Chapter 1

It was 8:30 in the morning, and Mallory and Heather had just finished their morning walk. It was a crisp November day, slightly cooler than normal for Atlanta this time of year. The two neighbors took their walk most mornings, weather and conflicts permitting. They weren’t workout nuts but walked for their health and to keep their weight down. Mallory was a busty brunette, about five foot seven, with hazel eyes. Her butt was just big enough to garner attention, although not in the Kardashian league. Heather was shorter, five foot three, with ash blonde hair, blue eyes and a cute button nose. Not as busty as Mallory, but full enough breasts to balance out her slightly full hips. They had a route through their neighborhood that was just over a mile, and they walked it at a pace fast enough to get their heart rates up.

Heather and her husband Dennis had moved to their cul-de-sac three years ago, with Mallory and her husband Robbie moving in two years ago. The two couples had hit it off right away and socialized often. The two girls were sitting in Mallory’s kitchen waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, wearing stylish sweats and headbands.

“I hope our husbands appreciate us for exercising like this,” Heather said. “With my genes, if I didn’t eat right and exercise, I’d blow up like a balloon.”

“I’m right there with you sister,” Mallory responded. “Although to be honest, it would be nice to just relax and not worry about my weight.”

The coffee was ready and Mallory poured them both a cup. They had a half hour before they needed to get ready for their jobs. Mallory was a software coder working from home, which gave her a lot of flexibility in her schedule. She was graded on how many lines of code she produced, not on how many hours it took her. Heather worked for a catering service which required some night and weekend work so she wasn’t expected to be at work until about 10AM.

Both girls had just turned 30. Heather and Dennis had been married for eight years, Mallory and Robbie had been married for five. Both girls had gained a few pounds since getting married, just enough to make their curves more prominent. “But since I’m married to my workout beanpole,” Mallory continued, “I guess I’d better keep up the walking routine.”

“Is he still going to the gym daily?” asked Heather.

“Religiously. And he runs three times, sometimes four times a week. I’d just as soon he cut back on the exercise and fill out a little. He’s over 30, we’ve been married for five years, and I wish he looked like he has a wife that feeds him.”

“But you’re a good cook, Mallory! I know that you’re feeding him well.”

“Thanks, but no matter what I cook, he just works it off.”

“Does he know that you’d like to see him, uh, fill out some?”

“We’ve talked about it, Heather. He just laughs and tells me that I knew he was into working out when I met him. I wish he was more like Dennis.”

Heather laughed. “I didn’t set out to fatten him up, and he’s not really fat fat. Over the years he’s put on about 25 pounds, and since he’s a little over six feet, it looks good on him. Well, I’ve gained about 15 pounds, so I’d say we look like a typical American married couple.”

“I’d love for Robbie to put on 25 pounds. It would make him a little more of a teddy bear. But he’ll never do that just because I’d like it. Now if it got him ahead at his company, I’ll be he’d get right on the eat all you can eat diet.” Both girls laughed because they knew it was true. Mallory leaned back, a thoughtful look on her face. Heather could see that her wheels were turning.

“Mallory, what is going on in your devious mind?”