Future Me Hates Me

[swahilimonkfish]

This is the first chapter of an interactive story I'm doing on my DA page. There, people have been choosing which path they want to take at various crossroads, informing what type of story it is. I'm afraid you guys can't interact with it here because I can't edit stories a week later on Curvage to reveal the results. So I have to post it here after the results have been finalised. But chapter 2 has just been put up on there now, so you can interact with that installment

 

Chapter 1

 

10^th May 2017

 

 

“I hate Yesterday me” Beth sighed, waking up and hearing the unmistakable breathing of a last night hook-up next to her. Deep, laboured breathing occasionally catching and landing in a snore. “Seriously, fuck Yesterday me”

She looked around the room and realised it was worse than she thought. It wasn’t her room. She’d not brought a boy back. A boy had brought her back. And just look. Walls dotted with vintage WWII posters. I mean, just what? What kind of monster has Britain Needs You on their wall? Had she accidentally hooked-up with Nigel Farage? That would have been awkward.

She turned around, gently so as not to disturb, and looked back to make sure it wasn’t some grey-haired, middle-aged xenophobe deep-sleeping next to her. Thankfully, the dark skin and shaved head implied otherwise. He actually looked handsome, or as handsome as somebody can look when their face is quick-sanding into their pillow and they sleep with their mouth open. She’d done surprisingly well.

She slowly pulled herself up, pausing and wincing every time the sheets rustled. Eventually she found herself up, and began the hunt for her clothes. Standing naked, she felt self-conscious. Nudity in front of a stranger never felt good, even if the stranger is sleeping and even if the body was Instagrammably curvy. It hadn’t always been that way. Beth Tupuola had been bone thin when she had first left school and joined Rolls-Royce on one of their engineering apprenticeships, in a way that felt zeitgeisty at the time but was more just a consequence of her love of dancing. Now, as she put on her underwear that had been lying on the floor, she could not have looked more different. She had what the magazines would call ‘curves’, and what they would describe as ‘generous’. It was all euphemistic, condescending bollocks, but they would have been right in saying that Beth looked good. The wavy black hair from her dad’s Samoan ancestry, her mum’s wide eyes and a body that was all her own. Hips that swung out like they were designed for jeans, served with a complementary arse worthy of the peach emoji. She felt this sway against her flattering dark purple dress. Her stomach may not have clung to her abdominal muscles like they used to in her dancing days, but its softness belied its flatness. And this left her in a place where every mirror that she looked at told her compliments about her 139lb 5ft2 frame. No wonder Mr Snoring-WWII-Enthusiast was so dishy. It was all that she deserved.

It wasn’t all that Ollie deserved though.

Beth picked up her phone and tip-toed downstairs where she could call her best friend without waking Mr Snoring-WWII-Enthusiast up. Fortunately, she was in a two-story property. One of them old terraced properties you associate with, come to think of it, World War II. Oh god, had she really slept with somebody so creepily obsessed with that era that it affected the house he lived in?

“Come on… please pick up Klara” Beth whispered to herself, bouncing on the spot with pent-up anxiety. Eventually she heard the ringing stop and the phone answer.

“Oh my god Beth, last night was mental. Where did you even go?” Klara answered down the phone.

“I have no idea Klar. Why did you let me drink last night? You know I can’t take my drink. And now I’ve...” and Beth lowered her tone to a whisper. “...woken up next to some rando”.

“Male or female? Wait, it wasn’t the hot, black guy was it? No hair?” Klara asked, clearly remembering the night better than Beth could.

“Yeah, that’s the one!”

“Oh my god girl. You picked yourself up a hottie! Wait, aren’t you still dating that dippy hippy chap? Roland or something ridiculous?” Klara asked.

“Yeah, Ronald. I’m… technically still with Ronald. But, like, is that bad that I cheated on him? Cos I weirdly don’t feel guilty so maybe it’s the universe telling me to pull myself together and ditch Ronald. I think so. And it would be rude not to do what the universe says. Like, the universe knows what’s up” Beth whispered into her phone.

“Oh, but I liked Roland...”

“Ronald” Beth corrected.

“Whatever, I liked him. He was cute. And he had no brains, which was nice. Plus, he dotes on you like a puppy” Klara argued.

“Yeah, he’s cute and adorable. But he was even cuter and more adorable 40lbs ago. Now he’s as soft in the body as he is in the head. He just doesn’t do anything. Last time I mentioned maybe we should go to the gym, he thought I was suggesting we have a threesome with someone called Jim” Beth said back, trying not to raise her voice and disturb the man upstairs.

“Fine, dump him. I’ll have him. You know I like a lover with an appetite” Klara said, winding her friend up.

“Fuck you Klara. How does your German arse stay so fucking scrawny when all you do is feed men until their stomach becomes a dick shield anyway? And, who even is this guy I hooked up with?” Beth raged as quietly as she could.

“I don’t know, but when I was watching you to dance...”

“You make that sound weirdly creepy”

“He seemed seriously into you. And he was magazine hot. But you might want to get out of there if you want to get to work in time. You know Rupa has got to make cuts in the department and your attendance is patchy these days” Klara reminded. Ever since the Brexit vote the year before, Rolls-Royce had been looking to reduce their workforce.

“Ahh fuck! I was hoping to get to dance practice before work. But Rupa loves me, she won’t mind if I’m late...”

“Again?”

“Rupa really loves me. I’m her absolute favourite. You know, we hang out sometimes after work you know. She really likes me. Her brother owns this nice Bengali restaurant, you know the one on Leadmore Street, opposite where that new nightclub – Marmaris – is? Yeah, we just go there and hang out and chat shit about you apprentices. She is so fun and naughty, and it’s so inspiring for a woman still in her 30s to run the whole department. She’d never fire me” Beth argued.

“She might not have a choice, babe”

“Maybe. Oh, I don’t know. I really need to go to dance though. If I don’t, they’ll probably kick me off the team. God, all these dilemmas, off the back of accidentally shagging a hottie. I’m so unlucky at times” Beth joked with feigned self-pity.

“You make your own luck. You tell your own story. You shape its every detail. And nobody can decide anything on your behalf. Beth, is it?” a voice came from behind

“Sorry, I gotta go, the hottie is awake and talking to me” Beth whispered down the phone before hanging up. She turned around and smiled as if she hadn’t been talking about him behind his back.

“So, you think I’m a ‘hottie’ do you?” Mr Snoring-WWII-Enthusiast smiled at her charmingly.

“You heard that?”

“I heard all of it. The walls in these old properties are really thin. I bet Madge next door heard that, even without her hearing aid. My name, because by the sounds of it you do not remember, is Deon. I’m a graphic designer specialising in WWII memorabilia. And I did not know you had a boyfriend, or I would not have made a move on you. Now… do you want a ham and cheese toastie for breakfast?” Deon asked with effortless chill.

“Well, least that explains the creepy WWII posters. I mean, I’d love to but… I’m vegetarian so that’s probably the universe saying that I should go...” Beth gulped.

“Did you not hear what I said about you telling your own story? And besides, one cheese and ham toastie for breakfast isn’t going to send you off the rails, is it? Come on… stay. You have anywhere else you need to be?” he smiled.

 

1) Beth agrees to stay and eat a cheese and ham toastie with Deon.

2) Beth leaves for dance class instead.

3) Beth heads straight to work to get there on time

 

 

 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

 

 

 

10^th May 2019

 

 

“Future me is going to hate me for this” Beth smiled as she downed her shot. The talking to herself might have looked weird, but the loud, pulsing beats pumping its soundwaves through the sticky-floored dancefloor of Marmaris drowned out her words and most all else. “Seriously, fuck Future me!”

She looked around the room and realised it was worse than she thought when it started listing like a rolling ship to one side. It wasn’t even 11pm and already her feet felt uneasy on the ground, despite the stickiness beneath theoretically ameliorating that. She saw the side-door where she could hang out with the vapers and the smokers, and breathe some fresh air to make things feel a little easier for her.

It was harder than she hoped for, just getting there. She was uneasy on her heels at the best of times, and these were far sloshier times than the best of times. That, and the usual crowds filling the place with their waving arms and jabby elbows, all conspiring to stand between Beth and where she needed to go. Finally, she bundled past the last of them and reached the outdoor area where things just felt a bit better. The freshness of the mid-May air and the door closing behind her to dampen the sound of bass-vibrating dance music.

“Ugh” Beth sighed, grateful for a wall to lean against as she pulled out her phone. Tonight had been a mistake, and she knew she was going to regret it in the morning. She was already teetering on regret as it was.

First, her dress was not as flattering on her as she had envisaged it. It wrapped around her like it was trying to mummify her, giving barely her pores space to breathe. It should have been fine. It fit her when she wore it out a couple of weeks back, albeit not loosely, but it seemed as though any air between her and the dress had been suctioned out. It pulled up shorter than she’d have liked on her legs, revealing the duffled texture of her lower thighs as they brushed together against one another. And, being as pear-shaped as her evening was going, the dress heaved out to accommodate her prestigious hips and arse, wide and deep. Above that sat her stomach, leaning against the lining of her dress like she was leaning on the dirty wall. Her breasts were pushed up to the point where it was affecting her posture and her arms felt jumpered. How had she gotten to this size? What had she done to the universe to deserve this? It felt like only two years ago that she looked beautiful and curvy. It had been a tough old two years, that was for sure.

And, to make matters worse, more creepy messages from her ex, who had refused to move on and let Beth go. On one hand, it was flattering that she could still have that effect on people, but the sheer clinginess of someone she was no longer seeing made her feel deeply uneasy and conspicuous as she stood outside. Messages, inappropriately flirtatious messages sent from an ex to a girl in a loving relationship; it all sounded like the sort of thing that the police investigation of a murdered young woman reveals. God, everything was the worst.

And then it started raining. Now everything truly was the worst.

So Beth trudged home, head slung low to protect her eyes from getting sore from the rainwater, but also as a consequence of her Eyeorian mood. Carrying her shoes in her hands, her bare feet on the cold, wet pavement, her dress soddening itself to her bulbous form. There was nothing for it, she ran across the road to Flavours Of India, the Bengali restaurant and takeaway. Standing in front of the door where there was shelter, she shivered as she scrolled through her phone’s contacts, looking for the local taxi firm.

“Beth? Beth Tupuola?” was heard by her, and she jumped and turned in fear.

“Who the fuc… oh, Bipin. You scared the piss out of me there” Beth said, her entire body shaking with cold and fear, to Rupa’s brother.

“Oh, I am sorry girl. But I saw you coming from across the street. Come, sit down, let us get something for you to eat” Bipin said kindly, inviting her inside where it was lovely and warm.

“Cheers Bipin. Been a bit distracted of late”

“Oh relax Beth. God, you look soaked. Let my cousin get you a towel from the closet” he said kindly, before turning and barking aggressively in Bangla to what was presumably his cousin. From the back of the restaurant came a man with a towel, which Beth wrapped around herself. “And I know exactly what to get you. Chicken biriyani? Poppadoms? Garlic naans? Am I right?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. That’s my usual. And, thanks Bipin” Beth said, smiling kindly.

Beth waited while the wind and rain lashed on the sides of the quiet restaurant, with very few people entering and leaving. It was a Thursday, so it was perhaps predictable that it was quiet. Slowly warming up and lessening her shiver, a cold hand went into her handbag again and pulled out her phone. She flicked through and chose to ring her partner instead of a taxi. And here was the real reason that she had been in a bad mood. She was suffering from severe relationship troubles. It felt like all they did was argue these days. Sometimes the word ‘weight’ would be mentioned, but always would the arguments be full throttle and vitriolic. But Beth couldn’t hide forever. She clicked on the contact and sent a message, requesting to be picked up.

“Here you go Beth. Chicken biriyani, poppadoms and garlic naans. I have no idea why you would eat naan bread with a biriyani but you do you” Bipin smiled as he served the steaming dish and sides.

“Because it tastes nice. You do the best garlic naans, Bipin” she smiled as she tucked into it, her fork a shovel as she loaded it off the plate and then unloaded it into her mouth. The biriyani was surprisingly moist, the poppadoms were crisp, the naans tasted of oil and garlic. It wasn’t highbrow cuisine, but it served as comfort food to a girl who could do with some comfort. And she ate it with vigour of a starved animal.

However, halfway through the meal, she heard the bell over the door ring to indicate somebody had walked through it.

“Hey Beth, you text me for a taxi ride back?”

“Hey, my lover, let me just finish this and I’ll be right with you” she replied, turning with a greasy smile to see her partner…

 

A) Rupa

Deon

C) Ollie

D) Klara

[berserker1]

Made a cover for this fantastic story. Hope you all enjoy it!

 

 

[swahilimonkfish]

1 hour ago, berserker1 said:

Made a cover for this fantastic story. Hope you all enjoy it!

 

 

This is an honest-to-god honour and privilege. Thank you so much Berserker!

And to those who don't know, check out their other contributions - The Comfort Zone, Paul's Dilemma etc. with Polaris. Game changer with Kowlooner/MaximumSpyder. The Sculpting of Kate by Woodsmont. Check out their stuff on their dA page, from the link in their comment - it's awesome

[swahilimonkfish]

Chapter 2­

 

 

 

16^th May 2017

 

 

 

“Fuck!”

Her bleary eyes opened to take in their surroundings once more. And what familiar surroundings they were. The sepia hues mixed with ‘patriotic’ reds and blues on walled posters dotted around could only mean one thing. “Fuck you Yesterday Beth!”

“She awakes at last” purred the deep voice next to her, as she turned to see the handsome man that lay next to her just stare at her.

“Deon, isn’t it?” she grumbled, as memories stirred too.

“Ha! She even remembers the name of her illicit lover too. I would be offended but I still think I got the better end of the bargain here” he said, kissing her shoulder. Beth just smiled.

“Yeah, after a week of this, I should have cottoned on as to your name by now. And… my end of the bargain was pretty good too” Beth smiled, relishing the attention. “Hang on, what time is it?”

“7:30am”

“Fuck! I’m gonna be shitting late. And my boss is going to be so… I cannot afford to be late” Beth said, suddenly scrambling around.

“Relax. Be chill. You’re not going anywhere...” he smiled as his eyes went up and down her body. “Without breakfast. What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t get my lover her favourite breakfast?” Deon said, getting up and stretching. Back under the covers, Beth admired the power of his naked body, lean but agile, panther-like and animal.

“Cheese and ham toastie?”

“Cheese and ham toastie” he confirmed.

“Just the way I like it?”

“Ohhh, you can be sure it’ll be just the way you like it”

 

*-*-*-*

 

15 minutes later, Beth was merrily scarfing away in his bed, biting into her soft ham and cheese toastie to groans of pleasure.

“God, this is good. You know ham is such an underrated vegetable” she said with her eyes closed in pleasure.

“Ha! So we’re still calling ourselves a vegetarian are we?”

“Yeah. I mean, I really shouldn’t be doing this. Fuck, I really shouldn’t be doing any of this. The sex, the lateness, the pig-flesh. Like, Future me is going to be really pissed off with Current me” Beth replied with a guilty smile wrapped around her face.

“You have a very strange interpretation of time, Beth. I respect it. There is only one time in the whole universe, and that time is now. The past, the future, they don’t exist. Only now does. Now is the only god. Orange juice?” Deon offered her a glass.

“Thanks. And your philosophy is so like mine. Just better worded. Mine is more YOLO” Beth grinned.

“The Buddhists would disagree with you on that one. But the sentiment is good” he acknowledged, his eyes not taking themselves off of her.

“And like, one ham and cheese sandwich isn’t gonna kill me, is it?”

“Well, no but… do you know about something called the Butterfly Effect?”

“Ashton Kutchner I think. Early noughties?” Beth replied, and Deon sat himself down and began to explain.

“It means that the simplest thing, the most minor decision, can have dramatic repercussions. The idea is that the simple beating of a butterfly’s wing on one side of the globe, can cause a tornado on the other side”

“Well, that makes no sense. Like, how strong is this butterfly?” Beth queried, and Deon laughed.

“You… no, it isn’t about that. It is about chaos theory. You change the direction of something by just one degree and that seems minor. Inconsequential. But, if it continues to drift, over time, one degree becomes two, becomes three, and gradually it will end up millions of miles apart”

“Rubbish. If I ate this sandwich or if I didn’t will make no difference to my life. You and your book-reading won’t change my mind. Unless I get fired that is, so I better go” Beth began to get up, having finished off her breakfast. “Sorry for getting crumbs in your bed.”

“Relax. That is a problem for a later now. I’m only interested in the current one” he laughed deeply as he watched her get up. She walked around the room hurriedly, looking for her clothes. He eyed the delectable sway of her hips as she walked across the room, the curvature of her body as she put on her clothes, and the way they strained on her body as she put them on.

“Fuck, these are getting a bit tight. I blame you, you know. I missed dance class last week and they kicked me off the team. My body misses the cardio. I’m gonna end up putting on weight if I’m not careful”

“The beat of a butterfly’s wing, I warned you” Deon added with a raised eyebrow.

 

 

*-*-*-*-*-*

 

 

“Sorry I’m late Rupa” Beth said, rushing into the office where they worked. She was a little red in the face from the rushing, though, in hindsight, she hadn’t actually walked particularly fast to get there. Rupa looked up at her colleague with a friendly look on her face, as Beth caught her breath back.

“Beth, sorry but could you close my door and come take a seat please?”

“Oh. Oh, sure. Okay” Beth stammered, a little alarmed. She closed the door and sat on the seat opposite her boss. It was a tight, enclosed office, not like the ones you see in the movies. There was barely room for a desk and a swivel chair, and yet still Rupa had managed to cram in a small chair for her young apprentice to sit on.

“Right. Okay. Look...” Rupa took a deep breath. “How are things? With you, I mean? We don’t talk often enough these days. Not since your birthday party. How are you holding up?”

“Umm… I mean fine. I guess. How about you?” Beth sat uneasily. Normally, being in Rupa’s office would be time for a giggle and a catch-up, but this felt weirdly stilted and formal. Plus, the mentioning of last year’s birthday party was not reassuring, given what happened.

“Oh. Not too bad. It’s strange, living with my brother after the break-up but… and Bipin’s got all that stress of running his restaurant. And I’ve got work stress. It’s… it’s fine. Honestly. What about you and Ronald? How are you two doing?”

“Oh, don’t you know? Fuck, I thought I’d mentioned it. God, umm… we broke up. Sorta. I mean, I haven’t moved out yet but… you know how hard it’s been for us lately and...” Beth said with teary eyes.

“Oh Beth! I had no idea that you’d actually...” Rupa interrupted herself by leaning over and giving her a hug. “I wish you’d said something. When did this happen?”

“Oh, last week. I screwed up, Rupa. I screwed up. I keep screwing up. I don’t know why I do that to myself. Why do I keep doing this to myself?” Beth started crying, hugging her boss tightly. Rupa hugged back tightly too. Eventually, they pulled apart.

“And I’m putting on weight” Beth added, fidgeting with her clothes.

“Oh nonsense, you look great” Rupa retorted.

“Rupa, I really am. In the past two years, I’ve… do you remember what you said to me, the first time we met?” Beth said, looking at her boss in the eye.

“Yeah. I remember. Clear as day. I remember that interview, you walking in, late as ever”

“Well, you can’t say that now. I’m sorry for the outpour. You know how I am” Beth apologised, setting herself back on the chair.

“No, it’s fine Beth. And we’ve changed how we look since that day. I just… I wish you’d let me know sooner. Because… well, there’s no easy way to put this, but it’s about your tardiness. Look, I know how hard things have been for you but I did warn you last week and...”

“Wait, are you kicking me off the apprenticeship?”

 

 

 

1) Yes, afraid so. There’s nothing I can do, I’m afraid. Look, Klara suggested we go out tonight, the three of us, for drinks. We can drown our sorrows together.

2) I’m supposed to. But I didn’t realise you were going through a break-up. I guess I could lay someone else off instead, but it would probably have to be Klara.

3) I’m supposed to. But… maybe we could come to some sort of arrangement. After all, you know how I feel about you.

4) Definitely. And honestly, I’m relieved. I like you as a person but it’s about time. You are motherfucking unemployable with that lazy attitude of yours

 

 

 

 

*-*-*-*-*-

 

 

 

 

16^th May 2019

 

 

“Fuck”

It seemed like such a smart idea. And then she saw her and all the poisonous thoughts returned to her head. It wasn’t the voice of her, as she walked through the door, but the sight of her. Again. She saw the friendly smile across her West German face and knew that Future Beth was going to hate Current Beth for this decision.

“Thanks Bipin for looking after my girlfriend, I’ll take her from here” Klara said to the kindly man, before coming over to her girlfriend and sitting down next to her. “So, you want to talk to me now?”

“No. Not really. Maybe” Beth sulked, eating her food a little more slowly, a little more reluctantly now.

“Don’t be like that, my lover” Klara moved closer and began stroking her hair. “You know I will always protect you. You are perfect”.

“If I’m so perfect, why are you always trying to make me gain weight? Feeding me? Why aren’t you trying to protect me from that?” Beth spat acidically, pulling her dark mane away from her girlfriend.

“Oh. That. We’re doing this again” Klara sighed, frustrated. “Look, I’ve known you for four years now...”

“And how skinny was I four years ago?”

“Oh, your ass was the skinniest, most toned ass I had ever seen” Klara leered.

“Back then… were you trying to fatten me up? Even then, did you have your eye on me?” Beth asked sullenly. But Klara didn’t answer the question, or even acknowledge it. Her thoughts were now drifting elsewhere, floating towards more primitive cogitations.

“You were so skinny back then, but look at you now. You look so beautiful, my lover. That dress is so tight, it highlights you beautifully” Klara said, softly running her hand down to Beth’s waist, who just hung her head in shame. “Now eat up!”

Beth knew she didn’t have any choice. She just slowly put the fork back onto the plate and poured more biriyani into her mouth and began to chew. Her eyes weren’t in it, dimly backlit and not really looking where they were landing. She just continued to shovel the food into her mouth until she heard the metal of her fork clink against the base of the plate.

“Fantastic. Now, I’ll order you some more, you just stay here” Klara said, rising to get up. But Beth leant over and grabbed her arm.

“Please. No. I’m full. Please no more” she pleaded.

“Oh? You’re full, are you? You know what happens when you say you’re full, don’t you? We feed you up even more. My lover does her best eating when she’s full” Klara said, tenderly but with a quiet aggression. Beth’s head went down in defeat.

Soon enough, the plate came out again. Lamb dopiaza on rice, with onion bhajis, pakoras and vegetable samosas. Beth winced as she saw the plate land in front of her, squirming in her seat. Klara sat herself next to her, and slowly loaded up her fork on her behalf.

“Here you go, my lover” she said, gently bringing the fork, laden with rice and a thick curry sauce, to Beth’s mouth, which opened and closed on demand. Another forkful, reloaded with the same, pushed towards Beth’s mouth, and her eyes closed this time as it went it. That was better. She was beginning to get back into the swing of it again. The old feelings were coming back again.

Another fork in, this time of pakora, soft and falling apart as she bit into it. And another, samosa this time, steaming hot with every mouthful. Beth felt the mechanics behind her jaw creaking into action as she slowly sped up, a gentle rolling rhythm as the gears churned behind the scenes. Back to the dopiaza this time, and again. Beth’s head tilted back at this point as she chewed. Klara watched and smiled a victorious smile. Future Beth was going to regret this.

 

 

*-*-*-*-*-*

 

 

Stumbling back into the house, the two girls began kissing one another still in the doorway. Beth flung her shoes somewhere, Klara the same with her jacket. They clumsily worked their way into the lounge, pawing at each other likes puppies, where Klara pushed her girlfriend backwards onto the sofa. Standing in front of her, Klara looked at her girlfriend and was relieved to see reciprocal eye contact. This was going to be fun.

“Take your dress off” Klara ordered, staring down Beth like she was the barrel of a gun.

“I can’t” Beth gave her best puppydog eyes, a covert smile danced around her lips. “It’s too tight.”

“I can help with that”

Beth rose to her feet, fiddling with the straps of her dress until her arms were freed of them. Arms unhooked, Klara helped her slide the dress down her engorged body, rolling it down until she could at last free her legs. Lifting them up and out, she fall back onto the sofa with heavy breaths. Klara assumed her position by leaning over her, her breath wispier.

“Sex, feeding, weighing? What is the order?” Klara said, allowing herself to look at the woman in front of her.

“Oh, you know I hate choices. You put options in front of me and I’ll always pick the wrong one” Beth said with a giggle, the alcohol lowering her inhibitions but ramping up her naughtiness.

“Sex last then. I want you to earn it. Food first, I want you to suffer. Weigh-in in the middle because I want to see what you way after eating but before exercise” Klara said, smiling away at the prospect of this.

“Fuck, I regret letting you choose already” Beth said, but the biting of her bottom lip suggested that sincerity was not at the forefront of her mind. “You know, I really am full this time.”

“I know” Klara said, grabbing some of her famous poppy seed cake, and pushing a slice towards Beth. Beth leant back with her mouth open and chewed, enjoying the taste but enjoying the discomfort more. A second bite, and then a third, and before they knew it, the first slice was gone. Without objection, Klara loaded up a second and began again, watching crumbs of soft dough from the cake down onto the soft dough of Beth. Down it went, both girls enjoying every sensual, sumptuous moment of it.

“I’m done” Beth commented after that one.

“Just one more, my lover” Klara coaxed.

“No. Nothing. I am fuller than full” Beth protested.

“Go on...”

“Nope, this is me finished”.

“Well, no sex for you” Klara said disappointingly, getting up and walking away from her girlfriend.

“But you promised...” Beth shouted out, but Klara was walking out the door. “Fine, one more!”

“Three”

“No, you said one more...”

“Three, or I’m going upstairs and leaving you down here” Klara countered obstinately.

“Two, final offer” Beth rolled her eyes at the concession.

“Excellent” Klara grinned, bounding back into the room with joy. She headed straight for where the cake was, and cut off two large slices. Beth just sighed, knowing she was going to regret this in the morning.

 

 

*-*-*-*-*-*

 

 

Klara helped the bloated Beth up the stairs, as the girl cradled her own midriff in discomfort. The last two slices of cake had taken her over any allusion towards having a limit, masochistically punishing her for her coaxed indulgence. German hands massaging her stomach helped, but it was just a watering can to the rogalian scathefire of tensile pain. With winces following each step, at the top of the stairs, the two girls turned and stepped into the bedroom. Beth first, Klara gently following, a considerate hand at the back to walk her through. Ignoring the WWII posters on the wall, Beth huddled with strained steps towards the bathroom.

The sharp light bounced tartly off the bleached white tiles, a painful stab after the quiet low lights of the late night. Surrounded in hospital white, Klara did the leaning down and pulled the scales out for Beth to stand on. Beth looked timidly at her girlfriend, who encouraged her with her eyes to proceed. A sharp intake of breath, filling up on oxygen after filling up on everything else, and she stepped on to reveal her weight.

Klara smiled as she saw the number…

 

A) 165lbs

215lbs

C) 290lbs

D) 440lbs

 

 

 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

 

 

 

 

 

16^th May 2015

 

 

 

“Fuck!”

Beth stood in front of the mirror to watch her accidentally end up with a soft red lipstick stain on her front teeth. She scrubbed it off with her finger and stepped back to look at herself. She couldn’t help but smile. With her dark, frizzy hair slung over one shoulder and draping down her slender self, she looked elegant and smart. The white blouse, with matching light blue suit and trousers, made her look professional with just a hint of trendy. And it all fit her lithe frame so well, pinching in at her waist sharply, and the trousers needling down over lean and toned legs. She felt ready, she felt powerful, she felt motherfucking employable.

“Babe, you’re gonna be late” Ronald shouted to the closed bathroom door.

“I’ll be fine. It’s only around the corner. And besides...” Beth popped her head around the corner to smile at her boyfriend. “I wouldn’t want them to hire me, thinking I’m the kinda girl who arrives to things on time”.

Ronald shook his head and smiled, before looking at the time. The interview was in 25 minutes and she was still getting ready. What was she even doing in there. He thought she was hot already. His response was a predictable one for all those that knew him. He dropped down to push out another twenty push-ups while he was waiting, just to kill the time. It was better than Candy Crush, after all.

“That’s what I like to see” Beth smiled at her boyfriend as he finished the last of them off. And it was an impressive sight, in his tight black shirt clinging to his lean physique, looking every bit the modern day Adonis. His wavy blond hair getting in his eyes as he got back up, and his bicep bulged he ran his hand through it. “Come on though Ron… we’ll be late!” she joked, and he just smiled and shook his head again.

 

 

*-*-*-*-*

 

 

“Hey babe, keep up! I mean, I’m not saying you’re lazy or anything… but you’re kinda dragging behind” Beth said to him.

“Oh you know I’m just enjoying the view. And if I’m lazy, how come I’ve got all these muscles. In fact, I’m hitting the gym while you’re doing your interview. Gotta stay ripped for my girl” Ronald beamed, flexing his arms again as they walked down the street.

“And after my interview?”

“Yeah, I gotta stay ripped after my interview”

“No, you muppet. What are we doing after my interview? I wanna celebrate. You gonna take your girl out for dinner? Maybe drinks after?” Beth walked backwards to see his response.

“Oh, you bet. Anything for you. I’ll think of something. And it will blow your mind, trust me. When I do think of it. Which I haven’t yet” Ronald replied, as flirtatiously as he could.

They arrived at the imposing building that the interviews were held at, leaning over them like a titan. Just another overgrown monstrosity in a city full of them. No personality, just varying shades of drab in orthodox rectangular shapes, arranged lifelessly from a pre-designed selection of options. In short, it was the perfect satellite office for a large company like Rolls-Royce.

They climbed up the stairs, zigzagging the Escher-esque endlessness, up to the 22^nd floor. Not even out of breath, the two of them strode out into the corridor to see that the interior décor adhered to the same vapid colour scheme as its exterior. Grey, metallic chairs lined up against one side of the corridor wall, and none of them were taken.

“What time is it?” Beth said, suddenly concerned.

“11:03am”

“Oh, practically on time then. Go me!” Beth grinned.

At this point, a blonde girl with a stern face walked out, bidding farewell to what was presumably the interviewer. However, her frown somersaulted upside-down upon seeing the attractive couple waiting.

“Hey, are you here for the apprenticeship interviews?” the girl said, with an unusual accent.

“Yeah, are you here to interview me? Beth, by the way. And this is my boyfriend, Ronald. He’s just chaperoning me” Beth smiled her usual boisterous smile.

“No. I just had mine. Klara by the way. Great to meet you, Beth. And you, Roland” she said, her eyes unashamed to span both of them as she continued to introduce herself.

“Miss Tupuola? Can you come in please?” a voice from the room that Klara vacated, called out.

“Well babe, good luck. I’ll hit the gym, so text me when you’re done” Ronald politely wished his girlfriend.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Oh yeah” he rushed, and then leant in to kiss her. “Good luck”.

“That was nice. But I was actually referring to where you were gonna take me to eat after this” Beth giggled, as Ronald winced at his own forgetfulness.

“Oh yeah, no, um… what about that place opposite Marmaris? The vegan bar? They do them really nice quinoa salads that you like” Ronald stammered.

“Oh my god guys, do you actually eat at that place? That just seems really strange to me; I’ve never seen anybody go there. Like, how does it not have the bankruptcy? But now I know – you two must be keeping the company alive!” Klara epiphanised joyfully.

“I mean, we do go there a lot. But it’s not like the company will fold if we stop going there. Anyway, nice seeing you Klara! And see you later Ron” Beth said, waving as she went into the interview room, watching Ronald and Klara walk off.

Turning around and entering the room, it was clear how tight the office was. Barely a room for a desk and a swivel chair, let alone the small plastic chair opposite the desk for Beth to sit on. And despite that, Beth squeezed herself in and took a look at the woman interviewing her.

She looked to be about 5, maybe 10 years older than her, but her formal yet smart dress style made it hard to tell. Her hair was centrally parted, and her glasses sat with thin-rims on her face. But it was a friendly face of a woman who was not slender but could scarcely be called fat neither. A broadly attractive Indian woman with a curious glint in her eye.

“Wow, aren’t you a pretty thing. And so thin too. Beth, is it? Hi, my name is Rupa and I’m here to interview you about the apprenticeship positions.”

 

 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

 

 

“So, you’re name is Roland”

“Ronald” Ronald corrected the chirpy German girl, as the two of them headed for the lift.

Klara looked at him, her eyes up and down his body like the elevator that they were about to board. “And your way of talking, you sound weird? Are you from Canada or something?”

“Not exactly, I’m from Germany. In a small town called Winden actually. It’s near Düsseldorf. And Düsseldorf is the only city in Germany to end in Dorf, which means ‘village’ in German. Did you know that, Roland?” Klara explained.

“You mean, you don’t speak English?”

“Well, I think my English is pretty good, wouldn’t you say? Maybe even a little better than yours if we’re being truthful. I think that you go to the gym because there are no books in the gym. Your girlfriend, does she go to the gym often too?” She tilted her head as she looked at him.

“Yeah, we crush it there. She loves cardio, but she also knows I like it when she works on her lower body, plenty of squats and things” he grinned, happy the conversation turned to something that interested him.

“That’s so great to hear, but I am also thinking. In fact, Roland, I have a question for you?”

“Sure. What is it?”

 

 

2015

 

I) “Instead of going to the gym, how about I take you out to this really cool burger ** near the city centre? A growing boy like you should be working on his gains”

II) “Don’t you think that your girlfriend would look even better if she bulked up a bit, got herself a nice ass. A proper sized one” 

III) “You two doing anything after this? We could totally just hang out and chill. I totally get the sense we could be best friends” 

IV) “So, what do you know about World War II?”