chapter 12

“I’m serious, we’ve been looking for a new model for weeks now, you’d be doing me a huge favor.” Chloe persistently continued to pester Claire, while the three large ladies trudged down the busy city street.

Doing her best to keep pace, but suffering from her aching feet, Claire replied a little short of breath, “Why don’t you just keep modeling your own designs?”

“I’ve been slowly eating my way out of modeling for a while now, photoshop can only do so much.” Chloe smiled almost looking proud, as she slowed her pace, lifted the hem of her tank top and showed Claire her fat globular belly.

Trying not to stare or give the odd behavior from the British woman more attention than it deserved, Claire hummed rather quietly, “You could always diet.”

“Nope! Diet’s aren’t for me! Not anymore.” Chloe loudly replied, as she let go of her tank top, letting it fail to fully cover her belly, and halted her energetic forward momentum to let Kimmie catch up to them. The poor girl had short legs and had fallen more than a few strides behind. Looking at Claire fanning herself with her hands and realizing the obese young lawyer was just as fatigued as she was getting, Chloe added more softly, “I’m happy where I’m at and I am never going back.”

“I could be your new model!” Kimmie wheezed, while she finally caught up with her fast-walking friends.

“I already told you, you’re too short Kimmie. Besides, you’d have to get rid of that ponytail.” Chloe teased, as she gave Kimmie’s signature hairstyle a flick.

“Never mind then…” Kimmie huffed, while she crossed her chubby arms just under her chunky bust and puffed her lip outward like a frustrated child.

“How much farther until we get there Kimmie? I’m knackered.” Chloe asked, as her nose caught wind of the lovely smell of fried chicken.

“Only a few more blocks.” Kimmie promised.

“My feet are killing me, how about we just stop here?” Chloe offered pointing to the KFC across the street.

“KFC? I’m trying to be healthy!” Kimmie objected.

“Then get a salad, what do you think Claire?” Chloe asked her fellow fatty.

“I’m trying to be healthier too, but my feet are also killing me, so I guess…” Claire begrudgingly softened on the idea of entering the fast-food establishment.

“Yes! It’s settled! Fried chicken it is!” Chloe cheered, as she led the way to the crosswalk.

Inside, the three young women were forced to wait in a rather long line. While they waited, the conversation they’d been having died down. For Claire, her mind shifted toward what she would get to eat. KFC did not offer a variety of healthy food options, but Claire thought about getting a hearty sandwich. It might not be super healthy, but at least it would hold her over until dinner.

“Can I get one of your fried chicken bowls? Yeah, the big bucket. And a side of chips.” Chloe ordered when it was finally her turn.

“She means French fries.” Kimmie butted in and clarified for the young lady taking their order behind the counter.

“But they are not French!” Chloe countered in a feisty outburst.

“We already had this discussion at McDonalds!” Kimmie reminded Chloe rather impatiently. Clearly, Kimmie was in a rush to order her own food.

“Right. Yeah, a fried chicken bowl and a side of… French fries.” Chloe loathfully uttered to move things along.

“To drink?” The fast-food worker asked.

“Just give me a soda.” Chloe waved without a care.

“You mean pop.” Kimmie tried to correct Chloe once again, but this time Chloe wasn’t having it.

“Quit it Kimmie! Don’t get between a fat woman and her next meal!” Chloe jokingly threatened, as she stood up straighter and bumped Kimmie’s belly with her own to force the short and very plump young woman to take a step backward.

“Finee!” Kimmie huffed backing down.

“Will you be having the same ma’am?” The fast-food worker turned her head and asked Claire, obviously judging from Claire’s size that she was a fried chicken gal too.

In the depths of Claire’s stomach, she knew she craved fried chicken more than anything right now, but the tone of the cashier just rubbed Claire the wrong way. Just because she was fat didn’t mean that she was going to order fried chicken too! Taking offense to the cashier’s insinuation, Claire changed her mind about what she wanted to order. Taking in an irritated breath, Claire huffed rather snobbishly, “No, actually. I’ll have a Caesar salad and a bottle of water.”

Looking surprised, the young cashier nodded and turned to look at Kimmie.

“I’ll have a chicken Caesar salad.” Kimmie hummed impulsively following Claire’s lead and ordering something healthy for herself too. She’d been seconds away from ordering fried chicken just like Chloe, but Claire’s resolve to eat healthy gave Kimmie the strength to resist her fatty impulses.

“Are you kidding me? You’re both getting bloody salads?! Way to make me look like a total fatty!” Chloe complained. She’d felt a certain solidarity with her obese American friends up until now. However, it suddenly seemed clear to Chloe that she was the only one of the three that truly accepted her size and was proud of the fat woman she’d become. Claire and Kimmie were fat women living the delusion that they’d somehow gotten fat by accident, or something like that. Were they so desperate to conceal the truth of how their once trim bodies had inflated with fat that they were willing to sacrifice a potentially enjoyable lunch in favor of bland salads from a fast-food restaurant?

“I can’t get back in shape if I keep eating junk for lunch every day.” Kimmie predictably responded, while Chloe held her tongue.

The hefty British beauty had a few things she wanted to say to her new friends but waiting among a crowd of strangers wasn’t the place to bring them up. Chloe decided to bide her time. She’d have her say before their meal was done.

Eventually, the three girls got their food, found a table, and started chowing down. Chloe made a concerted effort to make her consumption of fried chicken a spectacle for anyone nearby. She was eating fast, and she was reveling in every bite she ravenously scarfed down. Claire and Kimmie hadn’t even gotten half-way through their meager salads by the time Chloe polished off her bowl and declared her intentions to order another one. Flaunting her gluttony, Chloe returned to the table with another large bucket of fried chicken and had the audacity to gleefully unbutton her jeans in front of Claire and Kimmie before sitting down. The two Americans looked speechless, so Chloe decided to do them a favor and break the silence.

“What? You two never had to give your belly more room to digest?” Chloe questioned, while bringing another savory piece of chicken to her luscious lips.

“Maybe on thanksgiving…” Claire admitted, although in truth she’d been forced to pull the same maneuver quite often lately.

“Yeah, maybe on thanksgiving.” Kimmie echoed Claire’s sentiment with just as little conviction in her voice.

Unable to stand it any longer, Chloe blabbed with her mouth full, “Are you two serious? Who are you trying to fool? We’re all fat girls here, no reason to be shy about this stuff!”

For a moment, Claire and Kimmie made eye contact. They didn’t say a word, but both were of the same state of mind. Chloe was bringing up an uncomfortable topic that both Claire and Kimmie preferred to avoid. Biting the bullet and trying to appease Chloe, Claire took a conciliatory tone as she said, “Sorry. I’m sure it’s something I have to do more often than on holidays, but it’s not exactly something I’m proud to talk about.”