Chapter 4

Laura found Lexi sitting on a couch in the first-floor lobby of the building. "Hey, Lexi!" Laura called over.

Lexi stood, leaving behind a decent indent that remained in the couch's cushions. "Laura, thank god you're here, I'm STARVING!"

"So, where would you like to go for lunch, maybe a Greek salad or a smoothie?"

"Oh no, no, no, Laura, it's taco Tuesday! We're headed to Casa de Salsa!"

"I'm sort of trying to stay on a diet. I managed to lose a bit of weight, and I'm trying to keep it off. Are you sure that's where you wanna go?"

"I haven't seen you in two years, and you don't want to get lunch margaritas? Shame, Laura, shame."

"Ehh, fine. How far is the walk from here?"

"I mean, it's maybe two blocks, but I already have an Uber on the way!" Lexi held up her phone, showing the car en route to pick them up on the screen.

Laura and Lexi stepped outside, walking towards the street in front of the building. The bright midday sun beating down on the street. Laura looked over to see a light layer of sweat already forming on Lexi's forehead.

"It gets way too hot to walk here, Laura, I wouldn't want to drench my outfit in sweat for the rest of the day."

A Toyota Prius pulled up to the curb in front of the girls. "Ugh, I always have the worst luck with these rides. I swear Sofia at least gets a Camery each time." Lexi complained out loud.

The girls shuffled into the car, Laura buckling her seatbelt as Lexi struggled to get seated. When Lexi shut the door, and they began to speed away, Laura noticed not only that Lexi's ample thighs filled her seat, but she spilled over into the middle, pressing into Laura. Lexi's well-padded rear had the additional feature of forcing her to sit slightly forward in the compact car, pressing her knees into the seat in front of her. "Ommph, thankfully, it's only like a 2-minute drive," Lexi said as a low loud groan emitted from her saggy belly.

"So, tell me more about all the fun you've been having without me," Laura asked as they turned onto the next street, doing her best to ignore Lexi's bodily noises. "Any boyfriends, new hobbies?"

Lexi paused a bit to ponder Laura's question. "Well, I've seen a few guys here and there, but nothing long-term; they really didn't know how to take care of me, ya know? I've been dabbling here and there with some new stuff; some of the modeling shoots I did for the company brought me a lot of attention online…"

The Uber stopped in front of a large two-story restaurant with hacienda architecture and a large sign reading "Casa de Salsa" in gold letters. Laura got out of the car and walked around to the other side, seeing Lexi exit, the rear suspension pushing down, then bouncing back up once she had egressed the small vehicle. As they stepped into the restaurant, a cool blast of air conditioning washed over the pair as the smell of sizzling meats and fried tortillas filled the air. A host gave Lexi a familiar smile and ushered her further into the restaurant, bringing them to a booth with wide spacing and a large rectangular wooden table. Before the girls could even take their seats, a waiter had brought out a heaping stack of tortilla chips, what appeared to be a pitcher of salsa and a bowl of guacamole.

Without hesitation, Lexi took a fistful of chips, scooped up a large helping of guac, and swallowed it whole. While grabbing a second handful, she told the waiter, "Can we get two large strawberry margs? I'll also have one of those bottled Mexican Cokes."

The waiter nodded, heading off to fetch the drinks. Laura grabbed a chip and poured some salsa into a bowl, dipping and trying the chip. To the restaurant's credit, the salsa was absolutely amazing. "So, Lex, what would you say is good here?"

"Probably everything, but the mole enchiladas or maybe the chile rellenos are especially good."

"Well, what are you getting?" Laura asked, absentmindedly grabbing a chip and dipping it.

"Probably a number two and number five combo; I can never decide between the burritos and quesadillas, so I get both!" She said between handfuls of chips.

The waiter returned with the girl's drinks and asked for their orders.

"I'll have the number two and number five, please, and can you put a bit of extra sour cream on there for me?" Lexi asked.

"I suppose I'll try the mole enchiladas," Laura said when it was her turn to order.

Laura hadn't even noticed that she had continued to snack on the chips and salsa when she went to take a sip of her drink. As the liquid crested her lips, there was absolutely no alcohol burn, just an intense sweetness that could only result from using massive amounts of sugar and syrup. While after the first sip, she was a bit hesitant, the dopamine receptors within her began to light up, and she took another deeper sip as she felt warmth from within as the alcohol entered her stomach.

"Hey Lexi, I'm not judging or anything, but you've got a little…umm thicker... since we last hung out. If you want, I can give you some meal prep tips, or we could go for some jogs together if you'd like."

Lexi looked up from her own drink, not looking offended but not showing any interest either. "I'm not really worried about it, Laura. I'm a big girl now, and that's okay with me. You'd be surprised; there's a whole other world out there. Besides, now, every time I eat a cheeseburger, I just add some junk to this magnificent trunk!" She said, happy with her terrible pun.

Laura took another sip from her drink as she processed how to handle this information. The Lexi she knew from college would have died if she wore more than a size 6, let alone whatever size she was now. When the waiter returned, he carried more plates than Laura was expecting: plates of entrees, plates of rice and beans, and even a plate for just sour cream and various toppings were placed on the table, nearly filling the entire space. Across the table, Lexi took no time to tear into her meal, scarfing things down with abandon. Laura gazed at her lunch and cut a portion of the enchilada with her fork, taking her first bite.

One thing Lexi had not done was lie to her. The taste was sweet, spicy, smoky, fruity, and bitter all at the same time. The texture and temperature were perfect, and she quickly went to get her second taste. The sides complemented the meal perfectly, with the rice and beans acting as a palate cleanser, resetting the deliciousness of the main course. The next twenty minutes were a blur; the first time Laura looked up, Lexi had already finished her first entrée and had begun working on her second, her blouse now dotted with crumbs. With each bite and sip, Laura savored just how much better the Mexican food was in Texas compared with the northeast where she had come from, not noticing the pressure building in her belly as it dug into her skirt and belt.

After thirty minutes, the girls had demolished everything on the table. There were flecks of sauce, traces of crumbs, and maybe a few shreds of lettuce, but everything else was gone except the Coke Lexi had ordered. Laura's tummy was now painfully full, pressing deep against her straining outfit. Laura let out a gentle moan. "That was good, but I can't imagine how many calories I just ate. I can't believe I let myself do that."

"Don't worry about it, Laura; you gotta learn to let go and just treat yourself, but this time, the treats on me! I'm so glad we are going to be working together."

Laura began to rub her stomach up and down, trying to relieve some of the tension. It did feel a little better as some of the pressure started to shift, and then "BBUURRP…... Oh my god, I'm sorry, Lex, that was gross."

"Haha, you're a lightweight." Lexi held the bottle of Coke she had ordered above her head and chugged the soda in just a few deep gulps. "BBWWWAARRPP, oh yeah, that hit the spot."