chapter 3

Robin called me. He wanted me to go over to his for dinner. He was having a party, but, as his longest friend he wanted me to stay the night as he had something to show me.

He lived in a small Georgian town house that had been inherited from his grandparents. I ascended half a flight of stairs to get to the front door. I was greeted by someone, who took my bag and showed me to the party room, which was up a beautiful small, yet still grande staircase to the first floor, where the party was being held. The first room had the high ornate ceilings you would expect of a property of this age. The furniture had been pushed to the edges of the room and it was full of people talking, drinking and eating delicate canopes. I recognised the editor of a fitness magazine that I often submitted photographs to, so I went over to talk to her.

Robin appeared ten minutes after my arrival. He was wearing an immaculate suit and tie. It had probably been made bespoke because it fit his large bulging mass without bunching around the shoulders. As soon as he entered the room, he picked up two glasses of champagne. He drank one of them down all in one go and held on to the other. He started to circulate the room, greeting friends and acquaintances. As he did so, he took a canope from the waiting staff every time they passed. He popped each one into his mouth whole. I saw him devour one every time I looked in his direction.
Eventually we were led into dinner. I got seated with a female fitness model that I had photographed several times. She drank only water and picked at her food because she was in active training.
On my other side was a reporter from the fitness magazine world that I knew well. She had known Robin as long as I had. He had been different recently, she told me. He was more outgoing, less focused on training. Indeed, she'd heard that he rarely visited the gym, yet he maintained his large muscled physique. She had spoken to someone earlier who had thought Robin was retiring from active competition. Maybe that was what this party was about. It was a precarious lifestyle. One injury could be career ending.
Taking substances that would enhance the physique was common. Some became increasingly feminised, others developed kidney damage due to the frequent severe dehydration, while others damaged other organs with their extreme diets. These folk may look the picture of good health in public, but in private, they were a mess.

The meal was a five course extravaganza, with a different wine for each course. The portion size could have been a little smaller for my liking. I was already feeling full after finishing the fish course and we still have the meat dish and dessert to get through. My head was swimming with the wine and champagne.
However, I was not far enough away from Robin to see how he was managing. He ate each course with gusto. Someone on his right ate very little. They looked to be another who was in training. When Robin finished his plate, he would pick up the leftovers from anyone who was struggling around him. As a consequence, he was getting through at least double portions of everything, yet still ate with enthusiasm.
Many at the table struggled with the dessert. There was a choice of a lemon sponge pudding with custard, or trifle. Most people at the table wanted to finish the meal with something light, so went for the trifle. I managed less than half and had to leave the rest. Robin ate his lemon sponge, then piled his plat with other people's leftovers and drowned the whole lot in cream.
He showed no sign of stopping. He removed his jacket, but continued eating. When eventually he stopped he leaned back, patting his stomach, then he took his shirt off and demonstrated how svelte he still was with no sign of the huge meal inside him.