Theo clasped hands with Chad in a manly bro-shake.  “What’s up,” he chimed in his confident baritone.

“ ‘Sup,” Chad replied.

Theo glanced at the clock.  “Early as usual.  Good man.  I marked a couple extra tasks for you to complete before closing.”

Chad scanned the clipboard Theo handed him.  He nodded.  “You got it.”

Theo rapped his knuckles on the counter.  “If you’ve got things under control here, I’ll hit the weights.”

“Sure.  You’re the boss.”

Yes he was.  First in command; head of this branch.  Trusted enough by Corporate to basically run things however he saw fit.  Not bad, for having moved here just two years prior.

Handing over the keys to Chad, he rubbed his hands together and looked out across the gym floor.  There was a respectable number of clients in the gym right now, but a set of free weights was available.  He happened to move toward it at the same time as a customer.  The man, a wiry 5’10” or less, took one look at Theo’s 6’6” frame and his layer upon layer of muscle; and, like a skittish doe, he quickly averted his gaze and veered right, pretending he’d been heading for the situp bench all along.  Pfft.  This was exactly the sort of beta-male behavior that irritated Theo.  Not every man was a Theo; but still, have some self-respect!

Loud, punchy music filled the room as he crossed over to the weights then, with a smirk, took off his shirt and his work pants covering his athletic shorts beneath.  As he got into it with a tough set of arm curls, it was no surprise when one of the two ladies nearby slapped her friend on the arm and nodded in his direction.  Exchanging coquettish laughs and knowing smiles, they sauntered forth for a better view, their smoldering eyes settling on his rippling chest.

These two had been here before – coming just to watch him, for all he knew.  They wouldn’t have been the first.  He tacked some additional plates then, throwing some powder onto his hands, he took his stance, heaved the heavy bar off the floor, and thrust it up to his shoulders.

The ladies murmured in approval.  A few other pairs of eyes around the gym turned to watch, as moments later he piled on another hundred pounds on each side.  “Holy hell,” he heard a guy to his left mutter, in reaction to Theo’s 490 pound deadlift.

A smirk crossed Theo’s lips as he glided through one workout and another with methodical rhythm.  This was his Zen; his most natural state.  The poised thrill of being completely in his element.

Minutes later, wiping the sweat from his brow, he tossed the towel aside and strutted past the two babes still watching with close intent.  “Ladies,” his smooth baritone voice hummed, making them practically purr with pleasure.

“Heyyy, Theo,” said the blonde, slinking toward him.  “I’m Julie.”  Damn—she was tall, for a woman.  5’10”, maybe 5’11”?  Strap some heels on her, and he wouldn’t even have to stoop to take her breath away with a kiss.  Taller women always held a special fascination for him.  They seemed more of a challenge; less overawed by his size.  Making him work a little harder to get them.  And the reward, in his experience, was very much worth the effort.

“And I’m Zoe,” the brunette next to her chimed.  Mmm, but the petite ones had so much to offer too.  The wide-eyed excitement in her gaze, the twitch of her lips as they curled into a hopeful, eager smile.  He could almost hear her breathless moans already…

His brow arched cockily.  “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“We hear you’re quite the personal trainer,” Julie purred.

Ah.  “I am,” he smoothly affirmed.  He stretched his arms behind his head, well aware of the ladies’ gaze.  Although running the gym occupied much of his time nowadays, he still lent his long-honed trainer expertise now and then—if the pay was right.

The blonde continued, “We were wondering if you’d like to … train … us.”  She batted her eyes up at him.  “Personally.”

He laughed.  Women weren’t often this forward.

“It’ll be fun,” Zoe chimed sultrily, resting her hand on his arm.

Theo smiled smoothly.  “What would my girlfriend say, ladies?”

“She doesn’t have to know,” Zoe purred.

Hmph.  He knew his boundaries.  That didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little more fun, though.  Swiftly he wrapped his arms around the two ladies’ slender waists and lifted him easily off the ground in tandem.  They both yelped in surprise and grinned broadly.

“Tempting,” he said to them, “believe me.  But I must decline.”

He set them down by the front desk, amidst their disappointed sighs.  “Have a good day, ladies,” he told them—chuckling not because he enjoyed letting ladies down, but because he had something even better waiting for him back home.

* * *

Elaine, as usual, went off on him like a firecracker the moment he stepped in the door.  “What the hell, Theo?  I asked you to take a load down to the recycling center today.  Look at all this crap piling up!”

Theo cracked an amused smile.  “You moved in just two weeks ago, and already you’re trying to run things around here.”

“I—“

“Take it easy,” he quipped.  “No need to blow a fuse over it.”

“Excuse me!?” the petite brunette roared up at him, small hands on her bony hips.  He started past her, and she punched his arm as hard as she could—simply to get his attention.  “Don’t blow me off!” she steamed.  “You didn’t help clean up, either!  I can’t do everything around here!”

“Can’t you ask Jen to help more?” he replied rationally.

The little pixie threw her hands in the air.  “She’s not my daughter!  And you know damned well that’s not the point!!  I had a hard day at work, and people gave me crap all afternoon, and now I come home and—“

He took his shirt off, revealing a sea of glistening muscle.

“And…” Elaine said slowly, her eyes drifting down.  She snapped out of it and glared up at him.  “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

“What?  I’m still a little sweaty from work.”  He made sure to flex as he tossed the damp shirt aside and turned to her.

“That’s … hey … stop that,” she protested, eyes gravitating to his muscles.

“Hmph.”  He shrugged and drew closer, propping his hand on the wall above her head as he leaned over her.  “Is there a problem?” he asked cockily.

Her face flushed.  “I hate when you do this.”  Her eyes flitted down to his six pack, then his pecs.

“Do what?” he teased.

“Screw you,” she said, then sighed.

Theo drew his head down closer to her.  “Baby, we got the house to ourselves for another hour.  You really wanna waste it talking?”

She bit her lip.  “I hate you,” she reiterated, half-heartedly.  As he brought his lips closer to hers, she put her hand up.  “This isn’t over,” she insisted.  “Afterwards, we’re still—“

His hand ran through her hair, making her sigh softly.

“We’re still … going to … talk about …”

Her voice gave out as her hulking husband cupped his hand behind her head and effortlessly pulled her forward.  He bent and kissed her deeply, expertly.  A flood of desire took hold, but her hand on his solid chest convinced him to pause.

“Wait,” she said breathily.  “Bedroom.  Five minutes.”

“Or I could have you now,” he deeply hummed.

Elaine bit her lip and slipped away, looking back at him briefly.  “Two minutes,” she conceded, before flitting into the bedroom.

She was still readying herself when her boyfriend barged in right at the appointed time.  One look at her in her sheer lingerie set his eyes aflame.  He gazed greedily, admiringly, then swiftly closed the distance and swept her high off the floor.

Elaine’s heart fluttered.  There was no feeling in the world like it: being completely under his power, helpless to his whims.  All the strength in her body could hardly have budged even one finger of her grip … Not that she wanted him to.  She loved everything he did.  Every—

She yelped as he spun toward the bed and flung her savagely onto it.  Her pupils narrowed and she clutched the bed in anticipation, instinctively spreading her legs as Theo descended onto her.  His hand crashing down beside her sent shockwaves through the mattress; she gasped as his free hand roamed her leg, her torso, her breast.  So coarse and rugged was his skin, yet so gentle and expert his touch.  Confident.  Possessive.

He yanked her hair back, making her gasp in excited fright.  He kissed her deeply, stoking her passions, spurring her to unfasten his belt with frantic haste.  Soon his pants came free, and the sight of his rigid pole set her aflame with breathless awe.  A familiar, irrepressible anxiety took hold of Elaine as his beautiful cock lowered toward her, the tip of it toying with her swollen clit.  Her fingers clutched the sheets already, bracing.  He wouldn’t possibly fit inside her!  She always felt that way at first; and yet--

Her cry pierced the air as even his initial probe filled her as much as she could take.  And when he pressed even deeper…

Theo smiled ravenously as his lover threw her head back and shrieked again in passion.  Many a woman had Theo conquered; and many more, after he moved on from Elaine.  All had been awed by him in their own way.  But none were quite so awed, so overwhelmed, as the petite ones.  Like Elaine.  The ones who quaked in his presence and held on for dear life, utterly enraptured, as he had his way.  Such a thrill it was, to see that look in her eyes.  Something he could never live without.

His every thrust commanded her response--each one shriller than the last.  Her head rolled back and her toes curled, as a wicked smile played across his lips.

* * *

Theo breathed deeply, a satisfied smile on his face as he gazed at his lover’s disheveled hair and flushed red cheeks.  She clutched the bedsheets, then his arm, sighing.  “We should get dressed,” she finally gathered the will to say.

Theo grunted in reluctant agreement.  His daughter, Jen, would be home from her track and field practice at any moment.  Getting dressed, he picked up his phone—and found an unusual news alert.

“Theo?”

He frowned and turned on the TV.

“… not a hoax.  The World Health Organization has confirmed: inexplicable and rapid height loss in adult men; height gain in adult women--often several inches in just the last few weeks, with additional change in body mass as well.”

“What in the…?”

“Scientists have yet to identify the cause of what has been so far been dubbed the Emerging Gender-Specific Auxological Disorder.”

“EGAD.”

“EGAD, indeed.”

Elaine's eyes were wide.  “Growing?  Shrinking?  But that’s impossible,” uttered Elaine.

Theo said nothing and turned up the volume.

* * *

Theo looked up to find Chad walking into the gym, fresh off a two-month vacation to visit family.  Seeing him now, it was hard not to cringe.

“Chad … what’s up?” Theo greeted, trying to sound normal.

“Everything,” his coworker replied dourly.  “Everything is ‘up’.”  He tilted his head up toward Theo pointedly.  “Lucky you.”

Ouch.  “I’m dropping too,” Theo pointed out.  “Four inches, since you last saw me.”

“A half foot, for me.”  Chad shook his head.  “Half a freaking foot.”

So they were both unlucky, then.  Or unluckier than most.  Three inches was about the average; but some men had hardly shrunk at all, while others had shrunk six inches, eight inches…

“Probably just means you’ll stop shrinking sooner,” Theo opined.

Chad scoffed.  Yes, doctors believed the changes would stop eventually—but when?  And how small would men get?  No one knew.

Theo tried to ask about Chad’s vacation, but Chad didn’t bite.  After sulking a bit, though, he spoke up.  “Where the hell is everybody?  It’s usually packed this time of day.”

Yeah… “We’ve lost customers,” Theo admitted.  “Lots of them.”

Chad frowned.  “Shouldn’t guys be working out harder than ever?”

“They were, for a while.  But I guess they gave up.”

“Gave up?!”  Chad banged his fist on the counter.  “Cowards.”

Theo grunted in agreement.  It was demoralizing to lift weights every day but still lose muscle mass.  Theo had stuck with it ferociously.  Chad no doubt had too –although, geez, he looked soft.

“I mean, what is this?” Chad fumed.  “There’s as many girls lifting weights as guys!”

Indeed, about a half dozen of each.  Pretty typical nowadays: oftentimes women who once frequented the ellipticals were as likely now to be found with their hands wrapped around barbells.  And many of the men, perhaps in self-consciousness or wounded pride, steered increasingly away from the clang and clamor of weights in favor of the calmer privacy of treadmills and stationary bikes.

At least, that was Theo’s theory.  And really, most patrons got along just fine.  Generally, civility reigned.  Except for a few bad seeds who…

“Oh hell.”

Chad jerked his head and was just about to ask—when the front doors slammed open.  “HELLO, BOYS!!” a deep female voice called.

“MISS US??” another chimed.

Theo cursed under his breath as the two thick, athletic women strolling in like they owned the place.

“Howdy, fellas,” the bigger of the two blathered, sizing Theo up as she sauntered past.  “Got you by, what, two inches now?”

Theo felt a now all too familiar tingle down his spine.  It’d been a month ago, the first time he’d ever seen a woman taller than him.  The sight of it still felt so strange.  Confusing.  Uncanny.  It left even proud Theo speechless for a moment before he composed himself.  “Ronda,” he replied frigidly.  “Lynn.”

The other woman, barely any shorter, shot him a cocky wink before her gaze swept across the floor.  “Any of you boys wanna help with some workouts?  Hmm?!?”

Lynn laughed.  “Or maybe stand back and watch – wouldn’t want you lil’ guys to strain yourselves!”

Theo watched Chad’s eyes enflame; and before he could stop him, his coworker stormed out from the desk to intercept them.  “Hey!  Watch your tone!” Chad barked.  But as the two ladies approached him, stopping just inches away, he appeared to realize his miscalculation.

“’Watch our tone’?” Lynn scoffed, as her chin hovered just higher than the top of Chad’s head.

The even taller Ronda snorted.  “You new here, short stuff?”

Chad’s jaw worked up and down, flustered by how close these two had planted themselves; by how thick their torsos were and how meaty their arms.  They must have each had, what, eighty pounds on him?  And it certainly wasn’t flab.

“I’ve worked here for two years,” Chad countered staunchly.  “But if you keep that attitude up, you won’t be allowed in here for another two seconds.”

Ronda’s brows rose comically.  “Take it easy, fella!  We’re just havin’ fun.”

“Here,” said Lynn, reaching for the rack nearby.  “We’ll get right to our workout, hon, if you could help carry this?”  She dropped a 45-pound plate into his hands.  “And this?”  A second one.  “Aaand…”

“That’s enough!” Theo barked, as the third plate clanked down and nearly toppled the struggling Chad over!  His body stooped; his arms shook... until Ronda swooped in.

“Tsk… Lynn, you know that’s too much for him to handle,” the woman chortled, her biceps bunching but not shaking as she carried them away.

Theo clenched his fists.  “You ladies—!“

“We’ll be good, stud!” Lynn called back at him with a flippant wave.

Theo cussed under his breath.  Chad, rubbing his shoulders a moment, stopped and scowled.  “Who the hell—“

“Ignore them,” Theo counseled.

“Ignore them? Bro: kick them out!”

Sigh.  “I can’t.”

Chad reeled.  “What?”

Theo leaned on the desk with a heavy shake of his head.  “You’ve heard there’s new leadership at Corporate?”

“Yeah.  Some woman’s the new CEO, right?  And she hired a bunch of female execs?”

Theo nodded.  “The ‘landscape is shifting’, they say.  Women are ‘flocking to gyms in unprecedented numbers’, they say.  We need to ‘stay ahead of it’ … ‘remain competitive’ … keep an ‘agile mindset’…”

“Corporate bullcrap.”

“Right.  But they’re serious about it.  I gave Ronda and Lynn a warning twice; and the third day I kicked them out.  And they promptly called the main office.  Next thing I know, our new regional manager Alicia calls me on the phone and says I need to ‘find a way to accommodate them’.”

“She let them back in??”

“Let them in?  She gave them a two-month free membership!”

“Dude!  Holy--!  Are you kidding me?!”

“No joke.”

They watched the two women crowd around a male customer and pester him into vacating the arm press machine.  Chad waved his arms irately.  “But we’re losing guys because of it!”

Theo sighed.  “Doesn’t matter.  All the big gym companies are bending over backwards trying to become the place for women, thinking they can hit it big.  I guess they’re willing to lose male customers along the way.”

“That’s a terrible idea!  Man, if that’s how it is… I don’t know if this is a place I wanna work anymore!”

“You mean quit?  … Yeah, that’s occurred to me too.”

Before they could mull further, Ronda’s infuriating voice rang through the gym: “BOOM!  Take that, sucka!”  Her upraised elbow nearly whacked an innocent bystander’s face as she gloated at the man she’d kicked off the machine.  “Fifty pounds?  Turns out I coulda beat you by seventy!”

“New record for you, ain’t it?” Lynn chimed, over the hapless man’s head.

“Damn right it is!  … Ooooh, looks like we’re in trouble…”

Theo, approaching, shot Ronda a withering glare – one that, in times gone by, would have made anyone think twice.  Today, it prompted only a laugh.

“You’re up, stud,” she challenged, pointing to the leg press.  “Oh—unless you’re chicken?”

Chicken?  That’s the last thing Theo was.  But he was also an employee, and needed this job, and—

“Bawk Bawk Bawk!”

Oh damn.  It nearly worked.  He nearly ripped off his shirt and put this big bimbo in her place, but…

“You’re not worth it,” he growled, walking away under a chorus of snickers.

* * *

Theo went right to Elaine when she got home, gliding in for a boldly dauntless kiss…

…which she, frustratingly, almost immediately withdrew from.  “Whoa… hold on,” she beseeched.

“Why?” he pressed.  “Why wait?”  He knew how much she enjoyed romantic persistence, how easily she was won over with stalwart confidence and—

“Not now,” she maintained, slipping away with surprising abruptness.

Confounded, he eyed her closely as she cross the room.  Today she looked particularly fetching in her pink, fitted dress.  She used to be so petite; now she was much lankier, longer-legged.  More like a runway model.  It had taken some getting used to at first, but by now he definitely saw the benefits to it.

“I had a rough day at work,” she intoned, taking off her earrings and letting down her hair.

In months past, this would be his cue.  Even today, he decided to risk it.  “Sorry to hear that, babe,” he said, dropping his tone a little more, down to his old husky baritone, as he stepped forward.

“Gerald has been hounding me all week about those quarterly reports.  And Stephanie’s being such a pill.”  Her tired hands massaged her temples wearily.

“Anything I can do to make you feel better?” he hummed, drawing closer to her firm backside, her deliciously tapered waist.

“No.”  She sighed.  “Just need some time to relax and unwind.”

His cocky grin returned as he readied to embrace her soft shoulders and delicate neck.  “I could help you unwind…”

Finally catching his drift, she swung suddenly around.  “Hey—seriously?” she huffed.  “Is that all you can ever think about?  Sex?”

He blinked.  Once, that was all she ever thought about.  The right look from him would send her into excited shivers; the right look would make her swoon.  Nowadays, he had to try so much harder; and even then…

“But you look so good, babe,” he coaxed, posing, flexing his not inconsiderable guns…

She scoffed and rolled her eyes!  “I’m not in the mood,” she declared firmly.  Only at the door did she pause and glance back.  “Maybe later,” she tersely conceded on her way out.

Maybe?  Pshht.  Of course they would.  He was still a stud!  Although, it had to be said: the sex lately was not quite what it once was.  And happened less frequently.  Elaine claimed she was ‘still getting used to things’; that this whole situation still felt ‘a little strange.’  But he was beginning to wonder if those feelings of hers would ever really go away.

Eight inches.  Seventy-five pounds.  That was the toll so far, six months in.  This was hardly atypical; all men had lost roughly this amount, give or take.  But while so many of them seemed content to ‘accept it’ and ‘make do’, Theo Atwater could not!  For him, every missing pound was a bitter affront, every inch an insult.  His pride would not permit him to sit back and do nothing!

And perhaps his investment had paid off after all.  Maybe his arms were a bit bulkier today as they swung at his side; perhaps a touch more liveliness in his legs as he crossed the basement floor with brisk purpose.  The bottle had stated he was “guaranteed to see results by the fifth day”; so the lack of gains the last few days meant nothing.  Today, Day 5, was the only one that mattered.

Damn… eight inches might not sound like all that much, until you’re staring up at your old height markings on the wall.  And today the old six foot six line still looked as high and unattainable as ever.  But wars were not won in a day.  Even if the pills only gained him a fraction of an inch each day, he’d get there eventually.

The pencil marking from yesterday stood just a hair’s breadth above the 5’10” line.  Turning, straightening, lining up the measurement with methodical care, he made the familiar *scritch scritch* of pencil against tape then quickly spun around to observe.

Not one mil higher.  No increase at all.

Confounded, incensed, he marched onto the scale.  Height wasn’t everything.  His weight might still be—

“A half-pound lighter?!”

The pencil sailed across the room.  The empty bottle followed it a moment later, clattering off the wall amidst a colorful flurry of curses.  ‘EZ-Max Special Grow, for Men!’­—sure, it was the sketchiest-sounding one yet, but still friggin’ worth a shot!  And yet again, he’d gotten his hopes up, too.

As he angrily looked for something else to throw, footsteps thudded on the top of the stairs above.  A pair of ankles and three-inch black heels came into view.  “Theo?” called the already-impatient Lola.

His hackles rose.  Another high heels day.  Third day this week.  She knew darned how he felt about that.

“Yeah?  What?”

“I need you to pick up my suit from the dry cleaners today.”

Pfft.  “Well, I’ve got a lot to do on the yard.  Plus a new client this afternoon.”

*Thump Thump*  The lower half of two sizeable calves now appeared.  “Yes, but I can’t make it there before it closes.  And I need the suit for tomorrow—you know I have that meeting.”

“A meeting?”

“What?  I’ve mentioned it how many times this week?  The meeting with the board of directors… The one where I’ll be presenting …”

In all honesty, her various meetings tended to all jumble together in his mind—if he was listening at all.  “Oh,” he fudged.  “Yeah, of course.”

“So you’ll get it?”  No doubt she had her arms crossed and that hard-set look on her face.

“If I have time.”

“Theo, if we’re going to keep living together—“

“Yes, of course I’ll get it!”

Her legs lingered momentarily then disappeared.  He could hear those confounded heels tapping on the floor above him as she headed to the garage.

‘If…’?  Sometimes it felt like she was only still living here so he could run her errands for her.  She claimed things were equitable, yet she never seemed to have time to take care of things herself.  Even at night, there was always another email to reply to or an important memo to compose.  Never time for him.  And certainly never for sex!

At least she hadn’t inspected the bottle that had settled at the foot of the stairs.  The first time he’d bought a male growth product off the internet, she’d called it a ‘huge waste of money’.  What would she say now, if she knew he’d tried four more brands since then?  ‘Desperate,’ no doubt.  ‘Preposterous.’

But, hey, there was real reason to think it could work.  Companies—legit ones—had already accomplished the opposite: making women grow even bigger, and men even smaller.  Something about ‘enhancing the EGAD-induced molecular destabilization’ and using ‘targeted reagents’ and … whatever the science-y mumbo jumbo, there were a number of such products already on the market.  From the generic EGAD Enhancer or EGAD-Plus, to the more colorfully-named and gender-specific She-Hulk Serum and Longer Taller Sally; or the harder-to-find Man-Miniaturizer and Compact Carl.

Apparently they were popular as jokes or gag gifts.  Watch a guy shrink several inches before your eyes?  Or a girl grow?  Sounded awful to Theo—and very expensive.  And yeah, they were all temporary, but you were still stuck like that for several days before it wore off.  Of course, then there were the nut-jobs who took those pills regularly, to stay that size all the time.  He’d never met anyone rich or wacko enough to do such a thing, but supposedly they did exist.

But countering the effects of EGAD turned out to be much harder.  Every week you’d hear reports that such-and-such random, sketchy-named company had figured it out, beating Big Pharma to the punch… ‘And buy now, before supplies run out!’  Elaine might think Theo was a sucker for buying into them, but she missed the point.  Theo would not, could not just sit back and let himself wither away.  He’d do darned near anything to get his size back, even just a little of it.  And if that meant sinking a good chunk of his savings into any pills he could find, and risk some extra grouchiness along the way, then so be it!

* * *

Jen Atwater pulled into a parking spot in front of her high school and clutched the steering wheel nervously.  People had already started teasing her for her changing appearance at the end of the school year a month ago; and now at the start of summer school, the situation was even worse.  It had seemed like such a good idea to sign up for a summer class and get one of her electives out of the way.  It’d make her senior year that much easier.  But she regretted it now!

And, of course, her dad was too stubborn to let her un-enroll: ‘I’m Theo Atwater, and no daughter of mine will run from a challenge!’  Ugh, he was so annoying!

Fortunately there were only a couple classes going during the summer, and the halls right now were almost empty, so--

*Bbbbriinnggg!!*

Dang.  Jen set her long, spindly legs in motion and found her classroom as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, her teacher was already talking.

"... this is a seniors-only summer school, for students 18 years old or older.”

A girl raised her hand.  “Why, Mr. Walker?”

“It’s for legal reasons.”

“But—“

“Just rest assured: everyone here is 18 or older.  Got that?  18 or older.”

The blue eyed girl blinked.  “Geez, OK.  I got it.”

“OK then.  Now that that’s established: class is 10 AM to noon, Monday through Friday.  Attendance is—“

Jen didn’t catch the door.  It swung shut loudly behind her, drawing the whole class’s gaze.

"What timing," Mr. Walker deadpanned.  "I was just about to say that attendance is 30 percent of the grade, and points are deducted for tardiness.  What is your name, young lady?"  He opened up his attendance book on the podium. 

“Ooooh,” a few voices called, as Jen squirmed. 

"Young lady?" Mr. Walker repeated. 

Her face was the color of roses now. "Jen," she muttered quickly. 

"Jen who?"

"Jen Atwater."

*Scritch! Scritch!*  Mr. Walker’s pen scratched loudly on the roll sheet in the shape of an ‘X’.  "Alright, sit there.”

Front and center?  The worst seat of all!  She heard more snickers as she slunk into her seat.  "Can't see!" the boy behind her complained, as a finger poked her back.  "Freaking spider girl!"

Chuckles abounded. "Spider girl," someone else repeated.

Just a minute in, and already a new nickname.  Jen cringed dismally.  She was 5’7” now—not super tall at all.  The problem was, she had been skinny even two months ago at 5’0”, and she’d hardly gained a single pound since!  Like some sort of Stretch Armstrong doll.  The doctors said not to worry; she’d fill out eventually.  But when?  Gawd, she was skinny!

She could almost feel her classmates’ eyes on the back of her head, silently laughing at her skinny neck and bony shoulders and twig-like arms.  She focused as best she could on Mr. Walker as he discussed the class outline.  ‘Life Management Skills’… how to balance a checkbook, how to stay healthy, all sorts of random stuff like that.  It was a required elective class, but was sure to be booooring.

Stealing glances left and right, she recognized many of the classmates around her.  Geez… they say guys’ and girls’ heights were almost completely flip-flopped now, with the average girl being five, maybe six inches taller than the average guy.  But it was even weirder when it was people she knew.  To her left was Gerald, a guy on the football team who was once a whole foot taller than her; but now, was he taller than her at all?  And Adam, another jock behind him, was even shorter still.  Skinnier, too.

But not all were skinny.  The boy behind her was short but squat, with brown curly hair and mean eyes.  Probably a little over five feet tall.  No wonder he couldn’t see.  She quickly turned away under his harsh scowl...

But wow, look how lanky Stephanie is.  And Naomi—geez, her arms!  Does she work out?  And—

“Whoa.”  Jen’s eyes went wide as she saw the three bombshells in the far left row.  Their looks, their makeup, their clothes—they were in an entirely different stratosphere!  Jen had never seen anyone like them at this school.  Except…

Wait.  “Is that Maggie?” Jen whispered.  “And Ella?!”  She hadn’t even recognized them at first.  Last year they were already two of the prettiest, most popular girls in school—but look at them now! 

At least the third girl was new here.  She had to be.  Because she was even taller, even more stunning than the first two.  And—

“Perhaps keeping one’s ears cleaned is another topic we need to discuss.”

Jen turned to find Mr. Walker staring right at her.  Aghh!  “I-I—“

“We’re going over the class outline, young lady.  Section 1: Health and Wellbeing – if you’re not too bored to follow along!”

Before she could cringe… “Look, Spider Girl, there’s a section on eating and nutrition!”  The mean boy poked her in the back.  “That one’s all for you!”

Ack!  “I eat plenty!”

But they were already laughing again…

“Bradley, that’s enough,” the teacher gruffed.  “That goes for you too, Jen.”

It was official—this summer couldn’t be starting any worse.

* * *

Jen stayed in her seat after class, waiting for the main wave of students to file out before she cautiously got up.  Keeping her head down and avoiding all eye contact, she crammed her stuff into her backpack, turned, and—

The three bombshells whooshed by, the new girl’s strong-looking shoulder gliding right past Jen’s nose!  The three of them were huge—even taller than she’d expected!  They—whoa, they were each wearing heels.  High, spiky heels … in class?!  The strut and swagger in their steps; their tight, short-hemmed dresses… They looked like they belonged on a modeling runway, not at a school!

Jen trailed out after them, still amazed.  The trio glided so smoothly down the halls, not even seeming to notice the lesser beings around them.  Geez… they—

*Bzzz*

Jen checked her phone.  “Crap!”  She’d totally forgot about Amir—her best friend, whom she hadn’t seen in over a month, whom she really should have been more excited to see again…

Doubling back, she reached the courtyard a few minutes late and—

“Well, I feel like a midget.”

Jen’s surprise turned quickly into a bubbling laugh.  Her friend was even shorter now but had the same goofy grin as always.

“Um, that's cuz you ARE," she joked.

"Hey!" he protested, retaliating with a swift punch to the side of her bony ribcage. 

"Yow!"  She winced, clutching her side. 

"Eee!  Sorry!  I meant to hit your arm!" he said, distraught. "I just have terrible aim!"

The spot was still tender – with no natural padding to protect her, it had hurt quite a bit. "That's OK ... there's really not much arm to hit," she said, looking ruefully at her twig arms.

“But at least they’re long!”  Amir, ever cheerful, grinned and stretched his arm out.  Jen took his cue and stooped to bring hers alongside.  "Holy moley!" he exclaimed, pressing his fingernails against her forearm, an inch or two short of her wrist.  "Hey, if I ever need to reach anything, I know who to ask!"

She almost smiled, but… “Whatever it would be, I’d be too weak to lift it.”

Her friend seamlessly shrugged.  "You’ll grow into it.  And who cares!  I think it's cool you're tall."

OK, this time his grin won her over.  “Thanks, Amir.  Thanks for not judging me and stuff.”

They started walking to the parking lot.  "Judging you?" Amir asked, struggling to keep up. 

Jen winced and shortened her strides for him.   "Nothing. Just some guys in my class.  Stupid jocks."

"Stupid jocks," Amir intoned. After a moment, they looked at each other and laughed.

"Yeah, I guess we're kinda jocks too," Jen acknowledged. 

"But not like them!"

"Yeah.  Agreed."

Both of them were on the track and field team – and despite being the team’s shortest members, at five feet tall apiece, they were some of the best and most well-rounded competitors out there.  “Natural athletes,” their coach always complimented.  Jen loved watching Amir at competitions, seeing his short legs motoring on and beating boys half a foot taller than him or more.  Jen herself wasn’t the best at any one thing; but over time she’d picked up pole vaulting, triple jumping, long-distance running … she had a knack for pretty much anything she tried.

"Hmm," she said, as they turned down the next sidewalk.

"What?"

"We haven't raced in a while."

After a moment, Amir's eyes lit up. "You're on!"

"To the deli?"

"Yeah!"

They dropped off their backpacks in their cars and walked to the edge of school property. A couple other students were within eyesight, but Jen didn't really care so much now that she was with her friend. 

"Ready?" she asked.

"Set?" Amir chimed. 

"Go!" they declared in unison, sprinting down the sidewalk with glee. 

To Jen's amazement, she actually stayed with him at first! But after a few seconds, her legs started to get tired and Amir steadily pulled ahead at a faster and faster rate. "Hey! Come back!" she called out, laughing, as he pulled into a ten foot lead, eventually more like fifteen foot, by the time they reached the deli at the end of the block. 

She propped a hand against the wall of the store as she came to a stop.

"Tired?" he asked, still grinning.

The cardio was fine for her; no big deal.  The problem was her limbs; her lack of muscles.  “My legs feel like jelly,” she lamented.  Even her arms felt wobbly now from the exertion.  Too lanky for their own good.  “Gawd, I’m so weak!”

“Huh.  Yeah, but you had me sweatin’ there for a sec.  Those long legs!”

She felt the tug of a smile, even as she swayed.  “Yeah, I guess it’s not all bad.  Um… how ‘bout you?  How’re you doing with the… changes?”

“Me?  I'm actually fine with it.  For one thing, being lighter helps a little with running, so I've really only lost a step or two.” He grinned. "And hey, all guys are in the same boat, right? Or gonna be soon."

"Hmm."  Jen nodded. It was still so weird to think about, though. "Umm..." she began cautiously, "how long you think it's gonna last?  In general, I mean.  This whole shrinking and growing thing."

Amir put his hands up.  "Beats me!  I guess we'll just get used to it, whatever happens."

Dang.  If only Jen had his positivity…

Urghh… The door to the deli was stuck, as usual.  Trying again with two hands, her arms shaking…

“Eek!”  It came unstuck and nearly knocked her on her butt—except Amir was there to catch her.

“Stupid door!” they laughed in unison, as they always did.  Jen regained her balance and smiled down at her weirdly short friend.   “Thanks bud,” she said, holding the door for him.

“You betcha,” he said up at her with a cheerful glint in his eye.

***

Jen’s dad was on her already the moment she stepped out of her car.  “It's 1:30," he griped, wiping sweat from his brow with his even sweatier forearm. "You were supposed to get here at 1:00, missy."

"Sorry, I was having lunch with Amir."

"I don’t care if it was with the Pope.  In this family, when you make a promise to someone, you keep it!"

Great.  The hot sun and hard work apparently made him even more of a jerk.  And lately he’d been even grumpier and harder on her than ever.

Minutes later, with gloves on and a new change of clothes, she grasped the handles of the mulch-filled wheelbarrow, and heaved upward, and…

“Going slow isn’t going to get you any pity!” her dad called from across the yard.

“I’m trying!”

"Try harder!"

"It’s too heavy!”

But if he noticed the wheelbarrow shaking, he didn’t show it.  Just watched her sternly.

She got it rolling in a straight line okay.  But the moment she tried to turn it, the wheelbarrow capsized and spilled the mulch—and her—onto the lawn.

“Dag gummit!” Dad called, striding toward her with two hands on his hips.  “What a mess.”

“I’m fine, by the way,” Jen grumbled, picking herself up and dusting her jeans.  “I tried to tell you—it’s too heavy for me!”

Dad grunted, frowned.  “Evidently, yes.  I suppose I’ll have to give you something more within your capabilities.”  He handed her the rake.  “I’ll move the mulch.  You just spread it around.  Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

Jen grumbled and started this more manageable task under Dad’s annoyingly watchful eye.  It brought to mind the talk show she’d heard the other day, joking about the ‘pandemic of Napoleon complexes’ that had broken out among men.  The more they’ve shrunk, the more loudly they need to assert their masculinity.  That seemed true for Dad too.  Jen was shorter and way weaker than him, but plenty of other women were probably—

“Hey, pick up the pace, young lady!”

Jen groaned.  “Oui, monsieur.”

“What?”

“Nothing!”

* * *

Theo rolled his eyes on his way in.  Jen’s lackadaisical attitude this past hour was yet another disappointment.  But now he had to get to this appointment.  It’d been a bit since he’d found a new client, and he sure as heck didn’t want to be late.

‘We’re moving in a different direction.’  That’s what the new regional manager at the gym had said to him, once she’d finally had the guts to fire him—and Chad at the same time.  ‘You’re not the right fit for us anymore’.  Why?  Because they had Y chromosomes?

Two months ago, and it still rankled him.  After that, his part-time personal training became his full-time job, and business was good for a while.  Great, even.  Plenty of guys wanted to stay fit but would rather hire a trainer than go to the gyms.  But, oddly, business had really petered out lately.  Maybe there were simply more trainers now, catching up with demand.  Or … well, more and more guys seemed to ask him about cardio these days.  Calisthenics, even!  Was strength training going out of style among men?  Preposterous!

This new client, Ned: they’d met in line at a coffee shop last week, and he’d seemed like a normal enough guy.  Though, the dude did order a low-sugar almond milk peppermint Frappuccino, so … who knows.  But heck, a job was a job.

As he drove up to Ned’s address, Theo whistled softly.  This friggin’ mansion was probably three times the size of his home, with huge windows and fancy awnings and the like.  Had to be worth well into seven figures, easily.  As he drove up, a woman was out front trimming the pristine row of hedges and weeding the elaborate garden.  “Hello,” he greeted, walking up to her.  “Are—“

Whoa.  Those biceps were serious.  And as she rose, and turned… It wasn’t often that he found himself eye level with a woman’s chin.

“Can I help you?” her surprisingly gruff voice asked.  “Or are you just going to stare?”

The blatant assertiveness caught him off-guard.  He blinked.  Women didn’t often speak like that, in days past.  And they never had such well-muscled legs, either, glistening from a hard day’s labor.

“Sorry,” he recovered, extending his hand.  “I’m Theo – the personal trainer.  Are you Lola?”

The woman looked wryly at his hand.  “You serious?  Can’t you see the logo?”  She pointed to the emblem of her lawn care company on the breast pocket of her shirt.

“Oh.  Sorry.  Most lawn guys are guys, so I—“

“Riiight.  Let’s see a man try to lug this equipment around all day.”  Indeed, the power tools piled in her truck bed did look rather heavy—for some men.

“I could do it.”  He crossed his arms.

“You?  Hphh.  For now, maybe.”

The rudeness!  Who the hell--!?

“Good day, Miss,” he growled and moved on.  She wasn’t worth it.  God… some people were so friggin’ arrogant.

He knocked on the large front door and it opened to a friendly face—on a rather diminutive frame.  “Theo!  Thanks for coming, man!” Ned greeted, shaking his hand enthusiastically.

“Hey, Ned.  How ya doin’.”

“Good, good!  ... You OK?”

Was Theo’s scowl that obvious?  “Rude gardener.”  He shrugged.

“Rude?  Oh, sorry man.  I guess she takes some getting used to.”  Ned’s slim arm waved across the yard.  “Looking good, Carmen!”  He gestured Theo inside.  “She’s a friend of ours.  And a great workout buddy.”

Theo’s brow rose.  “You work out—with her?”  That woman was easily a foot taller than Ned; darned near twice his weight…

Ned shook with laughter.  “Little ol’ me, with these spindly arms?  Noooo way, man.  She and my wife, Lola.”

“Oh.”  His wife—No, don’t ask.  “Well, they won’t be spindly for long, with me around.  Shall we?”

Ned happily led him across the foyer with its high-vaulted ceilings, into the expansive kitchen with pots and pans hanging everywhere and counter space galore.  “Want anything?” he asked, opening the large French doors of the stainless steel fridge.  “Juice?  Water?”  He nodded to the counter.  “There’s also fruit – and a galette I baked this morning.”  He chuckled.  “Maybe save that one till after the workout, eh?”

The hell is a ‘galette’?  “You bake, huh?”

“Oh yeah.  I love it.”

Odd.  “I’m good, thanks.”

“Cool.  So, our gym’s just ahead.”

‘Just ahead’?  Ned led him through two big living areas, past a study, down another hallway, and…

“Holy smokes,” Theo exhaled.

“Ha!  I know, right?”

Geez… ten—no, twelve different weight machines stood before them: a beautiful, brand-new lat machine, an elaborate cable tower, a full-sized smith machine; on and on.  Then there was the impressive array of free weights, more than even he knew what to do with.  He didn’t care much for treadmills, stationary bikes, and ellipticals, but the gym even had those too.  Everything was professional-caliber; the real deal.  All shiny and new.  And plenty of floor space to spare.

“I thought my home gym was big,” Theo muttered, awestruck.

“Just had it built a couple weeks ago.”  Ned beamed.  “It’s my wife’s pride and joy.”

“And yours too, naturally.”

“Me?  Well, nah, I’ve never been into gyms much.  Lola got it for herself.  But she said I should get in better shape, so I figured I’d give it a shot – and here we are!”

“Wait.”  Theo’s eyes swept the room.  “This was all for your wife?”

“Uh huh.”

“You don’t even lift?”

“Not yet!”

Yikes.  All Theo could think to say was, “How much do you guys make?”

Ned laughed.  “My wife’s a vice president at a pretty big company … so yeah, she makes a ton.”

“And you?” Theo inquired.

Ned flashed a grin.  “My wife makes the money.  I make the galettes.  And the rib roasts, and the cheese soufflés; and I keep the house clean … I’m a stay-at-home husband!”

Well, that threw Theo for a loop. “…You mean, by choice?”

“Yeah!  Lola was making so much more than me that my old job just wasn’t worth it.  Now, from here, I can support her in all kinds of ways that I just couldn’t before.”

Theo blinked as his view of Ned rapidly changed…

Ned laughed.  “I know, I know.  It sounded bananas to me too, at first.  But if you saw Lola, you’d get it.  She’s incredible.  … Hey, actually, you might see her.  She gets home in about an hour.”

No offense, but Theo had no particular desire to stick around for that.  He looked at the clock—already five past.  “Well, let’s get started.”

* * *

If you’re looking for an easygoing, namby-pamby trainer, Theo is not your guy.  His philosophy: make every second count.  Listen well, go hard, and give one hundred and thirteen percent.  The going will get tough, but man up and get it done.  All-in.

As it turned out, this galette-baking homemaker was tougher than he seemed.  He didn’t know a bench press from a barbell curl, but the quickly-fatigued novice fought through it the entire hour with surprising enthusiasm.

“… Five more reps … C’mon, man, push it … Push it! … Three … Two … Last one! …”  Theo clapped vigorously.  “YES!  That’s what I’m friggin’ talking about!  Good shit, man!”  He took the ten-pound dumbbells from Ned’s weary hands and bumped his fist.  “Alright.  That’s it for today.  Nice start.”

“Nice start?!”  With a tired wheeze, Ned took two wobbling steps and collapsed on the bench.  He lifted his water bottle halfway to his mouth before his arm gave out and dropped the bottle in his lap.

Theo chuckled.  “First day’s always the worst.  Don’t worry—your body’ll get used to it.”

“Then it’ll get easier?”

He grinned.  “Oh, no.  Then I can push you harder.”

“Geez, man, you are tough!”

“You’re damned right.”  He cast a nod at those shining towers of metal across the room.  “Maybe next time I can introduce you to some of those, huh?”

“Those big machines?  Oh… OK.  But maybe the bikes and treadmills too?”

Theo arched his brow.  To him, cardio always felt like a waste of time, when there were weights to be lifted instead.  But… “Sure—whatever’ll make my client happy.”  He rephrased: “Of course.  We could squeeze in a bit of that, too.”

Once Ned had finagled the water bottle to his mouth, he quickly emptied it.

“Refill?”  Theo offered his hand.

“Nah, the faucet here’s not hooked up yet.  I’ll go to the kitchen.”  But he stopped halfway up to catch his breath.

“I don’t mind.”

“OK, thanks.”

On the way, something inside the lavishly-appointed study caught Theo’s eye.  Atop the strangely oversized desk, on the back of the two jumbo-sized monitors, was a big, red letter ‘A’ with a rightward swoosh over a field of silver.  A notepad on the desk had the same logo on it, as did the clock on the wall. 

It took him all of a half-second for recognition to hit him.  Apogee Biotechnology Corporation.  One of the biggest biotech companies to have emerged in the last six months.  Their Apo-Amplifier products were supposedly some of the best—and most expensive—‘EGAD enhancers’ out there.

Wait… Is that where Ned’s wife worked?  Companies like Apogee—their entire revenue was based on making men shrink and women grow.  What kind of looney-brained wackadoo would work at a place like that?  And… and would such a person take her company’s products herself?

He moved with perhaps a bit more urgency now, striding into the kitchen, refilling Ned’s water in the unusually high sink … and as he shut the faucet off, a muffled thud was heard—that of a car door swinging shut.

Having seen the images on the news, of women’s bodies so scandalously ‘enhanced’, a lesser man would have been nervous now.  As a nearby door opened and heavy footsteps echoed, such a man might gutlessly try to hide around that corner over there, or slink away unseen.

But Theo Atwater stood his ground, obviously.  Why would he worry?  Even as the footsteps grew nearer, and louder…

Louder.

Heavier.

“Holy…!”  Air rushed from his lungs as an absolute hulk of a woman filled the doorway.  Arms enormous and shoulders broad.  Full, round bosom and thick, shapely legs.  The largest, strongest woman he’d ever seen in real life—by a country mile.

“Well, what do we have here?” her surprisingly deep voice hummed.  “An intruder, in my own house?”

Theo fell uncharacteristically speechless as the woman started toward him.  He felt an unexpected sense of vertigo as he craned his neck farther upward than ever before.  She wore high heels; but still, his face was practically in her bosom.  Cripes, she stood close!  Aggressively, nerve-rattlingly close.

“Uh…”

“Shall I count to five?”  Her jaw set firmly; her brow arched sharply.

What??  He took two long steps back.  “Look, lady, I-I’m not a…”

Oh hell—she rolled up her sleeves to reveal forearms as thick as his thighs.

*Gulp*

Her fingers interlocked, cracking her knuckles as she determinedly strode toward him, re-closing the distance.

He was one breath from bolting for the door, when: “Lola, be nice—he’s my guest!”

Ned had come up behind him—and now Lola’s bellowing laugh flooded the room.  She stood with folded arms and a cocky smirk.  “I know, dear.  Just having a bit of fun.”

Ned ambled forward, chuckling, “Sorry, Theo, my wife has a odd sense of humor.”

“Hmph!” Lola’s eyes appraised the newcomer.  “So this is Theo, then?”  She came at him again, her heels thudding, her surreally large arm reaching … and his hands shot up on the defensive.

“I’m not gonna hurt ya,” she throatily laughed.  “I just like to shake anyone’s hand who comes into my house.”

A rare sight: proud Theo blushed.  “Oh.”  He eased his hunched shoulders and shook her very big hand…

Yo!  Her fingers squeezed down like a goddamned vise!

“Mmm.  Nice, firm handshake,” she praised.  “I like that.”

Was she mocking, or serious?  ‘Cuz the vise kept tightening...

She released him and cocked her head.  “You needn’t be so shy.”

Shy?  He—Oof, his hand stung.  “I’m not shy,” he insisted, as he fought off a wince.

“He wasn’t that way with me!” Ned chimed oh-so-helpfully.  As he stepped up to his wife, their size difference was appalling.  Surreal.  His head fit under her breasts.  These two are married??

“Honey, no one is shy around you.”  She chuckled, slipping her hands under Ned’s armpits and—what the…?—she levitated him two feet off the ground!  Brought his lips straight to hers for a kiss.  “Mmm…”  Now a longer kiss.  “Hi, honey.” And even some brief tongue … which she only seemed to stop because she noticed Theo staring.  Her husband, now back on the ground, clung to her side with a great big grin—all the more as his wife tousled his hair.

Yikes.  The sheer ease with which she lifted him; the way her arms swelled like melons; the unexpected, awkward PDA…

“How was your workout, sugarplum?” her deep voice hummed.

“Fantastic!  Theo really kicked my butt.”

“Did he?  Splendid.”  The hulking businesswoman started feeling up her husband’s arms.  “Hmm… I don’t feel any muscles,” she drolly teased, squeezing and prodding along.

“Well, not yet,” the man protested with lively squirms.  Even when he tried to flex, his wife’s fingers still sank into his flesh like it was soft butter.

Ahem.  “I’ll, uh, see myself out,” Theo called, turning quickly, before this behemoth broad could get even more handsy.

“Oh?  So soon?” she called.

“Yeah, I—“

“Without payment?”

Damn.  He did want that.  At least when he turned again, the two of them were standing respectfully apart, hands to themselves.

“Ermm, yeah, if you don’t mind.”

“’Course not.  Honey, fetch my purse?”

Ned had apparently recovered from his workout enough to flit across the room, shamelessly fetching the purse for his wife.  What self-respecting man would ever--

“Oh,” Theo corrected, as the wrong president emerged from her wallet.  Not even a president, in fact.  “Just fifty per session.”

But Lola strode forth with the $100 bill anyway and pressed it firmly into his palm.  “First-day bonus,” she declared.

“Oh,” he repeated, like a broken record.  The vertigo again, as she loomed above him…

“Would you prefer an advance for the rest of the week?”

“The rest of the…?  I’m not sure if I’m coming back, or—”

“Of course we’ll have you back.  Ned?”

“Yeah, for sure!”

“There you have it.  Now: can you fit in three days per week?”

Her body, her breasts – way too close.  Theo stepped back awkwardly.  “Most clients do just one a week.” 

She stared down at him, unblinking.

“… But three could work.”

“Excellent.”  A Benjamin, another Benjamin… and after a moment of thought, out came a Ulysses as well.  “For the next three sessions.”  A total of three hundred and fifty dollars now rested in his palm.

Dang.  “That’s really not necessary, ma’am.  You can pay as we go.”

Lola chuckled.  “Word of advice from a businesswoman: when someone offers you money, take it.”

He hesitated.  Lola was … well … damn, she did pay a lot.  And he doubted he’d have to deal with her much after today anyway.  “Alright.”  He pocketed the money.  “Uh, thanks.”

Just then, the oven timer went off.  “The galette’s ready!  Who wants some?”

“No, I’d better be going,” said Theo, respectfully backing away …

… until his new biggest client cocked her head and ‘tsk’ed.  “And when that same someone offers you a free dessert...”

* * *

“This is really freaking good!”  Theo had only meant to stay a minute, but now he greedily dug into his second slice.

“You already said that,” Ned said with a laugh.

“Yeah, but you could open a pastry shop with this—seriously!”

“Ohhh, no.”  Lola’s left arm hooked around her husband’s slender waist as her right hand delivered another big forkful to her mouth.  “Nothing’s takin’ my man away.  I’ve got him all to myself.”

Ned, his arm across Lola’s broad shoulders, leaned in to smooch her cheek.  She responded with – oh lord – a full-on squeeze of his rump.

“Lola, there’s company here,” Ned half-heartedly protested, smacking her forearm.  She just laughed and snaked her arm around the small of his back as she ate, what, her third slice?  The woman was voracious.  And, god, Theo couldn’t get over how swollen her forearm was.  She—

“Go ahead, Theo,” she graveled.  “Ask.”

Huh?  “Ask what?”

“You want to ask if my size is all natural, or enhanced.”

He nearly coughed up his dessert.  “Excuse me?  I don’t know what you mean.”

“Hon, you’ve been staring at my arms for the last five minutes.  It’s alright to inquire.”  As his cheeks uncharacteristically warmed, Lola at least saved him the trouble of responding.  “The answer’s yes—I’ve been on Apo-Amplifiers for, oh, almost a month now.”  She smirked.  “How much have I gained, did you say?”

“Hrr?  No, I didn’t say—“

“About a half a foot and seventy pounds, give or take.”  She pressed her palms together and flexed.  “As you can see, that’s mostly muscle.”

Yeah, no crap!  Her pecs danced wildly beneath her tight pinstripe shirt.  Her husband, still caught within her arm, was rocked along for the ride.  Theo tried not to stare, but … good lord…

“Why would—“  He shifted distressedly in his seat.  “Why would you do that to yourself?” he couldn’t help but blurt.

“Ha!”  Her full-throated laugh nearly shook the table.  “Apogee gives an employee discount, and you expect me to not take full advantage?”

Discount or no, maintaining that much gains must cost a small fortune!  And you’d have to constantly keep buying more, since each dose only lasts a couple weeks.

“We’re blessed that I can afford it,” Lola hummed.  “Well worth the investment.”

Ned leaned and kissed Lola’s cheek then, bewilderingly, traced his hands along her shoulder and intently squeezed her arm.  It would appear he agreed with her—quite avidly.  As bizarre as that was.

“Why would women want to get bigger?” Theo insisted, shaking his head.  “I don’t understand it.”

“Oh?”  The hulking female cast Ned carefully aside so she could address her guest fully, mano a mano.  “You of all people should know what it’s like to crave size; strength.”

“Me?”  She was again leaning quite close…

“Yes.”  Her thick fingers strummed the table, not far from him.  “You, Theo: very tall for a man, and very well-built.  I suspect you work out every day—always pushing yourself, always getting in those few extra reps, always fighting for that little bit more.  If it’s paid off for you now, imagine what it must have done for you in the past.  How formidable you must have been.  Perhaps even as much as me now.”

The damned cockiness in her voice… But she was right.  The size of her torso; the way her forearm muscles undulated and twitched each time she strummed her fingers.  He was once real big – but that big?  He wasn’t sure.

“Ah,” she recognized, reading him like a book.  “So I’m right.”

The room was starting to feel very warm.  “Oh, I was bigger than you, Miss,” he retorted.

She shrugged.  “Point is, hon, it’s not only men who can feel the thrill of being bigger, better than everyone around them.  You think only men are allowed to do what it takes to make that happen?  Pfft.  You and I are the same, hon.”

“The same?”  How arrogant!  “No we’re not.”

“Oh?  So once our Apo-Reverso For Men comes available, you won’t do everything possible to get your hands on it?”

“No, I—“  He blinked.  “The heck is Apo-Reverso?”

Lola threw back her head and laughed.  Ned joined in and, at a beckon from his wife, came and sat on her lap.  “Want to tell him, sugar?” the woman hummed, ensconcing his between bicep and breast.  He seemed entirely comfortable there.  Smothered.  Trapped.  How can he stand it??

“This is the big one, buddy,” Ned declared excitedly.  “Lola and everyone—they did it!  They found a way to make guys bigger, and women smaller!”

Theo’s eyes went wide.

“You make it sound like I invented it, hon.  I’m just in marketing.”

“Still … we’re gonna be so rich!”

“Ha.  Yes, we are … And clearly there’s one interested customer right here.”

He couldn’t help it.  Hell, his damned lip was quivering.  The product he’d been waiting for, been trying so hard to find… “You’re serious?” He scanned their faces.  “This is for real?”

“Oh yes,” assured Lola.  “The official announcement’s next week.  Clinical trials begin in a month.”

“Each dose lasts a week or two, like Apo-Amplifier,” added Ned.  “You gotta keep taking more.”

“But our scientists are optimistic they can develop a more permanent form, before long.”

Permanent or no, Theo’s heart was racing.  This was real, not just a pie-in-the-sky dream!    “H…How can I get it?” he flat-out blurted.

“Ha!”  Lola bounced her husband on her lap.  “See?  I knew he’d be interested.”

“You were right, babe!”

Theo fidgeted restlessly, his palms growing sweaty.  “Is it a matter of money?  I don’t have a ton, but—“

“Oh, far too expensive for that.  High production costs; overwhelming demand expected … It’ll likely debut at triple the cost of Apo-Amplifier, or more.  Even for the clinical trials—if you could even get in.”

Triple!?!  His head spun.  Here, today, with Lola’s connections… this might be his only chance.  “I’ll do whatever it takes!” he pressed.  “There must be a way.”

The married couple exchanged a knowing glance.  “Whatever it takes?” Lola repeated.

His breath caught.  “Yes,” he affirmed, going all in.  “Anything.”

The way Lola grinned, this seemed exactly what she was hoping to hear.  She whispered in her husband’s ear and, with a quick pat on his rump, sent him scurrying eagerly across the house.  Leaning back and smirking slyly, she seemed far more at ease than Theo who could hardly hang on to his wits.

Ned returned with a large tablet in hand.  Lola rose from her chair and Theo followed suit, the three of them crowding around the screen.

“This one?” he asked, pointing to a file on the home screen: MM_Ep3_Promo.mp4.

“Perfect,” Lola affirmed.

“What’s this?” Theo had to ask.

Lola chuckled.  “If you’ve not seen this before, you’re in for a treat.”

Low, suspenseful music drew Theo’s attention to a colorful, brightly-lit arena.  Now a close-up: long, purple leather gloves being pulled over slender arms, in dramatic slow-motion.  Similar purple stockings being rolled up two shapely calves and thighs.  Zoom out to a very attractive woman in a pink and purple onesie, the fabric clinging to her curvy hips and shapely bust.  A simple mask framed striking blue eyes.  High cheekbones.  Lustrous golden hair.  She was supposed to be a superhero, it seemed; but too soft, slender, and fragile-looking to fit the part.  Wouldn’t be beating up villains anytime soon… but damn was she easy on the eyes.  How cute it was when she scrunched her face in such determination and wrapped her dainty hands around the bars in front of her, as if to spring from the starting gate like an elite sprinter.  Adorable how the overblown music, the camerawork, tried to make her look like such a badass…

The music grew even more dramatic as two more hands appeared on the bar.  Slightly skinnier arms, slenderer legs, clad in some sort of gray spandex. … And then a masked head appeared.  Definitely a man’s, but with a silver, pointy nose.  Silver whiskers.  The round, cartoonish ears of a mouse.  As the mouse-man gave the taller woman a thumbs-up and braced too, one could even see a gray foam tail, bobbing behind.

“What the--??”

Before Theo could ask, a horn blared and the baffling pair tore pell-mell out of the starting gate.  To a fast-paced beat, the video blitzed from one action shot to the next: charging down ramps, climbing over walls, tiptoeing over balance beams, dodging padded wrecking balls …

“What is this?” quipped Theo.

“A game show!” chirped Ned.  “Teams of two compete for the fastest time through all sorts of obstacles.”

“OK, but why is he dressed like a mouse?”

“’Cuz of the show’s name: Mighty and Mouse!”

Theo eyed him askance.  “Wait, so …”

“Yep—he’s the ‘Mouse’ and she’s the ‘Mighty’.”

“She doesn’t look very mighty.”

Ned laughed.  “Keep watching...”

Indeed, as he looked at the screen again, the blonde babe was popping the cork off of a large, round flask.  The music changed to the cheeky melody of Popeye, as she guzzled the blue liquid down… and grew before his eyes in a matter of seconds.

Theo lurched back at the surreal sight, as the now taller, stronger woman grabbed her little man and heaved him right over the wall then made the leap herself!

“This is fake, right?” he asked, feeling his hackles rising.  “CGI?”

Lola winked.  “The wonders of Apo-Amplifier.”

For real?  But—

“The doses aren’t nearly so drastic in the actual show,” Lola assured.  “They’ve exaggerated it for this promo.”

That didn’t make this any less distressing.  He glimpsed the woman guzzling a second bottle, and a third.  The mouse-man, too, drank a bottle or two—and shrank!  By now the woman’s body was like a walking slab of muscle as she deflected boulders and ripped through walls, shielding the now puny mouse-man as he scurried in her wake.  The two now burst into a final clearing, dashing toward the ‘MIGHTY & MOUSE’ in giant, glittering gold block letters.  Hoisting the mouse-man onto an ‘S’, the blonde behemoth stepped onto an ‘M’ and heaved, tilting the entire top word upward to make room as she stood stalwart and proud, the mouse-man crouching alongside.

The letters exploded, blanketing the screen with light.  “SEASON ONE,” it said next.  “COMING SOON.”  And then: “BROUGH TO YOU BY MIGHTY MEGA PRODUCTIONS // IN PARTNERSHIP WITH APOGEE BIOTECHNOLOGY CORPORATION.”

Theo actually felt dizzy.  That woman was so curvy, voluptuous; yet so shockingly powerful and ripped.  The strange, confusing sight of it still messed with his head, well after the screen had gone dark and … and—

Lola and Ned were staring at him.  As he jumped in surprise, the two of them laughed.

“Pretty wild, huh?” Ned beamed.  “Blew my mind too, the first time I saw it.”

“What?  Uh…”  Man, he was out of sorts.  “That had to be CGI,” he insisted.

“You’re cute, hon,” Lola chuckled, to his chagrin.  “The exploding letters at the end?  Sure.  But the rest was real-life.”  At his evident distress, she reminded, “The doses were greatly increased in this promo.  Watch the first few episodes when you get home—the actual sizes on the show are far more modest.”

His mind was still a muddle … but it seemed easiest to scowl.  “This junk is already on the air?” he familiarly scoffed.  “And people watch it?”

“It’s quite a hit, in fact.”

“Well, that’s nice.  Why’d you bother showing me?”

The couple shared a grin.  “Because,” hummed Lola, “a spot on the show has just opened up—and I think it should be you.”

He stared at them for all of five seconds before he shot to his feet and made a beeline for the door.

“Theo…”

“Nooooope!”

“Hear me out, hon,” Lola asked.

“Just give us a sec!” Ned beseeched.

He thought these two were merely eccentric.  Turns out they were completely out of their minds!  “Gotta go!” he barked, hustling into the foyer.

“Hmph.”  Lola’s low grunt and heavy footfalls were right behind him.  “I wouldn’t have thought a man like you would run from a challenge.”

He slowed a half step.  Rrghh… “I’m not running.”  Just walking very, very fast…

“I figured you’d ‘do anything’ … for a one-year supply of Apo-Reverso.”

He stopped dead in his tracks.  Fortunately Lola did too, or he’d be eating tile.  He turned to stare up hesitantly at the hulking woman.  “Th… That’s the prize?”

“That, or any Apogee products of your choice—even early releases.  You win the Qualifying round, you’re looking at, say, an extra few inches and a nice boost to your physique for a year.  Winning the Champions round—you’d be set for a very long time.  There’d hardly be a man anywhere who could measure up to you then.”

His eyes widened.  She was playing right to his ego—and it was working.  If what she said was true, then…

Wait.  Slow down.  “You want me to parade around like a mouse on live TV…”

“No one will even see your face beneath that mask, hon.”

“… and shrink!”

“It’ll wear off in a matter of days.  Brief inconveniences, for such a long-term gain.”

Ughh… That he was even considering this for an instant!!  “Nope,” Theo reaffirmed, with vigor.  “Never gonna happen.”  He stormed out through the front door without another look back.

Ned watched through the window with a disappointed frown.  For once, his wife’s strong arms provided him little comfort as they draped around him.  “Drat!” he yipped.  “He’d be so fun to watch on the show!”

“Mmmhmm,” Lola agreed, her fingertips idly circling his chest.

Ned sighed, amidst the goosebumps.  “I was really hoping he’d say yes.”

“Oh, he still might.”

Ned whirled and stared up in surprise.  “Really?”  Theo’s answer had seemed so definitive!  “Why do you say that?”

“Hmph!  You don’t get to be V.P. of Marketing without knowing how to read people.  You’ll just have to trust me, sweetie—I have a feeling about him.”

Ned felt a twinge of excitement.  His wife was so perceptive, and almost never wrong.  Yet another thing he loved about her.  “Good,” he murmured, leaning back and letting her warmth fold in around him as he kissed her hand.

* * *

Great.  Now Theo’s whole afternoon was in a funk.  More yardwork; fixing the sink; making dinner… nothing he did could shake it loose.  Why’d that big boor of a woman have to get his hopes up, only to taunt him with an offer she darned well knew he’d never take!  No self-respecting man would say yes to that show.  No matter how determined, or desperate, or…

“Theo.”

Gah!  The chef’s knife slipped from his hand, nearly cutting his finger.  “Jeeeesus, Elaine!”  He turned—and a lump formed immediately in his throat.  Heels.  Another way-too-tall woman wearing way-too-high heels.  At least Elaine was shorter than Lola—his eyes weren’t right in her breasts!

“You didn’t hear me come in?” her edgy voice asked as she peered rudely down.

“I …”  He must’ve been too lost in thought when she came in.  “I’ve had a long day,” he grunted.

Her expression softened a bit.  “I did too.”  She sighed; massaged her temples.  “You wouldn’t believe how stressful work was.”

“Hmph.”  He rarely asked this anymore, but… “Want to talk about it?”

Her eyes flitted in surprise.  She actually considered for a moment, before closing herself off again like usual.  “No, no.”

As she went to set her purse down… good lord.  He could do without the added height, but those heels accentuated her legs spectacularly.  Not to mention her tight, round ass; her pleasingly arched back …

*cough*  “Hey, so we could …”

Her lustrous hair whipped around and her brow arched inquisitively.  Wow … she really became more of a knockout every day.  To where he was more than willing to overlook the inconvenient height difference, and …

“Could what?” she asked with a note of impatience.

Damn.  Why did he get so tongue-tied lately?  The old Theo would have smoothly complimented her looks, made her blush, and persuaded her into the bedroom already, all in the time he stood here dawdling!  Maybe that they hadn’t had sex in several weeks made him more flustered; out of practice.  But—

“What?”  Her sharp tone sliced through his thoughts, as her wide-eyed stare fixated past the top of his head.  “Is that the slip for the dry cleaner’s??”

“Huh?”

“Tell me you didn’t forget!”

Oh crap.  With all that had happened this afternoon…

“Theo!”  She threw her hands up.  “For god’s sake!”  She started past him, muttering expletives.

“Wait,” he called, reaching out to try to smooth things over…

But his fingers couldn’t wrap around her arm like they once could, plus she carried too much momentum.  She slipped past him undeterred.  “Guess I’ll have to do it myself,” she hissed, snatching the slip from the counter.

Theo followed after her and huffed.  “Calm down.  I’ll head out now and—Ooof!”

Elaine had spun around fast, her palm smacking into the soft spot beneath his ribs.  Clearly an accident—but it knocked the wind right out of him. 

“What the—?!” Elaine blurted, as he doubled over and wheezed.  “Pfff … Quit being melodramatic.”  She strode irritably out of the house before he could even try to stop her.

Catching his breath, he heard Elaine’s car peel out of the driveway.  In a moment of sudden surety, he picked up his phone and made a call.

“Hello?”

“Ned.  It’s Theo.  Tell me more about this game show.”

Theo lay on his couch and stared at his laptop, his brows hiking higher and higher.  There were recaps available for each Mighty and Mouse episode on MeTube … and it was a good thing he was sitting down.  The sight made him more than a bit queasy.

*Bbbbrring Bbbrring!*

His throat tightened as soon as he looked at his phone.  Terrible timing.  “Lola,” he answered, keeping his voice smooth.

“Good morning!” her throaty voice boomed, practically rattling the speaker.  “How is our brave new contestant today?”

“Contestant?”

“Ned told me the good news, and I was most thrilled.”

“Whoa, whoa.”  Theo sat up and muted his laptop.  “Let’s not jump the gun here.  All I said to Ned was, I had a few more questions.”

“Ah.”  *chuckle* “Very well.  We’ll pretend you’re still undecided, then.”

Pretend??  Did she not see how adamantly he’d said ‘no’ yesterday?!

“What are your questions, dear?”

He fumed; glanced at the ever-more-distressing sights on his screen.  Yeesh!  He convulsively shut his laptop, suppressing a shudder and—

“Ahem… Sorry to rush you, hon, but the Marketing department isn’t going to run itself.”

Right.  It was barely 8 AM, but of course a V.P. would have started work by then.  Ned had promised she’d ‘squeeze in a call with him’ when she had a ‘minute to spare’...

“OK.”  He cut right to the basics.  “When would I—we—whoever—be competing?”

“Episode Six—the last Qualifier.  Two weeks from tomorrow.”

“Damn…”

“Yes, very short notice.  A team had to withdraw—torn ACL, unfortunately.  But very fortunate timing for you.”

Now the even bigger question: “Who would be my teammate?”

“Mmm … who, indeed.  Husband and wife teams are the most common.  Are you married, hon?”

“A girlfriend.  Elaine.”  He winced.  “But there’s no way she’d do it.”  Nor was Theo sure he wanted that either.  But he’d already thought of a (slightly) less insufferable option—the biggest, strongest woman he knew, albeit rather brusque and boorish … “Lola, could you team with me?”

She responded to his anxious suggestion with a bellowing laugh.  “Sweet of you, hon, but it’s against company rules.  Besides, there’s no backstory there.  These shows are all about the character drama—you need something compelling.  Amusing, or fascinating, or both.”

He sighed reluctantly.  “Well, my girlfriend moved in just before EGAD, and she used to be five foot two.”

“To your six foot six?  Such a dramatic reversal!  That does have potential.  Yes, bring her by for dinner tonight.”

“But she won’t agree to it.  She’s really not an athlete; she hates sports; ...”

“We’ll just have to spin it the right way then, won’t we?  Bring her tonight, six o’clock.  Got any kids?  Bring ‘em too, if you like.  There’ll be plenty of food.”

“OK, but—“

“Great.  It’s settled.  See you tonight.”

* * *

With everything happening today at work, Elaine had forgotten to bring a lunch.  She appreciated her boyfriend swinging by to drop it off.  Still, though… the thing he just said…

“It’s called what?” she repeated, trying not to spill her coffee.

Theo shifted in discomfort, standing beside her desk.  “Mighty and Mouse.”

“You want to go on a game show … named after a cartoon.”

“It’s more of a play on words, actually.”

She just stared.

Theo grunted.  “As it happens, the man does sort of wear a mouse suit.  But not you.  You’d wear—“

“Me??”  Elaine looked at him in disbelief.  “You think I’ll go on this show??”

“I need a partner—a woman.  … Look, I had the exact same reaction myself.  But once you get past the, uh, sillier parts—“

“Like a grown man in a mouse outfit?”

“—then it’s really not all that bad.  It’s actually pretty tough and competitive.  And the prizes are incredible.”

Who was this soft-lipped man standing before her?  Surely not the cocksure, red-blooded stallion who used to swoon her with a single stare.  The stud who had so fearlessly hit on her at the bar downtown, right in front of her then-boyfriend Alex.   Arrogantly told her where she could find him the next night—and sure enough, there he was.  So brash, reckless, self-assured.  God, what a man he was.

And today she was stuck with a man who, in full earnest, wanted to dress like a rodent on a show he himself had called ‘silly’.   SILLY!

He droned on; something about ‘Apogee’… ‘new formula’… Her mind wandered to her meeting later, mentally rehearsing her presentation again…

“… get my old size back, for a year.”

“What?” She tuned in again.

“Or most of it, anyway.  Possibly you too, if you want.”

They can do that?  That’s a thing?  Elaine pursed her lips pensively.

“Just come to dinner tonight.  Hear them out.”

The game show still sounded awful.

“The food’ll be great.”

She eventually sighed.  “Fine.  But you owe me.”

As he left, passing through the cubicles, a woman no taller than Elaine walked by and he visibly shied away from her, swerving to the side.  *sigh*… Where was that man she once knew?

* * *

“Ugh… why do I have to go to this?” Jen complained from the passenger’s seat.

“It’s a family outing,” Theo deadpanned.  “We’re a family.”

“Then why’s Elaine coming?  She’s not family.”

“Jen…”

“What?  She’s just your girlfriend.”

“Let’s not start that again,” he huffed, turning to her at a red light.  “Try to behave for once.  No more antics.”

“I always behave!”

Ha!  “Oh, that’s rich.  Well, at the very least, don’t sulk.”  She was an expert at that—as her sigh and drooping head were already showing!

But in fact the sulking didn’t last long.  “Whoa,” she muttered, as they looped around the circle drive and approached the imposing front door.  And when that front door opened: “Holy--!!” she hissed, right by Theo’s ear.

He couldn’t actually blame her.  Sweet Jesus, Lola was built like a tank.  Her short, tight, sleeveless dress showed this in alarming, almost dizzying detail.

“Welcome!” the burly behemoth loudly greeted.  “Right on time.”

“How tall are you?!”

Theo jerked his head in scandalized annoyance at Jen’s shrill blurt, but Lola seemed highly amused.  “Six foot six,” she replied smoothly. “Six ten, perhaps, in these heels.”

“Wowww!!”

“And I weigh two hundred seventy-three pounds.”

“Holy wow!!”

“You’re Theo’s daughter, I presume?”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!” the frivolous girl squeaked.  Gaping rudely, she didn’t seem to noticed Lola’s proffered hand.

She got this way around taller women sometimes, but never this bad.  Theo had to jostle her elbow.  “C’mon, Jen, shake her hand.”

She yipped in surprise and put her bony hand in Lola’s, as the big woman shook it with obvious care.  “Forgive her,” Theo grouched.  “I don’t know where she learned to be so rude.”

“Not at all!  I get such reactions every day, and I love it. … Ah, it appears your girlfriend is here.”

Elaine’s car pulled up behind his.  “She came straight from work,” Theo explained, as his girlfriend stepped out.  Oof.  She’d had time to change outfits, and her stretchy black top did cling rather nicely to her breasts…

But she had not replaced her high heels.  He didn’t like her wearing them at all, but especially not out with him in public!  Lola’s heels, he could deal with.  But being a full head shorter than his girlfriend?  It’s like she was trying to embarrass him on purpose.

But Lola didn’t skip a beat.  “You must be Elaine.”

“I must be,” she tepidly replied, firmly but disinterestedly shaking her hand—without even a flicker of pain.

“Lola,” the bulky brunette greeted.

“Mmhmm,” said Elaine dully.

Great… she was in a mood already.  She always—

Yohhhhh.  As Lola stepped aside, he saw a woman standing behind her in the foyer next to Ned.  Hands-down one of the hottest women he'd seen in a long time.  Tall, lean, and fit, with fantastic tits nestled in a form-fitting sweater and a deliciously short skirt showcasing spectacular thighs above bold knee-high leather boots.  He felt his jaw falling slightly agape and his heart skip a beat as her sultry eyes looked his way.

“Is this him?  The man himself?”  Her voice was as sexy as the rest of her.  It purred with sensual energy as her disarming smile grew.

“Sure is,” confirmed Lola.  “Theo, meet Alice Keats, one of the show’s producers.  Hint: she’s the one you’ll need to impress.”

“That shouldn’t be too difficult,” the pleasing voice lilted as this foxy dame approached.  Her height was merely average for a woman—hardly six feet tall—so her own high heels put her not too far above him at all.  Heels, by the way, which were attached to dauntless thigh-high boots, beneath a surprisingly short leather skirt and form-fitting top.  Her delicate cheeks dimpled in a smile as her refreshingly slender arm extended toward him.  Her skin was remarkably soft, her touch wondrously gentle, as she rested her hand in his.  “Pleasure to meet you, Theo.”

Was anyone else noticing the suggestive tone in her voice?  The openly pleased stare?  The way her hand lingered longer than it ought to have?

“Y-You too...”  Uh… “Ms. Keats.”  Man he was getting flustered.

“Call me Alice,” she said with an open wink as her hand finally slid away.

Flirting with him right in front of his girlfriend?  What woman was ever that brazen??  He looked to Elaine—but surprisingly she didn’t seem bothered to care.  Just rolled her eyes and looked away.

“Impress?” Jen asked.  “Why?  What show?”

“Did you not tell them?” asked Lola, amused.

Theo’s face reddened slightly.  “Only told Elaine.”  Hadn’t thought to tell Jen.

But Alice said it right out: “I'm considering the two of them as possible contestants on Mighty and Mouse.”

Jen’s eyes looked about to pop right out of her head.  “WHAT!?!?”

***

Theo looked on disparagingly as his daughter pummeled Alice with question after question all the way to the dinner table.

"Do you work with the contestants??"

"Yes—beforehand, and the day of."

"Wow!  What's that like?"

"It's fun. I love seeing their progress, throughout training and beyond.  Very rewarding."

"Cool!  Do they act the same offstage as during the show?"

"Some yes, some no.  Quite a range of personalities we’ve had."

“Who’s the biggest badass in real life?”

“Language!” Theo scolded.  But the eager girl didn’t seem to hear him.

“Oh, that’d be Bridgette Lindstrom, hands down.”

“The Valkyrie!!”  They'd reached the table, and Jen took a seat next to Alice without asking. "Oh my god, she’s my favorite!  She’s amazing!  She--"

"Enough, Jen!" Theo rebuked even louder.  Damn… by now every seat was taken except the one between Lola and Elaine—the two largest women in the room.  He had to tuck in his elbows as he sat down; didn’t have room for much else.

Jen gave a sort of whimper as she ruefully held back her remaining questions with considerable effort.

"Your daughter's quite a fan of the show!" Lola commented cheerfully. Even sitting, her head hovered well above his.  And the sheer diameter of her arms, compared to his… He tried not to think about it.

"It's news to me," Theo grumped.  He turned to Jen.  "When have you watched it?  Certainly never when I've been around."

"Umm...I didn't think you'd approve," skinny Jen admitted sheepishly, biting her lip.  "I watch it in my room when you’re not around."

Alice’s smoldering green eyes fixated on him as she leaned forward. "Why would she think you wouldn't approve?"

He tugged at his collar.  "I don't know if we need to get into that," he diplomatically replied.

Grgh!&% … Lola’s elbow drove into his arm, rocking his whole body!  “I think she's trying to gauge your feelings toward the show, Theo,” she noted calmly.  “Pretty relevant for determining whether you'd make a good contestant, wouldn't you say?"

Theo could do without so many eyes on him. "I mean … the show’s fine," he lied.  "Just..."

"Dinner's served!"

The attention switched to Ned as he carried in a full rack of lamb fresh from the oven.  "Wow, that looks delicious!" Lola praised.

The table enthusiastically agreed, and the conversation shifted to more frivolous topics.  Which suited Theo just fine.

* * *

As they moved to one of the multiple living rooms after dinner, a red-painted fingernail tapped Theo’s shoulder.  “Alright—out with it.”

He turned to look up in surprise at who else but the breathtaking Alice.  “Excuse me?” he queried, catching a pleasing whiff of warm perfume.

“Tell me how you really feel about the show.”

“I’m fine with it.”

“Theo.”  Her eyes glinted with flirtatious reproach as her hand briefly settled on his shoulder.  “We’re alone now.  You can be honest with me.”

‘Alone now’… The way she said it sent warm tingles down his spine.  She was standing close enough that their bodies were practically touching.  But they were hardly ‘alone’—the four others were right over there, having a conversation!  What would Elaine think, if she just turned her head?

“I have no problem with the show.”

“Riiiight.  You know, all our competitors so far have been quite amenable to the show and quite readily embraced it.  We’ve never had someone who was outright opposed to it and everything it represents.”

“I never said—”

“It’s alright—I actually think this could be a wonderful new spin on the show.  I can’t wait to see how it’ll play out.”

Was he that obvious?  Pfft.  “I don’t have to like the show to compete on it,” he gruffed.  “My personal feelings won’t affect me.  I plan on winning that damned prize.”

“Fiery!  I like it.”  She ran a hand through her hair.  “Spoken like a real alpha.”

Huh?  “Well… yes, I am.”  He felt his pride swelling.  “And I used to be six foot six, in fact.  And weighed two sixty.”  He grunted.  “And unlike Lola, my muscles were all natural.”

Her eyes sparkled; her lips parted.  “You must show me a photo,” her electric voice hummed.

Should he?  Screw it, why not?  Besides, the others were venturing into a side room, leaving the two of them very much alone.

As he pulled out his phone and flipped to old photos, the gorgeous blonde moved in behind him.  "Oh my gosh," she teased, her head now leaning over his shoulder and her breast ever-so-lightly brushing his upper back.  "You still have these on Outstagram?  So cute."

"Why’s that ‘cute’?"

"It just is.”  Her hand squeezed his arm.  She was becoming more familiar by the second.  “Ooooh, look at that one..."

Her hand snaked around his left side and snatched the phone from his hand.  “Hey!” he protested.  But then he saw how her eyes lit up she swiped along.  "Niiiice ... oh, very nice ... Oh, wow …"  She meant it, too.  Behind her playful mirth was a glint of breathless excitement.  “You are certainly not the typical male contestant,” she lavishly praised.

Yowser.  “So, uh…” *cough* “… does that mean I made it on the show?” he bantered smoothly enough.

“If only it were that easy, hot stuff.  We still have to secure you a partner.”

Damn.  “So, about that…”

Theo explained that his girlfriend wasn’t keen to compete.  But Alice, unfazed, insisted on talking to her.  As Theo returned to the group, Alice shot a wink and thumbs up to Lola then called Elaine aside.

“You passed the audition,” Lola hummed as Theo approached.  “It appears she likes you.”

That was an understatement.  The gutsiness of that woman, so forthright, so confident…

“That’s awesome, man!” cheered Ned—but almost immediately his expression clouded with worry, his teeth biting his lip as his gaze flitted over to Alice and Elaine.

“Really, husband, you needn’t fret,” Lola griped with a long-suffering sigh, drawing Ned in with one hand while sipping wine in the other.  “She’ll convince her.  Or at least, worrying your little head over it won’t make any difference.”

Theo probably shouldn’t ask, but … “Why so worked up?  You’re not competing.”

“I sure wish I could!” Ned blurted, waving his hands anxiously.  “I’m so friggin’ jealous!!”

Huh.  “Didn’t know you wanted the prize that bad.”

“The prize?  No, dude, it’d just be such a blast!”

“Wait… you’d actually do it for fun?!”  Not just a last resort??

Ned nodded enthusiastically, and Lola chuckled.  “There are many who would enjoy the experience.  … Jen, for instance, if I may say so.”

Oh—cripes.  Jen was good at blending into the scenery, even when she wasn’t partially concealed by Lola’s hulking frame.  The girl was standing right there.  But she seemed frozen, gaping up at Lola with wide eyes, like she had been for most of the evening.  Just because she’d never seen a woman that size, didn’t mean she should stare like that.

“Jen?” he prompted impatiently.

“Huh?”  She looked around.  “I … sorry, what?”  Her cheeks turned red.

Frivolous girl…

“Suppose we brought you on the show?” Lola joked.

Her screech could be heard a mile away.  “Me!?!”

“Cripes, Jen” Theo chided, exasperated.  “You need to not be so gullible.”

“Oh…”

Lola shook with laughter.  “I couldn’t resist, dear.  Didn’t mean to startle you.”

*gulp* “I-I see.”

Theo scowled.  Lola and her crass sense of humor…

* * *

Elaine finally gave in, nodding with a sigh.  This skinny-waisted bimbo had a point: Elaine should at least watch a clip or two from the show before making a decision.  Alice, Theo, Lola—they’d all talked up the show so much, that she at least owed them that.

She approached the TV screen with Alice, the others all around.  Taking a sip of her wine, Elaine watched with an open mind as the first images appeared on-screen …

And the glass nearly fell out of her hand.

* * *

“Captain Freedom surges into the lead, with the Toxic Maiden closing ground!”

“Here they come, Mice!  Whatever you do, don’t let go!!”

Alice clapped her hands together with a delighted smile.  The final seconds of Episode Two always got her, every time.  The mad scramble through the Pillars of Peril, the reckless swing over the Shrinker’s Drink … The four exhausted contestants in a final neck-and-neck dash …

“They’ve done it, folks!  Freedom reigns!!”

As this riveting recap drew to a close, Alice studied the faces gathered around her.  Theo affected an air of disinterest, although his eyes had never left the screen for an instant.  Jen, of course, watched with breathless, giddy excitement despite probably having already watched the full episode a half dozen times.

But Elaine: Uh oh.  She had already stormed halfway across the room.

Alice chased after her, waving the others off.  “Elaine!”

The wide-hipped woman didn’t slow as she made a beeline across the foyer.

“Elaine, hold up!”

Elaine only stopped when Alice slipped past her and stood in her way on the front porch.  “What?” demanded Elaine, with brusque impatience.

“I know it’s not quite what you expected.”

“You can say that again.”  Elaine tossed her hair indignantly.  “God… he told me the show ‘wasn’t that bad’.  I should have known better!”

“But the prize—“

“I know about the friggin’ prize, and it’s not worth it.  Not even close.”

“Is there anything that could change your mind?”

“Ha!  Nothing in the world could get me on that show.  I have principles.  Apparently Theo does not.  Not anymore.  Turns out I overestimated him, yet again.  I’ll see him at home.”

If Elaine’s words weren’t enough, her expression certainly was.  Alice could see it was a lost cause.

“What’d she say?” Theo accosted, as Alice strode across the foyer.

“She won’t do it.”

“I’ll talk to h—“

“She’s already gone.  But trust me: she’s a hard no.”

Theo cursed under his breath.  He believed her.  Once Elaine made up her mind about something, good luck changing it.

“Hmph.”  Not that he particularly wanted to team with her anyway.  “So who else?” he resolutely went on.  “What’s Plan B?”

* * *

How can there not be a Plan B!?

Theo shifted impatiently on the couch, fuming.  If there were so many women who supposedly wanted to be on this show, couldn’t they just pick one?  No, said Alice.  That’s not good enough.  Again with the ‘backstory’ thing.  Ugh… well, he didn’t have any sisters.  Hardly any cousins.  No coworkers.  And he wasn’t about to call up one of his exes. 

Alice and Lola had their heads together across the room, conferring.  Maybe they’d pair him with a stranger after all.  Or—

“Dang it, Jen--for the umpteenth time!”  Her pointy elbow jabbed into him yet again.

“I didn’t mean to!”

There had been enough room on the couch, until Jen let Ned scoot in next to her.  “Just keep still, would ya?” he griped, jostling her back.

The girl pouted and turned up the TV volume.  Pfff.  He snatched the remote from her hand.

“Hey!”

“It’s plenty loud as it is.”  He turned it back down.

As if getting made fun of at school wasn’t bad enough, Dad had been a total boob to her the rest of the day.  All she wanted to do right now was talk to Alice about her all-time favorite show; but since she couldn’t even do that, at least she could sit and chat about it with Ned while they watched it together.  She never got to watch it with anyone!  So when Dad turned the volume down to unhearable levels … she basically lost it.

“I guess Kendra could be alright,” Alice mused.  “It’s sure not ideal, but …“

“Turn it back up!”  From the couch, skinny Jen lunged for the remote.  Theo, with a perplexed scoff, held onto it easily, his arm barely moving amidst Jen’s two-handed heave.

“… but I don’t see …”

Theo gave a low warning, cocked his brow, then calmly boxed her out with his shoulder.  The featherweight girl flailed and flew helplessly sideways, bumping harmlessly into a surprised Ned.

“… any other …”

“Oh, come on, you brought that on yourself, Jen.”

“… choice.” 

The bickering continued, Theo smirking as much as he scowled, clearly finding Jen’s attempt amusing. As Alice watched, Lola leaned in.  “Or maybe the answer’s right in front of us.”

Alice blinked.  It hadn’t even occurred to her.  “A father-daughter team?  No, no, we couldn’t.”

“Why not?  There’s no rule against it.”

The resilient Jen didn’t give up—she tried again!  And Theo barked a laugh.

“Put them together on the show?  That could be a train wreck!”

“Yes, and what a hilarious, delightful, spectacular train wreck it would be.”

Gosh… she might be right.  Good teamwork and coordination was essential to get through the show.  But these two?  They’d bumble along like stubborn Zaxes teaming up in a three-legged race.  Elbowing, jockeying, quibbling, belly-flopping into the water.  Would they win?  Probably not.  But the show was as much about comedy as competition; and here was some comedic potential that everyone in the audience could relate to these days, probably all too well!

“Yes,” Alice bubbled, her enthusiasm building as she watched Theo and Jen continue to squabble on the couch.  “Yes!  That could be quite a show.  Unlike anything we’ve brought on before!  … But will Theo say yes?”

“The man’s desperate.”

“But that desperate?”

“Hmph.”  Lola gazed thoughtfully across the room.  “Give me a crack at ‘im.”

Theo would have normally put an end to his daughter’s misbehavior by now … but seriously, though?  She’d thought she could just pry the remote from his hand?  He wasn’t even mad at this point.  Both attempts so far were laughable.  Like a minnow tugging on a fishing line.   As he lectured her about proper behavior in the presence of company, he made no attempt to hold the remote farther away.  Part of him almost hoped she’d try it again, so that—

Whaaa--?  His shoulders yielded to an oppressive force, like some sort of robotic death-claws or …

Or just Lola’s hands.

“Walk with me, would you?” her voice rumbled from above.

“Why—?“

“Thought I’d break out some of my bourbon reserves.  You like bourbon, I assume?”

“Well, sure, but—“

“Then come give me a hand.”

Had Jen noticed the surprise in his eyes?  Or how the remote had suddenly dropped from his hand?  He didn’t like Lola suddenly being bossy again – especially not with Jen around!

He followed after Lola, incensed.  Ready to give her a little piece of his mind.  He walked fast to catch up with her …

But as he rounded the second corner, she was facing him.  He nearly smacked into her boobs.  "Mind a brief demonstration?” she cryptically asked.

“Huh?  I guess, but—"

Holy--!!  Her hands shot under his armpits—and suddenly gravity reversed as his body vaulted a foot off the ground!  She held him at her eye level, almost as effortlessly as Ned the day before!  He let out a strangled yelp as his hands instinctively heaved and pried on her thumbs… to surprisingly little effect.

*Whoosh!* She practically dropped him to the floor, leaving him staggering.  “Sorry, hon,” she brusquely declared, “but you needed some perspective.”

It took him several moments to recover; but when he did… “O… On what?” he brayed, balling his hands into useless fists.  “On how to be a rude, arrogant, offensive—“

“Exactly.  Like your teammate could be.”

His fists lowered a smidge.  “What?”

“Arrogant, aggressive … that’s precisely the type of woman who tends to try out for this show.  You think a random teammate like that would listen to you?  Would care what you have to say?”

“Um…”

“What if she was like me?  You think you could keep me in line?”

Ack!  Lola took an aggressive step forward.  Suddenly all he could think about was those arms; how effortlessly they’d lifted him…

“See?” she asked, when he all-too-predictably lurched away.  “It’s a lot harder to put your foot down on someone when she can simply carry you away.”

“I… I can hold my own,” he braved, after inching another step backward.

“Oh, sure,” she scoffed.  “But why risk teaming up with some bull-headed, self-aggrandizing stranger, when there’s a better option?  Someone far more meek-willed, subservient, easy to coerce.  Someone you’ve never had any trouble keeping in line.”

“Who?  Who is this mythical perfect candidate?”

“Your daughter, Jen.”

“Jen?!”

* * *

Theo’s protests kept blustering on and on as they reached the garage.  Expected, but hardly productive.  Clearly a bit more coaxing was in order.

“Hey! … Wait, no!  … Darn it, put me down!!”

“Not until you grab that bottle, hon. … No, the one to the left … That’s it.”

Boy, what a ruckus he made.  All that kicking and cursing.  He was quite a lot heavier than Ned.  Not a bad workout, holding him above her head and keeping him steady.

*Whoom!*  Back to the ground he went.  As the red-faced man stumbled, Lola snatched the bottle from his hand.  She couldn’t risk her finest double-oaked bourbon hitting the floor.

“What the--?!” he blustered, his voice wavering notably.  “Y-You can’t treat people that way!  You—“

“Sure I can.  That’s just how I am, dear.  You agreed to join me here, and now you’re stuck putting up with it.”

Theo swayed in place.  A man shouldn’t be picked up by a woman!  It was messing with his mind to an embarrassing degree.  It colored his every thought and set his heart racing oddly fast and … and … “OK,” he admitted, perhaps more easily than he should.  “You made your point.”  He was surprised how well it was working.  Dealing with a woman like her on the big stage would be awful.  Confusing.  “I need…”

“Someone more malleable.  Of course you do.  And so what if she’s weaker right now?  An expert trainer like yourself could get her exactly where she needs to be -- and in the right frame of mind.”

He still felt dizzy.  “I … I need a minute,” he confessed.

“Take your time.  Or I can carry you out, if you need.”  She laughed at his startled reaction as she took off down the hall.

“Hey, wait!” he protested, but the heavy thumping of her heels continued until she was out of sight.

“He’s taking a minute to think,” Lola announced to everyone in the room.

His cheeks reddened.  That damnable woman!  Twice she’d picked him up; and twice he’d failed to do a darned thing about it.  Strange thoughts kept running through his head.  Thoughts about her, thoughts about the show …

He heard the TV playing and he moved to the doorway.  An episode he hadn’t seen yet: a broad-shouldered young woman in a tight-fitting bodysuit.  Attractive, he had to admit, despite her size and domineering mien.  She stamped her foot at her Mouse companion and pointed to a hole in the ground.  As the Mouse shook his head, the Mighty flashed a crooked grin, snatched him up, and tossed him flailing and floundering into the chute regardless.  The crowd cheered, while Theo’s stomach churned.  The behaviors that these women seem allowed, even encouraged to get away with!

Lola was right.  He couldn’t stand a partner like that.  No chance in heck.  He looked at Jen, sitting on the edge of the couch, hands on her bony knees, eyes riveted to the screen.  She’d struggle to keep up with the competition; but if anyone could get her ready enough, it was him.  And at least he’d be in charge of things.  Unlike with these other bull-headed, confusing women.

After a long pause, he walked into the room.  Drew a deep breath and declared his decision with authority.  “Jen will be my teammate.”

His daughter’s mouth dropped to the floor.  She almost fell off the couch.  It took them a minute to convince her that he wasn’t joking; that it was really happening.  And when they accomplished this, the girl closed her eyes and screamed!

* * *

Theo should have brought ear plugs.  Man, her voice was shrill.  She was still squeaking twenty minutes later as they got in the car and he drove them home.  Still shaking in random bouts of exuberance.

“Easy, Jen.”  He rolled his eyes.  “Breathe.”

“I’m trying!  I’ll… I’ll keep it down.”

“No need.  You’ve already woken up the whole street.”

“I’m just so … Eeeek!  I can’t believe--!  Thank you!!!”

“You’re welcome.”  His daughter’s excitement was infectious.  It was nice to see.  But still… “Lotta work ahead of us,” he reminded gruffly.

“I know.”  Her head bobbed rapidly.  “I know.  Oh boy!”

Jen dashed across the house and set up a Vvroom call immediately.  Soon her best friend’s ecstatic, bright-eyed face appeared onscreen.  “Oh my god, how did you get on Mighty and Mouse?!?”

Jen cheerfully explained it to him. Inevitably, her face drooped when she revealed who she was teamed with. 

"Ugh!!" Amir commiserated. "Your dad?  Captain Jerk-face?!"

Jen snorted in laughter. "Keep it down!" she chided, putting in headphones as Amir continued.

“Stink-butt, stupid-head, dumb oaf, mean brute ..."

"God, you have the lamest insults," Jen teased.  "And he’s not mean always…”

“Just ninety-nine point nine percent of the time.  You sure you gotta partner with him?"

"Why?  You know someone else?” she joked.

Her friend's mouth tightened. "Yeah, like ... me."

Jen saw the hopefulness in his eyes and she covered her mouth. "Oh!  Well, yeah, of course!  I-I hadn't thought of that!  But-"

"It's okayyy..." he said, sounding really hurt - more than she would have expected. 

"No, no - you don't understand!  My dad's the one who had the connection; he set it up all for him. He just picked me as a second choice;  my stepmom wouldn't do it.  God, I would totally pick you if I could, Amir - you'd be perfect! Seriously, you'd be a star!  And it'd be so much fun.  I just didn't think of it 'cuz the spot's already taken."

Her best friend's mood improved. "Aww... thanks. I think I'd be good at it, too."

Jen broke out into giggles. 

"What?"

"Oh man... I just pictured you in a mouse suit!"

His face lit up.  "You're right!  Oh, geez."  He grinned. "You know I'd wear it well!"

"Bwahahaha!!  Yeah, dude, you're already, like, the perfect size for it!"

"Uh huh!  Scurrying and scampering faster than you've ever seen -- Amir, the mouse!!"

Jen almost died laughing.  Amir was so comfortable with his size.  He found the good in everything.

Once she caught her breath, she sighed. "I'm supposed to fit in that Wonder Woman outfit, though.  Gosh..."  She frowned down at her wiry body. 

"You will!" Amir assured.  "I betcha!"

"Ha... thanks.  Yeah, they're gonna give me a size booster thingy before the show."

She saw her friend's breath catch in his throat. "Really? When?"

"Starting tomorrow, I think."

His eyes definitely widened. "Whoa..." he said softly, paused, then shook it off.  "Um... that's cool!" he said lightly. 

Jen didn't think much of it. They chatted for a while longer, then of course Dad barged in and told her to go to bed.  With the screen facing away from the door, Amir puffed out his cheeks and wagged his finger at Jen in almost a perfect imitation.  Jen barely held in a laugh!

“Bye, Amir!  I’ll call you tomorrow after my first day of training!”

“You’d better!”

She waved and hung up with a big smile.  Amir always made everything better.

Theo's phone rang loudly near his head.  He groggily pawed at it, grunting when he saw the name. 

"Alice," he answered sourly. "It's 8 AM on a Saturday."

"Mmhmm," her voice purred.  "I told you I'd call, didn't I?"

Even through the phone, her voice sent his thoughts astray… "I assumed you’d call at a reasonable hour,” he grouched.

"I know, stud.  But why delay?  Let’s say 10 AM?”

Theo rubbed his eyes.  "Afternoon."

"It's a tight enough training window as it is.  Eleven."

"Afternoon."

"Alright, 1 o'clock.  See you then …”

Whew.  Her every word sounded like an insinuation.  Man, she knew how to get his engine revving…

"Who was that?"  Elaine and her revealing night gown appeared in the bathroom doorway.

He didn’t know she was there.  He coughed.  “Alice.”

His girlfriend frowned.  "So early?"

Theo grunted.  “Relax, hon."

Wrong answer.  Elaine’s gaze sharpened as she crossly shut the bathroom door.

Damn.  Normally he’d have left it at that, but he was feeling randy as hell.  So he knocked on the door. "Babe?  ... Babe?  Can we talk?"

The door finally opened.  His girlfriend filled much of the doorway as she crossed her arms under those plump breasts.  He tried to ignore their height difference.  "So, about the show …”

“Oh hell no.  We’re not talking about that.”

What’d she hate about it most: the shrinking or the mouse suits?  Either way, this was going nowhere fast.  But maybe it was the pleasing curve of her hips, or the outline of her soft nipples against thin satin, or perhaps the glimpse of pink panties as she bent over the sink to floss… “How about a date?” he asked, out of the blue.

Her hands froze.  Her eyes darted to him querulously through the mirror.  “A date?” she asked, as if the idea was odd.  True, it’d been a couple weeks, but…

“Yes, a date,” he affirmed, with even more resolve.  “Some private time, just the two of us.  Somewhere fun.”

She seemed skeptical still, but she seemed to warm to the idea.  “Alright. Why not."

Her ass was looking real good right now … “Tonight?” he ventured further.

She mentally ran through her schedule.  “That’ll be fine.”

“… Want to come down and watch our workout?”

Elaine made a face.  “No thank you.”

Good.  He didn’t really want her to either.

* * *

Oof... Theo stole another glance at Alice’s nice, firm ass in her tight miniskirt as she helped the cameraman get set up.  Glorious.

"Alright, Theo.  Ready?" the statuesque blonde, asked, turning to him.

He lifted his eyes just in time and flashed a toothy grin. "You bet."

“You seem in a good mood today.”

Theo nodded.  “Feeling good.  Feeling confident.”

“Mmm … let’s see some of that sexy confidence on camera, shall we?”  Her hand touched his arm, picking up where she left off yesterday.  She wore heels again, but he didn’t let it throw him off.  He flexed, and her smile visibly grew.  Oh yeah.  She wants it. 

“Your home gym here could give Lola’s a run for its money,” Alice commented, standing very close and looking over his head.

“Hardly.  But yeah, my old gym was getting rid of these older machines.  Got ‘em for a great price.”

“Ah, they’re making room for some up-sized women’s equipment,” Alice inferred.  “Smart.  Good to get out in front of that.”

It was occurring to Theo: people like Alice and Lola were exactly why he got fired from his last job.  He was about to frown, when: “Don’t tell me you’re going to work out with your shirt on,” the tall babe said slyly.

Ha!  He slung his shirt off right then and tossed it aside.  “Better?”

“Oh yes.”  He smirked meaningfully at Alice just before Jen came down the stairs.  His daughter wore just a sports bra and exercise pants.  Midsection fully exposed.

She stopped and cringed when she saw him.  “Eww, Dad, where’s your shirt?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he retorted.  Given the circumstances, he let it slide this time.

"Alright," Alice said, towering over the five foot tall camera guy.  “Lonnie here will keep the camera rolling, and I’ll ask questions along the way.  We'll edit it down to a few sound bites and clips later.  Would you like to warm up?"

“Sure,” asserted Theo.  “We’ll start with some stretches.”  The camera light came on, and Theo crisply pulled down an exercise mat and beckoned Jen to do the same.  “Hamstrings first.”

“Can I do my own stretches?” Jen asked, before he sat down.

He was almost glad she was giving him lip already.  Facing her with hands on his hips, he wasted no time laying down the law.  “Let’s be clear: this here is my rodeo, Jen.  You’re here to listen, learn, and do exactly what I say.  No exceptions, no excuses.  Got it?”

Perhaps the presence of the camera coaxed his arm movements a little more grandiose and his intonation more dramatic.  But, as intended, Jen’s shoulders slumped in submission. “I thought we were s’posed to work together,” she pouted.

“Not when you don’t have the first clue how to train.”

“I do!  I train for cross country!”

“And you think that’ll help you build muscle?  Ha!  Throw all that other crap out the window.  You’re starting from square one in here, young grasshopper.  Now start stretching like I tell you.”

Theo had them start by sitting and touching their toes.  But Theo couldn’t quite reach his ankles … while Jen folded in half like a swiss army knife and touched her toes to her wrists.

“What, is your body made of rubber?”

“No.  I’m just flexible,” Jen grumped, inching even farther into her stretch.

“Alright, fine.”  He led them through arm stretches, back stretches … Jen one-upped him every time, twisting like a contortionist and making him feel real stiff and brittle.  Eventually he finished his rudimentary stretches then watched her origami-like movements with a flummoxed scowl.

“Dang, you’re limber!” praised Alice.

“Flexibility means nothing,” Theo retorted, “unless you’ve got strength to back it up.”  He drew his much vastly larger arms up alongside Jen's and flashed a grin at the camera.  “You gettin’ this?”

"Hey!" Jen protested, shying away.  “Don’t be mean!”

“Oh, come on,” Theo scoffed, “you’re gonna need thicker skin than that if you’re going to compete.  Now, I dunno about you, but I’m ready to lift.”

“I’m still stretching!”

Theo rolled his eyes toward Alice, who suggested a brief interview in the meantime.  Hopping up, he stood in front of the camera with Jen in the background.

“Tell us about yourself,” Alice prompted.

“You got it.”  He looked at the camera confidently.  “I’m Theo Atwater – your next champion.  Athletic trainer, avid weightlifter.  Until recently: six foot six and two hundred sixty pounds of pure muscle.  All-state football player; winner of countless high school wrestling tournaments.  A fearless leader all my life; I was born to win.  And while my size has diminished somewhat, I’m still the biggest, strongest guy around, and my competitive spirit has only grown stronger.  Failure is not an option; I’ll lead my team to victory at all costs.  You can count on that.”  Man… the words flowed out of him so smoothly.

“Bravo,” Alice praised, smiling ear to ear.  “Now that’s an interview.  Fantastic.”

“I guess the limelight suits me,” he quipped, throwing in another good flex for the camera.

At Alice’s suggestion, Dad went to the measuring tape on the wall as Jen approached him from the front with a pencil.  She rose as high as she could on her toes…

“Having trouble?”

“No,” she huffed, looking from the side instead.  *Scritch* “Five foot ten.”

“Hoo-yah!”  He pointed at the camera again.  “Let’s see another man match that!”

Alice clapped, only encouraging him more.  Dad measured her--“Five seven… Hmph!”--then they each stepped onto the scale.  185 pounds for Dad … and a paltry 96 for her.

“Oh dear,” Dad announced, showily shaking his head.

“How ‘bout a fun shot before you start?” Alice chimed.  She instructed the two of them to face each other and lock hands.  “Now brace your arms and grit your teeth!  Make it look like you’re pushing hard as you can.”

Theo felt a light pressure on his palms.  “C’mon, brace them, Jen,” he coached.  Her spindly arms were all loosey goosey and offered very little resistance as he moved her hands about.

"I AM pushing!"  Her face scrunched.  “Rrrnghh!”  She really looked like she was trying, but…

“Wait, is that it?" he asked, in genuine surprise.  He even softened his arms, yet her dedicated shove only moved his hands back a couple inches!

She exhaled from exertion and slumped.  “Don’t be mean!”

“I’m not,” he said seriously.  “I’m honestly worried now.  The situation’s even worse than I thought.”  He looked to Alice.  “This is not good.”  We’re screwed!

“I’m starting you both on Apo-Amplifier immediately, don’t worry,” Alice assured.

“You’d better!”  Theo shook his head.  “Till then, we’ll have to work with what we’ve got.”  He jostled Jen’s arms a bit, tossing her side to side like some sort of ragdoll.  Her yelped protests brought a slight smirk to his lips.  At least some women were still no match for him.

“Got it!” Lonnie said, giving a thumbs up.

“Try lifting her?" Alice ventured. "That'd just be perfect."

"Absolutely!" Theo declared.  His daughter seemed startled, shook her head wildly, but after much coaxing she relented.  “Gotta give ‘em what they want,” he hummed, wrapping his arms around her bean-pole waist and gave a good heave.

“Yaghh!”

“Whoa nelly!”  He greatly overestimated the force required.  Her wiry frame shot off the ground like a rocket.  "Cripes, you're light!"

“Put me down!”

So cute, how her twig arms tried to break free.  “This a good angle?”

“More to the side?”

“Sure.”

“A bit higher?”

He hoisted Jen upward, grasping her thin thighs, bouncing her a bit in the process.  “Remember when I used to carry you around like this, dear?” he teased, grinning up at his scowling daughter.

She growled!  Oh, she hated that!

Lonnie gave another thumbs up and Theo set Jen down.  Her bottom lip protruded at him as she gave a fierce but comically harmless pout.  “I told you, Jen,” he coached, “if we’re going to have a fighting chance, you’ll need to toughen up.”

“I know what else could help,” Alice chimed.  She pulled out a sleek black box from her bag and unfastened the latches.  Within, set into fancy satin, rested four rows of small glass vials with seven vials per row.

Jen’s breath caught.  “Is that…?”

“Yep.  A special blend of Apo-Amplifier.  You’ll each drink one vial per day for the next fourteen days leading up to the show.  We’ve dosed it so that you should end up right at the sizes you need to be by then.”

Theo couldn’t help but feel a little queasy as Alice set a vial in his palm.  His gaze fixated on the dark purple liquid quivering therein.  “What size, exactly?” he had to ask.

“Around average height and weight for each gender, that’s all.  We like our contestants to start out ordinary -- and become extraordinary.”

He winced.  He was half a foot taller than the average man.  A half a foot, in two weeks…

“Something wrong, Theo?”  Alice looked down on him with smiling eyes.  Nearby, Jen had her vial open and near her lips.

Rrgh.  He knew this was part of it--and darned if he was going to chicken out now.  “Bottoms up,” he huffed, popping the cork and downing the dark-colored brew in a single gulp.

Uck!  They both cringed at the thick, bitter taste.  "That's, uh, 'full bodied' for sure," he jested, until his anxiousness took hold.  Warily he eyed his arms, poked at his chest, waiting to feel some sort of change …

Alice laughed.  “Nothing’ll happen today.  Might start seeing the extra pounds tomorrow, maybe Monday.  It takes time for your body to build up receptivity to the formula.”

While Theo felt immensely relieved, Jen slumped with disappointment.  “Oh.”

“Keep your head up,” Alice brightly soothed.  “Just stick with it and give your workouts everything you’ve got.  You’ll get there, Jen.”

“I sure hope so!” Theo cut in.  “To build muscle, you’ll need body mass first!  But we’ll start with what we’ve got.”

“Great!  Now, if you don’t mind: while you work out, we’d like to set up some extra cameras around the room to leave here this week; catch some footage of you guys’ progress along the way.”

“It’s gonna record us all week?” Jen fretted.

“Just while you’re down here.  They’re motion-activated.”

Theo laughed at his daughter’s worrying.  “What: camera-shy, when we’re about to go on national TV?  … Alice, we’re fine with it.”  He gave a loud clap of his hands and pointed to the barbell rack nearby.  “We’ll start with squats, Jen.  Show me one good set.  Let’s see what we’re workin’ with.”

“Squats?  Are those the, um …”

The girl doesn’t know what squats are!  He suppressed an indignant scoff and went to the rack himself, crisply executing eight deep, controlled squats, stopping just as his legs began to give out.  He dropped the barbell back onto the rack with a loud clang and shot a cocky grin to one, two, three different cameras, then to Alice.

There was that sexy smile again.  "Very impressive," the blonde babe complimented.

“That was 205 pounds,” he detailed to his pupil.  “For you, let’s start at 85.”  He set it up for her and waved her forward.

Jen cringed.  She knew she was weak -- that’s why she avoided weightlifting in the first place!  So doing it now, in front of Dad and a camera?  It was like her worst nightmare.  But she ducked under the big bar, dug her feet in, and gave it her all.

The bar rolled in place a little but didn’t lift up – not even a millimeter.

Theo blinked.  “Try again.”

Same result.  “It’s stuck!” she said, blushing.

“It’s not ‘stuck’.  We just need to lighten it more.”  He took off twenty pounds, and this time she got the bar off the rack but couldn’t come up from her squat as her legs shook fiercely.

“Whoa there.”  Theo caught her in time and helped the bar back in place.  “Yeesh.”  He took the remaining weights off.  “The bar’s 45 pounds.  Try that.”

She got in just three sloppy reps before he had to pluck the bar back onto the rack for her.  He stepped back and ran a hand through his hair.  Why had he ever chosen her as a teammate?

“How ‘bout that interview?” asked Alice, seeing Jen winded and wobbly.  Theo snorted and kept lifting weights as the two of them jibber-jabbered in front of the camera.

“Whenever you’re ready, Jen.”

The girl sighed.  “I’m Jen Atwater.  I’m a high schooler and I used to be five feet tall and ninety two pounds, and now I’m five foot seven and ninety six pounds, so now I’m really skinny and super weak too.”  Her eyes turned downward.  “I get picked on a lot.  But maybe the game show’ll change that.”

“Sorry to hear that!  I hope so too.  Can you tell us about cross country?”

“Oh.  Yeah.”  She brightened up a little.  “I’ve been on the varsity track team every year in high school, and last year I was the best cross country runner at my school, when I wasn’t so lanky.  I love running.  And sports, too.  All kinds of sports.  I’m just not good at the ones where you need size.  And strength.  Which I guess is most of them.”

“Thanks, Jen.  Another question: how do you feel about your father and teaming with him?”

Jen couldn’t help but grimace.  “He’s really … tough.”  She put it mildly.

“Darn right I am!” Dad called, in mid-lift.

Jen’s face flickered with resolve.  “But I’m tough too!” she told the camera.  “Being on the show is, like, my biggest dream ever, and I’ll train so super hard!  I’ll be ready.”

“You’ll be ready to take the reins?” Alice couldn’t help but ask.  “Lead the team?”

Jen inhaled sharply, unsure how to respond.  But Dad scoffed loudly and planting himself in front of her before she could speak.  “Very funny, Alice.  … Now, listen up, fans!  Forget everything you thought you knew about how this game is supposed to work!”  He jabbed a thumb at his bare chest.  “This contestant is much more ‘mighty’ than ‘mouse’!  I may become the smaller member of the team … eventually.  But I’m also the fiercest competitor this show’s ever seen -- and Theo Atwater plays second fiddle to no one!  So you’d better believe that I’ll be calling all the shots!”

Jen hid behind him, out of view.  She’d already fretted over this.  Mighties were always the leaders on the show; that’s just how it worked.  But maybe Dad was right.  How was she supposed to lead, anyway?  She’d never led anything in her life.

“Perfect,” Alice said, with a pleased nod toward Lonnie.  “I think that’s all the footage we need today.  We’ll come back next weekend for some more.”  She made eyes at Jen’s dad.  “Thanks, Theo.”

“Mmm, you’re welcome anytime, Alice.”

Ugh… still with the flirting!  Doing her best to ignore it, Jen approached the beautiful woman as she packed up.  “Hey, um …” Her hands fidgeted as she whispered, “Is it possible that I might not, you know... get stronger??"

Alice smiled and patted Jen's shoulder. "Don’t worry about that.  Just drink your vials every day, get your workouts in, and you’ll be just fine.  Trust me.”

“Okay.”  As Alice left, Jen still didn’t feel very reassured but she slunk back to the exercise area anyway. 

“Ready for more?” he asked with a cheesy grin.

But Jen kept her emotions under wraps.  She could do this.  "I’m ready.”

* * *

“Elbows in! … Back straight! … All the way down!”

Dad was relentless.  He’d pushed her wiry muscles to the point of exhaustion and beyond.  After squeezing out these last few reps, Jen collapsed on the floor, panting, seeing stars.

Her dad's grinning face hovered into view above her.  “That tends to happen a lot, when I’m the trainer.”

“Uhhh,” was all she could say.  She could hardly move a muscle.

“Like I said, I’m being hard on you for a reason.  You showed a little grit today, which is a good start at least.  As long as you keep following my instructions and giving your all, I think we'll do fine.  For today, though… "  He lowered his hand to her.  "… you've earned a good, long break.  Take the rest of the afternoon off; no need to even worry about chores.  We’ll pick back up on Monday morning.”

“What?  I … I need to train tomorrow,” she said weakly.  “O-Or later today…”

“Muscles need rest.  It may seem tempting, but working out again too soon only undoes the progress you just made.  You’d do no one a favor by lifting before Monday.”

“But—“

“Absolutely not.”

She somehow brought her hand up, and he lifted her the rest of the way.  Leaning on him at first, she eventually wobbled along on her own two feet.  “Can we do other stuff next time too?” she asked, from the stairs.  “Like cardio, or agility, or…?“

“Pfft.”  She’s as bad as Ned!  “You get plenty of that through track and field.  Right now, building your strength is priority number one, two, and three.”

“But what about you?”

Theo sensed exactly where she was going with that.  “What, just because I’m playing a ‘mouse’, I can’t be strong too?  I’m plenty agile, Jen.  And if I’m strong too, that’ll give me just that much more advantage over the competition.”

She seemed about to protest, but he waved her away.  “Off you go.  I have more reps to get in.”  She left quick enough once he got going with some chest presses.  He dug in deep, really pushed himself to the limit, and put together hell of a good workout that morning – his best in months.

***

“Oof…”  Theo massaged his stiff biceps through the thin fabric of his dress shirt.

“You alright?” Elaine asked, seated across from him in the high-end restaurant, looking ravishing in her short white dress.  Her hair was full and wavy and her makeup accentuating her facial features spectacularly.

“Yeah, babe,” he said, taking another sip of wine and making sure to flex for her in the process, sore biceps be damned.  “Big workout today.  Trying to bulk up.  Just a little sore.”

Ahh, there it was: the pique of curiosity in her eyes, the soft catching of her breath as she gazed with interest.  She was still the same woman who once would swoon at mere mention of his physique …

But alas, her eyes turned downward, disappointed again.  Reality set in as she tilted her wine glass to her lips and muttered, “Bulk up?  I thought you were supposed to lose more muscle for the show.”

Well, that backfired.  “… Actually, no,” he doubled down.  “The stronger I am, the more capable I’ll be.  I intend to be the strongest, most impressive ‘Mouse’ the show has ever seen.”

Elaine’s dry stare said: Are you seriously bragging about being a Mouse??  He redirected quickly.  “You look absolutely incredible, by the way.”

“You said that already,” she reminded.

“I know, but hot damn!”

“Theo!” she chided, though she cracked a slight smile.

“I mean it.  You’ve never looked so stunning.  The dress, the makeup, the hair … you’ve got it goin’ on.”

Elaine laughed despite herself.  He almost sounded like his old self again.  “I can’t tell if you entirely mean it, but I’ll take it.  Thank you.”  She took her largest sip of wine yet and scooted forward in her chair.

Her reaction was heartening … but his eyes narrowed onto her arms, solidifying, hardening.  They were almost as toned as his nowadays--and unmistakably bigger.

“I wasn’t sure you’d approve,” Elaine admitted.  “It’s been a while since I wore clothes this revealing.”

Indeed, the bigger she’d gotten, the more conservative her attire had become.  Even her nightwear had become more concealing.  Clearly she hadn’t been comfortable with her new dimensions.  Was that starting to change?

“I mean, of course I approve,” he bantered with a salacious grin.  “The less clothes, the better.”

“Are you sure about that?”  Her gaze was piercing and direct.  “I think we’ve both been trying to ignore our changes for a long time.”

Geez… he wasn’t expecting this.  “Of course I noticed,” he humorously deflected.  “You cut your hair shorter.”

This only exasperated her.  “Can we be serious, please?”

*sigh* “Fine.  Yes.  You’ve gotten bigger … but hey, I can adapt.  Actually, I quite enjoy your new proportions.”

Elaine frowned -- but he wasn’t just giving her a line.  Or not entirely.  It was actually kind of true: when he fantasized about women, more and more often they tended to be around Elaine’s size.  Or Alice’s.  Simply reacting to his surroundings, he figured.  Petite women didn’t exist anymore, so his mind might as well adapt and--

“Stand up.”

He blinked.  “What?  Why?”

Elaine removed the napkin from her lap and rose from her chair, gesturing insistently for him to do the same.  Confused, he got to his feet -- and she promptly stepped closer.  And closer.

Her formidable torso filled his vision.  Even her tight red lips hovered above his eyes, as she peered intensely down.  “You’re fine with this?” she interrogated.  “I’m asking honestly, Theo.”

“I…”  Well, of course he wasn’t comfortable -- not with her standing so damned close, right in the middle of the restaurant!  And… and… “Sure, why not?” he lied.

“My size doesn’t make you uncomfortable?” she challenged, leaning even closer.

“No problem here.”

Elaine clenched her jaw.  “This is the kind of crap I’m talking about, Theo.  We’ll never get past our issues if we pretend they don’t exist.”

She was standing extremely close now.  The room seemed to get even warmer.  “… F-Fine,” he stammered, trying hard not to squirm.  Nearby patrons were probably looking at them, but oh well.  “You … You look freaking huge!” he admitted in hushed tones.  “Every time I crane my neck up, it feels bizarre.”

Her pose relaxed.  “Alright, that’s a start.”  She hesitated for a moment then said down to him, “You look quite small to me as well.  I also find it strange.”

As she started to sit, he quipped irritably, “So why wear the heels?!”

“Because I like them,” she replied, taking her seat.

He plopped down and fumed.  “I don’t see how this is helping.”

“We have to talk it through, Theo.”

“Well, you didn’t have to call me ‘small’.”

She sighed.  “I suppose I put the heels on partly to test you.  I just … I’ve gotten tired of bending my life to suit you.  I’ve decided, for once, to do things on my terms.”

Theo frowned.  “What are you talking about?  I’ve always let you do what you want.”

She drew back in disbelief.  “You’re kidding.  Theo, you always try to get your way with everything.  There was a time when I liked that type of assertiveness, but…”

“But what?”

“But now it’s just exhausting.  And, frankly, annoying.”

He bristled over that quite a while.  “So, what, when I’m a foot and a half taller than you, cockiness is a good thing.  But then I lose a few inches, and suddenly--“

“I’m not saying it’s fair, Theo.  I’m just being honest.”

Ouch.  He set his jaw and stared at his plate.  Hmph!  “Well, I’ve still got some moves, you know.”

* * *

He did indeed.  Through dauntless perseverance, wit, and more than a bottle of wine between them, he managed to steer the conversation back in his favor.  Some reminisces about old times, good laughs, a few flirtatious endeavors and risqué allusions, and things were right back on course, just like old times.  She even allowed him to lead her by the arm back to their car.  Her meaningful smirk sent shivers down his spine as he held the door open for her and she ducked in.

And once they were home, with the place all to themselves, Theo turned to her with his patented lady-killer grin.  “What say we keep this evening going?”

He thought he had her for a moment, but … “I don’t know.”  She turned her back to him.  “It’s awfully late.”

What, seriously?  He strode forth and rested his hands on her firm shoulders, well above his own.  “You know I know how to make you feel right.”

Elaine hummed.  The wine may have had something to do with it, but his words were working on her.  He’d been so smooth tonight; cocksure, like old times.  His hands kneaded her shoulders timidly at first, then more strongly -- a titillating reminder of how sublime his massages once were, and how badly she needed a real man’s touch.  “Let’s take this to the bedroom,” he hummed, his hot breath washing across her back.

Oh, it was definitely working.  “Bedroom?” she purred, twisting around, closing her eyes.  “What’s wrong with right here?”  She felt a line of cool marble against the bottom of her rump as she leaned back against the countertop, her lips quivering in anticipation as she waited for him to swoop in and ravish her.  This countertop had been one of their favorite spots, although this time she needed no boost up …

Damn.  Her mood dampened as she opened her eyes and saw him just standing there, perplexed.  Of course.  He was too short even to reach her lips to kiss her.  Not to mention--

Pfff.  She could kick off her heels, but would that even be enough?  No--she needed to be lying on her back if she had any hope of maintaining the illusion.  “Bedroom,” she reconsidered, pushing off on his chest mildly to make room as she slipped past him toward the hallway.

Theo nearly yelped aloud as his girlfriend’s palm shoved into his chest.  She’d almost knocked him off his feet!  Why did--How strong was she now?  The last time they’d made love, he’d still been an inch taller than her and matched her pound for pound.  But now--

Whoa.  One of her shoulder straps slid down her arm, followed quickly by the other.  Soon the zipper came undone and the entire dress dropped to the floor.  Intimidatingly long, toned legs stepped free and sauntered through the open bedroom door.  Her golden-brown hair brushed against the top of the doorframe on her way through; but his gaze fixated most keenly front and center, on the firm round ass framed in a dizzyingly skimpy thong.

He strode after her like a man possessed, his breath catching as he saw her laid out across the length of the bed, face-down.  One high heeled shoe had fallen to the floor while the other dangled from her toe.  Her arms were upraised, hands folded beneath her cheek; her face was turned to him but her eyes remained closed.  He knew what to do next -- he opened the drawer next to the bed and found the massage oil still there, after months of disuse.  Rubbing the oil in his hands with practiced familiarity, he reached out and … Where should he even start?  There was so much more of her now.  He surveyed the broad line of her shoulders, the long expanse of her back, the generous swell of her derriere just begging to be squeezed.

“Must you always make me wait?” her husky voice sighed in complaint.

He coughed, squeezing the bottle by accident, spurting a dab of oil on the bed.  “… Naturally,” he replied, hastily recovering his suave.  “Your man always knows best.”

“Mmmm,” she hummed, in rare agreement.  Her lips parted in anticipation then moaned softly as his warm hands at last reached her skin -- which, on the surface, felt every bit as soft and smooth as he remembered.  But, probing deeper, his fingers already found resistance: twin knots on her upper back, needing to be worked out.

“You can relax, babe,” he intoned, sitting next to her and applying pressure with his palms, kneading the tight ridges of muscle like a baker smoothing out dough.  She made pleasurable noises, yet her shoulders remained so very tense.  “Give in to it, sugar.”  He kept at it, though she refused to let her muscles relax.  “C’mon … nice and relaxed …”

“I am,” she murmured.  Before he could inquire, she shifted in place, sliding her arms a bit higher -- and the resilient knots hardened like rocks, rising against his palms…

His hands jerked away; he inhaled sharply.  “What?” Elaine asked, cracking one eye open.

“Nothing!”

Her back smoothed again under his gaze, the newly-raised ridges sinking back into the surrounding terrain.  She hadn’t seemed this well-built!  Not from a distance.  But now, up close--

“Keep going …”

He winced.  “O-Of course, babe.”  He sat up and observed the landscape with new trepidation.  Rubbing more oil on his hands, he started this time down below her shoulder blades then quickly descended.  Everywhere his hands met the same resistance, as if knotted everywhere.  Her body used to feel like soft butter in his hands, but now he had to work for every inch!

Elaine kept her eyes closed, embracing the fantasy as best she could.  Once upon a time, her boyfriend’s massages were practically an orgasmic experience all on their own: his large hands roaming her body at will, starting out soft and then kneading her like a little ball of putty.  Manhandling her without even trying.  She ached for that feeling again … but perhaps these modest-sized hands on her back would be enough.  They continued to probe and prod, still in the gentler exploratory phase.  Perhaps he was simply building up her anticipation, devilishly punishing her for such a long deprivation?

But Theo, in fact, was becoming oddly fascinated.  The denser texture was such a new experience; somehow, the extra effort required, the extra challenge of it, became its own reward.  With so much ground to cover, the task of massaging Elaine was far more daunting than before -- but every inch of progress, from shoulders to spine and calves to thighs, put his mind in more of a fuddle and drove his heartbeats ever faster.  His palms and arms began to ache, yet he almost didn’t want to move on!

Elaine grew impatient.  What was taking him so long?  He was still going light!  “More,” she breathed, as he probed at her legs.  “I can handle it.”  She felt him pause, and then--did she hear a grunt?  His palms squeezed their way up her thighs--but only one at a time.  He dug in deep enough, she supposed… but was he breathing hard?  From exertion??

At least his efforts were starting to affect her, especially when he reached her buttocks.  Cupping, kneading, squeezing … she felt a growing tingle of eagerness, a panting rising from her lips that nearly matched his own.  Any moment now, her brazen lover would have enough of waiting.  In the blink of an eye, he’d flip her savagely onto her back and show him what a man he truly was.  She would be at his mercy, and she--

Oh, for crying out loud.  He tried to flip her but got only halfway.  On his second grunting attempt he managed it -- but fell back on the bed in the process!  Clumsily he picked himself up, tried to pretend like nothing happened … but he seemed thoroughly off his game.  Descending upon her, he kissed her deeply but sloppily on the mouth.  He squeezed her breast, but too rushed.  His fingers fumbled at his belt, struggling to undo the buckle -- with the flustered face of an inexperienced lover!

“Slow down,” she beseeched.  His gaze flashed at her in annoyance.  She suppressed the impulse to roll her eyes.  I’m not the one bumbling this!  He too-hastily kicked off one of his pant legs then the other, almost tripping over them before dropping his boxers next.  And at the sight of his cock, she had to try hard not to frown.  It wasn’t small now … but oh how it paled from what it used to be.

At least his boastful grin returned, as he slid between her legs and grasped the thin band of her thong.  His confidence was swelling -- and his excitement too, as she could plainly see -- as his coarse hands relieved her of her undergarment, tossing it aside.  And he still knew how to put a condom on … although, she noticed the color of the wrapper was different, and the word ‘Magnum’ was notably missing.  As he parted her legs wide and zealously guided his member inside her, she still felt something at least.  But where she used to shriek when he entered her, now she hardly exhaled. 

A look of thrill crossed her lover’s face as he began to thrust in rhythm; at the same time, Elaine furrowed her brow and rolled her hips in a determined attempt to maximize the friction.  But after letting this go on a while, it just wasn’t enough.  “Deeper,” she hissed.  “… Deeper!”  But from his disgruntled noises and intensified thrusts, it was clear that was the deepest he was going to get.

Elaine grinded her teeth.  Theo seemed to be having a grand ol’ time, fondling her breasts while humping away, breathing harder and harder.  She could have laid there and let him run his course … but why should she?  She wasn’t the passive partner she once was.  No, she was a modern woman now, and that meant taking things -- literally -- into her own hands.

Theo yelped as two strong hands accosted his buttocks and surged him forward.  “Whoa!  El--“  He didn’t complete that thought as her aggressive squeeze repeated again, and again…

“E…Elaine!” he finally managed, his breaths ragged, his head spinning.  Being moved like this, physically, by a partner -- it wasn’t something he’d ever experienced.  He’d always done the moving, so this felt strange to say the least.  But … damnnn … it did not lessen his pleasure one bit.  In fact--

With a sudden heave, Elaine rolled them both sideways -- and suddenly he was looking up at her from the bed!  She’d never been on top before.  The few times she’d tried, he’d just laughed and flipped her onto her back where she belonged.  He tried this now, but she saw it coming.  Her knees were too far apart, too wide a base.  And damn she was heavy!  She swayed only slightly but came right back.

“What are you d--“  His voice cut out with a groan as her pussy descended, sliding him inside.  Something about the angle… it felt incredible.  She began to bounce up and down, her quads working fiercely -- and he moaned.  And moaned.

Faster.  Elaine picked up the pace.  Faster.  She gritted her teeth.  Harder.  Her man was gasping for breath now, panting … but she wasn’t there.  Enough pleasure to keep her motor revving, but frustratingly little hope of making it all the way.  Damn it!  She looked around, wondering what else she could possibly try.  Theo just wasn’t doing it for her.  She held her gaze briefly on her bedside table, remembering the special toy she kept hidden away in there for the times when Theo was away.  The size of that, compared to Theo’s, should have told her all she needed to know.  She--

“Ohhh yes … Yes, babe … YESSS!!!”

He completed already?  He spasmed and finally collapsed, sinking into the bed, while she felt almost … offended.  Annoyed.  She hadn’t intended to let him finish by himself.

“Was that good for you, babe?” he asked, a minute later.

What -- seriously??  So wrapped up in himself he didn’t even notice her frustration?  He just assumed he could get her off every time without hardly trying, like in the olden days?

“I could use a little more,” she coaxed, trying to keep her tone light and upbeat.

… And he laughed!  “Well, that’s a first,” he hummed, caught up in the afterglow.  “I’ll get you next time, I promise,” he added, more sincerely.

Her brow tightened.  Her elbow prodded his side.  “Or you could help me out now.”

“Hmm? … Oh.  I could probably give it another go.  Just lemme rest for a bit, and I’ll go put on another condom and--“

“There’s other ways to get a woman off.”

He looked at her like she was speaking Greek.

“Forget it,” she huffed, standing up and marching to the bathroom, loudly closing the door.  Damn him for getting her all worked up then not offering to tend to her needs.  Maybe later she’d sneak off with her vibrator after all.  But she wouldn’t put up with things continuing this way for long.  Not anymore.

Theo awoke at the perfect time the next morning: just as Elaine was cupping a black bra over her generous chest.  His loins stirred as next she slid dark nylons over her long legs. 

Hot damn.  He ambled out of bed.  If he were quick enough, maybe he could convince her to let him take those off again.

Her back stiffened as soon as he touched it.  Her shoulders sharpened; her arms tensed.  That a woman would have muscles rivaling his own … His hand detoured south instead, down the taper of her waist and onto the pleasing swell of her lace-clad buttocks -- which, too, solidified like a rock.

“Theo.”  Curt and businesslike.  “I have work.”

“Work can wait, babe,” he hummed, his hand roaming lasciviously.

“We’ll discuss this in the evening.”

“Mmm… what’s to discuss?”  His second hand found her glutes, joining the fun.  “Just give in and--“

“Not now.”  She strode abruptly forward, briskly disappearing into the closet.  He exhaled distractedly.  Damn, she looked good.  Their activities last night had stoked his fires, and he was jonesin’ real hard.  So why just stand here?  Women liked assertive men, after all.  Especially Elaine.  She was probably in there with bated breath, hoping he’d barge in and sweep her off her feet.  So, after a minute of holding it together, that’s exactly what he--

“Shit.”  She’d been imposing enough in her nightie.  Now her angular, aggressive black power suit messed hard with his head.  She rarely dressed up this well for work.  The sharp-eyed brunette loomed with an almost palpable sense of authority now, exuding an air not of a lover but of a successful, no-bullshit businesswoman -- which, undeniably, she was.

But she took one look at his desirous expression and scowled.  “Are you serious right now?”

“What?”

“You were about to come on to me again, weren’t you?”

Her tone was like that of a boss interrogating an underling.  Or at least that’s how he felt.  “No, I … Well, sure babe,” he admitted, managing a smile.  “When you’re lookin’ this good, of course I’d be wanting more.”

“Hrphh.”  She and her big elbow not-so-gently pushed past him.  “It’s always about you, isn’t it.  What you want.” 

“Huh?  I think I tended to your needs plenty last night, babe.”

“Plenty?”  She stopped and swiveled.  Her stiffened posture only heightened the effect of her clothes.  “You thought that was plenty?!”

So that’s what this was about.  “I was out of practice,” he dismissed.  “Come over here and I’ll make it up to you.”

“How?  I’m a lot bigger now, Theo.  I have bigger needs.”  Elaine decided there was no point in dancing around it.  “Dammit, Theo, I can’t just settle for …”  She grinded her teeth.  “I need a man who can overwhelm me!  Toss me around, throw me on my back, have his way with me!”

His hackles rose.  “And you think I can’t?”

Her disparaging gaze swept across his body.  “Be serious, Theo.  I need a man twice my strength, but you’re not even as strong as me.”

Whaaat?  OK, that crossed a line.  “I’m stronger than you,” he said up at her in a barking laugh.

“You’re not, but--“

“Seriously?  I work out every day!”

She sighed, up above him.  “Regardless, if we can move on …”

“Hell no!  I’ll prove it, if I have to!”

Something in Elaine snapped.  She knew he’d never let it go.  Not today, not tomorrow, not the next day … unless she dealt with it now.  “Fine.  Let’s settle this.”

Theo blinked as Elaine curtly unbuttoned her blazer, straightened her shirt, and strode deliberately toward him.

“Umm…”  Well, he didn’t think she’d go along with it!

“What?  Having second thoughts?”

“I…”

“Let’s make this quick.  I need to get to work.”  So composed, so matter-of-fact.  So certain she would win.

He frowned.  “When I beat you, you’d better put out tonight,” he ribbed.  Only half-serious, but--

“Deal,” she agreed, without batting an eye.

His brow rose.  Gaining sex and asserting dominance, all in one?  No red-blooded man could turn down that offer.  “You’re on,” he affirmed, allowing this strange farce to continue.  At his instruction, they moved to the center of the floor and braced their hands on each other’s shoulders.  The upraised angle of his arms had him at a disadvantage; but under her cotton sleeves her flesh, though firm, gave way to his determined grip.  Planting one foot behind him, he looked up into her mascaraed eyes and grinned.  “First one to touch the wall loses.  I’ll be ridin’ you doggy style tonight, babe.”

Elaine felt a fire lighting within.  She was sick of doing things his way.  She deserved to be satisfied too!  And it was about time he learned what such toxic masculinity would get him.

“Ready,” Theo jeered, “Set …”

His eyes pulsed wide as Elaine’s deltoids hardened, pushing his fingers outward.  What the--

“Go,” Elaine growled.  Her ferocious surge forward caught him totally off-guard.

“Holy--!”  He stumbled two steps back, braced, and shoved her with equal vigor -- but only half as far.  Already her scowl grew fierce and she heaved again.  In disbelief, he lost another two steps.  Gained one back.  Lost two more.  He grunted and grimaced, panic taking hold as he lost more ground, and more …

How!?!  Jesus Christ!  Sweet Mother of--

*Bam!*  His spine hit the back wall, next to the dresser.  Her eyes burned into his as she pinned his shoulders even harder into the wall, wielding superior leverage and unwavering determination.  When she finally let go, a disbelieving shudder shot through him.  Impossible!

“I-I … You … It wasn’t fair,” he quaked, watching her stride to the closet.  “You jumped the gun.  Your height gave you unfair leverage.”  He was talking to himself at this point.  “You…”

*gulp* She reemerged wearing stiletto pumps.  Six inch spikes, easily.  He didn’t even know she owned any that high!  The lump in his throat grew to the size of a golf ball as she re-approached, towering.  Never had he felt so small, so outmatched.

“When we have sex again, we’ll do it my way.  On my terms.”  She may as well have been speaking to one of her subordinates at work, so direct and officious was her tone.  “And you’ll cum after me, or not at all.”

WHAT!?

Her long legs had already carried her out of the room by the time he hinged his mouth shut.  Another day, he would have stormed after her … but today, he stayed put.  In fact, he didn’t move a muscle until the front door slammed shut and Elaine’s car drove off.  Then he went straight to the scale in the basement.  The Apo Amplifier must have kicked in already.  It must have!

But no.  Same weight as yesterday.  And same height too.  Elaine had overpowered him all on her own.  And once these doses did start kicking in … Oh hell.

* * *

Perhaps he felt a bit extra urgency to confront Elaine that evening.  “Rematch,” he declared, almost as soon as she walked in the door.

Her expression turned from a frown to a glower in less than a second.  But he persisted.  “You had unfair leverage.  It wasn’t a true test.  A better test of strength would--“

Her eyes blazed in fury as she marched away.  It seemed whatever chances he’d had for tonight were now dead in the water.

He got a tense, uncomfortable feeling every time she entered the room; broke out in unsettling goosebumps when he thought about what’d happened … but a man has needs, you know?  And pride and principles didn’t seem worth as much when you’re not getting laid.

“OK.  I’m sorry,” he gruffed from the bed the next morning, just as Elaine was leaving.  “We’ll try it your way.”

Elaine with her boxy shoulders and wide hips hesitated in the door.  “Alright.”

That sounded like tonight, if you asked him.  Well, then.  The day was looking just a little bit brighter.

* * *

"Rise and shine!"

Jen awoke to blinding light on her face. She groaned and covered her eyes, then groaned even louder when her muscles cried out in protest. "Urggghhh ... Dad, what the hell??"

Dad was beaming at her quite annoyingly. "Enough complaining, young lady.  Time to hit the gym!”

"What time is it?"

"Seven o clock."

"What!?"

"It’s a weekday, Jen.  Which means an early start.”

“I thought you didn’t have work till the afternoon.”

“No, but you have school, so … c’mon.  Get up.”  When she didn't respond, he took hold of the covers and--

"DAD!!  Ugh - FINE!!"

He laughed. "See ya down there."

* * *

The two teammates gulped down their vials in unison.  Theo was sure he’d feel something afterwards … but no.

“Not a pound,” he huffed, stepping back from the scale.  “You swear you took your dose yesterday?”

“Yeah.  Why?  Didn’t you?”

“Yes, obviously.”  Dang.  Jen needed more body weight -- fast.  Yet they both had failed to gain a pound or an inch.  Grumpily he recorded these measurements on the new chalkboard.  “Ah,” he said, watching her cringe, “I see you’ve noticed it -- I put up this board last night.”  Columns for the days; rows for the workouts: weight and completed sets. 

“You installed this whole thing?” Jen whined.  “Just for …“

“Yup.  Gotta track your progress, Missy.”  He rather enjoyed the humbled look on her face as she compared her dismal numbers from Saturday to his. 

* * *

It was bad enough having those cameras around the room, watching everything they did. It was even worse to have Dad’s slightly bored face hovering in front of her yet again as she gritted her teeth and heaved.

"Six…Seven... and eight.  Decent effort, Jen," Dad said placidly, heading for the chalkboard while Jen panted and wheezed.

This was embarrassing.  “I can’t even handle an empty bar!” she groaned.  She still wouldn’t have even finished a single set of squats if he hadn’t helped.

“Close enough,” he said, crediting her with one full set on the chalkboard in a rare moment of generosity.  “It takes time.”

Of course Dad added, like, a hundred and fifty pounds and squatted it with ease!  She turned away dismally.  I can’t watch!

Set One went just fine for Theo.  So did Set Two.  And all seemed well halfway through Set Three, until … Huh?  His quads seemed to glitch.  The bar suddenly dropped several inches; it almost seemed to feel heavier now as he forced it back up and finished his set.

“What was that?” he said with labored breaths, relieving himself of the weight.

Jen turned around.  “What was what?”

“Did you…?”  Add weight to the bar?  Push down, when he wasn’t looking?  He -- whoa.  He felt dizzy.

“Are you OK?”

“I’m fine.”  But even waving her off felt odd.  His arms were … wobbly.  So were his legs, as he leaned against the frame.  “Breakfast isn’t agreeing with me, I guess.”

“OK, but--“

“Just move on to … deadlifts.  I’ll catch my breath.”

Jen looked at him funnily but, with difficulty, took the weights off one by one then went to the middle of the floor with the empty bar.  Indeed, his dizziness passed quickly, and now he watched her skinny legs quiver just from lifting that paltry 45 pounds off the ground a few times.  After her first set, she was huffing and puffing.  After the second, she was totally wiped out.

“Not bad,” he commented, having shaken off his own dizziness.  “At least you stuck with it.”  The A/C could’ve kicked on and blown her over, judging by how she swayed.  Once he was sure she was alright, he went to the chalkboard and--

“Wait!  I-I’m not done!”

Pah!  “Oh yes you are.  Any more, and you’ll hurt yourself.”

But the girl bent down anyway, her arms jittering.  “I gotta push harder!  I have to!”

“Jen, you’re completely tapped out!  You--“

Confound it!  Jen picked the bar up anyway!  He stood at the ready but decided to let her learn her lesson; watched her struggle to lift the bar even a few inches.  Dropping it pretty quickly, she tried it again!  He moved to stop her useless attempt, and--

What the--?  A sudden spasm, wild and uncontrolled; a yelp of exertion … then the bar began to rise again.  Inch by inch, her back straightened -- her form getting better in time, not worse!  Her limbs quavering less.  And then … What?  She completed another rep?  And another??

Finally, exhaustion won out.  Still, though: one simply does not get stronger in the middle of a set!  Unless --

Oh.  She stood up … and he could swear her head hovered a little higher now.  Of course it did.

“Holy smokes!” Jen wheezed.  “I grew!”

“Yeah.  No crap,” he downplayed.

Her eyes scanned him.  “So you shrunk too, right?  During your squats?”

The hairs on the back of Theo’s neck rose.  “That’s none of your business!”

Yikes… that came out harsh.  Jen drew back hastily.

He sighed.  “C’mon.  We might as well record it.”

He feigned disinterest as she stepped on the scale and moved the slider a couple notches, then a couple more … “Eee!  Four pounds!”  When she stood against the wall, he had to rise ever so slightly on his toes to see over her head.

Ugh.  Plus half an inch for her; minus half an inch for him.  He thought about rounding to the nearest inch on the board, but that would’ve seemed disingenuous.  At least, weight-wise, her 100 pounds was still miles away from his 180.

Dad frowned, but Jen could hardly contain her glee.  It’d felt so awesome, back there on the bench press.  Right when she reached the breaking point… the sudden zap of lightning, like a power-up straight to the arms and everywhere else.  The bar feeling suddenly just a teeny bit lighter … Ho-o-oly crap, now she wanted more!  But she likely couldn’t grow again till Wednesday.  No matter -- she had another mission now.  Four workouts left today; that meant four new personal bests for her to set.

And, one after another, that’s exactly what she did.  Heck yeah!

* * *

“Aerobics,” Theo muttered, walking up to Ned’s front door with a shake of his head.  Ned was his best -- and practically only -- client lately.  And, as they say, ‘the client knows best’.  But last time they’d cut the weightlifting to only half the session, and this time Ned had insisted on going full cardio.  “Just to try it out,” he’d claimed, but with surprising emphasis.  Was Lola behind it?  But why would she--

"Hey, Theo!"

Oh, helllll no…

Ned, the grown man, wore tight black yoga pants and a pink tank top -- pink! -- with a low scoop neck and purple stripes down the sides.  And similarly colored tennis shoes that until recently would have only been found in the women’s clothing department.

“Come on in!  Don't be shy!”

Theo was obliquely aware of this trend.  It’d just been starting by the time he got fired from the gym.  While women increasingly would wear loose-fitting muscle shirts to work out, some men were starting to dress like… this.  It’s like they wanted to look like wimps.  It was so ass-backwards!

“Uhh… looking good, Ned,” Theo wanly commented. 

His client beamed.  “Thanks man!  I was a little hesitant at first, but Lola talked me into it.  And now I'm really glad she did!  It's super comfortable.  Full range of motion. And feel how soft this fabric is!"

Ughh.  "No thanks.”

“Suit yourself!  C’mon, let’s go in.”

* * *

Bradley, that annoying bully, smirked at Jen as usual as she took her seat in front of him.  “Hi, Spider Girl.”

This time she held back a cringe, and even said to his face, “Hi, Bradley.”

He blinked, realizing for once he’d need to come up with more than that same tired insult.  “Urr… What are you so happy about, anyway?” he jeered.

Jen couldn’t help it.  “I’m not gonna be ‘Spider Girl’ for much longer…”

“What’s that s’posed to mean?”

The bell rang, so she simply crossed her arms and replied, “Give it a few days and you’ll see!”

As she turned forward, her gaze swept across the "Big Three" – her nickname for Maggie, Ella, and Blaire.  Suddenly Jen’s gloating seemed meaningless.  Gained four pounds today?  Big whoop.  She was still light years behind those three in terms of size, looks, personality, style …

Eep!  Green-eyed Blaire was looking right at her!  Holy crap.  Jen blushed and jerked her head forward.  She wasn’t even worthy to be in the same room as those three.

* * *

As luck would have it, as Jen turned the corner in the hallway she smacked right into the solid, curvy frame of Blaire herself.  "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Jen exclaimed, bending to pick up the papers that fell from both their binders.

Blaire crouched down to help.  "It's cool," her deep voice replied.

She's not mad??  "I'm really sorry," Jen reiterated, her cheeks red as she handed Blaire her pages.

"Nah, I said it's cool."  As they both stood up, Blaire towered over her once again.  "What’d you mean earlier?  ‘Give it a few days’ -- are you taking pills or something?"

Ack!  “Y-You heard that??  Um … yeah, kinda.  B...But not just 'cuz ... I-I mean, there's a reason."

"Hey, whatever."  Blaire shrugged again.

Jen cringed. "No, it's... um ... I'm gonna be on a game show. Mighty and Mouse."  The words just popped out of her -- but she’d meant to keep it secret!

Blaire blinked. "What? Bull."

Jen saw her credibility plummeting.  Panicking, not wanting to be seen as a liar, she pulled up the picture on her phone of the waiver she signed, with the Mighty and Mouse logo in big font across the top. 

"Shit... are you serious??"

"Yeah."

Blaire waved to Ella, at her locker nearby. She came and saw the waiver, and ... "Holy fuck!  Spider girl??  Bullshit!  How??  That's photoshopped."

"She's bigger today," Blaire defended. "Look!"

She noticed??

Ella frowned.  "Doesn't mean nothin'."  She strutted away. 

"Forget her," Blaire told Jen. "She's mean to everyone.  And that's a stupid nickname anyway."  She hoisted her backpack onto her shoulder and turned. "Later."

"L-Later!!" Jen croaked, staring after her. 

***

"Blaire Davis?!" Amir exclaimed. 

"Yes!  She TALKED to me!!  For like, a whole minute!"

Amir looked back toward the school. "Whoa."

He didn't hear her next remark, just got this faraway look in his eyes.  "Yoohoo!  What, you got a crush on her or somethin'?" she teased. 

"I ... um..."

"Oh my god, you do!" Jen realized, as her friend’s face turned even deeper red.  "I mean, she's SUPER pretty," Jen added, on a more serious note.  "And I guess, like, you're used to being shorter than girls anyway, so it’s not that weird for you."

"Hey!" Amir protested. 

"But it's true, right??"

"Yeah, I'm ... used to it," he said strangely.

As they headed for lunch, Jen expounded on how nice Blaire actually was -- which Amir couldn’t believe.  “No, I’m serious!  Maggie was mean, but not Blaire.”

"Jen, be real: all those girls are mean."

"That's what I thought, too, but what if Blaire's different?"

“I dunno.  Don’t let her fool you.”

Jen frowned on their way outside.  “You’re probably right,” she conceded.  But as they rounded the next corner, excitement flashed in her eyes.  “Last one to the deli’s--”

“A rotten egg!”  Amir took off, already one step ahead of her!  Jen squealed and charged after him … and something amazing happened.  For ten glorious seconds, she actually gained ground on her speedy friend.  Her legs were sore from weights, but they also felt more … capable.  Not quite as floppy or flimsy.  Able to drive a little harder, for a little longer.  Pushing, and pushing …

“Drat!”  Her quads gave out right at the end and he reached the deli several strides ahead.  But he turned his head immediately, elated.  “Wow – way faster!  You almost beat me!”

Jen steadied herself against the wall, wobbly once again.  But she beamed.  “Yeah!  You noticed!”

Amir nodded enthusiastically.  “Yep!  Makes sense, ‘cuz your legs are bigger now.  And your arms.”

“Oh!  You noticed that, too?”

Her friend blushed quickly.  “Umm, yeah, I … noticed right away.”

Is he acting funny?  “Hmph.  Well, I’ll beat ya next time!”

Amir nodded, as his cheeks turned rosy.

* * *

“Be back by nine,” Theo reminded, as his daughter left to go hang out with that Amir kid.  Putting away a few last dishes, he wandered into the bedroom and--

“Holy…!”

He blinked, stunned, as his girlfriend stood across the room, leaning against the wall and wearing a tan lace see-through negligee and matching stockings.  He could see every bit of her curvy, toned waist; could see the shape and hue of her nipples amidst her sizeable round breasts; could even make out the lips of her freshly-shaven pussy through the very sheer fabric.  She was radiating sexuality.

His ladykiller instincts kicked in.  With assertive poise he closed the distance between them.  He wanted her, and he was going to have her.  It was as simple as …

She’s stronger than me.  The memory burned bright in his mind.  That … episode … this morning.  And that was before the five pounds he’d lost today.

Elaine saw her lover hesitate.  Part of her felt a twinge of disappointment, on some level still wanting him to be brazen; fearless.  But even as he kicked off his pants, placed both hands on her hips, and tugged her away from the wall, there was a certain hesitation in his movements.  A cautious defensiveness, as he tried to steer her toward the bed.  He would try to have his way with her, she knew.  But this dwindling man simply no longer had the stuff for that.  To toss her about, to ravage her like she needed.

No.  Tonight would go a different way.  Before she was halfway around, she grabbed his chest instead and threw him savagely onto the mattress beneath her, ending up on top of him when he’d expected her on bottom.

“Elaine!” he gasped.  “Wh--“

“Quiet!”  She’d never hissed with such ferocity before, but she followed it up with an equally fervent kiss, thrusting her lips into his, snaking her tongue, leaving him reeling and gasping for air.  Always she’d been the passive partner … but not today.  He tried to speak again but she grabbed his hair and gave a sudden pull, causing his eyes to pop open wide.  She preempted his response with another kiss, then another -- as if him speaking would ruin it.  Which it probably would.  She didn’t want his griping right now, or his excuses.  His empty machismo.  She just needed to give him, well, a little more persuasion.

“Jeees--!”  Theo gasped as Elaine thrust his palm deep into her breast then aggressively planted his other hand on her rump.  Her lips descended on his again, almost before he could breathe!  None of this was like anything she’d done before.  Wild, unhinged, domineering … and by god, it was working.  He couldn’t understand why, but he was becoming rock hard, his breaths panting.  Maybe it was just the thrill of something new, something never before tried, but … oh fuuuuck, her tits felt good.  Her ass.  Her strong lips and even stronger arms-- even those were working for him.  And now the friction of her meaty thigh sliding between his legs, working deliberately up and down, causing him to twitch and throb and … and … good god, yes!  As amazing as it felt, she wouldn’t have to keep it up for too much longer before … before he--

“My turn.”  Stopping cold, her hands fiercely cupped his jaw.  Her eyes lowered to his, narrowing, smoldering.  “You need to get me off.”

He blinked, writhing beneath her.  “Oh, I will,” he breathed, one hand grasping her firm glute as his other hand feverishly took out his cock and guided it under the frilly hem of her lingerie, seeking the target he so badly needed…

“No.  Not like that.”

What?  “How else would I--“

Yagh!  Her palm thrust downward on his chest, pinning him efficiently as her legs shifted forward.  Soon her knees were on either side of his head, her thick thighs now lowering down, the lips of her bare pussy hovering directly above him.

He gasped when he realized her intent.  “You… You want me to--“

“Yes.”

He coughed in distress and pushed off on her thighs.  “Y-You’re joking!  You know I’ve never done that before!”

“Never too late to learn.”

What?!  “Why can’t we just--“

“No.  This first, or you get nothing.”

Was she nuts?!  Who was she to-- … She couldn’t force him to--to--

God damn, she was heavy!  He tried to throw her off him, but her thighs barely budged.  From this position, it almost felt like she was in charge.  That was insane!  But… But … Holy crap, he was horny.  Her proximity … the heat radiating off her … it was driving him crazy.

He could try it, just this once.  “I’ll…”  He gulped.  “OK, I’ll do it.”

Her quads visibly flexed around him as she lowered herself further.  Her scent was heavy.  But nothing compared to the strange, salty taste as he timidly probed her lips with his tongue.  It was oddly humbling; humiliating, almost.  Like he was serving her, or … He tried not to overthink it.  He probed a second time, and this time he heard her hum in pleasure.  Encouraged, he tried again.  And again.  Soon, he felt her begin to shudder.

Abruptly, she dismounted.  Was he done?  Was that--

No, it was only just beginning.  She flipped onto her back and pulled him with her.  With a deep, anxious breath, he descended again between her thighs and kept going, battling against his own inexperience.  Before long, Elaine’s hand grasped at his scalp and pushed him closer, giving instructions.  He did his best to follow them, feeling like a struggling student being tutored.  He may as well have been a virgin again.  It was so very strange … but his attempts seemed to be having an effect.  Her shudders grew more frequent, her breaths louder and faster.  But eventually her pleasure seemed to reach a plateau; and no matter how hard his tongue worked, no matter how tired it got, he couldn’t seem to bring her any farther, couldn’t bring her over the edge…

After much trying, Elaine finally gave a disgruntled noise and pushed herself free.  Wiping his face on the sheets, he clambered up next to her.  Her face was flushed and she looked agitated, dissatisfied…

WHOA.  She grabbed his cock, out of the blue.  A jolt of pleasure ran through him as her firm, assertive grip worked up and down, electrifying his already rock-hard member.  “Elaine…!” he said.  But soon he could hardly speak at all, falling back on the bed, panting, groaning.  Her hand felt so much larger than normal, practically swallowing him up, and pumping with such incredible determination and focus.  And … and…

Sweet Moses, he was already hurtling toward the edge!  He never used to be this excitable, but he couldn’t seem to control himself around her anymore.  And her ministrations were so intense, so relentless, so--

“Already?!”  His big lover grunted in frustration--and her hand stopped cold!

He twitched, groaned.  “Keep going!” he implored.

She did, but … slower.  Much, much slower.  Excessively so, he thought at first -- until he again felt his arousal mounting, heightening; overwhelmed, he fell flat on the bed, lying passively as she worked her sweet magic on him.  He gripped the bedsheets, his breaths ragged, his body twitching.  Her breaths were loudening too -- but why wouldn’t she finish him off?  He was right there!  “E-Elaine!” he rasped.  “Qu… Quit screwing around!”

Only then did he open his eyes and look left, seeing her other hand working in and out of her pussy at faster and faster speed.  He coughed in surprise.  “What?!  Let me … Let me do that!”  Dutifully he started to lift off the bed, reaching out …

A ferocious pressure clamped down on his cock, sending him gasping.  “Stop fighting!” she hissed.  “You’re ruining my rhythm!”

Offended and bewildered, he floundered for a moment … until her hand began pumping again, and all his protests flew away.  The pleasure was too damned intense.  Holy crap, she was methodical, unyielding, relentless… But soon her moans rivaled his own, then surpassed them.  The bed shook as she shook, spasmed, and her cry of orgasm filled the room.  Perhaps it was just a coincidence that, amidst the erratic jerking of her hand, he too was immediately pushed all the way and spurted in breathless euphoria.

His pulse eventually slowed, his mind coming back down to earth as his lover’s hand lingered around his softening cock.  His head lolled sideways to take in the sight of her splendid tits, her shapely hips--and her hand lingering inside her pussy as well.  Confusion and doubt filled him.  Was he not good enough for her?  Was he that bad at getting her off?

She sat up.  “Stay,” he requested, for once; but her hand pulled away and she rose, striding into the bathroom without looking back.  She used to always be so clingy afterward; not detached, like this.  God damn, she had gotten him good -- almost better than sex, if you can believe it.  The size of her body, the heft of her breasts; the way she assertively drove things … it did it for him, somehow.  And hers had sounded good, too.  Then why the dissatisfied glint lingering in her eyes?   She had an almost disgruntled air, somehow, as she walked away.  As if she’d had to make the best of a dissatisfying situation; resigned that this was the best they could do.  Intimacy was supposed to improve relationships … so why did something still feel off?

The only thing worse than suddenly losing five pounds, was having it happen right in the middle of his workout.  Today he drank his dose a full half hour early, so at least no one would be around to see it.

But the half hour went by, and he still didn’t feel a thing.  What gives?

Jen came down and saw the vials right away.  Her breath caught; her footsteps accelerated.  “Hi Dad!” she said offhandedly, beelining for the table and gulping down her dose.  She turned to the workout machines with nervous excitement.  Machines which, days ago, seemed so intimidating, but now seemed to hold such possibility.

“What, no warmups?”

“Oh.”  Jen blinked.  “Right.”  She hardly did more than a few token stretches, though, before popping up and hustling to the machines.

“What’s the big hurry?”

She felt a bit guilty, but … “The harder I work out, the sooner it’ll happen.”

“’It’?”

Jen didn’t understand his confusion.  “Yeah, it!”

Theo scratched his head as his daughter aggressively started into squats.  Faster, more determined than ever, like she was on a mission.  Did she mean… Was there some connection between the doses and …?

“Hmph.”  He picked up some dumbbells and started lifting -- his motions, fluid; his form, impeccable…

But Jen was a mess!  He couldn’t stand by and let her botch it like that.  “Slower; more controlled! … No -- knees in!  Hips back!”  Grumbling, he paused his workout and came over.  “You’re forgetting everything I taught you.”

“It’s good enough!” hissed Jen, refusing the slow, pushing herself to the max.  “I … just … need …”

Whoa.  The bar halted, like it was stuck on something.  She turned and grunted and -- It was caught in Dad’s grip.  He held in place with frustrating ease.

“Dad!”

“Slow down and do it right, or not at all.”

Jen wanted so badly not to be a scrawny wimp anymore.  All she wanted was to grow again!  But … Ugh!  “We’ll do it your way,” she conceded, deflating.

“’Atta girl.  Now, straighten up!  Keep your shoulders strong and your core solid.  … What, is that all you’ve got? … OK, nice and slow …”

Ughhhh!

* * *

Dad was insufferable!  He wasn’t even working out at this point, deciding it was a better use of his time to keep hounding her instead.  She still pushed herself hard, but not hard enough!  Every time she tried to grind out that one last rep, Dad kept stepping in and stopping her, saying stuff like “It’s no good for either of us if you get yourself hurt.”  Well, she’d be no good to either of them anyway, if he didn’t let her grow!  If only she weren’t so scared of him!

Now on to the bench press: one of the hardest and most intimidating workouts.  “Remember, this here is 55 pounds, Jen,” Dad lectured in his most mansplain-y voice.  “That’s ten more than last time.  Are you sure you can handle it, dear?”

“Yes, I can handle it!” she snipped.

“Alright.  I’ll be keeping a close eye.”

She grabbed the bar in pure annoyance and got underway, weathering both the weight of the bar and the new barrage of criticisms that inevitably rained down.  Six … Seven … Eight!  She racked the bar, breathed heavily, shook out her already wearying arms.  Dad kept lecturing and she cringed her way through it, nodding appeasingly.

She started up again; but dang, the bar kept feeling heavier, and heavier …

“Three,” Dad counted.  “… Four.  We’ll stop there.  Return the bar to the -- Pff.  What’d I just tell you?”

Jen tried to ignore his glowering face above her as she dug in deeper.

“You’re never going to make it, Jen.”

C’mon … Dig in!!...

Theo wrapped his fingers loosely around the bar, standing by.  “Ready to give up yet?” he sighed, wishing she’d stop wasting time and energy here when there were other workouts to get to.  “You need to know your limitations, sweetie.”  This was clearly a lost cause; he could feel her arms slipping, losing ground and--

Jen shrieked, almost like a roar … and then it happened again.  It.  Only, this time he saw it: her pecs ever-so-slightly inflating, her bi’s and tri’s growing just a little sharper before his eyes.  And he felt the result, too: the bar rising against his palms under a newfound swell of strength and control.

“Yeesh!”  His goosebump-covered arms jerked away, his feet staggering slightly, a lumped forming in his throat.  Surprising how freaky it was, watching someone grow up-close.  He couldn’t shake it.

“… Eight!” a breathless Jen exulted, as metal clanged against metal.  Such a rush: feeling herself grow; feeling the bar lightening in her arms… “I finished the set!!”  Despite her fatigue, she practically hopped to her feet, her fingers prodding her body all around amidst wide-eyed wonder.  Her thighs felt stronger; her torso not as bony; her chest -- Whoa, she was even starting to have actual boobs now!  She blushed and moved on to her arms, grinning at the mirror.  “Look how big I am!”

Theo was getting over his initial reaction, enough to give a loud harrumph!  Big?  Not by any stretch.  Just not as scary skinny anymore.  And as for height … her eyes sized him up for comparison but didn’t find what she’d hoped.  He snorted smugly.  “Sorry to disappoint you, sweetie, but your dad’s still taller.”  Still nearly two inches, it seemed.

“No!  I don’t care if I’m …”

“Yes you do.”

Indeed, the measurement showed she’d gained not even half an inch, but a decent seven pounds.  “Hmph.  Maybe you’ll actually reach a respectable weight -- in another ten days!”

Jen cringed.  “Yeah, hopefully!” she chirped, trying to brush off his criticism.  Actually, she felt pretty dang good already.  Her limbs felt so … alive.

He recorded her stats … then his too, writing the same numbers as Monday.  “Dose didn’t do anything today,” he explained.  “Guess I got lucky.”

Lucky?  Didn’t he know he had to work out to activate it?

She didn’t say anything, just kept her distance and finished her last few exercises in peace as he got underway.  She crushed her previous bests from Monday.  Man, it felt good!  Of course, Dad seemed to be keeping up with his Monday performance just fine … for now.  From his smirk and swagger, it looked like he was pretty darned confident with himself.

Done with her own workout, she thoughtfully asked if she should stick around.  Like, he could hurt himself.  But… “Pfff,” Dad retorted.  “Seasoned bodybuilders like me don’t need a spotter.”

“But--“

“Shoo.”

Welp, she tried.  God, he was frustrating!  And wouldn’t you know it, but just as she was climbing the stairs… “Rrrghh!  Cripes!!”

It’d hit him in the middle of a squat -- and the look on his face said it all.  What he’d thought would be just another rep, was becoming more and more insurmountable by the second.  Jen thought she could almost see him getting smaller, even from here.

Soon he buckled to one knee and the bar capsized sideways with a heavy thud.  Jen felt a little guilty for not rushing to help … but he’d probably just have berated her anyway.  And luckily, he seemed fine.    So she retreated upstairs instead, with perhaps a hint of a vindicated smile.

* * *

Blaire made no noticeable eye contact with Jen during class.  But afterwards, she came right up to Jen’s desk and stood there!  "You comin' or what?"

Jen about had a conniption. "Coming where??"

"To the lockers."  She gave her patented shrug. 

Me?!  Maggie and Ella had already left.  Jen hastily got up, and it was just the two of them walking out.

"Remember you still owe me a homework!" their teacher called out.

Blaire whirled indignantly.  "You talkin' to me?"

Mr. Walker blinked, took a step back.  "Well … yes!”

Blaire scoffed.  “Whatever.  Just get off my ass about it.”  She strutted out without another look back.

Jen freaked out as she caught up in the hall.  “What was that?!”

“What?  He won’t do shit.”

“Yes he will!”

“Pshh!  That short creep ain’t half as tough as he seems.  No guys are anymore, when it comes down to it.  In fact, he’d rather spend all class period checking out me and my friends than writing us up.”

“Eww.  What?”

“You seriously haven’t noticed?”

“No, I …”  Jen shook her head.  “But I could never talk back to a teacher like that, anyway!  I’m too afraid to even ask to go to the bathroom!”

"You're kidding."

"No! ... Oh god, you prolly think i'm a dweeb!"

"Eh, maybe. But you've got potential."

Why?

The tall girl put her bag in her locker then slammed it shut.  "Hey, numbnuts!"

Bobby Phipps -- star of the boy's basketball team and douchebag extraordinaire -- froze at the sound of Blaire's voice.  Jen had had classes with him for two years straight, and he'd been mean to her and others more times than she could count.   And now, just below six feet tall, his size disadvantage relative to Blaire was striking.  To compensate, he clenched his fists and puffed his chest.  "Yeah?"

"Isn't there something you should be carrying?"  She moved closer. 

The tough guy glanced at the other students around, calculating.  He had an image to protect.  "Changed my mind," he defied, crossing his arms and not backing down an inch. 

Blaire glanced around too, and found no adults in sight.  "Wrong answer."

In seconds, the platinum blonde babe had driven the boy back into the lockers with a loud *clang* and both hands on his shirt collar!

"Let go!"  His fists came down to dislodge her right arm -- but her left hand grabbed his ear instead and yanked downward, stopping his fight instantly as he yelped for mercy!

"Now you gotta carry it for a WEEK," she hissed, pulling again.  "Got it??"   Another tug…

“Oww!  Okay, fine!”

Blaire let go.  “Hmph.”  She hardly seemed to notice the crowd of students around her as they stepped back and made way.  Only briefly did she pause and glance inquisitively back at Jen, who exhaled and hesitated but eventually scampered to catch up.  She might not have, except she found herself increasingly afraid of this towering blonde.

“What?” Blaire demanded, seeing Jen’s expression.

“You're a bully!"

Blaire halted abruptly.

Jen quavered.  Uh oh...

“You think I messed with him just 'cuz I could?"  Blaire scoffed.  “Look.”

As Jen looked back, Bobby was now talking to Candace, a frail, petite girl in their grade who rarely spoke above a whisper.  Bobby, red in the face, seemed to swallow his pride and hold out his hand.  Candace slowly, cautiously slid her backpack off her shoulder and handed it to him.  She seemed relieved; it was clearly too heavy for her tiny frame.  Bobby, without another word, carried it on his shoulder as he followed Candace down the hall, looking mortified.

"I watched that prick mess with her every day, till I had enough," Blaire explained simply.

Realization dawned on Jen's face.  "You're protecting her."

Blaire nodded. "And I'll do the same for anyone else I see, until boys stop being pricks and start showing some damned respect."

"Whoa."  Jen blinked.  “I was wrong.  You’re like … an anti-bully. "

"Yeah.  Only harsh to the guys that deserve it."

"Even teachers…"

"Yeah -- why not?  If they treat us with respect, I got no problem.  But if they treat us like their own personal wank-off material …"

"Ew!"

"Pfft, I guarantee Mr. Walker goes home and jerks off to us every night!"

"Ew Ew Eww!!"

"You know it's true!"

Jen snorted laughter despite herself.  "Shh!  A teacher could hear you!"

Blaire stood tall and boomed, "MR. WALKER'S A FUCKING TWAT!"

Jen wheezed with alarm - and delight - as she barreled through the front doors.  She assumed Blaire would do the same, but her friend stayed true and strode out at a casual pace.

"You're nuts!!" Jen exclaimed, almost dying with laughter. Even Blaire chuckled at this point. 

"But another teacher could hear you!” Jen protested.  “Or a principal, or …”

Blaire shrugged.  "And maybe I’ll get a referral.  So what?  I'm done worrying 'bout it.  Girls are gonna rule the world soon anyway; guys are gettin’ put on notice.  That's how I'm livin' my life now."

"Rule the world??"

"Yeah, like men did since the dawn of time."

Jen gave a nervous laugh.  "Yeah, but then men and women became equals."

"Equals?  Were they?  Pfft.  How many female presidents have there been?  How many CEOs and shit?  Hell, even my dad used to act like the boss of everything."

Jen twitched. That last one hit a little too close to home.

"We're hittin’ lunch then the mall," Blaire said casually, reaching her car.  "You should come."

What!?! “Um … umm …”

"It's me, Maggie, Ella, and a couple others, if you're wondering."

The opportunity of a lifetime.  "Y-Yes!  I'd love to!! … Oh, I told my friend Amir I was gonna have lunch with him.  Hey, maybe I could bring him?"

Blaire twisted her lips. "Amir?  I don't know him."

"Oh.  He's in our grade. He's nice."

"Ermm... I'd say whatever, but Maggie and Ella are really picky about the boys we bring along.  They wouldn't like it.  Better if it’s just you.”

"Oh."  Jen blinked, dumbfounded.  "Well, ok ... um ... I'll have lunch with him then."  Gah!  Am I stupid!?

Blaire’s face flashed surprise for a moment before she gave a cool shrug. "Suit yourself."

"I just, I made a promise and--“

"Don't sweat it.  Maybe later." Blaire got in her convertible and drove off.

Jen felt like the biggest dummy alive.  She almost wanted to chase after Blaire’s car, but … no.  Too late.  At least she wouldn’t be letting Amir down.

Crap!  She looked at her watch then ran straight to the meeting spot.  Apologized for being late, explained what’d happened with Blaire.  Amir seemed a little cagey after that.  “You could’ve gone with her if you want,” he said with a wince.

"No!  I didn't want to hurt your feelings!"

"But you clearly wanted to."

"No!  Not that much ..."

"It's OK."

Things were alright after that, but a little bit off.  Jen tried to convince him that Blaire and the others had good intentions, but he didn’t seem to buy it.  Kept changing the subject.  So she dropped it.

* * *

No sooner did Jen set her backpack down at home than Dad’s startling voice boomed behind her: “The doses kick in because we work out.”

Jen whirled.  “Huh?”

“Physical exertion is what triggers the ... shrinking.  And the growth.”

She looked at him oddly.  “Well, yeah.”

“So you did know about this!”  He stepped angrily across the living room.  “And you didn’t bother to tell me?  Just left me down there to work out on my own?!  I could’ve gotten hurt!”

“I thought you knew!”

“Pfft!  How was I supposed to know how the … shrinking… works?”  As he said it, his eyes got big.  Whoa.  Jen noticed it too: he was barely any taller than her now -- half an inch, if that.  He’d really shrunk a lot.

“What are you staring at?” he barked, even more indignant.  He retreated a few steps -- and as he did, his now-baggier jeans slid a good three inches down his waist.  Without meaning to, Jen cracked a slight grin.

And oh, he was ticked.  “You’d better watch yourself, young lady!”  He stormed out, one hand holding up his pants.

* * *

Theo heard his girlfriend come in through the garage at 5:30 that evening.  Easing through the doorway, he found Elaine at the kitchen sink.  He drew his eyes admiringly toward Elaine’s toned legs, her firm backside.

With relish, he moved in behind her.  Yikes -- after his shrinking that morning, her waistline came more than halfway up his torso now.  She wasn’t even wearing her highest pair of heels.  But, hey, it put her remarkable fanny in quite comfortable reach of his hand; and what better way to buoy his mood, eh?

Elaine stiffened as his hand touched her bottom.  He felt her glutes harden as her head snapped around, her eyes seemed to narrow slightly as they looked down and found him.

“Hey, babe,” he said smoothly.  “Missed you last night.”

“I told you, I was working late.”

“Mmhmm.”  He squeezed her cheek again greedily, unable to help himself.  “But I hope you’ll stick around tonight.”

Her butt slipped away as, impatiently, she turned and faced him.  “And do what?”

Her surprisingly abrasive tone made him falter.  But, god, the view from the front -- especially with her hefty breasts now practically right at eye level!

“We did things your way last time,” he lustily hummed.  “What say it’s my turn to do things how I like…”

Whoa.  The look on her face -- practically one of disgust!  She and her thick thighs began to turn away…

“Or your way again!” he hastened.  Needfulness began to show through his veneer of suave.  “I …”  He hadn’t planned to admit this, but: “I did some research,” he admitted, his face reddening.  “How to … go down on a woman.  Techniques and pointers and -- look, I’ll perform better this time.”

Elaine looked down at her rapidly-diminishing boyfriend in surprise.  She should have been encouraged by this; titillated, even.  So why did she feel, perhaps more than ever before: revolted?

“We’ll do it on your terms,” her man insisted.  “However you like!”  Even his hand seemed a bit smaller today as it grabbed her wrist.  His eyes shone not just with his usual desire, but with almost desperation.  “I need you, bad,” said his voice with a crackle.

This was too damned much.  “I need…”  She wrested her wrist away, with surprisingly little effort.  “I have that thing tonight,” she said hastily.

“What thing?”

“That thing, remember?”

She saw his tight frown on her way out of the room.  “But what time will you--”

“Not till late!”  In the doorway she looked back and instantly regretted it.  “Your pants are falling down,” she noted, before fleeing from the unappetizing sight.

Theo blushed, pulling his pants up yet again.   He didn’t know what to say.

* * *

There was no ‘thing’ tonight, of course.  But fortunately Ari, Elaine’s friend and colleague, was always up for  grabbing a few impromptu drinks downtown -- which they did, right after dinner.

And now Ari nearly choked on her drink.  “He said what?”

Elaine knew she’d divulged too much, but no use backpedaling now.  She repeated Theo’s words to her friend and colleague, who almost lost her cocktail all over again.  “Theo,” said Ari in disbelief.  “The big, proud stud.  Looking up ‘cunnilingus’ like some college freshman.”

“ ‘Big’,” Elaine scoffed, into her own glass.  “’Proud’.  Not so much anymore.”  She downed the drink and signaled for another.  “I don’t know what I want from him anymore.  He’s not physical enough to do things his way; but I’m not even sure I want him to go down on me, either.”

“Are you crazy?  I got Josh to try a while ago.  And let’s just say, we’ve never looked back since.  It’s divine.”

“Oh, I know how good it can feel.  But seeing him there, between my legs -- it makes him seem so submissive.”  Elaine curled her lips in impulsive distaste.

Her friend shrugged.  “Bit of a downer, yes.  But it’s worth the price.”

But Elaine shook her head, feeling increasing certainty.  “Not for me.  It was worth the experiment … but no.  Even if he were better at it, that’s not what I need from a man.”

Ari chuckled.  “I hear ya, girlfriend, but men just ain’t what they used to be.  We gotta settle for what we can get.”  A spark of mischief crossed her eyes.  “Though, you could try to upgrade…”

Elaine cocked her brow.  “You always said I’d never find anyone better.”

“That was before Theo signed on to this ridiculous ‘Mouse’ show.  Aaaand … before I met our new corporate liaison.”

“The sales consultant?  The one who’s joining us next week in Bluewater?  Donovan …?”

“Donovan Reid.  Oh yes.  Kim introduced me to him yesterday.  And Elaine: oh my god.”

“What?  Is he tall?”

“As tall as you are -- in heels.”

“Say what?!”

“The man played Center on his basketball team in college.  He’s a real hunk, Elaine.  He -- well, you’re just gonna have to see for yourself, tomorrow when he visits the office.”

Elaine hadn’t even me the guy yet, but her breath already caught in her throat.  “Wow,” she muttered, realizing this next week and a half could be promising indeed.

“And yes,” assured Air, patting Elaine’s hand, “I’ve already put in a good word for you.”

Elaine ought to have protested that she was taken; she was still dating Theo.  But at this particular moment, she let that fact slide.  Lifting another cocktail to her lips, she leaned in and asked Ari all she knew about Donovan Reid.

* * *

Jen sat on the edge of her bed the next morning, prodding her bare breasts in amazement.  A day later, and she still couldn’t believe she had them now.  Still small, but after yesterday’s growth: they were squishy.  And jiggled whenever she moved.  And--

Oh fudge.  She heard Dad approaching -- and her door was closed, but not locked.  Thankfully, though, his footsteps walked right by.  Whew.

Theo heard some rustling and giggling -- giggling! -- from his daughter's room as he passed by.  Ignoring it, he hiked his pants up again and gave a good yank on the cord overhead to pull the attic stairs down.  He tripped twice on the way up. 

He should’ve gone shopping yesterday.  Hell, all his outfits had been getting too big for him even before this week began.  Now even his tightest belt didn’t fit.  But there was one pair of jeans he'd bought a few weeks ago, which had shrunk majorly in the wash.  They’d fit just right, now.  They were somewhere up here in the attic … but where?

After ten minutes of failed searching, Theo grumpily backed down the staircase then folded it and gave a firm upward heave.  Like always, it got stuck partway up.  He used to be able to stand flat footed and give it one solid whack, and it'd pop right up there.  A couple weeks ago, he’d managed it by jumping.  But now, even with a well-timed punch at the peak of his jump …

Damn.

Again…

Damn!

"Umm ... need help?"

Jen’s voice sent his hackles up.  “Nope!”  He tried again, realizing only after landing that his pants were halfway down his boxers.

Jen cleared her throat.  “I could--“

“Could what?  I’m taller than you!”

“… could get a ladder,” she completed.

Oh.  “No thank you!” he shot sharply.  With one hand on his pants, he leaped again and--*wham*--the attic stairs slammed shut.

“Boo yah!”  He puffed out his chest and faced her.  "Told you I can still--" 

Damn.  Finding himself eye to eye with Jen again really took the wind out of him.  She was the last female he knew whom he was still taller than, and now--

*cough*  He made the mistake of looking down.  Two nipples poked prominently against Jen’s overly tight pajama top.  There was no way not to see it.

“Errk!”  Jen knew how tight her undershirt was.  She’d thrown on a cardigan for this very reason, but it’d flapped open.  She closed it quickly, but her face turned as red as her father’s.

And while Theo averted his eyes, his pants slid down his waist again.  For crying out loud!

He couldn’t leave the hallway fast enough.  “Shopping today,” he gruffed.  “After your school!”

“Okay.”

***

Blaire was talking with Maggie and Ella before class, pointing at various boys and laughing in hushed tones.  Jen nervously approached her friend and tapped her on the shoulder. 

Maggie and especially Ella shot her a look like she was no more than scum under their boots.  "Can I help you?" Ella demanded.  

But Blaire’s reaction was much milder, even friendly.  "Hey.  'Sup," she said down to Jen.

Geez … their height.  Their high heels!

As Blaire stepped aside with Jen, Jen wrung her hands.  "I'm realllly sorry I didn't go with you all yesterday."

Blaire snorted. "You're still hung up on that?"

"Yeah.  I--"

"It mighta been kinda dumb of me anyway," Blaire admitted. "They don't like you yet.  They think you're too nerdy, or goody-goody, or whatever."

Indeed, amidst their snide glances, the phrase “Spider girl” almost certainly emanated from Ella’s mouth.

"Chill,” said Blaire, no doubt seeing Jen cringe.  “I got a plan.  We'll talk after class."

"Hey," Jen asked, before Blaire left, "how come you're nice to me, anyway?" This question had been burning in her mind all week.

Blaire shrugged.  "Dunno.  I guess you kinda remind me of someone."

"Who?"

"Me."

***

“Park on the men’s side, next time,” Theo muttered to himself, passing through row after row of oversized women’s clothing.  His breath caught in alarm as he stepped into a new section that he could swear wasn’t here before: ‘Extended Sizes.’  Taller even than the normal women’s clothing.  Even the racks were taller here -- as were the women perusing them.

He veered left and circumvented this section entirely.  Not till he reached the Men’s section did he feel at peace again … relatively.  Here the clothes seemed almost miniaturized by comparison; most of them were still too small even for him.

He approached the young female employee folding clothes behind the counter.  “Big and Tall section?”

The woman, a full head taller, looked down with a cheeky grin.  “Big and Tall?  We don’t call it that anymore.  But the Clearance section is back there.”

Clearance.  Of course.  The ‘Mediums’ and ‘Larges’ of old, now too big to fit most men.  Heaps and heaps of them, piled in disarray along the back wall.

But today, even most of these were too big.

* * *

Jen was really optimistic about the clothes she’d found.  She could actually find things that fit her now, and actually looked pretty dang good!

But as soon as Dad took one look… “No,” he said, his face stern.  “Midriff, Jen?  Really?  And such a low neckline?”

The neckline’s almost to my collarbone!  “I wear less than this while we’re exercising!”

“That’s different.  It’s not in public.”

Jen was red in the face as Dad made her go pick new things out.  She knuckled under, again.  Of course she did.

But she also did something drastic.  Something totally unlike her.  > she texted Blaire.  >

> her new friend replied immediately.

God, she was nervous.  But also excited as heck.

Theo listened to his own ragged breaths as he swayed unevenly side to side, the bar crushing down on his shoulders.  170 pounds: he used to be able to squat that much in his sleep.  It’d been manageable even two days ago.  But today it felt like lifting a friggin’ freight train.

He had to stop just five reps in, gasping for breath.  Jen rushed forward.  “Did it…?”  Her gaze flitted keenly, so near his eye level.  “Are you shrinking yet?”

“No!  And quit bugging me about it!”

“But I was just--“

“It’ll happen when it happens.  Back off!”

His daughter shuffled backward, but only a step; understandably so.  Just minutes ago, he’d reiterated the importance of workout safety.  Accidents could happen -- especially with shrinking involved.  And just minutes into the workout, he could already feel it getting ready, like an eggshell about to crack.  One wrong move could trigger it.

“Don’t you have some pushups to do?” he barked testily.

“Huh?  Errr, yeah.”

Damn, but her form was improving.  No more girly knee-on-the-floor pushups for her.  Today her whole body remained ramrod straight through the first pushup, the second …

While she was distracted, he slipped a ten-pound plate off one end of the bar, then the other; set them clandestinely aside as Jen grinded through pushups six, seven, eight …

Son of a--!  She got to eleven before she gave in.  Almost double what she’d done on Wednesday.  And, worse, she hopped up with annoying bubbly enthusiasm, only lightly winded.  Her smile was bright as she hovered close to him again, her hands already out at the ready, as if him needing help were now a foregone conclusion.

But her smug grin melted into surprise as he got underway smoothly, hissing through his teeth with each rep but staying steady, controlled.  Of course, she hadn’t noticed those twenty pounds he’d taken off the bar.

And afterwards… “G-Go do curls or something!”

Jen found herself backing away quickly again.  Dad was still scary when he wanted to be, and she didn’t want to cross him.  But that’s OK, ‘cuz she was honestly dying to put her biceps to the test.  She could feel tight little golf-ball sized muscles already when she flexed, and she bet the ten-pound dumbbells weren’t even enough anymore.

Oof… the fifteen-pounders were heavy!  Too heavy for her.  But even that was OK, because she also already felt that special warmth building inside her again.  That little ball of energy growing in her chest, ready to break free if she tried hard enough!

Dad’s sharp grunt broke her focus.  He was squatting again -- without her help!  She ignored it; just needed a few more curls.  Just … a few … more …!

“Shiiiit!”  Theo hadn’t even been pushing all that hard, but the eggshell broke.  He felt his skin tugging against the bar as his shoulders inched narrower, the weight growing heavier and heavier.

“Yah!”  Jen yelped in thrill as her final curl sealed the deal.  Energy surged through her limbs, enlivening them like never before -- But just then, Dad bucked sideways, about to collapse!  She threw the dumbbells aside and helped him finagle the bar back in place.  Stepping back, she caught his chest just as he fell forward.

“Oh my god...”  She thought he was crouching down, but he wasn’t.  He was shrinking by the second!  One moment they were eye to eye; the next, she was staring at his eyebrows; and now, the middle of his forehead!

Dad reeled backward.  “Y… You…!”  He retreated, putting distance between them with almost breathless urgency.  Was he afraid of her??  No -- clearly just freaked out.  She couldn’t blame him: it was disorienting, dizzying, to her too.

Jen stepped giddily away from the equipment, feeling her outfit groan.  Her butt felt big!  So did her tits.  She fought the urge to probe them, just kept her hands at her sides, as--

“Is something wrong?”  Elaine’s voice from the stairs surprised Jen, but really startled Dad.

“W…We’re fine!”

“What was all that noise?”

Was it just Jen, or did Dad practically jump out of his skin as Elaine’s legs stepped into view?  “Nothing -- we’re fine!!”  A shrill urgency in his voice, almost, as he practically backed into Jen.  His stance loosened noticeably as Elaine went away, only to jump again as he found Jen behind him!  And as their eyes locked on each other: how very odd it felt, to see her own dad have to look up, wide-eyed, to meet her gaze.

* * *

Blaire cracked up when Jen told her.  “Ohhh yeah.  I know exactly what ‘look in his eyes’ you mean.  The look that says ‘Shit… maybe I gotta be careful what I say around her now…’ “

“What?!  He was just startled.”

“No, he was shakin’ in his boots, thinkin’: ‘How many days before she can kick my ass’!”

“Eeep!  He doesn’t think like that!  He’s a tough guy; he’s my dad!”

“Trust me: someday soon, you’re going to realize you’re not afraid of him anymore.  And, honestly, I think that day should be today.”  Blaire beckoned Jen to follow her into her house.  “Come on.”

Jen may have gained a couple inches but she still practically had to trot to keep up with Blaire’s long strides.  They reached Blaire’s bedroom and stopped beside the bed.  “Here's the outfit I had in mind.”

Jen did a double take.  “For me?”

"Yeah, duh.  It was mine but I stopped wearing it, like, a month ago when I got too big."

Tight pants; leather jacket; a corset!  Jen was already distressed, even before Blaire pulled out a pair of patent leather boots from her closet -- thigh-high boots, with four-inch heels!

“Holy--!”  Jen backed away.  “I shouldn’t even be in the same room as these!  I’m serious!”

“Why?”

“’Cuz my dad will effin’ kill me!”

“No he won’t.”

“How do you know?!”

“For starters: ‘cuz your douchey dad ain’t even here.  And he’s never gonna find out.”

Jen cupped a hand over her mouth.  Just looking at these clothes gave her chills.  Any clothes that were even a little flashy, or made any sort of statement, were a complete “no-no” from Dad.  But these clothes in front of her would make a statement from a mile away!

Blaire rolled her eyes.  “Look, it’s simple: do you want to wear this?”

“Want to?  God yeah!  But--“

“Then you’re wearing it.”  Blaire thrust the clothes into Jen’s arms.  “And that’s final.”

* * *

Oh god oh god oh god oh god!

The clothes fit her well -- amazingly well.  They felt strange, but incredible.  Looked incredible too.  Jen had hardly recognized herself in the mirror, especially with the lip gloss and mascara.  Why had she let Blaire talk her into putting on makeup?!  And the high heels were a struggle; she stumbled every few steps as they approached the big front doors of the school.  Oh my god… am I really doing this?!

Blaire, in contrast, glided smoothly in her heels, looking as striking as ever in her sharply-cut dress.  Every step she took had a confidence Jen could only dream of.

Jen got to the door and froze.  “Seriously: relax,” her friend said.  “Just act cool.”

“My dad’s gonna disown me.”

“Your dad’s an asshole.”

Jen laughed again, nervously. 

Blaire insisted, "Say it."

"What?  I can’t.” 

“Sure you can.  Ass-hole, ass-hole …”

A smile of trepidation broke on Jen’s face.

"Aaaaaass...hole.  Assholeasshole, assy-ass-hole..."

Jen gulped.  “Asshole."  She actually felt woozy.  “My dad’s an … asshole.”

"See?  Wasn’t so hard.”

Wasn’t it?  I feel like I’m gonna puke!

* * *

They were late -- which at least meant the halls were empty.  *click ... clackclick... clack...*  Jen had to grab her friend's arm several times to avoid falling.  Wow, her arm's solid.

"Don’t even look at anyone; just find a spot on the wall and stare at it.  It’s just, like, five steps from the door to your seat, that’s all.”

Jen reached for the door handle … and missed.  Four inches of heels, plus the inch she’d gained that morning -- it made a huge friggin’ difference.  The ceiling looked closer, the lockers were shorter.  And the handles were sooo much lower.

“You got this,” Blaire said, opening it for her and waving her through.

“I got this,” Jen repeated under her breath.  Left foot ... right foot ... Left foot …

"... and most of the world's vanilla comes from Madagascar," Mr. Walker said, pointing to the map projected on the screen, "which is …"  He turned toward the door.  "Can I help y--"

Realization struck, and he blinked in amazement.  The students were equally dumbstruck.  “Is that Spider Girl?” a voice whispered.

Right ... left ... right ... Jen reached her desk and sat down.  No exhale of relief; no smile.  She kept her cool, even crossing her legs and sat with perfect posture, just as planned.

Mr. Walker was still looking at her, but quickly shook his head and rubbed his cheek.  "I was saying, um..."  

"Madagascar," Blaire announced confidently, striking the same pose as Jen several rows down.  As Jen’s emboldening gaze swept to the front, she saw no few students staring in her direction.  Gaping, even.  That included Maggie and Ella, whose razor eyes took in this new upstart with confusion and haughty distrust. 

On a normal day, anything but slouching would prompt Bradley to poke her with the point of his pencil or tug on her hair or mutter something about spiders or twigs or starving children in Africa.  Today, though, she continued to sit bolt upright and proud, and Bradley never said a word.  When she realized this, a small smile finally broke onto her red-glossed lips.

* * *

Ella grabbed Blaire's arm immediately after class.  "What the hell, Blaire?"

“Why her?” chimed Maggie.

"Chill, guys," Blaire shot back. "Jen's alright.  She’s learning.”

“Learning what?  How not to be a dork?”

“Basically.”  Blaire nodded across the room to where Jen -- just as they’d planned -- whirled and glared down at the fat kid behind her; the one who’d been picking on her all summer.  Taunting her, stealing her things, as she took it all like a wimp.  But not today!  The leather-jacketed redhead snatched the pen right out of the boy’s hand then stood in his way and shook her fist, towering above him.  “This is mine!” Jen brayed.  “And so is that eraser!  And that pack of gum!”

Perfect.  Just like they’d rehearsed.  The guy was so taken aback that he just stood there, slack-jawed.

“Give me my shit back in five seconds or I’ll kick your ass!” belted Jen, right on cue.  As her other fist came up, the bewildered bully dug into his bag and hastily returned her things one by one.

“What’s going on over there?” asked Mr. Walker, rising from his desk.

Ugh.  “Heyyyy, Mr. Walker,” Blaire purred, striding past her teacher so close that his chin nearly brushed her arm.  His eyes rested without fail on her tits which hovered damn near his eye level.  “See ya tomorrow,” she chimed back at him, seeing his gaze flit to her ass like always.  So freaking predictable. 

But it distracted him like a charm, just as Jen huffed, “Now beat it, shrimp!”  And just a moment later, Blaire heard a crash behind her.  She turned to find the fat kid sprawled on the floor, face-down!  ‘Ooooh’s and laughter rose from the remaining students as Bradly, red-faced, picked himself up and ran out the room.

“Daaaaamn!” Blaire praised, once she and Jen were in the hall.  “I didn’t tell you to trip him!  Nice touch!”

Jen was mortified!  It’d been hard enough to say what Blaire had told her to say, and she’d felt bad already -- even before accidentally tripping Bradley with her foot!  She’d never intended it, and she felt terrible!  But Blaire seemed so pleased.  A grin of acceptance crossed the tall girl’s lips as her arm extended.  And Jen was too shy to speak up, so she guiltily slapped her hand.

“You staged it?” decried beautiful Ella, strutting up.  “You told this dweeb what to say?  And you think that makes her one of us??”

"I thought it was pretty bad-ass," Maggie sheepishly chimed.

Ella turned indignantly.  “What the hell, Maggie?”

"What?  She did it right in front of the class -- with Mr. Walker right there!  I think it took guts."

"I think it's bullshit,” scoffed Ella.

Maggie rolled her eyes.  “Don’t listen to her.  She’s just jealous.”

Blaire grinned.  Jen started to, but tall Ella’s glare wiped it away.  Jen didn’t want to make an enemy here.

"Got a text from Rumi earlier,” Maggie redirected.  “Food, then a movie."

"What movie?" asked Blaire.

"Man Meat."

Blaire exploded in laughter. "Hell yeah!"

Oh geez.  Man Meat was rated R and supposed to be one of the raunchiest, most inappropriate movies yet, in the rapidly-growing genre of 'Prick Flicks' - lewd comedies making fun of men's dwindling stature (and other dwindling attributes), targeted very much for a female audience at men's expense.

“Hey, Jen should come too,” Maggie opined, and Blaire agreed.

"Ugh," said Ella.

"You're outvoted," Blaire ribbed. "Give it up."  She nodded at Jen.  "C'mon."

"Uhh... umm ..."  Amir!  I can't just bail on him!

"It'll be fun," Blaire insisted. 

Jen hesitated.  “OK.”

"Nice.  Let's go."

They weren’t far from her meetup spot with Amir though.  “Could I just take a minute to--“

"What," Ella scoffed, "somewhere more important you gotta be?"

Jen gulped.  Maybe it wasn’t such a big deal.  “No, it’s nothing.”  She’d text Amir when she got to the car.  He’d understand.

* * *

Jen had never felt more badass, walking through the mall with her three new friends.  You could practically hear that song from Kill Bill playing in the air as they strutted their stuff.  And somehow Jen didn’t even trip over her heels along the way…

And then: the movie.  Wow.  Just wow.  "Oh my god, I can't breathe!!" Jen exclaimed, still wheezing as they left the theater.  Her sides were literally aching from two straight hours of laughter.

Maggie laughed just as hard. "They made them all dress as maids!!  In frilly little skirts!!"

"And thongs," Blaire reminded, chuckling nonstop. "With their junk all hanging out!  You can't un-see that!"

"And the size of that strap-on that girl wore!" Tess chimed in.  Another girl in their grade, Tess was a bit shorter than the other three but had curves like crazy.  Another way for Jen to feel inadequate!

"That had to be fake, right?” Jen asked timidly.  “Her, um, you know …”

“Plowing him?  He sure didn't look like he was faking it!" Tess replied, mimicking the male actor's high-pitched wails: "'Oh goddd, my butthole!!'  Owww!!"

The girls laughed hysterically.  Jen joined in, anxiously.  For an eighteen-year-old, she’d seen very little like what she’d seen just now.  Dad was such a scrooge!  So, man, this movie was eye-opening.

The two guys in their group didn’t exactly laugh.  The guy standing closer to Tess was her boyfriend - five and a half feet tall, but absolutely scrawny compared to Tess.  The girl slung her arm around his middle and pressed him right against her broad hip and overflowing bra.  His body seemed to buckle against the size and heft of her assets.  "Don't worry, Wimpy," Tess said, jostling him teasingly, "I wouldn't do that to ya."  She grinned. "I mean, where would I even find a dildo that big?"

"I got a vibrator he can use," Blaire said, with a wink.  "But whether it'll actually fit, though..."

"Guess we'll find out!" Tess replied.  The boys squirmed as the girls roared -- but not Jen.

“You're both kidding, right?" she whispered nervously in Blaire’s ear.

"Yesss, geez!  We like to control guys, not hurt 'em."

" 'Control guys'?  What does that mean?"

Tess overheard this and laughed.  Her toned arm squeezed tighter around her boyfriend’s shoulders, pinning him tightly to her curves.  “Tell her, boo: why don’t you say much?”

The guy blushed and recited, “’Cuz a pretty guy like me should be seen and not heard’."

Jen laughed.  But the guy didn't blink. "Wait ... you're serious?"

"Damn straight!" Tess confirmed.  "All he should be doing is looking good and hanging on my arm, and us girls will handle the other stuff.  You know, the thinking and the talking and the making decisions and all that.”  Tess winked, but … was she serious about that too??

“Enough about your boy-toy, Tess,” Maggie interrupted.  “Let’s talk about Jen and Kyler.”

Jen blinked. "What?  Who??"

"Keep it down!" Maggie teased, nodding back behind them toward ...

"Oh, him?" Jen squeaked.  There was another guy in the group, even more gorgeous than Tess's boyfriend. She'd been way too shy to ask the guy's name, or even hardly look at him, but wow he was hot!  Deep blue eyes, blonde hair ... tall and really in shape …

"Yeah," Maggie said, "you haven't noticed him staring at you?"

"At ME!?"

Her exclamation drew his gaze right now!  Jen's face turned bright red.  She wanted to die! 

"Geez, play it cool!" Maggie insisted, rushing her into the nearest store and laughing.  Jen started laughing too. 

"What's up?" Blaire asked, trailing close behind. 

"Jen and Kyler," Maggie replied. 

"Oh yeah?" Blaire said, smirking. 

"I never said--!"

"You two should totally hook up," Blaire affirmed.

Jen threw her hands up in exasperation.  But then bit her lip.  "Do you really think he likes me?"

"Oh, for sure," Maggie insisted.

"Yeah, I think she's right," Blaire opined, as Kyler's dreamy blue eyes caught Jen's again.

Jen cringed, avoiding eye contact with Kyler, with her friends ... 

"What?" Blaire asked. "You never been with a guy before?"  She watched as Jen’s frown widened.  "Wait -- you haven't?!" Blaire blurted, loud enough for the other group to hear. 

Jen's face had never been redder.  "I-I...well..."

Blaire and Maggie exchanged an incredulous look and a laugh.  "Oh my god," Blaire snorted.  "I've been with...I can't even count how many guys!  Man, you've never...?!"

Did Blaire think less of her now?  Oh crud!

"It's fine," Maggie insisted, clutching Jen's arm again. "We all gotta start sometime!  So here's what you do..."  She whispered in Jen's ear.

Jen gasped.  Call him out; pull him aside; kiss him?!  “I can’t do that!”

"Oh, come onnnn," Blaire coaxed.  "Don't be a wimp!  Just do it."

"Hey,” said Maggie more nicely, “it's like with that chubby kid in class today - you prolly didn't think you could do that either, right?"

"Well … no."

"So think of this like that, but better!  It'll feel so good.  And Kyler wants you to."

Jen blinked her big round eyes.  "He wants me to just go up to him and...?"

"Yessss!" Blaire chimed, in exasperation. "He's just like Tess's boyfriend.  He wants you to make the move.  That’s what guys expect now: the girl to take charge.”

“And kissing him doesn’t mean you’re dating or whatever.  Think of it like a ‘test drive’.  Girls do it all the time.”

“But… But…”

It took practically a shove from Blaire and another nod from Maggie to get Jen moving.  Straightening her skin-tight top, Jen took a nervous breath and hesitantly clunked forward in her super high heels.  She felt more awkward and ungainly than ever as she approached the rest of their group hanging out nearby.  Tess had her hands draped all over her boyfriend, almost lewdly, amidst a spirited discussion with Ella.  The boys stood silently beside, looking up at the girls.  Including Kyler.  Oh geez…

The girls fell silent as Jen came up.  "What's up?" asked Tess.

Jen's eyes were locked on Kyler though.  He was even more gorgeous the closer she got.  Her heart pounded faster and faster.  She almost bailed, but it was now or never.  She stepped between Tess and Ella, coming right up to him.  His eyes were shockingly blue; his features severely sharp, beautiful; his gaze piercingly intense.  But somehow, impossibly, Jen still managed to look him up and down then say the exact words Maggie had suggested.  "You -- come with me."

Where did she get the confidence for it?!  Her friends, and the movie, it must be rubbing off on her.  But she must have been speaking the right language, because Kyler’s brows hiked up but he didn’t look away.  In fact, he seemed to stare up at her receptively, expectantly.

Oh geez!  Trying not to hyperventilate, she did the next thing Maggie told her: she swiveled on her heels and started to the left.  And -- holy fudge -- he walked at her side!  He kept his gaze forward, though his eyes seemed to tighten visibly with anticipation.  It was a miracle Jen didn't stumble as she led him aside near the vending machines then swiveled toward him.  Holy crud, holy crud, holy CRUD!!  This was going way too fast for her, but she didn’t want to seem lame.  All her friends were watching.  Even Kyler seemed eager for her to make her move.

But…  I can’t!  “I don’t even know you!” she hissed.  The guy blinked in surprise.  Over his shoulder, she saw her friends started to frown in impatience.  They’d be so disappointed in her, but she’d never kissed any guy before, much less one she didn’t know!  So after fidgeting awkwardly, she started past him and--

Ack!  The toe of her left shoe clipped the heel of the other and she stumbled forward!  Her hands shot out accidentally to Kyler’s chest and, by pure chance, her lips collided right against his!

Jen panicked, recoiling; but … but the feeling was so electric!  His chest felt good; his lips felt even better.  As she hesitated, she got lost in his pretty blue eyes shining with desire.  Soon, adrenaline took over; on pure impulse, their lips met again, and then a third time … Oh wowww … oh wow oh wow oh--

She gasped.  That… That was his tongue!  It was too much!  “No,” she blurted, lurching back, her head spinning.  Confused and desirous, Kyler leaned in to try again -- but her hands pushed on his chest, and the word that blurted out of her mouth next was: “Bad!”

What?  What did she just say?!  She realized: she was mimicking the movie.  Whenever a guy tried to take charge, the women would inevitably say ‘Bad boy’ or some such.  Eek!  But Jen didn’t mean to say that out loud!

And yet, somehow Kyler didn’t get upset.  In fact, just like those guys in the movie, he almost seemed … excited.  Jen’s mind reeled.  This was getting out of hand!  She walked away abruptly so she couldn’t say -- or do -- anything more crazy.

“What was that?” Ella scoffed, as she drew nearer.

Jen staved off a cringe as she saw her friends’ dubious expressions.  Apparently a couple simple kisses weren’t enough by their standards.  She thought fast -- and of course her mind drew on the movie again for inspiration, almost word-for-word: “Uh … I decide how fast we go.  H-He’ll just have to deal with it.”

It seemed she’d found the magic words.  Maggie, Tess, Blaire -- they all lit up with grins.  “Showin’ him who’s boss already, huh?” laughed Tess.

“Told ya she’d fit right in,” said Blaire, seeming pleased with her protégé once more.  She pointed at Kyler as he came up beside Jen.  “So he passed the ‘test run’, then?  He’s off-limits?”

Normally Jen could only dream of being with a guy like Kyler!  And now… she could just ‘claim’ him just like that??  ‘Holy crap yes!’ was what she wanted to shout.  It took everything she had to stay coy and cool, knowing this was what they’d expect. “Umm…”  She shrugged her leather jacketed shoulders.  “Whatever.  I guess we’ll see.”

Tess smirked and Maggie stifled a laugh. "Nice.”

On their way to the ice cream shop, Tess with her arm around her boyfriend asked Jen, “You comin’ to my party?”

"Huh?  Party?"

"Yeah.  My place tonight.  Parents are out of town."

"Oh!”  She’d never been invited to a real party before.  “Um …*cough* … maybe…"

“What, you gotta get your Dad’s permission?”

“No!” Jen lied.  “I just, uh, had other plans already.”  Another lie.  “We’ll see.”

As soon as she had a chance, she texted Dad; told him it was just a small ‘get-together’.  Much safer.  Still, she was surprised when Dad actually said yes!

She caught up to Tess again.  “I’m in!”

“Cool.”

Her heart raced as she noticed Kyler slowly drifting in her direction.  “So…” the beautiful guy said up to her, “what time are you showing up?”

He’s coming too??  Eeep!  She fought to control her breath.  Play it cool, Jen!  “Uh… dunno.  Guess we’ll see.”

Kyler nodded.  “I’ll see you then.”  Their gazes locked for a heart-rending moment.

“Mmph,” Jen replied noncommittally, belying the fervor raging in her mind.  She strode onward, outwardly calm.  It was like a superpower at this point.  How had she not melted into the floor by now?  Ohhh man.  She couldn’t wait.

* * *

Kyler … Her friends … Kyler … The party … Kyler! …

Stuck in a daydream, Jen floated across her house and towards her room … until Dad appeared.

Whoa.

She heard him gasp.

He’s so short!  She watched his mouth fall open.  How is he such a midget!?

"Jen Elizabeth Atwater … what the HELL are you wearing?!”

It hit her like a lightning bolt: she was still wearing Blaire’s outfit!  The corset, the jacket, the heels!  Her mind had been elsewhere, and she forgot to--

“Young lady, answer me!”

His bellow made her flinch -- but less than normal.  Something felt different now.

“If you don’t speak up in three, two, one …!”

“I’m wearing what I want to wear!!”

Holy crud.  She couldn’t believe she just said that.  And neither could Dad.  “Jen--“

“Stop telling me how to dress!”

Yagh!  She spun and high-tailed it to her bedroom before Dad could react.  Or before she had a chance to faint, whichever came first.  She slammed her door frightfully and slumped against it, hyperventilating in the restrictive confines of her corset.

Theo stared in disbelief as the suddenly brazen teen tromped into her room.  Where on earth had this come from?  What the hell was happening?!  He was at her door a minute later, pounding on it.  “Jen, get out here this instant!”

He should have specified: Change outfits first.  When she emerged, she still loomed almost a full head above him.  And still in black leather, and that corset!  And not only that, but her powdered cheeks hardly twitched and her mascaraed eyes hardly flinched as they turned downward to meet his gaze.  Criminy, he hardly recognized her!

“Wh… Where did you get these clothes?!”  *cough* “Doesn’t matter.  You’re never wearing anything like this ever again -- do you hear me??”

He waited for her to cower, to quake in fright … but she didn’t.  She looked down at him stoically, unflinching.  What?  How?!  He repeated his words, and received the same unnervingly steady stare.  Her innate fear of him was the underpinning of his entire authoritative style.  If that was eroding …

“Fine.”  Rarely did he have to go this far, but he had no choice.  “You’re grounded.  And that thing tonight?  You’re not going.”

Aha!  The tall girl gasped.  Her face contorted; the façade crumbled.  “The party?  But I promised my friends--“

“Oh, so it’s a party now?  You lied, did you?!”

“But--“

“I don’t want to hear it, young lady.  I’m too ticked off!  You’re staying in your room tonight, and we’ll discuss this tomorrow!”

Jen’s spirits plummeted as her tyrannical father stormed away.  She’d held it together so well at first.  Barely, but she had.  It’d have made her new friends proud.  … Until it all fell crumbling apart.

This is so unfair!

* * *

What had Blaire said?  ‘You gotta stand up to him sooner or later.’  Otherwise she’d have to live by his awful rules forever!

Wait -- no.  Am I nuts?!

She waffled back and forth for forever, until finally the evening came and she … just … did the unthinkable.  Her heart pounded as she put the outfit back on.  Her hands trembled as she laced the boots.  Gingerly she crept across the house, keeping to the shadows.  Was she really doing this??

Well, too late now.  The unexpected sounds of Dad behind her meant there was no turning back.  The thuds of her heels on carpet gave way to loud clacks across the tile as she accelerated across the kitchen.  Dad’s profane exclamation rang out just as she made it through the door.  She yelped in fright and practically ran in her heels to her car.  And she couldn’t bear to look back.

Theo yelled another expletive as his leather-jacketed daughter peeled out down the driveway.  He watched in disbelief as the car vanished down the road.  This was the kind of scandalous behavior that other parents had to deal with, but never Theo!  He didn’t think he ever would.  Lord, but why is she starting now, of all times?!

His calls went straight to voicemail, of course.  So he just stayed home.  And raged.  She would not get off lightly for this!  Oh, no, she would not!

* * *

Theo hadn’t stopped shouting expletives until well after Jen’s car was gone.  Even back in the house, he kept fuming under his breath.  An hour later, he was still ticked about it, but he put it out of mind as Elaine’s car rolled into the driveway, just after 10 PM.  Well… at least now they had the house to themselves.  Good, because he badly needed to let off some steam.

In the garage, Elaine paused.  Lord, her heart was still fluttering like a schoolgirl’s.  Donovan had suggested a tequila bar, of all places, to supposedly talk business ahead of next week’s trip.  But the way the burly stud had looked at her all night -- even with their coworkers around! -- spoke much more of pleasure than of business.  So brash, so brazen.  Perhaps she wasn’t surprised when, after the others had left, he’d wasted no time placing a hand atop hers and insinuating that a little salsa dancing never hurt anyone.  Oh, but he was talented on the dance floor.  Smooth, fluid, physical.   You can’t imagine how fucking good it felt, to lay hands on real arms and real muscles once again; to finally look up at a man’s smoldering eyes, not down.  How many songs did they end up dancing through?  Her skin still tingled from the feel of his body pressed against hers.  And god, the feel of his hard cock brushed up against her inner thigh, amidst the throes of dancing.  Surely no accident, either.

Fucking hell, she was horny!  More than she’d been in a long, long time.  Her hand drifted between her legs, playing with her clit through the thin fabric of her skirt.  Getting herself even more worked up, imagining the thrill of being with a real man once again.

Damn it -- but she couldn’t stay in the garage much longer.  Her boyfriend -- for now -- could barge in at any moment.  Ugh… why was she still with Theo?  Maybe it was the booze, or that evening’s events, but she couldn’t honestly come up with a single reason why.  The dwindling man was becoming much more hassle than he was worth.

*Snort* At least there was some comedic value to him.  He looked tiny, as she walked in.  Lord, he must’ve shrunk two more inches since this morning!  And to think, just a few days ago, she’d let him have sex with her.  Him -- this midget!

“What’s so funny?”

Uck.  Even his voice had risen in pitch.  So far from the deep, husky tones of Donovan whispering in her ear.

“Have you been drinking??” the diminished man demanded, daring to raise his voice.

“Pfff.  Not enough, trust me.”  He gave her a quizzical look as she set down her purse and looked him up and down.  Nope … no attraction.  Or none worth speaking about.  Although, then again … “Fine,” she sighed.  “You’ll do, I suppose.”

“Do what?  Elaine, why are--“

“Shh.  Less talk-y.  More walk-y.”  She strode past him and beckoned.  “C’mon, already.”

She sighed again as she entered their bedroom.  This may be a mistake … but she was randy as all hell, so something had to be done.

He came in some ten seconds later with plenty of questions on his lips, but she had no intention of letting him ask them.  A dedicated tug on his slim forearm accelerated him through the room and onto the bed.  She didn’t know he’d be that lightweight!

“What the--!?”

“Oh, shut it.”  She pounced on him, pinning his shoulders to the mattress and clamping her knees to his hips.  It was something of a marvel for her to watch him squirm, watch him honestly try to break free.  Weighing probably half again what he did now, all she had to do was lean her weight into him and let gravity do the rest.  It was basically that easy.

“We can see where this is going,” she huffed.  “I’m going to ask you to go down on me.  You’re going to ask if we can bang instead, like old times.  I’m going to say no.  So can we just skip past all that?  We both know you’re going to end up between my legs either way.”

Oh, he didn’t like that.  Protesting, squirming … “Says who?!”

“Me.”

He was wearing himself out, trying to get free.  “Who says I’m even up for anything anyway?” he grunted.

“Clearly you are.”  She looked pointedly at the twitching bulge in the front of his pants.  It’d been that way this whole time.  Almost like he enjoyed being pinned.  She rolled her eyes in sharp distaste.

He wore himself out a little more before falling flat.  “I’ll do it,” he caved, “a-as long as--“

“Ohhh no.  You’re in no position to negotiate, little man.”

‘Little man’?!  Theo hardly had a chance to gasp before his girlfriend rolled aside and pushed him off the bed.  He started to rise but she pressed down and dropped him to his knees.  Her panties came off and now her legs spread wide, her pussy waiting for him as she sat at the edge of the bed.

“Now, please!” barked Elaine, as she might to a wayward subordinate at work.  When had she gotten so bossy?  More confusingly: why was it making him so hard??

Getting fed up, Elaine grabbed a handful of hair and pulled him closer.  Why couldn’t he just accept this already?  Didn’t he know this was all he was good for, anymore? 

“Mmmmm.”  He ducked under her skirt and got off to a good start.  He’d definitely done his homework; his tongue knew what to do, much better than last time.  She exhaled, propped her arms on the bed, let the pleasure wash over her in waves.  Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes and imagined him in the room with her.  Donovan.  Pictured him and his rippling chest, hovering over her.  That cocky grin flashing on his lips before he bent down and kissed her, fondled her, penetrated her.  Ohhh, if only he were here right now.  The things she’d do to him … or let him do to her …

Ugh.  Theo’s ministrations were straying off the mark.  “Higher,” she gruffed.  He found her clit again, but too timidly.  “Faster … Get in there!”

His efforts improved, freeing her mind to drift again, her body breaking into a sweat, her lips parting in a steady pant as she thought of what Donovan and that stiff cock of his would be capable of.  Fuuuuck, she wanted him bad.  Imagine if she’d gone home with him tonight instead.  She could have.  Should have.  Mmmmm… she felt her legs clamping down in a spasm of desire.  And another.  And another.  How long did this go on?  She lost track; but eventually her moans grew into sharp cries of ecstasy and her body shook and shuddered.  “Oh fuuuuck yesss,” she breathlessly hummed, slowly descending from orgasmic bliss.  “Fuck yessss … Oh, Donovan …”

The coughing and wheezing between her legs drew her attention downward.  Her ex-lover’s mouth was slick and wet; his entire face was red, even his ears.  Had she clamped down too hard?  Harder than he could handle?  He seemed almost stunned; dizzy.  Or was it the ‘Donovan’ part -- had he heard that?

Regardless, she found she didn’t care.  She’d used him tonight; but with any luck, she wouldn’t need to anymore.  She had a whole week with Donovan ahead, on their trip out of town.  Damned if she was going to waste it.  And good timing, frankly -- what better excuse to finally call off this sham relationship with Theo.  Really, it’d been a long time coming.

But all that could wait till morning.  She got up, washed off in the bathroom, then came straight back to bed.  She pretended not to see the needful look in his eyes as she rolled over and shut off the bedside light.  “Good night,” she said simply, then let her thoughts drift again, blissfully, to the week ahead.

Theo could hear his heart pounding in his ears.  Everything else sounded tinny, distant.  Is this how all his exes had felt when he’d broken up with them?  It was a much different experience, being on the other end.

“Don’t give me that look, Theo,” Elaine scoffed, her mascara-lined eyes angling down at him.  “I didn’t say it’s over.”

“Didn’t you?”  He felt his hackles rise as he looked up.  “You might as well have!”

“Pshht.  I only said we’re taking a break, Theo.  We need one, clearly.  Surely you can see that.”

He stared at her shapely back as she packed her travel bag.  A break?  Now?  Things in the bedroom hadn’t exactly evolved how he’d expected; but Theo was, well, almost starting to get used to it.  You could almost say it felt exciting to please her that way.  She hadn’t even returned the favor last night, and he still couldn’t say he regretted getting her off.  There was something about her attitude last night -- the bossy disdain, the grabbing of his hair, the demanding tone … these should have infuriated him, but somehow it’d sparked a thrill in him.  All the more so when he’d given in and dropped between her legs.

“I’ll be back in town next week,” the green-eyed beauty continued.  “We’ll see where things are at, and--“

It hit him.  “Donovan.”

Elaine drew back with a startle.

“You’re screwing a guy named Donovan, aren’t you?  You said his name last night!”

Elaine tellingly hesitated.  “I am not screwing him,” was her careful reply.  You could almost hear an implied ‘… yet’ at the end.

“Son of a--!!”  He picked up a shoe and threw it across the room.  Winding his arm, he meant to hurl the other shoe at Elaine … but she stood there like a brick wall, unflinching, her gaze hard as stone.  She was not the skittish female he once knew.  She could kick his ass now if she wished -- easily -- and the reminder of that did such strange things in his head.

“I …”  He let the shoe drop from his hand.  His eyes lowered.  He would not beg her to stay with him.  He wouldn’t!  Jealousy and rage tumbled through his mind, but also worry.  He was getting smaller by the day, and therefore less desirable.  If she left him, who would want him now?

Then the rest of the puzzle snapped into place.  “Wait -- you’re keeping me as a … a freaking backup plan!  If this Donovan jerk doesn’t work out, you’ll settle for me?!”  He inhaled, scandalized.  “Or you’re waiting to see whether I win this weekend; whether I’ll be bigger again or not.”  His hands balled into fists.  “That’s it, isn’t it??”

She seemed surprised.  Then, giving a slow shrug, she seemed almost amused.  “I know what I want, and don’t want, in a man,” she admitted.  “Might as well be practical about it.”

This was outrageous!  “You think I’ll take you back, if I win?  Ha!  Once I’m big again, I can have any woman I want, and I won’t need you!”

Her mouth twisted wryly.  “We’ll see.”  She seemed amused again.  It’s like she knew how badly he wanted, needed her now; knew she held all the cards and could play her options how she liked.  … And couldn’t she?  Hell, if he won the game show, he still might take her back, just to have her wrapped around his finger again.  Or, if he lost … would he beg her to take him back, in whatever form that might entail?  Surely he wouldn’t be that desperate.  Surely.

The minutes passed in a blur.  Soon her suitcase was packed; her face done up in striking tones; her outfit skin-tight, edgy … Christ, when was the last time she’d unbuttoned her blouse that low for him?  Jealousy flamed within him until -- yikes -- the inevitable high heels went on.  Oh, how she enjoyed towering over him now, that smug smirk framing her plush lips so high above.  Worst, a strange part of him very much enjoyed the view …

“Watch my things for now, will you?” she remarked.  The nerve!!  Her smile tugged wider as she softly sighed, as if this new arrangement already brought her great relief.  “It really is for the best, Theo,” she had to add, smugly.

“Best for you,” he growled sourly.  But his dark tone slid right off her.  With a shrug of agreement, she and her tight ass sauntered right out the door, more easy and carefree than he’d seen from her in a very long time.

He raged through the house.  Threw some more things.  Avoided broken windows, at least.  “You’ll be sorry!” he blustered, to no one at all.  “You’ll wish you never left!!”

The house felt quiet when he stopped.  Decidedly too quiet.  Too still.  Too alone with his thoughts.  He --Wait, where the hell was Jen, anyway?

* * *

Jen felt like she was lying on a warm, lumpy heat blanket. It smelled musky and nice and reminded her of Kyler.

"Oh crud!"

She meant to sneak home last night, but instead she was sleeping on a pile of fellow high schoolers, boys and girls alike!  Kyler was closest to her and felt so damned nice, but they were all tangled with Ella and a couple random other people, stuffed atop the futon in Tess's living room.

The others stirred as Jen pushed herself off them.  "Babe," Kyler murmured, pressing his hand to her leg.

Jen shivered in pleasure.  They made out so much last night and it felt sooooo freaking good.  It was incredible she even managed to sleep after that.  The beer helped, she guessed.  Another first for her.  Was that why her head hurt and she felt all cloudy?

"Gotta go," she whispered anxiously, with no time to waste.

"Where we goin'," her now-boyfriend muttered, eyes still shut.

"I'm going home.  Before my dad murders me.”  She took an extra few seconds to bend down and kiss Kyler on the lips and touch his cheeks.  It was hard to leave.  She almost wished she'd let things go farther last night.  Kyler definitely wanted to. But that would be way, way too fast for her and, well… she had no time to think about that now!

It was just past 9 when she parked the car, hoping desperately that Dad was still asleep.  She crept up to her window, climbed in, shut it softly … Shit!!  She heard Dad’s footsteps coming just in time for her to scramble to the bed.

“Jen!”  *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* “I’m coming in!”

She was under the covers when Dad thundered across the room and threw them off her, exposing her still in corset and leather from head to toe.  “Nice try!” he bellowed, looming over her with imperious rage.  “Ohhhh, young lady, you are screwed.”

“I--“

“Not one word!  You have exactly two minutes to change into something decent and meet me in the living room!  And not even a whiff of insolence from you or you’ll regret it!”

How could she but quaver as he stormed out and slammed the door?  In automatic panic mode, she frantically ripped off her jacket then started at the strings of her corset … until suddenly she remembered the hot topic of debate last night.  Everyone had weighed in on how Jen should confront her dad.  Step up now, or he’ll never quit hounding you.  Once you show him you don’t care, what can he really do?  Etcetera, etcetera…

That was nuts though, right?  She’d never been in such deep shit.  She needed to plead for forgiveness, not make it worse!

“THAT’S TWO MINTUES, JEN!  GET YOUR BUTT OUT HERE!”

Oh crud.  Maybe her friends were right.  She’d be hosed no matter how much she groveled.  At a certain point, you had to roll with it.  No turning back.

Oh god…

Theo rubbed his hands eagerly as Jen’s door finally opened.  Truth be told, he enjoyed a good ol’ come-to-Jesus from time to time.  He’d needed something to boost his spirits this morning, too.  Knowing him, Jen was no doubt standing there quivering in  …

*Click … clack …*

… in her …

*Click … clack …*

… in her high-heeled boots?!

He gaped in disbelief as his daughter emerged dressed the same as before.  All she’d done was straighten her jacket and comb her hair.  But… but that was impossible!  That squeamish girl would never, ever dare to--

“Let’s make a bet!”  Her voice was unprecedentedly loud and emphatic.  Her gaze never wavered as she drew closer, her head seeming to rise higher above him with every step.

Jen may have managed a stern face, but she only barely kept her teeth from rattling.  She knew if she hesitated even a moment, she’d crumble.  So she just kept belting out words.  “I bet I’ll beat you in the gym tomorrow!  I bet I’ll win!  And if I do, then my punishment goes away!”

Theo leaned back in surprise.  Blinked.  “What are you even talking about?  Beat me at what?”

“There’s eight workouts on the board.  I’ll beat you at more than half of them!”

As the realization hit him, bubbles of laughter rose up.  “W… Wait … Beat me at weightlifting?!”

“Yeah!”

“You, Jen Atwater.  Outlifting me.”

“Damn right!”

His laughter filled the room.  “Well, that I’d love to see!  You realize I still outweigh you by forty pounds?”

“Then it’ll be easy for you!”

Good lord.  “This was your plan?  Jen, it’d be a miracle if you beat me at even one of them.”  He glared up at her askance, hands on his hips.  Hmph.  He almost had to admire her gumption, though.  “Fair enough,” he humored.  “You beat me tomorrow, and I won’t ground you for the rest of your life.  And I won’t drown you in endless chores.  And I won’t take away all phone and computer privileges.  ‘Course, in reality, when I do end up beating you…”

“I get it!” Jen rattled, shooting her hand out, trying to keep it together for a few more seconds!  Dad shook her hand really hard, making her wince.  She whirled around before he could see her blush, but somehow didn’t stumble even once and kept her head high as she marched away.

Theo shook his head.  Foolish.  Reckless.  Actually, not so unlike himself as a teen.  Hfff. 

* * *

He tried to move on with his day, but a half hour later he was still muttering to himself.  “C’mon.  No way.  Not a chance.”  Happening by the basement, he decided to approach the chalkboard.  “See?”  Friday: Jen weighed one hundred seventeen pounds, while he weighed one fifty five.  Jen: two pullups, to his seven!  Jen’s bench press: seventy five; his: one o’ five …”

Wait.  But if you look at how their progress day by day, and extrapolate … especially considering that Jen’s growth was accelerating…

He gaped.  The projections were coming out much closer than expected.  Much too close for comfort.  She wouldn’t just be stronger than him by mid-week; it might happen by tomorrow!

Oh shit.

* * *

He found himself drifting toward Jen’s room.  To do what, exactly?  Call off the bet?  Change the terms?  Ridiculous.  It’ll never happen.  She--

A high-pitched squeal drew him forward.  Another one, and he pushed open the door to find Jen standing with hands cupped over her mouth and eyes transfixed on her laptop screen where, in a familiar bright-lit arena, two athletic, spandexed women were locked in a ferocious tug-of-war battle at the edge of a precipice.

“It’s a dead heat, folks!  These two are so evenly matched!”

Of course.  The show aired live every Saturday.  As he watched, the masked one in red and orange stripes grunted and leaned, while the purple-suited chick with matching hair shrieked and dug in her heels.  Surprising patterns of sinuous muscle danced along legs and arms as the two strapping women struggled and toiled. 

“Both are refusing to give up an inch!  This may come down to which sidekick can lend a hand!”

Evidently ‘sidekick’ meant the men; the Mice.  Those gray bodysuits and noddling noses still gave Theo nervous chills each time he saw them.  With unease he observed the cartoonish lads caper precariously across the scaffolding overhead, scampering toward the center, racing to snatch the large, round flask suspended between them. 

The crowd cheered and Jen yipped as the purple-collared Mouse snagged it right from the other’s clutches and scrambled back.  Getting his Mighty’s attention with a shout, he dangled the bottle through the metal grating and lined it up right over her head.

“Can she catch the bottle of Mighty Power and still hold on?“

“She’s done it!”  The purple-clad babe caught it cleanly and somehow withstood her opponent’s onslaught, spilling only a few drops as she chugged the blue liquid down.  “Wow!”

“Mighty Power!  Mighty Power!” chanted the crowd in enthusiastic refrain -- and even Jen joined in at a whisper, pumping her fist.  “Mighty Power, Mighty Power…”

You could literally see the muscles growing, as the camera zoomed in.  The young woman grew some ten, twenty percent beefier and buffer right before Theo’s eyes in a matter of seconds.  He would’ve taken it for a CGI trick again, if he hadn’t seen Jen undergo similar transformations herself.  Case in point: as Jen sat and gripped the back of her chair, thin but clear lines of muscle rose along her arms.  Lines which hadn’t been there days ago, and would only get larger.  “Christ…”

Jen wheeled around in surprise.  “Dad!  Did you say something?”

He felt his cheeks redden.  “Uh, just … you’ve got a long way to go,” he gruffed.

“Me?”

That surprised, almost insolent tone.  “Yes, you!”  He glared and walked away. 

A half hour later, he caught her striding out the door in a new outfit -- but the same damned heels!  She left before he could find the guts to confront her about it.  Off to another party, for all he knew.  Damn!  Well, she’d get what was coming to her, very soon.

The doorbell rang, right at 10 o’clock.  Theo opened the door and -- Shi-i-it.  It was like a punch to the gut.  Alice looked HOT.  Similar business casual look as last week, but with arguably an even tighter skirt.  And even more buttons unbuttoned on her shirt.

But the self-consciousness bug hit him hard as the blonde babe stepped up into the foyer, heels and all, standing a full head and shoulders higher than him now.  She wasn’t even all that tall for a woman!  He waited for a condescending smirk, maybe a derisive laugh; some realization that he was no longer a viable object of attraction to her.  Too small; too scrawny.

But instead, her eyes lit up with genuine glee.  “Well,” she said, putting her hands on her curvy hips and greedily appraising his body with her eyes.  “Now this, I can get used to,” her voice purred, with a sexy lilt.

What the…!?

“Go ahead and set up downstairs, Lonnie,” Alice suggested, waving on the cameraman behind her.  “We’ll be right down.”  Her eyes never left Theo as she said this.

Theo felt butterflies as the guy left, leaving them all alone.  When he turned around again, Alice was standing closer.  Much, much closer.  “I like you like this,” she hummed.  Her manicured hand drew an imaginary line from the top of his head to her shoulder, sizing him up.  But she had to know her round tits were practically touching his face.

He barely kept it together.  “Y-You can’t possibly mean that,” he objected.

Her amused gaze turned down to him.  “Oh?  No?”  Her long fingers rested comfortably, almost intimately on his shoulder, creating a spontaneous wave of goosebumps.  “There’s many different ways a man can be sexy.  Bigger isn’t always better.”

Geez… she might not actually be mocking him.  She might be serious.  And it couldn’t be denied that her proximity, her distracting perfume, and her glorious cleavage peeking through her blouse were very much having an effect.

“So where’s your girlfriend, these days?”

His body temperature rose another few degrees.  “She’s … Well, she happens to be on a business trip.”

“Ah.  A ‘business trip’.”  Her long lashes batted in a wink.  Had she surmised that he and Elaine were taking time off?  “Good,” she purred on.  “Now there’s nothing to get in our way. … With the filming, of course.”  He shuddered as her hand patted his arm and led him downstairs, affording him such a view of that ass.

* * *

Alice, with her eager grin.  Jen, with the already emptied vial in her hand.  Theo, hesitating.

Ugh.  He drank his dose, and could swear he already felt a slight tingle, the formula just waiting to kick in.

“Wow, girl,” Alice continued, admiring Jen’s physique again.  “You look amazing!  Look at the size of your biceps!“

“You should see the size of her ego,” Theo growled.

Jen frowned dismally.  Or glowered.  He couldn’t tell which.

“Oh?” Alice went on.  “I think she’s made great strides.  Those cameras we installed in here really show it.”

“What cameras?” Theo asked.

“You know, the ones briefly mentioned four chapters ago?  And never mentioned since?”

Huh?  “Chapters?”  He shook his head.  “Well, what’re you doing with the footage?”

“The plan is to show your progress over these two weeks, in very little time.”

“How you gonna do that?”

Lonnie stepped up and grinned.  “I know just what we need.”

…

*...Music plays...*

** “The hour’s approaching to give it your best, and you’ve got to reach your prime” **

** “That’s when you need to put yourself to the test, and show us a passage of time” **

** “We’re gonna need a montage … Ooh it takes montage…” **

** “Show a lotta things, happenin’ at once … Remind everyone of what’s goin’ on” **

** “And with every shot, show a little improvement … To show it all would take too long …” **

“ ’That’s called a montage’”, Lonnie sang.  “ ‘Even Rocky had a mon--‘”

“Alright, we get it!” Alice groaned.  “You’ll have to excuse my partner here.  Obviously that won’t be the actual song.”

“Aww, why not?” Lonnie griped.

Alice rolled her eyes.  “In any case, it’s been quite a week, hasn’t it?”  At her instruction, Lonnie hoisted his shoulder-mounted camera and brought it to bear.  “And how have things been going with you two lately?” she queried.

“Oh, we’re starting?”  As Alice nodded, Dad winced at the camera and straightened.  “Uhh… fine, really.”

Jen couldn’t let it go, though.  She’d woken up that morning with fire in her heart.  Her days of cowering from Dad were over!  Winning today was everything!  She stepped forward and--

“Jen, let’s keep this to oursel--“

“Dad says he’ll ground me unless I beat him today!” she blurted.  To hell with it!

Theo groaned as the cat flew out of the bag.  He staved off Alice’s enthused queries until finally throwing his hands up.  “Look, Jen’s made some atrocious infractions lately, then preposterously proposed to avoid punishment if she beats me today, five out of eight.”

“And you agreed?”

“Yes!  I … I …”  Was it just him, or was the room becoming stifling?  “How else am I gonna teach her a lesson!”

Alice seemed skeptical.  And hell, maybe it wasn’t his most rational decision ever, but--

“Aren’t you concerned she’ll win?”

Theo glared bullets at Alice.  “She will not!” he insisted, as Alice strangely steered him and Jen to face each other then interlocked their hands.  “See?”  He shook his daughter’s floppy.  “Still just loosey-goosey twigs.  We’re over a week in, and she can’t even--“

“I’m gonna kick your freakin’ butt!”  Jen’s eyes flashed red hot fury as her body suddenly solidified, her arms turning rigid and pushing him a staggering step backward!

He actually panicked for a second.  “H…Hey, take it easy!”  Once he fought back, he did so with relative ease, but still… “And watch who you’re talkin’ to, little miss--“

“I’m not afraid of you!”

Whoa.  She clearly was not!  Her next shove caught him off-guard enough to make him plant another foot behind him.  He quickly returned the favor -- and then some -- but the concentrated fury in her eyes never wavered.

Alice, off to the side, shot Lonnie a delighted thumbs-up.  This was great footage, great energy -- and she’d barely had to goad them at all!  “Splendid!” she praised, coming up and foisting empty curl bars into the confused contestants’ hands.  “What better time to start?  Unless either of you is having second thoughts?”

Both blinked.  “No!” they shouted in unison.

“Perfect.”  A cinch!  Alice brought two 10-pound plates to each of them.

That plus the 10-pound curl bar made 30.  “That’s it?” Theo quipped.  “Curl just 30 pounds?”

“That’s what Jen lifted on Friday.”  Alice nodded to the board.  “I figure you two ought to lift the same weight, if you’re competing.”

Theo snickered.  “Fine with me.”

Facing each other, they started pumping the weights as Alice counted.  “One … Two … Three …”

“Like styrofoam,” Theo snorted, ostentatiously yawning as he went. 

“Four … Five … Six …”

Already Jen’s shoulders were hunching forward -- already starting to struggle!

“Seven … and Eight.  How we lookin’, Lonnie?”  The camera guy gave her a thumbs-up.  “Alright.  When you’re ready, we’ll--“

“Hold up!”  Jen was on a war path as she dropped the bar and brought over two more 10-pounders for each of them.

“Umm… seriously?” Theo scoffed.  “You could hardly even handle--“

“Just take them!”

Yeesh.  “Your funeral.”  As he hoisted the 50 pounds without trouble, Jen had to grunt just to lift hers off the floor!  “You’ll wear yourself out, Missy.  Why are you--“  Wait.  “Are you trying to grow already?”  Even on Friday, it hadn’t happened till the end of the second workout.  “Jen, that’s dangerous,” he warned.  “You’ll hurt yourself if you--“

“Rrrghhh!”  The veins in her neck rose as she practically exhausted herself out on the first rep!

Alice shrugged.  “One.”

He powered through his first rep and shook his head.  “Jen--“

“Rrrrrhh!”

“Two.”  Theo matched her pace as Jen kept going.  “Three.”  Her form got worse and worse as her face contorted.  She had guts; he’d give her that.  But--

“RRAGHHH!”  Her body tremored as if zapped by lightning.  The bar bucked and wobbled -- then steadied, little by little, as her arms expanded. 

“Four!”

Her grunts grew louder, yet her pace quickened!  “Five!” The fabric around her legs stretched and groaned, and her posture stabilized.  “Six!”  Her chest expanded, and so did her breasts, as her now stronger shoulders un-hunched and stood tall.  “Seven!”  Her biceps slid up and down her arm, more pronounced than ever.  “Eight!  This is definitely your biggest growth yet!”

No shit.  Jen finished with just a controlled hiss through gritted teeth.

“Ahem… Theo?”

He shuddered; coughed.  “R-Right.”  Forget her.  Focus.  His cheeks flushed red as he banged out his last two reps.  By then, Jen had dropped her bar and doubled over, panting from exertion.  Whew.  She seemed completely mortal again.  For a second there, she almost seemed--

“Huh?” he yipped, as she suddenly tore off and retrieved two more plates.  Then two more.  “You’re nuts!” he protested.  “Just--“ … Geez… the look in her eyes… “Just concede this one.  You’ll kill yourself.”

She didn’t even reply as she grabbed the 70-pound bar.  Her arms trembled badly as she lifted it to her waist.  And yet, somehow, with a deep breath and a grim frown… “One!” a surprised Alice called, as grunting Jen brought the wobbling bar up to her chest!  As it dropped to her waist, Jen panted, wheezed -- and stared at him.

Madness!  Theo did his rep, but the 70 pounds was tough.  He’d barely finished two sets of these on Friday, and now his pre-taxed arms had already begun to tremble. 

“Two!”

There was no way any sane person would keep going; and yet there she was, wrenching her body and throwing everything she had into it!  It was intimidating; freaky, almost: how her eyes never left him.  How she stared with dead determination.  Doubts penetrated his mind and began to trickle into his arms, and already his second rep showed evident strain.  A worried grunt escaped his lips -- and it seemed to breathe new life into Jen.

But no, she couldn’t possibly--

“Three!  Wow!”  The girl was about to pass out; her form had gone to shit; yet the bar rose again to her burgeoning chest nonetheless!

And as he matched her, there was no denying it now: that feeling was spreading through his chest again.  The tightening sensation, of something inside him about to give way.  One wrong move now, and he’d shrink.

Thank god -- the girl failed her next attempt, dropping the weights and doubling over, panting.  But he still needed one more rep to outdo her.  Tenuously he lifted the bar, feeling the tightness growing, increasing …!

“Four!”

He set the bar down immediately, stepping away.  He’d hardly be able to lift a pencil now without triggering it, but at least he made it through.

“Round One goes to Theo!”  Beaming Alice took the liberty to chalk up a big checkmark under his name on the board.

It didn’t take Theo long to regain his gumption.  “Nice try, sweetie,” he gloated down at Jen, “but I told ya you’d never beat your old m--“

“It’s not over yet!”  In a flash she was on her feet, and now she was the one looking down.  Cripes, now his eyes only came up to her mouth; and her chest, torso, arms… they had all inflated so much!

But then her body sagged.  Her eyes drooped, dog-tired.  He had to capitalize on her fatigue -- now.  “Sit-ups!” he commanded, dropping to the mat.

“Aww, Theo, just give her a minute!” opined Alice.  “She’s--“

“What, you think we’ll get to rest on the game show?  C’mon, toughen up!”

Jen took the bait.  She knotted her brow and dropped down alongside him.  He smirked as he started off at a brisk pace.  Sit-ups messed with your breathing; and Jen, already winded, struggled like hell to keep up.  Just as he’d intended.

Half a dozen situps in … now a dozen … with that damned tightness spreading, and spreading …

Fuuuuck!  The floodgates burst and he felt a fraction of his vigor draining away.  Receding.  Withering.  The pads of his feet skidded slightly along the mat as his legs grew shorter.  His arms tucked behind his head grew lighter, floppier; he had to work to stabilize them.  And even while his torso grew lighter, his abs muscles lost tenacity, making each sit-up harder and harder.

Alice clapped excitedly.  “Please tell me you caught that on camera, Lon!”

“Oh yeah.”

He’d cringe if he could, but he was the one now struggling to keep pace with Jen!  Twenty now, and counting.  He could see her elbows rising next to him like a metronome.  Like a friggin’ machine!  Upper twenties … His abs burned!  He didn’t have much left in the tank, but Jen should have run out well before.  She couldn’t possibly--

Whew.  Her next sit-up only came halfway.  She tried once more, then again, then collapsed with an exhausted hiss.

“Theo wins it!  Thirty-three.”

Even his head felt a little lighter as it fell back against the mat.  His shorts felt loose around his now flatter waist.  Yet the sound of the checkmark going up on the board filled him with elation.  “That’s two to zero now, Jen,” he cajoled.  “Still think you can win?”

From the look in her eyes: oh yes, she did.  And when he rose next to her, he began to believe it too.  Now his eyes were only to her chin!

Alice cheered in jubilance.  The words “Let’s get you measured!” rang in his ears as she herded them to the scale.

*KaThump KaThump* -- there went his heart again as Alice measured, announced, and recorded.  Jen: 5’ 9 ¼”, 133 lbs.  Theo: 5’ 4 ½”, 140 lbs.

“From forty pounds apart, now down to seven.”  Alice whistled, herding them together again.  “The same pose, one more time?”

Theo’s brow rose.  “The--?”

“Gladly.”  Jen interlocked her hands with Dad without hesitation.  He looked worried, and it felt kind of great.  It’s payback time.

“Easy, Jen,” Dad warned, pushing her palms.  But was he going gentler this time, or was he just that much weaker than before?  She pushed him back, and his eyes went wide.

“Bench press,” she hissed, feeling the new power in her legs as she crossed the floor.

* * *

Theo felt sweat beading on his forehead, and it wasn’t even his turn yet.  After just that short break, she seemed woefully well recovered.  The girl was banging out reps like a friggin’ pro.  95 pounds …

“That’s eight!   ‘Atta girl!  Alright, you’re up, Theo!”

And from the moment he lifted the bar off the brackets, he knew he was in for a battle.

* * *

“Oh my god,” Theo muttered, his biceps trembling even from just lifting the water bottle.  The bench press had seemed dead even -- until the last set, when Jen had somehow eked out an extra three reps.  He couldn’t match it.  Then the overhead press, and even the pullups: same damned thing.  Just when it looked like her tank was empty, she squeezed out a couple more!  And each time, he fell just short.

“It’s like she just wants it more,” Alice observed.  And she was right.  It was as if Jen’s anger gave her the edge.

But, now down 2 to 3, he found a glimmer of hope.  Jen had only just graduated from girl push-ups to full push-ups this past Friday.  And he hadn’t bothered to correct her form: her butt too low to the ground, her hands too far apart.  And today he happily let her inefficient technique continue.

“Twenty-two to twenty-one -- Theo squeaks by!  Now we’re tied, 3 to 3!”

He couldn’t have done another if he tried; but he’d take it!  Now, as he clambered to his feet, he didn’t gloat.  The reality was too grim: he had yet to beat Jen straight-up.  He’d only won so far by finding other advantages: her inexperience, her tendency to overcommit …

That’s it.  Yes.  She had to beat him outright, 5 to 3, to win the bet.  So she had to win both of the last contests -- which meant she’d be holding nothing back.  And he could use that to his advantage.

Her first set of 120 on the squats was impressive.  Christ, it was.  Crisp and clean.  On his turn, his legs -- never as strong as his arms -- threatened to wobble almost from the very start.  His vocal chords threatened to grunt and groan.  But somehow he not only finished the set but maintained an air of calm poise all the way through!  Absolutely crucial for his plan.  Only once his back was turned did his face contort in fatigue.

“What a fighter!” Alice praised, sounding as surprised as he felt.  Jen only grunted, already grabbing the bar…

“Actually…!”  He raised a finger, stalling.

“What, Theo?”

He nodded pensively, giving time to catch his breath.  “Hmm … Yes …”  Snapping his fingers, he strode leisurely to the wall where his weary arms picked up an extra twenty pounds of weights.

“You’re crappin’ me,” Jen protested.

By the time he turned around, he’d mastered his signs of fatigue again.  “Oh,” he boasted, “was 120 too much for you, sweetie?  And here I thought it was too easy.”  To her confounded frown, he shrugged.  “Always was better at lower body,” he lied.  “’Course, if you can’t handle it…”

She fell for it hook, line, and sinker.  Snatching the plates, she settled into the daunting task of lifting 140 pounds.

And oh how she struggled!  Even five reps in, she looked gassed.  Two more, and she seemed ready to give up.

But no, not yet …  “C’mon, is that it?”  He moved in front of her and flashed his showiest grin.  “That all you got?  Where’s the toughness, missy?  You’re just gonna let me win?”

As her temper rose, so did her determination.  He goaded another rep out of her … another … another! 

“Ten!” Alice counted, before the redhead finally doubled over, gasping for breath. 

Ten squats, at 140?  Good god!  The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he and Jen traded places.  He doubted he could do half that many!  Fortunately, that wasn’t the plan at all.

“… One.”  Alice blinked as Theo returned the bar and stepped back smugly.

“One!?” Jen practically shouted, between breaths.  “That’s it??”

“Yep!”  He winked.  “Guess you won this one.  Good work.”  With a devious cackle, he went straight to the last contest: the deadlift.  Two barbells; 125 pounds each.  For all the glory.  “No dilly dallying, Missy!”

Jen was still slumped against the squat frame, breathing hard.  “You can rest a minute,” Alice opined.

But Jen’s ego couldn’t withstand her dad’s grinning face.  Undeterred, she huffed and puffed and approached the bar, lined up on the ground facing his.

“Single rep,” Theo hummed, feeling victory at hand.  “Ready? … GO!”

Oof.  It was not easy!  Only through flawless technique and controlled efficiency did he manage to straighten his knees and then his back.  Meanwhile, inexperienced Jen rose unevenly, the bar swaying wastefully.  She wasn’t even going to make a single--

“One!”

Confound it, but there she stood, straight as him!  How?!

His forehead trickled with sweat again.  “More!” he said with crackling voice, hastily ferrying more weight to the bars.  Every second of delay only furthered her recovery.  “Again!” he barked.  He crouched and heaved -- and proud, winded Jen did the same!  135 pounds: he had the strength left to handle it!  But Jen, she couldn’t possibly--

“Two!”

How did she catch her balance?!  Aghh!  “Again!”

“Jen--“

“Again!” he insisted.  “Don’t chicken out!”

Alice said no; Jen’s body said no; but her temper trumped them all as she gripped the bar for one last, desperation heave …

For a moment, it was almost Dad who fell, exerting himself to the max.  But as Jen’s world spun and heavy plates hit the floor, she was the one left staring at the floor as Dad stood tall.

*Clang-Clang!*  Theo’s weights dropped from his clutches as adrenaline swirled through his veins.  He stood gasping for breath several long moments, and then … “Yyyyeeeahhh!”  How could he but parade around the floor now, puffing his chest?  How could he but face the camera, and flex?  “Now here’s a competitor, baby!  This man knows what it takes!!”

“Theo…”

His eyes sought the bombshell calling his name.  Endorphins kicked in as he strutted like a peacock.  “You see that?  Hmm??  That’s what you call gamesmanship, baby!  Pressing the advantage; superior tactics; killer instincts!!”

“Theo…”

He kept strutting and strutting; he was on a roll!  "I'm the baddest som'bitch this show's ever seen!!”  He put his face in the camera.  “Hello, world: YOU'VE BEEN PUT ON NOTICE!!"

“Theo, she’s gone.”

He stood back.  “Huh?  Who?”

“Your teammate.”

Just then, he heard a door slam.  Then, a car peeled out of the driveway.

“Um…”

“I’d say you should run to her, but too late now.”  Alice sighed.  “Come on, Lonnie, I think we’ve got what we need.”

He watched the two head upstairs.  “Wait… Alice, are you upset about something?”

The blonde looked at him from the staircase, pursed her lips.  “I'll be in touch."  With a nod, the two of them headed up.

"Well, can I at least see you out?”

They were already gone, out of sight.  The whole basement was Theo's now.  All noise had died out.  And he felt strangely, uncomfortably alone.

Jen went to the only place she could think of: Blaire’s house.  And by now she’d just about burned a line into her living room carpet with all her furious pacing back and forth.  “Rrrrghhh!!  Freakin’… Ggrraghhh!!”

Leaning against the doorframe, Blaire chuckled and laughed.  “Yeah bitch, let it out!”

“Why are you laughing!?”  Jen’s newly enlarged arms cut through the air.  “This is serious!!”

“Hey, I’ve felt the same anger.  We all have.  And if you ask me: that’s a fuckin’ good thing.”

“Good!?!”  Jen paced faster, wishing she could just … just grab something and throw it!!  Or … Or…

Blaire laughed again.  “I know what you need.  Let’s go.  I’ll call up the crew.”

“Where are we going?”

“Trust me.  Oh, and text me a photo of your dad.”

“Why?”

“You’ll see.”

* * *

Theo strode anxiously down the sidewalk.  Five four and a half.  He’d lost two damned inches, today alone.  That put him at least a half foot shorter than your average woman -- and cripes, you could really tell.  Just about every woman he passed looked down her nose at him.  Especially the ones in heels.  Why in tarnation were so many women wearing heels now?!

Joel’s -- the bar downtown where he and Alice had agreed to meet.  He hesitated outside the door.  Why?  It was just a casual meet-up, right?  And he’d just seen her that morning, so he shouldn’t be nervous.

Oof.  The big, heavy door needed two hands and some gusto for him to pull it open.  The air was cool inside, the atmosphere calm and inviting.  There -- Alice, seated in a booth.  Her leather skirt and tight-fitting sweater were striking.  The woman was just so well put together, so naturally alluring, as she stood to greet him.

His teeth chattered slightly as her supple shoulders eclipsed the top of his head, her round breasts advancing toward his eyes.  Suddenly she crouched down for a quick kiss on each cheek, a greeting that would have been commonplace in Europe but not so much here in the States.  Quite breathless it left him, what with her perfume and the tickle of her lips.

And she’d already ordered them some drinks!  Sitting across from her, he took a swig of liquid courage and leaned in.  “Pleasure seeing you again,” he hummed, letting his eyes boldly roam.  “And I must say, this outfit suits you.”

She gave a flattered sigh.  “Thank you.  But we’ve something to discuss first.”

“Discuss?” he bantered, leaning in.  “Sure, let’s get to know each other better.”

A twinkle flashed in her eyes before she turned serious.  “Theo.  I’m very concerned about your outlook for next Saturday.”

Oh?  He thought for a moment then nodded.  “You know, I am too.  Less than a week away, and our ‘Mighty’ still can’t out-lift her ‘Mouse’!  I agree, she has to shape up fast if we’re--“

“It’s not her I’m worried about.  It’s you.”

“Me?”  He blinked in astonishment.  “Me!?  But I’m--“

“You’re what?  The Incredible Hulk?  Thor??  Planning to single handedly strong-arm your way to victory with brawn and force of will??"

Her tone was surprisingly incisive.  “Umm…”  His brow wrinkled.  “I mean, I’m gonna have to, if Jen can’t--“

"It’s not just about her; it’s about both of you.  You two are supposed to be a team!  Me, I find your tough-guy attitude incredibly endearing, but it’s not going to help you on the show.  It’s time you got serious and started cooperating.”

“Hey, I’m not the one who thought of turning today’s workout into a competition!”

“Jen’s a high schooler, Theo.  It’s a confusing time in her life.  Shouldn’t you have been the voice of reason, rather than accepting her challenge?”

Oh.  Well … “OK,” he conceded, “I guess it wasn’t exactly a Parent-of-the-Year move.”

“Nor a Teammate-of-the-Year either.”

*sigh*  “Fine, I get it.  I’ll be a better team player.  I’ll foster cooperation and yadda yadda.  As long as she remembers I’m the boss, we’re good.”

Oh brother!  Alice pursed her lips.  This little mini-hunk was proving even more stubborn than she’d hoped.  A damned shame, by the way -- oh the fun he and she could have together, if only he could get over his obsession with being in charge.

Better to let that simmer for now and try a new tact.  “Well, I’m glad you and Elaine have broken things off,” she said with a slight lilt.

“I … what??  How’d you know?”

“Seemed like a lot of her things were missing from your house this morning, for her to be simply ‘out of town’.  That, and… I could just tell.”

Theo felt his cheeks reddening.  “Yeah, well, she doesn’t know what she’s missing,” he fumed.

“No, she certainly does not.”  The chesty blonde leaned forward.  “If I may: breaking up was a good thing, Theo.  She wasn’t right for you.”

OK, now he was flustered.  “Hey, you hardly even knew her!”

“Theo, in my line of work I’ve met many different kinds of women.  And Elaine was one of those women stuck in the past, clinging to their old notions of how men ought to be.  Unwilling or unable to accept that, in today’s world, some men change.  That’s just how it is.  And if she can’t adapt to that, then sometimes the only thing to do is move on and find someone who can.”

There was that word again.  “Why does everyone keep telling me I’ve changed!?  I haven’t!  I’m smaller, but on the inside I’m exactly the same!”

Alice bit her lip.  There was nothing Alice enjoyed better than a man who hadn’t yet found his new nature.  With luck, she’d soon help him find it, in a very hands-on way…

She started to lean in but stopped herself just in time, before doing something very brash.  He’d had a rough day.  Too much at once, and he might get overwhelmed.  “Tomorrow,” she hummed.

“Tomorrow, what?”

With a smirk, she rose to her feet.  The nicely slimmed man followed suit.  How delightfully skinny he’d gotten.  How deliciously short.  And see?--his eyes widened instantly, electrified, as if the height difference itself had struck a thrill.  Yes, maybe she was right about him.

She just couldn’t resist.  Crouching, resting a hand on his soft chest, she brought her lips to his ear.  “Tomorrow evening,” she clarified.  “Seven o’clock.  I’ll pick you up.”

The look in his eyes was precious.  “What?  As in …?”

“Oh yes.”  She silenced him very effectively with a lingering kiss on his cheek.  “See you then,” she purred, raking her fingernails across his chest as she gathered her purse and left.

* * *

“Ayyyiiee!!” *WHAM*

Jen stared, bewildered, as the normally chill Maggie proceeded to punch, karate chop, and spin-kick the clothing store mannequin into oblivion.  *POW!  KABLAM!*  “Take that, muthafucka!!  Who’s a wimp now!?”  A picture of some guy’s face had been printed out and taped to the head, and Maggie’s next swipe ripped it in two.

Ella, next to Jen, took a swig from her bottle and thrust it toward Jen.  “Hold my beer.”  With her hands free, she picked up a piece of driftwood from the sand at her feet then charged at the next mannequin in line.  Jen recognized the face taped to this one: the dean of their high school, with his patented scowl.   “Give ME a referral, huh?!”  Wood crashed against fiberglass under Ella’s savage attack.  “I’ll show YOU a dress code violation, bitch!”  On her next swing, the plastic arm came off with a loud *smack* and landed on the beach three yards away.

Blaire gave a loud “Whooop!”, tossed a newly-emptied beer bottle into the sand, then nudged Jen.  “This one’s for you.”  She strode forth with another piece of paper in hand and taped it to the third mannequin of three.  Perhaps Jen oughtn’t have been surprised when it turned out to be her own dad’s face staring back at her, as Blaire stepped aside.

“This is weird,” Jen objected.

“No, it’s therapeutic,” Maggie opined.

Ella rolled her eyes at Jen then swapped the beer in Jen’s hand for a fresh one.  “Chug,” she commanded.  “Then stare at his stupid face and tell me you don’t want to punch it.”

Maggie moved to stand behind the mannequin, waving its arms.  “’Look at me, I’m so tough!’” she mimed, mocking Jen’s father.  “’If you’re not in bed by nine, I’ll kick your ass!’”

“’No daughter of mine gets to dress like that!’” Ella jeered, joining in at Maggie’s side.

Jen’s grip tightened around the beer bottle, her anger rising.

“’You’re eighteen years old, but I’m gonna treat you like you’re twelve, Missy!’”

Compulsively, she began to chug.  And chug.  Until the beer was empty.

“’…Aww, what’s the matter, little girl?  Too wimpy?’”

Her arm was shaking now with rage, her eye twitching.  Blaire snatched the bottle from her grip -- and replaced it with solid driftwood.

“’You’re just not good enough, Jen.  You’ll never--”

“AAAAGHHHHH!!”  She felt her feet driving into sand, then suddenly her arms were swinging like Babe Ruth’s.  And with a loud *THWACK!*, the mannequin’s head went flying, and that stupid face with it!

The silence lasted only a moment.  “… Whoa.”

“BOOM, baby!!  That’s how you freakin’ do it!”

Jen was stunned.  Did I really just do that?  She hesitated; but her friends didn’t give her time to think.  “Never hide your anger,” Blaire coached, slinging her arm around Jen.  “Channel it.  USE it.  Turn it against him and any other jerk-wad that stands in your way!”

A twinkle of doubt crossed Jen’s face -- but Maggie, laughing, coaxed Jen’s beer bottle to her lips.  Cheered, when she began to chug.

“Screw them!”

“Eff them!”

Chanting and alcohol combined to whip Jen into an unexpected furor as she hurled the bottle and threw back her head.  “I’ll make them pay!!”

“Howww-uuuu!!” Maggie belted, like a wolf howl.

Jen swigged another beer and -- screw it -- she howled too.  And you know what?  She didn’t even feel embarrassed when, who should get out of his car just then and overhear her howl, but Kyler.  Her hot, blue-eyed boy-toy, who’d just arrived at the beach house with a keg and another group of friends.  Damnnn.  After where things left off last night with him, who knows where things might end up.

* * *

Amir lay on his bed, glumly picking at a loose thread on his baggy sleeve.  But it wasn’t his ill-fitting clothes that had gotten him down.  It was Jen.  His best friend, whom he couldn’t even get a hold of anymore.  At least on Thursday she’d replied to a text with: >.  But his chat history now showed three texts from him since then -- one per day -- asking if they could meet up somewhere.  All three texts had gone unanswered.

Yeah, he understood that her new so-called ‘friends’ occupied much of her time now.  But all he needed was a few minutes, anywhere, to tell her his big news.  It was important enough that she deserved to hear it from him in person!  But today was the last day he could.  After today, it’d be too late.

With a sigh, he decided to call her this time.  Maybe that would work.

*Bbbbrrriing! …. Bbbbrrriiing! … Bbbbrrriiing!...*

Just before it went to voicemail, she picked up!  But the background noise was deafening.  Loud voices?  Music?  Both?

“Yo-o-o-o-o!” her familiar but unusual voice shouted into the speaker.  “Wazzuuuup??”

“Jen?”  Was that really her?

“Who this???”

“Jen, it’s Amir.”

“Who?”

He said it louder -- and Jen’s subtly deeper, clearly slurred voice belted out: “AMIIIIR!!!  … Hey guys, it’s Amir!!”

“Look, I--“

“Hey, where are you??”

“I’m at home.”

“Whaaat?  No -- come over!!”  Someone called out nearby.  “What?” Jen rebutted.  “‘Course he can, Blaire -- he’s Amir!  … Pfff, he’s cool, you’ll see!”

“It’s OK, Jen, I’ll--“

“Awww, please please please!?!?  We’re at Carly Myers’ beach house -- you know, on Oak Avenue?”

“Jen--“

“Gotta go, bud -- see ya soooon!!”

She hung up.  He put a hand to his forehead.  Oh geez.  Carly Myers, Blaire Davis … the tallest, meanest girls in school, and who knows who else too?  No way.  You wouldn’t catch him dead, there.

And yet… this was his last day in town.  His absolute last chance to see Jen.  Maybe he could pull her aside and actually talk a bit of sense into her, for once.  He decided he was just too worried about her.  He had to at least try.  They might laugh at his outfit, but it was the best he had anyway.  Grabbing a jacket and keys, he called to his mom on his way out.

* * *

Jen coughed in surprise as, a short ways down the beach, a mannequin was doused in lighter fluid and lit up in flame.  “Whoaaaa… Did you see that!?”  She reached over her beach chair to Maggie’s and prodded her arm.

“Huh?”  Maggie stopped making out with the guy on top of her for a second to look.  “Badass.”  Then went right back to smoochin’.

It was almost sunset.  They must’ve been here at least two hours already.  The crowd of high schoolers had grown pretty huge, filling the beach house, spilling into the porch and balcony, and spreading across the beach in raucous pockets of carousing girls and guys.  But things were starting to get … crazy.  The tenor of the crowd around the mannequins had risen to a fever pitch as a second mannequin went ablaze.  The face of Jen’s dad and the mannequin that held it had long since been taped over and graffitied and battered to near-unrecognizability.  And now it stood as a burning effigy lighting up the gleeful faces of the drunken revelers crowding around.

Two more guys went streaking past Jen’s beach chair in just their underwear.  Like the other guys before them, they ran with wild looks on their faces as they fled from the catcalling girls chasing hot on their tails.  It’d looked like a lighthearted game at first; but as the girls tackled both guys to the sand, slung them over their shoulders, and carried them back to the party, laughing as the guys tried to worm their way free … Jen began to wonder if the guys were really enjoying it after all.

Maybe it was ‘cuz she’d slowed down on the beers, but Jen was starting to get anxious.  “Were those boys trying to leave?” Jen asked her friend.

Maggie grunted, unhappy to be interrupted from making out.  “I dunno.  They’re just screwin’ around.”  *smooch smooch smooch…*

“You sure??”  The guys were still kicking.  Geez -- one of the girls slapped his butt, like a spank!  Jen thought she heard the guy yelp…

“Yes, geez.  Hey, focus on what’s important.”  Her meaningful nod directed Jen’s eyes toward Kyler, who just then was returning from the beach house with four solo cups in his hands, filled to the brim.

“What a gentleman,” Maggie lilted, giving Jen’s man a sly once-over as she took two of the cups from his hands.  But she went right back to holding her own guy’s chin and sliding her tongue into his mouth.

“Shit’s getting’ nuts in there,” mentioned Kyler as he dropped down onto Jen’s lap.

As much as she loved this position, and as well as she could handle his weight now … and as tempting as it was to pull him in too and slip him a tongue of her own … his words gave Jen pause.  “What kind of shit?”

Kyler shrugged.  “Girls are roundin’ up any guys they can find; messin’ around with them.  Y’know, just for fun.”

“Fun for who?  The guys, or just the girls?”

Kyler looked at her strangely.  “I mean, that’s just how it goes, right?  Everyone’s drinking.  Sometimes girls get a little carried away.  But hey, nothin’ to worry about -- no one’s messin’ with me.  They know I’m with you.”

Jen’s brow furrowed.  “You’re not the only one I’m worried ab--“

A loud commotion brewed in the house, as if to prove Jen’s point.  Blaire, of all people, stepped onto the porch and waved eagerly to Tess and Ella, who rushed inside.

“Alright, babe, how ‘bout some sugar.”

Any other time, Jen would melt under Kyler’s blue-eyed stare.  But not now.  There was something about Blaire’s expression …

“Hey,” Kyler protested, as Jen rolled him off of her and got to her feet.  “Hey, where you goin’?”

She hastened forward, with a reluctant Maggie trailing after her.  The music and voices grew deafening as Jen stepped into the beach house -- but Blaire’s voice jumped out at her, above the rest: “You’ll do what? … HA!  My ass!”

Now Tess, from the same side room: “Speak up, dweeb, we can’t heaaaar you!”

“I said let me go, and take me to Jen!”

Jen gasped.  She’d know that voice anywhere.  She’d known it since she was ten.

“Awww, what?  A little tool-bag like you, giving us orders?  I don’t think so!”

By the time Jen snapped into action, it was too late.  She burst into the room just in time to see Tess pour a full cup of beer right onto the head of her childhood friend. 

“AMIR!!” Jen bellowed, seeing her cornered friend get drenched once, then again.  Alerted by the yell, Blaire turned in time to stop Jen in her tracks as she tried to charge past.

“Whoa -- chill,” Blaire laughed.

“Let me go!!”  Jen tried in vain to break free.  “Let him go!!”

Ella took hold of Jen’s other arm.  “Geez, redhead, be cool!”

Jen watched Tess grab the tiny-looking Amir.  He didn’t have a chance.  “Take your hands off him!!”

Her so-called friends’ laughter turned into frowns.  “Yo, I thought you were with us,” Blaire growled.  “Not him.”  She pointed in disdain.  “He’s nothing.  A friggin’ peon.”

How could they say that!?!  Ella, Tess … even Maggie: they all chimed in agreement!  Jen’s head swam.  She fought, struggled -- then belted, at the top of her voice: “HE’S NOT A PEON, HE’S MY BEST FRIEND!  NOW LET HIM GO!!!”

Time seemed to freeze as the others exchanged glances; scoffed.  “Then you two lovebirds can get the hell out of here,” huffed Blaire.  At the same time, she and Ella heaved and watched Jen tumble to the ground.  Jen bumped into Maggie, who just looked at Jen with a disappointed frown.  Scowls and jeers from the others -- but Jen didn’t care.  All that mattered was that Amir was released, allowing the two of them to scramble out the door.

 “And don’t show your friggin’ face in here ever again!” Blaire called.

Not that Jen ever would.  She followed Amir through the parking lot and down the street at a dead run, leaving her phony friends behind.  Regretting ever meeting them at all.

An exhausted, beer-soaked Amir finally petered out, slowed, then sat on the curb.  Jen stopped in front of him, not panting as hard as her friend but still winded too.

“God,” she lamented.  “Oh, god, they’re horrible!”

“I… I told you… so,” Amir dejectedly wheezed.

“You were right.”  Jen cringed.  “I couldn’t see it.  I got so caught up in … in …”

“I know.”  He shook his sopping wet head; waved a dismissal.

Realization struck Jen: “The phone call!  I told you to come!  I was drunk.  Ack!  It’s all my fault!!”  She dropped down and squeezed his hands, sticky with libations.  “Amir, I’m so so sorry!!”

He looked into her eyes for just a second… then his head drooped.

“Amir??”

He sighed and wiped the trickle of beer from his brow.  “It’s not that big a deal.  You didn’t mean for it to happen.  I’ll take a shower, and I’ll be fine.”

“But what if I hadn’t found you in time?  Who knows what they would’ve--“

“Doesn’t matter now.  All that matters is … is…”

“Amir?”

His shoulders slumped.  “I’ve been trying to tell you for days, Jen.  Since Thursday!  It’s just, I wanted to tell you in person, but you kept being busy, and not answering my texts.”

Jen’s face tightened.  “Tell me what?”

“I’m moving to Springfield.”

“I know.  At the end of summer.”

“No.  This week.  Mom got reassigned early.” 

The earth shifted.  “This week?!”

“Tomorrow.”

“TOMORROW!?!”  Jen recoiled, her hands covering her mouth.  The world crashed in on her.  “Ack!!  I … but … you … I-I don’t know what to say!”

“Not much to say, at this point.”

Her vision swayed.  “Wh-What time tomorrow?!  I’ll come over and--?”

“No.  We’re leaving before dawn.”

“Can we at least hang out tonight?!”

His pained look said it all.  “It’s … Look, I don’t know what to make of you anymore!  Right now you’re Jen; but other times … I don’t know.  I think it’s better if we say goodbye now.”

“Now?”  Jen gasped.  “But when will I see you again??”

Amir shrugged.  “It’s just a few hours away.  Maybe … soon.  A few weeks.  I don’t know.  Maybe when you’ve figured things out.”

The words struck Jen like a heavy blow.  They made it back to their cars, said their fraught goodbyes.  Jen panicked and gave him a hug, realizing afterward she might have squeezed him too hard.  “I’ll see you soon,” she promised; but it sounded hollow, even to her.  The truth was: he was right.  She didn’t know what to make of herself right now, either.  Her life was a total mess.

At long last, Theo’s daughter deigned to reply to his texts!  It was past 9 PM already when he picked up his phone and read her strange message: “im coming home and going straight to bed can you be cool for once and not bother me”.

Somebody was feeling uppity, wasn’t she?  “see you soon” he pointedly replied.  Alice wanted him to be a team player?  Sure.  But that didn’t mean being a total pushover!  She’d lost the bet fair and square, and some silly pouting on her part wasn’t going to absolve her of the consequences.  He was a man of his word.  First he would carry out the promised punishment, and then maybe they would see about reconciliation.

It just so happened that he was in the bathroom when she got home.  He heard the front door slam, and he’d just washed his hands and stepped out when her bedroom door slammed too.  He marched down the hall and found it locked!

“Jen, come out!”  No response.  He gave three hard knocks, but still nothing.  “Fine, then.  You can slide me your phone and your laptop under the door, and I’ll decide when to give them back.  You know what we’d agreed!  Tomorrow we’ll discuss your chores and being grounded as well.  I may be inclined to be lenient, if you--“

*Bam!*  She must have thrown something at the door.  Something heavy.

“Or maybe I won’t!” he huffed.  He’d won today; he had the upper hand.  He would not be rattled!  “You have sixty seconds.”

Through the door, Jen was in shambles.  She wanted to scream, or bury her face in her pillow, or--

“I’m waiting!”

AGHH!!  She could not stay here!  Not with Dad pestering her, riling her up!  She could barely see straight enough to snatch her wallet and phone before blitzing toward the door, almost frantic to escape.

Theo had a mere fraction of a second to react.  Jen’s red hair almost scraped the top of the doorway as her zooming, stilt-like legs carried her toward him and-- “Look out!” she called, just before her hip bone body-checked him into the wall!  He bounced off with a hard *Thoomp* and staggered to one knee.

She covered her mouth, looking as if it were a mistake.  But he refused to believe it!  She rushed down the hall and -- *gasp* He heard the jingling of keys!  Authority instincts kicked into overdrive as he got up and charged down the hall bellowing, “You are NOT to leave!”  But the disobedient girl increased her speed across the living room!  He broke into a run, caught her wrist, yanked backward, and--

“Hey!”  Even with her high heels and even higher center of gravity, she kept her balance and almost yanked him off his feet in her recovery!  Her arm jolted like a 150-pound fish on the line, and any moment it could capsize him.  So he released her wrist and snagged his fingers around her phone instead.

“That’s mine!” the girl shrieked.  But he was not prepared for the sudden whiplash of her response: two hands closing around his with blinding swiftness, then pulling like a ripcord.  The next thing he knew, the ground was rushing toward him and he barely got his hands down in time to break his fall.  The sting of embarrassment brought him right back to his feet -- but ahead of his reckless advance, the teen drew her phone behind her and over her head, with her feet planted wide and her free arm braced to ward him off!

Dismay rippled through him as the unwinnability of his situation sunk in.  He’d matched her this morning by the skin of his teeth, but only through clever tactics and trickery.  What was he supposed to do now against a fully-rested, full-strength Jen?  And her high heels seemed to help her now; even her head loomed distressingly far above him, so how could he possibly reach her phone?  She was too prepared; too fast for him.  Too strong.  Too--

“DAD, QUIT TRYING TO FIGHT ME!  WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE A TEAM!”

Her face erupted in such rage that he staggered a step backward.  Capitalizing on his discomposure, she shot past him and out the front door.  As it slammed in his face, his only thought was: thank god she didn’t take more anger out on him than she had.

Jen ran to her car in tears.  She’d never meant to shove Dad to the ground!  It’d been an accident!  But … But she could hardly get through today as it is, without him being a jerk to her too, and … Gah!  She was in no condition to deal with that.  She never should have returned home at all!!

She didn’t get more than a couple blocks before her eyes were too blurry to drive.  Pummeling the steering wheel in angst, she called the only person she could think of who might take her in.

* * *

Theo was still standing in the living room in a daze, when a text came in.  From Alice.  “Jen showed up at my door.  Can she spend the night?”

At Alice’s??  “Yes” he replied, then: “she can spend longer if she wants”.  Some extra time apart was sounding very preferable right now…

Hell.  Maybe Alice had been right.  Maybe he was partly to blame.  And maybe he did need time to figure some things out.

Alice checked in on Jen briefly in the guest bedroom.  The girl was still looking through old pictures on her phone, still downtrodden.  The poor thing.  “I’m headed out,” Alice mentioned.  “Got work to do around town.  You OK?  You need anything?”

“No…”

“Alright.  And you know you can stay here as long as you need.  It’s not a problem.”

Jen’s puffy eyes blinked at her.  “Thank you.”

“Sure thing.”

* * *

Lola paused to admire the view as she approached Ned from behind.  This new outfit she’d picked out for him suited him so very well.  The lightweight silk draped oh-so-gracefully over his shoulders and clung pleasingly to his slender back.  Mmm, she’d have to give her tailor an even bigger tip next time -- just look how perfectly the clingy viscose fabric of his pants molded around his soft, tiny tush.

“It fits like a dream!” her husband praised, pausing his cooking and beaming back at her from the stove as she approached.  “Full range of motion; so lightweight … It’s like I’m not even wearing it!”

He wouldn’t be, in about two seconds.  Little did he know, but she was coming up behind him right now to strip his new clothes right off his body and take him right there on the counter.  Or maybe on the floor.  Still plenty of time before she had to leave for work.  In fact, her hand was nearly on top of his shoulder -- when her blasted phone rang.

She glanced at it.  Alice.  Grunting disappointedly, she let her arm drop.  Her oblivious husband kept stirring away at the Hollandaise, not knowing how close he’d just come to being ripped off his feet.

“Alice.”

“Lola.  Is this a good time?”

“I was about to start something.”  Lola sighed.  “But yes, this will do.”  She’d been expecting Alice’s call, at least.  “How are our two contestants coming along?  I hope yesterday morning went well?”

While listening, she idly twirled her husband’s short hair, leaned in to breathe a whiff of her husband’s cooking and his sweet cologne …

“’Competed’?”  She snorted.  “Against each other?”  Her amusement grew the longer Alice went on.  “… Oh?  … And then the girl just left?”

“What are you guys talking about?” Ned asked, craning his head up.

“Shhh,” Lola chided, patting her husband’s cheek then gently stroking his neck.  “Well, then, everything is going right to plan.  Their failure next Saturday will be a sight to behold!  A train wreck for the ages.”

“Agreed … but now I’m worried we miscalculated.  What if the train derails before Saturday?  If things continue like this, I could even see one of them quitting.”

“You think it’d come to that?”

“Maybe.  I don’t know.  I’m not pretending they’ll ever be great teammates, but at least we don’t want them ripping each other’s head off before Saturday!  We need to defuse the tension somehow.”

“And how do you propose we do that?“

“Give them some time apart, for starters.  And pull them out of their negative mindsets.  I have an idea of how to set Jen in the right direction.  But Theo: he only sees his shrinking as a bad thing, something he has to suffer through.  He refuses to recognize any benefits to what his new size has to offer.”

“And I suppose you’re going to show him these benefits?”

“Why not?  Elaine has left him.  And someone’s ought to show him a good time.”

Lola cracked up with laughter.  “You’re going to bang him, aren’t you?”

Alice mock-gasped.  “How presumptive!  That depends entirely on how our date tonight goes.”

Another bout of laughter brought Ned’s head around.  Lola approached her tight-rumped husband and wrapped an arm around his wispy frame, pulling him close.  “Knowing your proclivities, it’ll be quite an eye-opening experience for him either way.”

“Mmm, yes it will.  Normally, I’d like to introduce him to the kinkier side of things nice and slow.  But with just a few days to work with here, I may have to throw him right into the deep end …”

“And see if he floats.”

“Ha!  More or less.  See, I don’t think it’s enough to just improve his mood.  The man’s had a sheltered life, lately.  Imagine if he were to show up at the Mighty and Mouse studio as he is now, and cross paths with the likes of Skylar.  Nora.  Kendra, heaven forbid.  The size of those women, and how they’d treat him -- can you imagine the shock?  He’ll have a freak-out of epic proportions!”

“Ah.” Lola laughed while idly stroking her husband’s chest.  “Give him a decent shock now, so he can handle the bigger shock on Saturday.”

“Exactly.  And if he can’t handle it, then at least we’ll know that now rather than having him run for the hills when the day comes.”

Lola straightened only slightly, drawing herself upward.  Even that small movement was enough to lift her nearly weightless-seeming husband off his toes.  “You keep saying ‘we’, as if you want me involved.”

“Well, when I’ve got a friend who’s as strong as a freight train…”

Ned squirmed happily as Lola’s body shook with laughter.  “Alright then.  Expose him to some serious muscle.”  Without realizing it, she lifted Ned higher.  “Show him what big ladies like me can really do.”  Higher.

“Indeed.  We’ll just have to see if he copes.  He is a half foot shorter than when you met him last week.”

“Hmph.  Good thing I know how to be gentle.”  She turned her head down; gyrated her arm a little.  “Don’t I, hon?”

Her husband was a good four inches off the ground now, looking helpless as he swayed.  Helpless, but far from unhappy.  She saw the way his little arms coiled around hers, clutching, as if he wanted -- needed -- more.  She heard the excited timbre of his breaths, as his cheek turned and nuzzled against her bosom.  His pointed toes rubbed against her shins.  Her strength was like a drug to him; he could never seem to get enough of her.

Would Theo respond to her in the same way?  Surely not.  But every man’s reaction to such things was different.  Sometimes you just don’t know until you try.

“…Lola?”

“Hmm?  Oh -- yes, I’ll start on this right away.”  She hummed, flexing her arm even tighter, watching the delight it produced in her squirmy little husband.  “This afternoon.”

“Perfect!  Can’t wait to hear about it.”

A distracted Lola gave some brusque goodbye.  She wasn’t even aware what she said, really.  Her husband was just being so … irresistible.  As soon as she could get off the phone, she hurled it aside -- then pinned her little man against the counter.  In her rush to get his clothes off him, she ended up tearing his shirt down the seam.  Rumbling with mirth, she decided at this point she might as well keep going.  Fabric ripped loudly and strips of cloth rained over counters and floor.  “Not the pants!” Ned laughed -- which of course only prompted her to dispossess him of those too, in much the same way.

“I’ll buy you more,” she husked. “A whole wardrobe of those sexy things.  Those’ll be all you’ll ever wear!”  But as she tossed the last remnants of airy fabric over her shoulder, her mouth broke in a wolfish grin.  “Though, must say: this is still better.”

The now buck-naked Ned propped himself back on the counter, breathless with anticipation, body quivering, prick erect.  …Right there? she mused.  …Against the wall?  … No.  On the floor.

Her husband squealed in glee as she whisked his bare ass off the counter and twirled him under her, between her legs, as she hiked her dress up and knelt on the tile.  “Grab hold, baby.  Lola’s ‘bout to take you for a ride.”

He held on as well as he could, really -- clutching her bra, groping her tits, even trying to wrap his short arms around the wide ridges of her lats and holding onto them like a surfboard.  But of course he never could hang on for long.  If not for her arm cupping his back, her thrusts would’ve likely sent his body flying across the kitchen floor.  A fun prank for another time perhaps; but not when his prick felt this good, sliding in and out.  Not while his pelvis grinded so electrically against her clit.  She supplied all the pressure required, of course -- but that’s how they both liked it.  Oh yes, this arrangement worked very well for both of them.  Very, very, verrry--

Lola moans filled the house, rising even above Ned’s, as the floorboards beneath her shivered.  She came down from her ecstasy slowly; and lowered Ned’s body even slower.  Softly, gently, she set his rump down on the tile, as his hands wearily let go of the neckline of her dress, still reluctant to depart her breasts.  Tenderly her fingers caressed his chin and delicate cheek as the two of them shared glowing smiles.

“Well done, little husband,” Lola hummed.

“Me?”  The man was still catching his breath.  “You did all the work.”

“Mmmhmm… Of course.  But you’re perfect, all the same.”

She rose up on her knees, looming over him, stretching her back, adjusting her dress.  His eyes watched raptly, of course; and even his pecker twitched, already threatening to rise.  A wistful sigh left her lips.  “I could go all day,” she mused.  “Perhaps I ought to stuff you in my briefcase and take you with me to work…”

“Yeah?  Think I’ll fit?”

“Ha!  You’d have to get much, much smaller for that, little hubby.  Hmm… but perhaps a garment bag would work …”

His eyes danced.  Clearly he liked the idea a great deal.  But he bit his lip, realizing, “You won’t actually do that.  You can’t.”

“’Fraid not.  A V.P. needs to maintain a certain code of conduct, even in this day and age.  Ah -- but I have good news.”

“What?”

She stood up, helping naked Ned up in the process.  “I’ll be home early today.  1:30.  Enough time for a quickie, I think, before our friend Theo arrives.”

“Really!  … Hey, are you joining us for our workout??”

“Hmm, something like that.”  She bent over for a kiss.  “Keep it a surprise, eh?”

“You bet!”

After cleaning herself up and rounding up her briefcase, she returned to find Ned still delightfully naked, scratching his head at the tattered fabric strewn about.  “Well, what do I wear now?”

It gave her an idea.  How could it not?  “I think you look good just like that.”  She glanced around.  There weren’t too many windows in the house; and it wasn’t that likely anyone would come by.  “Mmm, yes.  You’ll stay naked.  Until I come back.”

His breath caught.  “R-Really? … Yes, ma’am!”  He brought his hand to his brow -- though, that wasn’t his only body part rising in full salute.  Lola grinned.  What a nice mental image to get her through the day.

* * *

Alice stopped by her apartment for lunch.  “Jen, you hungry?  I picked up some subs!”

The door to the guest bedroom creaked open.  A dispirited Jen shuffled out, looking every bit as disheveled as she had this morning.  Hardly looking at Alice, the girl hardly looked at her as she muttered, “Thanks,” then grabbed one of the sandwiches at random and shuffled back to her room, shutting the door.

Oh boy.  Yes, might be best to give her another day.

* * *

Theo, still in a funk, drove his car down Ned and Lola’s fancy driveway.  “Whoa.”  An enormous luxury SUV was parked by the house.  It made Theo's 4-Runner look like a freakin’ Mini.  Car companies were cranking out larger and larger models nowadays … but would this one even fit on the road??

The giant hood was popped as he walked around it.  Distressingly, his head barely came up to the side view mirror.  This was just … bonkers …

"Well, hello there."

Theo jumped in his skin, at the reverberating sound of a familiar deep voice.  He turned, and there was Lola.

*Gulp*

Out she strolled from the garage wearing a torn-up, grease-stained tank top that looked about four or five sizes too small, and a short, ripped pair of jean shorts.  If her dizzying breasts didn’t rip through the shirt soon, her broad lats surely would.  The fabric under her armpits was already fraying, succumbing to the pressure.  What’s worse, the shirt was rolled up to the undersides of her breasts to reveal her thick, muscle-laden trunk. 

"I know,” she slyly hummed.  “Quite a sight, isn’t it?”

He inhaled.  “What?!”

“My truck, I mean.  Naturally.”

Did she smirk, as her massive frame swept past?  He inched sideways involuntarily as she carried a ratchet and sockets to the open hood of the SUV and got to work.  Christ… he’d seen her up close before, but never wearing so little.  Seeing her not in formal attire was jarring to say the least.

"What, uh ... what's wrong with it?" he asked, redirecting his focus.  As he stepped closer, the freaking engine block was almost up to his shoulders! As meanwhile her shoulders were well higher than his head.

"Engine’s misfiring.  Figured I'd check the vacuum hoses."

"Hmph.  Could be a leak," he agreed. "I'd also check the spark plugs."  Fixing cars: now this was his jam, baby!  Eager to lend an expert hand, he leaned in …

But too far.  As she began ratcheting, her elbow swung out and clocked him in the cheekbone, hard enough to see stars.

"Ooh, careful hon,” she commented offhandedly.  Then, with just one arm, she took him by the shoulder and physically moved him a foot sideways!  “There.  That’s safer.”

He stumbled as she let go, his hand still rubbing his cheek.  A flash of irritation cut through his daze.  "I could help,” he offered, inching warily closer to her thick elbow.  “I--"

"You're sweet, but isn't my hubby waiting for you?"

His cheeks heated.  "Yeah, but …”  He puffed his chest.  “I actually know quite a lot about cars.”

A crooked, downward smile.  “You do, do you?”  A chuckle that sounded almost… condescending??  “That’s nice dear.”  She rubbed some grease off her hands with a towel.  “Why don’t you run along inside; and who knows?  Maybe something’ll come up that requires a more delicate set of hands.”

‘Run along’?... ‘DELICATE’?!?  “Hey, I--“

“If I do, I’ll call you, hon.”  She set the towel down and turned to him fully.  Her rippling chest; her looming stare, utterly impervious to his mounting anger…

“Let’s not leave Ned waiting.”  She shooed him with her hand.  Shooed him!  “Off you go.”

A disgruntled Theo rang the front doorbell.  He kept massaging his cheekbone and looking back.  That woman’s body almost seemed unreal.  … And talking down to him like that?  Him, a highly capable man?!  He would’ve put that woman right in her place, if she weren’t the one paying his bills!

The big wooden door budged a little, then a little more, then finally swung open.  “Whew!” Ned cheered, laughing at his own struggles.

Oh good lord.  Ned's tight blue outfit even rivaled his last, in terms of colorful, borderline effeminate gaudiness.  What a disgrace!

“Come in, buddy!” Ned cheered.  “How’re things?  How’s Jen?”

Jen.  He grimaced.  Not the reminder he needed.  “Well, it’s been better.”

“Oh no!  Want to sit and talk about it?”  Ned waved him in, gestured to the living room.

“What… over tea?” Theo growled.  As fancy as this place was, of course there would be a silver tray with porcelain teacups and teapot just sitting right there on the table.  Of course.  “No.  We’re gonna handle our feelings like real men.”

“Oh?  How?”

“By busting our asses in the gym!” Theo roared.

* * *

Turns out he had plenty of frustration to get out, and then some.  He drove his client hard -- and himself even harder.  *Bam* … treadmill … *KaPow!* … pushups … *KaBlam!*… jumpropes … Back to back to back, no stopping!

“Pick up the pace, man!!” Theo thundered, leading Ned through a brutal set of burpees right into some grueling ‘mountain climbers’.

“Gosh!!” Ned panted. “This is … This is intense!!”

“Damned right it is!”

On to jumping jacks, kickboxing…!  Ned didn’t want to lift weights anymore these days, but no matter -- Theo had learned that you could get one hell of a workout even from straight-up aerobics!  Who knew, right?  And darned if his mood didn’t improve the longer it went.

“Hey -- get that back straight!  Knees bent!!  … More more more!”

* * *

“Wow!!”  Ned collapsed onto the mat, panting, after a nearly nonstop 45-minute onslaught.  Theo at least staggered far enough to fall onto a stool, his head spinning.

“Here,” said Theo, grabbing the two water bottles nearby and hurling one towards Ned.  It landed barely halfway between them with a dull thud.

“So…close…!” Ned teased, between gasps for air.

Theo wheezed a contented laugh.  “’Bout the best I … can manage … right now …”  His arms felt like friggin’ rubber.

“Yours!?  What … about … mine!!”

Across the room, Lola watched with a smile.  She’d slipped in a few minutes ago and was glad she did.  Ned… Mmm.  They’d had another romp in the bedroom little more than an hour ago, and she was already undressing him with her eyes again, eager for another go.  But more imminently: how pleasing it was to see Theo joking and laughing with Ned -- for once, stepping out of his tough-guy shell.  Mmmph.  That boded well, for what she had planned next.

The winded man looked at the clock.  “3:45.  Let’s add in some lower intensity stuff to round out the hour.  Maybe—“

“Pilates??”

Their guest huffed and rolled his eyes -- but almost in a playful way.  “Fiiine, we’ll do your weak-ass pilates again.”  Though, once they got into it, he seemed not to actually mind too much at all.

“Good stuff over there,” he called, from the mat.  “… Hey, don’t slack on those toe taps!  All the way down, bud!”

Lola took a quick video.  She couldn’t resist.  And she sent it along to someone she knew would like to see it.

“mmm... yummy” Alice texted back. “I mean theo not your husband btw ;)”

Lola grinned. “admit it, ned's lookin yummy too”

“… Now leg lifts!  Green stretch bands today!”

“yeah he is.  please tell me getting theo in that outfit is part of your plan!”

Lola's abrupt laugh got their attention.  Welp… the jig was up.  Ned flipped his head around and waved -- but Theo just about had a conniption.  The stretch band smacked him in the face as he flustered and blustered.  “What the…??  How long…?!”

The way Theo’s gaze darted to her, then away, then back again: this was not lost on Lola.  She’d ditched her shirt and was bare now from the waist up except for her white and blue sports bra.  A whole landscape of muscle now presented itself to his eyes; muscles that were previously hidden.

She flashed a grin.  “Pilates, huh?”

“Yeah!” cheered Ned.

“Uh…” Theo amended hastily, going red-faced.  “Hardly.  Just a little at the end.  Mostly, we--“

“Mostly, he kicked my butt again!” Ned cheered, bounding up to his wife.  Theo gritted his teeth.  God, the man looked small.  He rested his hand on her broad hip, unintimidated, and beamed up at her.  “He was like a drill sergeant, Lola!  You shoulda seen it!!”

“Oh, was he?” Lola asked, turning an intrigued eye toward Theo. “How cute.”

Theo’s anger spiked again.  ‘Cute’!?  She was trying to rile him now -- no doubt in his mind. 

“He was great, Lola!!” Ned affirmed.

“Well, that’s wonderful.  I imagine you must be tired now.”

“Kinda!” Ned replied.

But Lola’s eyes were on Theo, not Ned.  More anger boiled within.  “I’m fine,” he declared stiffly.

"Good," Lola declared, beckoning at Theo as she crossed the room.  “I'll have you help me a while longer."

Theo blinked.  “Me?  Why?”

“Relax,” she said.  “It’s something you’re quite experienced with.”

“Oh,” he realized.  “The car?”  He was certainly savvy with repairs.

“Ha.  Not the car. I got that figured out.  Spark plug, like you said.  No, you'll be helping me with your other favorite activity."

"My other...?"

Lola put on some weightlifting gloves and moved to the stack of free weights along the far wall.

"That?”  Theo couldn’t quite manage to keep his tone level.  “Uh...”  His gaze went to her bare arms, then to his.  Yikes.  “I’m, uh, flattered, but--“

“You should be.  A man with muscles?  Hard to find, in this day and age.”

Muscles?  That’s relative.  “I have somewhere to be, actually."

"You're lying,” she said flatly.

The audacity of it!  "What?  No ..."

She beckoned more insistently. "It won't take long.  And I'll pay you double the rate for the extra time.  My normal workout partner at the gym canceled, so I'll just get in some quick reps here while I have a strapping man here to help."

“Strapping??"  He felt prickles of anger again, unsure if she was teasing or not.

She smiled. "Well, I can’t very well ask him to help!  Can you imagine little Ned helping with weights?  No offense, hon."

"None taken!" Ned assured, laughing. Lola chuckled along with him. 

What a weird-ass couple.  "I'm ... not sure I can keep up with you," he admitted reluctantly.

Lola boomed with laughter. "Keep up?!  Oh, hon, I'm only having you spot me, not lift anything yourself!  Just try your best to help out if I get myself in trouble."

“Oh.”  'Try my best'?  Who does she think she is?!  “Umm…”

“You in or out?”

Her arched brow … Double the usual pay … Her nerve-rattling directness; her bulging arms … What was she capable of, anyway?...

“I’m in.”  The words escaped almost before he’d made up his mind.  And before he could take it back.

Ned clapped.  “Nice!!  Hey, honey, can I stay and watch?”

Lola’s gaze lifted past his head.  “Do you have time, dear?”

“Ermm … no, I’d better start on dinner.  Drat!  You’re right.”  He nodded at Theo.  "Have fun, you lucky devil!"  Then he spun around in his tight gray yoga pants and skittered off.

‘Fun’?  His mouth twisted in bemusement, and Lola noticed.

"He enjoys watching me lift," Lola explained smugly. "Says I 'amaze' him.”  She stretched her fingers back and cracked her knuckles.  “Maybe you'll be the same way."

“What?!”  The impossibility of it; the absurdity!!--

“Bench press.”  Her fingers snapped, pointing to a stack of plates.  “Bring over some 45s, would ya?” 

She was nuts, if she thought he’d enjoy--

“Hey, what am I paying you for, hon?”  Whoa… her tone had grown sharper.

He shook his and got going.  “What about those?” He pointed to two plates near her feet.

“Sure, those are a start,” she said, casually lifting both at once and sliding them onto the bar like they were made of aluminum.  Are those full 45s?  “Gonna need more than that.”

He frowned suspiciously then bent down, lifted two at a time as well, and—“Yoouf!”  These were NOT light!!  Two was a definite mistake.  He made the most of it and waddled to the bar, but when the time came to actually lift them up, there was just no way.  He hastily set them down with a *thud*.

The towering woman had a hand on her hip and stared wryly.  “One at a time, don’t you think?”

“I can see that!” Theo snapped – quite a bit harsher than intended.  “Sorry.  I just …”

“You just don’t know your own limitations,” Lola flatly remarked.

Theo gaped up at her.  Such jarring directness… almost taunting him to get angry…

With some effort, he guided the weights onto the bar one at a time.  She brought over two more -- but again they looked like Frisbees in her hands.

“Trick weights,” he muttered.

“Trick weights?”

Crap -- she heard.  He blushed but stuck to his guns.  “You’re pulling my leg.  Those aren’t real 45s.  Those are--Yagh!”

She’d set the two ‘Frisbees’ in his arms!  Oh, they were real, alright.  Ninety pounds of metal threatened to slip out of his hands … but as soon as she lifted them away, they looked like Frisbees again.

A nervous chill ran over him, as she ferried some 10-pound plates next -- silver dollars, he mused -- then a couple five-pounders as well -- potato chips?  They might as well have been.  Jesus … could she really be this strong?

“That’s… that’s 325 pounds,” he huffed.

“335,” she corrected.

His eyes crept wider.  “There’s no way you can lift that.”

She barked a laugh.  “Watch me.”  Her meaty leg swung over the bench as she sat.  “I mean it,” she clarified, pointing behind the bar.  “Watch me.  Keep an eye out … and help, if you can.”

‘If I can’.  Christ!  He took up his position behind her with increasing unease.  The bar before him held forty, even fifty pounds more than he’d ever bench pressed in his prime.  True, her arms were huge, her biceps rippling as she grabbed the bar.  But those were just ‘show muscles’, right?  No way she could actually, truly--

The bar lifted off the rack, moved down in controlled fashion to her broad chest.  Theo held his breath as a guttural sound emitted from the woman.  Lats flared; delts bulged; triceps exploded as the three hundred and thirty five pounds of solid metal lifted into the air, rising as high as his chest!

Theo gasped.  As the bar descended then rose again, he wobbled.  After the third rep, he began to feel dizzy.  On the fourth rep, it took him a moment to realize that the bar was quivering -- Lola was struggling!  Quickly he gripped the bar.  Only… it hardly moved at first.  Like it was stuck in midair.  He frowned and heaved harder, and harder, and finally coaxed it enough toward him that it barely fell into the brackets as the weight crashed down.

“WHEW!!” Lola thundered, rising up in a flash.  Feeling amped, she struck a ‘double biceps’ pose, then a ‘most muscular’ for good measure, then swung her arms around to loosen them back up.  When she glanced behind her, she found Theo with a predictable but eminently satisfying look of shock on his face.

“NOT BAD, HUH??” she bellowed, and thought about heartily slapping him on the back – but realized it’d probably knock the guy out cold.  And she didn’t want that!

There was something wonderful about a man standing speechless before her.  She grabbed a towel and wiped her face, then made up an excuse: “Just realized I forgot my water jug.  Back in a minute.  While I’m gone … let’s have two hundred and ninety-five pounds for some power cleans.  Same bar is fine.  Middle of the floor, please.”

She enjoyed finding him still staring at her after she’d reached the doorway.  He twitched and looked away, trying to downplay his shock.  So amusing.

As the huge woman left the room, Theo questioned all he thought he knew about men, and women, and bodybuilding.  There was a certain swagger with knowing you were at one point stronger than anyone you would ever meet.  Even if that point was in the past, the swagger remained.  But now there was no doubt: she was beyond what he had ever been.  That simple fact shook him to his core.

As if still not fully believing it, his hands slowly wrapped around the bar in front of him and tried to move it as-is.  “UrrghhHH!”  Holy fuck!  It took all his strength just to roll it from one side of the bracket to the other – just two inches!!  He switched to the arduous task of taking each weight off one by one and carrying them to the center of the floor.  A humbling experience indeed: winding him, wearing down his muscles, just by relocating all this weight from point A to point B.

Then, Christ, the behemoth returned.  The doorway was almost not wide enough for her burly arms, and she nearly had to duck through.  Cobbled, textured muscles galore.  Now that he knew they were for real … everything changed.  Where once he saw a big, bloated-armed, pompous woman with an unnecessarily short temper, now he saw grit.  Power.  Someone not to be trifled with, even in jest.

“Goodness,” Lola couldn’t help but tease, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”  She strode toward him, took a hearty swig from her water jug.  “Or some big, scary brute,” she indulged further.

Theo was just … speechless.  Not like him at all.

“Well, you’re almost done,” Lola commented, eyeing the mess of plates littering the floor.  She took another swig.  “Get on with it, would ya?”

No witty comeback, nor flash of anger.  He couldn’t muster it now.  He realized he’d left the empty barbell behind.  He retrieved it, then realized she meant to stand and watch as he returned the weights to the bar.  She could have saved him all this effort by simply moving the loaded bar herself in the first place, all at once.  Instead she stood and watched, taking smug swigs from her water jug.  Enjoying the power trip.  And for some reason, he went along with it.

Then she handed him the jug and drew a line along the floor with her toe.  “No closer than here.”

“Wh…What?”  His voice sounded raspy, now that it was finally being used again.

“It’s what I call the ‘Safety Zone’,” she told him simply.  “When Ned watches, that is.”

Ned.  “I’m not as fragile as him,” he protested warily.

Her broad shoulders shook with laughter.  “I don’t need a spotter on this one, hon.  If I’m in trouble, I just drop it.  The floor can take it.”  She eyed him appraisingly.  “You, however, could not.  Hence, the Safety Zone.”

He started to get mad … until he imagined it from her perspective.  Slightly bigger than Ned he may be, but to her this must seem a minor quibble.  To her, he was small.  And fragile.

“I…I’ll stay here,” he gruffly conceded, stepping behind the imaginary line.  Admittedly, being crushed by a three-hundred pound bar didn’t seem very fun to him, either.

“Yes.”  Tightening her gloves, the powerhouse of a woman studied the bar at her feet, crouched down to it.  Leather groaned against metal as her grip settled.  Then there was nothing he could do but watch, and awe, as one violent, continuous movement brought bar to hips, then *Swoop!* up to shoulders, as her body ducked with grace and impeccable control.

Theo’s hand covered his mouth.  It was a thing of despair, watching Lola work.  Two ninety five had once been attainable for him, but as a single max rep on a good day.  But down the bar went, and up it came again, with barely any delay.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Her chest rose and fell quickly now, and the last rep had made her struggle.  But it hardly made her seem any less invulnerable.  She’s a goddamned dynamo!  Glistening sweat caused already swollen muscles to stand out even more.  As she came toward him, he naturally edged backward – not from fear, per se, just … respect.  Lots of it.

“Overhead press,” she declared, as her shoulder whooshed by.  She had looked right at him – and he just realized his mouth was still hanging open.  She definitely saw.

 “Two hundred,” she declared simply.  He followed her gaze to the weights at his feet, and he understood.  He didn’t like that she wanted him to ferry the weights again … but she was paying him, after all.  And with that supercilious gaze, and that hulking frame … yes, it was very clear which of them was in charge.

*Gulp*  Get a hold of yourself, man!  Well, that was easier said than done.  As he transferred the weights under her watchful eye, he convinced himself that she simply needed the rest.  No, she wasn’t just lording over him for the sake of it.  Surely even her muscles needed a moment to recover, right?

Good lord -- this standing rack was built for giants!  The bar rested clean over his head!  Soon even lifting single 45 pound plates that high set his arms aquiver with fatigue.

Her knuckles cracked sharply behind him as she stretched her arms.  “Stool,” she said crisply.  “In the corner.”

He blinked.  “Y-You want me to--?”

“Yes.  You’ll need it.”

Again, he quickly understood.  No way could he possibly spot for her from the ground.  Embarrassing as it was, a stool was pertinent.  No, necessary.

But even the stool was heavy -- made of solid oak, it seemed.  “You’re … you’re really giving me a workout!” he declared, seeking some much-needed levity.

Her only reaction was to stiffen, standing even straighter.  “Some days, I’m in the mood for jokes.  Not today.”

He knew that tone.  She was ‘in the zone’, focused on the difficult task ahead.  He was often the same way when he lifted.  Well … maybe not so much lately.

"Stay behind the rack no matter what," Lola instructed.  "If it falls, step back."

"I will," he replied.  Her firm tone had a surprising effect on him, even before he stepped onto the stool.  This was no child’s play here.  He did need to be on alert, needed to stay focused on her … as suddenly the muscles of her upper body exploded, and up the bar went.  A lump formed in his throat as those arms worked up and down like pistons, steadfastly going to work on weights that well exceeded the weight of his entire body.

Somewhere around the seventh or eighth rep, her balance started to waver.  His anxiety grew – he could help a little, but if she really fell backwards …

Thankfully it never came to that.  Nine, maybe ten incredible reps, and the bar began searching for the brackets.  Again his attempts to guide it did almost nothing at all.  But in the process, his hand brushed her upper back by accident, along the swell hard flesh of between her shoulder blade and spine.  Very, very hard flesh, having almost more in common with the iron bar than typical soft tissue.

‘Show muscles’.  No, these were anything but.  In fact, he found himself wondering if the rest of her shoulder was that hard too.  Actually, as she ducked from under the bar, he not-so-accidentally reached out and brushed his fingers along the swell of her shoulder at its highest peak…

Gah!!  He lurched back.  What the--!?  Why did I just—“Ack!!”

He was one second from falling off the stool, losing his balance and teetering and—*Whomp!*  A steely hand engulfed his wrist, nearly pulling his arm out of its socket while pulling him toward her.

“You alright there?” her deep voice asked quizzically.  He stood taller than her on the stool, but that didn’t help much.

“Yeah, I … just stepped back too far,” he replied, twitching a little.

“Hpmh.”  She finally released his wrist, but her gaze seemed to sharpen.  Like she was … peering into him.  And through him.  It made him even more uneasy, more overwhelmed.

“Seems you’ve had enough for today,” she concluded, stepping past him.

He teetered as he stepped down from the stool.  “M-Me?  No, I’m fine,” he lied, sounding wan even to him.

“No,” she said firmly.  “That’ll be all for today.”  Her tone ruled out any argument.  “Thank you for coming.”

She was right.  He couldn’t get out of there fast enough.  Only… the way she was propping the door for him, he had to literally walk under her arm to escape.  Her rippling, meaty arm.  At least he didn’t even have to duck.

The cash she slapped into his hand startled him -- both the brusqueness and the amount.  That much, for 75 minutes?

“Bye, now.”

“B-Bye.”

The door swung closed behind him.  He walked a few paces then leaned against the wall, massaging his temples and shaking his head.  Just as he started sorting his thoughts out, though … *Clang! KaClang!*  She was apparently not done with her workout.  And darned if he wasn’t curious to peek back and see how much she was lifting.  Scholarly curiosity, you could call it.  See if her remaining muscle groups were as stupendously strong as the ones he’d seen.  See if--

Cripes!  Ned appeared from around the corner.  “Hey, man!  Have a good time?”

“What?  No, I …!”  He ignored the man in his dainty yellow apron -- didn’t Ned know how effete he looked? -- and with a hasty farewell made his way toward the front door.

* * *

Lola got in a few more good workouts, pausing now and then to strike a pose.  Her husband ate it up, of course, clutching the wall and gazing hungrily, admiringly at her.

Soon she wiped her brow.  “Fetch my phone, will you?”  Ned did so with cheerful haste.  Instead of taking it, she motioned for him to hold it out for her.  “Dial Alice.”

Ned smiled, pleased that she was letting him listen in.  Soon, Alice’s voice came through the speaker.  “Yes?”

“The initial foray is complete,” Lola informed.  “A resounding success.”

Alice laughed.  “What did you do to him?”

“Just a little sneak peek of the gun show.  I get a feeling he’ll be back for more, real soon.”

“You didn’t scare him off?”

“Well, he may have looked like a deer in headlights … but he’ll be back.  I have a hunch.”

Alice hummed.  “So he may be more receptive than we feared.  Tonight could be a good night indeed.”

“Mmhmm.  Have fun with him.”

“Oh, I will.”

Lola’s little husband ended the call then peered up curiously.  “What’s Alice got planned for tonight?”

She flashed a toothy grin.  “Veronica’s.”

Ned’s breath caught.  His eyes sparkled.  “That lucky guy!!  Can we go there again -- please?!”

Lola chuckled and raked her fingers through his hair.  “Sometime soon.  In the meantime, there’s plenty I can do to you right from home, little man.”

“Such as…?” he lilted hopefully.

My oh my.  Twice today, and he already wants another.  “You could warm up the shower for me, for starters.”

Ned inhaled enthusiastically.  “And soap you up?”

Ha!  The man took every excuse he could get to feel up her body.  “Very well.”  As he turned, Lola caught his tight bottom with a hearty slap, producing a delightful yelp from her man as he scurried out of the room.  She did, however, squeeze in a few more reps before she followed him, making sure her body was fully pumped.  Nothing drove him wilder than that.

“Veronica’s Playground,” Theo muttered, reading the sign above the door as he stepped inside.  This was where Alice had chosen for them to meet.  “A new kind of club,” she had said.  “You’ll like it.”  But she’d given frustratingly few details beyond that.

Well, this place was huge; a repurposed warehouse in the old industrial district outside of town.  Easily the largest club he’d ever been to, that’s for sure!  The interior was impressive, even at first glance.  Striking minimalist hues of blue, black, and gray accented the walls and floors which abutted and rose and dropped away in unexpected ways.  Immediately upon leaving the doorway, one steps down into a modern lounge area with rounded tables, curved couches, and a glass-adorned bar against the far wall.  The lounge was sparsely populated at the moment, with a few men and women carrying out private conversations over artistic-looking drinks.

“Holy shit,” he muttered, as one after another of these women caught his eye.  Half the women he saw were practically wearing lingerie!  Either leather or lace; the sorts of things normally worn only in bedrooms!  Racy; revealing; damned sexy.  Even for the women with coats on, or other coverings, Theo saw telltale glimpses of similar attire underneath, waiting to be unleashed.  And it was fascinating, almost mesmerizing really, to see the range of sizes of these various women – from simply statuesque to truly towering; from lithe to curvy; from slim to athletically toned to, in some cases, stacked with muscle.

Funny, how just days ago Theo might have cringed or even shied away from the tallest and burliest among them.  But now, he felt foremost a sense of curiosity.  Fascination, you could almost say.  Feelings he still couldn’t wrap his head around, but which were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

“Damn you, Lola,” he muttered.  That episode earlier sure hadn’t helped!

As for the men, some wore relatively normal attire – button-down shirts, tight pants, that kind of thing.  Not too unlike Theo’s.  But others’ clothes were more unusual: see-through mesh shirts, leather pants, strange leather collars.  It almost looked like--

A short gasp escaped his lips as his gaze lifted higher.  The wall behind the bar rose fifteen feet or so, ending in a railing where those on the upper level could look down over the lounge.  But the woman standing there at the railing … Holy cripes!  She was enormous, spectacularly curvy, with heaving breasts all but pouring out of her corset and powerful legs standing bare beneath black silk panties.  She was standing next to a man who – holy hell – looked tiny by comparison, and wore underwear and some sort of leather collar around his neck, with a metal ring in front.

What??

The woman said something down to the man who nodded in reply, his demeanor seeming so much meeker than hers.  Then the scene turned utterly surreal when the woman lifted her hand, holding a coil of rope with a hook on the end, and … Oh my god … she hooked it to the man’s collar and led him away!

Holy crap!

“Can I help ya?” a sultry voice said, to his immediate left.

He looked sideways.  Hovering right at eye level was a pair of soft, plump breasts in a bright, lacy red bra.  Beyond that, she wore a matching pair of panties and strappy red high heels, and nothing else.

It took an impolitely long time for his gaze to make its way up to the attractive facing smiling down upon him, framed in straight brunette hair swept to one side.

“I-I, um …” he said, feeling frazzled.

“You look lost,” the young woman commented with the same amused smirk.

“No, I just …”  He pointed vaguely toward the railing, from which the couple up there had now vanished.  “I…”

“I see you’re new here.”

“What?  No.”  His cheeks grew warm.  “Erm, maybe.”

She laughed.  “Follow me.”

“Huh?”  He watched the young woman step forward; watched her firm ass cheeks jiggle and sway.  She looked back, and beckoned.

It was unfair, really.  He was here to meet Alice … but one does not simply ignore the attention of a woman of this brunette’s caliber, either.

He caught up to her as she reached the bar.  “One ‘Purple Haze’, if you please,” she told the bartender – a burly blonde dressed in, strangely, the same lingerie as the brunette, but in white.

“Purple haze?” Theo repeated, doubting the drink’s manliness.  “Look, I’m … meeting someone,” he explained up to her.

The brunette laughed again, outright.  “Mmhmm.  I hear that a lot.”

“What?  I am!”

“You sure you’re not just curious?”

“Hey – no!  I hadn’t even heard of this place until … I mean, I still don’t really know what’s going on in here.”

“I’ll give ya a tour,” the brunette informed him.  Her tone was oddly forward and confident for someone half his age.  Neither coy nor demure, as women used to be.  “But first,” she added, as the bartender set the purple drink in front of him, “a little booze’ll help open your mind.”

“Open it to what?” he insisted, peering up at the railing.

The lingerie-clad babe just smiled.  Man … she was a real sight.  “I suppose a sip couldn’t hurt,” he conceded.  Then: “Hmph.  Better than I thought.  But I’m not letting you pay for it.  It’s not right.”

“Ha!”  The young coed shook with laughter.  “You’re cute.  Now drink.”

Again with this bluntness, this casual giving of orders …

He was halfway through a second swig when crisp footsteps came up behind him and a familiar sultry voice purred, “Well, hello there.  You made it.”

Oh damn.  He turned and found his eyes level with another pair of breasts – these ones even larger than the brunette’s, and hovering just a little higher.  He could still make out the curves of her torso and hips through the long overcoat she wore, though it only made him want to know what was lying underneath.  Farther down, though, her legs were covered in fine fishnet stockings, with knee-high strappy boots with extremely high heels.  Easily the highest he’d ever seen Alice wear.

He was already breathing a little harder by the time he met his date’s gaze, well above him.  Her dirty blonde hair shimmered in the striking light of the bar, as her glossy red lips and mascara-darkened eyes smiled down.

“His eyes sure like to roam, don’t they?” said the brunette behind him.

He was scandalized, but Alice chuckled.  “That’s been my experience, yes,” Alice teased, then looked at him squarely.  “Having you been ogling the waitress?”

“Waitress?”  He looked back and … “Oh.”  The lingerie babe was holding a tray of drinks now, from the bar.  The skimpy attire was her work outfit.  Can you imagine?  “I…I thought—“

“You thought she was just a woman buying you a drink, huh?” Alice ribbed.

“Erm… I …”

She laughed.  “Relax, Theo!  I’m not a jealous woman.”  She looked over his head at the brunette.  “Thanks for the freebie.  Myself, I’ll have a Long Island Iced Tea.  And …” she glanced at his purple drink.  “I have a feeling he could use another one of these very soon.”  She slipped a credit card out of her purse and tapped it on the counter.  “We’ll open a tab.”

“Certainly,” said the waitress, with a smile.  “I see he was telling the truth about meeting someone here, after all.”

“Yes, he was,” Alice replied definitively.  Her hand went to his shoulder and she clutched him closer – almost like she was claiming him.  It felt strange … but arresting.  Oh damn, she smelled good.

His instincts seeped through just as the waitress reached for the card.  “I’ll put it on mine,” he offered, from years of practice.

“A man, paying for a woman’s drink?” chided Alice, as if scandalized.  “What kind of place do you think this is?”

“Huh?”  He watched helplessly as his date lifted her card well over his reach and handed it to the waitress, both of them chuckling with amusement.  He seemed in over his head now, in more ways than one.

The waitress walked away, leaving Theo and Alice standing there oh so close together.  Her perfume was strong; magnificently so.  Her fingers now slid across his shoulder and traced along the back of his neck.  Holy hell, it felt good.  “Just do what I tell you,” she hummed.  Something about her tone sent shivers down his spine.  “Come with me.”  She led him -- by the back of the neck! -- where she wanted him to go.

Who does that?  And with other people around?  And more importantly: Why am I just letting this happen?!

“What is this place?” he asked nervously, as her hand guided him along.

“It’s my kind of place,” the jaw-dropping babe replied, escorting him up some stairs.  “The best in town.”

They were in a new area now, to the right of the central lounge and about a half-level higher.  There was a similar space opposite the lounge; and the central wall with the railing formed an escarpment which both of the side areas wrapped around, giving way to a series of terraced floors which eventually reached the upper level.

There were other patrons, in those terraces, engaged in strange activities which he … *shudder* … He wasn’t ready to deal with that now.  He was more concerned with this second room they were in.  It was as if a lounge and some abstract 3D block art had a baby.  The floor was a series of 4-foot-by-4-foot squares, each at a different level.  Patterned cubes of all shapes and sizes jutted out from the flooring, some in isolation, some clustered together.

Where does one sit? he wondered.  Apparently anywhere you want, he realized, seeing another couple perched atop a large cube, feet dangling over the side and the woman’s arm around the man, her lips whispering into his ear.  Farther down, a man stood facing a woman, on a higher ledge than her, to bring their heights almost level.  She, too, had her arms around her man.  It wasn’t all intimate, though; a larger group of two men and four women were talking and laughing in a circle, standing or sitting on several different cubes to give an amusing range of different heights.

OK, height was clearly the point here.  Height was an unavoidable aspect of any social interaction nowadays, and this space was clearly playing on that, by design.  Indeed, it impacted Theo too: as Alice stepped down ahead of him, bringing her shoulders now level with his eyes, he felt taller.  But then he stepped down just as she stepped up, and suddenly he was no taller than her elbows!

And of course that’s where she decided to stop and turn abruptly, smiling with mischievous pleasure from fa-a-ar above.  Dizzying; unsettling; though, admittedly, the view of her sexy hips had never been better, not to mention the fascination of seeing her breasts hovering tantalizingly like forbidden fruits overhead.

Pausing, Alice eyed the short man and cautiously gauged his receptiveness.  Yes, she’d told Lola she’d ‘throw him into the deep end’ tonight and see what happened.  But was this club too much, too fast, for a guy like him who still put on such macho airs?  Though, he apparently weathered Lola’s toying with him this afternoon quite well.  And surely he’d find Alice’s manner of toying with him much more enjoyable.  At least hopefully he’d be willing to give it the ol’ college try.

“Shall we even things out a bit?” she offered, willing to start easy on him.  She nodded toward a nearby cluster of cubes.  He seemed a touch relieved by the offer and anxiously hopped onto one two feet higher than where he’d been.

“Mmm, that’ll do nicely,” purred Alice, tugging his arm and bidding him to turn and face her.

“Whoa,” Theo muttered, despite himself.  His eyes were as high as her forehead now.

“Quite a new perspective, huh?”

He couldn’t help but nod.  “I’ve never looked down at you before.”

“Ha!  No kidding, Theo.  I was taller than you even when we first met.”  She plucked the drink from his hand and set it on the surface beside him.  Then her fingers went to his chest and slid languorously up to his neckline, ostensibly adjusting his collar.  “Though, I must say, seeing you grow smaller since then has been … delicious.”

He blinked, startled, caught off-guard.  He felt her warm breath on his chin and smelled her sweet perfume, so close was she standing.  His heart rate steadily climbed.  “When we first met,” he said awkwardly, “I thought you liked that I was tall for a guy.”

“I did.”  Her tone dropped to a purr.  “Only because it makes it all the more exciting, seeing the tall ones shrink.”

His voice wavered.  “Wh-Why do you like that?  Being taller than me.”

Her smile electrified as she wrapped one hand around his back and let her lips slide across his cheek to his ear.  “Because it puts me in control.”

Goosebumps ran through him.  “In control?”

Before he could unpack the full implications of that, the lingeried waitress stepped toward them and greeted Theo with a smirk.  “Your drinks, and your card,” she announced to Alice.

Alice pulled back and turned.  As she did, she clutched him even tighter, though, pressing her large, squishy breast into his side.  “Thanks, hon,” she replied, her hip now pressing against his leg as her arm encircled his back even more completely.  “Set ‘em down, would ya?”

“Sure thing.”  As she turned to leave, she shot a wink.  “You two have fun.”

“Definitely,” hummed Alice, in a way that sent more shivers down his spine.  He was almost panting now, for christ’s sake.

Abruptly she pulled away, let her hand drag across his chest as she bent for her drink.  A long swig emptied half of it in one go, and she didn’t even wince.  Impressive.  “Control,” she resumed, observing the unsettled look on his face.  She nodded up toward the top of his head.  “Case in point: this is about where you’d be if you’d never shrunk at all.  If a woman with my height – and looks -- approached you back then, what would you have done?”

“Done?”  Looking into her eyes, he didn’t have to think long.  “I’d have hit on you, no question.”

“You’d have been confident, right?”

“Well, yeah, obviously.  Of course.”

“That’s what I thought.  So … go ahead.”

“Huh?”

“Try me.  Let’s see how big, strong Theo would pick up a hot woman like me.”

Suddenly, his vaunted confidence again wavered.  “Uhh…”

“Here – I’ll make it easier.”  The square to her right was at least a half foot lower; she stepped down to it, putting the top of her head just lower than his chin, her eyes no higher than his shoulders.  “This is more like what you’d face, yes?  If not shorter.  Surely you can at least have some confidence now.”

This game was strange, to say the least.  Though, it did make her markedly less intimidating.  A small spark of machismo flickered inside him anew.  His neck welcomed the chance to crane downward again, for a change.  But still, when the moment came to speak … he faltered.  “I would, um …”  Come on, Theo – think! “I…”  His mind pulled forth some of his best go-to lines, dusting them off from the forgotten recesses of his memory.  But the tone of voice, and accompanying posture, seemed so strangely foreign to him now.  Out of place.

“I-I can’t,” he admitted sheepishly, averting his eyes.

“You can’t?”

His cheeks colored.  “It … doesn’t feel right.”

This seemed exactly what she was hoping to hear.  “Yes -- your old size used to make you feel in control.  But it feels different being on the other end, doesn’t it?  It’s hard to even pretend now, when in truth you’re really much…”

She stepped up to her original place, her body rising upward.

“…Much…”

She took a much bigger step, all the way up onto his cube!  Her head and shoulders whooshed upward, past his head, as her breasts once again stared him in the face.

“…MUCH smaller.”  Her pretense of demureness vanished as suddenly her body adopted an aggressive, forward stance, her hand assertively running through his hair and clutching it firmly on the back of his head.  “Tell me: who’s in charge now?  You … or me?”

This was scandalous!  People weren’t supposed to say such things aloud!  Even if, lately, that’s how he often felt…

“Watch your step, little guy.”

Before he even realized he was backpedaling, his foot scraped the edge of the cube then hit nothing but air.  “Yeek!” he yelped, without meaning to.  He stepped forward hastily, grabbing at fabric – and his face plunged right into her bosom.

God, the squishiness of it!  The line of cleavage flashing past his nose … “S-Sorry!” he yelped, jerking back, blushing profusely.  A striking contrast to Alice’s sultry smile, all smoothness as she pressed a finger to his lips, then bent at the knees to pick up their drinks.

“Finish your drink.”  Her voice buzzed with electricity, her eyes flickering with promise.  “Then we’ll move on and really get things started.”

He’d been on a hundred dates before, but none had prepared him for this!  He squirmed, on what little space on the ledge he had available.  “Look, uh, I kind of thought we were just going to a normal club, and—“

“I know you did.”

“And I didn’t really think we would move so fast.“

Alice pursed her lips then spoke down to him candidly.  “If you’re truly uncomfortable, Theo, just say the word and we can leave at any time.  I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do.  But if you’re open to experimenting and seeing where tonight goes … I have a hunch you just might enjoy it.  A lot.”  She stepped down, toward the next room beyond, and proffered her hand.  “So, what will it be?”

Theo saw glimpses of some strange apparatuses up there, on the next terrace.  Smooth wooden benches, tables, other surfaces horizontal and vertical.  Metal hooks and rings studding the walls and ceilings.  The exact purpose of these, he could only guess; but the fact that he was curious, even tempted to know more, showed just how much he’d changed from days past. 

The word ‘yes’ was hovering on his lips even before he saw Alice unfastened the belt of her overcoat.  His eyes widened as one button after another came undone.  And by the time the coat dropped from her shoulders, his mouth was hanging agape.  His date stood before him in a two-piece leather outfit of black and burgundy.  Kinky.  Hot!  God … the way the bra sculpted her bosom; how the rest clung to her waist while leaving her tight panties exposed.  Garters, attached to the fishnet stockings below.  An outfit that would never, ever be worn anywhere in public – except here.

Goosebumps broke out all over his body as he succumbed to a shudder.  A devastating smile grew on her lips and infected him too.  “Holy shit,” he muttered in growing thrill, unable to stop his croaking voice.  “I-I … Yes, I think I’ll stay a while longer …”

A throaty chuckle left her red lips.  “Mmmm… that’s a good boy.”  Her words -- her tone -- had changed.  Edgier; even more oozingly sexual.

‘Good boy’?  He placed his hand in hers and stepped down.  So much more of her was on display now.  So much for his eyes to enjoy.  Scintillating … intoxicating …

“Heading up?”

He hardly heard the waitress’s words behind him.

“Yes, we are,” affirmed Alice, over his head.  “Mind holding my coat?  … Ah, yes, thank you, I’ll take those.”

The lingerie-clad waitress took the coat and replaced it with two pairs of … cuffs … with long, thin ropes in between.  Theo’s anxiety rose as he lifted his gaze to Alice in protest.  “Wh-What are those?  Is that a bondage thing?”

The waitress leaned in, eyes sparkling.  “I envy you SO much,” she told Alice.  “The first time’s always the best.”

“I know -- isn’t it?”

That did nothing to calm Theo’s nerves!  As the brunette left, Alice grasped his hand again and led him across the cubes with long, sexy strides, then up the short staircase.  With each step, he grew more nervous, yet he went along with it anyway.  What was he getting himself into??

Up on this next terrace, there were no elevation changes, no cubes to navigate around.  Just straight walls rising up here and there, some of them supporting low-hanging ceilings over part of the space.  Scattered around the area were those aforementioned wooden benches, upright or horizontal, in all different configurations.  And so many metal rings mounted around them.

“What is this?” he queried.  “Some kind of … adult jungle gym?”

Alice smirked back at him.  “Good name for it.  This place isn’t called an ‘adult playground’ for nothing.”

He looked around warily.  “But how do you use all this stuff?”

She nodded in reply, toward another couple passing by just then.  The man was a touch shorter than Theo; the woman, about Alice’s height but heavier, with meaty hips and plump tits.  She had her arm draped possessively around the man’s narrow shoulders as they ventured up to a wall nearby, with rows of metal rings running up and down.  The man wore a mesh shirt and tight pants which seemed so common around here, while she wore a tight, lacy, light blue bodice which accentuated her well-endowed chest to the max.

He found himself staring, despite Alice’s presence beside him.  This woman was so … abundant.  He ultimately preferred Alice, of course, but he still wouldn’t mind burying his face into that healthy bosom over there, too.

The man seemed very much of like mind.  His stared fixedly, eagerly at the tits in front of him, though his hands remained dutifully down by his sides, palms outward, allowing the woman to attach a cuff to each of his wrists then to her wrists as well.  Now her right was connected to his left, and vice versa, with some ten feet of rope between them.  With practiced familiarity – they’d certainly done this before – the woman slipped each rope into a metal ring on the wall, through slender gaps.

“Resist me,” Theo heard the woman purr, “if you can, love.”  She stood with her back to the wall and faced him.  She stepped forward until the rope came taut, then pulled her arms forward a little more.  Suddenly the tension pulled him toward her.  He flexed what little muscles he had and, with effort, forced his wrists back where they’d been.   The woman smiled and brought her wrists twice as far forward this time, causing him to stumble closer in equal measure.  “Oh, do try to resist,” she teased, as the man fought valiantly to withdraw.  His arms starting to shake from the effort.  The woman observed this with clear enjoyment, and virtually no sign of struggle on her end.

As soon as he accomplished his goal, the woman erased his progress immediately by taking a firm, confident step forward.  The man lurched forward with almost pitiful ease.  He tried to pull harder, but Theo saw the woman’s arms flex this time, and now even the man’s strongest attempts had only a minimal, temporary effect.  “Are you trying, love?” the woman queried, with an electric smile.

“Yes!” the man assured her, amidst his struggles.

Another step from her brought the two lovers just inches apart.  “You poor little man!” the big woman teased.  “I guess there’s no point in fighting it, is there?”

And to Theo’s fascination, the woman stepped farther and extended her arms – and the man’s face all but disappeared into her large, soft breasts, as his body slammed firmly into hers.  Things quickly turned hot and heavy, bodies grinding and hands groping.  Enough to make even Theo breath hard.  Such a peculiar dynamic; exotically exciting …

“So,” Alice interrupted, draping a rope and cuff over his shoulder to dangle in front of him.  “Thoughts?”

She already knew his thoughts, clearly.  His wide-mouthed fascination had given it away.  Hell… why fight it.  “That,” he agreed, nodding his head almost giddily toward the couple.  “Let’s do that.  Exactly that.”  It seemed so goddamned hot!

“You like that, do you?” Alice hummed pleasurably.

What could he do but nod at her, with anxious eyes?  And stare mesmerized at her exquisite hips, her squishy breasts…

*Snap!*Snap!*  Before he knew what was happening, two metal cuffs were secured tight around his wrists.  With practiced efficiency, Alice cuffed her own wrists as well.  Gathering the two lengths of rope connecting them, she quietly walked him forward.  Guided him toward a long, narrow bench jutting from a wall.  Pivoted him around.  Each of these constructions, conveyed not with words but with a simple, judicious tug on the rope.  A strange new form of communication; oddly primal, exciting …

Deftly she hooked each rope through a series of rings: one just to the left of the bench, another above it high on the wall, and a third along the ceiling overhead.  Standing with his back to the wall, alongside the bench, his eyes drank in the sight of Alice jutting her hips and posing sexily for his viewing pleasure just a few feet away.  “See anything you like?” her silken voice lilted.

“Hell yes,” he admitted throatily.

Her eyes flickered amusedly toward the other couple nearby.  “Shall we see if you can resist me?  Hmm?”  Her hips undulated oh so well.  “I’m not so sure you can.  I think you’re dying to put your hands… here.”  Her fingers slid along her thigh, tracing the contour of her shapely hip.  Then continued along her leather bodice and reached the tight band of her bra; played across the generous swell of one cup then the other.  “Or here, perhaps?”  She tugged down along the center, exposing even more mouthwatering cleavage.  “What if you put your hands right … here …”

Holy mother of--!!  He was panting now, outrageously aroused.  “Th…This is a first date!” he exhaled in disbelief.

The sultry blonde licked her lips.  “Fuck those conventions.  Why resist what we both want so much?”

Resist?  Why should he, after all?  Only an idiot would refuse now!  With panting breath and feverish strides, he closed the distance between them and lifted his hands …

*Twang!*  The rope went taut, stymying his hands barely a foot away from her supple chest!

“Awww,” she cooed, as he grunted and tried again.  The pull of the ropes lifted her wrists pliantly upward, toward the hooks on the ceiling -- but she stepped back, just before he could reach!

“Hey!”

“So close, that time,” she hummed down at him in a playful pout.  “Try again?”

Fury rose within him.  “That’s … But … This isn’t the game I signed up for!”

“Awww, did I mislead you?  You poor thing.”

Dammit, her tits were so close!  Gathering his strength, he planted his feet and lunged -- but, mere inches away from first contact, her arms shot downward, surprisingly well-defined biceps rising in her arms … and his wrists were yanked backward!

His expression floundered; her smile widened.  “Does my strength surprise you?”  Her head cocked to one side, watching his reaction with growing fascination.  “It does, doesn’t it?”

“I… I …”

At the barest tug from him, she lowered her arms further to her sides.  There was nothing he could do but stumble backward, overmatched.  Regaining his footing, he drove toward her again -- but her wrists moved just a few inches before she stopped him cold … then pulled him right back where he started.

She’d always looked athletic, but … damn!  She must be half again as strong as him.  Or twice as.  With Lola, you expected it.  With Alice, on the other hand …  “But …” he bumbled.  “But you’re so…”

“Beautiful?  And strong?”  Her green eyes sparkled.  “What a combination, hmm?”

She took quick, sudden strides toward him, her body taut, her arms firm.  The pull on the rope was like a swordfish on the line; a marlin.  And he, flatfooted, didn’t stand a chance.  Backwards he stumbled, back and back, tripping onto the bench.  His butt landed with a solid *Thud!* -- then, as Alice gritted her teeth and flexed and heaved forward, he slid all three feet backward until *Wham!* his spine hit the wooden backrest.

He pushed the floor with his feet and hastily sat up straighter, breathing raggedly at the curvy blonde now leaning forward, knee propped on the bench in front of him between his opened thighs.

“Oh shit!” he gasped, his head spinning, his mouth agape under her dominant grin.

“‘Oh shit,’ indeed.”  She chuckled.  “I hope you weren’t planning on going anywhere, anytime soon.”  Her arm muscles expanded just a little more; sharpened; and despite his best efforts, her arms advanced toward him and his dropped toward the wall.  The extra rope allowed her to lean even closer, sliding her knee to within just a foot of his pulsating crotch.  Thank god she hadn’t noticed that yet!  But she did seem to notice his nearly hyperventilating state.

“Relaaax, Theo,” she hummed gently.  “I know I’m a lot to take in.  Just breathe.”

Being so easily overpowered and incapacitated by a woman: why was that turning him on so damned much?!  It helped when she eased up on the ropes a bit, allowing him to relax and take stock of the situation.  And give a little shudder as his eyes again raked down her smoldering bod.

“Had enough now?”  Her question seemed honest.  “We can go, if you li--“

“No!”  Oh god, the word just blurted out of him.  As Alice drew back in pleased surprise, he blushed.  “I-I mean, I … suppose we could go a little longer.”  He tried not to sound too eager.

“Well, well.”  Alice’s eyes smoldered delightedly.  “Sounds like someone’s enjoying himself.  I wonder: do you like being controlled?”  Her arms thrust toward him, forcing his wrists back tight against the rings.  Her body repositioned itself, her knee sliding even closer to his crotch, her bosom now swaying and undulating right before his eyes.  “Or are you simply enjoying the view?”

His breaths grew ragged again as his wide eyes drank in the sight.  “Th-The view!” he rattled hoarsely.

“Ohhh, you like that, do you?  Well, we don’t have to just look, you know.”  Her left hand pressed on his shin.  “We can also touch.”

He broke into goosebumps as her fingers traveled up and down.  Now her right hand joined in, the sensations on his shins sending wave after wave of pleasure upwards, past his thighs, sending his hardened cock into nonstop convulsions.

“Well, look at that…”  Oh god -- she was looking right at it, with hungry eyes!  “Maybe I should put my hands there.”

“Gah!” he yelped, as her fingers raked past his knees!  “This is a first date!” he reminded, like a fool!

Her hands withdrew.  “Is this too fast for you?” she asked, her sexy figure now looming over him with hands on her hips and an amused grin.  “Shall we take things slower?”

“No.”  God no.  “I just … didn’t expect … We haven’t even kissed!”

“Oh, I’ll amend that soon.  Don’t worry.  But first…?”

She was nuts!  And, you know what?  He loved it.  “Go ahead,” he conceded, with a needful stare.

She crouched partway.  “Touch it?”

He nodded breathlessly.

Her hands extended toward his crotch.  “Play with it?”

“Yes!” he begged hoarsely, dropping his hands to his sides, watching her fingers inch closer and closer and--

*Clang!*  His cuffs hit the rings beneath him.  The ropes were pulled tight -- with her fingers just a few inches away from his throbbing cock!

“Aww!”  Alice laughed.  “They really measured this out well, didn’t they?”

Theo groaned.  “You… You planned that!”

“Me?”  She placed a scandalized hand to her round chest.  “I would never!”

He proceeded to buck his hips, but her right hand stayed just out of reach.  He tried to slide along the bench -- but now her left hand planted itself on his knee and shoved him back where he was!

He groaned even louder.  “You just love toying with me, don’t you!”

“Oh yes I do,” his date quipped, running her hands along his legs again, stoking his fires.  Each time it became too much for him, he tried thrusting his groin toward her waiting hand.  And each time, she pulled away just out of reach.  Again, and again …

He couldn’t take it!  With a flustered growl, he summoned all his strength and this time heaved his arms forward with everything he had.  Catching her off-guard, he managed to lift his hands past his waist while thrusting her wrists upward!  He even managed to cop a feel of her sexy leg and ran his fingers up her hip, brushing against her tight red panties ever so briefly -- before her palms came down on his shoulders with a vengeance and slammed him and his wrists back against the wall.

“Naughty boy!”  Her breath was like fire, washing over him.  “Behave yourself!”  The words sent tingles down his spine.  “Feisty, though.  I like that.”  She had just enough slack to scrape her fingernails dangerously up and down his chest.  “Awww, don’t tell me this is too much for you…”

“No,” he grunted proudly -- though the closeness of her body, the intoxicating scent, was driving him wild!  A little more struggling and squirming, some more helpless ogling, and he began to change his tune.  “OK, it’s … it’s too much!!”

“Mmmmm … is it?”

His limbs were shaking at this point, from the useless effort of getting closer to her.  “Yes!” he rattled feverishly.

The sultry blonde bit her lip.  “So is this too much?”  She slid her chest forward, bending, advancing -- and suddenly her warm, squishy, leather-clad breasts were in his face!  Close enough to nuzzle with his nose -- and she let him!  Now close enough to rub his cheeks all across her soft swells, pressing and burrowing and soon kissing her chesty magnificence with wilder and wilder abandon.

All too soon, her glorious breasts withdrew!  He looked up in dismay, expecting yet more teasing and torment, more than he could bear … but something stupendous happened instead: she crouched down still further, and drove her lips into his.

Passionately she kissed him.  Aggressively.  Possessively.  Surprise and confusion took him, then an unthinkable surge of endorphins.  He kissed back, trying his best to match her fervor -- but she retained the upper hand.  Her lips initiated the contact every time; her tongue probed into his, ever more boldly and strongly with time.  Somewhere along the way, somehow, her wrists had broken free and now her hands joined in the exploration, raking up and down his torso wherever they pleased.  The slackened rope granted his hands free movement as well -- and take advantage of it he did.  Christ, her body felt more sublime than he had imagined!  Firm in some places; soft in others.  Strong; and supple.  Every inch of her, better than the last!  He couldn’t say how long it lasted; totally absorbed, totally engrossed …

*Wham!*  Those supple arms suddenly surged with power and slammed his chest against the backrest, sending him reeling.  In a flurry, her deft fingers unhooked the rope from the bottom rings.  Leather-wrapped torso and gartered legs rose swiftly in front of his vision; long arms reaching behind, toward the ropes hanging behind her with the opened cuffs dangling beneath.  Taking a firm two-handed grip and twisting toward him, she savagely heaved -- and his arms shot straight over his head, toward the rings still anchoring the rope up above.  Gathering and coiling the rope to her, Alice’s athletic frame braced then heaved again -- and now his butt left the bench!  Her teeth gritted; her muscles tightening all over her arms and chest and shoulders and everywhere … and then his feet left the ground for good, his body now hanging off the wall, strung up like a kite!

As if this weren’t already a breathtaking enough display of her power, the foxy woman locked her devastating gaze on him, set her jaw, then braced her muscle-streaked legs and set them firmly in motion.  As she closed the short distance between them, so too did she ratchet him higher and higher along the wall, up to her eye level and beyond.  A stunned breath escaped his lungs each time the rope inched higher.  Beauty, and strength.  It devastated his mind.

Straining but maintaining her grip, holding his entire body weight in her hands without slipping even an inch, she bored her gaze up into his.  “Who’s in control now?” she hissed.

There could be no doubt anymore.  He was at her whim; she’d bettered him so thoroughly and so well.  “You are,” he admitted through wavering, panting breath.

Her grip released -- but she caught him before he fell.  Pinned him hard against the wall, pressed her whole body to his, then overpowered him with a kiss that made the last one seem tame.  At the same time she worked her hips, grinding them into him, creating a purposeful friction against his crotch which only grew in intensity, wracking him with pleasure …

His loins burned; his lust surged!  “Alice!” he rasped into her ear.

She got the hint and withdrew.  As gravity took hold, he plummeted to the ground.  If she was surprised, or embarrassed, that he’d almost blown his load, she didn’t show it in the least.  In fact, she showed no hint of hesitation as she pried the cuffs off his wrists with a loud *Clang! Clang!* and took his hand, leading him down the steps, across the cubes, down more steps … She moved like a woman on a mission, so quickly that he had to jog every other step just to keep up.  “Settle my tab?” she told the bartender brusquely, completing the transaction without loosening her grip on his hand.  He found himself mesmerized, clutching her waist, then her garter, his earlier inhibitions now thoroughly ignored …

And then they were off, pushing through the front doors and stepping into the cool evening air.  Moving hurriedly, she led him around the side of the building.  Did she park this way?  But, passing the last parking spots, she searched briefly then stepped around another corner, and he followed and—

She was on him: taking him by the shoulders, thrusting him against the nearest wall, and descending her lips upon his.

“Wh… What are we d—Eeesh!!”

Buttons went flying as she savagely tore his shirt open at the front, then her hands briskly, fervently explored his chest and pressed him harder, as her dizzying kisses resumed.  And within seconds, her hands dropped to his belt….

“Alice!!” he yelped.

“I know what I want,” she said huskily, “and I’m not waiting.”

“But…But here!?”  Not at his house, or--

“Yes, here.”  Right here, in public.  Something he’d never, ever done before.  But damned if it didn’t add to the thrill.

Off came his belt; then down to the ground went his pants.  Such swiftness in her arms.  Such power.  He—“Uunnnghh,” he groaned, as her hand suddenly reached into his boxes and gripped his manhood; squeezing it; owning it.  Holy HELL, she doesn’t mess ar—“Ooohhh.”  Her fingers were as skilled as her tongue, pulsing and rubbing in all the right spots, at just the right speed.  Her fingers tickled his balls just before her palm slid up his shaft and rubbed across his tip. 

She put her free hand to good use, tugging down on her panties to reveal a neatly trimmed bush, which she then guided toward his throbbing erection and…

“Mmhmmhmm…”  She gave a throaty chuckle as her pussy hovered nearly a foot straight above his cock, far out of range.  She crouched; he even went up on his toes to help.  He flushed with embarrassment when this was still not enough.

“Y-Your heels,” he rasped.  “If you take them off--“

“No.” Her hands flew to his armpits and his body lurched off the ground.  She heaved high enough that his cock connected with the warm, wet softness of her outer lips.  A quick readjustment and another upward thrust from her arms sent his manhood sliding straight inside of her.

She slammed him against the concrete wall, kissed him deeply, and began to work her hips up and down.  He grabbed his arms around her back and did his best to contribute; but with his legs hanging free, maneuvering anything was hard.  But she made up for it herself, and then some: cupping his buttocks, squeezing him, gyrating her hips, bucking up and down. 

“Holy… FUUUCK,” he groaned, his heart rate soaring.  “This is … f-fantastic.  I …”

“You like that?” she hissed.  She thrust him upward, and he groaned.  “Huh, little man??”

Somehow, that insult only turned him on more.  So strange, that was.  So, so—

“Oh god,” he wheezed, feeling so unlike himself.  He was near the brink again, already…

“I-I’m … I’m getting close!” he wheezed in alarm.

“I know you are,” she hissed -- and started grinding even faster!

“Gahhh!!  Alice!”

“What -- you thought you could withstand me?” Tighter she squeezed.  “I’m too much for you to handle, little man.”  Tighter … faster … “Say it.”

“Uunngghh...”

“Say it!!”

Her next thrusts hurled him past the point of control.  The words flew out of him: “You’re … You’re too much for me!” he blurted in full honesty.  A hum of pleasure suffused her body and vibrated through him.  Her pace increased -- she was getting off on this too! 

“Say it again!”

“Y-You’re too … too…!!”

He felt the tide of orgasm surging forward, the same time as hers.  There was no stopping now, for either of them.  He climaxed inside of her just as her own body shuddered and bucked.  Their moans would have caught the ear of anyone who passed nearby, though no one did.

She let him down and slumped forward, resting her breasts into his face.  His legs felt weak; wobbly.  His hands pawed at her leather-clad torso idly as he breathed in air between her breasts in a deep sigh.

“That was …” he murmured breathlessly up at her, as she leaned back.  “Wow.”

“You said it, champ,” the tall blonde replied, with a sexy wink.  Her hand pressed his chest lightly for a moment then slid away, as she rearranged her panties and straightened her brassiere.  Brushing the hair out of her eyes, she watched with pleasure as Theo hastily put his pants back on, feeling self-conscious again.

“I … can’t believe you came too,” he confessed, feeling oddly bashful.  “Already.”

Alice hummed.  “The power trip gets me off -- as much as it does for you, it seems.”  She slid her heavy-lidded gaze in his direction -- but looked quizzical upon seeing his frown.  “What, Theo?  Clearly I wasn’t the only one enjoying it.”

Theo’s cheeks grew hot despite the cool breeze around them.  He shrugged silently.  Alice looked like he’d let her down somehow, as she put her coat on and walked beside him through the parking lot.  By the time they reached her car, though, he’d found the words.  “Look, I’ve always been an Alpha, and clearly that’s never going to change.  But, hey, that doesn’t mean I can’t mix things up a bit, now and then!  I had a hell of a time tonight, trying something new.”  He’d meant to stop there, but her heart-stopping gaze prompted a little more.  “Look, I always figured the more I … shrink … the less attractive I’d be to women.  I still can’t believe that … that you actually like me this way.  It’s confusing.  And amazing.  And … and really damned exciting.”  He bit his lip anxiously.  “So even if all that stuff might not be my cup of tea so much, the way you do it is still … spectacular.”

After a pause, Alice’s lips blossomed into a grin and she bent at the waist to approach his level.  “That’s better,” she purred, cupping her hand beneath his chin and planting one last lingering kiss on his receptive lips.

“Can I see you again?” he was the one to ask, bating his breath, trying not to sound too eager.  “I mean, why wait …”

“Mmmm.  I fully agree.  Sadly, I’m out of town tomorrow night.  Back Wednesday.  So you’ll just have to keep it in your pants until then.”

Daaamn.  She left him with a sexy grin and a longing touch on his cheek.  Plenty for him to think about, for the next unbearable 48 hours until their flame rekindled.

Alice watched Lola slather jam over yet another slice of toast, taking a break from her pile of eggs and bacon.  The woman must be single-handedly keeping this diner in business.

“Come on … no more details?” the barrel-chested woman asked.

“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

Lola covered her mouth in a snort.  “Since when were you a ‘lady’?”

Alice rolled her eyes but smiled.  “All I’ll say is, he enjoyed the experience very much.  Trust me.”  She sighed.  “Although … he does still insist on seeing himself as an Alpha.  After everything I did to him last night, he still can’t see himself any other way.”

“Maybe he always will,” Lola mumbled through a forkful of eggs.  “I’ve seen it happen.  Some men are just stuck in that mental rut forever, it seems.”  She chewed thoughtfully.  “Think he’s ready enough for Saturday yet?”

“Oh gosh no.  He and I have much more … ‘business’… to conduct before then.”

“Ha!  I’ll bet you do.  In the meantime, now that you’ve got him in a good mood: I wonder if I could borrow him for another workout?”

“Hmm?  Oh.”  Alice’s eyes rounded humorously.  “Yes, please do.”

“Good.”  Lola cracked her knuckles.  “I say it’s time to turn up the heat.”

* * *

Jen was just rolling out of bed when Alice stopped back at the apartment.  The redhead trudged to the kitchen, still wearing the same Dorito-stained shirt and sweatpants as yesterday.  The only difference was that today her hair was even more disheveled.  The girl had been wallowing in self-pity since she’d arrived, broken up only by the occasional bouts of angry frustration.

But Alice addressed her with a smile.  “Good news: I’ve made arrangements.  You’ll be staying with someone else the next couple days.  I’m taking you to meet her this afternoon.”

Jen looked at her, shell-shocked.  “I don’t want to meet someone else!”

“You’ll want to meet her.  Trust me.”

The girl’s dimpled cheeks turned down in a frown.  “I doubt it.”

“Aren’t you going to ask who it is?”

She defiantly, even petulantly crossed her arms under her budding chest.  “No,” she huffed.

Alice sighed.  “Well, I’ll be back at 3.  Be ready.”  Halfway across the room, she remembered: “I know you left your Apo-Amplifier doses back home, but for today’s dose I’ve put a spare for you on the bathroom counter.”

“Really?”  At least the teenager’s excitement perked up a bit at that, if only momentarily.  “I mean … whatever.”

Well, this afternoon’s visit ought to snap the girl out of her funk.  Or Alice hoped it would, at least.

* * *

Amazing what one evening could do to cheer Theo up.  “Daaaaamn,” he was still muttering with a wistful smile, shuffling downstairs for his morning workout.  The things Alice had done to him -- and his willingness to go along with them -- still bewildered and embarrassed him to no end.  But every time he felt abashed about it, it wasn’t long before he was caught up in pleasant shudders and whimsical grins.  Maybe he could get used to that kind of play.  Who knows?

Oh.  His eyes settled on the box of vials.  He was scheduled to take one today; and for once, he didn’t simply look upon this moment with dread.  Perhaps there could be some benefits too.  Perhaps the height difference had made things spicier last night with Alice.  Perhaps a little more wouldn’t hurt.  With only a brief hesitant shrug, he gulped the syrupy liquid down.

Fascinating -- he felt the full tingling sensation instantly today.  And just a few reps into his first workout, the shrinking began.  “Damn.”  So much for finishing this set.  Today’s shrinking seemed less severe; but still, the bar got heavy, real fast.

After struggling through it, he looked to the chalkboard with chagrin.  Jen would be taking a dose today, too -- Alice had texted him so, this morning.  He shuddered, imagining competing against Jen now.  No amount of trickery would eke out a win for him now.  Not like Sunday. 

Maybe he shouldn’t have taken today’s dose, after all.  Oh hell … there’d be another dose on Thursday, too.  Alice’s text had also mentioned Jen spending a couple days at a cabin out of town.  He was glad he’d given the OK.  Geez … he’d be fine with her spending the whole week there.  Part of him was almost dreading their next encounter…

*BaDoop!*  Another text -- not from Alice, but from Ned.  >

Today?  >

>

This seemed a bit … odd.  >

>

Wait.  >

>

Theo sat up.  A lump formed in his throat.  A day apart from that woman was not nearly long enough!  > he lied.

His phone rang with an incoming call.  Slightly miffed, he answered, “Yeah?  What’s the--“

“Theo.”

He jerked back from the phone.  “Lola?”

“I didn’t take you for a coward.”

A what?!  “Look, sorry, but—“

“You’re just going to run from your problems, is that it!?”

“I—“

“Rather than face them head-on?!”

Yikes!  “Lola … I don’t know what you’re talking about.  Regardless, I’m not obligated to come.”

“Obligated?  Of course not.  But you’ve got the opportunity of a lifetime on Saturday, and you ought to be doing every last possible thing you can to prepare.”

“Hey, I know the stakes here.”

“Do you?  ‘Cuz it sounds like you’d rather sit at home than step even a little outside your comfort zone.  Despicable.”

“What!?”  He double-taked.  “H…How dare you!”

“You face a new challenge, Theo.  One that doesn’t require brawn or machismo, but something else entirely.  If you’re brave and curious enough to face it head-on, you’ll be at my door by 10:30, sharp.  But if you’re too afraid, then our business is done.  And you can content yourself with showing up twice a week for Ned.”  Her voice turned to scorn.  “For pilates.”

Theo stared in disbelief as the line hung up.  Meanwhile, at the other end, Ned blinked up at his wife.  “Geez … I think you scared him off!”

Lola cracked a wry smile.  “How do you make a proud man do what you want?  Turn it into a challenge.”  She mussed Ned’s hair.  “It’s not rocket science, hon.”

“Dang,” her husband muttered admiringly, all the same.  Hah… he really was easy to please.

* * *

“Hey man!” greeted Ned, in a clingy lime green tank top and matching shorts..  “Come on back!”

I’m no coward.  Theo had convinced himself of that enough on the way here … but it seemed to bear repeating, as he followed Ned through the kitchen and down the hall.  Afraid?  Pfft!  His body tensed.  Curious, maybe.  That word had rung surprisingly true.  Perhaps he was a bit curious what exactly Lola had …

*Whoomp*

… in …

*Whoomp*

… store.

*Whoomp*

What was that sound??  He followed Ned cautiously through the open door and stepped into the gym.

*WHOOMP …. WHOOMP… WHOOMP … KaTHOONK!*  The giant weight hit the mat with a resounding *KaTHOONK!*, as Lola straightened up.  He swore he could see her arms pulsating from here, their size swelling and receding with the flow of blood through her veins.   Something he hadn’t noticed before.

“Come in!” her voice boomed, with such loud suddenness that Theo jumped in his shoes.  He tore his eyes from her vein-crossed pecs in time to see her gaze flit to the clock over the doorway.  She gave a crisp nod.  “Good.”

‘On time’, is what she meant.  10:29.  What would she have said if he’d been late?

“Take ten minutes to stretch,” she told him, direct and simple as could be, as she bent and gripped the kettlebell once more.

“Uhh…”

“With Ned,” she clarified, fixing her gaze.  “Now, please.”

His mouth parted slightly.  What?  “We normally take five.”

*WHOOMP!*  The kettlebell cut like a massive pendulum through the air.  “Ten!”  *WHOOMP!*

He looked to Ned, who unhelpfully shrugged.  Theo wasn’t so easy though.  “As the only qualified trainer here, I think I’ll be the one to—“

Theo realized the noise had stopped.  He looked up in time to see Lola gliding next to him, an air of clear displeasure on her face.  *Thud*  Her hand fell onto his shoulder like a sack of grain.  “Today will operate differently.  For now, make the most of the remaining … nine and a half minutes, to get completely warm and loose.”

“Lo—“

“Will that be a problem?”

This was scandalous and completely unacceptable!  He almost called off the whole thing, right there.  … So why the hell didn’t he??  “No,” he muttered, his shoulders feeling rather heavy as he shuffled off and started stretching with Ned.  Maybe just because it was easier than confronting her.

* WHOOMP! * WHOOMP! *

The spot where he stood happened to be in a straight line from the swinging kettlebell.  One slip of her grip could send a multi-hundred-pound metallic ball of death hurtling right at him.  Probably plaster him to the wall like a scene out of Looney Toons.  *Pow!* *Skreeek…* as he slid to the floor.

Yeesh.  It was far-fetched, but … “L-Let’s slide down a little.”  He shifted a few feet left.

Not that it mattered.  Minutes later, Lola began orbiting the kettlebell around her head, setting off an endless cascade of firing biceps and triceps and delts which, despite his efforts to the contrary, kept drawing his eye.

*KaTHOONK!*  Precisely as the minute hand struck 40, the kettlebell hit the floor.  Stretching her fingers, she approached and spoke with a strident air of command.  “There are four days left before Saturday.  Theo: we need you to be ready in time.  Ned: a strict regimen would do you good, too.  So I’ll be keeping a close eye from now on to ensure maximum progress.”  She seemed to catch Theo’s impulsive squirm of distress.  “Yes, Theo?”

“I think … I think we were making good progress already,” he asserted.  Why was speaking up to her so hard?  He turned to his compatriot for support.  “Right, Ned?  We already have a good thing going?”

Ned only shrugged and turned back to Lola.  Sellout!

“If that’s the case, then excellent,” Lola opined.  “I’d still like to watch.”

God damn it.  “Uhh…”

“Don’t worry – I’ll spend most of my time lifting.”

That’s not any better!!!

“Just keeping an eye on your progress, here and there.”

What the hell, woman!  “Can I talk to you?” Theo muttered through clenched teeth, gesturing Lola aside.

“What you can say to me, you can say to Ned.”

Grrrr.  “Please?!”

Lola rolled her eyes and followed Theo across the room.  He waved her down, and regretted it.  Lola hunched her back, and her knees, bringing her closer.  It felt like a grown-up crouching down to listen to a child, with even a light smirk on her lips to boot…

He told her softly, gruffly, “You brought me in because of my skills, my experience, my …”  He grunted.  “How’s Ned supposed to respect me as personal trainer, if you’re ‘overseeing’ everything?!”

Lola snorted.  “Don’t worry about Ned.  He’s a follower, Theo.  The question is: can you learn to be, too?”  She leaned in.  “Or is that not what you came here today to find out?”

Oomp.  That struck an unexpected chord.  Is that why he came?  Surely he’d known things would run differently today, with her around.  Yet he’d come anyway.

She stood tall.  “Now,” she announced to both of them, as if it were settled, “Treat this just like a normal workout – but put your very best foot forward.  The harder you work, the more likely it is that I’ll throw in something special at the end.”

“Ooh!  Like what?!” squeaked Ned.

“You’ll see,” replied Lola cryptically.  “But you’ll very much enjoy it.”  Her eyes turned down toward Theo.  “Both of you.”

A shudder jolted through him.  What could it possibly--?!  … No.  Don’t ask.  He’d hate to let her see he was curious.

“C’mon!!  What’s up first?!” Ned asked Theo, literally jumping with excitement.

Ugh.  “Jumping jacks, into lunges.”

* * *

Theo doubled over, totally gassed.  Those burpees were brutal!

“Wha…What next?!” Ned wheezed, at his side.

What?!  “H… How are you not dead already??”  Normally, Theo was the fitter of the two of them, by a fair margin!  And yet Ned was the first to stand up straight.

“Keep pushing, man!” he told Theo, glancing again toward Lola and gasping for air.  “We gotta!”

What, the ‘power of love’?  How could his wife’s mere presence motivate him so?  He--

*CLANK!* Weights slammed onto a rack.  “How many?” Lola called -- as she’d done for each of their exercises so far.

“Thirty, I think!” Ned managed.  “In … two minutes!  Right, Theo?”

Theo confirmed with a breathless nod.

“Continuous, or with a break in the middle?” queried Lola.

“Break in the middle,” reported Ned.   “Thirty seconds?”

Theo nodded again.  Why does she care?!

“Twenty minutes to go, boys…”

Reminding them, or scolding?  Ugh!  “Kickboxing!” he gruffed, without further delay.  He’d show that judgmental broad what he could do -- without her help!

But a loud grunt drew his attention.  His eyes almost popped out when he saw Lola doing leg extensions.  The amount of weights sliding up and down in the machine … the way her quads exploded each time!!  Compared to that, his and Ned’s kickboxing -- just punching and kicking the air -- was starting to feel pretty damned silly.

… Crap!  She caught him staring.  “Keep up the pace over there!”  But it was hard to avoid it, with all this distraction.

* * *

Agony!  Theo’s mind and body roiled.  He dropped to his knees and was about to fall flat.

“Five minutes left!  End strong, boys!”

He braced.  C’mon … can’t let her down …

Wait, what?  ‘Gotta stick it to her’ -- that’s what he meant!  That’s why he rose to his feet, fighting through it yet again.  Not because he wanted to make her proud!

“Treadmill,” he wheezed, stumbling to the handrails and lifting one foot then the other.  “Five minutes.  End strong.”

Wait – those were her words.  He’d repeated them without thinking.  Bah!  “Pick it up … pick it up!”  Both men ramped up the speed on their respective treadmills, to a brisk and unrelenting jog.

* * *

A minute ten left.  Why oh why did he set it to a jog??  Sixty seconds … Fifty … I can’t go on!  I--

“Gah!”  Lola appeared beside him, filling the space between the two treadmills.  He stumbled.  Good thing there were handrails.

“Almost … done … honey!!” Ned somehow forced a smile -- more than Theo could have mustered.

“Mmph.”  It’s like she knew.  Like she sensed that he -- Theo -- needed the most coaxing.  “Keep going,” she breathed, turning right toward him.

Thirty …

“You can do it, Theo.”

She’s being encouraging!?!  Her!!?

Twenty …

* Pew Pew Pew Pew * His feet pummeled the moving tread, each step harder than the last, but …

“You can do it.”

 I can do it …

Ten …

“Push it, Theo!”

Push it! … I can do it! … Push it!!

 Zero!!!

His legs buckled; his free hand waved at the Stop button and missed.  Thank god Lola was there to hit it for him.  Also there to catch him before he fell.  There to walk him to a chair and sit him down.

When he eventually lifted his head from his lap, Ned was sprawled atop his own chair alongside, equally tired but smiling.  One tree-trunk-like leg swept past him then another.  “Well done,” said the towering female, reserving a sincere nod for each of them.  “Both of you – much better than expected.”

He must have been loopy now -- the praise almost brought him a smile.

“The rest of this will be fun.”  She dropped a water bottle in each of their laps.  “You’ve earned it.”

His mind was too muddled to object.  At first he didn’t think much past the cool water he was chugging; but then … What is this?  Lola was lifting weights again, and the chairs were facing her. 

“Is this the … reward?” Theo whispered to Ned, who grinned cheerily.

“Best part of my day, man!  Isn’t she amazing?”

“But…”  God, the amount of weight she was curling.  The swell of those biceps!!  “Um…”

“Rrragh!” growled Lola.  “RrrrAAGHH!”

Ned leaned forward, his eyes alight.  “Ten,” he whispered, pumping his fist as his wife gritted and groaned.  “Come on! … Eleven … Twelve!”  He clapped, weary or not.  “Wooo!  Woohoo!!”

*CLANG!*  “Thanks, babe.”

Those arms were swollen.  Don’t stare … Don’t stare …

“What next?” she asked, pushing her hair back.  “Any requests?”  Her eyes fell on Theo, too, to his bewilderment.

“Lunges!” exclaimed Ned.  “Or one-armed pushups!!  Or … gosh, there’s too many to pick!!”

She gave a deep, throaty chuckle and dropped straight to the floor, catching her fall with both hands and immediately firing off a dozen textbook pushups.  So many muscle groups working together in seamless tandem to lift the remarkable incredible weight of her body in metronomic rhythm … and that was just the warmup.

Without skipping a beat, her torso swiveled to face them, her near arm propping onto her hip as her other arm continued the pushups alone.  At the same pace.  But now with a cheesy grin … and a yawn.

Ned clapped in delight.  She’s showing off, Theo realized, his jaw threatening to drop open as she hopped from one hand to the other and gave them a view from the other side.  He didn’t know back muscles could move like that, as her arm pumped and pumped.  Finally, she went two-handed again, thrust hard, and clapped them together in midair.  Landed for another pushup, did it again, then hopped to her feet.

“She can do more pushups!” Ned chimed proudly.  “Show ‘im!”

“Aww, but I’d hate to ruin the big show!” Lola quipped, livening up.

“Oooh!”  At mere mention, Ned hopped back against the seat and rubbed his hands.

“Another show?” huffed Theo.

“What, didn’t you find that little exhibition entertaining?”

“No!  I …!”

Lola smiled at him until his voice trailed off.  She seemed to enjoy his blushing.  Then things got weird.  She strode to a cabinet along the far wall and returned … with a cape and a top hat.  Planting her feet in front of them, she gave a dramatic sweep of her cape and spread her arms wide.  “Are you ready, ladies and gentlemen!?”

Ned gasped in excitement, bouncing on his seat.

Theo furrowed his brow.  “What the hell is hap—“

“Come one, come all!!”  Her voice immediately drowned out his.  “Gather ‘round, to see feats you’ve never dreamed of!  Sights that will amaze!!  Here is she whom you’ve come to see: …”

“THE GREAT LOLA!!!” Ned belted out.

Theo felt like he’d just entered a loony bin.  “Nope!” he said, cutting the air with his hands.  “I’m out.”

“It’s just a character she does!” Ned murmured, nudging his elbow.

“What, a magician?” he snorted.

“A magician – YES!” Lola bellowed.  “A Defier of Physics!  A Doer of the Impossible!  A Worker of Miracles!”

“Umm… yeah…”

“Stay, dude!” Ned coaxed.  “It’s fun!”

Theo shook his head.  “This is too weird.  Thanks for having me.”  He rose.  “I’ll just be g—“

“HE-MAN!” Lola boomed.

He jumped in his skin.  Bloody hell…

“Yes, you there, in the audience!  Stand up! … Good!”

He frowned.  “Very funny.”

“THANK YOU!  And what a strong lad you are!  The strongest man in the room, I’ll wager!  Folks, look around; do you see any man stronger?”

“I don’t, Lola the Great!” Ned cheered.

“No-o-ope.”  Theo shook his head.  “Not doin’ this.”  He turned to leave.

“Now, what kind of He-Man is this!?” chided Lola.  “Who would turn down a chance to impress The Great Lola herself??”

“I don’t care about impressing you.”  He started to walk.

“The Great Lola wishes to know how much you can lift, He-Man!” she declared, undeterred.  “She’s yet to have the pleasure.  Perhaps she will be impressed; who knows??”

His gait slowed.  I don’t care, he repeated to himself.

“Perhaps even these ten-pound dumbbells are too much for you!”

He stiffened.  “Those are NOT too much.”  She was twirling a ten-pound dumbbell in each hands like one might twirl a pencil.  Surprisingly, her goading was working.  “Gimme the damned dumbbells,” he hissed.

Ned clapped his hands.  Lola beamed.  “So what will it be, He-Man?”  Her hand swept over the dumbbell rack with a flourish.  “Twenty pounders?  Thirty?”

“What’s the exercise?”

“Overhead press!”

“Single rep, or …?”

“One mighty heave is what we need!”

“Single rep,” he translated dourly.  “Give me the thirties.”  He blinked.  “Wait, those are--!”

Two 40-pound dumbbells fell into his hands.  “Oof!”  The weights dropped to his waist amidst his curses.  “Hey!  Why did y--?“

“Can you lift these, He-Man?”

He brought them partway up … but who was he kidding?  “I can’t!” he fumed, giving up.

“No?”

“No!”

“Mmhmm.  For my first trick, ladies and gentlemen …”  Her arms extended from the cape and fell on his shoulders.  “The Great Lola believes in you, He-Man!  The Great Lola believes you can.”

“But I--“

“Believe!”  The fervor in her eyes, the intensity, not to mention how damned close she was standing … it struck him dumb as her fingers pulsed into his flesh.  “Focus your strength!  Refuse to give up!”

Theo blinked.  He was the expert motivator here -- it was his job, as trainer!  Normally, if someone tried to motivate him, he’d laugh in their face.  Except, this time… it was working.  Somehow, some way, this giant woman’s fervor was actually getting to him.

“Yes,” she coaxed, as he tightened his grip.  Stepping back, she pumped her fist.  “Rise up!  I know you can.”

She believed it so fervently, that he started to believe it too.  He hoisted the weights to his chest, then his shoulders.

“SEIZE the moment, He-Man!”

Damned if his arms didn’t feel just a little more capable now.  I can, he mused, his grip steadying.

“SEIZE it now!”

His sudden heave brought the weights halfway up … Now two-thirds … “Argghh!”  His strength flagged …

 “NO PAIN!” bellowed Lola.  “NO PAIN!!”

“Rrrahhhh!!”  With renewed effort, he heaved again -- and fully extended the weights above his head!

“Ha-HA!” the chesty woman exulted, pumping her fists.  As his arms wobbled, she fluidly reached over him, and instantly the crushing weight of the dumbbells became light as a feather.  His overtaxed arms dropped to his sides, finally free.

“My first feat, ladies and gentlemen!”  The top-hatted woman stepped aside and gestured, weights and all.  “The impossible, made possible by yours truly!”

“Bravo, Great Lola!” cheered Ned.  “Bravo!”

“Hey!” protested Theo.  “I could have lifted it by myself.”

“Oh?”  She stepped closer … MUCH closer.  All he could see now were breasts, and muscles… “ ‘I can’t’, is what you said, He-Man.  Did you not?”

He gulped.  Well… he did.  And he might have been right, too.

She swept backward.  “Regardless, He-Man, you’ve impressed me!”  Why did he blush at that?  “As a reward, you get to be my first volunteer for the NEXT trick!”

“I… Wait!--Oomph!”  A 40-pound barbell dropped into his unsuspecting hands.

"I require one more volunteer!"  She waved the other dumbbell about, scanning the empty room.

"Me, The Great Lola!" pleaded Ned.  “Pick me!  Me!!”

"Ah -- there, in the front row!  What a delicious morsel of a man you are!”  She leaned in with lascivious eyes and told her husband, “For my next trick, perhaps I shall make your clothes disappear…”

Ned inhaled in excitement and Theo coughed in alarm.  “Umm, what?”

“Ha!  Perhaps you’re right, He-Man.  That will wait until after the show.”  She flashed a wink at Ned who smilingly batted his eyes.  Looking back at Theo, she smirked.  “Your cheeks match the living room curtains, He-Man!”  The curtains, weren’t they a dark burgundy red?  Oh hell.  But every time he looked at her now, he couldn’t get the image out of his head.  She was already wearing so little …

“Can your dainty arms handle this?” the woman hummed, holding the 40-pound weight out to Ned.

“Umm… I’ll try!”  He took it with considerable strain, shifting it about, finding that propping it against his waist helped.  Theo blushed again -- he’d already done the same...

“Now, my assistants…”  Assistants??  “… if there's one thing you should never ask a man, it's...?"

"His age?" guessed Ned, straining.  “Oh, his weight!”

"Precisely!  Always a delicate question indeed … but I must ask my assistants: what do you weigh?”

“One twelve!" Ned eked out, really hunching over the barbell now.

“Mmm, so nice and slim.”

There were those eyes again.  Those--Yeesh.  Theo tried to distract himself from it.

“And, my other assistant…?”

Theo grunted.  The barbell was getting heavy.  "Who are you calling--?!"  Ugh. "One forty one.”

“Stocky, indeed!  Perhaps I should pull out a weight loss trick as well!”  That’s rich, coming from her… “But for now … my assistants may set those down.”

‘May’?  He glared.  But he was listing to one side now, shoulders hunched, arms burning.  It was a relief to set the heavy iron at his feet.

"Take your places, Assistants!"  She pointed to either side of her.

There?  Why there?  He approached far more timidly than Ned, fidgeting beside her burly bicep…

"You’ve seen the strongest man in the room lift a staggering eighty pounds!” she announced to an imaginary audience.  “But tell me, Handsome Assistant…”  She turned to Ned.  “Can the Great Lola lift more?”

“Oh yes she can!”

Her hard gaze swept to Theo.  “How much more?” she demanded.

Theo blinked.  “Uhh…”

“Guess!”

His eyes flitted to that arm again.  “I’d rather not--“

“What’s one forty one plus one twelve, Assistant?”

“Huh?  That’s--“  His breath caught when he caught the implication.

“Hahaha!”  Lola laughed arrogantly.  “Yes – you lifted eighty pounds of metal, but The Great Lola will lift two hundred and fifty three pounds of MAN!”

“What!?”

“AWESOME!!” Ned cheered.

Theo was speechless.  He started turning to the door – but a huge, rough hand clamped around his arm and held him in place!

“Hey!!” Theo protested sharply, yanking and prying with all he had. 

“Oh, it’s a little late to un-volunteer, He-Man…”

“I never ‘volunteered’!  I—“

She gave his arm a hard, abrupt shake.  “Stop this foolishness.”  Her voice, like her fingers, had turned to steel.  She stared down at him like a schoolteacher quelling a student.  And, by god… it worked.

“I must demand that my Assistants behave!” she grated curtly.  ‘Behave’ -- that’s the second time in two days a woman had used that word on him.  But with Lola, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what would happen if he didn’t.  In fact, he was quite certain to the contrary…

So when her hard fingers withdrew, he didn’t even try to leave.  It seemed better to just see this through.  Surely it wouldn’t be that bad, and … well …

Lola gave a ‘Hmph’ of satisfaction and widened her stance.  Turned her palm upward and held it out.  “Assistants!” she decreed, facing ahead and closing her eyes.

It was clear what she meant him to do.  But was he really going to do it??  He looked forebodingly at her legs, flexing and undulating even as he watched. Jesus, her calves were big.  Her quads.  Much closer to his eyes, her enormous hand made his seem so very small.  Yet he reluctantly wrapped both his hands around her palm nonetheless.  Past her broad bosom, he saw Ned doing the same.

The woman hummed, like a huge diesel engine coming online, readying for the boggling task ahead.  “Hold tight,” she gruffed, but didn’t deign to look at her ‘assistants’ anymore, treating them like what they were at this point: glorified handweights!

Her knees bent; her arms flexed.  Deltoids and biceps swelled in front of his increasingly nervous eyes.  As she crouched, her hand rose, hovering level with her clenched, stony jaw.  His hands were now above his head, the flesh of her palm tough and solid as leather as he anxiously kept his grip tight.  He became absorbed in the rhythm of her breathing, listening to her steady inhales and exhales as her face gathered ever more focus and determination.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” she graveled, her steely gaze still fixed ahead, “prepare to be amazed.”

The veins in her neck bulged; her entire body tensed; her grip tightened.  He could feel the quiver of power in her arms -- right before it unleashed.  Mighty legs straightened, and his arms shot upward.  A sudden jolt, and his feet left the ground.  He yelped in disbelief and gripped as hard as he could as his body continued to surge upward, a foot off the ground, now more!!

“Holy SHIT!!!” he blurted, peering past her massive triceps to her face hovering near level with his.  Ned’s, too, hovered beyond.  But Lola’s face: it hardened and sneered with unbelievable grit as she held the impossible pose for three, four, five seconds.  Her mighty arms began to shake, sending ripples through his dangling body, causing his legs to sway …

“FUCK!!” Theo blurted further.  Ned laughed with glee, but Theo was outwardly awed.  “Holy--!!”

His last exclamation was punctuated by another yelp, as the huge arms fell and his feet hit the ground.  He stumbled backward, gained his balance, shook his head … and stared. 

Whoa…

Now just the mere sight of her evoked a whole new awareness; a feeling of imminence toward her strength – no longer an abstract thing to be viewed and observed from a distance, but something to be experienced directly.  Physically.  In its purest form.

He well recognized the look playing out on Lola’s face: satisfaction, from achieving a lofty, hard-fought goal.  How strange it was to be on the other end of it -- merely an accessory to this woman’s accomplishments.  Nothing more.

“Your little outbursts have pleased the Great Lola,” her baritone voice rumbled, jarring him.

He positively squirmed.  “O…Outbursts?”  I guess I was pretty vocal…

“It’s made your appreciation quite clear.”

He sucked in air.  “What??  That’s not--!”  Appreciation wasn’t the right word … was it?

Her broad chest rose and fell with a contented sigh. "The Great Lola will take a rest."  Her voice turned more familiar as she went to a chair and sat down, leaning back heavily. "Assistants, keep me company."

Theo hesitated but followed Ned’s lead, even though this felt … strange.

"Pull up a chair."

As Ned sat to Lola’s right, facing her, Theo did likewise on her left.  Even stranger now.  Something about her closed eyes, her serene pose, the controlled rise and fall of her chest with each steady breath.  Like some lumbering beast taking her repose; doing nothing, but somehow still commanding every attention and drawing every eye.

It was her arm in particular that drew him most.  That single arm, strong enough to lift his entire bodyweight.  The several layers of textured muscle pulsating, seeming so alive.  It was Ned who murmured aloud, though, seeming about to burst with anticipation as his eyes fixated on her opposite arm -- perhaps not all too dissimilarly from Theo...

Though Lola’s eyes were closed, Ned’s mumurations must have tipped her off.  "Go ahead," she encouraged, with a low rumbling chuckle.

And Ned's hand went to his wife's biceps.

What the--??

"You may, too," added Lola.  It took Theo a second to realize she was looking at him.

Theo coughed violently.  "I-I... excuse me?!"

Lola’s gaze didn’t waver.  “There’s no harm in being curious.”

“Curious?  A-About what??”  He feigned ignorance, but … her words may have struck a chord.  As she closed her eyes and serenely turned forward, he found his gaze sliding right back to where it had been.  He’d already touched her shoulder yesterday, hadn’t he?  Perhaps a brief touch to her bicep wouldn’t be amiss, just to confirm if this too was as hard as it looked…

“Help yourself, little one,” she hummed, mouth quirking into a smile.  Gah!  Was she talking to Ned, or to him?!  He had no idea, but … but it really couldn’t hurt.  No one else would know...

Lola suppressed a pleasurable sigh.  Her husband never failed in his diligence, did he.  Always keen, always eager to give her body parts the admiration they deserved.  His efforts very much had the feel of foreplay at this point, his soft hands sliding and kneading and--Oh my, his mouth was even working its way down her tricep now with kisses...

But she forced this to the side of her mind now, with effort, as the first light touch on her left arm tingled her senses.  Good.  She wasn’t surprised Theo had taken her up on her offer, but she hadn’t been certain.  Buried beneath all that ego, you never could quite be sure what a man’s thoughts truly were.  Or whether he’ll even act on them in the first place.  This was certainly a promising continuation from yesterday, and--

Innnnteresting.  After pulling back, the man’s fingers returned, pressing a little firmer this time.  And even inching up her arm.  A smirk formed on her lips.  Well, well…

Feeling mischievous, Lola shifted in her seat as if to get comfortable.  Made sure to give her arms a good flex, in the process.  Ned burbled in bliss; but Theo … she could hear his sharp inhale as his touch withdrew like a skittish mouse.  And then … wait for it ….. Mmmmmhmm.  Sure enough, his touch returned -- as a series of prods this time: three up the swell of her bicep, then four more traveling back toward her tri’s.  Timid still, but each one growing ever so slightly bolder.

My, she was learning much about Theo today.  She opened her mouth, with half a mind to encourage him further … but no, that might overwhelm.  Men like this -- even the unexpectedly receptive ones -- could only handle so much at once.  And meanwhile, Ned’s talented hands were still stoking her desire …

“The Great Lola is rested now,” she hummed, rising to her feet.  “That will do for today.”  To her enjoyment, she caught the look in Theo’s eyes -- the confusion, the growing realization of what he’d just done.  His cheeks became an ever deeper shade of red, his fidgeting increasing while his hands couldn’t decide where to put themselves.  Yes… once you had a hint of a man’s thoughts, the rest became quite easy to read, didn’t it?

He opened his mouth, working his way towards saying something -- perhaps excusing his behavior with some silly pretense -- but another look at Ned put much more urgent needs to her mind.  She had not forgotten his worshipful, scintillating touch…  “Off you go," she brusqued, preempting Theo with a wave of her hand.

Ned -- beautiful Ned -- came up to her.  Greedily she wrapped her arm around him, feeling his meek body melt against her side.  Her hand clutched tighter, gathering his shirt.

“What, just like that?” she hardly heard their guest ask, as he hovered nearby.  “So I’ll…?”

“Yes.  Goodbye.”  Her other hand clutched Ned’s jaw, then stroked his cheek.

“But, what--“

Lola turned her head sharply, affixing a purposely fiery gaze on their lingering guest.  She didn’t care that Ned’s face was against her bosom now, his cheek nuzzled to her breast, his hands already starting to explore her arms again as he wistfully sighed.

The dense-headed Theo finally realized what was happening and took a hint!  With a short grunt of alarm, he mumbled some hasty farewell and double-timed it out of there.  He looked back briefly from the doorway, though he pretended not to.  Finally the man vanished, leaving Lola free to follow her desires.

“Amazing,” she heard Ned murmur, his eyes heavy-lidded, his fingers in full exploration mode, oblivious to anything else.

“Does The Great Lola impress you, little Assistant?” she hummed, feeling him nuzzle her tighter.

“Yes, she does!  Oh wow, yes!!”

“Now shall I make your clothes disappear?”

Ned’s head bobbled in excitement … but Lola tossed her cape off instead.  “Mine first,” she decided, peeling off her bra.

Theo found himself lingering in the hall again.  Why don’t I just leave!?  His heart still beat at an elevated pace, his head swimming with confusion.  He--

He heard noises.  The damned itch of curiosity convinced him to turn back and poke his head in …

“Yeesh!!”  He ducked his head back to safety, shuddering.  Lola was facing the wall, her bra having vanished entirely.  Magician indeed.  And he would have wondered where Ned was, except for the small hands gripping her back, and -- God, Ned’s face must be right at her chest level.  What could he be doing there, unseen, with those bare, heaving breasts?  Theo could only imagine.

Lola thrusted her arms and Ned shot upward, his feet now dangling.  The man yelped in surprise, and Theo just about swooned.  He turned and took off at a run, lest he see any more of this flummoxing scene unfold.  You know, he wasn’t much bigger than Ned now, himself, and--

Gah!  Don’t even think about that, man!  Theo put it out of his mind … or, at least, he tried.

OK, Jen was definitely not over her sourness yet, but she had to admit that today in Alice’s apartment had been pretty damned fun.  Her dose of Apo-Amplifier this morning had grown her nearly as much as on Sunday, and now she really couldn’t recognize the red-headed hottie staring back at her in the mirror.  Holy crud -- was this really her??

The best part was, Alice had anticipated her needing clothes, and had given her free reign to try on any of Alice’s old outfits in the guest bedroom closet.  Alice may have outgrown them, but a surprising number of them fit Jen stupendously.  Alice’s taste in fashion was equally stupendous.  Every outfit Jen tried on seemed to highlight a different, exciting part of her body: her longer-than-ever legs, her newly widened hips, her increasingly filled-out butt, and especially -- god -- her rapidly-growing tits!  Not nearly as big as Alice’s yet; but they’d grown over half a cup size, just today!

These bouncy handfuls filled out Alice’s old B-cup bras, and then some.  Even a few of her C-cups almost fit!  For the better part of an hour, she marveled at how differently the bras could feel: some of the bras wrapped her squishy boobs in a bear hug, tightly enough to do jumping jacks in, while others clung more delicately, leaving her tits freer to jiggle around, quivering like firm jello with every step.  And that she had cleavage now … Daaaaamn!

Just after noon now, she paused in the mirror.  This particular outfit was definitely her favorite.  The tight crop top and miniskirt, a bit of makeup and perfume … she looked killer.  Alice arrived at 3 PM, right on time, and Jen did the final zipper of her high heeled booties and came out, remembering to don a tight frown again.  She was not done sulking, after all.

Whoa -- Alice normally seemed so tall.  But with Jen in high heels, and Alice in flats, Jen was actually an inch or two taller.  Kinda freaky, almost.

The blonde woman’s lips tightened in a bemused frown, though, as she scanned Jen.  “What?” Jen challenged.  “You said I could wear anything in your closet.”

“Yes, and this outfit suits you marvelously.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“I said you should wear something comfy and outdoorsy.”

Jen looked down.  “This is comfy.”  Though, not the most outdoorsy…

“Wouldn’t you rather--“

“No!”  Screw it.  “I’m sick of grownups telling me what to wear.  I’m not changing.”  She’d packed other clothes in her duffel bag, anyway.

Alice started to say something but reconsidered.  “Well… so be it.  If you’re ready, let’s go.”

* * *

Jen’s annoyance turned into perplexity, as suburbs gave way to farms, then open fields, then forest.  “What gives?” she finally muttered, after miles and miles of nothing but trees.  “There’s no one out here.”

“There is someone.”

Jen squirmed in her seat irritably.  “OK, who?”

“Oh, so you’re ready to hear it now?”

“Ugh … Yes, just tell me!”

The woman evaded the question with mirth.  “We’re here.”  The car stopped at an unassuming dirt road off to the side, with a metal gate and a red 'No Trespassing' sign. Alice got out, unlocked the gate, and waved for Jen to follow on foot.

Jen couldn’t take two steps without feeling … silly.  Her outfit would’ve slayed on the streets of downtown; but it felt sharply out of place here in the deep wilderness, with nothing but trees and squirrels, and the points of her heels sinking into the soft dirt.

“Cabin's that way," Alice said, pointing across a short bridge over a winding creek.  "But she wants you to go meet her first.  Follow this creek and you'll find her."

"Follow the--?”  Jen frowned cautiously, eyeing the rocky, root-ridden landscape which followed the stream into the distance.  “How far?”

Alice shrugged.  "It's a big property and I doubt she's anywhere close to the road. Could be a ways."

"I'm just supposed to...?”

"Yes.  She can be a bit eccentric about some things.  Don't worry -- she'll be there. She sticks to her word."

Jen felt a little panic as she looked down at her own outfit, and her heels.  “I… errr…”

Alice nodded knowingly at Jen’s duffel bag.  “Good thing you brought a change of clothes, huh?”

Jen’s cheeks colored again.  Alice had told her to bring outdoorsy outfits.  The t-shirt and shorts she’d packed would fare better … but she needed them for tomorrow.  And she was too stubborn to change, anyway.  “Could I…?”  She pointed at Alice’s ballet flats -- they’d go much better with what she had on.

“Oh, sure.”

They fit pretty well, and provided a little padding at least.  “They’re fine,” Jen muttered glumly, turning her gaze to the forest and winding stream.

“Good luck,” said Alice, turning back toward the car.

Jen’s face scrunched.  “Wait!  Just tell me who I’m meeting!”

Alice’s smile was striking.  “Let’s call her a … business connection of mine.”  The brief sound of tires on gravel gave way to the engine revving and taking off down the paved road.  Soon, all Jen could hear was the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of birds.

She looked around.  Nothing but trees and rocks in all directions, as far as the eye could see.  A terrifying sense of isolation began to take hold.  There might be no one near her for miles and miles!  Well, there was one person, at least – if Jen could even find her!  She checked her phone’s signal.  Zero bars.  She was really in the middle of it now.

Ten minutes of walking along the creek, and still no sign of anyone.  She began to jog, dodging tree limbs and roots and jutting rocks all around.  Her boobs were becoming a distraction, bouncy as they were.  She should’ve chosen one of those supportive sports bras, not this lacy little number!  Her tight skirt pinched her legs with every stride.  Hiking it up helped a little.  Every now and then she stepped on a rock, causing a twinge of pain through the thin shoes.  She loved running but she’d made it a struggle for herself.  Jen, you fool!

She went another few strides then gasped.  For Alice, a ‘business connection’ might be someone on the show.  Someone backstage.  Or even … a real-life Mighty and Mouse contestant.

Yeeeeep!  Her heart fluttered.  Five episodes had aired already.  Ten teams; ten female contestants.  Each amazing and unique in their own way.  All of them powerful; strong; brave.  Far more amazing than Jen could ever hope to be.   And to think she might actually meet one of these living legends … in person…!! 

She trundled forward with wavering breath.  From fan clubs, google searches, social media stalking … Jen knew an embarrassing amount about each past contestant.  Maggie Yuen??  No -- she wasn’t this outdoorsy.  Joanne Keats?   Ellie Maulk?  Or--

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as, over the next ridge, Jen glimpsed a head of hair.  Sun-bleached, dirty blonde.  A broadly muscled back came into view.  Strong, contoured arms.  Jen’s vision swirled.  Surely this must be an apparition!  But when she reopened her eyes, the unmistakable figure remained.  “Bridgette Lindstrom,” uttered Jen in the barest whisper, leaning on a tree for support, her heart pounding.

Known on the show as The Valkyrie, Bridgette Lindstrom was Jen’s favorite Mighty by far.  The most badass person Jen had ever heard of.  Born in the harsh northern reaches of Sweden, her parents died when she was 16.  She fended for herself almost singlehandedly for two years before moving to America.  Won all sorts of medals in the Marine Corps; retired and moved on to Ironman triathlons, where she never finished below the top 5.  Climbed three of the most dangerous mountains in the world.

And that was before she got big…

Jen crept forward as quietly as she could, forcing her teeth to stop chattering.  Most rounds of Mighty and Mouse had been close -- but not theirs.  She and her brother had dominated from the outset, but once The Valkyrie had gotten a few doses of Mighty Potion in her, she’d become an unbelievable, unstoppable force!

And she was right there.  Just thirty feet away, sitting cross-legged in rugged shorts and a rolled-up tank top, not moving a muscle.  Jen peered out from behind a tree trunk; like a frightened girl who’d stumbled across some mystical goddess of the forest, too afraid to step closer.  Of course it would be Bridgette Lindstrom -- Jen should have guessed!  The woman was renowned for going completely off the grid, disappearing for weeks at a time into whatever wilderness she pleased -- even, as it turned out, this tame forest an hour from Mighty and Mouse headquarters...

“Come forward,” her deep, sonorous voice intoned.

Jen’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, as the blonde head of hair turned slightly to one side.  “Or hide like a coward,” the voice challenged, dripping with disdain.

Jen was aghast.  She nearly turned tail and ran.  Was it bravery, or more cowardice, that pulled her forward instead?

The woman didn’t move, as Jen came up behind.  Still meditating; breathing slow, steady breaths.  Communing with nature, or god knows what.  Jen looked around nervously, fidgeting …

Finally Bridgette’s body went into motion.  Muscles undulated and shifted as her torso left the ground and rose.

And rose.

And rose.

“H---Holy--!!” Jen wheezed aloud, craning her neck upwards.  “Wowww.”

Six foot eight, Jen knew, from the show.  That didn’t make it any less shocking in person.  Jen’s recent gains seemed paltry now, when this walking goddess still stood nearly a foot taller!  The tallest woman she’d seen in her life!  And ripped, too.  Muscular.  Not an ounce of fat anywhere to be seen.  So, so big.

"You?” the woman’s strong voice queried, in her distinct Swedish accent.  “The contestant?”  She scanned Jen’s attire with clear distaste.

Jen’s teeth chattered as she jerked her head in a nod.  Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.  She felt wholly unprepared; inferior.

The hulking blonde wrinkled her nose.  “Ridiculous,” she scoffed, turning away.

Huh?  “Wh-What’s ridiculous?” she stammered, forcing herself to focus.  The woman’s shoulder blades were as high as Jen’s chin.  Christ, she’s HUGE.

“I deal with women,” Bridgette declared, over her shoulder.  “Not little girls.”

Jen recoiled in surprise.  “E-Excuse me?!”

Bridgette didn’t reply as she picked up a flask of water, and a bunch of wild roots – potatoes, carrots, and others Jen didn’t recognize.  And two dead rabbits, tied to a string.  Whoa.

“I’m not a little girl!” Jen defended.

Bridgette kept going about her business, without reply.

Jen stepped forward, heart racing.  Everyone always doubted her: Dad; her classmates; now even her idol, Bridgette!  “What makes you say that!?” she demanded, wavering between frustrated and hurt.  “You just met me!”

Bridgette took another look at her and scoffed, as if receiving all the confirmation she needed.  “Leave,” she replied snidely.  “This is not a place for you.”

“But—“

“Go home, city girl.”  She rose to her full height again, and Jen reflexively leaned backward, tensing.  The woman moved as fluid and graceful as a predator, stalking away.

Something snapped in Jen.  “No!” she yelped, chasing after the Mighty in panicked desperation.  “You agreed to have me here!  Give me a chance!”  Someone had to!

“Agreed to meet you,” the blonde woman rebutted, not turning her head.  “I did not say how long.”

Jen started to despair.  “But that’s not fair!”

Bridgette scowled.  “Whiny girl.  As Alice said.”

“She said that??”

“I inferred.”

This couldn’t be happening!  Something told Jen that if she didn’t act now, she’d regret it forever.  With foolhardy abandon, she cut in front of Bridgette.  It was like stepping in front of a bulldozer … but Jen brandished her fists.  “Giving up on someone two seconds after meeting them!?  What are you, a … a COWARD!?”

Bridgette pulled back slightly; her eyes flashed wider, sharpening with a tenacity Jen could never hope to match. 

Ohhh shit.  I’m screwed.  Totally--

“HA!”  Bridgette’s booming laugh belted out of nowhere.  She crossed her arms and cocked her head to one side.  The barest hint of a smirk tugged at her mouth.  “Perhaps not hopeless,” she conceded.  “Not so much.”  The smirk disappeared and her hand came forward and jabbed a finger right before Jen’s eyes.  “You listen to me.  I am not patient.  I do not go easy.  If you want lazy, go back now.  Otherwise, you follow me.”  All of a sudden, the hulking woman turned and broke into a run, right through the woods -- in her bare feet!

What in the--??  This woman was crazy, or badass, or both, but Jen sprinted after her.  Through the thicket The Valkyrie charged, dipping and darting around bends and over hills without hesitating or slowing, seeming to calculate every move three steps ahead.  Jen tried to match it but soon smacked her elbow into a tree then tripped over a root and tumbled face first into the leaf-littered dirt.

Aching everywhere, she saw Bridgette looking back with a fist on her hip and stoic disdain on her face.  As soon as Jen got up, Bridgette was off again, back to her startling bursts of speed.  Jen was the best cross country runner at her school -- possibly the best in the county now -- but even on a flat track Bridgette seemed like she’d kick Jen’s butt.  And on this taxing, treacherous terrain, Jen didn’t stand a chance!  Her calves ached, her quads burned, but still the woman pulled farther and farther ahead.  Climbing a hill, Jen saw her waiting impatiently over the next rise -- and just as quickly, she disappeared again.

“Fuuuuuck!” Jen groaned.  Little did she know, the expedition was only just beginning.

* * *

"Hal...Halle... freakin...luja!!"  Jen panted, dragging her feet into the clearing.  She hardly noticed her skirt chafing against her thighs anymore, or the sweat covering her clothes.  Teetering on her feet, she would have collapsed immediately, except she had a feeling Bridgette was watching her from within the simple log cabin straight ahead. 

Bridgette had once again charged ahead -- faster than ever! -- once the cabin had finally come into view and she no longer had to wait for Jen.  How much had she been holding back!?

The woman ducked through the cabin door as Jen approached, carrying the two rabbits and a big knife in her hand.  She went around the side of the house, slung the rabbits against a big rock, and brought the knife forward.

“Uckkk!”  Jen shielded her eyes and fled toward the cabin.

Bridgette watched her zip by.  “Överkänslig tjej,” she scoffed.

* * *

Bridgette put Jen to work on the vegetables – at least she could handle that.  Bridgette boiled them with the rabbit, and soon they were eating the very bland, under-seasoned stew out of wooden bowls.  With no spoons, of course.  Her host didn’t indulge in such luxuries.

After Jen had had enough silence, she shifted in her seat and spoke up.  “So…”

“Eating,” Bridgette quipped.  “Not talking.”

Jen tried again a few minutes later, with the same result.  Bridgette kept wolfing down bowl after bowl, well after Jen had had her fill.  The insufferable meal lasted forever.

After dinner, Bridgette sat outside and sharpened her knife on a whetstone.  The nonstop swishing sound soon drove Jen mad.  “Can we talk yet, or what?” Jen demanded, after five minutes like this.

Bridgette looked up quizzically.  “Talk?  Why?”  She resumed sharpening.

Jen threw her hands up.  “Isn’t this the part where, I dunno, you teach me to do something, or impart some great wisdom, or …”

“Pfff.  This isn’t some Hollywood film, girl.”  Whisk whisk whisk, went the whetstone.

Jen grimaced.  It’s not every day one gets time around Bridgette freaking Lindstrom!!  “Look, I need help, OK?  I-I’ve got a lot of crap I’m dealing with.  With the training for the show.  With life.  And I need to figure stuff out – quick!  You know, the show’s in just a few days!”

Bridgette’s eyes shot up.  Her brow furrowed.  “You have big problems?”

Jen paused.  “Well… yeah.”

“Alice told me things.  Your father.  Friends at school.”

Jen blinked.  “She told you?”

Bridgette nodded.  “You seem lost, says Alice.”  She rose to her feet, whooshing up to massive heights.  “I say you need to grow up.”

This again?!  “I don’t see how insulting me is s’posed to help!”

The woman loomed silently.

“I’m not gonna put up with it!” Jen added futilely.

Out of nowhere, Bridgette flung herself to the ground and started pounding out pushups.

“Hey – what the hell??  What are you doing??”

Bridgette gave no reply.  Her startlingly rigid body rising and falling with metronomic precision.  The shape and tone of her back muscles, her glutes, her hamstrings – completely out of this world.  Jen had a feeling she could sit on Bridgette’s back and it wouldn’t slow her one bit.  Was she just doing this to show off?  It felt like it.  Arrogant, rude, unsympathetic … Maybe Bridgette wasn’t the amazing person Jen thought she was.  Maybe she was actually kind of terrible.

Well, Jen was in no mood to back down to someone this rude.  Daringly, she dropped down next to Bridgette and started pushups of her own.  She kept pace with Bridgette for a while.  But after ten … twenty … Jen began to slow.  By thirty, Jen’s arms turned to jelly and gave out completely.

Bridgette was at least on forty now and Bridgette was only beginning to slow by the time Jen collapsed, panting.  Thirty pushups before Jen had even begun, plus another five more, deliberate and determined, with s

She looked over to find sweat starting to bead down the woman’s shoulders and between her ample breasts.  The woman must be on forty now -- no, fifty.  Or more.  Finally she stopped and stood up, her chest rising and falling with hard breaths, the veins in her arms bulging more than ever.  Towering over Jen, she looked formidable.

“Trying to beat me?” Bridgette quipped.

“Shut up!” Jen snapped, too tired to hold back.  Holy crap.  I just told Bridgette Lindstrom to shut up.  Well… it was HER fault, though.  The woman was trying to aggravate her!

Bridgette looked up at a thick tree branch at least ten, maybe eleven feet off the ground.  Higher than a basketball hoop.  As Jen watched, the Valkyrie bent her knees then vaulted upward and grasped the tree limb with both hands.  An NBA-level feat, and she made it look effortless.  No freaking way.  Bridgette went right into pullups, hard and fast, causing the limb and even the whole tree to sway.

Jen went to a different tree and leapt for a branch a foot lower than Bridgette’s.  Her hands barely scraped the bottom of it.  “Son of a…” Jen settled for an even lower branch and started into pullups with an ill-tempered scowl.  She did the first two pullups just fine, until—

“Think you can handle this, ‘pretty girl’?” Bridgette mocked, loud and obnoxious, even while pulling herself up.

Jen’s frustration boiled over like a tea kettle.  “Why are you so MEAN!?!”  Her third pullup faltered.

“Should I baby you, ‘pretty girl’?” Up and down Bridgette went, her arms firing like pistons.  “Are you not tough enough?”

“Why does everyone always doubt me!?!” Jen raged, just hanging from the limb now, too fed up to keep working.  “I AM tough enough!!”

“Sure you are,” Bridgette scoffed.  Three more relentless pullups before she dropped heavily to the ground.  God, she looked shredded now.  “’Tough girl’ can’t even keep going,” the daunting woman mocked, arms folded.

Jen seethed.  Enough of this!!  She turned her fury from an impediment into a weapon; into fuel.  Growling like a pit bull, she surged upward and completed one f&@%ing good pullup and then another!

“Terrible form,” the huge woman criticized.  “Arms too wide apart.”

“What??”  Jen’s strength gave out again as her fury refocused on the stupid, perfectly-chiseled face of her idol.

FORMER idol!!

“And you don’t go up high enough.  And you kick your feet.”  Bridgette shook her head.  “Terrible.”

This felt straight out of a nightmare!  Bridgette Lindstrom, of all people!!  She hung limp, about to give up…

“You’re just not good enough, girl.”

Something sparked in Jen.  “You…”  Her anger grew like a wildfire.  “You sound like my DAD!”  Her arms surged to life.  Driven by fury, she conquered another pullup, and another, and again, the rage engulfing her, pushed her to the breaking point…

“Tsk.”  Bridgette shook her head, unimpressed.

Jen’s fury snapped in a new direction.  Dropping to the ground, she charged at full-speed and slammed her shoulder straight into Bridgette’s abdomen and—

“Ow!”  She’s like a concrete freaking wall!!  She slammed the same spot with her other shoulder: same result.  She resorted to punching said stomach; but her arms were already so weak.  They made only small indentations as Bridgette flexed and absorbed every blow.

“Pathetic!” the woman goaded.

Thwap! Jen punched again, fury-blinded.

“Weak!”

Womp!

“You don’t have what it takes!”

“Arghhh!!”  Jen glared upward and swung her fist right at Bridgette’s smug, pearly-white grin …

WHOOOMP!!  The force of a sledgehammer hit Jen’s chest and she flew backward, sending the world spinning around her.  She crashed and slid until coming to a rest on the rocky ground.  The shock of it left her more breathless than any actual pain.  When Bridgette appeared above her, Jen trembled.  She’s freaking CRAZY!!  She’s gonna KILL me!!  And bury my body!!  And—

“Eeep!!” Jen yelped, as the woman reached her arm toward her.  But it was not a grab, just a helping hand.  After plenty of wary hesitation, Jen put her smaller hand in Bridgette’s.  She yipped again as steely fingers clamped around hers and lifted her right off the ground. 

“Anger,” the woman’s voice graveled.  “Anger does nothing.  Understand?”

Jen blinked at Bridgette’s solemn, unwavering gaze.  “You … you were just saying stuff to get me mad,” she realized aloud.  “You didn’t mean it.”

Bridgette gave a single nod.  “Voices.  Doubters.  Distractors.  They are nothing.”  Her finger pressed hard, right above Jen’s left breast, near her heart.  “This,” she said, prodding Jen’s forehead.  “And this.  These are all that matter.”  Her hand made a decisive cutting motion before dropping away.

Jen turned the words over in her mind.  “I control myself,” she mulled.

The woman nodded.

“I should focus on me.  And not what others say.”

Nod.

A simple enough message; but Bridgette’s manner of conveying it was striking.  “OK,” Jen acceded, willing to go along.  “So the next time my Dad—“

“No.”

Jen jerked back.  “Wh-What?”

“He is not here,” the woman said harshly.  “He does not exist.  All that matters is …”

“Me,” completed Jen, with a soft gulp.

The woman straightened.  “Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?”

A slight smirk graced Bridgette’s lips before she took off at a run, across the clearing and down the rolling slope.  Jen murmured perplexedly and gave chase.

The Valkyrie bolted down the long hill like lightning.  Jen, like the delayed echo of distant thunder, reached the river bank many seconds later.  Bridgette, stepping among the rocks littering the river bank, stooped before one of the largest.  Wrapped her arms around it.  And lifted.

“No freaking way,” Jen muttered.  The mini-boulder -- practically a yard in diameter – broke loose from the dirt and rose up in the giant woman’s grip.

Jen’s jaw fell open.  “H…How much does that weigh!?”

Bridgette somehow managed to shrug as she shifted the massive thing in her arms – arms which were flexed to the max and looked just about as hard as the stone she was holding.  Even she was showing strain as she carefully turned around … and started walking up the slope.

Jen stood and gaped at the herculean feat unfolding before her.  A long way to the cabin, and quite a climb.  “You’re carrying that all the way up?!” Jen called, practically in despair.  The woman was miles, light years, beyond what Jen could ever be!

Panning her gaze across the scattered rocks at her feet, Jen lifted one that seemed a manageable armful.  Seemed -- at first.  She grunted just bringing it to her chest.  But even this one was pathetically smaller than Bridgette’s.  She couldn’t go any smaller; not while keeping any shred of pride!

But just before defeat took hold, she looked at Bridgette – really looked – as the woman powered along.  One foot after the other, each more deliberate than the last.  The woman visibly wearied; and for the first time all day, she appeared human, not invincible.  Not everything was easy for her.  There was a limit to her strength, after all.  Soon she started to stagger, adjusting her grip, sagging her shoulders.  Indefatigable arms and thighs now quivered constantly.  Yet somehow she continued on, one foot after the other.

At this rate, Bridgette should have collapsed twenty steps ago; a body -- even hers -- could only hold out so long!  But still the steps continued, each one a whole new struggle, each a triumph in its own right.  “How?” Jen wondered, watching raptly.  How can I do that?

Then it hit her.  She’d felt glimmers of it when running on the Track team.  Or during this week’s basement workouts.  Times when she was certain she’d never complete that last lap, or finish that last set.  But then a fire would spark inside her, and she kept going.  Even when it didn’t seem possible by muscles alone.

But for Jen, that spark almost always came from anger; rage.  Usually when she was pissed off at Dad.  But Bridgette, though: she’d won on the show not as much by size or strength, as by pure sheer will.  She wanted it more than everyone else.  You could see it in her eyes, on the show.  And Jen could see it happening right now in front of her.  Bridgette found the strength within herself, not from others.  “It’s in me,” Jen muttered, echoing her words.

Already Jen felt encouraged.  She lifted the rock to her chest and stumbled forward.  Hell, but it was heavy!  Her confidence flagged … But another look at Bridgette kept her moving.  If Bridgette could find the will, then … “So can I!”  Another step.  Another.  “So … can … I!”

Up ahead, sweat rolled off of Bridgette in constant streams, weaving and winding through canals of quivering muscle.  The moisture threatened to slip the boulder out of her grasp – and what reprieve that would be.  But nothing was ever gained without struggle.

She had heard the girl collapse behind her – first, around halfway up the slope, then again shortly after.  She was surprised the girl even lasted that long.  And more surprised still when her grunting and clamoring signaled that she’d gotten back up and continued.

Perhaps Bridgette had underestimated her resolve … But no time for such thoughts now.  The last hundred feet were the steepest, and always the hardest on the soul.  Never had Bridgette failed to complete the trip, in the weeks she’d been here; but never was her boulder quite so large as this one.  Her greatest challenge yet -- but she would rise to meet it.  She would.

“Aaaaiieee!!” – The sound of the girl collapsing again.  In final defeat, surely.  But an admirable effort nonetheless.

Bridgette growled and focused, centering body and mind, surging power and will.  Her stance wavering like never before, even she began to doubt – a new experience for her.  But so close, she was.  Too close to fail!

At last, her foot found purchase on the flat stone shelf marking the edge of the clearing.  With her last ounce of effort, she surged past it and let gravity carry her down, denting the earth with the boulder as her fists slammed the ground alongside.

Her vision dimmed; her head swam.  Only through dogged determination did she avoid total collapse.

But strength returned.  Soon, it surged.  Seized by adrenaline and wild instinct, she shook off weariness, rose to her feet, and in the same motion lifted her arms outward and forward, flexing with power.  Opening her throat, she roared.

Jen jerked her head from the grass, instantly engrossed in the primal yell that rained down from the clearing.  It was the cry of a warrior; the roar of a lion.  She’d seen the woman collapse just moments ago -- yet there atop the hill Bridgette stood, arms upraised as a true conqueror.  The image burned itself into Jen’s mind.  She began to feel it, too.

Bridgette heard the sounds behind her.  She turned and marveled as the little girl, neglecting the dirt on her city clothes, fought her way forth.  So near the end, the girl faltered.  Bridgette braced, gritting her teeth.  Fight, Jen – FIGHT!!

And fight she did.  Bridgette knew the agony in the girl’s face, the searing pain in her limbs.  Yet she reached the same step as Bridgette had and collapsed, victorious.

“YES, Jen!!” Bridgette boomed.  “YES!!!”

Jen couldn’t move a muscle.  She gasped and panted like a fish out of water.  She managed only to roll onto her back, to see the Valkyrie looming over her with an unprecedented smile.

“You feel it, Jen, yes?”  Bridgette crouched and pointed at Jen’s heart.  “Now you know what it takes.”  She extended her hand.  “Sit up.”

Jen took it weakly, and yelped as her torso whooshed upward.  It was all she could do to just prop her hands underneath her and keep her back upright.

“Rest,” said Bridgette.  “You’ve earned it.”  She turned, heading for the slope.

“You… You called me ‘Jen’.”

“Ha!  So I did.”

From the rock ledge, Jen could see all the way down the slope to the water.  She watched Bridgette stride down at a brisk pace.  Surely … not another rock?

No -- something far more shocking.  Near the water’s edge, the huge woman pulled off her shirt, then her shorts, then underwear.  Stark naked, she dove head-first into the deep river, her head bobbing to the surface a moment later.

Jen was mortified; shocked; scandalized!  Man or woman, who does such a thing?!  And without asking first!  But it didn’t seem sexual.  It seemed merely her habit.  Yikes… Jen was hetero, but she couldn’t get the image out of her mind.  Bridgette’s nude body was like some ancient Greek statue come to life.  Chiseled, as if from marble.  Strong and unabashed.  Incredible.

Noooo way was Jen going down there, though.  She stayed put, her cheeks glowing with heat, her eyes searching for somewhere, anywhere else to look.  Only finally when she heard a splash did she look -- just as Bridgette’s sopping wet body glided out of the water, the late evening light glistening off her skin and catching every contour.

*Gulp!*  Amidst white-hot embarrassment, jealousy sprang.  Jen would kill for a body like that.  Good god!

She must have held Bridgette’s respect still, because the blonde woman hardly even scoffed when her footsteps approached.  Not even a taunt for Jen keeping her eyes pinched firmly shut!

“There’s space for you on the floor near the stove.  I will fetch a blanket.  Tomorrow we rise at first light.”

Jen blushed like crazy.  “Um … okay,” she managed.  As the footsteps moved on, she remembered what she’d learned in History class, that ancient Greeks competed in the Olympics while wearing nothing at all, so as to best showcase the human physique in its ideal form.  Yeep!

She didn’t open her eyes again until well after Bridgette’s footsteps had disappeared into the cabin.  At least by then Bridgette was clothed again.  Calmly carrying on, it was clear her display hadn’t been about sex, or power.  Just embracing her own self fully.

Well … Jen may have learned a lot today, but she wasn’t ready to do that!  Changing out of her sweaty clothes behind a copse of trees, she trudged her weary bones back to the cabin and settled herself on her hardwood bed with nothing but a thin blanket for warmth.

Why did Theo’s heartrate take off as soon as he saw this text?  Was he nervous?  Intrigued?  Both?  He couldn’t even tell anymore.

He read the text again.  >

No one had asked him about working out today.  This was the very first mention of it.  What, they just assumed he was free, and would even want to come??  Doesn’t Theo get a say in this?!

But his vision swirled as he remembered grabbing her hand -- that rugged, man-crushing hand.  Remembered stepping up to her battering ram sized arm.  The one that had lifted him like a crane, suspended a foot and a half in the air …

*Gulp*  The woman had more than a few screws loose, didn’t she?  Maybe she wouldn’t do anything if he refused to show.  Or maybe … hell … imagine if she were to show up at his front door.  Bash it in, if she pleased.  And then … then …

God damn it -- was he getting turned on?!  Why was this possibly exciting him!?  The hell were these women doing to his head??

* * *

“Theo!!” Ned cheered, garishly dressed and perky as always.  “Good -- you made it!  She’ll love that you’re early.”

By twelve minutes, in fact.  Not that he scrambled to get ready or anything.  Or sped through traffic.  Or -- well, no need to dwell.  “Listen,” he hastened, “I just want to work out today.  No games, no ‘magic tricks’, no shenanigans, no--”  Theo blinked.  “What?”

Ned was chuckling.  “I don’t think that’s our choice to make, bud.”  

The hairs on the back of Theo’s neck rose.  “Umm… all the same, I’d like to ask Lola--“

“You can try!  But I doubt you’ll get a word in.  She was very specific: come in, line up, and wait for instructions.”

“What?  I--“

“C’mon!”  Ned seemed almost giddy as a schoolboy, waving back as he skipped through the house.

Was Theo nuts for showing up here?  Maybe so.  But too late now.

He stepped into the workout room, turned, and Boom.  There was Lola.  "Oh hell.”  She stood with back straight, feet shoulder width apart, arms behind her back.  And dressed in a green-brown camo outfit which hugged her bosom tight and left her oversized arms and legs exposed.  Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun beneath a military-style cap, and she wore a tight, severe frown.  He couldn’t have looked away from her if he tried.  She was just … so …

“Attennn-TION!” the huge woman barked, startling the hell out of him as she tapped her rugged leather boots together and stood rigidly upright with fists clenched at her sides.  “FORM RANKS!!”

His heart pounded.  He looked to Ned in involuntary panic.

“Follow my lead!” whispered Ned excitedly.  “It’s just for fun.”  The slender man scrambled and planted his feet in front of Lola, mirroring his wife’s military pose and demeanor about as well as a man dressed in a pink leotard could ever hope to.

Theo just stood there.

“CADET!!” the woman boomed – so loudly and emphatically that he stood up straighter on the spot.  A knee-jerk reaction.  “NOT THERE … HERE!” She pointed next to Ted.  Was that a hint of a smile on her lips, or was she dead flat-out serious?

He dragged his feet on his way next to Ned.  Towering Lola clasped her hands behind her back and stared at each of them in turn.  “Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me, with you sorry lot!”  She marched back and forth in front of them, inspecting them each in turn.  “Chin up!” she said, tilting Ned’s head with her finger.  “Shoulders back!”   She prodded, and Ned stood at even more flawless attention.

Theo’s wave of annoyance faltered as Lola’s steely-eyed gaze shot to him.  “What is this, a picnic in the park?!  Straighten those arms!  Feet together!  Stand up properly!!”

“Hey, um,” he began, keeping his expression flat, “this is cute and all, but I was really hoping today I could train Ned by mys—“

“CUTE!?”  She came up to him in a flash, her breasts and bulging pecs and massive shoulders suddenly filling his vision.  “Now I KNOW you did not just call your commanding officer ‘CUTE’!  I MUST be hearing things!  Do you want to try that again, Tenderfoot?!?”

Again: the glint of amusement in her eyes, mixed with fire.  He wasn’t sure which to believe.  The heat of her body threatened to melt him on the spot.  “I…” he began, cotton-mouthed, “I just mean, I think I—“

“THINK!?”  Her boots thumped even closer; her face leaned forward.  She’d be right in his grill right now, like a drill sergeant, if her face were a mere fourteen inches lower!  Christ, her tits were massive!  “New recruits do not ‘THINK’!” she barked.  He could swear a drop of spittle hit his cheek.  “There are only three phrases in your voc-ab-u-lar-eee!  ‘Yes, ma’am’, ‘No, ma’am’, and ‘Sorry, ma’am’!  IS THAT UNDERSTOOD!?”

He couldn’t stop his gulp.  “I, um--“

“EYES STRAIGHT AHEAD, ROOKIE!”

Straight ahead?  But … her tits!  So close he could almost lick them!

“Can we just--“

She inhaled sharply.  Not only her chest inflated, but her pecs, her delts, her biceps…!!  “HIT THE DECK, MEASLY CADET!”

“What?”

“Thirty pushups!  GO GO GO!!”

Two palms pressed down on his shoulders like a can crusher and crumpled him to the floor with embarrassing ease.  Ned had started into pushups himself, for some reason, but--

“SHOULD I MAKE IT FORTY!!?”

Ack!  “N-No, ma’am!” Theo heard his own voice yelp.  He couldn’t help it!  The sight of her burly calves, rippling before his eyes, was enough to convince him on its own.  He got going on the pushups -- fast -- dreading the moment she discovered he could no longer do more than twenty…

* * *

They just finished their fourth workout.  No breaks yet.  “Y…Your wife’s … INSANE!!!” Theo hissed, slumped over, breathing raggedly.  Ned was breathing just as hard, but somehow wore a contented smile.

Lola’s footsteps thumped closer.  “Did I say you could stand around, Cadets?!”

Theo nervously fought through the fatigue and lifted his head.  “E…Enough!!!” he wheezed, with crazed eyes.  His legs chose that moment to give out entirely, and he stumbled to the floor.  “I… I can’t … take… any … more!!!”  He clenched his fists in feeble defense against the impending onslaught of--

What??  The woman reared back -- and smiled!  Ned cracked up too.  “Best … motivator … in the world … isn’t she?” he said amidst pants.  His brow wrinkled at Theo.  “Oops … I mean … you’re good too.”

It seemed an understandable afterthought.  Theo’s efforts to motivate people paled in comparison to … to … Christ, he could hardly bear to look at her!  “You push too hard!” he confessed, wanly pointing in her direction.

Lola’s laughter filled the room.  “Wrong,” she declared.  “You’ll see, by the end.”

See what??  No, you can’t just work someone to exhaustion like this.  You … You can’t--

“Break’s over, grunts!”

Oh no …

“Jumping jacks – GO!”

Ned almost instantly rose and started into shaky jumping jacks.  How?  Theo could barely--

“NOW, GREENHORN!!”

Theo found himself rising, as if her voice itself pulled him up.  It didn’t seem possible!  But under her stern eye, his jumping jacks began.

* * *

The most amazing thing happened.  The longer it went, and the more incredibly he held on, Lola’s voice began to inspire not with fear but with … encouragement.

“You got this, soldier!!!” she boomed, bent over behind him to put her face beside his ear.  “Fight it!!  No pain … NO PAIN!!!”  That was no longer a notional phrase.  His pain seemed to literally lessen now, each time her words rattled through his head.  “You can do it!” she barked -- and suddenly he could.  As if her very words were imbuing his veins and giving him strength!

“YES!!!” Lola barked, after his impossibly-completed set.  “THAT’S how it’s done!!!”

In his exhaustion: a wave of pleasure.  Pride.  Her compliment felt good, even more than the last.

“ONE MORE!!”

His spirits plummeted.  “N…No,” came his feeble protest, his head shaking side to side.  “I…I can’t…”  His arms dropped to his sides.

“YES, YOU CAN!!”

“No…”

“YOU CAN DO IT!!”

I can??

Thick fingers encircled his wrists and returned his hands to the bar overhead.  The sheer size of her forearms, compared to his …

“YOU’RE A WARRIOR!!”

Am I?

“YOU DO NOT QUIT!!!”

Her confidence buzzed through him.  She hadn’t been wrong yet.  So if she thought he could, then maybe: “I … I can!” he rasped, starting to believe!

“YOU CAN!” her voice affirmed, settling the matter.  He could.  He would!  Heaving on the bar for all he was worth, he brought it a third of the way down … now halfway! … and … and …!

He gasped as his strength suddenly grew; magnified!!  Now he rammed the bar to his shoulders with ease!  “I… I did it!” he wheezed in lightheaded disbelief, as--

Oh.  His cheeks flushed as he noticed Lola’s pointer and middle fingers on the bar, holding it down for him.  With a pleased smile, she pulled her fingers away and -- Zoom! -- the bar shot up out of his hands like a rocket.

“HUZZAH!” the camo-clad behemoth exulted, clapping him roughly on the back before lifting him off the bench by his scruff.  “That’s the dedication, the stick-with-it-ness you need!  There may be hope for you yet, Soldier!!”

The quick rise had set his head spinning, but without her hand there he may have toppled over.  “Wh… What?”  He craned his head.  “But … But I needed … your help … to do it.”

“Of course you needed help!  No man is an island, Tenderfoot -- you are not a Mighty!”  She swiveled him with ease, to face the mirror with her looming behind him.  “A man must accept his own limitations, and try his best anyway.  However small his contribution, he should not feel ashamed -- for he fights not for himself but for the good of his team!”

Theo’s pride prickled sharply at those words.  He tried to turn to face her … but he literally couldn’t.  Her hands held him in place like they weren’t even trying.  That’s when -- *gulp* -- he really looked at their reflection.  Her hips jutted out well wider than his arms on both sides.  His legs looked like popsicle sticks next to hers.  Her upper arms each seemed as big around as his entire head -- as were her breasts too, for that matter.  Good Christ, she made him look puny!  ‘Limitations’ … ‘Small contribution’ … It seemed almost forgivable now.  Compared to him, how could she really think anything else?

“But … But you’re…”

“Yes, Cadet?”  Her eyes sparkled with amusement now, more than anything, as she gazed at him through the reflection.

“I can fight for myself,” he insisted, his voice cautiously growing.  Lola was an exception; an outrageous outlier.  It wasn’t a fair comparison.  “I’m still plenty capable, compared to most people!”  Well… “Or most men, at least!  And that should count for something!”

Lola studied the man in front of her, pursing her lips.  His words … irked her.  His ego was still more troublesome than she’d hoped.

“Cadets!” she barked, making little Theo jump against her palms.  She released him and gathered a barbell with just one small five-pound weight on each end, bouncing and balancing it briefly in her palm before holding it out in front of her in the center of the floor.  “Approach!”

“Ooh!”  Ned skipped up to one end of the horizontal bar with an intrigued air.

“Why?” demanded Theo, clearly digging into stubborn mode again as he approached with arms folded.

“Not all Tenderfoots are created equal!” she acknowledged, to Theo’s surprise.  “Some are stronger, more capable than others, and must be respected accordingly!  Which of you Tenderfoots can defeat the other and prove yourself as top of your class?”  She shook the bar.  “We will find out!”

Another game?, Theo mused.  But Lola looked on him without a smirk.  She seemed sincere.  Perhaps he’d struck a bit of sense in her after all?  Even she must admit that Ned was not his equal.  No offense to Ned, but the guy was the very definition of a wimp and Theo was sick of being lumped in with him.  Yes, he would reestablish himself above Ned in the pecking order around here, gladly.

Her palmed stayed under the center of the bar, helping keep it steady, as Ned and Theo each held their five-pound plate like handlebars.  “Push, when I give the command.  He who can move his end of the bar to the center will be first among the Cadets.”

Just push Ned back a couple of feet?  This would be easy!

“Ready, Cadets!  … GO!”

Theo dug his feet in and threw his whole strength into the bar, shoving and heaving urgently.  Ned did the same – and matched him, that bastard!  Try as he might, Theo couldn’t move his end of the bar more than a few inches forward before Ned equaled his strength and brought the bar right back.

He couldn’t beat wimpy Ned?  Impossible!  Theo redoubled his efforts, driving his feet, pushing with reckless abandon.  But the resistance he met was tenacious, ferocious, relentless!  No -- he had to beat Ned!  He HAD to!  No matter what … it … took!! …

But after thirty seconds of red-faced struggling, Ned took a breather!  Theo shoved again…

And the bar still hardly moved.  Out of the corner of his eye, Theo noticed the rippling machinery of Lola’s arm hard at work.  Looking past the five-pound plate, Lola’s hand now held the bar with a white-knuckled grip.  “Y…You’re helping him!!” Theo finally realized, staggering back.

“Very observant, Cadet,” Lola deadpanned.

“Th-This is RIGGED!!”  Out of frustration, he heaved again.  It was utterly hopeless.  “How am I supposed to BEAT him!?”

“That still your goal, is it?”

“What?  Yeah … you said--”

“It’s all a lesson, Greenhorn!  You think beating another little Cadet is supposed to impress me!?  May as well pit a flea against an ant!”

“But--“

“Why not compete against ME, while you’re at it?!”

“What?  No, I--“

She flung the weights off the bar, one then the other.  Then -- *Whoosh!!* -- the bar lurched into their chests, sending Theo and Ned both staggering backward.  Just one arm, fully extended, began to push them toward the wall.  “Oof!” both men yelped.

“PUSH, cadets!!  Try to beat me!!”

They did, frantically -- but holy shit, she was strong.  Maybe with her arm bent, they could’ve overcome her single tricep; but now her leverage was too good, and her legs too damned powerful, and they could do little but slow her down slightly, until--

*Thoomp!*  Their backs hit the wall at the same time, the bar still pressing into their chests, pinning them flat!

“Competing with each other is NOT the point!” she reprimanded sternly, glaring at Ned but mostly at Theo.  “Alone, a Cadet is nothing!  Only as part of a team does he find his worth!”

Yeeeesh!  Her arm pushed harder -- enough to truncate his breaths!  He flailed his arms but it was useless.  What if she decided to push even harder!?

“Am I making myself clear to you boys!??”

Gah!  Another surge of her strength!  “YES, MA’AM!” Theo belted, in unison with Ned.

“You’ll both be team players??”

He’d say anything at this point!  “YES, MA’AM!!”

“Good.”  The bar released from her grip!  As it clanged to the floor, Theo sucked in air and thanked the stars.  But it wasn’t over yet.  “One more trial!  To the treadmills -- GO GO GO!”

Theo scrambled alongside Ned -- no questions; no delay.  Anything to avoid a similar ordeal!

Lola set their treadmills to 3.0 miles per hour.  Even that was fast for his short legs now.  But he didn’t complain -- not even when the woman took up a post between them, hovering over his shoulder like yesterday.

“A team must be mentally tough,” her gruff voice lectured.  “Even one weak link, and it will fail.”

At exactly the 60 second mark, she upped their speed to 4.0, putting Theo in a half-walking, half-jogging stumble.

“Every teammate needs to pull his weight, needs to stick it through.”

A minute later, she punched in 5.0 MPH,  forcing him to a steady jog.  He just had to ask now: “H… How high are we going? … m-ma’am?”

“High,” she affirmed.  “All the way.”

“Yesss!!!” Ned hissed.

“What does that mean, ma’am?” Theo asked, his breaths quickening.

She didn’t answer; but a minute later, she raised the incline -- by five percent!

“Oh … Oh hell!” he accidentally murmured, as his already-aching quads began to burn.  The string attached to the safety clip on his waist swayed vigorously now as his gait grew uneven.

“No pain, Solider!!” said Lola, hovering at his side.  And at the four-minute mark, she brought the speed to 6.0.  A rapid jog now; almost a run.  And with this dreadful incline …!!

He focused on the timer.  4:15 … 4:30 … 4:45 … 5:00 …

“No!” he exclaimed, as Lola’s strong finger pressed the ‘+’ button again, up to full-out 7.0!! Fists clenching; breaths growing ragged …

“Push it, soliders!!” Lola barked.  “You’re a team!  KEEP-IT-UP!!!”

He couldn’t let her down.  Not again.  He … He had to keep going.  And while Ned’s energy seemed to spring anew at his wife’s encouragement, Theo was starting to flag, and wobble…

A steady palm pressed against his back; sturdy fingers spreading across his shoulder blade. Buoying him; supporting him.  “No quit!  No pain!!”  It helped – by god, it did!  Her words converted into fuel in his mind, invigorating his efforts and getting him all the way to 5:45, then 6:00 …

And then she raised the incline to 10 percent!

“N-No!!” he blurted again.  “P… Please … no!!”  His quads screamed; his lungs burned – and her hand wasn’t there on his back anymore to encourage him!

“Urghhh!” wailed Ned, struggling similarly but somehow still going!

“I can’t!!” Theo blustered.

“You CAN!” Lola corrected.  She stepped into his vision, facing them both in front of the treadmills.  A rippling pillar of humanity, teeming with strength and indomitable will.  If her goal was to inspire them at the sight of her, it was certainly working …

“This is nothing!” she affirmed.  “Last minute!  You will overcome!!”  She bent, her hands disappearing below the lip of each treadmill.  “ANOTHER MINUTE, FOR GLORY!!”

What in the--?!  “Aiiyeeeee!!”  Theo shrieked like a girl as the entire front of his treadmill lifted off the ground – as did Ned’s!!  “H…Holy SHIT!!” he panted, as Lola’s enormous pistons-for-arms bulged and quivered, her corded quads straightening bit by bit.  For the men, the 10 percent incline became a 15 percent climb, then a 20 percent desperate scramble.  Theo held the armrests now for dear life, expecting his legs to give out any moment …

But those moments brought a sense of … the sublime.  Held up by Lola, participating in her strength, experiencing it first-hand in the most astonishing way … completely under her control; at her whim.  How could he fail now, when her efforts were so tremendous?  His body cried out, but his mind drove him on.  I can’t let her down!!  I have to keep going!!!  I … I … Oh God …!!

*KerTHUD!!*  The machine dropped to the ground; her hand darted to the console, slamming the ‘STOP’ button -- and not a moment too soon.  Stumbling and bumbling, Theo regained his wits in a dizzy, depleted heap at the foot of the treadmill now lying at rest.

Even though he was gasping like a fish out of water, he felt a warm glow of happiness when he lifted his head and saw the impressive woman smiling down at him.  “Impressive, Soldier,” she praised.  His breath actually caught at this; he broke into goosebumps.  In his exhausted state, the praise struck him deeper than it ever should have.

Ned crawled over and shakily raised a hand toward him.  With a wan smile, Theo put his hand against his in a weak high-five.  “We call that ‘Liftoff’,” Ned explained, letting his hand slump down again.

“L…Liftoff?” Theo repeated.  He gave a loopy nod.  The ‘runner’s high’ he’d felt was second to none.  “Yeah, it was kind of, um … euphoric,” he admitted, still dizzy.

“Ha!” Lola laughed.

“It’s liftoff ‘cuz she lifts the treadmills off the ground,” Ned corrected with a grin.

“Oh.”  Theo blushed profusely.

“But yeah, that too!” Ned agreed.

“’Euphoric’,” the large, strong woman repeated.  “That’s a good way to put it.”

*Thoomp*Thoomp*  She stepped up to Ned.  “Up you go, hon,” she said, her voice gentler than he’d ever heard it.  Her husband weakly, gingerly rose with her assistance and stood leaning against her proffered arm, clutching it, treasuring it.

Theo’s cheeks were still red-hot when her eyes turned down to him and she offered her other hand likewise.  “Wh…What’s this?”

“Shhhh.”  A quiet calm floated in her eyes as her hand drew closer.  “Take it.”

Normally he’d never have even considered such a thing.  But at the moment, it seemed OK.  More than OK.  He put his hand in hers, and she brought him right to his feet.  Such strength.  He looked up; she was watching him fixedly.  Did she expect him to wrap his hands around her arm, the way Ned was?  Or at least: would she object if he did?...

“Well done, little ones,” she praised, the hard drill-sergeant edge now replaced with soothing tones.  He hadn’t so much as laid a finger on the tricep hovering next to his face … not yet … but--

“Here we go,” she hummed, lowering herself to the bench along the wall.  As she did, she caught Ned’s forearm in one hand, and Theo’s in the other…

“W-Wait … No …” Theo said, but it sounded only half a protest.

“Fear not,” Lola hummed, steadily increasing the force of her pull, drawing him toward her like an inescapable maw.

He fought against it -- strongly, even.  But it’s like she knew better.  Somehow, she knew he did want to sit …

*Thwoosh!*  Inevitably his strength could withstand the pull no longer, and he crashed to the bench alongside the woman’s incomprehensible thighs.

He gasped.  “Eek!   I…I…!”

“Hush,” her powerful voice soothed.  “Give in.”

What!?  “I—“

Her arm wrapped around his shoulders.  Dear god it was heavy!  Pressing him downward, drawing him into her.  She was only flexing a little, and he still wasn’t strong enough to resist it.

“Lola!” he exclaimed, though his voice couldn’t even match her contented hums as her arm flexed just slightly more, pressing him into the warm, solid slab of her torso.  “I … I …”  If he were even a little less tired, he could find the will to resist!  “Y… You shouldn’t…”

“You did well,” she said again, drowning out his voice as she continued to hold him tight.  “Very well.  Both of you.  I’m very pleased.”

Past her heaving breasts, he caught Ned’s delighted shudder.  “Thank you!!” he squeaked.  Theo caught himself shuddering too … b-but no!  He wasn’t like Ned!  He just … He …

He tried shrugging away from her, to no avail.  “Lo--“

“No more talking,” rumbled the behemoth dominantly.  “Rest.  Relax.”

Struggling took such a toll on him, sapping what little energy he had left.  Embarrassed by the futility of his efforts, he decided to sit rigidly instead, holding fast against the pressure of her arm, her lats, her hip.  He forced his breathing to slow and calm.  He was a man.  Her treatment of him was egregious … but he was still a man!  Resilient … and proud … and … and really, really tired …

“Gah!  No!  What?”  He’d calmed himself too much, losing track of time!  At some point his body had gone limp.  He found his hips half-turned toward her, his torso molded around her steely flesh and even his cheek resting on her broad pecs just above that huge breast…

Lola’s deep chuckle resonated through her pecs, into his ear.  “Are you rested now?”

Ack!  How long had he spaced out?  A minute?  More?  “G-Get off me!”  Well, he sure had his wits about him now!  “I want out!”

Her arm loosened and lifted.  At long last, he could squeak free.  Stumbling to his feet, his embarrassment really kicked in.  He looked anxiously at the door -- anywhere but at her.  “I-I-I have to--“

“Yes, yes.”  Her all-too-familiar arm waved dismissively.  “Enough for today.”  Another chuckle.  “More than enough.  You may leave, if you must.”  Her attention moved back to her husband who was very much nestled and settled in against her -- perhaps not dissimilarly at all from Theo a moment ago…

His tongue tied and his head spinning, Theo hastened for the door.  He grabbed the handle and--

“We’ll pick up tomorrow at 9 AM -- sharp!”

His teeth chattered.  It was all he could do to walk out, rather than run.

* * *

Lola had done a real number on him today.  Lord almighty.  He needed a diversion, real bad.  Well, Alice provided one for him … and then some.  His jaw once again hit the floor the moment he opened his front door.

“Happy to see me?” she grinned, stating the obvious.

A welcome shudder ran through him.  “I swear,” he breathed, “you look sexier every time I see you.”  The Little Black Dress: he didn’t think anyone had ever worn it better.

“You’re off to a good start,” she praised, stepping over the threshold.  “At this rate”--she bent at the waist to put her lips near his ear--“you might get lucky tonight after all.”

The scent of her; the view down her top; the brush of her lips against his cheek … Daaaaamn.  “I-I … I, uh … *cough* … I should hope so,” he recovered humorously, “considering where I’m taking you for dinner.”

A recognizable fire lit up her eyes.  “Oh?  Is that how you think this works?”  Her painted nails gathered his shirt and dug into his skin.  “Perhaps I ought to teach my date a lesson in proper behavior before we go.”

Despite all that’d happened today, Theo’s breath still caught at the insinuation.  “W-What kind of lesson?”

“Hmm… the kind that will require an extra device or two from my car.  To make sure the lesson reaaalllly sinks in.”  The twinkle in her eyes; the smirk …

Cripes!  He didn’t want to know what she meant.  But at the same time, he did.  He really did.  “Y… You’re bluffing.”

“Oh?”  Her brow arched.  “That does it.  You better stay right where you are.”

She turned, on a mission, striding straight toward her car!  She didn’t go three steps before his strangled yelp made her pause and turn back.  The grin on her lips erupted into a full-bellied laugh.  “I’m just fuckin’ with you, Theo!  I know you wanted to take things easy tonight.  Wipe that dopey look off your face and come on -- we’ll miss our reservation.”

His chest deflated in blatant relief.  Sidling up next to his smokin’ hot date, he raised a grateful grin.  “Thank god.  I was worried you actually had some sort of toys in your car or something.”

“Oh -- well, I do.  I packed some into the trunk … in case I end up needing them later.”  She clawed the top of his scalp, ruffling his hair.  “But don’t you worry your pretty head over that.”

He craned his head past her quivering breasts, gaping up at her smiling face above.  Again: was she toying, or serious?  He had no freaking clue.  And that, perhaps, was what made her most exciting of all.

The car ride was excruciatingly intoxicating.  Did she know how goddamned HOT she looked!?  It took all his wits to keep his hands to himself, kneading them together in his lap, stealing glances at this nubile temptress as she drove through town -- by all appearances, ignoring him completely.  Not even sparing him a glance.  Somehow, it drove him wild.

She held her elbow out for him to take it; she led the way down the sidewalk; she spoke to the host, and even pulled his chair out for him when they reached the table.  He knew what she was doing, but he let it happen anyway.  He may have even liked it, too.  She even ordered the wine, when the waitress came.  Then, only then, did she slide her chair closer to his, study him intently for a few long, heart-fluttering moments, then leeeean forward. “So, Theo, those things you didn’t want to talk about today …”  Her mouth crooked slyly, her tits practically jumping out at him now.  “Let’s talk about them, babe.”

“What?  … I …”  Son of a--!  She was using her damned sexiness against him!  His one condition for going out tonight -- which they’d BOTH agreed on -- was: no discussing anything that happened the last two days!  Lola had shot up his stress levels to 2000, and all he wanted right now was a nice, simple date with Alice, at a normal restaurant, having normal conversation that had nothing to do with crazy Lola and … and …

 Sweet Moses -- the woman leaned forward farther!  As if his eyes weren’t goggling over her chest already!  “That’s…”  He squirmed, feeling his resolve already wavering.  “That’s not fair!”

“Who said anything about playing fair?”

Dear Mother of--!  She propped her forearms beneath her breasts and angled even more aggressively forward!  The uplifting, eye-popping display sent his knee twitching, bumping into the table.  His now-fidgety hand wrung the tablecloth then wiped imaginary sweat from his chin.  

“Theo, I have to play dirty,” she sultrily hummed.  “Otherwise you’d never open up to me, you stubborn little man.  It is my job, to ensure all contestants are in the right mental state come Saturday.”  He supposed that made a little sense.  “So open up to me, won’t you?”  Her torso started to shimmy…

He almost started to unbutton his collar.  The sweat wouldn’t be imaginary for long.  Good god -- she was shimmying harder!  How those lovely fun-bags jiggled! … And again … again!...

“Hey, people are watching!” he anxiously yipped.  Well, he assumed they were -- he couldn’t look away!

“Are they?  Oh, good!”  The dauntless vixen hooked her finger on the middle of her neckline and tugged down!  She pressed her elbows inward too, her tits practically spilling out of her dress!

“O-OK, OK!” he yelped, practically leaping from his seat and waving his hands, his eyes darting around frenetically, his cheeks red-hot!

“OK, what?”

“I’ll… I’ll …”  She could have made him do damned near anything at this point.  Hop on one leg and bark like a dog, if she wanted.  Hell, she could tell him to climb under the table and go down on her, and he’d probably do it, too.  The woman had a way of putting the craziest impulses in his mind!  “I’ll tell you what happened!” he said, relieved by his own restraint.

Still, a soft sigh of regret seeped from his lips as Alice’s finger withdrew from her neckline with a sudden pluck and her posture straightened, sitting prim and victorious with hands neatly folded, her bosom more firmly contained.  Oh, how he wanted to bury his face right there!

“Over a glass of wine,” he groaned, as the waitress approached.

“What a fantastic idea,” Alice purred.

* * *

Oh my.  Alice listened raptly as Theo divulged even more.  Now into their second bottle of merlot, the sexy man hardly needed prompting anymore -- he’d been bringing the topic back up all on his own!  He didn’t always go into specifics, but he certainly left her enough tantalizing clues; much more than Lola had, at least.  A cape and a magician’s hat.  Army boots and camo.  Ha!  Her friend had more flair for the dramatic than Alice had ever imagined.  Had she really taken things as far as he’d suggested, though?  Lifting him into the air, one-handed?  Calling him ‘Assistant’, ‘Cadet’, ‘Greenhorn’?  Putting his own limitations right in his face?  That was bold of her.  But, by appearances, it seemed to have worked!  Or, at least, it didn’t seem to have backfired.

“So I’m not going back there!” he drawled on.  “She may think she’s the boss of me, but she ain’t!  I don’t care how good she is at getting me in shape, or … or pushing me harder … or convincing me to-- Hey!  Quit tricking me to saying so much.”

Alice stifled a laugh.  “I’m not.”  She hadn’t said a word in minutes.

“Yeah, you are!  With all your …”  He waved vaguely at her.  “… all your sexy ... sexiness, over there …”

She laughed aloud this time and stayed his hand when he tried to pour more wine.  “I think you’ve had enough.”

“Yeah?  … You bossin’ me around now, too??”

Hmmm.  She eyed him thoughtfully.  “So what if I am?”

His brow rose; his eyes widened.  She watched him, anxious to hear his reply.

“I’d …”  His voice dropped to a whisper.  “I’d do what you tell me.”  His breath caught, made nervous by his own admission.  He brought his gaze from her chest to her eyes.  Still holding his breath, his lower lip trembled.  “Wh… What should I do, boss?”

Endorphins surged through her.  She didn’t have to think hard.  “It’s ‘Mistress’,” she corrected, rising imperiously in her seat.  Their meal was long done, the bill already paid.  “You will go to the restroom and freshen up.”  Her voice was crisp; commanding.  “Make yourself nice for me.  Next, you will go out front and tell the valet that your Mistress needs her car, and you’ll signal to me when it’s ready.”  She gazed down her nose at him studiously.  “And I’ll decide where things go from there.”

Her date stiffened as if zapped by lightning.  Even if it cleared his fog of inebriation, he gave delightfully little delay in springing to his feet.  Looking back at her just once, he hastened to the restroom just as she’d ordered.

My, my.  Of all people, Theo was certainly coming around fast. 

You’d think Theo would be dead tired this morning, but he work up before dawn and couldn’t sleep, his mind turning over the events of last night.  “Dear lord,” he muttered, wearily running his hands through his hair.  “That woman!!”  The most fiery, devious, inventive, sexy-as-hell woman he’d ever been with, by far!  He couldn’t seem to get enough of her!  She’d gotten him off three times that night, and took her time about it, too.  Drew it out, in the most agonizingly thrilling way, with plenty of climaxes of her own.  A three-hour romp, with hardly a dull moment in between.  And the insatiable woman had suggested they meet up again tonight, too!

Rising from bed brought more aches than just from yesterday evening, though.  Lola had worked him so damned hard.  If she called today, he’d stand up to her and tell her ‘No freaking way!’  Or … well, he’d better work out now in case he needed a better excuse.  Surely even she would let him off easy then!

He ate breakfast and headed downstairs.  He didn’t need Lola to help push him to the limit -- he could do that himself.  He could!  With a big head of steam, he crossed the basement and … Ugh.  He almost skipped today’s shrinking dose, but he manned up and gulped it down.  Then all he did was bend down to stretch, and the dose was already kicking in.  Hell, it really was spontaneous now.  At least today he only lost an inch, and five pounds.

Well, being five foot three did not make him a wimp!  He steeled himself and got underway.

* * *

Jen woke with a start, finding the cabin in near-total darkness.  It was early; the sun had not yet reached the horizon.  She tested her limbs.  They complained some, but not nearly as much as she’d have thought.  Supposedly, EGAD -- and Apo-Amplifier -- make women’s muscles recuperate faster, the bigger they get.  Better health, too; stronger immune systems; … it seemed to make women better on all fronts.  

Which was good, because the physical toll she’d taken here would have likely wiped her out for the rest of the week, otherwise!  Tuesday had been only the beginning.  Yesterday was insane.  She must have done something right in Bridgette’s eyes, because now the woman included her in everything.  Grueling tasks like chopping firewood and hauling buckets of water were what Bridgette did to relax!  The rest of the time, her life seemed like a non-stop decathlon.  For her, nothing was too strenuous, nothing too big a challenge.

And the crazy, nutso thing about it was: Jen actually liked it!  Once you push through the intense fatigue, harder than you thought you could, it could become almost invigorating.  In some ways, almost fun!  And way more rewarding.

Bridgette was already up, of course.  Probably off stalking a mountain lion or wrestling a bear or lord only knows.  Tuesday, and even part of yesterday, Jen had felt like a little puppy, waiting at Bridgette’s command and doing whatever she says.  Today felt … different.  It was as if she’d already grown taller, stronger, more confident within her own mind.  Today’s Apo-Amplifier would merely catch her body up to her own self-image.

She popped the cork and drank the fluid almost greedily.  Wow -- so she really didn’t need to do anything now, for it to kick in.  It started all on its own: the warm tingling spreading, the energy pulsing through her veins, the expansion of her everything from head to toe!  Even her tiredness seemed to wilt away in the face of new, raw potential…

“Fuck yes!!”  Jen burst out of the cabin in total determination.  No time to waste!  She’d wait for no one -- not Bridgette, not Dad, not anyone else.  She’d make her own decisions now; she was her own woman!  Sore or not, she started her workout and held nothing back.

…

* * Hearts on fire ...* *

* * Strong desire … Rages deep within * *

* * Hearts on fire … Fever’s risin’ high * * 

* * The moment of truth is here * *

* * Oh!  Oh yeah! * *

* * (Music) * *

* * Dum DuDuDum DuDum DuDum * *

“DRAGO!!!”

* * *

The afternoon sun was well down from its peak as Jen raced through the underbrush.  Bridgette could have blitzed past her anytime she pleased, but for once she was content to hang back and allow Jen to lead the way.  Jen was moving faster than she had on Tuesday, though, and this morning’s dose of Apo-Amplifier was only part of it.  ‘Never fear your next step,’ Bridgette had taught her.  ‘Make the leap, and trust yourself to land right.’  Now the less-timid Jen hurdled over fallen logs without stopping to look first; she leapt from one river rock to the next without waiting to catch her balance.  Occasional stumbles, but never a fall.  Things weren’t always as scary as they seemed, if you meet them head-on!

At last the dirt road was in view, and still Jen’s tired legs drove onward.  Not till her shoes had reached gravel did she double over, sucking in air.

Heavy footsteps came up behind, then a hearty slap on Jen’s back.  “Come,” said her mentor -- with, what was that, a flicker of pride?  “Alice is waiting.”  Yes, to Bridgette, being exhausted was almost a badge of honor; a sign of how hard one tried.  Her voice had taken that tone a lot, these last two days.

Jen picked herself up and the two of them approached the gate, side by side.  “You will do well,” said the blonde warrior, breaking the silence once again.

Jen smirked.  “You didn’t say I’ll win.”

“What does that have to do with it?”  She flashed a rare smile in return.  It wasn’t about winning; not to Bridgette.  Trying one’s best; reaching one’s own potential -- that’s all that mattered to her.  If that happened to result in a win, then all the better.  Jen couldn’t pretend she herself was nearly so selfless … but it was definitely something to be admired.

“Perhaps we will meet in the finals,” Bridgette mused nonetheless, stroking her chin.  “And test our wills again.”

The thought gave Jen chills.  “I’d like that,” she admitted, as daunting as the prospect seemed.

Bridgette stopped at the gate.  The two of them exchanged a simple nod -- all the farewell they needed -- and Jen continued onward to Alice’s car.

“It went well,” Alice gathered, with some surprise, after reading their expressions.

“Yes, it did,” said Jen.

A look of satisfaction stuck on Alice’s face as the teen gave not a single dour whine or frown the whole drive back.  No more pouting, at least for the time being.  Even better than Alice could have hoped!  Bridgette was not one to accept others easily.  Jen must have made quite an impression indeed.

Perhaps it was time to bring the girl and her father together again; maybe they were no longer a powder keg ready to blow.  Well … safer to wait and put Theo in his best possible mood first, as she’d planned.  “We’ll head back to my place?” Alice queried.  “And later tonight I might drive you home?”

Jen’s brow knitted but she only slightly frowned.  “Sure,” she conceded, with just a little pause.

Excellent.

* * *

Theo’s eyes got wide as saucers as Alice, clad in breathtaking dominatrix attire, turned the hot poker in the fire, inspecting it through the flicker glow.  They were in one of many areas on the upper floor of Veronica’s; this one was styled like a medieval dungeon, with chains and shackles on the stone walls and various devices of which he could only guess their purpose.  The fire, though, with metal pokers sticking in it, was obvious.

Alice laughed at his trembles and his futile attempts to break his chains.  She had him tied up on a St. Andrew’s cross – a personal favorite of hers.  And a good call, she thought, to strip him down to his boxer briefs first.  All the more effective, as she extracted the glowing red poker and let it dance inches above his chest.

“Holy--!” her adorable date blurted, squirming and staring at the poker like crazy.  “Alice!!  Y-You’re not actually--!!”

“Relaaaax, Theo.  It’s not a real fire; it’s only electric!  And, see, the poker just lights up for show.”

True, but… “I see steam coming off it!”

“Tsk… it’s kept at a reasonable heat, darling.  Not enough to burn.”

“Oh.  Um, well--”  The poker plunged into his left side … and a moment later: “Aiyeee!!!  Holy--!”  He bucked and swayed and tried to avoid it, but she pressed it again.  “Hot!!” he yelped, as the poker slid down his stomach, setting cascades of neurons firing in its wake.  “Holy FRACK, that’s hot!!”

“Well, that’s the point, tiny man!” teased his seductress.  “Save your voice, though. I haven’t reached the most sensitive regions yet.”

His reaction was priceless.  “Oh HELL no!!”  His eyes got wider and his flailing got worse the closer the poker got to his waistline.  “Oh, come on – PLEASE!!”

“Hmm, I would stop,” she lilted, “but I think you might actually be enjoying this.”  She drove the rod harder into his gut, just above the pelvic bone, and twirled it around.

Sweet Mary and Joseph!  “I do not!!”

“Don’t you, though?”

The damned thing just wouldn’t cool down!  “Aghh!!”

“Come on, now.  You love it when I have power over you.  Don’t you, you little--”

*BaDoop!*

She turned and, of all things, went to check her phone!  God, but she may be right about him: he was almost disappointed when the poker withdrew!

“That’s--!” he said haggardly.  “You don’t… You don’t have to—“

“Oh, hush, hon.  You know you get no say.”

Indeed he didn’t.  But… “Who is it?”

Alice paused.  Would it be too wrong to tell him?  Nah… what’s the harm?  “Just Jen -- she’s leaving my apartment and returning home.”

Theo coughed.  “Jen?”  His face went red.  Imagine what his daughter would think, if she were to see him now…

“Should we call her?” asked Alice, as if reading his mind.

“What!?”  Theo gasped.  “Hell no!!”

“Yeah,” she teased, “I think we should.”

“What in the--!?”  He almost went berserk, until he realized: “Oh.  Ha ha.  Very funny.  You won’t actually do it.”

He was right -- Alice had been bluffing.  But, now that he’d made a challenge out of it … she just couldn’t resist.  *Bbbrriing!  Bbbrriing!*

“Alice!!!”

“Shhhh,” she teased with a meaningful wink, just before Jen answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Jen!” said Alice cheerfully, setting the poker back in the fire.  “Sorry to ask, but did you remember to turn the oven off after dinner?”

“Oh.  Yeah, uh-huh.”

“And the stove?”

“Yep.”

“Great.  And … hmm …”  Theo was shaking his head wildly, silently mouthing the words ‘Hang up!  HANG UP!!’  Really, the man was doing all he could to egg her on!  “Just a sec, Jen.”  She pulled a different poker out -- good and hot, with healthy wisps of steam.

She could almost make out his hushed invectives, muddled with anxious yips as she waved the poker near him and he adorably bucked to get away.

“Um, Alice?” said Jen.

“Yes – I’m here.  I also just wanted to let you know, we’re still on our date so your father won’t be back for a little while.”  She pressed her finger to her lips; then, with a rush of excitement, pushed the metal rod momentarily to his chest.  Just a brief tap -- but enough to draw a half-stifled groan!

“What was that noise?” asked Jen.

 “Oh, nothing.”

“OK, but why are you calling instead of him?”

“He’s a bit tied up at the moment.”

Theo shot her an absolutely scandalized look, which she repaid with another delightful prod of the poker.  She couldn’t help herself: “Hey Theo, want to talk to her?” she called, as if asking across the room.

Total exasperation from Theo.  He shook his head and ground his teeth.

“He says he’ll talk to you tonight,” Alice interpreted.

“OK, yeah.  Whenever.  Just … no need to call me.”  The teen hung up quickly.

Alice laughed.  “I think she’s a little weirded out by us dating,” she said, strutting up to her man-toy.  “Good thing she doesn’t know the details, huh?”  The poker, cooling down, still had enough heat to make him squirm as she slid it down his leg.

“That was…” he began.  “You’re…”  He was clearly trying to admonish her.

“Aww, don’t begrudge me a little fun.  It’s not like I told her anything.”

“Alice,” he said, struggling to raise his voice, “i-if you ever do something like that again, I’ll … I’ll …”

“Shhhhh.” She leaned closer.  “You don’t have to act all macho with me.”  Tilted her torso toward him.  “I know you’re not really that upset.”

“But if Jen ever found out--!”

“I know, baby.  She won’t.  Here, let me help you forget all about it.”

His eyes went from flitting to her breasts, to being completely transfixed by them, as she squeezed her melons in front of his nose and jiggled them around.  A few moments of this, and his groans of disgruntlement soon morphed into groans of lust.

“These puppies’ll help you get back on track,” she hummed, tugging on the edge of her bra cups, bouncing them up and down.  “Just stare into them.  There you go…”

Oh my, his cock was twitching now.  She could see it so plainly, against his boxers.  “A-Alice?” the lust-filled man spoke.

“Yes?”

“I hate you,” he groaned, in the least-convincing way imaginable.  But soon he couldn’t even pretend anymore.  “Fuck!  I need you so bad …”

“Awww, glad to hear it, baby.”  She scooped forward and dragged her plump tits up along his stomach and ribs.  “But we’re not quite done here yet,” she whispered into his ear, giving him a rakish smile as she picked up the hot poker and pressed it to his inner thigh, just below his throbbing crotch.

* * *

Theo didn’t know what he’d done to deserve a woman like Alice.  He was still Theo Atwater, but come on.  He couldn’t help consider himself lucky.  Even Veronica’s was fun; and then, back at Alice’s apartment: man, she’d done this thing to him where she--

*Screech!*  His foot impulsively tapped the brakes as Jen’s car came into view in his driveway.  With tonight’s distractions, he hadn’t even thought about this.  The girl was so unbearably mercurial, prone to irrational fits of fury.  Remember Sunday, when she’d shoved him to the ground!?  No doubt she’d spent these last few days letting her rage grow and fester, plotting even more outrageous infractions!

Was he afraid as he quietly crept into the house?  No, no, don’t be absurd.  Just cautious, that’s all.  A hunter, stalking an adversary.  Crossing the darkened living room, he approached the sliver of light from her bedroom and tiptoed toward the cracked-open door.  Yes, she’d be bigger than on Sunday; maybe significantly so.  All the more reason to keep his wits and use the element of surprise to secure the upper hand.  Conciliation could come later, but first he needed to set the proper tone.  With a nervous breath he barged into her room and --

What?  The girl wasn’t here!  She must be hiding somewhere.  It’s a trap!!

His hackles rose to full alert as he spun around.  Only a fool would stay still and wait for the ambush.  His legs kicked into gear, driving a swift tactical retreat down the hall to regroup.  Suddenly the lights switched on, and—

*Bam!* -- a shoulder appeared out of nowhere to ram itself straight into his forehead!  Theo, the lighter of the two, got the brunt of the blow and stumbled two steps backward.

“Oh fuck!” the girl belted.  “Dad!”

She was tall!  Shoulders wider; arms thicker -- even her voice was different!  His daunting quarry took an aggressive step forward, and he reacted without thinking.  He’d been overpowered by women enough times this week to know: he didn’t stand a chance.  He’d never win a head-on engagement.  The element of surprise had failed and he broke into a full-on retreat, not looking where he was going …

His foot caught on the ottoman and he would’ve face-planted onto the hardwood floor, if two arms hadn’t hooked around his chest and stopped his fall.  He blinked at the ground beneath him then coughed in surprise as Jen, with a grunt, pulled him upright all on her own.

Before he could gawk or accuse or anything else, words poured from his tall daughter’s mouth in a torrent.  “Shit, Dad, I didn’t know you were here!!  I was just getting a snack and -- Oh god, why do I keep running into you?!  When I pushed you Sunday night it was a total accident and I’d just lost my best friend and I wasn’t myself and -- Look, I’ve been acting terrible lately and I’m REALLY sorry.”

Jen clamped her mouth shut and cringed.  Aghh!  She’d rehearsed her apologies so many times, but starting with a shoulder smack hadn’t exactly been part of the plan!  Oh geez -- he looked almost scared or something!  And super defensive: his shoulders hunched, his feet shuffling backward.  It made sense, given what she’d done on Sunday; plus, their size difference had just about doubled since then …

“Truce!” Jen blurted, stepping back and waving pacifying hands.  “I know a lotta stuff happened between us, and it’ll take time to sort it all out, but for now I just really want a truce so we can focus on the show!  It’s just the day after tomorrow and, I mean … is that cool with you??”

Theo couldn’t bring himself to loosen his stance.  He was far from invincible now, as this past week had convincingly shown.  Even his daughter could kick his ass, no doubt, if she so chose.  She could just be getting his guard down, to make the job easier.  *Shudder* … No, she seemed sincere about the crease-fire.  Or, he hoped she was.

What choice did he really have, in any case?  She must outweigh him by twenty, even thirty pounds … “I-I guess that would be fine,” he managed, in a properly gruff voice.  “For now.”  But he couldn’t help but keep his distance as he sidled around her toward the sink.

Jen sighed in relief.  This was the best she could’ve hoped for.  The very best.  “Cool.  So I’ll … see you around tomorrow?”

Dad shrugged.  “Whatever.”  He seemed really tense.  “Yeah.”

She bit her lip but chose to leave it there.  “OK… good night!”  With a short wave, she returned to her room.

“Yes, ma’am,” Theo murmured, a breathless smile on his lips.  “Ohhh yesss, ma’am ...”

He’d awoken with a dream fresh on his mind, one involving Alice and a myriad of ropes and various key parts of her body rubbing against him.  Her hand had been around his cock, too – so no surprise to find his own hand there when he woke up.

He saw no reason not to keep both going now – the dream, or the hand.  As f*%&ing horny as he was, he could have come within moments if he wanted.  But he much preferred to stretch this particular moment out, to let it last and--

*Creaaak*

“Shit!” he muttered, shuffling and scrambling with the sheets – for no real reason except surprise.  The door was locked, after all.  His daughter just had him so on edge since last night.

*Creaaak … Creaaak … Creaaak …*  Her footsteps receded down the hall.  Why had she walked so slowly by his door?  That girl was up to something; he just knew it!

Back to the task at hand.  He was still plenty hard, but … Grrrh … he couldn’t focus.  Jen kept popping up in his mind.  “Darn it!”  He put on some clothes, tried to conceal the tent in his shorts, and went to see what his daughter was scheming.  He wasn’t sold that this ‘truce’ was as real as she pretended.

Jen stopped tiptoeing once she’d left the hall, just trying not to wake up Dad.  She didn’t want to set him off and erase last night’s progress!  Picking at her shirt -- geez, she never knew boobs could make a shirt ride up like this! -- she made her way downstairs and got underway.

Huh … but there was surprisingly little weight on the squat bar.  Just 95 pounds total.  She hadn’t squatted so little in almost a week!  Her eyes shot to the chalkboard and -- “Daaaang.”  Dad had chalked in his results from yesterday, and they were down some twenty or thirty percent from last weekend!!  She felt a jolt of intrigue, then a twinge of mischief.  Dad wasn’t awake yet; he wouldn’t see.  She had to stoop to duck under the squat bar -- and as her legs straightened, she gasped in fascination.  The bar was SO light.

She rattled off a dozen squats and kept going, reaching twenty with ease.  The mild burn in her quads was more like an extended warmup than an actual workout.  Duuuude … This was all Dad could do?

In amusement, she added just twenty pounds more -- and still didn’t break a sweat!  For her next set she tacked on another twenty, but that was still too easy.  Only once she got to 155 did things finally get tough -- but still she cracked a grin as she fought through.  Good thing Dad weren’t here to see this, or he’d lose his shit!

Theo watched clandestinely from the top of the stairs, losing his shit indeed.  The knot in his stomach grew heavier with every plate Jen added to the bar.  Christ … she was HALF AGAIN as strong as him!!  Whereas they had been almost even strength just a few days ago…

*Clang!*  The sound of another bar hitting the rack jolted him into a startle.  Uhh … maybe he should go back upstairs, before she saw him.  He would pretend he was never here.  He -- Oh hell, she can’t possibly bench press THAT much!!  Like a bystander watching a ten-car pileup, he just couldn’t bring himself to look away.

* * *

Jen rubbed her hands together in thrill.  Six workouts down; and rather than wear her out, each one had energized her even more.  Her limbs pulsated not only with exciting strength but remarkable endurance too.  She’d planned on working out for an hour … but that might not be nearly enough.

“Huh?”  She could’ve sworn she’d heard the stairs creak again; but there was still no one there when she looked.  Maybe it was just Dad moving about the kitchen?  In any case, she’d beaten Dad’s mark handily, again -- a foregone conclusion, to the point that now she hardly glanced at the board and didn’t waste time chalking her own numbers.  She knew her own progress and was proud of her effort; what else really mattered?  Bridgette was right: she needn’t validate her efforts by comparing against him anymore. Damn, that was a nice change.

She dropped to the floor after her eighth pullup, stepped over her discarded shirt -- it’d gotten just too confining, once she’d worked up enough of a sweat -- and headed across the basement.  Plenty more workout ahead, but she could use another glass of water.  Reaching the foot of the stairs, she looked up … and was startled to find none other than Dad standing there at the top.

Theo coughed.  Shit!  He knew he shouldn’t have lingered by the stairs!  This was at least the fourth time he’d come back now.  Why did he feel the need to keep checking on her?  ‘Gathering intel’, he kept telling himself.  The more information you can gather on your enemy, the better.  Or, in truth, maybe he just couldn’t believe she was that strong, and his eyes kept needing more proof.  But then why had he just loitered here afterward…?

He hastily wiped the surprised look from his face and started down the steps, pretending he’d been heading down all along.  But halfway to the bottom, he began to regret it.  Good Christ, she looked athletic.  Very, very much so, especially since she’d taken that damned shirt off.  The way the light glistened off of her toned, sweat-slick torso …!

Oh crap – and she started up the stairs toward him.

“W-Wait!” he blurted, anxious to delay her ascent.

The tall girl paused on the first step.  “Huh?  Why?”  Her weight shifted, causing the light to reflect off her distressing contours and curves at all new angles.

He put one fist on his hip, then the other, unable to settle on a pose.  Finally he just let his arms fall to his sides.  “Uh … why are you working out?” he redirected, not knowing what else to say.  “You--” You are too big already!  “—You shouldn’t be lifting weights; the show’s tomorrow.  You’ll wear yourself out.”

Jen blinked.  For the first time ever, Dad’s scolding tone rolled right off her without a care.  She was just so energized from her workout; so ecstatic!  And Dad’s grumpiness seemed so … predictable.  Silly, almost.  Jen almost laughed at her own thought.  Silly! 

She floated a few steps up, to keep her voice quiet and calm.  “It’s the E.G.A.D. effect.  Women’s muscles recover a lot faster.  I’ve grown enough now that I can work out one day and be totally fresh for the next.”  Which was true, to an amazing degree.  Bridgette’s grueling workouts would’ve normally wiped Jen out for days.  But this morning she’d woken up feeling refreshed, renewed, peppy.  Each new day was like a clean slate; a brand new canvas for her to work on, all over again.

“That … well … you shouldn’t overdo it!”

Not long ago, his sharp tone would’ve driven a frightened shiver down her spine.  Which, today, felt almost laughable!  Especially with how his hands propped again on his slender frame, and how he stood even straighter to secure an even greater height advantage…

“Hey,” she redirected, feeling too amped up right now to beat around the bush, “if we’re gonna team up, we gotta, like, trust each other, right?  And not nag each other about how to work out?”

Oops.  Bridgette would’ve appreciated the bluntness … but of course Dad couldn’t handle it.  “’Nag’?!”  His eyes narrowed scaldingly, as if to frighten her.  

Her mouth curled in distaste.  He was sooo much more sensitive than Bridgette.  “You know what I meant.”

Dad’s hackles were raised, but he just couldn’t leave well enough alone.  “I don’t think I do, daughter.  You’ve still got a lot to learn from your old man.  A whole heck of a lot.”

OK, a crack was beginning to form in Jen’s patience.  “Fine, then join me,” she huffed.  So much for being impervious.

“Where?”

“On my next workout!”

He seemed to inch back.  “Uh…”

Losing the rest of her patience, she stepped up until she and Dad shared the same stair.  “If I’ve got so much to learn, then teach me.”

Theo froze.  Oh fuck.  Jen loomed a full head taller than him, her lithe neck and shoulders glistening, her breasts practically in his face.  And when her hand touched lightly to his chest, he nearly toppled off the stair like a leaf in the wind.

Christ!  She paused there only a moment before continuing on.  He could swear he saw a hard challenge in her eyes, maybe even a threat … but maybe he just imagined it.  Maybe he—

“Join me if you want,” she snipped, already at the top of the stairs looking down.  “Or not.  I don’t care.”

As she disappeared, his muscles relaxed in a shiver.  She had changed, these last few days.  And not just physically.  His days of cowing her with a single word or a glare: yes, that was a distant memory now.  You could almost say the tables had turned …

But that was ridiculous.  He was imagining it.  Remember how apologetic she was last night?  No, he could still gain the upper hand here.  He had to, if he was to lead their team on the big stage just one day from now.  He could do it, but he needed a solid plan.  Some concrete way to secure things in his favor.

Well, for starters, he needed to take Jen up on her offer.  He couldn’t have her thinking he was scared to work out with her, for god’s sake.  Even if that was perhaps the last thing he actually wanted to do.

By the time he quit dawdling on the stairs, he heard the front door swing shut.  He caught a glimpse of Jen out the window, with the same skimpy outfit but now with running shoes on.  Running?  Crap.  … Although, then again, that might be just the thing.  You know what?  It’d be perfect.

Jen was feeling calmer again.  What would Bridgette say, seeing her lose her cool like that?  Granted, she hadn’t gotten shrill like she would’ve in the past, but …

*crunch crunch crunch…* She heard footsteps on the leaves, behind her.  Her lips thinned.  Honestly, she’d looked forward to running alone, without Dad around.  But she had offered, though.  Looking back, she saw him walking fast, his shorter legs struggling to even keep pace with her, much less gain ground.  By way of an olive branch, she slowed her strides and waited for him appear at her side.

“Back there, on the stairs,” she started ruefully, working up toward an apology, “I—”

“Forget it.”

Huh?  Dad wanted to let something go?

“Let’s move on,” Theo added, rubbing his hands.  Actually, he was pretty psyched for what was ahead.  “Jogging?” he asked.

Good.  He feigned a snort.  “Hardly what I’d call a ‘workout’.  More like wimpy ‘exercise’.”

Jen furrowed her brow.  A few strides later: “But you know cardio’s important, right?  Like, the most important thing for guys on the show?”

“Hmph.  Is it, though?”

She jerked to a halt, her blood rising.  “Dad … yes!  Of course it is!”

“Oh, sure, and I suppose weightlifting’s only for girls then.”

What?  “Well … yeah!  That’s literally how Mighty and Mouse is designed!  I’m not saying you can’t weightlift too, but I’m the only one it really benefits!”

Dad stared at her blankly, like this was news to him!  What?!  “Girls on the show need strength, power, and speed, agility, stamina.  Guys really only need those last three!  You’ve … you’ve seen the show, right?  Please tell me you’ve—you’ve—”

Dad barked a laugh, his mouth going crooked.  “I’m just shitting you, geez.  I’m not blind.  Obviously I know cardio’s important.”

Oh thank god.

Theo walked a few more steps, then inwardly smiled.  “I’ve even run a little bit on the treadmill, this week.”

“You have?”  Jen jerked her eyes to him hopefully.  “Just a little?  Or…?”  She hesitated.  “Ermm, well, every little bit helps.”

Ha!  She totally bought it.  She probably thought he just stepped onto a treadmill once or twice and called it good.  When in fact he’d actually been doing insane amounts of cardio all week, at ludicrous intensity.  All thanks to Lola, of course; but what matters is he was wayyyyy more in shape than he’d been even a week ago.  And far better in shape than Jen would believe.

And now, the next phase of his plan.  “Funny,” he remarked, strolling along, “most people would’ve added other skills to the list.  Such as … listening skills.  And leadership.  That’s what they say, right?”

He saw his tall daughter stiffen momentarily, looking over at him as they walked.  “Uhh … yeah.  ‘Where girls lead, and guys listen’.  That’s what it says in the intro.”

“Hmph,” he noncommittally replied.

He felt her eyes staring at him.  “You’re cool with that, right?” she asked slowly, as if afraid of his response.  “I mean … the women have to take charge.  The whole show is set up so the guys have to rely on them.”

“Oh, I’m well aware of that,” assured Theo, taking the next few steps in silence.  “And of course I’ll do everything it takes to win.”

He heard her exhale in relief.  Ha!  She had no idea what he really meant by that.  But she’d find out real soon.

They crossed the grass and approached the track.  “How far should we run?” Theo asked, as if he hadn’t planned this whole thing out already.  “One lap?”

The look on her face was priceless.  “One?  But that’s just a quarter mile!”

“Oh, is it?” he feigned, looking across the track then shrugging.  “We’ll call it a warmup.  I don’t wanna run too far, right off the bat.”

He watched Jen’s mouth curl again in a frown.  He knew what she was thinking, of course.  She was on the Track team at her school, specializing in Cross Country.  She jogged every day, sometimes twice a day; and, if he had to guess, probably a couple miles each time or more.  She was ludicrously fit, by most people’s standards.  To her, a single lap probably seemed like nothing at all.  “Umm…” But she nodded diffidently and sighed.  “I mean … sure.  To start out.”

He kept a smug smile to himself as he did a couple of token stretches, acting like he was stiff as a board.  But in truth, he was more limber now than he’d ever been in his life.  His recent slimming had helped; but also, here, Lola was to thank for it.  That woman had made him stretch so hard each day, it was almost a whole workout on its own.  She could sweat him with just a simple stare, till he couldn’t stretch any farther.  And then she would go and press a finger to his heel – just one – and make his hamstring cry out in nervous protest … God damn, it was a good thing she was careful with her strength, that’s all he can say.  *shudder* But he’d be lying if he didn’t admit he kind of liked that part, too.  Which… you know, it really--

“Dad?”

“Huh?”  He snapped out of it, realizing he must’ve been holding this same arm stretch for almost a full minute.  “Umm…”  Blushing, feeling his heart still fluttering, he switched to the other arm and …

Oh fuck.  His eyes wandered to the wrong place at the wrong time: Jen, doing her own stretches, happened to lunge forward in his direction just then; a deep, deep lunge which … cripes … presented far more cleavage, more jiggly tit flesh than he’d ever wanted to see from his own daughter!  

Effing hell!  He reaallllly should’ve made her put that damned shirt back on before she left the house!  At least her skin wasn’t glistening anymore, no longer sweaty.  He—dammit, he shouldn’t even be thinking about this at all.

“One lap,” he repeated, refocusing himself as they stepped up to the starting line.  “Now, don’t bother staying at my side.  Go at whatever speed you’d normally run at, so we’re both good and warmed up.”

The tall and far too scantily clad girl gave a quizzical look but shrugged.  “Umm, OK.”

“Ready when you are.  Feel free to lead the way …”  He added slyly, under his breath: “for now.”

Whatever Dad had just muttered, Jen ignored it.

“Ready …”

She readied her stopwatch and braced her legs.

“… Set … Go!”

Well, she took off at an easy pace.  He’d said she could run ahead; but, knowing him, that’d only piss him off.  So yeah, a nice, slowww, leisurely jog …

Which, impossibly, he still couldn’t match.

The fuck?  She couldn’t go any slower than this and still maintain a jog!  She could power walk faster than him!  When she looked back bewilderedly, her casually-jogging Dad put up his hands and said, “Don’t want to pull a muscle here!”

But that’s what stretches were for…

“You go on ahead.”

Fuck.  Well, she had no choice, did she?  Even her stilted, janky strides were pulling her steadily ahead of him.  She increased her speed just a hair, to at least get a bit of rhythm in her gait.  Before they reached the end of the first straightaway, the light pitter-patter of his feet was already fading away.

“Alright … go-time!” he called, going into the curve; and, thank god, his footsteps drew closer.  Jen looked back and saw a stupid grin on his face, like he actually thought he was running fast ...

“Whew!” he exclaimed, finally drawing even with her and—Jesus, he was already breathing hard?  “We’re goin’ now, huh?”

She didn’t comment.  She just jogged easily along, still at Dad’s side coming into the next straightaway, and …

And he again started flagging behind.  Already.

“Dang!  … You’d … better …”

He couldn’t even complete his sentence.  This was nuts!  As she looked back, his floppy, flailing gait only seemed to get worse.  And he’d said he’d hit the treadmill this week!  Ughh!  This was pathetic!

“Savin’ some … in … the tank,” he panted, “for … what’s … next …”

‘Next’?  Impatiently she shook her head and picked up the pace, leaving him in the dust.

Jen’s clear frustration brought a grin to Theo’s face.  Oh yes: she was falling for it hook, line, and sinker.  She actually thought he was gassed!  Maybe the old Theo would be by now; but after the most grueling week of exercise imaginable, Theo was hardly even breathing hard in truth!  The gasping for breath and flailing his limbs was all for show.  Now he settled back into his comfortable jog, totally in control, content—nay, delighted—when Jen zoomed farther and farther ahead.  At that quick speed, she was clearly taking this seriously indeed, and – unbeknownst to her – shooting herself in the leg in the process.  A very long leg, by the way, which … actually … OK, she may have looked a bit stilted before, but now at this speed she moved – no, flowed – down the track with remarkable grace.  She could’ve been the runner in a fitness commercial, gliding over the asphalt, her calves and hamstrings and glutes all firing in rhythmic succession and—

Dude.  STOP.  He looked away, feeling embarrassed.

But no matter.  He took his sweet time finishing the lap, even walking the last few feet with hands on his hips and plenty of huffing and puffing for show.  “Damn,” he convincingly wheezed, bending partway to the ground – and hiding another grin--“you gotta … gimme … a minute …”

By the time he straightened, Jen looked decidedly nonplussed.  A slight sheen of sweat coated her body again; her distressing chest rose and fell not too slowly.   She was at least a little winded.  Good.

“Two minutes, twenty-three seconds,” she reported, having stopped her watch just when he’d crossed the line.

“And you?”

“Two minutes and one second.”

“Geez,” he began, fanning his face, “that’s fast.  there’s a contentious issue I was gonna bring up, and it seemed like the best way to settle it would be a race … but it looks like I can’t even come close to beating you straight-up.  Damn … too bad …”

Jen slowly turned her head.  Ugh.  “I don’t even care,” she resisted.  “Can we just run?”

His lips pursed so annoyingly.  “Well, we could … but if we don’t sort this now, we’re going to spend all day arguing tomorrow – when, as you said, we really need to be getting along.”

She couldn’t freakin’ help it.  “Just say it,” she groaned.

“Well,” he said quite peppily, recovering oddly fast from his fatigue, “it’s about our team – but you have to promise not to start a fight when I say it.”

“What is it?”

“Promise, Jen.”

She grunted.  “Fiiiine.  I promise.”

He breathed deep, seeming relieved.  “I think you’re wrong about the show.  I don’t think the girl has to lead the team at all.  I think the man can lead just fine.”

Jen stared at him as if he’d just said the sky was green, or that the earth was flat.  “… What?”

“I know it sounds surprising.”

“No, it sounds nuts!  I--”

“You agreed not to fight.  Just hear me out.”

Jen ran a distressed hand through her hair and felt sick to her stomach as she let her dad explain.  “See, on this show, everyone just assumes the girl should call all the shots and the guy should just do what she says.  But of course it works that way, because all the girls they put on the show are cocky and arrogant, and all the guys are little beta wimps!  Obviously they’re going to knuckle under and obey the girl; that’s just how they are!  And obviously that’s not going to work for us, because we’re as far from the typical mold as you can possibly g—"

“No!  It’s not about personality; it’s how the show is designed!  Usually the women are shown everything of what’s going on; and the guys are just running blind, or doing one small part of the bigger picture.”

“Pfft.  Righhht.  As if the guys can’t handle anything more.”

“It’s just not their role on the show, that’s why!”

“Well, it sounds like plain ol’ reverse sexism to me.  I’m telling you, if you watch the show with an open mind, without all those simplistic preconceptions, you’ll see that it can actually work – nine times out of ten, if not more.”

Jen was aghast.  To anyone who’d watched even five minutes of the show, this was just … freaking … absurd!  “You—”

“Utt utt!  You have your opinion, and I have mine.”

“But yours is wr—"

“Hey, arguing about it won’t change a thing.  The way I see it, there’s only one solution: we race for it.  Winner gets to call all the shots tomorrow.  Loser has to swallow her pride and do what the winner says.”

In a moment of clarity, Jen could see it all.  Turn down the bet, and no amount of arguing would change his mind.  Their team would fail tomorrow in spectacular fashion, and that’s all there was to it.  Win the bet, and maybe they’d stand half a chance of getting through the show.  Lose the bet and, well, at least she’ll have tried.

“You’re on.  Let’s go.”  With a steely glare and frantic butterflies in her chest, she went to the start line and dug in her feet.

The rapid turnabout caught Theo off-guard.  “Oh!  Whoa there, um … we gotta discuss my handicap.”

Jen grated her teeth.  She should’ve known!  “Handicap?”

“Of course!  You’d crush me in a straight-up race.  Where’s the fairness in that?  I’m thinking—”

“One minute head start,” she belted without delay.

Geez -- she’d really fired that off in a flash.  “Umm … uh …” He thought fast.  “You beat me by more than twenty seconds on one lap.  Over four laps, that’s … like … a minute and a half.  I should at least get--”

“Oh, c’mon, you fucking staged it!”

He jerked backward.  Oh shit.  “You knew?”  He coughed.  “I-I mean … no, I didn’t!”  Smooth move, Ex-Lax.  “Well, you didn’t run your fastest either!”

“Yeah, ‘cuz you called it a warm-up.”

Crap.  “Well … still … I should get a minute and a half.”

Jen set her jaw.  Her eyes burned with impatience, and maybe anger.  “Fine,” she huffed, to his great surprise.

Really?  Goddamn!!  Although … the way she crossed her arms – those long, muscled arms – and shook her even more impressive legs, loosening them up, looking … daunting …

Had she agreed too quickly?  Did she know something he didn’t?  A knot formed in his throat.  “Two minutes,” he blurted, and her head whipped around.  He blushed.  “Umm … you’re better at long distance than me,” he reasoned, “so we should probably adjust it … accordingly …”

Jen fumed.  She wanted to argue … but she was so mad, she could hardly think straight, much less reason with him.  How could he possibly want to sabotage the show!?!  “Two minutes!” she all but roared, setting her watch and giving him room.  “Fine, just go already!”

Holy shit.  Theo couldn’t believe his luck.  That was the single stupidest decision Jen had ever made!  Sure, there could be some microcosmic chance of him still losing with a minute and a half head start … but two minutes?  No … effing … way.  Geez – she still had no idea how incredibly in-shape he really was.

“Ready when you are,” he quipped, not even hiding a smirk anymore as he braced at the line.

Jen’s mouth stayed curled in a frown.  “Go.”

Oh, if only he had eyes in the back of his head, to see the surely stunned look on his daughter’s face as he dashed off the line.  He freaking soared.  No more half-assed, ten minute pace this time.  As Lola had proved, he could finish in eight minutes if he really, really tried.  Hell, even Jen had run an eight minute pace, last lap.  So maybe at top speed she runs it in seven; big whoop.  This two-minute buffer was freaking laughable!

He waited till after the first bend to look Jen’s way.  Hmph… well, it was too far away to see if she looked panicked.  But surely she was.  Boy, he could just imagine the chill running down her spine as she realized the full extent of how she’d been played.  He knew he should stick to a steady two minute lap, but greedily he picked up the pace even more, sprinting around the second bend, in order to crush her hopes to smithereens by finishing more than one whole lap before she even began.

“Time?” he called, between healthy fast breaths, as he drew near.

“One fifty,” she said flatly, as he flitted past the starting line.  She … well, she didn’t sound or look worried, but …

“Two minutes!”  Her voice belted through the air, and … and he could already hear footsteps.  Rapid footsteps.  And closing fast.

“Holy--!” he yelped.  “What in the--!!”  Jen blitzed past him in what seemed almost a blur.  Suddenly he felt like he was running in slow motion – she was on an absolute tear!  If she’d been gliding before, she was completely flying now.  Her feet hardly seemed to touch the ground!

A chill went down his spine … and that’s when he realized he’d been played.  By her.

“No,” he barked, staving off despair.  She was already some twenty feet ahead by the time he entered the bend; and thirty, maybe forty feet by the time he reached the straightaway.  But she was showing off, or trying to demoralize him.  No way could she keep sprinting forever.  If she did, he was in trouble; but otherwise …

Oh hell.  He drove his feet even faster.

Through the second lap, into the third, not even Lola could’ve motivated him this much.  Jen just kept pulling away!  At least, partway through lap three, she had left his vision.  He needn’t stare at her soaring, half-naked form any longer.  But as he started lap four, it began to feel quiet … too quiet.  It was no longer a matter of how far ahead was she, but how close behind.  He tried to steady his ragged breaths and lighten his plodding steps, listening for any sound of Jen’s shoes drilling the pavement behind him.  Still nothing … Still nothing … 

God, how close was she!?  How …

*…thump thump…*

… close …

*… thump thump thump thump… *

“Fuck!”  Just one final bend to go, but Jen was hardly a hundred feet behind!  He almost tripped on his shaky feet in the act of looking back.  His strides pounded in desperation; he ignored his pain.  Even Lola would be proud now!  But … But …

“Fuuuuck!”  He looked back halfway through the bend – and she was hardly fifty feet behind!  He flopped along in panic, wasting all kinds of energy, all while Jen surged along with the flawless precision of a goddamned Terminator bearing down on his heels!  *Thump Thump Thump*--the footsteps rang in his ears, as the finish line drew close, and—

“Yaghh!”  As the first flash of black leggings and sky-blue bra appeared to his right, he swerved like a madman right into her, flailing his arms, grabbing whatever he freaking could!

“Hey!!” a panting Jen yelped.  “What … the …!!”  

*Pow!*  Her hip checked solidly into his waist.  He careered to the side but somehow recovered, came at her again …

“Don’t!” the glistening teen yelled.  “Dude, DON’T!”

Whether it was her hip this time, or her arms, or both, he couldn’t tell.  All he knew was that his world went spinning, his limbs tumbling; and when he finally came to a halt he was face down in the grass, five feet from the track, his legs twisted and his arm pinned beneath his back.

He angled his head just in time to see her foot land on the finish line, ten yards away.  She came to a stop … turned … and began stalking toward him.  Fists curled.  Eyes ablaze.

Fuck!  He only just got his legs and arms straightened, by the time her shoes crumpled the grass near his head.  Another shiver wracked his spine as his eyes swept up two towering legs, an elongated torso, and a hard sneer just visible over rapidly heaving breasts.

“Are … you … KIDDING … me?!” she practically roared, her fists tightening, her knuckles cracking.  “You can’t even play a little fair!?!”

His hands were already above his head, shielding himself nervously, by the time he realized and put them down.  “I … I …”

“Well, I won.  Will you at least hold up the bet??”

“Urmm … I … I mean …”

“Dad!  I swear to god!  I’ll—”

“Yes!” he yelped, afraid to even hear what she’d do.  “O-OK!  We’ll … do it … your way!” he wheezed, finding his breath.

She threw her hands up.  “It’s not my way; it’s the way!  … I can’t even!”  At least stepped back now, and seemed exasperated more than furious.  “Do whatever you want.  I’m going to keep running.  I’ll … we’ll … What time do we have to be at the studio?”

His dry throat gulped.  “Seven,” he croaked.

“Fine.”  She gritted her teeth.  “We’ll leave at quarter to five!”

Her powerful legs took off down the track, leaving him stunned.  Did she just give an order?  Was she acting in charge, already?  A whole day before the show?

Holy crud.  He didn’t know what to make of that – but he knew he didn’t want to stick around here.  By the time her long strides had looped her back to this spot, Theo was well on the way back to the house, to recover and regroup.

Theo managed to avoid Jen through the afternoon.  What else was he supposed to do?  He couldn’t complain to Alice; he’d sound like a wimp.  He couldn’t back out of the show – that’d be even worse.  And Lola … she’d probably just laugh at him and say it was his own darned fault.  Which … might not be completely inaccurate.

He would not take orders from Jen on national TV, though.  He simply would not!  He’d just have to figure out what to do about that when the time came.

Jen left home in a different sports bra that afternoon, and came back sweaty.  Again?  He stuck to the shadows as she tromped through and went into her bathroom for a shower.  It took him a moment to realize he was squeezing the TV remote till his knuckles went white.  Dammit.  All this stress.  He needed to unwind.

And what better way, than to pay a special someone a visit.  “Well, this is a nice surprise,” his lover hummed, as she answered his call.

He wasted no time.  “What are you doing right now?” he asked, his tone manful; insinuating; direct.

She gave her signature sexy laugh.  “Why ever do you ask?”

“We’ll meet up somewhere,” he declared huskily, quickly stepping out the back door and shutting it behind him.  “And I’m going to hump your fucking brains out.”

“Mmmm!!  But don’t you mean the other way around?”

Well, yeah, she’d been the one taking him for a ride last night, more than the other way around.  At times it’d felt like he was hanging on for dear life …

“However you want it, babe,” his gravelly voice replied, “just tell me when, and where.  But soon!”

“Poor little man … I’ve really got you wrapped around my finger, don’t I?”

Every syllable from her voice made his cock twitch and grow harder.  “Whatever you say,” he conceded.  Why deny it?

“I like the sound of that.  Mmmhmm… you want to meet this afternoon, don’t you?”

“Hell yes!” he hissed.

“The sooner the better, right?”

“Yesss!”  He held nothing back.  “I’m aching for it!”

“Mmm… understood.  And that sounds lovely.  But first, do something for me.”

“What?”

“Take your right hand.  Wave it in the air.”

“Huh?  Um… OK.”  He looked around; no one was watching.  He did as asked.

“Now slide that hand down under your belt…”

He coughed.  “Do what?”

“I thought you said you’d do whatever I tell you.”

“I-I … yeah, but …”  He shivered and looked around again.  He was out of sight of any windows; and no one was likely to see him, what with the fence and the trees in the back yard, but still…

“Do it, little man.”

*Gulp*  “O-OK,” he said nervously, breathlessly.  Naughty -- and so damned thrilling.

“Now grab that nice little cock of yours and start to stroke.”

He wheezed.  “I can’t!!”

“Behaaave yourself.”

This is crazy!  But his excitement was too strong.  He grabbed hold of his painfully hard erection and began to rub.

“Awwww, you’re panting already,” Alice hummed.  “Keep the receiver right by your mouth … That’s good!  Now: up … down … up … down …”

Theo groaned.  This was so wholly new, unlike anything he’d done before.  He found himself following along, moving his hand precisely as she said.  And yet: “… up … down …” -- the slow pace was agonizing!

“Faster, dammit!” he hissed.

“Oooh… don’t disobey, hon.  I make the rules.”

Aghhh… damn her, but the command only thrilled him more.  It tested his resolve to the brink, but he kept the terrible-yet-wonderful slow speed.

“I suspect my little man is already close to cumming, isn’t he?”

A shameful groan was his only reply.

“Mmhmm, that’s what I thought.  Up, down … a little faster … up down …”

What? “I don’t… urghhh… want to spoil … myself!”

“Noooo, we certainly don’t want that.  Faster: up down up down…”

“But… But…”  

“Ohhh, you sound close now.” --Yeah, no shit!!-- “Ooookay, cool it now.  Uuuupp …… Doooown …”

He groaned but followed her lead.  

“Now, you’re really gonna hate this next part …”

“Wh-Why?” he wheezed, slumping back against the house and staving off his orgasm with all he could.

“I’m already in Mayville, Theo.  I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait.”

“What!?!”

“Shhh … keep stroking … but don’t cum!”

“I…I’m so fucking horny!!” he complained, with terrible urgency.

“I’m so sorry, hon,” she teased.  Such an agonizing tease!!  “But we’ll find time tonight.  I promise.”

“I-I can’t wait that long!!”

“Ha!  But you will.  You do every little thing that I say.  Now, you haven’t stopped stroking, have you?  Up … down…”

“Alice!!”

“UP!…” she commanded.  “DOWN!...”

Aghh!!

“UP … DOWN …”

Such agony!!

“Aaaaaand … STOP!  Hands, OFF!”

Fuck!!!  It was the hardest thing he ever did, but he yanked his hands free.

“Do NOT touch yourself, little man -- not for the rest of the day!  Your pecker is off-limits until I get a hold of it.”

He rolled his head, slumped further.  This aching!!  “Y-You can’t--!!”

“Yes, I can!  And I am.  Be a good boy and I’ll see you tonight.”  The sound of a wet, juicy kiss filled his ear, then the line went dead.

He slumped and slid down the wall.  “Fuuuuuck!!”

* * *

Theo left the house quickly after that.  Shopping was a good excuse.  He needed new clothes that fit him anyway.  Jen suggested she might do the same; indeed, her blouse today was way too freaking tight.  You could almost see the outline of her -- Ugh, let’s not get into that.  “Go,” he said hastily.  “Pick anything you want.  Just as long as it fits!”  For Christ’s sake!

Alice.  He couldn’t get her out of his mind the whole time he was away.  She’d dug herself deep into his mind, and tonight couldn’t come soon enough!  He was almost too distracted to notice the fancy white SUV with chrome trim parked next to his driveway as he pulled up.  A neighbor’s visitor?  He would’ve brushed it aside … except that his front door was slightly ajar.

Clearing his throat, he pushed his way inside -- and just about had a heart attack.  “Holy hell!” he hissed, as his eyes came across the last person in the world he wanted to see right now.  The She-Devil herself.  Elaine.

There his ex stood, and she was imposing.  There was no other way to say it.  She was every bit of six foot three, her voluptuous curves wrapped tight in a thigh-length gray dress … and good god, he felt small even before she whipped her cinnamon brown hair around and settled her piercing glare down on him.  For, while she hadn’t grown an inch since they’d last seen each other, he’d lost three or even four.  And the wry grin spreading across her lips told him that she recognized this, too.  “Why, hello Theo,” she resonantly hummed.

He didn’t want to step one foot closer; but he had to, to get through the door.  “Wh… What the hell are you doing here?”  Hopefully it didn’t sound too shaky…

“That’s not much of a greeting, now, is it?”

“I…“

He didn’t get a chance to finish, as her crisp swivel and confident advance closed the distance all too fast.  Her smirk grew to a full-mouthed smile, so high above his head.  Not merely a foot of height difference between them -- it must be sixteen inches, in those heels.  Her breasts, right at his eye level, were at least a match for Alice’s; but her arms were thicker, her hips and shoulders so freaking broad.

“Ahem.”

He jerked his eyes up again.  “What?”

“You’re in my way.”

Apparently he reacted too slowly for her liking.  A simple push on his chest from her palm sent him stumbling sideways, clear of her path.  She didn’t even seem to exert any effort in the process, as her legs thumped on by.

Jesus!  “I-I …!   You can’t just …!”  His hands balled into fists as he warily trailed after her.  “How did you get in here?!”

Her brow quirked at him, over her shoulder.  “I still have a key, of course.”

Oh.  Duh.  “Well … but … G-Get the hell out of my house!  Until I say you can come back!”

Now her head cocked.  She spun and faced him, lips pursed.  “Is that really how you want to play this, little man?”

His jaw dropped.  “I’m not a ‘little man’!  I--“

“Hmph.  You’re right.  I suppose calling you a ‘man’ now is too generous.”  Before he could protest, she strode and bent and suddenly filled his vision with her wryly mocking face and her flowing hair.  “Quiet,” she quipped.  “I’m sick of your complaining, you little twit.  Do what’s best for you and keep your mouth shut -- or I’ll shut it for you.”

WHAT?!  The air rushed from his lungs.  He was a grown man -- with rights!!  “Y-You wouldn’t dare t--Aghh!”  When her body jerked without warning, he lost his balance and toppled to the floor.  She’d probably only meant to make him flinch, too.  Her smile grew positively snide, derisive.

“Damn, that felt good,” she openly mocked.  “And to think I used to walk on eggshells around you, once.”  Her snort cut through the air as she turned back to the kitchen counter.  “So fucking glad our relationship’s behind us.”  The side of her mouth quirked.  “Donovan says hi, by the way.”

Theo was back on his feet again, his hands into fists, his cheeks reddening.

“He had a few choice words for you last night … while he was humping my brains out, in fact.”

Theo’s muscles quivered.  His jaw worked up and down, but no words came out.

“He finds it quite amusing, that I used to date a shrimp.”

Rgghh!!  This was agonizing!  “Why are you here, Elaine?!” he barked, as strong as he could -- while maintaining a careful distance.

“I’ll be out of here soon enough,” she replied in a satisfied hum.  “Just a few more boxes.”

Having focused on her, he hadn’t paid attention to the items strewn on the counter -- Elaine’s belongings, being sorted and packed.

“Well … hurry the hell up,” he blustered, feeling helpless.

Her head cocked; a light bulb seemed to turn on in hear head.  “Want me out of your hair even faster?”  Before he could nod, she hefted one box, frowned, then swapped it for one a little bulkier.  She seemed to carry it to him with relative ease, but …

“Oomph!”  He barely held on, as the leaden weight crushed down on his waiting arms.  He staggered, his back hunching.  “Wh-What’s in here, bricks?” he wheezed, red-faced.

“Hardly, little man.  Can you not even handle it?”

“Rrrff…. I-I …”  He couldn’t just admit defeat -- but he couldn’t afford to tarry, either.

“Be a good Sherpa, now.”  She gave a curt wave, the way she might dismiss a lowly intern at her work.  “My trunk’s unlocked.”

With a smoldering grunt, he hastened out of the house.  She’d turned her back again anyway; she didn’t see him stopping halfway, propping the box against a tree, panting.  Setting the box by the car, opening the trunk, then arduously lifting it in.

“Two more boxes ready,” said Elaine with another offhanded wave, not even turning around.  He was not just some errand-boy!  But he did want her gone, immediately, so …

After another trip, and another, he noticed what she was pulling from the cupboard.  “Hey!” he exclaimed, winded.  “Those are my wine glasses!”

“Oh, are they?”

He marched up to her.  He couldn’t just let her take them.  “You know damned well they are.”  Snatching a glass from the box, he reached for the top shelf and, um …

“Are you too short for your own cupboards, Theo?” her fake-sweet voice hummed.

Damn it!  “No, I’m--“

“It is your own fault, you know.  You chose to take part in that preposterous game show.”

His teeth bared.  “I won’t have you lecture m--”  

Oh crap.  As soon as she plucked the glass from his grip, her hip collided with his shoulder, sliding him helplessly along the counter.  It was a trap – she’d suckered him into this corner on purpose!  And now, as she supposedly focused on putting the glass back in place, her hips hemmed him in on both sides, her torso -- her tits – doing more than simply invading his personal space.  He was being sandwiched; smothered!

“Is this where they were?” she fussed, sliding the bowls here then there, pressing into him even harder …

“Dammit, stop!”

“Oh, hush.  We’re way past you giving orders to me.”  She stopped messing with the bowls -- then took his shoulder and peeled it around, to have him face her.  She had his chest pinned now.  He had to arch way back just to keep his nose out of her breasts!

“Eyes up here, Theo.”  She had the gall to put her hand under his jaw and tilt his chin!  “I know you still have the hots for me; and I know this week must’ve been hard for you, being deprived of a woman’s touch; but do try to focus.”

“I-I had a woman’s touch!”  He set his jaw and tried not to squirm!

“That’s cute, Theo.  But no, you did not.  See, you’re just too small.  No woman’s ever going to want you now.  Sorry, but you’ll just have to face it.”

“I have a girlfriend!”

His defiance earned him an even tighter squeeze on his jaw as she laughed at him, straight down.  “Nice try.  We both know: if I offered to bring you back into my life, no matter in what capacity, you’d say yes.  In a heartbeat.  You wouldn’t be man enough to say no.  But I’m here to give some closure and let you know: that’ll never, ever, ever happen, Theo.  I’ve moved on.  Enjoy the view while it lasts -- because you and I are done.”

As he stood there, pinned and overcome, it occurred to him that she’d have been right.  He would’ve wanted back into her life.  Even if it was just to go down on her or, damn it, maybe even just to have her around.  To admire the views.  Because, if it weren’t for Alice, Elaine just might still be the best he could get.

But Elaine seemed to catch the resoluteness in his gaze, the strengthening of his upper lip.  “You’re serious, aren’t you?” she observed, after a few moments of study.  “You have found someone else.”

His eyes narrowed in defiance.  “Alice,” he affirmed.

Elaine blinked in surprise.  “That trollop,” she scoffed aloud, releasing his jaw and scornfully rolling her eyes.  “I suppose there’s no accounting for taste.”  Straightening her dress, Elaine gave him some breathing room again.  “I can’t imagine what she sees in you, but no matter.”

His ex-girlfriend resumed packing her things.  Theo slipped past her just as soon as he could -- he did not want to still be there if she changed her mind.  Now that she felt no more attachment to him, she seemed to actively enjoy rubbing it in and making him squirm.  There was something reckless about her, in her eyes …

Her foot crisply tapped the floor.  “Did I say you were finished helping?”  Her demanding gaze bored into him as her finger pointed to the packed-up boxes.

His blood froze.  He was halfway across the kitchen, but the door was behind her.  She could easily catch him, if she so chose.  Could he risk testing her patience?  How far was she willing to take this change of roles …?

“Y… You can do them yourself,” he braved, spinning and marching the other way toward his bedroom, so it didn’t look like he was fleeing.

“Pff!  Now he grows a spine.”

He slammed his bedroom door shut, not giving in to her goading.  He thumbed the phone in his pocket, wondering if he should call Alice.  Or Lola.  Just in case.

But his fears were unfounded.  “No last goodbye for your ex?” Elaine taunted, some minutes later.  He filtered out of his room to find her at the front door, her hair brushing against the top of the doorframe and the last box propped in her arm.

“Bye,” he said, with a touch of heat.

Her lips wrinkled in amusement.  “It might not be the last you’ll see of me, in fact,” she divulged.  “Something came up amidst my business dealings at work and, well, you might be just the perfect helper for this particular task.”

Huh?  “I’m not helping you with a damned thing,” he growled, from a safe twenty feet away.

“We’ll see about that.”  The last thing he saw was her tight, round ass gliding through the door, and a flash of stockinged leg and heels.

He heard her car drive away.  He breathed a sigh of relief … until, not two minutes later, engine noises returned.  “Shit!”  Elaine was back?  Hearing the car door slam shut and footsteps approach, he faced away and pretended to busy himself at the kitchen counter, shuffling plates around.

His teeth grinded at the thud of the front door and the familiar sound of high heels.  *Click … clack … click …*  Approaching him.  Slowing …

“Back already?” he intoned, forcing his voice smooth as the plates quivered under his white-knuckled grip.  “What do you want??”

An angst-inducing pause.  Then … a voice which wasn’t Elaine’s at all.  “You’re going to complain at my outfit, so we should just get it out of the way now.”

“Jen!” he hissed.  Not Elaine!  But … wait.  “What outfit?”

Clearly, her silence meant that she was wearing it right now.  He started to turn … but realized he’d rather not.

“Just look at it.  C’mon.”

His blood went up.  Another order?!  Now he really didn’t want to.  “Oh, I’m sure it’s tooootally age-appropriate,” he said snidely.

“Ugh!”  She stood behind him silently, making the hairs on the back of his neck rise.  “So you’re not going to order me to change or anything?”

“Me?” he mocked.  “Now why would I do that?  I thought you were the big boss now.”

She picked up on his sarcasm, alright.  Her loud huff and excessive stomping confirmed it as she went away.  Or was that just the natural loudness of her high heels?  He finally looked back over his shoulder and …

Oh my god.

* * *

Just an hour into the drive, and Theo’s teeth were aching from all the clenching.  He may get blisters on his hands, with how tight he’d been gripping the steering wheel.  Of all his mistakes today, not making Jen change her outfit was possibly the worst.

Oh, he tried not to look her way.  He really tried.  But every time he turned right, or merged into the slow lane, his gaze inevitably brushed up against something he sharply disapproved of: those tight pants, the strappy arm wrappings, the choker necklace, the few strips of cloth that could hardly even be called a crop top!  All in black leather; all wildly inappropriate for wearing in public!

He’d made a comment to that effect at the start of the drive; and Jen had replied that she didn’t think it was too out of place, given where they were going.  What!?  Her outfit would fit right in at Veronica’s Playground, but nowhere else!  Which was a truly distressing thought, given how she was now so unavoidably curvy and top-heavy and—Fffrghh!  He badly needed something else to focus on.

But he couldn’t shake it.  Those arms of hers; that torso; yes, even her breasts … they were bigger than this morning, right?  Or was he crazy?  He didn’t want to ask it aloud, but about halfway into the drive he couldn’t help it anymore.  “You … You took another dose?”

The girl’s mascaraed eyes turned to him.  “Yeah.  You noticed?”

F&%*$... He hadn’t meant to notice!  It’s just, her outfit left so much of her uncovered.  How could he not detect the increased size of her arms, her waist, her … yes, especially her breasts.  Another lump formed in his throat as his eyes shot again forward.  “You weren’t scheduled for another dose,” he levelly hissed.  “You … You should’ve asked me first!”

“What?  I didn’t think I needed to.  Every dose will only help our team.  Alice gave it to me yesterday; said I was still under the target size, so …”

The wheel creaked under his grip again.  Alice.  He’d have words with her, tonight!

After a half hour of silence, they had arrived.  “Whoa.”  The massive buildings ahead -- the size of warehouses, or friggin’ aircraft hangers -- were where they were headed.  ‘INVICTA STUDIOS’, read the huge block letters on the front of the closest building.  The whole complex would make most shopping malls look small.  And how many more buildings were back there, beyond their sight?

As he rolled toward the security gate, a head poked out from the booth -- that of a cheerful young college-aged girl, with wavy blonde hair and long lashes over pretty blue eyes.  “Hi there!” she chirped, in a voice that could only be described as spunky.  “First-time visitors?”

With the booth wall between them, all he could see was the girl’s head and her slender neck.  But she definitely seemed the peppy little cheerleader/sorority-girl type, who sipped Pumpkin Spice Lattes and did Hot Yoga and would never admit to being a pound over 110.  Or, with those wire-framed glasses, she may have had more of an innocent, bookish side to her.  In either case, she was very easy on the eyes, and a most welcome change of pace.

“Mmhmm, how’d you guess?” he receptively inquired.

“I can just tell,” she cheerily chirped.  “Here for a tour?”

“We’re contestants, actually, in--”

“In Mighty and Mouse!?”  She gasped, her plush lips forming an ‘O’ in delighted astonishment.  “You’re Theo Atwater?  Ohmigosh, you’re so handsome!”  Her cute face almost seemed to swoon!  “Lemme print your parking pass – one sec!”  Her sparkling blue eyes and shimmering golden locks disappeared into the booth.

Jen groaned, but Theo couldn’t stop a grin.  “Hear that?” he quietly quipped, rolling his SUV up to the gate.  “She thinks I’m handsome.”

“Ugh, she’s like half your age, Dad.”

Theo chuckled, ignoring Jen in favor of the spunky coed whose head bobbed briefly into view again as she tapped away at a keyboard.  “So you know my name already?”

Her coquettish giggle was music to his ears.  “’Course I do!  You’re a contestant, so you’re practically a celebrity around here.  Aww, I’m soooo jealous I don’t get to show you around.”

Hey-o!  The girl’s long lashes batted insinuatingly at him.  She wasn’t even trying to be subtle!  “Some other time, maybe,” he said in kind.  “If you play your cards right.”

His charm worked perfectly.  “Driver’s license,” the doe-eyed blonde requested, cracking another stupendous smile.

“If you wanted to know my age, you could just ask,” he bantered, without skipping a beat.  He didn’t even break eye contact as he suavely slipped the card out of his wallet and held it out.

She laughed again.  “Well, this way I won’t have to,” the peppy coed purred.

Her chair creaked as she rose up from her seat and …

… WHAT?!  His mental image of a twiggy, petite little pixie was suddenly and violently pummeled into oblivion as two impossibly wide shoulders came into view, jutting from her delicate neck like astonishing shelves of flesh.  Deltoids larger than softballs threatened the very existence of her tight-wrapped sleeves, which bunched up just above the ludicrous swell of biceps and triceps that made his head spin and his mouth go dry.  A forearm, easily as thick as his thigh, rippled as her painted fingernails unfurled.

Another, softer gasp left his lips as the card was plucked from his hand.  The burly arm withdrew; but this time she remained standing, kicking her chair aside as she crouched over her keyboard.  This time, nearly the full entirety of her massive torso stayed in view.  And when her blonde hair bobbed sideways to flash him the biggest smile yet, he had the feeling he’d been played.  She must’ve hidden her body at first, on purpose.  Just to mess with his head.  And by god, it was working.

Jen’s half-stifled chortle drew his sharp glare.  “Not a word!” he managed to hiss as he hinged his mouth shut, his cheeks burning.  He knew he’d been tricked, dammit.  He didn’t need Jen laughing about it, too!  He--

Oh frack.  The girl didn’t just hand things back to him.  She stepped out of the booth.  Jesus Christ: her work polo inexplicably stopped just below her stupendous bust.  Below it, a gut-wrenching view of her well-defined six pack abs and astonishingly narrow waist.  A waist which broadened again into wide hips wrapped in shorty shorts, which themselves kept almost no inch of her elongated, musclebound legs from his view.

Not until she gave another high-pitched giggle did he realize he’d been staring, hard.  Every inch of her was startling; astonishing … 

“C’mon!” her spunky voice chirped, as her hand beckoned.  “I won’t bite!”  

He didn’t want to come one inch closer.  Or better yet, maybe he could quickly snatch the documents from her hand and floor it into the parking lot.  That’d have been the safer option.  But instead, as he rolled the SUV forward, as his heartrate climbed, he lost his nerve and brought the car to a halt.

Jesus.  A gigantic arm snaked into the car, right past his head, to slap the parking pass on the dashboard.  He pinned himself back in his seat, holding his breath … but the arm withdrew only partway.  Her thick elbow hunkered down onto the open window, quickly joined by the other.  He could swear he felt the car lurch as her weight leaned down.

“Hey, don’t be nervous!” she cooed in the same chipper voice, even as her arms and shoulders and cute face dominated his vision.  The air in the car seemed stifling, suddenly.  This roomy SUV had never felt so cramped.  “I bet you’re not used to girls like me, huh?”

He literally broke into a sweat.  “Uhh … I …”

She gave a melodious laugh.  “Here, I’ll show ya where to go.”  Her right arm invaded the car again, breaching his personal bubble as she pointed through the windshield.  “See the main building there?”

Too busy plastering himself to the seat, it took him a moment to reply.  “Umm, y-yeah…”

“That’s where you’ll head in.  The front desk is closed at this hour, but the doors are open.  And over there--”  Her arm swept right, brushing his cheek!  “—that’s where you’ll park.”  Her skin raked along his shoulder as her arm pulled out.  It couldn’t have been an accident.  “Easy enough, huh?”

He couldn’t speak.  Honestly, his gaze hadn’t even left the car.  It stayed glued on her arm.  Christ, the upper half of it looked as big as his head!

“I-I think I got it,” he somehow managed.

Her face scrunched in amusement.  She knew exactly what she was doing to him – especially as her hand settled on his shoulder, making his skin pebble.  “Hmm.  Well, just in case, you’d better give me your hand.”

His blood pressure spiked even higher.  “What?  Why?”

Her giggle rained down to his ears.  “I told you: I won’t bite!”

A bite wasn’t what worried him.  Putting his hand inside those massive paws did.  But he didn’t want to seem like a complete wuss… 

For its size, her palm proved amazingly soft.  She brought a pen over; and before he knew it, she was tickling his skin with it, writing her name and number in girly bubble letters, even dotting the ‘i’ in ‘Brandi’ with a heart-shaped dot.  “There.  Now, if you get lost, or anything else you need … anything at all … you just give me a ring.”

His heart leapt in his chest, followed by a wash of panic.  “I … I can’t …”

She giggled again.  “You’re cute.”  For perhaps the first time, the hulking girl’s eyes flitted to Jen.  “That outfit is slaying, by the way.  Holy shit.”

Jen blinked in surprise.  “Oh … thanks!”

The girl gave him one light, meaningful squeeze on his shoulder and one last, devastating smile before sauntering back to the booth and waving them off.

Theo sat there for several breathless seconds before Jen cleared her throat.  Snapping out of it, he lurched the car forward, his lead foot betraying his anxiety.

“So … Brandi was nice,” Jen quipped, looking at the name on his palm.

Blushing, he fiercely rubbed his palm on the armrest, then his pants.  Dammit, it wouldn’t rub off!  “That’s …!  She …!  … Not a word of this, OK!!” he hissed.

“To who, your girlfriend?”

Agh!  Jen knew about him and Alice, of course.  “To anyone,” he insisted.

But Jen wouldn’t leave it alone.  “I mean, you kinda brought it on yourself.”

She had a point.  He’d clearly encouraged the flirting, at first.  Before he’d seen what Brandi was hiding. *Shudder*… At least Jen didn’t realize that Brandi’s size turned him on.  In Jen’s mind, he’d simply hit on the wrong girl and paid the price.  Hopefully she’d never realize the incredible extent to which that hulking coed had made his head swim.

“… And I told you my outfit wouldn’t be out of place,” his skimpily-clad daughter just had to add, as soon as he’d parked the car.

Rghhh.  This could be a very long night. 

Theo turned off the engine and sat for a moment, still fervently rubbing at his palm, as Jen got out and rooted in the trunk for her bag.  The hell kind of ink had Brandi used?  It still wouldn’t come off!

Screw it.  There were more pressing matters at hand.  He would not let Jen parade around in that godforsaken outfit all evening!  Working up his resolve, he barreled out of the car and stormed around to catch Jen just as she shut the trunk and stood up straight and--

And his gaze bored straight into her chest – specifically, the deep slash of cleavage barely concealed by the see-through mesh of her top.

It hit him like a clap of thunder: the first time he’d confronted her in heels, in over a week.  As if their height difference wasn’t staggering enough already … Oh my god.

“What?” Jen asked, when he just stood there.

His jaw worked itself open but no sounds came out.  His astonished eyes kept flitting up to her looming face, then down to her alarming top, then—

“Ugh… Dad, I’m not changing my outfit, so don’t even ask!”

He wasn’t about to.  Not now.  Not when he felt so… small.

She slung her bag over her shoulder.  Even her shoulder was above his head… “Well, are we going, or what?”

It was easier to just not say anything.  To just amble across the parking lot in stunned silence, trying to ignore her torso, her chest, hovering at his side.  The only real sound was the steady *Click Clack Click* of her heels.

He didn’t look back at the guard gate; at Brandi.  He simply would not.  Eyes on the glass doors ahead; that was the order of the day.

“Dude…” he finally uttered, as they drew close.  Freaking massive, the front doors were.  Two feet taller than normal doors, or more.  And the handles were proportionally higher, too.  He’d gone through life almost scraping the tops of doorways, and now he faced a door handle nearly up to his armpits.

He grabbed the oversized handle nonetheless.  “Oooof!”  He gave a good tug, but the glass door did little more than wobble a bit.

“Locked?” Jen queried.

He tried both hands this time, but it merely rattled in place.  “Locked,” he confirmed.  Through the glass, he could see a clock up on the wall of the very large foyer.  Seven o’clock – they were right on time.  Both Alice and Brandi had said the doors would be open.  “I’ll call Alice.”

As he brought up his girlfriend’s number, a woman strode into the foyer.  Shiiiit … she was damned near as well-built as Brandi!  Her suit jacket and pants didn’t really conceal her bulk; and as she stopped in her own high heels and turned, she made even Jen look small.

“It’s open!” Her voice carried loud enough to be heard through the door.  “Pull!”

“It’s locked!” he countered.

The middle-aged brunette shook her head.  “Use two hands, hon!”

The nerve!  “I already tried – see?  The door … is …!”

Crap.  After his hardest pull yet, the door cracked open a moment before thumping shut again.  His cheeks colored.

He sensed Jen inching closer.  “I got it!” he preempted harshly, before Jen dared to help.  He braced and grinded his teeth, heaving again and … Hey, it swung open easily!  He--

Oh.  Above his head, a thick, suit-clad arm was propped against the door, with the enormous brunette smiling down at him alongside.  “Bit jarring, isn’t it?” her loud voice hummed.

“…What?”

“The doors.  You’ll have to put up with a lot like these, I’m afraid.”  She stepped aside, graciously waving him through.  “Come on in.”

“Ladies first,” he countered, his pride rearing its ugly head.

She actually laughed!  “Women tend to hold the doors around here,” she placidly explained, not budging an inch.  “Truly, I don’t mind.”

Her tone – and her size – had him on edge.  “No,” he dug in, “I insist.”

Her expression changed to genuine surprise.  “Oh – you’re serious!  My apologies!  Most men that come by here are already used to this sort of thing.  I didn’t mean to offend.”  She gave the door an extra push before promptly leading the way through.

He should never had paused to scowl.  “Oomph!” The door damned near threw him to the floor.  It would have, if Jen hadn’t caught the door a moment later.  She struggled against it too, but one-handed.

“Can I help you find anything?” the woman asked.  Dammit – was she smirking?

“We’re fine, thank you,” he said with a growl.

The door thunked shut.  “Umm, aren’t we looking for Alice?” Jen asked.

The woman’s eyes lit up.  “Ahhh!  You’re the new contestants!  That explains a lot.”  She turned and beckoned.  “Follow me.”

“No need!” an extremely familiar voice called.

Alice.  Oooph.  Holy hot damn.  His girlfriend strode toward them, her jeans skin-tight and her halter-top corset even tighter.  One glance at her and his loins stirred, picking up where things had left off that afternoon.  Even the woman’s casual attire could stop a man’s heart in its tracks.  “Thank you, Ruth.  I’ll take ‘em from here.”  And a voice to melt a man’s mind.

He hardly saw the other woman leave.  His girlfriend’s eyes flickered appraisingly for a moment on Theo’s new button-down shirt, but then … “Wow, Jen!  And I thought that outfit looked good on me!”

“Gosh, thanks Alice!”

Theo’s head spun back and forth.  “That’s your outfit?”

“Yes,” Alice confirmed, “though I’ve outgrown it, of course.  Glad to see it put to good use.”

Good use?  “That’s a terrible use.”

Alice’s brow rose in genuine surprise.  “Surely your eighteen-year-old is free to wear what she wants?”

Theo chewed his lip and lowered his voice.  “Well, you don’t have to encourage her!”

Alice inwardly frowned.  Her boyfriend had taken such a wonderfully progressive turn these last few days, becoming quite a pliant little boy-toy for her to tease and torment.  Not that this should necessarily carry over to all other aspects of his life, but you’d at least think it’d help him become a little less traditional elsewhere – such as his ultra-stubborn, old-fashioned parenting style with Jen.  For gosh sakes, the girl was practically in college!

So a little teasing seemed in order.  Oh yes it was.  “Theo, hon,” she redirected, propping her hands on her knees and dropping wayyy down to his level, “Is that big door what’s got you upset?  Guys struggle with it all the time.  It’s nothing to be ashamed o—”

“What?  No.  That’s … that’s not …”

Alice inhaled sharply, suddenly noticing his palm.  “What is this?”

He hissed and tried to cover his hand, but Alice snatched it like a viper and kept his other hand at bay as she made out the half-smudged name and phone number.  “You’ve met Brandi, have you?” intoned Alice with an arched brow.

“I-I can explain!”  He withdrew his hand – or tried to.  “It wasn’t my fault!”

Alice didn’t release him – not just yet.  She was enjoying his squirms too much, and the adorable panic playing out on his face.  And why forgive him now, when this gave her such sweet leverage?  “Riiighht,” she intoned darkly.  “You did nothing to encourage it, I’m sure.”

“I didn’t!”

“No?”

“No!” he insisted, clearly lying again.  “I … look, can we talk somewhere private?”  His eyes flitted unhappily toward Jen.

Alice feigned a put-out look and led him away – by the wrist.  He definitely didn’t like Jen seeing that!  “Alice, listen,” he said hastily, once they were around the corner, “I—”

She wasted no time clamping her hand on his mouth and forcibly pinning him against the wall.  “Shhhh.  My little man has a habit of speaking, sometimes, when just a simple nod will do.  Did you encourage Brandi?”

He tried to speak again, through her palm.  The nerve!  She tightened her grip and pinned him harder.  “Yes or no, Theo.  Did you flirt with her, or not?”

He floundered, darting his eyes, afraid to admit it.  Finally he tugged his head up and down in a nod.

And Alice couldn’t contain her delight anymore.  She broke out in a laugh.

“… What?” her confused boyfriend asked, when her hand fell away.  “You’re not mad?”

“About the flirting?  My god, Theo, did you really take me for the jealous type?”

“Huh?  But—”

“Of course I’m not mad.  I know Brandi.  She’s very selective, but once she sets her sights on a man, she can be quite a trip.  I wonder: did she pull the ol’ hide-behind-the-booth trick?”

He inhaled.  “How’d you know?”

Alice dragged her nails around the back of his neck.  “The important thing here is, while I don’t mind you flirting, I deffffinitely won’t be letting you off for free.  You lied, too, remember?  So, yes, I think I’ll milk this situation for all it’s worth.”

“What do you mean by—”

She grabbed his hair and yanked his head back, standing over him with a vicious smile.  “Oh, you’ll see just how … excruciating … my attention can be.”  Lest he need further convincing, she brought his head forward and plunged his face right into her ample tits, wiggling her chest, smothering him completely …

“H-H-Holy fuuuuck!” he wheezed, once she brought him back for air.  She felt him practically melt in her hands, saw a torrent of lust already sweeping over his eyes and making him pant.  Her breasts were at the perfect level for this tormentuous task … but no, she had to pace herself here.

“Tsk… now, what will Jen think, if you keep staring at me like that?”  Mmm, how his mouth quivered now!  “Do try to keep hold of yourself, dear.  The tour won’t take toooo long.”

“Tour?” her boyfriend practically croaked, his gaze still flitting to her chest.  “Could we just sneak off somewhere and … you know …?"

Alice put a hand to her chest and mock-gasped.  “What?  You think you and your pecker deserve some special playtime with me?  Here, in this building?  I would never!”  She cocked her head and licked her lips.  “Not until you’ve earned it.”

Her next torment took the form of an extra-exaggerated sway to her hips as she led her distraught boyfriend back to the main hallway.  She could hear him groaning already.  This was going to be a fun night.

When they stepped out, Jen had already gone to the reception desk and was spinning in the chair with surprising glee.  “Having fun?” Alice called.

“Oh!  … Yeah, sorry.  This chair’s so big!  And the desk!  And…”

“And everything,” Alice agreed, giving her butt a last, extra wiggle before leaning on the tall desk which rose to just under her bust.  “The entire complex is up-sized.  Twenty percent larger than standard dimensions, to be exact.”

“Shit, really?”

“Oh yes.  Doors, ceilings, hallways, conference rooms, and even most of our desks and chairs.”

“Damn!”  Jen couldn’t help it – she felt giddy as a schoolgirl!  She was here … in Invicta Studios.  This was hallowed ground!  And – “Whoa…” – the conference room behind her was huge!

“Go ahead,” Alice prompted.  “Have a look.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Jen bit her lip and slid down from the chair.  She made herself walk there, not run.  The lights in the room came on automatically when she stepped in.  The conference table was monstrous!  The walls, covered in artwork from the studio’s several shows.  Jen was breathless.  How many big, important meetings would have been held in here?  How many larger-than-life women would have passed through these doors?

“The hell does everything need to be so big for?” she heard Dad complain.  Glancing behind her, she saw—holy crap, she could barely see Dad’s head over the desk!  He’d never looked so tiny!  That, plus the way he craned his neck up at Alice, with his lower lip jutted out in a pout, he looked almost like a cranky, little—Gosh, Jen didn’t even want to say it!

His girlfriend, looking like a giant next to him, rolled her eyes.  “There are some very large women here, sugar,” she bluntly reproved, patting his unseen shoulder.  Geez, Alice’s boobs were almost right in his face.  “Bigger than me, and still growing.  Do you expect them to have to suffer through cramped surroundings all day long?”

Dad squirmed, distinctly unhappily.  “Can we get this tour over with?” he groused.

“Tsk … Theo, we’ve hardly even started yet!  If you’re just going to be sour about it, you can forget about that other thing we discussed…”

Dad’s breath seemed to catch in his throat, his eyes going weirdly wide.  A moment later, when he noticed Jen was watching, his face turned pink.  “Agh!  That’s … but …”  He hastily put space between him and Alice, clenching his teeth, looking anywhere but at her.

The heck was that about?  Jen had no idea.  But Jen had always been morbidly curious how things worked between Dad and Alice, and it was already becoming clear who wore the pants in that relationship, surprising as it was.

“Shall we move on?” Alice said to Jen lightly, as she cautiously stepped back into the hall.

“Uh, yeah, you said something about a tour?”

“Yes!  Tons to see here.  Really, I could show you around for hours.”

“Hell yeah!” Jen exclaimed – at the same time as Dad strangely groaned.

“Hear that, Theo?”  Alice grinned.  “The full tour, it is.”

Theo’s jaw dropped.  Hours!?  Surely a massive exaggeration… right!?  He hung back, waving Jen on ahead, so he could turn a furious glare at his voluptuous girlfriend and—

Dear Jesus!!  Her luscious, leather-clad tit heaved right into his face again, dragging dominantly, brazenly against his cheek -- right there in the hall, in plain view!  Before he could even gasp, her lips dropped to his ear and sultrily whispered, “Be a goooood boy, Theo.  Behave yourself … and maybe I’ll speed things up.  A little.”

Holy dear Christ.  He could jump her right then and there.  He needed to!  With her so close, so hot … Aghh, but it was probably good that she disengaged.  The whole thing took only moments, done before Jen could even turn her head around and look back.  All she saw was him swaying and teetering in place, while Alice carefreely strode on.  “Shall we?” she chirped.

“What’s up with him?” Jen quizzically asked.

“He’s fine.  Have a look at this next room up ahead.  The ‘Show Room’, we like to call it.”  She spared only a brief glance back.  “Do catch up, Theo, you won’t want to miss it!”

Theo, subtly hiding the bulge in his pants, groaned and picked up the pace.

* * *

Daaaammit!!  Alice oozed sexuality with every step she took.  Her legs strutted and her hips swayed like no other.  The goosebump-inducing lilt of her voice rained steadily down, although he’d long since given up trying to make out the words.  Fat chance of focusing on the damned tour!  His mouth salivated and his palms grew sweaty just from being near those undulating hips and bouncing breasts.

Laughter – on both sides.  Now Jen spoke.  His head swiveled without thinking, and – Fuuuck!  He snapped immediately away.  Alice’s weren’t the only breasts hovering at his eye level.  The last thing he needed was more glimpses of Jen’s overdeveloped, scantily-clad chest rattling around in his mind and confusing his thoughts.  Jen’s and Alice’s body types were far too similar for him to keep straight.  Only a couple inches of height and barely a single cup size separated the two of them.  Even their waists and hips showed similar hourglass slopes …

Gah!!  So he couldn’t look left, and he damned well couldn’t look right.  Best he could do was keep his eyes glued religiously straight ahead.  Oh, he’d tried walking on the other side of Alice, but the feisty woman had shot that down with ease, insisting, “Oh, no, I’d rather look at both of you at once.”  But damned if her gaze hadn’t stayed on Jen the whole damned time!  The two of them kept chattering nonstop – literally over his head.  He was trapped between four long, swinging legs, and two pairs of heels click-clacking in stereo surround.  Alice just wanted him there, between them, to make him feel small.  Beyond any doubt!

But fixing his eyes forward brought its own issues.  The hallways were not empty; not entirely.  Of the occasional passersby, the large majority were women.  Tall, high-heeled women.  All of them taller than Alice so far.  Each one of them striking in their own way, whether it be beauty, or raw nerve-rattling size, or -- in the case of this particular dark-eyed woman who was currently headed right toward him – a bristling don’t-fuck-with-me look in her eyes, which made him almost trip over his daughter’s feet as he unconsciously veered away from her.

The mysterious-eyed brunette gave a considering glance toward Jen; a somehow different, more lingering gaze toward him; and an egalitarian nod toward Alice before, like the other women before her, she continued decisively on her way.  And, once again, he found himself looking back over his shoulders, momentarily transfixed …

“Theo?”

“Huh?”  Crap.  He’d fallen behind.  And this time Alice and Jen had stopped a few feet ahead, staring at him.

“Shall I call her back?  She could write her number on your other palm…”

Jen bit her lip in amusement.  Theo’s face heated.  “No!  I just … let’s keep going.”

Alice and Jen exchanged a look.  “You didn’t even hear my question, did you?” said Alice.

“What question?”

Alice snorted and rolled her eyes.  “We asked if you wanted to see the workshop.”

“The…?”

“Where have you been, the past sixty seconds??  The workshop right there.”

“Oh.”  The entire left-hand wall was solid glass, stretching fifty feet back in the direction they’d came.  Huge, industrial-sized machines and workbenches filled the space within, as far back as you could see.  Only someone extreeemely oblivious could have missed it. 

*cough* “Well, of course that one,” he recovered.  “Umm…”

Alice jutted her hip.  His composure melted.  “N-No thanks.”  He needed a break, desperately.

Jen couldn’t believe it.  “You don’t want to see the workshop?!  The coolest part of the whole tour??”  She pointed at the big props and giant machines through the big glass windows, unable to fathom why he or anyone would want to miss it.

To Theo’s shock, Alice came to his defense.  “It’s OK.  If he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t have to.”  With a reassuring pat on Jen’s shoulder, she came toward him in all her sexy glory, and whispered, “As long as he keeps being a good boy and stays exactly where I tell him.”

Theo gasped.  “What??”  She’d almost said it loud enough for Jen to overhear!  “Alice!  C’mon, I—”

“Hush, hush.”  She reached down, took his hand, and started to pull.

Jen covered her mouth, looking on in disbelief as Alice literally led Dad across the floor!  Not in a couples-holding-hands kind of way; more like a … a … yeesh, she almost looked like his mom!  

Ohmigod… when they reached a bench along the wall, Alice even put her hands on his waist as if to hoist him!  Dad angrily batted them away and hopped onto the bench by himself.  But as Alice leaned over him, Jen could swear she heard, “Now, Theo, there’s no need to fuss…”

That’s about when Dad’s eyes darted to Jen, and Jen began to feel real uncomfortable.  Alice seemed entirely at ease, though, looking back and calmly asking, “Would you mind giving us a minute?”

Jen’s cheeks warmed.  “Sure, uh, I’ll just wait in …”  She gestured toward the workshop.

“Perfect!  I’ll be right there.”

Like a train wreck she couldn’t look away from, Jen was tempted to loiter in the doorway and see what crazy shit might happen next.  But they deserved privacy, so she heaved the heavy door open and went through.

Theo glared at his lover and hissed through his teeth, “How dare you treat me like tha—”

The very instant the door thudded shut, Alice shoved – hard – and pinned him to the backrest!

“Alice--!”  Fuuuuuck!!  Her fingernails raked up his inner thighs, ending just short of his crotch!  He frantically clamped his legs shut, only to have her yank them wide again with a devilish grin and another fever-inducing rake toward his junk!

“How dare I?” she huskily chuckled.  “Look around you.  We’re not just anywhere, dear; we’re in Invicta Studios.  Here, women make the rules.  And men would do well to leave their silly, old-fashioned attitudes at the door.”

He blinked at her.  “Are you serious?  I--Mmrphrhmph!”  She buried his face so deep in her tits that he came out gasping for air.  And panting with lust.

“Shh … Shh… You’re in a whole new world now, Theo.  I’m only trying to help you keep up.”

“’New world’??  I didn’t sign up for—"

Holy god!!  Another two-handed rake up his inner thighs … his dick aching, throbbing … “Oh yes you did,” purred Alice.  “You became a Beta the moment you agreed to the show.  You just didn’t know it yet.”

Her hands, her cleavage, her voice – it was too much!  “I-I’m not a Beta!” he still somehow wheezed.

Alice abruptly laughed.  “Oh please, Theo.”  Laughed again.  “Let’s test that theory, shall we.”  Her hands gripped the backrest on either side of his head, her eyes glaring down at him dominantly.  “You will sit your tight little tush right here, hands folded on your lap; you can even cover up that little erection if you wish … But you will not move an inch, until I give you permission.”

She leaned closer.  “And why do this, you might ask?  Because good Beta boys get to come back to my office later; and then we …”  With every X-rated act she described, his eyes ratcheted wider and wider and his erection danced to and fro.  Alice laid into him with every luscious detail until he really couldn’t sit still at all.  She had a feeling he’d still be squirming like that the whole time she was gone.

“Of course,” she went on, “for naughty, misguided boys who can’t follow directions …”  Her mouth quirked.  “Do you know how many … corrective devices I keep in my desk?  It’d be a shame if you had to compete tomorrow, with such a sore bottom.”

His jaw dropped.  “What?!  … B … But …!!”

She left him with a lingering kiss on his cheek and a soft, “Think on it, hon,” before slinking away with that mouthwatering gait and opening the door.

Alice’s efforts had had every bit the effect she’d intended.  She looked back to see her man practically melting on the bench, his eyes angsty and forlorn.  Like a distraught puppy waiting for his owner to return.  A delighted chuckle buzzed through her throat as she stepped into the workshop.

Jen had only made it a few steps from the door, her brow furrowed in thought.  “He’s fine,” Alice assured, straight away.

“Is he?  He seems like …”

“Like a fish out of water?”

Jen coughed in surprise.  “Uh, yeah, you could say that.”

“It happens.  This place has a way of making men feel … vulnerable.”

“Vulnerable?”

Alice suppressed a smile.  “Don’t worry.  Sometimes all a guy needs is a strong female standing behind him.  To help him get through.”

She watched Jen’s lips purse and her brow furrow.  Delightful.  Alice wasn’t trying to do too much here; just open Jen’s eyes perhaps, just a little.

“Well?” Alice redirected, flicking on lights to flood the sprawling workshop.  “Impressed?”

“Daaamn…”  The size and scope of it never failed to impress people.

“Come on.”  Alice led Jen along the vast array of drills, saws, laser cutters and printers, stepping around hulking sections of plexiglass and steel in all different shapes.

* * *

“So that was just one of the workshops?” Jen exclaimed, as they returned to the hallway.  “There’s more?”

“Three more.”

“Three?!”

“Oh, there’s a lot to produce, Jen.  Mighty and Mouse is our first and biggest show in the studio, but with a second show out now and two more in production, the work never stops.”  As Alice shut the door, her gaze crossed over Theo – who, deliciously, was still seated on the bench, not even an inch from where she’d left him!  And, my oh my, that lust-ridden look in his eyes…

“Where’re the other workshops?  In other wings?”

Alice started them toward her lover, but not too quickly.  “That’s right.  Each show has its own dedicated wing in the complex.”  Theo was practically squirming now, as they neared the bench!  “We started in the front administration wing and are just inside the Mighty and Mouse wing now.”  She sidled even closer … “You’ll see forklifts outside transferring components between workshops now and then”—an audible grunt escaped his mouth!—"but most components for a given show are made in its own workshop.”

“Do you outsource anything?” asked Jen, still oblivious to her dad – who, unable to sit still, began cheekily shuffling up to the edge…

“Nope.”  Toward Jen, it was a simple reply.  But for Theo, she also jabbed a warning finger down out of Jen’s view and subtly arched her brow.  It’s possible she even heard him gulp, before she went on, “Every square inch of our obstacle courses are produced in-house.”

“All of it?”

“Oh yes.”  Alice couldn’t help but sprout a small smirk.  “Any other questions, Jen?” she asked unhurriedly.

Oh, he did not like that.

“Hmm…”

“Hit me, Jen.  Any questions at all.”  Her smirk tugged wider.  “We have all the time in the world.  Nowhere particular to be.”

At last, Theo groaned loud enough for his daughter to hear him.  Jen turned -- and jumped.  She’d been so absorbed in the excitement of being here at Invicta Studios – a literal dream come true – and so focused on Alice’s words that she hadn’t even thought about Dad in ten minutes.  She was practically bumping into his leg!  “Oh, shit!  Uh … hey, Dad.”

“Don’t mind him,” dismissed Alice, not even looking his way.  “You were about to ask …?”

Was Dad OK?  Alice was standing as close to him as Jen was, and his eyes kept darting strangely, and he was squirming.  That was the only way to describe it!  Alice’s earlier command popped into Jen’s head: for Dad to ‘stay put’.  He couldn’t have taken that literally, could he?  He was right where Alice had left him; and despite plenty of room to stand up now, he still didn’t budge!

“Um …” She focused on Alice.  “I know you said we’re almost done with the tour, but could we see the other wings too?  I’d be really curious to—”

Another groan from Dad – even louder than before!  “Huh?” she reacted.  “What’d I say?”

Alice barely contained a laugh.  “Of course we can!” she mischievously replied.  “It’ll take a lot longer, but—”

“Alice!” Theo practically wheezed!

His daughter looked positively befuddled.  Alice couldn’t help herself; she led the girl a few steps aside and softly explained, “I think he’s a little overwhelmed by these new surroundings.”

Jen blinked.  “Oh.”  She supposed that made sense; but shouldn’t Dad have been tougher than that?

“Yes,” Alice went on, “I’d better take him to his room for tonight and get him settled in.”

Dude.  The way Alice said it, you’d think she’d be reading him a story and tucking him into bed!  “Um, OK …”

“But you go ahead, Jen.  Take a look at the other wings.”

“Really?”

“Yes!  Have fun exploring.”  Alice led Jen to a placard on the wall, like other ones they’d passed, showing a map of the compound.  She showed Jen where to meet them when she was done exploring.  “But take your time though – really.”  Slyly nudged Jen’s elbow.  “Give the little guy time to decompress.”

Jen nearly choked.  ‘LITTLE GUY’!?!  Dad would kill Alice if he heard that!  … Or would he?  Dad was still over there frowning, squirming, acting freaking weird.  ALL of this was so weird.  “S-Sure,” she stammered.

And maybe weirdest of all: as Jen went off, she looked back to find Alice holding out her hand to Dad – then withdrawing it, seeming almost to lecture him about something.  And only when Dad scowled and slowly nodded, did Alice let him take her hand.  As if giving him permission to get off the bench.

Whaaaat the fudge?!

* * *

Sweet Moses.  The next sharply-dressed woman they passed in the halls was at least half a head taller than Alice, with calf muscles so sharp you could cut your hand on them.  Once again, as sharply arresting as the woman’s gaze was, Theo half hoped her dreamy hazel eyes would linger on him another moment longer … but again her gaze passed him in barely a split-second, in favor of a considering glance and courteous nod directed much higher up, at Alice.  The guys, too, passed him over quickly but never failed to nod and often smile politely up at Theo’s tall blonde girlfriend; though, admittedly he wasn’t sure he could blame them.

“Well, aren’t you popular,” Theo grated as they continued down the hall.

Alice’s hand squeezed tighter.  “You needn’t fret, Theo.  These ladies would take much keener interest in you, I’m sure, if you were alone.”

“How’s that?”

“Pfft.  Don’t play.  A roguish little heartbreaker like yourself, wandering the halls on his lonesome with no female accompaniment?  Not many ‘round here would pass up on that, trust me.  But a man who’s clearly already spoken for, though…”  Her hand squeezed again, as her cheeky gaze lilted down.  “It’d go against ‘girl code’, to make a pass on a guy like that.”

He blinked.  “Wait, so these women …”  These tall, startling women… “they’d—”

“Don’t even think about it, little man.”  Her gaze electrified; her hand squeezed.  “Not for one instant.”  Her eyes narrowed.  “Not unless I give permission first.”

What??

Her smirk arrested him even as her hand compelled him forward.  “Faster, dear,” she quipped, her mouth tugging in a smirk.  “Or don’t you want your special playtime?”

He gasped.  Another woman was approaching, almost close enough to hear!  Stumbling along, blushing, he kept his head down as uncontrolled excitement began to swell in him again.  By the time they stopped in front of a big door and Alice took out her keys, the proximity of her sweet, sweet hips and supple breasts had him almost panting again.  The anticipation, of what she’d promised him…

“I-Is this your office?” he asked, as she pushed him into the capacious room with its oversized desk and up-sized chairs and—

“Agh!”  A sudden force yanked back on his hair.  Suddenly he found his gaze wrenched upward to Alice looming above.

“Did you really think I’d let you off easy?”  Her tongue flicked out to deliciously lick her lips.  “No, you’re going to have to earn your keep.  And we’ll start with a little reminder of who’s in charge.  You’ve been far too uppity tonight.”

She released him and went to her desk.  His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he recognized the item she pulled from the drawer.  A long, flexible black stick with a small, flat end.  It was a riding crop.  Used for taming horses … or unruly men.

“The hell is--“

“Clothes off!”

Her tone made him jump out of his skin.  “But--“

“NOW!”

He only hesitated another half second before her hand swung and a black blur collided with the back of his hand.  The red-hot sting followed an instant later.  “Yow!!”  FUCK!!!  His hands shot to shirt, unbuttoning it with fumbling fingers.

“Faster!”

He yelped again as the crop hit his forearm.  Redoubling his efforts, he got his shirt open and--“Aiiyee!”--she smacked his bare skin right across the abdomen!  What started as roleplay had become an honest-to-goodness panic to get his clothes off, fast!  His girlfriend did not mess around!

“All of it!”

“All??”

*Whap!*

“Agh! O-OK, all!”  His shoes, his pants, his socks, and even his boxers -- all lying in a heap at his feet, as he cowered naked, trembling … and fully aroused.

“I’ll teach you respect,” the sexy woman growled, haughtily striding to her desk and taking a seat.  “Crawl.”

“What?”

“NOW!  On all fours!”

The door wasn’t even locked!  Lord!  But before he knew it, he found himself scurrying like some lowly rodent across the floor.

“You may need a leash, at this rate,” she sneered -- and grabbed a handful of his hair.  “But for now, this’ll do.”

She pulled him brusquely forward, sending electric twinges of pain through his scalp.  Once she had him in front of the chair, she brought her right leg up and planted her heel onto his upper back, using the stiletto spike to drive him down toward the floor.

“Who’s in charge here?” she purred.

“Y-You are!!” he coughed, helplessly bowing to her.

“And what will you do for me?”

“What?  … A-Anything!” he wheezed.  “Anything you ask!!”  Bewilderingly, his erection grew harder, just from saying that.  This whole situation had him breathless and thrilled.

“Damned right, you will,” his girlfriend sensually purred.  She ground her heel into his back a little more, turning and twisting it about, chuckling as he squirmed.  “I could play like this for hours,” she commented.  “But we don’t have that much time…”

Her heel hit the floor at his side, as she stood up and unbuttoned her tight jeans.  In a flash, they were down around her ankles, and her black panties too.  As she kicked them aside, he gaped up at her towering legs and naked womanhood straight overhead.

His head yanked back farther as she again gripped his hair.  She sat at the edge of the chair now and aggressively pulled his head up to hover between her strong thighs.  He stared breathlessly at her wetness, smelling her musk scent even from here.

“Let’s see if you’re as enthusiastic today as you were before,” she hummed.  “If you get me off soon enough, I may even have time to do you, too.”

She pulled him in with her hand; but he felt a surprising eagerness on his own.  His tongue worked tirelessly, fervently.  He felt her appreciation rumbling throughout her body in quiver after quiver, which only spurred him on more.  And it wasn’t just self-serving, either.  Yes, he wanted desperately to come; he needed that reward.  But now he also felt that serving her was now its own reward.  So fucking thrilling, all on its own.

In just minutes, she was already close to coming; he could sense it.  Harder, his tongue worked.  Faster.  She began bucking harder now, rising off her seat in bursts, clenching the armrests, moaning…

“Ack!!”  He shrieked as, out of nowhere, her hand yanked on his hair and threw him away from her, until he slid and sprawled onto the floor!  “Wha--?”

She was on him in a flash, kicking the chair aside, straddling him with her thighs, and lifting his buttocks with one strong hand to send his rigid cock deep inside of her.

They both groaned in sudden pleasure, him clinging to her for all he was worth as her rhythmic, powerful thrusts wracked his cock and threw his smaller weight about.  God, she was strong!  And he was completely at her mercy.

Tighter he wrapped his arms, her bare breasts heaving heavily against his chest, her biceps tightening and her quads firing, ramming her womanhood again and again onto his cock until … until…

“Agghhh!!” he moaned aloud, his voice mixing with hers as they both came in unison, riding a glorious climax before they both collapsed to the floor, his body pinned under the full, inescapable weight of hers.  He struggled to breathe; but he would have struggled anyway, panting from exertion and ecstasy.

Her hot breaths gusted in his ear and eventually slowed, calmed.  “Mmmmm…” she finally purred, rolling sideways and resting on the floor beside him, her arm still wrapped under his back.

“Good boy,” she hummed, with great pleasure.  The praise made him feel something special, beyond the pleasure he’d received moments ago.  An even more lasting satisfaction.

Her arm began to press upward and curl, pulling his torso off the ground and rolling him onto her.  She caressed and kissed him languorously; he rested his hand on her ribcage, then her breast, enjoying every second of their embrace.

She sighed wistfully as she pulled her head back, gazing up at him with heavy-lidded eyes.  “I wonder how long this will last,” she pensively hummed.

“How long what will last?”

“This.  Us.  It won’t be long before you’ll want to move on to something more.”

He looked at her in astonishment.  “Are you nuts?  What more could there possibly be?”

Alice wryly chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.  “Oh please.  I saw how you were looking at the other women in the halls.  Brandi too, no doubt.  All of them even bigger and prettier than me.”

“What?  But—"

“Shhh.  Don’t worry, Theo!  I could take Amplifiers to get bigger, sure, but I like the size I’m at.  Makes me more approachable, for impressionable new recruits like yourself.  I love breaking you boys in.”  She grinned.  “A gateway drug, you could say.  Which means my relationships only tend to last so long, and then …” She shrugged.  “That’s how it goes.”

One look at her glorious figure reinforced his resolve.  “I’m not going anywhere, anytime soon,” he insisted.  “Those other women are way too big.  Too …”  He shivered.  “You’re the perfect size, in my book.  The perfect everything.”

“Well, that’s nice to hear.”  She kissed him again.  “But you’ll want more, soon.  You’ll see.”

* * *

He couldn’t convince Alice otherwise, no matter how he tried.  Women had ridiculous ideas sometimes.  Good lord.  Alice was more than he could handle, as it was.  He couldn’t fathom wanting someone even bigger.

In any case, they recomposed themselves and Alice led him deep into the complex where the guest rooms were located.  They passed a big Mighty and Mouse sign then corridor after corridor of splashy artwork and silhouetted figures reminiscent of the show.  “Ugh,” he muttered.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

He gestured grouchily at one stylized, larger-than-life mural.  “You always show the women in these dramatic poses, looking all epic.  Why not the men?”

“You mean the Mice?”

He glowered at Alice.  “The ‘Mice’!!  Rrghh … whatever you want to call them.  We’re capable of plenty, too.  You just wouldn’t know it from how they’re portrayed.”  His eyes lingered on the artwork as he passed, where one ‘Mouse’ all but cowered next to his cartoonishly massive partner -- who rested a hand atop his head like, hell, some kind of pet.  “It makes the men look so weak!”

A smirk touched Alice’s lips.  “No one questions the Mice’s contributions, hon.  You boys can still accomplish plenty, at any size.”  She leaned down and coyly smacked his rump, squeezing it contentedly.  “In a variety of circumstances.”

Her lust-soaked smile made him want to ask – hell, beg – her to scamper back to her office with him for another go.  He’d be up for it, too.  She was just … so … god damnnn…

“We’re here.”

Grunting, he looked around the spacious, well-lit area where they’d ended up.  He poked his head into a large room on the right.  “Contestants’ lounge,” Alice informed, flicking the light on to reveal a pretty chill-seeming hangout with comfy-looking couches -- from comically oversized to surprisingly miniature, and everything in-between -- a long table that currently held a few light snacks and drinks, a TV, and even foosball and pool tables in the back.

“It’s free to use anytime.  Same with the kitchenette.”  That stood across the hall and seemed quite well-stocked, with even a full-sized fridge and a microwave next to a long countertop with a sink and plenty of cabinets.  A break room table and a couple of chairs completed the room.  But again, the size!  Plus he could do without the silhouette of a mouse-like figure hanging from a powerful woman’s arm…

“There’s a stool next to the fridge if you need,” Alice hummed, elbowing him mirthfully.

He made do with a grunt and rolling his eyes.  “So what are those?”  He pointed to the remaining space, where six doors lined each side of the wide hall.

“Guest rooms, for contestants.  Of course, we’ll only need two of each for this weekend, but--”

“The hell?” he interrupted, approaching the first door on the left.  The top of the frame came only to his eye level, or not even quite!  “What this, an Oompa Loompa room?”  He’d have to duck a good three, four inches just to get inside!  “Wait,” he realized, whirling.  “Surely you don’t expect me to stay in here?!”

“Well, technically yours is the one two doors down.”

All six doors were identical!  Small and gray.  His girlfriend coyly leaned sideways and propped her elbow atop the doorframe -- a doorframe that came only to the middle of her tits!

“Babe, c’mon … isn’t there somewhere else I can stay?  How about your room?”

Alice fake-gasped.  “The game show coordinator, sharing a room with one of the contestants?  What will they say?”

“Uh, we’re already—”

“Shhh.”  Alice pushed her hand to his lips.  “The answer’s ‘no’ … ‘cuz I’m loving the thought of you spending the night in here.”

Before he could ask what she meant, she opened the small gray door for him – and he gasped, for real.

Jen had had a blast roaming around the studios.  She couldn’t believe Alice had just let her wander around on her own.  Shouldn’t guests be escorted or something?  Well, no one had complained.  Some people in the halls had even recognized her as a contestant and seemed happy to point her around.  She even got a peek of the main stage for tomorrow’s show.  Holy CRAP, she was excited!!!

Now, following the map back to the guest area, she reached a green checkered corridor and heard Dad’s voice.  His very heated voice.  Seeing Alice stooping in front of a small doorway, Jen drew closer – and nearly erupted in laughter.  She risked coming one step closer, then another, trying to see in around Alice … “Oh my god!!” she hissed, barking out a giggle when she glimpsed the side wall.

The conversation stopped abruptly.  “You’re back!” Alice greeted.  “Come check out your teammate’s new digs.”

Theo barely restrained a shout.  He gesticulated wildly at Alice, but all his fist-shaking and teeth-baring and mouthing of curses only prompted another wink from her before she beckoned Jen closer and shimmied sideways.  Now, not one but two sharply-dressed women were crouching outside the door, hands on their knees and bending their necks to peek inside.  You know what it felt like?  Like two grownups peering into a playhouse, checking in on him!

The thought was absurd, he knew, but the décor in the room made it seem all too real.  The gaudiest, most caricaturized depictions of mice he’d seen throughout the building had made their way into here.  Everywhere.  Cartoonish silhouettes of mice danced along the front and back walls, and the floor and ceiling, and even the bedspread, in puke-inducing blue!  But on each of the side walls, on a field of garish bright red, stood a cartoon mouse spanning literally from floor to ceiling!  Near six feet high and just as wide, the gray mice’s white and black eyes stared right at him, mocking him…

“Hey!”  He heard Jen laughing!  “It’s not funny!”  Which only made her try harder not to laugh, but it failed.  That does it.  “Make way,” he hissed.  “I’m leaving.”

But the instant he started forward, Alice did too.  She was simply too big and too strong.  His body yielded helplessly under her advance, back into the center of the pint-sized room.  “Ooh -- didn’t mean to collide with you, sweetie,” she feigned.  “These doors are a real bear to get through.”  With a cockeyed grin, she squared up to him while stooping considerably under the low ceiling.  “I know this room’s a lot to take in, Theo, but you’re tough enough to handle it, right?”

Was he?  This room was AWFUL!

“It’s just for one night,” she dismissed, then beckoned to Jen.

Theo almost choked.  “Don’t let her in!”

“Hush.  Come in, Jen.  Just a quick word.”

Jen gaped.  Alice had straight-up hushed him!  But Jen just couldn’t hold back – she ducked into the room, and tried to stand … and almost immediately thumped her head on the ceiling.  “Ooph!  Um … it’s kinda tight in here …”

“It’ll be quick.”  Alice waved Jen closer, and the room became verrry cramped.  “Just wanted to say, best of luck to you guys tomorrow.  I’m not supposed to play favorites …”  Her voice dropped to a whisper.  “But I hope you two win.”  She managed to get a hand on each of their shoulders, in this tight space.  “If there’s anything you need from me, don’t hesitate.  There’s a phone in each room, plus you’ve got my cell.  Hungry, either of you?”

Dad noncommunicatively grunted.  “We ate on the ride here,” Jen translated.

“Well, there’s sandwiches and snacks in the kitchenette -- help yourselves.  Anything else you need?”

“A different room,” piped Dad, with a defiant set to his jaw.

Alice smirked.  “Not a fan of this one?  Say, why don’t we check out the Mighty rooms then.”  She and Jen backed out of the little room as gracefully as a pack of elephants, both breathing easier once they could stand straight again in the hallway.

Theo, taking one last queasy glance back at this garish room, doinked his own forehead on the doorway on his way out.  “F&%$#...!”  He hastened across the corridor, figuring the rooms behind those shiny gold doors couldn’t possibly be any worse.

“Whoa,” Jen murmured, entering ahead of him.

Soon a similar sound escaped his mouth, followed by another string of expletives.  “It’s a friggin’ cavern!”  And worse … “No cartoons?!”

Indeed, while the layout was similar to his, the décor couldn’t have been more different.  Unadorned white floor and ceiling; tidy wainscoting on simply painted walls; a bedspread without a single drawing on it, mouse or otherwise!  

The blue was a touch on the loud side, but other than that – and being sized for a giant – it was a simple accommodation like you’d find in any guesthouse.  A room for adults, unlike his!

“I love it!” exclaimed Jen, extending her arms and twirling around like some black leather ballerina.  Hell, the three of them could’ve done somersaults in here and not bumped into each other.

Jen flung herself onto the triple-ultra-king-sized bed and literally rolled across it.  Three full turns didn’t even get her halfway.  He scoffed at the foolish antics.  “Riiight… and I’m the one who gets a kid’s room.”

Alice heard him and chuckled.  “Still keen on a swap, are you?”  She traversed the full length of the room to sit comfortably on the bed while Jen sat up.

*Thunk!*  The door swung shut beside him.

“Why don’t you come sit, and we’ll sort it out?”

He took four steps forward, then froze.  He’d already spent faaaaar too long hemmed between those two tonight, and he wouldn’t come one step closer.  Plus, the friggin’ bed was so high it’d be like sitting on a stool.  “I’ll stand.”

Alice smirked.  “Bed too high for you?”

“What?  No, I—”

“That’s one downside.”  Alice counted with her fingers.  “Another one: do you think you could even open the door, dear?”

His face reddened, and Jen laughed.  “Hey!”  He glared as hard at his daughter as his girlfriend.  Well, she had a point, but …

“I wouldn’t have to stoop,” Jen offered timidly.  

He was about to bite Jen’s head off!

“Not having a sore neck tomorrow?” Alice chimed first.  “I’d say that’s a huge upside for Jen.  And your team!  In fact—”

“Arrghh—Just give Jen one of the other Mighty rooms, then!”

Alice leaned back.  “’Fraid we only furnished two Mighty and two Mouse rooms, so far.  One for you and one for your opponents.”

“Well …”  He fumed.  “Well…!”

His girlfriend rose and patted his cheek.  “I’ll let you two sort it out.  Anything else you need, just call.”  Her hand raked briefly across his shoulder as she cheerily strode away.

Damn that woman!  She was the best damned lay in his life, but … but …

“Dad.”

“What?”

“She’s right.”

He whirled and glared down at his daughter as she sat.  His irritation peaked.  “Well, seniority rules, so …”

She rose.

“Um …”

And rose.

“…”

And rose, until mesh-clad breasts filled the spot where he’d been looking, and her frowning face towered above.  “Dad, you’re being ridiculous!”

He felt dizzy just from craning up so far.

“I’m, like, a foot taller than you!”

More, in those heels.

“And …A-And besides …”  Her shapely jaw clenched.  “I’m in charge!  So … I’m staying here, and that’s final!”

He choked on his own tongue.  He wanted, needed to fight back, but how?  She was so freaking tall!  So big!  So--

“Are you good with that, or what?”

Too much had happened to him today.  He’d hit his limit.  That hovering, sharp-eyed glare spurred him all too quickly into a backpedaling retreat.  He couldn’t bring himself to risk further ire from that girl – not today, not while trapped in this room.  He grabbed the doorknob and--Yagh!  “Urff!”  It took all he had just to get the door open!  His cheeks turned even brighter red as he looked back, almost afraid she was following after him.  She wasn’t; but still… “I…”  Brave words eluded him, as he slipped through and let the door close with a heavy *Thunk*.

Even loitering in the hall seemed a risk.  Too many women roamed the halls around here, each one bigger than the last!  His small gray door stared back at him, mocking him … but where else could he go?  Anxiously, he bolted into his cartoonish room and slammed the door shut with a pitiful plywood *Thwip*.

The bed was comfortable, but Theo still didn’t get enough sleep.  Too much tossing and turning; too many images running through his mind.

Soon he found himself climbing a beanstalk, up and up, through the clouds.  He came upon a hatch and climbed through it, into the middle of a cottage where he found him standing inches behind a woman stirring a cauldron of stew.  The woman’s legs were like tree trunks, each taller than he was; every movement caused muscles to surge—muscles thicker and larger even than Lola’s.  The cauldron was so big, he could have fit inside it standing up; or laid down flat in it.  Except it boiled and bubbled to the brim.

The woman stopped; sniffed the air.  “WHAT’S THAT?” her deep voice boomed.  She turned around, her footsteps shaking the floor and deafening his ears.  “ANOTHER ADDITION FOR MY STEW???”

He froze; she looked and looked, left and right.  Her hair was golden; her eyes sharp, and cheekbones high.  Very much like Alice—but more.

And finally, she looked down…

“A HUMAN!”  Her voice rattled his bones.  “THE PERFECT TREAT!  YUM…YUM…YUM…YUM!!!”

On the last one, her giant hand swiped.  He screamed and tripped backward; and fell… fell…

Theo woke in a cold sweat, the mouse blanket thrown askew by his thrashing limbs.  He panted, calmed himself.

Sometime later, he wandered through a room with lavender blue and auburn and gold trim… like Jen’s room, but much larger and longer.  A massive hallway, which stretched for days.  And everything so big, so HUGE!  Tables, chairs, doors…

*Thoom KaThoom KaTHOOM!!*    “AND HERE WE ARE,” said Alice, in familiar jeans and leather blouse, sexy as all hell—but now TEN feet tall.  *KaTHOOM!* She took another step, in high-heeled shoe as long as his arm.  “WHAT DO YOU THINK?”

“A DELIGHT!” boomed woman number two, even TALLER than Alice and no less alluring.  Her short-cropped black hair and deep green eyes… wasn’t she on the show before?

They walked in tandem now.  *KaTHOOMTHOOM, THOOMKOOMTHaKOOMKOOM!*  Theo shot his arms out to balance himself, as the ground shook like an earthquake.

It drew the green-eyed woman’s eye.  “A MAN!” she exclaimed, her voice deafening his ears as her man-sized arm pointed.

“HARMLESS, THOUGH,” Alice said, with a cocky smile.

The green woman crouched and hovered.  “ARE YOU MY OPPONENT??” her voice blasted, paralyzing him.

“HE SURE IS!” said Alice, betraying him!

“WELL, I’D BETTER DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOU, THEN, SHOULDN’T I?”

No!  No!!!

His legs unfroze, and he sprinted to the left, the air rushing past his face as he ran like the wind!  But as he looked back, the woman was bigger now.  15—no, 20 feet tall!  She smiled and strode with lazy steps, calmly catching up even as he ran faster and faster…

He ran over unsteady ground, shaking with steady earthquake shocks.  *KATHOOM!!! KATHOOOM!!!*  When her hand descended in front of his gaze, it was as large as his body; her fingers the size of his limbs!  And stronger—so much stronger; and faster; as they snatched him and lifted him high, high, high!!!

She let go, and he fell, and screamed, and—

“Ow!”  His shoulder hurt like hell as his eyes popped open, finding his face plastered to the floor and his leg propped up awkwardly, still hanging on the bed.  He rolled to let his whole body fall to the ground, taking the disheveled blanket with him.

“Ugh…”  What a way to start his day.

He practically kept his eyes closed as he got dressed.  Better than looking at these walls!  Before long, he made his way groggily to the lounge, drawn by the smell of eggs and bacon.  He stopped when he heard Jen’s voice mingling with a stranger’s voice—a woman’s.  The terrifying ten-foot giantess played in his mind all over again…

He poked his head through the door and blinked in surprise.  The middle-aged woman next to Jen was certainly not small, but her features were soft, her smile warm and kindly.  Mid-length brown wavy hair framed a friendly face which bobbed and nodded cheerfully as she and Jen conversed.

“Oh, my dad’s up,” Jen chirped, wearing sneakers again, thank god.  But even her simple tank top struck him as almost too lewd.  She just kept getting curvier.  At least her bouncing chest was lower than eye level now, as she bounded athletically up to him.

Jen hesitated.  Yes, Dad was being a turd last night; yes, she had a right to speak up … but yelling at him maybe was a mistake.  “Um,” she whispered, “about last night, how I--”

“Huh?  It’s fine,” Dad replied, with surprising speed.

Really?  “You’re not mad abou—?”

“Mad?  Pfff.  You think I’m hung up on that?  We’ve got bigger things to focus on.”

She drew back, shocked.  “Oh.  Cool.”  He was taking this sooo much better than expected.  “Um … you should meet Mae; she’s hilarious.”

Theo held in his sigh until Jen turned away.  Mad?  Oh yes, he was furious.  And rattled from his dream, among other things.  But he had a trick up his sleeve; a plan for this morning’s show, to turn the whole damned thing on its head.  They wouldn’t even see it coming.  For now, though, he’d play the cool customer, just playing along.

His lips compressed only slightly as he approached Mae.  She looked roughly his age; fairly average height for a woman nowadays – about six feet tall – but still a full head higher than him in flats, and quite possibly double his weight.  Christ.  But with her frilly dress, glossy light red lipstick, and big earrings, she looked more like a stay-at-home mom than a fierce competitor; more likely to bake you cookies than pick a fight.

She set down her plate of breakfast and extended a meaty arm forward.  “Mae Everest.  So nice to meet you!”

“Theo Atwater.”  His hand disappeared into hers.  Thankfully she didn’t squeeze hard.

“Such a gosh-darn exciting day, isn’t it?”

He wrinkled his brow.  “It, uh … it gosh-darn is!” he quipped, with phony enthusiasm.

Mae smiled brightly, missing the sarcasm.  “You two seem like such sweeties!” she declared.  “Today’s going to be so much fun!”

Theo snorted softly.  “Yeah.  Oodles.”

A ruckus drew their attention across the room.  “Bobby, hon!” Mae called out, to what must’ve been her son noisily ramming the metal rods of the foosball table back and forth.  “Go easy on that, please!”

The rascally-looking Bobby didn’t stop.

“Tut.  Would you excuse me?”  Mae took off toward him.

Theo sensed Jen creep up beside him, and he tried not to tense.  “She brought her son?” he asked distastefully.

“Yeah.”

Ugh.  Couldn’t Mae have left him at home?  Or found someone to watch over him?  “But Mom, just one more minute!” his shrill voice called, already proving to be an irritating distraction while the rest of them had a very serious competition to prepare for!

Mae weathered Bobby’s tugs with evident ease as she escorted the unruly brat across the room.  “Behave yourself, Bobby.  Here’s two very special people I’d like you to meet: Jen, and her father Theo.”

“Whoa.”  The boy’s eyes didn’t even make it to Theo.  They turned up toward Jen and widened.  He sidled up to his mother, suddenly fidgeting.

“What is it, Bobby?”

“She’s reaaallllly pretty, Mom!” he said, in a loud whisper.

Mae bubbled in laughter.  Even Jen seemed tickled pink by the younger boy’s reaction.  Theo was the only one annoyed.

“Just shake her hand, you little goof,” quipped Mae.  The boy started to, but shirked back at the last second and gave a shy, skittish wave instead.  “Sorry,” said Mae with an apologetic eye roll.  “You’ll have to forgive him.”

“Heh, no sweat!” Jen laughed, still brimming in amusement.  “It’s kinda cute.”

“She thinks I’m cute?!” the kid gasped, as if this had rocked his little world.  With a short “Eep!” he shrank even farther behind his mother.

Irksomely, instead of dismissing her son, Mae dragged him forward.  “You’re forgetting someone, Bobby,” Mae prompted, nudging him toward Theo.

Bobby looked at Theo for the first time; and that’s when Theo really took note of his size …

“Wowww!” the boy blurted loudly, lighting up and suddenly approaching Theo of his own accord.  “Mom, you were right!”  He scampered up, until their noses were practically touching.  “I’m as tall as him!”

Or damned near close to it.  Theo’s spirits went into freefall.  If Bobby was as young as he seemed to be, then … Christ, this was embarrassing!

“Get back here, you little rascal,” Mae chided, hauling Bobby by the arm.  “Can’t you see you’ve offended the man?”

Theo coughed.  “… N-Not at all,” he lied.  But no one bought it.  They’d all seen his face.

“Shoo,” Mae told her son, after a brief silence.  “Go back to your foosball.”

Bobby’s face lit up.  “Can he play with me??”

WHAT?!

“Go, you little troublemaker!”  Mae briskly nudged him away.  “You can play alone.”

Bobby kept griping, and Theo’s cheeks kept feeling hotter – until Jen, of all people, came to his rescue.  “Um, hey Bobby, what if I played with you instead?”

Jen, helping him?  Defusing the situation?  …Her!?

Bobby gave an astonished squeak, and followed Jen to the table with big, wide eyes.

“Hope you’re not too offended,” Mae buzzed, sidling closer to Theo.

“Nope,” Theo diverted.  “So where’s your husband?”

“Husband?  Oh, I’m not married, sweetie.”

Theo grunted.  “Your brother, then.  Or friend.  Or …”  Did she really need him to spell it out?  “I don’t see your teammate here.  Who are you teaming with?”

“Pardon?”  The woman tilted her head, blinking perplexedly.  “With Bobby, of course.  I’m teaming up with Bobby.”

Theo’s jaw hit the floor.

* * *

Through the building, Theo stormed.  His face a thundercloud, his eyes crackling lightning.  Zipping past another hallway, he heard Alice’s voice ring out: “Whoa there, speed racer!”

He whirled.  “Just who I was looking for!  Y--”

Dear fucking hell.  Every outfit this woman wore made his mouth water.  “You need to … to …”  He adjusted his stifling collar as the sultry vixen approached in her well-unbuttoned work blouse and heels.  Only his rage kept him focused.  “You need to explain to me why I’m competing head-to-head against … against BOBBY!”

“Oh, so you met him!” her voice lilted with a pleasant hum.  “Hey, you look nice this morning, hon.”  She cheerily tugged on his sleeves.  “Did you sleep well?”

“Quit deflecting, dammit!  I thought Mae had just brought him along – I didn’t realize he in the damned show!!”

“I thought you’d be happy, dear.  Surely he’ll make an easy opponent?”

“Agh!  That’s my point!  How’m I supposed to impress anyone when I’m up against him!  I’ll be a laughingstock!”

Alice held her tongue -- barely.  Her boyfriend was about to don a Mouse suit on national TV, and he still expected people to take him seriously.  Sometimes his level of delusion still astounded her.

But there was a chance, albeit small, that he might quit the show over something like this.  “Look,” she said, resting a hand on his delightfully slim shoulder and doing her best to convince him.  “You’re overthinking this.  No one will even see your face once you’re in uniform.  They won’t see some normal man; they’ll see a hero.  A masked crusader.  Dauntless … daring ...”

Oh my god, he was actually buying it.  “They’ll still be impressed?” he asked with a note of hope.

A laugh almost snuck out of her.  Almost.  “Once they see what you can do?  Heck yes, they will.”

And he still believed it!  “Well … then … fine.  I’ll show them.”

“Good!”  Oh, this was really going to be something…

* * *

Theo squeezed his eyes shut.  “Masked crusader,” he repeated.  “Hero … Masked Crusader … ”

He opened his eyes again – and so badly wished he hadn’t.

As he shivered, the living, breathing Mouse-figure in the mirror shivered too.  As the whiskers on that ludicrous face wobbled, Theo could see the same whiskers wobbling beneath his eyes.  “H-Hero!” his voice squeaked, rising a half octave.  “I-I-I’m a—”

*Knock Knock* “It’s Alice again.  How we doin’ in there?”

Agh!  “F-Fine!!”

“Can I come i—”

“No!  Just a minute!” he yelped, his panic mounting.  “Hero,” he muttered again, the words sounding so hollow …

The door opened, despite his admonition!  “No!!” he yelped again, as his towering girlfriend ducked into the room.  A chortle escaped her lips as her face lit up with pure, unadulterated delight.

“Dammit, Alice!”  His hands shot to his face, then his body, then—What was even the point?  Even his hands were covered in spandex!  “I said wait a minute!”

“Do you really think a Mouse is allowed to give a woman orders?” she laughed.

“Th…!  That’s not funny!”

“Oh, it very much is.  But it’s almost nine, and we do need to—”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Her gaze smoldered, as her voice lowered.  “Do you need me to whip your little gray behind, for real? Hmm?”  She leaned closer.  “Don’t think I won’t do it.”

Theo choked.  She might not actually be pretending.  Too afraid to find out, he shuffled toward the doorway with a scandalized glare.  His covered feet lightly squeaked on his bedroom floor, his friggin’ foam tail wagging behind him—as a startling chorus of cheers accosted his ears.

“Wow!!  Yippee!!!”

“Theo, you look great!!”

His ego crumbled.  They were just trying to protect his feelings, right?  ‘Cuz… “Whoa.”  His eyes settled on Mae, who had radically and miraculously transformed from ditzy homemaker to … to … “Superwoman?” he croaked weakly.

“Super Mom!” Bobby corrected, throwing his arms around his mother’s bright blue, red, and gold covered torso, his eyes level with the iconic ‘S’ emblazoned across her wide chest.

“‘Super Mom’,” Mae rumbled.  “I like it!”  She even sounded larger-than-life now; or was that just Theo’s imagination?  Humoring her son, Mae flexed her arm and hoisted it upward, high enough at least for Bobby to tuck his legs and hang there for a second before gravity won out and pulled her arm down with him.  “Oof -- you’re too heavy, hon.”

“Not for long!”

Theo’s mouth had fallen agape without realizing it.  The gray spandex of the boy’s suit; the soft tail whipping to and fro; the Mickey Mouse ears; the quivering whiskers and shiny nose … all were identical to Theo’s.  Only the accent colors were different around their collars and thighs -- Theo’s a more burgundy red and lighter blue, his nose a darker gold.  But otherwise …

“See, Mom, he looks just like me!!”

Theo went weak at the knees.  He may have collapsed backward, if Alice’s hand hadn’t caught him from behind.  “So exciting, guys!!  Just waiting on—Ah, here she comes.”

The shiny knob across the hall turned.  The enormous door swung wide …

And an arm appeared, in gleaming silver and gold.

A leg, next: golden kneepad and toes; dark red greaves …

“Ho-o-oly…”

Theo’s throat clenched and alarm bells rang in Theo’s head, as above toned, bare thighs emerged dark blue tassets, a rugged burgundy-red corset, and more brilliant metal lining belt, bust, forehead, and arms.  His jaw fell open.

“Wonder Woman!!” Mae practically squealed, clapping her hands.

“SPECTACULAR!” Alice belted, over his head.

Jeeeesus freaking--!!  Of all the possible superheroines they could’ve chosen, they’d picked Wonder Woman!?!  The one heroine he'd had a major freaking crush on, ever since those movies had come out?  The one he’d fantasized about, a hundred times more than any other?!  There was just something about that actress; the outfit she wore; her impressive athleticism; the way she moved and the way she talked.  In retrospect, you’d think that would’ve tipped him off long ago, that deep down inside him he’d had a thing for strong, tall, confident females all along, what with the way those movies had stirred his loins and … and …

And other than the hair, Jen bore an almost freaky resemblance to that babe on the big screen.  From the metallic gleam of her outfit, to the shape of her body and tone of her limbs.  Even the assertive pose she struck, and the confident smile …

“Ohhh my god,” a voice uttered, loud enough for everyone to hear.  Only when all eyes turned to him, did he realize the voice had been his own.

 Oh hell … Oh hell …

“Theo?”

He looked up at his quizzical girlfriend.  “Uh …”  His heart pounded as his eyes flitted back across Jen’s blue and burgundy armor.  “It’s, uh … It’s …”  What to say??  “It looks … convincing.”

Dammit!!  Why’d he have to say that!?!

As Jen’s jaw dropped in surprise, Alice excitedly laughed.  “It abso-freaking-lutely does!  Suits her even better than I expected.”  She dropped an impressed, appreciative gaze to him.  “I’m frankly delighted that you agree.”

Theo’s cheeks grew even hotter, as Bobby again clapped his hands. “Wonder Woman!!” Bobby cheered, unable to contain his glee.  “She’s real-life Wonder—”

“Jen,” Theo harangued, as much to convince them as himself.  Not ‘Wonder Woman’.  “Jen," he repeated.

“Ooooh!” Mae exclaimed.  “That’s perfect, Theo: she’s Wonder Jen!”

“What?  No, just J—"

“I love it!” Alice chimed.  “’Wonder Jen’…”  She turned to his daughter.  “What do you think?”

The heighty teen looked down at her shining armor, then at Theo, and Alice.  “I … I think I love it!”

“It’s official!” Alice declared, with a big grin.

“Wonder Jen!!” Bobby cheered.  And Theo groaned.

* * *

“Quick photo op,” Alice announced, taking them into a green room and handing them over to a cheerful photographer behind a camera.  “Ladies, if you’d face each other?  Fists up … Look fierce … Yes, that’s it!”

Theo’s mouth hung open slightly without meaning to.  The pair of them honestly looked daunting; like prize fighters, ready for a bout.

“You too, Mice!  Right in front of them.  Same thing.”

Theo frowned.  No sooner had he stepped up next to Jen, than: “Rawr!” Bobby giddily raised his hands like claws, pointing them at Theo.  “Rawr!!  RAWR!!”

“That’s great, Bobby!”

“What, are we T-Rexes now?!” Theo spat, almost choking with embarrassment.

“Not with paws like that, you’re not,” hummed Alice.

Theo flew into a rage.  “They’re not paws!  They’re--”

*Flash*

“Ooh, perfect -- that looks so cute!”

“CUTE!?!  You--”

*Flash* 

“Hey!”  He glared at the photographer.  “I wasn’t ready yet.”

But as the photographer turned a questioning gaze to Alice, his girlfriend leaned in and grinned broadly at the camera screen.  “Oh, no, we’re keepin’ that.”

Huh?  “But—”

“Next pose, y’all!  Let’s keep this movin’.”

* * *

Jen was about to diiiiie with excitement.  Alice couldn’t possibly have picked a better outfit for her.  It even moved super well too, not restricting her in the slightest as she glided through the hall with long, energetic strides.  In this outfit, she felt like a badass times ten.

And oh my god, Dad’s outfit.  Oh … my … God.  She could see his frowns, even behind the mask.  She could hear his grunts, same as always.  But the amazing thing was: it didn’t put her on edge in the slightest.  Didn’t make her sweat or fret at all.  If anything, the costume made his grunts seem funny!

*Boom! … Boom! …* A repetitive, bassy rumble started faint but grew louder as they reached the dark corridors of the backstage.  “Wh… What is that?” Dad asked, frowning again, his ears bobbing each time his head darted around.  He was starting to look really nervous…

*Boom … daDoom … Boom … daDoom…*  The music began to fill out with synthesized trebles now … a bit of snare drum … and a low, steady hum that could only be the crowd.

“Fuck,” Jen heard Dad mutter as, down at the end of this final corridor, shifting lights came into view.  The noise of the crowd was amplified now into a loud hum, nearly drowned out by the heavy bass which thumped through Jen’s chest as wildly as her beating heart.

“This is it!” Alice yelled, having to shout to be heard.  “This is what you’ve been waiting for!!  Jen and Theo, you’re up first.  Head in, single file.  Are you ready!?!”

“Hell yeah!!” Jen belted, near the top of her lungs.  Holy fuck, she was ready!  Dad almost looked like he wanted to bail, but it was too late for that.  This was really happening!

Theo couldn’t even hear his teeth rattling as he stood there, just short of the flashing lights.  If there had been any other way to win his old size back, any at all, he’d have done that instead.  But, alas …

Once Alice spoke a quick word into her earpiece, the music faded to nothing, leaving only the expectant rustling of the crowd, and Theo holding his breath…

*Boom!  BaDoom DuhDuh Doom!*  Bass boomed and trumpets blared, as the Mighty and Mouse theme music took off at deafening volume.  Now lights flashed, even more brilliant and multicolored, strobing rapidly.

“LAAAAADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!!!” a woman’s voice bellowed over it all.  “Are you ready for the most exciting, action-packed game show in the world!?!?”

“BRING IT ON!!!” the audience boomed. 

Holy--!! Theo jumped.  The crowd was so freaking loud!

“Are you ready to be dazzled and amazed!?!” cheered the host.

“BRING IT ON!!!” belted the audience’s signature cheer.

“Are you prepared to see two superheroines-in-the-making, battling it out with the help of their trusty Mice!?!”

“BRING IT ON!!!”

“Then let’s meet our first contestants!!!”

The lights strobed and intensified, seeming to focus right in front of them.  The music built and intensified as Sally exclaimed, “Hailing from just two hours away, in lovely Palo Springs: give it up for Wonder Jen, and her sidekick Theo!!!”

SIDEKICK!?

“Go, go, go!!” Alice shouted, waving emphatically as the beat dropped and a new anthem blared.  Jen went forward first, fearlessly, while Theo remained glued in place.

“You got this!” Alice shouted in his ear, just before her heavy shove propelled him stumblingly into the blinding light.

He squinted and shielded his eyes—then yelped aloud.  “Holy crap!”  He expected a small studio audience.  But he found one if not two thousand spectators sitting nearly up to the rafters along the back wall of a massive studio arena.  The TV show never did justice to the size of the crowd and how cavernous this arena really was.  Even the stage, a raised circular platform, was freaking huge.  The words “MIGHTY & MOUSE” dominated the view behind, in big gold letters.  Above that, on a giant TV screen, one of the promo shots they’d just taken was already on display, showing a forty-foot-tall rendition of him wearing the most humiliating outfit imaginable.  For the whole freaking world to see.

Christ…

He’d lagged well behind Jen by now.  She was already ascending the steps to the central stage, where the game show host herself stood and waited.  Theo’s cheeks heated as he nervously broke into a half-run to catch up, the spotlights tracking his movements as well as hers.  For a second, he almost couldn’t recognize the burgundy-and-gold-clad figure ascending the steps ahead of him.  Under the dramatic spotlights, the metallic trim of Jen’s cuirass sparkled and dazzled; her legs and arms looked more toned than ever.  For a moment, it was hard to remember it was Jen.  She looked like Wonder Woman herself.

But it was the host who made his mouth drop open and his head jerk back, once he’d ascended to the stage.  Nearly Lola’s height, but wearing high heeled, thigh-high boots.  Towering in her flamboyant teal-blue suit and crazy purple Mohawk hair, looming so, so high.

She was looking right at him.  Grinning.  Like a hyena?  No.  More like a sabre-tooth tiger, who’d just found someone new to toy with.  Sally MacIntosh, the show’s host – she’d seemed so much less intimidating on TV.

By the time his eyes made the long journey down and up her body, he found that Sally’s smile had grown.  She brought her mic up to her lips, well higher than his head.  “Hello,” she quipped at him slyly, her eyes sparkling.

His heart raced as she lowered the mic toward his face.  But between the bright lights, the massive audience, and Sally’s predatory smile, no words came out.

Oh, how her eyes lit up!  “Quite a scamper you had going there,” she teased.  “In a rush, are you?”

Some men had struggled on stage in past episodes.  He’d thought they were just wimps.  But now he felt the pressure first-hand.  “N…No,” he managed.  “I…uh …”

“What’s wrong, little mouse?  Cat got your tongue?”

He jerked back; his eyes bulged.  The crowd roared—laughing, at him.  His cheeks burned red hot.  “I… I … My name is Theo,” was all he could think to say.

“It sure is!” said Sally, with a lighthearted wink.  “You’re a pretty tough guy, aren’t you?”

He had his arms crossed over his chest, as he leaned back and glared.  When he didn’t reply, Sally crossed her arms and leaned back too, squinting and scowling, mirroring him completely.  And the crowd ate it up.

“Hey!”

“Aww, I’m done teasing you for now.  I promise.”  Her hand went to the top of his bald-capped head and patted it before she turned to Jen and gave a long, slow whistle.  “And look who’s leading the team!”  Leading??  “My goodness -- are you a superhero in real life?”

The crowd cheered, while Jen shifted in her boots and blushed.  “Aw, c’mon, I’m just a girl in a costume,” she humbly protested.

“Oh, you seem rather more than that, Jen.”  Sally swept her arm across the stands.  “What do you say, folks?  Does she looks like she’s got what it takes?”

“YES!” the whole crowd seemed to cheer at once.

The crowd’s bias shocked him.  “She is just a girl in a costume!” he yelled, though his voice went unheard.  Ugh… he watched Jen’s smile grow by the second, blooming with confidence under the support of the crowd.  But her ego was already big enough!  “Don’t encourage her!” he belted, but again no one could hear.

“Now,” said Sally, to the camera, “I know what you’re thinking: a likeable, all-American young woman, and her shy but dedicated companion…”

Hey!

“You’re telling yourselves, ‘We’ve seen this all before, Sally!’  Well, folks, no you have not!  What if I told you these two aren’t just friends; nor neighbors; nor even siblings.  Jen and Theo … are daughter and father.”

All two thousand people in the crowd seemed to gasp at once.  Then astonished laughter broke out, exclamations, … and then roars of delight.  As if this were the most bewildering, fascinating, and hilarious thing they had ever heard.

“See?” boomed Sally.  “Told ya we were in for a show, today!”

What?  Why?  Father and daughter wasn’t thaaat weird … right??

“Let’s get to know our unconventional duo a little better, shall we?”  Her hand flourished toward the big screen above the stage, where a video began to play.

*Clang! Clang!*  A well-stacked barbell rose and fell in steady succession, at close range.  Soon the camera panned out to show Theo himself lying on the bench in his basement, his chest broad and his biceps flaring.

Holy smokes.  This must’ve been one of the shots from the start of their training.  And even two weeks ago, he had looked really impressive.  God, how things had changed.

“I’m Theo Atwater,” his own voice boomed, in the richer, deeper baritone it so recently used to be.  “Your next champion.  Athletic trainer, avid weightlifter.”

The audience gasped – and Theo too – as the scene cut to an old, old video of a local weightlifting competition, where a ring of onlookers pressed in around a massive hulk of a man, with bulging veins and explosive muscles, overhead lifting an amount which to Theo today would be wildly unthinkable!

Theo’s voiceover went on: “Six foot six and two hundred sixty pounds of pure muscle.”  Indeed, the man in the video was Theo himself, and the date was seven years ago, at the very peak of his prowess.  His heart leapt as the beast on screen hoisted the bar off the floor and the crowd around him went nuts.

Old photos graced the screen next, capturing Theo’s greatest athletic moments.  “All-state football player; winner of countless high school wrestling tournaments.  A fearless leader all my life; I was born to win.”

Back to the basement, with a shot of post-workout Theo gazing into the mirror.  “And while my size has diminished somewhat, I’m still the biggest, strongest guy around, and my competitive spirit has only grown stronger.  Failure is not an option; I’ll lead my team to victory at all costs.  You can count on that.”  The scene ended with his hands planted confidently on his hips and a resolute glare in his eyes.

Holy shit, that was incredible!  He felt a swell of his old confidence return.  But … wait … were those laughs he was hearing, in the audience?  Suddenly he became intensely aware of the mouse suit wrapped around his skin.

The music changed.  Now the screen showed Jen—shots from over her high school years and before, at Track and Field events.  She was like a high-energy pixie back then: short and reasonably skinny, with boundless energy and drive.  Jen’s voiceover talked of her love of athletics, her passion for running, her years on the team.

But the music took a somber turn.  “I grew taller, fast,” she said, as the scene changed to Jen from two weeks ago.  Good lord, she was skinny!!  Like a freaking popsicle!  Her spindly legs flailed as she jogged around the track at school, by herself.

“But my body couldn’t catch up.  I got picked on at school, at the mall, everywhere.  I was too weak to compete in Track anymore.“

Damn, but she did look a pitiful sight.

“Things were hard at home, too.  My dad and I don’t really get along.”

The scene cut to them in the basement on Day One of training, with the much burlier Theo comparing arms with her and smugly driving his elbow into her.  Next, they were standing with locked hands, Theo jostling and tossing her side to side like a ragdoll with a grin on his face.

The crowd murmured behind him, in clear disapproval.  “They’re misconstruing it!” he protested aloud.  They deliberately cut the scene to make him look bad!  “Why don’t you show her pushing me?  Or talking back like a brat!?”

Sally was standing closest to him.  If she heard him, she didn’t acknowledge it.

“He’s always tough on me,” Jen continued on screen.  “I can never seem to do anything right.”

Now a recording played of Theo throwing up his hands as Jen’s thin arms struggled with almost no weight.  “Come on, Jen!  It’s not that heavy!  We’ll never win at this rate!”

In the present, only Theo’s mouse cap kept him from pulling his hair out.  He wasn’t that mean to Jen … was he?

The screen faded.  Then ‘Week 2’ flashed on screen, and a healthier, sturdier Jen was shown strapping weightlifting gloves to her hands, staring determinedly at the chalkboard.  As Jen spoke, the camera panned a close-up over her steadily improving numbers each day.  “It’s alright,” a deeper, firmer version of her voice said, as more hopeful music played.  “I’m working hard; making myself better and better.  Dad challenged me to a lifting competition today.  I think I can win.  Or at least, he’ll see how far I’ve come, and he’ll be nicer to me.”

Real-life Theo turned to Jen in rage.  This was a smear campaign beyond compare – and Jen had helped fan the flames!  But her eyes stayed locked on the screen, her jaw clenched.  What … she couldn’t actually believe he was such a monster as this!?

Now highlights of their pitched battle in the weightroom played out.  Dramatic music, as Theo narrowly won and gloated mercilessly.  This is baaaaad.  Oh Christ.

The footage transitioned again; and he didn’t even need to recognize her outfit, or see the chalkboard, to know this was shot yesterday.  You could see more than enough proof in her healthy arms, toned abs, and very noticeable chest.

She did chest-curls on screen, an intense look of determination on her face, while a recorded voiceover of Jen played: “Never quit working; never give up.  No matter what they say, just keep fighting.  Control your own destiny.”

The screen faded to black.  As silence filled the air, Theo’s heart pounded and his fury soared.  Then some in the crowd began to applaud, and it caught on like wildfire, until the sound of their approval washed over the stage like a tidal wave as the lights flooded back on.  “Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you WONDER JEN!” Sally exclaimed—and the cheers became a full-out roar.

“And her teammate: not just any normal sidekick, but her own father, Theo!”

The crowd’s timbre instantly changed.  Some scattered applause—and plenty of boos, directed straight at him.

“I know, folks, I know,” Sally commiserated, sweeping her hand down to his much smaller form.  “But even the most stubborn and bullheaded of men are capable of change!  What do you say: shall we give him a chance?”

The crowd started to come around, but that only made him more ticked off.  “I don’t need to ‘change’!” he yelled, too far to be picked up by the mic, but loud enough to catch Sally’s ear.  “You didn’t show it how it really is!!”  He began jumping and gesticulating in anger—and the audience booed louder.

“I gotta say, folks, this is one of the most intriguing pairs we’ve ever had!” said Sally, paying him little heed.  “Now, who would be the perfect foil to a daughter-father team?  Another classic mother-son duo, of course!  Hailing from the heartland of America, I give you Mae Everest as the mighty heroine Super Mom, and her eager sidekick Bobby!”

Theo was not done with this!  “Hey, I’m serious!” he shouted, getting right up in Sally’s face…or more like, the underside of her chest.  “I’ll set this straight, dammit -- give me the mic!!”

Sally reared up and raised her hands in surrender.  “Oooh… I think this Mouse has bite!”

The audience stopped booing—and laughed!

“Not funny!!” he barked, losing all cool and reaching up for the mic…

Sally boxed him out with her elbow and shot a quick glance behind her—and a wave.  That very instant, a darkly-costumed figure sprinted toward the stage.

He hardly knew what he was seeing.  Anything moving that fast couldn’t possibly …

… be … that … BIG!!

“Jeees--Oof!!” By the time the shape vaulted onto the stage, it was already too late. 

An arm as big and hard as a concrete beam slammed across Theo’s torso, and the rest was a blur.  The ground tore away beneath him and the stage zipped away as his vision danced with stars.

“The Panther strikes again!” Sally cheered flippantly, as his legs whipped against tree-trunk thighs and his head buffeted against a deltoid harder than marble.  He didn’t even get another yell off before the impossibly wide forearm finally fell away, dropping him unceremoniously just off-stage behind the curtains.

He scrambled to his feet quickly … and regretted it.  One look at the towering woman before him sent a shiver down his spine.  He could hardly comprehend how truly massive she was.  Cords of muscle ran up her enormous legs, widening into broad hips and giving way to a muscle-packed torso.  Breasts hovered higher than his eyes.  Shoulders wide enough to sit on, and arms that looked big enough to crush metal.  All of her, head to toe, was wrapped in spandex in the nearly-black purple of a panther.

His mouth went dry when his head finally tilted far enough back to see the masked face above him.  The rounded cat-like ears.  The black lips, and uncanny green eyes.  The Panthers were a staple of the show, watching from the sidelines or escorting contestants at need.  Always with a dead-stoic demeanor that had seemed silly on TV.  But now, the unflinching gaze bearing down on him, from eyes that seemed to almost literally glow from their own freaky light … It was freaking ominous.

And that was before her larger-than-life hand swept forward and clamped onto his shoulder, like a goddamned steel vice.  “Hey!”  Startled, Theo jerked his torso.  His shoulder didn’t budge, as if it were welded into place.  He tried again.  “Jesus, lady, let me go!”

By rights, she should have done so immediately.  But after a brief, detached glance at his struggles, she merely rotated her body and watched the stage.  Christ … she had him trapped here like a prisoner!!

Sally had moved on, chatting away with Mae and Bobby.  Where was Jen?

“Let me go!” he tried again, twisting even harder.  Cripes!  He pried at her purple-clad thumb, then her index finger … geez, it was like bending a chunk of metal, but he got the tip of her finger off his collarbone, and – Shit, his grip slipped.  “Lady!” he hissed, returning to his squirms which were becoming increasingly frenetic, as the woman simply rolled her eyes …

“Dad?”  Oh hell.  As Mae and Bobby took the stage, Jen had headed right for him.  A burgundy breastplate shot into view; shining silver arms waving in front of him in distress.  “Are you OK??”

She’d seen all his futile struggles!  He cringed and tried to stand still.  “I … I …”

“Of course he’s OK,” the Panther said in a voice like gravel, as she stood like a stone.

Panic overtook him again.  Another wrench of his arm, but it still didn’t budge!  “D… Do something!” he blurted at Jen irrationally, nervously.

But Jen’s eyes were stuck on the Panther.  She was an absolute giant, looming head and shoulders above Jen.  Her rippling quads seemed twice as big around as Jen’s, or more.  Her biceps swelled like cannonballs.  Dad looked unbelievably small next to this woman; but Jen wasn’t laughing.  She felt pretty damned tiny herself.

“Don’t just stand there,” Dad yipped, twisting again.  “Help!”

“How??” Jen felt dizzy just looking up at the woman, who stood as motionless as a statue, paying them no mind as her eerie green eyes remained fixed on the stage.  “Miss…?  Would you mind, umm …?”

No response.

Jen cleared her throat, then foolishly reached for the huge purple-clad arm …

All the Panther had to do was flinch, and Jen leapt back like a frightened sheep.  A loud, barking laugh emanated from the woman as her eyes descended to Jen.  “Here,” she grated, roughly pulling Dad forward, making him stumble!  “Hold him, if you want.”

Jen balked.  “What?  No, just let him go!”

An amused snort.  “And let the Mouse run free?”

“’Run free’!?” Dad gasped.  “I’m a grown man!”

The Panther responded by returning him to her side.  Jen swore she saw a tiny smirk on the huge lady’s lips as Dad tried yet again to break free.

At least Jen didn’t have to decide what next.  “Give it up once more for Super Mom and little Bobby!” Sally declared onstage, where the heartwarming video of Mae’s and Bobby’s life had just wrapped up.  “A loving mother, and an adorable son,” Sally went on.  “Folks, aren’t they just the sweetest?”  The crowd’s response, if a bit less raucous, was still unanimously, enthusiastically positive.

On some wordless cue, the Panther marched forward, sweeping past Jen to deposit Dad at the base of the stairs, then lingering with hands on her hips to ensure he climbed up.  Jen felt goosebumps as she trailed after him, seeing him stumble on the first step, watching his eyes dart back anxiously over his shoulder.  Did Jen feel bad for him, or maybe a little bit vindicated?  She couldn’t decide.

The pair of them stepped under the lights, next to Sally and opposite their opponents.  “Super Mom!” hyped the hostess, as the music picked up.  “Your special mother-son bond is your team’s greatest strength. Will you be victorious!?”

“We will, Sally!!” Mae exuberantly replied, scooping an arm around her son and holding him tight, with Bobby giving a toothy smile.  “We’re two peas in a pod; we’ve got a connection that can’t be beat!  We’re sure to win!!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, do you agree?”

The crowd certainly seemed to, yes.

“Wonder Jen!”  Sally cut through, slinging her arm across Jen’s shoulders.  “Will your bite-sized father’s full-sized ego get in the way?  Or will Team Wonder Jen pull it together, against all odds?”

Now under his own power again, Dad’s fury returned in force.  As Jen coughed in surprise, Dad swiped at the mic.  Was he nuts!?  “D-Don’t count us out!” Jen belted, hastily planting herself between Dad and the mic before he got himself carried offstage again!  “We’re getting along a lot better now.  We—”

*Oomph* In clear contradiction to her words, her dad rammed her in the back, trying to get by!  “Hey!” Pandemonium ensued as the two of them jockeyed for position, right there onstage.

“Wowweee!” Sally called, pulling the mic clear as the crowd roiled in shock.  “It’s a real barnburner, folks!  HERE WE GOOOO!!”  She flourished again as the stage lit up.

“TWO TEAMS,” the screen displayed, in ten-foot letters.

“ONE VICTOR”

…

“THIS!” the audience bellowed, in time with the words.

“IS!”

“MIGHTY!  AND!  MOUSE!!!”

Alice would have thought she’d react with pure delight, seeing the way things were unfolding onstage.  Theo, being his usual surly self.  Sally, goading him so well.  Skylar, the Panther, whisking him away and treating his tirade as if it were little more than the buzzing of a flea.  Alice loved to see proud men humbled so.  Of course, it thrilled Alice even more when she was the one doing it.  What a joy these last two weeks had been: the thrill of taking proud Theo out of his cocoon, to peel back the layers of his supposed ‘manliness’ and see if there might be a submissive side to him underneath.  And oh, was there ever.  She’d helped this part of him blossom so much, in just a few short days.  Guiding a man like this on his first few steps into the new, more exciting, female-driven world … Simply nothing else could compare.

She watched her man return to the stage seeming more stubborn than ever once Skylar released him, rather than more subdued!  Alice couldn’t have conditioned him any more perfectly coming into today: pliant and submissive enough to put on a Mouse suit and be paraded around, but still feisty enough to keep up his foolish protests.  And mulish enough to turn his team’s performance into a disaster of delightfully epic proportions.

So why, oh why, couldn’t she just enjoy the spectacle and leave it at that?  What was this nagging sense of guilt she kept feeling, as she watched him flail about onstage?  Wherefore this sudden attack of conscience?

“Damn it,” Alice muttered.  She knew why: he was a work only half-finished.  He need not necessarily crash and burn; he had the potential for so much more than that, if only he had the courage to stay true to himself and see this all the way through.  And why did she want that for him?  Because—most shockingly of all—she found that she actually cared for him.  Perhaps a great deal.

With a reluctant sigh, she wound her way backstage, already thinking through the words she would say.

* * *

Theo’s skin pebbled yet again with goosebumps, as the eight of them convoyed across the arena – four contestants, flanked by four gigantic Panthers.  Was the one beside him the same Panther as before?  They all looked so identical; it was nearly impossible to tell.  But her grip was so strong that his arm threatened to go numb! “Ease up, lady!” he shouted, twisting about.  But stoically the Panther marched, with infuriating disregard.  And Jen, meanwhile, was allowed to walk freely, her own Panther keeping her hands to herself.  Aghh!  “I hate this!!”

Down the long pathway they marched, the rows of cheering fans to their left and the shrouded obstacle course to their right.  What obstacles would they be facing today?  He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“And heeeeere we go,” Sally’s voice echoed, her purple-haired likeness now lighting up the screens throughout the arena.  She stood in a skybox next to a frizzy-haired woman with a personality like a bubbly little sprite despite being nearly as tall as Sally herself.  “With me as always: my partner in crime, Bhumi Dewan!  What a show we’ve got lined up!”

“That’s right, Sally – and what spunky contestants!  One of them in particular …”

“Little Theo, you mean.”

“How’d you guess?”  Bhumi laughed.  “I can’t figure it.  He’s here; he’s got this golden opportunity – which he volunteered for, by the way!  What’s he got to be so grumpy about?”

“Who knows, Bhumi.  Maybe getting up this early on a Saturday has got him cranky.”

“Awww, maybe so.”

“WHAT!?!” Theo roared, planting his feet – for a half-second, anyway, until the unfaltering Panther’s grip forced him roughly along.  He felt his cheeks heating as—“Hey!”  Was that a smirk he saw on Jen’s lips?  Or was he just imagining?

Before he could react, the convoy had reached the enormous double-scales: two platforms side-by-side, for both teammates to measure their weight at once.  The platforms were gratuitously huge, while the electronically-lit, brightly-colored back panels rose a ridiculous seven and a half feet above the platforms.  He knew this because they had bright ruler markings and big bold numbers indicating height.  Above all this were two oversized, round LCD dials with needles big enough to be seen from a ways away, and markings in fifty-pound increments up to 400.

Four hundred!!  What, are they hosting sumo wrestlers??

“Size ‘em up!” chanted Bhumi.

“SIZE ‘EM UP!” echoed the crowd. 

“Now, Bhumi, for anyone who’s been living under a rock the past three months: how does this show actually work?”

“Our engineers create two brand new courses for each and every episode – we spare no expense!  Our contestants don’t know what’s coming any more than our audience does.  But there’s one universal truth here, built into the very DNA of the show.  Audience?  The Mighties need to be …?”

“BIG, BIG, BIG!!” cheered the well-trained crowd.

“And the Mice need to be…”

“LITTLE, LITTLE, LITTLE!!”

“Precisely!  The bigger the Mighty and littler the Mouse, the easier a time they’ll have.  The obstacles are designed that way."

Theo managed to scoff.  This wasn’t always true.  He’d seen multiple cases where men on the show could’ve benefitted from more size, not less.  But they never mention that, do they?  The men always rush to shrink themselves as much as possible, like mindless fools.

“And what are the ideal sizes to start out?” prompted Sally.

“Six feet tall and 180 pounds, for the Mighties; five feet two and 120 pounds, for the Mice!”  That explained why these were emblazoned in bright red markings on the scales in front of him.  “We try our best to get our contestants to these target sizes in advance, but everyone’s body acclimates to Apo-Amplifier at different speeds, and results may vary.  Let’s hope they’re not too far off!”

Jen’s Panther hung back and let her walk the remaining few feet to the scales.  Theo had to raise hell with his Panther before she finally let him climb the last step on his own.  “Freaking goon!” he shot at her, but the infuriating woman didn’t even glance at him!

He and Jen stepped onto their platforms.  “Rut-roh,” Sally fretted, as the crowd murmured.  “Let’s hope Jen’s as athletic as she looks, because she’s fifteen pounds light and an inch too short!”

“Her Mouse is an inch too tall, but just four pounds heavy.  Still, even these small disadvantages could prove disastrous, for a team already teetering on the brink of total unrest!”

“Those two get along like baking soda and vinegar.”

“Nitro and glycerin.”

“A raw egg in a microwave.”

“A what?”

“YouTube it.  Trust me.”

“Will do!”

Without any warning, the Panther resumed her steel-handed grip on his arm and all but carried him off the scales.  Frustration mounted inside him as he could barely even budge her iron-like forearm – forget about breaking himself free.  “You can let go n—Oww!”  She dumped him onto the floor again with careless disdain.  Shiiit!  He shuddered just looking up at her.

“Six feet tall,” Bhumi reported, as Mae grinned on the scale, “and a whoppin’ 196!”

“5-foot-1 for Bobby, and just 113 pounds!!”

The numbers were projected up on the big screen, and it did not look good.

“Mae and her Mouse are both ahead of their marks!  I hate to say it, but we could be in for a lopsided contest.”

“No kiddin’, Bhumi.  No kiddin’.”

* * *

Entering backstage through a big curtain, the Panthers split Mae and Bobby off to the left, with Jen and Theo veering right.  Toward the starting gate, he thought.  But partway there, his girlfriend appeared, hustling toward them with a determination he’d rarely seen.

“Alice!” Jen called, half excited and half worried.  “I—”

“Sorry.  No time.”  Her hand was around Theo’s wrist in a flash.  “I’ll take him,” she said up to the Panther, who with a quizzical look let him go.

A confused Theo half-jogged to keep up as Alice led him around a secluded corner.  She whirled on him before he could speak, crouching, clutching his shoulders impassionedly.  “Theo, listen to me.  This game show will be the hardest thing you’ve ever done.  Harder than you can even imagine.”

“What?”  He coughed, and slowly gathered his wits.  “Well … good thing I’m the toughest competitor this show’s ever—”

“No!  It’s not about toughness, Theo!”

He frowned.  “Every contest is about toughness, Alice.  It’s about putting your foot down, manning up, and—”

“Theo, if you try to ‘man up’, this show will break you in half!”

His jaw fell open.  He just stared at his girlfriend, bewildered, as her eyes swarmed with intensity.  “Think, Theo.  Think about why you joined this show.”

“For the prize; the Apo-Reverso.  Obviously!  I want to be—”  He gulped, looking down at his tightly-wrapped body, at how much he’d already lost.  “I want to be big again,” he said, with perhaps the barest hint of doubt in his voice.

Alice nodded.  “You want to win.  You can win.  But the only way you can do that is to adapt.  You have to play on the game’s terms, not your own!”

*Scoff* “What, play like a Mouse?”

“Yes, play like a Mouse!  Feats of strength, power, bravery: leave those to Jen.  Stick to your Mouse tasks.  Don’t try to be a hero!  Just follow Jen’s lead.  And, for god’s sakes, take every shrinking potion you can get your hands on!”

Alice winced.  She knew he’d seen all the episodes, yet dubiousness still spread across her boyfriend’s spandex-covered face.  Hopefully her impassioned speech would work on him.  It might.  But the other producers were buzzing like crazy in her earpiece—they were waiting on her.  She had to keep the show moving, right now.  So she kissed him deeply, Mouse man or no, and led him briskly by the hand, toward Jen and the starting gate.  “You’ve got this; I believe in you!  Now get in there – go!”

Theo managed just one brief look back at Alice’s supple form before he hustled through the doorway into the arena.  He found himself alongside Jen in a sort of penned-in area; a holding cell, with only a big blue gate standing between them and the obstacle course.

a32;a32; ”Team Wonder Jen is in position!” a32;a32; Sally thundered, through speakers above.

a32;a32; “T-minus thirty seconds till we’re underway! a32;a32;

“What did Alice say?” his burgundy-armored daughter belted, right next to him.

a32;a32; “Team Super Mom is backstage, in the soundproof booth!” a32;a32;

“Nothing!”

a32;a32; “Neither team has any foreknowledge of what to expect …” a32;a32;

“Seriously – what’d she say??”

a32;a32; “Their times from this round will be added to Round Two to determine the final victor—so every second counts!!” a32;a32;

Ugh … “She said play like a friggin’ Mouse.”

a32;a32; ”Team Wonder Jen …” a32;a32;

Her eyes widened.  “But you will, right?”

a32;a32; “Are you ready!?” a32;a32;

“Dad … tell me you’re going to do your part!”

a32;a32; “Helloooo…?” a32;a32;

The noise in the arena mounted, the big numbers above them counting down to single digits.  His stress level reached an all-time high.

“Dad??”

a32;a32; “Eight seconds, y’all!” a32;a32;

“Dad?!”

a32;a32; “Five!  … Let’s hope they’re ready! … Three!” a32;a32;

Could he ‘adapt’, like Alice said?

a32;a32; “Two!” a32;a32;

Could he play on someone else’s terms?

a32;a32; “One!” a32;a32;

He panicked.  “I … I …”

a32;a32; ”AND THEY’RE OFF!!” a32;a32;

He didn’t need to decide; not yet.  The descending gate bailed him out.  Without giving Jen his reply, Theo leaped ahead.  Staggered by the brilliant lights, he glimpsed the crowd to his right, and a twenty-foot wall straight ahead, adorned with gaudy paintings of caped superheroines scaling mountains in a single bound and soaring among clouds.  On the landing above, along the left-hand wall, he glimpsed similar drawings: heroic females, burly and strong, fighting lions with their bare hands, hurling boulders through the air …

Gleaming blue tassets darted past him as Jen charged bravely, rashly toward the wall – her target, the randomly-scattered handholds going all the way up.  Already she started climbing, her recklessness almost admirable … But damned if he’d let her beat her!

a32;a32; ”Wonder Jen is halfway up!!” a32;a32;

Whoa… she was actually pretty good.  In fact, after anchoring himself on the bottom holds, the next ones were wayyyy the heck up there …

a32;a32; ”Oh dear!!” a32;a32;

Jen had reached this next handhold, no problem – but when he stretched for it, his fingertips came up nearly a foot short!  Above him, Jen caught another hold and athletically swung herself up to still another, just before her hand slapped the top.  Cursing and refocusing, he looked both ways then lunged left, barely catching the hold.  But now the holds above him were even higher!

a32;a32; ”The Mouse is climbing!?!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”Or trying to, at least!” a32;a32;

Christ!  Jen was at the top already!  But how was he supposed to—

“Dad!”

“What!?”

a32;a32; “Sally, doesn’t he know that mice are poor climbers!?!” a32;a32;

“Mice go THAT way!!”

He finished his next attempt nonetheless – and paid the price for it, slipping and landing on his ass on the padded floor below.

“Down THERE, Dad!  Quit wasting time!!”

Sitting up, he followed her pointing to the lower right corner of the wall, where cartoon drawings of mice were scurrying toward a little burrow – as in, a real hole in the wall, not painted.

a32;a32; ”Has our Mouse finally found his hole??” a32;a32; boomed Sally, with relish.

"You've got to be kidding me," he uttered.

"GO!!!" Jen bellowed, hopping with fury.

Son of a--!!  He almost gave the climb another try.  Now, that would turn this game on its head!  Imagine--

“Dad, COME ON!!!”

Fuck.  He’d never make it up.  “Fine!”  He made this one concession and darted through the hole.

a32;a32; ”There he goes!!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”An abysmal start—can he make up time!?” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”Go, Mouse, go!!!” a32;a32;

The tunnel started small and got even smaller.  He doubled over then had to drop to all fours by the end, and still he barely squeezed through.  The tunnel muffled the announcers, and a dull roar from the crowd -- something to do with Jen up above?

He tumbled into a cartoonish cave, of sorts, with paintings of mice on the walls.  Mice with berets, and bandolier and camo stripes across their gray chests, smoking cigars and pointing at a hand-drawn map on the wall as if planning some sort of incursion.

a32;a32; ”Our Mouse has reached the Guerilla Camp!” a32;a32; Sally roundly exclaimed.

It was all so ridiculous.  He didn’t even want to know what--“Ack!”  Turning, he realized the right side of the room was clear fiberglass, allowing the audience to peer in.  Some were clapping; others were pointing—including a kid in the front row, wearing mouse ears, jumping excitedly.  Oh lord…

a32;a32; “He’ll need the Guerillas’ help if he wants to break into Mouse HQ!” a32;a32;

Help?  He groaned, looked again – and noticed the tiny ledge at the end of the left wall.  A glass bottle rested on it, small enough to hold in one hand.  Painted on the wall behind it was a camo-clad Mouse waving at him with one hand and offering the bottle with the other.

a32;a32; ”The bottle of ‘Skinny Mouse’—he’s found it!” a32;a32;

Within the bottle was a bright green liquid that almost seemed to glow with its own light.  Ohhh hell.

a32;a32; ”We all know what that does!” a32;a32;

Oh yes he did.  He stepped closer and sniffed an acerbic aroma which turned his stomach, and his mind.  Alice wanted him to drink it; Jen wanted him to drink it … but no.  Screw that.  In a single, cataclysmic moment, he decided right then and there: I do this my way.  No shrinking for me.  None!

a32;a32; ”What’s he doing!?!” a32;a32;

“Suck it, Sally!”   He shook his fist at the camera and the roiling crowd, then left the bottle untouched and charged through the open doorway straight ahead.

a32;a32; ”Oh NO!!!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”This is a catastrophe!!  No mouse has ever willingly passed up a Skinny Mouse!!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”He’s going to regret it!” a32;a32;

Bull!  A stallion like him needed to keep his strength and his size, not lose it.   He barreled fearlessly into a round, plexiglass tunnel ahead, just large enough for him to run without ducking.  Through the clear plexiglass, he could see the tunnel bent and twisted in a seemingly endless labyrinth in front of him, like some McDonald’s playplace on steroids, all throughout this big underground room.  Its ceiling hovered some twenty feet above him; the clear plexiglass wall to the right gave the audience another window in; and the far end of the room seemed a loooong way off.

In here, the announcers’ voices grew faint. a32;a32; ”He’s entering the Science Lab unprepared!” a32;a32;

“Blah, blah!”  He sprinted forth determinedly, deftly planted his foot, cut hard right at the first 90 degree bend, banked left.  Through breathing holes cut into the top of his tube, he occasionally he heard thumping on the ceiling well above him – must be Jen, doing obstacles of her own.  More distant were the crowd, and the commentators’ voices.  Were they cheering for her, or him?  Or both?

Well, he was blazing along now.  After a dozen left and right turns, the tube turned straight upward ahead of him and flattened out some seven or eight feet above.  A series of little disc-shaped ledges, spaced about a foot apart, were there for him to hoist himself up.  He reacted fluidly, snatching the grips and scaling rapidly.

“What the--!?”  Each time he put any weight on a disc, it began folding downward, flattening to the wall.  He thrust himself upward with a yelp, scrambling just fast enough to stay ahead—and making a final leap onto the rounded ledge just before his final foothold flattened away.

“Yeesh!”  That was close!  But hey, for once the crowd cheered for him now, their enthusiasm rumbling all throughout the plexiglass tube.  ‘Bout time they noticed his skill, his power!

From this raised vantage he could see the far wall now.  He was almost halfway there.  Darting forth, he noticed for the first time what was depicted along the walls: paintings of evil-looking mice in lab coats peering sinisterly into beakers and writing down notes.

“Lab rats,” he realized—and his feet slammed to a halt.  “I’m the freaking lab rat!”  A real-life one at that: running through a network of tubes, being studied under a thousand pairs of prying eyes, being timed on his progress.  “Son of a--!”

It was impossible to feel heroic now.  He continued on, wanting to get out of here as fast as he possibly—

Ugh.  No sooner did he drop down to the bottom level again, than another vertical section reared its ugly head.  The semicircular grips here were yellow instead of green; and … “Ack!” … they gave way faster than the last ones, folding down with even less resistance.  His foot slipped and his body tumbled to the hard tube below.  Now the rumbling of the crowd seemed almost mocking, somehow.

The handholds slowly returned to place.  “C’mon, Theo, you-got-this!!” he growled, taking a running start.  He even surpassed the top grip this time, but the rounded ledge rejected him.  His shin thumped into a handhold painfully as he awkwardly collapsed to the floor.  “Ow!”  His foam tail wasn’t even good for cushioning.

The third time was a charm.  Ma-a-an, it was close though.  “Hell yeah!” he wheezed, through labored breaths, as the crowd rumbled its approval.

He was closing in on the exit now; it wasn’t far.  Just another few turns up here; another drop … around and around the tubing he went, until … a final vertical segment, with grips painted red.

“Freaking--!!”  These grips flopped down even easier!  “Oh, come on!!”  He got frustratingly close on both tries, but still frustratingly far.  “Who designed this!?!” he protested, pounding the floor with his fists and breathing hard.  It made no sense: if even he lacked the explosive power to catapult himself up, then no Mouse could.  They’d designed an impassable obstacle.  What the hell?

Suddenly, noise flooded down from above, the announcers’ voices blaring over the crowd: a32;a32; ”…is stuck!  REPEAT: the chubby mouse is stuck!!!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”Mighty Jen: go help him!!” a32;a32;

“How the…!?”  He looked up and got his answer: a hatch had opened in the ceiling way above his head.  Amidst the brilliant lights, his daughter’s head appeared, her red hair strikingly adorned in the gold-and-silver circlet, her eyes alert and frantic.

a32;a32; ”She’s found the hatch!!” a32;a32;

“Dad!” she yelled, her voice carrying through a small hole cut into the top of the tube.

“Jen!” he shouted back.  Unsure if she could hear him, he waved his hands.  “I don’t know what the heck I’m supposed to—”

“Hold on!”  She seemed to know exactly what to do, dropping feet-first through the hatch and landing atop the tube with a dull *Thump*.

a32;a32; “Still no hesitation from her!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “She may be undersized, but she is fast, and focused!” a32;a32;

He tried to mentally keep up.  “The hole!” he realized, as she gained her balance and crouched over it.  It was far too small for either of them to fit through; but if Jen could find a rope, or a pole, or—

“Wait -- Jen!?”  He finally noticed what was clipped to her belt: two bottles, one of which she now unfastened, and held over the hole, and released.

a32;a32; ”Airdrop, incoming!!” a32;a32;

Years of athletic experience made him catch the bottle on pure instinct.  Then he froze, his stomach churning, as he stared at the bright green liquid glowing within.

a32;a32; ”He caught it! Whew!!  Now he can finally--” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”Wait, why’s he just standing there?!” a32;a32;

“What’s this for?” he shouted, snapping out of it.

“What?”  Jen bent closer to the hole, having trouble hearing him.

“I don’t need this!”  His anger boiled.  “I need more muscle here, not less!”

But the agonizing crowd seemed to drown him out.  “Dad, just take it, c’mon!”

He sputtered, shaking his head…

a32;a32; “What’s he doing, Sally?!  Mice aren’t supposed to think!  They’re supposed to drink!” a32;a32;

“But…”

a340;(a344;0´)a295; ”DRINK IT!  DRINK IT!” a340;(a344;0´)a295; the crowd began to cheer, stomping the bleachers.

“C’MON!” shouted Jen.

a340;(a344;0´)a295; ”DRINK IT!  DRINK IT!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;

“JUST DRINK IT ALREADY!”

“Fine!”  Theo furiously threw the cork off, almost retching as he lifted the bottle.  Eeghh!  It smelled awful; like medicine, but worse.  “Oh, fuck it.”  *Glug Glug Glug*  He gulped the bitter substance down and angrily threw the empty bottle aside.  It clanged down the tunnel, rolling to a stop, as the crowd celebrated in relief.

a32;a32; ”That’s a good wittle Mouse!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”He’s got a chance, now!” a32;a32;

“I still don’t understand how—Oooffghh…”

He felt woozy; the dose was hitting him faster than any he’d had before.  He began … receding.  As if his life force was being sucked right out of him like a juice carton, the adaptive fabric of his suit shrank along with him, tightening around him like cling wrap.  Fuuuucking hell!!!

“Go, Dad!!” Jen barked, rising carefully to her feet and preparing to leap for the hatch.

Shaking off his queasiness, he grabbed the handhold again in anger and spite and—Oh.  He got as far up as last time, without even trying as hard.  The handholds folded down just a little slower; not a lot, but noticeable.  Of course.  Because he weighed less.

“Shit.”  OK … in this ONE instance, the shrinking might help.  Sourly, he was about to try again – when Jen’s feet landed again on the tube with another dull *Thump*.

a32;a32; “Ooh, so close!” a32;a32;

Jen leapt again, her hands coming just an inch or two shy of the hatch before she fell again.

a32;a32; “She may be in too much of a rush, Bhumi – she’s forgetting something!” a32;a32;

He watched Jen gain her balance – then smack her own forehead.  “Duh!” she seemed to shout, chiding herself as she unclipped the other bottle from her belt, teardrop-shaped and filled with liquid a shimmering sky blue…

a32;a32; “So focused on helping her teamie, she neglected to help herself!” a32;a32;

Theo gasped as she uncorked the bottle.  “Wait, NO!” he yelled, as the crowd’s chanting began.

a340;(a344;0´)a295; ”MIGHTY HEIGHT!  MIGHTY HEIGHT!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;

He thought he could stand Jen growing bigger, but it turned out he couldn’t.  “Stop!!” he irrationally yelled, waving frantically, unseen and unheard, as his daughter threw the blue bottle back and chugged it down.

a340;(a344;0´)a295; ”MIGHTY HEIGHT!  MIGHTY HEIGHT!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;

A look of wonderment filled Jen’s eyes as, even from down below, he could see her body stretching upward: taller … taller …

Agh!  The most height she’d ever gained at once – by at least double!  Had she grown two freaking inches?!?

He watched with surreal dismay as the now taller, lankier Jen leapt – and this time grabbed hold of the roof with almost startling ease. 

a32;a32; “Yeah, baby!  We’re back in business!” a32;a32;

All her practice doing pull-ups was put to good use as she heaved herself up through the hatch and wrangled herself safely onto the floor above.

a32;a32; “This detour has cost her team so much time, but—" a32;a32;

a32;a32; “Oh my god – her Mouse is still just standing there!  What!?!  Hurry, little Mouse!!” a32;a32;

Fuck.  There was only one way through this nightmare, and it was up that tube.  With his lighter weight, total focus, and one last desperate lunge, he reached the top just before the last handhold gave way.

a32;a32; ”Hallelujah!” a32;a32;

“Yesss!”  He pounded his fist in elation and scrambled to his feet, feeling lighter and nimbler now than he ever had before.

a32;a32; “Off he goes!” a32;a32; he dimly heard behind him, as his lightfooted dash carried him down the final stretch of godforsaken tubing and into--

“Craaappp!!”

a32;a32; “Now for a proper rat maze, folks!” a32;a32;

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Theo entered a miniaturized hallway of sorts, with a low ceiling and claustrophobic walls branching into three separate corridors: one straight ahead, one left, and one right.  The ceiling seemed made of the same clear plexiglass; the roof above it was opaque except for long gaps every four feet or so, left to right.  These slits, along with dim floor lights, illuminated the little hallways just enough to make his way.  But on the wall to his left were drawn three evil-looking cartoon hench-mice with lab coats, cracking wicked grins and each pointing him down a different path.  The evil cackle played again, through a speaker above his head: “Eeeee Heee Heeee!!  Wel-l-l-lcome!!”

a32;a32; ”Jen’s on to the Steppes of Stone!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”Theo’s infiltrated Doctor McWhisker’s Maze!” a32;a32;

A literal rat maze this time?  Where he actually had to choose his path?  Oh LORD!

a32;a32; “This is a tall order for Jen, even at her new height!  Can she make it through and help her Mouse?” a32;a32;

Theo huffed.  “I don’t need help!”  He charged down the middle path which quickly turned left, then right, then another right.  His elbows took quite a beating as they bounced off the narrow walls; his ears kept slapping the ceiling.  This maze was so confining; but he bumbled and bounced his way through, and--

*Smack!*  Taking another left, he slammed into a wall, nose first.

a32;a32; ”Dead end, little mouse!!” a32;a32;

He stumbled backward, blushing, as a camera tucked in the corner caught it all.

“Damn it!!”

The crowd roared.  a32;a32; ”She’s broken through!  Now on to the main floor!” a32;a32;

*thump thump thump*  Footsteps sounded on the roof.  “Dad??”  Small gaps in the plexiglass let her voice filter through.  A flicker of gold, red, and blue flashed past the slit overhead—and again, a moment later.  “Dad!?” her voice called again, louder, closer.

He banged on the ceiling with his fist.  “Here!” he yelled.

“Dad, where are you?” she continued, unable to hear him.  The footsteps moved on, growing distant.

“Ugh!”  It didn’t matter, anyway.  “Focus on yourself, Jen!  I can handle this!” He ran back to the start of the maze and took the left-hand path instead.  Jen’s wasteful calls continued, but at least he was making progress, winding deeper into the maze now, darting and dashing and—

*KaSMACK!*  The abrupt dead end knocked him back onto his butt. 

a340;(a344;0´)a295; “OHHH!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;

a32;a32; ”He’s runnin’ blind down there—blind as a bat!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”No, as a rat!” a32;a32;

“Screw you, Sally!” he fumed, dizzily picking himself up. 

a32;a32; ”If only his Mighty could shed some light on the situation…” a32;a32;

He dimly heard an exclamation above him.  *thump thump thump* Another glimpse of blue and red flitted past.  And just as he started backtracking: “Yikes!”  A four-foot-wide section of roof rolled away right above him, flooding the corridor with light as two gold-clad feet and a flash of red hair hustled by.

a32;a32; ”Now she’s gettin’ it!” a32;a32;

“Getting what?”  The glass ceiling still barred his escape, and the extra light was barely any use to him at all.  It made no sense!  “That’s not helping!!”

Reaching the beginning, he took the third and final path.  “Aha!”  This one kept going.  Left, left, right … Light flooded over him as he passed the strip of ceiling Jen had laid bare.  A few steps later, another strip rolled away overhead, accompanied by thumping steps and glints of gold.

“Do something productive!” he huffed, cringing as the corridor forked again in front of him.  How was he supposed to find his way??  He picked a path at random, only to find a third fork a few turns later – and soon after … *KaWham!* … another dead end.

He stumbled back, deeply peeved.  The roof above him rolled away, only adding to his ire.  Grouchily he returned to the third fork and took the other branch…

“No!” the teenager called.

He looked up, startled to find Jen right above him, crouching over a rolled-away section of roof, panting heavily.  She was exhausting herself!  Wasting all this effort and--

“Go back!” she barked, pointing behind him.

What?  He pointed forward.  “This could be it!”

“No!  Go back to—”

Pfft!  He ignored her and delved forward.  He was sick of this preposterous power-trip she was on.  Dictating his every move now?!  Like her guess was any better than his!?

Whoa.  He was surprised to find she’d already rolled away not one, but two more sections ahead of him.  And most of the ones behind.  Christ, that was fast!  No wonder she was tired.  In fact, she’d exposed the roof all the way to … another dead end.

*Thump Thump Thump* Her fist pounded the glass, just inches above him.  “I freaking told you!  GO BACK!!”

His breath caught.  She was mad.  Maybe this glass between them was a good thing …

a32;a32; “Is he FINALLY catching on??” a32;a32;

Fuck.  Of course.  He could only see the walls around him, but she could see the whole maze.  Or at least the part she’d uncovered.  She was supposed to help him through it; that’s what the game makers had intended all along.

“GO!!!”

Well, maybe she’d been right, but she didn’t have to freaking shout, though!  With an embarrassed grunt, he quickly backtracked.

a32;a32; “Thank the lord!” a32;a32;

This time Jen kept above him and just ahead, leading the way, calling out and pointing him through every blessed turn.  “Here! … Now left!  … OK, straight!”

“You don’t need to--!”  Grrrhh!  He bit his tongue, scampered … and had to swallow his words, as he missed the turn at the previous fork.

“Here, Dad!” *Clap!* “No, no – this way!” *Clap* “Over here!”

Blo-o-o-dy hell.  She was almost looking like a trainer in a dog show, leading him around, giving commands.  And he couldn’t do a damned thing about it!  Nothing but follow her lead…

“Stop!” she soon called, clapping again then holding out her hand.  “Wait!”  A darkened passage lay ahead; she ran off to uncover it.

But, what, was he just going to sit here, wagging his goddamned tail like some obedient puppy?!  Hell no – off he went!

a32;a32; “*Gasp* Bad Mouse!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “Stay!” a32;a32;

Great.  The commentators saw the connection too.  Just great.  He hustled along anyway – and almost immediately hit a dead end.  What terrible luck!  Even worse, Jen happened to roll the roof away just then – and practically stomped on the glass in her anger.  “I freaking told you to STAY PUT!”

a32;a32; “Ooooh, he’s gonna get it now!” a32;a32;

Geez!  She took this so personally.  Shoulders hunched, he doubled back and, like it or not, let her lead him the other way, up to a … paler wall, with gaps on the sides.  It seemed to cut right through the glass, jutting out above and capped with … handholds.  It was a gate!

She was already two steps ahead of him; already crouching, gripping it, trying to lift this wide, heavy gate.  Yet, as her wiry, pre-fatigued muscles tightened and strained, the thing barely wobbled.

“See?” he barbed.  “You wore yourself out!” 

She slumped, panted, and tried again.  What a sad show of it, she made.  He scoffed, and crouched, to help lift it from below.  “’Mighty’, my ass…”

Hey!  The gate started rising almost as soon as he joined in.  Six inches … now a foot … Guess your old man’s still stronger than he l--

“Aghh!” Jen yelled—and the gate started to drop like a sledgehammer!

“Shit!” He yelped and barely got his fingers away in time as the gate landed with a resounding *Thunk*.

a340;(a344;0´)a295; “AWWW!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295; went the crowd.

He rocked back, rattled.  He’d like to think he did a fair share of the lifting, there … But Jen had clearly been shouldering far more of it than him.  Maybe even twice what he’d done.

… Yikes …

a32;a32; ”Is the gate defeating her?” a32;a32;

He struggled to chastise her this time, just watching in confounded silence as she slumped over the gate, exhausted, her gold-plated chest rising and falling rapidly.

a32;a32; ”Is her Mouse stuck there forever?” a32;a32;

Her weary hands latched on again; but if she’d failed last time, she’d surely fail now.  This gate was huge!  “There’s gotta be another way!” he shouted.

Whether she actually heard him or not, Jen rose and studied the maze.  Her brow furrowed; she shook her head … but something farther off, and higher, caught her eye.

a32;a32; ”She sees the beacon!” a32;a32;

Huh?  Some new light seemed to be shining, off to the left.

a32;a32; ”A new ray of hope!” a32;a32;

Was that trumpets playing, in the distance?  Whatever it was, it brought life improbably back into Jen’s limbs.  That dogged determination flickered in her eyes again, as she started at an amble, then a trot, then an all-out run, vanishing from his line of sight.

A bemused Theo plastered his face to the glass above him, just able to make out the colorful drawings up high on the side wall, lit up under brilliant spotlights: two airborne female warriors, with shining swords and angelic wings, swooping down from a mountain peak; their arms outstretched, as if to proffer … something … that he couldn’t quite see.

a32;a32; ”The Mighties on high, helping a sister in need!” a32;a32;

He withdrew to the wider corridor behind him, backing up to bring more of it in view.  “Fuuuck…”  A bottle, filled with red liquid, on a ledge way up off the ground.  The warrior-drawings were pointing to it.  He should’ve known.

Then he could just make out Jen’s arm coming into view, pulling herself shakily up onto the rocky outcrop which, by the look of it, loomed thirty feet above the stage and ended six feet left of the vial.  It seemed to take all she had just to lift her own weight and stand straight; but there she was, her gold-trimmed armor glinting more dazzlingly than ever under the gleaming white light.

She braced.  Wait – she wasn’t seriously about to jump for that, was she?  “Take a breath!” he yelled.  She was way, way out of earshot, and the audience was in too great a fervor; but still… “You’re too tired!  Rest!”

Even with fresh legs, the attempt seemed risky at best.  Six feet away, with barely any room for a running start?  She—

a32;a32; “Here she goes!” a32;a32;

Holy shit, she leapt forward -- and freaking caught it!  Snagged the vial right in midair, just by a hair, as she soared and plunged out of view, to … to …

a32;a32; ”Right onto the pillows!” a32;a32;

He exhaled, despite himself.  Maybe even pumped his fist, just a little.  That was … kind of nuts!

a32;a32; ”Ten out of ten!  PERFECT execution!!!” a32;a32;

Had he underestimated just how athletic she was?

a32;a32; "Now, what we’ve all been waiting for, folks: Power-Up!  Power-Up!” a32;a32;

a340;(a344;0´)a295; “POWER-UP!  POWER-UP!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;

Theo’s face paled as Jen’s head appeared above the maze again.  Then her torso … and the bottle.

a340;(a344;0´)a295; “MIGHTY POWER!  MIGHTY POWER!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;

The slight smile wiped right off his face at the popping of the cork.  Sudden, unexpected panic took hold of him.  “Don’t!” he yelped, for nothing but his own selfish reasons.  She was already too freaking big!!

a340;(a344;0´)a295; “POWER-UP!  POWER-UP!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;

Alas, the red, shimmering liquid disappeared down her throat, the empty bottle hitting the roof.

a340;(a344;0´)a295; “MIGHTY POWER!  MIGHTY POWER!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;

It began within seconds, the changes barely noticeable at first, then unmistakable.  Every inch of her enlarging, strengthening.  Somehow, the fact that her height remained fixed made it even more jarring – all the more clearly to see her shoulders widening, her breasts growing … and her muscles increasing in volume, all around.

“Shi-i-i-i-it…”

He’d backpedaled without realizing it, his shoulders connecting with the maze wall at the same time as his tail.  As he gawked, Jen had already sprung into action.  She seemed almost bewilderingly renewed and refreshed, her now bulkier legs squatting before the gate, her sinewy arms getting into position.  And…

“Nooooo way,” he breathed, as she began to lift the gate.  All on her own.  He watched the thick slab inch upward, little by little; her arms quivering, but holding strong!

“Ack!”  Less gawking; more helping!  He heaved up on the gate for all he was worth.  Sure, it helped some, but …

“Rrrghh…Dad!” belted Jen, barely heard over the din.

The bottom of the gate was almost up to his shoulder now!  And rising higher …

“G...Go through!!” her strained voice wheezed.

Of course, you idiot!  It was plenty high already; all he had to do was duck through. 

“Dad!!”  The gate lurched!

With an anxious cry, he abandoned ship and dove through to the other side.  The gate lurched again, and lurched; but somehow she kept her grip well long enough to make sure he was through.  Only then did her trembling hands give way and let the gate *Thunk* to the floor.

a32;a32; ”Boo-yah!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “ ‘I’ve got the power!’ ” a32;a32; Bhumi sang.

Theo lay on his ass, staring up at his collapsed daughter, a coat of sweat shimmering over newly-defined muscle. 

“I … I got this!” he called dubiously, looking to ease her burdens.  But somehow, within mere seconds, she was rising again, straightening, ambling forward with incredible resolve – and only picked up steam from there.

The roof in front of him rolled away; then the next one, faster than ever.  How was she doing this?!  At this rate … Jesus … he actually found himself waiting voluntarily at the next fork in the path.  Rightly so: she was back in no time, already knowing the way.

“Straight!  Then left!  Then right!  And you’re done!”

Had her voice gotten deeper too?  Just slightly?  Christ, her voice almost seemed to carry more … authority, now.

“Go!”

He practically jumped, his feet scuttling ahead almost before his mind gave the order.  “She’s not the boss of me,” he muttered, as her blue tassets and glistening skin flashed by.  “I’m still in control.”  His feet padded onward, hastening out of this interminable, god-forsaken maze.  “I am!”

Oddly, in this final stretch, the maze kept narrowing … and narrowing … “What the--??”  The walls hemmed in on him.  Even the ceiling grew shorter.  Soon he had to bend, then crouch, then crawl on all fours.

Whatever Jen was doing meanwhile drew another sharp cheer.  a340;(a344;0´)a295; “WHOAAA!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;

a32;a32; ”She can fight through anything!” a32;a32;

He shuddered and focused ahead, at the literal light at the end of the tunnel.  “Focus!” he self-coached, his voice amplified by these claustrophobic walls.  Walls so tight, he had to army-crawl and shimmy, squeezing to within a yard of the hole … now a half-yard! “Just keep … going …”

a32;a32; ”Visualize—and attack!  Jen nails it again, on the first try!!” a32;a32;

Dammit!  His forearms were through, but his shoulders were stuck!

“EEEEE, HEEHEEHEE!” the offensive cackle of Doctor McWhisker called, echoing all around him.  “HAVING TROUBLE, ARE WE?!!”

a32;a32; ”Another devious Mouse-trap!” a32;a32;

a340;(a344;0´)a295; “AWWW!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;

*Thump Thump Thump Clank*  “Dad??”

She was somewhere right above him.  All she could see were his flapping forearms.  This was freaking embarrassing!!  “Can you reach me?!” he shouted.

“You’re too far away!”

Dang it!  “Try harder!!”   He was barely stuck; a good tug from her would—

“Cup your hands together!  Catch!”

And, in distressing déjà vu, a bottle dropped squarely onto his hands.  He held on, somehow, even though his first impulse was to throw it out of his sight.  This bottle, like the ones earlier, was green.

a32;a32; “Man, I was SURE he’d drop it!” a32;a32;

“I gotta go!” shouted Jen.  “Just hurry!”  Her footsteps pounded on some unseen walkway above him, the crowd cheering anew.

a32;a32; “Hurry!” a32;a32; Sally echoed.  a32;a32; “Gotta lose weight to get outta that tunnel!” a32;a32;

Shimmying backward into the tunnel, he set the bottle down and recoiled.  He’d already gotten skinnier today.  Why couldn’t one dose be enough?!  What with Jen getting bigger, too.

Was there any alternative here?  Any at all??

“That’s it!”  He thought of it.  Holy crud – that just might work!

a32;a32; “What’s he doing in there?!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “We can’t see.  Is he drinking?!” a32;a32;

“No, sir-eee!”  This was pure goddamned genius!  Instead of drinking it, he rubbed the slippery liquid onto his arms, his belly, his shoulders—then threw the bottle behind him and thrust himself forward.

“Urrrrghhhh!!”  The last few inches were still a struggle; he began to see stars … but little by little his greased, lubed-up suit slid along, until one whole arm was through, then the other, and then--*Pop!*--he tumbled free!

a32;a32; “A skinnier Mouse emerges!!  He--” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “No—he POURED it on himself!  He didn’t drink it!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “WHAT!?” a32;a32;

Theo jumped to his feet and pumped his fists in triumph.  “Human ingenuity, baby!!!” he roared, as the crowd went ballistic.

a32;a32; ”We’ve never seen such daring—from a Mouse!!” a32;a32;

“You’re damned right, you haven’t!” Theo roared.  “I’m a KING!!”

a32;a32; ”Well, their time may be abysmal, but this is sure entertaining!!” a32;a32;

His suit seemed water-tight; much of the liquid slopped off him as he shook his arms.  The rest would air-dry quickly enough.

Turning, he could see the raised platform up ahead; the end of the course!  All that stood in his way was a covered, high-ceilinged tunnel, twelve feet long and half as wide.  The far side was sealed with plexiglass, in front of which was a small red button.  OK … so just hit the button, right?

With steely determination, he set his sights on button, and charged!

But almost immediately, the metal grating beneath him gave way.  “YyyAHHH!”  The entire section of floor swung downward, dumping him head-first into a ball pit, like you’d find in a freakin’ playground.

a32;a32; “Ran right into that one!” a32;a32; Bhumi cheered, as the maddening cackle of Dr. McWhisker played once more.

“This show freaking SUCKS!!!” he lamented, lifting his rueful gaze as the spring-loaded metal grate swung back into place, cutting him off from the platform above.  He waded through the ball pit fast as he could, furiously ascending the ladder back to the front of the tunnel.

Only then did he notice the drawings along the inside of the tunnel: Mice gingerly tiptoeing their way forward, avoiding any sudden force that would make the floor give way.  “Ughh,” he groaned.  Perhaps he could have been a bit more observant, last time…

Something landed atop the tunnel above him.

a32;a32; “Jen is on FIIIIIRE!” a32;a32;

*Thump Thump Thump*  A flash of gold, burgundy, and blue streaked into view as Jen leaped from atop the tunnel down to the floor beyond, tucking and rolling and popping to her feet fluidly, like some freaking parkour nut.  OK … he’d definitely underestimated her athleticism.

a32;a32; “She used every ounce of effort and resolve, all round long!” a32;a32;

Bracing and looking around, she quickly registered him through the plexiglass barrier behind her.  She shouted something at him; he couldn’t make it out, but she looked … impatient.  Angry.  Furious, even, to have to wait on him once again.

a32;a32; “And secured all three Mighty power-ups this round, to boot!” a32;a32;

She approached the tunnel and, holy crap, it was hard to tell her size before, but was she really this big?

Wait.  “Three?”  As Sally’s words hit him, his eyes zeroed in on the bottle clipped to her belt – a new one, filled with red liquid.

“Holy f*#&$!!” he yelped.  She was about to get even bigger?!?

Screw the clock; screw the show.  He had but one purpose now: I CANNOT let her take that!!

a32;a32; “Poor Jen, though -- her sidekick continues to lag behind!  You can just sense her frustration!” a32;a32;

Indeed you could, but … “Wait!” he yelled, gesticulating, praying she didn’t do anything rash.  He started across the metal grate, crouching, shuffling gingerly yet quickly.  Just look at her!  The fuck would he do if she grew again!?

a32;a32; “Oh dear – he really is oblivious to his surroundings, isn’t he?” a32;a32;

“Huh?”  Whatever Sally was on about, he ignored it.  Halfway across, the metal floor already started wobbling, dipping downward with every careful step.  Shit!  He wasn’t sure if he’d make it.  He—

His daughter’s leather-wrapped fist started pounding the glass.  Angrily.  She was shouting again – but this time pointing, madly, over his shoulder.

Alas, behind him, near the entrance of the tunnel, a small compartment had popped open.  Must’ve done so just moments ago, maybe when he’d fallen into the ball pit.  The compartment held a small, round bottle, filled with goddamned green liquid!  A tag was attached to the side: ‘Need Help?’

“Fuck that,” he gasped.

He knew well enough by now: he ought to take it.  He was meant to take it. … But the end of the obstacle course was right there, in sight!  And he was already halfway across the tunnel, so …

a32;a32; “He’s forging ahead?!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “Well, at this point, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised!” a32;a32;

*Thud thud thud*  Holy freaking--!!  Jen began pounding on the glass again, utterly ballistic, furious, as he continued toward her. 

Jesus!  His daughter’s white-hot rage rattled him more and more, the closer he got.  “I’m almost there!” he defended in an unexpectedly shrill voice.  The floor dipped deeper … and deeper … but if he could just … get … a little closer … she’d see that he was right, and stop giving him flak, and—

“Aiiiiiighhh!!”  He simply weighed too much. The floor unceremoniously dumped him again, into the rainbow-colored ball pit.

a32;a32; “Oh, how the Mousy has fallen!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “He’s too heavy!  Can’t he see that?” a32;a32;

Theo thrashed and cursed, making his way back up.  “Shit.”  He couldn’t contend with basic physics.  Time to face the music; no other choice.  Jen glared at him from outside the tunnel, her intense stare putting ice in his veins.  Her white-knuckled fist unfurled and jabbed furiously toward the green bottle as her foot stomped the ground.

“I’m going!” he barked, stepping and reaching for the bottle.  She was being … so … intolerable!  Her size gave her no license to act like that. 

a340;(a344;0´)a295; “SKINNY MOUSE!!  SKINNY MOUSE!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295; 

He squeezed his eyes shut and gulped the drink down, its bitter taste twisting his gut into knots.  The withering feeling began before he even set foot on the grate.  He saw his daughter lean in, pressing her face to the glass, momentarily shedding her anger as she watched the potion do its work with keen interest.

Fuck!  He fought the urge to cover himself, feeling so exposed as his waistline receded and his muscles dwindled.  He felt loose folds forming in his suit again, before--*Swwippp!*--the adaptive fabric tightened against him once more.

a32;a32; “Awww … see, wittle Mouse?  Isn’t that easier?” a32;a32;

Bloody hell, it really was.  The floor resisted his weight just a little bit more firmly, as if gravity itself had lessened.  He made it past halfway this time, and a little more, before it truly threatened to give way.  Under Jen’s watchful gaze, he shuffled forward, and forward …

And Jen uncorked the red bottle, and brought it toward her lips.

a32;a32; “Finally!  I thought she’d never get to hers.” a32;a32;

Air rushed from his lungs, along with a frantic yell.  “Wait!” he bellowed, flinging his hands riskily in the air, signaling, shaking his head.  “WAIT!!!”

a32;a32; “Umm, what is her Mouse on about?” a32;a32;

Jen knew exactly what his reaction meant.  Her eyes narrowed, looking him straight in the eye.  By all rights, she should’ve ceded to her father’s demands and at least waited to hear him out.  Just ten goddamned seconds; that’s all he needed!  Yet, with rising fury and blistering spite, she tossed her head back and began to drink.

a340;(a344;0´)a295; “MIGHTY POWER!!  MIGHTY POWER!!” a340;(a344;0´)a295; 

Pandemonium erupted in his mind.  He could feel – see, even – the last scraps of his parental authority slipping away right before his eyes! 

The next seconds were a blur: Theo running, leaping, catching the ledge!  Rising; smacking the button.  “You escaped my lair!!” cried the cheesy voice of Doctor McWhisker.  “Noooo!!!”

He needed to reach Jen, and smack that bottle out of her hand before it was too late!  But this damned glass wall, it came down so slow!  He ran to the edge and squeezed through at the first opportunity – but his foot caught and he tripped and fell, tumbling to the floor.  By the time he picked himself up, the red liquid was gone; drained!  “Son of a--!!”  He charged anyway, taking every ounce of his rage and frustration—all that had built up over this entire round, and beyond--and redirecting it straight at her, and that damned burgundy corset, pummeling it viciously with his fists!

“I told you to wait!!!”

*Thwam!*  The resounding thud of fist sinking into flesh; the sound of his authority, reasserting itself!

“Why…!?!”

Sinking … a little less.

“Didn’t…!?!”

Less!

“You…!?!”

*Thwud!*

“Wait!?!”

His hand throbbed.  He gasped, realizing she’d absorbed his blows and hadn’t backed down.  Not a freaking inch.  In fact, the last one felt like punching solid oak.  Part of it was, she’d clenched her stomach.  But that wasn’t all.  He could feel her stomach continue to harden against his lingering fist.  Solidifying against his knuckles; resolving into grooves and ridges, that weren’t there only moments ago.  Grooves that continued to deepen …

a32;a32; ”What in the MOUSE does he think he’s doing?!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “Never, ever, have we—Holy jeepers!” a32;a32;

The stunned crowd gradually came back to life; but his gaze dragged upward.  Past tapered waist and expanding arms, up beyond growing breasts, to widening, strengthening shoulders.  Finally reaching the strong jawline; tightening lips; and green eyes, boiling with a wrath like he’d never seen.

And then, her fists clenched.

Theo lost it.  No thought of bravery now, or defiance, or even rage.  He turned tail and ran, like his life depended on it.  Criminy!

His blind flight happened to take him toward the final ramp, thank god.  He almost yelped as--*Thoom Thoom Thoom!!*--Jen’s imposing figure zipped ahead of him with ferocious speed; shadows of yesterday’s race around the track, but now with the disparity even greater…

*Wham!*  The larger of the two buttons, on the higher pedestal, met more than its match under the strength of Jen’s palm.  Anger and impatience rolled off her in waves as he reached the smaller pedestal seconds later.  All he remembered was smacking the button with one hand; retrying with two.  Then a  horn sounded; lights strobed.

a32;a32; ”It’s over!” a32;a32; decried Sally, over the consternate din of the crowd.

a32;a32; ”What an ORDEAL!  I can’t bear to look at the clock, Sally – what’s it say??” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”Not good, Bhumi!  Not good at all.” a32;a32;

But through the confetti raining down, he saw Jen whirl toward him, flexing her muscled arms, and advancing!

He tripped and fell backward, nearly sliding off the ramp!  Just when Jen seemed about to lunge at him… she froze.  Anger seemed to build inside her like a pressure cooker … until, with a furious yell, she changed course.  Bounded down the slope.  Cut past the outstretched arm of a Panther who’d just appeared, careened left, and disappeared backstage.

a32;a32; ”She’s outta here!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; ”What on earth?!?” a32;a32;

In the booth overlooking the arena, Sally turned to Bhumi in consternation, tapped her earpiece, spoke into it rapidly away from the mic.  The Panther looked up at her and held her palms upward, clearly befuddled as well.  The crowd chattered and cheered, sitting on the edge of their seats in fascination.

a32;a32; ”W…We’ll take a short break, folks!  Be right back!” a32;a32; called Sally, clearly flustered.  a32;a32; “For fuck’s sa--” a32;a32; you could hear, just before she ripped off her headset and stormed out of the booth.

Theo was still stunned, as the crowd’s restless murmurs grew.  He noticed the Panther behind him, only after her massive purple-clad hand clamped down on his shoulder.

A crushing force secured Theo’s shoulder and practically yanked him off his feet.  He stumbled and whirled his head, finding massive black-covered fingers covering his entire shoulder, connected to an enormous meaty arm and an impossibly towering female figure.  If anything, his now scrawnier arms accomplished even less than before, his struggles beyond useless as she shepherded him down the ramp and brought him backstage.

In the dimly-lit corridors, she put her free hand to her ear and muttered gruffly into her earpiece, then nodded.  When he tried to capitalize on her distraction with a sudden, all-out heave sideways, the brute simply snorted and hauled him the other direction, into the roomy hallways and offices of the studio.

“At least tell me where we’re going!” he barked, hearing anxiety seep through his attempt at authority.

His mouth went dry as the other Panther fell in step beside him.  The two brutes exchanged a nod far over his head, their tree-trunk-sized legs swinging beating the ground around him as their mouths remained silent.

These women were absurdly, unnecessarily huge!  “W-Where are you taking me??”  His voice sounded so meek, so shrill.  “Y… You’re under orders, are you?” he brazenly tried.  “Is that all you do: follow orders?”

*DaBoom BaDoom Boom* went their steps.

“Well, you’re not very nice!!”

This drew a snort from his Panther, and a wry smile from the other.  Their earpieces buzzed again, and at last they spoke, in unison: “Got it.”

Turning him sharply, his escort opened an outlandishly large door – one of many – and abruptly released him.  His momentum carried him clumsily forward. 

By the time he recovered, the door was already swinging shut.  Moments later it did so, with a loud *KaThump*.

“The fuck!?!” he blurted.  What, was he a prisoner?!  The room was mostly dark; the only light was from a long window looking out into the hallway, shielded by blinds.  He felt along the wall at chest height but couldn’t find a light switch.  Instead, he found the cord for the blinds, pulling with two hands to rotate the blinds open.

This was a conference room.  Not a prison cell; not some crazy torture chamber like he’d feared.  The table and chairs were ludicrously upsized like everything else; he blushed, realizing the light switch was nearly at chin level, which was why he’d missed it.  But it was, indeed, just a conference room.

He tried the door.  Gah … his wilted muscles strained considerably just to turn the knob!  The door just … wiggled, a little, when he pulled.   Christ, he could barely get these doors open last night; could he even do so now?

Not that it mattered.  He could see the Panthers through the blinds, standing casually in the hallway.  Their voices were eerily deep and muffled through the wall, as they chatted about who knows what.  Probably about him.  When he jiggled the doorknob, he was sure he heard a scoff of laughter before their conversation resumed.  Hell, even if he got the damned door open, what use would it do?

He shivered.  That was the least of his worries.  Jen.  He was scared like hell to find out what she’d do when, or where, she saw him again.

* * *

In a similar conference room, a few hallways down …

“Aaaaghhhh!!”

Jen rampaged back and forth, foaming and frothing, knocking aside any hapless chairs that happened to be in her way.

“Jen,” reasoned Alice, behind her, “I think you should—”

“No!” the redhead roared.  “I don’t want to hear it!  I’m done with that twerp!  I’m freaking DONE!”  She had run offstage in hopes of keeping herself together – before she did something to him she might regret.  But her anger wasn’t subsiding.  In fact, it was only getting worse.

“Jen—”

“Ggrraghh!!  I thought for one freaking round—just one!—that he could keep his shit together and suck it up and—BAH!!”  She swiveled, stormed back where she’d come, swiveled, stormed.  “He’s RUINED our chances!  Singlehandedly!  He’s screwed us over!  Screwed ME over!!  How DARE he!?!”

Jen heard footsteps come up behind her, but she didn’t stop.  “I swear,” she vowed, “when I see him again, I’ll--!  I’ll-!!”

“You’ll do what?”

Jen gasped, whirled, and nearly fell on her butt as she found herself face to chin with … No … it can’t be. “Bridgette?!?”

Jen drew back as The Valkyrie herself—Jen’s idol, fellow contestant, and mentor—folded her arms and looked down with an unequivocal frown.  Holy crud, and Lola was right behind her.  Lola!  The former, she hadn’t seen in days; the latter, in almost two weeks.  Alice hovered nearby, but the two newcomers dominated her vision.

“How--?” sputtered Jen.  “When did you--?  Wh--?”

“I want to know, girl,” Bridgette huffed, staring her down.  “Tell me.”

“Tell you …?”

“What exactly do you plan to do with this Mouse of yours?”

“With… Dad?”  Jen wanted to stop and take a breath, but her mentor’s scowl didn’t allow it.  Neither did Lola’s. Geez… Jen had grown so much, but the two of them were still so much bigger than her …

“Answer me, girl.”

Jen gulped; focused.  “I … I mean … my Dad sabotaged our entire round.  He ignored me like five times, and did everything so wrong!”  Her fury started to rise again.  “I … I could just …!”

“What, punish him, hmm?  Strike out at him?”  Bridgette scowled.  “Is that your plan?  To let yourself be ruled by spite and anger?”

Jen’s mouth dropped.  Yes, that was exactly what she might do.  Only, Bridgette somehow made it sound almost … foolish.

“W-Well, what the hell else am I supposed to do?” she countered, much to the blonde Mighty’s disdain.

“Pah!”  Bridgette glanced over her shoulder at Lola, who wryly pursed her lips.  “I see the girl has come back,” said Bridgette, “not the woman I had trained.”

This hit Jen’s chest like a dagger.  “What?!  But … you don’t know what he’s put me through all these years!  You don’t understand!”

Her mentor barked a laugh.  “Oh?  You think I don’t understand?  Is this not the very same issue you came simpering to me about, last Wednesday?  The one I thought you had moved past?”  She shook her head.  “Come, Lola.  I think we’re done here.”

“I believe you’re right,” Lola agreed, turning to leave.

Jen panicked.  “No!”  She rushed to put herself between them and the door, even if they might bowl her over in the process.  “Please,” she begged, suddenly plaintive, “just tell me what I should do!”

The big blonde reined in and regarded her skeptically.  “No.  You tell me what you should do.”

Jen floundered.  “Me??  I …”  She drew back, her brow furrowing.  Thoughts of Dad’s actions again flooded her mind, scandalizing her, incensing her.  Last round was the worst he’d ever done to her, by FAR!  The insolence; the betrayal!  Nothing else even came close!

And yet … hadn’t she felt a similar way, when she’d first met Bridgette?  She’d arrived at Bridgette’s cabin angry and furious, but had left feeling almost like a different person entirely.  How had she done it?  What had Bridgette taught her?

“Strength,” Jen muttered, the recognition flooding back to her.  “I have to be stronger.  Strong enough to stay in control of my emotions.  And not let anything get to me.”  Her throat tightened.  “Not even my dad.”

“Yes,” said Bridgette.  “A Mighty needs toughness, not just here”—she thumped Jen’s newly-swollen arm.  “But also here.”  She thumped Jen’s chest next, just above her heart.

Strength.  Toughness.  Jen nodded slowly.  But even as she did, thoughts of her dad seeped in again; all his idiotic, ridiculous screw-ups!  “I … I just can’t fucking forgive him, though!” she raged, surging with anger again.  “I can’t!  I won’t!”

As Jen’s words hung in the air, the previously silent Lola stepped up.  “Nor should you,” she opined.

Jen looked up at her in surprise.  Even Bridgette cocked her brow.  But Lola patted the tall blonde’s shoulder and smiled.  “Keeping control of her emotions doesn’t mean she has to forgive anything.  Sometimes a man has to face … consequences … for his actions.”

Jen gasped, but Bridgette regarded Lola pensively.  “Oh?”  She pursed her lips then shrugged.  “I know little of these things.  What I tell my Mouse, he does.  Nothing else is needed.”

“Well, not all Mice are as amenable as your brother, Bridgette.  I hate to say it, Jen, but your father requires a more direct handling, if you’re to have any hope next round.”

Jen gaped.  She felt almost queasy.  “You’re talking as … as if he’s …”

“As if he’s your sidekick, and you’re his leader.  Which you are.  Maybe you won’t be tomorrow, or the next day; but today, that’s your role.  So the burden is on you to do what is needed.”

Jen’s eyes whirled to Bridgette, and Alice.  Bewilderingly, neither of them raised any objection!  She returned her quavering gaze to Lola.  “W-What do you want me to do?” she practically whispered.

Lola leaned in and nodded reassuringly.  “I have a few ideas.”

* * *

Alice stepped into the hallway a minute later, frowning heavily.  Each of Lola’s ‘ideas’ had been more troubling than the last, from verbal tongue-lashings to some much more … physical …

“You disagree?” Lola asked, as she and Bridgette came out to meet her.  The girl was still inside, staring intensely at the floor, lost in thought.

Alice pondered, then sighed.  “No.  I’d hoped these two would slip into their roles more naturally -- but you’re right, Jen has to do something.  Give him a talking to, at the very least.  Theo just isn’t going to get there on his own.  Although … Hmm …” Alice snapped her fingers in realization. “I know who could help make this easier.”

“Who?”

“Two ladies very good at getting their point across.  Who could set him in the right frame of mind before Jen even arrives.”

“The Panthers,” Lola realized.

“Bingo.”  Alice took off down the hall.  “Give me a few minutes, then bring Jen along.”

* * *

Theo peeked through the blinds again, seeing a wall of purple – the middle of one of the Panthers’ backs.  Christ.  He’d been in here several minutes already; but they’d already ignored multiple attempts on his part to get their attention, tapping on the glass, knocking on the door … He could do nothing but stand here, hearing nothing but their muted voices – and the occasional dull rumble that seemed to emanate from the walls.  The audience, he realized.  Mae and Bobby had either started their round, or were soon about to.

How long would they keep him here?  Why were they—

Wait.  A new sound, from the hallway – the dulled *tap-tap-tap* of high heels.  Alice?  Was that her?  He pressed his face to the glass, but the newcomer was standing just out of sight.  Her muffled voice was less deep than the Panthers’, but that could be said of anyone.  Another try at the doorknob got him nowhere.  “Hey!” he called, his frustration mounting.  “Who’s out there?  Someone tell me something!”

*Tap-Tap-Tap*  The heels again.  Now, the immovable doorknob turning; the door opening, so fast that he had to hastily jump clear.  “Yes, ma’am,” the Panther’s bassy voice called, as her meaty legs swung right into the room.

He was done waiting for answers.  As soon as Panther number one swept by, Theo slipped toward the door and—

“Oomph!”  A purple arm caught him right across the chest before he’d even taken his second step.  A boisterous laugh accosted his ears, as his body whooshed off the ground and soon landed on something hard.  His head whirled around.  She’d sat him right on the conference room table!

The Panther who’d carried him gazed down upon him with a … smirk?  Did she think this was funny?!  The first Panther spared him a brief snort as she resumed what she was doing: turning on the TV, of all things.

“Hey, what is going on?” he grunted, trying to shuffle away from Panther Two, but her freaking hand wouldn’t let him.  “Who was that?  Was that Alice?”  Why wouldn’t Alice come see him?  Was she mad at him?  “When is the next round starting?  Let me—urfff—I demand to see Alice right now!!”

“Remarkable,” Panther One idly mused, flipping through channels.

That’s all they said to him.  Damn it.  “What is?” he bit.

Panther One turned and, once again, spoke to the other Panther, right over his head.  “Alice.  Us.  The next round.  This little Mouse seems to worry about everything except what really matters.”

Theo squirmed again.  “And what is that?”

As the Panthers exchanged a knowing glance, Panther Two brusquely patted his shoulder and leaned down.  “The one thing that’s most important for any Mouse, of course.  The one thing that should always be foremost in his little mind.”  The brute leaned farther, to whisper chillingly in his ear: “Keeping his Mighty happy.”

“Yes,” chimed the other Panther.  “That should come before all else … if he knows what’s good for him.”

A strong shiver came over him; he couldn’t help it.  “Wh…What do you mean?”

Panther One found the channel she was seeking: a closed circuit airing of Mighty and Mouse, broadcasted live from just a few doors down.  Team Super Mom was in front of the starting gate; Mae was smiling warmly, patting her son’s shoulders, encouraging him.  “What a kind soul, Mae is,” the Panther commented.

“So easygoing, so supportive,” chimed Panther Two.

“Not at all like Jen, is she?  Jen’s more like … what was that Mighty’s name? … Galaxia.  Episode Four.  Remember her?”

“Mmm.  I was going to say the Toxic Maiden, Episode Two.”

“Yessss… Fiery and tempestuous, just like Jen.  Remember what she did to her Mouse, after the show?”

Panther Two looked around.  “It was here, wasn’t it – in this very room?  She drew the blinds and told us to wait outside.”

“Yes, she did.  Even put the TV on high to drown out the sounds.”

“Pfff.  As if anything could muffle that spanking…”

Theo nearly coughed up his breakfast.  “What?!”  His eyes darted.  “You’re bullshitting, right?”

Both Panthers just stared at him.  Eerily.  Not even a smirk.

He gulped.  “C’mon …”  He refused to believe it.  He wouldn’t!  “Y-you’re telling me you just stood outside, while … while she … ?”

“It’s starting,” said Panther Two, totally ignoring him as she nodded at the screen, where Mae and Bobby rushed through the starting gate.  “We’d better give this Mouse time to think.  And prepare.”

“Lord knows he needs it.  I swear Jen looked twice as upset as Toxic Maiden.”

“Or more.  But who knows; maybe a few minutes of corrective action might do him some good.”

Theo’s face turned pasty white.  “S…Seriously, guys … quit screwing around …”

Another wry, quizzical stare from both of them.  “Odd,” Panther One mused, tilting her head, “he really doesn’t seem to understand how this world works now, does he?”

Panther Two’s big shoulders shrugged as she withdrew from the table.  “Well, he’ll find out soon enough.  Let’s clear out; she’ll be here any minute.”

A strangled noise left his throat.  “Wh…Who?” he croaked, his heart thumping.

“Yes,” agreed Panther One.  “We’d hate to intrude.”  Raising the TV volume to a more audible level, she followed her counterpart out the door.

He hopped off the table; scampered forward.  “W-Who’s coming?” his voice rasped.  He received only a chuckle before the door closed in his face.

His knees wobbled.  His hand went to his mouth, stifling his worry, his disbelief.

*Gasp*… The Panthers strode right past the window, walking away – they weren’t even guarding the room anymore!  They knew he couldn’t get out.  Jen was on her way … and they were leaving him to fend for himself!!

“Wh … What kind of crazy, f*#&$ed up place is this!?!” he screeched, dropping his hand to his heart, trying not to hyperventilate.  “Where grown men can be spanked, and no one bats an eye!!”

But it was so much worse than that.  He almost swooned, realizing his daughter would be the one doing it.  His daughter!  “Holy christ!!”  He grabbed the doorknob and pulled, jiggled, heaved it for all he was worth.  He panted and caught his breath, then tried again.  It was completely useless!!

“Super Mom keeps moving fast, folks,” called Sally, on the TV, “but her Mouse is stealing the show!”

“Night and day, compared to the last Mouse, Sally.  This one took that initial bottle of Skinny Mouse, making him light enough to sail through the tube course with ease!  No need for his Mighty to bail him out and waste valuable time; not like with that last Mouse we saw!  Just look at him blitz along!”

Theo took his eye off the hallway long enough to glance at the screen.  What?  Already!?  Bobby had reached the maze even faster than Mae!  Gradually, Theo’s nervous attention shifted more and more to watching his opponent dink and dunk through the underground passage, so light on his feet compared to Theo’s bumbling, careening endeavors.

“Shit…”

Bobby even recognized the importance of his Mighty, and waiting for her to directions, so much faster than Theo had too.  Where Theo had stumbled blindly into the unknown, again and again, Bobby waited at every turn, watching attentively, reacting to Mae’s instructions with the unhesitating obedience of a dutiful son.

And while Mae lacked the surprising flair and athleticism shown by Jen, the woman had started the round thirty damned pounds heavier than her rival Mighty.  She lifted the gate for Bobby all on her own, on just her second freaking try!

“She needs no power-ups, Bhumi!  No time-wasting diversions.  Super Mom is already super enough!”

But make no mistake about it: teamwork, and Bobby’s quickness, were where their team’s true advantage lay.  Watching them close out the maze, you could tell that this was how the game was supposed to work.  Two competitors working in tandem, working in harmony; no yelling, no arguments, no million little slowdowns that plagued him and Jen every step of the way.

“Round One’s not even complete yet, but surely Team Super Mom already has victory well in hand!” Bhumi predicted.  “I just don’t see how Team Wonder Jen could overtake them at this rate.”  And there was no other argument to be made as Bobby freaking slipped right through the narrow opening at the end of the maze; he didn’t even need the Skinny Mouse that Mae airdropped to him, but he took it anyway – and tiptoed across the tunnel without falling in even once. 

Theo felt the full weight of his own stupidity crashing down on himself.  He was an idiot, a goddamned idiot, for daring to think that he could win this game his way.  He’d already felt this after running the course himself; but seeing the startling difference between his and Bobby’s performance only cemented it further in his mind.

He had cost his team their chance at victory today.  There was no other way around it.  Countless seconds, or even entire minutes, of clock time had been wasted by his arrogance.  Alice was right.  She’d tried to tell him, but he’d ignored her.

No wonder Alice was mad at him, refusing to see him after the round.  No wonder she and the Panthers were just leaving him here to his fate.  To face the consequences.  From Jen.

And maybe I deserve it, too. That thought staggered him, as he went to turn off the TV.  He needed time to think, to find a way out of this.

But as the screen went black … she was there.  Jen.  In the reflection.  Standing behind him.

“Holy shit!” he screeched, whirling, as his big daughter advanced.

Jen had thought she was in control of her emotions.  She’d thought she would take Lola’s first suggestion, sticking to words only.  But the moment she saw Dad, her anger flared out of control.  Words were no longer enough!  Not for him.  Blinded by rage, she surged forward, intent on grabbing him, to unleash a more satisfying, physical vengeance ...

“I-I’ll do everything you say!!” the little mouse-man screeched, before she got there.  “You’re the boss!!  PLEASE!!!”

Jen gasped, seeing how Dad cowered from her.  His voice had held an urgency like never before.  He was truly, genuinely terrified of her. 

Whoa.  She came to her senses just enough to stay her hand.

“Wh-Whatever you want me to do, I-I’ll do it!” his oddly shrill voice babbled, his raised arms shaking.  “I swear!  Just … just please … don’t …”

He believed she would hit him.  And truthfully, if he’d still acted like an insufferable dweeb just now, she would have.  Hell, she might have taken Lola’s last advice and spanked him till he howled!

But she had never seen him like this.  This was different.  At least for now, the arrogant jerk was gone.  All she saw before her was a cowering, quivering mouse.

She opened her mouth to speak – but even that made him flinch.  Dude… he was so afraid of her.  And she could guess why, given where his eyes kept darting to.  Her shoulders, so much wider than his.  Her arms, so big it made his look like actual twigs.  Holy crap, he was scrawny!  And short, too – his eyes barely even as high as her armpits.

She could hardly imagine how she must look, to him.  No wonder he was afraid.

And she realized, slowly, how much power this gave her over him.  Just by standing there, planning her next words, she could see his anxiety growing.  It felt so vindicating!  Her pulse started to race, considering: wouldn’t it feel even better to grab him, and really make him regret …

No!  She stopped herself just in time.  Remember what Bridgette said!  I have to control myself!  Otherwise, she might end up regretting her own actions too.

So she folded her arms and stared down at him suspiciously, instead.  “I’m the boss?” she said, repeating his words.

He looked like a trapped rat, hemmed in between her and the wall, his eyes jumping around frantically.  “Y-Yes,” he confirmed, nodding his head.

“You’ll do what I say?”

“Yes,” he croaked, nodding again.

Clearly he felt cramped, but Jen didn’t back up an inch.  “Why should I believe you, this time?” she asked dubiously.

“B … Because I learned my lesson.  You were right.  I was wrong.  I see that now!”

Was he just saying that to save his hide?  Maybe.  But she had to trust he’d be different now.

“To be clear,” she pressed, raising her fist, “No arguing.  No dragging your feet.  We don’t have any time to waste.”  She chewed her lip, tamping her anger … “And if you see a bottle, you drink it.  Or give it to me.  No hesitation.”

But he hesitated, right then.  Seriously?  She braced for a confrontation, tensing her arms.

Perhaps her flexing was what suddenly changed his tune.  “Y-Yes!” he blurted immediately.  “Of course!”

Rrrghhhh.  “You’d freaking better,” she growled, heading for the door.

“Wait -- so you’re not going to … to …?”

She turned to see relief written all over his face.  He really had been expecting punishment.  Right here and now.

Well, sparing him for now didn’t mean she would spare him later.  She gathered her thoughts for a moment then squared herself to him with full, brutal honesty.  “This game show is the most important thing in the world to me,” she admitted, through clenched teeth.  “And I’ll do anything to make sure we do our best.”  Her jaw quivered.  “If that means laying out consequences, to motivate you … t-then so be it.  If you so much as slack off for one second … or give up … or ignore what I say …”  Her whole body shook now, with momentous conviction.  “… I will punish you.  Physically.”  She smacked her fist into her palm.  “Hard.”

She saw her dad slump against the wall, melting against it in fright.  She’d felt almost queasy saying it, herself.  But he was the actual stubbornest man alive, and this show meant so, so much to her … so she just couldn’t leave it to chance.  She literally saw no other choice.

And if he screwed the team up again next round, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself anyway.  Lord only knows what she’d do.

* * *

It’d taken Theo extreme effort just to follow Jen out the room.  He trailed after her now in the hallway, keeping twenty if not thirty feet between him and that glinting armor of hers, those gold and red boots pounding the floor with her determined strides.  Holy FUCK!  He couldn’t believe that last exchange.  He followed after her, like a convict following the hangman to his own execution.

She wasn’t pretending, either.  The look he’d seen in her eyes, when she’d first entered … She’d truly come within a hair’s breadth of snatching him, maybe smacking him around; maybe bending him over his knee and spanking him, like the Panthers had suggested!  In fact, it seemed certain that the only reason she hadn’t yet, was so he wasn’t hobbled for the next round.  Jeezum crepes!!!

All those foolish plans he’d had, to beat the system, to attack this game show on his own terms … he had to abandon those completely; immediately!  It wasn’t about winning anymore, or looking good while doing it.  Self-preservation – that was now his one and only goal.  Getting through today.  And surviving the aftermath.  Damage control.  That was all that mattered.

He glimpsed the Panthers, after several turns down the hall.  They hadn’t just stayed away; they’d even stayed out of earshot.  Giving Jen total privacy to do with him whatever the hell she’d pleased.  And—

And there was Alice, standing next to them, chatting.  She fell silent upon seeing Jen and Theo approach.  All three of them seemed to be eyeing them now – him, most of all.  Casually, the Panthers fell in step around him on either side, studying him with wry, amused grins, coming to their own conclusions about what had transpired.  Alice, at least, spared a worried glance for him.  But she winced, as if admitting that whatever was done, was done.  And without even a word to either of them, she faced forward and walked at Jen’s side.

Not even Alice would come to his aid!  Not after he’d ditched his girlfriend’s advice last round.  Not after he’d botched it, and screwed up his team.  She was mad at him for sure.  And that meant he really and truly was on his own.  He would have to face Jen after this, alone.

His spirits sank even more as the buzz of the crowd grew closer.  Oh, how he’d dreamed of bathing in their cheers, basking in their adoration as he led his team to victory!  Imagine the reward, too: privileged access to that sweet, sweet Apo-Reverso.  Several inches of permanent height boost – yes, please!  Plus the chance to compete in next week’s Tournament of Champions, for even more Apo-Reverso.  He’d be the towering tank of a man he used to be, or even beyond.

But he could kiss those dreams goodbye, now.  His only solace was that the Apo-Amplifier potions they’d taken today, and in the past two weeks – they weren’t permanent.  You have to keep taking more doses every few days or so, or everything you’d taken would start wearing off.  That restoration process would take days itself, maybe even weeks, but eventually he’d be back to his respectable, sturdy, 5’10” self again.

And Jen would return, wonderfully, to being a frail, defenseless twig.

Oh, how he yearned for that day …

But he couldn’t think about that.  Not now.  Not with his daughter’s powerful glutes firing with every step, her broadened back rippling, her arms hardened with muscle.  Not with his own body so … meager.  Not while he stood a full head and shoulders shorter than her.

Could he just … tuck tail and run?  Escape far away from here, forfeiting this next hopeless round?

A dry laugh escaped his lips.  Gallows humor.  The two enormous purple-clad brutes had him surrounded, and the thought of him getting free of them was almost comical.  And even if he insisted – and succeeded -- on bowing out of the contest … what then?

Then he would still have to face Jen.  And it’d be days and days before the doses wore off.  He shuddered.  No … he had no choice but to stick this through.

At last they reached the side of the arena, just outside of the lights.  Alice spoke into her earpiece, then turned to Jen.  “Ready?”

“Ready,” Jen merely replied, her voice gruff and her jaw clenched.  Theo tried to hang back, but the Panthers, ermm, dissuaded him from that, with a forceful nudge from behind.  By the time they stepped into the lights, it was all four of them in a line – the Panthers on the flanks, and him right next to Jen with her face darker than a stormcloud.

Ahead of them, Mae and Bobby were stepping down from the scales.  a32;a32; “That’s only a modest gain for Super Mom,” a32;a32; Bhumi commented.  a32;a32; “A single Mighty Power, and that’s it.” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “Ah, but she didn’t need the extra bottles last round.  Each of those were well off the beaten path, and securing them would’ve wasted substantial time.  Given the massive lead they’ve accrued, I’d say it was the right call.” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “Yes, well, we expect the Mighty to be the star of every team; but in Super Mom’s case, her Mouse actually stole the show!  He nabbed nearly every bottle available – two Skinny Mouses and a Shorty Mouse – which not only will benefit him next round, but worked wonders for him in Round One too.” a32;a32;

Alice touched her earpiece, then: “Go, go, go!”  And the group of four plunged into the bright, blinding light.

* * *

The crowd buzzed as Team Wonder Jen stepped off the scales.  a32;a32; “Wonder Jen gained twenty-four pounds!  Some of that’s from her extra height, but the rest is pure muscle.” a32;a32;

Jesus.  Maybe Theo was right to feel intimidated …

a32;a32; “An inch taller than Super Mom now!  And so very athletic.  Ack … such a shame her Mouse is so bloated.” a32;a32;

Bloated?  They call 115 pounds ‘bloated’?!

a32;a32; “It’s really his height that’s an issue,” a32;a32; Sally elaborated.  a32;a32; “The two Skinny Mouse bottles helped, but he flat-out missed the Shorty Mouse in the maze.  Blitzed right past it.” a32;a32;

What?  Where??

a32;a32; “Easy to miss that, in the dark.  Yet another reason he should’ve waited for Wonder Jen to roll the roof away!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “Yes, well, if we play ‘shoulda-woulda-coulda’ with all his mistakes last round, we’ll be here all morning, Bhumi!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “Ha!  Quite right.” a32;a32;

Jen didn’t look at him.  But she seemed furious, as they headed toward the stage.  Sally came down from the booth to shake Mae’s hand and pat Bobby’s head, engaging in small talk.  Jen … twitched, as they reached the foot of the stage.  Then finally her fiery eyes turned down to Theo.

“Let me do the talking,” she ordered, gruff as can be.  “All of it.”

“Um…” Theo began nervously …

Until Jen’s eyes sharpened, her voice a growl: “Not. A. Freaking. Word.”

With a gulp, Theo nodded and followed Jen up the steps.

Sally waved them toward her.  Crap, dude … he’d forgotten just how tall Sally was.

“Let’s hear it for Team Super Mom!” she boomed through the microphone, over the enthusiastic yells of the crowd.

“And Team Wonder Jen!”

The yells lessened.

“I would say last but not least, except … well, we all know the hill they must climb.  Let’s see some highlights, if we can stomach it.”

The screen above the stage lit up with flashback after flashback.  Jen climbing the wall like a mountain goat.  Theo … struggling.  Jen ducking under obstacles; jumping; hurdling.  Whoa … he hadn’t seen that part.  She really had been impressive from the start …

As Theo, meanwhile, started off abysmally and only got worse.  Dear god … his blunders looked even worse on screen than they’d felt in the moment.  And Jen, standing next to him, began tightening her jaw.  Some of this was new to her, the full extent of his sabotage only now hitting her for the first time.  Her hands started clenching and unclenching, her biceps quivering -- as if she were now regretting letting him leave that conference room unscathed.  He inched farther and farther from her, keeping a wary distance …

Jesus, but Jen’s performance last round was truly astonishing, seeming all the more impressive as Mae’s highlights played next.  Even at a size disadvantage, Jen had still outperformed her rival handily, her every move decisive, not a single moment or ounce of effort wasted.  Mae seemed almost a lumbering, indecisive klutz by comparison.

That just goes to show how incredibly, terribly badly Theo had performed – that, despite all Jen’s dauntless efforts, their team was still wildly, unwinnably far behind.

Wait … but what’s this?  Theo hadn’t seen how Mae’s round had ended.  While marveling at the effects of a Mighty Power she had just drunk, Mae’s heel had caught on the side of a raised ledge and she tumbled off it, rolling clumsily down a slope and making her backtrack, retracing a circuitous path to the top before she finally landed atop the tunnel.

As the highlight reel faded away, Sally let out a loud ‘Awwww’ in real time.  “An unfortunate blemish on an otherwise impressive round,” she consoled.  “Bet you’re kicking yourself for that, huh?”

You could see the extra meat on Mae’s bones now, as she ran a hand through her hair and wistfully laughed.  “I’m such a buffoon!” she good-naturedly joked.

“Well, even the most remarkable of Mighties mess up from time to time.  But even with that bit of lost time, you still have a tremendous lead.”  She leaned in dramatically.  “Team Super Mom: your time of four minutes and fifty nine seconds … was almost SEVENTY seconds faster than your opponents!”

Mae gasped and cheered even louder than the crowd.  Whirling, she scooped up her gleeful son and bounced him with joy.  “Yippeeee!!” Bobby exclaimed with arms upraised.

“You two look like the contest has already been won,” Sally beamed.  “Which … well, let’s put it this way: no team has ever come back from being even half that far behind.  Super Mom: what’s your approach, going into this final round?”

Mae set her son down affectionately in front of her and, perhaps out of respect for Jen across from her, gave what seemed almost a token response of affected sincerity.  “Well, you never know, Sally; so, by golly, I just gotta focus, try hard, and avoid any big mistakes!”

“And your Mouse…?”

Mae beamed down at him with pride.  “Bobby?  I’m not worried ‘bout him.  My little guy is just the best!”

“Little, indeed,” chirped Sally, sidling up to the boy humorously to emphasize their astonishing difference in size.  “How’s the weather down there now, hmm?” she hummed down to him, in the way grownups often would speak to someone much younger.

“It’s great!” Bobby cheered.

“You enjoyin’ your new, smaller size?”

Bobby bubbled uncontrollably.  “I love it -- yippeee!!”  So much, in fact, that he lifted his arms as if for Sally to pick him up.

Sally laughed aloud and held him at bay amusedly with a nudge of her hand.  “Maybe later, sweetie.  Say – if you win, I’ll even toss you in the air.  How’s that?”

*Gasp* “Really?!”

“You bet.”

“Pinky swear?”

Sally humored him in that most juvenile of vows, chuckling along with the crowd.  Patting his masked head, her eyes turned to hunt for the other Mouse.  Theo.

“Tsk … what are you doing way over there?” she asked saucily, hand on her hip.

Indeed, he’d shuffled a good two arms’ lengths away from the glowering Jen, by now.  Just … you know … just to be sure.

And when he didn’t come closer, Sally came to him – one sideways scoot at a time, making funny noises each time and cracking a cheeky grin.  She didn’t stop until she was right beside him, her hip practically touching his elbow.  “You’re not so little, are you?” she said, in the same lilting, embarrassing tone she’d used for Bobby!  “Why, I thought Mice were supposed to be shorter, aren’t they?”

Strange thing to hear, from someone whose tits were as high as your head!  He faltered, trying to think of something to say … and then remembered Jen’s command.

*Gulp*…

“Awww… so shy?”  Sally’s brow wrinkled in amusement.  “You didn’t seem that way during the round.  In fact, you seemed quite loud-mouthed about your silly convictions.  Didn’t you?”

His body temperature rose to a hundred and ten.  He yearned to speak up against this bloody skyscraper of a woman and defend his honor!  But he caught a sharp, hard glare from Jen and held his tongue.

This only amused Sally more.  “C’mon, sweetie!” she practically cooed.  “It’s OK to admit when you’re wrong.  Did you learn your lesson, hmm?  Maybe be a little smarter next round?”

Theo gasped.  The disparaging glint in her eye, the blatant demeaningness of her tone – all caught on national TV!  And yet Jen, nearby, looked ready to kill him if he said a word…

“Oh!” Sally said, finally catching the direction of his glance, finally piecing it together.  “I seeeeee.  Your Mighty gave you a bit of a talking to, didn’t she?  A little attitude-adjustment, shall we say?”

“A--!?”  Jesus Christ!  Mae was grinning; the crowd was laughing … How he managed to keep his mouth shut after that, was practically a miracle!

Just as he was calculating whether his fist could reach those pearly white teeth of hers, Sally gave over and tried her luck with his teammate instead.  “How ‘bout you, Wonder Jen?  Care to comment?”

Jen hardly looked at the tall hostess; just kept her eyes straight ahead, like laser beams staring into the dark.  “We’re focused,” she growled.  “We’re ready.”

“That’s it?” griped Sally.  “Nothing else?  About your Mouse, or …?”

“No,” Jen flatly replied.

“What about the way you fled the stage after Round 1?  I’m sure a lot of folks would love to hear what was going through your mind.”

Jen’s face twitched but she stayed strong.  “That’s over now.  We’re concentrating on Round Two.”

“I’m impressed, Jen.  How’ve you changed your tone so quickly?”

Jen crossed her arms gruffly.  “I got good advice from some friends.”

“Oh?  Who?”

Jen just shrugged.

“Well … you think you’ll win?”

Jen crossed her arms gruffly and stared intensely, ominously.  “We’ll go hard.”

Sally, realizing that’s all she’d get out of Jen, cursed under her breath and moved off.  “OK then! …What a talkative team.”  You could almost see the annoyance behind Sally’s smile.  “Are you ready, folks?!”

a340;(a344;0´)a295; RAHHHH! a340;(a344;0´)a295;

“Are you REAAALLY reader?!”

a340;(a344;0´)a295; RAHHHH!  RAHHHH! a340;(a344;0´)a295;

“Alright!  Just quick commercial break, and we’ll be back for today’s second and final round of …”

a340;(a344;0´)a295; “MIGHTY!  AND!  MOUSE!” a340;(a344;0´)a295;

a32;a32; “A sixty-eight second lead, Sally.  My goodness!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “Could’ve been ninety, if Super Mom hadn’t slipped at the end.  This looks like a done deal, Bhumi.  Astonishing, given how … am I crazy to say, Jen’s individual performance was one of the best we’ve ever seen?” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “Not crazy in the least.  From what we’ve seen so far, pound for pound, I’d say she at least deserves to be in that conversation – up there with Viper, or even The Valkyrie herself.” a32;a32;

Jen nearly did a spit-take as she chugged her water.  “What?” she coughed.  Me, in the same league as Bridgette?  Were they serious?!

a32;a32; “Pound for pound,” a32;a32; Sally reemphasized, a32;a32; “I’m inclined to agree.  She spent most of last round quite undersized; just think what she might accomplish this round, with a few Mighty potions in her system!” a32;a32;

a32;a32; “And more this round, let’s hope!” a32;a32;

Jen wrung her hands, feeling the heavy weight of expectations on her shoulders.  The pressure.  She could hardly bear it!

a32;a32; “That pre-round interview, though: so locked-in, so focused …” a32;a32;

She wasn’t feeling so locked-in right now!  Not with the starting gate just through those curtains; not with the never-ending hum of the crowd …

a32;a32; “Could she have a chance here?  The tiniest sliver of hope?” a32;a32;

No, Jen thought.  I’d be a fool to hope!

a32;a32; “Mayyyybe?” a32;a32; Bhumi replied, rightly dubious.  a32;a32; “I guess nothing’s for certain until the final horn blows?” a32;a32;

Jen chewed her lip.  They were just being diplomatic.  No – all she could do now was what Bridgette had taught her: keep her head held high and face this challenge bravely, head-on.  Put forth a performance she could be proud of, regardless of the impossible odds.

a32;a32; “Well, it seems she gave her sidekick a good talking-to during the break and put his head on straight.  At least that’s a good sign.” a32;a32;

The bathroom door closed behind Dad as he walked out.  “Sidekick, my ass,” he muttered, scowling toward the arena.  “I’ll show y—”

As soon as he noticed Jen standing there, his voice became strangled, his eyes bulging.  “I … Wh-What I meant, was …”

Jen’s hands clenched into fists but she restrained herself and turned away.  She didn’t want to hear his crap excuses again!  Last round, he’d made it perfectly clear where his real thoughts lay.  Well, he could think whatever he wanted, as long as freaking did what she told him.

As she started into some stretches, part of her wondered: Why bother?  We’ve lost, either way.  As long as I do my best, what do I care about him?

Because, she realized almost immediately, we’re not judged individually.  We’re judged as a team.  As the Mighty, as the leader, the team’s success was her responsibility.  How could she ever look back proudly on this day, if she ignored this crucial aspect of her job?

Crazy, she thought, that I’m leading my dad.  It still felt so weird.  And yet, as she spared a backward glance … the short, skinny-armed, mouse-eared figure hardly even looked like Dad anymore.  He was so freaking small!  Maybe she could trick herself into forgetting who was under that mask.

“Just a sidekick,” she murmured silently.  Her mouth tugged almost imperceptibly upward in a self-indulgent smile, as she took one more quick glance back and said under her breath, “Just some random, … anonymous, …”—her smile widened—“…puny sidekick.”

His face twisted, his fraught eyes trying to make out the words that his ears couldn’t hear.  Jen’s skin broke into goosebumps, seeing the power she had over him now.   And once again, she felt the temptation to do bad things with it, to make her dad pay.

But now wasn’t the time.  Right now, she had to think like a Mighty, using her power over him to keep him in line.  As her anonymous, wide-eyed sidekick.

Theo couldn’t stop trembling.  That smile on Jen’s lips: wicked, disparaging.  A minute later, he still couldn’t get it out of his head.  She really was serious about punishing him, wasn’t she?  Christ, it almost seemed like she wanted him to fail again, to give her even more excuse to do exactly that…

He groaned in distress as she worked through one stretch after another, looking so agile, so capable, so strong.  She may have been stretching for herself; but to him, her every move felt almost like a threat, a warning.  Just think what those limbs could do to him now …

But he’d be lying if he pretended that was the only reason he stared.  These past weeks had given him ample exposure to the tall, strong female form.  Alice, Elaine, Lola … he’d spent many a restless night replaying those intimate encounters, losing his breath in excitement, contemplating every inch of their remarkable bodies in his mind.  Marveling at the incredible, paradoxical union of strength and femininity; brawn and beauty …

He realized, after more than a minute, that these same thoughts were now running through his mind as he looked at Jen.  Gah!  He whirled away, startled, ashamed.  She … just … It wasn’t his fault, OK??  It was a blatant, undeniable fact that the Mighty Power potions, in addition to growing her muscles, had grown other parts of her as well.  Quite dramatically, in fact.  She’d already been curvy coming into today; but now … and with even longer legs, to boot …