The Mayor was the first to leave in her large black Rolls Royce, heading to the school to mingle on the field before the barbecue, while Hunter, Josie and the girls stuck around so that the adults could answer some more questions which varied in tone for the light-hearted such as which part of a girl was the tastiest to more in-depth questions about logistics just as Kerry has brought up in the car. There were also a few questions about the moral implications of a business such as theirs which Hunter answered with his normal, well-rehearsed and smooth response that they would only be serving up willing volunteers, that nobody was being forced to eat there and that surely consuming the meat of an eager, sentient, home-raised volunteer was more ethically and environmentally sound than eating the meat of a farm animal? This was an argument Sidney herself had used on many occasions and there really was no objective counter to it with any negative responses coming down to emotion and personal feelings at which point Hunter could simply refer them to his earlier statement that nobody was being forced to participate on either side of the menu!

Eventually the camera crews and journalists dispersed to their own cars and vans, ready to set up by the entrance to the school where the new sign would be unveiled, and the guests of honour were invited into the site office so that the girls could see the plans and concept art for the new restaurant. Like the others Kerry had scene, it resembled something out of Las Vegas, with lots of white marble and gold accents, along with pink carpets and seat cushions. There was a stage for performances with a small “green room” behind and the typical setup of changing room, kitchen, foyer with gift shop and dining room along with a mezzanine level for the private dining suites. Being in a more suburban setting, Kerry had assumed that it would be smaller than one of the Sidney’s branches in a city but if anything it was bigger, with Josie explaining the increased parking capacity afforded by its location allowed for larger visitor numbers. The accommodation for non-local meat-girls was part of the same building, accessed through the kitchen from the inside and with its own secure entrance at the back which, Josie was quick to explain, was not to keep the girls in as, like any meat-girl, they would be free to leave at any time up until the start of their preparation, unless otherwise stipulated in individual contracts for private parties, but rather to keep them safe from any less pleasant individuals who might see a hotel filled with more-or-less unsupervised, usually naked young girls as an opportunity for some personal gratification at their expense or from vigilante groups who might be misguided enough to attempt to “rescue” them.

To kill time since their arrival at the school was intended to be all part of the event, the site foreman made coffees for Josie and Hunter and put on a video for the girls to watch which was a not-yet-released promotional recruitment video filmed at the first UK Sidney’s branch in Birmingham where a pretty blonde girl of around twelve, dressed in casual clothes to start with, led the viewer on a tour of the restaurant and other facilities before signing a form at the reception desk, undressing in the changing room and then going to the kitchen where they were able to watch her cleaned and prepped before being introduced to two other girls of around the same age, both pretty but one slim, bordering on skinny, and the other cutely plump, then led out to the public cooking area where the thin girl climbed into the stew pot, her chubby friend was stuffed and put in the oven and the girl the camera had been following was spitted and put on to roast over the artificial but no less hot coals.

“That’s going to be us soon!” Katie reminded Kerry with obvious excitement and the older girl could not deny the tingle between her legs as she watched the athletic blonde slowly turning. “It’s so handy, isn’t it?” her fellow roaster continued conversationally, “That girls come with a special hole for spitting!”

“Yup! Nifty design feature, huh?” Kerry grinned, unsure whether the younger meat-girl was making a joke or if she really did think the opening between her legs had evolved to facilitate spit-roasting. “And it feels so nice having things in there!”

“Uh-huh!” Katie nodded enthusiastically. “The spit’s gonna feel sooo good!” Kerry was sceptical about that but the last thing she wanted to do was dampen her friend’s enthusiasm or make her nervous for what she was clearly very excited about. On the video, the girls were now being served up to a suspiciously attractive selection of diners who Kerry was fairly sure were specially selected extras then a message came on the screen asking the watching girls if they would be next and providing contact information for potential recruits.

“What do you think?” Josie asked with a smile, coming over to switch the video off now that it was finished. “Would it make you want to sign up?”

“I think if I was on the fence about it,” Kerry replied thoughtfully, “then it would be really good to see what a girl could actually expect on the day and what happens from when you arrive up to when you’re cooked.”

“That’s what we were hoping.” Hunter agreed, coming over with his nearly-empty coffee cup. “Of course we’re also hoping the publicity from today is going to be a great recruitment tool!” He finished his coffee and tossed the paper cup into the recycling bin. “I think we’ve given them enough time now.” He observed, checking his very expensive-looking watch. “Ready to head over to the school?”

Soon the small party was back in the car and heading back across town to where their journey had started. When they had left, the sign had still been covered with heavy black plastic wrap, sealed away from prying eyes, but as they pulled up in front of the school, causing a flurry of excitement among the official press and the significant number of parents and other locals who had gathered to witness this part of the event since it was in a far more public space, they saw that it was now covered by a blanket of red velvet, or something that looked very like velvet while being a little more weather-proof, most likely, with a gold fringe around the edges. Mr Harcourt and the head of the junior school were stood waiting for them along with a neatly-uniformed girl from each year-group, the juniors in blue and seniors in red. Accompanying them were the Mayor and a number of smartly-dressed men and women that Kerry didn’t know but she supposed they were the school governors.

Getting out the car after making sure their hats were on straight, Katie and Kerry waved and blew kisses to the various cameras in a way that had now become second nature as both scanned the audience for their parents, Kerry spotting her mum, who would of course be invited to the barbecue, waving with one hand and filming on her phone with the other while Katie spotted both parents and all four grandparents who had come to see her off. Putting a hand on Kerry’s shoulder, Hunter guided both girls to the front as he and Josie took their places beside the two head teachers who he greeted with firm handshakes then the crowd fell silent, waiting for the speeches.


To be continued...