Tuesday morning dawned bright and warm and Barb Geisel turned the key in her old Chrysler and steered the car out of the driveway toward Main Street. It was going to be a busy day - - first, a visit to Starlight Salon to get a wash and trim from Crystal, then a quick stop at the IGA to pick up some groceries for Kurt's visit, and a quick appointment at Doctor Pam's office.
Barb hummed to herself as she parked the Buick in front of the salon.
Crystal made quick business of her hair - - since Charlie passed almost a decade ago, Pam had stopped dyeing her hair and kept her thick, silver locks short and sporty. The whole time Crystal yammered in her ear about her husband's rediscovered libido.
"Why, darling," Crystal giggled into her ear. "Thanks to the Doc, he's as feisty as a rooster at dawn."
Barb smiled. It was Crystal after all who had recommended Doctor Pam for Barb's arthritis. It seemed that once she turned 55 all her joints ached at once. She'd tried the pills, shots, and potions prescribed by her regular doctor. None worked. She lived with pain for four or five years until, less than a month ago, following Crystal's gushing recommendation, Barb had tried Doctor Pam. Despite her skepticism about homeopathy, chiropracty, and other quacky-sounding medicine, she'd left Doctor Pam's office with two dropper bottles of some kind of tincture. A week later her aches and pains seemed to fade away. She'd been feeling as limber as a teenager ever since.
Crystal finished up with the blow dryer, smiled at Barb, and patted her on the shoulder.
"There you go, honey," she said into the mirror. "All ready for your gentleman callers!"
Barb chuckled and handed Crystal a ten dollar bill before returning to her car. She drove a few blocks to the IGA, parked, and grabbed a shopping cart. She collected some of Kurt's favorite foods - - ribeye steak, hamburger, potatoes, some vegetables, milk, and bread. At the checkout, she said hello to Connie and smiled at Jeff, the bag boy.
"Hi, Mrs. Geisel," Jeff said with a goofy grin.
Barb returned his smile and blushed. Every time she saw Jeff, the twenty-something never failed to run his eyes slowly up and down Barb's trim figure, pausing at her well-endowed chest. It embarrassed her, but it also made her feel a little excited. She turned away from him to hand Connie a couple of twenty-dollar bills.
"Bye, Mrs. Geisel," Jeff exclaimed as Barb wheeled her cart out of the checkout line. She could practically feel his eyes on her backside. Unconsciously, she hitched her hips forward.
Five minutes later, she pulled up outside the old Victorian that Doctor Pam used as her office.
The doctor - - a refined-looking woman in her forties - - opened the door with a big smile and ushered Barb inside. She strode behind the counter that divided what used to be a living room and reached below the counter.
"Everything still working fine?" Doctor Pam asked as she wrapped the two dropper bottles in brown paper.
"Oh yes," Barb answered. "No pain. Plenty of energy."
Doctor Pam nodded, then paused.
"You told me last time that your grandson would be in town soon. Is that this week?"
Barb nodded. "Sure is. Kurt's coming up this afternoon. Big wrestling tournament out at the college."
The doctor nodded and flashed her eyes from Pam's hair to her waist, quickly taking in the older woman's petite, shapely figure.
"I'm wondering," the doctor said, tapping a finger against her chin. "If you'd be interested in something a little extra this week?"
Barb frowned and pushed the brown-papered packet into her purse.
Doctor Pam smiled. "I mean with your grandson visiting. A little something more to give you some extra vim and vigor?"
Barb's frown relaxed and she smiled. It was true - - with Kurt, her favorite grandson, in town, she might want to be at the top of her game.
She nodded. "Sure, doctor. Why not?"
Doctor Pam practically grinned. "Fantastic," she answered, pulling another dropper bottle from beneath the counter. "I've been working on something special. New ingredients, new recipe."
She held the bottle to the light. It seemed to glow purple.
"Just two drops. After lunch. And, another two before dinner. No more and no less."
Barb nodded and accepted the bottle from the doctor.
"If you experience any side effects," the doctor warned as Barb turned toward the door. "Call me immediately."
"Okay, doc," Barb chimed happily. "Will do.... have a great day."
At home, Barb placed her two regular bottles in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. She put the doctor's new tincture on the window shelf above the sink. As she made herself a bowl of tomato soup and a piece of toast, she studied its deep violet hues glowing in the sunlight. It was a beautiful color, she noted to herself.
She finished lunch and washed her dishes in the sink, her eyes still fastened on the tiny bottle as she scrubbed and rinsed. So pretty, she repeated to herself. After drying her hands, she took the bottle in hand and unscrewed the lid. She squeezed two drops of the tincture onto her tongue.
"Wow," she exclaimed out loud. "Pretty and tasty."
In fact, the two little drops were so delicious that, after a brief pause, Barb squeezed the whole dropper onto her tongue. Her mouth seemed to explode with the deep, fresh taste of violets. She closed her eyes and the taste of violets shifted to a rich, earthy taste that reminded her of freshly tilled fields in springtime. It was all natural ingredients, she reminded herself, how could you get too much of those?
"Wow," she repeated, shaking her head.
She had just enough time to change into a skirt and blouse and put on lipstick before leaving for the local college up the road. She smiled to herself as she motored along and dragged her hand through the air rushing past the car window.
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The college parking lot was crowded and Barb found one of the last spots in a distant corner. The usually quiet and small campus buzzed with life - - families streaming towards the gymnasium, young men rushing back and forth between big yellow buses. There was a festive air around the place which, Barb reflected, made sense. The state regionals were a big deal. If Kurt won here, he'd be on to the semi-finals in Springfield. Smiling, Barb traipsed toward the wide open doors of the gym
The atmosphere inside was noisy and warm. The bleachers were full. Because she wasn't sure where Kurt would wrestle, she wandered around the three big, square mats at the center of the gym. Wrestlers were already grappling with each other and whistles echoed off the rafters above her. Barb decided to play it safe and found a seat on a riser near the center of the gym. She settled in and waited for Kurt to make his appearance.
As her eyes wandered over the mats, she found herself admiring the young, muscular bodies of the college wrestlers - - their thick thighs and broad chests and corded arms. As she watched them, she felt herself getting warmer and warmer. Her cheeks reddened and she had to cross her legs to keep her thighs from trembling. As one wrestler pinned another to the mat, the sight of their youthful bodies twined together - - muscles tensed, dripping sweat, grunting - - made her breath catch in her throat. She squeezed her lips and a tingling sensation spread across her chest. Her nipples seemed to twitch and she bit her lower lip.
"Goodness," she thought to herself. "It's so warm and stuffy in here."
Recrossing her legs, Barb slowly closed her eyes, trying to shield the vision of the sweaty bodies below her and, at the same time relaxing into the glow that enveloped her body. She was just about to stand up and find some fresh air when she heard Kurt's name through the public address system.
"Now wrestling in Circle 2 in the 184 pound weight class: John Blevins for Salem College and Kurt Geisel for Southern State University."
Barb opened her eyes and twisted her head until she found Kurt, padding toward the center mat. A sharp breath escaped her lips. Tall like his daddy but built like a farmer just like his granddad - - wide shoulders, big chest, narrow waist, and thick calves and thighs. His light brown hair was cut short and she watched him swivel his head back and forth across the bleachers. When his eyes met hers, a toothy smile spread across his lips. Barb smiled back and waved her hand. Kurt nodded and returned his eyes to his opponent.
The two young men stood across from each other, still as deer at a stream, until the ref blasted his whistle. Two young, beefy bodies merged together, arms looping over shoulders and feet dancing back and forth. Barb's eyes were glued to the pair and, as they bobbed and weaved, she felt her body glowing again. She uttered a little gasp and raised her hand to cover her lips.
Kurt slipped around behind his opponent's back and raised the other wrestler off his feet. With a grunt, he dropped to the mat and the crowd cheered as he maneuvered the other young man onto his back. The ref raised his hand when the other wrestler's shoulders kissed the mat.
Barb dropped her hand from her lips and opened her mouth. The cheers around her ignited her own enthusiasm and she stood, waving her arms. Her eyes were fastened to Kurt's straining body and another wave of warmth washed across her belly. Her nipples seemed to spark and her breasts itched. She tried to shout encouragement but her voice lost itself on the way up her throat. Instead, she croaked Kurt's name. Her body trembled and shivered and she plopped back down onto the hard bleacher.
