Chapter 1 - The bikini test

I haven't met Tommy in almost 2 years, when he sends me a message. "Hey! How are you? I am here at the beach, would love to see you".
The message makes me happy, on one side, as Tommy is a super nice guy, and we have a great connection. On the other hand, this year I've been avoiding the beach, not to wear a bikini. Last year it was tough, but it was just after the first lockdown and my weight gain was more understandable. Somehow I put on more kgs during this year, and now, being more than 150 kgs, I avoid the public scene as much as I can.
I go for honesty, and reply to Tommy "I miss you! Haven't been to the beach much, tough, not sure I will make it". He immediately replies "Why?"
I answer with the emoji of a little whale.
"Come on! I saw you before in a bikini!"
"Yes, but I gained some kgs lately"
"Oh. Sorry to hear, darling. Pandemic must have been tough on you. Is it bad?"
"I gained a few, but I am on a diet"
"I wanna talk to you. Come tomorrow at the Red!".
My few kgs are more than 40, since the last time I met him I was 115kgs. My belly was big, but now...I am way larger, and I expanded in all the directions.
I decide to try my largest bikini on, and the mirror tells me that I need a new one. Damn, I look huge. The bikini is too small for my circumference. After a small snack, I get ready, and go to a store for large women, the shopping assistant is very nice to me. She tells me I will need to order as my size is larger than the biggest they have in stock, but when explain the urgency she sends me to another shop. There the girl serves me with a smile and finds a bikini with pareo set that "will make you look 3 sizes down".
In the morning I try to eat a bit less, as I splurged during the night, and I need to contain my belly. The bikini is nice, but as I walk at the beach my belly keeps getting out of it.
When I see Tommy, strong, fit, tanned, I have to impulse to escape back home, and go to eat some pastry to feel better.
In stead I tell myself that I am not as fat as I feel, and he will be happy to see me.
Plus, he is looking at me, even if he is not waving or anything.
"Tommyyyy!" I wave and walk towards him. As a I approch him my belly moves up and down, until the bottom comes out of the pareo. I try to fix everything, while Tommy has a very surprised expression on his face.
As I walk closer, I pass in between 2 rock tables, or at least I try. For the second time in my life, I get stuck there, with my belly not allowing me to move back, nor forth. Promptly Tommy runs towards me, but people are already watching the show of my large body not able to pass among two well distanced tables. I can hear laughters.
"Darling, let me help you!" As Tommy pulls me, I feel my fat moving away from the stuck position. I am free, and red as a pepper. "Are you ok, dear?" Tommy looks very concerned, but his eyes are scanning my rolls.
I reassure him I am fine, just embarassed.
"Let's go for a walk by the sea" he suggests, bringing me away from the people staring at my belly.
"Well, this was not the entrance in scene I imagined" I joke.
Tommy looks at me again, I feel my body being scanned. "Hm, that must have been stressful, I am sorry."
"It's okay, thank you for helping out!"
"Oh, it's nothing. I love helping ladies in trouble, but I must admit I was not sure it was you!"
"Hm, I told you I got a bit larger".
"Oh, love, these are a bit more than a fee kgs"
I blush. "Now I am quite heavier than normally. This summer I let myself go, and I keep packing every bite I eat. I am trying to get back to a lighter weight"
"What happened? I mean, you were on a diet when I last met you!"
"Hm...at first the diet back fired, then the pandemic. Oh, Tommy, I got so hungry during the lockdown! And without sport, my weight went up like crazy! Then somehow I packed some more, like first 10, then lately 20 more kgs."
"Damn! You really ballooned, kiddo. It must be difficult to manage such a high overweight! Is Mark helping you to try and shed some?"
"Mark? He left me when I was just a bit more than 100kgs. He is into chubby girls, and I am a bit more like a whale"
"You are cute" he smiles, with a hint of pity "You can't help eating treats, uh?"
I feel his compassion, it's nice. "It's really hard to resist, and if during the day I manage to eat more or less not too much..."
"...at night you empty the fridge, the cupboard, and every other storage place!"
I blush.
"I kind of knew you got much bigger with Covid...I saw a photo, but I must admit that when you walked towards me I was not sure, ans I hoped it was not you."
"Oh my. Which photo?"
"Oh. You didn't know about the photo from last year? The guys shared a photo of you on the Whatsapp group..."
"Tell me..."
"It's you in sweatpants and sweater, a pink set. You sit on a bench, eating donuts."
"Crap. They shared that? Can you show me that?"
It takes a few minutes for him to go through his phone and show me the image.
"It's a meme saying "
Post lockdown diet is not working too well". In the photo I am eating, and my sweatshirt is all rolled up, showing two large rolls of fat on my belly.
"It's mean, I am sorry..."

We are interrupted by Giacomo, a friend of mine who stops to say hello to me with a belly poke. "Did you eat the fridge? Ha ha, you need to stop eating, this belly is entering in another province!". He keeps walking, while Tommy gives me a tender look. "People are mean. How do you feel?"
"I am starving" I admit.
"It doesn't look like it" he smiles, poking my belly in a gentle way.