AUTUMN (FULL STORY SO FAR) (Patreon)

Coming up on the final third of this story, thought I'd post it from the beginning along with the new Chapter 23. Thank you for the messages, and happy New Year!

"Autumn"

or

"The Weight of Love" 

If you think of a better title let me know :)

by Jolene Dubois

Copyright 2022

Chapter 1

Mike sat on the cement stoop and looked at the apartments across the street. The building directly in front of him was his, but the old brick one to the left was where Autumn lived.

He took another drag off his Camel Filter. It was an early afternoon in May and the sun was shining through his short, dirty blonde hair and bouncing across his handsome face. He’d only moved to the neighborhood a week ago, but he thought by now he would’ve seen her, at least once, but he hadn’t. Not one time had he witnessed her come out of her apartment, not even for a cigarette.

Did she quit?

She’d been trying to give up smoking back when they worked together. That was over four years ago. He had seen her since then. They went on a date, or sort of a date, but still, even that was a few years back.

Fuck.

She was really beautiful, really special.

Why the hell didn’t he pursue her further?

Was she too good for him?

Maybe he had become so accustomed to not getting what he wanted, that when he did, he sabotaged himself.

Fear of success?

Fear of loving, or the responsibility that comes with being loved?

He wanted another chance.

He needed another chance or he would regret it for the rest of his life, and every time he went over to that stoop for a smoke, he kept an eye out. Countless girls, (a lot of young attractive Amazon employees) came in and out of her building and whenever he got excited that one of them might be her, he was left disappointed. From a distance, it was hard to tell.

Maybe that’s her! No, too tall.

Is that Autumn? No, not pretty enough.

Is that-no, too short.

Maybe…nah.

He laughed at himself.

He’d probably have a better chance of spotting her if he focused more on men and if their heads snapped around when a woman walked by. That woman would no doubt be Autumn Murrell.

Aside from her looks, and though it seemed superficial and dumb, one of the things he liked about Autumn was her size. She was around 5 feet 5 inches tall and 130 to 140 pounds, a perfect match in his mind for his athletic 5 foot 11, 165 pound frame. She hit all the checkmarks of the ideal girlfriend he’d always fantasized about.

Maybe that was it.

Maybe she was too perfect and hit too many checkmarks.

He looked at his phone. He thought of texting again but didn’t want to come across as needy or overzealous. He hadn’t necessarily planned to move in next door, but when he saw the location and the available studio, he took it without hesitation. He didn’t have time to be choosy. Living in the building next to Autumn was just a happy coincidence and that was all.

He took a final puff on his cigarette, stomped it out on the sidewalk then grabbed the pack in his jacket pocket but it was empty.

Shit.

It was a short walk to the corner mini mart. Just down the sidewalk and across the street. The place was guarded by panhandlers and it had the selection of a small gas station, but he could buy cigarettes there and it had become his main grocery store.

He turned down the aisle and scoured the cold cases for his usual drinks.

Who was he kidding anyway?

Even if he somehow got another chance with Autumn he knew he’d never be able to commit to a long term relationship, which was no doubt what a woman like her would demand.

He grabbed a couple of Red Bulls and headed toward the front checkout counter. He stopped.

There was a girl in his way.

Not just any girl either.

Although her back was turned, Mike could tell that this was a very attractive, and very shapely young woman, and she wasn’t hiding much in her black tights and green camisole.

Was it her?

No, it couldn’t be.

This girl had some hips on her and Autumn never had quite that much junk in the trunk. She turned and tossed back her shoulder length reddish-brown hair. “Mike?”

His knees weakened and butterflies fluttered in his stomach. “Autumn?”

He blinked and did a double take. While she had always been a stunner she now looked somehow sexier than he remembered, and with the way she filled out those leggings, a bit curvier too. It seemed she was closer to one hundred and sixty pounds than to 130. He was prepared for that though.

Part of what had rekindled his interest in Autumn was that according to Facebook, she had put on a little weight, and there was something about a woman with curves that excited Mike like nothing else. Perhaps because all of his ex-girlfriends had been slim and petite.

Mike gathered Autumn had broken her foot or something a while back and there were a few photos of her online with friends at an outdoor country music concert. In one of the pictures, she was sitting on the grass next to a pair of crutches, wearing cutoff jean shorts that displayed softer, chubbier legs. An understandable and slight weight gain that was no doubt the result of her injury. Autumn was many things, but fat, or anything close to being overweight or out of shape was never one of them, or so he thought.

Standing before him now she flashed a big smile. “Hey, I thought that was you! Sorry I didn’t get back to you, I’ve just been really busy.”

Mike’s heart thumped and he tried his best to keep his gaze from lowering too far south of her alluring neckline. Since when did she have breasts like that?

“That’s okay,” he said. “How have you been?”

She shrugged, then gestured at her leg. “I’m alright, still limping around a little.”

“Yeah, I saw that, I mean…heard about it.”

“Next!” the asian woman behind the counter said.

Autumn turned with her bag of cheetos and iced tea and went to check out. She asked for a pack of yellow American Spirits and paid.

Wait, Autumn Murrell eats cheetos?

Mike followed behind and did the same although his eyes couldn’t help but focus on her ass and the delicious way it swayed and jiggled when she moved.

They stepped outside and slowly started walking together toward home.

“Sooo which building are you in?” Autumn said.

He pointed across the street. “The blue one with the white…pillars.”

She had an amused expression on her face. “Wow you really are right next door.”

He shrugged as the walk sign came on. “Yeah, it was a good price.”

She continued to move gingerly, trying not to put too much weight on her foot.

“I think you’ll like living on the hill,” she said. “It’s a fun neighborhood, great restaurants all around this area.”

“I’ll bet, although I hope you haven't had to walk too much with that foot.”

“I manage just fine.”

They approached their buildings. “We’ll have to grab coffee and catch up,” Mike said.

She smiled. “I’ve got a meeting right now but I’d love to have coffee with you. I’ll text you when I’m free.”

“Ok Autumn, sounds great.”

“Bye Mike. Good to see you.”

Goddamn she was a hottie. He packed his Camels against his palm as she turned to walk away. He could hardly believe how much bigger and rounder her ass was. Gone was the cute little barista girl he had known and in her place was a stunning and fully grown sophisticated woman of substance. He actually felt a little intimidated by the more prominent contours and curves of her magnificent figure. “You too,” he said.

Chapter 2

The coffee shop was adjacent to a small art theater and Autumn walked through the doors the next afternoon. Mike was standing in line with nobody behind him. He looked good. When they used to work together, all the girls had crushes on him and she was no exception, although she would never reveal that.

Mike turned and smiled. “Hi.”

“Hey.”

He inspected her. She was dressed in a pair of high waisted jeans and a cute black shirt with sleeves so short that they barely covered her narrow, yet softened shoulders. Her upper arms were so much more fleshy and plush than they used to be, a clear indicator of her recent weight gain. “What do you want to drink?” he said.

“I’ll get it.”

His smile dimpled. “No, it's on me. You walked all the way over here, it’s the least I can do.”

She looked at him blankly. “Okay.” Her dark eyelashes fluttered in thought for a moment. “I’ll have a soy chai, twelve ounce.”

“You got it.” He was lost in her gaze. Her chocolate eyes were spellbinding and they complimented her fair skin and beautiful auburn hair perfectly. She had spent some extra time on her makeup that afternoon and he took notice. He wasn’t the only one either, as he caught the bearded barista guy checking her out pretty hard as well.

“Go ahead and find a table,” Mike said. “ I’ll bring it over.”

“Okay.”

Steam rose and hissed from the espresso machine, drowning out the Norah Jones song that played in the background as the guy prepared the hot beverages. When they were ready Mike put the lids on and walked them over to the small round table next to the window where Autumn was sitting.

“Thanks,” she said.

“My pleasure.” He took his jacket off and sat across from her. “So what happened to your foot?”

She brought her Chai to her nose then set it down. “It was an ankle fracture, kickboxing training at the gym.”

“Really, kickboxing?”

“Yeah, messed up my knee really bad too, but that’s pretty much healed now.”

“That’s too bad.” Mike nursed his Americano carefully. He was nervous. This was what he had been hoping for since he moved. A chance to sit down and have coffee with Autumn. Now it was actually happening and he desperately wanted to make the most of it, but her fuller figure and haughty beauty wasn’t doing anything to put him at ease. Was she always this gorgeous?  “Cool that you were kickboxing though, I’ve always wanted to try something like that.”

She adjusted her hips in her seat. “So, when did you move again?”

“About a week ago.”

“Why the hill?”

“I just needed a place. Took one of the first apartments I saw.”

She gave him an expressionless and prolonged stare as if she didn’t believe that was the whole story. “Breakup?”

“Yeah.”

“Doing okay?”

He sat up straight and looked her in the eye. “Oh yeah, it was my decision and it was the right thing to do, so it’s good.”

“What happened?”

His americano was beginning to cool and he took a sip before he spoke. “I don’t know.” He paused, searching for words. ”She was a little bit older, I think we were just in different places in life, wanted different things.” He looked out the window at the busy city street, then back at her. “How about you? You got a boyfriend?”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Went through a breakup a few months ago.”

“Do you mind if I ask what happened?”

“I don’t know.” She took a sip of her Chai. “We went to Hawaii together, got in a big fight and split up when we got back.”

Mike figured she was single but he was relieved all the same to hear her say it. He had gone through her Facebook and Instagram accounts and had seen a picture or two of the guy he assumed she was talking about. He was young and handsome, seemingly much more like himself than the huge bodybuilder guy he knew she dated a few years prior. “What was the fight about?”

She sighed again. “I wanted to go out to nice restaurants and enjoy myself, he didn’t want to spend money.”

Mike nodded. “Oh.”

“I was like, okay, we’re here, we’re not here very often, I want to go out and have fun…but he wasn’t into it. He said he didn’t want to waste money on needless stuff and said I was too bossy.”

Mike shook his head, although he knew from his experience of working with Autumn that she most definitely had an authoritative side to her personality. “It’s not bossy to want to go out to a nice restaurant.”

She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated way that Mike found incredibly sexy, but then again, everything she did was sexy. Just watching her lips move mesmerized him.

“I know,” she said.

“Relationships are hard. I feel like the closer I get to 30, the heavier everything feels.”

She slid her butt to the back of her wooden chair causing it to groan and squeak beneath her weight.

“Well you gotta work at them,” she said, “and you have to be with someone who is willing to work.”

“For sure.” He looked into her eyes and then down at her drink which she was clutching with both hands. Her hands were small and delicate and her nails were manicured a creamy sea-green color. “You lactose intolerant?”

Her head tilted upward. “Why because of the soy?”

He was testing her. “Yeah, just curious.”

“Not really, it's just that regular milk upsets my stomach sometimes.”

“So many people around here are gluten free or vegan these days.”

“Omigod yeah.”

“But you’re not?”

“No, I don’t give into trends that easily.”

“I like that.” He smiled. She had passed his test with flying colors. He had dated girls in the past that seemed to be allergic to everything, had multiple dietary restrictions and he found such things to be difficult to navigate during the courting phase of a relationship.

They sipped their beverages and made small talk for a while longer then Mike said, “Got any pets?”

“Yeah, I have a cat.”

“Boy or girl?”

“Boy. His name is Samson.” She pursed her lips for a moment and smiled through her eyes. Her facial features were delicate and feminine, much like her hands. Mike found it intriguing that despite the noticeable weight gain, her gorgeous face seemed unaffected by the extra pounds, at least in comparison to her hips. She moved her chair backwards. “You wanna meet him?”

“Yeah.” He took a final swig of his coffee then stood. His eyes drew down towards her legs which were packed so snuggly in those stylish jeans. Still in her seated position Mike had a clear view of her hips and thighs. She was even bigger and curvier than he had initially realized. He had always known Autumn to have a small, tight little hourglass figure, but looking at her now she seemed more bottom heavy and pear-shaped, much to his surprise. He watched as she scooted back her chair further and placed her hands on the table.

He reached out his hand. “Need help?”

“I can manage,” she said in a haughty if not breathy voice. With more effort than he was expecting, she heaved herself up. Mike moved a chair to clear a path then grabbed her Chai. It was empty.

“I’ll recycle these real quick,” he said.

She nodded then focused her attention back on walking without putting too much pressure on her foot. Mike held the door open and they went outside.

He kept in stride with her and they crossed the street and continued to walk slowly until they were in front of her building. They stopped.

Mike put his hands in his pockets as a cool breeze chilled the air. “You uh, want a cigarette before you go?”

“I’d need a jacket.”

“You can wear mine.”

“No, it’s okay.” She paused for a moment then smiled as her hair fluttered in the gentle wind. “We can smoke inside.”

“You can smoke in your apartment?”

“Not really, but I do sometimes. I just turn the fan on and try to blow it out the window.”

“Okay, sure.”

Her building was an old and quaint Victorian looking place of 1890’s construction much like his. She took keys from her brown leather handbag, unlocked the door and led him inside to a small maroon carpeted lobby, then around the corner to the left to her ground level studio. They went in and a black cat with a lion’s cut greeted her.

“Hey buddy, how are you?” She bent over and stroked his furry mane and ran her fingers down his shaved little body. Mike crouched down and brought his hand to the cat's mouth, only to be shunned. Autumn smiled. “Don’t take it personally. He needs a while to warm up to strangers.”

Mike smiled back then stood and looked around. Of the handful of years that he had known Autumn, he had never been in her apartment before. Somehow, it was exactly as he pictured.

It smelled good, in a warm nostalgic sort of way.

It wasn’t a big place and there was a queen size bed in the center of the main room. To the right there was a canvas propped on an easel, and behind that was a black leather sofa in front of a wall mounted flat screen TV. On the other side of the sofa was a small desk with an open laptop computer.

“How long have you lived here again?”

“Almost five years, ever since I graduated college.”

“You work from home?”

She draped her purse over the side of a chair and turned towards him, her stylish heeled boots creaking the old oak flooring in the process. “Mmhmm.”

He took his jacket off and hung it on the coat rack against the wall near the front door. “You like that?”

“It’s a little stressful, but it’s been nice with the leg and everything, not having to commute.”

He followed her around the bed and through an open doorway where there was a small kitchen. Her place wasn’t exceedingly clean, but it wasn’t overly messy either. A candle sat on the table of a tiny breakfast nook, and more than a few dirty dishes were piled in the sink. “How have you been getting food and stuff? I’d think it would be hard to lug grocery bags all the way from QFC with your injury.”

“I manage,” she said blankly. “I usually get Amazon Fresh deliveries or take an Uber or get Uber eats.”

“Smart.”

She took an empty coffee mug from one of the cupboards, placed it on the table, then turned on the kitchen fan which was built into the slightly cracked cream colored lath and plaster ceiling. “What about you?”

Mike sat. “What do I do for groceries?”

She shoved the kitchen window upward, then grabbed a silver cigarette case from the sill and opened it. “No, what are you doing for work these days?”

“I just finished a big video editing contract, but got hired at the Google Campus up in Fremont with a facilities company, JLL it’s called.”

She placed a cigarette between her lips and Mike quickly lit it for her with his zippo. “Wow, that’s cool, I love Fremont,” she said after a short exhale of smoke.

“I actually start on Monday. We’ll see how it goes I guess.” He lit one himself. “So what are the best places to eat around here?”

Autumn leaned her butt against a wooden ledge that was part of the wall that separated the kitchen from the rest of the apartment. She really did have an amazing body. Her thighs and hips were shapely and generous; and while her waist was still small, there was a hint of a soft belly roll poking out just above the high waistband of her jeans causing her top to ride up slightly toward her breasts.

“There’s a lot of good places,” she said. “There’s ramen, Little Woody’s, Fogan Cocina across the street, tons of great Thai places as well.”

“I’ve been getting Hot Mama’s pizza sometimes, it’s not bad.”

“Yeah that place is good but I tend to gain weight if I eat that kind of stuff.”

Mike's heart skipped a beat after she said that. She said it almost as if she was unaware that she had already gained weight.

To be fair, she had seen herself everyday for the past four years while he certainly had not. To him, her curvier, more voluptuous appearance was obvious, but perhaps in her mind she looked the same as she always did. She was a mystery to him and a walking contradiction. Just the fact that she smoked cigarettes seemed to go against her progressive, intelligent and orderly personality; but it was something Mike always liked about her as it told him that despite her tendency towards a resting bitch face, she wasn’t as rigid and stuck up as she appeared.

When they went on that date a couple years ago, she made a big deal over skipping out on the gym in order to meet with him. She was pretty fit then, and while very cute and attractive, she wasn’t what he would call curvy, and she was never a girl with overtly prominent T and A. 

Looking at her now it was evident, and with her injury understandably so, that she hadn’t set foot in a gym in quite some time and she had T and A in abundance.

Mike flicked ash into the coffee mug and gazed up at her slowly and lustfully. He cleared his throat. “You look great.”

“Thanks.” She took a short puff and looked back at him. His tight shirt showed off his broad shoulders and lean muscular arms. His piercing blue eyes brooded at her so longingly they nearly took her breath away. “You too.” There was a moment of silence that to her felt like an eternity. “Still have your motorcycle?”

“Yep, still got it,” he said proudly. “You don’t have a car right?”

“No. Like I said I take Uber, there’s no place to park around here anyway.”

“Right.” He flicked more ash into the mug.  “I uh…I know you probably got a few more hours of work but we’ll have to do this again sometime.”

She stood up straight as her eyes brightened. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

He took a final drag on his smoke then stabbed it out. He rose. “Alight, I should get going.”

“Okay,” she said.

He took a step forward and they gazed at each other face to face. She was so young and ripe for the taking. Her lips were full and plump and looked so delicious Mike could hardly stand it. He thought about grabbing her and kissing her right then and there but his nerves held him back. “Call or text anytime, you know I’ll always be close by.”

She smiled in her understated way. “Yeah I know where you live.”

He walked over to the front door, unhooked his jacket and put it on. “See you later Autumn.”

“Bye Mike.”

Chapter 3

The attraction between Mike and Autumn was strong and magnetic, but there was also a sense of fear that kept them wary. Mike still had his ex fresh in his mind and her memory weighed on his conscience. 

He had already gotten what he wanted in some ways. He had proven to himself that Autumn was available and interested, but when it came to moving forward, he felt somehow scared and blocked, as he knew the great responsibility that comes with love and falling into a relationship. 

It was easier to dream about her at night and picture her body naked from the comfort of his solitude than to make that dream a reality.

Autumn was wary because she had been burned and lied to by men in the past. She was a hopeless romantic, too pretty for her own good and deep down, she was lonely. She liked Mike but wasn’t entirely sure if she could trust his intentions. He was so good looking that she found herself questioning whether or not he was a player, or if he was capable of being a one woman man.

They did not see each other the next day, nor did they call or text. It wasn’t until the following Wednesday that Mike received a message from her, asking if she could come over.

He jolted to attention and quickly cleaned up and organized his tiny, sparsely furnished apartment before bolting down the stairs. He opened the door to his building and she was standing there on the moonlit steps. He could tell she had been crying.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

She looked at him wide eyed and serious. “Can I come in?”

“Umm, yeah of course.” He opened the door wider, then stopped. “Do you want to have a cigarette first?”

“No, I’ve been chain smoking all afternoon, I really need to quit.”

“Okay.” He nodded and she stepped inside. She was dressed in black yoga pants and a matching zip up tracksuit jacket that looked like it was purchased 15 pounds ago. “There’s stairs, are you going to be able to…”

“I can manage.”

Mike’s place was on the second floor and Autumn went up the steps one by one, slowly and carefully. By the time she reached the top he noticed that she was slightly winded from the excursion.

“Is that hard?”

“It’s (pant) not too bad.”

He opened his door and they went in. “Sit down, get off your feet and make yourself at home.”

She collapsed on his small Ikea sofa and looked up at him with sorrow.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s my Dad,” she said. “He’s been having heart problems and I just found out he’s in the hospital.”

He moved his acoustic guitar to the side and sat down in a collapsible wooden chair directly across from her. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

She scrunched her nose and sniffled, then wiped some of the smudged makeup from her eyes with a tissue from her purse. “I’m just scared.”

“He’s down in Oregon?”

“Yeah, I wish I could be there. I’m just having trouble picturing him…that way, you know?”

Mike nodded with an understanding that she found comforting. “Yeah. My dad had a heart attack a few years back. Had to have open heart surgery.”

“Really?” She scooted herself forward a little, unzipped her jacket and took it off. Beneath she wore a black spaghetti strap top that also seemed to be a bit too small. “Is he okay now?”

“Oh yeah, he’s good, better than he was before.” He stroked his chin and gazed at her. Even in her distressed state she looked amazing. Her breasts had certainly grown over the past few years and the tightness of her shirt squeezed against the softness of her sides, causing little creases in the exposed skin just above her armpits. “It’s hard seeing your parents get older.”

“Yeah I’m not used to it. I don’t think I’m ready for it.”

Mike was having trouble keeping his eyes from drawing down to her legs. Her thighs were so much thicker and shapelier than his ex’s, and found them to be wildly and refreshingly attractive. “It’ll be okay.”

“Thanks,” she said softly. “Sorry to come over like this, I’m kind of a mess.”

“It’s okay, I’m glad you came.” He was getting the feeling that the health problems of her dad were a little less serious than she was making them out to be and perhaps her show of affliction was more of a test, or just an excuse to see him. Not that he thought she wasn’t being truthful, it was just that the vibes she was sending were more flirtatious than sorrowful.

“I guess I just needed to talk about it with someone,” she said.

“I’m glad you chose me.”

“Me too.”

There was a long and deliciously awkward silence, then Mike stood. “Um, can I get you anything?”

“No, just...” She closed her eyes as if she was on the brink of tears.

Mike stepped forward and sat down beside her on the couch. “It’s okay, come here.”

He put his arm around her shoulder, pulled her close and she nestled her head against his chest. The comfort of his embrace felt so natural and loving she thought she could dissolve in his arms if she let herself. She lifted her head and stared directly into his eyes with her nose just inches away from his.

Mike’s heart rate accelerated.

He didn’t hesitate a moment longer.

He did what he had always wanted, yet failed to do since he met her. He leaned in and kissed her plump wet lips, softly, gently and passionately.

It was like a huge weight was instantly lifted from their shoulders as she melted into him and kissed him back. His hand shifted from her shoulder down to her waist and he pulled her tight to his body. She felt heavier than he expected, but she felt wonderful.

“I just wish everything wasn’t so hard,” she cooed after their lips finally parted. “Work, family, love…it just…” She hesitated for a moment, turned away, then looked at him with a hint of a smile. “It makes me wish I could just be a house cat.”

“A house cat?”

“Well…yeah.”

“You mean like, never have to worry about anything, not have to work, just lay around and sleep and have someone else feed you?”

She sniffled again, then let out a cute giggle in spite of herself. “Sounds pretty great right?”

“It does actually.”

She looked down, suddenly feeling silly for breaking down and expressing her vulnerabilities like that. “I’m sorry, I’m okay really.”

He placed his hand on her knee. “You got nothing to be sorry about.”

“Thanks.”

They talked for a while longer until there was another moment of tense sexual silence, as neither of them were quite certain of what the other was expecting of them.

“I know it’s a long way down those stairs,” Mike said, “but are you ready for a cigarette now?”

She let out a breathy sigh and looked at him lovingly. “Sure.”

Mike sprang to his feet and helped her up.

He lingered behind as she went down the creaky steps.

Her ass was spectacular. It was big, as round as it was wide and it jiggled, bounced and curved severely into her thighs with every sexy feminine move she made. He noticed she left her jacket back up on his couch, but he didn’t say anything as the way she looked from the back in those tights and that revealing top was almost too good to be real. She had an incredible figure, and if she left her jacket purposefully, he couldn’t blame her for wanting to show off. She wasn’t fat and he wouldn’t call her chubby, but she certainly had a hefty bounty of curves in all the places that made Mike’s head spin and his stomach flutter.

Outside she took a cigarette out of her purse and he lit it for her. He then lit his own and gracefully hoisted himself up onto the concrete ledge that separated the sidewalk from a garden strip in front of the apartment building across the street. She attempted to do the same.

With her hands on the top of the ledge she tried to lift herself into a sitting position. She kicked her boots against the short wall just inches above the ground as she struggled to get up next to him. She failed and lowered back to the ground with a gasp.

“Oh God, (huff) you made that look (pant) so easy.”

He reached out his hand. “Here I’ll hold that for you.”

She gave him her cigarette and tried again. “Come (gasp) on.” Her little heeled boots came back down to the sidewalk as her second try resulted the same as the first. She was a little out of breath, and looked frustrated and confused. “Shit, (huff) what the hell!”

It was clear, and also incredibly hot for Mike to see Autumn coming to the realization that she was no longer as light and athletic as she once was.

No doubt that once her ankle was healed completely she’d be anxious to get back in the gym so she could shed the extra 15 or so pounds she’d gained over the past several months.

He jumped down. “Let me help you.” He placed the cigarettes carefully behind his ears, bent over then cradled his hands together and she stepped on his open palms and finally climbed up.

“Fewww! God I’m so…”

He jumped back up next to her and gave her back her smoke. “You’re so what?”

“Nothing.” She looked at him and sighed. “Thanks for your help.”

“My pleasure.”

She smiled then took a short drag and blew smoke into the clear night sky.  “I’m glad you moved here.”

“Me too.” It was a little chilly. He took off his coat and draped it over her exposed shoulders.

She stared into the distance and then back at him. “I have trouble getting close to people.”

Mike swallowed and stared back at her. “I’ve been trying to learn guitar. Name me two of your favorite songs and I’ll figure out how to play and sing them for you.”

“Oh gosh. I’ll have to think about that.”

“Just whatever two songs pop into your head.”

She looked upward. “How about that Miss American Pie song.”

“I could probably do that, what else?”

She took another drag then let her hand dangle between her knees. “Samson.”

“Samson, by who? Sorry I’m totally out of touch with music from the past like 20 years.”

“Samson by Regina Spektor.”

“Okay, I’ll look it up.”

She smiled. “I’ll hold you to it.”

“Deal.”

Chapter 4

Autumn slept at Mike’s place that night, but they did not make love. They just laid in bed spooning and she fell asleep in his arms. Mike loved the way she felt sleeping next to him. The way her ass dominated his pelvis and filled up his crotch, the way her waist was soft and supple against his hands, and the way she smelled like a delicious combination of cake and flowers.

He went to work the next day with a newfound happiness and purpose that he wouldn’t trade for anything in the world and as soon as he was off he wanted to see her again.

She said she was at Little Woody’s, the burger joint that was only about a block away from where they lived. He found it interesting that she went ahead and got dinner on her own, but he liked that about her. Autumn was always that way. Independent, self-sufficient and uncompromising. If she wanted to do something, she would do it.

Mike walked into the small casual restaurant and found her sitting alone with a half-eaten cheeseburger and a carton of fries in front of her. He greeted her and ordered something for himself, but she ended up polishing off all her food before he was even a few bites into his burger.

She was wearing blue jeans and her thighs spread themselves out wide and full in her seat. They were thick and meaty and along with her hips they made her waist look quite narrow, especially with the way she was perched so proactively on that chair. She had a style that Mike was loving more and more. Everything from the way she dressed, to the cool and unbending way she spoke, to the way she ate.

Mike’s ex would never eat a huge greasy burger on her own like that, and even if she did she would never finish the whole thing.

Autumn on the other hand seemed to just eat because she wanted to, and never once did she appear self-conscious about it.

They strolled back to her place afterwards as rain began to trickle down from the darkening sky. Inside her apartment Autumn turned her kitchen fan on, took out a cigarette from her case and lit up. Mike lit one too.

“I think it might be time to do these dishes,” Mike said, gesturing toward her sink.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she stared at him expressionless. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll do them eventually.”

“No way, I would love to do them for you and keep you off your feet.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not helpless you know.”

“I know, but I’m still going to do them.”

She took another puff on her cigarette, then coughed a few times. “God (cough, cough) I really need to quit smoking.”

Mike leaned forward in his seat. “Why?”

“Are you serious?” She raised an eyebrow. “It’s so bad for you.”

“It’s just a simple pleasure.”

She scoffed. “That’s one way of putting it. More like a compulsive addition that turns your lungs black and gives you cancer.”

He smirked. “Cigarettes are old fashioned and romantic, like me.”

“Right, if that’s what you gotta say to make yourself feel better.”

After they were done smoking, Autumn went to lay down in bed and watch TV. Mike, being true to his word, did her dishes and cleaned up her kitchen, even disposing of the cigarette butts and taking out the trash. When finished he sprawled out next to her on the mattress.

“We should get something for dessert,” he said.

She was lying on her side with her head on one of her many pillows. “Dessert?”

“Yeah is there anything fun around here?”

She propped her hand against her temple and sat up a little. “I usually try to stay away from sugar, especially at night.”

Mike stared at her with palpable yearning. She looked like a beauty queen posing for a photo, with her torso slightly bent and her ass sticking out behind her. “I’m still a little hungry, I should go grab something,” he said. “When you do eat sugar what do you get?”

She gazed at him lazily. “There’s Cupcake Royale.”

“Where is that?”

She yawned. “I think it’s on like…10th and Pike I wanna say.”

“What’s your favorite cupcake?”

“I'll go with you.”

“You sure you’re up for walking that far?”

“It’s not that far,” she said with a heavy roll of her eyes. “Besides, it will be good for me.”

“Are you doing physical therapy or anything?”

“I was, but not anymore.” She curled her feet beneath her thighs and sat up. “I’m on my own now.”

Mike rolled over to her side of the bed and gently took her hand. “Okay, let’s go, sounds like it stopped raining.”

Having Autumn walk with him was not what he had in mind, as he would have happily ran there and back just to let her relax, but she seemed insistent. When they reached the place Mike noticed the store’s slogan: ‘Cupcake Royale. Does a booty good.’

He couldn’t help but wonder if this cupcake bakery was part of what contributed to the growth of Autumn’s rear end, but he kept that thought to himself. She liked chocolate and he bought her a cherry chocolate cheesecake and a salted caramel. He got a donut for himself and took it all to go. They walked slowly back to her place, and when a homeless man bombarded them from a darkened alley, her hand slipped into his.

She made him a cup of tea and they ate and talked and smoked in the kitchen.  They couldn’t keep their eyes off each other and before too long they found themselves back in bed.

“Mmmm, come here,” she cooed,  running her fingers up his arm and underneath his shirt. She squeezed his forearm. “Do you work out?”

“Sometimes, a little bit.”

Her eyes and fingertips investigated him. “You have a nice body.”

“Thanks, so do you.”

She rolled onto her back, her head elevated by two pillows. She sighed as if she needed to get something off her mind. “Tabitha, one of my best friends, always wants me to go to the gym with her. She’s got like, basically a six pack, and super toned arms and everything, I’m just like, yeah…no, that’s just not really my body type anymore.”

Mike scooted closer, finding it fascinating that she felt the need to tell him that. “I love your body type.”

She ran her hand over his chest. “Well that’s good.”

He pressed himself against her and gently caressed her thigh. “I am obsessed with your body.”

“I’m glad.”

He unbuttoned her jeans, crawled on top and lovingly kissed her belly. She had a mostly flat stomach but it was also soft and slightly pudgy, especially in the area around her deep-set belly button. He kissed her lips and began fondling her waist with his hands, slowly working his way up towards her breasts.

She stopped him. “Do you umm, want to…”

“I don’t have any condoms.” He tilted his head and kissed her neck, just below her ear. He looked back up into her eyes. “Should I go get some?”

“It’s up to you.”

“Umm, okay so…” He gazed at her with a longing that seemed to burn and throb through his entire body. She felt so soft and looked so voluptuous with her jeans undone and her blossoming breasts pushing against her low cut v-neck shirt. “I’ll just go do that.”

Her brown eyes glowed. “I’ll be waiting.”

He sprang out of her apartment like a rocket, ran over to the corner mini mart and was back in no time. He kicked off his boots and pounced back on top of her, picking up where he left off. He kissed her lips, her neck, her chest, her breasts, and began peeling off her jeans, which turned out to be tighter around her thighs than he anticipated.

She sat up and took her top off with her legs hanging over the side of the bed and her back facing him. He was completely inthralled by her raw natural beauty. Her hips looked so wide and feminine and her weighty ass sank deliciously into the push mattress. She was wearing a black thong and had small and cute little love handles that sprung slightly over the sides of the fabric. He leaned forward, unsnapped her bra and she gasped with delight as she turned with her boobs hanging free.

She flopped them in his face and savored the feeling of his stubble rubbing gently between. He stripped himself of his clothes then let her crawl back on top. He grabbed her ass with both hands, shook and jiggled it. It felt so big and moved and wobbled as if it was somehow separate from the rest of her body.

He had never been with a woman this curvy before and his hands could not keep up with the nagging lust that had taken over his mind. He slipped off her skimpy panties, tossed them on the floor like a feather, pushed her off and kneeled erect on the bed. He straddled her with his thighs on either side of the narrowest part of her body, her waist. He took the condom, opened it, then handed it to her with his raging manhood on display. She unrolled it onto his rock hard and magnificent penis, her pussy throbbing and soaking.

“I want you,” she said. “I want you inside of me.”

Mike collapsed onto the warm softness of her body. He smelled her sweet perfume and kissed her neck again. For a short moment his nerves overtook him. He was falling in love with this woman. In the past his attraction to Autumn was merely physical. It was only her bossy personality and arrogant know-it-all attitude that caused him to keep his distance. Now he didn’t care. He wanted her and he wanted her more than anything, and not just for one night. He wanted to please her and his nerves only came from fear of not meeting her expectations.

He did his best to block those feelings out and let his unrelenting carnal desire take over. All it took was one more look into her seductive dark eyes and sensuous full lips.

He squeezed her with his strong masculine hands and he slipped inside. She moaned and gasped as he thrust rhythmically back and forth. He grabbed her ass and went in deeper and harder until her moans and gasps turned to squeals and screams.

God she felt good.

He waited patiently for her orgasm before he finally unloaded himself.

They smoked a few cigarettes in the kitchen with the afterglow shining from their eyes. She was naked and her body looked flawless. It occurred to Mike that he had never seen a woman so voluptuous in the nude before, and watching Autumn moving around with her soft wide hips, big ass and full breasts, only served to reinforce what he’d been missing out on his entire life. They crawled back in bed together and he noticed that she had a bit of a lingering cough.

He kissed the white skin of her upper arm. “You alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine,” she said defensively. “I cough sometimes when I’m sleepy, don’t worry about it. My blood sugar feels a little low though.”

Mike didn’t hesitate to get up and grab the salted caramel cupcake he had bought for her earlier. “Here you go.”

“Oh god, that’s not exactly what I meant.”

“Do you want me to get you something else?”

“No, this actually looks pretty good right about now.” She took it out of the small box and sheepishly licked some frosting off the top. She turned to him like she was looking for approval. “Sorry. I eat in bed sometimes, it helps me sleep.”

“I don’t mind at all, I do the same thing.” He rested his head against her shoulder and lightly caressed her breasts. “Sleep is important and you gotta wake up pretty early right?”

She took a bite of her cupcake, this time more unapologetically. “I do (chew) tomorrow, I need to get up for east coast time.”

“We better get some rest then.”

She finished chewing. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Sure.”

“Can you go to the fridge and grab me one of those orange sleep drinks?”

Mike sat up. “Neuro sleep drinks?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

He got up and headed toward the kitchen. “I drink those too, thought I was the only one.”

“Guess we have a few things in common.”

“Guess so.”

He brought her the drink and held her as she ate the rest of her dessert. He let her fall asleep in his arms before he drifted off himself.

They were together nearly every day during the following months. Mike would wake up early, and, rain or shine, ride his motorcycle to work, then head back to her place almost every evening.

She liked having him around. He cleaned, he did the dishes, did laundry, and happily went on grocery runs for her whenever she needed anything. He even cooked for her, although most of the time they would order takeout, which Mike would usually go get himself to avoid delivery and doordash expenses.

He had known Autumn to be a bit of a foodie. Perhaps the reason she was always so dedicated to the gym was because it allowed her to eat what she wanted while still maintaining a svelte size 6 figure. With her injury however, working out the way she used to was out of the question, which was why she had graduated to a size 10 by the time Mike came back into her life. Now that they had begun a relationship, and had been together for two months, even her 10’s were feeling snug.

“Have you been washing my clothes on hot?” she said.

Mike put his phone in his pocket and turned her way. She was standing next to the bed struggling to fasten the top button of her jeans, the same ones she wore on their first coffee date. “Umm, I don’t think so, I usually just do the normal cycle. Why?”

“Because these pants (gasp) used to fit.”

He stepped forward and inspected her. The short sleeves of one of her favorite black shirts looked even shorter from the extra plushness in her arms. Her jeans appeared as though they were painted on, and the seams of the denim were pulled tight over her long legs, especially in the hip and thigh areas.  “Did they shrink?”

She faced him and showed how she could no longer close the gap of the fly over her softening midsection. “I don’t know, you tell me.”

Mike shrugged, acting clueless. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I did anything. I usually just throw stuff in the washer and press start.”

She glared at him like he was stupid, then sighed. “It’s okay, I probably just need to get back in the gym.”

“You think your leg is ready for that?”

“Yeah my leg is basically healed, I just need to ease myself back into a routine at some point.” She tried to get the button closed one more time but failed miserably. “Okay these (gasp) pants are not happening today.”

“What’s wrong with that dress you had on earlier?”

Autumn had been taking to wearing dresses most of the time during the work week because they were stretchy and comfortable while still being presentable enough for video calls.

“Did you like it?”

Mike’s eyes widened. “Did I like it? You looked incredible in it.”

“Really? I thought it was a little revealing.” She gave him a little smirk as she started to peel her jeans down towards her thighs. “But then, I guess that’s why you like it.”

He glanced at his phone again. “Well put something on, ride will be here in 20 minutes.”

“You know we could just walk.”

He looked down at her beautiful little feet and the way her calves so elegantly tapered into her ankles. “In heels?”

“Okay, good point.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and continued to undress. “Just give me a sec.”

Mike went outside for a smoke to let her get ready in private and when he came back his jaw nearly hit the floor.

“Jesus Christ, you look amazing.”

“It’s not too tight right?”

“Does it feel too tight?”

“I mean it’s stretchy but…” She tugged on the straps of her dress and gave him a spin. “It’s not like it’s leaving much to the imagination.”

That was an understatement. It was a knee length body-con little black number that clung snugly to every curve of her figure. Mike was surprised. Although he had been with her nearly everyday, or maybe because of that, he hadn’t quite realized that her body had changed since they started dating.

She looked bigger, and it wasn’t his imagination.

She didn’t know what the number was as she had been avoiding her bathroom scale and had not been weighed since her last doctor’s appointment, but she had in fact eaten herself all the way up to 168 pounds.

It made perfect sense. Her lifestyle consisted mainly of sitting in front of her laptop, whether it be in bed or at her desk. As far as Mike could tell she got almost zero physical activity throughout her work weeks, especially since he had entered the picture and started doing her chores and errands.

Her thighs were thick and untoned, her cute feminine knees were less defined and slightly dimpled. Her breasts were larger and her bras were tighter. It was her rear end however, that Mike could not pry his eyes away from. She had great genetics, perfect bone structure and was very well proportioned; but it was clear that as she gained, most of the weight was continuing to settle in her hips and butt. Mike had never before seen her ass look so big, so round, or so spellbinding.

He was speechless for a moment and blinked his eyes a few times to bring himself back from his lust fueled stupor. “Just, um, throw a jacket on or something.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah I’m sure.” He drew closer and took in the dazzling sight that she was one more time. She was such a knock-out, and even though he could see the outline of a softer waist and a deeper-set belly button through the thin fabric of her dress, he wouldn’t change anything about her. She was perfect, and suddenly the idea of her wanting to get back in the gym saddened him. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek so he wouldn’t smear her lipstick and his hand drew to her hips as if beyond his control.  “I mean I can’t wait to strip it off you later tonight, but I’m sure.”

“Uh, whatever.” She pushed him away as her phone buzzed. She looked at it quickly. “You're in for the softball game tomorrow right?”

“Yep, I’ll be there. You gonna play?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think it would be smart for me to test my leg like that just yet, but I want to see you play.” She took her stylish bomber jacket off the coat rack. Mike noticed there was a little more jiggling happening when she moved than there used to be.

“Alright, let’s go,” she said. “I’m starving.”

He smiled, gazing at her deepening cleavage and then into her eyes. “Me too.”

Chapter 5

Mike was in his own apartment fingering his guitar when he glanced at his phone and realized he was almost late for the softball game. He threw on some hiking boots and a sweatshirt, grabbed his glove and headed out the door.

The game was at a city park only about 4 blocks away, but running short on time, and perhaps wanting to make more of a dramatic introduction to Autumn’s friends, he took the motorcycle.

He parked between some cars on the side of the street and hopped off. A few heads turned beyond the chain link fence and Mike scanned the faces until he saw Autumn, sitting next to someone in the dugout. It was late July and the day could not have been more beautiful. The whole city seemed to be out and about. Couples were having picnics, moms were pushing strollers, and a few homeless men were sitting in the park bleachers, passing a bottle around, perhaps hoping to catch some eye candy, as well as a softball game. Walking toward the field Mike saw a few people playing catch just beyond the first base line. He entered through a gap in the fence. He had arrived just in time.

Autumn turned and leaned forward in her seat. She was dressed in capri style blue jeans, white Chuck Taylor hightops, a t-shirt with three quarter length sleeves and a Seattle Mariners baseball cap. Mike was surprised about the jeans because he didn’t think she had any left that still fit. “Hey look who it is,” she said. “Thought you were going to flake out on us.”

Mike smiled. “Sorry, I lost track of time.”

Autumn shifted her hips around on the bench and gestured to the guy sitting next to her. “Okay, just a few quick introductions. This is Corey, one of my best friends.”

Mike stepped forward and looked down. The guy was in his mid to late twenties, right around his age if not younger. He had a slim build, and a splotchy dark beard shaved clean at the neck. They shook hands. “Hi Corey, I’m Mike.”

Corey smirked. “Nice to meet you.”

“And this is Sydney,” Autumn said. “Mike Sydney, Sydney Mike.”

Sydney smiled, her eyes beaming with kindness. She was about the same height as Autumn but she was round and chubby and looked to outweigh her by a good 50 pounds. “Nice to meet you,” she said.

Autumn, still seated, continued as another friend entered the dugout. “And, there’s Tabitha.”

Tabitha stepped forward and adjusted her glittery trucker hat. “Hi you must be Mike, I’ve heard about you. Good we can finally meet.”

Mike remembered Autumn mentioning Tabitha before. She was the gym girl with the abs and she certainly looked the part, wearing high waisted leggings and a loose top that flattered her well-defined arms and tiny waist. She was very attractive, but compared to Autumn she looked quite plain. “Yeah likewise,” Mike said.

An umpire in a baby blue shirt worn over chest pads, called out from home plate. “Visiting team ready?”

Autumn stood. “Yep, we’re ready.”

Mike watched his girlfriend with extreme pride and admiration. Damn she looked good in jeans; and nobody could pull off that cute and sporty baseball-cap-look the way she could.

“Okay, let’s play ball!” the umpire said.

The game went on as expected. No one was very good but some were more competitive than others. When it was Mike’s turn to bat, he felt the need to show off his skills and do something impressive.

“So are you serious about this guy?” Tabitha said. She was sitting next to Autumn on the bench, watching as Mike stepped into the batter’s box.

Autumn shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe.”

“He’s super cute.” Tabitha gazed over her shoulder at the street behind them. “Cool motorcycle too.”

Autumn rolled her eyes. “Let’s see if he can hit.”

The pitcher delivered the ball with a slow underhand lob. Mike geared up, swung with all his might, and struck nothing but air.

Tabitha snorted. “Oohh, strike one. Literally.”

Mike gritted his teeth, embarrassed. Even Corey had been able to put the ball in play, and Mike refused to be shown up by the likes of him. Whether he was really one of Autumn’s best friends or not, Mike didn’t like the way Corey had been eying her, and it caused a sense of jealousy to rise up within.

He kicked his shoes into the dirt and tightened his grip on the wooden handle. Unlike most of the people there, Mike played ball in high school, and he was good, at least he used to be, although hitting a 40 mile per hour softball was a lot different than hitting a 90 mile an hour baseball.

The pitch came in and Mike drew his elbows back, shifted his weight to his right foot, and swung again. This time he made solid contact right on the sweet spot and the ball jumped off his bat like a rocket. It sailed high in the air and it landed on a Honey Bucket just beyond the boundary of the field, a home run.

Tabitha rose to her feet. “Woah, nice!” She turned to Autumn. “Okay, maybe I approve of this guy.”

Autumn stood as well, but maintained that haughty look of indifference on her face, a look that she seemed to keep as the game went on.

In the 4th inning, a guy on the team had to take off early, leaving them a player short, and Autumn volunteered to take his place.

“You sure you gonna be okay?” Mike said.

Autumn rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I can at least stand in the outfield.”

Mike smiled. “Okay, just take it easy, watch out for sprinklers and divots and stuff.”

In the top of the 6th, Tabitha hit a ground ball up the middle and ran gracefully to first base. She was quick, agile and moved like a gazelle. Next it was Autumn’s turn. Although she was right handed, she batted from the left side and Mike had a clear view of her backside as she stepped to the plate.

With a slight bend to her knees she reached back her arms and awaited the pitch. Mike clasped the chain link fence with both hands and watched closely. She was a sight. Her hips and thighs filled out those jeans marvelously and Mike had never seen a hotter ass in his life.

Was it really that big or was it something about those jeans?

He was utterly enthralled by her. The whole concept that a hot girl could actually gain weight like that was new to him, and he found it fascinating. Autumn was just so much of a good thing, it didn’t seem fair to other girls.

After letting the first ball go by, Autumn swung at the second and hit a dribbling grounder down the third base line. She dropped the bat and ran towards first as the pitcher cut off the ball.

Watching Autumn run was something of a spectacle all to itself. To put it mildly, she ran like a girl. Her wide hips and bottom heavy figure jiggled and gyrated in a hypnotizing fashion, and despite the way she frantically swung her arms, it appeared she was moving in slow motion, as if her body could not keep up with her mind’s expectations.

The throw to first was high and floated clear over the fielder's head, allowing Autumn to trot on base safely. Corey was up next and was somehow hit by a pitch which loaded the bases for Mike.

Mike belted a line drive that was hit so hard it bounced off the wall in right center. Tabitha scored, Autumn rounded third and she scored and so did Corey. Mike flew around the bases with speed far superior than anyone else at the game, and with a wild throw to the plate, he scored as well. It was a base clearing, inside the park grand slam and the team cheered like it was the world series.

After a few high fives, Mike entered the dugout and found Autumn sitting back down on the pale aluminum bench, trying to catch her breath. Tabitha sat to her right and Sydney sat to her left.

Tabitha raised a fist in the air. “Way to crush it slugger!”

“Thanks,” Mike said bashfully. He turned to Autumn. “How’s your leg holding up?”

She fanned herself with her hand. “It’s fine, I’m just (pant) not used to running like that.”

“Don’t push it too hard, be careful,” Mike said.

Autumn rolled her eyes. “Noted.”

Tabitha grabbed her phone and started taking selfies. Mike observed the girls as he paced around in the dugout. He knew that all three of them were more or less the same height, but the shapes of their bodies were vastly different. Autumn’s hips spread out significantly wider than Tabitha’s, and they were actually almost as wide as Sydney’s, despite the weight difference. Mike also noticed that Autumn sat higher than Tabitha, solely due to the fact that she carried so much more weight in her thighs and butt. Autumn was the prettiest one too, on either of the teams by far, and Mike found it refreshing that the prettiest one was also the curviest, and he felt incredibly lucky that she was his.

They all socialized after the game albeit briefly, while some other teammates loaded up equipment before going their separate ways.

“That was fun,” Mike said, turning toward Autumn as they made their way to the street.

“Yeah, you’re pretty good there with your home runs and everything.”

“Chicks dig the long ball right?”

Autumn glared at him. “Chicks?”

Mike swallowed nervously. “Sorry…umm, women appreciate the long ball.”

She punched his arm playfully. “Okay stop it.”

He smiled. “You’re not bad yourself.”

“Ooooh, I don’t know,” she said with a sigh. “I was in much better shape the last time I played.”

He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close as they continued to walk. “You did great. You probably just haven't built back all your leg strength quite yet.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

They stopped in front of Mike’s motorcycle and Autumn fiddled with her purse.

“Are you hungry?” Mike said.

Autumn lit a cigarette. “Yeah, I could eat.”

Mike opened the back bubble-like Givi storage container on his bike and put his glove inside. “Let’s get out of this place, go somewhere fun.”

She took a short puff from her smoke. “What, like take an Uber?”

“No way, we’ll take the bike.” He smiled, placed her glove next to his, then from the case pulled out a black, faceless half-helmet. “Still got an extra one.”

She bit her lower lip and gave him a look that just about made his heart melt. “Okay.”

He let her finish her cigarette, then mounted his bike and she climbed on behind. His motorcycle was an Aprilia 850, and though it was a sport-bike, it had room for two and a decent backrest attached to the Givi.

He had given her a ride on the same bike before, but that was a few years ago. Now, the suspension sagged beneath her weight, and the bike felt heavy in a way Mike wasn’t used to, but he relished in the sensation of her body clasping snuggly behind him. Her breasts pressed against his back, her thighs straddled his narrow hips and the feeling of her closeness sent a wonderful shiver up his spine.

He fired up the engine. “Okay, just don’t fall off.”

“Okay!”

She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his waist as they rode away. With it being such a nice summer day, he took her on the most scenic route he could think of. They went through the high-rises and skyscrapers of downtown, then across the West Seattle bridge all the way to Alki Beach. He parked in front of Duke’s seafood and chowder house and they got off.

“This okay?” he said.

She unbuckled her helmet and brushed back her hair. “Yeah, looks good to me.”

Mike put his name in at the restaurant but it was busy and there was a 20 minute wait time. They went out and sat on a bench that overlooked Puget Sound and smoked cigarettes as they waited.

Ferries drifted slowly along the water and people on the beach began staking out campfire spots as seagulls squawked in the near distance.  It was a warm evening, but that didn’t stop Mike from holding Autumn tight and close to his body. The sun calmly sank just above the Olympic Mountain range in the west and highlighted the city’s skyline to the east while wandering wisps of a breeze stirred romance in the air.

Autumn tilted her head up from Mike’s shoulder. “Still nothing?”

He glanced at his phone. “Not yet.”

She stood and put out her cigarette. “I’m just gonna go check.”

Mike watched as she went so confidently toward the restaurant just on the other side of the paved bicycle path. He loved the way she walked. Shoulders back, head high, with a little wiggle in her hips as she so elegantly and dramatically did something as simple and mundane as place one foot in front of the other. Even in her jeans and with her baseball hat back on, she had a way of standing out in a crowd, and the heads of strangers turned as if the spell of passing beauty was too strong to ignore. Just moments after entering the restaurant, she came back out and waved at Mike to come in.

He sprang up and scurried toward her.

“Is it ready already?” he said.

“Yeah, come on.”

“How’d you get a table so fast?”

The corners of her lips turned upward seductively. “I have my ways.”

“Right.” He knew exactly what she meant. He had forgotten that doors open up a little quicker and tables become miraculously available when in the presence of a gorgeous woman.

She ordered fish tacos and clam chowder with a glass of New Zealand sauvignon blanc, and Mike got fish and chips and a cup of coffee. He watched as she so expertly crushed oyster crackers into her bowl and listened to the way she analyzed and judged her tacos like a professional critic. Despite her denunciations, she was hungry and finished her entire meal well before he did.

“I hate it when I eat everything and the other person still has lots of food on their plate,” she said. “I need to get better at slowing down and savoring each bite.”

“You can have some of my fries if you want.”

She smiled. “No, that’s my problem. Everything tastes so good I want it all at once and I end up eating too much.”

Mike set his coffee down. “I like that you’re not afraid to eat.”

As he finished speaking, a grossly overweight woman squeezed her massive body directly behind his chair, then carefully navigated herself toward her table in front of him. Autumn couldn’t help but notice the way Mike’s gaze drew toward the woman’s massive hips and billowing breasts.

Autumn locked eyes with Mike, then gestured toward the woman. She leaned forward and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Can you imagine being that big?”

Mike was taken aback, as he knew she had caught his wandering eye in mid wander and he was anticipating a scolding. He was unsure how to respond. “Um, no, but I’m not a woman.”

Autumn took a few fries from his plate. “I mean like (munch, chew) what do you see when you see someone like that?”

After a quick glance at the woman, Mike looked at Autumn curiously. “I see a woman, who clearly enjoys food.”

Autumn smiled, much to Mike’s surprise. “Yeah, me too.” She leaned in closer, still whispering. “I know it sounds terrible, but when I see someone who’s really hugely fat like that, I don’t think…like, oh, that’s too bad...” She bit her lower lip as if deep in thought before she continued. “I think more like, how…delicious, it must have been to get there.”

Mike’s face erupted in a grin, as the words she was saying conjured up a million thoughts in his brain. “I like the way you think.”

She shrugged sheepishly before stealing a few more fries. “I don’t know, (chew, munch) food is definitely my biggest weakness. I eat when I’m depressed, I eat when I’m happy, I eat when I’m bored.”

Mike chuckled. “That’s better than being the type of person that’s always on a diet, treating their body like it’s some sort of enemy.”

“I guess so.” She took a sip of her wine. “You don’t mind that I drink, do you?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. Just because I don’t drink anymore doesn't mean I can’t enjoy it through you.”

He stared into her eyes. Her hat was off and her beautifully layered hair was tied back in a messy ponytail that was somehow both chic and wildly sexy. If his relationship with Autumn was budding before, now it was blooming and becoming solidified. He met her friends, she had ridden on the back of his motorcycle, and he had yet to find anything about her that he didn’t like. He never met a woman who could be so casual and unassuming, yet so severely feminine and elegant at the same time.  He had a feeling that the face staring back at him was a face that he’d be seeing again and again, for a long time.

Autumn finished the rest of Mike’s fries and after he got the check, they rode back to her place in the magic hour of the setting sun.

They were always together as the summer unfolded, and spent a lot of time outside, taking advantage of the long days and perfect weather.

With her injury healed, Autumn tried to make a conscious effort to get more physically active, and at least get her body back to a place where she could fit into jeans comfortably.

Mike rented a canoe a few times and they had fun paddling around Lake Washington, and even went on a couple short hikes in the Cascade mountains. They would walk and talk their way to the Seattle Art Museum or the Museum of Pop Culture and tried to catch the classic movies that would sometimes play at the local independent theater down the street. Autumn also participated more in the softball games and by the time August ended, she was able to button her pants with ease and had gotten her weight back down below 160 pounds without having to sacrifice dinners out, or any of her favorite foods.

All good things must come to an end however and so too did the weather as August became September and September became October. The morning air turned crisp, and the melancholy of the fall season harmonized life with nature like a second spring where every dying leaf becomes a flower. The sunny Saturday motorcycle rides and the evening walks were replaced with pumpkin spice lattes and movie nights on the sofa with soul warming comfort foods, and Mike got the feeling that Autumn’s days of being able to squeeze her hips into her size 10 jeans without difficulty, might be short lived.

Chapter 6

Autumn awoke to the sound of her alarm blaring on the nightstand. She rolled over wearily and turned it off. She wanted more than anything to stay in bed and go back to sleep as waking up early seemed to be getting more difficult as of late. The door to her apartment opened, and she could see Mike’s silhouette in the darkened entryway. He turned on the bathroom light then walked her way.

“Here you go babe,” he whispered, placing her latte and hot breakfast sandwich on the table next to bed. He leaned in and softly kissed her cheek. “Just one more day to go.”

She sat up a little, stretched her arms and yawned as the wonderful smell of espresso and crispy bacon entered her nostrils. “Thank you baby, yeah I can’t wait.”

“Okay, gotta run. Have a good day.” He kissed her again, this time on her neck while running his hand over her hip and giving it a squeeze. “I love you.”

Again she yawned, gazing at the outline of his face. “I love you too.”

He smiled then went out the door and off to work.

She cuddled with Samson for a few moments then flung her legs over the side of the mattress and turned on a light. After using the restroom, she grabbed her warm beverage and toddled over to the breakfast nook in the kitchen and lit up her first cigarette of the day.

She took a sip of her drink. It was a creamy and delicious 16 ounce triple shot vanilla soy latte.

Mike was so sweet.

He’d been going to the cafe across the street nearly every morning during the past month and buying her a coffee and a bacon egg and cheddar sandwich. Autumn appreciated it, as she was a big believer that breakfast was the most important meal of the day.

Mike had practically moved in with her, but she enjoyed having him around. She wasn’t the type of girl that needed a man to be happy, but she had to admit living with him was quite nice. When she was single she had to fend for herself and make her own breakfast, usually something like a bowl of oatmeal with yogurt and berries on top.

She flicked ash into the mug on the table and took another sip of her beverage. It was sweet. She hated to think about how many calories it contained, and thought she should tell Mike to get plain soy lattes instead of vanilla, but it tasted so good that she kept putting that off.

She sat up straight and tugged downward on her white camisole. The skimpy top was a bit skimpier than it used to be. She placed her hand on her stomach and felt the roll of fat that was protruding over her underwear.

She sighed. All that wining and dining with Mike, the stress of working a demanding job, and the complete lack of exercise during the last few months were taking their toll on her figure.

After finishing her cigarette she went to the bathroom, jumped in the shower and got ready for the day. She slipped on a clean pair of panties that felt way too tight as the elastic fabric dug uncomfortably into her belly and hips. She gazed into the mirror.

She was gaining weight again.

She twisted around and investigated her backside.

Damn.

God she was getting a fat ass. Where did those hips come from, and why did her tush look so fucking sexy?

Holy crap, how much had she gained?

She stepped on the scale.

172.8.

Shit.

She knew she had put on a few pounds, but she wasn’t expecting to be over 170. It was frustrating because she had done so well over the summer. The last time she weighed herself was in August when she’d gotten back down to 157.

It was now late November.

Did she really gain almost 16 pounds in 3 months?

She investigated her reflection. She had never seen her body look so voluptuous before and she wasn’t used to it. For most of her adult life she had stayed within the one hundred thirty to one hundred forty pound range, and when she was a cheerleader in high school she was in the 120’s.

Looking at herself now she was amazed by the sight of her boobs and butt. She had never been this curvy, nor had she been this heavy.

It was too much.

With a naturally petit figure and bone structure, a number like 172 was alarming.

No wonder none of her clothes fit.

She went to her dresser and squeezed her topless body into another camisole that clung to her like a second skin. She didn’t feel like wearing a bra, they were all too tight anyway.

She went back to the bathroom, fixed up her hair and makeup, standing with her belly pressed softly into the tile countertop, then crawled back in bed with her laptop. She unwrapped the sandwich that Mike brought and the smell made her mouth water and also seemed to somehow erase the depressing memory of stepping on the scale just moments prior.

She took a big bite.

It was still warm and was like heaven on an English muffin. So cheesy and buttery and toasty and greasy. She knew it must be packed with fat that she certainly didn’t need, but it was so early in the morning that she felt justified in eating it. After all, breakfast was the most important meal of the day.

Around noon she set her laptop aside and forced herself out of bed. She was hungry again. She went to the kitchen and looked around for something to snack on.

God.

Why did she let Mike do all the grocery shopping?

The man ate like a 14 year old boy.

There was a pack of blueberry muffins, a whole thing of jumbo sized croissants, a family sized bag of potato chips, a tray of black and white cookies, three slices of cake in the fridge and half of a cherry pie on the counter.

How the hell did he stay in such great shape with all of this food around?

Did he have the metabolism of a hummingbird or something?

She turned the fan on and lit up another cigarette. She really needed to stop smoking so much inside, but with the window cracked she could hear the rain patter on the street. It had been raining all week, and really all month come to think of it. No wonder she was gaining weight. With the dreary fall weather she rarely went outside, especially when she had a boyfriend that so happily ran around and got her everything she needed.

She looked at the plastic container of croissants as her tummy gurgled. She wanted one bad, but she couldn’t rationalize indulging in that amount of empty fats and carbs, especially with the knowledge that she was now over one hundred and seventy pounds.

After all, things were going so well, and having turned 27 in October, she was happier than she had been in a long time. In the past she thought all her relationships had been too one sided, always feeling like the guy was way more into her than she was into him; but with Mike it felt equal. She had no doubt that he adored her, just as she had no doubt she was in love with him. The last thing she wanted was for him to lose interest over something as stupid and trivial as her not being able to keep her weight in check.

Mike finished responding to his last email, then ran down to the campus gym to blow off some steam. It was all part of his after work routine.

50 pushups, 50 pullups, 50 situps, and 2000 meters on the row machine. He could do it all in less than 30 minutes and he liked feeling all pumped up and ripped when he returned to Autumn in the evening. Although she would rarely say anything, he knew she appreciated his lean, strong, masculine physique, and the idea of being able to impress a woman like her, motivated him to be his best like nothing else in the world.

After a quick shower in the locker room, he hopped on his motorcycle and rode home. When he unlocked and opened the door to the apartment, he was greeted by the sight of his beautiful girlfriend, standing next to the bed, wearing nothing but panties and a tiny spaghetti strap top.

“Why hello there,” he said, smiling. He gazed at her longingly. He had of course been aware that her body had been going through some changes, but he was no less amazed looking at her now. He wondered if other guys in his situation would be concerned or distraught if they saw their formally classically hot girlfriend gain as much weight as Autumn had so early on in a relationship. For Mike it was the opposite. Perhaps it was because he had never dated a curvy woman before, or perhaps he was simply discovering things about himself that he was previously unaware of, but whatever the case, and whatever was going on with Autumn’s weight, he was loving everything about it. “I like your outfit.”

She scrunched her nose in disgust, but in a way that he found incredibly cute. “Thanks but, it’s not like I have much of a choice.”

Mike tossed his gloves off, hung his rain dampened jacket on the hook, then stepped towards her. “How do you mean?” He put his hands around her waist and drew her close, noticing how far her butt jutted out behind her still narrow waist.

“Because hardly anything fits me anymore.” She pushed him away and wiggled toward the kitchen. She held her hand up to signal she wasn’t in the mood for any of his consoling comments. “Don’t even say anything.”

He followed her to the breakfast nook with his eyes fixated on her ass. Her hips were significantly wider than her shoulders and he had never seen her butt look so full and prominent before. He couldn’t get enough of the way each oversized cheek wobbled and jiggled with every step she took. “I’ll go shopping with you if you want.”

She lit a cigarette and sat down. “Yeah I should probably bite the bullet and go up a size. I could use a wardrobe upgrade anyway.”

Mike lit his own and sat across from her. “No sales tax in Oregon.”

Autumn paused for a moment and blew thick gray smoke in the direction of the window. “Good point.”

Mike was hardly listening, as he was so distracted by her naked legs and the way they settled so provocatively in that chair. He was astounded by how much wider her thighs and hips looked when she was in a seated position like that. She caught him staring and he turned away. He noticed the crumpled paper bag on the counter.

“Potbelly for lunch again?” he said.

“What?”

He pointed. “Potbelly sandwiches.”

Her long eyelashes fluttered expressionless. “Yeah, I just did doordash because it’s so rainy out there.”

“You don’t need to do that you know. There’s plenty of food here, we should try and use it up, save money.”

She giggled abruptly with a cute and quiet feminine snort. “Whatever, I make a lot more than you do.” She puffed on her cigarette and waved her arms as she spoke. “But also, I can’t just keep eating all the crap you get, that’s why my clothes are so tight.”

He gave her a crooked smile and his eyes drew towards her thighs again. “What’s wrong with tight clothes?”

“Stop it. You have no idea how easy you men have it. You can probably just buy the same size jeans over and over on Amazon and never have any problems.”

He leaned in and touched the bare skin of her knee. She was right of course. He had been buying the same Levi 501’s with the same size 30 waist for years. “That’s because a man’s body is just for working and getting around and stuff. Your body, on the other hand, is a work of art.”

She quivered pleasurably from his gentle touch. “A work of art huh?”

He drew his hand back and nodded while maintaining eye contact. “A beautiful work of art.”

She shifted her hips in her seat, causing the chair to creak and groan beneath. She smiled cooly. “Mmm, I kind of like it when you put it that way.”

There was a moment of romantic silence, as they both stared at each other lustfully.

Mike cleared his throat. “I’m starving. We should eat before I take the bike up to mom and dad’s.” He stood and put his cigarette out. “Little Woody’s alright with you?”

She sighed. “Yeah, that’s fine. But you don’t need to get me fries, I really think I need to slow down with all the eating.”

His head spun around. “What? Thanksgiving is tomorrow.”

“I know! All the more reason I need to watch it.” She took another puff on her cigarette. “I haven't even met your parents yet and I’ve already gained like the relationship 15 or whatever.”

“Well you’ll meet them this weekend.”

Mike stopped in the kitchen’s doorway as the last thing she said suddenly registered in his brain.

The relationship 15?

He turned and spoke without thinking. “Did you weigh yourself?”

She gave him a death stare and pointed her cigarette at him. “Don’t even think about asking.” She put her smoke out, but quickly lit another. She glared at him, as he was still standing there like a little kid waiting for approval. “Aren't you supposed to be getting food?”

After dinner Mike made the 30 minute ride north in the dark of night to his parents house in the suburbs, 15 miles or so outside the city limits of Seattle proper. He parked his motorcycle in their four car garage and exchanged it for his Dad’s Honda CRV. The next morning he drove with Autumn down interstate 5 to Beaverton, a town just outside of Portland, where Autumn’s parents lived.

Mike met Autumn’s dad Gary, who seemed to be doing better after his health scare earlier in the year. He was a fairly large man in his late 50’s, just over 6 feet tall and at least 200 pounds. He was soft, clean shaven and overweight, with a slight beer gut protruding over his belt. Autumn’s mom Patty, was small, mousy, slightly chubby, and had a very pretty face like her daughter.

Autumn was one of two children, as was Mike, and her older brother Steven had also made the trip to Oregon for Thanksgiving. He was married and brought with him his wife Julia, and their two children, Lily, age 4, and Noah, age 2, all the way up from their home in the Los Angeles area. Steven was handsome, slightly built, and somewhat nerdy, but he bonded effortlessly with Mike as did his wife and parents.

Autumn made it through the family holiday without receiving any comments about her weight, other than her mom telling her several times that she looked very happy. Her parents seemed thrilled with Mike, and Autumn was thankful that she didn’t have to answer a million questions about her love life for once.

On Saturday, they drove back north, and she finally got a chance to meet Mike’s parents, John and Debbie, as well as his younger sister Megan, her husband Kevin and their two kids, Liam and Willow.

For Mike, the meeting of the parents was a big deal and it was good to get it out of the way. His mom and dad loved Autumn, just as he knew they would, and, coming from a similar upbringing, she fit in with his family seamlessly.

The month of December had never seen Mike and Autumn so happy. Their love for each other had not wavered in the slightest and if anything, it was getting stronger by the day. They began to talk more about the possibility of getting a bigger apartment and moving in together officially. The eight month lease on Mike’s place expired in January, and Autumn had the option to renew her’s in February. Getting rid of Mike’s studio was a no-brainer, as he hardly used it, but for Autumn, giving up her apartment took more convincing.

She had lived there for almost the entirety of her adulthood, and she was grand-mothered in with a cheap fixed rent that was hard to let go of. On the other hand, even she had to admit that her place was far too small for two people, not to mention it was a ground level unit in the heart of the party district that was becoming increasingly noisy and potentially dangerous as Seattle’s homeless population swelled.

It wasn’t until Mike’s dad offered to sell him the Honda for a family rate that Autumn became more serious about moving. As much as she loved riding on the back of Mike’s motorcycle, she could only do that for a few months out of the year, and the idea of having full time access to a car sounded nice. Of course, that meant that they would need parking and that was not an option if they stayed put.

“Did I hear that right, you guys are moving to Belltown?” Tabitha said as she sat down next to Autumn on the sofa.

Autumn took a sip of champagne. “Yeah, Mike found a really nice place, seems too good to pass up.”

It was December 31st, and Mike and Autumn had gone to Tabitha and her boyfriend’s apartment for a new year’s eve party. There were about 20 people there, including Sydney and Corey, as well as a few others from the co-ed softball league.

“Where is it exactly?” Tabitha said.

Autumn slid her butt toward the back of the couch. She looked exceedingly beautiful that night. Her skin-tight long-sleeve beige bodysuit was tucked beneath high waisted white jeans and the outfit highlighted and worked in perfect harmony with the alluring contours of her body. “Over on 2nd and Wall, right near The Whisky Bar and Rocco’s, it has a view of the Space Needle too.”

“Ooohh, Rocco’s pizza!” Tabitha leaned forward and put her hand on Autumn’s forearm. “Better watch out, that could be dangerous.”

Autumn looked at her curiously. “Why would that be dangerous?”

Tabitha jolted backwards, smiling wide in her bubbly sort of way. “Are you kidding? That’s the best pizza in the city, I’d probably be going there everyday if I lived that close.”

Autumn rolled her eyes and the glitter of her earrings clashed on the surface of her perfectly made up face. The notion that living next to a pizza joint would be dangerous for her size 2 friend was laughable to her. “Well, Mike and I are getting a gym membership.”

“Omigod yay! I’m so excited your leg is finally better and we can workout together again. What gym is it?”

“Just Anytime Fitness. It’s actually right on the bottom floor of the building so I’m going to have no excuses.”

“Good for you.”

Autumn looked down at her thighs, feeling a little self conscious sitting next to her friend who was obviously much smaller than her. She remembered a time, not too long ago when Tabitha and her were the same size.

Good intentions not withstanding, the month of December had not done Autumn’s waistline any favors. It was too busy and hectic, with too many temptations in the form of delicious Christmas treats, decadent desserts and lavish holiday meals. Instead of losing the weight like she hoped, she had gained an additional 6 pounds since Thanksgiving.

She could feel it too.

Her size 12 jeans had been slightly loose around the waist and snug at the hips when she bought them a few weeks ago, and now they already felt uncomfortably tight all over.

“I know,” Autumn said, running her hands over the sides of her hips. “I definitely need it. I’ve put on a few pounds.”

Tabitha shrugged, unsure of what to say at first. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that Autumn was looking a little fuller and curvier than usual. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just relationship weight and you look great. I mean really, you look so happy you’re like glowing.” She froze for a moment and her eyes suddenly widened. “Wait, you guys aren't pregnant are you?”

“Oh my gosh, no! I’m drinking aren't I?” Autumn was abhorred that Tabitha would even think such a thing. Had she really put on so much weight that people thought she looked pregnant? It wasn’t like she had a belly or anything, well, not really. She gulped the remainder of her champagne as if to drive the point home. “We haven't even been together for a year and you know I don’t have interest in having kids anytime soon.”

“What about Mike?”

Autumn glanced at her boyfriend. He was over near the kitchen chatting with his friend Cameron. She smirked and lowered her voice. “He seems to agree with pretty much anything I tell him.”

“You got him wrapped around your little finger don’t you.” Tabitha turned her head toward Mike then looked back at Autumn and giggled. “You did good, he’s definitely a keeper.”

“I know.” Autumn was beginning to slur her words. Wanting to feel skinnier than the way she thought she looked, she’d been abstaining from consuming anything other than champagne all evening, and it was finally catching up with her. “Don’t ever tell him I said this but, he’s like perfect.”

Tabitha sat up straight and animatedly fanned herself with her hand from the sexual undertones of her friend’s remark. “Is it getting hot in here or something?”

Autumn playfully pushed Tabitha’s arm. “Stop it.”

“Okay okay, don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” She shot Mike another quick glance. “But seriously you two are so cute together, you’re the best looking couple I know.”

“Thanks.”

“Omigod what time is it?” Tabitha peered at her phone then sprang to her feet. “Quick, we need more champagne!”

Autumn rose as well, but at a much slower pace than her agile and limber friend. She calmly sauntered toward Mike in the kitchen with her empty glass in hand.

Corey was in the other corner of the kitchen standing next to his friend Landon, watching Autumn’s every move from a short distance. “Damn,” he whispered. “Is it just me, or is Autumn starting to get thick.”

“It’s not just you,” Landon said. His eyes darted back and forth, paranoid of someone overhearing. “She’s so hot though. If they break up, she’s mine.”

Corey scoffed. “In your dreams.” He continued to stare at her and the devastatingly gorgeous outfit she was wearing as her healed knee-high Italian leather boots clicked across the laminate wood flooring. Despite weighing 178 pounds, she didn’t look fat, but rather just soft and ultra curvy. Her legs were poured into those pristine white jeans, and together with her tucked-in body suit, they had a shape-wear type effect, shrinking her waist and pushing her boobs up and out in a spectacular fashion. “Jesus. If she farts them boots gonna fly right off her feet.”

Landon laughed, as the idea of a woman as beautiful as Autumn actually farting was somehow mind boggling to him.

His laughter was drowned out by Tabitha yelling out to the entire room. “Okay everybody! It’s 11:58, make sure you got enough champagne!”

Autumn, who was oblivious to Corey and Landon on the other side of the kitchen, looked at Mike seductively and held out her glass. “Refill please.”

Mike smiled and grabbed the open bottle of Taittinger Brut from the counter. “Yes ma’am.”

Autumn watched as he filled her clear chalice nearly to the brim with the golden liquid. “You got your Martinelli’s?” she said.

He held up his cup. “Yep.”

“Okay, come on, I want to see the show.” They locked elbows and she pulled him in the direction of the living room windows.

Tabitha’s apartment was in the lower Queen Anne neighborhood, not far from the Seattle Center and the traditional fireworks display that was about to shoot out of the Space Needle. Mike and Autumn leaned against the glass and looked up in anticipation.

“This is going to be a great year babe,” Autumn said after a small sip of her drink.

Mike put his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I think so too.”

Autumn loved the way her body seemed to meld and dissolve so easily into his. His broad shoulders, narrow hips and v-shaped torso fit like a puzzle piece against her more bottom heavy hourglass figure. They were by far the most attractive people in the room, and even though Autumn was now slightly heavier than Mike, they really did look like a perfect pair that was simply meant to be together. Tabitha wasn’t kidding when she said they were the cutest couple she knew.

Autumn gazed up at Mike with love beaming from her eyes. “I’m excited about getting a new apartment.” She placed her free hand on her hip and stuck her butt out a little. “I’m excited we’ll be able to go to the gym together too and I can lose some of these holiday pounds.”

Mike gave her a half-hearted smile. Her words were delicious yet unswallowable. His eyes went from her beautiful hair, which she wore down, to her breasts, which looked as large as he had ever seen them, to her womanly waist and the way the top front button of her jeans seemed to be hanging on for dear life against the softer flesh of her belly. She looked so voluptuous he could hardly stand it. “You know you don’t have to workout or lose anything to impress me. I think you’re perfect just the way you are.”

She smiled, pressing softly into him. “You’re really sweet, you know that?”

“I know.”

Tabitha started yelling out a countdown for all to hear as the final seconds of the year ticked away. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Happy New Year!”

Everyone kissed their significant others, let out their celebratory cries and clanged glasses in a toast to the end of 2019, and the promise of 2020, but something was off.

Mike stared at the Space Needle. It was still and quiet.

“Where the hell are the fireworks?” Corey said from across the room.

Tabitha touched her nose to the window. “Did something go wrong?”

Autumn turned to Mike. “Check your phone, see if there's news.”

“Shit,” Mike said. “We’re only seconds into 2020 and already we got problems.”

“Bad omen?” Autumn said.

Mike smiled in his calm and comforting way. “Don’t know. Could be bad, could be good, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Chapter 7

They moved into their new apartment at the end of January. It was a modern building, it was huge, and compared to Autumn’s old place it was a palace. It was on the seventh floor of an eight story building, but the apartment itself had two different levels, with carpeted stairs going up to a master bedroom and an office on the top; and a living room, spare bathroom and bedroom on the bottom. The two floor loft style design gave the main living room incredibly high ceilings, making it seem posh and excessively spacious. It also came with a parking spot in an underground garage, which Mike used for the Honda he bought from his dad, and it had free motorcycle parking in a designated area.

At just under 3 grand per month it was significantly more expensive than what they were used to individually, but with Mike no longer paying for a place of his own it was easily affordable between the two of them. Especially after Autumn changed companies in the beginning of February, moving from Linkedin to Oracle, receiving a substantial bump in pay, while still being able to work remotely.

Mike punched in the electronic code on their front door then went up the stairs after returning from work. He found Autumn laying in bed gently stroking Samson’s furry neck. “All done?” he said.

She sat up and moved her laptop to the side. “Been done for about a half an hour.”

“Did you stay in bed all day?”

She yawned and stretched out her arms. “Yeah, my neck starts to hurt if I sit at the desk for too long.”

The sensuality of her movements pumped energy throughout the entirety of his body yet somehow her voluptuous curves also rendered him paralized with lust. “Up for going to the gym?”

She made a face of disgust. “Uhhh…I need to eat something first.” She tossed the comforter aside and swung her legs over the edge of the mattress. She was wearing only makeup, pink panties and a white camisole with a black bra visible beneath, which seemed to be her usual outfit as of late. “Do you have anything planned for dinner?”

Mike was surprised. In the weeks leading up to the move Autumn talked incessantly about how she couldn’t wait to get into a workout routine, lose weight and get back in shape; but now she seemed apathetic and disinterested. They had been living in the new digs for 5 days, and in that time they had only been to the gym together once, as Autumn was so sore the day after the first time, she hadn’t been able to muster the will to go back.

“Umm, not yet,” he said. He sat down beside her, noticing the deep creases she’d recently developed where her thighs folded into her hips. “But there’s that weird German Turkish place downstairs I’ve been wanting to check out.”

She leaned forward and arched her back, causing her cute little belly to poke out beneath her shirt and rendering her hip-cleavage all the more pronounced and distinct. “What do they have?”

“I don’t know. It’s like gyros, sandwiches and fries and stuff. That sound good to you?” He didn’t think that she would want fries, as she had explained to him that she planned to cut fatty foods out of her diet, but he figured he’d at least put out the offer.

She surprised him again.

“I don’t care,” she said, “but I need something before I pass out.”

“Didn’t you get lunch?”

“I just had a slice of pizza delivered, but that was over 4 hours ago.”

Mike turned his head and for the first time noticed the small open pizza box on the nightstand. There was nothing in it except a long curved strip of crust surrounded by grease stains. “Rocco’s?”

“Yeah but their slices aren't as big as I remember them being.” She shifted her hips toward him and playfully nudged him in the side. “Can you just go please?”

“Alright alright.” He decided not to say anything about getting a delivery charge from a pizzeria that was literally directly across the street from their building. Instead, he kissed her, went down the stairs and out the door. He knew that a hungry girlfriend after a long work day was not someone to be questioned.

Despite his lack of enthusiasm about Autumn wanting to lose weight, he still respected her desire to do so and was willing to support her in such an endeavor, but now he was confused. She wasn’t going to lose anything if he kept bringing her takeout every evening, especially if she was ordering pizza by the slice for lunch, but he wasn’t going to argue, or complain.

He brought back two lamb and beef sandwiches and a big order of fries. The food was delicious, and the sandwiches were dripping with creamy sauce, Middle Eastern style spices and vegetables, and the fries were sprinkled with feta cheese. Mike hated feta so Autumn ate most of those in addition to the rest of her hearty meal.

Was it just him or was her appetite getting bigger?

After dinner Autumn squeezed herself into a pair of yoga pants, put on her purple Balenciaga athletic sneakers and a big fluffy faux fur coat and they went outside through sliding glass doors to their private little balcony.

“So much for not smoking on the porch,” Autumn said.

Mike got up from his collapsible metal chair and peered over the railing. He looked down at the busy city street below, then he looked left, right, and up. “I’m sure it’s fine. Nobody else would be outside when it’s this cold anyway.”

“I don’t mean that, I just mean like it’s going to be harder to quit when it’s this easy.”

Mike sat back down. “Well in the old place it was even easier.”

“I know but we really weren't supposed to be doing that. It was more of just a bad habit that I started because I was too lazy to go all the way outside. Didn’t want to have to deal with bums.”

Mike took a short puff and gazed at her. “How long have you been smoking?”

“Ohhh, almost, wait… seven years I guess.”

“What made you start?”

“When I was in college I did a quarter in Delhi.” She took a long slow drag and blew ribbons of carbon monoxide into the crisp evening air. “Seemed like everyone (cough) smoked there and I was curious. Told myself I wanted to fit into the culture.”

Mike loved watching her smoke. Something about that repetitive motion of caressing her mouth with the cigarette and her manicured index and middle finger, inhaling from the ember then exhaling and blowing out of pursed plump lips. She was putting pleasure before health, and it was oddly sexy on a primal level. “That’s right I forgot you went to India, that’s so cool that you did that.”

She shrugged, expressionless. “ I suppose. Been smoking ever since though.”

“Did you ever quit?”

She rolled her eyes. “Dozens of times. How about you?”

Mike pointed at himself. “Did I ever quit?”

“No, when did you start?” she said.

“College, same as you.” He gave her a crooked smile. “But I blame it on too many Humphrey Bogart movies. Watch like two or three of those in a row and you’ll find yourself buying a pack of cigarettes without even knowing why.”

“It’s so unhealthy though, we’re going to need to stop eventually. Hopefully the gym will help.”

“Yeah.” He took another puff, then extinguished it in the bowl they were using as an ashtray. “You about ready?”

“No.” She sighed deeply and wiggled in her seat although the arm rests of her chair didn’t give her a whole lot of room. “I’d much rather have a glass of wine instead, but I definitely need to get my butt in gear before it gets any bigger.”

Her face was illuminated from the lights coming from the bedroom on one side, and the high-rise apartment building on the other, and with her fur coat and the contrast of the night sky Mike thought she looked like some sort of elegant ice princess.

He rose. “Why does it turn me on so much when you talk like that?”

She stood as well and put out her cigarette. “Oh I don’t know. Probably because you like me.” She stopped for a moment, then smiled. “And you’re deeply in love with my ass.”

Mike blushed.

God she was such an incredible tease.

They rode the elevators down to Anytime Fitness. It was so easy and convenient, being able to access the gym without needing to go outside.

Autumn did the same routine she did last time. She was not a runner, and perhaps unwilling to push her cardiovascular system to anything close to strenuous, she hung out on the stair-stepper and maintained a slow and steady speed. Mike found it interesting that she chose that machine yet she would never take the stairs in the building, always using the elevator.

The gym was fairly quiet and Mike did mostly bodyweight exercises, focusing on dips and pullups, trying not to get distracted by the sight of his girlfriend slowly wiggling her hips on her high pedestal that was the stair machine.

No wonder they call it a stair master. When you see a girl like Autumn on that thing, wearing yoga pants and a tank top, you can’t help but stare.

Just a handful of minutes later Autumn came down from her conveyor belt podium, sweating and breathing heavily. “Are you (pant) done yet?”

“I can be.” Mike let go of the overhead bar and planted his feet on the springy foam mat. “You don’t want to do anything else?”

“No, I’m (gasp) exhausted.” She fanned herself with her hand. “I’m so out (pant) of shape. I’m more winded now than I was when we went on that hike last summer.”

“You’re doing great. It takes a while sometimes to get back into it.”

“I think I’m ready for a bath and that glass of wine now.”

Mike smiled. Her face was flush and her breathing was labored, but goddamn if she wasn’t the most beautiful sight in the world. “You deserve it.”

Things went on like that over the next month or so. Autumn went to the gym a few times per week, but her job at Oracle was proving to be more taxing than her previous position. She got up early and worked straight through until 5, and when she was done she usually had enough energy to eat dinner and not much else.

By March however, she was making progress with her workouts. Her legs were getting stronger, and her nicotine inpared lungs regained some of their capacity to transfer oxygen to her bloodstream, as she had successfully cut back on the cigarettes, smoking less than a pack per day for the first time in over a year. Her weight had stubbornly leveled off in the one hundred and eighty pound range, but she had been able to tone up her arms and waist, at least a little.

Just as she was starting to settle into a healthy and balanced routine of work and exercise, news reports came in that 21 people on a California cruise ship had tested positive for something called the coronavirus, and the entire world changed, seemingly in the blink of an eye.

The first thing to close was Anytime Fitness, as nothing is more of a breeding ground for a virus than a public gym. The second was Mike’s job.

The whole campus where he worked shut down completely. Nobody knew for how long, so Mike was kept on retainer, which basically meant he would continue to be paid his full salary just to stay home. Oracle on the other hand, fortunately or unfortunately, was ahead of the curve. As Autumn already worked remotely, her job went on like it was business as usual.

Mike felt bad that he had unlimited free time, while Autumn still had to wake up early and slave away in front of her laptop, so he did his best to make her days as easy and comfortable as possible.

“Oh wow, this looks amazing,” Autumn said as she sat up in bed.

Mike handed her a huge plate of food and a fork, then set a steaming mug of coffee on the nightstand. “Most important meal of the day right?”

“Right.” She smiled and wiggled her hips beneath the down comforter. It was her all time favorite breakfast. A big fluffy German pancake smothered in melted butter and real maple syrup along with two strips of crispy bacon on the side. Her boyfriend knew her well. “Maybe it’s not such a bad idea, having you home all day. A girl could get used to this.”

He grinned.  “Enjoy it while you can. I’m sure I’ll have to be back at work within a week or two.”

She took a bite. “You (chew, chew) think so?”

“I’m guessing.”

She licked her lips. “Okay, then I’ll be sure and take full advantage of it.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and caressed the bare skin of her upper arm. “I live to serve you.”

She took another bite. “Hopefully (chew, chew) the gym opens back up soon.”

“I’m sure it will.” He continued to fondle her squishy arms and shoulders, then looked at the rays of light making their way in from the huge bedroom windows as the sun began to rise.  “Good thing we got this place when we did. Would’ve been pretty cozy if we had to shelter-in-place in your old apartment.”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t be able to practice much guitar.” She was only half way paying attention to him, as she seemed to have one eye on her breakfast, and the other on her laptop screen.

“You gotta get to work?”

She sighed. “Yeah, I should.”

“Okay, I’ll let you be.” He stood. “I’ll head over to Whole Foods later, text me if you think of anything we need.”

“Sounds good.” She shoved another forkful of pancake in her mouth. “Oh (chew) before I forget, (chew) can you grab some of that ice cream I like?”

“Which one is that again?”

“You know, the Turkish Coffee one.”

“Sure.” He leaned in and kissed her syrupy lips. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

The beauty of Whole Foods was that no matter what Mike bought there, Autumn somehow seemed to approve of it, whereas if he went to Safeway or QFC, she’d accuse him of buying too much unhealthy junk food that was going to make her fat.

At Whole Foods however, he could buy things he knew she loved, and would actually eat.  Tiramisu cake, chocolate croissants, pistachio macarons, peanut butter cookies, and cheesecake of any kind, just to name a few of her favorites.

When he returned from running errands, he went upstairs to check on her. She was still in bed, and to his astonishment, her breakfast, which he knew was way more food than she would ever eat in one sitting, was actually, completely gone. He tried not to seem surprised.

“Did you like your breakfast?”

“Yes, it was good, you know how to make that well.”

He didn’t think that anyone could possibly still be hungry after eating such a carb heavy, high calorie meal, but he decided to press his luck anyway. “What can I get you for lunch?”

Her eyes flashed towards him. “Are you kidding? I’m still full from breakfast.”

He stepped forward and took her plate and fork away from the nightstand. “Okay, well, let me know if you get hungry.”

“Don’t worry about me, I can fend for myself.”

He looked at her lovingly. “I know, I just like to take care of you.”

“I appreciate it.”

The alarm went off early the next morning. Autumn pried herself away from Mike’s spooning clutches and turned it off. She rolled over and pressed herself into him as he gently kissed her neck and caressed her thigh and hip. He loved cuddling her. She smelled so delicious and sweet and her body was so warm and soft to the touch that he would’ve happily laid in bed with her all day if he could.

She yawned and gazed at him dreamily, slowly trickling her finger along the hardened muscles of his chest. “I’m hungry.”

“Okay baby.” He put his hand on the side of his head and propped himself up. After the previous morning’s lavish meal, he knew that she would probably want something healthy and light, or maybe a soy latte and sandwich if he was lucky. “I can head out and grab something from Uptown Espresso.”

“No.” She spoke with a sensual coo, almost a pout. “I want what you made me yesterday.”

He sat up. “German pancake?”

She nodded. “Mmhm.”

He was shocked. The huge skillet sized pancake along with bacon was a breakfast fit for an old time Bavarian lumberjack that burned 7,000 calories a day chopping down beech trees; not a work from home girl who spent most of her time in bed.

Did she really want that two days in a row?

He did his best to act nonchalant, smiling at her affectionately. “Your wish is my command.”

The coronavirus continued its worldwide spread as March turned into April, and the Washington State government was closing down restaurants, bars and even schools. Things were getting worse, not better, and Mike's job, which originally seemed like it would be closed for a short hiatus, was now looking like  a long term shutdown with no end in sight.

There was only so much guitar Mike could practice and only so many pushups and situps he could do before it all got too repetitive and mundane. He needed to find other ways to fill his time, so he started getting more into cooking and baking.

He had perfected the Dutch Baby or German pancake to an exact science, as he had begun to make it for Autumn almost every morning. He was not a breakfast type of guy himself and rarely ate anything before noon, but his pancakes must have been beyond delicious because Autumn amazingly never seemed to get tired of them.

Day after day, morning after morning it was the same routine. Mike would wake up, preheat the oven,  mix up a batter of eggs, whole milk and white flour, then melt a half a stick of butter in a 12 inch cast iron skillet. He would then pour the mixture over the melted butter, put the skillet in the oven, then fry strips of bacon on the gas stovetop as the fluffy pancake baked.

When it was done he’d cut it into segments of 4, put it on a big dinner plate and drizzle it liberally with maple syrup; and along with two pieces of bacon and mug of coffee with steamed half and half, he’d carry it up the stairs, so Autumn could eat in bed.

The amount of fat, sugar and carbs that his girlfriend was consuming every morning seemed unfathomable to him and he kept waiting for the day when she’d tell him she wanted something lighter, or that she was sick and tired of the same old breakfast, but she never did.

It wasn’t long of course, before all this eating and complete lack of physical activity, began to take effect on Autumn’s figure. Perhaps it was the shelter-in-place, or the quarantine and 6 feet apart mandates, or maybe it was just the end of the world type of atmosphere that hovered over the city, but whatever the reasons, Mike was surprised that Autumn didn’t seem very concerned, or even aware that she was piling on the pounds at an admittedly rapid rate.

Did she not care?

Didn’t she say that she wanted to lose weight?

Maybe, like a frog in boiling water, she just didn’t think about it. It’s not like she looked any different from one day to the next, not even necessarily one week to the next. Let a month pass however, and there were significant, eye-catching and obvious changes taking place. Not just in appearance either, but in her demeanor and personality as well. It seemed as she got curvier, she also became somehow girlier; her movements slower, more sensual and more feminine and her voice breathier.

She didn’t know the numbers because she had stopped weighing herself all together, but if she had, she would’ve found that by the end of April she was 191 pounds, and by the end of May, (with Mike still not back at work) she was up to a whopping 197.

Mike loaded the dishwasher then ran upstairs like a twelve year old boy. He found Autumn in the bedroom, struggling to fit into a pair of skinny jeans. Reminiscent of the last time he saw her trying to squeeze into undersized pants, he could tell right away it was going to be a losing effort, so he spoke hesitantly. “Do you like em?”

She gave him a look. “Yeah, (gasp) but, I don’t think they’re the right size.” She was pulling hard on the waistband and gasping from the effort, the jeans still below her hips. “This is why I (pant, gasp) can’t buy anything without trying it on first.”

“They won’t let you do that now, I don’t even think you can take stuff back once you wear it anymore.”

She glared at him. “I know.”

“Can you return stuff online?”

“Maybe.” She managed to slowly slide them over her butt, then, with her back turned and a bend in her knees, she tried to fasten the front button. “It’s just so hard (gasp) to find clothes that fit my body shape.”

Mike stared at her like a stoner in a dispensary. It had been a while since he had seen her in jeans and he was having trouble believing his eyes.

The progress she had made at the gym back in February and March was long gone, and it seemed she was now passing the point of soft and curvy and crossing into big territory. It was clear she was continuing to gain weight in the places that she always did. Her upper arms, her breasts, maybe a tiny bit in her face and neck, a little in her tummy,  but mostly in her hips, thighs and butt. And what a beautiful butt it was, especially in those jeans.

But when did it get so huge?

And when did those hips get so wide?

As Mike’s eyes zoomed in on the overstuffed taut denim of her back pockets, his mind flooded with obsessive torturous yearning. He put his hand to his mouth to make sure there wasn’t any drool.

“Looks pretty amazing from the back,” he said.

“Yeah, but look at the front.” She turned toward him, still tugging with both hands, trying to close the gap of the unzipped fly to no avail. She let go and flung her arms up in frustration. “Maybe I shouldn’t have tried to do this right after dinner.”

They had just finished eating a home cooked feast of chicken alfredo pasta, but Mike knew that one meal wasn’t to blame for what he was seeing. Her stunning hourglass figure was filling out in awe-inspiring fashion. Her boobs were bigger, and her proportions were more amplified. She had real honest to god thunder thighs now, and the denim around her hips looked to be on the brink of splitting at the seams.

Her waist was more than just soft now too, and she was starting to get a pretty substantial belly. It was indisputable, especially with the way it was spilling out and filling the void of her unzipped fly like rising bread dough in an undersized loaf pan.

“Do you need help?” Mike stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her from behind and grabbed the tops of her jeans with both hands, pressing himself into her big soft butt as if he was pulled by magnetic force.

“No!” She wiggled away and plopped down on the edge of the bed. The force of her body caused the springs of her old queen size mattress to squeak like a rusty door hinge.  “Uhh, who am I kidding? There's no reason for me to be wearing jeans anyway. It’s not like we can see people or go anywhere so I might as well just be comfy.”

He smiled and sat beside her. “Good idea, no pants are the best pants.”

His eyes drew downward. He couldn’t get over how enormous her thighs looked when she was sitting.

Why was that so incredibly sexy?

She pursed her lips seductively, then moistened them with her tongue. “You’d like that wouldn’t you.”

“Of course.”

“I can always just keep wearing leggings and dresses.”

Mike's heart felt like it could beat right out of his chest in such a way that he hadn’t experienced since he was a teenager. Her tummy, now with a deep-set, hollow looking belly button, was protruding onto her lap and oozing over unfastened pants and yet he wasn’t the least bit repulsed. On the contrary he could think of nothing he’d rather do than kiss it, squeeze it, knead it, and bury his face in it until he couldn’t breathe.

What the hell was happening?

What were these sensational feelings that were pounding his heart and electrifying his body?

Why did Autumn’s weight gain turn him on so much and make him crazy with wild lust?

Why did he find himself wondering what she would look like if she gained even more weight?

What was it about a woman with curves that was so fucking sexy?

“Come on, let’s get these things off you,” he said. He stood and began peeling the brand new pants down the swollen flesh of her legs. “They’re really nice jeans, maybe get the same ones and just go up a size.”  Once off completely, he brought them over to the Amazon box in the corner of the room.

He folded them and glanced at the tag on the inside of the waist.

Size 14.

Chapter 8

Mike may not have been much for breakfast, but he made up for it by being a dessert fanatic. With COVID-19 still spreading like wildfire, and a return to work nowhere in sight, he had gotten in the habit of not eating anything during the day, and consuming all of his calories in the evenings.

He liked this routine because it made Autumn less self-conscious about matching him in portion sizes at dinner time, and it seemed to give her a sort of self-appointed permission to indulge in dessert every night guilt free, if for no other reason than the fact that her slim trim boyfriend was indulging right along with her.

After all, if he was eating it, how bad could it be?

It didn’t matter that they didn’t always like the same things. Mike was a big fan of pie and stuff like self-serve donuts, while Autumn, in her sophisticated way, was more fond of ice cream, chocolate, cream puffs, cheesecake, cupcakes, or any cake for that matter; and although she was consuming a massive breakfast each morning, Mike liked to make sure that she still had her dessert every night before bed. After all, seeing her gain weight was becoming an obsession, and he wanted more.

Autumn scraped another forkful of creamy cake from her little plastic container and took a bite. “All of these (chew, chew) Planet Earth shows are really just about sex.”

Mike set his half eaten slice of cherry pie down, scooted to his right and put his arm around her shoulder. “Animal instinct I guess.”

It was July, and they were enjoying another quiet night together in front of their fairly new Philips 65 inch flat screen after a dinner of takeout Thai food. They already burned through their favorite British TV dramas and were left with mostly nature documentaries, travel and cooking shows.

Autumn pointed with her free hand. “The females don’t even have to do anything. Look, see they just sit there and wait while all the males fight over her.”

Mike turned the volume down a few notches then gave her arm a loving squeeze. “Just like humans.”

She continued to clean the bottom of her container with her fork as if she was trying desperately to get every last morsel of whipped cream into her already bloated looking belly. “Not really.”

“What do you mean?”

She licked her lips, leaned forward and put her now empty container on the coffee table. “Are you kidding? Girls are always in the gym, trying to change their bodies, all because they’re competing with each other to attract guys.”

Mike stared at her like a man in a trance. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that she was eating much faster than she used to. Her body had become accustomed to a diet of high glycemic foods which no doubt caused fluctuations in her blood sugar, creating a vicious cycle of a subconscious, yet constant craving for more carbs.

The extra ten pounds or so that she added to her figure in the past month, was to Mike, very much evident. Dressed in skimpy loungewear shorts and a matching spaghetti strap top, she was leaving little to his imagination.

“Yeah but girls don’t need to,” he said. “ They only think they do because society makes them think that. You know, because society can make money off people’s insecurities and stuff.”

She tossed a wisp of hair away from her face and batted her eyelashes. “Do you really believe that?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“What about me?”

“What about you?”

She curled her legs beneath her butt and adjusted her posture to face him more directly. “Do I need to workout? Do I need to lose weight to attract you?”

Her thighs were squished together and her shorts were riding up her hips. Mike remembered when those very same shorts fit her the way they were designed, loose and lax. Now they were so small that the hems were digging into her flesh. He lowered his head and kissed her above her knee like a man in deep worship. “I think you know the answer to that. You don’t need to do anything.”

“Really?” She slid backwards, placed her hand on her belly and looked at him blankly. “Because I think I’ve officially gained the covid 15, maybe even the covid 19.”

He gazed into her eyes, recalling a time not so long ago when she complained of the relationship 15. “You look beautiful.”

“I need to get some exercise.” She unfolded her legs and let her butt plop back on the leather surface of the sofa, causing the cushion to make an airy noise of deflation.  Her belly puckered into overlapping rolls. “Can we go for a hike this weekend? It would be nice to get out of the house and see some nature.”

His shoulders slumped at the idea that she still had a desire to lose weight, but he supposed that was inevitable, whether he wanted it or not. “Um, yeah sure. If that’s what you want to do.” He gawked in admiration at the way her newly developed love handles were poking out and over the sides of her shorts. “You wanna take the car or the motorcycle?”

“Uhhh, car.” She scrunched her nose cutely. “I need jeans for the motorcycle and I still don’t have anything that fits. Another reason why I need exercise.”

“Come here.” He put one arm around her waist, the other beneath her knees and attempted to pull her now 209 pound body onto his lap. She felt heavier than he expected, but he managed.

“I want a cigarette,” she cooed.

Her big ass dominated his much narrower pelvis and he grabbed the outer sides of her butt cheeks with both hands. He savored the sight and feeling of it. He couldn’t imagine her getting any bigger than she was now, and he knew full well that before long the pandemic would end, gyms would reopen and she’d be back into some sort of workout routine but goddamn, he was going to enjoy this sense of heaven while it lasted. “Okay baby.”

He took her to Denny Creek trailhead the following Saturday. Just an hour's drive east on Interstate 90, it was a popular hike due to its gentle, family friendly grade and the spectacular waterfall at the end.

It was a warm day, but the canopy of old growth forest kept them in the shade for the most part. Mike found Autumn’s walking pace to be almost unbearably slow, but he stayed by her side and helped her along.

After a quarter mile, Autumn stopped and took a deep breath of the clean mountain air. “Mmmm, it smells so good out here.”

Bright green ferns, salmon berry bushes, and pink, yellow, and purple wildflowers surrounded them in every direction while sharp rays of light shot through outstretched branches of the Douglas-Firs and Western Hemlocks above.

Mike slapped a mosquito away from his arm, and adjusted his backpack. He looked straight at her. Her brand new Lululemon camo pattern leggings highlighted her alluring shape, and to him, she looked like a dream. “Yes, breathtakingly gorgeous too.”

She rolled her eyes at him dismissively. “I’m excited to see this waterfall, how much further?”

“It’s not far.”

They continued their slow trudge upward over exposed roots and rain-rounded rocks. Autumn had been a fairly decent hiker, at least, she did okay the previous summer, but Mike was amazed by how different she was now. With no gap between her thighs, her walk had turned into more of a sexy wiggle, and she was moving so slowly that little kids, dogs and families were passing them at seemingly every turn, and it wasn’t long before she needed to stop completely.

“Can I (gasp) have some water?” she said breathlessly. She was panting and sweating and her face was flush.

Mike unzipped his backpack and handed her a 24 ounce bottle of Smartwater. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I (pant, gasp) just need to catch my breath.” She took a big drink. “Are we close?”

He shrugged then turned his head toward the traversing trail that zigzagged uphill until it disappeared into the trees. “Maybe another mile.”

She fanned herself with her free hand. “Are you kidding? I feel like we’ve (gasp) been walking forever.”

An older couple appeared from around the bend and Mike led Autumn towards a mossy boulder off to the side to let them pass. The couple, a man and a woman, looked to be in their 70s, but they were fit and trim and moved quickly with relative ease.

“Hello,” the older woman said in a cheery voice.

Mike gave her a nod. “Hi.”

Autumn stared at the old woman with what Mike thought was a look of contempt before sitting down on a clean, shelf-like piece of granite. She took another sip of water and watched the couple dissolve into the thick forest ahead. “God, (pant) it’s like everybody has turned into professional hikers all of a sudden.”

Mike gave her a few minutes before he helped her up and they pressed on. He loved walking behind her. She had naturally wide hips, a small waist, and narrow shoulders simply due to the genetic makeup of her bone structure; and now with the extra pounds these features were just that much more amplified. She was extremely curvy without being very strong, and because she stored so much of her weight in her butt and breasts, she was able to maintain an hourglass figure even at high body-fat percentages.

After another quarter mile, they reached a wooden bridge that crossed the babbling brook the trail had been following from the beginning. Autumn was visibly exhausted.

“You know, (gasp) maybe I don’t (pant) really need to see the waterfall,” she said matter-of-factly. “This is pretty enough right here.”

Mike put his hands on the knotty log that was the railing of the bridge. “You sure? It’s not that much further.”

She sighed. “I know but my feet hurt, (gasp) and my neck is sort of acting up again.”

Mike looked at her, his eyes kind and sympathetic. Her outfit didn’t hide much, and she was constantly tugging on the waistband of her leggings, as if pulling them upward would disguise the fact that she had a belly. “Okay, we can just head back I guess.”

By the time they got to the car Autumn felt weak, and drained. Mike gave her the bottle of water then took her cigarettes out of his backpack. He placed one between her lips and lit it for her.

Autumn took a puff with a worried look on her face. “Oh my god (cough, gasp) I’m so out of shape.” She leaned against the Honda as if her legs were too tired and sore to support her own weight. She sucked on her cigarette like a lollipop and exhaled repetitive clouds of smoke into the air. “We really (cough) need to quit smoking.”

Mike lit one of his own. “Easier said than done.”

“Maybe it’s just (pant) that my blood sugar is low, I feel a little dizzy.” Her breasts heaved from beneath her low cut black tank top with each labored breath she took and the late afternoon sun beamed across her radiant white skin and auburn hair like nature itself was trying to highlight the rare beauty that she was.

Mike could not articulate the reasons why; but he found himself extremely turned on by the way Autumn struggled so mightily with the short hike, so much so that she was unable to even finish. Perhaps it was all the panting and heavy breathing, or maybe it was just refreshing that such a normally self sufficient woman, actually needed his help for once.

“Drink water,” he said. “We can stop at a drive-through on the way home.” He put his arm around her, she was sweaty but cool to the touch. “Sound good?”

She gazed at him blankly, then discreetly plucked a wedgie out her leggings and nodded. “Yeah.”

Two months later, Sydney was waiting for Autumn to finish her cigarette in a parking lot near Shilshole Bay and Golden Gardens park in the northwest corner of Seattle proper.

It was a lovely September day, and the sky was so clear that the Olympic mountain range was completely visible beyond the silvery blue water of Puget Sound.

“You don’t smoke in the car?” Sydney said.

“God no,” Autumn said. “It would get all gross and stinky and Mike would probably kill me.” She took a final puff, tossed the used up filter on the asphalt, then stomped out the glowing cherry with her heeled boot. She opened the door to the CRV and climbed in.

Sydney entered on the passenger’s side. “Anyway..I think sleep has been the hardest part for me during this whole thing. I’m tired during the day and then I just toss and turn all night.”

Autumn shifted her hips in her seat and shut the door. She started the engine and turned toward her friend. “Mike’s been buying these CBD gummies.”

Sydney stretched the seatbelt over her hips and belly. “Do they help you sleep?”

Autumn flipped down the overhead sun visor, checked herself in the mirror, then flipped it back up. “They work really well actually, you should try it. Helps with my anxiety too.”

Sydney pointed at the bright red warning light shining from the dashboard. “Um, I think you need to put your seatbelt on if you want that beeping to stop.”

Autumn grabbed the metal latch plate to her left and looked around for the buckle to her right. “Yeah I know I just can’t find it.”

Sydney's eyes drooped towards Autumn’s hips. She had seen her friend a few times since covid hit, but she was no less surprised looking at her now. She had gained so much weight, one look at her butt and that was obvious. Her purple leggings hid nothing and she was sporting a belly that started just below her breasts and pushed its way onto her lap, and yet it somehow still looked tiny in comparison to her hips and thighs. “I think you’re um, sitting on it.”

“Oh am I?” Autumn tilted her buttcheek up and felt around the seat with her hand. “Let me just…”

Sydney reached in. “Here, got it.”

Autumn contorted her neck, took the buckle and finally managed to click herself in. “Thanks.”

Sydney's eyes darted over her friend’s body and the way it jiggled from the effort. She cleared her throat. “Right… yeah, CBD might be good for me. I tend to just pig out on comfort food to deal with my anxiety.”

Autumn backed out of the parking lot. “I do that too. I’ve gotten so out of shape since this whole thing started. Mike took me on what he said would be an easy hike, and I seriously felt like I was going to die.”

Sydney shrugged. “Whatever, everybody is gaining weight these days. How could you not?”

Autumn’s eyelashes fluttered in their typical expressionless way as she took a right on Seaview Avenue. “Gaining weight is one thing, but I’ve literally outgrown my entire wardrobe.”

She immediately felt a little silly for saying that out loud, knowing that Sydney had been overweight her whole life. Out of their little group of friends; Sydney was usually described as the fat one, while Autumn was the hot one, just as Tabitha was the skinny one; and the last thing she wanted to do was to make Sydney feel even fatter by complaining of her own body issues.

The reality was that Autumn’s own weight was no longer all that far off from Sydney’s. Autumn wasn’t fully aware of this of course, partly because the two girls had such different body types. Sydney was more apple-shaped and top heavy. She carried a lot of fat in her face, neck, shoulders, breasts and stomach, while Autumn was the exact opposite, with the exception of her breasts.

“Oh please you wear it super well and you’re so pretty you can hardly notice,” Sydney said. Her face turned sour. “Besides, who cares about that stuff anymore anyway? There was no softball this year, everything is canceled, Donald fucking Trump is the president, and with the riots and people dying all over the world, worrying about weight seems like such a meaningless first world problem.”

“You’re probably right.” Autumn stopped at a red light and rolled her window down a crack. “I just think back to when I lived on the hill, I was walking everywhere, and now I barely even move. Especially with the way Mike’s been waiting on me and treating me like an invilid.”

Sydney raised an eyebrow. “Sounds pretty nice if you ask me. You should enjoy it while you can.”

“I just feel bad for him,” Autumn said. “He’s been so sweet, and he probably expected me to stay the same size that I was when we started dating. I can only imagine what he must be thinking now.”

“Has he said anything?”

Autumn tilted her head. “No, that’s just it. All he does is compliment me. He hasn’t criticized my weight at all, not even once.”

“Of course he hasn’t.” Sydney adjusted her posture, turning herself slightly toward Autumn. “How could he with that booty?” She raised her eyebrows. “He probably loves it.”

Autumn’s mouth slipped into a hint of a smirk as she wiggled her hips in her seat. “It seems all I do is work, eat and have sex.”

“Really…” Sydney smiled. “I've been meaning to ask you…how is he?”

Autumn gave her a quick glance and pursed her lips, a coy expression on her face.

“Come on,” Sydney said. “Here I am, single and bored out of my mind, the least you can do is give me a few details.”

Autumn sighed, then smiled dreamily. “He’s really good. He's really…passionate.”

“Big penis?”

There was brief silence, then Autumn broke into a mischievous smile.

Sydney rolled her eyes. “Oh God. I’m so jealous of you sometimes.”

Autumn turned the wheel and went left onto Holman Road. “Speaking of big penises, do you have time for a Dick’s burger?”

“Omigod, I always have time for a Dick’s burger. I wasn’t going to say anything but all that talk about gaining weight made me super hungry for some reason.”

“Oh my goodness,” Autumn said with a giggle. “We are so bad.”

After dropping Sydney off at her place in the Green Lake area, Autumn came home to an empty apartment. Mike was still out on a motorcycle ride with a friend and wouldn’t be back for another hour or so.

Autumn, still a bit full and bloated from the greasy deluxe double cheeseburger and fries from Dick’s drive-in, poured herself a big glass of red wine and plodded up the stairs. She felt heavy and lethargic.

Were the stairs getting steeper?

She drew a bath, and waiting for the tub to fill she noticed the scale beneath the towel rack in the corner. She’d been avoiding it like it was a parking ticket she had no intention of paying. The last time she weighed herself was in February, back in the pre-covid days when she and Mike were working-out on a semi-regular basis. She was 179 pounds then, but that was a good seven months ago. 179 seemed like so much at the time, and she shuddered to think of what the numbers might say now.

It would be more, she knew that much; the tightness of her latest pair of size 16 jeans was proof enough, and yet she was still curious about what the actual numbers might say in an odd and masochistic sort of way. It was in her head now, and despite constantly trying to suppress and ignore it, weight was always at the forefront of her thoughts and the only cure was to face reality head on.

She took a big long sip of her wine, set the glass next to the sink, and stepped on the scale.

Chapter 9

Mike came home later that evening. The apartment was dark and quiet. He flipped on the lights, set his helmet down next to the shoe rack that displayed Autumn’s vast array of boots and high heels; hung his jacket up, then went upstairs.

He found her lying in bed, deep beneath the covers. He carefully moved her knees, sat down beside her and ran his hand gently through her soft hair. “Hey.”

Still with her head on the pillow, Autumn shifted into a fetal position. Her eyes remained closed.

He gave her shoulder a nudge. “You okay?”

She grabbed the corner of the comforter and drew it up so it covered her entire body from the neck down like a cocoon.

Mike leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “What’s wrong?”

She opened her eyes, let out a disgruntled sigh, then squeezed her eyelids shut again.

“Are you hungry?” he said. “There’s cake in the fridge, I can bring it up for you if you want dessert in bed.” He slowly pulled the blanket off. She was naked except for a pair of beige panties. Her body was tense and her hands were balled into fists. He stared at her, confused. “Does that sound good, cake?”

She opened her eyes.“No Mike!” She sat up abruptly, swinging her legs over the mattress and shoving her pillow aside. “No more cake. No more desserts all the time!”

He stood. “Hey, what’s the matter with you, what’s wrong?”

She sniffled and glared at him. “Everything.”

His eyes, as if beyond his control, dissected her body from head to toe. She was clearly upset about something, but despite that, or perhaps because of it, she looked unbelievably gorgeous to him. Her naked breasts were an exhibit of youth and beauty and beneath was a soft round tummy that spilled over her panties like a ball of pudding.

Although her belly wasn’t small, it was dwarfed by her ass and thighs and her hip cleavage had become a fully formed and distinct thighbrow of symmetrically folding flesh spreading wide across milky white skin. He stepped forward cautiously. “What does that mean?”

With her arms at her sides, she clasped the bottom sheet with both hands and sniffled again. “Nothing. Nothing is wrong and everything is wrong.”

He sat next to her again. “Baby, have you been crying?” His voice softened and he stretched his hand around and placed it on her far right hip. She had become so broad that it was getting to be a bit of a reach. His eyes drew downward to her pudgy sides and subtly budding back-fat. He had never realized it before, but her waist in her sitting position was actually quite a bit thicker and bigger around than his own, maybe even twice as big. “Why? Come on, talk to me.”

“Nothing, I just…” She became silent for several seconds, then turned her head so she could look him straight in the eye. “I weighed myself.”

Mike inspected her face nervously. He swallowed, then shrugged. “Okay…well, so what.”

“So what?” She stood, then spun back around to face him. “I’m two hundred and sixteen pounds. That’s what!”

Her words hit him like a ton of bricks.

Two hundred and sixteen pounds?

Was she serious?

Goddamn that was a lot of weight.

He didn’t know how to respond, so he just sat there dumbfounded for a few seconds before muttering, “Umm, well…”

She stomped her bare foot on the carpet like a child that didn’t get her candy and her entire body jiggled in rippling waves. “Two hundred and sixteen pounds! I couldn’t believe I was over 200, let alone 216.”

He stared at the brown leather of his boots for a moment, then slowly looked up. He examined her closely.

Two hundred and sixteen pounds.

He was having trouble believing it himself.

Could she actually be that heavy?

He found it baffling because she really wasn’t a big person. Her bone structure was truly quite petite. She had small elegant hands, small dainty feet and ankles, a small ribcage and narrow, almost fragile looking shoulders. Her facial features too were smallish, slight and delicately feminine. She had accumulated so much fat in her breasts, hips, and ass however, that they were not small in any sense of the definition, yet they were equally as womanly and alluring as the rest of her exquisite characteristics.

She still had her coke bottle shape, but he noticed that from her side profile, her belly looked much more prominent than it did when she was facing him.

He cleared his throat and spoke without a thread of conviction. “Maybe the scale is…broken?”

“It’s not broken Mike, I checked like 4 times!” She crossed her arms beneath her tits. “I’ve gained over 30 pounds since January and this fucking year isnt even over yet! Do you realize what this means?”

“What?”

“It means that I’m clinically overweight.”

Mike thought about that for a second.

Clinically overweight? In his opinion, and despite maintaining a curvaceous, hourglass figure, if she was really two hundred and sixteen pounds it was more likely that she was now clinically obese.

Holy shit.

He had anticipated this moment for some time. The moment when she’d come to see how big she had truly become, and in all honesty he was surprised that it hadn't come sooner. He did his best to console her, wishing he could somehow make her feel as beautiful as he thought she was. “Well you look great I mean…”

“No I don’t look great Mike! I’m getting fat. I can’t find any clothes that fit me anymore, I can’t even walk up the stairs to the bedroom without getting out of breath and it’s all your fault!”

“What did I do?”

Her eyes bored into him, penetrating and severe. “You’re constantly buying desserts, constantly bringing me food and constantly encouraging me to eat.”

“Well I just… want to take care of you. My love language is acts of service.”

“Don’t throw my love language stuff back at me.”

“Sorry.” He drew closer, wondering if maybe she was going through nicotine withdrawals or something. “You want to go outside? Do you need to put some clothes on?”

He reached his hand toward her waist but she spun away and collapsed back into bed.

He gazed at her and pulled his hair subconsciously with both hands. He sighed. “I’ll…be outside.”

He already smoked two cigarettes when the door to the balcony opened. Autumn, wrapped from head to toe in a plush fluffy blanket, stepped outside and squeezed herself between the railing and the small round table. She sat in the chair across from him.

She seemed to be empty handed so he pulled out one of his own cigarettes, leaned forward, placed it between her lips and lit it.

She took a long, soothing drag, then stared at him silently for a moment.

“I’m sorry I got upset,” she said, finally.

“It’s okay.”

She paused and took another drag. “It was just that the number was so shocking. I can’t believe how much I’ve let myself go.”

Her hair was wavy, slightly tangled and looked wickedly sexy as did the pouty part in her luscious pink lips.

Goddamn she was good-looking.

Even with all of the extra weight, her face had changed little, and from the neck up there was scant evidence of the bountiful and ample curves that lay below.

“I’m sorry too,” he said. “I think you’re every bit as beautiful as you were the day I met you, but I suppose it doesn't matter how beautiful I think you are.”

Her eyes, still slightly puffy from the tears, flashed into his. “Why not?”

“I mean, well…I want you to feel beautiful too.”

“I do feel beautiful, and I appreciate how much you love my body…” She trailed off as a police siren wailed in the distance.

Mike sat up straight and lit a third cigarette. There was a ponderous moment of silence. “You remember that time back in the Starbucks days, when it was Black Friday and they were doing the Christmas tree lighting? I had to go get more supplies or something…”

“A DSL?”

“Yeah I had to do a DSL and there were so many people outside I could barely get through the crowd with my little cart or whatever, and I can’t remember why but you were outside too and the lights were on and Christmas music was playing and everything…”

“I remember.”

“You came to tell me something. We were like right next to each other and there were so many people we could hardly move and I thought…what if I just kissed her right here?” He smiled in a subdued and melancholy kind of way. “Thought it would be super romantic, like in the movies or one of those famous black and white photos.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know, got scared I guess. You were always so hard to read and I didn’t know how you would react. Thought you were too pretty for me.” He flicked ash into the bowl on the center of the table. “What would you have done? Would you have kissed me back?”

She was smiling through her eyes. “Yes.”

“Damn. I wish I would have.”

“I wish you would’ve too.” She adjusted her blanket so it covered her naked shoulders. “Look, I am very grateful to have you and I’m grateful for the way you’ve stood by me and the way you’ve taken care of me during this whole crazy year…” She paused for a moment. “But I feel like my weight has gotten out of control, and it’s really not healthy for me to be this big.” She placed her cigarette between her lips, sucked in her cheeks then exhaled a mist of smoke. “I don’t know, (cough) maybe It’s just that you’re in such great shape and I’m starting to feel kind of… self-conscious.”

“Okay first of all, I am not in great shape.” He held up his burning cigarette. “And second of all, isn’t that part of what makes attraction so beautiful? The contrast…the differences in our bodies is what attracts me to you.”

“I know but I’ve never struggled with my weight like this before, and I really need to put a stop to it before I get any bigger.”

As much as he hated to admit it, he knew she was right. He felt as though he was playing with house money anyway, as he never really expected her to get this big. Two hundred and sixteen pounds was a lot, especially considering she had gained so much of it relatively quickly. It was her body, her decision, and he respected that. Besides, she was such a knock-out that she could be stunning at any weight, and even Mike, in all his blind lust, could acknowledge that there was a point where perhaps a woman could become too curvy, and he knew that Autumn was probably on the cusp of reaching that point, if she hadn’t passed it already.

He looked into her eyes and nodded. “I love and adore your body, and I think you are just spectacularly gorgeous but, I understand what you’re saying, and I will support you in any way that I can.”

She leaned back in her chair. “Thank you.”

He paused for a long moment. “Do you ever miss having a job where you actually go into the office?”

She scrunched her nose. “Not one bit.”

“Guess you were already used to it, and now the whole world’s doing it.”

“What about you? Have you heard any more news with your work?”

He shook his head. “Nope, looks like we won’t be going back anytime soon.”

“God, it’s so crazy they’re still paying you.”

“I certainly can’t complain.” He shrugged. “Are you getting sick of me being home all the time?”

She puffed on her cigarette. “No, I like it, and I’m kind of dreading the day when you have to go back.”

“Me too. We’ve done okay with this whole corona thing so far, could be a lot worse, so many people are struggling out there.”

“I know. This year has felt like 5 years. I was thinking about when we lived on the hill and it seems like that was so long ago.”

“I know what you mean. Feels like we’ve been together forever too. In a good way.”

Her head became still and she stared at him long and hard. “What kind of a relationship do we have?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, all our circles of friends have like shrunk, we don’t even really see family anymore and, sometimes I feel like we’re the only two people on earth.” Her eyes drifted toward the vast illuminated skyline of the city, then she looked back at him. “But we never talk about what like, we’re actually doing.”

He leaned forward and gazed at her as the feeling of romance waxed heavy in the evening air. “I know that I love you.”

Her eyelashes fluttered and her lips parted slightly before she spoke. “I guess what I’m saying is that I want to feel secure in this relationship. I don’t really see a point in getting married, but I need to know that we’re committed.”

He extinguished his cigarette and his eyes beamed into hers. “I am committed. I don’t want anyone else but you.”

She smiled, her gaze warm and melting. “Same here.”

Chapter 10

Things were different during the following few days. Autumn was different. She was less affectionate, refused her bacon and German pancake breakfasts in the morning, and didn’t seem to eat much of anything during the day aside from picking at fresh fruit and having an occasional Greek yogurt.

Mike even caught her exercising a few times in the bedroom, doing things like pilates and body-weight lunges through an app on her phone.

That was a sight to see, to say the least.

He decided that if she was serious about getting back in shape, then he would get serious too and step up his game. He brought out his old home pull-up bar and installed it in the doorway of the guest bathroom downstairs.

“Oh wow, there’s no way I could do that,” Autumn said.

Having just finished a short workout herself, she watched from behind as he gripped the bar, slowly lowering himself down, then shooting back up in explosive bursts of strength. His shirt was off, and she admired the way his hardened back muscles, biceps, and shoulders bulged and contracted with each movement.

He looked hot, like really hot.

He let go and placed his feet firmly on the tile flooring of the nonexistent threshold. He turned around. “I could help you try, if you want.” Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and she was dressed in black leggings and a baggy t-shirt cut short at the waist. “Come on.”

She shook her head, but stepped beneath the bar. She rolled her eyes. “I have no upper body strength.”

“Can you grab it?”

She lifted to her tippy toes and reached up her hands. She could barely get her fingers around the foam covered grips.

Mike bent over and wrapped his arms around her thighs, smooshing his head against her butt in the process.“Okay, ready?” He heaved her upward, lifting with his legs as she pulled with all her strength. She felt much heavier than he anticipated, but he managed to get her chin just above the bar. He lowered her down slowly, then let her hang for a second.

“This is actually (pant, huff) a good stretch for my back,” she said, gasping from the strain of her own weight. She tried to pull herself up but couldn’t move an inch. “God, I can’t believe (gasp, pant) you can do this.” She let go and lowered her sock covered feet back onto the solid floor. “I think (pant, huff) I’ll let you do your exercises (pant), and I’ll stick with mine.”

Mike gazed at her. She was driving him crazy with that outfit and that hair and the sexy way she was panting and trying to catch her breath.

Why the hell did her labored breathing turn him on so much?

He gently caressed her waist with his fingertips. She was sweating and her body was warm. He gestured toward the upstairs loft. “Are you doing okay up there?”

She stayed at arm's length, and did not draw closer to him like she normally would. “Yeah why?”

He shrugged and spoke hesitantly. “I don’t know, just seeing if you're hungry or if you need anything.”

She crossed her arms. “No! I’m not hungry and you don’t need to keep asking.”

“Alright alright.”

Her eyes darted over his naked, pumped up torso, then she glared at him like a teacher reprimanding a student. “Don’t worry about me.”

He nodded and gave her a dismal smile of defeat. “Okay.”

Before she weighed herself, Mike and Autumn made love nearly every night, sometimes twice a night, but since then their sex life was nonexistent. It had been 3 days now, and Mike was starting to worry.

Was she losing interest in him?

Had she become ashamed of her curves, ashamed of her body?

He didn’t like it, but tried his best to be understanding and supportive. She seemed hellbent on overhauling her entire lifestyle and he knew how difficult that could be.

But God. He missed her.

He missed their evenings together on the couch, watching conversation stimulating TV shows and movies while he held her in his arms and she ate creamy rich desserts without a care. He wondered if she missed it too.

He was completely willing to support her in her desire to shed some weight, but why did it have to come with the attachment of abstinence and with her being so cold and distant?

Later that night, Mike laid in bed twiddling his thumbs thinking about it. The toilet flushed and Autumn finally emerged from the bathroom. She was wearing a black thong, but had thrown on a loose fitting t-shirt as if to hide herself.

She sat on the edge of the bed for a moment with her back turned. Mike marveled at her shape from behind, and the way her hips sunk into the mattress. His dick was throbbing. The lack of physical contact was killing him. He reached for her.

“No, please. I’m tired and not in the mood.” She swiveled her legs on top of the bed and laid on her back with her knees bent and the covers off. Mike couldn’t help himself and reached for her again, trickling his fingers against her thighs. She could feel his burning desire and she turned and looked at him sourly. “Come on. It’s hard for me to get aroused when I don’t feel sexy.” She sighed and stared back at her knees. “I don’t even recognize myself anymore.”

How could she not feel sexy?

Weight gain or not, she couldn’t be unsexy if she tried.

He laid on his back and bent his knees as well, mimicking her position exactly.  Dressed only in boxers, he compared his thighs to hers. His were thin, toned, and hairy and there was a huge gap between them, while hers were squished together, flawless, silky smooth, plush, and seemed to be twice as big as his in every direction. “You have very nice legs,” he said.

She stared at the ceiling, let out a disparaging gasp and without a trace of enthusiasm said, “Thanks.”

He shimmied his hand between them and caressed the softest spot of her inner thigh, gently and lovingly, then he drew his hand away. “I’m sorry, I’ll let you sleep.”

“No.” She turned, her mood suddenly different. “That actually feels really good.”

Damn.

Was he actually getting somewhere?

Did she feel as sexually deprived as he did?

He put his hand back and continued. Her skin was like butter.  After a while he moved from her crotch to her belly. He rubbed it, slow and prudent. “Does that feel good?”

Her pelvis shifted. Her eyes were closed and her lips were parted. “Mmhmm.”

“I love your belly,” he whispered.

She opened her eyes. “You do?”

“Yeah.” He sunk his fingers deeper into the flesh around her navel and massaged her like he was worshiping a deity. “Do you feel safe with me?”

She gasped, feeling wonderfully woozy and dreamy from his masculine touch. “Yes.” She became still for a moment, then looked at him skeptically, yet also with a lusty trace of hedonism. “Why do you like my legs so much?”

“Because they’re sexy and shapely and soft…and because they’re yours.”

She looked back to the ceiling. “Do you think I have… thick thighs?”

Okay. Where was she going with this?

“I think you have amazing thighs, perfect thighs.”

She turned and stared at him, somewhat serious. “But do you think they’re thick?”

His eyes darted from her legs to her face, still unsure of what she was getting at. “Umm…yes.”

“Mmmm,” she cooed with a sound of deep pleasure.

He looked at her, confused.

He couldn’t comprehend how her moods could change so quickly, but he understood what went through a woman’s mind like he understood a foreign language. He sat up, then got on all fours and crawled on top. He lifted her shirt, lowered his head between her spreading legs and kissed her belly. “Do you like that?”

“Mmhmm.” She had an odd expression on her face and softly squished and jiggled her legs against his sides. “Do you think my thighs are…chunky?”

Her words sent shockwaves of excitement from his stomach to his throat. Now he was really confused.

How could she go from crying her eyes out over her weight, to vowing to diet and exercise, to becoming turned on by receiving verbal confirmation that her thighs were thick within the time span of a few days?

Was it simply because he had made her feel safe somehow?

Had it all been just some sort of test?

“Umm…do you want me to think that?” he said.

“I want your honest answer.”

He grabbed the thickest part of her left thigh. It was so big that even his two large hands couldn’t come close to going all the way around it. “Yeah, I love your chunky thighs.”

A tremor went through her, and she wiggled and sank deeper into the mattress. “Oooh, baby.”

He continued fondling her doughy flesh and the way she was reacting encouraged a boldness in him. “I love how thick and lush and chunky they are.”

She melted. “Mmmm, ooohh god, Mike!”

He was hard as a rock.

He pulled her panties off, then stripped himself of his boxers. He lunged back on top and put his lips to her belly again; then let himself fall into her breasts. After several minutes of poking and teasing her clit, he slipped inside of her effortlessly. He rocked back and forth for a while as she gasped and moaned with delight, groping his ass with both hands.

After a while, he rolled off and helped remove her shirt. He laid on his side, shoved his arm beneath her waist then pressed himself into her and kissed her on the mouth.

God.

The bare skin of her belly felt so delicious as it oozed against his abdomen.

With some effort, he hoisted her on top, and let all 216 pounds of her pin him to the bed. He grabbed her love handles, shoved her chubby torso closer to the headboard, then slid back inside of her warm moist pussy and continued thrusting into her as the steady rhythm of sex took over.

He could tell she was very aroused, but with the heat of the room, and the added weight, she was beginning to sweat profusely, and Mike was having trouble getting her to climax. All of the usual dirty talk wasn’t working and after a while she was gasping for breath and getting nowhere. He decided to try something audacious, something different.

He gazed up into her steamy, sex-starved eyes and said, “You want me to make you breakfast tomorrow morning, help keep those thighs nice and…chunky?”

She almost squealed. “Ohhh…yes (pant) baby.” She gave him an exceedingly sexy and pouty look, then brought her rocking cadence to a stop. She gazed at him, her eyes beseeching and pleading. “I’m (gasp) hungry right now, (pant, gasp) can you get me some cake?”

He grabbed her by the shoulders. “You want cake right now?”

She smiled and nodded. “Mmhmm.” She let herself slip away then rolled off and onto her back.

Mike’s eyes were wildly intoxicated and as big as saucers.

What the hell was happening?

He stared at her for a moment, then jolted out of bed and ran downstairs naked as the day he was born. He returned seconds later with a big slice of cheesecake and a fork.

They didn’t need to explain it, they just knew.

Her lips parted expectantly and he didn’t hesitate to feed her.

“Oh God, (chew, chew) mmm, more,” she gasped between bites.

He kept feeding her and she kept chewing and opening her mouth after each bite and did this until all of the cake was gone. She wheezed wearily and licked her lips. “You really (pant) like how…chunky I’m getting?”

He put the empty plate and fork on the end table. “Yeah, I fucking love it.” He mounted her again and slid back inside. He was losing control now and he reached down, grabbed a good handful of her belly and shook it.

She reacted like it was the best feeling in the world. “Oooooh, (gasp) God baby.”

He continued thrusting into her violently, passionately and with reckless abandon. “I love how big and soft and curvy…”

She moaned louder. “Ohhhh, (pant) mmmm.”

Her response to his words astounded him, but in the heat and fervor of the moment, they were so reassuring, and he was so drunk with lust that he decided to go all the way, drawing his mouth to her ear and whispering, “And how… fat you’re getting.”

That put her over the top. Her eyes rolled back, her mouth fell open and her entire body quivered and contracted in euphoric spasms.

“Ohhh (gasp, huff, pant) fuck, (huff) ohhh God baby (gasp, pant), oooohh, (pant) Mike!”

She rolled over, still catching her breath. “Oh my (pant) God. That was amazing, I think I orgasmed like (pant) three times.” She slowly sat up. “I feel almost like ashamed.”

“You have nothing to be ashamed about.” He gazed up at her glossy eyes. “Did you like it?”

She turned her head. “Yes. I did.”

“Then why feel shame?” He sat up as well and rested his back against the headboard. “We’re all taught from a young age in this country especially, that sex is sort of bad and taboo and stuff, but that’s all wrong. It’s a natural expression of love, and there’s nothing wrong with giving into your sexual desires. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Still with labored breathing she brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. “I liked it when (pant) you fed me.”

“I could tell.”

“Why was that so hot?”

“I don’t know? Food is sexy. It engages all the senses…smell, taste, sight, the sound of your lips…”

“Stop it, you're going to turn me on again.” She gave him a little smirk then got up and went to the bathroom.

Mike collapsed back into a lying position, trying desperately to wrap his head around what just happened.

Was this for real?

Was he dreaming?

He was still wondering about it when she came back.

She looked down at him. “Oh my God babe, you’re still so hard.”

He tilted his head. “Yeah I know.”

She got into bed and curled up next to him. “Why are you still so hard?”

“Why do you think?”

She let her naked leg fall between his knees and ran her fingers over the hairs of his chest. “Is it because you love my body?”

He let out a blissful sigh, then smiled. “Something like that.”

She brought her voice down to a slow and sensual whisper. “You love how chunky I’m getting don’t you.”

God that word again.

Chunky.

He looked into her eyes. “I love everything about you.”

With mild struggle, she lifted herself on top of him and kissed his lips. She let all her weight collapse onto his hard, much slimmer body. “Do I need (pant) to let you go again?”

Chapter 11

It was like Autumn had been holding back a secret, and after a year and a half of dating, unleashed it on Mike in a flood of orgasmic bliss. It was magic, and she finally used her magic and it entered his soul and consumed him like a spell.

The question as to whether or not it had been real, slowly dissipated over the following weeks and months. She never said as much, and reserved most of the sexy verbal communication about her body to intimate moments, but her actions spoke louder than her words ever could.

It was what she didn’t say that gave Mike the permission he needed. He went back to making her breakfasts every morning that were calorically dense as a weekend brunch, and she never refused them, and she didn’t say no to cake at night or snacks throughout the day. She stopped criticizing herself, and became much more relaxed, at ease, and confident with her curves. As a result, her weight continued to creep upward.

By October of 2020, she had added another 5 pounds to her voluptuous figure, putting her at 221. In November, she had gotten up to 227, and by Christmas time she was 234.

“I got something for you,” Mike said.

Autumn slowly pulled the spoon from her lips and placed it in her carton of McConnell’s ice cream. She took the soft little plastic wrapped cube from Mike’s hand. “What are these?”

“They're like the CBD gummies, but they have a little THC in them. Thought it might help with your foot and neck pain.”

She studied it, then looked up at Mike from her spot on the couch. She put her ice cream carton on the end table, then turned the volume down on the TV. “What about like, you know your sobriety?”

Mike stood next to the coffee table and shrugged. “You took away my sobriety a long time ago.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

He gazed down at her and gave her a dimpled grin. “I get a buzz just from looking at you.”

She rolled her eyes.

“It’s okay,” he said. “As long as I stay away from alcohol I’m fine.”

“I haven't smoked weed since college.”

“Me neither, I haven't since it’s been legal.”

“Okay I’ll try.” She attempted to unwrap it, but gave up quickly and reached out toward Mike. “Can you open it for me?”

He smiled again and took it from her. “Sure.”

He tore the plastic off, and popped it in her mouth. She chewed and went right back to her snack and TV show. He ate one too, then walked over to the kitchen to finish putting away the groceries.

He wasn’t sure what compelled him, but he stopped by Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis shop earlier that day while running errands. He planned on just picking up some more CBD gummies, but with his curiosity and a little push from the sales girl, he walked out of there with 500 milligrams of THC edibles. He wanted to try it himself, and he did think it would help the aching neck Autumn had been complaining about, but it was more than that.

He was having trouble sleeping, Autumn was too. COVID cases were surging again and the lack of work and social activities were making their world feel much smaller and more enclosed. Both their parents canceled the usual Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, and it felt more than ever that Mike and Autumn had no one to lean on except each other.

Autumn finally rose from the sofa and brought her empty ice cream carton to the kitchen and placed it on the counter. Dressed for comfort as well as style in green velour joggers and a matching zip up sweatshirt, she looked gorgeous beyond Mike’s comprehension.  “What time do you want to leave tomorrow?”

His eyes danced over every inch of her body.

Fuck she was really getting big.

She was starting to look more and more like a plus size model.

“Earlier the better,” he said before closing the fridge.

“God, I am so looking forward to sleeping in though.” She sighed and watched him tend to the boiling pot of water on the stove. She leaned her elbows against the counter and subconsciously wiggled her hips. “Will dinner be ready soon?”

“About 15 minutes.”

“Okay, I’m going to go outside, want to join me?”

“No you go ahead, I need to keep an eye on this.”

“Okay.” She gazed out at the far window next to the balcony. “Is it cold out there?”

“Not cold enough to snow yet, but it’s getting close.”

She stood up straight and unzipped her top, revealing the skimpy white camisole beneath.

Damn.

She really was chunky.

Her arms had gone through noticeable changes in the past few months. She had no muscles to speak of, her deltoids were nonexistent, and yet the upper part of her arms had become big and wobbly.

She bent over to put on her Pikolino boots, then grabbed her fluffy white coat from the wall hook. She put it on but struggled with the sleeves. It was clearly too small for her now, and there was no way she would be able to actually button it together in the front, not with those perky double D’s exploding out of her chest. She didn’t even try.

Mike noticed that just the simple ordeal of adding a few articles of clothing, had left her slightly winded.  He watched her wiggle away and felt the vibrations of the clicking steps of her heels radiate throughout the floor of the apartment. Her formerly bouncy strut had morphed into a slow and languid slog of swaying hips and jiggling thighs, somehow still perceptible even beneath her winter coat.

She was getting big and bottom heavy.

Was she getting too big?

Autumn was a ridiculously beautiful woman, and Mike had grown accustomed to the pride and status that came with being known as the guy with the hot girlfriend; but would she still be considered hot, even at her current size?

Who was he kidding, of course she would, because in all objectivity she was..

But still he found himself wondering what his mom would say if she saw Autumn now; what his dad would say, what his sister and his friends would say.

A guy had told him once, years ago, not to date curvy women because curvy girlfriends turn into fat wives.

Autumn was getting fat. She had passed the point where she could just start exercising and drop down to a weight more reasonable for her body type, or to the way she used to be. It couldn’t be good for her to carry around so many extra pounds, but if that’s what he really believed then why did it turn him on so much?

Why had their sex life been so turbo-charged during the past few months?

Why could he not stop fantasizing and wondering, what her ass would look like if it got even bigger, and why was he currently pitching a tent in his jeans just thinking about it?

He dished up a huge helmet sized bowl of penne pasta with chicken and mushrooms, swimming in a sea of buttery parmesan sauce. It was way more than Autumn could eat, but he knew she had a habit of consuming 80 percent of her meals no matter the portion size, as if she thought not finishing everything was more ladylike perhaps.

He turned and gazed across the living room toward the balcony. She was still outside. Looking over his shoulder he grabbed a bottle of olive oil and drizzled it over her pasta dish for several seconds, likely pushing the meal to well over 1000 calories.

When she came back in she squirmed out of her coat, kicked off her boots, and plopped on the sofa. Mike brought her the sumptuous dinner and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “Here you go babe.”

“Mmmm, thank you.” She held the bowl with both hands and looked at it wide-eyed. “This thing is huge!”

“Just eat what you can, I made a ton.”

“Where’s yours?”

“Grabbing it now.” Mike went back to the kitchen and made himself a bowl that was less than half the size of the one he made for her. He turned off the lights, then sat next to her on the couch. “Yellowstone?”

“Sure, (chew) season two I think. This is (chew, chew) really good though.”

“Glad you like it.” He reached over her lap and took the remote.

They watched, and ate.

When the episode was over, Autumn leaned forward and put her bowl on the coffee table. It was empty.

“Ooooh, (pant) I’m so full,” she cooed in a breathy voice. She placed both hands on her bloated belly. “Ooomff, (gasp) I wish I could take all this, and just like move it to my boobs and ass.”

“But your belly is so sexy.”

“Maybe (hiccup) to you.”

“Who else do you need to impress?” He leaned in, lifted her camisole and kissed her navel.

“You really do like it don’t you.”

He smiled. “I really really do.”

She curled her feet beneath her thighs, stuck her butt out and batted her eyelashes. “I think you like my ass better.”

He kissed the velvety fabric that covered her enormous round hip. “I love everything.”

“Would you…oooof…(gasp) still love me if I got fat?”

His eyes slowly scanned the buxom contours of her body.

If she got fat?

She was already there. She seemed to be nothing but hips with the sexy way she was sitting.

Yowza. That ass was getting huge.

His smile widened. “Of course, there’d just be more of you to love.”

She adjusted her posture and made a face of discomfort as she pulled down on the waistband of her pants, letting her belly spring out freely onto her lap. “Ooohh, (gasp, hiccup) too tight.”

“Maybe it’s time for some new pants.”

She sat up and tried to cross her legs a couple times, but her thigh kept sliding off and back down into the depressed seat cushion. She gasped and scowled. “Again?”

“Yeah, again.”

She leaned back and threw up her hands. “Maybe I should just let myself go. (pant) You’d probably love that.”

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He fondled her thighs, then squished and kneaded her belly with both hands. “Yeah, I probably would.”

She squirmed away. “Slow down lover boy, (pant) I need a cigarette before you get me all hot and bothered.” She rocked forward in an attempt to stand, but felt too stuffed and heavy to move under her own power. Mike wasn’t entirely sure if her struggle was genuine, or if she was playing it up for his pleasure, but either way he found the act to be incredibly arousing.  She reached out her arm and gave him a puckering, pouty face. “Help please.”

When they returned from the balcony the THC was beginning to take hold.

Autumn flopped back on the sofa and with tired and glossy eyes said, “I’m hungry.”

Mike made his way toward the kitchen and hung both of their jackets on the wall. “There’s gingerbread cookies, and fudge.”

She made a face. “Uhhh…diabetes in a tin. Is there no cheesecake?”

He walked her way, shaking his head. “No, you finished it this morning.”

She raised her eyebrows. “All of it?”

“Yeah.”

She glared at him and crossed her arms. “Isn’t it your job to make sure I always have cake when I need it?”

“I’m sorry.” He smiled. She always looked so pretty when she pretended to be mad. “We still have that box of peanut brittle. What sounds good?”

“I don’t know, I'm just like starving all of a sudden.”

He shrugged. “Okay so…”

“Just bring the tin of fudge and cookies and, why not… get the peanut brittle too.”

“Okay baby.” He did as he was told and sat beside her as she grazed on the Christmas treats during another episode of Yellowstone. The THC was more potent than he expected, as he could feel the intense hunger rising in his stomach along with a sensation of mind numbing relaxation. He watched Autumn pop fudge into her mouth like M&M’s. He reached for one from the metal box on her lap.

“Hey!” She slapped his hand away and looked daggers into him. “Don’t even think about it. Get your own.”

He smiled, drew close and put his arms around her. As ravenous as he felt, he was more than happy to starve if it allowed her to eat to her heart’s content.  Just the sound of her lips moving aroused sexual thoughts. He put his hand on her belly and savored the way it moved in and out with each breath. He kissed her breast, wiggled his fingers between her sprawling legs and reduced his voice to a slow whisper. “We’ll have to stop at every fast food place we see tomorrow, so you can just stuff your face for the whole drive.”

Her eyes closed and her neck cocked after biting the head off of a red and green frosted gingerbread man. “Mmmm…yeah, (chew, munch) I’d like that.”

He was somewhat surprised by her overtly sensual reaction. “You would?”

She grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly. “Yeah.” She shoved the rest of the cookie in her mouth.

No longer paying any attention to the TV, he brought his lips to her ear. “Keep that belly full, make those thighs even…chunkier?”

She squirmed in her seat like a purring kitten. “Ooooooh, (chew, munch) yes baby, so chunky.” She flopped her arms limply to her sides. “Feed me,” she cooed.

He took a square of butterscotch fudge and plopped it in her mouth.

She chewed quickly like she couldn’t get enough.

“Mmmm (chew, chew) more, more,(gasp) more,” she said.

He fed her a chocolate one, then another butterscotch, then he broke into the peanut brittle and fed her several big chunks. Her eyes were getting glossier, her breathing was accelerating and her belly seemed to be protruding out in front of her further.

“You’re (gasp, huff) going to have to (pant) help me up the stairs after this,” she said. “Either that or we’ll have to move the bedroom down here.”

He rubbed her belly as if she was carrying his baby. “Stairs too hard for you?”

She nodded. “Mmhmm.”

He rested his chin on her shoulder. “Okay baby.”

“Mmmm, more.” Her lips parted.

He fed her another piece of peanut brittle, then gave her belly a gentle slap, creating enough of a ripple effect to make her boobs jiggle. “You like that?”

She was so blissed out that she answered with her eyes closed. “Mmhmm…yeah, (munch, chew) that feels so good.” She quivered pleasurably from all the things his hand was doing. “Ooohh, mmmm, (gasp) more please.” Her lips parted again in anticipation.

Chapter 12

Autumn unbuttoned her jeans with a gasp of relief.  Placing her hands on her slightly exposed belly, she turned toward Mike who was driving. “Ooohhh…is it (gasp) normal to feel sexier from gaining weight?”

Mike kept his hands on the wheel but snuck a peak at his girlfriend in the passenger seat. Wearing her new size 20 blue jeans and a black tank top, she was distracting to say the least. “If everyone looked like you it would be.”

She shifted her hips and grabbed her crumpled Starbucks bag. “I think a little fluffiness and a few extra curves is a major turn on.” She took another bite of her bacon gouda breakfast sandwich. “It makes (chew, chew) me wonder what a few more pounds would look like. Is that weird?”

He let out a short lusty sigh and shook his head in elated disbelief.

God how he loved this woman.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “ I think it’s the opposite.”

“Yes (chew) exactly. Why would (chew, chew) losing weight be sexy? I don’t understand that.”

“You and me both.”

“Gaining weight makes me feel more like, girly and feminine somehow, more powerful almost.'' She shoved the last of the sandwich between her lips with her thumb and forefinger. “It’s (chew, chew) kind of like, addictively liberating.”

“Is that right?”

“(chew)Yeah.” She nodded and finished chewing. “I don’t know. Who cares? The world as we know it will never be the same, makes me want to be more present in the moment, enjoy what we have right now.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” He put his blinker on and began merging toward the offramp. On Interstate 5, a few miles north of Vancouver, Washington; they were headed to the Oregon coast for a Christmas getaway, just the two of them; but they planned to stop in Beaverton for a quick drive-by visit with Autumn’s parents.

“Where are you going?” Autumn said.

“Burgerville.”

She sighed and held up the paper bag which still contained some cake pops and a cheese danish. “Baby, I haven’t even finished all of this yet.”

He slowed as he approached the intersection and smirked. “What about all that talk about going to every fast food place we see?”

She exhaled in a relaxed and dreamy sort of way. “Were you expecting me to take that literally?”

“Um…were you?”

She let out a cute little snort giggle. “No.”

“Do you not want to stop?”

She placed her hand on his knee and noticed his erection. “I didn’t say that.” She gently rubbed his cock for a moment, then looked at him. “As long as you’re willing to explain to my dad why I’m too full to get out of the car on my own.”

He grinned. The line between sexy teasing and reality seemed to be getting more blurry. “It turns me on when you talk like that.”

“I know. It turns me on too.”

He took a left into the parking lot of a vast strip mall as a few snow flurries began dotting the windshield. “Are you nervous about seeing your parents?”

She gave him a curious look. “Why would I be nervous?”

He gazed at her blankly for a moment. “I don’t know, just because you haven’t seen them in so long.”

She giggled. “I’ve gone longer than this without seeing them before.”

“Right.”

“You mean my anxiety?”

He pulled the Honda into the drive-through line. “Do you even have anxiety? You always come across as tough and confident to me.”

She sighed. “Maybe on the outside, but I might try another one of those gummies. You brought them right?”

He turned toward the backseat. “There in the backpack. You want one now?”

She flashed her eyes at him sheepishly. “Umm, maybe.”

“You like them?”

“I don’t know, they definitely helped me relax.”

“Go ahead, if you can reach them.” He watched as Autumn twisted and contorted her body around, noticing the substantial rolls forming around her sides beneath the fabric of her top. She was developing a bit of a spare tire around her waist and back. “Take two if you want, I don’t mind driving.”

“Enhh! (gasp) okay.”

“Hello!” Autumn’s mom Patty greeted them from the front door of the big suburban house.

“Hi mom,” Autumn said with a strained smile. It had been no easy task getting her jeans refastened, and they were painfully digging into the bloated doughy flesh of her waist.

“We’ll have to do pretend hugs for now,” Patty said, mimicking a fake embrace and turning her head away from the gentle yet frigid breeze.

“Better safe (pant) than sorry,” Autumn said, walking up the wooden steps of the porch with Mike at her side. After everything she consumed on the drive down, she was so full that the act of moving under own power felt difficult, and she was breathing heavily from the simple excursion of climbing the short flight of stairs. “Where’s (gasp) dad?”

“He’s inside,” Patty said curiously. “You can come in but be sure to wear your masks.”

“Right,” Mike said.

Autumn rolled her eyes but promptly put her face covering on and Mike did the same before entering the comforting warmth of the foyer. They went into the spacious living room and found Autumn’s dad sitting on the recliner near the gas fireplace.

He put his newspaper down and rose to his feet. “There’s my pumpkin,” he said with joyous crinkled eyes and outstretched arms. Autumn drew close and they embraced.

Patty looked at them disapprovingly from the kitchen. “Gary, no hugging!”

He squeezed Autumn tighter. “The day I can’t hug my daughter is the day I can’t do anything.”

“How are you (pant) doing daddy?” Autumn said.

“Good, had a check up appointment on Monday, clean bill of health.”

“His cholesterol is still too high,” Patty said.

Gary sat back down in his chair. “I’ve cut out red meat, and am down below 200 pounds for the first time in…”

“Since I met him,” Patty said, still in the kitchen.

Autumn and Mike sat on the sofa. “Good job daddy.”

Mike's brain churned in amusement for a second.

Under 200 pounds?

He’d always thought of Gary as kind of a big guy, but if he was under 200 pounds that meant that he was significantly lighter than his young daughter and that thought blew his mind.

Patty handed her husband a steaming mug then turned to Mike and Autumn. “Why don’t you take your jackets off and stay a while.”

Mike cleared his throat, feeling a little awkward and uneasy wearing his mask inside. “Well, we don’t want to stay too long, still have another couple hours of driving to do and we don’t want to get there too late.”

“At least have some coffee,” Patty said. “Mike, how do you take yours?”

“Black is fine.”

“And Autumn, a little oat or soy milk?

Autumn unzipped her coat and took it off, revealing herself in her jeans and tank top. “Actually I’d prefer half and half if you got it.”

Patty’s eyes became visibly wider at the sight of her daughter’s body. It was her thighs and hips, never before had she seen them look so wide before, and was that a belly spilling over the high waistband of her jeans? “Oh, okay.” Patty stared for a second with an expression of surprise before walking back to the kitchen. Next to the island countertop, she turned her attention toward Mike.  “Brenda next door made a pie, would you care for a slice?”

Mike looked up. “Um…what kind?”

“Pumpkin.”

“Yes please, that sounds great,” Mike said. Having just had a cheeseburger less than an hour prior, he wasn’t at all hungry, but he wanted to be as polite as possible.

Patty turned to her daughter with her eyebrows raised. “Autumn?”

“I’ll have some if you have whipped cream.”

“Ohhh, me too!” Gary said, sitting up.

“No dear, you shouldn’t be having pie at all, let alone whipped cream.”

“Come on mom it’s Christmas time,” Autumn said.

Patty sighed and looked at her husband. “Okay, you can have a small slice, but no cream.” She took the pie out of the fridge and began cutting it up.  “Autumn, you want big, small or medium?”

“Um, just like a normal sized piece is fine,” Autumn said.

Patty made a gesture of passive aggressive disapproval. “Well, okay, if that’s what you want.”

Autumn shot Mike a look, then whispered in his ear. “She makes me want a cigarette.”

Mike smiled beneath his mask and nodded.

Moments later Patty came into the living room and served the refreshments. She then sat down, six feet away. “So how have you two been holding up?”

After taking off his mask, Mike took a sip of his coffee then set it down. “I’m good, but she’s the one who’s been working, I’ve got it easy.”

Holding her plate and fork, Autumn finished chewing. “Mike’s been taking good care of me.”

“Yes I can see that,” Patty said. With her mask still on, her eyes fixated on the girth of her daughter’s arms. “Gary and I have been going on long walks every morning and we just love it, daily exercise is just so important.”

Autumn licked a dollop of whipped cream away from her lips and placed her hand on her boyfriend’s knee. “Mike’s been making me breakfast every morning. It’s so nice having him home, makes my work days much easier. Can I have some more whipped cream by the way?"

"Oh Autumn don't you think you have enough already?" Patty said.

"Umm, no...you gave me such a little squirt, why would I ask for more if I thought I had enough?" Autumn said.

"Don't worry babe I'll get it for you," Mike said, rising to his feet. "Alright if I grab it from the fridge Mrs. Murrell?"

"Yes, if you must."

Mike returned with the can of extra creamy Reddi-wip moments later and ejected it on Autumn's pie until it was completely covered. He looked across the coffee table at Patty. “No pie for you?”

“Oh no I couldn’t possibly, have to choose calories wisely at my age.”

“She’ll eat it when nobody’s watching,” Gary said.

“Don’t listen to him, that is not true,” Patty said, embarrassed. They continued to make small talk and Patty watched as Autumn took bite after bite of her dessert until her plate was clean, void of crust, cream and all. Her eyebrows arched in amazement. “My goodness you must have really been hungry.”

Autumn set her plate and fork down and gasped in mild discomfort. The half-pound bacon cheeseburger, chocolate milkshake and basket of fries she consumed earlier had made her full and bloated, not to mention that she had also finished off the two cake pops as well as the cheese danish, but the THC gummies somehow still stimulated her appetite outside the limits of her willpower. She let out a weary breath through her mouth and tugged downward on her top, exposing inches of cleavage between her ample breasts. “Brenda’s (gasp) baking is always (hiccup) so good.”

Patty leaned forward, noticing the mellow redness in her brown eyes. “You look a little tired, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, (pant) I’m fine.”

“We should probably get back on the road though,” Mike said. He put his mask on and stood, then helped Autumn up with both hands.

Patty rose as well. “Okay, well it was so nice to see you both, sorry no big Christmas dinner this year.”

“That’s okay, gives us an excuse to do something different,” Mike said. “Change can be good sometimes.”

“As long as there’s not too much change,” Patty said, looking at Autumn and the way she was struggling to get her wobbly arms into her jacket. “I’m sure we’ll all be back to normal next December.”

Mike nodded. “I’m sure. Happy Holidays Mrs. Murrell, Mr. Murrell.”

“Please Mike, Gary and Patty, you’re family at this point,” Gary said.

“Okay.”

Patty walked them to the front door. “Drive carefully, they say it might snow tonight.”

“I’ll be very careful, thanks for the pie and coffee,” Mike said.

“Of course, just let us know when you get there safely.”

Mike waved. “Will do.”

Patty and Gary went back inside after watching Mike and Autumn drive away.

“Nice of them to stop by,” Gary said.

Patty shook her head. “Autumn doesn't look like she’s been skipping any meals, I’m actually a little shocked, she’s really put on some weight.”

Gary shrugged. “She looks great, seems happy.”

“I don’t know, I don’t think it’s healthy for her to be that big, and did you see the way she polished off her pie like it was nothing? It’s not like her to eat like that.”

“Come on hon it’s the holidays during a pandemic, nothing wrong with a little extra winter padding.”

“She’s put on more than a little padding. It’s just a shame because she’s such a natural beauty, I’d hate to see her ruin her figure.”

Gary sat back down in his recliner. “That boy’s definitely in love with her.”

“I know. He worships the ground she walks on, which makes me worry because I know he'll never criticize her if she lets her weight get out of hand.”

“Come on she’s happy and in love, just stop fretting and be glad for them. They’re young, they’ll figure it out.”

Patty sighed. “I’m sure you're right.”

Autumn shimmied out of her jacket while the heater blasted warm air against her feet and chest as Mike merged onto highway 26 towards Cannon Beach.

“It’s too cold and wet to smoke outside,” Autumn said, “are you sure we can’t just crack the window and have one in here?”

Mike turned his head and smiled. Everything she did was turning him on and making him weak in the knees. He was astounded by how sexy her behavior was becoming, and how much her perfect body was blossoming and filling out in every direction. From her ass which was spreading over the edges of her seat, to the way her thighs were poured into those jeans, to her belly oozing out over her sides and jutting onto her lap. He found it fascinating that despite her growing paunch, her upper waist was still retaining its natural girly narrowness. To him, she was flawless, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. “Yeah, go ahead baby.”

“Really?”

“I don’t mind if you don’t.”

She lit up, then started searching her crumbled fast food bags for something to munch on. “Are there no more snacks in here?”

“Are you seriously still hungry?”

She blew smoke out the window, exhaling deeply. “I don’t know, maybe.”

“Let me know if you see anywhere that you want to stop.”

“I’m really craving french fries.”

“Well, that’s an easy thing to fix.”

She smiled and rubbed his thigh. “You’re sweet.”

“So are you.”

Chapter 13

2021 began much differently than did the previous year, for both the world and Autumn in particular. In January of 2020 she felt overweight and lethargic, and was excited at  the idea of moving into a brand new apartment adjacent to a gym, developing  a consistent workout routine and getting back in shape. Never in her worst nightmare did she think that 12 months later, she’d be carrying an additional 45 pounds or so on her voluptuous figure.

She was now beyond being merely out of shape, but it didn’t feel like a nightmare. On the contrary it felt sexy, and for lack of a better term simply felt natural. Her eating habits and opulent self-indulgence had increased little by little, each day, each week, each month, so much so that her lifestyle had become justified and normalized in her own mind.

In reality, and though perhaps unbeknownst to her, she was becoming addicted to food, completely hooked on the oral fixation of deliciousness on her tongue and the wonderful relaxed sensation of fullness in her belly. These feelings had become so synonymous with intimate desire and sexual pleasure that she now had trouble separating the sense of comfort from stuffing her face and the perception of arousal that came with it.

As the months passed her bad habits built on one another and it was getting out of control.  The more she ate, the more weight she gained. The more she ate, the more her appetite increased. The more weight she gained, the heavier she felt, the heavier she felt, the less she moved her body and less she moved her body, the more weight she gained and so on.

Not only had a compulsive obsession with food taken hold, but she was also privy to the way she could make Mike conform to her will with just a shimmy of her widening hips and wiggle of her expanding ass. It had not gone unnoticed to her that as her body grew larger and softer, her abilities to make her boyfriend swoon also increased.

For Mike it was all heaven, and never before had felt such a relentless attraction towards a woman and yet despite this, and in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but worry and wonder where it was headed or when it would end.

He was well aware that his girlfriend’s broadening proportions were causing her to get easily winded from the slightest of physical activities and had rendered her less mobile and less energetic, and that her daily diet of grossly excessive fats, sugars and carbohydrates was neither healthy, nor virtuous. He was torn between sightless lust and unadulterated love like two passengers on a runaway train headed toward some uninhabitable destination; as in addition to her caloric surpluses, she had begun consuming THC edibles on a daily basis, and smoking more cigarettes than ever, nearly 2 packs per day, significantly more than him and by the month April, the toll of this unsustainable lifestyle of lavishness was obvious.

“Shit,” Autumn said, standing in the lobby of their building. “Are they serious? How the hell (pant) is it possible for both elevators to be out of order at the same time?”

Mike shrugged, holding brown paper Whole Foods grocery bags, one in each hand. “We’ll have to take the stairs.”

Autumn shifted her weight to one hip and swung the leather strap of her purse over her right shoulder. She sighed deeply. “That’s okay, (gasp) I guess the universe is telling me that I need some exercise.” She spoke in a tongue in cheek kind of way, but deep down Mike knew that she must on some level agree with that sentiment. Having been 238 pounds in January, February saw her at 244, in March she was 249 and now in April she was astonishingly over 250. She wasn’t purposefully trying to gain weight but with the way she was living the pounds kept on piling on like an unrelenting force that could only be slowed by some serious and drastic changes to her behavior. Changes she showed zero inclination of making anytime soon.

They walked together to the stairwell and Mike opened the door for her, then followed behind as she slowly trudged upward with echoing weighty thuds. It wasn’t long before she was audibly gasping for air from the effort.

“You okay?” Mike said. Autumn slowly placed her fashionable boots on each step, carefully and one at a time as if the task demanded extreme concentration. Getting no response, Mike asked again. “Are you okay?”

She turned and glared at him. “Yeah, (huff, pant) why?”

Mike gazed at her from behind. Her black and white checkered patterned skirt-set was clinging to her curves and her dumptruck of an ass had gotten so big that it seemed to take up much of the width of the staircase, or was that just wishful thinking? The recently formed back rolls visible beneath her top most definitely wasn’t his imagination, nor was her girthy, puddling-like upper arms despite being covered in long sleeves. “No reason.”

She went back to hauling herself up, huffing and puffing as she went. Her butt looked so heavy and it swayed back and forth and jiggled like a perfectly formed jello mold with each wobbly laborious movement. After a while she stopped and leaned against the wall. “Hang on, (gasp, pant) I just need to rest (cough, wheeze) for a sec. I think my allergies or something make me like, out (pant) of breath.” Her face was flush and a bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. She fanned herself. “God (pant, gasp, cough) this only the fourth floor?” Her breath was so choked and wheezy that it was making a slight whistling sound from the back of her throat.

“Come on, I'll push you.” Mike put both grocery bags in his right hand then pressed against the warm doughy flesh of the small of her back with his left, and they continued making their way towards their seventh floor apartment. By the time they got there Autumn was so winded she could barely talk.

“Holy shit, (gasp, wheeze, cough) I’m so out (cough, cough) of shape,” she said as she reached in her purse and pulled out her pack of Camels. She had recently made the switch from her usual American Spirits to the more chemically enhanced cigarettes.

Mike scowled. “You don’t need to smoke now do you?”

“Fuck, (gasp, pant) do not micromanage me (huff), I’m fucking pissed that we pay all this money for this place and still (huff, wheeze) they can’t figure out how to make (cough) an elevator work.” She had a look of both worry and frustration on her face as she fought to get oxygen into her compromised lungs. She stormed off toward the balcony.

Mike put the groceries away then went outside to join her. After lighting up himself he said, “Maybe it’s time.”

Autumn took a drag from her second cigarette and gave him a look. “Time for what?”

Mike nodded at her pack, half empty on the outdoor table. “Time to quit.”

She squeezed her brows. “Why (pant) just because I got (gasp) winded from the stairs?”

“I got a little winded too,” Mike said. “I don’t know, the only way we’re going to be able to quit is if we do it together.”

Autumn sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

“What do you say?”

“It’s not going to be easy, (cough) we’ll have to get some patches.”

“Yeah, or a Juul or vape or something.”

She adjusted her posture, but even that was a struggle. Her hips had become so big and blubbery that they were wedged between the armrests of her chair and oozing against the metal, looking like she was a cupcake away from being permanently fastened to her seat. “I (gasp) don’t know I need to do some serious (huff) mental preparation if we’re going to actually do it.”

“What’s the date today?”

She glanced at her phone. “April 11th.”

“Okay so, you want to say like starting May 1st, no more cigarettes?”

She pursed her lips pensively. “Yeah, (cough) I could be on board for that.”

“In it together.”

She took a short final puff then stabbed out her cigarette. “Yep, it’s a deal.”

“Okay then.”

She took another smoke from her pack and lit up.

Mike’s eyebrows arched upward. “What are you just going to chain smoke for the rest of the month?”

Her eyes narrowed. “You know (cough, cough) I really don’t need your judgments right now. I feel lightheaded and I (gasp, pant) think my blood sugar is low. I haven't had anything to eat since lunch.”

He rose to his feet. “Okay, umm…should I run over to Roccos and grab a slice or two?”

She fluttered her eyelashes and stared up at him blankly. “If you were smart (cough) you would have done that (huff) already, and if you were really smart you’d get a whole pizza instead of a slice. It’s cheaper (gasp) in the long run that way.”

He nodded. “Okay, I’ll be back.” He opened the door to go inside.

“Mike.”

He turned. “Yeah?”

With her cigarette held between the index and middle finger of her right hand, she looked like some sort of exaggerated blown up plus sized version of a young vixon in an old time movie, either that or a curvy redheaded barbie that had let herself go completely. She smoked quickly, almost frantically. “Bring me a (gasp) couple of those gummies before you leave, need to (cough, cough) calm my nerves.”

“Okay.”

He went inside and came back out moments later and placed two gummies between her lips. She ate, put out her smoke, rocked forward and put both hands on the table so that she could get into a standing position. Simple tasks were not as easy for her as they used to be. With a look of discomfort she rose, but the chair was coming up with her.

“Omigod babe, little help?” With her knees and back slightly bent she gave Mike a pouty worried look. She bit her lower lip. “I think (gasp, pant) my butt is  too big for these chairs.”

He swallowed nervously, although he could feel arousal rising below his belt. “Oh my goodness, poor baby.”

This, while incredibly hot to witness, had to be one of those harsh reality moments. If it wasn’t the wake up call or the metaphorical straw that broke the camel's back that would get her to change her ways and go on a major crash diet then nothing would.

As much as it saddened Mike to think that all the sexy fun was over, he knew that it was probably for the best in the long run, and he had mentally planned for such an occurrence. He jolted forward and helped wiggle her hips free, letting the chair fall to the epoxy painted floor with a clang.

She stood up straight with a sharp gasp and a toss of her hair. “Babe?”

Mike looked at her attentively and waited for the inevitable speech about how she had let herself get too big and she needed to lose weight. “Yes?”

She stared at him haughtily, almost proudly. “Honey-do list time. Can I (pant) count on you to order some bigger chairs that are a little more comfortable and roomy?”

His jaw fell open. “Ummm, yes, I can do that.”

“Good. (cough) Now run and get that pizza, I need to get off my feet.”

During the rest of the month of April, Autumn indulged in food, cigarettes and wine, well into excess; like she was trying to squeeze in all of her vices and guilty pleasures before giving up smoking in May. Mike was surprised and actually taken aback by her overt gluttony, but he cherished it, nurtured it and encouraged it while it lasted.

It was really fucking hot, whatever it was she was doing, and when the first of the month arrived, she had accumulated another 6 pounds, making her already remarkably plush body just that much more T and A dominant.

Quitting cigarettes however, was no easy task, especially during the first few days. Even with nicotine patches and e-cigs it was a struggle. Autumn was a bit of a terror to be around at first and seemed to curb her withdrawals by constantly snacking and gorging herself on as much food as she could get her hands on.

Whenever a craving hit, she’d reach for a bag of chips, a box of cookies, a cupcake, or handful after handful of chocolate-covered almonds.

Together, both Mike and Autumn somehow got past day one and day two, and after much grappling with their own willpower they made it an entire week without so much as one cigarette contacting their lips.

The physical dependency was over, but their bodies, especially Autumn’s, were still adapting to the change. Daily smoking speeds up a person’s metabolism and increases the amount of calories burned by about 8 to 15 percent. Without cigarettes, one’s body will burn food at a much slower pace and Mike and Autumn were no exception.

They dealt with this problem differently. Mike threw himself into physical exercise, replacing tobacco with more pushups, pullups and brisk runs along downtown Seattle’s waterfront streets and parks.

Autumn dove into her work and found she could focus at her desk for more extended periods of time as she no longer had to get up and go outside every hour. At least she could do so if she had something to munch on. Not only do cigarettes speed up the metabolism, but they also reduce the appetite, and without them, Autumn constantly felt starving and made zero attempt to hide or suppress her increasingly obsessive desire for food.

Mike thought she had been eating a lot and gaining weight at an alarming rate before quitting smoking, but after giving up her cancer sticks, that pace only seemed to pick up steam.

He wasn’t helping either, as he did all the household chores and made sure she never had to lift a finger. He brought her food, he took away her dishes, he threw away her wrappers, he went on coffee shop and bakery runs, he even did the laundry.

It got to the point where Autumn could go through an entire workweek without leaving the apartment, often getting no physical activity during the day except for the 40 or so steps it took to get from the bed to her desk and back. She slept a lot, took frequent naps, yet complained of having little energy.  She worked hard and her job was quite draining, but away from her laptop screen she had an extremely indulgent and pampered existence, and she was getting used to it.

Chapter 14

“She’s not my ex, it was never like that. We’re just friends. I’m like her brother from another mother,” Corey said to his girlfriend Simi.

Simi rolled her eyes as she and Corey approached the apartment building. “Whatever, I’ve seen pictures of you with her.”
Corey glanced at his phone, then shrugged. “Well of course, so what?”

Simi stared at him for a moment as they waited next to the glass front doors. “So…she’s really beautiful. I find it hard to believe that there wasn’t some kind of attraction going on there between you two.”

“Stop it, we just clicked in different ways,” Corey said.  “You don’t have to worry about that stuff, we’re both in relationships now anyway, right?”

Simi sighed in a lighthearted manner. “Right. I know, just curious that’s all.”

The doors opened and Mike stepped outside.

“Hey, happy fourth!” Mike said. “How is it going?”

Corey smiled. “Good. This is my girlfriend Simi.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Mike. Come on up.” Mike led them into the lobby and toward the elevators. He pressed the button to go up and the three of them waited.

“Sorry, only one is working right now, sometimes it takes a while,” Mike said.

Corey put his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “How long usually?”

Mike shrugged. “Hard to predict.”

“We can take the stairs,” Simi said.

“Are you sure? We’re on the seventh floor,” Mike said.

Simi pointed at the fitness tracker around her left wrist. “Fine by me, gotta get my steps in anyway.”

Mike sighed. “Okay.”

He led them to the right of the elevators and through the door to the building’s stairwell and they began climbing upward.

“This is a good way to melt off that quarantine weight. Do this everyday and you’ll be in pretty good shape,” Simi said, somewhere around floor three.

“Does Autumn usually take the stairs?” Corey said.

Mike turned and looked at him blankly. “Not usually.”

When the three of them entered Mike and Autumn’s apartment they were greeted by the smiling face of Tabitha. “Hey, Corey and Simi are here! You're just in time, we’re about to head up to the roof.”

“Where's Autumn?” Corey said.

Tabitha grabbed an Oreo from a paper plate on the kitchen counter and took a small bite. “Umm, (munch) I think she’s in the bathroom, she’ll be out in a sec. Omigod I need to get away from these cookies!”

Simi set her purse down and smiled. “I know right? The struggle is real these days.”

“I really need the gyms to open up again while I can still fit into my pants,” Tabitha said.

Simi gave her jeans a tug. “You and me both.”

Both girls laughed until they turned toward the heavy sound of Autumn’s boots clicking towards them.

“Corey, (pant) you made it!” Autumn said with arms raised.

Corey’s jaw nearly hit the floor. It was as if he wasn’t at first entirely certain whom he was looking at. It was confusing because from the neck up it was definitely Autumn, but the body that laid below was unrecognizable. His eyes darted franticaly and he found himself at a loss for words. “Umm…”

Autumn smiled and turned to the young woman standing next to him. “Hi, (pant) you must be Simi, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Nice to meet you, great place you have here,” Simi said with a big smile on her face.

“Thanks.” Autumn stepped forward and plopped an entire cookie in her mouth like she was on autopilot. “Grab a beer, (munch, chew) make yourself at home, Mike will start barbecuing (munch) soon.”

Corey’s eyes were fixated on Autumn as he was still struggling to comprehend what he was seeing. Her off-red summer dress clung to every inch of her body and it did nothing to hide the amplified curves of her figure. She was enormous. She still had her stunning hourglass shape but her thighs were like tree trunks, her breasts were like melons and she had a soft puffy belly jutting out in front of her as if she was daring someone to ask if she was pregnant. If it wasn’t for the obvious rolls and pudgy love handles around her waist he might wonder about that himself. “I heard you quit smoking.”

Autumn smiled and took another Oreo. “Yep, (munch, munch) it’s been over 2 months now.”

“Congratulations, proud of you,” Corey said, as he stared flabbergasted by her jumbo tits and the amount of cleavage that was exposed between them. “How’d you do it?”

By eating yourself into obesity?

He wondered.

Autumn looked at him curiously, as if she could read his thoughts. “We’ve been vaping, but I don’t (pant) know, I usually (huff) end up reaching for too many cookies whenever I get a craving…as you can probably tell.”

Corey cleared his throat nervously.

“Don’t sweat it…”

As the party moved up to the shared community rooftop deck, Corey found Tabitha alone, looking out across the vast skyline of the city and nursing a Michelob Ultra. “Holy shit, what the hell is going on with Autumn? She got fucking huge!”

Tabitha scowled and brought a finger to her mouth. “Shhhhhh.”

“What?”

Tabitha looked at him seriously then nodded. “She’s gained a lot of weight, that’s for sure.”

“Are you worried?”

“I don’t know, it’s probably just like relationship weight, mixed with covid, and then quitting smoking on top of that…I guess it makes sense.”

Corey threw up his hands. “Makes sense if she gained 15 pounds or something, not fucking 50 or whatever. She even sounds like she’s out of breath from just talking.”

Tabitha took a short sip of her low calorie pilsner. “What can I say? She seems happy, and honestly she’s such a fucking knock-out that the all that extra weight still somehow looks good on her.”

Corey turned around and peered out at Mike and Autumn who were mingling with Sydney on the far side of the deck. “I wonder what’s going through his head.”

Tabitha followed his gaze and smirked. “Probably can’t get enough of that booty.”

“Yeah, that thing is fucking massive! I thought she was getting big when I saw her at that New Years party a couple years back, but that was because she broke her leg. What the hell is her excuse now?”

“There is no excuse…that’s why it’s so important to workout, we’re not all 22 anymore you know? Please don’t say anything though, I’m just happy she quit smoking. I’m sure she’s aware she needs to lose weight.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but Autumn’s butt is actually bigger than Sydney’s now.”

Tabitha lowered her sunglasses. “Damn…you’re right, fucking a lot bigger.”

“Mmm, (chew) Oh my God (pant) that was so good!” Autumn said after she finished her second bratwurst.

Sydney licked her lips and smiled. “Hell yeah it was!”

Autumn placed both hands on the wicker armrests of her seat in an effort to stand. She then grabbed her plate and wiggled back over to the grill without saying a word. She returned a moment later with two more bratwursts and Sydney watched in amazement as she plopped back down and continued eating as if the heavy food was nothing more than a light snack. After finishing her third, all dressed up with ketchup and relish and packed into a bready hoagie bun, she paused and fanned herself.

“Pheww!”

Sydney studied her. “You okay?”

Autumn drained the contents of her beer until it was empty then set it back on the low table in front of her. “Yeah (pant) it’s just so hot, too (gasp) hot for me right now.”

“It’s a little warm,” Sydney said, standing up. “I wasn’t going to have more but since you are I guess I will too.”

Autumn shoved the fourth oversized hot dog between her sumptuous lips then turned to her friend. “Can (chew, chew) you get me another IPA?”

“Sure.”

Later that night, after all of their friends had left, Mike was cleaning up in the kitchen and Autumn was on the sofa scrolling through her phone.

“Oh my God (pant) I look fat in these photos!” she said. “Am I seriously that much bigger than Tabitha?”

Mike closed the door to the dishwasher then walked her way. He leaned against the couch next to her and looked at some of the pictures that were taken during the course of the night.

“You look so gorgeous, this dress is unbelievable,” he said.

“Uhh, no it’s not. I look like I’m fucking 8 months pregnant.”

Mike gently massaged her plush shoulder with the tips of his fingers. “You look so good baby.”

Autumn continued swiping through her photo library. “Oooh, (pant) I look like such a chubby wubby.”

“You look fantastic.”

Autumn gave him an odd glance then took his hand and placed it on her belly which was folding into rolls and spilling onto her bloated thighs. She held it there for a moment and sighed with pleasure. “Mmm…does that (pant) feel nice?”

He began fondling her fat, softly and lovingly. “Yes, it really does.”

She patted her belly with her other hand and adjusted her posture. “Oooff, (gasp) I know it does, especially because I’m so stuffed. I ate so much tonight baby. I feel like I can hardly move under my own (gasp, huff) strength right now.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Her mouth waxed sultry. “I never thought (pant)  that I would actually enjoy (gasp) gaining weight like this.” She became lost in the sensualness of her body for a moment, Mike did too. She gazed up at him and saw the look of extreme happiness on his face. “What?”

“Nothing, just…” He trailed off, came around in front of her, bent his knees and buried his face into her pudding-like midsection with only the thin silky fabric of her dress between his mouth and the plush skin of her belly.

“What?”

He came up for air and stared into her eyes. “I love you so much.”

Sensing his lust, she played with the ends of her hair and basked in his touch, teasing him, taunting him and testing her growing powers of seduction. “Would (gasp, pant) you love me if I weighed 300 pounds?”

“I would love you if you weighed 500 pounds.”

She mushed her butt deeper into the sofa. “Really?”

He squeezed the sides of her waist and stood. “Yes. I would have a permanent erection, but yeah, I would love you, always.”

“Mmmm…I’m glad you said that (gasp) because I don’t seem to be able to stop (pant) gaining weight.”

“How do you know that?”

“I know because (gasp) I keep outgrowing my clothes.” She arched her back and sat up.  “God, (pant) I have no idea how much I weigh right now.”

A small smirk formed on Mike’s face. “Should we go find out?”

She tilted her head up and gave him an exceedingly cute, yet slightly worried look. “What if I gained…like a lot?”

He leaned forward and kissed the skin just above her heaving tits. “That would only make me love you more.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes I’m sure.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Her eyes pierced him and she reached out her arms. “Okay, (huff) just help me up.”

In the bathroom Mike opened the cupboards beneath the sink and pulled out the scale. He placed it flat on the tile floor then turned to his beautiful girlfriend.

She looked at him with suspicion. “This is (pant) fun for you isn’t it.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because it’s obvious.”

“Is it fun for you?”

She gave him a sly, sexy smirk and then stepped on the scale. It creaked and groaned beneath her bare feet and immense weight and she tilted her chin down, trying to peer over her boobs. She saw the numbers shoot up and dance into the 280’s almost immediately.

Her hands flew to the sides of her face in total shock and surprise. “(gasp) Oh my God!”

Mike crouched down and took a look at the numbers. “285ish.”

“280 what?”

He looked up. Her blossoming double chin was slightly blocked by her tits which seemed to be blooming larger before his eyes and exploding out of her skimpy and undersized sundress. “285.”

She looked at him, aghast. “Oh fuck. (gasp) Oh my fucking God, baby!”

He was smiling from ear to ear. He knew she had been eating like a mad woman since she quit smoking, but 285?

That was fucking huge!

285 meant that she had put on a good 20 pounds in the last 2 months alone if not more.

“That’s really really really hot,” he said.

She stepped off the scale, stretched out her jiggling arms and twirled around in front of the bathroom mirror. “Yeah, it really is, (huff, pant)  I feel soooo sexy, ooohhh God (pant) I fucking love it.”

Mike’s eyes were wide and his mouth was agape. “You do?”

She looked at him as she caressed the sides of her hips with her fingertips. “Yeah, I don’t know…they say late 20’s is when a lot of women’s bodies change and (pant) metabolism slows down…but God…why does this (gasp) make me feel sooooo….horny?”

“I don’t know baby.”

She flashed him a devious smile as she wrapped her pinky in the ends of her hair. “Did you notice (pant) the way everyone was looking at me tonight?” Shifting her weight to one hip, she stuck her ass out, a subtle yet provocative movement that seemed to add a good inch of height to the tent in Mike's jeans.  “Do you think (pant) they were shocked, seeing me this big?”

He came closer and put his arm around her waist. “I think people are in awe of your beauty.”

“I think (gasp) they were stunned by how much weight I’ve gained.” She paused and squished her lips together, “and that fucking (pant) turns me on.”

“It does?”

She pointed her finger, then placed it firmly in the center of his chest. “Yeah…they probably think (gasp) I’m a fat lazy piggy…and I know it turns you on too.”

She pressed her boobs into him as lightly as a butterfly touches a flower. He could smell the sweet pheromones, perfume and the alcohol on her breath and her alluring scent brought ripples of tantalizing shockwaves down his spine and to his knees. “You do?”

“Mmhm, (pant) of course I do.”

“Do you want to-”

“I don’t want to lose weight.”

He drew his hand away from her arm and took a step back to get a better view of the complete expanse of her colossal proportions. “You don’t?”

“No I don’t. (gasp, pant) This is by far the most I have ever weighed in my life and I’ve never felt sexier (huff) or more like womanly and feminine.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “I want us to explore our (pant) sexuality more deeply. Life’s too short to have meaningless (gasp) normal sex. Life is too (gasp, huff) short to spend it caring about what other (pant) people think. I want to really find out what makes you tick. I want to get (gasp) bigger.”

“You do?”

“What are you brain dead now?” She smirked and shrugged. “Yeah…well (pant) maybe just a little bigger.”

He stepped forward and wrapped both arms around her waist, then he let his hands fall across her more than generous backside. “How much bigger?”

Her lips were only inches away from his and they parted in a small coo of a gasp. “Will you (pant) help me gain weight?”

Mike’s heart felt ready to beat out of his chest. He could feel his penis throbbing in agony and rubbing against the denim of his pants. Her words were hitting him like hurricane force winds and excitement was building up inside and shooting his eyebrows halfway to his hairline. It was one thing to have fun in bed, making dirty talk about her fat ass and feeding her as an act of foreplay, but this was on a whole other level. This wasn’t just bedroom talk, this was real, carnal, life changing insidious desires that were far beyond Mike’s comprehension of how truly sexy a woman can be. “How can I help?”

She smiled knowingly, then spoke in a slow sensual tone that nearly brought him to his knees.  “Well (pant) you could buy me lots of food, you could feed me in (gasp) bed, you could treat me like a (gasp, pant) princess and make sure I never have to (pant) lift a finger…”

“Just let you lay in bed all day?”

“Yeah, (pant) lay in bed all day and just eat, all day.”

Mike stepped backwards again as if the love and lust that he felt for his girlfriend was too much for him to take standing upright. He stared at her in total awe for a moment. “Who are you?”

She slowly licked her lower lip with her tongue. “Are you surprised?”

He swallowed. “Pleasantly surprised.”

She turned her body around and let her ass fill his pelvis. She backed into him as he cupped her breasts and rubbed himself into her like a magnet on steel. “This is (gasp) what you wanted isn’t it.”

He ran his hands all over her magnificent curves, let his chin rest on her left shoulder then whispered in her ear. “I didn’t even know I wanted it.” He grabbed her hefty hanging belly and squeezed hard. “Do you have a goal weight?”

She wiggled her hips with a happy nestling shift. “(gasp) Hmm…a goal weight? That sounds like (gasp) a fun idea.”

He brought his lips to her earlobe and poked her diamond studded piercing with his tongue. “What’s your goal weight babe?” he whispered.

She turned around. “I don’t know, (pant) I don’t want to get too big.”

His face became serious and eager to please once again. “Right, of course…I mean you know, just for fun, you can always lose it later if it’s too much or whatever.”

“Ummm…well….It would be fun (pant) to just be a total fatty for a couple of months.” Her eyes went to the ceiling as she pondered like the tease that she was. “I turn 29 in October. (gasp) I think I would really love to be 300 pounds on my birthday.”

Mike’s face flushed red and it took all of his willpower not to shout to the heavens with joy. “Really?”

She slammed herself into him like a freight train made of pillows and she let his rock hard manhood grind into her chubby thigh. “Yeah, (pant, gasp)  but then you better help me lose it if it does end up feeling like too much.”

He nodded. “Okay deal.”

She kissed him softly and slowly on the lips then looked at him with yearning melting eyes. “This is (gasp) going to be so fun. (pant) There’s cake (pant, gasp) in the fridge, can you get it and bring it upstairs? (gasp, huff, pant)I need to get off my feet and I'm going to slip into something (gasp, huff) a little more comfortable.”

Chapter 15

Autumn indulged in food in ways she never had before in her life in the remaining half of the summer of 2021. It was no longer merely mindless and carefree snacking, it was now purposeful and deliberate eating that was nothing if not unholy gluttony.

“Come on babe, you gotta finish that bacon so I can take your plate and get you some ice cream,” Mike said.

Autumn rolled back in her chair and looked up at him with glazed over eyes. Sitting at her desk in front of her laptop, her breakfast plate was empty save for a thin layer of maple syrup and a lone strip of bacon. Having consumed an entire German pancake and 5 strips of bacon already, she was stuffed to the gills to put it mildly. “Omigod, (gasp) I don’t think (huff) I can handle one (pant) more bite.”

Mike leaned over her and gently kissed her on the side of her neck just below her chin. It was obvious that she was in some discomfort and breathing heavily from being so full. “Try and push yourself.”

“(gasp) Okay, (wheeze) but then you’re (pant)  going to have to help (huff) me lay down (gasp) for a while. My last (hiccup) meeting is over at noon.”

“Short day?”

“No, (gasp) just cleared my (pant) schedule, I’d rather be lazy (huff, wheeze) and eat in bed, and this (pant) chair is killing my back.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He picked up the thick, floppy, yet crisp baconstrip and brought it to her mouth. She ate slowly and carefully. Her breasts were heaving laboriously from the effort but she managed to get it all down.

She looked at him, worried. “(gasp) Oooh, holy fuck, (wheeze, pant) I’m sooo (hiccup)  beyond stuffed, I could really (huff, gasp) use a cigarette.”

Mike turned and grabbed the bag of Sativa gummy bears from the edge of the desk. He took one and handed it to her. “Here, this will help your appetite, and help you relax.”

“Okay, thank you baby.” She plopped it between her lips as Mike stood behind and started massaging her shoulders and rubbing the back of her neck with his thumbs. He looked down at the way her perfect body was poured into that chair.

Her most recent weight gain had caused a multitude of developments to her ever changing figure. She was now encased in so much fat that her newfound blubber seemed to be fighting for space amongst her luxuriant curves. Soft folding rolls clung to her womanly back and had become so large they were beginning to droop and sag from the area just below her armpits clear down to her lower waist and expansive hips.

He drew his hands downward and felt the inviting warm softness of her art-like form, noticing with pride that both armrests of her office chair were propped up to make way for her now gargantuan ass. She was becoming more and more pear-shaped as she continued to put on weight.

Just the feeling of her flesh against his fingertips made him weak.

He licked his lips and slowed his breath in an effort to temper his raging excitement. “I’ll go get your ice cream.”

Mike stood next to the bed and tightened the brown leather belt around his jeans. He turned towards Autumn who was still sprawled out on the mattress, flat on her back in starfish position, panting like an overfed pig. “Are you sure? I don’t mind going by myself if you need to rest.”

She struggled to move her naked body onto her side. “No, (gasp) I want to come. It would (pant) be fun to pick out all the stuff I like…all the stuff you’re going to feed me.”

She propped herself into a sitting position and flopped her girthy legs over the side of the bed. She grabbed her Juul e-cigarette and began sucking on it frantically like a baby's pacifier.

Mike smiled as the mattresses groaned and depressed beneath her weight. “Whole Foods then?”

She put the Juul back on the nightstand, arched her back and pushed her bloated belly of jiggling blubber further out onto her lap. “No, (pant) let's go to QFC, I want junk food.”

My how things had changed.

He held out his hands to help her to her feet. “You got it baby.”

Mike circled the car around the parking lot but the closest spot he could find was still a good hundred feet from the store entrance. He lifted the e-brake and turned to Autumn who was packed into the passenger seat like an overflowing goddess of indulgence. Her hips were honestly too big for his car now.  “You sure you don’t want me to just run in? You can stay off your feet.”

She smirked and released herself from her snug seat belt with a gasp. “I appreciate (pant) that baby, but I want (gasp) to do this together.”

He nodded, got out and came around to her side. He opened the door for her and watched as she uncomfortably squirmed in her seat. “Ohhh, it’s getting so hard for you to get out of this car now isn’t it.”

She panted with short girlie gasps and looked at him helplessly. “Mmm, (gasp) I know, but that’s why I have you.”

He clutched her dough-like forearms and aided her to her feet, noticing the suspension of his CRV jolting upward as she exited the vehicle. “Sorry, I couldn’t park closer.”

“It’s okay, (gasp, pant) next time.”

Beneath the fluorescent lighting of the supermarket, Mike pushed the shopping cart as Autumn walked beside. She looked stunning in her new stretchy orange tube dress and matching cardigan and she was receiving more than her share of head-spinning looks from the male customers despite her mask. 

Mike loved being out in public with her, though it was a rare thing since the start of the pandemic. Just knowing that his girlfriend had both a prettier face and fatter and more shapely ass than any woman they would ever come across made him feel lucky and extremely proud that she was with him. Gone was the wandering eye that he struggled with in previous relationships. To him there was now only one woman on the planet that he wanted to look at. There was Autumn and no one else, and McCartney seemed to echo that thought as he sang from the grocery store's speakers, “The way she looked was way beyond compare.”

The cart was already half full with two family sized bags of potato chips, a tray of store made cheese covered mashed potatoes, 4 pints of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, along with 3 bottles of red wine and a two liter bottle of full sugar Dr. Pepper.

Autumn placed her hand on top of Mike’s as he gripped the handle of the cart. “God, (pant) this is so much fun, I wish we would have done this sooner.”

“Me too,” Mike said as he rolled into the bakery section.

Autumn lurched forward at the sight of a large plastic tub of chocolate dipped madeleines. “Oh my God, (pant, gasp) we’re definitely getting these.” She grabbed it and plopped it in the cart, then excitedly turned toward a 24 pack of thick frosted sugar cookies.  “And these too.”

Mike smiled in enchanted bewilderment. “You really are enjoying this aren't you baby.”

She turned and looked at him coyly and arrogantly and gave her hair a subtle toss. “Not as much as you.”

“Okay, maybe I can’t argue with you there.”

She wiggled toward him with her arms flung out at her sides as if she was having trouble maintaining her balance. “It’s just (gasp) that I’ve never done (pant) this before. I’ve never (huff) allowed myself to just go crazy and buy whatever I wanted without looking at calories and everything, much less actually trying to stock up on the yummiest, most fattening treats (gasp, pant) I can find.”

“Liberating isn’t it.”

She stepped closer so that her breasts were nearly touching his lower chest. “Extremely liberating, especially knowing how much it turns you on.”

“I don’t know, it seems to me that you get just as turned on as I do. Or is that just my imagination?”

“A lady never tells.” She gave him a prolonged stare then turned toward a big plastic container of glazed chocolate donut holes. “Ooh, we should get more stuff like this, things that are easy for you to feed me, you know in bed.”

Mike leaned forward against the cart. “Fuck…are you trying to kill me?”

“Always.” She smiled, then wiggled towards the refrigerated display case.  “We’re going (pant) to need lots of cake too, maybe some (huff) frozen desserts as well.”

Mike’s head collapsed in blissful agony. He could not articulate the reasons why, but these recent developments in Autumn’s attitude were severely exciting to him. No longer did he have any concerns about her becoming too fat or too curvy. He was now obsessed with the idea that she was going to get bigger, heavily fueled by the fact that she wanted it too. The whole thing was so beyond sexy that he felt lightheaded if he actually thought about it for too long. “Jesus Christ. Good thing I have this shopping cart, cause I don’t think I can stand up straight.”

She turned and drew her eyes below his belt. She smiled. “Oh no, (pant) better save that for later.” She grabbed a full sized black forest cake and put it in the cart with a look of satisfaction on her lips.  “Mmmm, (pant, gasp) I never realized how much of my brain (huff) was consumed with calorie counts and watching my weight until now. (pant, gasp) It feels so good to let that go.”

“Maybe I should try it.”

She jolted forward and ran her fingers against his chest, slowly outlining the pectoral muscles beneath the bamboo fabric of his black t-shirt. “Noooo don’t. (pant) I like you all lean and strong. Remember (gasp, pant) the secret to a happy relationship is making sure that your (huff) woman always gets her way.”

He couldn't help but smile. “Oh really, is this a new theory of yours?”

She clung to his shoulders as if to transfer some of her weight away from her aching feet which were crammed into espadrille wedges. “It’s the (pant) oldest theory (gasp) in the world.”

She felt warm, and he noticed that her breathing had already become somewhat labored. “Are you getting tired?”

She rested her head gently against him. “Yeah.”

“Do you trust me to get the rest? You can have the keys if you wanna get off your feet and wait in the car.”

She nodded slowly. “Okay, I trust you. But be sure to get some hostess treats and poptarts, I haven’t allowed myself (pant) to have that kind of stuff since forever.”

“What kind of poptarts?”

She looked at him like he was the dumbest man on the planet. “Uhh! (huff, gasp) Brown sugar cinnamon of course.”

He smiled. “Okay babe.”

She shifted her weight to one hip and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “Don’t fuck this up.”

“I won't.”

“And don’t take (pant) too long because all this (gasp) walking has made me really hungry.”

“I’ll be as fast as I can.”

“Good.”

He took a step towards her and lowered his voice. “Make sure nobody follows you to the car, there’s a couple guys in here that keep trying to walk behind you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, (pant) it’s not my fault men are such perverts.”

He watched as she slowly wiggled away and marveled at how differently she moved then when they first started dating. She couldn’t swing her arms the way she used to as her hips pushed them further outward. He doubted that her ass could even fit on the back of his motorcycle anymore, not to mention that her current weight would possibly cause a malfunction in the suspension.

Damn.

Call him a pervert too.  

No woman had ever looked better, walking away.

Once they returned home Autumn went straight up the elevator and collapsed into bed while Mike unloaded the groceries in three separate trips. When he was done he ran up to the bedroom to find Autumn laying on her side with the skirt of her dress drawn up to her waist, leaving a massive dimpled thigh completely exposed.

Since when did she have that much cellulite?

He leaned over her and kissed the flush cheek of her face. She was very warm, as the effort of getting out of the car and hauling herself all the way up to the bedroom had left her overheated and exhausted even with the air conditioning humming at 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

He squeezed her mountainous hip and gave it a shake, then watched in awe as it continued wobbling well after releasing his hand. Her cardigan was off and her pillowy arms were bigger than ever. He gently caressed her belly which was spilling onto the bedding despite being slightly restrained by the snugness of her dress but she pushed him away before he could proceed further.

“You (pant) didn’t bring me anything?” she said.

“I uh…”

“How dare you (gasp) come up here empty handed, (pant) I told you I was starving.”

“Right, I was just going to ask you what you wanted.”

With her head still resting on the pillow she stared at him blankly. “I want cake.”

“Do you want a slice or-”

“Just (huff) go get it!”

Like a bullet he was down the stairs and back up with a fork and medium sized plate with a huge slice of black forest cake on top.

He sat on the edge of the bed and brought it near her face. “I hope this is enough.”

She shimmied herself up a little, propping her head up with her hand. “Doesn’t really (pant) matter to me, the more I want the more (gasp) times I get to watch you run up and down the stairs (pant) like a crazy man.”

“Do you like that?”

She took a big bite. “Mmm…I(chew) like it when (chew) you bring me fattening treats. What girl (chew) doesn’t love it when a hot guy brings (huff) her food?”

He crawled on top of her, lifted her dress further up her waist and began kissing her thigh.

She rolled onto her back and let her legs spread apart, although her inner thighs were still touching each other simply due to their sheer size. She continued forking more cake into her mouth and Mike could hear from her lip smacking and moans of pleasure that she was already turned on from the food alone.

Sex and food, food and sex.

Was this a thing now?

Despite laying on her back, Autumn’s belly had become so large that it was still protruding upward like a squishy round hill of pudding and Mike couldn’t resist burying his face into it then drawing circles around her bottomless abyss of a belly button with his tongue.

Autumn squealed with delight and continued eating.

He lifted his head up and with bent knees straddled her right thigh. He gave her belly a shake and watched as she continued to stuff her face. “You’re getting to be such a big lazy girl.”

With her gorgeous hair pressed against the headboard and her now more prominent double chin tilted towards her breasts, she licked a smear of chocolate off her lips and paused for a moment. She had a look of breathy orgazmic bliss from ear to ear. “(huff) Enhh…chuunnnky?”

He gave her belly another shake, causing tremors and vibrations throughout not only her whole body but also the entire mattress.  “Yes, maybe a little beyond chunky.”

“I’ll (gasp, huff) have to step on the scale tonight and see if I’ve reached my goal.”

“You haven’t checked yet?”

She went back to eating. “Ennhh…no (chew) never, (chew)I want to be surprised.”

“It’s not even September yet, you still have plenty of time before your birthday.”

“Yeah but (chew, chew) I can already tell, (huff, gasp) it’s going to happen sooner.”

“300 pounds is a lot of weight.”

“Yes, (huff) 300 pounds (chew) would mean that I’m really really chunky.”

He leaned his head closer to her face. “It would mean that you’re fat.”

Her nose scrunched and her lips parted as if his words had made her climax. She nearly dropped her fork.  “Ohh (huff, gasp) baby, say that again.”

“Fat?”

“Call me (pant) fat.”

He grabbed her belly with both hands. “You are fat, and you are getting really fat, I actually can’t believe how big you’ve gotten.”

He spoke with complete honesty, but she reacted as though it was sexy dirty talk and went straight back to eating.

“Mmmm, (chew, chew) god baby don’t stop.”

He tilted his head again and kissed her just below the fattest part of her lower belly. He noticed that she had developed faint outlines of stretch marks in the undercurve area above her pussy and below her navel. “You’ve turned into such a lazy greddy fatass.”

She convulsed in supreme comfort, wiggling her ass deep into the bed. “Ohhh (huff, gasp) God, yeah, I’m totally a fatass.”

He shoved his face between her now very portly thighs and kissed her gelatinous pussy as she savored the feeling of his facial stubble against the quivering tenderness of her silky soft white skin. She didn’t have any panties on. She rarely did anymore when wearing a dress. He poked his eyes toward her blissed out face, peering over her bloated tummy. “You like being called that?”

“(gasp, huff) Mmhmm.”

His eyes rolled back with elation and his voice lowered to whisper. “Fuckkk…me, you are too sexy.” He wanted to get her dress all the way off but she was still making love to her cake like a woman possessed.

“The (chew) softer I get, (chew, chew) the harder you get.” She began eating more aggressively, scrapping frosting off the plate with her fork and shoveling it between her wet lips in frantic repetitive successions. “I love (chew, chew) making you (chew) hard.”

“I love making you soft.”

She finished the last bite and held up her now empty plate. “More.”

He clutched and massaged her right thigh with both hands. It was so mushy that he could sink his fingers deep into her pampered flesh like playdough. Her upper legs now had hints of stretch marks too. “Jesus that was fast, you really are a fatasss.”

“More!”

He took her plate and eased himself toward the side of the bed. He gazed at her tangled hair and sexy dark eyes and he felt overwhelmed by her beauty, overwhelmed by everything. “Okay baby, I’ll go run and get you another big piece.”

“No!”

With his feet now on the carpeted floor, he paused and turned. “No?”

“Bring (huff, gasp) the whole (pant) cake!”

Chapter 16

Mike was flabbergasted, but a surge of euphoria rose in him like nothing he experienced before.

The whole cake?

Had she gone crazy, or was she really as turned on and intoxicated by her expanding body and unapologetic gluttony as he was? Perhaps she just loved the undivided attention, and being doted on in ways she never imagined.

As surprised as he was, Mike wasn’t going to argue or over-anyazize the situation.

The cake was heavy, and he held it in his arms like a baby as he scurried back up the stairs. So dense, so rich, so much frosting and an unfathomable amount of calories, it would have been an appropriate dessert for a party of 8 and yet, there was his curvy vixen of a girlfriend wanting it all for herself.

She was now sitting on the edge of the bed naked, staring at him with the eyes of an assassin. With straining effort, she stood and approached him, never losing eye contact. She paused, biting her lower lip in such a way that turned Mike’s legs into noodles. She took the cake which was still on the plastic tray it came with and brought it to the bed without saying a word, placing it near the headboard where she had draped a light brown bathroom towel over the white sheets.

This wasn’t simply the impulsive behavior of an intoxicated sex-crazed girl. This was premeditated.

On top of the mattress, she crawled on all fours with her butt sticking up and out behind her like an invitation.

This was really happening.

So much for the idea of donut holes being easier to eat in bed.

Her ass wobbled back and forth as she dove head first into the cake.

Mike, now also naked, crawled up behind and cradled her hips in his arms as she went on eating the decadent dessert like a hog in a trough. She looked amazing from the back in that position. In spite of her incredible size she was still classically curvy, and her hips, thighs and ass dominated her voluptuous figure to such a point that Mike couldn’t pry his eyes away if he tried.

He thrust himself against her buttcrack and slipped effortlessly into her soaking pussy. He cupped her white dough-like hips with both hands as she continued eating with savage abandon. He could explode at any moment but he held back, saving himself and enjoying the spectacle of his now obese girlfriend stuffing herself as if she were a slave to food.

That was something to think about.

Obese girlfriend.

Autumn was now most certainly obese. There was no denying it, and yet the reality of that fact still felt surreal, as if he was in some sort of crazy and fantastical alternate universe.

The minutes flew by and Autumn kept on eating and eating and eating. She moaned and panted and her lips smacked as she made the most arousing sounds Mike had ever heard.

“Come on baby, keep eating, you can’t stop can you,” Mike said.

“(gasp)No, (chew, chew, moan) I can’t, (chew, chew) I don't want to.”

“You’re just in love with how big your ass is getting don’t you.”

“Mmhmm, (gasp, pant, wheeze) yes, (hiccup) but  (burp)I want it bigger!”

There was no way anyone could consume that much dessert all at once, but perhaps to the shock of them both, Autumn ate until the cake was gone and the plastic tray was more or less licked clean.

Holy fuck.

She was completely out of breath, sweating, and her body was on the brink of collapsing under its own weight.

Mike helped stabilize her by cupping her hips and clutching her love handles and he shoved himself into her, back and forth as she squealed in gasping ecstasy.

“Cum (pant, gasp) baby, cum (huff) for me,” she moaned wearily between breaths with chocolate coated lips . “Cum like (wheeze, pant) this.. fuck me (huff) from behind.”

Spooning in the afterglow Mike had one arm beneath her gushing waist and the other on top of where her hip dipped into her folding rolls of fat. With his hands caressing her belly, she continued to wheeze with her ass shoved into his pelvis. Her body was still quivering with burps and hiccups from being so stuffed.

“That (huff, wheeze) was (hiccup) fucking (gasp) amazing baby,” Autumn said in a dreamy yet strained voice.

Mike pressed himself against her warm softness. “Yes it was.”

“You’re (wheeze, huff) still hard.”

“Wanna go again?”

“Slow (huff, wheeze) down buddy, I can (gasp) hardly move.” With some effort she wiggled closer against his hardness, savoring the feeling of his hands against her skin. “Aren't you curious?”

“Curious about what?”

She let out a drawn out girly and breathy sigh.“How (gasp) much I weigh.”

Mike’s head shot upward. “Should we go find out?”

“Mmmm, (hiccup) yeah…but (pant) I feel (gasp) so relaxed right now.”

“Come on, let’s get you up. My arm is asleep anyway.”

After some difficult contorting, Mike managed to free his numb limb from beneath her swollen love handles and bloated gut. He stood next to the bed and wiggled his fingers to regain blood flow.

Autumn clumsily rolled onto her back and took long deep heaves of air, her overstuffed belly moving slowly up and down. “Are (pant) you going to help (hiccup) me?”

He leaned forward and took her by both hands and pulled her into a sitting position, then pulled again to get her to her feet.

This task was far more difficult than it used to be.

She exhaled a great gasp of relief then smiled. “I really (pant) like this,” she said.

“What?”

She stared at him with the most deliciously sensual look in her eyes. “You (pant) being home all time, taking (huff) care of me. I’ve never (hiccup) allowed myself to be (gasp) taken care of like this before, (pant) ever. It makes me sad to think you’ll have to go back to work.”

“Yeah, makes me sad too.”

He steadied her and led her into the bathroom and she stepped on the scale. The numbers fluttered and the springs squeaked.

She tilted her head toward her naked breasts. “What’s (huff, burp) the damage?”

Mike looked down. “I don’t think it can decide.”

“Is it (hiccup) broken?”

“Don’t think so. What’s the limit on this thing?”

“Goes (pant) up to 350 I’m pretty sure.”

“Step off for a sec.”

She gave him a pouty look but did as he said.

He watched the numbers go back to zero. “Okay, try again.”

She sighed, bit her lip and carefully stepped back on.

Mike’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh my goodness babe.”

She gasped sharply and opened her eyes wide. “What?”

“You’re not gonna believe this.”

“Would you (huff) hurry up! (gasp) I really don’t want to be standing any longer than I have to.”

“You’re three hundred and nine pounds.”

She stepped off and playfully punched him in the shoulder. “Shut (gasp) the fuck up!”

“That’s what it says.”

“No fucking way!” She turned toward the mirror and gave her hips a shake. “Okay (huff) why is this making me wet all over again?”

He came up behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. It was now getting to be a bit of a reach for him to do so.  He gently kissed her pale neck before he spoke. “Because it’s really hot.”

She bent over slightly and wiggled her butt into his crotch. “Oh my God, (pant) I’m such a chunky fatass.” She stood up straight and froze for a second, then turned around, twirling her finger in her wildly cascading hair.  “Wait, (gasp) today’s only the 29th right?”

Mike seemed unable to stop smiling. “Yep, almost September. Pumpkin spice latte season is right around the corner.”

“That was (pant) the fourth of (gasp) July when I was 285?”

He thought for a moment. “Ummm, yeah, yes it was.”

“Soooo, I gained what…24 pounds (pant) in less than 2 months?”

He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her close.

She was really getting wide.

“Well you have been a very greedy indulgent princess.”

Her lips parted as she bounced her belly against him. “Ohhhh, (huff) God baby I’m (pant) such a pig!”

He bent forward and kissed her on the stomach, still aghast by how incredibly big it had become and how much cake was packed inside. “You are the sexiest woman I have ever seen.”

She smiled deviously. “I better be.”

“You are.”

“Holy shit, (pant) I can’t believe how fucking huge this thing is.” She took a step back and lifted her belly up with both hands, then let it drop down with a heavy jiggle. “Ooohh…I don’t (huff, wheeze) feel so good. I can’t believe (gasp) I ate the (hiccup)whole (pant) thing.”

“Let’s get you back in bed. It’s not good for you to be on your feet for this long.”

She nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, (pant) be gentle with me, and maybe get me another gummy and…ooooh…(pant) something to drink.”

“Okay baby.”

In the following days and weeks Autumn continued to indulge her growing appetite without a qualm, yet she didn’t pull off a feat such as eating an entire cake in bed while being fucked from behind again.

Mike kept hinting that she might need to set a new goal, as she prematurely passed the 300 mark well before her birthday, but she seemed reluctant to do so. Although she found gaining weight exhilarating and wildly sexy, the reality of being over 300 pounds was proving to be more difficult than she initially realized.

She was constantly out of breath, often overheated and she had developed nagging pains in her feet and lower back from carrying around so much more weight than her naturally delicate feminine frame was designed for.

Her belly made it almost impossible to paint her toenails and even putting shoes on had become a challenging chore. Also, because the majority of the most recent 40 or so pounds went to her lower half, taking a bath, which aside from wine was one of her favorite ways to decompress before bed, had become a tight squeeze for her hips and butt, so much so that there were a handful of times where she had nearly gotten stuck.

These problems became more glaring as Mike started to go back into work in September and wasn’t around as much to dote on her every need.

“Oh God (huff) baby, (gasp) I think that this is just too much weight,” Autumn said as she wiggled into the living room.  “I think I (pant) felt a lot more comfortable when I was in the 280 range.”

Mike set his coffee down and looked at her from the couch.  She was dressed in skimpy loungewear that was clearly too small.  Her boobs and belly were causing her gray top to ride up her bloated torso and her massive gut was exposed and spilling over her matching elastic boyshorts. “Ohhh no!” he said with an exaggerated whine. “But you look soooo fucking hot.”

She collapsed on the sofa next to him and placed both hands on the bare skin of her belly. “Oooff, (pant) I still sometimes wish I could take all this and put it in my boobs.”

Mike leaned towards her and tenderly kissed the upper part of her left breast. “But your boobs are already so big.”

She made a face of displeasure. “It’s (pant) this belly that makes it so hard for me to move around, especially hard if you’re going to be gone all day.”

“I can get up early and make you breakfast before I head to work, every morning if you want.”

“What are you gonna get up at 5?”

He smiled lovingly. “I wouldn’t mind one bit.”

She sighed then reached forward and grabbed one of the chocolate glazed donut holes that Mike had expertly placed in front of her on the coffee table. She plopped it in her mouth like it was a grape. “It’s okay, (chew, chew) I think my body could use a break (chew) from all this eating. I really do not want to get diabetes, and I’d like to be able to wear jeans again.”

Mike ran his fingers over the silk-like skin of her thigh as she finished chewing. His shoulders slumped. “But no pants are the best pants, remember?”

She wiggled her hips in her seat with the feeling of his touch.“God babe (pant) don’t look so sad! I’m still going to be extra curvy for you.”

“Yeah I know. It’s probably terrible to say but I’m sad that all this pandemic stuff is ending, sad to be away from you.”

She gazed at him, looking seductive as hell. Her face was simply mesmerizing. “Well we sure had fun while it lasted, and honestly (pant) it lasted a hell of a lot longer than either of us thought, so there’s that.”

“It was fun wasn’t it.” He lowered his head into her lap, gave her belly a quick kiss, then looked up.  “I just wish you could lay in bed all day and I could stay with you and take care of you all the time.”

“Mmmmm, you and me both. I always said I’d love to have Samson’s life, just be a lazy house cat.” She reached forward again and grabbed another donut hole.

“Maybe someday,” he said.

She looked at him with raised eyebrows before taking a bite. “Oh (chew) really?”

“Well, yeah.”

“If that’s (chew) what you want (chew) you’re going to have to make some serious commitments.” She wiggled the fingers of her left hand directly in his line of sight, emphasizing her lack of jewelry.  “And I don’t know if you’re capable of that.”

He smirked. “I just might surprise you.”

She leaned forward and took yet another donut hole. “Actions (chew) speak louder (chew) than words.” She finished chewing then gently slid the bowl toward the edge of the low table with her perfectly pedicured foot. “Okay (pant) you need to get these things away from me, you know I can’t stop eating when there’s food in front of my face.”

He gave her thigh a squeeze. “But I love watching you eat.”

“I know you do, (pant) but I also know that you don’t want me to get diabetes so please get these out of my reach before I eat them all.”

He gave her a hyperbolic look of despair. “You know just how to break my heart.”

Her eyes brightened and she squished her full lips together in the most adorable way. “Mmmhmm, I know exactly how.” Mike began massaging her belly and breasts before she pushed him away. “Okay stop it, (pant) don’t be needy, it’s not attractive. Besides, I feel crampy and my ovaries are hurting.”

“Okay baby. Let me grab you an edible so you feel better.” He rose and went to the kitchen, then came back and inserted an Indica gummy between her lips.

“Mmm, (chew, chew) thank you baby,” she cooed. “God I’m gonna get addicted to these things.

“It’s just THC and CBD, it’s probably better for you than Midol.”

“Yeah (chew) I guess that’s true.”

Mike watched as she finished chewing and thought about what she told him.

She said she felt better when she was 280?

He wondered about that and he wondered what would happen when he went back to work full time.

Would she revert to the way she was pre-pandemic?

He had a hard time imagining that, although he also had a hard time imagining her getting any fatter than she already was.

Would she really be able to lose 20-30 pounds and get back into the 280’s?

It seemed unlikely.

She actually liked gaining weight and from where Mike stood it appeared that she already passed the point of no return. Her world totally revolved around food and her personality and lifestyle had changed completely from when they started dating over two and half years ago.

She was kind of a fat hot mess, and he was really in a committed relationship now.

He couldn’t leave her.  He didn’t want to leave her.

Was she going to use her absence of a wedding ring against him?

Or perhaps if he made the commitment official they could really dive into their fantasies and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes.

He was responsible for this.

He was responsible for her.

She needed him and she would need him even more if she continued getting fatter.

Chapter 17

The world appeared to normalize as summer cooled into fall. The Anytime Fitness reopened, as well as the Google Campus where Mike worked.

Being true to his word, he did wake up at 5 am his first full week back to make Autumn a hearty pancake and bacon breakfast before heading off for the day, but it was a difficult routine to keep up and by the second and third weeks he resorted to leaving finger foods on her desk like muffins, croissants or toasted bagels with cream cheese.

By Thanksgiving however, the new Omicron variant was beginning to spread, and the future still seemed uncertain, and Mike had to go back to wearing a mask at all times while on campus.

The family holiday dinners were canceled yet again and Mike and Autumn spent the closing months of the year in the company of just each other save for a couple of get-togethers with a handful of close friends.

Mike set his backpack down after work in late December then went up the stairs to find Autumn still sitting at her desk. He put his hands on her shoulders and gave them a soothing squeeze. “How’s work?”

She rolled back in her chair. “My boss is talking about possibly sending me to Europe for a few weeks next year, assuming covid cases go down.”

“Really, where?”

“The Dublin office, maybe Paris and Vienna too.”

“Jesus, that sounds like a lot of traveling.”

“Yeah I know. I’m not counting on it though, just wait and see I guess.”

“Would you even want to go?”

She sighed. “Not really, it would be exhausting, although I’ve never been to France.”

Mike peered at the empty plate next to her computer. “Can I get you something? There’s still those eclairs in the fridge.”

Her eyes softened sympathetically. “No thank you baby, no more carbs right now.” She paused. “I was actually thinking about heading down to the gym. Want to join me?”

“Ummm, yeah okay, you sure?”

She leaned forward and placed her hands on the edge of the desk in an effort to get up. After a quick failed attempt she nonchalantly abandoned that strategy and instead reached towards Mike who promptly helped hoist her to her feet. After a short moment to catch her breath she gazed into his pale blue eyes. “I just need to. (pant) I haven't had any physical activity in so long.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist then let his hands dangle against her backside. His lips drew a halfhearted smile. “Well let's just be sure to not overdo it or you’re gonna be sore for the rest of the week.”

She smirked haughtily. “I’ll be fine. Don’t (pant) worry, my ass isn’t going anywhere.”

“How do you always know exactly what I’m thinking?”

“Because I know you too well.” She wiggled a few steps away, turned and gave her hair a subtle toss. “But stop being so grumpy, (pant) my body needs exercise too, I can’t just keep gaining weight all the time.”

He shrugged. “I’m not grumpy.”

She put her weight on one hip and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “Bullshit.”

He walked forward and again pulled her close. He smiled. “I’m just missing all the fun we had in the summer.”

“I know you are, but that’s just lust.” Looking at him directly she pressed her finger into his chest. “ Lust is a temporary fleeting feeling, love on the other hand is not.”

“But I love you.”

She rolled her eyes then turned around and playfully bounced her butt against his jeans. “Do you love me or just my ass?”

“Both.”

“Okay, I suppose that’s (pant) an acceptable answer, but if that’s true I need you to support me and come exercise with me, hold me accountable.”

He squeezed the sides of her waist and let her gushy body fall into his strong, solid physique. “I think you’ve lost some weight baby,” he said.

“Don’t get all fixated on my weight, but yes, I’ve lost a little, thanks for noticing.”

“You weighed yourself?”

“Maybe.”

“How much did you lose?”

She pushed him away. “I’m finally under (pant) 300 pounds again and I’d like to keep it that way. I have so much more energy than I did a few months ago.”

“Well that’s good.” His posture deflated, but he caught himself and quickly stood up straight and forced a smile. “It was sexy though, wasn't it.”

“What, being over 300 pounds?”

He stepped forward, bringing his arms around to clutch her ass with both hands. His voice lowered to an intimate rumble as his lips approached her ear. “Yeah, and feeding you in bed, seeing the numbers go up on the scale, watching you get so curvy and…chunky.”

Her body quivered as if his words sent shivers down her spine. “Okay stop it, you're (pant) going to turn me on with that kind of talk.”

He smiled and stepped back. “See I knew you loved it.”

“Well of course I loved it. What woman wouldn’t love being treated like a queen all the time, and getting all that affection…but we can’t do that forever.”

“Sure we can.”

With an opened faced palm she pushed him in his flat and hardened abdomen. “Stop it…”

He sighed. “Okay okay, I know you’re right, and I support you.”

“That’s a good boy. Now (pant) lets get going before I lose my motivation.”

“Okay baby.”

Mike couldn’t say he was thrilled by Autumn’s unwillingness to continue gaining weight deep into the 300’s, but he did understand where she was coming from. Being that big had its drawbacks and he couldn’t argue if she said she felt more comfortable and healthier at 280 pounds, rather than 310.

It was a little disheartening though, and confusing.

Why did the very idea of her losing weight feel like a dull knife to his heart?

She had already well surpassed his expectations. Never in his craziest dreams would he have ever imagined that a girl like Autumn could reach a weight as high as she did.

Shouldn’t he be happy?

Shouldn’t he be thankful and grateful that he was so lucky to witness such a sexy and stupefying progression that was his girlfriend’s growing curves?

Shouldn’t he be relieved that she imposed a limit on herself before her weight became out of control and started to seriously affect her health?

Would things be different if they were married?

In February of 2022 Mike pulled his CRV into Sea-Tac airport departures and hopped out to help Autumn with her bags. He stared at her next to the curb knowing it would be the last time he would see her in person for quite a while. “I’m gonna miss you,” he said.

She sighed and lifted a few strands of hair away from her eyes. “I’m gonna miss you too.”

He gestured at her purple roller suitcase. “You sure you’re gonna be okay getting all the way to the gate with that thing?”

“I can manage.”

He gave her a long tight hug then kissed her on the lips. “Watch out for Irish guys.”

She smirked. “Maybe I’ll run into Damian Rice and he’ll ask me to marry him.”

“Tell him you’re taken.”

She ran her left hand through her thick soft hair. “Guess I'd have to, otherwise how would he know?”

Brushing aside her teasing, Mike’s face turned serious. “Be safe and try not to work too hard. I love you.”

“I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“I’m scared of being away from you for so long,” she said. “What if we like, you know, start to drift apart.”

His eyes danced over the entirety of her body. It was clear that she was no longer quite as big as she was at her peak back in September. She was still quite large, but her belly was less swollen and she seemed to be able to stand and move more easily and for longer periods of time than she used to. With her sophisticated and well put together way of dressing she looked like a very beautiful and extremely curvy young woman and less like the hot and sexy bloated mess she had been only a few months prior.  “I said I love you.”

She took a deep breath and gave him one last kiss. “I love you too.”

Mike stared at her for as long as he could as she walked away with her luggage rolling behind. Her black leggings showcased her oversized backside magnificently and she was already beginning to turn the heads of the group of pilots that were chatting on the sidewalk.

How the hell was she going to squeeze that ass into economy seating? She would probably have to turn sideways just to walk down the aisle of the plane.

Shit.

Walk down the aisle.

All of a sudden, everything seemed more serious.

It was a shock for Mike to be alone again after spending nearly every waking minute with Autumn for so long. The apartment felt cold, dreary and sad, and the constant drizzle of Seattle rain didn’t make things any better.

He went to work, went home, ate top ramen and microwavable burritos for dinner and did countless pushups and pullups just to pass the time and suppress his anxiety.

He imagined Autumn getting hit on everywhere she went in Europe, and it dawned on him fully that if he didn’t put a ring on her finger there were thousands of eligible men who happily take his place and do the job for him.

But all the feeding and weight gain stuff had been such a thrilling gift that he was having trouble thinking of anything else.

The way Autumn had been talking lately worried him, and the more time they spent apart only fueled his concerns.

They Face-timed frequently, or as much as they could considering the time difference. She seemed to like Dublin okay, but complained about all the walking and lack of decent food.

As the days went by Mike’s mind went crazy with thoughts of Autumn being deprived of her favorite desserts, meeting guys with charming Irish accents and constantly walking the Docklands.

She would soon need to go to Paris and then maybe Vienna and it would just be more of the same and by the time she returned home she’d be a significantly slimmer version of herself.

Why did these thoughts bother him so much and keep him up at night?

Why should he care?

Who was he to care? It was her body and he had no right to worry about what she ate or how much exercise she got.

She was not some art project of his to control. Obese, curvy or in-between she was a real lady and a gorgeous woman of the absolute highest quality and he felt like a toxic masculine pig for not wanting her to lose weight.

Before she left he had sneakily wrapped a string around her finger while she was sleeping. He needed to pop the question when she got back, and he needed to get a ring and the ring needed to be the right size.

It was time, but what if Europe ended up giving her a new outlook on life?

What if she wanted to lose more weight, would he still want to marry her?

What if she ended up slimming down to the point where the ring would just slip right off her formally chubby finger.

What if.

Laying on his back on the sofa, Mike lifted his phone above his face and stared at the darkened screen. He could see only vague shadows of Autumn’s hair and face, but her voice came through crisp and clear. It had been a few days since they last spoke, and over two weeks had passed since dropping her off at the Airport.

“You would love it here, so much history,” she said.

Mike fiddled with his hair, distracted by his own image in the upper right corner of his phone. “Getting over the jet lag?”

“Yeah it wasn’t too bad actually, but maybe that’s because everything is new and exciting.”

“Turn on some lights I can’t see you.”

“Noooo, I just woke up, I don’t have any makeup on or anything.”

“Oh come on, you don’t need makeup.”

She leaned in and Mike could see a hint of a smile on her face. “Ooohh, five points to you for that remark,” she said.

“How was the flight from Dublin?”

Her eyes narrowed, smug and proud. “It was good, you’re not going to believe it but they upgraded me again.”

“What, first class?”

“Yep.”

“How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know? I’ve been lucky and keep getting these male flight attendants and I suppose I can’t help but, you know…exercise my feminine powers of persuasion. It's a good thing because…and I know I haven't flown in a while but I swear to god, it’s like coach seating (pant) has gotten even tinier and more crammed over the pandemic or something. I think they are more like fat-phobic over here than they are in the states too. The hotel rooms are more compact, the doorways are narrow and even the toilet seats are smaller. ”

Mike's eyes brightened. “How’s the food?”

“The food? Way better than Ireland, it’s all just Pubs there, but Paris has so many options. My coworker Justine and I have been walking everywhere, my legs are sooo sore, but the coffee is amazing.”

“Did you get some crepes, or french fries or anything?”

“Not yet, we're actually a little north of Neuilly-sur-Seine, outside the main part of the city, maybe we’ll explore more of old Paris this weekend and I’ll get to experience the real French cuisine.”

Mike sat up straight and cleared his throat.“What’s the word on Austria?”

She sighed. “Sounds like my boss really wants me to go.”

“For how long?”

“At least another week.”

“So you don’t know when you’re coming back yet?”

“No, not yet.” She paused for a moment. “How’s Samson?”

“Samson is good, but he misses you, we both do.” Mike brought his phone closer to his face. “Are you getting enough to eat though?”

She brought her screen close to her face. “God how many times do I have to tell you, stop worrying about what I eat or how much I eat.”

“Okay, I’ll stop, I’m sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I’m glad you’re getting to explore Europe.”

“Thank you.”

They stared at each other silently for several seconds. “What?” Mike said finally.

Autumn pursed her lips together coyly before she spoke. “I have a confession to make.”

“Okay.”

“I may have umm, accidentally caved and umm…bought a pack of cigarettes.”

“Ohh baby no!”

“I know I know…I just couldn’t help it, seems like everyone smokes here.”

“Bad girl,” he said in a playful yet still scolding tone.

“Don’t worry, I’ll quit again, just need to get through this trip.” Her darkened eyes quickly shot downward. “Omigod, I need to shower and get ready for a meeting.”

“Yeah and I should get to bed.” He collapsed back down into a lying position. “Love you.”

She blew him a quick kiss. “Talk to you soon.”

“Bye.”

The call ended and Mike set his phone on the coffee table. He closed his eyes.

God he missed her.

He missed the sweet smell of her perfumes and lotions. He missed her touch, and the feeling of her thick soft hair tangled in his fingers.

He missed her ass.

Her big juicy ass.

But it wasn’t going to be quite as juicy as it used to be.

He already knew it.

She was smoking again. That would probably curb her appetite and French women don’t get fat.

He wasn’t there to make her breakfast every morning, he wasn’t there to buy her desserts every night, he wasn’t there to feed her.

And now it seemed likely that he wouldn't see her again for at least another 2 weeks. It would be a whole month apart altogether if not more.

Shit.

A month is a long enough time to lose a significant amount of weight.

He grabbed his phone again and scrolled through his photos.

He found the pics of Autumn at their fourth of July party from the previous year when she was still gaining and getting close to her peak.

He stared like a hungry dog.

He zoomed in.

He put his hand in his pants.

Chapter 18

After a Starbucks run, Mike parked in the cell phone lot and waited while the gray sky darkened into night. The woman in the Subaru Forester next to him cracked her window and lit up a smoke.

God that smell.

Since quitting he seemed able to detect the scent of cigarettes everywhere.

It was the odor of temptation and he wanted one so bad he could almost taste it.

Fuck they were hard to quit though.

He didn’t want to go through that again no matter what and his envy of the woman soured into pity.

But once a smoker, always a smoker. At least that seemed to be the case for his girlfriend.

Autumn wasn’t going to just merely be his girlfriend for long though.

During his month alone he came to an understanding that obsessing over Autumn’s body was stupid, selfish and immature. He had even warmed to the idea of seeing her at a lighter weight. It wasn’t like that was a bad thing. She’d still have her otherworldly curves, her gorgeous face and perfect ass. He wondered if her ass might look even better and appear more prominent if she ended up shedding inches from her waist.

Appearances aside, there were other perks to dropping a few pounds. They could do more hiking together and more motorcycle rides. She would have more energy, more pep in her step, more stamina in the bedroom, and most importantly she would be an overall healthier person. Whatever happened it wasn’t up to him and for maybe the first time in his life, Mike understood what it meant to be truly in love.

He recalled the bible verse from his Sunday school days as a kid.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others and it is not self-seeking.

He looked at the iced venti caramel mocha in the cupholder. He figured Autumn would be tired and thirsty after a long flight and he didn’t want to pick her up empty handed, but a part of him worried that she might now scoff at such a grossly American drink and accuse him again of trying to make her fat.

He took a deep breath and felt a calmness throughout his body, then his phone buzzed.

Autumn had landed.

He pulled up to the curb at airport arrivals and jumped out of the car. His heart was racing. He felt as nervous as he did when he met with Autumn at that art theater coffee shop back when they lived on capitol hill.

Jesus.

That was almost 3 years ago.

For what seemed like an eternity, he scoured the sea of strangers moving in and out of the terminal's automatic sliding doors and along the sidewalk and then, about a hundred feet away, sticking out like a flower among weeds there was a very attractive woman in a black dress toting a purple suitcase on wheels. With gorgeous shoulder length auburn hair and milky white skin, she was extremely well endowed, yet clearly very overweight. She was the hottest fat girl he had ever laid eyes on, or perhaps the hottest woman he had ever seen period; an embarrassment of riches in the form of ample, plush and wobbly curves so prominent that her severely feminine walk appeared tiresome and labor intensive.

That black dress covered her like a sheet, but despite its flowy looseness, it could not disguise the lush opulence of her uncommally generous proportions.

Autumn wasn’t that wide, was she?

Weaving through the crowd she came closer until the outdoor overhead lights illuminated a face that Mike would have recognized anywhere.

Goddamn.

It was her.

They locked eyes and her pouty unhappy lips flipped into the prettiest smile imaginable. She powered towards him and it looked for a second like she was making an attempt at breaking into a slow jog before thinking better of the idea; instead continuing that ultra sexy wiggle until stopping just feet away.

Time stood still and the bustling frantic noise of cars and people seemed to fade into dreamlike silence.

With her weight on one hip Autumn stared at Mike and in a breathy voice said,  “Could (pant) you have parked any further away?”

Mike erupted into an unrestrained grin. “What? You said United didn’t you? This is United.”

They gazed into each other’s eyes as if frozen in space, then Mike lurched forward and embraced her in a most delicious hug.

With her lips near his ear Autumn whispered, “Did you (pant) miss me?”

He squeezed her tighter and took in the familiar scent of her captivating essence. “Holy fucking God yes.”

“Come on, (gasp) let's get out of here, I need a cigarette so bad I could die.”

Mike clung to her for another few seconds, savoring the ultra-sexy sound and feeling of her heavy breathing before reluctantly releasing. He took a step back and examined her.

Despite the travel fatigue, she looked stunning as ever, but to his surprise didn’t appear to be any slimmer than she was a month ago. On the contrary, and although it was difficult to decipher, she seemed bigger than she was before she left, but that had to be merely wishful thinking.

He threw her luggage in the back, then like a gentleman, opened the passenger door and she climbed in. Her hips were so wide they spilled over both sides of the seat and she needed to re-adjust her position several times before Mike could get her door closed.

Damn.

Since when did she have this much trouble with his car?

Once back behind the wheel he watched her struggle with her seatbelt. “You got it okay?” he said.

She squirmed like an overgrown jellyfish, tugging on the belt and stretching it as far as she could towards the buckle which was wedged uncomfortably beneath the left side of her hip. “Yeah (pant) I just, (huff) fuck, (gasp) what is up with this thing?”

Mike leaned over to help, grabbing the latch and pulling the strap taut across her lap. A sense of panic rose in him as he realized it wasn’t long enough.

“Scoot back,” he said.

“I am (pant) scooted back.”

“Just try.”

She gave him an aggravated look, then pressed her hands against the glove compartment and wiggled and shimmied her butt around until she was shoved as far backwards as she could go.

Mike yanked on the seatbelt again and finally managed to click her in, although the gray polyester straps looked to be digging painfully into the fluffiness of her swelling flesh.

She fanned herself. “Phewww! (gasp) I think we might need a new car.” She turned and noticed the expression of contentment on her boyfriend’s face. “What?”

His eyes drew down, then up. “Nothing. I just like how you said we.”

She stared at him blankly and fluttered her dark eyelashes, then with straining effort, reached forward and took the Starbucks beverage from the cupholder. “This for me?”

“Yes baby.” He put the car in drive and weaved into the left lane. “You wanna go I-5 or the fun way?”

She took a long pull from her straw then put the drink back. “The fun way, (pant) but can we pull over somewhere please?” She began digging into her purse.

“It’s okay,” Mike said with one hand on the wheel and the other dangling against her thigh.

“It’s okay what?”

He shrugged. “You can smoke in here.”

“No way (pant) I couldn’t do that to you, (cough) that’s just cruel.”

“It’s alright, trust me,” he said. “ I actually kind of enjoy the second hand smell.”

“I don’t want (cough) to be a bad influence.”

Mike gave her a brief glance as he exited the airport. “Just have one already, I'd rather you be comfortable. I know how it is after a flight.”

She sighed. “Okay.” She took out her pack and quickly lit one up. “Thank you.”

“Dunhills?”

She cracked her window and blew smoke into the starless night. “Yeah, London rubbed off on me. I don’t know why but these seem a little classier.”

“You didn’t tell me you were in London.”

“Yes I did, went there on a weekend when I was in Ireland, and (cough) I flew out of Heathrow remember?” She took another sip from her sugary latte.

“Oh yeah that’s right.” He turned onto a main avenue which was packed with an array of fast food places and strip malls on both sides. He gazed at her, noticing the way her breasts and belly jiggled with every bump in the road. He swallowed nervously.  “Are you hungry?”

“I’m starving.”

His eyes widened. “I can stop wherever, what do you want to eat?”

She flicked ash out the window. “I don’t care, just whatever, something that doesn’t require me to get out of the car.”

He scanned the surrounding neon lights, shining brightly against the night sky. “Umm, Wendy’s okay?”

“Sure.”

In the drive-through line, she ordered a Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich, fries and a chocolate frosty, much to Mike’s astonishment.

He could feel his instincts fighting with his willpower as his fixations and obsessions over her weight came flooding back.

He longed to ask her if she wanted chicken nuggets with her meal. He longed to ask her if she wanted him to feed them to her, stuff her face, rub her belly and grab her ass. He wanted to ask her if she had gained the weight back and was over 300 pounds again; but he restrained himself.

After pulling out of the drive-through he parked in the lot to give her a chance to eat and relax in the comfort of a stationary vehicle. He had yet to kiss her lips since she left for Europe, and he suddenly felt like he was on a first date with an arrestingly beautiful woman that was out of his league.

“So what was your favorite place, what did you like best?” he said.

“I don’t know, (chew) maybe Vienna.”

“Was it like Before Sunrise?”

With her mouth full of fries, she smiled as much as she could. “Yeah I (chew) guess, (munch, chew) been a while since (chew) we watched that though so I can’t remember.” She finished chewing and licked her lips. “I mean I love Paris too, but Vienna was just easier, less crowded and touristy. I don’t know, it was hard because I had to work all the time, and then my co-workers wanted to go out every night and I didn’t have good shoes for walking so I mostly took Ubers.” She bit into her chicken burger. “But (munch, chew) oh my god (chew) the bakeries in Paris were incredible.”

“I can imagine.”

“I have to say though, (chew) being there for so long made me appreciate America more.”

“How so?”

She continued eating and talking simultaneously. “Just like, (chew, much) everything over there (chew) is so slow, lines at every restaurant, every coffee shop. I feel like the states are more progressive and accommodating towards women in a lot of ways too.”

“Were you able to sleep on the plane?”

“Yes it was lovely, took an edible, had a couple glasses of champagne and I was out cold.”

“Did you get first class again?”

She nodded with her mouth full. “Mmhm.”

Mike smiled, amazed. “How do you always do that?”

“It was all (chew, munch) I could find and it’s a business expense so why not? Plus there’s no way I (gasp) could handle a 10 hour flight in coach.”

“Good job baby.”

“Mmm (chew, munch)...let’s go, (chew) I can eat while you drive. I’m excited to see Samson and sleep in my own bed.”

Mike merged onto the 509 freeway while Autumn continued to devour her food. When the familiar Columbia Tower dominant skyline of the emerald city came into view she had consumed the entire meal, frosty and Starbucks iced latte included.

Mike was in a state of mind somewhere between confusion and euphoria. The way she looked, the things she said and the way she ate told him her days of gaining weight were far from over and the mere thought of that sent a wave of mad passion down his spine.

Finally back home together in their apartment, Autumn kissed Samson’s furry little head and then set him down on the sofa. She turned towards Mike in the kitchen, stretched her arms out wide and slowly sauntered his way.

She smiled with a heavy layer of seduction beaming from her eyes. “You know (pant) what I missed most of all though?”

Mike let her fall into his grasp. He kissed her neck and brought his smirking mouth to her ear. “My dick?” he whispered.

With her head resting on his shoulder, she whispered back, “No, you’re big fluffy German pancakes.”

He let her belly and breasts squish into him and his knees began to tremble as his temperature rose. “Didn’t they have stuff like that over there?”

“Not as good as the ones you make.”

“I’ll be sure and make you that for breakfast then.”

She pushed him in the chest and took a few steps back. “No, I want one now for dessert.” She turned, bent over to grab her cigarettes from the coffee table, then gazed at him, haughty and sublime. She lifted her ankle-length dress all the way up to her waist to reveal her dimpled thighs, naked ass and absent panties. “Big and fluffy like my butt.”

Mike was speechless, and for a moment he wondered if he was dreaming. He couldn’t contain his raging urges for a second longer and lurched forward and kissed her lips. Her pack of Dunhills fell to the floor as he cupped her softened jawline and let his tongue dance against her’s, relishing in the warm pleasing taste that he so sorely missed.

After making out with the unbridled candidness of teenage lovers, Autumn finally came up for air and peered into the intense focus of his eyes. “I’m sorry baby but (pant) I've been a bad girl.”

“How so?”

“I think I gained some weight in Europe. (gasp) Everything we did there revolved around food and when we were not out in restaurants, I was stuck in my hotel room binging on kraphens and cream puffs in the middle of the night just to fight off the boredom.”

He squeezed her ass with both hands. “Oh god baby, you’re going to kill me.”

She smiled. “What, (gasp) am I too sexy for you?”

“You are way too sexy, but please don’t stop.”

She peered up at him. “Does my ass feel bigger?”

“I wasn’t going to say anything, I mean…you know, didn’t want to be rude.”

“I honestly didn’t mean to, (gasp) but I was so lonely for you and I just couldn’t seem to stop eating. It made me feel closer to you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

She sighed and clawed her fingers beneath his white t-shirt. “Oooh…I almost sent you some selfies of my stuffed belly, (huff) but then I decided it would be more fun to surprise you.”

“You get off on teasing me don’t you?”

“Only as much as you get off on teasing me.” She smiled, released herself from his groping clutches then bent over again to pick her pack of smokes off the floor. With a deliberate fling of her hair she again stood up straight and stared at Mike. She placed her fingers on his chin, lifting his jaw shut. “You better get started on my dessert you lazy bum, (gasp) I won’t be long.”

She turned away and wiggled towards the coat rack and Mike’s jaw again fell open.

When she returned from the balcony there was a lit vanilla scented candle next to a glass of red wine on the coffee table.

She removed her jacket and tossed it on the sofa. “Oooh, what’s this?”

In the kitchen, Mike shut the oven door, wiped his hands on a dish rag then hurried towards her. His eyes burned with an adorable nervousness that Autumn found almost irresistible.

She gazed at him inquisitively. “Why do you have to look so handsome all the time?”

“I um…I’m not very good at this,” he said, reaching into the right front pocket of his jeans.”

“Michael?”

“I had planned to um, do this later, but I just can’t wait a second longer.”

He dropped to one knee, holding a little velvet box in his hand. He opened it with trembling fingers and looked straight into her eyes. “Autumn Murrell, will you be my wife?”

Her nose scrunched and her hands flew to the sides of her cheeks. She stayed silent for a moment. “Are you serious right now?”

“Dead serious.”

Mike could almost see the defensive walls that had surrounded her heart for so long come crashing down in the form of a single tear rolling down her face.

She turned away to hide her eyes, waving her arms in a fit of emotion. She then looked back at him and burst into a giggling smile.

“Yes Mike,” she said. “I would love to be your wife.”

“Will you marry me?”

She kicked his shoe playfully. “Yes!”

Mike stood and Autumn threw herself into him.

He took the ring and brought it to her outstretched finger.

He slipped it on. It was a perfect fit.

“It’s beautiful,” she said with a sniffle.

“So are you.”

Chapter 19

Neither Mike nor Autumn had interest in a big expensive wedding. The pandemic had changed them in many ways, and like so many others, they had grown accustomed to the more antisocial existence that had become the new normal for the past two years. Besides, COVID-19 was dying an excruciatingly slow death, as even in April of 2022 it seemed that people were still testing positive for the virus at alarming rates.

“I really don’t (pant) want to get a fat face baby,” Autumn said, looking at her phone.

Mike handed her a glass of wine then sat next to her on the sofa. He gently touched her cheek with the back of his hand. “You don’t have a fat face, you have the most beautiful face I have ever seen.”

She looked at him expressionless. “I’ve been researching Kybella.”

Mike grabbed the remote and put the TV on mute. “What’s that?”

She tilted her head up and inspected her neck with her hand. “It’s (pant) just a natural way to remove some of this, permanently kill the fat cells like under my chin.”

Mike shook his head. “You don’t need that.”

She took a big sip of her wine. “But just the (gasp) idea of a wedding is giving me an anxiety attack, and there will be pictures.”

Wearing only panties and a white camisole, the results of her indulgences were glaring and distinct. When fully dressed, her dignified and tasteful sense of style gave her the appearance of a picture-perfect voluptuous goddess, a plus-size socialite; but when naked or in her underwear as she was now, she looked indisputably obese, perhaps morbidly so.

This however still could not be said of her face, as her chubbiness still mostly avoided that area. It may have simply been her genetics, natural beauty and idyllic body structure, as she retained the high cheekbones and delicate jawline that never failed to turn the heads of both men and women alike, and the only notable facial development was the softening slope of her neck and a slowly budding double chin.

“You already look so perfect,” Mike said without a hint of falsity.

Her lips turned sultry and she shifted her hips towards him. “But I'm not in my twenties anymore, (gasp) and this way I can have a fat ass, without getting like chubby cheeks you know.”

Mike smiled, his pants feeling tighter. “If this is wedding anxiety, I’d be fine if we just went to the courthouse, signed the papers and went away somewhere, just the two of us.”

“We can’t elope, your mom would hate me.” She reached out her arm in the direction of the chocolate cheesecake that Mike had placed on the coffee table earlier.

He grabbed her the slice of creamy dessert and handed it to her with a fork. “She’d get over it, she’s the one who canceled Christmas two years in a row.”

She took a bite. “Mmm…I think (chew) we should apply online, (chew) get the certificate and just have a small ceremony somewhere fun.”

“That’s important to you, a ceremony?”

“Not really, (pant) but it would mean a lot to my dad.”

“To walk you down the aisle?”

“Yeah.” After a gulp of wine she took another bite of cake. “I just (chew, chew) don’t know how I’m gonna fit into a dress.”

“Nobody looks better in dresses than you do.”

She pointed her fork at him. “That’s what you think, but what about your parents? They haven't really seen me in so long.”

“Let’s not wait though.” He gently ran his fingers through the ends of her hair. “I don’t want to be one of those couples that’s just engaged for years.”

“I agree with that.” She scraped more cake off her plate and shoved another forkful between her lips. “Mmm…I (chew, chew) actually kind of like the idea of doing it with the (chew) corona stuff still going on, it’s a good excuse for us not to have to invite a bunch of people, and I could really use a vacation.”

“How do you feel about Hawaii?”

She licked her mouth slowly with her tongue before she spoke. “For the wedding?”

“For a small ceremony,” Mike said. “If people don’t want to fly, they don’t need to come. If they want, they can buy their own tickets.”

“Hawaii would be amazing, (gasp) but maybe somewhere other than Maui.”

“Right, the boyfriend who didn’t want to take you out to dinner.”

She rolled her eyes and continued eating. “Don’t (chew) remind me.”

“You’d love the big Island, it’s less touristy.”

“(chew)I wouldn’t (chew, chew) be opposed to that, but you know I’m going to need to fly first class.”

He scooted closer and began caressing her hip as if it was some sort of supernatural piece of art. He kissed her thigh, then looked up and wiped a dab of saliva away from the corner of his mouth. “Maybe we could just buy three seats, have a row all to ourselves and cuddle up by the window.”

She drained the remainder of her wine, then handed him the empty glass. “Don’t be cheap.”

“Buying three seats isn’t cheap.” Mike stood, then headed towards the kitchen to replenish her Apothic Dark Red. “Plus we need to save up for a house right?”

“We’ll be fine, don’t worry about money,” Autumn said as she watched him uncork the bottle.

Mike returned and gave her the wine glass, now filled nearly to the brim. His brows tightened. “Did you sell your Zoom stock or something?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, a long time ago.”

Sitting back down, he crossed his boot over his knee and draped his arm over the back edge of the couch. “Getting tired of this apartment?”

“There’s no need for us to live in the city other than your job.” She slurped her berry flavored wine like it was water then went back to working on her cheesecake. “(chew)I don’t know, (chew, chew) it's just that I always pictured that when I was married I would live in a house. (gasp) It just sucks that the market is so crazy right now.”

“There’s an old Chinese saying that says the best time to plant a tree is 50 years ago, the second best time is right now.”

“Okay Confucius,” she said, handing him her empty plate. “What’s the best time to order dinner for your soon to be wife?”

He looked at her, confused. “Umm, what, or…when?”

“(gasp)30 minutes ago.”

He put her plate on the coffee table. “You hungry already baby?”

“What’s (gasp) the (hiccup) second best time to order dinner?”

He smiled and stood. “I’ll grab my phone.”

Chapter 20

Mike looked at the bookshelf in the living room of the modern suburban house. He scanned the framed pictures of the homeowners as if he didn’t live there. The photos told a story. It was a story so unlikely, if he hadn’t lived through it himself he wouldn’t believe it.

On the far left was Autumn in her senior year of high school, looking cute and skinny and innocent as ever. Her brown eyes were bright and clear, so full of hopes and dreams and possibilities. Next was a photo of her in India during her college days. She wore an orange head scarf and a black shirt that hung loose over lithe shoulders and highlighted a pronounced collar bone.

There was one of her and Tabitha at a kickboxing class back in 2017, both girls toned and fit, and both roughly the same size. As the photos progressed in time mostly from left to right it was easy to see the changes taking place, the softening jawline, the slightly fuller face and fleshier arms.

There was one of her with her old Linkedin co-workers at a formal dinner, her hourglass figure showcased beautifully in a shimmering crimson dress; there was one where she was on the ski slopes of Snoqualmie pass when she had bangs and blonde highlights, and then Mike quite literally entered the pictures.

A selfie of him and Autumn at a Black Flag concert at the Neptune Theater early on in their relationship, another on the ferry on their way to the San Juan Islands, Victoria and Butchart Gardens; and a snap from the New Year’s Eve party at Tabitha’s apartment in the final hours of 2019.

That was a turning point for Mike.

He remembered loving how thick and curvy back then, but compared to the wedding photos at the Mauna Kea Resort in Hawaii on the opposite side of the TV, she was a stick figure.

“Babe I need your help!” Autumn yelled from the master bathroom.

Mike turned, headed to the kitchen and put his mug of coffee on the counter. It was Thanksgiving Day, and thus far 2022 had been a very busy year.

Since their engagement, covid cases had steadily gone down and slowly but surely, containment regulations began to dissipate. Autumn had an actual in-person meeting with her boss for the first time, which almost immediately resulted in her receiving a promotion and a hefty raise.

Funny how that works.

Also funny, or perhaps not funny was how sore Autumn’s body was the day following going into the office. Her lifestyle had become so sedentary that the simple effort of getting up and out, (down the elevators into the garage into the car, driving, parking, walking and coming home) was such a shocking change for her underused muscles that the experience left her complaining of foot and back pain for weeks.

They had gone house hunting frequently during the spring and summer and after much deliberation settled on a single story 2 bedroom place in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland. It wasn’t cheap, and it took some help from both Mike and Autumn’s parents to make a decent down payment, but after that it was within their price range, especially considering Autumn’s growing six figure salary.

Mike went down the hall, through the ivory white double doors of the master bedroom and into the adjacent bathroom where he found his wife in front of the mirror as usual.

“Yes dear, what is it?” he said.

He soaked her in. It never failed to amaze him with how good she could look in a dress. Fucking hell.

Applying eyeliner, she was sitting on one of the bench-like wicker bar stools that would normally go in the kitchen with the others.

She used to stand during her beautification routines. When she started putting on weight, she’d often curl her lashes with her belly resting on the countertop, but as she got heavier and heavier, chairs moved into bathrooms and makeup was now done only while seated. It also seemed that as she got heavier, so too did her makeup.

With a black pencil in hand, she pointed toward the small bong next to one of the sinks. “Can (gasp) you do the thing for me?”

Mike raised his brows. “Again?”

“It’s (pant) hard with nails, and you always do it better anyway.”

“Just take it easy if you’re having wine with it,” Mike said.

There was a half empty glass on the granite slab counter next to an ashtray.

“I know (gasp) but I need it for my back pain, plus what better (pant) time to get the munchies,” Autumn said as she carefully lined the corner of her eye. “(gasp)I’m so looking forward to just (pant) sitting, and eating.” She put the pencil down and reached towards her husband.

Mike hoisted her to her feet and let her body press against him. “Mmm, that’s my girl.”

Fuck she felt good.

In the months leading up to and following the wedding she had continued to slowly pile on the pounds. Mike didn’t think it was a conscious thing, but he also knew that she knew exactly what turned him on, and he didn’t doubt she enjoyed teasing him.

He also knew that she was becoming increasingly lazy, didn’t exercise whatsoever, and some of her more self indulgent bad habits were getting worse or were morphing into other bad habits.

What he didn’t know was how much she weighed. The last time he asked her to step on the scale she acted offended and gave him a speech about how he shouldn’t get caught up in numbers.

But damn she was thick.

What was she, 315, 320, 330 pounds?

Could she even be more than that?

After she hit 300 back in September of 2021 it was hard for Mike to tell, but he knew she was usually a lot heavier than she looked.

She wiggled her tits into his lower chest and placed her hand on the growing hardness poking tight beneath his gray slacks. “Are (pant) you gonna be able to make it?”

He buried his nose in her hair. Her smell intoxicated him. He cupped her breast. “I’m sure I’ll manage somehow.”

She smiled, released herself from his grasp and stepped backwards. She stretched her arms to her sides, displaying herself in her dress. “Okay, what (gasp) do you think, (pant) this one or the yellow one?”

He looked at her starry eyed. It was a curve hugging sheath that clung to her hips so tightly it almost looked wet before falling loose at her ankles. It was sleeveless, and the black spaghetti straps did nothing to hide the wobbly girth of her arms or the deepening cleavage between heaving breasts. “Oh that’s a tough decision.”

She spun around to show the back. “Be honest.”

Mike blinked.

Jesus fucking Christ.

It was backless and cut a large U-shape of exposed white skin from her shoulders to her butt. She now had multiple rolls of fat that dripped in downward slopes starting below her armpits until disappearing beneath the taut fabric squeezing against her sides.

Damn, that ass.

He had no idea a woman’s backside could be so huge, so wide; yet still so full and ripe and plump all at the same time.

She was bigger than ever, no doubt about it.

So big, so out of shape, but so proportionate and well put together it was just stupid.

What would her parents think now?

When he and Autumn went down to Oregon to tell them the news of their engagement, the look on Patty’s face was still burning in his mind, as were the passive aggressive comments she made during the little wedding reception.

Mike’s eyes bulged and he had to remind himself to breathe as he came to the realization that just one of his wife’s butt cheeks was bigger than his entire ass. He cleared his throat. “It’s not too tight is it?”

She turned and faced him again. “No, (huff) I don’t think so. (pant) Do you think it’s a little too much boob for family?”

He leaned against the counter as if the sight of her was too sexy to take standing. He looked her up and down again and swallowed.  “I think they’ll just have to deal with it. You look amazing.”

“Okay well wipe the drool off your face and help me.” She gestured toward the bong.

Mike loaded it up with the damp pungent buds from the clear plastic container on the counter. When he was finished he handed it to Autumn, now seated on the toilet. She brought it to her mouth as he lit for her with a cigar torch.

She coughed and filled the room with smoke.

She took long wheezing breaths as she recovered then looked up at Mike. “What (cough) time is it?”

He turned the fan on. “It’s a little after 4, probably have an hour before they get here. We should clean all this shit up in case someone needs to use this bathroom.”

She let out a few more short coughs, then gave him an adorably pouty look. “But (gasp, huff) it will be so hard for me in these shoes, (pant) and I would need your help to get them off.”

He looked down at her feet. She didn’t wear heels much anymore, and he knew she was going to have trouble walking around tonight. He sighed, leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. Sometimes he forgot how much he loved spoiling her and treating her like a princess. “I’m sorry baby, I’ll do it, you just relax.”

She gazed into his eyes for a moment then smiled. “Okay get out of here (huff) and go check on the turkey. (pant) I need to finish my makeup.”

He helped her up then headed towards the door. He stopped. “Get your smoking done now though.”

She turned around with a lit cigarette in her hand. “Way ahead of you.” She clicked a heel into the tile floor, blew smoke into his face and smiled seductively. “As always.”

Chapter 21

Steven Murrell drove a rented Dodge Caravan across Lake Washington on the 520 floating bridge. His wife Julia was at his side, and their two kids, Noah, now 5, and Lily, now 7, were seated behind them.

“Mommy?” Lilly called from the back.

Julia turned around. “Yes sweetie?”

“Is Auntie Autumn fat?”

Julia’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “Umm…remember it’s not polite to call anyone fat.”

The child scrunched her nose. “But she is fat isn’t she.”

“She’s a grownup dear, and she’s your Auntie and we’re going to be guests in her house so you need to be polite okay?”

Lily gave a look of confusion. “But she didn’t used to be fat, like when I was little.”

“Sometimes people change,” Julia said. “But we are not going to use that word tonight, some people really don’t like it and they could get hurt feelings.”

Lily shrugged and lifted her hands to her sides with her palms facing up. “But Bana always said that Auntie Autumn was pretty.”

Julia smirked and rolled her eyes at the same time. “Well yes, Auntie Autumn is pretty.”

Now Lily looked really confused. “You can be fat, annnd pretty?”

Julia sighed, defeated. “Put your headphones back on honey, we’ll be there soon.”

Julia faced forward and sat in silence for a moment, savoring the peaceful quietness of the drive with both her children once again comfortably glued to their tablets. She peered out the window at the serene fall landscape; the rolling hills of evergreens dotted with the orange gold of half barren maples and jagged snow capped mountains in the distance, signaling the coming winter.

Goddess it was pretty here.

Pretty.

It seemed everybody always had to make comments about how beautiful Julia’s sister-in-law was, even her own daughter.

She turned the heater up a few notches then looked at her husband. “Do you think Autumn had some work done?”

With one hand on the wheel, Steven gave her a quick glance. “How do you mean?”

“Fat and pretty?” Julia said, repeating her daughter’s words.  “I don’t know like on her face.”

Steven adjusted his Tom Ford spectacles. “Uhh…she’s too young for botox right?”

“No like lipo. I mean come on, you were just as shocked as I was at the wedding, you saw how big she was. How can you be that big and still have a face that looks like that, and still have, you know, like a figure.”

He shook his head. “I doubt my sister would do that, she’s not the type.”

“She’s changed, like a lot.”

“I think covid changed everyone.”

Julia looked at him like he was crazy. “Oh please, we didn’t all gain 100 pounds.”

“Now you're just exaggerating.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Am I? I thought I was being conservative. What do you think she is 250, 270, maybe even more than that?”

“No way.” Steven slowed the vehicle, exiting the freeway. “I’m sure she’ll lose it soon enough. She told me she quit smoking, people gain weight when they quit.”

“I didn’t know she smoked.”

“She was more rebellious than I was,” Steven said.

Julia got quiet for a moment, then smirked. “Maybe I should give her some diet tips.”

“She’s not stupid. She’s probably lost some weight already. She’s always been pretty good at keeping herself in shape.”

“Maybe when she was 24, or I guess even pre-pandemic.”

Steven stopped at a red light and adjusted his glasses again. “See, told you covid changed everyone.”

Mike opened the solid mahogany front door of his house. He watched as Steven, Julia, and the kids came across the wet leaf covered lawn and up to the short concrete steps that led to the porch. He smiled. “Hello hello, welcome. Watch your step.”

With a casserole dish in her hands, Julia admired the lush quaint surroundings. “Oh my gosh, I forgot how beautiful it is here, love your house!”

Mike looked down at her. She was significantly slimmer than she was when he first met her 3 years ago, and based on her knee-high boots and form fitting sweater dress, she was eager to show off.  “Thank you,” he said, “ and thanks so much for making the trip up. Where’s Bana and Boppa?”

“They were right behind us,” Steven said as he entered the house, followed by his family. “Your parents aren't coming Mike?”

Mike closed the door to shield away the cold then took the dish from Julia and walked it towards the kitchen. “Nah, they’re all at my sister’s with my brother in law's family. We’ll see them for Christmas, although we’ve been saying that for the last two years and it still hasn’t happened.”

Steven chuckled. “I know right. Fingers crossed.”

Mike took a quick peek in the oven then looked at Steven. “How’s the Air B and B?”

Steven shimmied out of his puffy Patagonia jacket and hung it on the coat rack behind the front door. “It’s good, Jules loves Seattle, and it’s been fun for the kids to spend so much time with my mom and dad. It’s big enough we could've had Thanksgiving there.”

Mike smiled. “No way, we wanna show off the house.”

“I know I know,” Steven said.

Mike’s smile faded as he drifted off in thought.

Show off the house or show off what COVID had done to his wife, Steven’s sister, Gary and Patty’s daughter?

All of a sudden he felt nervous about the whole thing, much like he did before the wedding.

He looked out the window at the driveway as a BMW X3 pulled in behind the Caravan. “Here they are,” he said.

He turned to Steven and then to Julia who was in the living room with the kids. “Get warm and make yourselves at home, plenty of snacks to hold you over, I'll see if they need a hand. We got Disney Plus and stuff in the spare room if the kids wanna watch something.”

“Where's Autumn?” Julia said.

Mike made his way towards the door. “Probably in the bathroom, I’m sure she’ll be out in a sec.”

After helping Patty with a foil covered plate of sweet potato pie, and getting everyone situated inside, Mike closed the front door again as the sky quickly darkened.

“Wow this is so lovely,” Patty said. “It smells delicious in here.”

There was a vegetable platter with ranch dip on the coffee table along with a plate of Brie, crackers and castelvetrano olives. On an end table in the corner, one of Autumn’s laptops softly played a Harry Connick Junior song from one of her playlists.

Julia examined the living room. “I love what you’ve done with this bookcase, oh and the fireplace.”

Gary eyed the TV showing the Patriots and Vikings football game on mute, then looked at Mike. “Where’s pumpkin?”

The scent of sweet perfume preceded her, but on cue, with a slow click-clack of heels Autumn emerged from the hallway.

She looked stupid hot.

Her dress was designed to be comfortable and casual, but with the extreme generosity of her space-eating hourglass figure, it looked lavish and extravagant.

With eighty percent of her weight, surely well over 300 girly pounds on the balls of her feet, her walk was wobbly, wiggly and sultry to say the least, yet at the same time it was not clumsy, but rather elegant and polished, in spite of her size or perhaps because of it.

The heels changed her posture and altered her shape. They arched her spine, thrusting her boobs forward and shoulders back, effectively cinching in her waist and making her already shelf-like butt stick out even further. With her feet close together and a glass of red wine in her right hand, she smiled. “Hello everyone.”

There was a faint gasp throughout the room, as everyone stared in shock at her appearance. Whatever tricks she had been up to in the bathroom had somehow rendered her more beautiful than Mike thought possible and his nervousness about her family’s reaction to her weight faded as he became overwhelmed with lust.

She had thrown on her brand new black cashmere cardigan which covered her pillowy arms and matched her dress like a shawl, but with only one button fastened over her buxom chest, it did almost nothing to hide the inches of cleavage displayed between her tits. The cardigan was skin-tight and it seemed she had already outgrown it, or perhaps it was the wrong size to begin with.

After a brief silence, Steven said, “Jeez sis, you make us all look a bit underdressed, as usual.”

Julia looked perplexed, like she couldn’t process what she was seeing. Autumn had gotten fat, far beyond chunky and chubby, but for reasons she couldn’t explain, Julia still envied her beauty, her curves, her style. The dress and heels may have cinched her up and sucked her in certain places, but they could not disguise how flat out big she had become, specifically in her hips and booty.  “Umm, did you change your hair or something?”

Autumn shifted her weight to one hip and brought her free hand to the ends of her feathery auburn tresses. “I got it done yesterday. (pant) You like it?”

“Looks amazing,” Julia said.

Autumn turned toward Gary. “Hi daddy.” She stepped forward and gave him a warm and very squishy hug. “So (pant) glad you could make it.”

Gary grinned and held his daughter but he looked surprised by how much of her there was to hold. “Me too.”

Autumn then looked at Patty. “Hi mom.”

Patty peered down, then slowly up again. It was clear to her that Autumn had gained even more weight since the wedding. A lot more by her estimation, and the wedding was only 5 months ago.  She forced a smile, although her eyes were still large with amazement. “Oh, umm, hi dear. Happy Thanksgiving.”

They hugged, then Lily quickly toddled out of the spare room. “Bana and Boppa!” She squealed as if she hadn’t seen them less than an hour before. After a quick pat on the back from her grandpa, Lily turned toward Autumn with squinting eyes. “Who are you?”

Autumn, visibly surprised, bent down towards her. “Oh (pant) don’t be silly I’m your Aunt.”

Lily scrunched her nose. “Wait, yooou’re my Auntie Autumn?”

Autumn gave Lily’s shoulder a loving squeeze. “Yes of course, (pant) don’t you remember when you were in Hawaii? Did you find Mr. Samson the friendly kitty cat yet?”

Sensing the potential awkwardness of the situation, Mike tried to direct attention elsewhere. “Please sit, get comfortable, help yourselves to hors d’oeuvres, turkey will be done in a few minutes. Can I get you a glass of wine Patty?”

Autumn stood up straight with some effort and caught her breath. She smiled. “Mike (gasp) sort of turned into Julia Child over the pandemic.”

Patty looked at her daughter again, then turned to her newly christened son-in-law. “Sure Mike, I think I would like a glass.”

Mike had been up early, working hard all day on preparing a spread worthy of impressing his in-laws. There were all the usual Thanksgiving staples, but he also baked homemade butterflake rolls, cornbread with honey, bacon wrapped sausages, along with pumpkin and cherry pies for dessert.

Gary finished chewing and wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin. “Mike I have to say, the turkey was done perfectly.”

Mike, seated next to his wife, smiled. “It was just six hours in the oven, and a whole lot of basting, injected it with homemade garlic butter too.”

Patty looked at her daughter from across the table. “Autumn, did you do any of the cooking?”

“No, (pant) it’s all this guy,” Autumn said as she nudged her husband with her elbow. “ I just get to be the (gasp) taste tester.”

Mike reached his left hand under the table and gave her thigh a squeeze while maintaining eye contact with Patty. “She’s too busy working all the time,” he said, this is a much needed four day weekend for her.”

“These are the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had,” Steven said.

“I second that, but oh my goodness, so many calories,” Julia said. “That’s why we only have them once a year.”

“Mike makes me (pant) mashed potatoes all the time,” Autumn said as she spread a heap of butter over a flaky roll.  “Anytime I ask him.”

Mike smiled and savored the feeling of Autumn’s cushy hip gently pressing into his side. She wasn’t sitting especially close, but her butt had become so wide that it expanded beyond the limits of normally spaced chairs. He noticed the way her belly filled up her lap and was brushing against the table with the slightest movement forward, which was quite frequent as she was constantly leaning in to shove another fork-full of rich gravy drenched food into her eagerly awaiting mouth.

Her appetite amazed him.

When he had first been called back to work over a year ago he remembered being so fearful that Autumn wouldn’t eat much throughout her days without him there continually presenting her with a steady stream of fattening treats and never ending take-out orders; but looking at her now, already working of her second helping of stuffing and potatoes, her breathing labored and her skin warm and flush, it was clear, (not only from her girth but also from her unrelenting desire and preoccupation with food) that his fears were in vain.

Only 20 minutes into dinner and Autumn was stuffed to the gills, simple movements were cumbersome and strenuous, she was already too big for her seat, her dress squeezed painfully into her inflated feminine bulges, ample folds of fat smothered her overworked organs and still, despite all that, she continued cramming calories down her gullet with no signs of slowing down, nor self-conscious or perhaps even awareness of how much she was eating.

Mike had wondered if she would eat less in front of her family, given the surprise of the fact that she had continued to gain even more weight, but based on the way she was stuffing her face it seemed her hunger was something she could no longer control, unless of course she was trying to prove some perverse point to her parents.

“I’m so glad you all came,” Mike said. “Nice to be able to travel again without masks on all the time yeah?”

“Well Gary and I still wear them when we can, just as a precaution,” Patty said.

Steven looked at her surprised. “Really? Are there still cases in Oregon?”

“You do hear about people testing positive sometimes, but it’s just our age, and Gary is still a bit in the danger zone, can’t be too careful,” Patty said.

Steven pressed his glasses tight to the bridge of his nose. “It’s so stupid. It’s all the non-vaxers that ruin it for everyone.”

Julia drained her wine and rolled her eyes. “I don’t think age is much of a factor. It’s more the people that are very inactive or obese, those are only people that are actually dying from this thing.”

“Smokers too,” Gary said after he finished chewing.

A lump formed in Mike’s throat.

Smokers?

People that are inactive or obese?

He placed his hand on his wife’s thigh again, apprehensive as to how she might react, and curious about what she must be thinking, offended, concerned or indifferent. So far she looked unphased and more interested in getting butterflake rolls into her belly than listening to the conversation.

“That’s why I started doing the flexitarian diet,” Julia said.

Gary put his fork down. “What the hell is that?”

“Gary, watch your language,” Patty said.

Julia smiled. “It’s plant based, with whole grains only.” She pointed her fork towards her plate which was still mostly full of food. “This will be my cheat day.”

Autumn took a heaping bite of stuffing. “Mmm…(chew)seems like (chew) every month they come up (pant) with a new diet.”

Julia raised her eyebrows. “Have you tried it?”

Autumn arched her back and adjusted her hips in her chair. Her eyelashes fluttered as she looked at Julia expressionless. “No. (gasp) I’m actually starting to get more and more like, anti-diet culture.”

Julia leaned forward. “What do you mean?”

“I think it’s all propaganda,” Autumn said. “It’s marketing, the whole thing. Society is always trying to tell us that we’re not skinny enough, we need to be stick-thin in order to be healthy and they make billions of dollars by exploiting people’s insecurities, especially women.”

“Well, I don’t see what’s wrong with it,” Julia said. “I know I have a lot more energy since I’ve lost the weight.”

Autumn shoveled more food between her luscious shimmering lips. “I’m (chew, munch) not saying I haven't fallen victim to it, (chew, chew) I was constantly on whatever the latest diet was in my early twenties,” she said, “but now I just don’t have time and I think life’s too short to worry about (gasp) something as shallow as a (hiccup, wheeze) number on a scale.”

Julia glared at her. “Try having two kids and see how much time you have.”

Autumn stared back then downed the rest of her wine with a haughty look on her face, arching her back and pressing her boobs forward.

Patty cleared her throat. “Diets have certainly changed a lot since I was young. I remember when every magazine had to have an article about how to lose inches in your hips, now it seems that everyone wants bigger hips, I just don’t understand it.”

“I know right,” Julia said, “And then there’s the whole body positivity, love yourself at any size movement.”

“I think it’s because Americans are fatter than ever now,” Steven said, either forgetting that his sister was in the room, or forgetting she was now a fat person herself.  “If everyone’s butt is getting bigger, then just say that big butts are hot and it's okay. If exercise is too hard for you, just accept yourself and keep ordering uber-eats.”

Autumn leaned back and brought her hand to her mouth so she could let out a burp as discreetly as possible. “Better to (gasp) love yourself than to be constantly striving to (pant) meet some unobtainable standard of beauty generated by a bunch of women competing against themselves.”

Steven gazed across the table, suddenly feeling embarrassed for Autumn and ashamed of his last remark.

There was a brief yet awkward silence then Mike held up the bottle of Pinot Noir. “More wine anyone?”

“Yes please,” Autumn said as she stared at Julia blankly. “Pass the mashed potatoes (pant) too.”

After dinner and when she was finally finished eating Autumn wearily staggered into the living room and collapsed on the sofa with a heavy thud. Her mother Patty sat down next to her after Gary went off to mingle with the grandkids.

“Are you okay dear? You seem winded,” Patty said.

Autumn leaned back into the cushion and sprawled out lazily with her knees apart, looking like she wasn’t going to move again anytime soon. She turned her head towards her mother, slow and lethargic. “What? (pant) I’m not winded mom (gasp) I’m just breathing.”

Patty watched as her daughter’s grossly obese and overstuffed belly moved up and down with each slow and labored breath. She had taken her cardigon off and her figure was now on full display in that dress.

Standing up Autumn could still look the part of an ultra-curvy, ultra-thick hourglass shaped vixen, but once seated, every fold, roll, bulge, crease and dimpled mass of spreading flab was completely visible, whether beneath the fabric of her dress or not.

Patty was stunned and appalled by just how much bigger Autumn’s body was than it used to be, especially up close. So much bigger everywhere it was like she had become a different person.

Patty leaned over and put her hand on Autumn’s forehead.  “You’re not getting sick are you, you feel a little warm.”

“Mom, (pant) seriously, I’m fine. I just need to (gasp) sit and relax for a second.” Autumn tilted her head toward Mike who was in the kitchen with Steven. “Baby (gasp) can you grab me some more wine?”

“Red or white?” Mike said.

Autumn sat up a little so her voice would carry across the room. “Let me (pant) try the chard.”

Patty raised her eyebrows and looked at Autumn. “Wow I guess chivalry is alive and well. Nice to see a man that knows his way around a kitchen.” She turned toward Mike and watched him grab a bottle of Sonoma county reserve then looked back at her daughter, knowing this would likely be her third or fourth glass. “Does he always wait on you like this? You didn’t reaggravate your knee did you?”

Autumn sighed and sank back into the couch, letting her arms hang limp at her sides as if they were too heavy to lift. She had eaten way too much again, way too quickly and she felt uncomfortably full and bloated. Her inner thighs rubbed together with budding perspiration, her belly was getting squeezed by the added tightness in her dress and her bra dug annoyingly into her back fat and upper love handles and yet somehow all of these things added up to her feeling wickedly sexy and sinfully intoxicated by her own deliciousness, boob sweat, gassiness, heartburn and all.  She turned to her mother. “No, (huff) my knee is fine, why?”

“You just don’t seem very light on your feet these days.”

Autumn rolled her eyes. “(gasp) I’m wearing heels and my hips are killing me from sitting so long in those hard dining room chairs.”

“Hey, those were a wedding gift.”

“They’re too small (huff) and not very comfy.”

Patty’s eyes danced from Autumn’s flush cheeks and double chin, to her dimpled and pillowy white arms to her doughy and bloated buddha belly; to her hips which were so wide they nearly took up the entire couch cushion. “Are you getting enough exercise, what about your weight honey?”

The two women paused for a moment as Mike showed up with a wine glass filled two thirds full. “Here you go babe,” he said, handing it to Autumn. “Can I get you something Patty?”

Patty peered up at him and gave a fake smile that wouldn’t fool a soul. “No thank you I’m fine.”

Mike nodded and looked at Patty and Autumn curiously. He could tell they were in the middle of something and it seemed best for him not to interfere. He gave his wife a quick look of encouragement before rejoining his brother-in-law in the kitchen.

Autumn took a big sip of her chardonnay, then glared at Patty. “What about my weight mom?”

“I know the pandemic was difficult for all of us,” Patty said.

“What are you (pant) trying to say?”

Patty shifted her knees so she could face Autumn more directly. “Well I mean your body has obviously changed a lot in the last couple years, are you working towards trying to shed some of the corona weight? Are you getting any exercise?”

Autumn took a deep breath and gave Patty a heavy eye roll. “Oh my god mom, (gasp) why is this even an issue for you? (huff, pant) Why do you always need to make a comment about someone’s weight everytime I see you?”

“I’m just concerned that’s all, you know that there’s nothing more important than your health.”

Autumn tried to wiggle her hips into a more comfortable position but she found it difficult to move. “Oh really?” she said sarcastically.  (pant) Health is important? (huff) Thank you for the information I had no idea.”

Patty’s eyebrows slanted with sympathy. “I’ve just never known you to be such a big eater. Are you unhappy, are you stressed?”

“Mom please (pant) I’m a 31 year old woman. I can take care of myself. But I am happy, very happy.”

“I’m just not used to seeing you like this,” Patty said.

“Like what?”

“Seeing you so, so much…bigger.”

Autumn brought her wine to her lips and subtracted another inch. “Stop it. (huff, gasp) I know I gained weight but I’m not that big. Not that it matters anyway. How much I weigh is none of your business.”

“Mom and Autumn?” Steven said from across the room.

Patty froze for a second then turned toward her son. “Yes?”

“Wanna go see if Boppa and the kids are ready for pie?”

“Pie already? I’m still so full from dinner,” Patty said.

Autumn, eager to get away, looked at her husband, then at her brother. “Dessert sounds good, (huff) I’ll go get them.” She put her wine on the end table then spread her legs apart and rocked herself forward in an attempt to get up. Patty noticed the way she now needed to put both hands on her knees to lift herself into a standing position.

The effort notwithstanding, Autumn took a deep breath and with an arched back lurched upwards, only to find herself sinking back into the sofa a second later.

Mike could see from the kitchen that she was too full, heavy, tired, and too much of a princess to go through the strain of getting up under her own power, and he was by her side in an instant, relishing moments like this.

“Whoah whoa whoa, hang on honey let me me help you,” he said, and with both hands he got her to her feet. “You shouldn’t try and exert yourself like that right after dinner.”

Autumn stared into his eyes and let her belly and breasts press gently against his pelvis and stomach. “(gasp)Thank you (huff) baby.”

Patty glared at them, disgusted. “Are you sure you didn’t reaggravate your knee?”

Autumn turned her head away from her husband and looked down at her. “Please mom, (huff) stop.”

Hours later, right after all the family had left and gone back to their rented place in North Seattle, Autumn sat down on the wicker stool in their spacious master bathroom.

“Oh (huff, pant) my god,” she said between gasps. “feet…(gasp)killing me.” She was still slightly stoned and somewhere between tipsy and drunk. She was holding her phone, scrolling through some of the photos her mom had sent her, taken during the course of the evening. “Uhhh, (gasp) god I look fucking gigantic in these pictures! (huff) These angles are terrible. (hiccup, burb)Am I really that much (pant) bigger than fucking Julia?”

Mike put his hands on her shoulders, leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “You are stunning. You were wonderful tonight.”

Autumn put her phone down on the edge of the bathtub then placed both hands on her belly. “Oooh, (pant) I’m sooo (hiccup) stuffed. I should not have had..oooh..(gasp) that last piece of pie, (pant) and you gave me way too much ice cream.”

Mike walked behind her and continued massaging her shoulders and neck from the back. He looked down and smiled as he felt her body react to his touch.  “You ate a lot tonight.”

“Mmm…you noticed?”

“Of course I did.”

She leaned forward in her seat so she could unfasten her heels, and while doing so she gave her husband a spectacular view of her ass and hips. “Enhh, (gasp) ehh, (huff) little help?”

Mike pried his eyes away from her derriere, came around to the front of her stool then kneeled at her feet. He clasped her foot and shapely calf with both hands, then slowly proceeded to unfasten the strap around the exposed soft skin of her delicate, yet slightly swollen ankle.

She moaned with delight. “Ooohh…It’s just so hard (gasp, pant) with my belly and boobs (huff) always in the way you know?”

Mike smiled up at her and after pulling the second shoe off he tossed it to the side next to the other. “I’ll bet that feels better.”

“(gasp)Mmhmm.” She gestured toward the pack of cigarettes on the counter. “Can (pant) you just reach my…”

He sprang up, grabbed her a smoke, placed it between her eager lips and lit it for her.

“Phewww! (gasp, huff) Thank you baby,” she said, filling the room with smoke. “ God I thought (cough) they’d never leave.”

Mike turned on the fan, leaned against the counter and shrugged. “I thought it went well didn’t you?”

She took another long drag, making it look deliciously satisfying. “It was fine, (cough) family is family I suppose.”

“Was your mom giving you a hard time about something?”

She pointed her smoldering cigarette toward the cupboards. “Can you load up the thing, (pant) I really need to decompress.”

He nodded. “Yeah sure.”

“My mom (huff) thinks I’m too fat.”

Mike bent down and took out the paraphernalia. “Why do you think that?”

“I can just tell, (gasp, huff) I know how (hiccup) she is, so old-fashioned.” She grimaced, adjusted her bra strap and put her hand on her overstuffed gut. “Oooff, (pant) I’m so full baby, I need you to help me get this off so (huff) I can breathe.”

“Yeah, yeah of course.” He put the bong down and came to her aid.

After the clumsy, breathy, sweaty and cumbersome ordeal of peeling the dress off, Autumn, now sitting naked on the stool, picked up her smoldering cigarette from the ashtray and said, “Do you think (pant) I’m too fat?”

Mike stared like a dead fish, still awestruck by her nakedness. “Do you really need to ask me that?” He took a step toward her. “I think you’re perfect, and I can prove it.” He turned his body to the side, displaying his rock hard manhood currently pitching a huge tent in his pants.

She puffed on her smoke and smiled, then took her hand away from her belly. “Like what (pant) you see huh?” She curled her toes around the wooden frame of her stool, arched her back and pushed her tummy out in front of her. “You know baby (gasp) that this is by far the biggest I have ever been.”

Mike gulped. “Umm, bigger than you were last year?”

She lowered her voice to slow and sultry purr, her speech altered from the wine. “I think so baby. (pant) I know you haven't said anything recently, but I’ve gained some weight since the wedding.” She made a pouty face with her lips and stared at him for a long moment. “Ooopsi.”

“How do you know?”

“I can just tell. (gasp) I can tell by how much my ass jiggles when I walk, (huff, pant) and by how heavy it feels. My boobs have gotten a lot bigger too, don’t pretend you haven't noticed.”

Mike swallowed as his heart rate accelerated. He felt emboldened by her drunkenness, and he wanted to take advantage of it the best he could.  “I guess we better see exactly how much you’ve gained.” He looked into her eyes and smiled. “Or do you really think life’s too short to worry about something as shallow as a number on a scale.”

She smiled back, then took another long and provocative drag off her cigarette. “Maybe I am shallow, (huff) and I want to find out.”

Mike quickly went into the cupboards beneath and between the two bathroom sinks, pulled out the scale and placed it on the floor. He reached his hand toward her. “Help the lady to her feet?”

She looked at him blank faced for a second, then rolled her eyes and giggled quietly. She put out her cigarette then held out her hands. “Wow, someone is getting a little excited.”

The cheap scale sounded like it might break when she stepped on, and Mike kneeled down to get a reading.

“Shit,” he said.

“What?”

“It just says error.”

“Oh my god. (gasp, huff) How high does this scale go up to?”

“350.”

Autumn’s hands clasped her face. “Oh my god! (huff) Fuck me!”

Mike stood up and smiled. He grabbed by the waist and pulled her close. “Fuck you is right,” he whispered.

She fell into him, pressing him into the counter. She kissed him on the lips, then gazed into his eyes. “Holy shit (gasp, wheeze) I’ve gotten so fucking fat baby. She put one hand on her belly as she let it squish against his belt. “(huff, gasp) I honestly can’t believe this is really my body sometimes, but then the actual reality hits me (pant) and I get really horny for you.”

He put his chin on her shoulder and held her close and tight, one hand on her ass and the other groping her love handles. “My poor baby has gotten too big for her scale.”

She nodded meekly. “Yeah, (pant) you’ll have to get me a new one. Or maybe it’s just a sign that I really need to (gasp) lose some weight.”

“No no baby, I’ll get a new scale tomorrow morning, first thing.”

She pursed her lips in thought for a moment, then said, “After you (pant) make me breakfast.”

He smiled and let his shoulders relax. “Okay second thing.”

“Get one that (pant) goes up to 400, no 500!” She tilted her head back so she could see his face. “Or do you think that’s too much?”

He looked into her eyes. “Baby, even if you weigh 700 pounds I’m still going to be madly in love with you and chasing you all around the house until the day I die.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Not going to be much of a chase (pant) if I let myself get that big.”

He put his hands on her shoulders then started squeezing and massaging her upper arms. He looked her up and down and sighed. “Did it piss you off, when they were talking about the corona stuff, saying that its the obese smokers that die and stuff?”

She rolled her eyes. “It pisses me off that companies like Pfizer and Moderna have instilled so much fear into people to make money, (pant, huff) and everyone just rolls over and goes with it.” She brushed some hair away from her face and looked up at him.  She smirked. “But honestly (gasp) a lot of that obesity talk and stuff turned me on, and it…oooohh…made me really want a cigarette.”

He pulled her close again. “You’re turning into such a bad girl, and I love you for it.”

“Mmmm…you need to stop (pant) getting side-tracked and finish getting the thingy ready for me.”

“I’m sorry baby you’re just so fucking distracting.”

He turned, managing to pry his eyes away from the mesmerizing naked goddess of beauty that she was. He finished loading the bong then looked at her again, still standing before him in all her glory. “Okay, you need to sit down?”

She nodded emphatically and fanned herself with her hand. “Yeah.” She turned around, wiggled to the toilet and sat down. “Ooohhh, (gasp) it’s getting a little tight in here, god my hips…ehh, (huff) always in the way.”

He handed her the bong. “Maybe I’ll get us a new toilet, and widen this area out a little.”

“Yeah, (pant) I need more room.”

She brought the mouthpiece to her lips and Mike lit the stem with the cigar torch. She inhaled deeply, then coughed.

Mike looked down at her. It was still weird for him, seeing his wife develop such a taste for Amsterdam’s finest over the past year, but he supposed it was all his fault for buying her edibles in the first place. He glanced at the bong, clutched tightly in her manicured fingers, he looked at the smoldering cherry, still half green. “Let me try some of that.”

Her eyes shot into his. “Are you sure?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

She handed it to him and he blazed up as memories of his college days came flooding back.

Autumn watched him cough and his eyes water. She smiled and held out her hand. “Now take me (pant) to bed Spicoli.”

Chapter 22

Mike and Autumn spent the remaining month of 2022 in a state of opulent romantic bliss that only comes with the passions and lustful exuberance of a young married couple in love.

Mike bought a new bathroom scale with capabilities up to 500 pounds and called it an early Christmas present. On Black Friday, (the same day he bought it) it was revealed that Autumn was 363 pounds. Her reaction to this shrill and strident truth, this reality that she had eaten herself deep into obesity, surprised Mike.

It surprised him because her reaction was no reaction.

She didn’t seem shocked, she didn’t seem scared or disgusted or even concerned in the slightest.

Was she really okay with it?

Mike could understand why she felt sexier as she put on weight early on in their relationship. She gained in all the right places and her growing curves only added to and complimented her stunning natural beauty; but that was back when she was still under 200 pounds.

At 363 she was far beyond the point where she could simply change a few habits, get a little exercise and get back into some sort of reasonable shape. She could hardly walk around for more than a few minutes without getting out of breath and complaining of knee and foot pain; and it seemed unlikely she would conjure the motivation or discipline to push herself into any type of regular workout routine again.

She didn’t have the time anyway. They no longer lived in an apartment building right above a gym, and the 8 or 9 hours she spent at work in front of her laptop drained most of her energy.

Whatever time she had away from work she wanted to spend with her husband, and she loved the way he loved her and made her feel so wanted and so sexy. The way he touched, worshiped and adored her expanding body, the way he fed and waited on her so attentively, and with such admiration, appreciation and affection.

With her love of food and no immediate reason to restrain her self-indulgent tendencies, new weight continued to cling to her ever-softening and now almost comically voluptuous figure.

Heavily fueled by her growing propensity for marijuana; gingerbread cookies, chocolate fudge, Swedish Kringle, cheesecake and cartons of eggnog found their way down Autumn’s throat over the holiday season in quantities that Mike found staggering when compared to what she consumed when they first started dating.

He didn’t have to try anymore. She didn’t need his encouragement.

She was teasing him and tempting him constantly. She would send him pictures of herself with a full, bloated belly after a huge lunch during the weekdays. She would brag about how much she ate, how much she was snacking and how delicious it all was. She would tell him about how she couldn’t wait for him to get home because she wanted to step on the scale for him. Everything was foreplay, everything revolved around eating and sex.

The holidays seemed to make her more relaxed about what she ate and her weight, but she was also compulsively seeking out food and binge eating on a regular basis, all on her own. She was normalizing it in her own mind, and during an event like Christmas dinner at Mike’s parent’s house, people were taking notice.

While most of the women were still having their after-dinner coffee and dessert around the kitchen table, Mike and his dad John slipped into the living room to catch some of the football game.

“Looks like Autumn’s sure been enjoying married life,” John said. “Seems like she’s having trouble putting the fork down.”

Mike turned up the volume on the TV and walked further away from the kitchen. “Excuse me?”

John took a sip from his bottle of winter ale, then turned to his son. “It happens with women after they tie the knot sometimes.”

With the remote in hand, Mike crossed his arms and sighed. He had known a conversation like this was coming, and he was actually surprised it hadn’t come sooner, but he dreaded it nonetheless, especially because it was with his father a few beers deep. “Are you trying to give me advice?”

John looked across the room and into the kitchen. He watched Autumn reach for another shortbread thumbprint cookie while chatting away with his wife Debbie and his daughter Megan. “Hey I’ve been married 35 years,” John said, “don’t you think I might have a few useful tips to share about women?”

“Okay, what do you know about women dad?”

John shrugged and lowered his voice. “I know that you’ve got to get a gym membership and start exercising together. You can’t just tell a woman she’s getting fat, in fact never ever do that. What you can do is suggest working out as a couple, then lead by example and she’ll take the hint.” He took another swig of beer, then smiled. “Otherwise these girls you know, they’ll just keep getting bigger if you let em.”

Mike was flabbergasted by the words that were coming out of his father’s mouth. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to hear but it definitely wasn’t that.

John glanced at his wife, then leaned toward Mike. “You know your mom struggled with her weight quite a bit in the years after you and your sister were born.”

“I uh…I didn’t know that.”

“She used to be a jogger when we started dating, but after the wedding and the kids…all that stopped and the pounds kinda crept up on her. You know how I handled it?”

Mike sighed and rolled his eyes. “How did you handle it dad?”

“I didn’t say anything about it, I didn’t criticize her at all I just bought us both some new running shoes, told her I was getting some for myself but that I got a discount if I got her a pair too.”

“Wow dad, that is very clever of you.”

“Okay knock it off you little punk.” He gave his son a playful shove in the shoulder. “Seriously though, remember what I told you.” He turned and made a gesture towards Autumn and then in a whisper said, “It’s not good to be carrying around so much extra weight like that.”

Mike looked at his wife and he found that he was smiling. His dad may have been old fashioned and a tad politically incorrect but he wasn’t wrong, and he couldn’t blame him for saying something either.

Indeed, Autumn had gained a ridiculous amount of weight in the past few years. If someone would have told Mike in December of 2019 that his curvy girlfriend of 180 pounds would have turned into his wife of 360 pounds in the timespan of 3 years he would’ve said they were crazy.

But there she was, as real as the day was long, sitting 20 feet in front of him. She was so fat that even his usually respectful and tight-lipped father, (his father that always adored Autumn’s beauty almost as much as he did) had to voice his concerns. And yet it was these awkward moments with family members, the shock on their faces, the scolding tones, passive aggressive remarks or disapproving comments that seemed to excite Mike and turn him on as much as anything had ever turned him on in his life.

He wondered if it turned Autumn on too.

With the way she had been shamelessly asking for second helpings and eating so ravenously right in front of them, he didn’t doubt it, and that thought alone turned him on even more.

By the end of December, the end of 2022, Autumn weighed in at an incredible 375 pounds. She was nothing but curves and her body had become truly a sight to behold, but as erotic as it was to see the numbers go up on the scale, with the new year looming even she had to know she couldn’t go on like this for much longer, as the results of her over-indulgences were beginning to seriously affect her health and mobility.

The weeks continued to pass however and she seemed to become all the more entrenched in the habits she had formed during the pandemic. Work took over, life took over, and Autumn’s occasional bursts of motivation to quit smoking, eat less, and get physically active were often forgotten as soon as she became hungry again, or as soon as her husband returned home from work with takeout food for her, or as soon as he squeezed her arms, rubbed her belly or buried his face between her still growing tits. He’d bring her food, let her eat, sometimes feed her, rip her clothes off and fuck the shit out of her, always making her feel like the sexiest woman on the planet not despite the extra poundage but because of it.

It was no wonder that by March of 2023 Autumn’s weight was at an all time high.

Mike started the dishwasher then turned to her in the living room. “You doing alright, need something?”

It was a Saturday afternoon and Autumn was sprawled out comfortably on the sofa.

With knees bent and her calves tucked beneath her thighs, she looked at him pouty-faced. “Uhhh, (gasp) I need a cigarette but I don’t want to get up.”

She tossed the gray fleece blanket off her legs, sat up straight then began to slowly scoot herself forward.

It wasn’t easy.

It was only 2 pm and she had already absentmindedly nearly eaten herself into a food coma.

Having slept in until 11, she had her usual weekend brunch in bed, prepared and delivered by her husband. Today it was waffles with berries and whipped cream along with 4 strips of bacon, hash browns and scrambled eggs; sides which had become mainstays that always accompanied whatever she was having for breakfast on a given day.

After the late morning meal she transferred herself over to the living room and camped out on the sofa, letting only an hour or so pass before she began scrolling through her phone in search of new and interesting restaurants to try on doordash.

Online food delivery was getting too easy, too convenient, and it was now a normal thing for her to order something delicious via doordash several times per week, sometimes multiple times per day as Mike often drove the car to work.

Although it was one of her usual favorites, she had settled on Ezell’s famous fried chicken, and after grazing on several tender strips, a couple of drumsticks, a few rolls and a side of mac and cheese over consecutive episodes of The Office, she was completely stuffed and uncomfortably bloated.

Mike, presently still in the kitchen, watched as she struggled to move. “Baby what are you doing?” He scurried to her aid. She was wearing only panties and a t-shirt. There was so much fat in her thighs that they pressed together like pillows all the way to her knees, or at least to where her legs bent, as her patellas were now so buried in blubber they appeared nonexistent. “You shouldn’t try and overexert yourself like that, let me help.”

She gazed up at him and rolled her eyes, but let him hoist her to her feet with both hands. “Okay (pant) but you really need to stop doing this all the time.”

He pulled her close and let her belly ooze into his pelvis. “But I love doing it.”

“I know (gasp) but it’s teaching me to be lazy and I’m afraid I’ll get too used to it. It’s like my whole body goes limp when you’re around, (pant) and you’re usually around.”

“So what?” he said in a lustful whisper. “I’ll help you anytime, day or night. You are a queen, and you should be treated like a queen.”

“Well I don’t need (huff) your help to get up you know.”

Mike smiled. “I know baby, It’s just fun for me.” He put his hand around her waist, quickly snuck behind her then sat down on the sofa, pulling her onto his lap in one fluid movement. Her ass was so soft and warm and squishy and her hips looked to spread out at least three or maybe even four times wider than his own. She felt so heavy, so wonderful, so big and gushy all over. He could’ve let her sit on his lap all day if he didn’t feel like he was getting crushed.

“Hey! (gasp, huff) What are you doing?” she said breathlessly.

He pressed his face into the center of her back and started caressing her belly with his hands. He kicked her feet off the coffee table and let all of her weight sink into him. “I just need to hold you for a second, this is like medicine for me.”

She turned her head. “Ooohh, am I (pant) squishing you?”

He stared at her pink panties and the way her beautiful and perfectly round butt cheeks seemed to be sucking them into her deepening buttcrack. “Yes baby, I don’t even think I can get you off me.”

She wiggled her hips. “Oh you poor boy.”

“You like squishing me with your fat ass don’t you.”

She leaned backward, pinning Mike’s torso against the back cushion. She wiggled her hips again. “A real lady (pant) would never admit to something like that.”

He held her hips and despite his enjoyment of the moment, he grimaced from the pressure of her ass pushing downward onto his comparatively bony thighs. “Fair enough.”

She paused, savoring the power she had over him then said, “Okay now you (gasp) can help me up.”

“So you do need my help.” He placed both of his hands on the naked white skin of her butt cheeks and shoved her forward with all his strength.

With feet on the carpet she stood up straight and after a toss of her hair she turned toward him. “I just know (pant) how much you like to feel important.”

He stood. “We’re going outside yeah?”

“Yeah but…eh (gasp) I don’t want to put my pants back on.” She gave her panties a tug. “I really need to go up a size again.”

“Well we really shouldn’t be smoking in the bathroom unless it’s freezing out.” Mike grabbed the blanket from the sofa. “Just cover yourself in this.” He gave it to her and watched as she begrudgingly wrapped it around her immense hips. “No pants are the best pants remember.”

She wiggled her newly manicured toes into her fluffy Ugg slippers while holding the blanket tight to her waist. “If only I could (pant) dress like this all the time.”

“You can if you want.”

She rolled her eyes and held out her hand so Mike could help keep her balance while she navigated around the coffee table. “Come on, (pant) I’m not that lazy.”

Outside on the back porch Autumn sat down in the bowl shaped Papasan chair, her hips filling it to its capacity despite its large size.

Mike grabbed the silver case that was left on the low patio table, took out a cigarette, placed it between her lips and lit it.

“I really need to (gasp) get some exercise, baby,” she said after blowing smoke into the air. “My legs have never felt this weak before.”

He stood next to her and took a puff on his disposable THC vape pen, a habit he had picked up after Thanksgiving. He was all too familiar with addiction, as it was something he struggled with personally in his early 20’s; and while he still abstained from alcohol, he justified the cannabis to himself so long as he kept it to disposables and edibles, despite his wife having no such qualms.  “If it clears up maybe we could go for a walk around the block.”

Autumn looked up at the fascia wood of the awning that covered the patio, then gazed toward the small lawn that made up most of their backyard as the soft rain continued its calming pitter-patter from above.  “Yeah I think that would be a good idea.” She took a drag off her smoke. “I just wish (cough) I had the energy.”

Mike bent down and took one of her half-smoked pre-rolls from the table. “Try this one again.”

She took it and pinched it between the fingers of her left hand. “Is this the euphoria?”

“Yeah I think so.”

She placed it between her lips and Mike lit it with his zippo. She made a face and coughed. “Oooh (cough, cough) it's strong, burns too hot.” Drawing her other hand to her mouth, she gave a quick puff on her cigarette then began slowly bending her knees up and down, stretching her quads and ankle muscles. “God my legs (cough) feel so sore.” She looked up at her husband. “(gasp) Is it too early for wine?”

He smiled. “It’s Saturday baby, you worked hard all week and you can have wine anytime you want.”

She took a pull from the blunt. “Uhhh, (cough) don’t tempt me.”

He crouched down in front of her and gently massaged her thigh. He gazed into her eyes. The sparse and casual makeup she wore looked perfect, and Mike would be damned if she didn’t look every bit as beautiful as she did when she was 27.

Her face still mesmerized him and radiated intense beauty.

Her cheeks had become puffier over the years, but the Kybella procedure she did before the wedding kept her double chin in check for the time being, giving her face an appearance that didn’t match the amount of weight she carried in her body at all, and yet somehow, it fit her and looked right.

He gazed longingly at her legs and hips as with that huge blanket wrapped around she looked absolutely gigantic. “You don’t tempt me.”

She looked at him expressionless for a moment, then took another drag off her Camel. “We should (pant) probably start thinking about (cough) what we’re doing for dinner.”

He smiled to himself, but looked at her blankly. “I was thinking of ordering pizza, and maybe making some cinnamon rolls for dessert or something.”

Her eyebrows perked up. “Mmmm, the kind you made last time with the (pant) cream cheese frosting?”

“If that’s what you want, I’ll make it.”

“So just stay in and be lazy all day?”

He smiled, for real this time, then stood and took a puff on his vape. “Why not? The weather sucks.” He stepped forward and gave her upper arm a firm squeeze. “Maybe we can get in a little, um…nap time too.”

She smirked. “If you’re lucky.”

He took a longer pull on his vape and looked down at her.

Fucking hell.

He needed to know how much she weighed.

Whether she realized it or not, Mike knew that she had to be creeping ever closer towards a milestone that to him would be nothing less than mind-blowing.

The more he thought about it, the more obsessed he became with it.

It was a tricky thing though. When Autumn was in certain moods she seemed to get as excited about a weigh in as he did, but those moods were sometimes few and far between and often impossible to predict or for Mike to get a read on.

It was a subject that had to be approached delicately.

He soaked her in with his eyes again.

Damn she was so big, so curvy, so sexy.

Too big, too curvy, and way too sexy.

Fuck it.

He cleared his throat. “Maybe we could get you on the scale?”

“No no stop it.” She waved her cigarette at him and blushed. He was the only person on earth that could make her blush like that. “I really don’t want to think about that right now, (pant) and I still feel weird about it sometimes, especially because I’m always like way way heavier than I look.”

If he was disappointed he didn’t let it show. “Yeah, of course baby.”

She took a final drag on her cigarette before extinguishing it in the ashtray on the low table in front of her. “I really need to (cough) quit smoking.”

Mike quickly pulled another Camel out of her cigarette case. “Here I got ya.” He placed it in her mouth and lit it.

She sucked in her cheeks, exhaled then coughed. “(cough)Thank you.”

“Of course baby.”

When she finished her second fag and the remainder of her pre-roll she put her hands on her huge pillowy knees, still covered by the fleece and looked at her husband. “Okay (gasp, pant) so whenever I’m sitting (burp) in this chair, I definitely need your help.”

Mike raised his left brow. He didn’t remember having ever heard her say that about that chair before. “Yeah you sink pretty low in that one, comfy though yeah?”

She rocked forward and let him hoist her to her feet. “Ennhh, (gasp) yeah.” The blanket fell and Mike picked it up and rewrapped her dimpled legs and wobbling hips.  “Ooohh, (pant) thank you.”

He took her by the hand. “Of course baby, now let's get you inside so you can get off your feet. I’ll pour you a glass of Pinot, sound good?” He pulled the sliding glass door open wide so she could enter first.

“Yes, (gasp) that sounds perfect.”

The days and weeks went on. Autumn continued to excel at her job and her job continued to demand all of her mental capacity. In the evenings and weekends she wanted nothing more than to turn her brain off, relax, indulge in a little greenery, a little wine, plop in front of the TV and eat.

Whether she was willing to step on the scale or not, it seemed obvious to Mike, she was still gaining weight.

Chapter 23

In the beginning of 2023 Autumn and Sydney started having monthly girl nights, usually ordering lots of food and drinking way too much wine, sometimes to the point where Sydney would end up spending the night in the guest bedroom.

By summertime, with the two friends progressively feeding off each other’s habits, their drunken get-togethers had turned into a weekly routine.

“Oh my god, (pant) thanks again for breakfast Mike,” Sydney said, “That was beyond delicious. (huff) I don’t think I need to eat again for a week.” She slid her chair back and stood up next to the round kitchen table.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning in June, and the girls had just finished their omelets and Belgian waffles with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Mike shoved the Kitchen-Aid mixer against the wall then looked at Sydney from the other side of the counter.

She had changed.

Her hair was no longer pink but now her natural brown, her glasses had been replaced by contacts and her punk-rocker wardrobe had morphed into the more contemporary and stretchy athleisure that seemed to now be the style for every woman on the planet.

She’d changed in other ways too.

He remembered thinking that she was at least 50 pounds heavier than Autumn when he first met her at that softball game on Capitol Hill.

Damn, that was 4 years ago.

Autumn was only around 160 pounds back then.

But like his wife, the covid years had done a number on Sydney’s figure.

She was bigger all over, and had to now be over 300 pounds by Mike’s estimation, and these more frequent slumber parties weren't doing her waistline any favors.

He watched as Sydney tugged on her lululemons and pulled down on her top. She was painfully full and her clothing looked ready to burst at the seams.

Holy fuck she was fat.

“It was my pleasure,” Mike said. “You girls ever gonna invite Tabitha over?”

“Uhhh, she’s always on a diet and she’s no fun anymore,” Sydney said, patting her huge gut. “She gets up at 6 every morning and goes to the gym. Who even does that?”

Autumn, still seated at the table, fanned herself with her hand. “God (pant) I can’t even imagine.”

Sydney wrapped her finger around the ends of her shoulder length hair and made a pouty face. “She makes us feel judged.”

Mike looked at her curiously. “Oh, really?” He had been delightfully amused by the developing closeness between the two women.

Sydney had always been fat, and he liked that Autumn had a fat friend; an eating and drinking buddy who wouldn’t make her feel self-conscious about her size or appetite in the slightest.

Mike could tell why they enjoyed hanging out together. He thought it was mostly a big excuse to eat lots of food as perhaps the company of a like-minded peer helped normalize what could only be described as binge eating or flat out gluttony.

Autumn scooted her chair back with a dull screech against the oak flooring. She spread her legs apart and put her hands on her knees. She rocked forward, then back. She gave Sydney a quick glance. “Oooff, (gasp) can you give me a hand girl.”

Sydney smiled and helped get Autumn to her feet. “Oh man you look more full than even me.”

Autumn, slightly out of breath, looked at Sydney. “Mmm, (huff, gasp) I know. It feels so good. (pant) Mike makes the best breakfasts I just (hiccup) couldn’t stop eating.”

Sydney’s eyes narrowed as a devious smile formed on her lips. Having been inspired by Autumn and the seemingly fucking perfect relationship she had with Mike, Sydney now had a steady boyfriend of her own who, (for once in her life) loved and adored her body not in spite of her size but because of it.

She knew from all her late night wine-fueled talks with her best friend, all about how Mike appreciated Autumn’s curves and weight gain, and Sydney thought she had a pretty good grasp as to why Mike enjoyed cooking for them so much.

“He really does, doesn't he,” she said to Autumn in a whisper. She turned to Mike in the kitchen as he continued to do dishes. “You’re a great cook Mike! (huff) You’re gonna turn us into a couple of blimps.”

He looked at the two girls standing next to each other. Both were around 5 foot 5 inches tall; and both were clearly obese. Together they looked to him like the ultimate example of excess, instant gratification, privilege, sloth and indulgence; in other words the modern American woman in a so-called post-covid world.

They still carried their weight very differently. Sydney was broader at the shoulders and top heavy compared to the curvier and more classically feminine cello-like figure that Autumn possessed.

His wife was dressed in comfy loungewear of pale pink waffle knit leggings and a matching short sleeve top. She looked enormous, especially her bottom half.

Goddamn those hips.

Her thighs were bigger than Sydney’s, her ass was bigger and much rounder, but her waist was smaller, her tits were smaller and her arms, (despite their girthy plushness) were smaller and more delicate.

Sydney was pretty in her own way, and Mike had to say that the extra pounds and changes in her style made her much more attractive, but she had never been the total stunner that his wife had been, and still was.

Fuck he felt lucky to be married to a woman so blessed in the looks department.

He smiled. “I will cook for you ladies, anytime.”

The girls giggled then Autumn put her hands on Sydney’s shoulders and looked her in the eye. “You know you can (pant) shower here if you ever need to.”

“I know I know, (huff) I just want to get home while Kegan is gone so I can nurse this headache.”

“He went on a hike?”

Sydney nodded. “Yeah.” She smiled, and in an attempt to mimic her boyfriend's voice said, “I know we’re missing out on all the fun and beautiful nature.”

Autumn laughed. “(huff)I’m sure he’s not complaining.” She glanced at her husband still working away in the kitchen, his pull-up bar installed in the doorway behind him next to his road bicycle hanging in the laundry room.  She turned back to Sydney. “(gasp) I love how the men in our lives are always (pant) being all active and healthy and we’re over here just (hiccup, gasp)stuffing our faces…(burp, gasp) oooh… (hiccup)” With a look of discomfort Autumn leaned towards the table took a quick sip of her bloody mary. “You sure you don’t (hiccup) want one of these?”

Sydney smiled then shook her head. “I’m okay, thank you. I love you.” She gave Autumn a very fluffy and boobalicious hug.

“Love you too,” Autumn said.

Sydney turned and headed towards the door. “Bye Mike, until next time. Bye Samson, wherever you are.”

Mike smiled. “Bye Syd.”

He dried his hands then went to his wife. He stood behind her, put his arms around her waist and watched as Sydney’s Toyota Corolla pulled out of their driveway. “She seems happy,” he said.

Autumn wiggled her ass against his jeans as she relished in the feeling of his fingers caressing her overstuffed belly. “Yeah, (pant) Kegan is good for her I think.” She turned towards the living room. The coffee table was covered in high-end pizza boxes and two empty bottles of cheap wine. She gasped at the sight. “(huff)Oh my god babe, (pant) we drank way too much last night.”

“Yeah sorry I didn’t get a chance to clean that up yet. Looks like you girls had fun though. You were out cold when I got back.”

“We’re so old and lame, (huff)  Sydney and I can barely make it past midnight anymore.”

Mike fondled the soft overlapping rolls of pudge on her sides then down to the massive curves of her flaring hips.

When did her love handles get so hugely thick?

He placed his chin on her shoulder. “You feel like doing anything today?”

She playfully bumped her ass into his crotch then wiggled a couple steps towards the table and grabbed her bloody mary. “Uh, (gasp) I’m going to finish this outside, have a smoke, and then I am (pant) ready for nap time.”

Mike moved his eyebrows up and down. “Nap time, or…naapp time?”

“Nap time.”

He shrugged. “Which one is that again?”

She came towards him and pointed her finger into his chest. “(huff)You know maybe if you smoked real weed (gasp) you wouldn’t be so horny all the time.”

He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her close. His voice lowered to a deep and sexy growl. “Impossible, not when I’m waking up to you every morning, not when you’re teasing me all around the house and being so fucking sexy all the time.”

“I’m not even (pant) doing anything.” She smiled and rolled her eyes. “(pant) Come outside with me.” She started walking towards the back sliding doors, although it was more of a wiggly waddle than a walk.  “I can’t get out of that (huff) stupid chair without you, remember?”

After finishing her drink and her smokes, Mike helped her into bed, but by the time her head hit the pillow she was out of breath and exhausted.

“You okay baby? You need to just rest and let that food digest for a bit?”

Laying on her side, she nodded weakly. “Yeah, (gasp) I think so.”

He pulled the comforter off her hip, climbed on the end of the bed and straddled his knees over her lower legs and calves. He gazed down at her amazingly huge body, her upper thigh now looking wider than his own torso, her belly spilling onto the mattress and covering her pelvis like an apron.

She had become so big she made the king sized bed they bought right before the wedding look more like the old queen sized mattress they had back in their Belltown apartment.

He placed his hand on her hip and gave it gentle nudge, then watched as it jiggled and wobbled back and forth for seconds afterwards. He jiggled her again, then rubbed his erect penis against her thigh, despite both of them still wearing pants. “God you are so beautiful.”

With her head on the pillow and her eyes closed she said, “Stop it, ehh…(pant) you’re so annoying.”

He continued to slowly dry hump her hip, then put one hand on her ass and the other on her belly and squeezed. She had so much more belly to grab now, and Mike couldn’t get over it. “I can’t help it.”

She yawned, arching her back and shoving her butt backwards towards the edge of the bed in the process. “(yawn)Oh my god. (gasp) Why don’t you go workout or go on a bike ride for like an hour, (huff) then come back and maybe I’ll be ready for you.”

He leaned in and kissed her upper arm, just beneath the hem of her sleeve. “Is that what you want?”

She gave her hips a little wiggle. “Well (pant) you can lay here with me but I have a feeling you won’t be able to keep your hands under control. (gasp) You'll end up turning me on and then I won't get any beauty rest.”

He lifted himself up with his knees still mounted over her legs. She had slept in until 10, got up just to eat a huge breakfast, and now she needed her rest again. He climbed out of bed and covered her with the satin sheet and down comforter. He gave her a kiss on the cheek.  “Okay sleeping beauty.”

He looked at her and smiled. She was getting lazy.

So beautifully and wonderfully lazy.

As the summer progressed it occurred to Mike that Autumn wasn’t nearly as willing to get out and do things as she used to be. He could blame it on the coronavirus rendering humans into societies of shut-ins, but he knew deep down, it was due to her size.

Her lifestyle had somehow become even more sedentary. She was smoking weed daily, drinking wine nightly, always snacking and whether she was aware of it or not, the pounds kept piling on.

Mike sometimes wondered if she was in a bit of denial as to how big she was getting.

Was that why she didn’t want to step on the scale?

Maybe she just didn’t care.

Her husband liked her curves so why wouldn’t she just eat her heart out?

Also, perhaps her weight didn’t seem like it was a problem because she stopped putting herself in situations where it might become a problem. All the things they did early on in the counting phase of their relationship were now things to be avoided.

Join a co-ed softball league again?

No thank you.

Go out to T-mobile park and catch an afternoon Mariners game?

What if she couldn’t squeeze into the seats?

What if there were stairs?

Go to the movies?

Seats.

Restaurant?

Seats.

Motorcycle ride?

Seat.

The Seattle Art Museum?

That’s a lot of walking.

Gun range?

A lot of standing.

Stay home, watch Netflix and order doordash?

Yes please.

She was usually hungry and exhausted anyway.

It was as if her lifestyle had reverted back to the way it was when she had her knee and ankle injury.

There were times of course when she had to get out of the house, although she usually saved those occasions for getting her hair and nails done, or for whatever shopping she couldn’t do online.

It was in October of 2023 however, that a bunch of big shots from London came to visit Oracle’s Seattle offices, and Autumn needed to be at work in person for an entire week.

With only one car it was decided she would drive herself to work and Mike would suit up in his rain gear and take the motorcycle.  Not long after the wedding, they had upgraded to the much roomier 2023 Nissan Pathfinder, as Autumn had sort of outgrown the old Honda-CRV.

Mike watched as his wife stood in the master bathroom and stuffed the last of the Whole Foods cheese danish between her lips. “I’m sorry you don’t have time to have a real breakfast baby,” he said.

She was wearing a form-fitting wine colored sweater dress, and she looked impossibly gorgeous and impossibly thick.

“It’s (munch, chew) okay, I just (chew) need to go.” She took a final puff on her cigarette before stabbing it out in the ashtray on the counter. Giving him an arousing whiff of her Chanel perfume, she wiggled past and towards the bedroom. “Can you grab (huff, cough) my laptop bag?”

He turned off the bathroom fan and followed her, grabbing the leather business tote on his way out. “Got it.”

He opened the door to the garage for her and then he opened the garage door itself and then the car door. He held her hand as she stepped up to get in the vehicle. It was only recently that he was coming to know that the simple logistics of having an ultra-curvy wife prosed a multitude of struggles if not for his constant attention.

It took a lot of effort, but he supposed anything or anyone worth possessing and keeping took effort. He would call it work to keep her happy, but he enjoyed every second and took great pleasure in making Autumn’s life as easy as possible, and in turn, she kept him on his toes and made him want to always do his best for her.

With her knees wedged between the steering wheel and seat, she wiggled and jiggled her butt around, fighting to get situated. “Did (huff, gasp) you adjust (pant) this yet?”

Mike nodded, still holding the door open. “Yeah, it should be good.” Although he was 6 inches taller, because of her girth she actually needed the seat further back than he did.

With her leg stretched towards the brake pedal she started the car, bounced and shimmied a few more times then tilted the wheel up a notch so that her thighs had adequate room. “Okay.” She yanked on the seatbelt, and had to lift her right butt cheek up just to get it buckled. “God (gasp, pant) this seatbelt feels way snugger than last time I drove, oooohh…(cough) I can (huff) barely move, is it pinched or something?”

The diagonal strap was tight to her chest and squishing her boobs and when she tried to lean forward more than a few inches, it ran out of slack. Mike hid his amusement and shrugged. “Should be the same as always.”

She gave him a look of disgust. “Uhh, (gasp) whatever. I definitely need my Starbucks today.”

He smiled in spite of her displeasure. “Okay, all the way in?”

She gave her hips one more scoot towards the center of the vehicle. “(huff)I think so.”

He shoved the door closed and she rolled down her window. He looked at her and smiled. “Good luck today, love you.”

She took a cigarette out of her purse and placed it between her crimson lips. He whipped out his zippo from his pocket, leaned in and lit it for her.

She took a quick drag then blew smoke towards the windshield. “Love (pant) you too.”

He gave her a long wet kiss on the lips but his head jolted back when she gave the window a short pulse upward.

She smiled. “Don’t mess up my lipstick.”

He smiled back and watched her drive away in the bleak grayness of morning.

He had never seen her more tired then after that first Monday.

It was such a basic and normal thing, going into work, but for Autumn it was something she had only done a handful of times in the past several years.

Her body wasn’t used to it, wasn't ready for it, and she had changed considerably since the last time she went into the office nearly a year and half ago.

“I (chew, chew)swear to god,” she said after a bite of lasagna, “My boss looks (chew, munch) at me like I'm a juicy piece of meat or something. (gasp) He actually gets red-faced and tongue-tied just talking to me, it’s super awkward.”

Mike turned away from the Monday Night Football game and looked at her, sitting on the opposite side of the couch. “Probably just not used to being around a beautiful woman.”

Holding her plate in her lap, she looked down at her food and stabbed it with her fork. “Do you (pant) seriously think that’s it?”

“I have no doubt.”

She took a bite. “Is that why (chew, chew) I had like 6 guys (munch, chew)) with British accents ask me out to lunch today?”

Mike smiled. He could only imagine how his co-workers would react if they saw someone who looked like his wife suddenly show up at the office. It’s not everyday that you see a woman that hot, with those proportions wiggling around in a skintight dress; unless of course you’re married to her. “Well yeah, but there’s also the fact that they admire your intelligence, respect your opinion and value your input and your boss skills.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah I’m sure.”

“What are you saying I’m wrong? Give yourself some credit, you know you’re more than a pretty face.”

“Yeah (gasp) I’m a lot more than a pretty face.” She took a few more bites of food, finished chewing then sighed deeply. “Two of the (huff) women from London didn’t recognize me at first.”

Mike put his fork back on his plate. “That’s weird.”

“Yeah (pant) I know and (chew, chew)) they were like rude to me.”

“Do they out rank you?”

“No.”

He smiled. “Then just fire them.”

She shoved another forkful of cheesy pasta in her mouth.  “(chew, chew)Uhh, I’m too exhausted (chew, munch) to think about work right now. (gasp, huff) I just want to finish eating and then take a salt bath. (huff) I forgot how tiring it is (pant) running around the office all day.” Her voice slowed and her lips parted as she began taking long and deliberate breaths of air. She scrunched her nose and pressed her hand into her hip. “My (huff, pant) entire body (gasp) hurts.”

Mike put his plate down, got up and came towards her. He went behind the sofa and began gently rubbing her neck and shoulders. He looked down and watched as she continued to make quick work of the oversized cube of lasagna he had given her, her belly and breasts slowly heaving in and out as she ate. “I’m sorry baby, you’ll get through it, and next week it will all be back to normal.”

She was even more tired on Tuesday than she was on Monday.

Too tired, too much knee and hip pain.

She had turned 32 that month. It didn’t seem normal for a woman as young as she was to feel so completely drained of energy and achy all the time.

It had gotten so bad that she took an extra couple of hours during lunch, having made a last minute same day appointment at the holistic doctor’s office just across the street from work, near Pike Place Market.

She had been there before as she developed an appreciation for homeopathy during the past few years, believing with more conviction than ever that doctors of modern medicine demonized fat and seemed to have one cure for everything which was always to simply lose weight.

Foot pain?

Lose weight.

Back pain?

Lose weight.

Tired all the time?

Eat less, exercise more, lose weight.

To her it was all bullshit designed to feed off the propaganda of billion dollar corporations and make a profit, telling women they needed to be skinny in order to be thought of as beautiful, which in her experience, couldn’t be further from the truth.

This holistic doctor on the other hand was kind, caring and thoughtful. She asked real questions that made sense to Autumn and she never brought up weight as a potential issue. Instead, based on the information Autumn provided, she gave her a list of foods to avoid and a list of foods that would be healthy and beneficial to a woman of Autumn’s age and body type. Not that Autumn was going to take all the advice seriously or literally, it just made her feel better to have some peace of mind.

The first thing she did when she got home was unsnap her bra and strip herself free of the painfully uncomfortable confines of her skirt and collapse on the sofa. Mike had ordered Chinese food and she ate pot-stickers, sweet and sour chicken, and chow mein straight from the cartons, only getting up to go to the bathroom, have a smoke, take a shower and go to sleep.

She didn’t have the energy or desire to deal with the doctor stuff just yet, nor to tell her husband about it, and when he offered her cake and ice cream in bed, she accepted without thinking.

The following morning, she reached her breaking point.

She rolled over and turned the alarm off on her phone for the third time, then slowly swung her corpulent legs over the side of the bed. Her face contorted in pain. “Ohh, (gasp, huff) ehhh, fuck.”

Mike, already up and dressed, came to her aid. “Are you okay?”

She looked at him with worried eyes. “Can you (gasp) get the bong and bring it here?” Her voice sounded very weary, breathy and weak.

“You sure?”

On Sunday she had announced that she wasn’t going to show up at work under the influence of THC, but the expression on her face told him not to argue and he did as she asked.

Still seated on the edge of the mattress, she smoked and coughed with harrowing wheezes, then she put the bong on the nightstand and took a drink of water from her half-full essentia bottle.

She looked around the room then peered up at her husband. “Baby, (gasp) I don’t think I can (cough, cough) make it outside right now.”

He looked her over.

Jesus Christ she was really fat.

Dressed a purple baby-doll style nighty, her belly was protruding onto her lap, covering the upper half of her thighs and inching ever closer towards her knees.

He gut had become noticeably more massive in recent months, and she was beginning to develop a double-belly, the upper half more narrow and round as it curved out beneath her breasts, and the lower half, divided at the navel, was wider, flabbier and more spare-tire-like; and together they folded over themselves with nowhere to go but forward.

He could tell she needed a cigarette badly. “Can you make it to the bathroom?”

Her eyes pleaded at him. “Yeah (huff) but I’m not going to sit on that stool right now. Can you just bring the ashtray in here, please? I’ll burn some (cough) sage or something later.”

He sighed. “Okay.”

After filling the room with smoke, Autumn carefully scooted back in the bed so she could lean against her pillows, although just doing that was a struggle. “I don’t know babe, (cough) I think I need to make some serious lifestyle changes.” She held her hand in front of her face and squinted. “Look how (gasp) swollen my fingers are.”

Crouching beside the bed, he clasped his palms around her right hand after she transferred the cigarette to her left. He gently massaged the area beneath her knuckle with his thumbs. Her hand was very soft, but it seemed obvious to him that it was chubby, not swollen. “It’s probably the atmospheric changes or something, yesterday was the first sunny day in a month.”

She grimaced and fiddled with her wedding band. “I think my ring (pant) is cutting off my (cough) circulation.”

“Do you need to take it off?”

“I don’t (gasp) think I can.”

“I’ll get some lotion.”

After some oil and careful pulling, Mike was able to slip it off her puffy finger. It was strange that while doing so, he felt as if a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders.

Autumn checked and sent messages on her phone, finished her cigarette then laid down on her side, her eyes facing the wall.

He climbed in bed and spooned her, wrapping his right arm around her thickening waist which was only partially covered by her nighty. Her breathing was labored and her breasts and belly seemed to expand and contract considerably with elongated gasp for air.

After a long period of silence she cleared her throat. “Maybe (gasp) I need to cut out wheat. (cough) Oatmeal is gluten-free right?”

Oatmeal?

Gluten-free?

What the hell was she talking about?

He pressed his face into the back of her head and cuddled up close. He was the big spoon but in comparison to her he was small. She was bigger than him everywhere now, and while that was obvious he was still surprised by how much higher her hips and even her back, (now so encased in fat) towered above him.  “Umm, yeah, but I doubt that wheat is the reason your hands are swollen.”

“It’s not just my hands. (pant) My feet hurt so bad last night (cough) I almost cried.”

“You sure you have to go into the office today?”

“(gasp)I don’t think I can, (huff) I’m in too much pain.”

She shifted her body, and just that slight movement made Mike even harder than he already was. She wasn’t wearing panties and her monumental butt was fully exposed. Her ass was so perfect sometimes Mike felt that if he did nothing more than just look at it for the rest of his life he would die a happy man. He noticed there was some new cellulite on her upper thighs and new stretch marks on her rounded mountain of a hip.

He slowly dangled his fingers over her thickening back rolls, mesmerized by the very sight. “You should take an edible.”

“Then I (gasp) really won’t be able to focus.” She laid still for a moment. “Maybe I’ll just take half of one.”

He got up and went to the walk-in-closet, when he returned he came to her side of the bed and handed her a THC gummy. “It’s only 10 milligrams.”

She propped her head up with her left hand. “Ennhh…you (gasp) think I should just eat the whole thing?”

“You’re in pain.”

“Okay.” She put it in her mouth.

He glanced at his phone then sat near the foot of the bed. It was strange that she hadn’t asked for coffee or for something to eat yet. He stared at her for a few seconds before he spoke. “Are you hungry? Why were you asking about oatmeal?”

She sighed. “Because I (pant) went and got a check-up yesterday.”

He gazed at her, but her ass was so huge it blocked his view of her head, now resting back on the pillow. “You did?”

“Yeah, (gasp) I just needed to figure out (pant) why I have absolutely no energy.”

“What’d he say?”

“She. The doctor is a she.”

He climbed back in bed and spooned her again. “Did you go to the clinic?”

“Eeww no way. (gasp) I just went to the natural medicine place by work. I think I have a lot of inflammation, and she gave me (gasp) a list of foods to avoid.

“What do you mean you have inflammation?”

“Come on you’ve seen how puffy I’ve been looking in pictures lately, my entire face is like inflamed, I just hadn’t noticed it was so bad in my hands until now. I’m supposed to cut out caffeine and wheat and (huff) a bunch of other things.”

“How do they come up with these lists?”

She sighed again. “It has to do with body-type, (pant) ethnicity, where you live, what you do for a living and stuff like that.”

“What body type are you?”

She yawned dreamily. “I thought I was (yawn) an hourglass but she said I was a pear.”

He nestled closer into the warm softness of her back and clung on tighter to her belly. “Baby that is not a real doctor, you can’t take what these holistic places say seriously.”

She lifted her head up. “Oh my god, (pant) yes you can. I’ll take what they say way more seriously than a fucking quote, regular doctor, (cough, cough) they’re good for birth control and prescriptions but not much else.”

“Well why didn’t you tell me you went for a check up?”

“It was such a last minute thing. (gasp) But I don’t know, won’t it, you know, make you sad if I need to give up wheat? You love to bake so much.”

Mike didn’t know what to think. He had never been so physically attracted to someone than he was to her at that moment.

She was just so sexy.

She was so sexy that he suspected if he actually thought how sexy she was for too long, his whole body might explode.

It was her weight gain, her added fat, her overabundance of curves and divine feminine laziness that turned him on and fascinated him infinitely, but her health was clearly suffering because of it. It was a draw in the metaphorical chess game between his brain and his dick.

He chose his words carefully. “Baby, you really need to learn how to let someone other than yourself take care of you.” “That’s what being married is, that’s the reason for going through life with a partner. I take care of you, just like you take care of me.”

She laid still for a moment. “A partner that loves you (huff) right?”

He climbed on top of her thigh and kissed her belly. “A husband who adores you.”

She tilted her head up. “And loves you.”

“Yes, and loves you, very much.” He glanced at his phone again, then got out of bed. “Can I get you anything? What's your plan you know it's almost 7.”

“I can cancel my meetings.” She stretched her arm toward the nightstand. “Can you reach my phone?”

He unplugged it and handed it to her. “You’re staying home then?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I feel like (cough) shit. Every muscle hurts, I’m not going anywhere. (cough, cough) If you look in my laptop bag there is the list from the doctor’s office. (gasp) Maybe you could pick up groceries on your way home. (huff) We really need to start eating healthier.”

He sighed and looked down at her. “Okay, but please don’t lose this beautiful ass.” He leaned in and gave her hip a squeeze.

“Oh my god, (cough) get out of here already.”

“I can take a personal day. Are you sure you’re going to be okay on your own?”

“Yeah I just (gasp) want to go back to sleep, you should go.”

“You haven’t even eaten anything.”

She lifted her head and gave him that blank-faced fluttery eyelashes look that Mike always found to be as intimidating as it was sexy. “Do (huff) not micromanage me.”

His face turned somber. “Okay. text me if you need something.”

When Mike returned home that evening he was surprised to find that Autumn was still in bed just as he had left her.

Her nightstand however, now looked very different.

The ashtray he brought her was now full of butts, and next to it was two empty boxes of something from The Cheesecake Factory along with a crumpled up paper bag.

He kneeled at the edge of the bed and brushed a few strands of auburn hair away from her face. “How are you feeling?”

She blinked a few times. “Mmmm…(gasp)better I think.”

He put his hand on her forehead. “Do you think you’re getting sick?”

“No. (yawn) I think I just needed rest.”

“Glad you found some food.”

She scrunched her nose. “Uhh, (pant) throw that stuff away. I told myself a hundred times that I wasn’t going to order doordash today and look at what I (cough) end up doing. This is my problem.”

“It’s okay baby you still need to eat.”

“Did you get the groceries?”

“Yes.”

With the entire bed squeaking like a rusty faucet beneath her weight, she rolled onto her side and was confronted with the sight and smell of her spent Camels. “Ewew, (gasp) please get rid of this ashtray. I’m not having any more cigarettes for the rest of the day.” She held out her arm and let her husband assist her into a sitting position. She gazed up at him, frowning. “I’ll try to (gasp) get up and (pant) and take a bath while you cook dinner. You got salmon right?”

“Yeah.”

“Can we have salmon and quinoa, maybe a kale salad?”

Mike shrugged. “Sure.”

“Oh my god, (pant) if I asked you to bake me cookies you’d already be in the kitchen.”

He blushed at her keen ability to see through his bullshit. “Well, cookies are more fun than kale and quinoa.”

“Yes but we need to eat healthier. (pant) You know you still eat like a teenager and you’re practically a middle-aged man at this point.”

“I am not middle-aged.” He grabbed both of her wrists and rocked her forward, then hoisted her to her feet.

She came close, wedging him between herself and the bedroom wall.  “Yes you are, (gasp) just because you somehow still have abs doesn’t mean you aren't getting older.” She pointed at his temple and smirked.  “(pant) Look I can even see a few sparkly grays.”

He felt his knees weaken as her belly and breasts brushed gently against him. “What? Come on I’m still a very young 34, I don’t have no grays.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah and (pant) I don’t have a fat ass.”

He put his hands on the bare skin of her hips and looked down at her. “You better not turn me on right now.”

“You better not turn me on. (huff) I need to take a bath and you need to cook dinner, remember?”

“You make me forget what I’m doing.”

She rolled her eyes again then fanned herself with her hand. “Ooooh…okay (gasp) now I’m tired of standing.” She shimmied to her right and began slowly wiggling towards the door. She stopped, turned around and looked at him. “By the way umm, (huff) we don’t have any plans this Friday right?”

He shrugged. “You would know better than me. Why?”

“My boss is taking a few of us out to dinner. (gasp) It would be nice if you came, I wanna show you off.”

He took a few steps toward her. “Yeah, of course I’ll come. I’m not letting you out of the house until you put that ring back on.”

She smiled. “Okay funny guy. (huff) Now where did I put my cigarettes?”

Chapter 24 coming soon...

by Jolene Dubois

Copyright 2022