Chapter 21

Saorise left the restaurant packed to bursting with sushi.


"I told you not to hurt yourself." Patrick shot her a pitying glance, seeing the uncomfortable look on Saorise's face.


She tried not to grimace, sushi rolls were denser than she expected, and she was now feeling very heavy. "I'm okay."


He put his hand on her lower back to offer support. "Maybe you should sit down."
.
She was apparently not hiding the discomfort. "Sure."


They made a beeline to the pub across the street. It was quiet, no music and no pool table


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Jack came to the booth to pick up some of the cups. Christian was sitting alone stacking the empty glasses into a flimsy tower.


"You're still here?" Jack asked with an accusatory tone.


Christian gave a vacant look. "It's not that late."


Jack picked up the cup tower and inspected it. "No, but I hear you're a troublemaker when you've been drinking."


"Two more, please."


Rachel staggered back from the toilet as Jack walked away. "Oh God, I'm definitely going to be in trouble again tomorrow if I don't sober up quickly."


"Okay. I've ordered us one more each. Then I'll get you a taxi."


She hiccoughed. "Good. Because I don't want to get properly sacked. I need the job."


Christian watched Jack pouring drinks. "Well if you do, you can always come back here."


She laughed. "***. I'm done with that. I'm never taking my clothes off in public ever again. I'm going to be like a nun."


Christian laughed. "You have most definitely not been inside a convent then."


She poked him in the chest. "And you have?"


Jack interrupted. "Your drinks."


"*** Jack." She snatched them from him and put them on the table.


Jack walked away, extending his middle finger at them.


Christian picked up a glass and toasted Rachel. "Cheers. it's been a good night."


"Slainte." She corrected him. The two swallowed their drinks in one, picked up their coats and began to leave.


Christian waved at Jack as he went to the door, but Jack ignored them.


They made it to the stairs, Rachel wobbled unsteadily and Christian caught her arm. He slowly edged the two of them downstairs to the street.


"Okay. I'd better call us taxis."


Rachel nodded. "Okay. But I need to get chips again. I really need to sober up for the morning."


He shrugged. "Sure. Take your time."


Rachel stumbled a little but made it into the takeaway. She looked over the menu and chose kebab and chips with garlic and cheese. They didn't wait long.


Christian ordered a bottle of diet cola for himself.


Rachel took her boxes and sat down at one of the diner tables, in a flimsy red plastic chair. Christian sat opposite.


She unzipped her coat again slowly. This time, her skin-tight t-shirt has rolled itself up, showing a thick roll of pudge bulging over the high waistband of her borrowed sweatpants.


Christian found himself staring. He was too drunk to stop himself.


Rachel looked at him. "Whats wrong with you?" She looked down and saw. "Oh." She paused, then rubbed the fat roll.


He snapped out of it. "I wasn't looking at anything."


She laughed. "Yeah you were. You were getting a free show."


He blushed and made a point to look away. "Sorry if you thought that."


She reached to pick up the kebab then stopped. "You know what. You can have a show. Get upstairs again."


He shook his head. "No, don't be ridiculous."


"I'm not." She hiccoughed. "If I'm taking a pay cut at the hotel because of you, then i need to do shifts here too, right. You owe me."


She wrapped the takeaway boxes back up and put them under her arm and grabbed Christians hand, pulling him up, marching him back to Desire.


Christian tried to pull away, but worried she was going to stumble on the stairs. She opened the door to the club and took him back in.


Jack wasn't at the bar, Rachel pulled Christian across the bar floor and dragged him unnoticed into the VIP room.


Christian sat down on the cheap velour lined bench and sipped on his cola. The lighting bathed the room with a dim but colourful aura.


Rachel forced herself up the step to the private stage, carrying her takeaway with her and she slipped off her coat.


"What are you doing?" He enquired.


Rachel pulled her t-shirt up and tucked it under her breasts. She tried to pull down the high waist of the sweatpants, but nearly dropped her takeaway box. "Bit of help."


Christian obliged. He put down his cola and tentatively pulled on the drawstring to her pants, loosening the knot. His heart was fluttering. He hooked his fingers around the waistband, his knuckles sinking into the softness of Rachel's body. He pulled them down, staring at as her belly expanded as it was freed, until he was looking directly at the huge roll of her lower belly. He was mesmerized, he had never seen this amount of fat up close before, the slightest move either made translated into tiny wobbles through her gelatinous figure. He could see the faded white lines of ancient stretch marks, some leading under her belly, curling around underneath the hanging roll, where her belly had gotten too big and heavy and sagged down from each hip.


Her thighs exposed as the sweatpants fell. They were so thick and lacked definition. The fat had started to dimple as cellulite at the sides.


Silently, he sat back.


Rachel ate her kebab with one hand and rubbed her free hand along the top of her belly as she swayed her hips side to side. "Just like Saoirse, then?" she asked between bites.


Christian didn't know how to answer this. The memory of seeing Saorise at the club for the first time where she looked to be half the size of Rachel standing in front of him now. "I guess so."


She kept eating. Christian couldn't stop staring at her stomach. Rachel was not struggling to eat the big greasy takeaway and it barely seemed to expand her belly, she just seemed comfortable eating this.


She finished the kebab and most of the chips and dropped the packet, which spilled a little ignored lettuce on the floor. She gave him a smirk and pulled her top off, her large, saggy tits bulged out at the sides, the bottom of them resting against her belly.


Christian knew he shouldn't be here watching this, but He also couldn't stop staring. She danced, every part of her body shook and jiggled with every move. Her rolls changed shape, flattening at the side of her waist, leaving her belly seeming stretched tight when she leaned back, sliding down her thighs when she leaned forwards. Her skin glistened more and more as sweat formed on every part of her body.


She stepped off the stage and shook her bum. It was completely covered with dimpled cellulite and her cheeks wobbled erratically as she shook it. She turned back and faced him. "Let's get closer."


Christian was speechless as she suddenly sat on him. The weight was intense, he was pinned back. He exhaled sharply and coughed.


She stood up. "You okay?"


He nodded. "Maybe warn people before you do that."


She nodded. "Okay. Now." She straddled him, gently lowering her weight on top of him. She took his hands and placed them on her waist, his hands sank into her side rolls. She leaned forward seductively. "Are you ready?" She whispered.


Christian felt as if his heart was about to explode. He was getting very turned on, feeling regret that he let himself get so drunk that he followed along. He was supposed to be the sensible one.


Rachel threw her arms up. Her tits wobbled, her belly sank between her spread legs and the bottom rested on Christians crotch. "Actually, wait," He said, trying to snap back to reality.


Rachel didn't hear this, she lunged herself against him. The full weight of her belly engulfing his slender frame. The bench cracked at the sudden movement of weight. The legs collapsed, Rachel screamed and fell face down on Christian.


Christian squirmed, suddenly he was pinned down by a soft, heavy weight. Her chubby bits bulged into him, pinning him down and engulfing his slender frame. Rachel, bemused, pushed herself up, taking the pressure off Christian, her belly still hanging down, resting on his torso. She panted and more beads of sweat formed on her face.


Jack barged through the door. "What the Hell is going on?" He saw Rachel on the floor, scooping his hands under her armpits and pulling her to her feet.


He glared down at Christian. "You, sling your hook."


Christian clamoured to his feet and wordlessly, cupped his jacket around his groin and slipped out the door.


He spun Rachel around and carried her to the stage to sit, dropping her on her backside with a heavy thump.


"Right. What happened?"


Rachel nervously crossed her arms to hide her bare tits. "I brought him up here to practice."


Jack sighed. "You dragged your friend's boyfriend up here to give him a free dance?" He looked at the greasy boxes on the floor. "I banned food stuff here."


"Yeah. I know, It's pretty bad. But he liked it too."


"Yeah. Shocking. Man gets a hard on at a strip club. Sort yourself out, Rachel. Have a little rest from the drink."


She nodded, meekly. "I just want a bit of attention every now and again."


"Yeah, don't we all? But cop on. Sober up and work here properly. You made good money with the karaoke thing last night."


"But I'm shite at it. Maria, Saorise are both gorgeous and very professional."


Jack put his hand on her shoulder. "Speaking as a man who's not far off fifty, gorgeous and professional are fine for the young who want to show off, or whatever. But most who come in here are the sort who prefer to have beef and mash for dinner over any fine dining." He rubbed her shoulder.


Rachel gave him a horrified grimace.


"Don't give me that look. You want honesty not flattery."


"So I'm comfortable and familiar." She sighed. "Well if you're so honest. Do you even like me?"


Jack shrugged. "You've broke half the furniture in here and I've kicked people out for way less."


"***, Jack." She paused and gestured to her naked body. "I mean this."


He took his hand off her back. "When you're sober, you'll be happier if I don't answer that question. There's no right answer is there?"


She shrugged.


He held out his hand and helped her put her coat back on and said nothing as he ushered her out of the front door.


"Sorry about all this."


"Just don't do anything stupid, like telling Saorise what happened. I know He's not going to tell her."


"Yeah, for the best."


He began closing the door on her and looked at her turning away and he sighed. "The answer is Yes, Rachel. Now go home." He slammed the door shut and locked it.


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Saorise&ap os;s stomach gurgled uncomfortably as she slowly sipped the lager, whilst slumped in the armchair.


Patrick kept trying to stop himself from staring at her belly. It was painfully big earlier in the evening and the fizzy drink she had been adding to it had slowly been swelling it more. At least if she put the hoodie back on, it would hide it a bit. He had spotted that the occasional passing customers were also having a sneaky stare.


He stood up. Saorise was not talking much anymore, she looked to have used all her energy. He gave her a slightly pitying look and poked the bottom of her stomach. "Come on, time to go, you're not going to fit anything else in there are you?" He said, hoping this would not be taken as a challenge.


She held out her hand, Patrick grabbed it and helped to pull her up to her feet, then passed her hoodie.


She draped the top over her shoulders and tried but failed to pull her t-shirt down. "Yeah. I think i need to sleep."


Patrick sighed and linked his arm with hers to keep her stable. "I'll get you a taxi. No sneaking off for more chips."


She burped a little. "I want chips."


He looked worried. "You're going to burst. Come on, sleep off your food coma."


She trudged slowly, Patrick tried to avoid the look the bartender was giving them as he ushered Saorise into the street. He sighed a little. “Look, maybe we should just stick to finishing our assignments for the next couple of evenings.”