chapter 1

He first catches my attention at the gate while we are waiting to board the plane.

He lumbers into view, t-shirt skimming his rounded gut. Of course my eyes gravitate toward him. He is cute: neatly trimmed beard, plump arms, comfy outfit for flying in, not too tall. He looks like he might be a little bit heavier than my 300 lb ex, but it's hard to gage these things.

I cross my legs. It's been 11 months since the breakup, and to be honest the only thing I really missed about the guy was his belly. That had been majestically sexy. There hadn't been anyone since.

What can I say, I don't meet someone I desire every day. But I was getting tired of two hand touch. I felt a throb between my thighs at the sight of that fatty, but I ignore it. I am about to get on a plane for 7 hours so it was pointless to get aroused.

Maybe he'll be seated next to me, whispers a little voice in my head, but I quashed it. I'm never that lucky.
I lost sight of him during the boarding.

I make my way to 28B. I feel safer in a middle seat, with people around me.

Flying is not my favourite thing in the world. I stow my carry on and sit down. An older woman has taken the aisle seat, but the window seat is still empty.

"Excuse me," says a deep voice, softly. I look up and it's him. No way. I step out into the aisle and he squeezes into the seat next to mine. The armrest digs into his fat side and his flesh spills over it. When I sit back down in my narrow airplane seat, his body presses against mine.

"Ah, sorry," he says, "this thing just isn't built for guys my size."

"No, it's okay," I say. "Don't worry about it. Here, would you be more comfortable if we raised the armrest?"

I lift up the barrier between us. He nods.

"Thanks," he says. Are you sure you don't mind... this?" He points to where my waist and arm are touching his as he spills into my seat.

"No, I'm good," I say. "I'm Carly."

"Theo," he says, smiling. His eyes crinkle up in a way that makes me smile too.

"I should warn you, Theo, I've got a slight fear of flying. Well, mostly of the take-off and landing, I'm okay with the actual flying part. So having someone beside me makes me feel safe."

"I'll do what I can," he says. He's rummaging around for the seatbelt. He lets it out to the maximum amount. I'm watching out of the corner of my eye, trying not to outright ogle him. It's never going to fit, is it? He lifts his belly, flashing me a glimpse of soft fat gut as he wraps the seatbelt around his hips. He gets it fastened, barely, and lets his paunch settle over it. He tugs his shirt into place with a grunt.
I have to say, I am distracted during the pre-flight run-up to the runway.

The plane begins its taxi and my breathing goes shallow.

"Hey, take it easy," says Theo. "You're okay."