Thanks to Alix for editing this story, to Kenjisato for spotting a few more errors and to Qetesh for consulting.
The German version of this story is posted in German Literotica as Leidenschaftlicher Gewichtsverlust by Egon Hoppe.
Maggie was shocked when Scott came home.
"Wow! Let me take a good look. My little brother is a hunk again."
Scott ignored her words, dropped his briefcase, gave her a quick hug and ran up the stairs.
Maggie turned to Phoebe, "What happened?"
"I thought you'd be surprised. I'll tell you more later. Scott is sensitive about it, so don't say anything in front of him."
"Why should he be sensitive? He should be proud. What happened to his belly? He must be on a diet. Is it the keto diet?"
"It's similar, but more complicated. I'll explain, but not tonight. Please believe me that he doesn't want to talk about it."
***************
It was a whirlwind stopover for Maggie. As CCO of a large hotel chain, she was in town for business but preferred to stay with her brother and sister-in-law rather than at one of the company's properties. She usually she managed to add a couple of personal days when she came, but this time she had to return to headquarters in a few days, so she barely spent any time with Scott and Phoebe.
The three had a quick breakfast together each day; but after that, Maggie had nonstop meetings into the evenings. When she came home, she was so drained she could barely manage a few pleasantries before she crept off to bed. It wasn't until the day she was leaving that she and Phoebe finally had lunch.
"Now tell me about Scott," Maggie demanded after she and Phoebe had ordered their salads.
"Did I ever tell you about the cho alarm?" Phoebe asked.
"Only a little. I didn't understand much, except that it was top secret. Is that connected to Scott's weight loss?"
"Yes. We finally managed to miniaturize the alarm, so it can be incorporated into a fitness watch, a smart phone -- even a necklace."
"Why is it called a cho alarm?
"It comes from CHO, carbon, hydrogren and oxygen, the elements in carbohydrates."
"Are you allowed to tell me how it works?"
"If I tell you, I'll have to kill you."
They both laughed.
"There have already been a few leaks," Phoebe said, "and everyone in the health tech industry has heard rumors by now. I know you won't share this with anyone, and you won't buy any shares in my company for the same reason Scott and I don't buy shares in yours."
"Yes, yes, I know. It could be embarrassing if we bought stock just before it made a big jump."
"That's it exactly. If this thing works, our company could go off the charts."
"Wow! So, explain what it does."
"It's a carbohydrate sniffer. When the sensors detect the presence of carbs, they generate a barely detectable electrical impulse. That's the real breakthrough by the physicists. All I did is develop the app for the tiny chip that goes with it."
"How does it work?"
"Let's say you're wearing a smart cho watch. My program can make the watch warn you that you're about to eat something you are trying to avoid. It can play sounds, but most users will use the vibrate option, so nobody else will know they are watching their carbs."
"Oh my god! That's crazy. Can you get me one? I'm already counting my steps. If I can keep track of my carbs, too, it would be amazing."
"We're still in the testing stage, and we're working on how to reduce the cost. It's more than ten thousand dollars now, so nobody is going to buy it."
"I get it. Scott is testing one of your gadgets. Why would he be sensitive about that?"
"You're right that he's wearing a cho alarm, but he's not part of the official testing program because he's not motivated."
"What do you mean?"
"When we start licensing to manufacturers, they will sell the watches, bracelets and necklaces to people like us, or people in weight-loss programs, or buyers of diet books -- in other words, people who spend money to control their weight. Scott isn't like that."
"I know he's stubborn," Maggie said. "Our parents, friends and I have been hinting that he's getting rotund, but he resents anyone suggesting what he should do. He's always been that way."
"That's exactly it. The funny thing is, I found out that at work, he's the opposite. He's known as a collaborative executive, who's extremely sensitive to what his subordinates think, and open to suggestions.
"It doesn't carry over into his private life. I've worked at being subtle. I never say anything straight out, but even when I got rid of every bit of unhealthy food in the house, and made sure our meals are nutritious, as well as delicious, he ignored his weight gain.
"I think it's partly because he's gained only a few pounds a year. He also plays golf every weekend. But he used to play tennis, too. I think he stopped because it was getting too hard to run with the extra fat.
"Your attitude is completely different from your brother's. I know you haven't had time to work out during this visit, but I'll bet that as soon as you're home, you'll be on your treadmill."
"I can't wait," Maggie said. "I'm feeling so sluggish right now."
"I know how you feel. After I work out, I'm invigorated and in a great mood. I can't say I love exercising, but it's worth it because of the way I feel when I'm finished."
"That's just the way I am!" Maggie exclaimed.
"I wish Scott felt that way, too."
"You know, Dennis is like Scott in that way," Maggie said as she stroked her chin with her index finger. "He worries me because he's so lackadaisical about health and fitness. He's been gaining weight, too."
"I think women have been raised to be more concerned about how they look to others," Phoebe said. "I know that when I'm in shape, nothing seems to bother me. When I'm not, I'm moody. Whether it's societal or hereditary, we're programmed to be self-conscious about fat."
"If I gain a few pounds, I'm embarrassed," Maggie said.
"The funny thing is that Scott hates to be embarrassed," Phoebe said. "He will go to any lengths to avoid being put in an awkward situation. Unfortunately, looking pudgy didn't bother him.
"I know he is proud of how I look. I can tell he loves it when someone compliments him on my looks, and he even enjoys it when a man flirts with me before he realizes Scott is my husband."
"Dennis is the same way."
"I think some of the men who came on to me looked at Scott and realized I was embarrassed about how he looked. They thought that gave them a chance. Scott didn't have a clue.
"It came down to the fact that if I looked dumpy, it would bother him. But he didn't care that I was bothered by how he looked. That's why wearing a cho alarm would normally have no effect on him."