Chapter 1

The last few years had been good to Rudy. A promotion with a personal office, followed by the kids moving out and the agreed-upon divorce with the wife had led to an increase in his personal freedoms, a world of self-satisfaction sealed twenty years ago, now opened and beckoning to be explored.

Oh, how he had relished in the realisation that only one culprit would remain to clean up after at home. That he could kick back after work, beer and takeout on hand, and not worry about a thing. No more being dragged on boring hikes. Or equally monotonous bicycle rides.

And sure, maybe cutting exercise out completely had caused what he called his “winter weight” to stick around for longer than he desired (it didn't leave at all), and maybe the overindulgence had nourished that weight to the point where his once slim body had grown into the dad bod he now reluctantly called his own (fuck).

But he automatically shoved those thoughts aside whenever that little spark of hunger emerged, happily drowning out any ideas of restraint.

It was in those moments he was truly content, sitting down for lunch in an upscale pizzeria with some workmates. Spread out before him a pizza he knew didn't require extra sausage, a side of garlic bread he knew was excessive, and a milkshake he knew didn't pair well with the meal. Rudy didn't care. The diet could start tomorrow. Now was the time to give into his urges.

Out of the three colleagues with him, two had known him for a while, witnessing his transformation from fit middle-aged coworker to out-of-shape manager. They, too, had their share of marks left by ageing. The third, however, was relatively new to the company. The only Rudy he had ever known was the chubby man sitting across the table, digging into a pizza like any other chubby man.

The conversation came to an almost complete standstill during this phase, our chunky protagonist devoting all his concentration into consuming what he had ordered. Piece after piece entered his mouth, filling the gut that was getting quite noticeable while seated. Of course, it was nothing compared to the largest guy at the table, a fact Rudy delightfully used to justify many extravagant meals.

Towards the end he slowed down a bit, eating not out of necessity, it just felt good to keep stuffing food down his throat. There was no better feeling than pushing against the feeling of fullness with one or two more slices of greasy pizza.

Done. He leaned back, shifting awkwardly in a naive attempt to conceal his weight. Nobody could look at him without acknowledging his widened thighs, slight double chin, or the fact that his button- up shirt belonged to a skinnier man.

Wait. Not done quite yet. The youngest of the group was offering their last slice to the others, another reminder of the overabundance of calories that had already been consumed. Rudy couldn't say no, he glanced sheepishly at his fatter neighbour, who declared it would be too much even for him. Rudy ruled they were just being modest, as he greedily slid the pizza onto his own plate. The diet would start after lunch.

Pleasantly stuffed to the brim, Rudy and friends made their way back to the office, savouring the pressure that had accumulated in his gut. “Buzzed” was the word he'd use to describe his current state. Until the glass wall of a skyscraper ripped him back to reality. They walked past for longer than he liked, his reflection forcing itself into his field of view. Fuck. Was that really him? Where did that curve to his gut appear from? When had he become such a porker? The diet would actually start now. No excuses.

That lasted about two hours when Rudy, on his way to get coffee for the afternoon, discovered that an employee had left out cake for the office. Obviously one slice wouldn't hurt. Maybe two, lemon was one of his favourites. He then grabbed a napkin and took two generous slabs for himself.

The rest of the day passed merrily, with Rudy getting some decent work done. All the while nibbling away at the bar of chocolate he had absentmindedly conjured from his snack drawer after noticing the cake plate wasn't providing him with comfort anymore.

The diet could start tomorrow.