chapter 1

Sat next to her in the booth, he slipped an arm around her ample waist and watched the reaction. She smiled between mouthfuls as his fingers closed around the soft, thick love handle. He closed his fingers gently, sinking them into her fat and feeling her body shift in response to his touch.

***

It was their first time seeing each other in years. Two friends who’d shared a frisson but life had got in the way and things had never quite clicked into place. Periods of being single had never overlapped and work had sent them both to far away places. But here they were, in a city neither of them knew that well, by chance both here at the same time and both single at long last. Messages were sent and a meet up was arranged in her hotel bar.

Both had spent hours thinking about, and getting ready for, the date. He wore a crisp, white shirt, open at the top and tucked into his dark jeans. His dark hair was swept back, his stubble was a couple of days long and his brown eyes shone as he walked through the lobby to meet her.

And there she was. Already sat at the bar, waiting for him. Smiling that smile which makes his heart beat fast. The smile he hadn’t seen in years, but here she was, smiling at him.

Her dark hair fell onto the exposed side of her one-shoulder dress. A dress which hugged her figure beautifully and caused his eyes to roam all over her. She knew his type. She knew she was that type. She knew he was her type too. He felt the same way. He’d liked her when she was plump all those years ago. He liked her even more now as the intervening years had been so kind to her weight. He’d seen her photos of course, and had agnonised over how many of them it was acceptable to like and comment on without coming across too strong. Seeing her in the flesh however, wow. It took his breath away.

She felt the same way about him. He carried himself better these days. He definitely dressed better. A little extra weight to his frame since she last saw him, but hey, that happens to the best of us. And thankfully things had picked up exactly where they left off, with smiles, laughter, flirtation, drinks and eye-contact that lingered and sent their minds racing about where the night would go.

The drinks at the hotel bar had been a perfect start to the night. It calmed both their jitters. Both of them had spent nights building this meeting up in their minds, playing out how it might go. He’d even made 3 different plans for places they could go to eat- food was always going to be a central part of the evening- so when she finished her drink and suggested dinner he was ready to suggest a few places and let her choose. She insisted on paying for the drinks,

“Fine, but dinner is on me.” he replied, before helping her down from her stool and linking her arm as they walked towards a cab for dinner.