Potion, The
by Swashbuckler
Chapter 1
"There's this girl," I told the gypsy. "Her name is Celeste, and she is so hot. I like her so much, but she doesn't like me."
"Forget about her," the old gypsy woman said emphatically. "Trying to make love where none exists always ends badly. Tell me about the other girl."
"What other girl?" I asked, surprised by the sudden turn in conversation. I only had eyes for Celeste.
"You are nice boy; a little flabby around the middle, but not ugly; so I am sure there is another girl who likes you - perhaps a friend."
"You mean Susan?" I said. "Susan and I are just that - friends."
The gypsy rummaged around in a box and produced a small amber vial with an eyedropper inside and a squeeze bulb in the lid.
"If you give half of this to Susan and drink the other half," the gypsy said as she handed the potion to me, "by the next morning you will both change and your friendship will grow to passion and, perhaps, true love."
"Does it matter if I drink my half first?" I asked, thinking that Susan and Celeste might like the same kind of guy.
"No, the potion only takes effect after both halves are drunk. It is very specific," she said. "It tastes a little sour, but mixing it with alcohol may help a little. Make sure all of it is drunk between you. Leftovers create ... complications."
I took the potion, gave the gypsy too much money and left.
On the shuttle back from Moon-base to Earth, I contemplated the vial she had given me. I had checked her references, and she was an accredited transhumanist gypsy. The stuff she produced was nearly as good as the corporate stuff that you could only get by doctor's prescription. One of her "potions" had cured a friend of mine of his cleft palate about an hour after he drank it. If I followed her instructions, I was sure it would do exactly what the gypsy said; but why would I want passion with Susan?
There wasn't anything necessarily wrong with Susan - she didn't have a hunchback or warts or anything - but it was Celeste I wanted. Susan had visible breasts, but Celeste was stacked. Susan had medium length muddy brown hair, but Celeste's hair was long and glossy black. Susan wore comfortable shoes like me, and dressed in t-shirts and jeans; but Celeste wore heels and dressed in skirts and other outfits that showed off her curves. It was really no contest.
"Are you sure the gypsy told you to slip this potion in Celeste's drink?" Susan asked when I told her of my plan to spike Celeste's drink at the office party in a few weeks. "That doesn't sound very ethical."
"She didn't specifically say to spike her drink," I said, trying and failing to sound casual instead of nervous. "But she did say for Celeste to drink half of it, and that it tastes better with alcohol."
Susan unscrewed the cap of the vial and sniffed it. Her head recoiled back away from the bottle, and she tightly screwed on the lid.
"Good luck getting anybody to drink that without noticing," Susan said doubtfully.
"The gypsy said it tastes better with alcohol," I said defensively. I had blown a lot of money on this plan.
Chapter 2
Slipping the potion in Celeste's drink was easier than I expected. Celeste was one of the few girls in the office who liked to dance, and many of the male executives in the office were eager to dance with her. I can't dance, and am not much of a drinker; but I know how to mix drinks. I convinced our boss to save some money and not hire a bartender this year.
I waited until Celeste's drink was a little low, took it behind the bar like I was refilling it, and squirted half of the potion into it. The drink was back where Celeste left it well before the song ended.
When Celeste came back from the dance floor, she took a big swig of her drink. A horrified expression crossed her face and she exclaimed, "Oh my God, somebody puked in my drink!"
The executive with Celeste looked at me accusingly and said, "Let me see that drink."
I snatched the glass out of Celeste's hand, downed the horrid stuff in a couple swallows, and said, as I tried not to gag, "Tastes fine to me."
They sent me home.
That night, alone, I tried and failed to wash the rancid oily taste out of my mouth. I used every bit of alcohol I owned. It didn't help.
I woke the next morning feeling worse. My hea...