Big man on campus

Chapter 2 - First Date

Wendy sat at the table in the busy restaurant. She was picking at the chips and salsa in front of her. Waiting. Her friend, Emma, who asked her to have dinner was running 20 minutes
late already. She passed the time by people watching. A couple on a night out. An older lady with a teenaged girl; probably her granddaughter. But the person that piqued Wendy’s interest the most was this other young woman.

She kept checking her phone. Glancing at the door. Double checking her appearance. It seemed obvious to Wendy that she was waiting for a first date. This ought to be entertainment enough until Emma finally arrived.

But even as she found herself invested in some stranger’s night, her mind couldn’t stop replaying what had happened a few days earlier on campus. The fat boy she saw at the student center food court. Bashfully eating enough calories for a week in a single setting. That scrawny acquaintance looked so plump and fattened up, Wendy didn’t even recognize him.

A former skinny guy just covered in a very generous layer of extra blubber. Habits catching up to him hard. His behavior sure didn’t make it a mystery for why he looked like a tick about ready to pop. This had long been a secret desire of Wendy’s. A skinny or average guy losing control and just turning fat. She knew the only time that her overfed former classmate was running was through her mind. She chuckled at the thought of him having to run with all that extra weight he’d been piling on.

Wendy was dragged out of her fat boy fantasies when she heard the clatter of her phone vibrating against the bread dish. It was Emma canceling 20 minutes after she was supposed to show
up. Wendy rolled her eyes and was waiting on the server to pay for her drink and head out. But before she could, her attention was drawn to a round, doughy frame in an ill-fitting button up making its way clumsily though the restaurant — right past her table to the girl she had been watching.

It took a few moments for Wendy to fully assess the situation and the realization to sink in. The fat figure was Declan! She had studied that silhouette closely just the other day. He greeted the girl waiting for her date at the table Wendy had been watching. Her heart fluttered for a second and then dropped as she took in this fortuitous coincidence and realized her crush was on a date with another girl. Wendy sat watching with all her attention doing her best to remain inconspicuous. She really hoped this girl felt the way most her friends did about fat guys. But why would she agree to the date if she didn’t? He was definitely fat at this point Wendy concluded.

She strained to absorb ever sound as they begin speaking. The dialogue exchanged between the two confirmed Wendy’s inferences that this was a first date. Wendy also couldn’t help but notice the way the girl’s eyebrows shot up and her eyes bulged from surprise. Her body language betrayed the forced politeness she was mustering at having a much fatter date than expected. Wendy was transfixed and decided she wouldn’t leave just yet.

She heard Declan remark about never actually meeting up with people he talked to on tinder as the girl across from him seemed to keep looking him up and down. Eyes lingering on the round plump belly sitting on his lap as the buttons on his light blue shirt strained to contain him.

“So, do you go on a lot of tinder dates?” She asked making conversation while sizing him up. Maybe curious if she was the first girl to feel catfished by a much fatter person then she signed up for.

“Not really,” he admitted. “I just activated my account after years of not using it. So, you’re the first person I met on there.”

“Oh cool!” She paused for a moment as if a wave of understanding crashed over her. She suddenly blurted out, “You should really update your pictures.” Her words followed by quick, awkward chuckle doing nothing to diffuse the tension between the two.

“What do you mean?” He naively prodded. Hoping she was referring to anything other than his obvious weight gain, as if someone could focus on anything else when around him.

Wendy stiffened as she put every ounce of focus on eavesdropping to the next table. The fates seemed to shine on her as this was much better than dinner with Emma. It was like live theatre of Wendy’s fantasies, right in front on her. She was enthralled.

Declan’s want for an explanation hung in the air for an uncomfortable amount of time as this poor girl had be the one to tactfully inform this overfed man across from her that he has eaten himself into barely resembling what he used to look like. Not that long ago.

But Wendy was infatuated with every ounce of excess lard he was obliviously flaunting. She couldn’t explain it. The way it seemed to compliment by the juxtaposition his handsome features. Showcase his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The skinny boy was still there but had just encased himself in so much fat.

“You don’t really look like your pictures.” She finally confessed. “They’re clearly from a while ago.” Her tone wasn’t harsh but she did seem rather matter of fact.

“Oh yeah. I guess I may have gotten a little bigger” He chuckled sheepishly. He was trying to downplay the odd 100 lbs he had packed on since the pictures were taken! Then it occurred to Wendy — His denial so strong he was thinking it may go unnoticed. Stifling a laugh, Wendy could feel her cheeks burning red at this realization. 

“Kind of a lot bigger though. Fatter.” Her words seemed to chide him. “It’s kinda dishonest to give the wrong representation like that.”

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t realize it had gotten that bad. If you want to end the date, I understand.” His shoulders slumped. His posture forward. Clearly trying to downplay his added bulk. But there was no way he could hide his round, fleshy love handles bulging over where his waistband was digging into softness. No way to hide the beach ball gut of his and the way it was spilling onto his lap — straining the lowest buttons on his overtaxed dress shirt.

“No it’s fine. Just be honest from now on. We can still finish the date.” She listed a smile of someone trying to do what she saw as the decent thing and not cancel the date because he was a lot fatter than expected. And judging by the way her kept flickering to his round, globular gut and the blue plastic button straining with his life to keep the fabric of the shirt together, he was a lot fatter than she expected.

“I’m working on losing it.” He assured here, doing his very best to try and suck in. He clearly had not worn any of his dressier clothes in quite sometime and was now stuck with what he had. Not that he seemed to fully realize just how fat he was getting.

The server visited their table. Wendy watched as Declan talked his date into getting some big appetizer she clearly could care less about. But Wendy took delight when she watched his eyes light up and his doughy cheeks dimple into sincere joy as he imagined the variety of fried food he’ll get to sample before his meal.

Just then Wendy was interrupted by the server. “Hi, excuse me, are we still waiting or would you like to place an order?” Wendy ordered as hurriedly as she could get away with to return to her private show.

The server had left their area by the time Wendy was back to being focused in on the fat boy’s first date. It seemed awkward as they both forced small talk, trying not to think about all the fat. The literal elephant in the room. Then the server brought a plates of cheesy, bacon ranch fries. Declan’s eyes seemed to beam at the prospect of filling his face with that greasy mess of dense calories, just waiting to be added to his collection of unused energy.

His date on the other hand barely picked at the plate as Declan greedily consumed most of the plate rather quickly despite the clear effort of restart on his end. It was so cute how he just couldn’t seem to stop himself. He had to make sure every last bite was enjoyed. Just before Wendy’s food arrived, she had been delighted to notice that Declan had seemed to have ordered a rather hefty double burger with all the fixings and what seemed to be many decadent touches.

Wendy chuckled as she noticed his dates deadpan stare as he began his gluttonous display of demolishing this large plate of food next to her dainty salad. This was dinner and a show. Wendy’s smile deepened as she watched the cute fat guy systemically consume his burger with a certain amount of grace and delicacy that seemed to betray his fat, slovenly build.

Although Wendy spotted the girl raising her eyebrows several times and casting judgmental, if amused, glances at the oblivious and food-focused fatty eating across from her. Wendy chuckled to herself as the girl’s jaw nearly dropped when Declan quickly talked himself into get dessert. She even said “oh I think that would be too much.” But he insisted just a couple bites. As he leaned in to begin tearing into the big wedge of fudgy chocolate cake, there was an audible pop, a relief of tension, followed by a loud clicking of something hitting the floor and rolling to a stop.

It was quickly clear for the gap exposing several inches of Declan’s soft belly fat, that he had popped the belabored button off his shirt. As he craned his chubby face down into his doubled chin to examine the exposed expanse of stretch-marked stomach, his date’s face stretched into a poorly veiled grin as a roar of pent up laughter came crashing out of her.

“Maybe that’s the universe telling you to lay off the cake, fat boy!” She laughs again at the scenario she has found herself in. “I’m sorry!” She offers after her oust burst. “You just look so different from your pictures and you spend the whole date eating like a pig. I kinda have second hand embarrassment just from this date. I’m sorry. I gotta call it a night.”

“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you-“ He says as she gets up from the table.

“No. I’m sorry for what I said. Look, you’re a sweet guy, but I think you’ve got a problem. You really need to lay off all the cake.”

She gets up to leave this obese young man alone at the table with his large slab of chocolate cake. Wendy’s eyes light up as Declan barely hesitates before digging back into the large slice of cake.

Wendy hails her server and quickly slides from her table to Declan’s and says “Wow, you must have to be a really good boy to get that much cake.”

Declan looks up with surprise, followed by instant recognition from their interaction earlier that week.

“It’s you! What are you doing here?” He asked with a puzzled look on his round, chocolate splotches face.

“I just happened to be here. Saw you digging into a big piece of chocolate cake.” As she says this the server stops by and she places a second piece of cake on the table in in front Wendy. “And thought you deserve even more.” Her face splits into a toothy mischievous grin as she slides the second piece of cake in front of him.