Chapter 6

"Laura, how does this look?" Lexi asked, walking out of her closet and revealing a tight black dress that fell just below her sagging belly and covered just a touch of thigh. It was skin-tight, hugging every curve, roll, and fold.

"It looks…. well, it looks a size or two too small," Laura said cocking an eyebrow.

"Perfect, the lure is going out! Hopefully, I bag a cutie!"

"I thought we were just going out for a few drinks; I didn't know you were looking to go home with someone."

"I'm just trying to have some fun, don't be so uptight!" Lexi scoffed. "Is that what you're wearing?" She asked, looking over Laura's jeans and hoodie combo.

"Yeah, it's comfy."

"The jeans, sure, but let's upgrade that hoodie to something more exciting!" Lexi could be heard shuffling hangers in her closet. "Ah, here we go!" Lexi brought out a crop top with princess sleeves and put it in front of Laura.

"You've got to be kidding."

"Totally not. You'd look great in it, and for me, it fits like a bra at best."

"I don't know; I'm pretty shy about my midriff."

"Laura, trust me. You look amazing; you don't need to be shy about anything."

With a sigh, Laura took off her hoodie and slipped on the crop top. It fit well and, paired with her jeans, it was a very cute outfit, even if it displayed just a hint of belly flab.

"Drop. Dead. Gorgeous." Lexi said, clapping

"Fine, I'll wear it. So where are we going tonight?"

"This cowboy bar I heard a few people talking about at work. They've got music and games; it should be a fun time."

"A cowboy bar, you were never a fan of country music."

"They play more than just country music, and I've got my reasons."

After a bit more deliberation, the girls got into Lexi's car and started on their way off to the bar. "So, Lex, are you still into the tall, skinny guys?" Laura asked as they sped along.

"Sure, if they check off my other boxes."

"Other boxes?"

"Any guy that's with me has to be able to handle me in bed, keep me fed. I want someone who is dominant. Looks are secondary."

Laura considered stopping her line of questioning there, but curiosity won her over. "Keep you fed?"

"Yeah, I've got quite the appetite now, and a man who can feed me and appreciate these curves is a huge turn-on. I stopped caring about my weight a few months after I started with the company. It really opened my eyes to how constrained people are."

"But, you're fat now."

"Yeah, but I'm still hot! And now I can eat whatever I want. Speaking of which, let's make a quick stop."

Lexi pulled off the road and into the drive-thru of a Whataburger. The car rolled around to the menu and, after a slight pause. "May I take your order?"

"I'll have two double meat whataburgers with bacon and cheese, a large chocolate shake, and…. Laura, what would you like?" Laura opened her mouth to respond, but the pause was too long for Lexi. "Make that three double meats with bacon and cheese."

The girls got back onto the road. Lexi placed the greasy bag of fast food in Laura's lap and reached in, unwrapping the first burger as she sipped on her shake. "Mmmphh, soo good," Lexi said between bites of burger and swigs of shake. "Go ahead and grab yours."

"No thanks, Lex; if I keep eating like this, I'm going to get fat too."

"So what?"

"What would Blake say if he shows up in six months and I've got a pot belly and love handles?"

"Maybe he'd like it; you ever consider that? Most guys are afraid to admit they like big girls. Besides, you need something in you to soak up some of the booze. Can't have you falling behind tonight."

Laura took the wrapped burger from the bag, feeling its greasy covered paper in her hands, and peeled it open; the smell of grilled beef and cheese entering her nose sent a response from her stomach in the form of a hunger pang. She bit into the gooey sandwich and wondered for a moment what Blake would say if she ever got fat. He had always been laid back and had never really cared when she yo-yoed her weight up and down. While these thoughts raced through her mind, Lexi began to work on the second of her burgers, a drip of mustard falling into her cleavage. While Lexi's breasts were not small, they hadn't grown in proportion to the rest of her, falling into the upper c-cup range. What had changed was the loss of perkiness, now sagging down atop her gut. After finishing the burger, Lexi took her finger, scooped up the mustard from her chest, and sucked it off before letting out a satisfied burp.

Laura herself had finished most of her own burger, not realizing how hungry she actually was. Both girls were suddenly jostled when their car hit a pot-hole in the road, sending Laura forward, her seatbelt digging into her stomach, forcing out a substantial burp of her own.

"Nice one." Lexi quipped as she turned the steering wheel, leading them into the parking lot of a bar lit up with neon. The bar was called Roy's and had stereotypical Texas accents like cowboys and cacti featured on its exterior. Both women entered, greeted by the scene of a dimly lit bar, patrons at the counter ordering drinks, and a series of pool tables and dart boards tucked further back. Over speakers, a combination of modern country, hip-hop, and pop music played with a dance floor laid out in front of the main bar. The pair walked up to the counter, waiting for the bartender to get their first drinks.

When the bartender made his way over, Lexi ordered for them. "Can we get two beers?"

"Sure thing, regular or large, or Texas-sized?"

"Texas baby!" Lexi shouted.

The bartender grabbed two massive glasses in the shape of cowboy boots and filled them up with golden foamy brew from the tap. "Can we also get an order of chicken wings and fries?" Lexi inquired.

The bartender left the beers on the counter and went to put in Lexi's order. "Cheers, girl!" Lexi said, raising the giant boot glass up to Laura.

"Cheers." Laura lifted her own up as they clinked the glasses together and began to down the beer. Laura lowered the glass after taking a good pour, but Lexi continued to guzzle, finishing nearly a third before setting her own glass back down.

"So does everyone who works at Claire's wind up fat, or are you keeping all the thin girls down in the basement, running on hamster wheels to power the place?" Laura asked.

"Haha, I've seen a few manage to stay slimmer, but they usually don't last very long, sorta a company culture thing."

"So why didn't you tell me about this before I applied?" Laura asked

"To be honest, I really didn't think about it; I just saw an opportunity for you and wanted an excuse to hang out all the time again."

"Well, maybe I can start a new trend in the company," Laura said, taking another swig of her beer, and Lexi downed even more.

The bartender slid two plates out in front of the friends with a huge pile of wings and fries atop each. "Let's go play some pool." Lexi offered after seeming to notice something out of the corner of her eye. She took the last swig from her glass, burped, and grabbed the plates of food.

"Sure, we haven't played since college."

They both made their way over to the billiards tables and set up the first game. Laura was still nursing her oversized beer while Lexi started into some of the wings. After shooting the break and sinking two balls, Laura missed her third shot, grabbed a few fries, and waited for Lexi to take her turn. The missed shot had placed the ball in an awkward spot near the center of the table.

Lexi waddled over to the best spot she could find, trying to bend forward to get a good angle for her pool stick to line up. Her belly rested on the wooden edge of the table and spilled over onto the green felt of the table. Her ass was sticking straight up in the air, the dress now only covering the top half of her enormous rear end, the rounded cellulite cheeks peeking out below. This attracted some attention from the bar, as her padded butt was now pointing straight at it. She took her time moving her hips back and forth, each cheek bouncing up and down in response. Laura took the scene in and then realized this was an old trick Lexi used to pull in college. She was looking for attention.

"Is that Lexi?!" Came a voice from the bar.

The question distracted Lexi, who had just begun to make her shot but sent the ball astray as she looked up to see who had asked, a smile on her face.

Walking up from the bar, drink in hand was Ben. "Oh, hi, Ben! I didn't know you also came to Roy's." Lexi said as she grabbed another chicken wing and bit into it.

From Lexi's tone and mannerisms, Laura could tell Lexi was lying about what and why she hadn't quite put together.

"I see you don't have a drink; let me grab you both one. What are you drinking?"

"Just the house beer, Texas-sized," Lexi said in a breathy voice, flashing her eyes.

Ben walked back to the bar to order the drinks, and Laura lined up her next shot. He came back, setting the drinks down, placing a hand on Lexi's arm, and talking as Laura sank the shot. She grabbed another handful of fries as she waited for Lexi to go, too busy flirting with Ben to realize Laura had missed after pocketing another two balls. "Lex, your turn," Luara exclaimed as Lexi let out a light giggle in response to something Ben had said.

"Right, sorry." She replied. This time, Lexi went to the table across from Ben, in a spot that was terrible for her to make any shot but was in clear view. She again bent over the table, her belly again oozing onto the table. "Oh no, my big belly is getting in the way." She said, placing her hand over her mouth as if she was surprised. 'Guess I'll have to change position."

Ben had his eyes deadlocked on Lexi, a slight smirk on his face. Laura was a little annoyed, as she still hadn't forgiven Ben for her first day at work. She finished her first beer and emptied the end of the boot. She started on the second one Ben had brought over. Lexi now had one leg up on the table, bent at the knee, her other out behind her, displaying her whole thigh for Ben, who stared even harder. She completely missed the shot again, but Laura knew what her friend was up to.

Laura walked up to Lexi and whispered to her, "Are you sure about this guy? He kind of gives off a vibe."

"Come on, Laura, he's really sweet. I haven't been with a guy in months, and he's always bringing me little treats at the office."

Laura shook her head and went back to the table, her next string of shots finishing the game as Lexi finished the plate of chicken wings flirting with Ben.

"Wow, you're pretty good, Luara." Ben said, "By the way, I never got a chance to apologize to you about that blunder of mine your first day. I just got the wrong impression knowing you were a friend of Lexi's."

"Ah… Thanks…. Don't worry about it." Laura said, wondering what impression he was talking about.

The music then turned up, and the lighting within the bar changed, the focus shifting to the dance floor. "You wanna dance?" Ben asked Lexi.

"If you think you can handle me."

The two made their way over to the dance floor as Laura, not wanting to interfere, focused on her beer. She was now completely bloated as the first beer had already been a bit too much, but she was starting to feel a bit tipsy and kept drinking. By the time she had finished the colossal beer, she was drunk. She then picked up that one of her favorite songs was starting to be played. She shuffled over to the dance floor and began to move in sync with the music. She followed the rhythm, dancing to it, and in an instant, it was over. Her surroundings came back into focus as the next song started up, and she saw Lexi and Ben against each other.

Lexi was grinding against Ben's crotch, the two against one another, sweat pouring off of Lexi. Her massive ass shook and bounced against Ben. Barely audible over the music, Laura could hear the exchange between the two. "You like this big fat ass." Lexi's voice came muted from the bass of the nearby speakers.

"Yeah, girl, you're so fuckin' thick, I love it." Be said into her ear. He then grabbed ahold of Lexi's belly with one hand, shaking it.

"BBBWWWARRRPP." Came a belch from Lexi that could be heard over the music.

Several dancers now came between Laura and her view of Ben and Lexi as she tried to read Ben's lips. "I'd love to………hang lower……feed……. mine."

Laura turned away to go back to the bar to grab another drink. If the night was going to be this weird, she needed to be way more drunk.