chapter 1

Eileen sat at the food court of the mall, slowly sipping her green tea latte as she scanned the surrounding people mindlessly consuming their lunches and scrolling on their phones. Just when she was about to leave, she spotted him. He was sitting in a corner booth near the exit. The first thing she noticed was the large stack of fast food boxes on his tray. Most were empty, and he seemed to be struggling to finish a double quarter pounder from McDonald’s. Despite his large appetite, his frame was slight, which was the second thing she noticed.
She waited for him to take a break from his burger for their eyes to meet. He smiled up at her shyly when he noticed her staring. She was out of his league, and she knew that. His head dropped back down, obfuscating his eyes with his shaggy brown hair. He took another bite of the burger, meekly this time. He knew he was making a spectacle of himself now. She waited until their eyes met again before taking the opportunity to approach him.
"Hey," Eileen said softly.
He looked up at her, surprised. "Hi," he replied.
"Big lunch, eh?" she asked, gesturing toward his tray.
"Yeah." His face turned bright red.
"Want some company?"
"I guess," he answered, quickly looking away.
They made small talk while they ate. She learned that he was a student at the local community college, studying business administration. He mentioned not being sure why he could get away with eating so much without gaining any weight. She laughed and chided him, telling him to be careful before it catches up with him. He chuckled nervously, but didn't argue.
After he finished his last burger, he leaned back in the food court booth. She could see his swollen belly poking out from his baggy grey t-shirt. He seemed to have trouble breathing as he sat there, and she wondered if he was feeling sick or just nervous.
“Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Eileen.” She smiled and extended a well manicured hand.
"Derek." He reached out to shake her hand before withdrawing it, wiping the burger grease on his shirt nervously. “S-sorry,” he offered a nervous smile.
"Don't worry about it. So, Derek, what's your story? Why are you here alone?"
He shrugged. “I’m just a student. Not really sure what to do yet… my dad said business would be a good idea.”
"So, you're not working at all?"
"Nope," he replied.
"What about your girlfriend? Surely a handsome man like you would have a girlfriend to go out and eat with.” Eileen smiled slyly, already knowing a nerdy looking kid like him wouldn’t have a girlfriend.
His face reddened again. "No," he stammered.
"Oh, okay then," Eileen replied nonchalantly. "Well, I'm glad we got to meet. I hope you don't mind me asking, but how old are you?"
"Nineteen."
"That& apos;s quite young to be living by yourself."
"Yeah," he replied, “well, I have a few roommates.”
"Oh yeah? How many?"
"Four," he responded.
Eileen couldn't help herself. She laughed. "Four! Wow, I can’t imagine how much food you all go through in a day!”
He blushed again. "It's not too bad," he muttered.
"Not too bad? Ah, well maybe the others aren’t too bad but I’ve seen how much food you can go through in a meal. That must get expensive.” She eyes him inquisitively, sipping her latte.
"I guess," he said quietly.
"Maybe you should look into getting a job. It'll help you save money for the future instead of spending it all at the food court."
He looked at her, embarrassed. "You think?"
"Yes, I know there aren’t many opportunities for a college student around here, but… hey! I just thought of a great idea!” She smiles widely, pretending this wasn’t part of her plan all along.
"What?"
"Why don't you work at a fast food place. I know they’re always hiring. Besides, you’d get discounts on the food. Sure, you’d be making minimum wage, but you could save a lot of money with that discount.”
He nodded. "Yeah, maybe that would work."
"Good!" She smiled broadly. “Well, hey, I’ve got to get going. I have a massage appointment at 1:30.”
"A massage?" he asked nervously, aroused by the thought of Eileen’s naked body. Perhaps he was thinking of sinking his big, greasy hands into her back.
"Yup, you should try it sometime. It feels great.”
He smiled. "Okay, maybe I will."
"Great! Well, I'll see you around Derek.” She turned to leave before “forgetting something” and facing him again. "Oh, wait, one more thing."
"Yeah?"
"Do you have a phone number? I could always treat you to an actual home cooked meal for once. I’m sure it’s been a while since you had something other than fast food and ramen in your system,” she teased.
He seemed dumbfounded that she would be interested in him. She was twenty-six with long, black hair and a modelesque figure. "Sure,” he replied nervously.
"Great! Give me a call later and let's make plans." She winked at him again before leaving the food court.