Chapter 21 - Epilogue

John looked out over Lake Arenal. He was John now, Lawton didn’t exist anymore. Just as Lisa didn’t exist, she was Sherry now and forever. He sat on his balcony overlooking the lake as the sun began to set. He never tired of the view, it was breathtaking. On the small table beside him was the gin and tonic that he was enjoying and another one for Sherry. Sherry was inside making a platter of hors d'oeuvres to go with their evening cocktail. He had one hand placed on his rounded stomach, noting that it was bigger than ever. They had been in Costa Rica for four months now. They had a cook for most meals, but Sherry was still baking and always seemed to be bringing him treats to try. Which was why he was up to 264 pounds. Sherry weighed 285 pounds and he guessed that someday she would join the 300 club. Although he might break 300 first, the way she was feeding him. John suspected that Sherry wanted him to weigh more than she did. He was certainly closing in on her.

Sherry came out to the patio carrying a tray of cheeses, crackers and various fruits. He watched her bend over to set the tray down, a sight always worth seeing. Then he watched her lower herself into her chair with more grace than you would expect from such a large woman. She was wearing a sun dress, and sitting there her belly pushed the fabric way out in front of her. A specialty bra kept her breasts from jiggling out of control, but even wire and heavy duty fabric could only do so much to manage such huge masses. John loved looking at her. He picked up his glass, and she picked up hers, “Here’s to the good life, baby.”

“To the good life,” she answered as they clinked glasses. “Where are we meeting the Harrisons for dinner?” The Harrisons were one of the ExPat friends that they had made since arriving. The ExPat community in the area was friendly and inviting. They asked newcomers questions, but John noted that they didn’t really probe. There was a common understanding that some people were living in Costa Rica for reasons that they really didn’t want to discuss.

“Jerry wanted to try the new Guatemalan restaurant that just opened. He said that he heard good things about it.” John and Sherry ate out a couple of times a week, usually with ExPat friends. There were many good restaurants in the area, largely due to the prevalent tourist trade. Of course, eating out was helping their waistlines continue to grow.

“Shall we take the boat out tomorrow?” she asked. “It’s supposed to be a beautiful day.” Most days were beautiful here, but John enjoyed their boat as much as she did. They had bought it about a month after arriving and kept it docked at the small marina that was only a block from their house. It wasn’t lavish but they liked it immensely. It was a 22 foot pontoon boat, perfect for motoring around the lake with friends, snacks and drinks. One of their ExPat friends had a similar boat and every day at five sharp he would circle around the lake with an ice chest and several bottles of liquor. Friends that wanted to have happy hour with him would walk to their dock and he would pick them up. He called it his Booze Cruise.

After a while, it was time to go meet their friends. They finished their drinks and got up to take the tray and glasses inside. Sherry walked in front, so John couldn’t resist giving her substantial rump a friendly pat. “Keep that up, mister, and we’ll be late for dinner,” she teased.

“Don’t worry, we’ll have all night. Besides,” he grinned, “we both like it better when we have full bellies.”

“Then I hope this restaurant has generous portions and rich desserts.” John laughingly agreed with her and wondered just how much fatter the two of them were going to get. Patting his big belly again, he reflected on how much he enjoyed becoming a fat man. There was none of the stress of his previous life, and his days were filled with great food and, thanks to Sherry, great sex. It was the good life indeed.