Chapter 4 - Hiding Behind the Camera

The call waiting screen patiently blipped, contrasting the feeling inside Lori. They had skipped their last few calls, for various reasons on both their parts, and she missed seeing Sam. She had been having a great time being the big boss, even if it was far more work. That was part of what she needed to talk to him about. She nearly jumped at the ghastly horn-like sound, signifying the start of the call. She was instantly soothed seeing Sam's face on the screen. It was hard to not notice it, as it was all she could see. He must have been holding his phone so close to himself. She assumed he was laying down.

“Sam!” she exclaimed.

“Hey Lori,” he said smiling. “How's Maple country?”

“It's a blast. The people are as nice as they say. So different from the city. How are things at the house? No ghost sightings yet?”

“No apparitions to report,” he chuckled. “I miss you like crazy though,” he said with a sigh. Lori frowned sympathetically. “Glad you'll be back soon.” He noticed the change in her face. “What?”

“The thing is I have to stay a little longer. 10 days more. That's it,” she said nervously. She felt bad to tell him, especially after already extending the trip an extra week before. Sam looked relieved.

“You don't know how fast my brain jumped to you never coming back. I can handle that.” She set the phone down, propped up on a pillow, and grabbed a water bottle. She sat back down and could see Sam checking her out. “They got one of those squat machines at the hotel gym?” Lori laughed.

“They do. Very nice deduction skills.”

“All I had to see was that ass. You look great, Lore. Always do,” he added, “but glad to see you're getting the results you set out to.” She was flattered that he noticed. She was working hard at the gym each morning and was starting to see the results. She hadn't heard much from Sam on his own goals, but didn't want to upset him if it wasn't going as planned. She couldn't really tell from his face alone, but never putting his body in frame was a page in chapter one of fat hacks 101.

She wouldn't tell him directly, but she had hoped he wouldn't lose any weight. She couldn't stop thinking about how cute he was everytime he got too full. She wanted to be by his side soothing his belly and sweetly teasing him for getting so fat. She'd found out that there were lots of other people who found this very cute. Even sexy as fuck. A camp she thought she might be eligible for. She had more than a feeling that Sam fit into that circle in his own way too. He was always so embarrassed and shy at first, but her positive words seemed to help him relax.

She looked at him on the screen, trying to subtly detect if his cheeks were any chubbier or skinnier. She only could notice a dark purple ring encircling his head. A hood? She was trying to remember any such colored garment that Sam owned and her face twisted in thought.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Are you wearing my Mean Girls Hoodie?” He gave a hard blink.

“Uhhh, yea? I guess I am,” he laughed. She looked at him suspiciously, but half smiling. He laughed again “Lori, come on. Guys can wear purple. I thought we were millennials.” She laughed with him. She missed his humor. “It's cold here. And maybe I'm too cheap to turn on the heat.” The thought was gnawing in her brain. Another beat passed. He sighed. “You're dying for me to say it, aren't you?”

“Say what?” He couldn't be in her head, could he?

“This is the only thing that fits me right now? Something like that.” Lori's eyes went wide. “It's not, by the way. But it is comfortable, and in a not creepy way, it smells like you.” She smiled at him.

“Aw. Sammy,” she cooed.

“I miss you! I wasn't joking. I mean I'm not gonna say your clothes don't fit me better than most of mine though.” The corners of her mouth turned up.

“No six pack yet?” she asked understandingly.

“If you mean of Dr. Pepper, then yes, so many. I don't know what's wrong with me,” he said.

“Nothing is wrong with you Sam.” He raised his eyebrows, as if to say, “Yea right.” “How bad could It be? Show me.”

“Absolutely not,” he cackled. “I just got awarded another week to turn the ship around. I could lose at least five pounds by then.” Lori couldn't stop herself.

“Sam, it's really not necessary. For me at least. I mean I won't say I haven't been imagining you binge eating and thinking it was pretty, uh, hot.” He had started rolling his eyes, but stopped, frozen.

“Really?” Now she was embarrassed.

“Was I the only one extra enjoying the sex when you were stuffed to the gills? I imagined how into it you were?” Sam swallowed hard.

“Weren't you just really happy to see me too?” he said, evasively.

“I was. I just thought something was different. You haven't missed my belly rubs?” she asked, now fully worried she was absolutely off base. If he could have turned purple he would.

“You're trying to embarrass me,” he accused, nervously laughing. He saw her serious face and cleared his throat. “Or not. Geez Lori, yea I miss that a lot,” he admitted, looking sheepish as hell. She smiled at him and he relaxed. “I didn't think you actually were paying attention to all that like I was. I just thought you were trying to be comforting because I got fat. And maybe extra nice because you called me out for being too… into it.” She pouted her lips.

“I wasn't trying to call you out Sammy. I was playing along. It's not the weirdest thing ever. And you're literally too cute.” His face was saturated in doubt. “I mean it!” Sam defiantly untied the strings of the hoodie and pulled it off revealing his chubby face and slightly more doubled chin.

“Still cute?” he asked, looking more scared than power-trippy, as she suspected he'd intended. She bit her lip, wishing she could nibble that pudgy face.

“So you're saying I've missed quite a few stuffed belly rubs,” she teased. His expression softened and he shrugged with a smile. “Sam, you are literally so cute. I wish I could tell my boss no, and jump on a plane right now.”

“You're not just being nice?”

“Can you imagine if I had ever been this needy of reassurance about my weight from you? How fast would you lose your mind trying to convince me you liked me?”

“So fast,” he admitted. “But you,” he started, but quickly stopped.

“I was fat and comfortable. I get it Sam. Good thing I'm very patient and very into you. As you are and as you're getting.” She gave a comforting look. Sam set his phone down and she could now see his upper body, though definitely shrouded in her large hoodie.

“I guess I don't have to pretend I'm not eating Chinese food then?” Lori laughed hard. Sam revealed that he had already been half way through a massive Chinese binge. One order of General Tso’s and chicken wings down. He had half an order of crab Rangoon left and was in the middle of a shrimp lo mein order. Lori was getting way hotter, as the conversation preceding was exciting enough for her.

She lustfully confessed how hot she thought his cheeks looked when he was chewing. He managed to stop reflexively brushing off her complementary observations, and actually was starting to enjoy the praise. He told her he could hardly go two full days without a crazy binge. He missed her belly rubs the most those days. She let him know that she would think about it a lot at night, and after he asked, she confirmed she would touch herself to those very thoughts.

“I'm stuffed, Babe,” he said, leaning back on his arms after finishing the 3 egg rolls that went with the meals.

“I'm sure you are. Let me see,” she said eagerly.

“I can hardly sit up,” he said, “But anything for you.” He sat up with a grunt And pulled the hoodie over his head. Lori eyed his belly with admiration. It was bigger for sure. She wanted to press her face into it more badly than she could have anticipated. She watched curiously to see if he'd take his tee shirt off, of which she suspected was also her's. They both went to the same college, but his shirts were never that big. It fit him better than when she wore it last, that she was sure of. “Don't laugh at me, okay?”

“I promise I won't,” she said. He pulled off the shirt and slumped back. His chest was puffed up and his quickly hardened nipples proved that the house was actually pretty cold. Fall could hit hard sometimes. Canada was no better. She scanned over his belly and the stretch marks that had started before had only continued to stretch up the bottom of his gut, which leaned back as he was, she had a good view of. She could never have imagined him getting so doughy. He looked like a bag of rice was strapped to his middle. Not the biggest bag you could get, but still.

“I just want to pinch you.” Sam pinched the bottom of his gut and shook it, moaning. “You’re so hot,” Lori said, slipping her hand between her legs.

“I must be,” he said, watching her hand. “I wish you were here,” he said, circling His belly with his palm, his other hand gripping himself in his own pants.

They both proved that they didn't have to actually be there to have grand finishes. They lay collapsed in their respective beds and sleepily basked in each other's adoration.

“I love you Lori,” Sam said, on the brink of sleep.

“I love you too, Sammy. Talk to you tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it. So much.”