"That's 7 pounds in six months!" she continued. "No wonder my jeans are so
tight. I'm either going to have to get another job, exercise more, or resign
myself to getting fat!"
"You're leaving out just eating less as an option," commented her plump
roommate Betty as she munched on a Famous Amos cookie, "but you're right, who
needs that?"
"Fine one you are to criticize, Miss Size 20," retorted Alicia. "You've
never tried to diet in your life --- I have, and it just seems unnatural. But
I don't eat that much anyway. You're the one who likes pastries, pizza and
anything else that comes along."
"Perhaps, but you never hear me complaining about the results. Face it.
We're both nearly twenty years old now. Mandatory phys ed is behind us.
Eating like we did as teenagers brings a price. I've crossed that bridge and
am enjoying life. You may be coming to that point as well.
Alicia considered the last six months for a moment. She had to admit the
freedom of being her on her own since graduating from Junior College was
different. But when it came to food it seemed Betty different than her. She
at least was staying no plumper than when they had met. Alicia was the one
gaining though eating less. It didn't seem reasonable.
Or was it? True, she skipped breakfast while Betty always had
something. But was having a snack and milk before bed (something Alicia had
done since childhood) a counter balance for that? And Betty always packed her
lunch while Alicia tended to eat out. And did Betty have access to the same
kind of foods on her breaks as did Alicia? Probably not.
What Alicia did know was that both of them enjoyed relaxing at
suppertime. And, since they were both working, they tended to alternate
cooking duties or simply order in food from the delivery services. When they
started living together the flesh around Alicia's jaw and chin was rather taut
and her ribs showed through some of her blouses. Her legs had been quite
slender and her hips were narrower than her shoulders. She was still probably
at the lower end of the charts by most measures, but she could tell things
were changing. How far she would allow the indicator on the scale, now at 119
lbs., to go was the question.
For the moment Alicia knew she didn't have time to waste on such things.
She had to catch the subway in ten minutes. Saying good-bye to Betty she
exited the apartment and hastened downstairs; Betty grabbed a box of Cheerios
and poured them into a bowl. Later, at the office, Alicia would munch during
the morning on two of the Danish pastries which were provided in the lounge.
It was that afternoon that Alicia found out that her hard work for the
firm in the previous six months had paid off. She and two others were made
part of a special computer conversion team --- a project with a tight four
month schedule and a bonus for successful completion. She knew the excitement
and pressure of the coming weeks would probably improve rather than diminish
her appetite, so she celebrated the new assignment with a shopping spree ---
two blouses, three pairs of slacks and two dresses. She also started followed
Betty's example and began having breakfast, which she thought would counter
her recently acquired taste for Danish.
It worked in part --- she arose earlier and arrived at work an hour ahead
of time,
working for three hours before taking a break. But then she still enjoyed a
pastry or two before working another three hours and taking a late lunch. By
that time her appetite was ready and waiting. Then it was another four hours
before going home. By the time the project was over she was $2,000 richer and
eight pounds heavier. Her rounding hips were filling out her slacks and her
overblouse at times crept up over her waistband, exposing about an inch of
soft skin.
All of this had not escaped the attention of Bill Murrow, a young man
at the office who each day awaited her arrival. He had noticed the friendly
girl from the country when she first began work; from the beginning he was
attracted to her outgoing warmth and refreshing innocence. Physically,
however, he had thought of her as downright skinny. He questioned in his own
mind why he should be attracted to her. She was definitely not his usual
type, or at least that is what he had thought.
But then he had noticed her openly enjoying the delicacies from the
office pastry cart. Even before the computer project he had observed her
several times having seconds at lunch with obvious enjoyment. On a few
occasions he noticed that she had even had dessert. This was not, he had
decided, someone who was fanatically dedicated to starving themselves; it only
appeared that way. Now time was proving him right.
It still wasn't all that noticeable, but to Bill's discerning eye it was
apparent that Alicia's features were becoming softer and more lovely. He
could visualize her cheeks becoming rounder, her belly softer, and her waist
thicker. Another 50-60 lbs would be, he thought, irresistible. He had been
thinking that he should get to know this co-worker better before someone else
beat him to it.
Fate dealt him the opportunity he had been looking for that afternoon.
A failed circuit in the subway caused two trains to slide into one another
around 4:00 p.m. Fortunately it was at slow speed and no one was hurt. But
both cars were derailed and the subway rendered unusable. Alicia found
herself stranded. Bill volunteered to take her home with the idea of inviting
her out that weekend.
She accepted, but then turned the tables by volunteering to pick up some
pizza, chicken and mojo potatoes to share. Betty, as was her custom on
Mondays, she knew would be bringing over some ice cream to share with her
boyfriend Dwight. Upon arrival at the apartment she switched into her "more
comfortable" sweatpants and Bill was able to observe the soft contours of her
belly.
The four young people had a good time eating, watching TV and
generally conversing. Alicia didn't even realize that she, not having eaten
lunch that day, had packed away more food than anyone else, or that Bill had
witnessed the event approvingly. Here indeed was a girl he needed to get to
know better. All Alicia knew was that she was as pleased as her roommate when
the two men suggested the four of them getting together the next weekend.
Things went well as the foursome enjoyed a boat tour of the harbor.
Both men knew the city better than either of the girls and the weekend became
the beginning of a series of events together. It would include shows,
museums, sightseeing and, of course, restaurants. Alicia even began attending
Church with Bill and the two of them became involved in the youth outreach
program. They found themselves growing closer and enjoying one another's
company.
With the new interest in her life Alicia stopped worrying entirely about
her weight. She continued to snack from the pastry cart at work, enjoy the
variety of New York delis and restaurants at lunch, plus sharing breakfast
with Betty. Soon she and Betty were cooking for their men on occasion during
the week and being taken out by them on the weekends.
After a few months she noticed that the elastic of her slacks was
beginning to feel a quite snug. She was aware that she had gained a "few
pounds," but somehow it felt good. Certainly Bill wasn't complaining! So,
rather than get on the scale she bought some clothes that were a few sizes
larger, even loose. She noticed that the bones of her ribcage had begun to
disappear and that her face and torso were filling out. It also seemed to her
that her arms were a bit rounder and her breasts a mite larger.
"I guess," Alicia thought to herself, "that being a bit plump isn't all
that bad."
Bill was of the same opinion. By his estimate his new girl friend had
gained around twenty-five to thirty pounds in less than a year --- and he was
not about to draw attention to it. But privately he was ecstatic!
Betty was picking up a few pounds as well, going from perhaps 175 to a
little over 180. Although she was larger but she just didn't seem to have
Alicia's appetite.
Finally, about a year after meeting Bill, Alicia decided to get on a
scale to see just how much she had gained. It read 147 --- an increase of 28
pounds in one year. Part of her yowled that this was ridiculous, she was
getting fat, and something certainly had to be done. But another part of her
was enjoying her new life and abundance.
She wondered if she should talk to Bill about it --- little knowing that
he had been having thoughts of his own.
"What do you think," she said casually one evening, "of a woman who
gains a few pounds and instead of going on a diet decides she likes it?"
Surprised at the question Bill said simply, "I think that if she likes
them she should keep them."
"And what about her boyfriend. What would he think?"
"If he has any brains, he will respect both her wishes and her all the
more. It shows that she has the courage to be her own person --- not to
mention perhaps being all the prettier for it."
"Do you mean that"," she said.
"Yes, and if you would like to know why, let me share something
special with you this weekend."
Perplexed by this response, Alicia accepted, little knowing what
Bill had in mind. When the weekend came he took her to the very top of the
Statue of Liberty. There he said, "Do you know what this statue represented
to millions of people a century ago?"
"Freedom from the oppression of the old world --- every one knows
that."
"Yes, or at least the opportunity for freedom. But not everyone is
truly free, because they are not being true to themselves. Shakespeare had
something to say about that, but in 500 years many people haven't gotten the
point. That's why so many people are running around trying to conform to what
others want them to be instead of following their own inner instincts. They
are afraid to be different."
"So that's what you meant about my being courageous?"
"Yes, and something else besides. Alicia, I not only admire you
for not being like the common herd, I should like to take you on a month long
cruise featuring as many all-you-can-eat buffets as you want. Of course,
there is a obstacle to my doing that."
"What are you talking about?"
"This is an act of faith and courage on my part," he said,
reaching into his pocket, "but in order to take you on such a cruise we ought
to be married. Then we could call it a buffet honeymoon."
And as the impact of what he had just said sank in he opened the
box he had removed from his pocket and presented her with a ring. "I love you,
Alicia, and I think we share enough in common to spend our lives together.
Would you like to talk about it over dinner?"
It is now been some ten years, two children, and perhaps sixty
pounds more later, but Bill and Alicia are still happily sharing life
together. He claims not to know what she weighs, just that she is more
beautiful now than when they met. As for Betty and Dwight, they parted ways
but Betty also settled down into a happy marriage about three years later.
She and Alicia occasionally reminisce about those early days, and occasionally
note young girls who are passing through similar virginal gaining experiences
themselves.
by "The Observer"
[The following slightly embellished tale (after all, it was written ten years
after the fact), speaks for itself. I wish to thank the principals for their
permission to share the events related here in the hope that others may follow
their example.]
"Another three pounds," exclaimed Alicia, staring at the scale. She had
gained ten pounds in the two years since high school while getting her Junior
College AA degree. But now, in just half a year, she seemed to be gaining
faster on the same diet she had been used to eating since high school.