Chapter 3

The door creaked open seconds after I'd knocked. A familiar face smiled at me from within the office. It was the woman from the gym.

"I'm so glad you could make it," she said, her nervousness apparent in her voice.  "Come in, please."

I stepped into her office. It was quite large, bookshelves lining one wall, with a large wooden desk sitting in front. On the wall opposite the desk was a large television screen. Dressed in an overly-baggy sweat suit, I felt quite out of place. My host wore a rather tight business suit and pants. The zipper strained to stay closed.

"I understand you might be able to help me?" she asked, and motioned for me to sit. I took a chair, while she leaned against her desk. She patted her protruding stomach.  "I understand you have a solution for my problem? A sort of quick fix, one that doesn't involve months of sit-ups and sweating on a bicycle?"

I nodded.  "Yes, I believe I can help."

"Would thirty thousand be enough to pay for your troubles?" she asked, arms folded across her chest.

I swallowed hard. "Fifty thousand," I said. I couldn't believe I was playing 'hard ball,' it was more money than I'd ever seen before at one time.

She smiled at me, then pulled a certified cheque out of her jacket pocket and handed it to me. "Will this do?"

I regarded the cheque. It was real, and it was made out to me. Fifty thousand. My pulse raced. I nodded.

"So, how does this work?" she asked.

I stood up, my heart pounding. I motioned for her to stand, and gently placed my hands on her shoulders.  She looked up at me and I leaned in to kiss her. Our lips touched - I felt that familiar electricity pass between us. She clutched onto my arms, possibly to keep from losing her balance.

Our lips parted, and I slowly opened my eyes. She stepped back and brought a hand to her forehead. Looking down, she gasped.

"Oh my goodness!" she cried, running her hands over her torso. Her jacket now hung loosely on her. She pulled it off, letting it fall to the ground. Her blouse was several sizes too large now. She ran her hands over her now-flat stomach, then up to her newly thin face. "I don't know how to thank you!"    She leaned over and hugged me tightly. "It was worth every penny."

When she let go, I made my way to the door. My sweats weren't quite as loose as they had been when I'd arrived. I closed the office door behind me, and made my way to the elevator. I grasped my new, bulging belly with both hands, amazed at its softness. It wasn't really that big, but it jiggled when I shook it.

Back at home, alone in my bathroom, I stripped down in front of the mirror. I was shocked at my appearance - at least forty pounds heavier, I had a small but visibly bulging gut. My well-muscled body no longer showed the definition I was accustomed to. When I poked at one of my pectoral muscles, it wasn't solid, it had a slight give to it. I was astounded. I'd never been so fat before.

The next morning I went to a different fitness center. I couldn't think how to explain my weight gain to the people I knew at my usual gym.