chapter 4

Music blared through his headphones as Eddie grunted with every rep. He stared intensely at his reflection, shoulders and biceps pumped, sweat soaked through his shirt. Behind him, the morning sun broke the dawn of a new, humid Summer day. He slowly curled the dumbbell with a loud grunt for his final rep, and he dropped the weights back onto their rack.

Breathing heavy on his walk to the locker room, he turned the music down and removed his headphones. In the empty locker room, he stood in front of the mirror, admiring his pump. Me posed and maneuvered himself, checking out his arms and shoulders from multiple angles and poses. He looked around before removing his shirt, and felt his spirit take a dive at what he saw. Just above his waistband, his belly pushed outward, softly pushing out over his waistband. He looked into the round softness around his belly button and grabbed at it with his hands. He flexed his core and sucked himself in as tight as he could, wondering how long he could hold that flex. He watched his gut fall outward as he exhaled.

The outside air was already humid and heavy. Eddie felt the sweat bead up on his back as he walked towards his apartment, gym bag slung over his shoulder.

He took his shirt back off as he entered his apartment, dropping his soaked shirt into the hamper. He felt his nerves build as the outside sun shone brighter and the clock on his wall continued to tick. On the stove top, he scrambled eggs and broccoli together, a post-gym meal he had recently gotten used to, choosing it over the heavier, greasier breakfast foods he loved. He sipped at a protein shake while his eggs cooked.

Eddie scrolled through Instagram hunched over his breakfast bar as he ate. He scrolled through countless stories from Luca and Mateo, out at the clubs the night prior. He was thankful he decided to stay in, picturing his two friends still sound asleep.

He sank into his couch after getting out of the shower, dressed in only his boxers to keep himself cool. He looked down at his belly and again lamented the soft roundness. He grabbed at it and pulled the waistband of his boxers higher.

Now 10 AM, he went to text Ava. He smiled scrolling through their conversation; the pure volume of messages made his heart melt.

‘Hey! Happy Saturday. You still good to get some drinks at noon?’ he texted.

The response was almost immediate.

‘Yes! Can’t wait! It’s gonna be a scorcher.’

His heart fluttered.

--

Eddie spotted her in the distance. She stood at the corner, gaze buried into her phone. He admired how her denim shorts hugged her wide thighs tightly, pressing into soft flesh, and the slight rounded pockets of thickness that sat sweetly on the inside of each of her plush knees. Low red canvas sneakers showed off her thick ankles. Her chubby arms were out in full glory, white tanktop digging deep into her fleshy shoulders.

He drew a deep breath as he approached.

“Hey!” he greeted her in genuine excitement.

“Hello!” she beamed. Eddie nearly lost himself in her wide smile. She leaned in for a hug. Eddie wrapped his arms around her as she sank into his torso. He reflexively sucked in and found his fingertips resting on a thick roll on her back.

“Oh, god!” she shouted, surprised, “you smell so good! Don’t smell me, it’s hot! I’m probably sweaty and gross!” Eddie’s face flushed.

“No!” he assured. “Nice to see you somewhere other than a greasy pizza place.”

“Oh lord,” she laughed, “what a shitshow of a night. I think I only just recovered. So where are we headed?”

Eddie led the two down the sidewalk on the way to a popular cocktail bar. They pulled up to the bar, and Eddie pulled back a chair for her to sit in.

“Aw, a gentleman!” she admired.

“Now, this is one of my favorite places around,” Eddie went on, “you gotta check out this menu. If you love craft cocktails, you’re gonna love this menu.”

“Oh, so this must be the place you take all your first dates then?” she said with a smirk.

“Ha, you could not be more wrong.” Eddie admitted. “You could ask this staff, I honestly don’t go on many dates.”

“I don’t believe that for a second. Handsome guy like you.”

Eddie’s words sat deep in his throat.

“Aw!” she continued. “You’re blushing! You’re my favorite.” she beamed, hugging his arm.

The two sat for hours, sipping through three drinks each and getting to know each other. Their text conversation over the course of the week served as a series of punchlines and gifs. Eddie found himself melting into his chair with each passing sip as Ava’s sweet voice carried him through her childhood and current life in the big city.

“So,” she started to change the subject, “not to be rude or anything, but you’re taking me out for some grub, too, right?”

“Funny you brought that up, I’m getting pretty hungry myself. There’s a bunch of places right outside I thought we could try out. You good to head out now, or do you want another first?”

“I’m good to get out of here now. Get a couple of drinks in me and I become an animal. I’m starving!”

--

The commotion in the park across the street caught their attention as they left the bar.

“Oh, I didn’t know there was a fair this weekend!” Ava exclaimed.

“Neither did I, actually. Want to check that out?”

“Definitely! Maybe they have some food trucks we can eat at instead.”

The took a lap around the small fair, oh’ing and ah’ing at each booth they passed, exchanging giggles in the silliness of their own excitement.

“I’m glad we have so much experience communicating with each other over loud music!” Ava shouted. Eddie tossed his head back in laughter.

“I was afraid I was speaking too loudly at the bar earlier!” he replied.

The two took another lap before deciding what they wanted. At Ava’s strong recommendation, they got in line for tacos.

“I think three tacos are probably the right move, what do you think?”

“I don’t know…” he sheepishly replied, “I might just go with two.”

“How on earth did you grow up to be so tall!?” Ava goaded. “You eat like a bird!”

“Ha, I definitely don’t. That’s how I got a little husky. Like I said, just trying to tighten up, a little late on that Summer bod.”

“First of all, you’re a hunk. Too forward? Can I say that?” Ava said with some attitude. Eddie fought to keep himself from going cross-eyed, cupid’s arrow lodged deep between his eyes. “And second, regardless, the weekends are for indulging! You can be boring during the week.” she joked.

“You’re too nice,” he mustered, “maybe you’re right. Let’s see what they’ve got.”

The two meandered, laughing and joking between bites.

“This is hitting the spot!” Ava shook her head in complete satisfaction as she lifted her third taco. “And I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I know we both saw that fried dough. I hope you know after I finish this taco, there is nothing keeping your girl from getting some.”

“Ugh, my weakness. I can’t say no to fried dough at a street fair.” Eddie laughed.

“My guy!” she approved.

--

“Two orders of fried dough, please!” Ava exclaimed excitedly.

“Woah!?” Eddie held up his hand. “Two!? Why don’t we just share one?”

“You think I’m sharing? Sharing this sweet, sweet gift of the gods!?”

Eddie laughed. “But two? Are you sure!?”

“Hey, kid,” the man in the booth cut in. “Listen to the missus. Now and always.”

“Yes! Two, two, two!” she chanted. “I’ll at least pay for it.” she said, handing the man her card.

The two munched on their fried dough, sitting at a table to the side of the booths. Eddie felt his stomach expanding, but could not stop with a full plate of scrumptious fried dough in front of him.

He admired Ava’s energy; the earnest excitement with which she spoke about her friends and their adventures, her hobbies, which included cooking and botany, and the taste of the fried dough she continued to tear into.

Ava yelped as her plate shifted on the table as she tore at her dough, powdered sugar shot from her plate and onto her lap. The two broke down in laughter. Eddie watched across the table as she wiped her chubby torso and brushed powdered sugar off her rich thick thighs. She looked up at him with an embarrassed smile.

“Why am I this way?” she lamented.

Eddie sat with words lodged in his throat for what felt like years until he could muster just three words: “You are stunning.”

She looked into his eyes with sincere gratitude. “You are seriously too sweet. I feel like a sweaty sugary mess, so that was a weird time to give me a compliment like that, but I’ll gladly take it.”

Eddie blushed.

“I’ve had a lot of fun today.” She continued.

Eddie cleared his throat. “Me too. You’re a ton of fun to hang out with. I haven’t had fun like this in a while.”

“Well I’m happy to hear that. We’ll have to do it again sometime soon.”

“Definitely. Actually, do you want to head back to our own places and meet up again later for dinner?”

Ava smiled. “Truly would love to, but I’m having the girls over for a lowkey wine and movie night. We all agreed it’s too hot to go out, so we’re having a girls’ night.”

“Oh! Well that sounds like a fun night. That’s cool your friends are so down to have lowkey nights like that, or have a crazy night out dancing.” Eddie felt a strange sense of relief, finding the constant anxiety of being in Ava’s presence a little tiring.

“Like they say, find you some girls who can do both.” she winked.