finish. I appreciate it. I’ll give my opinion to Fleur on where it should go in the picture.”

“My pleasure! And, remember, show her after you have had some more.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“See you tomorrow!” Finish walked away, hooves heavy but head held high as the door closed behind her.

Well, that was fast.

I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

You had your opportunity to feed her even more.

I wasn’t going to take another shot at messing things up! I’m going to take my time.

Suit yourself. You’re the one missing out on her pigging out on a tall, filling plate of fattening tiramisu.

But as Finish walked home, she dismissed this thought. No, Coco isn’t going to push herself like this. Not after what happened last night. And I’d rather be there to help her and make sure she’s safe, than have her glut by herself.

What’s gotten into you?

What do you mean?

Nevermind that. Now what are you going to say to Black Forest?

What? A second later, her brain caught up to her, and she saw the massive magnificent mare sitting on her front porch reading, her red sweater stretched over her belly beautifully.. What? What’s she doing there?

“Hello, Photo Finish!” Black Forest’s voice called, snapping Finish out of her thoughts.

“Good afternoon, Black Forest!” Finish trotted up to her. “What brings you to my home?”

Black Forest’s smile was as warm as the sunset glare on the wall behind her. “I’m here to talk to you about the photo shoot. Do you have the time?”

Finish fidgeted. “I think I do.”

Black Forest grinned. “I’ll make it worth your while. I bet you’ve been busy and would like to rest. So I won’t take up too much of your time.”

Finish nodded. “Yes, come in, come in.” Finish led her inside and to her living-room couch. Oh boy, I thought this would all be over, but of course fate would not see that it would be so easy! “What is on your mind?”

Black Forest lay down on the sofa with as much grace as other models Finish had worked with; even her large belly hung down off the edge with elegance. “I was thinking of trying something different for this shoot, and I was wondering if you would help me decide on that point.”

Finish’s heart thrummed. Try something different? Black Forest Cake, your pictures are the epitome of beauty and grace! Why would you want to try something different? But the other mare’s gaze didn’t waver. “What would you like to do differently?”

“Well,” Black Forest began, bringing a hoof to her sweater. “See, I’ve always worn a sweater in my pictures, partially to tantalize ponies with the thought of it ripping from my belly, and partially because I just love the constriction it has on my figure.”

Finish’s tail twitched. “I see.”

The model picked up her belly. “See?” she pointed to the bottom of the sweater. “See how tight it is against my body? The imprint the design leaves on my gut? You probably can’t understand, but other ponies find this very appealing.”

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. “I can understand. Skin-tight apparel is appealing to a lot of ponies.”

Black Forest grinned. “Thank you. It’s nice to see a pony be so accepting of one’s assets.”

“Y-yes.”

Black Forest’s gaze narrowed. “But this time, I was thinking of doing away with the sweater, and showing everypony my belly in its full glory.”

Finish’s eyes went wide. “Full glory?”

Black Forest nodded, and before Finish could say anything else, she began pulling the sweater over her body. “Just—nngh!—let it all hang loose and free.”

Finish’s breathing quickened. This is not happening!

It totally is!

I-I-I-

“I love the sweater,” Black Forest continued, her sweater over her muzzle, blocking her face. “But I have the urge to show it all off.”

Touch it!

I-I-I-

What are you waiting for? Touch it!

No! I’ve gotten this far through the day without losing my cool, I can do this. It’s just business.

…

…

...You’re right. Let’s keep our cool.

The sweater came off, and Finish caught a view of Black Forest’s unadorned belly. It spread out like a well-endowed pear, the bottom resting on her thighs mightily, the sides lightly slapping at her flanks and nearly touching the cushions of the couch. Black Forest’s labored breathing helped it bounce, emphasizing how heavy it must’ve been. Her bellybutton was cavernous, pristine and smooth, and Finish couldn’t resist licking her lips at the sight of it. It tapered up sharply to a chubby chest that was nowhere near as fat as her belly. It took everything within Finish not to dive onto it. She could never imagine just how much belly was being held back by the sweater, how bulging, how wide, how glistening the belly was.

“*huff* Well?”

Finish was at a loss for words.

“Photo Finish? Are you alright?”

Finish shook her head rapidly. “Of course! I just would not have imagined… how do you make it all fit in such a tiny garment?”

Black Forest smiled warmly. “With a great deal of difficulty. That’s what makes it so exhilarating.”

Finish chanced a closer look at it. “I would imagine your clients would lose their minds if they saw this.” And I still need to keep mine.

“So you believe I should go au natural?”

Finish balked. “Well… why not do both? With the sweater and without? As a compare-and-contrast picture?”

For the first time since Finish had met her, Black Forest raised a brow in interest. “Oh?”

“Or, rather,” Finish said, a burning thought urging itself out of her muzzle, “why not show the sweater ripping off of you? Bear it all out through force?”

Black Forest’s eyes closed. “Mmmmm, darling, that’s absolutely sinful.” She licked her lips. “I love it. I never would’ve imagined you to have such a mouth-watering imagination.”

Finish backed up immediately. “Well, when you are a photographer, you need to be able to think like your client. Try and bring out what they want.”

Black Forest got up from the couch. “Thank you, Photo Finish. This has been an enlightening talk.” She picked up her sweater and pulled it back onto her. Finish watched the reverse-strip with a blank face and an unsteady breath. “I must be going now.”

Finish was taken aback by the abrupt exit. “Oh, okay.”

“Will you still be there for our shoot?”

“Maybe. I still need to talk with Fanny about that.”

“Okay.” Black Forest turned, her belly swaying slowly as she turned. “Have a good day.”

Finish sighed quietly. Mission accomplished. I kept my cool the entire time. “Have a nice night, Black Forest.”