Bull in a China Shop
By StuffaHe caught the delicate cup and saucer just a fraction of a second before they were swept off of the low display counter by his sleeve, but his fast whirl caused his belly to scoop a small figurine farther down the counter off onto the floor. The dismaying sounds of tinkling, breaking bone china were all he needed to confirm the damage - not that he could see the shards laying at his feet without hoisting his stomach up.
He looked up just in time to see a shop assistant tripping towards him, hand outstretched. "Sir, don't move. Stop, don't..." She skidded to a halt in front of him. "You have another figurine caught on your shirt - its hand is stuck right above your last button. If you don't mind?" She quickly knelt before him and gently removed the statue from its precarious position. He looked down on her neat dark hair and wished that they had met in better circumstances, because she was very attractive. Indeed, she looked like some of her porcelain statuettes, sleek dark hair framing pale skin, clear grey eyes, and red cupid's bow mouth. She dressed in a red cardigan and pearls and long black skirt which caressed soft curves. Her clothes were obviously quality, and he felt suddenly coarse, and overly large.
"I'm really sorry, Ma'am." he said. "I'll pay for the damage, I don't want you to get in trouble with the manager. Thanks for saving the other one - I didn't even know it was hooked on me."
Her silvery eyes caught his. "I shouldn't worry about the manager, for I am she. But I'm afraid you will have to repay me, and it was an expensive figurine." A delicate blush shaded her cheeks. She was beautiful, smooth, soft, and smelled of violets.
He winced inwardly, as he knew that very expensive could prove to be very inconvenient. Still, no time like the present to find out what the damage is. "So, what do I owe you?" he said, trying to reach into his back pocket for his wallet.
She led him to the counter and tapped a code into the register. "Oh, I'm afraid it's pretty bad" she said, shaking her head. "It's a whole forty-five dollars." She smiled up at him, dimpling. "Feel lucky it wasn't the other statue, as that one is a bit more dear at over three hundred dollars."
He smiled back at her, relieved both by her smile and his near miss. "Oh yes, I'm much happier paying for this one. Now, do you take Visa?"
She shook her head. "No, cash only, I'm afraid."
Now he was in trouble, as he knew he had only about ten dollars on him. "Ah, Houston, we have a problem."
She looked at him expectantly. "You're not a cash man, are you? Well, no worries about that, as it's not a problem."
"You mean you'll let me pay you later?" he asked, confused.
She dimpled at him again. "Oh no, you'll pay me now, if possible. It's about lunch time, and I'm starved. How about we make it your treat, and call it even?"
What a relief! Lunch he could definitely do, and with this charming lady it would be a pleasure. Maybe he hadn't blown it after all? "My dear proprietess, it would be my pleasure to escort you to lunch. Where would your pleasures lie?" He gave her his most winning smile and held out his arm as she emerged from behind the counter.
"Well, I would suggest the place I go most lunchtimes, actually. A little Chinese around the corner that does a wonderful all-you-can eat buffet." She slipped her arm into his and walked to the door. Flipping the door's sign from Open to Closed, she looked up at him from under her eyelashes. "I'll warn you though, in this place, the owners take all-you-can-eat as a challenge." She locked the door behind her as they stepped out onto the street.
"Milady, I shall not be vanquished." He knew he was being silly, but she was such a charming thing he felt obliged to be the gallant knight.
She dropped the door key into her handbag and gave him a sly smile. "Promises, promises. But wait" she said, stopping him. "I must know your name. Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Mary."
She proffered her hand, which he took in his. "Mary, it's my pleasure to meet you. I'm Bull." They set off down the street together.
She had watched him covertly since he walked gingerly into her shop. His cautious movements showed that he knew he was a large man and was careful, but his underestimation of his girth and how well he could fit in small spaces indicated that he didn't know _quite_ how large he was. It was only a matter of time until something gave way, she had thought, but she was glad that it had now that she was having lunch with him. And his name - it lead to the obvious puns.
"So, you could say that I am a bull in a china shop" he joked. She smiled at him, noting the bright green eyes, the dark hair. He was handsome, dressed well in a dark suit and discreetly striped shirt. His clothing must have cost him a significant sum, especially at that size. She guessed he was close to four hundred pounds and growing, from the way his broadcloth shirt rode up as he walked. If she was lucky the shirt would get up to the "emergency" button, the button without a hole. The point on a shirt where it gaped on a large man, teasingly. Now if it would just go up a little further...
They reached the corner Chinese restaurant, and as she indicated the turn, he tucked his shirt back in. "Damn." she muttered.
"Sorry?" He stopped and looked down at her.
"Oh, nothing. I just turned my ankle a little." She blushed as she covered her exclaimation. "Just being clumsy."
"Well, allow me to assist you, Mary." He took her arm again to help her the last few steps to the restaurant. Again, she felt her hand pressed up against the soft warmth of his side, right where a little roll bulged outwards. "A thing of beauty" she thought to herself.
A string of bells chimed on the door of the restaurant as she entered, and a staff member surged forward. "Mary!" the petite woman exclaimed. "I started to wonder if you had forgotten us, being so late today. We have only what is left, but please make the most of it." The oriental woman ushered Mary and Bull towards a comfortable table, fussing about her. "And who is your big handsome friend? Ah, you have been holding out on us, you cheeky girl! What is your name?"
Bull enclosed her small hand with his. "I'm Bull, Mary's new friend, and I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance."
The little woman smiled broadly at Bull and Mary. "Ah Mary, you have brought the perfect friend today! I see he is a big strong man, good, good. We do not want any left-overs, so please eat as much as you can. We will only have to throw it away. I will bring you drinks, you want Tsing Tao beer? My husband will be out soon, we will join you if that is okay. Okay?"
With that the small woman trotted off to the back of the restaurant, speaking loudly in a sing-song langauge. Bull looked at Mary. "Is that Cantonese?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
Mary laughed. "Actually no, she's probably speaking to her husband, which would mean Japanese. She speaks something like five languages, and as her husband is Japanese, she speaks to him in that language or in English. He's a former Sumo wrestler, actually, but a knee injury sidelined him. A sweet man though, and they're very good to each other."
"What are their names?" asked Bull.
"Ah right. Her name is An, and his is Yukio."
"Anne? That's a very English name." said Bull.
"No, An. Ay Enn. An. Traditional Chinese name apparently. I think it means "Peace."
Bull smiled. "I wonder what they make of my name?"
Mary stood up. "I wouldn't worry about that. As long as you help me put a good dent into this food, they'll love you forever. An and Yukio are very upset when everything doesn't go. Think it's wasteful."
Bull and Mary moved slowly over the buffet, large plates in hand. Bull decided that he'd follow Mary's lead, and sure enough she took a bit of everything, and suggested things for him to try as well. Soon his plate was loaded up with delicacies and they went back to the table.
Suddenly a roar sounded from the back of the restaurant. "Mary! Tomadachi! You bring a friend, taihenjozu des!" An immensely fat man appeared, carrying four bottles of what Bull assumed were Tsing Tao beer in each hand. The man enfolded Mary in an embrace, and then released her, putting the beer down on the table. "Mary, who is this man? An says his name is Bull? Hey friend, you're almost as big as small bull, anotawa suki des!" A large hand grasped Bull's, shaking it vigorously. "Mary, good choice of friend, I agree with An and she is always right. Now you two, eat, eat. An and I will join you so hurry up, there will be nothing left when I am done."
An came from the back of the restaurant, another four Tsing Tao on a tray with an ice bucket. "Oh Yukio, you have already brought the beer. You should have told me. Still, the ice will keep it cold." She set down the tray next to her husband and beamed at him fondly. He smiled at her. "An, I am an enlightened man. But if you do not get me food now, I will waste away." An bustled over to the buffet and began piling food onto a plate. She smiled over her shoulder at Bull. "Normally, we would prefer to eat from a bowl, but Yukio has found that a plate holds more food. I would not want him to get skinny, so I will bring him a plate." She deposited the full plate in front of him, and he tucked into it with relish.
"Mary" said An, "You have not treated your friend correctly. His plate is almost empty. Have I taught you nothing about keeping a man happy?"
Mary winked at Bull and followed An back to the buffet where she was filling another plate for Yukio. "Here, watch me, do as I do." said An. Mary followed behind her and did what she did. When they got to the end of the buffet, An looked over Mary's offering for Bull and threw a few more spoonfuls onto it. "A man is happy when his stomach is happy. Yukio assures me of that."
Mary placed the plate in front of Bull, who stared at it. This was obviously what Mary meant when she said that they would challenge him. She leaned over and whispered to him "You had better try to finish it, or they'll be terribly offended. And offending my friends certainly isn't part of our deal!" Mary placed a beer in front of him to replace the one that he had already finished, and then stood up to grab a bit more for herself. While she was refilling her plate, Yukio chimed in.
"Bull, you are not eating enough for a real man. Try to keep up with me, I will show you how it is done." Yukio cleared his second plate, just as Bull was finishing his. "An, Mary, you will let us starve. More food here please, for both of us."
Bull sat back from the table, gently rubbing his belly. "No, I think I might be done, but it was wonderful."
Yukio leaned forward, putting his hands on his massive thighs. "No, you are not done. There is still food. I will let you have your lunch for free if you can eat as much as I do. We must clear the buffet, not waste any food."
An giggled. "A fine idea, husband. We will have a challenge!" She and Mary exchanged looks, and then got up to fill Bull and Yukio's plates again.
Bull smiled weakly at Yukio. He was used to eating well, or if he looked at it frankly, a lot, but he had already eaten quite a bit. How would he keep up with the oriental mountain opposite him? His pants were already digging into the soft flesh of his belly, and his shirt was gaping more and more. He tried to pull it down again, and Yukio fixed him with a piercing gaze.
"Ah, I see a problem. You are not dressed for eating. Come, come." Yukio heaved himself out of the chair to lead the way to the back of the establishment. Once in back, he turned and faced Bull. "I am doing you a favor. You will thank me for this."
"A favor? What do you mean?" Bull looked at Yukio's wide back, once again leading him into the bowels of the restaurant. Yuko's voice came back to him. "Mary is a good woman, but she is like An. She wants a good husband with a good appetite, big man. You understand?"
Suddenly Bull thought that he might indeed understand. He hoped he understood, prayed. Would Mary want a fat man? As fat as him? He felt self-conscious, aware that his ample belly might be the ticket to success here. And while he enjoyed being fat, indeed eating well and getting fatter, he had never admitted to anyone before that his increasing girth was intentional, pleasureable. Yukio held out a dark grey robe, silk, perhaps a kimono? "It is a kimono" he said. "But we will not use the obi as you would find it too restrictive for eating."
Bull accepted the silken garment and looked for somewhere to put it on. Yukio smiled at him. "In Japan, nakedness is often seen but never looked at. Turn your back to take off your shirt and shoes and pants and put on. You will need help anyway."
Bull undressed under the cover of the robe, glad that Yukio had also turned around. He drew the soft material over himself, marvelling at the feel of it and looked down - his stomach unabashedly protruded under the fabric. No hiding his indulgences here.
He coughed, and Yukio turned around. "Not bad. At least you have it facing the right way. Here, use this as obi." Yukio held out a long length of silk cord, which Bull wrapped around his girth. He hoped that it would keep the kimono on. He started to step back into his shoes and Yukio stopped him. "No, no Japanese wears shoes in the house, except for one occasion. I know this is Chinese restaurant, but do it my way." Abashed, Bull picked up his shoes and placed them and his clothes where Yukio indicated. They made their way back into the restaurant to find that An and Mary had been busy. Fresh plates were piled high at their places and armed with his new knowledge, Bull was ready to do his best.
An sighed with pleasure looking at him. "Mary, he is wearing one of Yukio's favorite sho-ken kimono. It is the very best silk, you must feel it. Go on, feel it."
Mary gingerly reached out and stroked the arm of Bull's kimono. "It's very nice." An grabbed her hand and placed it on his stomach. "No, no, to feel the full beauty of the silk you must feel it where it is warm. Bull is warm here, stroke the silk." Licking her lips, Mary ran her hands over the rounded edge of Bull's belly. "Sorry" she murmured to him.
He placed his hand over hers, moving it over his stomach slowly, pressing it into the soft flesh. "Don't be sorry, that feels nice, very nice. That said, I suppose I should start eating this wonderful food. Will you cheer me on? I want to win my first free lunch ever, you know."
Mary's eyes shone as she looked at him, feeling her hand sinking into the fat of his belly. "Oh yes, I'll cheer you on."
An and Mary did more than cheer Bull and Yukio on: they filled plate after plate of food for them and An made tea "Guaranteed to settle the stomach." Bull had long since settled back into his chair, letting Mary place morsels delicately between his lips - she was now unabashedly feeding him. His kimono gaped, showing an expanse of taut belly which she rubbed often on the pretext of feeling his kimono. Finally, Yukio sat back in his chair and burped gently.
"Enough." Yukio said, running his fingers over his own bloated belly. "You have earned your free lunch. Never has any man out-eaten me, and I cannot have any more. An, get us some plum wine so that we can seal our friendship."
An returned to the table with four small glasses and a bottle of the fragrant sweet wine. Yukio raised his glass to Bull and made a toast: "To a man who is my equal, and good enough for our friend Mary. I hope to see you again for another challenge. This time, I will win. In the mean time, I suggest you allow us to give you a room in our guest house next door so that you may sleep off this lunch. Mary, please put him to bed." With that, Yukio heaved his immense girth to his feet and waddled to the door. An stood as well.
"Mary, you know where the keys are to the guest house. Put Bull in room 14, and I do not expect to see you before dinner. Take the plum wine, if you wish. I nned to send in the cleaners now so that the restaurant is ready for tonight." With that, An followed her husband out of the restaurant.
Mary looked down at Bull, reclining in his chair, eyes half-lidded. "Whatever will I do with you now?" she said. Bull hugged his stomach with both hands and looked at her. "I suggest you put this fat man to bed. Better yet, I suggest you give me a belly rub, and put me to bed. I need to sleep this off."
Mary stood and held out her hands to help Bull to his feet. "Oh, you can't be that bad" she said. "After all, you still need to take me out to dinner."
Bull shuffled after Mary down the hall to the guest house feeling his over-full gut resting firmly against his thighs. The kimono gaped even further over his rippling belly. "Oh? I took you out for lunch - how do you figure I still owe you dinner?"
Mary unlocked the door to room 14, showing a large bed in a comfortable room. She let Bull pass her into the room, and then pushed him down onto the bed, pressing up against the enormous swell of his stomach. "Well, you owed me for breaking some china with that lovely belly of yours. You owed me lunch, but Yukio didn't make you pay for it. Therefore, you still owe me a meal, and I'm going to make sure that you pay up."
Bull let himself sink into the softness of the bed, and pulled Mary after him. Startled, she righted herself, straddling the lower part of his belly. She slid her hands underneath the silk smoothness of the kimono to caress his stomach. He pressed her hands into his flesh again, and heard her gasp. Her legs clasped the sides of his mountainous gut and she moaned gently.
"You like big guys, don't you?" He looked up at her through lowered eyelides, taking in the increased flush of her face, her parted mouth. "Yukio said that you like fat men, the fatter the better. Is he right?"
She hid beneath her hair, still tracing circles on his swollen gut. "Oh yes. The fatter the better, definitely." She swallowed convulsively. "I can't believe I just said that."
He reached up and hooked a finger around her pearl necklace, pulling her down onto his belly. "I'm glad you did." He said. "Because fatter is definitely what I'm going to be if I eat like that too often."
She writhed against his body, feeling the heat of his bloated stomach. "Oh yes, fatter, please. You're so fat now, but still far, far too skinny. I want you fat, very, very fat." Her breath was coming quickly now, and her hands worked against his sides, his belly.
"Mary, you're going to get exactly what you want. This is the skinniest you'll ever see me. I'll fatten up for you gladly, just help me stuff myself, help me gain. Feed me."
They gazed deeply into each other's eyes, and then kissed, her lips soft on his plump mouth. Then he pushed her upright slightly. She looked at him, puzzled.
He smiled, and indicated the cord on his kimono. "Before we go any further, can you help me get this thing off? The cord is cutting into my stomach, and after all, I'm a growing boy."
With a twinkle in her eye, Mary eased the taut cord off of Bull's belly. Then she leaned and kissed him again, and whispered in his ear. "You are certainly a growing boy, and will be for some time. I'll fatten you up good. But may I make one suggestion?"
Bull stroked her sleek hair. "Anything, Mary."
She patted the rolls of fat cascading down his side, and leaned even closer to his ear. "My suggestion is this: stay out of china shops from now on. You're too fat for them."
Bull grabbed her hips and pulled her close to him. "Too fat? I'll never be too fat for you, will I?"
Mary moaned again, feeling his body against her. "No, I take it back. You'll never be too fat, and you can always be my Bull in a china shop."
That night, Bull again managed to out-eat Yukio, thereby not paying off his debt to Mary. An speculates that Yukio may never eat more than Bull. At least, not so long as Mary and Bull continue to enjoy the competition so much.