# Whatever Will Be Parts 1-5 - By Id (~BBW [Multiple], ~SWG, Sports)



## The Id (May 28, 2009)

_~BBW, ~SWG_ - The beginning of a tale about the Linton United football team and one of its fatter fans.

*Whatever Will Be 1: Season Opener
By Id​*

Lucy Heath didnt like footballat least not until she came to Linton.

She had moved to the city of Linton after graduating from university to take a job as a bookkeeper for Blue Rabbit Brewery. Needless to say, her friendsespecially the menwere incredibly envious of Lucys job. One person even said that Lucy had the best job in the all of England. All Lucy cared about was the fact that it was a pretty fun place to work. Her coworkers were friendly and generally relaxed, she had good benefits, and it was pretty much what she would have imagined working in a brewery would have been like, which was pretty fun.

One of Blue Rabbits biggest marketing efforts was its sponsorship of the local football team, Linton United. They didnt play in the Premier League, but they were still a pretty good team, having been promoted through the leagues rather rapidly within the last few years. As a sign of thanks to Blue Rabbit for their sponsorship, not only were their beers prominently advertised at field level (and sold in copious amounts at the concession stands) but the brewery was given a number of complementary tickets for each home game. Lucy, not having much interest in football, didnt take any of the tickets the first two years she worked at Blue Rabbit. It wasnt until one of her coworkers, who was in charge of ticket distribution, realized that Lucy had never gotten any that she was pressed to go to a game.

But I dont like football, Lucy said simply as she declined the tickets, Theyd be wasted on me.

It took three weeks of incessant nagging before Lucy gave in and took a ticket just to get some peace and quiet. Lucy could have not gone to the game and explained later to her fellow coworkers who would have noticed her nonattendance that she had forgotten about it, overslept, or gotten too busy to make it, but Lucy knew that was only going to led to them foisting another ticket on her later. Therefore, Lucy bit the bullet and went to Stoney End, Linton Uniteds ground, for her first United game.

Perhaps the fact that it didnt rain that day, which would have drenched Lucy to the bone, was important. Maybe the fact that Lucys coworkers purchased her enough beers to send her home sufficiently tipsy by the end of the game also had an impact on her overall experience. Most importantly, had Linton United not defeated Wessex FC by a score of 3-1 that day, Lucy Heath might never have gotten into football. Whether it was fate, luck, or destiny, Lucy Heath slowly but surely began to become a football fan from that day forward.

Over the remainder of the season, Lucy gradually put her name in more and more often for the company seats. When she got rained on for the first time, Lucy stayedlargely because it was a 1-1 tie against Covent Harbor and she wasnt about to miss a potential game winning goal just because it was raining. When United played Strudbury to secure a spot for promotion, Lucy was now so into football that she skipped out of work early so she could watch the game from her local pub. The following season, Lucy Heath had a season ticket for Linton United and a her very own blue and white jersey to show her support for United at all times.

Three years after attending her first football game, Lucy was a confirmed United fan. She had barely missed a home game in that time, except for once when she had a case of very bad food poisoning. If it had been only a mild case of food poisoning, she might have made it, but it was a _very_ bad case. Accordingly, she had to listen to the game on the radio while she hurled into her toilet periodically. But that was the only exception to Lucys fanaticism for United.

And thats pretty much it, Lucy said, finishing up the story of how she came to be a United fan.

As usual, she was telling it to the guy she was chatting up at the bar of the Buck & Boar Pub, her neighborhood haunt. She found that guys usually found women who liked football rather interesting, so she never hesitated to tell her story when she happened to meet someone who she was at least mildly interested in. Mildly interested was a proper description of Lucys thought regarding the man in question, so she wasnt trying too hard to strut her stuff right now. Though she tried to give guys a fair shot so she wasnt making any judgments, but she was coming pretty close to one.

Lucy was a pretty girl, so she had occasion to regale men with the origin of her football fanaticism quite often. She was fair skinned to a fault with the sort of ivory complexion that one associates with Queens of England. Her chocolate brown hair fell in gentle, natural waves a few inches beyond her shoulders. As the saying goes, gentlemen prefer blondes, but marry brunettes. Lucys beautiful, rich hair was precisely the sort of thing that could make a man eschew a stereotypically gorgeous blonde for a brunette. 

It should be noted that Lucy left one thing out of her story that was kind of important. Ever since Lucy had become a fan of Linton United, not only had her interest in football expanded quite a bit, but so had her waist.

This was due to a number of different factors. The first was the concessions sold at the games. Stoney End was not highly creative in the fare it offered to its patrons. It pretty much just sold pies and burgers for food and none of it was particularly healthy. In fact, had the nutritional values of the dishes been widely disseminated, there might have actually been protests by some fans for healthier food. Accordingly, Lucys diet of meat and potato pies at football games very quickly started showing up on her framethough Lucy had never been a slim girl. Ever since high school, Lucy had been described as healthy, though certainly not fat. Adding the tasty pies to her diet had made Lucy chubby, to say the least.

The fans of Linton United were also more than pleased by the fact that Stoney End sold Blue Rabbits brews at games. Lucy had always enjoyed a good beer and it seemed that having one while watching football was even better, regardless of whether it was at home, in a pub, or in a football stadium. Naturally, she was a Blue Rabbit girlor, in the words of the popular ad campaign directed at women, a Blue Rabbit bunny. All those empty calories had to go somewhere. It turned out that somewhere was straight to Lucys belly.

This was all to say nothing of the snacks that Lucy ate when she watched a game from the comfort of her own couch. Crisps seemed to go perfectly with a United game on the telly (naturally accompanied by a beer), but that didnt stop Lucy from bringing in pizza, opening a bag of cookies, or sometimes even indulging in some ice cream. Lucy seemed to choose ice cream more when she was watching a game in which Linton was doing rather badly.

Accordingly, Lucy had become quite the little chubby in recent years. She stood at 5 and her diminutive stature only accentuated the 30 pounds that shed gained in the last three years. The majority of this weight gain had gone directly to Lucys belly. It was a soft pot belly that almost always sat in a most delectable muffin top above whatever pants Lucy was wearing. This was largely a result of the fact that though Lucy was aware that she had put on a few, as she said, it had been quite some time since shed gotten new jeans and pants. Her current selection of bottoms fit decently, but they tended to only further emphasize the fact that shed put on so much around her middle.

The rest of Lucy had been far from immune, however. Her hips had widened out in circumference. Lucy had a plump rump that gave her plenty of cushioning when shed sit and watch United on the telly. Her thighs had expanded from being merely annoyingly large (as the thighs of every woman not starving herself are) to soft and hefty. Like so much of Lucy, they jiggled ever so slightly, not enough for Lucy to take note.

Lucys breasts had also expanded over the past few years. Since shed come into her womanly curves, Lucy had always had a decent pair of breasts. Thanks to her weight gain, she now had hooters that deservedand often receiveda double take, even if her growing gut was still the largest portion of her physique. In acknowledging that shed put on a few (which, by the by, went hand in hand with going up two dress sizes in the last three years), Lucy had taken note of her more impressive assets with mixed feelings. Though she knew it was a side effect of those pesky pounds, Lucy couldnt help but enjoy the fact that she sported a larger rack. After all, she _was_ getting a noticeably larger number of glances from men directed at her chest with her healthy handfuls. It was entirely possible that Lucys muted glee over her generous gazongas subconsciously kept her from ever joining a gym to work off her football poundsbut the thought never actually crossed her mind.

Lucy had always had a bit of a round face, but the fact that all of her figure was now fuller only helped to exaggerate her faces natural inclination. Lucy had a cute little rounded nose with the slightest hint of an upward angle, emphasizing her nostrils just a shade. To either side of this nose were green eyes that had been known to shine, though not often after a long day of work or a particularly bad United defeat. Lucys cheeks were chubby to say the least, though not so much to give her an undue resemblance to a chipmunk. Beneath a small, cute chin was the hint of extra flesh. It was far from a double chin, but it suggested the potential for just such a thing. Lucys lips seemed to walk a balance between being plump without being overly so.

This night at the Buck & Boar, Lucy was looking especially plump in a pair of jeans that gave her a very pronounced muffin top. Lucys shirt was stretched tightly across her bulging belly. It was hard to tell whether it was designed to do that or it did so because there was no other course of option to try and contain the jiggling gut, but the result was that the dimensions of Lucys belly were completely defined for anyone who wanted to take notice. In fact, upon seeing Lucy it was kind of hard to take notice of anything else about her at a first glance. This was despite the fact that Lucys shirt had a generous cut, giving an ample amount of cleavage for anyone to look at. This only served to provide an even greater testament to the quasi-magical quality of Lucys magnificent muffin top.

So, I trust that youre going to be going this season? the man that was currently chatting up Lucy asked her.

Of course! Lucy said, How could I do anything else? If it was a choice between beer or United tickets, Id go for the United tickets.

Really?

Okay, youve got me, Lucy said, Id go for beer because I could watch the games on the telly here or somewhere else while I had one. But still, I love the boys just as much as I love my beer.

Lucy Heath was a true football fan indeed.

***

Evan Bonn was not a football fan. In fact, he didnt even say the word football. Youre never going to cure me. Its soccer, plain and simple. Football is a vastly more interesting sport that involveswait for itactual scoring! What an idea! Evan said to David Giggs at a pub across town, specifically a contemporary joint called Delta Lounge, that very night.

Evan was, quite obviously, an American and his comment only caused David to shake his head in utter dismay. Hed been trying to cure Evan of his irrational notions for several months now. Evan worked at the American consulate in Linton and the pair had been introduced by a mutual acquaintance at a cancer fundraiser last year. That sparked general conversation that was so amiable that the two continued the acquaintance. After all, it was very useful for Evan to have a solid local contact in his line of work and David, who did business with a number of American firms, knew that having someone in the consulate could be useful some time. However, though the genesis of their friendship might have been in business, that was only a very negligible part of it now.

But cant you at least get behind the idea of Linton United? David begged, Look, its like the Green Bay Packers. The _fans_ own the team. Doesnt that at least make you want to go to a game?

I certainly approve of the concept. Power to the people and all, Evan said, But that fails to redeem an entire sport.

What about relegation? Sending teams down a level if they dont perform well and all. American sports have nothing like that. Thats got to be a plus in our favor.

That is a decent incentive to perform well. Though something tells me that the Oakland Raiders and the Detroit Lions might not like the idea.

Theyd gone over all of these arguments at least a dozen times before, but that didnt matter to David. He was bound and determined to get Evan to actually like football before he left the UK. Thus far Evan hadnt budged an inch.

Look, will you at least agree to go to a game since a new season is starting soon? Ill stop bugging you if you go and you dont like it. At least you can say youve tried it. Ill get prime tickets, David said. Evan appeared unmoved as he sipped his mojito, one of the drinks that Delta Lounge did particularly well. Okay, David said, I didnt want to have to do this, but Ill buy your beer at the game.

Evan perked up. Oh really?

Yes, David sighed.

Then its a deal, Evan said, extending his hand, Though I have to say, Ive seen the footage from some of your riots. Giving you guys alcohol at these events doesnt seem like the best idea.

Yeah, but theres nothing like drunk chicks at a football game, David pointed out.

Hold on partner. Dont claim that for football, Evan said, I speak from personal experience when I say that its true for all sports. Baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, rugby, and even field hockey.

Field hockey?

Oh yeah, Evan said coolly, Ive never seen women drink like they do at a field hockey game.

Probably because theyre stuck watching field hockey, David said, unable to contain his smirk.

Evans laugh boomed out in response. Touché, sir!

***

As Linton United took to the pitch for their home opener at Stoney End in their blue and white jerseys, the moderately large crowd cheered and applauded for them. It was the beginning of a season which made for a generally optimistic atmosphere where anything was possible. This year United had moved up a division and some were questioning whether United had what it took to hang with their new competition. In Linton, however, everyone had no doubt that the boys were going to do just fine.

Lucy Heath was one such person. The fact that it was football season once again made it easier to get through the week. She was more productive at work and all around happier when she had football to follow, even when United lost. She was adorned in her United jersey as she always was for a home game. The jersey had been bought a couple years back and as a result the jersey was a little smaller than it should have been. Lucys belly bulged out in every direction, straining against the jerseys lower portions. Lucy was wearing a pair of her most comfortable jeans, which, despite the fact there was a little extra room in them, still gave her a pretty noticeably muffin top.

Wooo! Lucy yelled to express her support for the team.

She had her season tickets right next to a friend from work, Margaret Charlton. Margaret wasnt as much of a football fan as Lucy, but she never missed a game. That was only if you defined a game as the act of going to a United match, rather than what happened on the pitch. Margaret frequently missed quite a bit of what happened on the pitch because she was too busy checking out the United players with her binoculars, which is precisely what she was engaged in doing at that very moment.

Number 42 is new, Margaret said as she peered through her binoculars, Hes a pretty good acquisition from what I can see her. Yes, very fine indeed She put her binoculars down to flip through her program. There we are. Gerry OBrien. Irish boy. Wonder how bad his teeth are

You are incorrigible! Lucy exclaimed. She tolerated Margarets preoccupation with, the meat market, as she called it solely because she would have found it too depressing to go to United games alone. At least this way she had a companion, even if it was one who wasnt paying as close attention to the game as Lucy would have liked.

All right, fine, hes a good replacement for Dunstan, Margaret conceded, What we really need are some Spaniards on the team. Theyre so hot

Lucy could only roll her eyes.

***

Can you please tell me when something happens? Evan asked David.

Something is always happening, David said, Just watch.

They are kicking the ball back and forth and getting nowhere near a goal, Evan observed, That is not something. Theres no progress.

There is actually a strategy involved, David said.

Is it trying to lull the opposition to sleep? And by extension the fans?

For flippant remarks like that, I should stop buying you beer, David said.

And renege on your word! How could you even think of such a thing? Especially when they have a pretty good product on hand here, Evan said before taking another good draw of the beer in question.

Yeah, its local stuff. Blue Rabbit Brewery. They put out some good brews. They support the team and the team supports them in kind. Its the beauty of local football. The fact that the team is fan owned helps too, David said, trying to subtly extol the virtues of football and Linton United in the process.

These guys should seriously consider exporting to America, Evan said, This is one of the smoothest beers you guys put out. It could go over exceedingly well.

Is that the official position of the American government? David asked.

Oh the official position is that you guys are not drinking nearly enough Coors, seeing as thats the last one thats even remotely American owned anymore, Evan said, But go ahead and throw some Miller and Budweiser into the mix. Well be cool with that. And hey! Look at that! Somebody actually shot the ball towards the goal. Would it going in have been too much to hope for?

No. But that was the other team, David said.

And who are they?

Northanger Abbey. And by the way, a suit? Really? You wore a suit to a football match?

As an official representative of the United States of America I always strive to make a good impression, no matter what the situation. Hence the blue and white tie.

So you _are_ interested in football, David said.

I looked it up on the website. I figured it would impress the ladies, Evan said slyly.

Well theyll be even more impressed if you actually like United and could talk about what happened in the game, David observed.

Damn. I think I just got outmaneuvered, Evan said.

***

United won their opener against Northanger Abbey by a score of 2-1, which made everyone happy. Lucy left Stoney End in good spirits with Margaret, who had found this seasons heartthrob in the Swiss-born Max Hiller, to celebrate with a couple of drinks. Evan had taken full advantage of the fact that David was paying for beer, so he was pretty well tanked by the end of the game. David pretty much shoved him into a taxi that took him back to his residence, leaving David to his own devices for the remainder of the day.

It should be noted that David was highly involved with Linton United. Not only was he one of the fans who owned a share in the team, but he also volunteered some of his free time to help support the teams operations and events. As an amateur photographer, David always brought his camera to Linton games to take some pictures for the official fan website. Some of them were quite good and had even been used in official promotional material by the team.

In the afterglow of a win, David naturally decided he should go mingle with his fellow fans. After having to put up with Evans football ignorance for an entire game, it would be a relief to be able to be among people who didnt feel that the offside rule was totally prejudicial. Just because somebody can outrun the defense doesnt mean he should be penalized for that. That was just one sampling of the rubbish that Evan had spouted all game long.

He popped into what appeared to be a happening beer garden that David knew was always full of United fans after a home game, win or lose. David knew the bartenders well, who had told him that though they loved United, the fans drank a significant amount more when the team lost than when they won. As they always said, Its a win-win situation. Either they win or we win.

After grabbing a beer for himself, David wandered around the beer garden. As he encountered people he knew casually from United games hed shake hands and exchange pleasantries with them. The talk was generally the same whoever it was with.

How about United today?

Great, werent they?

Might have the makings of a championship this year!

They keep playing like this I think they just might!

It was after one such conversation that a part in the crowd gave David a view of a young woman wearing a United jersey. She was listening to another woman talk about something or otherDavid couldnt tell what at this distance. What he could make out was the fact that this girl had plenty of extra padding around her midsection. In fact, she had a generous muffin top, but that didnt seem like an adequate term. It resembled a mushroom cloud more than it did a muffin top.

The truth was that she looked great, especially seeing how she filled out her United jersey. David had always tended more towards voluptuous women than he did svelte ones, but that usually manifested itself in an admiration for hourglass shapes. For some reason this girl still caught his eye. Perhaps it was her cute face with that brown hair. David couldnt pin his finger on it, but he did know one thing.

He wasnt about to pass up a chance at meeting a girl who looked cute in a United jersey.

***

and so I said

Excuse me ladies. Picture for the fan site?

Margaret halted her story and Lucy turned to look at the man whod just come up with a camera.

Sure, Lucy said with a smile. It wasnt the sort of thing she usually did, but United had won, so why not? She put one arm around Margaret and the two raised their beers in celebratory poses.

The camera flashed as it snapped a picture and the man looked at the cameras screen to see how it came out. Looks great!

Mind if we see? Margaret asked. He turned the camera around so they could look at the picture. Hey, were not half bad!

Oh youre nowhere close to half bad. More like 75% awesome if you ask me, the man said with a wink.

Only 75%? Im disappointed, Lucy said with a smile.

I think this is going to go on the front page of the website, the guy said.

Oh no! You couldnt possibly! Lucy said in a sudden fit of embarrassment at the thought.

I mean it! Whatre your names so I can make sure they go up on the site?

And my name too! No, never! Lucy insisted.

Well Ill give you our names, Margaret interjected, but only if you swear to keep that picture to yourself.

Itll be a shame not to have you guys on the site, but okay.

Im Margaret and this is Lucy.

And Im David. Pleased to meet you both.

Same here, Lucy said, shaking Davids hand, So, youre very involved with United then?

Here and there. I contribute to the fan site and help out how I can. You two go to the games a lot? David asked.

Season tickets for the past couple years, Lucy said, Never missed a game since then. I trust that you come to the games a lot?

Oh yeah. Every one for the last few years. I love United, David said.

I know! I almost get depressed when there arent any games, Lucy said.

You too? And here I thought I was the only one! David exclaimed.

Were a quietly suffering bunch, Lucy said.

Sorry to intrude, but since you are involved with the team, any chance you might be able to introduce me to Hiller? Margaret interjected.

Im not _that_ close with the team, but I wish I was, David said apologetically.

Damn. You two stay right here. Im off for another beer, Margaret said before she left.

Youll have to forgive her. Shes more interested in which player is a hunk than which one scores goals, Lucy explained.

Whatever gets people to games is fine by me, David said, No apologies needed. So, what is it that you do?

Oh, Im a bookkeeper. Nothing special really

***

and after that we just kind of talked for a few minutes. It was really enjoyable. Nice to meet a girl who really appreciates football, David told Evan a couple nights later at Tollivers Pub.

Congratulations, Evan said, though with a little less enthusiasm than he felt. It wasnt because he wasnt happy for Davidquite to the contrary, he was elated. It had taken him a good day to work through the monster hangover hed awoken with after the United game and he was still taking it a little easy. So when are you going to call this chick?

We prefer to say bird in England, David corrected.

Evan waived his hand dismissively. Whatever. When are you going to call her?

Wellthats an interesting part of the story

Please do not tell me that you didnt get her number, Evan said, bracing himself for the worst.

She and her friend suddenly realized the time and had to run out quickly.

Oh David.

She said she hoped wed meet again at another game.

Oh David, Evan groaned, putting his head down on his crossed arms on the table, Not the old I have to go and conveniently forgot to give you my number.

She was very pleasant. I just forgot, David explained, Believe me Im kicking myself now.

Oh David. David, David, David. You should be. How many people show up to United games? A few thousand? Evan said.

Thereabouts.

Thats not quite needle in a haystack territory, but those are long odds, Evan said, Just thinking about it makes me need a beer. Im thinking one of those Rabbit beers. Want one?

Sure, David said.

Ill buy because I know youre kicking yourself so much that youre still paying for that mistake, Evan said, If only it was as easy as ordering a beer, my friend. Then wed be set.

_Story continued in post 4 of this thread_


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## insomniac1 (May 30, 2009)

I liked this.

The interactions between Evan and David were hilarious and I liked the overall feel of it(though I can't really expalin _why_ at the moment.  ).

That being said, I feel fairly comfortable in saying that even at the ripe old age of 20, that I would _kill_ for a woman like Lucy. Loves her team, likes her beer _and_ has a bit of an appetite; thats wife materiel in my book.

Anywho, just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed this and that I'll read more of your work sometime in the future.


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## The Id (May 30, 2009)

insomniac1 said:


> I liked this.
> 
> The interactions between Evan and David were hilarious and I liked the overall feel of it(though I can't really expalin _why_ at the moment.  ).
> 
> ...



Thanks for your thoughts! Evan and David's interaction comes partially from the offbeat conversations I've had with folks, including discussions about British football, with folks from Europe. The cultural differences can be fascinating, such as when one friend from the Netherlands said to me, "Your cars are so huge! What the hell is wrong with you people?!" Among one of the funniest things she ever said. But if you can't figure out what it is about it you like, don't worry about it. Just sit back and enjoy it. 

As for Lucy, yeah, she's got a lot going for her. I think I'm kind of taking her a bit for granted since I'm the one writing her, but I'm beginning to get the feeling that she may truly be a special character.

Thank you again. Hope it won't be too too long before you get to read the next part!


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## The Id (Jun 3, 2009)

*
Whatever Will Be 2: Fortuitous Circumstances
​* 
For her part, Lucy thought very little about meeting David. It wasn’t because she didn’t like him. To the contrary, he seemed rather nice. However, she met so many men that if one didn’t ask for her number she took that to indicate a lack of interest on his part, which Lucy didn’t mind that much. Accordingly she took no further interest in guys who were not interested in her. That was just the way that dating worked.

Lucy barely even remembered the event a few weeks later. With the United season in full swing, she devoted most of her idle attention to tracking the team. They were off to a 4-2 start, which wasn’t that great, but it was pretty good considering their promotion. United had played well in all of the games and their two losses had come by one goal a piece. All in all, the general optimism in Linton was not shaken, but rather validated.

“Heath!”

Lucy snapped her head up from her desk. It was her boss, a garrulous man named John, who had barked out her last name. “Yes?”

“Apparently marketing decided that we need to have some sort of corporate event at the United game. Show our continued support and the like. Lots of important people have naturally been invited. Somebody said you like United and thought that you’d be a good person to have on hand in case anybody had any questions about the team. It’d look good if we actually could speak intelligently about the team that we sponsor. Can we count on you for Sunday’s game?”

“Of course!” Lucy replied. She was going to be going anyways, but she decided there was no good reason to tell her boss that. Might as well make it seem like she was taking one for the team.

“We’ll see to lunch so don’t worry about a thing. Just show up to have some fun, all right?” John said.

“Okay. Oh, wait!” Lucy said before he boss could leave, “What’s the attire going to be like?”

“I don’t think it much matters. Whatever you think is appropriate.”

“So a United jersey and jeans would work?”

“Sounds good to me,” John said giving Lucy a thumbs up.

Lucy beamed with excitement. Going to a United game—for work! Who would have thought she’d ever be so lucky!

***

“This is Lucy Heath. She’s our resident United expert. Always knows what’s going on with them. Lucy, may I introduce George Moore, one of our distributors?” one of Lucy’s coworkers said.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Lucy said, shaking George’s hand. This was the fifth person who she’d been introduced to today. It seemed that the brewery had just discovered how valuable it was to have a Linton United fan in the office. At this rate Lucy was going to have to ask for a raise.

Blue Rabbit Brewery had bought a bloc of seats at the United game so that they could mingle as best they could. Lucy was having to step over people’s feet and beers as she was introduced over and over again to clients, suppliers, and anyone else that management thought was important enough to be invited to the event. Though Lucy thought it was nice that United didn’t have a fancy ground like some of the other clubs, right now she was wishing they had a few luxury boxes just so Blue Rabbit could have bought one for the game, giving them a proper place to mingle. If they had, then Lucy didn’t have to worry about tripping over people’s feet.

“Pleasure to meet you too. I believe I’ve heard that United’s doing well this year?” George asked.

“Yeah. They’ve been doing a bang up job thus far. We’re hoping they’re going to keep it up. I think that the acquisition of O’Brien has been real key,” Lucy said.

“I’ll take your word for it. Hope today will be a good game for them.”

“Let’s hope!” Lucy said.

“Oh, Lucy! Hate to pull you away, but there’s someone who could really use your expertise,” John said, taking her by the arm, “I’d like you to meet Evan Bonn. He works at the American consulate. He recently contacted us and said that he thinks we could do very well exporting to America. Evan, please meet Lucy Heath. She’s quite the United fan and can tell you about anything you want to know.”

“Nice to meet you,” Lucy said, “Are you a football fan?”

“It’s only been recently I’ve been introduced to football,” Evan said, “You said your name is Lucy?”

“Yes,” Lucy said, though with slight hesitation. It hadn’t been but four seconds since her boss had said her name to Evan. She couldn’t believe he was _that_ forgetful.

“And you’re a big United fan, judging by the jersey, I take it?” Evan pursued.

“Oh yes. Have been for a few years now,” Lucy said, “Wasn’t much into football before but now I love it. Couldn’t live without United.”

Evan was silent as he surveyed Lucy. Then, oddly, he tapped the end of his nose with his finger, as if considering something. 

“You’ll have to forgive me. Just remembered I need to call an associate,” Evan said, “Excuse me.”

The American shuffled off, leaving Lucy to shrug her shoulders.

“Ah, Henry! Have you met Lucy? She knows everything there is to know about Linton United,” John said, spinning her around to meet the next important guest.

She wasn’t going to get a moment’s rest today. In fact, Lucy was beginning to wonder if she was even going to get to watch the game. At least there were plenty of pies on hand. She wasn’t going to go hungry any time soon.

***

“Are you sure?” David asked.

“No I’m not sure!” Evan exclaimed for the second time as they hurried towards the Blue Rabbit seats, “I wasn’t there, remember?”

“Well I know you certainly don’t remember much of the end of that day judging by the state you were in when I shoved you into a cab,” David retorted cheekily.

Evan brushed off the reference to his inebriation. “In any event, she fits everything you’ve said. Is she a little…” 

Evan searched for the right phrase. “…is she a little…meaty around the middle?”

“Yeah,” David said, “And pretty little green eyes?”

“I think so,” Evan said, “but I didn’t quite catch them. Besides, how many Lucys could there possibly—”

“Ah! Evan, there you are!” John said, “Welcome back. You missed an excellent chance by Carradine.”

“Well at least they didn’t score without me,” Evan said, “John, this a friend of mine, David Giggs. I thought I’d bring him along to our little shindig. Big United fan, this one and he’s responsible for introducing me to your fine product.”

“If that’s the case then we may have to hire this man to do promotions!” John said, vigorously shaking David’s hand, “You might have changed the fortunes of this very company if all goes well.”

“Well I’m highly flattered,” David began, “You know I—”

“Oh, shoot, sorry to interrupt. But I just remembered that there’s a very pressing question I have about…ummm…what was that thing again I was asking you about? I know. It was about offsides,” Evan said, snapping his fingers, “I’d better go ask Lucy about it. David, won’t you come with me?”

Before John could say anything Evan pulled David off to find the tubby brunette, who luckily wasn’t too far away.

“Lucy, good to see you again!” Evan called out.

This caused Lucy to turn away from the game, though not without some frustration. She’d _finally_ had a moment’s respite from the barrage of people who had clearly didn’t follow football at all and now she was having to answer some asinine question from the American—

“Lucy, when you were talking I just happened to remember that an acquaintance of mine happens to be a United fan and I thought I’d introduce the two of you,” Evan said, “This is—”

“David!” Lucy said in surprise.

“Lucy!” David responded, “You know Evan?”

“Well, we just met. Do you know him?” Lucy said.

“We’re acquaintances. I just remembered that he usually comes to the games and thought I aught to bring him over,” Evan said.

“What a coincidence this is! And after you had to run out the other night I wasn’t sure I was ever going to see you again!” David said.

“Well it’s nice to have someone around who actually knows what’s going on here,” Lucy said, “It’s good to see you again!”

“Good to see you too!” David said.

It was just at that moment that Andre Molina scored a beautiful goal for United.

“Hey!” Evan shouted, “Wasn’t that amazing?!”

“Wasn’t it indeed?” David agreed.

He wasn’t talking about the goal.

***

David watched the remainder of the game with the Blue Rabbit group, which meant he watched it with Lucy and Evan. As it turned out, she’d fulfilled her duty of showing that Blue Rabbit Brewery really did care about Linton United football by the time the clock ticked off twenty-five minutes, after which point she was allowed to watch the game in relative peace, which she did with David. The truth was that both of them were thrilled that they’d run into one another again and this time David didn’t fail to get Lucy’s number.

“How can I refuse a fellow United fan,” Lucy said sweetly as she handed it over with a smile to David.

That marked the official start of David and Lucy’s relationship, though they wouldn’t know it for another few weeks. David, Lucy, and Evan—who, despite himself, was actually finding football kind of interesting—all met up for the next home game. Stoney End was never so full that there weren’t some empty seats so David and Evan were able to sit next to Lucy and Margaret (it should be noted the latter had recently decided that Victor Andropov was definitely more attractive than Max Hiller).

For his part, Evan was only there as support for David. He recognized that it would be helpful for David to interact with Lucy in more of a group setting, so Evan “suffered” through some more football games for the sake of a budding romance. That didn’t keep him from complaining from time to time about anything associated with the sport, including the food.

“Really, I don’t get what the big deal about pies are,” Evan griped when everyone happened to be indulging in the dish during a game.

“But pies are tasty!” Lucy replied, “Don’t you think so?”

“Yes, but haven’t any of you guys seen _Sweeney Todd_?” Evan asked, “Aren’t you concerned about that?”

The Britons just rolled their eyes at the American.

Eventually, once Lucy and David were better acquainted with each other, Evan “had a previous engagement” and was unable to make it to a United game. Though Margaret was still there, she was much too busy scoping out the players on the field to notice the fact that Lucy and David were beginning to take a visible shine to one another. Soon enough the pair began to meet up outside of United games for drinks and then dinner.

At first their dinners were casual. Lucy and David would get some pub grub since they happened to be out drinking anyways. Lucy had discovered since moving to Linton that a good meal was a perfect complement to a pint of beer in the evening. It should be noted that Lucy’s penchant for beer, which of course was full of empty calories, had been a primary cause of her middle’s considerable thickening up. However, pretty soon Lucy and David were planning dinner dates that took them to legitimate restaurants where they never had anything less than an appetizer, main course, and dessert. The first and the last courses were usually mostly consumed by Lucy, though David did have a bit here and there. Even when the portions were generous Lucy still had plenty to eat, ensuring that she sat back at the end of each meal with a heavy, contented sigh.

It was after one such satisfying dinners that David walked Lucy back to her flat. The pair were actually discussing a few local news items that, shockingly, had nothing to do with Linton United, when they arrived at the door to Lucy’s building.

“That was great as always,” Lucy said with a broad smile that appeared quite a bit when David was around.

“Yeah, I had fun. Again,” David said.

There was a moment of silence as each of them tried to figure out precisely what to do next.

“Okay then,” Lucy said, breaking the silence, “Good night.”

“Wait!” David exclaimed as Lucy turned to open the door. “I mean, wait.” Lucy paused expectantly. “I just wanted to say that…well, it seems we’re pretty much dating already and you’re great, so maybe we aught to make it official?”

“Make what official?” Lucy said, doing her best to feign ignorance. It was pretty evident that she knew what David was talking about.

“Oh, you know. You and me,” David said. He finally sighed in exasperation. “Okay, I might as well just come out and say it.” He took Lucy’s hands in his. “Lucy Heath, will you be my girlfriend?”

“Of course I will!” Lucy giggled, “Thought you’d never ask.” She kissed David warmly and strongly to seal her acceptance.

“Well I don’t think you were going to let me get away without saying so,” David said as he embraced Lucy.

“You’ve got that right!” Lucy said, “So, now that we’ve got that out of the way, want to come up and have some dessert?”

“If you’re thinking of the same sort of &#8216;dessert’ that I am, then you bet!” David said with a broad smile.

Lucy just giggled—because that’s exactly what she was thinking about.

***

The official start of Lucy and David’s relationship concealed that something else had started at about the same time: a new round of weight gain for Lucy.

Ever since arriving in Linton, Lucy had been relatively social. Over time going to United games became her biggest type of outing. Though she’d have a pie that would go straight to her belly, that plus a beer here and there was all that would be added to Lucy’s waistline. Though this had built up over the last few years, it was a slow process.

Since Lucy had started dating David she found herself out and about much more than previously—and almost always around food. At a United game a beer and a pie or a burger was now requisite (even though it had never been before). When grabbing a beer in the evening, no less than two pints could do. Dinner, as previously mentioned, always had three courses. After all, she and David enjoyed each other’s company so much, how could they simply be content with the short time it took to eat an entrée when they could add appetizer and dessert to extend their time together? Even when they stayed in and watched the telly, popcorn or crisps or biscuits seemed to always work their way out of the cupboard and into Lucy’s hands.

The end result was that the rest of Lucy’s body was beginning to catch up to her prominent belly. Her breasts had swelled up, pushing Lucy to the next cup size (something that neither Lucy nor David minded too much). Her thighs were growing softer and larger, turning into jiggling pillars of flesh. Above her tasty thighs were Lucy’s hips, which were certainly rounding out. They’d forced Lucy to—begrudgingly—buy new pants, which helped reduced Lucy’s absurdly large muffin top. Furthermore, her wider hips made her jiggling gut look more proportional to the rest of her. The expansion of Lucy’s hips also included adding a little extra on the rear end as well, giving Lucy a nicely loaded trunk.

Even so, Lucy’s belly was still the centerpiece of her body and defined her physique. She was still very much an apple, but a more well-rounded one if anything else. The muffin top was still present, for Lucy’s belly had received a decent share of the new pounds. Lucy’s pants, even though they had gone up a size, still gave her a good set of love handles and plenty of paunch in the front. Lucy was acutely aware of the fact that even gaining weight didn’t seem to ameliorate her muffin top woes. Of course, it stood to reason that if all of her got bigger, _all_ of her would get bigger. It wasn’t like her tummy was going to wait up for the rest of her to catch up.

But it was a circumstance that could be ignored. United was continuing to do well, now having amassed an 8-3 record, which put it within the top three teams in the League. With United winning, weight woes were something that could easily be ignored. Of course, the fact that Lucy was dating someone who didn’t ever say a word about her weight also helped quite a bit. Nothing helps self-confidence like being in a steady relationship, and this was certainly true for Lucy. There were stretches of days at a time that Lucy didn’t even think about her weight—until she had to tug on a pair of tight jeans.

It was on a lazy Sunday morning when Lucy had just won another battle with just such a pair of jeans that her phone rang. Though Lucy’s stomach was rumbling furiously because it wanted a long overdue breakfast Lucy took the call.

“Hello?”

“Lucy? It’s Jennifer Bennett,” said the voice on the other end of the line.

“Jennifer! Oh my word! It’s been so long!” Lucy exclaimed. Jennifer Bennett had been one of her best friends at university, but Lucy hadn’t seen her since they’d graduated. “It’s so wonderful to hear from you again! How are you?”

“Great! I’ve missed you so much,” Jennifer said on the other end of the line, “I just _had_ to call you. I’m coming to Linton!”

“Really? That’s great? Do you need to crash somewhere while you’re here? My couch is always open to an old friend,” Lucy said as she started frying up an egg.

“Well, I hope that won’t be needed because I’m coming for good,” Jennifer said, “I’m moving to Linton Lucy!”

“Really?” Lucy shrieked with delight, “Get out!”

“I’m serious! I just got a job offer from a great company so I’m coming out in three weeks. I’ll be over next weekend to look for an apartment so maybe I’ll take you up on the couch offer then.”

“Oh this is so exciting!” Lucy said, “It’ll be just like old times! I can’t wait to see you!”

***

How exciting was Jennifer’s arrival in Linton? So exciting that it almost outshone the Linton United game at Umberland the very same day. But only almost.

Still, Lucy was pleased as punch that her old university friend and she would be living in the same city again. Truth be told Lucy had missed the close companionship that she’d had with girls like Jennifer at university since she’d begun her professional life. There was no one in Linton with whom she’d developed a similar bond. Margaret was the nearest thing she had to a close friend, but there were still certain things that Lucy didn’t talk about with Margaret. Having Jennifer around would change all of that.

Lucy was so enthused about Jennifer moving to Linton that she even helped her friend move into her flat—and Lucy hated the business of moving. Carrying all those boxes was so tiring and got Lucy so sweaty. At the end of it all Lucy and Jennifer had to grab a large lunch after such a grueling day.

Jennifer was just as eager as Lucy for lunch. For as long as Lucy had known Jennifer Bennett she had always been a larger girl, though never out-and-out fat. When they met in the first few weeks of university, Jennifer had been chubby. Four years at university had pushed her to the limit of being able to be called plump. Jennifer was fair skinned like Lucy, but a shade or two tanner. Jennifer’s belly was large enough to take notice of it, but in a stocky sort of way. Jennifer’s fat seemed like it was compacted around her, but there was definitely a softness to her that was undeniably fat. Accordingly, Jennifer was not a very large chested girl. She had nice pert breasts that were decently sized, but no larger.

Jennifer had straight blonde hair that was light on top with a darker underlayer. Like Lucy, Jennifer had green eyes, though they were a touch bluer than Lucy’s were, making them seem like pools of tropical water. Her face was oval shaped, largely owing to Jennifer’s general softness. Though Jennifer didn’t have the chubby cheeks that Lucy had, if you just saw Jennifer’s from the shoulders up you’d guess that she was a big girl, though not too big. This was largely owing to the fact that Jennifer had a curious neck. Jennifer didn’t have a double chin or anything resembling one, but there was a softness around Jennifer’s neck and underneath her chin that couldn’t quite be categorized.

Back when the two young women first met at university, Jennifer was without question the fatter. Now it was looking like Lucy had Jennifer beat. To her credit, Jennifer didn’t say a word about her friend’s added pounds. To say she didn’t bat an eye would have been false, for Jennifer was surprised that her old friend had porked up over the last few years. But Jennifer didn’t think less of Lucy for having put on a few. Jennifer was well aware of the number on the scale when she stepped on it and accordingly she made it a point to never criticize another woman about her weight. God had made people in all different shapes and sizes, a fact that Jennifer reminded herself constantly—especially when she got frustrated with the fact that a given top or pair of jeans didn’t come in her size.

“Oh this is going to be so fun!” Lucy bubbled at lunch, “It’ll be just like old times!”

“I hope not!” Jennifer said, “We did some stupid stuff back at university.”

“Don’t you start telling tales about me here,” Lucy whispered as she leaned forward across the table, “People would think I was some wild party girl if they heard the stories that you could tell!”

“Well we were a little wild back then,” Jennifer said mischievously.

“And now we are very professional adults,” Lucy said, sitting up straight, assuming a dignified pose, “We no longer engage in such juvenile pastimes.”

“I hope not too adult,” Jennifer giggled, “That would make life here very boring and much like it was at Throckmorton.” She sighed. “I didn’t really know anyone there, so I didn’t get out much. I was really hoping that I could hang out with you and maybe meet some of your friends so I could actually have some fun this time.”

“Jennifer! You should have told me!” Lucy said, reaching across the table to take her friend’s hand, “I had no idea. I would have come and visited a couple times if I knew you were having such trouble.”

“It’s just really hard to meet people after you leave university,” Jennifer said, “I just never figured out how to do it and you were always so good with making friends when I knew you, so when I was able to get a job here…”

“Don’t you worry at all,” Lucy said reassuringly, “Tonight we’ll finish getting you unpacked and then tomorrow you’ll meet some of my friends and we’ll show you what a good time it is in Linton. And if I recall correctly, you like football, don’t you?”

“Oh yes! Linton United’s doing rather well this year, aren’t they?” Jennifer said, perking up.

“They are. And guess what? I’ve become a United fan!”

“Get out!” Jennifer squealed, “Really?”

“Yes really!”

“You have _got_ to tell me all about how that happened!”

***

“So Lucy knew Jennifer from college?” Evan asked as he and David waited for the pair to meet them at the Buck & Boar.

“We say university over here. University is better than college,” David corrected.

Evan waived his hand dismissively. “Whatever.”

“But yeah, she said that’s where they met. She said Jennifer’s quite nice. Thinks you might like her,” David said.

“Wait a second, are you two trying to set me up?” Evan asked warily, “Is that why you asked me to come along?”

“No no. Jennifer just wants to meet some people. Lucy and I both thought that you’d be a good person for her to get to meet,” David said, “But if you _did_ happen to take a shine to her, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing…”

“I can meet women just fine on my own, thank you very much,” Evan said somewhat indignantly.

“How many women have you dated since you’ve been in the UK?” David asked pointedly.

“Well the life of a diplomat is always somewhat up in the air. I could be recalled or reassigned at a moment’s notice. It’s better not to get too involved with someone,” Evan said.

“So the answer would be none,” David stated.

“Hey! Don’t take that tone with me,” Evan warned.

“Just saying maybe you should worry less about whether or not you’re suddenly going to be whisked away and focus more on having a good time while you’re here,” David said.

“I’m just holding out for being posted to Stockholm, thank you very much,” Evan said.

“Oh. Riiiiiight,” David said, not believing a word of it, “Look, Lucy and I just wanted to make an introduction. That’s all. So don’t get your knickers in a twist.”

“Really now? I think I should be mildly offended by you using that phrase with me,” Evan said.

“Well don’t get too sour. Lucy’s here,” David said.

“How about Jennifer?” Evan said. He was seated with his back towards the door and didn’t want to turn around so obviously, which might make Jennifer feel awkward, something that David had warned Evan about considering Jennifer’s troubles meeting people in Throckmorton.

“I don’t know, I’ve never met her, but I think so,” David said as he smiled and waved to Lucy.

“Hi guys!” Lucy said as she came up to the table, “This is Jennifer. She’s new in town and I thought I’d introduce her to the nicest guys I knew here.”

“Hello,” the tubby blonde next to Lucy said.

“Hi, I’m David.”

“And I’m Evan. Pleasure to meet you Jennifer,” the American said, extending his hand.

The girls sat down at the table, Lucy next to David and Jennifer with Evan. “Nice to meet you both,” Jennifer said, “So, I take it that David is the new beau you talked about?”

Lucy took David’s hand affectionately. “Yes he is. Hope you don’t mind I told Jennifer all about us,” she said to David.

“Not at all—just as long as you left out all of the bad parts about me,” David replied.

“There weren’t any bad parts at all,” Jennifer said.

“Then she was most certainly lying,” Evan said devilishly, “David’s a scoundrel.”

“So what would that make you? A saint?” Jennifer asked.

“I prefer to be called a moral compass,” Evan replied.

“Oh heaven help us if you’re our moral compass!” Lucy giggled, “We’re doomed!”

“I don’t know about that,” Jennifer said, “You seem like a pretty good guy to me.”

“Now she’s just buttering me up,” Evan said, “probably because she guessed that I was going to get us all some beer.”

“Hey, I’ll give a hand with that,” David said, standing from the table and going to the bar with Evan. When they arrived, David said, “So? Looks like things are already going pretty well. I thought that Jennifer was going to be somewhat shy from the way Lucy talked about her, but she seems like a lot of fun.”

“Yeah…about that,” Evan said as he waved down a bartender, “I’m not that into her.”

“Really?” David said with some surprise, “You seemed to be kind of into her from what I could tell.”

“I’m just being nice like you said to be,” Evan said, “I just don’t feel it with her.”

“But you haven’t even gotten to know her yet.”

“Have you ever heard of the lemon law?”

“When it comes to cars, yes,” David said.

“It’s kind of the same thing. It posits that you only need five minutes to figure out if things are going anywhere with someone,” Evan said, “I happen to subscribe to that and if this was a date, right now I’d have to lemon law her.”

“That’s a little cold,” David said.

“I didn’t say that I actually did that, but the principle holds. She is a nice girl though,” Evan said, “Seems like a lot of fun to have around.”

“Oh I definitely think that we’re going to see quite a bit of Jennifer in the future,” David said with a smile, “and I think it’s going to be quite a lot of fun.”
_
story continued in post 7 of this thread_


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## TheOwl (Jun 9, 2009)

Just like to say as always, a great story by Id.

As a very big football fan I like that the story is based around the beautiful game. Your take on life in England seems to work well, I particularly like the the winding up that goes on between David and Evan, it reminds me exactly how I am with a couple of my own American friends.

Cannot wait to see how the story progresses.

TheOwl


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## The Id (Jun 9, 2009)

Glad that you're enjoying it! As someone who's only seen parts of a few football games and never been to England, I'm glad that I get things right! It's a huge compliment to hear that. And yeah, I've had some banter with a few British friends that have helped me to get some of that done. 

Part three should be on its way.


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## The Id (Jun 9, 2009)

*Whatever Will Be 3: Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase I
​* 
With Lucys help Jennifer acclimated to Linton very well. After a couple weeks she was very familiar with the city and some of the more happening hangouts. She had even ventured out on her own once or twice without Lucy just to see what she could find. Lucy was thrilled that things were going well for Jennifer. The truth was that having Lucy around was like a safety net that Jennifer could fall back on if things didnt go well for her socially, making Jennifer more inclined to put herself out there since she knew Lucy would catch her if she fell.

David and Evan liked Jennifer enough that she was formally adopted into the group of close-knit friends. This was primarily due to the fact that Jennifer was a lot of fun to have around. Like Lucy, Jennifer could hold her drink rather well and never failed to sound off on the results of the most recent United game (which had been pretty encouraging as of late). Jennifer also turned out to have the most hilarious giggle when she found something funny. She would get beet red in the face and would shake and jiggle uncontrollably until the fit passed. It was one of those little quirks that very much endeared her to the Lintonians and made her one of them.

This only resulted in puzzling David (and by extension Lucy, who was made party to his many of his musings when they lay in bed together) even more as to why Evan didnt take such a shine to Jennifer. He even seemed to be outright adverse to the idea of entertaining any such thoughts regarding the blonde. The pair got along great whenever they were together and Lucy had confided in David that Jennifer thought that Evan was plenty nice.

Oh thats not to say that Jennifers gone so far as to say that she _likes_ Evan, Lucy said as she rested her head on Davids shoulder, But I think that could come with time.

You do? David said with mild surprise.

Maybe if Evan was to come around and express an interest, Lucy said, Jennifers not the sort of girl to chase after men she cant catch. In fact, shes never been much of a chaser at all. The men she dated at university always initiated things. It doesnt seem like shes changed much in that respect.

Still, its very puzzling, David said, I would have thought Jennifer would have been right up Evans alley.

Well theres no accounting for taste, Lucy sighed, her generous bosom heaving up and down in the process.

I know. Look who I would up with, David said.

Oh you! Lucy laughed, giving her boyfriend a playful shove.

***

The next time the two were out for a drink together privately, David pressed the issue.

Look, I know you probably dont want to talk about this David began.

Why do I think youre going to be right? Evan said dryly.

but Ive got to ask you again, David continued, What is it about Jennifer you dont like?

I told you, Im not looking for a relationship right now, Evan said.

Oh come on. Thats bull and you know it, David said, If you liked her enough, youd at least want to give it a shot.

Not necessarily, Evan said.

Yeah. Right. Youre not looking for a relationship? What if David thought for a moment. Aha! Ive got it! You like Kristen Bell, right? What if she walked through that door and bumped into you and is like, Oh, youre an American. You dont know how much of a sight fore sore eyes you are. Youre telling me you wouldnt even go on a date with her?

Okay, first of all, you should not try to imitate any womans voice, let alone Kristen Bell, Evan said, smiling at the absurdity of Davids high pitched whine, At the very least stick to British women. Your American is atrocious.

Youre deflecting attention from the real question. Would you go on a date with her?

Well of course I would, Evan said, but youre using a superlative case and even if that wasnt true that doesnt mean Id want to get involved in a relationship with her.

Then lets change the question. Lets say she was super into you, being Mr. Macho Diplomat and the like. Shes moving to the UK and wants to get involved with you, David continued.

Fine! Evan exclaimed. He took a breath to calm down a bit, Fine. I will admit that there are certain circumstances in which I would go after a woman.

So then you admit that its not you, its Jennifer? David pressed.

Look, I dont see why we should even be discussing this, Evan said before drinking some beer to try and terminate the current line of conversation.

Because whenever youre around her you seem to have a good time and I can tell youre not just being nice, David said, Look, I know you pretty well. If someone had asked me to describe the sort of girl I thought youd like, I would have described Jennifer to a T. Shes smart, pleasant, funny, and shes a ton of fun.

Sounds like you like her quite a bit.

Dont you dare try and pull that with me, David warned, Dont even go there. You know better than that and thats not who you are. Now just level with me Evan.

Evan gazed into his pint. 

You dont want to go there, Evan said without looking up.

I just want to understand and then Ill leave it alone, David said, Come on man. Theres nothing you cant say to me.

Trust me. We shouldnt talk about this, Evan insisted.

Look, just tell me and then we wont ever talk about it again, David said.

Fine, Evan said, putting his pint glass on the table just a little too forcefully. He took a deep breath. Look, dont take this the wrong way, but Jennifershes just too fat for me.

Fat? Shes chubby, but shes not fat, David said, somewhat surprised.

Whatever. Im just not into that, Evan said, That doesnt mean I think any less of you or anything like that. Its just not my style, you know?

Waitwhat? David said with confusion.

Before you take anything the wrong way, all Im saying is that Im not into bigger women and if you are, thats totally cool by me, Evan said.

Doesnt matter to me who or what you like as long as youre happy, David shrugged, And I know that Lucys got some extra pounds, but it doesnt much matter to me. I like Lucy for who she is and thats all there is to it.

Okay, so have we navigated this minefield of a conversation then? Evan asked.

Yeah, everythings cool. I wont bring it up again, David said.

Thank goodness, Evan said with relief, Can you see why I didnt want to talk about it now?

Dude, you shouldnt have been worried about it at all. You think Id really belittle you for your taste in women? Come on. We all like what we like, David said.

All right. Well glad that we got that out of the way, Evan said, And make sure you dont tell Lucy or Jennifer, okay? Theyre great girls, but you know how women are. They take this sort of thing the wrong way.

***

David didnt breathe a word of it to Lucy. It wasnt just because Evan had asked him not to. Nor was it because he knew it wasnt exactly the sort of thing that women take well. It was largely because the incident had raised a number of questions for David.

_Before I met Lucy I never even looked at women like her. Sure, I liked a woman with good curves, but not around the midsection. I liked a good pair of boobs and a nice ass. If youd asked me, I would have said that a girl with a gut would have been a turn off. So then whats changed? I mean, its not that Im attracted to Lucy physically. Well, I am, but that wasnt what first caught my attention. I saw her across a room and there was this electric moment that grabbed me and made me want to talk to her. Yet I never would have suspected it._

_Do I like the fact that Lucys fat? I mean, I just accepted it as part of who she was. She doesnt seem to mind it that much. Who am I kidding? Women hate their weight, even if theyre the perfect weight. She probably does mind. But she doesnt mind enough to go on a diet. And she doesnt ever complain about it. And she always has dessert. In fact, she almost always insists on it. I cant tell, but she might have even put on a few since we started dating. And she does look kind of cute_

_But do I like fat girls? I dont like fat girls. Do I? No, I dont. I like Lucy. But she is hot.Oh this is so complicated. Ill just deal with it later,_ David thought as he was interrupted by a knock on his door.

David opened the door to discover Lucy, dressed in a cute jacket and jeans. 

Hey there! Ready for dinner? Lucy asked brightly, looking particularly plump as her belly stretched her top quite noticeably underneath her jacket.

You bet.

***

Jennifer sighed. I just wish Id meet someone nice here. I mean, youve been great and everything taking me around and introducing me to folks, but Im just not meeting guys.

She and Lucy were out shopping together at Lintons major mall, half to get out and relax with each other and half because Lucy had begrudgingly admitted to herself she needed some new bottoms. Naturally Lucy couldnt put her finger on a single culprit, but she had a strong suspicion that the chocolate lava cake had something to do with it. 

Last night at dinner with David she found herself unable to resist. It was so warm and gooey and chocolatyLucys mouth nearly watered just at the memory. She was pretty sure shed do it again if given the opportunity. It was the fact that it had been so sinfully delicious that made Lucy think that that slice of cake might be the reason she was trying on new jeans with Jennifer right now.

The jeans were doing nothing to minimize Lucys muffin top. Truth be told, there was simply too much belly and not enough hip on Lucy to minimize it. She was an incorrigibly apple shaped woman and there was nothing to be done about it. Her belly just overflowed whatever she wore, especially if it was a pair of jeans. But Lucy had lived with love handles for so long that she really didnt notice them anymore. Once upon a time shed resented them and struggled against them, but that had only been for a brief period of time and long ago at that. Though her massive midsection irked her when her pants were too small, Lucy just took it in stride.

Say, do these jeans look my butt look big? Lucy asked Jennifer as she twisted and turned to try and get a better look in the mirror at her rear end. The truth was that these days her butt looked big no matter what pair of pants Lucy put them into. Her softly padded behind stuck out at least an inch behind her, but it didnt look too shabby in these jeans.

Oh come on Lucy, Jennifer sighed, Were you even listening to me?

Yes I was. Where have you tried to pick up guys? Lucy said while still examining her derrière.

Ive tried some of the bars that you showed me, Jennifer said, but Ill sit for like 45 minutes and not a soul will come talk to me sometimes. And then the other guys I get are total losers.

Well what did you wear? Lucy asked, now looking at Jennifer since shed made up her mind to buy the jeans.

Whatever I went to work in. I usually catch a happy hour.

Which is what?

Oh you know what I wear to work.

If its what Im thinking of, its nothing special, Lucy said, Maybe what you need is to be a little more eye-catching.

Lucy, I dont need more clothes, Jennifer said.

Well if youre not getting any boys eye I think you at least need a decent outfit or two, Lucy said as she began to flip through the racks, still in her new jeans, tags and all. She could change out of them when Jennifer was trying something on. 

Lucy grabbed a couple tops, a skirt, and a nice pair of jeans. Here, try these on and lets see how you do.

Lucy

You dont have to buy them just because you try them on, Lucy reassured Jennifer, Just take a look. You might actually look great in them.

As it turned out, Jennifer didnt look great in themshe looked awesome. The button up shirt that Lucy had selected fit well without being too snug. A couple of open buttons gave a gorgeous hint of Jennifers bouncy breasts.

I just love the half sleeves, Lucy said, They look really good on you. And you could wear this on its own or maybe throw a white camisole on underneath. Either one would be super cute. And you could even add a belt underneath your bust. Thatd draw much more attention to your boobs and we know how much guys like them. 

This last part drew a giggle from them both.

The other top was a sweater. It wasnt a baggy sweater that tried to hide Jennifers curves, but rather a sweater-esque top used for layering that tightly conformed to her body. Did this mean that it showed off Jennifers not-so-small pot belly? Yes, but more importantly it embraced Jennifer as she was, rather than trying to deny it. That wasnt what registered in either girls mind, but both of them thought that the sweater was so cute. It had a nice knit in it to add some texture to the outfit and so it was duly added to the pile of purchases.

The pair of jeans that Lucy selected were actually no good, but before Jennifer could say that she had enough jeans, Lucy scampered off and returned with a different pair. This pair had higher pockets than the first, which helped Jennifers butt immensely. It didnt look any smaller, but the low pockets on the first pair had made her rear end look kind of frumpy. Now, with correctly placed pockets her ass looked bouncy and pert. Needless to say, Jennifer and Lucy say exactly that, but they both did agree that Jennifers butt looked better in that pair.

Last came the skirt, a floral print that was modern without being too busy. It used a nice palate of colors and made Jennifers thick hips look lovely. The skirt left Jennifers chubby calves in full view, but they looked rather cute in the skirt. 

I actually think it makes me look really good, Jennifer said as she examined herself from various angles, In fact, I really like my legs in it.

And you thought you didnt need anymore clothes! Lucy said with a bright smile, Theres no problem that cant be fixed with more clothes! Now come on. All this work has made me kind of hungry. Lets go get a smoothie.

Do they have the good kind that they make with some ice cream? Jennifer asked hopefully.

What other kind is there? Lucy asked.

***

Though he didnt admit it to David, Evan Bonn was not at all pleased about the way their conversation had gone. 

_I did exactly what I was afraid I was going to do: make an ass out of myself,_ Evan thought glumly to himself, _David must think Im some sort of shallow jerk for writing Jennifer off just because shes fat. Or chubby. Whatever. Shes just got more to her than I want. Right now hes thinking about what I must really think about Lucy. Man, Ive really screwed this up._

Discovering that hed finished his beer, Evan signaled the bartender for another. Hunched over at the bar, Evan was only vaguely aware of the fact that the bar was only starting to come to life around him. It was only six in the evening on a Saturday and hed already been there an hour, keeping to himself, focused on a single TV that was currently on commercial.

It was for this reason that a tap on the shoulder caught him completely off guard.

Jennifer! Oh hi! Evan said when he discovered who it was.

It was not the Jennifer that he expected to see either. She was dressed better than usual. It wasnt too vastly different from what she usually wore, but for some reason it looked much better on her. Jennifer was wearing a brown jacket that had came in nicely underneath the bust. It went well with the button up shirt that she had on underneath. The top couple buttons were undone, giving the slightest hint of cleavage and plenty of soft skin above that. Jennifer also looked to have on a nice pair of dark blue jeans.

I didnt know you came here. I thought you would have been off with something about United. Arent they playing right now? Evan asked.

It was earlier in the day. I decided to go out myself since Lucy and David seemed like they wanted to get it on in the stands. I guess a 4-0 win does that to them, Jennifer said.

Well you know those two. The sun rises and sets with Linton United, Evan said, No offense, of course.

Oh dont worry about me. I like football, but Im not into it like they are. I mean its fun and all, but its not as big to me, Jennifer said, Mind if I sit with you?

Feel free, Evan said, gesturing to the empty barstool next to him, Though let me just say right now that you look way too nice tonight to coop yourself up with me when you could be fielding guys left and right tonight.

You mean it? Jennifer asked.

Evan paused and took another look at Jennifer, because for some reason he took the question seriously and wanted to figure out if he honestly meant it. Jennifer still looked tubby, but somehow she looked better than usual tonight. Evan couldnt put his finger on exactly what it was. Maybe it was that the outfit made her look better, or perhaps it was something about the way Jennifers hair looked tonight. As Evan gazed upon Jennifer, taking all of her in, he was absolutely certain of his answer.

Yes. Yes I do, Evan said with the utmost sincerity.

Thanks! Jennifer said as she sat down next to Evan, Lucy said she thought I might need a bit of an update to my wardrobe to help with the dating.

Well you look great, Evan asserted.

And youre your usual self with your snappy suit, though I see youre going open collar tonight, Lucy observed.

Yeah, not trying too hard to impress tonight, Evan said.

That doesnt seem much like the Evan Bonn I know. I thought youd be trying to look all spiffy to chat up some nice girl.

Eh, perhaps on another night, Evan shrugged, Tonight Im here to watch the game.

What game?

My Ohio State Buckeyes versus the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Evan said, gesturing to the TV, College football. The American kind. I tip well here so they put the game on for me on one screen. I dont miss a game and that takes a lot of work when some of the games start at midnight over here, sometimes later.

Midnight?! Jennifer exclaimed, How long do games take?

Sometimes three hours, Evan replied mildly, No less than two and a half for sure.

Thats insane!

Yeah, but I love it just as much as you guys all love your football. By which I mean soccer, Evan said with a smirk.

Mind if I watch with you? Jennifer asked.

I think you have better things to do than that tonight, Evan said.

Nah. Besides, youd look so lonely if I wasnt with you. Consider it an act of charity on my part.

Then settle in. Were in the second quarter already, Evan said just as his long awaited pint arrived. 

And shes drinking on my tab tonight, he further instructed the bartender.

Oh you dont have to do that! Jennifer protested.

Jennifer, the first thing you must learn about American football is that beer is a prerequisite for watching the game, Evan instructed.

Then I think I might like this game! Jennifer said with a broad smile.

***

Very little is celebrated after two months. Nobody has a party to celebrate a baby turning two months old (though sometimes overzealous first time parents do go to extremes), nor do businesses have cake in the break room to celebrate that theyve been in business for two months. When someone points out that its only two months until Christmas, this usually is simply met with looks of shock and thoughts that pretty soon gift shopping would need to be done.

Relationships, however, are often celebrated in monthly intervals when theyre first beginning and David and Lucy decided that they should have a nice dinner together to mark their two month anniversary. The couple now always ate well, but they decided that tonight needed to be a truly special dinner. David had suggested one of Lintons finest steakhouses and Lucy thought it sounded like a splendid idea.

Since it was such a nice restaurant, David was dressed in a tie and jacket and Lucy had picked up a dress for the event. Lucy would have selected from her existing supply of dresses, but all of them were a smidge too tight thanks to a few too many pies at United games. Lucys dress was a halter style in dark blue. In leaving Lucys shoulders bare it revealed that Lucys collarbone was now hidden underneath a soft padding of fat. For some reason the dress also seemed to showcase just how large Lucys breasts had grown. Maybe it had do to something with the fact that the dress left Lucys upper back bare, showing how it too was beginning to soften up and that obliquely called attention to the size of Lucys hooters in front.

Even though Lucy wasnt wearing pants, her belly was still incredibly prominent. Though the dress came to a high waist below the bust, Lucys belly was just too big to escape notice. Though the dresss waist tried to distract from Lucys tummy, her giant gut simply pushed the fabric of the dress out in every direction. Even though the dress wasnt supposed to be form fitting, David could clearly see that Lucys spare tire hung over what would have been the waist of a regularly sized woman.

Lower than thatonce David was able to get his eyes past Lucys impressive paunchwere Lucys hips which definitely seemed wider than he remembered. These were truly womanly hips, the sort of hips that went with such a large belly. They still had some catching up to do, but the fuller hips looked much more on natural on Lucy. Likewise, Lucys dress ended midway down her thigh, which left plenty of meaty leg in plain view. Lucys thighs were growing closer and closer to each other as they expanded. The added flesh on her flabby thighs jiggled with each step and Lucys calves were also noticeably softer than they had been before.

Lucy made for an entrancing sight that evening, and when David picked her up for dinner he was amazed at how good she looked with her curled brown hair and just the right amount of makeup. It awakened a deep burning passion within him, one that hed never felt before with any other woman hed known.

You look absolutely wonderful, David breathed.

Awwwthank you, Lucy said, her chubby face so red with natural blush from the compliment that she looked a bit like a tomato, I hoped youd like it.

Lucy, you look like the prettiest thing on two legs, David reaffirmed.

Oh stop now. Now youre just exaggerating, Lucy said as she gave David a playful shove, Probably because you want to get laid tonight.

What? Dont I look handsome enough tonight? David said spinning around, I thought I looked so dapper that youd be throwing yourself at me tonight.

As if I was a tart! Lucy said indignantly.

Hey, Im just that hot, David said.

Yes you are, Lucy said, giving David a quick peck on the cheek, Now lets go. Im starving!

The Bond Street Steakhouse was everything that a high end steakhouse should be. Its walls were completely paneled in wood and adorned with pictures of prize winning cows, the art of a bygone era. The restaurant was darkly and intimately lit, giving privacy to each table while still providing enough light to see by. The ambience was reflected in the prices, but it was also reflected in the quality of the food. Lucy and David knew that it was going to be a pricey dinner, but theyd both agreed beforehand not to worry too much about the prices and split the bill. Each had some fun money to devote to the defraying the cost and they both felt that the occasion was worth marking in style.

As usual, there were no less than three courses on this occasion. A wedge of iceberg lettuce draped with bleu cheese and bits of bacon made up the appetizer, which was split between the two in anticipation of the main course that was to follow. Bond Street Steakhouse prided itself on the timing of their meals and no sooner was the salad finished than the two filets appeared. David had garlic mashed potatoes on the side with his six ounce cut while Lucy selected the baked potato with butter, chives, sour cream, and cheese as the complement to her full cut eight ounce steak, making for a mouthwatering spectacle.

David wasnt exactly sure how he felt about the fact that his date ordered a larger steak than he did. It kind of seemed like an inversion of the natural order of the world that Lucy would be able to eat a bigger steak than him, but at the same time it wasnt that surprising that a fat girl would have a larger appetite. 

_Besides,_ David reminded himself, _I purposefully got a smaller steak to save room for dessert._

Dessert was a triple chocolate fudge cake that was so delicious that Lucy actually softly moaned with pleasure in the middle of the first bite. The moist cake and the rich, thick, smooth fudge ran together so perfectly on the tongue that even David had to admit that it was mind-blowingly delicious. Though Lucy had been starting to feel full after her steak and baked potato, one bite of that cake seemed to magically make room in her stomach for two thirds of the large slice of cake. 

David didnt mind a bithe couldnt have a single bite more than what hed taken and was more than pleased to see Lucy finish off the cake. In fact, it was kind of hot the way that she slowly, sensually placed each bite in her mouth, enjoying every last morsel. David realized as Lucy set her fork down on her plate, the cake demolished, that he was rather aroused by it. Lucy saw the look in Davids eyes and both of them knew what was coming next.

The pair paid a cabbie an extra £10 to drive as fast as he could back to Davids apartment as the happy couple made out in the back as a prelude to greater things to come. They barely even registered the song on the radio.

_The song you sing is sentimental
The song you sing is making me well
I like it like it outta control
The song you sing gives me vertigo

Story continued in post 13 of this thread
_


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## Armadillojellybeans (Jun 16, 2009)

*Takes a big wiff* 

.............Can you smell that? I know I can, it smells like a classic, smells like a big hunking, steaming pile of classic, every chapter has me hooked more and more, and although pears seem to be my department, Lucy is growing on me, and herself, such lovely human indulgence, so real, it is has if I knew these people growing up, it is magical


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## The Id (Jun 17, 2009)

Armadillojellybeans said:


> ... such lovely human indulgence, so real, it is has if I knew these people growing up, it is magical



What's a human indulgence? I assume it's a compliment like the rest of your very kind comments?


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## Armadillojellybeans (Jun 18, 2009)

The Id said:


> What's a human indulgence? I assume it's a compliment like the rest of your very kind comments?



It is indeed my good sir, it is a habit I have developed to really take in and enjoy human situations, something real, it all revolves around the world, the way I see it, and they way I suck it all in, and I enjoy so much at certain times I tend to consider it an "indulgence", you take a day to day activity I experience in life, and make it happen with words, bravo :bow:


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## The Id (Jun 19, 2009)

I think I get it. I'm glad that you feel that I represent real life so well!


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## Observer (Jun 20, 2009)

> I think I get it. I'm glad that you feel that I represent real life so well!



Indeed. Although I didn't orchestrate it, its good to see several of our authors concurrently being highly realistic about the realities of being both large and popular. To me its the highest of purposes in WR fiction.

I know some love stuck scenes, sex and revenge. And we have them all. But wht Matt L. is doing with Brandi and Mallory and Marci's twist on the interactive stories plus the work of BBD and yourself is to me great!

Kudos and keep up the good work!


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## The Id (Jul 7, 2009)

*Whatever Will Be 4: Undercover Angel​*
When Evan walked into the Buck & Boar, he found Lucy, David, and Jennifer all looking despondent. Their manner was in stark contrast to the high spirits that generally prevailed amongst the Britons. Evan knew that it only meant one thing.

So how badly did they lose today? Evan asked.

David just put his face into his hand. It was obviously not something he wanted to discuss at the moment.

3-1 today, Lucy said with slumped shoulders, And it was against Casterbridge too. They havent even been doing that well this season.

This now marked the fourth consecutive loss for Linton United. After the first loss there had been no panic. That had been against Marygreen Celtic, who was the best team in the League. Though it would have been encouraging for United to have upended Celtic in a surprise, it had hardly been expected.

When United lost by a 3-2 score to Durnover the consensus was that a few costly errors had been had been the difference. Any other day and Linton would have surely prevailed against Durnover, who was a decent club but nothing to be proud of. Besides, Alex Elton was having a superb season for them and when someone was playing like he was, there was very little that could be done about it.

The concern in the air was palpable when Knollsea shut out United by a score of 2-0. There was something markedly wrong with the way that United was playing now. Their stars didnt appear to have the drive theyd exhibited earlier in the season. Everyone was worried that if something wasnt done soon the League championship would be beyond them.

It turned out that todays loss indicated just that. Theres no way they can finish any higher than fourth now. No realistic way, that is, Lucy said dejectedly, And we were doing so well to start things out

Oh cheer up guys, Jennifer piped up, United got promoted and the higher you go the harder it is to keep advancing. Nobody thought that United would win the League this year. Fourth place would be an incredible finish for them in their first year in this division. Besides, the FA Cup is coming up soon. You never know how youre going to do there.

Whats the FA Cup? Evan asked.

All the teams in England play for it, though the better teams dont come in until later on in the competition. Its a single elimination tournament and all of the pairings are random, David said, Lintons done all right in it but never gets past the Premier League teams, which is to be expected.

Its still a lot of fun, Jennifer said, Sometimes the little guysthe minnows theyre calledgo very deep, even to the Final.

Well there you go. United all the way to the Final I say, Evan said.

Not if they keep playing like this, Lucy wailed. She seemed on the point of tears. We wont even beat our first round opponent at this rate. We could play Dunbarton and still lose!

David quickly enveloped Lucy in a hug to comfort her, which made things awkward around the table for a moment.

I think I need to go get us some pints, Evan said quickly slipping out of the booth.

And I should help you, Jennifer said just as swiftly, eager to leave David to comfort his girlfriend over Uniteds newly discovered mediocrity.

The pair scurried to the bar, where, out of earshot of the table, Evan said, I knew she was into United, but I didnt think she was _that_ into it.

Its all new to me, Jennifer said, She was never like this at university.

Can we get four pints of the Blue Rabbit lager? Evan said to the bartender who had come over to see to their needs. That pressing task accomplished, Evan turned back around and looked at Jennifer.

Tonight, having just come over from the office, she was dressed in a pair of slacks and a blazer. The outfit was, despite being professional, still somewhat casual due to the rumpled, end of the day feel that her ensemble had. She looked nice in her professional attire, but there wasnt the same pizzazz as the night Evan had fortuitously run into Jennifer over his college football game. There was nothing different about Jennifer. She was still as chubby as she had been, no more, no less. She still had the same round pudgy belly that stuck out noticeably in front of her, even beneath her jacket. Jennifers breasts were just as bouncy as they had been before, though having come from work there was no cleavage to be seen. Jennifer didnt look bad tonightshe just didnt look outstanding. Had Evan been interested in Jennifer as a result of their chance meetingand the thought hadnt entered into his headhis interest would have been cooled by the fact that this subsequent meeting failed to produce any similar sensation. But Evan wasnt interested in Jenniferas he had made patently clear to David beforeso no such thing happened. Still, Evan immediately, if not consciously, noticed the difference.

However, this didnt change Evans demeanor towards Jennifer in the slightest as he continued their conversation. I feel really badly for her, but theres nothing we can do about it. Trust me, I know. Ive had my fair share of disappointments with the Buckeyes over the years and the best remedy for it are drinks with friends.

Amen, Jennifer said, Though, I guess this means I really ought to go to the charity game this weekend. Lucys going to be playing in it and she probably doesnt have much enthusiasm for the prospect right now. Maybe if some friends showed up shed have more fun.

Whats a charity game? Evan asked.

Its a game where they get a couple of teams of fans and put a few of the players from the real team on each side to play a game so they can raise some money for a charity or a cause like that, Jennifer said, Dont you have that in America?

If we do I havent heard of it, Evan said, Though Im not sure it would be the best idea back there. Im not sure much good can come of being tackled by a 300 pound linebacker, even if it is for charity.

Jennifer giggled at the thought, making all of her little bodyor, more appropriately, her short chubby body that wasnt very littlejiggle in the process. They dont _actually_ play like they would in a real game. They take it easy on the amateurs. Thatd be silly if they just embarrassed them by playing at 100%, Jennifer said. To punctuate her last point, she gave Evan a soft, playful shove with a smile on her face.

Without thinking about it, Evan made a little smirk back at Jennifer in response. Before he could say anything, the bartender arrived with the pints and Evan promptly paid him.

Come on, wed better get these back stat, Evan said, Otherwise Im afraid that Lucys going to be bawling her eyes out for the rest of the night and nobody wants to see that.

***

Not only did Jennifer go to the charity game, but she persuaded Evan to come along for moral support too. This was partially because Evan had failed to produce a satisfactory excuse when further grilled about his plans for that Saturday by Jennifer. Besides, its for charity. Your conscience will nag you for the rest of the weekend if you dont go, she added. Under such a moral obligation, Evan could do nothing but accede to the request.

During the game, Evan was deprived of Davids companionship as he was taking pictures for the fan site from the sidelines of the pitch, leaving Evan and Jennifer to watch on their own from the stands. Evan discovered an even greater tragedy than that upon arriving at the pitch. The charity match was being held at Uniteds training grounds which meant there were absolutely no beer concessions anywhere to be found. Evan had been hoping there would at least be some booze to make the afternoon more enjoyable, but apparently today was all about soccer.

The presence of her friends did help Lucy get excited for the game. It was the first year that she was participating in it and theyd given her a complete kit in Uniteds away blue so she looked very official. Being a lower division team, United didnt have the budget of larger clubs, so they did not have an extensive stock of kits for the players, who they had to outfit as best as possible from what uniforms they had on hand. That meant that Lucy had been provided with a jersey that was just a smidge smaller than it probably should have been for her, which meant that one could appreciate Lucys physique without much trouble.

Lucys belly, which was now beginning to widen out with her hips rather than just grow outward in front of her, pressed against the front of the jersey quite noticeably. As she wobbled up and down the field, her plump body bouncing up and down, Lucys jersey almost rode up enough to give just a hint of the soft extra pounds collected about her midsectionbut only just almost. The outline of Lucys sports bra stood out clearly against the back of her jersey and if the spectators were closer they might have been able to make out the fact that it appeared that her bra was cutting just a bit into a thin layer of back fat on Lucy. Though Lucys breasts were constrained by her sports bra, they still moved quite a bit as Lucy chased the ball across the pitch.

It didnt take too long before Lucy found herself quite winded. She was playing defense, which was what she usually played whenever she was just having fun with some friends. When Lucy signed up to be a part of the charity game, it had seemed like shed only played just a few months earlier so it wouldnt be that big of a deal to play a full game. However, Lucy found herself tuckered out after just fifteen minutes of play, she realized that she couldnt seem to remember the last time it was that shed played. For some reason the most recent game she could remember was one during her last year of university, but that was almost three years ago. She couldnt possibly have not played in three yearscould she?

Unfortunately, this was not the time to try and figure it out. There was a game on and everybody was watching. Lucy was bound and determined to play her best. She knew that shed never be able to keep up with the actual players for United who were participating in the matcheven though they were taking it real easily on the fansbut she was going to make sure that none of the fans on the opposite team would best her.

The result of that resolution was that Lucy only jiggled the more furiously as she pursued the ball across the pitch, her brown ponytail flying behind her. Though Lucy was out of practice, she was far from ineffectual and she held her own. However, as the play moved the other way, Lucys bosom heaved with heavy, labored breath as she tried to recover from such strenuous exertions. Though it was a cool overcast day, Lucy was so hot that she was sweating as if they were experiencing a heat wave. At almost every break Lucy could get she was wiping beads of condensation off her forehead. One of the other players on Lucys side even called over to ask if she was all right, to which Lucy gave a thumbs up, not having the breath at the moment to make a verbal reply.

From the stands where Jennifer and Evan were watching, they were unable to pick up such fine details as Lucy tended to stay on the opposite side of the field. As far as Lucys friends could tell, she was actually playing rather well. Sure, her best moments were only when the play was near her, but that was pretty much the way that football went.

I really admire her for getting out there and doing it, Evan remarked, Not everyone has that sort of spunk.

Well, thats Lucy for you. Shes never really afraid to put herself out there, Jennifer said, I wish it was that easy for me.

What do you mean? Playing soccerI mean _football_, Evan said, correcting himself with the gravity befitting such a fatal error, or getting out there?

The latter. It just doesnt come easily to me, Jennifer sighed.

It doesnt for a lot of people, Evan observed casually as he kept an eye on Lucy, who was currently far away from the play and taking full advantage of the opportunity to catch her breath, Youve done the best thing you can do, which is to find a group of friends who can support you and give you a jumping off point for what you need. I think youre doing just fine.

Thanks, Jennifer said with a little smile, Oh hey! The balls coming toward Lucy again!

Indeed it was and from the sideline David was tracking the play with his camera, snapping off shots like mad to capture the action for the website. Whenever the ball came near Lucy, he would probably be able to assemble an animated flipbook with all of the pictures he was taking. Lucy had just headed the ball with her head and David was pretty sure he was going to get an excellent shot out of that one. It was only in these moments that David was able to look at Lucy since he had to follow the play on the field. Accordingly, whenever he saw Lucy she was doing nothing but her absolute best. Her chubby cheeks were flush, which made her look even more attractive. Though Lucy admittedly wasnt the best player on the field, David couldnt remember football ever looking better as it did as played by the tubby defender.

For her part, Lucy was never so relieved by the end of a football match as she was when the final whistle was blown to end the charity match. She did nothing for the rest of the day but lie on her couch watching TV with a bag of crisps never too far out of reach.

***

The following evening was the official celebration of Lucys amazing defense, for which she is surely to be offered a multimillion contract by United any day now, as Evan took the liberty of putting it as they all toasted to Lucys debut on the pitch.

I didnt really even do that well, Lucy said with embarrassment at the degree to which her friends were feting her.

Your team clearly won because of your incredible play, David said.

Nobody was keeping score, Lucy pointed out.

I was, Evan volunteered, I think you guys totally smoked them like 4-2.

Its not in the spirit of a charity game to keep score, Lucy admonished.

Thats just to make the losers feel good, Evan said gaily as he topped off Lucys beer. Tonight the beers were on everyone but Lucy since she had already given so much of herself for charity. Of course, Lucy hadnt given up any pounds for charity. Even though she had been run all over the field during the match, Lucy hadnt lost a single pound. The fact that shed indulged herself with all sorts of tasty foods afterwards probably had something to do with that. The empty calories of beer Lucy was currently drinking were also helping to keep her recent physical exertions from detracting from her wonderfully rounded figure.

Seriously though, it was great to see you play yesterday, Evan said, Did you have fun?

Yeah, it was a lot of fun, though not sure if I could do it again! Lucy said, I think Ive gotten a little bit out of shape since the last time I played.

You did much better than I could have, Jennifer said, I think I would have fainted after ten minutes of the way people were playing out there. Some of the fans were really good!

They werent that great, but I think they could make the American World Cup team, David said with a broad grin.

Evan just gave David a look that said, Really man? Really?

They still might not qualify, Lucy pointed out.

Oh now thats a low blow, Evan said.

Ill make it better by standing for the next pitcher, Jennifer said.

Seeing as these two are always mean to me, I think Ill help you with that, Evan said in mock bitterness.

The pair got up and went to the bar. I didnt have the heart to burst their bubble and bring up how our so-called horrible soccer team embarrassed Spain recently, Evan idly remarked.

Before losing to Brazil, Jennifer pointed out. She tugged a bit on the bottom of her burgundy sweater, which had ridden up while she had been sitting. Jennifers meaty midsection didnt seem to feel that it aught to be covered up, for the sweater just crept back up a little bit, revealing the bottom of the light blue shirt underneath. Neither of the pair even noticed the move. On Jennifers part it was because it was a subconscious movement, something shed done over and over again for years. Evan, however, simply wasnt attuned to such fine details as that, especially. Even though he could appreciate how nice a woman looked, it was only through the overall impression it made, rather than the details that all worked together to make a woman look as she did. Just as he had been pleasantly surprised by Jennifers physical appearance when theyd met unexpectedly in the bar during his college football game by how nice she looked and thought no deeper than that, now Jennifers appearance only registered as looking nice, but nothing more.

Theyre in an America. And theyre like crazy down there about this sort of thing, Evan said with a wave of his hand, which incidentally caught the bartenders eye.

The usual pitcher for you two? he asked.

Yeah, Jennifer said. Looks like were regulars here, Jennifer added sheepishly after the bartender had moved away.

Seems like it, Evan said, Come to think of it, you and I seem to spend a lot of time at a bar.

Guess that makes us a couple of drunks, Jennifer said.

I think it does, Evan agreed.

Evan, are you doing anything this Friday? Jennifer asked out of the blue.

The question stopped Evan in his tracks. Ummmnot right now

I have this thing for work, its like a formal mixer thing and everybodys bringing somebody and I kind of didnt want to show up alone so since you and David are the only guys who I know well in Linton and Davids dating Lucy I kind of wanted to know if you wanted to go, Jennifer said in one breath, as if she didnt trust herself to get it all out if she stopped even for a second.

WellI Evan said searching for the right words.

Theres going to be an open bar, Jennifer added.

I would absolutely love to go, Evan said without further hesitation.

I knew you would, Jennifer said with a grin.

***

At the end of the evening the four went their separate ways, which was to say that Evan and Jennifer went back to their flats and Lucy and David went home together. Everyone ended the evening rather well buzzed with Lucy more so than anyone else. As the recipient of so many free celebratory pints, Lucy had had plenty to drink by the end of the night. She needed to lean on David just to get from the cab to his apartment as walking in a straight line was not her strongest quality at the current moment in time.

On the plus side, however, Lucy was feeling that further celebration was required. She was planting kisses on her boyfriends neck at a pretty good clip, which was why David was having trouble concentrating hard enough to get his key in the lock to open the door. When he finally was able to accomplish that, they both nearly fell inwards when the door suddenly gave way, though somehow David was able to keep both of them upright.

Lucy was already shedding her jacket and was about to point out that her successful debut with Linton United was an event worth celebrating in the most glorious fashion when David suddenly said, Sit down. Ive got a surprise for you.

No, _Ive_ got a surprise for _you_, Lucy said, more than slightly inebriated, and its in your bedroom.

I bet you do, David said as he gently sat Lucy down on his couch, But I really want to give this to you today since we were celebrating you being in the match and everything. If we have sex now, well both fall asleep and then itll be tomorrow and it wont be as nice. Itll take only a minute.

Okay, Lucy said, But Im timing you. The truth was Lucy couldnt have counted off five seconds accurately together if shed tried in her current state, nor did she even look at her watch, but just waited for David to return, which he did as quickly as possible.

I didnt have time to wrap it, so I hope you wont hold that against me, David said.

He handed Lucy a nicely framed 5x7 picture that he had taken during the charity match. It was of Lucy, resplendent in her blue Linton kit, just as she wound up for a kick to send the ball flying down field. Lucys face was a picture of complete concentration, a classic example of an athlete being in the zone and thinking of nothing else than the perfect execution of a routine, yet essential, task.

David! Did you take this? Lucy asked as she looked at the picture in astonishment.

Yep.

Its incredible! Ive never seen anything as good as this! Oh, this is wonderful! Thank you so much! Lucy said. She took Davids head in her hands and gave him as big a kiss as she could.

I thought you might like it, David said with a smile when the kiss ended.

Like it? I _love_ it! Now lets get going, Lucy said as she heaved her tubby body to her feet, taking Davids hand to march him into the bedroom, I had something special planned for you before, but after this Im obviously going to have to bring my A game!

Just like youre doing in the picture, David said with a grin that went from ear to ear.

***

The next morning both David and Lucy woke up with two of the most monstrous hangovers in Linton. Unfortunately, the fact that it was a Monday didnt help the situation any. Nor did Lucys realization of what time it was, which meant she had to quickly get dressed and scamper out of Davids apartment so she could rush back to her flat to get dressed and make it to work on time. With a quick kiss Lucy was out the door and on her way, leaving David to enjoy his coffee alone.

As he sipped his black brew, David opened up one of the cabinets in his kitchen and took out a frame. In it was the same picture hed given Lucy. Hed printed off another copy for himself and put it in exactly the same frame. Though most women would have thought it cute to have matching pictures with their boyfriends, David didnt want to Lucy to know that he had a twin to her picture. He knew it was silly, but the truth was that this picture was very special to David in a private way. It was a picture that he cherished, but it would have felt wrong to have it sitting on a table for just anyone, even Lucy, to see.

When David had been going through his pictures from the charity match on his computer, he was surprised when he found this picture of Lucy looking like a real football pro. In fact, he didnt even remember taking it or even seeing it happen. The truth was that if David had seen it he wouldnt have been able take pictures for the rest of the game due to the stars in his eyes.

David had never seen Lucy look so beautiful before. It wasnt because love blinded him to her faults. It was because David saw Lucy as she was and was so utterly smitten with her. There was something about seeing Lucy with that look of determination on her face, totally focused on the football, that made her look so beautiful, her face red with effort, sweat flying off her. She looked like a real football player. It personified what David loved about Lucyand it wasnt just her passion for United. It was the fact that, no matter what, Lucy pursued everything she did with passion without letting anything get in her way. Other people might have been intimidated by the thought of playing before hundreds of people in a charity game at her weight, but Lucy wasnt. It was that can-do attitude that was so much of why David loved Lucy.

Speaking of Lucys weight, David didnt overlook that in the slightest. It was as plain as day that Lucy was no dainty, willowy spring flower. She was a full bodied, stout oak. Ever since their fancy dinner David had been trying to sort out how he felt about Lucys weight. After all, it wasnt like he was _supposed_ to like fat girls. That wasnt the way it worked. It was one thing to like women who were hourglass shapedthat was pretty normalbut it was completely another to like a woman who had a big belly to boot. David kept putting off figuring out his feelings on the matter, figuring that things would just work out eventually.

When David came upon that picture of Lucy, they did. There was no conflict anymorejust a slack-jawed awe at how gorgeous Lucy was. For the first time David had no reservations about how he felt about Lucy. This picture of his plump girlfriend seemed to be the very embodiment of the confidence that shone brightly from Lucy wherever she went. David felt stupid for never seeing it before, but he was glad that hed seen it now. He suddenly felt sheepish for being so unwilling to admit the fact that he loved Lucy the way that she was, not in spite of her weight but because of it, when Lucy had embraced it all along.

There was no way that David could ever articulate these feelings. They were so complex he almost couldnt wrap his own mind around them. Since he could barely express them to himself, how could he ever expect someone else to understand what this picture of his gorgeous, tubby girlfriend meant to him? How could he even let others look upon so holy a picture? No, it was much better off staying in Davids kitchen cupboard where he could pull it out and look at it alone as the only person who could understand how beautiful Lucy Heath truly was.

***


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## The Id (Jul 7, 2009)

Evan cursed himself for the umpteenth time. Tonight of all nights things would run late at the office and Evan hated being late for anything. Being five minutes early was on time for Evan. To be 45 minutes late was an unpardonable sin, especially when he was meeting a woman. 

Sure, it was only Jennifer, but the fact that he was late for an event with a friend only increased Evan’s irritation at being detained at the consulate. He’d called Jennifer and let her know that he was going to be late and that he couldn’t pick her up at her apartment and to go ahead to the event and meet him there and he would come as soon as possible. He’d apologized about four times during the short phone conversation and each time Jennifer said she understood that such things happened. From Evan’s perspective, that didn’t make them any less pardonable.

Evan arrived at the club where the event was being held, which luckily was not too far from the consulate and consequently only a short cab ride away. After being ushered in, Evan was surprised how packed the event was. He realized that he actually had no idea what Jennifer did for a living, but it looked like she worked for a pretty big company. The fashionable club seemed to be packed to the gills and he couldn’t find Jennifer anywhere in the press of people.

_And of course it’s so crowded that Jennifer’s nowhere to be seen,_ Evan thought with a sigh, _Oh well. Might as well get a drink because I certainly could use that after today._

Evan eventually made his way to one of the club’s bars and placed his order for a stiff drink. It wasn’t long before a couple of guys came up next to Evan, bantering back and forth.

“Man, there are some fine birds here tonight.”

“You’re telling me. If only they’d show up for work looking like this. That’d certainly create a great working environment.”

“Yeah, though my productivity would drop so fast that—hey, look at her!”

The second guy gave a low whistle. “Oh wow! What I wouldn’t give to tap that…”

“You’re going to have to fight me for her. Why she’s not here with someone is beyond me.”

At this point the bartender came back with Evan’s drink. After leaving a tip, Evan turned casually around to see if he could spot the woman that the two guys next to him were ogling. His eyes stopped suddenly and he knew exactly who they were talking about—it was as plain as day.

And it was Jennifer Bennett.

Evan could barely believe that it was her, and yet he knew that it was. She could try to hide behind her golden tresses, specially curled for the event, but Evan knew that chubby cheeked face from a million. The dark blue shimmering strapless dress that Jennifer had on looked wonderful on her. Jennifer’s shoulders and collarbone looked smooth and soft, ever so slightly chubby. The décolletage showed off a generous, but tactful, amount of exquisite and inviting milky white breasts. Below them the dress hugged Jennifer’s figure. 

It was patently obvious that Jennifer had a plump pot belly from the way her dress curved outwards around the midsection. Beneath them were sturdy, round hips with a generous caboose that caught Evan’s eye like a shiny lure caught a fish. Though the dress’s hem fell just above the knee one could still make out Jennifer’s lush thighs underneath the dress. Evan’s eye moved further down to Jennifer’s calves, which were smooth and sensual, and for the first time in his life consciously noted what sort of shoe a woman was wearing. The modest black heels were not too high or too short, but seemed perfect.

“Excuse me gentlemen, but you’re both going to have to fight _me_,” Evan said casually, “That would be my date.”

Evan left the bar with a confident step without waiting for a response and went straight through the crowd to Jennifer. Just as Evan was about to reach her, Jennifer turned around and her face lit up.

“You made it!” Jennifer said brightly.

Evan bent down and gave Jennifer a soft kiss on the cheek. 

“If you’d told me you looked so good I would have dropped what I was doing and gotten here sooner,” Evan said.

“Well thank you very much!” Jennifer said coloring a bit at the compliment and unexpected kiss, “You look really nice too. _Great_ suit.”

Evan laughed. “Thanks very much. So, going to introduce me to all your work friends now?”

“Sure,” Jennifer said with a smile. She took Evan’s hand to lead him through the crowd. Her hand was soft and warm and the touch sent a sudden thrill through Evan.

More than that, it felt right.

***

Lucy had been meaning to clean her apartment since the night after the charity match. Lucy had been so tuckered out from the charity match that she hadn’t even cleaned up the empty bags of crisps and cookies that she’d consumed on Saturday. Sunday morning she’d slept in and decided to leave it for later in the day. Later in the day had turned into celebratory drinks, drinks had turned into a wonderful night with David, and Monday morning had crept up so quickly that Lucy was only in her apartment long enough to hurriedly get dressed for work, leaving her no time to deal with her mess.

As it turned out, the rest of the week was no better. A new distributor was picking up Blue Rabbit’s products and Lucy had to stay late almost every night to make sure that all the financials were in order. By the time she got off she was starving so she immediately went for dinner. With all the stress from work, Lucy just wanted to relax so she either went straight to home and crashed on her couch with some ice cream or she went to see David as his place. Both scenarios ended with her falling asleep on a couch, groggily waking up in the morning, realizing that it was much later than she thought, and then dashing to get dressed and get to work on time.

Friday brought not only a much needed break from work but it also gave Lucy the first opportunity to realize what sort of a state her apartment was in. It looked like a bomb had exploded inside of her apartment, scattering clothing and empty food containers all over. Lucy had known that she needed to clean her apartment, but there had been so much to do that the arduous process of cleaning had been put off for some other pressing matter.

So, with a sigh, Lucy changed out of her work clothes into an old t-shirt and sweatpants to tidy up her apartment. The t-shirt was a faded United shirt that had been through too many wash cycles and probably should have been donated to charity a long time ago. However, it was the first Linton United article of clothing that Lucy had ever owned and it had a special place in her heart. Even though it was worn out she couldn’t bear to give it up, even though she’d never be caught dead wearing it.

That would be a good idea, for the shirt had been bought when Lucy had weighed a considerable amount less. The t-shirt hugged every contour of Lucy’s body, no matter how miniscule. The fact that the shirt was white to begin with was almost irrelevant given the fact that Lucy’s bra stood out as plain as day underneath her tight t-shirt. The shirt was visibly stretched between both of Lucy’s breasts and one could see how Lucy’s bra strap cut into the softness of her back. 

The t-shirt traced Lucy’s belly as it flared outward to either side as well as in front of her. There was even a small indentation where Lucy’s deepening belly button lay. To top it all off, Lucy’s new wider circumference meant that the shirt didn’t have enough fabric to reach to the bottom of her 

Her sweatpants were little better. They were baggy and, like her shirt, something she would be mortified for anyone to see her wearing, the sweatpants too should have been retired long ago. Though Lucy still had room in the calves, her thighs immediately filled out the pant legs, which grew tighter and tighter as they went higher and higher. Lucy’s hips filled out the sweats so much that they looked like some sort of designer sweatpants intended to emphasize her butt by clinging to its curves rather than the regular utilitarian sweats that they really were.

It was in such dress that Lucy began to trudge around her apartment and clean up the discarded remnants of indulgence from the last week. Though no one else had seen her apartment in the last week, her cheeks still burned red with embarrassment. Lucy was usually a tidy person, which made it all the more egregious that she’d been so sloppy for the past week. Sure, she could give legitimate excuses about why she’d been so lazy, but she didn’t want to. Lucy resolved herself to be more diligent and clean going forward.

As Lucy tidied up her bedroom, she found lying facedown on her bedside table a picture frame. Lucy picked it up and found that it was the picture that David had given of her playing in the charity match in her impressive wind up pose. She hadn’t even looked at it since he’d given it to her. Now Lucy realized she’d never really looked at it at all.

She couldn’t believe how fat she looked in it. Even the rich blue hue of the borrowed United jersey couldn’t hide how large Lucy had gotten. Her belly was enormous, a small spare tire of flab. Lucy looked down over her breasts and poked her tummy to see if the picture wasn’t just adding ten pounds. It wasn’t. Looking back at the picture, Lucy saw how round her hips were. Though she couldn’t see her ass from the angle in the picture, she could intuit out its size based on her hips and Lucy’s jaw dropped when she realized what size her rump must be. The United shorts left all of Lucy’s wobbling thighs in view and even though it was a still photograph, Lucy could almost swear that her thighs were jiggling in the picture as she wound up for the kick.

Though Lucy was utterly stunned by how portly she’d become, what shocked her the most were the changes to her face. It was beet red from exertion and Lucy’s cheeks, which were clearly already chubby to begin with, were puffed up from heavy breathing. There was even a hint of a double chin as Lucy had her head tilted down to keep her eye on the ball. 

Beads of sweat were flying off of her brow, caught suspended in midair by the unflinching camera. The worst part of it was that Lucy kind of remembered when she’d made this kick—it had been a pretty good one, she had to admit—and it was nowhere near the end of the game. She wasn’t even sure that it was in the second half. There was a pit in Lucy’s stomach as she realized that she had looked like this before the game was even half over.

Lucy fell back onto her bed, which seemed to sink underneath her more than usual, utterly stupefied. She turned her head to look at her slouching body in the full length mirror and found that the picture didn’t lie. If anything, she might actually be fatter than in the picture.

_When did I let myself go?_ Lucy thought to herself, over and over, _How did I let this happen? How did I get so fat? Look at me! I’m so out of shape I couldn’t even play a football game without looking like I was about to have a heart attack! I must have utterly embarrassed myself out there. People were probably pointing and laughing at the fat girl who thought she could play football. Man, I’m such a big fat idiot! I was so thin when I graduated from university and then I moved here to Linton and I’ve let myself go like I’m some sort of heffer. It’s a miracle that after such an embarrassing show out there—_

_And David! Here I go and actually get myself a good boyfriend—I mean a_ really good _boyfriend—and I go fatten up like a Christmas turkey. Oh why do you have to screw everything up Lucy? Why why why? Can’t you ever do anything right? At least he hasn’t dumped me. Thank goodness for that. But it’s only because David’s such a nice guy. He’s so patient and great and wonderful and caring and what am I? A big fat pig._

_The worst part is I don’t even know how long I’ve been like this! Wait a second…maybe this has only been recently. Maybe David hasn’t noticed. I mean, I didn’t notice until now. Maybe this has been so gradual that he hasn’t even realized that I’m fat. No, that’s silly. David’s not stupid. He has to have noticed I’m fat. There’s no way he couldn’t have noticed. He must look at me and see a big fat slob. Thank goodness he hasn’t seen my pig sty of an apartment or he’d probably dump me on the spot._

It was clear to Lucy what she had to do. She composed herself, breathing deeply three times, before she picked up the phone and dialed. Lucy listened to it ring a few times before the other end picked up.

“Hey there honey,” Lucy said brightly to her boyfriend, “How are you?…Good, I’m glad to hear it. Say, I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier….Well, it’s just that I was cleaning out the apartment today….Oh, just regular things that needed doing. I wanted to know if maybe I could bring some food by later today….It’s just some junk food I really aught to get rid of. I’ve decided that I’m going on a diet.”

***

“You really didn’t have to see me up to my apartment,” Jennifer said as she unlocked her door. The pair had both had a wonderful time at the party, as well as a few drinks, just enough to have a pleasant time. Evan had insisted that he see Jennifer safely to her door.

“Well, it’s the right thing to do and I try to make it a point of doing the right thing,” Evan replied.

“You _are_ so very gallant like that,” Jennifer said with a broad smile, “Thank you. I’m very glad you were able to make it. I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too,” Evan replied.

And then something clicked in both the American and the Briton. Evan pulled Jennifer close to him just as Jennifer wanted Evan to take her in his arms. As their lips locked she threw her arms around him as they started to make out in the hallway. After a few seconds Jennifer gently opened her door with her foot and, still with lips locked, gently led a very willing Evan by his tie into her darkened apartment.
_
Story continued in post 18 of this thread_


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## quackman (Jul 8, 2009)

Hey! We Yanks have qualified for the last five Cups!

I mean, great story, I'm really enjoying it.


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## venom223677 (Jul 8, 2009)

love the ohio state refence


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## The Id (Jul 8, 2009)

quackman said:


> Hey! We Yanks have qualified for the last five Cups!
> 
> I mean, great story, I'm really enjoying it.



We have qualified, that's true, though how we do is quite another story. And yay for beating Spain!

I'm glad you're liking the story. I really feel that it's taking off now. In a sense, the first three chapters now just feel like lead up to what happens here.


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## The Id (Jul 13, 2009)

*Whatever Will Be 5: Working It Out
*​

Well, Evan said.

Jennifer sighed. It wasnt a sigh of disappointment, nor a sigh of contentment. It was something in between, just a regular sigh.

The light was streaming gently through the blinds of Jennifers apartment. Judging by the angle at which it poked in through the slats, it was probably about 9:30 in the morning. The pair lay naked underneath the sheets of Jennifers bed, half looking at the ceiling, half at nothing in particular. Jennifers soft shoulders and cute clavicle poked out just above the hem of the sheets, her head resting on a cushion of last nights curls. They were in stark contrast to the Evans broad shoulders next to her. Evan reached up and put one hand under his head forming a sharp angle with his arm while Jennifer had one hand on her bosom for lack of any place better for it to be.

I really like the color you painted the room, Evan remarked offhandedly, The light blue goes really well with the light green sheets.

Thank you, Jennifer said, I tried a few combinations before finding something I liked. I think it goes really well with the white furniture.

Yeah, Evan said.

The pair fell silent again. They both just kind of looked up at the ceiling.

So Jennifer said.

Yeah Evan agreed.

Oh come on Evan. Were adults. We can talk about this, Jennifer said rolling over in bed and propping her head up with one hand.

Youre right, we totally can, Evan said as he turned his head over to look at Jennifer. He paused. Soexactly how do we talk about this?

I dont see why we have to call it a this. Its not like its a big deal or anything, Jennifer said.

Right. Were two responsible, consenting adults who had a lovely evening together, Evan agreed.

Two good friends who had a few drinks and wound up having sex with each other, Jennifer said pleasantly.

Putting it like that seemed to cast things in a different light. Both of them looked somewhere else out of reflex from the discomfort that fell upon them after that.

That wasnt the best way of putting it, Jennifer said.

No, not really, Evan nodded.

Evan! Jennifer sighed with some exasperation, turning her eyes back to the man in question, Why does this have to be so awkward?

Maybe this is why people smoke after they make love, Evan observed idly.

I thought they just did that to be cool, Jennifer said.

You know, I was kind of thinking that too, Evan said.

And just like that Evan was seized with an impulse that caused him to wrap his arms around Jennifer and kiss her again. Jennifer couldnt be happier that he did. When they stopped, they looked into each others eyes.

I dont know if we can do this, Evan said honestly and gently.

I dont know if we can either, Jennifer said with eyes that didnt want to admit it.

I mean, last night was great

And it was wonderful and everything

But it was just a thing.

It wasnt like were dating or anything like that.

Which isnt to say I dont like you.

Because youre really, really great.

And youre a great friend.

But were just friends. We couldntyou know, make it a thing.

Theres no way. I mean, it would kind of be awkward.

This was just a one night thing.

A mature evening between adults.

So, its settled then, Jennifer stated.

Absolutely, Evan confirmed.

The two fell quiet again after their rapid fire dialog.

Theres no way we can tell David and Lucy about this, Jennifer said.

Oh absolutely not, Evan agreed.

Since weve got to start somewhere, the moment I get out of bed, were just going to put this whole thing behind us, Jennifer said, So when we see each other later today at the Buck & Boar for the game, everything will be perfectly normal.

Perfectly Evan stopped with a look of confusion. What do you mean were going to the Buck & Boar? Nobody told me that we were meeting.

Dont you remember? Todays Uniteds first game in the FA Cup. Were all meeting to watch the game, Jennifer reminded Evan.

Huh, guess I totally forgot, Evan said falling back on his pillow.

You want any coffee? Jennifer asked as she stepped out of bed and put a robe on.

Yeah, sure. Evan watched Jennifermore specifically her plump calvesleave the bedroom to go put a pot on.

Perfectly normal, Evan murmured to himself.

***

I think thats going a bit too far.

Oh come on.

No, really, Im behind you and all, but I still think you should have fun.

Beer is a huge source of empty calories, Lucy said, Not only will I save money by not getting expensive pints out, but Ill also lose some pounds too.

Lucys resolve to stick to her diet was as strong as an iron girder. Of course, that was no surprise considering shed made her decision to embark on the weight loss program just last night. Even considering the freshness of her resolution, Lucy was showing no signs of weakness.

She and David were awaiting the arrival of their friends prior to the start of Uniteds first FA Cup match at the Buck & Boar, whether the temptations to indulge were great. After all, not only was there plenty of good beer on tap, but Lucy knew the Buck & Boars menu by heart and there were no less than seven deep fried entrees on itand all of them were utterly delicious. She knew she couldnt even look at the menu or her self-control could break down completely.

Lucy was able to maintain her control and part of her fortitude came from the fact when she put on her United jersey this morning she realized for a first time exactly how tight it was. As Lucy fixed herself up in the mirror the tightness of her jersey hit her for the first time. That caused Lucy to realize how much the jersey clung to the rolls of her belly, tracing the curve of her gut all the way down to the jerseys hem. Though Lucy knew that some of her jeans were snug before she realized how much weight shed put on, it seemed like it took a little extra effort and tugging to put them on this morning. The fact that they were tight on Lucy not only showed how big her hips were, but they also called Lucys attention to her large muffin top. Lucy frowned at it, but knew that for the moment there was nothing to be done about it.

_Ill just have to shrink my belly,_ Lucy thought, _Just getting bigger jeans might be comfortable in the short term, but mentally itll be a huge defeat to go up a size when Im trying to lay off the pounds. Itll only encourage my fat to grow._ 

Lucy wasnt thinking too much about that at the moment. Right now she was too busy fending off her well-meaning boyfriend, even if he was threatening her diet before it even got off the ground.

But were watching a United game, David said, How can you not have a drink during a United game?

Theres no better time than the present to get started, Lucy said, Making exceptions only undermines things in the long run.

But you work for a _brewery_ for crying out loud! David said with exasperation.

Is Lucy refusing to bring you a six pack from work too? Jennifer said as she slid into the booth across from Lucy and David, Ive been asking her for weeks about it. Itd really save on my shopping bills.

Jennifer had thrown on some jeans and a nice button up black shirt. The shirt followed the contours of Jennifers torso, which included allowing her plump belly to press the shirt outwards above her waist. However, ones eyes didnt go straight to Jennifers belly, but rather to the fact that shed left the top two buttons of the shirt undone, revealing a tantalizing taste of Jennifers soft cleavage. The couple on the other side of the table both privately noted that Jennifer looked greatalmost radiant. 

Lucy figured that Jennifer must just be happy to see her best friends after a week where they hadnt gotten together. For his part, David thought that Jennifer just felt her best since she was strutting the goods with the undone button. Jennifer usually tended to be a little more conservative in her dress, but it just went to show that dressing well really could cause you to feel good about yourself. Of course, neither knew the real reason that Jennifer had the confidence to leave that extra button undone. It was the same reason that she nearly glowed.

No, Lucys not going to have a pint during the game today, David said responding to Jennifers question.

Im starting a diet and I thought this was an easy way to cut down on calories, Lucy added.

Oh! Jennifer exclaimed, though not too loudly, A diet! Oh. 

She wasnt really sure what else to say.

I mean its just one beer, David said, Its not like it could do _that_ much damage.

And thats just the sort of attitude that gets people in trouble, Lucy said, See, I was reading up on good dieting practices online and you have to be very careful about bites, licks, and tastes, as they say. They all add up real quickly if youre not careful.

Well I think thats great, Jennifer said brightly, Good for you.

Not that she needs to lose weight, David quickly interjected.

Oh no, Jennifer said, Hardly. But if you want to drop a couple pounds, thats great.

Yeah, Lucy responded neutrally. The truth was that Lucy wanted to lose twenty pounds, not just two. However, at the moment she decided that shed best keep that resolution to herself. This was partially due to the fact that in case Lucy was only able to lose a little bit for some reason, she could make out like shed met her goals. But Lucy also didnt want people overreacting, thinking that she was losing too much weight just because she wanted to lose twenty pounds, twenty pounds that she definitely needed to lose. The truth was also that Lucy really would have loved to have a beer. But a diet was a diet

Man, where is Evan? David said, scanning the bar, Doesnt he know the game is about to start?

Yeah, I reminded him about it, Jennifer said.

Oh? David commented, turning to look at Jennifer.

Jennifer suddenly panicked internally. It had been this morning that shed reminded Evan and they had both agreed not to tell Lucy and David know about the fact that theyd slept together. The last thing she needed was David filling in the blanks and getting suspicious

Yeah, I dropped him a line last night to make sure he was going to make it since all of us hadnt hung out in a while, Jennifer said, playing it real casual so as not to garner any further notice.

It didnt appear that either Lucy or David read anything deeper into it than Jennifer wanted, causing the blonde to breathe an inward sigh of relief.

Oh well, David said, giving up the search, His loss.

The games starting! Lucy said eagerly.

All right boys, lets hit the ground running, David said, rubbing his hands together.

Linton United had drawn an away game against Dunharrow for the first game of the FA Cup. Dunharrow was several divisions below United, which meant that Dunharrow shouldnt pose any real threat to Linton. However, everyone in Linton was still somewhat apprehensive given Uniteds recent propensity to lose gamesincluding ones that they should have won. No one was counting Dunharrow out by any stretch.

After about ten minutes of game during which point there were a few good chances but no goals, Evan belatedly appeared, dressed more casually than the gang had ever seen him. He didnt have a suit jacket on and he was in the process of rolling up the sleeves of his green shirt.

Well I never thought Id see the day that Evan Bonn wasnt in a suit, Lucy said with a look of delighted disbelief on her face.

Are they all in the cleaners or something? I cant imagine this was by choice, David said.

I got out of bed later than usual, Evan said, and when I realized I was going to be late for the game I figured I could afford to dress it down just this once.

So even after Jennifer reminded you about the game you were still late? Tisk tisk, Lucy said, wagging her finger at Evan.

I would have forgotten about it entirely if she hadnt reminded me, Evan said as he slid into the booth next to the blonde in question. They exchanged a brief glance of awkwardness about sharing the bench, but it couldnt be helped. David and Lucy always sat together, so there really wasnt that much other choice. Besides, they were being completely normal about this, so it wasnt a big deal, because it wasnt.

Well you still look very nice, Lucy said, Just goes to show you can dress down a little more often. Dont you think so Jen?

Oh, yeah, absolutely, Jennifer said, trying not to smile too warmly at Evan.

_GOAL!_ David shouted, half jumping out of his seat along with the rest of the bar.

The other three, who had forgotten the football game completely, turned and looked at the telly which showed Gerry OBrien being mobbed by his teammates in celebration as United took a 1-0 lead in the game.

Thats the way to do it guys! David said, giving high fives to everyone in arms reach. He was so pumped he nearly took Jennifers hand off at the wrist with his enthusiasm.

Whoa, whoa, somethings wrong, Evan said, looking around, Where are the pints? We need to take a celebratory drink!

Oh, I dunno, Jennifer said, looking around with equal confusion, Where _are_ the pints?

Well, Lucys not drinking because shes trying to cut calories and I didnt get one because I thought it would be unfair to drink in front of her, David said.

Evan started to such a degree that his knee actually knocked the bottom of the table, causing everything on the table to jump. 

What? No beer because youre on a diet? Evan said. He reached across and took Lucys hand. I am so sorry for you. This must be awful.

Oh, dont worry about it, Lucy said with a wave of her hand, You guys should go ahead and have some beer. I dont want you guys to miss out just because of me. _Though I_ really _wish I could join you_

Then Ill go get the usualless one, of course, Jennifer said, getting out of the booth and heading to the bar.

Thanks Jennifer, David said automatically, his attention now riveted on the United game thanks to OBriens stellar goal. He put his arm around Lucy, who had also turned her attention to the telly, as he settled in for the rest of the game.

Evan did the same, but not before he stole a quick look at Jennifers bouncy butt as it headed to the bar.

***

United downed Dunharrow by a score of 2-1 to move onto the next round of the FA Cup and once again optimism reigned in Linton. Granted, beating Dunharrow was nothing to brag about, but a win was a win and in the FA Cup that was all that mattered. Still, no one was getting overconfident about Uniteds chances. The draw for the next round hadnt occurred yet and it was always possible that United could draw someone tough like Maryread Celticor even someone from one of the higher divisions.

Lucy Heath wasnt worrying her head off about it. Indeed, she wasnt thinking about football much these daysshe was much too busy worrying about calories. Lucy had never been on a diet before, but a lot of reading on the Internet had already taught her that she had to be very careful about what she consumed. The simplest way to do a diet, Lucy decided, was just to count calories and Lucy liked a simple approach to the issue. She was constantly looking at the sides of boxes and packages to find out how many calories were in this or that. 

Even though she knew theyd be way out of the realm of possibility, Lucy still looked at favorite snacking items just out of curiosity, like chocolate bars, bags of crisps, cans of soda, and cartons of ice cream. None of the nutritional values she found were particularly encouraging. Though Lucy wasnt forced to eat salad three meals a day, by comparison her repasts were much blander than they previously had been.

Lucys reading had also indicated that increasing physical activity helped shed pounds quicker. Upon reflection, Lucy realized that she pretty much had no exercise in her daily routine, so she decided to add that to her schedule in the hopes of dropping her excess weight quicker. Lucy considered joining a gym, but that seemed so expensive and she figured there were plenty of good exercises she could do for free.

Rummaging through her closet eventually produced some suitable workout clothes, which Lucy tugged on one evening after she got home from work. The spandex pants that she had were admittedly more than a little tight. Lucy knew that spandex was supposed to be form-fitting, but she couldnt believe that they were supposed to look like _this_. The pants were so tight that Lucy was pretty sure she could see every goosebump on her skin through the pants. 

Admittedly, she probably should have known that would be the case when she had to lay down on her back and throw her legs in the air to pull the pants all the way up her thighs and hips, but Lucy had been hopeful she would have looked at least a little better in them. Though she was in the spandex for the moment, Lucy reflected that in the future a regular pair of sweatpants might be a more prudent choice.

The workout top that Lucy selected was also an old item in her wardrobe. Though she could have thrown on a t-shirt, Lucy felt like shed lose more weight if she really looked like one of those women who went to the gym every day and did 40 minutes on an elliptical machine. They always had these sorts of tops, made from some trendy fabric and with straps that matched the path of a sports bra across the back and shoulders. The workout top was definitely from a time when Lucy had been of smaller proportions. It didnt even cover all of Lucys soft, flabby belly. 

Not helping matters any was Lucys muffin top, which was maximized due to the tightness of the spandex pants to the point that some of Lucys belly was clearly hanging over the edge of the pants and into plain view. Looking at herself in the mirror, Lucy was so uneasy about how blatantly fat she looked in such a get up that she actually grimaced as she poked her belly, just to make sure she wasnt hallucinating. Much to Lucys dismay, though completely in accordance with her expectations, the terrible tummy was real. With a sigh, Lucy decided that the sooner she started working out, the sooner shed get rid of all her flab.

Lucy jiggled into her living room where she had cleared a spot in the middle of the room to do some exercises. First up were sit-ups, for no particular reason at all. Lucy laid down on the ground with her knees up and took a deep breath to compose herself before beginning, which caused her ample bosom to swell intoxicatingly, though sadly David wasnt around to appreciate the sight.

And here we go Lucy said to herself.

Lucy heaved herself up, hands interlaced behind her head, for her first sit-up, the first one shed done in years. As Lucy came back down, she thought that it wasnt that bad. Sure, her belly scrunched up a bit in the course of things, but it was a minor nuisance. Besides, enough of these and shed work that belly off in no time, so Lucy began in at a pretty good pace.

After ten sit-ups, Lucy found that they werent as easy as they had been when she started. After fifteen, sweat was breaking out on Lucys brow and she was beginning to get sore. At twenty, Lucy stopped, totally beat by the effort. Though she had planned on doing more, she figured that was a good start for the day.

Lucy took a quick breather before moving on to some jumping jacks to work some different muscles. If Lucy had thought about it for just a little bit before she started, she probably wouldnt have done them. Not only did Lucys body jiggle out of control in every area, but she also probably made her neighbors below her flat think that there was an earthquake hitting Linton from all of the pounding and shaking that their ceiling underwent. After a few minutes, Lucy was once again winded from all of the work and stopped to wipe sweat from her brow as she caught her breath.

The rest of the workout didnt go so well. Lucy tried doing a couple pushups, but she discovered that was asking a bit much of her poor arms. Defeated, Lucy rolled over onto her back and tried to figure out what to do next. She didnt have any sort of workout equipment in her apartment and she wasnt a member of a gym, so it wasnt like she could hop on a stationary bike and do that for a bit. Lucy had considered going for a run when she thought about her exercise routine in the morning, but she knew that she couldnt be seen in public with her gut hanging out like it was. Furthermore, Lucy was so tuckered out from her exercises that she didnt even feel like changing into more suitable clothing to go for a jog.

Since there didnt seem to be anything else to try, Lucy called it a day and plopped down on her couch, fighting the urge to get a bag of crisps, her usual snack while watching the telly. When the telly came on, it just happened to be tuned in to Nigella Lawson making a wonderful looking chocolate cake. Lucy quickly changed the channel, knowing that shed only regret it if she watched as it would make her hungry and probably spur her to go do something stupid like get a chocolate cake from the store.

The problem was that at the same time Lucy immediately regretted _not_ watching the creation of that chocolate dream cake.

***

Horrible luck at drawing another away game, David said as the friends gathered in the Buck & Boar for the next FA Cup match. This time it was against Deadwood FC, who was only one division below Linton and promised to be an exciting and challenging opponent.

Actually, there was a 25% chance of it happening, Evan remarked casually as he put his half drunk pint down, Still, I keep waiting for you guys to actually host one of these so I can see what all the hullabaloo is about.

Excuse medid you just use the word hullabaloo? Lucy asked.

Yeah Evan said, drawing the word out as if to say, So what?

Oh, sorry. I didnt know people still used that word anymore, Grandpa, Lucy said derisively.

Hey now, Evan warned.

Gosh, sorry Im late, Jennifer said scurrying in, These midweek games are killers. I cant even move towards the door at the office without fifteen people all suddenly remembering they have something to talk to me about after Im completely unmolested all day long.

Nope, havent missed it, David said, They should be kicking off soon, however.

So, Luce, hows the diet going? Jennifer asked as she took a seat and Evan poured her a pint.

Great. Ive already lost four pounds and Im not even two weeks in. Im super excited, Lucy said.

Thats wonderful. Im so happy for you, Jennifer said, You look great.

The truth was that Lucy didnt look all that much different from when shed started her diet. It was hard to pinpoint where those three pounds had gone. Lucy still had the same bulging muffin top and her jeans still looked like shed been stuffed into them. Her body still had the layer of fat that seemed to gently cover every single part of her from her arms to her calves to the chubby cheeks of her face. It was going to take a lot more than three pounds for changes to start showing up on Lucy Heaths body.

Ill look even better when Ive dropped ten pounds, Lucy said.

Is that your goal? David asked casually now that the game was starting.

Well, thats a good starting point. Well see if I feel I need to lose more after that, Lucy replied as she too began to get engrossed in the game.

David nodded his head in response. The truth was that he _wasnt_ paying attention to the game. Lucys casual remark about losing ten pounds suddenly seemed to bring the whole weight loss scheme home in a way that it hadnt hit him before.

_I really like LucyI might even love herand I want her to be happy so I want to support her in this weight loss thing. But now that shes talking about losing ten poundsall of a sudden this doesnt feel right. I mean, its not like I want her to be fat and unhappy. Its justwhy cant she be happy as she is? Its not like theres anything seriously wrong with her. And why is she doing this now? I mean, Id kind of gotten used to thinking about Lucy as a plump girl._

_Used to it? That doesnt sound right. Admit ityou actually like her fat. Yes you do. You totally do. You think its cute. And now, just when youve finally settled down into that, Lucy decides shes too fat and starts losing weight. Man, why do things have to change every single time you get used to them?_

_Then again, ten pounds isnt that much. And if its just going to be ten pounds then it wont be so bad. But ten pounds could only be the beginning, just like at first it was only a couple pounds. What if it becomes twenty? Or thirty? What? Lucy could probably even lose close to forty if she wanted._

_But whats wrong with that? I mean, then thered be nothing to worry about. Lucy would be thin and everything would be fine. It would be a regular relationship. But Lucys not ordinary. Shes someone with spunk and character. If she were to be thin, then shed just be another thin girl repressing herself, eating salads and eschewing ice cream all to make sure she fit into a size 8 dress._

_And that sounds like the worst thing in the world. It sounds so unhappy and boring and grim. Thats not what life is. Life is having fun and doing things and having cookies every once in a while. Its not about being afraid of who you really are. And yet I want Lucy to be happy and this is what she wants to be happy. Or is she really happy? She seems happy. Why wouldnt she be happy about losing weight? Women always like being thinner. Man, when you put it like that Ive been an idiot. Maybe I should have told Lucy to lose weight sooner. Well, actually, that would have been a horrible idea. Women are super touchy about that sort of thing. Oh why cant this be easy?_

Yeah! Evan suddenly shouted, jumping out of his chair, Goal baby!

The general celebration that accompanied Evans outburst brought Davids attention back to the telly where Linton had scored a beautiful goalnow being replayed in slow motion to show Max Hillers poetry in motionto take the lead in the game.

All right! Way to go guys! Lucy said, bouncing up and down excitedly, her prodigious flab bouncing wildly in the process.

This time they were equipped for victory drinks and as the goal had come later in the first half, everyone just finished off their pints.

Ill go get us some more, Lucy said.

You shouldnt have to do that alone, Jennifer protested, Ill help.

Thanks dear, David said, giving Lucy a kiss as preemptive thanks for being so willing to go to the bar when she wasnt even drinking.

David returned his attention to the game, all previous thoughts now dispelled by Uniteds lead. However, Evan was now the one distracted from the game. As Jennifer followed Lucy to the bar, Evans eyes couldnt help but be drawn to her plump rump, which moved sensually up and down with each step that Jennifer took towards the bar, her butt cheeks tightly pressing against the seat of her black slacks. The sight was so beautiful that Evan let loose a low wolf whistle of admiration.

That was enough to grab Davids attention. He whipped his head around to see who it was that Evan was admiring. 

Whos the hottie? David asked, trying to find the most likely candidate for Evans admiration. Puzzlingly, the bar wasnt boasting a rather attractive bunch of patrons tonight. The only person that David could find was

Jennifer? David asked in a low tone and with eyes that communicated his disbelief in no uncertain terms, Did you just check out Jennifer?

No! Evan said, perhaps a little too forcefully than he should have. He immediately corrected himself with a more casual tone by repeating, No. It was that brunette.

Which one? I dont see anyone who seems your type, David said, taking another look around.

Its the uhthe one tending bar, Evan said, quickly looking for a believable substitute and settling on the best one available.

Her? David said incredulously, Didnt figure her for your type. I mean, I didnt think you went forsomeone so Eastern European looking.

HeyEastern Europe has produced some great people. Like Maria Sharapova, Evan said.

Shes from Siberia and thats in Asian and furthermore Maria Sharapova doesnt look like she could break you in two, David said.

Whos that? Lucy asked as she and Jennifer came back with the pints.

Oh, nobody at all, Evan said as he took his pint from Jennifer, Cheers.

As the American clinked glasses with Jennifer, it took David an extra second before he turned his attention away from them and put his arm around Lucy to turn his attention back to the United game.


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## snipermb435 (Jul 13, 2009)

wonderful story so far, please dont let lucy lose weight let her gain loads!!!!


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## The Id (Jul 14, 2009)

snipermb435 said:


> wonderful story so far, please dont let lucy lose weight let her gain loads!!!!



I'm glad you're enjoying it and your thoughts have been duly noted.


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## Armadillojellybeans (Jul 22, 2009)

Shaping up to be one hell of a classic IMO, Lucy is the girl who wants to be free of her binds, and allow her wings to spread, but the restrictions of society are somewhat forceful, and Dave is my hero, he dispays the thoughts that crossed my mind so many times, but I never had the guts to say, this story is going places, and going places I certainly like


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