Jimmy Smedick unloaded his lawnmower off the back of the utility trailer he pulls behind his old Toyota pickup truck. This being the home of his favorite customer, Mrs. G, he whisked off his T-shirt, tossing it in the truck, and quick as he could he mowed the front yard.
He likes to do the front yard quickly because, on nice days and even halfway nice ones, Mrs. G is usually out in her private backyard, reading a book. She always stays on her lounge chair on the patio, waving at Jimmy, continuing to read though her eyes are often on him, and his often on her. He loves seeing her there, and on this lovely, sultry, sunny day, she's there again. The drone of the mower lasted for fifteen minutes or so as Jimmy finished up cutting the grass out there in the backyard, then he was done, stopping his mower, his usual friendly greeting to Mrs. G different this time.
"Do you have any aspirin, Mrs. Grant?"
"Oh, sure, Jimmy. You don't feel well?"
"It's just my arm. My elbow. I was playing basketball with my friend and fell on it. It's not bad, it just aches. My mom told me to take aspirin, but I forgot. I thought you might have some."
"Yes, sure Jimmy. Go on inside. Right next to the refrigerator, there's a tray with all that stuff. Aspirin, Advil, Tylenol. Take your pick."
"Thanks Mrs. G. Don't worry, I won't drink your wine. I'll just have water."
Mary Grant smiled. Jimmy is the nicest boy of all the kids in the neighborhood, though she can hardly call him a 'boy' or a 'kid' anymore. In his second year at the community college, he's been doing yard work for her, and for many others in the neighborhood, forever, it seemed. Watching him as he went inside, her mothering instincts kicked in, so she set down her book and got up off the lounge chair where she'd been sunning herself. Yes, she'd developed a naughty habit of sunbathing in various styles of swimsuits whenever Jimmy was there doing his work, he usually without his shirt, mowing grass or clipping bushes, sometimes pruning the smaller trees. She knows Jimmy is always careful about looking at her, and she plays the little game the same way, always careful to look at him when she's pretty sure he won't notice. Walking into the house just now, though, she'd carelessly left her coverup behind on her chair, her bikini style swimsuit looking positively minimal and wiggly in the sunlit kitchen.
"Jimmy, no!" she said, wide-eyed, as she watched him put down the unmarked pill container. "That's...not aspirin!"
"Oh, shit," said Jimmy. "I thought aspirin was blue."
"Why would you think that! Aspirin is never blue!"
"My dad takes it sometimes, at night. My mom always says 'Oh, you're taking your aspirin?' Then she gets a wet towel for his head, and they go to bed."
"Oh," said Mary. "Yes, well...that's maybe something else. But this, this is Viagra, Jimmy. It's Mr. Grant's. Shit, you took one already?"
Jimmy nodded sheepishly. "I took two."
"Fuck!" said Mary, eyes wide, aghast. "Two! Oh my God, that's...that's..."
"Shit, Mrs. G, should I call my mom, or call a doctor or something?"
"No! She'll think I'm...terrible! Oh my Lord. Jimmy, this is..."
"Maybe if I eat something. Mom says food absorbs things."
"Yeah, not this. Wow. I need to think about this for a minute. Jimmy, you know what Viagra is, right? I mean, you're plenty old enough. You probably know all about it. Have you...ever tried it?"
"No, I haven't. I've heard of some guys my age using it, but...it's mostly for old guys, isn't it?"
Mary smirked. "Yes, my husband probably seems old to you. He even seems old to me sometimes."
"Sorry, I didn't mean that."
"No, it's okay, Jimmy. It's just how it is. I'm surprised any of your friends use it, though."
"So, Mr. G, he just takes one?"
"Yes. Two will be...a problem, I think. Especially for a young guy like you. I mean, I'm sure you don't even need it in the first place. Good, Lord, Jimmy. This is a crazy problem you've gotten into."
Jimmy nodded, knowing it was true. He assumed he had a massive boner on the way, didn't know how long it would last, and felt awkward talking to Mrs. G about the details of it. "They used to say something on the television ads, about it lasting for four hours or more."
Mary nodded. "Yes, I remember those ads. If it lasts more than four hours you need to seek medical help."
"Oh my God, really? Like...the emergency room or something?"
"I'm afraid so, Jimmy. I know you don't want to talk about this with me, but maybe I should tell you how it goes with my husband, Mr. G."
Jimmy nodded, eager to hear some worthwhile information that might help him figure out what to do.
"So, he just takes one, like I said. About a half an hour later he's...ready. Do you know what I mean?"
Jimmy nodded.
"After that, it lasts for, oh my gosh, an hour, easily, but sometimes two. Once even longer."
Jimmy nodded, seeing Mrs. G blushing, sensing a strange embarrassment in her that didn't seem unpleasant.
"That's...a long time."
"Yes," said Mary, eyes subtly twinkling. He always says he's got to work it out of his system. I don't know if you know what I mean, but...sort of...sexually. Is your girlfriend home, Jimmy? You could race over there right now and..."
Jimmy shook his head. "We broke up. She's...seeing someone else now."
"Oh," said Mary. "Well, there goes that idea. Jimmy, we've talked enough about this, and we're good enough friends now, I think, that we can stop acting so 'polite' with each other. I'll just say it β if you get even the least bit aroused in the next few hours you're going to have an erection that won't easily go away. Maybe even painfully so."