Egalitarian

Another familiar theme. This is an extremely long story. I estimate it may occupy somewhere around 27 Literotica pages. If you prefer to avoid long tales or simply don't have time right now, please skip this. For those with adequate time and patience to continue, I placed chapter markers in bold for your convenience. Please forgive my preference for not breaking my stories into sequential posts. I will never write a willing cuckold story. As typical of my stories, when you get to portions of the story that you dislike, and you will (as do I), always remember my reminder that things are not always as they appear. It's an integral part of the plot and drama.

It was at the beginning of my third year in college working toward my BS degree in Business Administration when I first met an intriguing young lady who shared three of my classes. Rebecca (not Becky nor Becca) possessed an unusually-framed A-style 34"-38"-42" physique, a minimalist 'A'-cup bust with below-average looks. Her nose was large, similar to a hawk-bill in shape with a pronounced hump in the ridge about midway down. She wore black thick-framed glasses and bore a deep strawberry-colored birthmark on her dark olive-skinned face on her left cheek about the size of a nickel with dark facial hairs growing out of it which she trims from time to time. She stands 5'4" tall (162 centimeters) and weighs around 200 lbs. (91 Kilograms or 14.25 Stones), so she is what many would describe as an obese BBW. But to me, she possessed a different kind of beauty. Her college roommate cruelly called her thunder thighs. Her body style is a pear, not an apple. Her silky dark brown hair, however, is easily her most attractive asset. Her lovely locks gently cascade and flow down her back to the top of her butt. I dearly loved her hair. Though I'm unambiguously no Adonis, neither would Rebecca ever be mistaken for the goddess Aphrodite or Persephone, the fabled lovers of Adonis.

Rebecca was also pursuing her Business Administration degree, though she was a year behind me. I was curiously drawn to her on an academic, subliminal level. She was affable and approachable with an effervescent personality and though we shared several lunches in a group setting, she preemptively made it crystal clear to me that she already had a steady boyfriend, though I had never made a specific move on her; no harm, no foul, no loss. I wished her the best with her relationship as we maintained our platonic friendship in class. I dated sporadically, focusing primarily on my education, and was doing quite well academically.

Mothers have a way of encouraging their children to stay on task to earn their degree and mine was no different. As a single mother of three, comprised of my two younger brothers and me, she constantly prodded all of us to achieve our best. Mom always kept me grounded and insisted that I always do my best.

Amusingly, fate has a way of shaking things up. Rebecca Valentine and I were capriciously thrust together to work collaboratively on classwork projects in two separate classes that we shared. These projects would account for half of our grade in both classes for the semester, so we were both serious about undertaking our responsibility. Working together, I soon discovered that she was my equal in both creative intelligence and diligence, cutting no corners to earn our grades. I'm not going to lie; her below-average looks aside, which didn't faze me, I found her to be an enchanting, remarkable woman. We seamlessly meshed on multiple levels as if we'd known each other for years. That was an uncanny revelation for me. I continued to be the consummate gentleman as we spent hour upon hour together ferreting out the minutiae of details for our two projects. Due to time constraints, we were forced to delegate half of the project work to the other, teaching us the value of delegating tasks in the business world. We spent most of our project work time together to ensure the dovetailing of our efforts while avoiding discrepancies and contradictions.

"Rebecca?"

"Yes, Royce? Did you find another glitch on one of our projects?"

"No, this has nothing to do with either project. I realize that I'm not a handsome stud but do you find me repulsive, or offensively unattractive?"

"What? No. Where's that coming from? How could you ever think such a thing?"

"To be honest, Rebecca, you're one of the nicest girls I've met. I've been sending out signals like crazy but you act oblivious to my flirting and I'm wondering if it's because I'm butt-ugly to you. It's okay if you feel that way; I'm sure others do but I've never sensed any vibes from you that you're that shallow yet you haven't flirted back a single time. Shortly after we met, even before we discussed the possibility of dating, you shut me down cold, apprising me of your 'taken' status but I've never seen a frat ring of any kind on your finger nor heard or seen you on your phone talking to another guy. Is it that you're turned off by my last name? Grossweiner, pronounced Gross-winner, as you can imagine is not the most popular surname and has been the source of many insults and bullying, as I was growing up. Is that it?"

"You silly, silly man. Nothing could be further from the truth. As far as your name goes, I admit that Grossweiner is an unusual name, however, just as I had no choice in being born with the name Valentine, you did not choose Grossweiner either. But since you brought it up, what is the meaning of the name? You're the first and only Grossweiner I've ever met."

"Well, Weiner is Germanic in origin meaning cartwright, a carpenter who makes carts. Gross in German means large. So Grossweiner refers to a maker of large carts. I don't believe you're truly interested in the origin of my name. You're trying to deflect by changing the subject. Be honest with me please, Rebecca. I believe I've earned the truth by now."

She couldn't think of any way to avoid answering him without being rude. She began tearing up.

"You're right, I do owe you the truth. By far, you're the nicest boy that I've ever met. I can't believe how compatible we seem to be, yet I cannot deny the truth either."

What truth, Rebecca? What are you not saying?"

Tears began streaming down her face unabated. Her humiliation was unbearable.

"Look at me, Royce. I'm the ugly one, not you. You know good and well that I have a face only a mother could love. And I'm not a late bloomer; this is it for me. I have mosquito bites for boobs and that's all I'll ever have!" She began sobbing. "And on top of that, there's no way in the world that you haven't noticed my gigantic butt and thighs. You think you've been teased and bullied? You can't imagine the hundreds of cruel and derogatory names I've been called, even though I can't help it. I have Lipedema. It's a long-term condition that causes abnormal fat buildup in the lower part of my body, mainly my hips and thighs. Some people also have it in their upper arms. I've been spared that so far. It doesn't affect hands or feet. Dieting and exercising causes me to lose weight in my upper body without affecting the fat in my lower body. 11% of women get it. Obesity doesn't cause Lipedema, but more than half of the people with my condition have a BMI higher than 35. Researchers haven't found a cure, they just suggest special diets and area-specific exercises along with pain management as needed. I have Type II Lipedema, which concentrates my fat between my pelvis and my knees. Are you happy now?" She blubbered uncontrollably in pain and anguish.

"Happy about what? That you finally opened yourself to me and told me your truth? If that's what you mean, then yes, that makes me happy. But if you are asking if I'm happy that you have an incurable condition, then no, not in any way. At least I have some idea why you've been pushing me away. I'm no hunk like that actor Glen Powell either. Do you think I only go for the anorexic supermodel types? Have you ever seen me with one?"

She sniffled trying to contain her sobs as she continued crying. "I pushed you away before because I was attracted to you. I told you I had a boyfriend just to keep from getting my hopes up and getting hurt. I've never had a boyfriend."

"Do you really want to live a life without hope?"

"Of course not. I have the same hopes and dreams as any other girl but every time I wanted something to develop, my hopes were always dashed. I became weary of getting hurt so I just shut down. It's easier that way. I aspire to become a successful businesswoman who can earn the respect of a man who will appreciate my professional success over my pathetic personal appearance. That's why I work so hard to be the best. My potential future career accomplishments are the only thing I have going for me."

"If you spend too much time thinking about the future, the present will slip through your fingers."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You postpone potential happiness in the present by believing it non-existent until some future milestone. That's no way to live your life. You do yourself and me a disservice. I'm not as shallow as you believe me to be. I like you, Rebecca. I think you have a great personality and your work ethic matches mine. I'm attracted to the whole package that is Rebecca Valentine. I was taught to deeply respect women and to never abuse their trust. Have you ever seen the rom-com movie Shallow Hal?"

"Yes. Are you saying I remind you of the 400 lb. woman that Jack Black's character was involved with?"

"Always looking for the negative, aren't you? No. What I'm saying is that I see people in the good way that Tony Robbins had gifted him with. You think you're unattractive. I see the real you, the whole person, the beautiful you and THAT'S the Rebecca that I'm drawn to. Now that we've cleared the air, after we finish working on our project today unless you're ashamed to be seen with me, would you care to go out with me this evening?"

"You're....you're asking me out on a date? A real date? Me? Are you sure?" The stunned girl entreated. "I'd love to, Royce. Thanks for asking. Maybe something more can happen between us besides good grades," she replied with a befitting smile.

From that moment on, Rebecca and I grew closer while slowly and steadily nurturing a blossoming love on a solid foundation. Needless to say, we aced our projects and classes together. We drew inspiration from one another to keep our focus where it should be, yet carved out enough time and space to become nearly inseparable. We had spoken about infidelity on several occasions and I was pleased to learn that we were on the same page. She had not forgotten the sting of feeling ugly and unlovable her entire life. She swore never to jeopardize the burgeoning love developing between us.

"Rebecca, not that it matters a bit to me but just out of curiosity, have you ever considered wearing contact lenses?

"Contacts? Sure, I've thought about them. But I'm a proud woman, secure in my identity. I've worn the style of these glasses my entire life. They're part of my constitution, my identity. I can't see myself ever giving them up. Why do you ask? Do they bother you?"

"Not at all."

"Are you sure?"

I took out my phone and sent her phone a file from the home screen on my phone. "I'll prove it to you. Open the file I just sent you and hit play. It's a song I play every day thinking of you. The words align perfectly with how I feel about you, word for word." It was a song by Bruno Mars called Just the Way You Are. From that moment on, any reservations she may have had concerning how I felt about her vanished in that moment.

Making love with her came as natural as breathing. Our perfect pairing yielded glorious intimacy beyond my imagination. Exploration of our pasts yielded the surprising fact that we were both virgins when we finally came together. It wasn't at all like the copious porn I had watched to prepare me for my first intimate act. We instinctively melded together slowly but with great intensity. Rebecca and I continued to learn everything we could about each other. Her parents had founded a retail ladies' accessory business years earlier which was doing well in their brick-and-mortar store in a popular shopping center complex but their online sales were also thriving. Rebecca, being an only child, worked her summers for Valentine's Accessories, LTD. They sold jewelry, scarves, wraps, cosmetics, perfume, shoes, belts, gloves, purses, and numerous other accessorizing items of interest to women. She was planning on utilizing her degree to help the family business prosper further. She would one day inherit the company and her career plans were totally committed to the family enterprise. She was a sharp cookie. I was proud of her and let her know it.

During the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks of my senior year in college, Rebecca and I visited both of our families' homes to introduce our love interests. My mom and brothers instantly accepted Rebecca as a potential mate. My mom had several in-depth conversations with her and gave me her glowing endorsement. My mom made sure that Rebecca knew that I was scrupulously raised as an avid egalitarian. I'd been inculcated to embrace total equality of men and women in every regard. She was very pleased to learn this about me. When we visited her family, there was only one fly in the ointment. On one hand, her parents embraced me fully and enthusiastically and gave Rebecca their seal of approval. Natalie Dearborn, Rebecca's cousin, and BFF, however, was a much tougher nut to crack. They had been besties since early childhood, being the same age and on branches of the same family tree. Their mothers were sisters. Rebecca told me that if she'd ever had a sister, Natalie would be her perfect choice. The next day, at a family get-together, I finally met her. I was stunned when I was first introduced to her.

"Kate Upton?" I asked in confused amazement. She was the look-alike of the famous model and actress.

"Only pervert horn dogs confuse me with her," Natalie acerbically supplied. "A woman never has. Rebecca, PLEASE tell me that this isn't the asshole who stole your heart?" I could quickly tell that there was a disturbance in the force.

"He sure is, Natalie. Isn't he a dreamboat?" Rebecca effused.

"Dreamboat? More like a shipwreck if you ask me," she supplied. "Honestly, he doesn't look like much to me, sis," Natalie denigrated.

"What? Need I remind you that I'm no Miss America myself, Natalie? I don't have your Sports Illustrated model looks. I can't imagine a better man for me than Royce Grossweiner," she added.

"What kind of name is Grossweiner anyway? I mean, isn't it telling that his name implies that his wiener is gross?"

Rebecca laughed heartily at her comment. "We've made love on numerous occasions and I can testify that his wiener is anything but gross. It's perfect for me in every way."

"You... You've already had sex with him? Are you for real? Tell me you're joking, please!"

"Let me tell ya, girl, I'd never joke about something like that! What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal? I'll tell you what the big deal is. Ever since you began cavorting around with that bumbling fool, you've all but ignored me. What kind of worthy guy could he possibly be to drive a wedge between us? You used to call me all the time and tell me every detail of each boy you met. Nowadays, not only do you not call me, but you ignore and no longer return my calls, sis. Not only has the asshole stolen your heart, but he has stolen the best friend I have in the whole world, and for that I hate him."

Rebecca was shocked to hear her best friend's confession. "I'm sorry, Natalie. That's all on me, not Royce. He has never said a negative word about you, nor has he ever suggested that I curtail my friendship with you. Hell, he never met you before today. Please don't be upset about this. Ever since Royce and I connected, my life has been a whirlwind. I hardly know if I'm coming or going. Time passes so quickly when I'm with him that I forget about everything else. I haven't turned my back on our friendship, Natalie. I simply allowed myself to become preoccupied with him and for that, I apologize."

Natalie looked into her friend's eyes and saw the truth in them. "I hear what you're saying, sis. I realize that we're cousins but you've always been closer than a sister to me and I don't want to lose that. For you, I'll try to give the troublemaker a chance. The two girls hugged and teared up, renewing the depth of their friendship. I felt it best to hold my tongue and not mention to anyone what I'd heard. I was relieved that they'd patched things up.

The next day, Natalie, Rebecca, and I went to a movie together as a bonding opportunity, I presumed. Rebecca graciously accepted my obsequious gentlemanly acts of courtesy, opening doors, etc. But Natalie was having none of it.

"I was told that you were trained better than that, Royce," Natalie seethed. "I'm not a weakling, I'm your equal. I can open my own doors, thank you."

Astonished, I took her rebuff in stride hoping to quell her disdain for my very existence. Rebecca gave me an apologetic look with her eyes but said nothing to her BFF in support or rebuttal. When I paid for the two tickets for Rebecca and me along with popcorn and sodas, Natalie went off on me again for being such a cheapskate and not offering to pay for hers as well. I knew I was in a lose-lose situation.

"I apologize, Nat. I didn't mean to exclude you. After your earlier egalitarian statements, I thought it might offend you if I offered to pay. Of course, I'll be delighted to take care of this."

"Only my friends call me Nat. It's Natalie or Miss Dearborn to you. And it's too late big spender. You've already ruined everything. I'll pay my own way now if you don't mind." She spat.

Rebecca looked perturbed at her friend on my behalf. Knowing how close I had been told that they were, I thought it best to just roll with the punches. I knew better than to attack her bestie. It would only make matters worse for me. I'd rather have one girl despise me for the wrong reasons than two. I feigned a smile and stuck close to my girl. Right before we sat down in the theater, Rebecca asked me to hold their seats as she and Natalie visited the ladies' room. When they finally returned and sat down with Rebecca between us, even in the dark, I could tell that both of them were wearing red faces. There must have been some heated words exchanged between them in the restroom. With the apparent confrontation over, I decided to let sleeping dogs lie. On the way home, the girls talked effusively about the hot guys in the movie. I was glad things had calmed down and said very little during the drive.

When we returned to the university campus to resume our education, Rebecca made time for Natalie by texting, phone calls, and even Facetime calls. I heard no more about any difficulties in their friendship. But that was to be short-lived.

Chapter 2

At spring break, the three of us flew to Cancun, Mexico for a three-day spring break getaway. Rebecca refused to try on a two-piece bathing suit, even as a favor for me. She wore a thick, industrial-grade, ultra-conservative black one-piece swimsuit with a white pleated skirt that covered her extra pounds very well. That, in itself, was a huge change for her. I'd never seen her wear anything but ankle-length sundresses that concealed her enormous thighs and butt. At our first poolside encounter, Natalie's swimsuit consisted of three tiny triangles with string which barely held them together. Very little was left to the imagination and I was dumbfounded. I couldn't help but look. Natalie stood about 5'10" (178 cm), with what appeared to be a 34-DD bra size, with 39-28-36 measurements at about 140 lbs. (64 kg). Coupled with matching Kate Upton's beautiful face, there wasn't a man alive within a hundred yards whose eyes weren't glued to her voluptuous body, including mine.