Big Boys’ Coffee

Contains: direct encouraging, stuffing.

This story started as a conversation with a friend where we imagined a coffeehouse that catered to gainers. There would be plenty of food available along with the drinks, and it would be shirts-optional, with belly rubs being a normal thing. I knew I had to write it. And so, we got a story of an insecure chubby guy who goes to the coffeeshop at a friend’s suggestion after some unsuccessful dates, and finds himself on the receiving end of some unexpected attention.

This is probably the last story I’ll be posting for a while. With the coronavirus social distancing in effect, my motivation to write has just been at a zero. I didn’t realize until now just how much my creative drive is tied with leaving the house. Until this all blows over, I probably won’t be doing much writing. So do your part to help stop the spread of the virus: stay inside if you can, wash your hands, follow the guidance of health experts, and don’t be selfish.

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Big Boys’ Coffee? Tim thought as he read the sign above the coffeeshop’s entrance. Sounds like the name of a fast food place, not a coffeeshop. And why is the apostrophe there? Shouldn’t it be “Boy’s”? Or did several big boys found this place? he asked himself with a smirk.

Still, he didn’t want to dismiss it too quickly. After Tim had gone on several unsuccessful dates, Pete, a friend of his, had recommended Big Boys’ as a place where he could meet guys he might get along with better. But as he stood outside, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was some cruel joke. Sending a fat guy to a coffeeshop called “Big Boys’” seemed like a setup to an obvious punchline.

Looking down at his belly with a frown, Tim let out a sigh before he looked back up. He couldn’t help but feel like his stature was the reason why he kept getting ghosted by these guys, even though they’d all claimed it wouldn’t be a problem. Maybe the reality of his size was just too much to bear when they saw him in person.

But, he figured, what was the harm? Worst case scenario, he’d have a bad cup of coffee and leave. Which would still be a better time than some of his recent dates. With a deep inhalation, he opened the door and stepped inside.

The interior of Big Boys’ looked like most coffeeshops Tim had been to: a lengthy counter separating staff and customers, with plenty of shelves on the counter and machinery behind it. But the clientele was nothing like what he was used to. It was entirely male and mostly made up of big guys like him, many of whom were shirtless. All the big, bare bellies had him doing double and triple takes all around the place. There were men with modest bellies, men with sizable bellies like his, and men that made him look small in comparison. And not a single one of them seemed embarrassed about their state of undress.

Once a few of the men started staring back at Tim, he became self-conscious about staring at them and approached the cash register. There was a small line ahead of him, with most of the men in line also being quite hefty. The difference was that they all had their shirts on, as did the staff working behind the counter. Unlike the customers, the staff was entirely made up of hefty men, without a single skinny or average-sized one among them. Looking behind the counter, Tim could see that there was a good deal more space behind it than there was at other coffeeshops he’d been to. As if Big Boys’ had been designed with a more heavyset staff in mind.

As he stood in line, Tim browsed the menu, written on signs that lined the wall behind the counter. The usual coffeeshop selections were all represented, along with an extensive selection of milkshakes. What surprised Tim was the food selection. There was a decent selection of sandwiches and snacks, but also an extensive menu of full-on meals more appropriate for a restaurant than a coffeeshop. There were pizzas and burgers and other dinner items, the selection of which took up more board space than the typical coffeeshop foods. Looking behind the counter, Tim saw a window that led to a kitchen, which explained how they could make such involved dishes. Why they made such involved fare was still a mystery. In his experience, coffeeshops never made anything that took more effort than a pressed wrap. And this one seemed to be offering large pizzas.

Tim got so wrapped up reading the menu that he didn’t realize that the line ahead of him had moved, until the person before him was swiping his card to pay for his order. He quickly moved ahead to close the gap. Once the customer ahead of him moved aside, he beheld the cashier, a bespectacled fellow with a neatly-trimmed beard and decently-sized gauges in his ears. He also wore a fairly tight tee shirt, tight enough that his nipples could be seen poking against it above a round and impressively-sized belly. Tim couldn’t imagine wearing a shirt that left so little about his size to the imagination.

“Hi, what can I get you?”

“Uh, just a small black decaf, please.”

“You got it,” the cashier said buoyantly.

As the cashier tapped the tablet in front of him, Tim asked, “Do you really serve everything on the menu here?”

“Of course,” the cashier chuckled. “Why do you ask?”

“I’ve just… never seen a coffeeshop with such a… wide menu.”

“We’re not like most coffeeshops,” the cashier said with a grin.

“Ah. Uh, that’ll be all.”

Once Tim had paid for his coffee, he turned back to the tables to find a place to sit. Spotting an empty couch, he walked over to take a seat, trying to not stare at any of the shirtless men. After taking off his coat, he laid it over one of the arm rests, before taking a seat himself.

Upon looking out into the coffeeshop, Tim was once again transfixed, this time by the sight of one man rubbing another’s bare belly. The man doing the rubbing was of smaller stature compared to the rest of the clientele. His beard and hair were both bright red, and he still had his shirt on. The man whose belly he was rubbing was heavy even compared to those around him. His belly spilled over his sides, with no arm rests on the chair to contain it. He leaned back as the other man rubbed his gut, arms behind his head and a smile on his face. On another chair at the table rested his jacket and his shirt.

“Black decaf for Tim!” one of the baristas called out, just as the man seemed to notice Tim staring. Tim averted his gaze and got up to retrieve his drink, keeping his eyes away from the man and his admirer. On the way back to the couch, though, he couldn’t help but notice the heftier man looking back at him with a smirk. It seemed he wasn’t offended by Tim’s gawking. If anything, he seemed to be enjoying it.

As Tim took a sip of the coffee, he stared at the other customers over the rim. The two customers at the table near him weren’t the only ones exchanging belly rubs. He counted at least four others, along with about a dozen-and-a-half men with their shirts off. He wondered if he was committing some kind of faux pas by leaving his shirt on. But once he saw the smattering of other customers with theirs still on, he felt more comfortable that he wasn’t doing anything wrong.

But maybe he was. Because as he peered around coffeeshop, he saw one man looking his way from the corner of his eye. He was among the thinner men there, his frame average and the length of his beard anything but. He was smiling, perhaps a smirk at Tim’s expense. Trying to be friendly, Tim smiled back at him, before looking back to his coffee.

The man’s smile grew even wider, to the point that it even seemed friendly. Not sure what to do, Tim smiled again and gave a little wave. He immediately regretted it, as the man got up from his chair and started walking over. Tim knew he was in for it now.

“You come here often?”

Of all the words that could have come out of the man’s mouth, Tim did not expect those. “Actually, this is my first time here,” he said, not sure how to reply except literally.

“You don’t say?” the man replied with a chuckle that conveyed little in the way of surprise. “I’m Pat.”

“Tim.”

“May I sit?”

“Uh, sure,” Tim sputtered out. He was well past knowing what was going on.

“So, what’cha eating?”

“Um, nothing.”

“Nothing?!” Pat shouted loudly enough to get the attention of a few nearby customers, who looked over before looking back to their company or their phones. Tim looked around with shoulders tense, unprepared to explain his choice. “How does a guy like you come to Big Boys’ and not get any food?”

Tim lowered his eyelids at Pat. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

In a sultry voice, Pat answered, “It means what you think it means, cutie,” before reaching over to gently stroke the top of Tim’s belly.

Tim froze at the unexpected touch, before Pat’s continued caresses knocked him out of it. Pat’s advances didn’t exactly make him uncomfortable, but it wasn’t something he was ready for. Blanking at what to say, he managed to blurt out, “What’s it to you?”, before sitting up straight and retreating away from Pat.

“It’d be a shame for you not too, is all,” Pat said, leaning back himself until he was at a distance that Tim found more comfortable. “Going to a place famous for its food and only getting coffee?”

“Ah, well…”

“Besides, what’s the harm if you’re not paying?”

“Are you… offering to buy me food?”

“Well, I can’t buy you a drink here,” Pat chuckled. “Not a hard one, anyway. What do you like to eat?”

“I like pizza,” Tim answered meekly.

“What toppings do you like?”

“Extra cheese is fine.”

As quickly as he’d arrived, Pat stood up and went to the counter. Waiting in line, he occasionally looked back at Tim with lowered eyelids and a wide smile. Tim tried to smile back, in spite of still not knowing what was going on. He suspected Pat was interested in him, though he didn’t want to be presumptuous. But why he was trying to woo Tim with pizza was still a mystery. Still, he figured, at least he’d get a free meal out of it.

Once Pat had put in his order, he came back to the couch and sat next to Tim. “So, how’d you end up here?”

“A friend recommended it.” In a quieter voice, he admitted, “I, uh, haven’t had much luck in the dating department lately. He said I might have better luck here.”

“Oh, honey. A beefcake like you having a hard time finding a date? Those boys don’t know what they’re missing out on.”

Tim couldn’t help but chuckle at Pat’s praise. “Yeah, yeah.”

“I mean it!”

Tim chuckled again, a bit more uncertain than before, starting to wonder if Pat really meant what he said. “You serious?”

“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Pat teased, his hands slinking back to Tim’s belly before gently stroking it down the side. Tim watched tensely as Pat traced his heft, lovingly circling his fingertips around Tim’s stomach as he looked on with eyelids lowered. He was like a movie villain admiring a priceless artifact before he absconded away with it. And Tim still wasn’t sure why Pat would look at him like something so valuable.

“You think… I’m hot?”

“You think I’m lying?” Pat asked, sounding genuinely surprised. “Why would I lie?” he chuckled. “So I can rub my hands along someone whom I don’t find attractive? Who benefits from that?”

“Well…” Pat’s tone had been one of amusement, but he did have a point. “I guess I’m… just not used to this kind of attention.”

“Get used to it, honey. You’re going to get a lot of it in a place like this.”

Looking around, Tim couldn’t deny that he did have a lot in common visually with much of the clientele there, and a lot of them were getting plenty of attention themselves. Maybe it was something in the water, having an effect like beer goggles. “What is it about this place, then?”

“Pardon?”

“What is it about this place that makes a guy like me… desirable?”

Pat let out a single high-pitched laugh before he answered, “It’s not the place, you silly goose. It’s the people it attracts.”

“Then what is it about the people?”

“We just so happen to like men who are built for comfort rather than speed or strength, is all.”

“You… oh!” Tim blurted out.

“Now he gets it,” Pat said as he resumed rubbing Tim’s belly.

In a sense, he was right. Tim understood that Big Boy’s catered to chubby chasers and the guys they like. And he understood why Pete had recommended he give it a visit. He still didn’t understand what someone like Pat saw in him, but it was easier to understand all the attention Pat was giving him. Apparently that’s just what Pat was into.

“Large extra cheese pizza for Pat!” one of the guys behind the counter called out.

“That’s all for you, big guy,” Pat said with a grin, before he hopped up from the couch and strolled toward the counter. He came back with a metal tray in his hands bearing a pizza that must have been two feet wide, larger than any large Tim had seen before.

“That’s the large?”

“Is it enough?” Pat asked with genuine concern.

“‘Is it enough’,” Tim repeated, flabbergasted. “I figured it must be an extra-large or something. That’s huge!”

“Oh no, the extra large is much bigger than this. That one’s meant to feed a crowd.”

“And this one isn’t?”

“Maybe a crowd of two or three, or one hungry fat boy,” Pat added with a smirk and an eyebrow raise as he put the pizza down on the table.

Tim took a moment before he could reply, still adjusting to being called “fat” as a compliment. “I think you’re overestimating my appetite.”

“If that’s the case, you can take the rest home,” Pat assured him as he sat back down. “But there’s only one way to find out.”

“I guess,” Tim sighed. “Where are the plates?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Pat assured him as he picked up a slice. The cheese pulls extended over a foot before they snapped and hung from the slice like tinsel. After folding the slice in half lengthwise, Pat said, “Open up.”

Before Tim could ask what Pat meant, he found the slice of pizza shoved in his mouth nearly as far as it would go. He took a bite and closed his lips, which thankfully prompted Pat to pull the slice away. Covering his mouth as he chewed, Tim found the pizza quite delicious, with plenty of cheese for his liking. But once he finished his bite, he kept his mouth covered as he asked, “What was that about?”

“The feeding?”

“Yeah, you feeding me the pizza.”

“Did you not enjoy it?”

It wasn’t the question Tim was expecting. As he pondered his answer, he realized that he did actually enjoy it. It made him feel like a king whose every need was being tended to by someone else. “I mean, I did, but… maybe don’t be so aggressive about it?”

“You got it,” Pat said with a smile, before holding the slice up at a non-threatening distance from Tim’s mouth. “When you’re ready for more, open up.”

After a smile slowly spread across Tim’s face, he opened his mouth, and Pat slid the slice in gently. Tim took a manageable bite and closed his mouth, prompting Pat to pull the slice away. The whole setup was much more enjoyable that way, with Tim able to savor the decadent meal properly now that he didn’t feel pressured to wolf it down.

Once he finished his bite, Tim asked, “What do you like about… bigger guys?” before opening up for more.

“You know, you’re not the first person to ask me that, but to be honest, I don’t have a good answer. It’s just as natural to me as liking muscular or skinny guys is to other folks.”

“So you’ve always liked bigger guys?”

“Yep. And you definitely fit the profile,” Tim said with lowered eyelids and a smile.

“At least there’s one thing I can fit into,” Tim chuckled. Normally he would have muttered it unhappily, but he found himself taking a new sort of light-heartedness toward his size.

“Mmm,” Pat replied with raised eyebrows.

Conversation remained light between the two as Pat kept feeding Tim the pizza. Around when they started the third slice, Tim had managed to relax and enjoy the situation. He leaned back on the couch and smiled as Pat made sure he didn’t have to lift a finger to enjoy his food. He hadn’t experienced anything quite like it before, but that wasn’t inherently a bad thing.

“Enjoying yourself?” Pat asked.

“Oh yes,” Tim replied, eyes closing slightly like a content cat.

“Savor this last one, then,” Pat said as he picked up a slice.

“Last one?” Tim asked. As he looked down at the tray, he saw Pat had indeed picked up the last slice of pizza. “Did I really eat all of that?”

“You sure did,” Pat said, sounding proud of him.

Tim looked down at the empty tray with furrowed brows. The most slices of pizza he could remember eating at one time was four. The fact that he’d finished seven was unbelievable. At least, it would have been, if he didn’t quickly become aware of just how full he was. “Oof,” he grunted, as the tightness of his stomach came into sharp focus.

“You just noticed?” Pat chuckled.

“I guess I just… got distracted? Lost track?”

“Mmm,” Pat said with a pleased tone, rubbing Tim’s belly even more affectionately than he had before. “Think you’ve got it in you to finish the last piece?”

“I’m already full,” Tim laughed.

“Why let that stop you?” Pat asked, his eyelids lowered as his mouth curled into a smile.

Looking at the slice still in Pat’s hand, Tim raised his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side. “It is really good.”

“Good enough to eat seven slices of,” Pat confirmed, coaxing a chuckle out of Tim. “What’s one more?”

Pulling in the sides of his mouth, Tim mulled the question over, before he shrugged and opened his mouth. He’d already managed the other seven slices. No sense bringing just one home.

Pat gently slipped the tip of the slice into Tim’s mouth, before Tim took a bite and started munching. He ate the last slice casually, taking his time to savor the thick layer of cheese on top. Not that he had much choice; he was too full to wolf it down. Still, he ate steadily, until the last of the slice had disappeared into his mouth.

“Atta’boy,” Pat said quietly.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Tim mumbled through a mouth full of pizza, “I’m sorry?”

“You finished the whole thing!” Pat enthused, as if it answered Tim’s question.

“Did you say ‘atta’boy’?”

“Yeah,” Pat said, his inflection demonstrating that it seemed perfectly normal to him.

“Why?”

“Because you finished the whole thing,” Pat said, a bit of impatience sneaking into his voice from having to answer what seemed to him like an obvious question.

“But why would you say ‘atta’boy’ to that?”

“So many questions with you,” Pat sighed. “Why do I like looking at you? Why do I think you’re hot? Why praise you for finishing a whole pizza? Have you ever gotten a compliment in your life?”

“Well, yes, but… not for finishing a whole large pizza on my own.”

“That’s because people are foolish. It’s not easy to eat that much. They should recognize that.”

“I… guess.”

“Anyway, would you still like me to rub your belly for you?”

“Uh… yes,” Tim admitted.

With a smile, Pat leaned in and rubbed his hand in slow circles around the top of Tim’s gut. As good as they had felt before, Pat’s belly rubs felt even better now that Tim was stuffed. As Pat’s expert hands glided over the top of Tim’s belly, Tim felt the tight unpleasantness of his stuffed stomach lessening. There was a palpable sense of relief as Pat worked Tim’s big belly over, one that Tim was quite grateful for.

“Feeling better?”

“Mmhm,” Tim answered quietly, nodding his head in lazy contentment.