You arrive at the restaurant clinging to his arm, cheeks slightly flushed from the spring airâor maybe from how snug your jeans have gotten over the past few months. Youâd both joked about ârelationship weightâ at first, laughing it off whenever your tummy peeked out beneath your shirt or when your bra dug in just a little too much after dinner. But lately, the laughs had started to carry a different tone. A curious one. A lingering one.
Tonight, you feel him guiding you inside with something more deliberate in his touch. Youâre aware of your figure in a way you never were before: the subtle sway of your hips, the softness of your belly pressing against the waistband of your too-tight jeans, the faint jiggle in your step that wasnât there last fall.
The moment you step into the warm, fragrant air of the buffet, his hand moves to the small of your back, possessive, proud.
âMmm,â he murmurs into your ear, eyes scanning the endless trays of food. âThey better be ready to refill everything. Youâre starving, arenât you?â
You hesitate, but he squeezes your side gently, thumb brushing the top swell of your love handle. âGo on, babe. First round. Donât hold back.â
You blush, but obey, loading your plate highâthough not obscenely so. A few slices of pizza, a mountain of mashed potatoes, a pile of fried chicken. You return to the table where heâs already waiting with his own plate, much more modest by comparison.
He grins. âThatâs my girl. Look at you. Already getting serious.â
You eat, trying to ignore the people around youâfamilies, couples, waitersâbut itâs impossible not to notice how he makes it a performance. Every time you bring a bite to your lips, he watches you like heâs witnessing a private show.
âGod, I love watching you eat,â he says, loud enough for the couple at the next table to hear. âYouâre getting curvier every week.â
You almost choke on your bite of chicken. He reaches across the table to stroke your thigh. âGo on. Letâs see what second plate looks like.â
You feel your cheeks burn as you stand, belly already pressing harder into your waistband. Your shirt rides up just enough to show the slight curve of skin. You waddle a little more than before. Heâs watching.
Your second plate is obscene. Pasta dripping in cream sauce, fried shrimp, egg rolls, meatloaf, cheesy scalloped potatoes. You hear a soft clatter from another table as someone drops their fork, eyes wide. Are they watching you? Or is it just in your head?
No, you realize. Itâs him. Heâs making them watch.
He waves at you to bring two desserts along while youâre at it. You donât argue. When you return, he stands up and pulls out your chair for you, like a gentleman in a 1950s movie. As you sit, your belly bumps into the tableâs edge, forcing you to inch your seat back a little. The motion makes your breasts jiggle visibly.
He leans in. âYou feel how tight your pants are?â
âGood. Weâre not leaving until that button gives up.â
You laughânervous, breathyâbut keep eating. Bite after bite. Each forkful feels like a dare, like an offering. And you can feel the difference immediatelyâyour belly pushing heavier into the table, bloating outward, softening into full roundness. Youâre growing, and heâs loving it.
He calls the waiter over and orders more drinks, extra rolls. âSheâs a growing girl,â he explains, again just loud enough. âNeeds her fuel.â
On your third plate, you slow down. The fork trembles slightly as you lift it. He scoots closer, one arm draped over your shoulders.
âYouâre doing so good, baby. Just look at you. Practically bursting.â
And then, right as you shift to reach for your drinkâpopâthe button on your jeans gives way. Loud. Startling. Heads turn. Your belly, freed from its denim prison, surges forward with an audible sigh of relief, a wide doughy dome cradled by your stretched shirt.
He doesnât miss a beat. âThatâs my girl.â
His hand lands on your belly in front of everyoneâpalming the round, taut mound, giving it a small jiggle. âGrew out of another pair. Thatâs the third time this month.â
You donât know whether to laugh, moan, or cryâbut the heat in your cheeks spreads downward. Youâve never been more aware of your own body.
You bury your face in your third dessert, a towering swirl of soft serve, as his hand stays on your belly, a proud weight that says: Look what sheâs becoming. Look what Iâve made her into.
And the only thought left in your head is concerned about how small his hand looks resting on your distended bloated belly