Chapter 1

“Here, on the house,” he said with a wink. She tried to demur, and he understood why, her eyes were already glassy, her cheeks pink, and her soft belly was round and bloated, uncomfortably pinched by the button on her denim shorts that fit so perfectly at the start of the summer. He was merciless however, had learned years ago that was unable to resist a commanding tone, a little pressure. “Drink up,” he said firmly, sliding the huge frosty mug towards her. Her eyes were soft and she took it, tipping it up to her plump lips and drinking obediently. Her packed stomach sloshed uncomfortably at the new onslaught of calories. While she was distracted he put down a few more baskets of fries in front of her to soak up some of the alcohol. And to swell up that fat little belly, of course.

He had to leave to tend to another customer and smiled to himself wickedly when she started eating the fries on her own, even though she must be painfully bloated with all the food and beer he had sent her way tonight.

This was their ritual. She would arrive from college in May, pale, trim, sleek in her matching sets from lululemon, her tight denim shorts, her crop tops and bikinis, her taut stomach and glittery belly ring. She would be fit, and chat about the swimming and cycling and hiking she did. By the end of their summers, he would have her wobbly and out of breath, gluttonous and lazy, last year her fat ass barely able to fit on his barstool. She would waddle away the last Saturday in August and he would have to wait until next year to see his favorite customer again.

June after freshman year
It had begun what he learned the summer after her freshman year of undergrad. She was down from some state school in the north, visiting her grandparents, snowbirds down here. She was pretty, in an unassuming sort of way, far too thin for his tastes in general, but with a little junk in the trunk filling out her shorts. She had wandered into the little beach bar he inherited from his dad, where he served as bartender, manager, occasionally as line cook if no one else was available. She must have been looking for an unassuming place to try out that fake ID. He was bored, so he pretended to fall for it.

She asked for some kind of frozen daiquiri thing, how very tourist, which he said as much, winking so she laughed. They got to chatting, apparently she was quite outdoorsy, wanted to know about kayaking, hiking, biking. He let her prattle on. Most tourists annoyed him, but she asked about his interests, too, he found he actually liked talking to her. All the while, he had suggested she try a few things. All part of doing business, no ulterior motives or anything.

A craft beer he had brewed himself, probably 250 calories. She made a little face, but she did finish it after he pretended she hurt his feelings. Beach fries, mozzarella sticks, easily pushing 2000 calories. “I’m actually not that hungry,” she had said at one point. Not a good sign.

“Oh, but I’ve already got it started for you. Besides, I don’t want you walking home too tipsy. Carbs help.” She looked uncertain, but she took the heavy food from him anyway. He liked that, kind of pliable like. She was a bit tipsy and didn’t notice him checking out her figure. Her belly, previously flat, was noticeably bloated, which stands to reason. She had consumed probably a gallon of liquid and enough appetizers for a party of four.

Naturally, conversation dwindled, she started to appear sleepy, and slid off the bar stool unsteadily to walk home. He asked her to come back any time, tell him if she liked any of the spots he recommended. He would try to brew something tastier, just for her. She smiled. He watched her round ass as she walked away, thinking about possibilities.

July after freshman year.
She slipped on her favorite sundress. Joey was taking her to the aquarium. She was surprised at how much shorter it was that she remembered. She frowned a little at the way it clung to her thick butt, her softening stomach. It was summer, it was okay to let a little loose, but she visited the beach bar where Joey worked at least a few times a week, and he was so generous and insistent, that, well, she was afraid she’d started to gain a little weight. She didn’t have a scale here at her grandparents’ house, and she hadn’t weighed herself beforehand to really know, but she felt a little more challenged on her morning hikes, and her lulu leggings were starting to pinch uncomfortably. She twirled her long hair. She was still pretty, she thought, and put the rest of the thoughts out of her mind.

She smiled to see Joey already waiting for her, tried to suck in her stomach as he gave her a hug that gave her butterflies. They hadn’t really done anything yet, but she thought they were on their way to more than just friends. He bought her an extra large waffle cone dipped in chocolate, and she caught him looking at her more often than the fish.

August, after freshman year.
She was definitely starting to lose the battle of the bulge, Joey thought. A soft ring of pudge spilled over her denim shorts and her belly ring sat oddly in her deeper belly button. She had thickened up a little everywhere. Her thighs were soft, her arms getting thicker. Her ass was definitely rounder, but also wider, sticking just a bit out from her edges of the bar still. She sat a little heavier, too. She had let out a dainty little “oof” when she gracelessly “hopped” onto the bar stool, weighed down by beer and greasy food and her new flab. Her belly definitely stole the show, however. Anyone would think she was pregnant, except that the newly fattened tummy was clearly all flab. He was really gonna miss this one. He wished he had just taken the plunge and pinched her budding love handles, just so he could really assess the damage, but what can you do? He was going to miss her.