Part 1

Chapter 3

The BIG Night

Brick grabbed a hold of his towel before it fell from around his waist.

"Four and a half hours today Dude! I feel great today!” Brick responded to John’s yelp as he was entering the steamroom to relax after his marathon workout. Brick was excited about the evening ahead and at the same time a bit apprehensive. He really wanted Steve’s 39^th birthday party to be something to remember as well as to get Steve into better spirits. He figured Steve had been grumpy lately because he was uptight about turning 39. More prevalent on his mind was this feeling of duty to have a heart to heart with Steve about not competing this next year. It had become more and more difficult for Brick, as he continued his upward success, to painfully watch Steve fail to place in any competitions this last year. In addition, Brick never could find a comfortable way to pull Steve aside at Luther’s and tell him to ease off as he had watched Steve blow a few competitions during the season by losing willpower and indulging at Luther’s with the crew. Brick had, up to now, silently been witness to Steve slowly notching up from a decent, respectable 240lb muscle package to a smooth rounded 260+lb slouch on the platform.

But tonight he was determined to make sure Steve had fun and then get his point across as painlessly as possible. Brick new exactly what to do.

Steve stood on the raised step nervously surrounded by 3 mirrors he worked hard to ignore as he waited for the tailor to bring a few pairs of trousers for him to wear for fitting. Steve was comfortable with Giovanni, his tailor for over ten years. Giovanni could always get an order for him the same day and produced great results considering his frame was very difficult to fit. Giovanni enjoyed Steve’s visits to the store as they were indeed a challenge, but also a great way to spread the word about his business. Giovanni had indeed gotten quite a few referrals from Steve and had built a thriving business.

"What you want? Blue, gray, taupe? What color?” Giovanni had emerged from the back room with a whole rack of suits he was pawing through.

"Maybe navy or black. Something dark, Giovanni” Steve figured a darker color would be wise.

"You have funeral or something?” Giovanni looked concerned.

"Nah Man, its my birthday tonight. I want to look sharp is all.”  Steve explained as he apprehensively spooned another mouthful from the ice cream carton.

"Birthday! Why you not say?! Giovanni get something really nice for you! You wait!” Giovanni bounced off into the back room once more and reappeared proudly holding a suit as if it was his own newborn son. "You like this! Best material, charcoal sharkskin! Very fancy, make you look like movie star!!” Giovanni was so excited. "How old today?”

"Uh, 39 today” Steve hesitated slightly. Then gulped another mouthful of ice cream.

Picking up on Steve’s nervousness Giovanni chuckled " 39?! No, you look only 30 to me.” Trying to ease the moment.

Eyeing the suit, Steve figured the sharkskin was nice but was worried about the sheen. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself as there would already be too many eyes focused on him tonight. "Giovanni, the sharkskin is great but I really want the navy pinstripe there” Steve pointed to the rack.

"Yeah, that’s nice one too but…” Giovanni stopped himself thinking it not wise to argue with one of his best customers. "Yes, that one look good for you. Ok, Ok. Here, we get you dressed and I fix good for you.”

Giovanni put the sharkskin down and placed the navy suit next to the alteration stand. 

He then retrieved his tape measure and little black book where he recorded all his frequent customer’s measurements for reference. He stood next to Steve waiting to measure his chest as Steve slurped the last of the ice cream and dropped the container in the trashcan next to the stand. Taking the cue, Steve raised his arms slightly and Giovanni slipped the tape around his amazing chest. Giovanni then stopped short.

"Your sweatshirt too thick, you take off so I get good measure.” Giovanni stepped back waiting for his customer to comply.

Steve felt a little panicked but knew Giovanni well enough that he would not be too self-conscious. Steve did suck-in his gut as best he could without making it obvious, whipped the sweatshirt off and Giovanni was ready behind him with the tape.

"You get such big muscles now!” Giovanni commented as the slipped the tape under Steve’s arms and took the chest measurement. "You even bigger this time! 51” now. You were 49 ½ " last time!” Giovanni was consulting his black book peering through his grandfatherly reading glasses on the end of his nose.

Steve felt more relaxed. "Yeah Man, I’ve been working hard on those.” Steve proudly bounced his pecs up and down.

Giovanni continued on with the neck, shoulder width, and arms, praising Steve all along on slightly increased measurements, which was doing wonders for Steve’s mood and self-esteem. Steve’s mouth grew very dry after the sugary ice cream and knowing the fitting would take a while, he asked Giovanni if he had anything to drink in the store.

"Yeah, I keep milk in the back for my coffee. You want? I get for you” Giovanni finished writing the measurements and hurried off in the back quickly returning with a big glass of milk and a big box of Italian biscuits (cookies).

"Here, you try, very good. I eat them for breakfast with coffee.” Giovanni pulled a little work table next to Steve and placed the cookies so he could reach them.

"Thanks Giovanni. The milk is fine, I just finished some ice cream but I appreciate the offer.” Steve took a swallow of the milk relieving his dry mouth.

Giovanni snagged a couple of the cookies for himself and left them on the table. "Ok, just take some if you like.” He proceeded to position himself in front of Steve to continue the measuring.

Kneeling on his alteration stool, as he closed his black book after reviewing the measurements on record, Giovanni was surprised to look up to see Steve’s rounded belly and bellybutton looming over his jeans. Then he noticed the jeans were unbuttoned and extremely tight. Giovanni was caught a bit by surprise never having seen Steve with anything but a tight grill of a midsection. Steve normally just wore sweats and casual big men’s clothes in the off-season so Giovanni had only had visits from Steve while he was in peak condition.

"You stop washing these in hot water and hang dry, you not have this problem!” Giovanni admonished, looking at the poorly fitting jeans. Thinking of the measurements on record, he thought it ridiculous for his customer to be wearing size 35 pants which had drawn up so much.

Giovanni grabbed another cookie and crunched it down.

"Uh, yeah. I know. I should pay more attention.” Steve responded, fumbling for an answer as he continued to suck-in his gut as much as he could. Now feeling a bit uneasy, Steve instinctively grabbed a handful of cookies as he took another gulp of milk.

Giovanni slid the tape around Steve’s waist trying to find the best spot on the bowed expanse to secure a good measurement. With a "Hmmpf”, Giovanni dropped the tape, consulted his black book and scratched his head bearing a perplexed expression. He repositioned himself behind Steve and again attempted the measurement. Peering through his reading glasses to see the tape he caught sight of the tag on the back of the jeans advertising their 37” size. Giovanni nodded his head and smirked a little as things now made more sense to him. He returned to kneel in front of Steve and took one more measure to be sure before he recorded the 40” result erasing the previous record of 35”. Meanwhile, Steve was busy munching a fourth handful of cookies.

"Ok, 40” for the waist, right? I just make sure since you’re so much bigger than your last measure. You really have been workin’ hard there haven’t you!” Giovanni innocently joked as he reached up and gently patted the round side of Steve’s sucked-in belly.

"40?!” Spouted Steve, spilling crumbs from his cookie stuffed mouth onto his pecs and belly as he exhaled in shock. 

"Yes, 40.” Giovanni confirmed, looking at the mark while still holding the tape around Steve’s waist. "You just a bit, uh, heavier for right now, eh?” Giovanni shook some crumbs from his glasses and gingerly dusted the crumbs from Steve’s ledge of bloated belly just above him.

"No! I’m about the same…. Maybe just a little heavier since…**Brrwarrrrrrrp**”  An expected belch escaped from Steve’s gullet relaxing his belly from its tensed, sucked-in state. As his gut lowered slightly and inflated out a bit, Steve’s heavily strained zipper notched down a couple more inches and Giovanni’s tape measure pulled through his fingers stopping at a mark of 41 ¾”.

Steve released a rather thick sounding **Gulp** at the conclusion of the awkward episode as he swallowed two swollen cheeks full of chomped cookies leaving a poorly disguised guilty expression on his face.

Grinning, Giovanni stood up. "Let’s see, that’ll be 42 inches then, yah” writing the figure in his book and closing it with finality. Giovanni grabbed the box of cookies and held it out to Steve with a little smirk on his mustache covered mouth, "More cookies?”

"NO! Thanks.” Steve unsuccessfully tried to return his zipper to its previous position and settled for a hearty yank on his two front belt loops. "I’m just a little swollen from last night’s salty dinner! Besides, I’ll be in the steamroom most of the today anyway. Look, just make the trousers…38… and a ½ inches and have them delivered for me as usual.” Steve hurriedly spoke as he threw on his sweatshirt guising his exposed form.

"38 ½? You sure Mr. Steve?” Giovanni looked very concerned.  "But you won’t be able to…”

Steve cut him off, " Yes, I’m sure Giovanni!” Steve yelled back in an irritated voice while heading for the door.

"Maybe I add suspender buttons for you then?” Giovanni chuckled as the door slammed behind Steve. Giovanni popped another cookie in his mouth and shook his head.

"This not gonna be good” he mumbled and got busy with his alterations.

"Hey, move it already Old Man!” Brick grumbled from Steve’s living room. "What’s takin’ you so long?”

"I’m just running late. I overslept this afternoon.” Steve yelled back loud enough for Brick to hear from behind his bedroom door he had left slightly ajar so the two could talk.

"I thought you were coming to the gym today? I waited for a half hour before I started my workout. But its OK. Its your birthday so you deserve a day off. " Brick sat on the sofa flexing his freshly pumped bicep.

"Uh, yeah, I intended to go but I had some other things to take care of. " Steve quickly fabricated his vague answer while he cleared away the McDonald’s wrappers he had forgotten to dispose of before falling asleep after his rebellious lunch when he left Giovanni’s. If it weren’t for Giovanni’s delivery man arriving right before Brick, he would probably still be asleep. He had just finished toweling off from the shower when Brick had let himself in. Steve tore the suit out of its plastic wrapping and hurriedly began dressing.

"You ready for a BIG night Old Man?” Brick asked. "Everyone’s going to be there!”

"Yeah, should be fun!” Steve answered as he buttoned up his rather restrictive shirt. "Damn, I forgot to get new shirts too” he mumbled to himself as he pulled the shirt front tight to get it buttoned while working his way from the chest buttons down. It was always hard to button the chest since Steve liked his shirts tight to show off his impressive pecs. Lately though, the buttons seemed tightest as he approached the bottom of the shirt. Shirt buttoned, he felt relieved to have bought the new suit as he still saw the curve of his belly beneath the shirt and was feeling the impact of the McDonalds lunch. Steve pulled on the trousers and immediately felt the crotch was quite tight. "Well, it’ll just show off the package pretty well tonight” he thought as he cupped his ample manhood and felt the inseam run from his crotch all the way along his seat through the back.

"Jeez, Giovanni sure loves to cut his suits Italian style.” Steve remarked realizing the seam more than clearly outlined both his hind flanks. "Guess the front and back package will both be on display tonight!” Steve commented admiring the fabric. He liked the pinstripe style and the fabric was thin and lightweight for summer. Steve pulled the trousers on to discover they were rather narrow in the hips- Italian style again. When he had his shirttail tucked in, he was about to fasten

the trousers when Brick burst into the bedroom.

"What? Do I have to dress you now? Get the lead out!” Brick joked, having grown too impatient to sit in the living room any longer. "Hey Man, looking sharp there!”

"Thanks, I’ll just be a second.” Steve turned his back to Brick realizing Brick did not take the cue to return to the living room. Steve pulled the trousers to fasten them and instantly knew 38 ½ had been a hasty decision. He sucked-in a little, then a lot, and slowly worked the zipper in position. He still could not button the trousers however. In one last effort he pushed the waist down a good 3 inches lower in front and was able to get them buttoned below his gut. He let out a deep breath having accomplished the task.

Brick stood up from his lounging position on the bed, walked over to Steve and put his hand on Steve’s necktie.

"You want somebody to think you’ve got a potbelly or something?” Brick jibed noting the obvious wrinkle in Steve’s tie where it curved outwards just below his chest. "Take this off, you’ll look more relaxed.” Steve quickly complied, his face turning pink.

With one last look at the outfit Brick joked "You should’ve bought a new suit for your birthday Stevie! Looks like you probably outgrew this old one at least 10 dinners ago at Luther’s!” and gave a Steve’s big belly a hearty slap as he headed out of the bedroom.

Steve’s pink face now turned red and a few veins began popping out on his temples.

"This IS a new suit!” Steve gruffed, in reply.

"Yeah, right! Come on Pops!” Brick laughed and headed for the car.

Steve thought it in his best interest to drop the conversation and continued to examine the suit with a perplexed look as they headed to Luther’s listening to Steve’s growling stomach.

On entering the restaurant, Steve & Brick heard the "Big Boys” let out a bellowing din from the banquet size table they always controlled in the center of the restaurant, "Birthday Boy’s here!” followed by the boom of their mighty fists pounding a drum roll on the table as they approached.

"Hey, Hey! The geriatric has finally arrived!” big Jack yelled as Steve searched for a place on one of the benches to sit. "No, No! You sit at the head of the table Stevie! You’re gonna get the special treatment tonight! Jack delighted in his announcement as he pulled a large chair to the end of the table and manhandled Steve into his assigned spot.

"Who are you calling geriatric you big Bull!” Steve retorted. "You’ve got at least 8 or 9 years on me. What was your last competition? The AARP Open?” Steve laughed at his clever response.

"Bull? If I’m a Bull then you must be the Moose!” Jack laughed as he reached over and shook Steve’s belly up and down with his big hand. "Oh, on second look, a pregnant Moose!” Everyone laughed as Steve smiled as a good sport and adjusted his jacket somewhat over his stomach.

"Very funny FatBoy! What are you haulin’ around these days? Its about 325lbs of belly if I remember your last weigh-in at the gym. That puts you way ahead of me!” Steve bantered back. And in fact, Jack had really gotten big over the last few years. He had really cut back at the gym after tearing a pectoral muscle so he didn’t lift as much now, but he certainly ate as much if not more than ever. The weekly binges at Luther’s had steadily contributed to the size of his gut which had ballooned into a total spheroid shape now.

"Ah, that’s true. We’ll see what you look like at 49 then OK? " Jack then tore into his plate of BBQ pork.

"Hey Stevie, let’s get your jacket there. Don’t want to get that all messy now do ya? " Bill removed Steve’s jacket and Steve sat down. From above, instead of seeing Steve’s bulging pecs as usual, Bill more clearly saw Steve’s bulging gut smoothing every wrinkle in his shirt and creating small gaps between the lower buttons.

"Hey Birthday Boy, looks like you need to borrow one of the "Big Boys’” shirts! Looks like you’ve got too much beer in your tap for this one” Bill smiled and poked his finger through one of the gaps in Steve’s shirt directly hitting his bellybutton. "Hmmn! Feels like this naughty boy already had his birthday feast today!” Bill jiggled Steve’s belly a little and discovered it was actually resting in between his legs. "That a boy Stevie! Spread those legs wide and give that growin’ keg of your’s more room to grow! O yeah, you’re gonna be a natural BellyBoy for sure!

"Alright! Enough of the jokes guys!” Brick interrupted before Steve would get upset. "Tracey, bring on the chow!” Tracey swiftly appeared and loaded the table with beer for all and a special pitcher-size goblet for Steve. She followed with about twice the number of platters and trays as usual.

Steve’s stomach was absolutely howling as he succumbed to the hickory aroma all around him. He began to devour the mountain of food in front of him, washing it down with brew from his birthday goblet. Everyone else followed his lead and Tracey kicked into fifth gear to keep the table well supplied in addition to ensuring Steve’s goblet always stayed full as privately prearranged by Brick. An hour had passed, and after packing in 3 platters of food and draining four goblets of beer, Steve was quite blurry eyed, and completely bloated. He wearily stood up and headed for the restroom to relieve some pressure.

Brick stopped Tracey as she passed, "Remember my plan, keep the beer coming for Stevie. I think its time for the cake when he gets back to the table.”

"Ok, you got it Brick” Tracey disappeared into the kitchen to light the cake.

Steve let out a low moan as he unzipped his trousers and took a long piss. He was not accustomed to so much beer. But the food was good. He couldn’t figure why he was so damn hungry but in his semi-drunken state he didn’t care, he was at the mercy of his stomach since he just could not resist Luther’s food. All he could see looking down was the white front of his shirt and the sight of his line of piss hitting the urinal was the only indication his dick was under there somewhere. He finished and labored to get his shirt tucked in and trousers on. As bloated as he was, he didn’t bother trying to button the slacks. He zipped them as best he could and felt his waistband creaking as if it were a cable on a crane lifting a ton of bricks. His keys had dropped out of his pocket when he had dropped his pants. He began to squat down to pick them up and halfway down he felt the pants were too tight and decided to bend instead. He could not bend over enough to reach the floor so he spread his legs a bit and then was able to reach the keys. As he picked them up he heard a couple of tiny ripping sounds and quickly stood up. Feeling around, he relaxed when he confirmed he had not torn a seam, just a few stretched threads under his crotch. He was safe since no one could see that. He lumbered back to the table and was ready to sit when Tracey appeared with a huge cake showcasing a picture of a bodybuilder with Steve’s face on the head and candles lining the edges. After the inevitable singing, Brick Insisted Steve blow out the candles. Steve obliged anxious for the attention to shift to someone else.

"Go ahead everybody! Dig in! Have some cake.” Steve commanded to the silent crowd standing by as he took a big swig from his goblet to complete the toast to everyone’s raised mug. After draining about half the goblet Steve was the first to thankfully sit down while the silent crowd began to follow. As he leaned over and flopped into the seat with a thud, a loud **Rrrrrriiiippp**

echoed through the room.

"What the fuck was that?” Harley yelled.

Leaning over toward Steve, Jack clamored "Uh, Birthday Boy here, Mr. Ex-Bodybuilder turned LardAss, has apparently split the fuckin’ ass right outta his pants!

Harley threw his arms in the air indicating a touchdown. "Way to go Stevie! Tracey, bring this Porker another pork platter! Damn, Stevie, even I ain’t never done that before!” Harley contemplated, looking down from side to side, eyeing the vastness of his rear spread across the bench.

 "Ha! I guess you better take a picture of this cake cause it don’t look like you’re ever gonna cut down to bod like that again looking at the size of this HogBelly! Bill exclaimed, again shaking Steve’s overstuffed gut. As Bill sat back down Steve’s gut settled from the rustling and from an audible rumble deep in his gut Steve erupted an ominous belch generated from his last glug of beer culminating in the bottom 3 buttons of his shirt finally launching themselves from his belly’s surface onto the cake on the table.

"Score! You should’ve been in Football, Stevie! Damn! Three fieldgoals in a row there pal!” Brick shouted, throwing his arms up in the air as if signaling a goal.

Steve looked down to see his bare belly spill out beneath the remaining buttons of his shirt.

"O Fuck Man! What the hell happened?” Steve slurred. "I’m so fuckin’ stuffed. Shit! Look my gut! I can’t possibly eat any of that cake.” Steve stared at the bloated beach ball rising below the remains of his shirt as it seemed to keep inflating as he watched.

"What?!” Jack yelped. "No cake for our new HogBoy? We can’t have that now can we? We promised you the special treatment and now you’re gonna get it! Alright fellas, I think its time to initiate Stevie here as one of the official Big Boys, what do you say?”

"Here, here!” the crew sung in chorus, and downed the rest of their beers.

"Tracey, if you please” Jack announced in his most officious voice. "Harley, you get the honors!” Jack continued as he moved behind Steve who was looking rather dumb and dazed with beer.

"Gladly!” chimed Harley lifting his wide ass from the bench for the first time that night while he watched Jack seize Steve’s gargantuan arms and handcuff them behind the chair. Harley scooped a huge mound of cake in his hand as Jack rotated Steve’s chair to the side and held Steve head back.

"No Man! I really can’t eat anymo…**Mmmmpf**” Steve tried to close his lips but Harley made sure he got the cake fully stuffed into Steve’s puffed out mouth.

"You wanted to hang with the ‘Big Boys’ so now you’re gonna feel what its like to be one!” Harley laughed.

No sooner had he gulped a few times and managed to get it down, then Bill was ready next with the goblet.

"Open wide BeerBoy! Don’t want this to get messy!” Bill warned as he started the flow down Steve’s throat. "Gotta be able to down the beer if you’re a ‘Big Boy’ Stevie.” Bill drained the goblet and stepped aside as Steve glugged the beer and caught his breath belching loudly again. Next up, Jack approached with a plateful of shredded pulled pork and started shoveling it down Steve’s captive gullet.

"That a boy, Porky! Gotta be able pack away the Pork as a ‘Big Boy’! I knew you were a natural!” Jack finished with a grin on his face and a glint in his eye.

And so the ‘Big Boys” repeated the cycle in turns and shoveled most of the table’s contents into Steve’s burgeoning belly until Steve passed out either from too much beer or overstuffed stupor.

Brick stood next to Steve and whispered in his ear as he helped Steve hoist himself and his now mammoth, bloated belly out of the chair.

 "I knew its what you wanted, but you just wouldn’t let yourself go Steve. You were so miserable so I decided to help you go for it and realize its Ok to eat what you want. Happy Birthday BigBoy!” Brick helped Steve out to the car, massaging his packed gut as Steve waddled along. Once he rolled into the seat with a groan, Steve turned to Brick with a silly smile on his face.

"There’s one thing you forgot Brick. Can we stop somewhere on the way home for some ice cream??” Steve laughed while cradling the ocean of belly that now filled his lap.

"Damn Stevie! You are a HOG!” Brick shouted and slapped Steve’s belly laughing hysterically. "Sure thing, what flavor?”

 Part 3