chapter 4

The next day was Saturday. Rob got up at about 8, took care of what needing taking care of in the bathroom, put on his shorts, t-shirt and running shoes. While Rob was in the bathroom, Mary went to the kitchen, made coffee and toasted a couple of bagels. When Rob came out, ready to go for a run, he saw Mary slathering cream cheese on a sliced bagel. He stopped and looked at the thick layer of cheese and unconsciously raised a disapproving eyebrow. Mary caught his look and challenged, "You have something to say about my breakfast, Rob?"

Rob felt like he had to speak out. Mary wasn't going to lose that little muffin top by eating bagels and cream cheese. "Look, that bagel is a carb bomb, and the cream cheese is a fat bomb. Maybe it's time to switch over to something more...balanced." Mary gave him a cold stare and Rob knew that there was going to be no agreeing on anything. So he shrugged his shoulders and went out for a run.

It was a crisp mid-October morning, and Rob took the route that he knew would be a little over three miles. As he ran, his mind kept bouncing around through the different emotions he was having. He knew, just knew, that fat was bad. He had been raised that way all his life, and anyone who got fat was just weak-willed, right? But the images of Mary in his mind were confusing. Last night as she licked the grease from her fingers that had dripped from her Two Fisted Bacon Burger, she had a look on her face that was just...sensuous. Decadent? A little of both? This morning as she slathered cream cheese on her bagel, the look on her face was challenging. Challenging with a sexual element. As though her appetite for rich food was in a way an appetite for rich sex. As though indulging in too much rich, hearty food was foreplay to rich, hearty sex.

Rob was so distracted by this line of thought that he ran right through the Don't Walk sign at the intersection, and a Smart Car almost hit him. The driver hit her horn and slammed on her brakes, her face twisted in anger and disapproval. Disapproval of him and his behavior. That wasn't something that Rob was used to, and he stopped for a moment to look at her. Her face was thin to the point of being bony. This was obviously someone who would never allow herself to gain an unwanted ounce. Which Rob should have been attracted to. He was surprised to find that he wasn't attracted at all. In fact, she seemed sexless to him. She sped off, at least as much as a Smart Car can, and Rob got on with his run.

Twenty minutes later, three miles behind him, Rob came back into their apartment, carrying that virtuous feeling of being winded from exercise. He was ready to talk to Mary in caring tones about how important their health was, and that the occasional indulgence had to be offset with good, healthy habits. The sight that greeted him pushed all those benevolent thoughts out of his mind.

Mary sat at their table in her nightie, with a table of breakfast porn. There was bacon, pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, orange juice, and a cup of heavily creamed coffee. Rob had known that all of these were in the apartment, and that Mary had some once in a while, but he had never seen Mary put them all out at once. Actually, it wasn't that all these fattening foods were on the table, it was that the remnants of them were on the table. A plate that had obviously held a half pound of bacon had been attacked and was down to the last two slices. A bowl that must have held a half dozen eggs had a couple of spoonfuls left. The same with the pancakes and hash browns. What was left was on plates that must have held mounds a few minutes ago.

Mary's nightie had fallen open, exposing her rounded belly. There was the new layer of fat in view, but also it was pushed out by the breakfast gorging she had just enjoyed. For a moment, Mary reminded Rob of a lioness who had just gorged on her prey. Her eyes drooped a little bit with the exhaustion of having so much rich, heavy food. Mary raised her green eyes and waved her hand at the table. "I saved you some, lover, if you want something for breakfast besides twigs and leaves."