Chapter 1 - arrival

Alina had taken to Dan right from the word go. It felt like from the moment they had met at a postgraduate social, Alina had been determined to become Dan's best friend. It was fair enough, Alina had travelled all the way from Europe on a student visa to study here and she didn't know anyone yet. But with all the people in the room, why had this beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed knock-out girl, decided to partner up with an overweight, chubby American? Especially when there were so many handsome young guys in the room making eyes at the sexy newcomer.

It wasn't that Dan minded being the complete opposite to girls like Alina, a chubby unathletic type; on the contrary, he had learned to embrace it and enjoy his weight, climbing up to 265lbs as he was beginning his PhD. It was just that, being a chub didn't usually attract these good-looking girls to want to be friends with him - let alone anything else! However, Alina had followed him around for the last week and seemed entirely disinterested in networking with other people. She seemed to genuinely like him for some reason.

"How are you enjoying the city so far?" Dan asked her as they began their second weekend.

"I don't think I have seen much yet," Alina answered simply. "The campus is nice, but I imagined lots more fast food places in America," Alina replied with her usual randomness. "I have seen them on TV since I was a small girl. I mean, how did you get so fat?" she asked simply.

Dan chuckled at the bluntness of Alina, but it was something he was slowly getting used to. Alina had a very direct way of speaking to people at times that Dan simply shrugged off as a cultural difference. "You're right," Dan laughed, patting his small, round stomach. "This is the result of a lot of American fast food!"

"Yeah?" Alina replied with interest. "What type of fast food do you like best?"

"Oh, I'm not picky," Dan replied honestly. "I like plenty of stuff. You forget that I have been studying here for the last four years, I know where all the best food places are!"

"I want to try some proper American food," Alina insisted. "The big cheeseburgers, the fries, milkshake: the lot!" she smiled.

Not needing any encouragement, Dan smiled back and the two young students hastily changed their direction and headed towards one of Dan's favourite places. Alina didn't know the city very well and so Dan tried his best to help her get her bearings, pointing out plenty of other fast food places along the way.

"And you have tried the food at all of these places?" Alina asked, sounding almost impressed.

"Oh hell yeah," Dan replied, enjoying the fact that Alina seemed captivated by his unhealthy appetite. "Like you said, how else would a guy like me get so fat?" he chuckled.