Tad
Dimensions' loiterer
~BHM - Finally finished a little situation/romance story that I'd started years ago. Fluffy summer romance, for all that it is set in Winter. A little odd and uneven, but sometimes life is like that.
I handed in my exam, pulled on my coat, gathered my packages, and walked outside into a wall of sleet. Well, it might have been freezing rain, I was never quite clear on the difference. Whichever it was, the ground was a mix of icy and wet, and within two minutes I was as well.
I very nearly decided to just go home. I'd said I'd go to Lori's end-of-term-plus-Christmas party, I'd made butter tarts, and nothing was waiting for me back at my apartment, so I kept trudging into the wind and sleet. Lori shared a townhouse that was about fifteen minutes walk from campus on a normal day. Gingerly sliding over the icy ground it must have taken me nearly twice that. Some young teens whipped past me, enjoying sliding along the sidewalks, but I stayed cautious. If I went down I'd trash the tarts, not to mention I'd hit the ground with probably close to twice the weight of those kids, which would hurt a lot more. I couldnt have gotten much wetter if I rolled around in a puddle, but the bruises I could do without.
I arrived at Loris door feeling like a drowned rat, a half frozen drowned rat at that. Her door was sheltered from the wind and rain, making it seem like a haven even before I rang the bell. Lori answered the door wearing sweat pants and a faded sweatshirt, which I couldn't help notice couldn't totally disguise her curves. She looked surprised to see me, and I finally put together her expression and clothes in time to say "I totally should have remembered to turn my cell back on after my exam, shouldn't have I?"
She gave me a wry smile, but confirmed "I actually called at ten this morning after seeing how bad the forecast had gotten, I did leave a message..."
I admitted "I turn my phone off the day of exams, so I can stay focused. I knew the party was starting at three and my exam didn't finish until five, so I was hurrying.....crud, sorry, didn't mean to disturb you."
"No, wait, step inside at least, you came all this way....oh geeze, don't you live over near the Walmart?" she stepped back as she finished her question, gesturing me to come inside.
I gladly stepped into the light and warmth of her front hall. I quipped "Yep, that is my high rent district."
"That is the other side of campus from here, and its getting dark out."
"I should be fine, anyway, the wind will be at my back this time." Don't get me wrong, I was groaning inside at the thought of probably three-quarters of an hour back out in the sleet. But I'd established one rule at the start of the year, as the only guy in our Modern Rhetoric MA program: I would not let it show, where it was anything bothering me at all. In a class with a dozen high-achieving, mostly alpha-type, women, I figured my best chance was to have a skin of ice, a cool shell to which nothing could stick. Of course, it was not usually quite as literal.
Lori gave an adorable little frown, and said "Well, at least I could call you a cab....I hope they are still running."
That was when the power went out.
In the dim light coming in through the front door window Lori looked stunned. After a long second she said "OK, that is it, a cab isn't likely, and you aren't walking home with no street lights--it is almost dark out there already. Stay at least until the lights are back on and we can get you a cab. I've got tons of food, wine, and candles, because of the party. We can hang your clothes up to dry and I'll get you something to wear while they dry a bit."
"I could call a cab, my cell should be fine once I turn it on..."
"If they are running at all, why not let people who are in more urgent situations have them. Besides," she gave a dramatacized pout, "I was just sitting here feeling bummed out that my party got busted by the weather, my housemates already went home for the holidays, and I'd appreciate the company." She suddenly smiled, and said We can have an un-party, how does that sound?
I felt a surge of bitterness and had to struggle not to say "Do I really seem THAT safe, that you feel safe alone here with me in the dark?" but I reminded myself of my icy armor and instead kept my voice mild and said "OK, I could stay for a bit, and have an un-party. And yah, a towel would be good so I don't soak your furniture, but I don't think you'll have any clothes that will fit me."
"What? Oh!" her hand flew to her mouth, like a cartoon character in shock. "I'm not used to being around people who are bigger than me, I mean, not that you are that big, but the rest of the class, you know, so..." she trailed off with a flustered flapping of her arms.
"It's OK, I know I'm big, I'm used to being bigger than most everyone else, and twice the size or more of most of our classmates."
"Twice? Really? I didn't think....never mind. Um, I might have a few loose things that would work, I mean, not like you are going outside in them, that is, if you don't mind too much, they are more girly...."
I'd never seen Lori look this flustered or upset, so I relented "Look, I don't want to ruin any of your things by stretching them out, but if I could use your bathroom, a towel, ring out my clothes...if you find something that you really think would work that is OK, but if not, don't worry about it, I'll be OK."
"I really do think I have a couple of things, I'll leave them by the door, you can see...and why don't you grab a quick hot shower, the water in the tank should still be hot."
We nattered on a bit more, but in the end I did take a quick but very hot shower, then proceeded to wring out my clothes as best I could and hang them over the railing of her shower curtain. My forty-four inch waist jeans just barely fit me, but stretched out like that they looked huge, and my turtle-neck looked like it should the sail for a medium-sized sail-boat. At least my underwear had stayed mostly dry, so I had that much coverage.
I wrapped myself in the beach towel Lori had given me, opened the door a crack and dragged in a small pile of clothes. There was a robe that, when I held it up, looked promisingly generous in cut and appealingly warm, although the soft pink confirmed Loris comment about girly. I pulled it on, only to find that while it covered me well from waist to mid- thigh, it gaped open above that, and simply ended that short. Not enough on its own to be particularly decent or warm.
A wrap skirt I moved to one side, it might have reached around me, but it was not going to help with my biggest issue which was my bare chest. A rather large sleep-shirt, baby-blue with a teddy-bear print on it, might help. I did look pretty big, and a check of the tag said it was a 2X. No way would Lori wear a 2X, maybe a 1X, but not a two, so I didn't know why she had it, but that wasn't mine to ask. I pulled it on, and it fit, after a fashion. That is, I got it on. I outlined my chest and belly in a rather disturbing fashion, and stretched out so much to the side it pulled shorter, also only reaching mid-thigh.
For my legs, the only option looked like tights. Tights? Did she really think Id fit into tights? But they didnt have feet, so the length shouldnt be an issue, so I reluctantly gave them a try. They actually fit adequately in the legs and hips, but I didnt even try to stretch them over my gut. Still, they worked after a fashion, and covered me down to mid-calf.
Combine it all, and I was covered, in a motley fashion. I was even fairly warm. I didnt particularly want any of my classmates to see me like this, but Lori had insisted and knew what clothes shed given me. I brought the candle that was my light, and headed out.
Un-Party
By Tad
I handed in my exam, pulled on my coat, gathered my packages, and walked outside into a wall of sleet. Well, it might have been freezing rain, I was never quite clear on the difference. Whichever it was, the ground was a mix of icy and wet, and within two minutes I was as well.
I very nearly decided to just go home. I'd said I'd go to Lori's end-of-term-plus-Christmas party, I'd made butter tarts, and nothing was waiting for me back at my apartment, so I kept trudging into the wind and sleet. Lori shared a townhouse that was about fifteen minutes walk from campus on a normal day. Gingerly sliding over the icy ground it must have taken me nearly twice that. Some young teens whipped past me, enjoying sliding along the sidewalks, but I stayed cautious. If I went down I'd trash the tarts, not to mention I'd hit the ground with probably close to twice the weight of those kids, which would hurt a lot more. I couldnt have gotten much wetter if I rolled around in a puddle, but the bruises I could do without.
I arrived at Loris door feeling like a drowned rat, a half frozen drowned rat at that. Her door was sheltered from the wind and rain, making it seem like a haven even before I rang the bell. Lori answered the door wearing sweat pants and a faded sweatshirt, which I couldn't help notice couldn't totally disguise her curves. She looked surprised to see me, and I finally put together her expression and clothes in time to say "I totally should have remembered to turn my cell back on after my exam, shouldn't have I?"
She gave me a wry smile, but confirmed "I actually called at ten this morning after seeing how bad the forecast had gotten, I did leave a message..."
I admitted "I turn my phone off the day of exams, so I can stay focused. I knew the party was starting at three and my exam didn't finish until five, so I was hurrying.....crud, sorry, didn't mean to disturb you."
"No, wait, step inside at least, you came all this way....oh geeze, don't you live over near the Walmart?" she stepped back as she finished her question, gesturing me to come inside.
I gladly stepped into the light and warmth of her front hall. I quipped "Yep, that is my high rent district."
"That is the other side of campus from here, and its getting dark out."
"I should be fine, anyway, the wind will be at my back this time." Don't get me wrong, I was groaning inside at the thought of probably three-quarters of an hour back out in the sleet. But I'd established one rule at the start of the year, as the only guy in our Modern Rhetoric MA program: I would not let it show, where it was anything bothering me at all. In a class with a dozen high-achieving, mostly alpha-type, women, I figured my best chance was to have a skin of ice, a cool shell to which nothing could stick. Of course, it was not usually quite as literal.
Lori gave an adorable little frown, and said "Well, at least I could call you a cab....I hope they are still running."
That was when the power went out.
In the dim light coming in through the front door window Lori looked stunned. After a long second she said "OK, that is it, a cab isn't likely, and you aren't walking home with no street lights--it is almost dark out there already. Stay at least until the lights are back on and we can get you a cab. I've got tons of food, wine, and candles, because of the party. We can hang your clothes up to dry and I'll get you something to wear while they dry a bit."
"I could call a cab, my cell should be fine once I turn it on..."
"If they are running at all, why not let people who are in more urgent situations have them. Besides," she gave a dramatacized pout, "I was just sitting here feeling bummed out that my party got busted by the weather, my housemates already went home for the holidays, and I'd appreciate the company." She suddenly smiled, and said We can have an un-party, how does that sound?
I felt a surge of bitterness and had to struggle not to say "Do I really seem THAT safe, that you feel safe alone here with me in the dark?" but I reminded myself of my icy armor and instead kept my voice mild and said "OK, I could stay for a bit, and have an un-party. And yah, a towel would be good so I don't soak your furniture, but I don't think you'll have any clothes that will fit me."
"What? Oh!" her hand flew to her mouth, like a cartoon character in shock. "I'm not used to being around people who are bigger than me, I mean, not that you are that big, but the rest of the class, you know, so..." she trailed off with a flustered flapping of her arms.
"It's OK, I know I'm big, I'm used to being bigger than most everyone else, and twice the size or more of most of our classmates."
"Twice? Really? I didn't think....never mind. Um, I might have a few loose things that would work, I mean, not like you are going outside in them, that is, if you don't mind too much, they are more girly...."
I'd never seen Lori look this flustered or upset, so I relented "Look, I don't want to ruin any of your things by stretching them out, but if I could use your bathroom, a towel, ring out my clothes...if you find something that you really think would work that is OK, but if not, don't worry about it, I'll be OK."
"I really do think I have a couple of things, I'll leave them by the door, you can see...and why don't you grab a quick hot shower, the water in the tank should still be hot."
We nattered on a bit more, but in the end I did take a quick but very hot shower, then proceeded to wring out my clothes as best I could and hang them over the railing of her shower curtain. My forty-four inch waist jeans just barely fit me, but stretched out like that they looked huge, and my turtle-neck looked like it should the sail for a medium-sized sail-boat. At least my underwear had stayed mostly dry, so I had that much coverage.
I wrapped myself in the beach towel Lori had given me, opened the door a crack and dragged in a small pile of clothes. There was a robe that, when I held it up, looked promisingly generous in cut and appealingly warm, although the soft pink confirmed Loris comment about girly. I pulled it on, only to find that while it covered me well from waist to mid- thigh, it gaped open above that, and simply ended that short. Not enough on its own to be particularly decent or warm.
A wrap skirt I moved to one side, it might have reached around me, but it was not going to help with my biggest issue which was my bare chest. A rather large sleep-shirt, baby-blue with a teddy-bear print on it, might help. I did look pretty big, and a check of the tag said it was a 2X. No way would Lori wear a 2X, maybe a 1X, but not a two, so I didn't know why she had it, but that wasn't mine to ask. I pulled it on, and it fit, after a fashion. That is, I got it on. I outlined my chest and belly in a rather disturbing fashion, and stretched out so much to the side it pulled shorter, also only reaching mid-thigh.
For my legs, the only option looked like tights. Tights? Did she really think Id fit into tights? But they didnt have feet, so the length shouldnt be an issue, so I reluctantly gave them a try. They actually fit adequately in the legs and hips, but I didnt even try to stretch them over my gut. Still, they worked after a fashion, and covered me down to mid-calf.
Combine it all, and I was covered, in a motley fashion. I was even fairly warm. I didnt particularly want any of my classmates to see me like this, but Lori had insisted and knew what clothes shed given me. I brought the candle that was my light, and headed out.
