Chapter 26 - healthy appetites

The two chatted and sipped their rum for a while, before the food started to arrive. The pizza and garlic bread were first out and they were both huge 14 inch meals, with grease still sizzling on top. The waiter put them both in the middle of the table.

Carla stared at them and gasped. "They look so nice, Red." Then she grabbed the biggest piece of pizza, rolled it into a tube and started eating.

Red looked at the garlic bread hungrily. He wondered where his appetite was coming from, it must have been the drugs. He picked out two slices of garlic bread and started eating. Each bite tasted so good, he felt it melt on his tongue and all the flavours of garlic, herb and cheese swirled around his mouth. He looked at Carla who seemed to be enjoying the pizza a lot.

After a few slices of pizza and garlic bread, Carla was slouching in her chair, with her legs spread apart, there was tomato sauce stains around her mouth. Red had finished slightly more than she had. The waiter brought over the nachos and popcorn mushrooms and put them on the table, sliding the other plates out of the way. Carla immediately grabbed at the nachos.

"Thanks." Red said. "Can we get two more rum and cokes, please?"

The waiter nodded and returned to the bar.

"This is so good." Carla said with a mouthful of nachos. "I don't care how spicy these are, they taste so yummy."

Red took himself a handful, They were very spicy, too spicy for him normally, but this time his body seemed to be craving it and his mouth watered. "Oh yeah, I could eat these all day."

"Oh man, I so want to watch that. You, eating nachos all day." She burped and giggled at herself.

"You are now, arent you?" Red said, taking two scooped handfuls of nachos and ate them.

"Not now! These are my nachos!" Carla growled at him like a territorial puppy. At this point the waiter had arrived again to deliver the fresh drinks, he said nothing this time.

"Okay okay, sorry." Red made a start on the mushrooms.

By the time the final plates arrived, Red was starting to feel full but still somehow still hungry, he was surprised that Carla was managing to keep up as well as she was, although her face was looking sweaty and flushed. The waiter slid the plates onto the table, pushing the existing half eaten meals out of the way. Red sipped his rum and waited for the waiter to leave before taking shrimp and dunking them in the sweet and sour sauce.

"Why did we order so much?" Carla asked.

"It was your idea."

"How do you do it? I want to keep eating, but I can't fit any more in, it's so sad." She picked up a slice of garlic bread and took tiny bites.

"Practice. Maybe take a break for a while?"
Carla shook her head.

"Go find us some more pot?" He suggested.

"I don't think I can move, babe." She sighed.

Red shrugged. "Okay, i'll go get us some more, would be good to get some fresh air." He stood up slowly and felt his stomach brush against the side of the table, it must have swollen more than he realised. He noticed it took more energy and coordination to walk properly, he did not know if that was the alcohol and cannabis or if he was merely waddling with all the food. He looked at Carla and smiled, she blew him a kiss. He wanted to take a peek at her stomach, but she was slouched so far it was hidden under the table. He then left the bar.

It was still light outside, much brighter than the bar and his eyes took a while to adjust, luckily he saw the stoner guys had not gone far, they were sitting on the beach smoking. He approached and brought another couple of joints, he lit one with them and smoked it.

He returned to Carla after ten minutes and slipped the other spliff into her hand without saying anything and slumped into his seat and started picking at the chicken. Carla was slowly nibbling nachos and had ordered them both another couple of drinks.

"Thanks babe." She said. "can you help me up?" and she held out her hand.

Red stopped eating and slid out, helping to drag Carla out of her seat. He took a sneaky glance at her belly as she did, it was defiantly rounded, where it was almost flat before, however, it did not last long as she appeared to breathe most of it in once she had left the cover of the table. She gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Red waited alone, sipping the rum. The effects were kicking in again however did not feel quite as pronounced as earlier. He picked up another slice of pizza and munched.

He made little progress on the feast by the by the time Carla returned. She looked dazed but happy and this time she obviously gave up on breathing in, she had a slightly bouncy pot belly on full display. She steadied herself on the table and slid back into the booth, slumping back down again.

"Oh yeah, that's better." She said.

"Yeah, time for round two." Red pointed at the plates of half eaten food and went back to gorging. The effect of the munchies allowed him to eat more despite being full, Carla was acting under the same impulse, she looked like she struggled but seemed determined not to be defeated.

Time passed and the pair of them continued to stuff themselves on the cooling remnants. Red was aware he was eating more than Carla, but at this stage seemed right. Carla at times almost looked pained, but he remembered that feeling and reassured her, she eventually let out a series of unhealthy sounding deep belches and threw in the towel collapsing back and panting. Red kept going for a while, picking the ends of the shrimp and chicken, at this point it was the competitive principle driving him, the same feeling he had when competing the night before. He allowed his stomach to expound, he knew the right positions to sit in, to ensure it was still comfortable, back straight, arms by the side when not eating. In sweatpants, he felt the tightening of the waistband, but it was not painful, he wore the waistband low which allowed his belly to grow over the top and rest comfortably on his lap.

"I am super stuffed, Red, how do you move after this? I don't remember how to stand up." Carla groaned.

Red shrugged. "I have reason to do this, you're just high?"

"Well, I was curious about it, i've watched you do it so much now."

"Didn't think it was your thing."

She shook her head. "Can still be curious. Really don't think I could do this as much as you." She laughed.

"Yeah, bad idea in the long run im sure."

"Anyway you dont want me to be a fatty! That's my thing for you!"

"Well no, I like you as you are, but I'm still curious to see you with a stuffed belly, it's probably adorable."

"Im sure I should be embarrassed about that, I feel way to naked to be like that in public."

Red shrugged. "Not like we know anyone here, does it matter."

"No, probably not."

Red continued sweeping the table, picking up the scraps and eating them at this point just to prove a point, he had become used to the extreme pressure he felt in his stomach at this point, there was not much left and with determination he managed to finish it pretty quickly, he just wanted to return to the cottage and lie down.