Magic Potion: Grace

"Really?"

"I just want to say you're very lovely." He makes no effort to leave and continues looking. "Very lovely."

"You flatter me too much. The stuff in the box helps." I chuckle.

"Wish I could give some to my wife, you know make her as beautiful."

"Oh I don't think she'd like this. No, I don't."

He takes a last look and walks to his truck. For a moment, I watch and wonder about the short exchange then close the door.

At the dinning room table, I open the box and count the bottles, ten, and each with enough for a total of forty-eight hours. A hundred syringes, plenty it seems. All cheap for me, but I know for most even a bottle is beyond possible. I know I will be seeing the deliveryman again soon.

Joanne calls and her order arrived. We talk for a moment about how much to use. I know her arm will be gone for a while as soon as we hang up. I don't know what she will do about her husband. I guess she doesn't either.

A message arrives that Bonnie cannot meet today, a sudden business trip she explains. I wonder if she is real. I promise myself to speak with people on the phone before agreeing to meet with them.

"Hey babe," I say as Joanne answers the phone. "Come over, will you?"

She quickly agrees and I finish with my hair. I leave my foot bare as I wash the dishes, straighten the great room, more to enjoy doing things on one leg than because it needs to be done.

-

As I had expected, Joanne is missing most of her left arm when she arrives. "Snuck out," she says with a bubbly tone to her voice as she flaps the stump causing the empty part of the sleeve to wave about. "He'd puke if he saw me this way."

"How's it feel?" I ask as I walk through the house to a table by the pool.

"Wonderful-l," she drawls, following me. "Damn stuff is expensive. I only used enough for two hours this time, but I know I just have to find a way.... You know." She cups the end of the stump with her hand and rubs. "I love being this way." She pulls the sleeve up showing me the stump.

"Very nice. I went to sleep without my leg 'and' arm. I thought of you."

"Sweet." She looks around as if to see if anyone is around then unbuttons her blouse. "You mind?" she teases then removes it, leaving her jeans on.

"You might turn me on flashing your breasts like that." I chuckle.

"I wouldn't mind. Not like we haven't enjoyed each other."

"I know. I think about Jim, about your jerky husband, and wonder what I want in my future."

"Hmmm. Sounds interesting." She flashes me one of her patented smiles guaranteed to excite as she drags her hand up the inside of the thigh. "I don't know what to do with Carl. We've been together three years, now I just don't know." She crosses a leg over the other and lets her foot swing slowly. "An arm and a leg?"

"Uh-huh. I've been practicing using just one crutch and getting better. Also thinking about getting a wheelchair."

"Both legs?"

I nod. "All of both." I snicker. "Seems so wicked. If only there was a way to go out of the house like this. I'm so afraid someone I know will see me."

"We should have a girls weekend away."

"Would he let you?"

"Nah."

I rub my chin in thought. "Have you gotten any messages from that group?"

"A few, nothing worthy of a response."

"I was going to meet some gal today, but she canceled."

"I wonder...."

"Me too. The delivery guy spent a long time looking me over."

"Were you like that?"

"Yeah. Said he had delivered a package somewhere else with the same return address. He didn't say who." I laugh. "He said he wished his wife would use some so she would be as 'beautiful' as I am."

"You think they do this."

"Nah. Probably thought it was some kind of beauty product." I laugh again. "It kind of is."

She looks at her watch. "Another half hour."

"Never long enough and too much fun trying different things to leave it forever."

"Got that right. Maybe a few hours a day will let me survive." She pauses for a long moment. "I don't know. I just don't know."

-

A search of eBay and Craigslist helps me find a quality ultra-lightweight wheelchair from someone about fifty miles away. I call and a woman answers, explains she has a new chair, and needs to sell the old one quickly. I look up reviews of the chair and call her back. We agree to meet.

"Grace?" the woman says as she rolls back from the open front door. Her short dress lies flat across the cushion as though her legs are completely gone. She is attractive, nothing special about her appearance. Curly brown hair hangs just past her shoulders, bright blue eyes, and a lack of makeup showing the natural beauty.

"Yes." My leg is still off from the morning and another five hours remain.

"I'm Nora. Another amputee, nice to meet you. Don't see many these days. They all wear prosthetics and pretend to be normal, making them somewhat invisible." She chuckles. "Nothing like.... Come in and I'll show you the chair."

She rolls quickly over the hardwood floors though a nicely laid out home. "Designed it myself. Live alone."

I follow, but at a slower pace, until we are in the garage. Parked in one bay is a van with an empty bay on the passenger side. "The ramp comes out on this side," she says stopping beside the titanium gray chair pictured in the ad. "Wheels pop off so you can get in and out of a regular car."

"How long?" I look towards her hips.

"'Bout a year. Not bad being this way. Plenty of leg room now." She laughs. "And you?"

"Not long enough," I whisper under my breath. "A few months. Some talk of the other leg."

"Give it a try. I liked this chair. It was used when I got it and just got a new one." She watches as I roll about the garage. "Will you mind not having legs?"

"No." The tires skid as I grab the rims tightly. "In some ways, it might be easier than only having one."

"I know." She continues to watch as I roll about, turn, stop, and generally just play.

"The single wheelie bar is sexy. Don't you think?" Most things are adjustable, even the camber of the wheels. Good if you want to play any sports, bad for getting though doors." She laughs.

I stop in front of her, a small distance away. "I'll take it." I give her a big grin.

"Both legs, huh?"

"Maybe."

"I had one leg for a while, a short stump." She watches for a reaction. "I went back and had it and the other leg off. Maybe I shouldn't have. I'm happy this way."

"You got to choose?"

"Does it sound crazy?"

"No, no, not at all. I just don't think I've heard anyone making it sound like something done by design." I snicker. "Sounds interesting."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh." I can tell we are dancing around the issue, afraid to say too much."

She adjusts herself on the cushion and I roll the chair in a tight circle stopping again in front of her.

"Love being in the chair," I say. "Of course I love walking on crutches." I giggle. "Too bad you can't just inject something and be missing a limb for a while." I giggle again, judging the reaction carefully.

"If you could, what would you do?"

"One leg for a while, then both, then have different length...."

"Stumps? I never thought I'd find another person with my feelings."

"You?"

"All my life. Not long ago, I ordered something to help."

"In a blue bottle?"

"How'd you know?"

"Oh my, I wasn't going to say anything. Just buy the chair and leave. I didn't expect to find a kindred soul." I chuckle.

"Let's go inside and talk."

She leads the way into the house and stops in front of the couch then transfers from the chair in a single graceful swing of her hips. I stay in the chair and kick my shoe off propping my barefoot on the edge of the coffee table.

"You're the first I've met," she says. "There's a group on the Internet for people like us, none from around here I don't think."

"There's me." I laugh. "Yeah, I found that group." I explain about my husband's death, the woman at the funeral, finding the pictures, and eventually finding the group. "Turns out, a good friend of mine is on that group. She isn't sure what to tell her husband. I never told mine."

"Maybe his death was a blessing." She covers her mouth with her hand. "Sorry, that was insensitive."

"No. They were five good years, but this, now this is what I've always wanted. Yes, his death opened the door for me in ways that would have probably never happened otherwise."

"I've dated a few men, a few women, but I doubt none would understand. Once I pointed out a woman missing a leg to one and the response was as I expected - utter disgust. Never said another word about it. Never saw them again either."

"Are you seeing anyone now?"

"Nah. Taking a break. Having too much fun."

"Is that 'permanent'?"

"Heavens no." She laughs and looks at the clock. "Got a few more hours."

I laugh. "Me too."

"You'll need hand-controls for your car." She writes on a scrap of paper. "They'll help you. Some places insist on a note from your doctor. Not them."

"Good." I put it in my purse. "Do you go out like this?" I wave my hand towards my lap.

"Yeah. Causes some confusion when one time I'm missing both legs and another just an arm." She laughs. "I don't care. It's more important that I enjoy myself that be concerned about other's reaction."

"Wow. What about friends?"

"Don't really have any, not anymore." She groans. "They didn't understand."

"Maybe we can be friends."

"I was thinking the same thing. I'd like that. Do you have a preference for what's missing?"

"Well ... it used to be most of one leg." I chuckle.

"Yeah, the blue stuff makes it easy to do whatever. I'm like that these days. I'm often like this." She waves her hand past her lap. "Whatever I do, I usually do it for twelve hours. I go though gallons of the stuff."

"I just received my first order this morning ... ten bottles."

"Hardly enough."

"Why isn't this discussed on that group?"

"Too expensive for most people. One or two bottles, sure. You know how it is, far too addictive for just a few bottles. At least for me it is." She wiggles slightly. "We should have dinner some night soon."

"Uh-huh. I didn't bring any 'stuff' with me, but I can come back."

"I've a few things I need to do tonight, but here's my e-mail address and you have my phone number."

"Tomorrow night?"

-

I'm standing on the other side of the counter from him, wearing jeans and a tee shirt with both legs and both arms intact. I had called on the way home from Nora's and they had time the next morning.

"Nora's a little strange," Jake mumbles as he fills out the work order for the hand-controls. "I have one set in stock. You're lucky. It can take a month to get more." He groans. "Give me a few hours."

"I'm going to the little mall down the street, here's my cell number." I write it on the form and sign it.

"Lovely lady, sorry you'll need this."

"It's okay. Long time coming I guess, but thanks."

"Most don't handle it so well. I'll call when it's ready."

It feels slightly odd to walk on both feet as I make my way several blocks to the outlet mall where busloads of old couples mill about in stores filled with things at 'bargain prices'. I join them, flipping though stacks of apparel and linens. After several stores, my feet grow sore and I stop at a coffee shop until the car is ready.

"Best to find an empty parking lot to practice," Jake explains as he shows me how to use the hand-controls. "Good you have some time before you lose your legs." I had told him that it would be happening in the future. "Remember, down to go, forward to stop."

-

"Got them," I tell Nora about the hand-controls as we go to my car, both of us missing only our left legs, wearing jeans and tee shirts. "Still getting the hang of it."

"Took me about a week to lose the reflex of using my feet and remember to use my hand." She laughs. "Even when my legs were gone, I'd wonder why I wasn't stopping until I'd remember to use my hand." She laughs again. "Now it's second nature, even when I have one or both legs."

The 'Ground Patty' isn't crowded as we follow the waitress to a booth. I sit across from her and Nora takes my hand in hers. "You make a good couple," the waitress says. I nod and we order two whiskeys then she leaves.

"So, we are a couple," Nora teases.

"I'm not complaining." I intertwine our fingers. "Been with a few women in my life."

"I had wondered."

The waitress puts the glasses down and we quickly skim the menu. "Two cheeseburgers, cheddar, cooked medium, fries, salad with blue cheese," Nora recites almost from memory then glances at me. "Right?" I nod and the waitress walks away.

We clink our glasses and sip. "Are we twins?" I quiz then take another sip.

"Like minds, they say."

She returns with the food and pushes the plates gently across the table. As she stands, she raps her left thigh with her knuckles making a sound as if she'd hit something hard. "Have to wear this stupid leg at work. Rather be like you and just use my crutches."

"I was lucky and didn't have enough stump." I chuckle.

"Cool. My boyfriend isn't too keen on me having one leg." She whispers, "Asshole."

Nora looks up at her. I do too, and find an attractive and slender woman in her late twenties, a few years younger than I am. "Dump him," Nora says.

"Thinking about that. Most people don't understand missing a leg isn't so bad." She chuckles. "Can be fun even."

"Got that right," I say. "Love being this way." It is too late, but I wonder if I should have said that.

"For sure," she says then walks away without a trace of a prosthetic gait.

"C-leg," Nora quietly says, referring to a computer controlled knee for improved walking ability.

"Not into that 'at all'."

"Me either. Good thing. Unless we'd make this permanent, it'd be hard to get something like that."

"Is everything okay?" she asks, her hands held behind her back. "If you need anything, let me know." She starts to walk away.

"Ah," I begin and she returns. "You said 'can be fun'." I pause and wait for a reaction and glace around to see who might be nearby. "Oh, never mind."

"No. You might understand." She leans close and whispers. "I went overseas and had it amputated. Something I wanted." She stands up. "I don't usually talk about it, just seemed like I should tell you." She shrugs her shoulders.

"Not tonight, but can we talk sometime?" I ask. "I think she and I have a lot in common with you."

"Sure." She pushes a business card across the table towards me and I write my contact information on a piece of paper. "Call me, we'll have fun."

She walks away and Nora takes my hand. "You're a good person."

-

I lean against the fender of my car as Nora walks around the front and stops in front of me. She leans closer and kisses my lips. "Thanks for a nice time." She kisses me again, her hands caressing my upper arms. "Want to come in?" She pecks another kiss. I pull her tight against me and bury my tongue deep in her mouth while groping a breast.

"Oh, yeah-h," she drawls as she pulls back just enough to run her tongue over her lower lip.

I follow her inside. There is no doubt about what we are about to do. Nearly two weeks since Jim suddenly died, two weeks and a day since I last had sex with another person. I'm so ready as we undress, letting clothing fall here and there on the floor by the bed.

We cuddle, holding each other as we kiss deeply, our hands slowly exploring with no rush to finish. Her fingers fill my opening, become soaked with my wetness. I hear it sloshing as her hand slaps between my thighs. I moan loudly and gasp, unable to control my excitement and begin to do the same for her. Our sounds become a chorus as we watch the other's face contort and mouth fall open.

Finished with welcome relief, I suck my fingers clean of her juices. "Hmmm, yummy," I coo as I take the last finger from my mouth and begin to kiss quickly down her front until I can lap between parted pink lips filling my mouth with more of the fragrant wetness.

"Love my pussy kissed," she moans, her hands playing on my head, as if guiding it, fingers toying with my hair, wrapping it around them. "Oh-h," the word said in low guttural tones lasting for long moments.

Her bud rolls between my lips as I place first one finger inside her pussy, then a second and a third until sufficiently filled. My hand slaps against the skin by my face as I pleasure the bud.

"Ah-h," she wails as her hips wiggle against the sheet, her crotch grinding against me, moving about as my mouth follows. Hand slaps through the draining wetness flowing towards the sheet filling the space with more of the scent. "Oh-h," she begins repeating in rapid-fire succession, the leg and stump spreading wider with each.

I look across her stomach through the cleavage to her closed eyes as he tugs a breast and teases the nipple. "Oh yeah-h, yeah-h," I hear as she quivers against my face. All too quickly, the climax begins to wane. I know it will return.

She cuddles in my arms, our lips smacking long deep kisses, the glow of the orgasm continuing to wash over her. "Can I keep you?" she quizzes. Her tongue explores for a while and I fondle her stump.

I enjoy the warm feel of her naked skin against mine, our nipples kissing as breasts bump together. "Only if I can do that?"

"What a sacrifice," she teases before kissing me again. "I'll do that to you, but...." There's another kiss. "Can I inject you in each limb? Just a few hours."

"You're turning me on, you know. I suppose I don't get to choose where on each one. Right?"

"My treat. I'll help you if you need to go to the bathroom."

"Baby-y, you say the nicest things." I snicker.

She fills the syringe three times, injecting the left arm above the elbow, the right a few inches above the wrist, and the remaining leg just above the knee. We wait and watch the new stumps appear leaving me without limbs.

"Hmmm." I rub my right arm stump over my face and kiss the end. "Wow, what a naughty girl, making me so helpless." I snicker. "Guess I can't resist your advances."

"Nope."

-

Joanne sits across from me at the patio table by the pool in my backyard. Her left arm is missing. I sit in the wheelchair with both legs mostly missing. Steam rises from the coffee cups in front of us as tears slowly form in her eyes.

"I tried to talk to him. Such a jerk, I don't know what I ever saw in him ... sex?"

I hold her hand and play with some of the fingers. "It's such a hard thing to talk about. Not like that many people feel like us."

"I know. I know." She shakes her head side-to-side a few times. "I asked him what he'd do if my arm had to be amputated and all he could do was curse and yell how'd he couldn't deal with something like that."

"What next?" I sip my coffee.

"Not like I don't have a job and money, you know. I'm not finically dependent on him, or he on me."

"If he wasn't in your life, would you...?"

"I'd at least buy more blue bottles." She laughs. "Lots of them." She laughs again. "Maybe, eventually, I would leave it off forever. I do love being this way."

"So, you're thinking about leaving him?"

"Yeah, I haven't told him. I called in sick today so I could sort through my feelings. Yeah, a divorce sounds like the right thing to do."

"There better men out there, some that would enjoy you parading around with one arm."

"I know." She takes a deep breath. "I've swapped a few messages with a man on that group, even talked to him on the phone. Yeah, I know about the dangers of Internet relationships, but I think we click in some ways."

"Are you going to meet him?"

"Someday. I need to resolve other things first. It'll get too sticky otherwise."

"Listen, thanks for hearing me ramble about this. You're the only one that understands."

"Glad to help." I squeeze her hand a few times then she stands.