Chapter 2

"Apparently the trilithium chloride does more than moderate the taste," said Bob. "It must be responsible for the absorption through the skin too. And that gets the stuff directly into the blood stream. This new solution works entirely too well."

"You can say that again," sighed Julie. She still couldn't meet his eyes. The teenagers had been sent to Ronnie's room while her mother recovered her equilibrium.

"Would you lighten up," said Bob, trying to make his voice light too. "It wasn't your fault."

"You weren't the one who acted like a shameless slut," whispered Julie.

"You didn't act like a shameless slut," said Bob. "You acted like a woman under the effects of an aphrodisiac. They are two entirely different things."

"You need to get rid of that stuff," said Julie.

"Are you crazy? If I can get it regulated, we'll be millionaires."

"We?" Finally she looked at him.

He hadn't been aware he'd used the collective. "Well, you helped me test it and all," he said.

"I suppose I did at that," she said. He saw her face flushing.

He would never be able to articulate why he said the next thing he said, but he would forever be grateful that he said it.

"And I'm sure I'll have to do another test or two down the line, so I might ask for your help there too."

Now she looked at him with unwavering eyes.

"I may have been under the influence of your damn drug, Bob, but what I said was the truth. I meant the things I said, even if I didn't mean to say them. Please don't toy with me."

"I don't toy with women, Julie," said Bob, his voice serious.

"I know that," she said, looking away. "You could have done anything to me you wanted. You didn't even have to tell me what was going on. You could have slipped me some of the stuff and I'd never have known it. But you're not that kind of man, Bob. That's why I..." She stopped and covered her face.

"That last kiss?" Bob said softly. "The one when you weren't under the effects of the stuff? That was a nice kiss, Julie. I liked it a lot."

She lowered her hands. There were tears in her eyes again.

"You bastard," she sighed. "You don't even need that crap."

Then she rushed into his arms.

In Ronnie's room, Nick was pacing, while Ronnie sat on the edge of her bed. They'd been in her room countless times before, but now, suddenly, everything seemed different. Nick had started pacing as soon as they got there.

Finally Ronnie spoke. "You want to make out?"

Nick stopped. His head turned and he stared at her, his eyes looking slightly owlish through the lenses of his glasses.

"Are you crazy?" he asked.

"You always want to make out," said Ronnie.

"That was before I saw you..." His eyes dropped to her crotch.

She blushed, but the things that had happened had, in some way, tempered her, making her stronger.

"You've always known I do that. You've even wanted to watch."

"And you almost took my head off when I suggested it," he accused.

"Look," she said. "Something happened. Okay ... it happened. It happened to both of us at the same time. Why is that odd? We do almost everything together. It would have been odd if it didn't happen to us together. I don't see why you're so worked up about this."

"I'm worked up about this because your mother turned into a lunatic down there!" he gasped. "What if it happens again? What if one day, I'm at school, and I turn into ... that guy?"

Ronnie stood up. "That guy, as you call him, was under the effect of a drug. That guy was just doing what the drug made him do. That guy turned me on, Nick. And yes, I know I was affected by the drug too, but I know how I felt when I saw you being a man. Don't talk about yourself like that, because I like that guy. I like you."

"This is so weird," moaned Nick.

"I know," said Ronnie. "That's why I thought maybe we should do something normal, like make out."

"If you think I was goofy before this, just imagine what I'll be thinking if we kiss again," he sighed. "I'm not sure I can ever kiss you again, Ronnie. This is freaking me out."

"Nothing has changed," said Ronnie. "You got to see something you shouldn't have seen. But I did too. By the way, it's pretty obvious you're not ten any more. I was impressed."

"Really?" Now that sounded like the old Nick.

"Wait right here," she said.

She left the room, closing the door quietly. Nick sat on the edge of the bed. All he could think about was that this was the bed that she lay in when she did ... that. He felt himself stiffen, but it wasn't the uncontrollable thing that had so scared him before. He was almost happy to be stiff, and able to just sit there.

It seemed like she was gone a long time, but the door finally opened and she slipped back in, the bag from the store in the mall in her hand.

"Wait right there!" she whispered, and went into her bathroom. He heard the rustle of the shopping bag.

"What are you doing?" he called out, whispering himself, for some reason.

"You'll see," she said. "Just be patient."

"I am being patient," he said. "I just want to know what the heck is going on, that's all."

She came out of the bathroom.

"This is what's going on."

She was dressed in her jeans ... and the new bra. The bra was dark blue and, astonishingly, went beautifully with the jeans. It was like it had been made to be worn this very way. It actually looked kind of like a bikini top.

Except he knew it was a bra.

"So?" She put her hands on her hips and struck a pose.

"Wow," he said.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It's definitely a compliment." He licked his lips. "You're beautiful."

"Thank you."

"I thought I wasn't allowed to see you like this," he said.

"You've been through a rough time," she said. "I thought you deserved a little reward."

"That's a huge reward," he sighed.

She looked at him, sitting there, his body the very image of an alert, very interested man. For a split second she wondered if that stuff had gotten on her again somehow, as she reached behind her and unsnapped the bra. She let it slide down to hang from one hand.

"No... this is a huge reward," she said, her voice husky.

It felt like they had been kissing for hours, but Bob knew it could only have been a few minutes. He didn't want to take his lips from hers, but he felt it was necessary. She kept her eyes closed as he pulled away.

"I am in so much trouble," she murmured.

"Why is that?" he asked, his arms still around her, his hands on her lower back.

"Because that antidote isn't working anymore."

"That's not the aphrodisiac," he said. "That's just what kisses of that nature make you feel like."

She opened her eyes. "I haven't met a man in ten years that I even thought about going to bed with," she sighed.

"Hmmmm. That sounds tantalizingly interesting," he said. He resisted the urge to pump his hips against hers.

"I am in soooo much trouble," she sighed again.

"I hate to do this, but I have to remind you that you've known me for six years," he said. "And that is well within the time frame you mentioned. Ergo, I am not a man you've thought about going to bed with. You're not in nearly as much trouble as you think. You just had a hair-raising experience, that's all. Take some time, think things over, I'm sure you can get back to lusting after me from afar if you really want to."

"You don't get it," she said softly. "I'd let you have me right now ... right here. You don't need any aphrodisiac, Bob. I'm helpless."

"Eat a carrot," he said. "When we do that... if we do that ... I want us both to be absolutely sure it has nothing to do with what's in that beaker."

"And that is why I'd let you take me to bed right now," said Julie.

"How about I take you to get ice cream instead," said Bob. "Then I'll offer to ravish you."

"Offer accepted," she said.

"Wow," sighed Nick.

"You sure do say that a lot," said Ronnie. She threw the new bra at him and he caught it automatically.

"I've had a lot of reasons to say it lately."

"You do know that no boy has ever seen me like this ... right?"

All he could do was nod. He stared at her pink nipples. Her hands fluttered beside her jeans, but he was unaware that was a sign that she was scared, or nervous. His eyes were glued to her breasts.

"Can you say something other than wow?"

He looked up at her face then, but it was because his brain heard her fear.

"I'd say you're the most beautiful girl in the world ... but that wouldn't even come close to describing what I feel. There aren't any words to say what I feel. If lightning struck me right now, I wouldn't care, because I got to see you like this first."

"Wow," she said in a small voice. Her hands stopped fluttering. "I should probably put on a shirt."

"No, you shouldn't."

"My mom is coming. Or at least somebody is coming. I heard the squeak of the first two steps."

"Shit," he said softly.

"What if I said you could see them later?"

"I'd do anything."

She giggled then, and darted into the bathroom, just as her bedroom door opened and her mother walked in.

"Where's Ronnie?" she asked, looking at Nick.

"Bathroom," he said, his voice cracking.

Julie walked over to stand in front of him. He didn't realize he was still holding the new bra until she plucked it from his nerveless fingers.

"What's this?"

Nick swallowed. His eyes were huge. "That's a bra?" he squeaked.

"I know what it is. Why do you have it?"

The toilet flushed and Ronnie came out. She was dressed as before. She saw her mother with the bra.

"There it is! I took it out of the bag and then couldn't remember what I did with it. Where did you find it?"

"Nick had it," said Julie.

Ronnie's outrage looked completely real.

"Pervert!" she snapped.

"Hold it right there, Miss 'I took it out of the bag and then couldn't remember where I put it'." Julie lifted the bra to her nose and sniffed gently. "This bra has been worn. I smell your bodywash on it."

Now it was Ronnie's eyes that got big. "Well ... I had to try it on," she said.

Julie turned back to Nick, who looked was looking from one woman to the other.

"If she teases you, you have my permission to spank her," said Julie.

"I do?" Nick's voice rose into the alto register.

"No you don't!" said Ronnie.

"Yes you do!" insisted Julie. She turned to her daughter. "And don't lie to me again."

Ronnie caved. "I'm sorry. I shot it at him like a rubber band. But only because he kept bugging me about wanting to see it."

Julie turned back to Nick. "Spank her if she teases you. Got that?"

Nick squared his shoulders. "Yes ma'am," he said, darting a glance at Ronnie.

"Bob is taking me out for ice cream. You two may come if you'll behave yourselves."

"Us?" Ronnie rolled her eyes. "We never do anything wrong!"

She waited until her mother left the room, and then kissed Nick with open lips. While she did it, she pulled his hand up to her left breast. She'd left her bra off when she put her shirt back on and she moved his hand on the tender flesh. She moaned and kissed him harder.

Then, suddenly, she pushed him away and danced back away from him.

"Pervert!" she whispered, her eyes shining.

He chased her down the stairs, their feet thundering like a herd of elephants.

Nick was a wreck the whole time. Too much had happened to him to have had time to process it. Further, he had no idea what her behavior meant in terms of the future. His imagination was running wild and, like Julie, he didn't need any aphrodisiac to maintain a high state of arousal.

Ronnie, on the other hand, reacted to the change in their relationship with much less tension. For her, it was simply change, something that happened all the time. She didn't know what was going to happen, but she was sure she was going to like it, because everything that had happened lately had been more fun than she could have dreamed. Two men, Bob and Nick, had seen her doing something that should have made them shun her completely. But they hadn't. What they had seen hadn't changed how they treated her at all. For the first time in her life she understood how precious true friendship was and, while she didn't think of it that way at the present, she would come to realize that she loved both these men with a true and abiding love.

With Julie, the process was somewhere in between. Her feelings for Bob had been there for years, but she had steadfastly denied herself, partly from fear of being rejected. And partly because, like Bob, she was concerned that if it didn't work out, it would ruin an already very good relationship. She was conflicted about having disbelieved in the possibility of there being an actual aphrodisiac. The data she'd had had led to a valid belief system, so she didn't feel bad about that. But she did feel bad for having doubted Bob. At the same time, now that she knew how he felt, it was as if tremendous weights had been hanging all over her and had now fallen off. She felt like she could fly and she couldn't wait to see where things went.

Bob's mind was more like back when he was a pilot. He had fired all his rockets, and his mind was tracking each one as it proceeded toward its target. He was sure the aphrodisiac would work out. It was just a matter of finding the right mix. He had high hopes for his relationship with Julie, too. He just needed to make sure that she had time to think and make choices, so that she wouldn't regret anything down the line. He glanced at the kids in the rear view mirror. They were sitting on opposite sides of the car, more or less staring straight ahead. He thought about the scene where he had caught them. That wasn't fair. It was more of a rescue than anything else. But the point was that they had been acting out their feelings, there in the same room. They had to have watched each other. Nick had fled, and Ronnie had been a basket case. Now, though, they were cool as cucumbers. A flag went up in his mind. He'd have to do some poking around. They weren't acting like most kids would act after something like that. And while all this was going on in his mind, he was driving too.

But everything seemed normal while they ordered and ate their ice cream treats, and it was a lot more fun to explore this new relationship with Julie than worry about teenagers, so by the time they got back home Bob had forgotten his suspicions.

"Stop at your house," said Julie.

"Where else would I stop? I live there," said Bob.

"I want to see this new door knocker that caused so much tumult."

"Oh." Bob's view of Wolfman's gift as something offbeat and interesting suddenly morphed into concern over how this woman might react when she saw it. "It's just a silly doorknocker."

"Earlier this evening I found my daughter's boyfriend sitting on her bed with one of her bras in his hands," said Julie conversationally. "And when I asked my daughter about it, she spun me the most beautiful line of bullshit I've heard in ages. Nothing like that ever happened until they saw this doorknocker. I just have to see what caused all the ruckus."

"It wasn't like that, Mom!" moaned Ronnie from the back seat.

Bob glanced in the mirror and saw that the two teens were no longer separated by two feet of seat. They were thigh to thigh. Ronnie's hand was lying on the inside of Nick's thigh. That flag went back up in his mind.

"In all fairness, Mrs. Hyde," said Nick, leaning forward. "Our behavior was remarkably affected by the substance Mr. Jekyll was experimenting with."

"I understand that. In fact, you two have seen enough of this doorknocker. When we park you are to go directly to our house. Bob and I have some things to talk over privately. We can do that at his house."

"Okay." Ronnie drew it out into a long complaint consisting of more than four letters.

When they parked Bob was further reminded of Ronnie's behavior when she took Nick's hand and tugged him toward her house, saying, "Come on!"

But he was distracted when his own hand was taken and Julie said. "Let's go see this amazing doorknocker."

Less than a minute later, Bob stood watching Julie stare at the huge pair of brass balls.

"Let me get this straight," she said. "Your friend, from the Navy, sent you this."

"It's kind of an analogy," said Bob. "Fighter pilots love to go fast, and the fastest you can go is full throttle. In some early jets, the throttle arms had big balls on the tips and when you pushed them to full throttle it banged the balls against the firewall. Hence the term 'going balls to the wall' was coined." He shrugged. "In this case, I guess it would be balls to the door, and the analogy breaks down, but you get the idea."

"Fascinating," said Julie, who moved closer to the item under evaluation. "And that stuff is all over this." She reached one finger forward and poised it in front of the scrotum, as if she were pointing at it. "And the kids touched it."

"That is my theory, yes," said Bob.

She looked at him over her shoulder, her eyelashes lowered.

"Like this," she said. Her finger went forward and she stroked the balls from top to bottom.

"Julie!" groaned Bob.

"Oops!" she said, in a Betty Boop voice. She looked at her finger and then stuck it in her mouth and sucked on the tip. "Have you got a carrot, Bob? Because I think I'm going to need a carrot pretty soon."

"Damn, woman," sighed Bob. "Come on in."

He opened the door and held it for her. As she walked by him her hand brushed the front of his pants. Suddenly she stopped and turned. Her palm molded over his bulge and she squeezed gently.

"You do have a carrot!" she said, her eyes wide. "How clever of you to have a carrot in your pants. I want that carrot now, Bob."

"That's not a carrot and you know it," he said softly.

"It's what I need to cure what's bothering me," she said. Her face was flushed now, and her chest was rising and falling rapidly.

"I thought we were going to make this decision drug-free," he said.

"Oh I made this decision drug-free," she said. "I made it while I watched your tongue lapping at your ice cream. I want that tongue to lap at something else right now, Bob. Would you do that for me?"

"Let me get a real carrot first," he said.

"Well you better hurry, because I'm about to have an orgasm just from thinking about this!" she panted.

He ran to the kitchen. There were only two carrots left, and he grabbed them both. Still running, he dashed back to the living room.

She was already naked, lying on the couch, with one heel denting the backrest, and the other solidly on the floor. Her hips were thrusting slowly in a classic fuck motion.

"Oh please hurry, Bob!" she gasped.

"I don't get it," said Nick, who was again sitting on the edge of Ronnie's bed. This time she was the one pacing. "You're acting all different."

"The world changes constantly," she said, her voice distracted. "Why wouldn't I?"