The Bears, 1



Chapter One




“Ahhh. Ohhhh. Come on. Please!” Susie wiggled her bottom on the bed and leaned further back. “Just a little bit more. You can do it. Breathe. Argh. Almost got it.” Holding her breath, she laid all the way back on the bed. “Yes, yes.” Lying dead still, too scared to take even a tiny breath, Susie glanced around her bedroom. “Oh, please be close.” The magical item she hoped would help hold her all in sat on the solid oak dressing table at the end of her bed. “Crap!”

Groaning she sucked her stomach in as much as possible and slowly moved down the bed. She sighed in relief when she’d reached the edge with most of her legs dangling off, and everything stayed in place. Susie breathed out in relief only to hear pop. “Fuck.” She moaned, stood up, and walked back over to her cupboard to search for something, anything she could fit into.

An hour later she sat on the foot of her bed and stared at her reflection in the dressing table’s mirror while she watched tears run down her cheeks. Sobs kept escaping her tight throat. “I refuse to buy size eighteen pants.” Wiping her eyes she looked down at her stomach. “I will get rid of you. I am not giving in this time like I did when I needed to buy size sixteen clothes.”

Straightening her shoulders, she looked herself in the eye. “Susan Ellen Sanden, you will put your track pants on right now and go join a gym. Once at the gym, you will use your savings to pay for a personal trainer.”

Her reflection glared back, reluctant to spend her hard earned savings. Susie glanced down at her belly again, gritted her teeth, got up, and put her track pants on. Turning back to her mirror with a grin, she grabbed the bed sheet and draped it over her vanity mirror. “I will not be seeing you again until I reach my goal weight. Size ten here I come.”

****

Standing in front of Healthy Bodies, Susie debated with herself about whether she should really do this. Maybe she should do dancing again, or netball. Who was she kidding? She hadn’t danced in four years, and the last time she played netball was even longer. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the hem of her shirt down, making sure it covered the reason she had come here, and walked through the doors.

It wasn’t as bad as she thought. The whole time she’d driven over to the gym, she’d pictured skinny, muscular, and beautiful people all enjoying themselves, never sweating or panting, and definitely with no flabby bits falling out of their clothes or wobbling around. Susie was nicely surprized to see it wasn’t the case. Oh, sure, there was a gorgeous blonde, big boobed, toned woman here or there, and a muscle-clad stud or two, but mostly she saw a variety of shapes and sizes.

Walking to the reception desk where a pretty brunette sat typing on a computer, Susie waited patiently for acknowledgement. The woman looked up from her screen. Smiling she said, “Good morning. How can I help you?”

Susie gave her what she hoped passed for a smile, took a deep breath, and answered, “Hi, I’m looking to become a member.”

The lady stood and her smile got bigger. She looked Susie up and down, and Susie swore dollar signs flashed in her eyes before she went on. “Welcome to Healthy Bodies. I’m Gwen. Come in to one of our rooms and we’ll have a chat, so we can find out what type of membership is right for you.”

They walked behind the reception desk and into a room with a table, a filing cabinet, and a computer. The plain white walls were sparsely decorated with only two posters, one a food pyramid, and the other displaying the beauty of the female and male forms.

Gwen sat down behind the desk and gestured for Susie to sit in one of the two seats on the opposite side. Once Susie sat, Gwen typed some things on the computer then looked up and focused on Susie. “Do you have an idea of what you’re aiming for? For example, how many times a week will you come in? Is your goal general fitness or to lose weight? Did you want to join a class or have a personal trainer?”

Susie stared at Gwen, overwhelmed by her rapid-shot questions. “Um, ah,”

Gwen’s eyes softened. “Would you like to just navigate the waters by yourself? I’m only asking you these things so I know what type of membership would suit you best, not to make you feel uncomfortable.”