Crusher Queen's Big Boyfriend (WIP Preview) (Patreon)

   Despite knowing how awful it felt, Duke could stop himself from staring at the other couples in the restaurant. Each one of them was enamored with their significant other, ready to shower them with love and affection. Looking at their beautiful, slim bodies and comparing it to his own, Duke never felt more out of place.

   Glancing back at his own table, Duke let out a depressed sigh as he looked down at his lackluster figure. His set drooping of man boobs worked in tandem with his barrel-like belly to make his blue and white striped dress-shirt show each of his unflattering fat rolls. He considered one of the few perks of his overweight gut was that no one could see the lack of a belt around his black dress pants. The shelf of fat made up of his chunky rear and wide hips did the job of keeping his pants tight around his waist at the cost of having part of his body hang off the chair.

   Pulling out his phone, Duke did whatever he could to ensure he looked his best. The cherubic cheeks and three chins made the task difficult. Multiple times he had tried to remedy his weight problem only to be met with minimal results. Having to settle with just keeping his wavy, short blonde hair together, he put away his phone and waited.

   Clutching his sausage-like fingers together, he became worried that his date had all been part of a cruel joke. It hadn’t been the first time his love life had taken a hit, very few if any women taking an interest in his heavyset body. Seeing the time pass five minutes after when he was supposed to meet his date, he got ready to make an order to go and head home for a night alone.

   “Duke?”

   Turning his head towards his name, Duke was star struck by the woman walking towards him. A strapless, red cocktail dress adorned her well-sculpted body, cluing him in that none of the photos on her profile had been faked. Occasionally her fabric showed off the outline of the six-pack abs she hid underneath that matched well with her toned arms and legs. The clack of her high heels as she approached bounced about the long, flowing black hair that trailed behind her. Upon seeing her bright red lips and glimmering green eyes, Duke found it hard to believe what he was seeing was real.

   “Tina?” he asked, the woman nodding her head in agreement.

   “Nice to finally meet you in person, Duke” she said, taking her seat opposite of him. “Not that I haven’t enjoyed our online conversations. I just find it easier to size a person up when I meet them face to face.”

   Duke lowered his head a bit at the mention of size. “You’re, um…okay with this right?”

   “This place is a little fancy for my tastes,” she answered, looking over the wine list, “but it seems cozy enough. Should be fine as long as we split the bill and don’t go too crazy on the desserts.”

   “No, I mean…” he said, gesturing towards her well-toned muscles and his pudgy belly.

   Putting down the wine list, Tina reached across the table to grasp his hand. “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”

   “I…guess you’re right,” he replied, reminded of the kind of woman Tina had presented herself as.

   “There you go. Now stop worrying and enjoying yourself. Not often I get a night off from work so let’s make the most of it.”

   “Oh, don’t get me started on that,” Duke said, adopting a smirk. “My boss almost had my head on a platter today after I ran late.”

   “What was it? Forget to set your alarm?”

   “Traffic. The morning rush was held up for pretty long thanks to that giant alligator that attacked.”

   Tina paused for a moment, a slight shake going through her body. “Y-yeah, that was pretty strange. Guess not so much for this city as the rest of the world though,” she said, adding a weak laugh to the end of it.

   “Yeah, thank goodness Crusher Queen was there to save the day again.”

   Pulling out his phone, he scrolled through to show an image of the said hero in the middle of her fight. The image depicted an alligator the size of a subway train in the dead center of a four way-intersection. Its massive jaws were opened up, no doubt trying to crush the lone woman standing on its tongue. The fear and confusion in its eyes, was something that so many villains had learned when trying and failing to match up to the muscular heroine.

   Clad in a golden leotard and a bright red cape, the woman looked like a mix between a Greek goddess and a world class weight lifter. Her shimmering outfit showed off every bulge and bicep of her muscular, nine-foot tall body. Hands that had seen many battles were wrapped around the alligator’s teeth, keeping him at bay. While it was hard to see from so far away, the Crusher Queen’s trademark head gear, a mix between a Spartan helmet and a luchador mask could be seen. The smile on her face foretold the victory that would follow the image a few moments after the picture was taken.

   “She’s amazing isn’t she?” Duke asked, holding up his screen to ensure Tina could see it.

   “Yeah, yeah,” she replied, paying little attention to the picture. “Don’t you ever get tired of hearing about her though?”

   “Of course not,” he said, putting away his phone. “She’s so strong and brave, not to mention beautiful. What I wouldn’t give to meet her.” Duke’s smile gradually faded away, to be replaced with his usual self-loathing. “Who am I kidding? Like she’d actually want to meet a butterball like me.”

   “You have to stop saying stuff like that,” Tina reprimanded. “Everyone is beautiful in their own way. Our different bodies just help us attract the right person to us. Kind of like how I got to meet you.”

   Duke’s poor self-esteem pushed to the wayside, the two of them spent the rest of their evening enjoying each other’s company. While she wasn’t very talkative about her own career, Tina was more than happy to lend an ear to Duke as he explained the trials and tribulations of working in the office. There was a strange twinkle in her eyes as he described the elaborate meals he ate during lunch, the time he got his butt stuck in an office chair, and the new employee who mistook his chest for a woman’s. The sheen of red on Duke’s face as he described the embarrassing stories was offset by the way Tina seemed captivated by his words. That, and perhaps something more.

   When the waiter came to drop off their food, there was a distinct difference in their meal choices. The leafy green salad and glass of water placed in front of Tina paled in comparison to the meaty steak and loaded potato that was torn apart by Duke’s fork and knife. Completely absorbed in his meal, it took a moment for Duke to realize that his date had yet to touch her food.

   “Aren’t you hungry?” he asked, dabbing a drop of steak sauce from his mouth.

   “Oh I am. I was just a bit mesmerized by the way you eat. I’ve never seen someone enjoy their meal so contently.” Reaching below the table, she let her hand slide across his knee. “Makes me wonder what else you enjoy.”

   Duke gulped down his mouthful of food. “Can I get a check please?” he asked, calling out towards the waiter.