chapter 1

'And here he is,' she narrated to the video recording on her phone. 'Caught red handed.'

'Again.'

Her boyfriend looked up, startled by her appearance at the kitchen door, camera phone in hand and filming.

'Straighten up hun, show off that gut.'

His cheeks reddened at being caught, brownie in hand. She zoomed in on his face.

'How many did you eat?'

She approached him and hovered the phone over the two pans of brownies before him, less than thirty minutes from the oven. She pointed the camera at his face.

'I lost count,' he confessed.

'I bet you did.' She pointed the camera back at his belly, and held it there a little too long for comfort.

'I thought you were out?' he said, panicked.

'I was. But I'm back.'

She counted the remaining brownies. 'One, two, three, ..., eight left,' she narrated. 'So you ate twelve!'

She filmed her hand patting his belly. 'Kinda shows, dontcha think followers?'

She pointed the camera back at his face. 'Babe, do you even know the calories?'

He scratched the back of his head. 'Four hundred?' he offered.

'Ha!' she exclaimed. 'Try four thousand.'

'Or you soon will do.'

Still filming, she peeled up his shirt with her hand.

'This thing is outta control.'

'But I'm not done with you yet.'

'Oh-no.'

' Those brownies were for my work colleagues tomorrow. So as punishment, I really think I should make you eat them all.'

She pat the side of his firm belly, mesmerized by its slight jiggle.

'I can be very persuasive if I try.'

'Well,' she turned the camera back to her face. 'Till next time followers.' She blew them a kiss. And with that, she stopped filming.

'They'll love that,' she said, kissing him on the cheek, as she put her phone down.

'I swear I didn't know they were for work,' he said.

'Would it have made a difference?'

She raised her eyebrows as their eyes met.

'No, guess not,' he confessed.

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek again.

'Thought so.'

'Serves me right for leaving them out. I know it's hot 'n all. But I'll have to bake more now, and that's a pain. I only went out for icing sugar to give them a final touch.'

'I'm so sorry,' he said, sensing the frustration in her voice.

'I thought they'd help our little 'belly' project'.

He patted his gut, 'You know.'

'Oh they will, no doubt.'

She winked at him.

'I baked 'em a lil' rich after all.'

He shook his gut in both hands and let rip a deep belch.

'Probably why I couldn't stop.'

'Piggy,' she said.

'Well then,' she paused.

'What are you waiting for?'

'Well what?'

He looked at her, confused.

'Better get munching on more for me.'

She placed a hand on his crotch.

He looked at her suspiciously.

'C'mon. That talk was just for the camera.'

'Right?'

She leaned in for a kiss, and squeezed his ass. As their lips parted, she placed both hands on his gut and looked up.

Oh boy - that look in her eye - he had come to know that look lately.

'Babe,' she said, prodding his belly with her index finger.

'How many pounds until you learn?'

'l never kid.'

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