Belly Literary Universe (part 2)

Cozca's Devils part 7: Recruiting Myre

"Why did I agree to get up so early on a Sunday?" Connor lamented, leaning against the passenger side window.

Kelri craned her head to get a better look around the corner of the cliffside road. The car navigated the narrow bend, then sharply made its turn into the parking lot of Myre's Ice Cream. "We wanted to get here early to avoid the crowd. I don't want random people listening in on our conversation."

"Yeah I get that. But why did I agree to come?"

Kelri shrugged. She pushed the door open with her foot, then shimmied out of the car. Her thighs and calves ached with tight hot pain, along with her usual back pain. Even two days later she was still sore from her workout with Kary. She hobbled along until they reached the foot of the long staircase leading up to the ice cream shop. Stopping for breath, she stared at what felt like a staircase into the clouds.

"What?" Connor asked.

"I barely made it up last time and I'm quite a bit heavier now. And sore already."

Conor chuckled and teased. "Come on fatty, it's just some stairs."

"Most fatties didn't put all their weight on in less than a year," Kelri fired back.

Connor backed off a bit. "You know there is a ramp in the back... Other side of the parking lot. It would be easier."

Kelri looked where he pointed. She hadn't seen it last time. "Sure I could do that, but then you wouldn't get to watch me struggle on the stairs. And it's probably three times the distance. Let's get it over with."

"Fair points."

Kelri took a deep breath, grasped both railings and stepped up. Then she stepped up again to the next step. And another. One at a time she forced her way upwards, carefully feeling the way with each foot. Like a toddler learning to walk. "Plus," Kelri huffed, "It's part of the plan. I need... To keep... Moving. So you can keep making me... Fatter," she explained. Even though it was early summer, the mountains blocked the morning light, leaving the air cool and damp. Despite that, and despite being only halfway up the single flight of stairs, Kelri was overheated. Her dark skin was tinted red, and her hands sweated. Her stomach gurgled, demanding fuel to continue the arduous task.

Connor pressed his hand against Kelri's back, steadying her as if he could stop her fall should she slip.

Eventually she prevailed, and sat herself on a bench near the top of the stairs. She alternated rubbing the sides of her belly and her thighs, still burning from exertion.

"I'll knock." Connor said.

"No. Hold on. Let me catch my breath."

***

It seemed that their ascent was noticed. Soon after they perched out front of the shop, Myre clicked the lock on the door and came outside.

"Oh my gosh! Kelri! It's so good to see you! You too Connor!" Myre greeted. Just like last time, her pink apron bulged with the roundness of a fat genetically tailored belly.

Kelri was amused. It'd been two weeks and over twenty pounds since they last met and it was clear Myre noticed from how she looked at Kelri's belly. She realized that from Myre's perspective she was literally fatter every time she showed up. Visibly so. It must have been a fun perspective, she thought. Kelri gave an amused smile and a wave, but stayed silent.

Connor stepped in to talk while his girlfriend caught her breath. "How's Evan doing? Good?"

"Oh he's wonderful! Still really busy with work. Always busy busy."

"I mean since your double date," Connor said. "Has he gotten more, uh, confident?"

Myre blushed and looked down at her belly. She gave it a slight rub. "Oh you mean that. Yes. A definite yes. I think he's still a bit shy about it all but it's led to some very productive conversations. Things have never been better! Really!" Myre beamed.

"Good!" Kelri announced.

"But I know you're not here to talk about my relationship. The work on your first order is nearly done. Actually I'm finishing up the newest buckets now if you want to come take a look. They'll be shipped out tomorrow night once they've had time to set up properly."

"Oh, that's not why I'm here," Kelri put up her hands, finally having the breath to talk fluently again. "I have another deal to talk about."

"Oh? What's that?" Myre asked. She sat down on the bench across from Kelri and folded her hands in her lap.

"Well it's related to Cozca again. You must have noticed they're involved with some secretive stuff, right?"

"Sure, I guess." Myre smiled. After a moment she nodded vigorously. "Yeah definitely secretive. Why?"

"Well I'm planning a sort of secretive mission for Cozca. And I have a role that needs filled on my team that you'd be the perfect fit for."

"I mean, it's a lot of work to keep the shop open. If it's another order of ice cream then I can do it, but it's summer. My business is here."

"It wouldn't be more than like a day of your time plus a little bit of prep work."

Myre didn't budge. "Well tell me what it is."

Kelri sighed. "Fine. Let me just lay it out then. I need to smuggle something past a security checkpoint. I want to use you and your ice cream to do it. We encase the thing in ice cream, put it in a cart, then dig it out once it's wheeled through through security."

"That sounds... Illegal... And why do you need me for that? Anyone can do what you're asking."

"That's a good point," Kelri pointed and fake laughed. "To your second point - I want you because I know I can trust you. Cozca likes you already. And I don't have time to run background checks and convince strangers. Call it nepotism I guess. Additionally, because we already have a deal with you bringing ice cream to the complex, it makes sense for you to be present. Advertisement or something. Trust and plausibility. That's why I thought of you.

"Okay fine. But what about the law thing?"

Kelri blushed. "Right. The law. So, the plan is to plug a USB drive into a specific computer. There it will compile a sophisticated program. We're not stealing anything. Were not hurting anyone. There is not sabotage or destruction or anything going on. The only thing lost is computational time. And I guess electricity costs."

"Oh." Myre didn't sound convinced. "That still sound lit it's a crime."

Connor took a step between them and faced Myre. "It probably is. But it's not about that. It's about that bond between you and Evan. The program is to help Cozca help find people like you both and bring them together. We think the program is part of a next gen dating app basically. It's probably a sophisticated neural network that needs this specific computer to compile it because it's so powerful. We got on board because we thought it was worth the risk so other people can experience the freedom we have."

Kelri Groaned. She didn't want to give that much detail yet. But it was too late.

"Oh!" Myre's tone changed. "Is that really true?"

Kelri nodded and suppressed a surprised expression. "That's what we think. The point is that Cozca wants to help women like us. Women with bellies. I believe that this mission will help with that. It's a piece of a larger plan that Cozca has. And I've been told that they have a lot more in store."

Myre looked down at her round stomach and gave it a hearty pat. "Well if it's in the name of our bellies..." She laughed. "Okay, I'll help."

***