chapter 18

"No," Amy whispered to herself as she wrestled with the metal zipper on the back of the black cocktail dress.

It had only been two weeks since she had altered the dress. Could she really have eaten her way out of it already? With effort she sucked in her belly as much as she could and, barely daring to breathe, she gave the zipper one last tug. To her relief it slid up but what was reflected back at her in the mirror was nothing like the image she had seen in her mind's eye when she had sat at her sewing machine. She had wanted sexy, elegant and just a little vampish but instead she saw herself as ungainly. The dress was so tight that it highlighted her every roll and bulge and left her feeling awkward, like an overstuffed sausage skin ready to burst.

She was supposed to meet Cassie at La Clochette in half an hour. It was one of the few nice restaurants in town and served the kind of rich and unapologetically decadent French gastronomy that Cassie enjoyed cooking herself. She knew that she had nothing else that was suitable to wear, she was just going to have to wear the dress and pray that it survived dinner.

Amy's heart gave a little flutter as it always did at the sight of Cassie when she saw her waiting for her outside the restaurant. She looked extra adorable tonight, wearing an immaculately tailored black tuxedo with a red bow tie.

"Wow, you look amazing," Cassie breathed, her eyes lighting up with genuine delight.

When they were seated Amy desperately searched the menu for something light, anything that wouldn't test the already straining seams of her dress.

"I think I'll have the souffle suissesse followed by the poulet bresse," Cassie said. "What do you think?"

Amy looked at the menu and her mouth begin to water greedily at the words "cheese souffle cooked in double cream" but she raised an eyebrow at the price of the poulet bresse. "That seems like a lot for chicken."

"It's not just any chicken," Cassie insisted.

"Is it a chicken that lays golden eggs and clucks the French national anthem?"

Cassie laughed. "OK, make your jokes but Jean Brillat-Savarin called it 'the queen of poultry, the poultry of kings'."

"Well, I guess you and the dead French guy are the experts so I'll have whatever you're having."

"An excellent choice."

When their souffles were served their conversation dwindled away as Amy eagerly dug in. She could not believe how delicious it was. It was eggs, cheese and cream transmuted into its highest form. A couple of months ago something so rich would have filled her to the brim but her stomach had been stretched so much from constant bingeing that she was still hungry for more and her main course could not come fast enough.

She had become so accustomed to eating to excess in front of Cassie that she barely had any restraint anymore and as she lost herself in gluttonous pleasure she forgot all about her overstuffed dress.

As usual Cassie ate moderately while Amy devoured everything that was on her plate. She was just enjoying having the opportunity to make goofball romantic gestures like buying the most expensive bottle of champagne on the menu and took pleasure in seeing Amy enjoying herself and making sure she had everything she wanted.

It was only when the waiter returned with dessert menus that Amy realised just how much her bloated belly was straining at the dress but still she craved more, to push herself to the point of blissful fullness. She knew that she really shouldn't but still she found herself ordering the chocolate fondant with peanut butter praline and ice cream without hesitation when the waiter asked.

"Wow, it's like a peanut butter cup on steroids." Amy said as she took a mouthful of molten, gooey chocolate heaven.

"You need to try some of this too, it's amazing," Cassie said, offering her a spoonful of her own white chocolate creme brulee.

Cassie's hand crept up her thigh and massaged her belly under the table. As she fed Amy a mouthful of the creme brulee she whispered in her ear. "I've loved taking you out but I can't wait to get you back to my apartment."

They had paid the bill and were just getting up to leave when Amy heard an all too familiar voice calling to her. "Amy! Over here!"

She saw Marnie waving animatedly at her from a booth where she sat with Becki and Melissa and suddenly she felt a queasiness that had nothing to do with the fullness of her belly.

"Damn. It's the three witches," Amy said under her breath.

"Double double, toil and trouble," Cassie muttered but her grip on Amy's hand tightened.