chapter 3

Now, it's difficult to say no to a nice meal when it's truly good and you know you're making your girlfriend happy just by eating it, it's even more difficult when you start to associate food with sex. And I didn't mind if I was getting some teasing about my big appetite. I could handle it.

Not that our life was revolving all around food. Not at all, we were busy with many other things, and our relationship was based on much more than that. Still, it was no harm to play with it from time to time. I remember many episodes involving comments around that subject. Things like coming back home and Eva asking if I had finished my lunch because "I know I gave you a lot today, maybe you brought some back?" And I was happy to reply "Nope, it was way too good to leave any", or at dinner after finishing my big plate I could say "wow, I thought I wouldn't have managed that, but I was actually ready for it!" I knew I was making her happy. I could see her joy. Whenever I tried to compliment her for being a good cook she would have just coyly brushed it away saying I was simply too gentle. But when I was putting the fork down after polishing one of her hearty meals I could see she was proud of herself. She was proud of making her man happy, and I was happy to give her that satisfaction. Honestly, it wasn't a big effort for me.. She really was a great cook, I just had to enjoy it. Not a bother.

Actually, a spot of bother didn't take long to come. Again, it arrived in the form of a subtle comment from Eva. Well, perhaps not that subtle after all. "Honey, my friend Amy is getting married in two months and we got invited, you remember her, don't you?" she sounded quite happy and bubbly. I did remember her, she used to be Eva's roommate at some point at the university, I had met her once or twice when I started dating Eva. "I thought we could go shopping and find you a nice new suit, what do you think?". I thought I didn't need a new suit. I told Eva I had one, I would have used that. What came next is what instilled a spot of bother in my mind. "I know honey, but you have only that one and.." She looked less bubbly, as if something was worrying her "it's a pretty tight fit.." She continued with a hesitant voice "maybe a bit too tight for your growing appetite, no?". What was she saying? I'd always had a good appetite, how was that being a problem for my suit now? I'm not dumb, I knew she was implying I might had put on a bit weight. I thought that was a possibility, sure, but even if that was the case, a couple of pounds were not going to be a problem. We compromised to try it on and so I did.
I felt a bit under scrutiny there, getting changed in front of my girlfriend to see if I could still fit into my clothes.. that was surely an unusual situation for me! I buttoned the shirt first before moving to the trousers. I knew that they, if anything, could have given me troubles, and I was getting concerned as I got them up. I could feel I was getting tense, "what if she's right" I thought "what if I can't button them". I felt relieved when I buttoned them up. I turned to Eva looking for a signal of approval, but I didn't find it. The expression on her face was ranging from scepticism to a kind and compassionate smile "honey they are tight.. I mean, a bit too tight, no?" She said as she moved closer. She was right, and she was being even gentle. I looked down just to see Eva reaching out and putting her hands on my stomach. She pulled gently at the waistband with one hand and tried to stick three fingers of the other in it, but with no success. I saw then the tip of those same three fingers making contact with my stomach one inch above the waistband as she gave a couple of gentle pushes. I could see her fingers sinking a bit in my tummy, and I perfectly remember the feeling of my body giving in to them. Gosh felt that weird? Such a difference from all the times I'd felt my girlfriend hands wandering around my rock solid abs. I didn't like it but I had to admit she was right. I had managed to button them but they were too tight, the waistband was making my belly protrude a bit over it. I didn’t like that either. Eva’s hands started to move to my sides, just above were the waistband was digging a bit on my flesh. I stepped brusquely backwards. I wasn’t ready for having my girlfriend probing my love handles. Even though they were probably tiny, I was definitely out of my comfort zone. And I wasn't ready for it. "I think they are ok" I said. I wasn't convinced. But there were two months left to the wedding, still enough time to lose that little bit I needed. They would have fit better then. Yep, that was my plan. Wait a couple of months and things would have gone better.