“I beg your pardon?” the clerk said.
Maggie pointed to a hanging display. “That one will do fine.” Ellen pulled a deep red contraption off the rack and dropped it on the counter.
As the man turned to his credit-card reader, Ellen could hear him mutter, “She buys a fifty-five dollar bottle of wine and doesn’t even have a corkscrew.” She watched his head shake as the machine printed her receipt. It was all Ellen could do not to giggle.
Back in the apartment, Maggie withdrew the bottle from the brown paper bag and put it on the coffee table. With new glasses from the kitchen, she showed Ellen how to use the corkscrew and how to properly pour the wine. “At least you have the right glasses,” Maggie said, holding the wine-filled glass up to the light.
“All this is such silliness: right glass, right year. Wine makers put the mystery in it so folks like me will spend a lot of money on the stuff, afraid to do something wrong.”
“Not really. The shape of the glass is important for holding the nose properly. You grasp it by the stem so you don’t change the temperature or get finger marks on the outside of the glass. A clean, clear glass helps you see the wine and enjoy the color.” Maggie held the wine up to the light. “Look at that gorgeous baby.”
Ellen looked. “Nice,” she said, unimpressed.
“Okay. We’ll get to color later. Do this.” Maggie swirled the wine around the glass and Ellen did the same. “Now stick your nose in there and inhale.”
“Wow,” Ellen said as she breathed in. “It smells really nice.”
Maggie smiled. “You only half fill the glass so you can swirl it and let the shape of the glass capture the aroma, the nose. I’m not going to bore you with a lesson on bouquet right now, I just want you to know there’s more to wine than just the taste. Now take a small amount in your mouth, and try to gently inhale at the same time. Taste is mostly smell.” She watched as Ellen tried to inhale and sip at the same time.
“Holy cow,” Ellen said, relishing the exploding flavors in her mouth. “That’s wonderful. I love it.”
“I knew you would.” She handed Ellen her glass from earlier. “Taste this now.”
Ellen sipped the screw-cap wine that she and Maggie had been drinking and scrunched her face. “This really shouldn’t be called the same stuff.” She put that glass down and picked up the glass of the California cab, taking another sip. “I have to admit it. You were right.”
“I’m right about a lot of things. Sex is the same as wine. The more you learn and the more you experience, the better it gets.”
“I’m starting to believe you.” Ellen sipped the wine, smiling as the tastes and smells bombarded her senses. “Maybe you do have something to teach me.”
Maggie grinned. “I certainly do, and I’m beginning to think that I’ve got something pretty nice to work with.” She touched the lip of her glass to Ellen’s. “To new frontiers in wine and everything else.”
For the first time Ellen felt excited about her future. “This might just be fun.”
“It will be a blast.”
“Where do we start?”
Maggie reached into the side pocket of her skirt. “I have—sorry, had—a good friend named CJ. He writes great erotic stories and records them on CDs.” She withdrew a slender CD jewel case. “You need to understand what good sex is about, to expose yourself to new and exciting realities. I know that you’ve got a CD player so just relax and listen to the first one of these. Open your mind and pretend the woman is you.”
Ellen took the CD and looked at it, puzzled. Just After Midnight—A Collection of Erotic Stories by CJ Winterman. Read by the author. “Erotic stories? Me? Why?”
“I think I told you about Barbara. She was the first woman I helped and I gave her some stories on CD too. She found that they really gave her a new look at sex. She learned that whatever people do that doesn’t hurt anyone is okay. From your fantasies, I gather you’ve had very little experience.”
“I wouldn’t say that?” Ellen said, thinking that she actually would say that.
“Let’s just say that I’d like to broaden your mental horizons before I try to broaden your physical ones. These stories are all about the power of magic to give us the freedom to do and say what we want. Listen to one or two a night, and see how you feel. I suggested that Barbara listen in the bathtub with a glass of wine, all nice and relaxed. You might find that some of the things the people do curl your toes, some things might not be your taste. Just understand what’s out there so you learn what you want and what you don’t. Then we’ll take steps to try and get it for you.”
“Why the title Just After Midnight?”
“At midnight people become a little bit more adventurous. The characters in the stories use magic to create adventure but in real life we sometimes need to push ourselves out of the nest and be daring, creating our own magic. With the right outlook it can be midnight at any time of the day.”
“Okay. I’ll listen to a story if you want me to.” Ellen was surprised that in the space of a few hours she’d accepted Maggie and decided to take her advice. This was almost as much of an upheaval as winning the lottery. “I won’t promise anything.”
“Of course you won’t and I don’t expect you to. The stories are also great for communication. One woman I worked with played them for her boyfriend. They listened together and he was just as turned on as she was. They learned a lot about each other and their desires, too.”
“I guess two people could exchange ideas that way without having to talk.”
“You got it.” She patted the hand that held the CD. “It’s getting late and I’ve got to be going now. I don’t know when I’ll be back, it just sort of happens. The next time I see you, we’ll have lots to do.”
“There’s one thing I need for you to do when you see those friends of yours. Tell them to butt out of my fantasies. I want what goes on inside my head to be mine, and only mine.”
“Point made.” Maggie stared at the ceiling. “Hear that? I couldn’t agree with Ellen more. If you’re listening, ladies, you’d better have gotten the message. Let us handle all this. You two keep out!”
In the computer room Lucy covered her ears with the heels of her hands. “Don’t yell. We hear you.”
“So you’ll leave Ellen’s fantasies alone? She’s got to grow at her own speed, without your interference. Do I have your promise?”
Lucy sighed. “I suppose, but it’s such fun pushing her a bit.”
“No pushing,” Maggie’s voice said. “Not even a little bit.”
“Just make it snappy. I want to see progress soon.”
“Lucy…” Maggie said, her voice rising.
“Okay. No pushing.”
“And no asking Angela to do it for you.”
“Shit,” Lucy snapped, staring at Angela with a guilty expression on her face.
Grinning, Angela said, “She knows you too well, Luce.”
“All right, Maggie. I’ll leave her alone.” She glared at Angela. “Don’t call me Luce.”
Maggie sighed, then said to Ellen, “Done. They got the message, loud and clear.”
“See you tomorrow?”
“Lucy’s getting impatient so I’m sure you will.”
Ellen watched Maggie open the apartment door, walk through it, and just sort of disappear. Fade away. Slowly the door swung shut and Ellen collapsed on the sofa. Part of her brain was spinning, trying to put all the pieces of the preceding few hours together. Part of her couldn’t grasp what had happened, yet another part already missed Maggie’s comforting presence. This was all moving too quickly and Maggie had said that Lucy was already impatient. She glanced down and saw the CD still in her hand. What the hell. In for a penny…
Chapter
4
Wineglass in hand, Ellen wandered into the bathroom and turned on the taps in the tub. She set up a small, portable CD player that she’d brought from upstate on the toilet seat, poured some bath salts that Micki had given her last Chr
istmas under the rushing water and watched bubbles rise up the sides of the tub. When the water was as high as it could get, she stripped off her clothes, put the CD in the player, and climbed into the hot bath. With a long sigh, she settled beneath the soothing water and sipped her drink.
Why am I hesitating? she asked herself. Play the thing. Yet she didn’t press the play button. I’m embarrassed, she admitted to herself. I’ve never read a dirty book or an erotic story before. Hot scenes in contemporary novels had always excited her, but that was different. She wasn’t reading those just for stimulation. And listening? It seemed so personal.
She sipped again, enjoying the slight buzz the wine was causing. Maggie was right about the wine, she thought, so maybe she was right about this. She reached for the player. She could always switch it off. She pressed the button.
“Just After Midnight—A Collection of Erotic Stories by CJ Winterman. Read by the author.”
The voice was deep and rich and the music in the background reminded Ellen of saxophones on warm summer evenings. She rested her head against the back of the tub and closed her eyes.
“Is there magic in the world? Skeptics doubt that magic exists, or ever did exist. Are they right? I don’t know, but there are still a few people who are willing to keep an open mind, people who believe in old stories, ancient legends, and possibilities. Like the possibilities inherent in the Elixir of Lust.
“Anthony was lost. He was utterly, completely, and totally lost. He had gotten out of the cab at what he thought was an intersection around the corner from his girlfriend’s apartment, but as the taxi pulled away he realized that this wasn’t the place he had thought it was. He turned, prepared to hail another cab, but there was not one in sight. As a matter of fact, there were almost no cars in sight either.
“ Okay,’ Anthony said out loud, ‘I’ll just have to find a phone and call a cab or a limo or whatever. Anything to get me to Elaine’s in time for dinner.’ Elaine was not usually in the best of moods when he was late for one of her infrequent home-cooked meals. ‘Shit,’ he hissed.
“He looked up and down the street for a store that might have a phone, but in this rundown area, who knew what you would find behind the shabby doors. Ultimately he selected one at random, between a dilapidated clothing store and a vacant lot. He peered through the grimy front window and saw a shape moving around inside. ‘At least there’s someone in there,’ he mumbled. He gazed at the sign, letters in Magic Marker on a piece of dingy yellowed cardboard propped in the corner of the window. HARRY’S POTIONS AND NOSTRUMS. HARRY GAINES, PROP. Another cardboard sign proclaimed HOURS 10:00 A.M. TO 6:00 P.M. WEEKDAYS. Well, Anthony thought gazing at his watch and seeing that it was just five to six, it ought to be open.
“He pushed at the door and, as it swung slowly to admit him, a bell rang. ‘I’m closed,’ a scratchy voice called.
“ It’s not six yet,’ Anthony said, ‘and anyway I just want to use your phone.’
“ Closed is closed,’ the voice wheezed as a stooped, wizened old man emerged from behind the dusty counter. ‘Sorry. Come back tomorrow.’
“ I just want to use your phone to call a cab,’ Anthony repeated, this time more loudly.
“ Phone’s only for customers,’ the man said, scratching his crotch through his baggy trousers.
“ Please. I’ll pay you for the use of the phone. I’ve got to get a cab. If I don’t get one soon my ass is toast.’
“ Toast?’ the man wheezed.
“He needed this guy to let him use his phone so Anthony took a deep, calming breath. ‘Please. My girlfriend will kill me if I’m late for dinner. She’s cooking for me and she gets totally pissed if I’m not there on time.’
“ Phone’s for customers only,’ the man repeated.
“ Okay I’ll buy something. What do you sell?’ At this point it didn’t matter much what the guy was selling as long as it meant that the man would allow him to use the phone.
“ That’s better,’ the man said. ‘I sell potions, powders, nostrums, all kinds of things that people need. What do you need?’
“ Need? How about a million dollars and a cab?’
“The man’s laugh was brittle and ended in a spasm of coughing. ‘A million dollars. That’s a good one. You’ve got a good sense of humor, young man. Now tell me. What do you really need?’
“ Right now I need to get a cab and a good story to explain to Elaine why I’m late.’
“ Elaine’s your girlfriend, right?’
“ Going on three months now.’
“ Do you love her? Does she love you?’
“ I suppose.’ Anthony had had enough of conversation. He would buy whatever the old man offered, within his price range of course. ‘Now listen. What can I buy so that I can use the phone?’
“ I suppose I could sell you a love potion.’
“ Sure. Right. A love potion. If only it were that simple.’
“ But it is that simple. I can sell you a love potion, or a lust potion, if you prefer.’
“ A lust potion?’ The old man had certainly gotten his attention with the phrase.
“ That’s what I said. Does that interest you?’
“ How does this lust potion work?’
“ The Elixir of Lust is really very straightforward. You put a drop on your finger and touch your girlfriend. Then she lusts after you.’ He leaned closer, a wheezy laugh escaping from between his yellowed teeth. ‘If you put a drop or two on her pussy, she’ll go crazy.’
“ How much?’
“ Only twenty dollars for a small vial. Enough for many evenings of delight. In the future, the price might be a bit higher. When you realize the potential of the elixir of course.’
“Anthony was sure that the stuff couldn’t possibly work, but if buying some would get the use of the phone, he would do it. ‘I’ll just take the twenty-dollar vial, and a phone.’
“Several minutes later when the cab was on the way, the man handed him a small vial of yellowish liquid with an old-fashioned cork closing the opening. ‘Here’s my card, too, young man. Even if you use the Elixir of Lust sparingly, and you should of course, you might want to order more at some point. Just call and I’ll have some ready for you to pick up.’
“ This will be fine,’ Anthony said, seeing the cab pull up in front. He stuffed the vial and the business card in his jacket pocket and scurried out.
“ I can’t believe you’re late,’ Elaine whined as Anthony walked into her kitchen. ‘After all the time I took making this lasagna and now it’s cold.’
“ You can put it in the oven and reheat it. I’m sure it will be wonderful.’ He reached out to hug her but she twisted away.
“ It’s ruined,’ she moaned. ‘Ruined.’
“ Please, baby. Just try.’ Anthony picked up the casserole dish and almost burned his hands. ‘It’s still hot. I think we can just eat it the way it is.’ He leaned over the dish and gave an exaggerated sniff ‘It smells sensational.’
“ The bread will be overdone.’
“Anthony sighed and wondered whether it was all worth it, but when he thought about being alone, no sex, no female company, he swallowed hard. It had been difficult to get Elaine to go out with him in the first place. He was twenty-six and, since he wasn’t good with women, she was his first real, steady girlfriend. ‘Come on, darling, I know it will be great.’
“She pouted prettily and consented to join him at the small table in her kitchen. They talked pleasantly over lasagna and bread, both wonderfully cooked despite the delay, and sipped some delicious Chianti.
“Later, as they sat on the sofa watching a video, Anthony thought about the small bottle in his jacket pocket. It had cost him twenty bucks. Maybe it would do something. He headed for the bathroom and, on the way back to the TV, got the vial and slipped it into the pocket of his jeans.
“The movie was a sad love story, and, while Anthony found himself bored, Elaine was paying close attention, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. With as
little movement as possible, he withdrew and uncorked the tiny bottle, pressed his finger over the opening and tipped the vial. The yellowish oily liquid coated a small area on the pad of his index finger. He put his arm around Elaine.
“ Come on, baby,’ she said. ‘This is the best part of the film.’
“He touched the oil to the side of Elaine’s neck and stroked his finger down her white skin. When nothing happened immediately Anthony wasn’t surprised. Chalk it all up to getting here almost on time and making Elaine happy. Twenty bucks wasn’t too high a price to pay.
“For several minutes Anthony merely stared at the TV, bored to tears. “Baby,’ Elaine said suddenly, ‘why don’t you pay attention to me instead of the movie?’
“Surprised by her sudden shift, Anthony said, ‘I thought you were enjoying the film.’
“Elaine’s head dropped back onto Anthony’s arm. ‘Not as much as I would enjoy you,’ she purred, turning her lips toward his mouth.
“Anthony leaned over to place a gentle kiss on his girlfriend’s pursed lips and, as their mouths touched, Elaine reached out, cupped the back of his head and dragged him closer. She held his head tightly against hers, pressing her tongue between his lips. ‘Mmm,’ she purred, changing the angle of the kiss to better fit her mouth against his.
“Anthony was stunned. Elaine was usually passive, pliant, willing, but never the aggressor in matters of sex. Tonight, however, she was devouring him. She moved so she was straddling his lap, her hands tugging at his shirt. Could it be the Elixir of Lust? Anthony wondered. Could the stuff really work? What a blast!
“Anthony thought little more about it. Reveling in Elaine’s newfound aggression, he tore at her clothes as she dragged his belt from its loops. Soon they were naked, Elaine climbing all over him in an effort to get closer. She pressed his hands to her breasts, then urged him to tweak her nipples. With her head thrown back and her chest pushing against his hands, she panted like an animal in heat.
“Anthony’s cock reacted predictably, growing and hardening with Elaine’s every movement. As she prepared to mount him he remembered what the wheezy old man had said. ‘Put a drop or two on her pussy, she’ll go crazy.’ He found the vial in his pants pocket and put another drop of the oily liquid on his finger. Then he rubbed his finger over her swollen pussy-flesh, pushing it into her channel.
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