Fat

“What did he say?” Elsa asked.

“I’m alive, and after some pretty hard grilling, he accepted that I was the right man for you.”

“People are going to think we’re pregnant.”

“I don’t care. I kind of like the thought of you being pregnant though.”

She chuckled. “Not right now.”

“No, we’ve got a future together, and I intend to enjoy every second of it,” Noah said, taking her lips in a possessive kiss, making her forget everything else but him.

Epilogue

Elsa and Noah got married before college, and they became known as the wedded couple. Neither of them strayed, and no one could tear them apart. Even their college peers made bets on how long they’d stay together.

Throughout the next ten years they defied all expectations, staying together and being happy with each other.

They both graduated college, Noah going on to be a physical therapist for sports injuries. Elsa changed her path and majored in law, much to her father’s happiness. After college, Elsa trained at different law firms, fulfilling the requirement to get experience away from her father. She took challenging cases, winning plenty and losing a few.

By the time they were both twenty-eight, Elsa was ready to settle down, so together they moved back to the childhood neighborhood.

They were moving into a modest three bedroom house. Elsa placed a box on the kitchen table and stared around at her space.

Noah came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. “What are you thinking?”

“We’re back home, and we’re still together.”

“Did you know Mrs. Donald, our chemistry teacher, was in on the bet?”

Elsa laughed. “You’re kidding?”

“Nope.”

“What was her limit?” Elsa asked.

“She didn’t have a limit. She actually believed we’d be together for a long time.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I just bumped into her. She tried to give me the winnings from the bet, but I wouldn’t take it.”

“Winnings? How is that possible?”

“She was the only one to bet on a lifetime, and no one else had gone this high.”

“Wow, they really didn’t believe we were real, did they?”

“Nope.” He kissed her neck. “We proved them wrong.”

“I can divorce you now.”

“I doubt it. I’m the only one that does that thing with my tongue.”

She groaned, pressing her thighs together to stem the flow of arousal. “Stop.”

“Nope. We’ve got some time before Kurt and Kim arrive to help. How about we get started on filling up that nursery?”

Kim and Kurt were not together. Over the years, they had both stayed in touch with their friends, and even arranged to see each other as well. Kurt owned his own company and was making a name for himself in the business world. Kim was more modest, and grasped life as an artist. She was rather sensual in her art, which Elsa put down to her lack of satisfaction with life.

“Do you think they’ll ever get together?” Elsa asked.

“I don’t know. I’m hoping to get together now, with my wife.”

“You’ve got a one track, dirty mind,” she said.

“And you love it.”

“That I certainly do.”

****

Kim was shaking. She couldn’t believe this was happening. The studio that she worked for, and that she had a contract with, had gone bust. She didn’t have any money herself, and now she was standing in the studio, waiting for the businessman to arrive. Mr. Coal had wanted his asset to be present when the guy showed up.

She didn’t know why. Over the years she’d proven time and time again that she sucked at social situations. This wasn’t going to be any different.

The doors opened, and she froze. Kurt, the guy from high school who’d bullied her, was entering. He stared at her, and without looking away, spoke.

“Leave us, Mr. Coal.”

The boy from high school was gone, and in his place stood a man that Kim didn’t recognize.

“Hello, Kim, it has been a long time.”

“Hey, Kurt.”

“Let’s get down to business.”

The butterflies dancing in her stomach went crazy. Whatever was about to happen, Kim doubted she was going to like it, but what choice did she have? This was her livelihood, and now it was in Kurt’s hands.

The End