chapter 1

I was a kid on Christmas morning... well, actually it October and I wasn't a child; but I felt like it. There was a tension running down the outside of my arms and the backs of my hands. My every breath was deep and hopeful. My cheeks were hot. My heart was dancing in my chest. I gave my hips a little wiggle, just a little, while I waited at the end of my driveway. I could have waited inside, wiggling and jiggling in excitement to my heart's content, but I thought it would be more fitting to wait outside. Looking at me, only the backpack sitting on the ground beside me gave anything away.

I was in my most comfortable, relaxed fat-jeans and a sky-blue light jacket. My sneakers had obnoxious neon-green laces. All of this was... well, it was a lazy Saturday, nothing odd there. But the backpack was bubblegum pink with a dynamic picture of Rey, with a half a dozen pins and patches showing everything from My Little Pony to Doctor Who. The pink was the important part, I thought: just like the pink "Belle" shirt on under my jacket, and just like my pink 'princess' panties. I gave another little wiggle at the thought.

When I saw his car, my heart skipped a beat. I bounced on my heels and waved like a dork... and why not, it was Joe! Sorry... Mister Joe. I wasn't completely into my little-space just yet. Mister Joe was coming to pick me up for a long weekend of play, pampering, and all the treats I could eat... but it was so hard to get my brain out of 'work mode.' It had been a month of meetings, deadlines, last minute requests, a conference... it went on and on. I trained new employees, mediated disputes between coworkers, and don't even get me started on the paperwork... After all that: I really needed someone to take care of me for a few days.

When he pulled up to the curb I practically skipped, and I can just imagine what my chubby backside looked like doing that; and climbed into his car. He was... He was my Joe. He leaned over as sweet as he could and kissed my cheek. Then he stowed my backpack and fixed my seatbelt for me.

I was practically melting with happiness, almost speechless, when he asked if I'd been a "good girl" all month. I said that of course I had been.

Then he asked if I'd been keeping well fed. I beamed and giggled and replied: "of course!"

He approved, after all: "a growing girl needs her nourishment."

"I put on six... pounds..." I bragged, putting emphasis on both words.

He laid a hand gently on my round thigh. "That's my big girl. Let's see if we can add to that before I have to take you home."

I sat back and enjoyed the drive as he whisked me away to our romantic weekend getaway. Well, it was a getaway for me, it was going home for him. He pinched my spare tire when we were stopped at a light. Oh... Mister Joe... That brought back memories.

We first met in high school, he was in the year behind me. We were both such scrawny things, but then I went off to college; he took up swimming and I took up eating. I hadn't meant to, but between snacking while studying and how my meal plan gave me the freedom to indulge every meal... Well, I very nearly managed the freshman fifty. I didn't catch up with Joe until the time I came back to visit, near the end of the second semester. I don't think either of us quite recognized the other for a few moments.

He'd had broad shoulders before, but he'd developed some muscle to fill out his chest and arms. He hadn't turned into a champion swimmer, but he sure wasn't skin and bones anymore. When we embraced, it was the first time that I realized just how much I liked having his arms around me. He told me how great I looked and gave me a teasing pinch on my not insubstantial love-handle. I thought he was being mean at first! When I looked into his eyes and I saw... He looked at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world.

The next time I was in town I let him take me out to dinner. The time after that I let him fix me a home cooked meal, and feed it to me.