chapter 2

Ted and Betty went to their bedroom to discuss it. Betty was not happy.

"I am not going to let my mother blackmail us. I don't care what bribe she offers, I'm not going to do what she wants."

Ted had his phone out and was browsing.

"What are you looking at, Ted? We're supposed to be talking."

Ted looked up. "Apartments in Boston. Rents start at over a thousand a month. For an efficiency."

That got Betty's attention. "For an efficiency? After four years of college, I was ready to have a little space for a change."

"I don't know how long it will take us to find jobs, babe. And I still have student loans to pay off. Even an efficiency is going to be a struggle for a while. I don't know when we'd be able to afford anything nicer."

Betty looked thoughtful. "How much do you think mom can fatten us up in a month?"

"Couldn't be more than a few pounds, honey. Even if we each gain as much as ten pounds, once the month is over we can go back to our diets and exercise."

Betty still wasn't happy about it, but she had been thinking about a nice home to nest in for the last couple of years of college. "Well, okay, we'll do it. At least we can show mom we were willing to try indulging ourselves. Maybe she'll stop nagging us after that."

In the morning, Betty and Ted met Dinah downstairs for breakfast. Dinah was at the head of the table with a carafe of coffee. After pouring coffee all around, Dinah smiled and asked, "Well? What did you decide?"

Betty glanced at Ted, then turned back to her mother. "Okay, mom. We'll do it. One month of eating whatever you put in front of us. No exercise. And then you buy us the brownstone."

Dinah smiled again. "You won't regret it, either of you." She picked up a small bell on the table and rang it. In a moment, the cook and the maid brought in breakfast. By the platter. There were eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, cinnamon rolls, biscuits, and muffins, along with butter, honey, and preserves. "Dig in everyone," smiled Dinah.

Ted and Betty dutifully filled their plates. When Betty only put one sausage patty on her plate, her mother raised an eyebrow, and Betty added two more. Along with eggs and a cinnamon roll covered in icing. A look from her mother got her to take another roll. Ted wasn't about get crosswise in this, so he loaded up his plate. Lots of bacon and eggs, with biscuits, butter and honey. The maid poured mimosas all around, and kept them filled throughout breakfast.

Betty and Ted finished their plates, and leaned back with a sigh of relief. Dinah rang the bell again, and the cook brought out three bowls of fresh tapioca pudding. "There's always room left for dessert," Dinah said with a smile.

Ted and Betty looked at each other, shrugged and filled their plates again. It was delicious, just like Dinah said, but they were already full. Or thought they were. It was a struggle, but they got it all down.

"After that nice breakfast, you should lie down and let it settle." The young couple raised themselves carefully, feeling like they would burst if they moved too quickly. They looked at the stairs and Betty shook her head and headed for the living room. Ted followed and they each stretched out on the oversized sofa. No stairs for them this morning.

After an hour's nap, they sat up, feeling a little better. "Since we can't go to the gym," asked Betty, "what are we going to do?"

"It looks like your mom's entertainment center has all kinds of video games. Since I'm still full, a video game is about all I can handle." For the next couple of hours, they amused themselves with various video games. It was actually kind of relaxing. The two of them had been so busy with studies, and keeping up with their exercise regimes, that they hadn't really spent much time just relaxing with each other. As a change, it was nice.

Dinah walked in and said, "Well, it looks like you're enjoying yourselves. Why don't you take a break and we'll have lunch?" Neither of them was really hungry, but they had made a deal and they were going to stick to it. When they walked back into the dining room, the table was loaded. Roast beef, gravy, new potatoes, a green bean casserole, and crescent rolls. Ted took a deep breath, looked over at his bride, who also took a deep breath, and the two of them filled their plates. The standard had been set at breakfast for filling their plates, so they didn't even try to leave any space. It was all delicious, which made it easier to get it all down. When they finished, Dinah rang her bell again. Ted and Betty shared a look of panic about what was coming next. The cook brought in a chocolate cheesecake. The couple were slightly relieved, because they were afraid of another course. Then they noticed the cheesecake was already sliced into generous portions. No chance to have a thin slice, since there weren't any. They all took a slice, thick and heavy. The flavor was heavenly. Despite their fullness, they finished the rich treat. For a moment, Betty was afraid that Dinah would insist that they have another slice. But Dinah only gave a satisfied smile and said, "Wasn't that good?"