Darlene didn't bother with clothes.
"Come on," she said, "you have me starved, all that energy we used up."
I pulled on my clothes as she stood, kind of spectacular really in nothing but her flip-flops.
I was starting to get used to the place I suppose. Anyway, I didn't feel odd walking across the open area to the main building with its dining hall with a large naked woman on my arm. Well, with a beautiful combination woman on my arm, so slender from the waist up but so huge below.
We ran into Oliver on the way in.
"Hi Dave," he said in that casual way of greeting, one man to another, "and hello gorgeous," he said to Darlene, his full attention on her.
I smiled and thought, "Good job."
She giggled, obviously enjoying the attention and he said, "May I escort you to dinner? Maxine has been looking for Dave here."
She looked at me, her smile showing she liked the attention, and asked, "Would you mind?"
I kissed her hand, kissed her mouth, and released her.
"You kids don't do anything I wouldn't do," I said.
She giggled.
As they started to move toward the dining hall I felt a bump in the back of my leg.
Maxine was smiling up at me from the seat of her mobility scooter.
"Feed me, handsome," she said and when she smiled she was kind of pretty, "then you promised to take care of me."
I smiled down at her and said, "Come on, good lookin'."
She took my right hand with her left, leaving her right hand free to operate the little joystick on the arm of the scooter, and led me to the table.
Dinner was served family style, with platters heaping.
"Oh, yummy, meatloaf," she said.
I loaded a plate for her, meatloaf, two big slices, mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn, something that I might have had at my grandmother's house. I filled a small bowl with a salad too.
She made no move to reach for a knife, fork, or napkin and it was pretty obvious that she meant it when she said "Feed me."
So I tied the big napkin around her neck, like a bib under her chin, and offered a forkful of lettuce and tomato liberally soaked in French dressing.
"Salad," she said, giggling, "ewwww."
I laughed and brushed the salad against her lips.
"Eat your greens, Maxine," I said.
She scrunched up her face and then opened her mouth.
I quickly discovered that feeding a fat girl is an intimacy that is truly special. I loved watching her face as she would take the next bite, her eyes closed as she savored the new taste.
When her plate was empty, and it had been a fully loaded plate, she surprised me by saying, "Seconds, please."
So I reloaded the plate.
As I looked around the table I saw that five of the staff, the two handymen, the two counselors, and Greg, were all feeding one of the girls. The others had pretty much paired off and were feeding each other. It was obvious that meals were a time for celebration of size, and I heartily approved. Greg was making Darlene peep like a bird for each bite, drawing giggles around the table.
Maxine was finally winding down as I forked another big bite of mashed potatoes suffused with corn into her mouth.
"Finish your plate," I said, "there are children starving in Africa," I added, mirroring one of my great-grandmother's favorite admonitions.
She giggled and said, "I always finish my plate."
"Dessert?" I asked as she swallowed the last bite.
"You know it," she said.
So I looked at the dessert table, selected a big piece of Cherry cobbler, added a double scoop of ice cream, and fed that to her as well.
Along the way I had cadged about one bite to every four of hers and I was stuffed.
She was full too, and that big piece of cobbler took a while to get into her. Meanwhile, I enjoyed the casual banter around the table. These were women who were obviously comfortable in their size and who enjoyed each other as well as the men.
"Hey, Dave," a big brunette across the table called, I dug into my memory banks but just could not come up with a name, "I'm hungry too."
"Hush now, Brenda," Maxine said, filling in the blank for me, "he's taking care of me tonight. Put in your order for tomorrow."
Brenda laughed and said, "Hey, Dave, breakfast tomorrow?"
I flashed my best grin and said, "It's a date, what time?"
"The crack of nine," she said and I gave her thumbs up.
Maxine's pudgy fingers covered mine and she said, "Now, handsome, I need someone to take care of my itches."
"I will follow you, beautiful," I said, standing. I gathered up plates and silverware, took them over to the big tub into which I had seen others putting their dirty dishes, and added mine to the pile.
And then I jogged to catch up with her as the scooter was humming through the front entrance.
"What's the hurry?" I asked.
"Davey," she said, not slowing or even looking up at me, "this ITCHES."
So I walked along beside her to the other cabin and then into her suite.
In her front room, I watched, curious to see how she handled things, as she slowly swung her legs around and very carefully got her feet on the floor. She rocked twice and then stood. I moved, thinking I might need to steady her but she got upright okay.
She turned then, slow and ponderous, to face me, smiled, and pulled the oversize sack dress, too shapeless to be called a muumuu, up and over her head.
Okay, I stared.