Chapter 5

I felt like a fat hog at work that day. My other slacks did fasten, but kept riding below my budding belly. My shirt was pulled rather tight, doing nothing to hide my brand new little paunch.

"Careful Tom," Brad warned at lunch. "Looks like you've put on a few. That lunch isn't going to help things."

I looked at my tray. During my ride to work I had actually decided that I would lose the weight. Sure, it was an interesting experience, but there were limits. But then I got to work and there were a few boxes of doughnuts in the break room. I made sure no one was looking and grabbed three. They went great with my coffee, but mid-morning I was making a trip to the vending machine already.

I craved that full feeling, the sensation of being fully sated. For lunch I was flirting with indulgence, grabbing a burger and onion rings with a bottle of soda. I knew I'd feel nicely bloated afterward.

"That's a ton of calories," Anne added. "And people have been noticing that you gained weight, Tom. I know it's easy with a desk job, but a few salads and some time at the gym and you'll be back to your slim self in no time."

I grunted something, hoping they take it as agreement. They both looked disgusted as I dove into my burger with a huge bite. I wondered if either of them had every had a burger with onion rings before. Anne was a trim blonde who looks like an aerobic instructor. Brad was an inch or two taller than me, wider in the shoulders but with a perpetually flat stomach. Like mine used to be.

The rest of our conversation during lunch was superficial, although I sensed they both wanted to say something after I cleaned my plate. As I get up from the table to go back to the office, I felt like my swollen stomach was straining the buttons on my shirt. I know it's my imagination, but I wondered if it could be a picture of things to come.

Turns out it was Cindy's birthday that day. Of course the office had cake. Julianne tittered slightly as she handed me a big piece. A couple other ladies also gave me a pointed look. I should have declined the cake, especially since I was still full from lunch.

The cake was surprisingly dense, the buttercream frosting very rich. I crammed it all in, feeling packed full.

"Have another piece, Tom," Julianne said with a grin, handing me a plate.

If anything, that piece was even bigger. No one else was eating another piece, I know I shouldn't either. I tried not to grunt like a pig as I bolted it down. I figured if I ate it quick enough my stomach wouldn't realize how full it was getting. It didn't really work, the last few bites took real effort. I found myself rubbing my swollen middle as I waddled back to my desk. As I sat down my belt presses uncomfortably against my lower belly. I make sure no one is looking and reached down to loosen it. I realized my dick is rock hard, this has become an overtly sexual experience.

The rest of the afternoon I struggled to stay alert, gorged into a food coma. The sugar crash came hard around 5, just as I was getting ready to leave. I was bleary and groggy when I got home to find that Shannon had made spaghetti and meatballs.

"Whoa mister!" she chortled. "What happened to you today? I swear that belt looks like it's cutting you in half."

I grunted as I sat down, unbuckling my belt and groaning in relief as I unfasten my pants. "Ate too much today."

"You better not have ruined your appetite," she scolded me, "I worked hard making spaghetti and meatballs. Plus homemade garlic bread. And there's peach cobbler for dessert."

I groaned again, but this time in dismay. I didn't want to disappoint her, but that evening I did. Still full of too much grease and sugar, I barely managed to choke down one serving of supper and only about half the peach cobbler. Shannon didn't say much, but she acted rather coolly and wore her flannel pajamas to bed to make sure I knew I wasn't getting lucky.

Two factions warred within me. On the one hand, I was well familiar with the negative stigma of getting fat. My lovely co-workers were happy to make that quite clear for me. On the other hand, Shannon made it clear what her stance was. And I had to admit that my own response (when ignoring society's standards and expectations) was very close to Shannon's position.

I laid there in bed that night thinking long and hard. I gently rubbed my gurgling stomach as it worked on digesting that afternoon's binge. Shannon was sleeping on her side, her back facing me. I was sure I knew what to do to get on her good side. And I was pretty sure it was what I wanted to do. The only question was rather I had the courage.