Chapter 4

He removed the cushions and pulled out the bed, surprised to find it fully made, but full of crumbs. ‘I wonder how often she can’t make it upstairs…or doesn’t…’

Taking her hand from her belly, he drew her over to the couch, sitting, and tugging her towards him. As she opened her eyes, she saw his desire clearly for the first time, surprised to realise that part of her had known it was there all along. With a loud grunt, she plopped herself down beside him, panting and holding her belly to keep it from moving too much. ‘Wow, how did I get this full?’ she wondered, as she slowly remembered everything she’d eaten. She moaned with pleasure and a little fear, realising her appetite was STILL growing. And some part of her knew she wasn’t done, but she couldn’t quite admit it yet…

‘Anthony, I need to lie down…will you help me?’ She was embarrassed to ask, and more than a little turned on by both the need and the embarrassment. Without answer, he stood, taking her tiny, pudgy feet in his hands and lifting her legs onto the bed. He looked over her clothing, to make sure she was comfortable, and realised her jeans were getting a bit snug around the waist. ‘Would you like to unbutton your jeans, cara?’ Her eyes were closed, her marshmallow hands resting on the sides of her belly, her breath short. She giggled and answered, ‘They don’t have buttons, I can only wear elastic.’ The thought aroused him even more, and he tugged the elastic waist down below her belly, pulling and lifting it out so that the whole soft enticing mound was free from constraints. ‘Would you mind taking them off, please? I feel so hot,’ she murmured, hardly awake or conscious, but aware of the heat between them. He pulled them off obediently, and sat next to her, wondering what to do next.

Limply, she reached a hand out, and he put his into hers. She smiled, her eyes closed, her expression dreamy, and she pulled his hand toward her swollen stomach. ‘Can you massage me, please? I need to be on my side, easier to breathe…’ As she tried to turn over, he helped her, one hand on the rolls of fat on her back, pulling her towards him. She huffed and pulled her belly out from under her, settling it outwards on the bed. He moved into the corner of the sofa-bed, taking her upper belly into his two hands and tenderly rolling it between them like dough. ‘Heaven,’ he thought to himself, ‘this is every bit as good as I dreamed it would be.’

He leaned over her and began gently licking the dip, cannoli cream, and tiramisu off her face, lips, and chin, and she moaned a bit, and stirred, but smiled and settled down again. While a basically happy guy, he’d never felt so blessed in all his life, and said quietly that this was all he ever needed. Some barely conscious part of her heard him, and mumbled ‘Me, too…’, as she began to snore very softly.

With great care not to disturb her, he got up from the couch and started to look in the kitchen for things to cook for her. He saw the kufteh and cake thawing on the counter just as he heard a key in the door. The housekeeper came in, and he led her back towards the door and said ‘I’m so sorry you came out today—she’s not feeling so well, so I’ll take care of her. Please don’t worry, I’ll let her know you were here…’ The housekeeper took one look at the scene and realised she should leave them be; she’d always hoped someone would come along to appreciate such an appetite, and it looked like someone finally had. Grinning, she told Anthony it was no problem at all, and thanked him for caring for her.

He returned to the kitchen, where he found everything he could possible hope for, including a deep fryer. He filled two big pots with salted water, covered them, and put them on to boil. Looking through the cabinets, he found some tinned lentils, which gave him an inspiration. Locating bay leaves, and extra virgin green Spanish olive oil, he went looking for fresh garlic, and found several heads in a keeper on the counter. He checked the water, and found both pots nowhere near boiling, so he continued his survey. The cabinets were certainly impressive—orderly, organised by category, clean and tidy, and, of course, full of only the best ingredients. ‘It’s such a pleasure to meet a big, fat woman who knows what to eat, not only how,’ he thought, smiling at his fortune.