Chapter 5

Kat continued giving Al a ride home every night. Often, they ended up going out to dinner, where Al would eat like a prize turkey, but those evenings ended with nothing more than kisses in the car. Kat was firm on taking it slow, and Al agreed.

They made each other laugh, and got to know one another. Kat would stop by his desk with snacks every day: homemade brownies, chocolate bars, pretzels. At the next Golden Joe's buffet night, Al, his stomach stretched by frequent stuffing, was able to easily keep up with Sean.

One Monday morning, after a quick shower, Al pulled on his beige khakis. He was surprised to find that the button and the hole didn't meet. He tugged and grunted, sucking in his belly. Finally, with difficulty, he inched the button into the slot. He stood, panting. Then the button popped off and flew across the room.

He dashed to the bathroom and dug out his old scale, the one he'd used to weigh himself before realising his metabolism was a curse. There's been no point in weighing himself when he never got above 135.

He stepped on the scale. The dial bounced and stopped at 147. He stared. He'd gained 12 pounds? He looked at himself in the mirror. There was definitely some extra chub at his waist, where his pants still gaped. He looked closer. Was it his imagination, or did his face look slightly fuller?

He continued dressing. He'd taken to wearing his belt out a notch, knowing that he was likely to end up swollen with food, so he hadn't realized he couldn't tighten it any further, anymore. He threw on a large t-shirt to hide his unbuttoned pants.

That evening, after a large meal at a Greek place, Kat was caressing Al's belly in the car. She saw the buttonless pants, the belt that was not fastened in the worn groove, and her eyes widened.

"Come to my place," she said, breathless.

"Yes," said Al.

She rented a whole snug little house. It was the first time he'd been there and he looked around, curiously. Everything was neat and colourful.

Kat kissed him passionately, then let him go.

"Al," she said. "Al, there's some things I have to tell you. About me. Before we go any further."

He sat down on the couch, a little afraid of what she was about to say. She drew in a breath.

"I... like being in control," she said. 'In the bedroom. I like giving a little pain mixed with pleasure."

"What, you mean like whips and chains, that sort of thing?" He was startled.

"You probably aren't ready to look in the toybox in the back of bedroom closet, let's just say," she said.

"Oh."

He thought about this, had an image of Kat in a corset, luscious bosom heaving as she raised a paddle to smack him on the bottom. Oh.

"And... there's another thing. Which guys usually find even weirder. You know I said I like to watch a man eat? Well, I really like it. As in, it makes me hot and wet and..."

Al was shaking. He was half aroused just from hearing her say it.

"Oh god," he said. "I love it when you make me eat just that little bit more than I thought I could."