Formula B

Laura hated the examining gown. Yes, it was her OB/GYN annual. Yes, he'd been seeing her since she was eighteen. No, it didn't make her feel any less exposed and vulnerable.

She bided her time given how he was running late as usual. Laura scanned all the yellowing health information posters that had festooned the walls for practically forever, occasionally looking down at her phone to check e-mails. She and Frank had been so busy lately. Her husband, in particular, had been distracted by a project that took all his time and energy. Aside from a dinner here, a quick conversation over the phone there, their time together had hit an all-time low in what had been a very strong marriage.

Yet here she was, forty-two, and at her sexual peak. She missed making love to her husband. She gave herself a critical eye in the examining room's mirror, all five feet seven inches of her. Her gorgeous chestnut hair showed no gray yet. If she were like her grandmother, she wouldn't be needing any touch up before fifty. Her legs were toned and sleek, the product of swimming three times a week. Her abdomen was flat. And Frank had always had time to ogle her boobs. In fact, with the right dress, so did most of the men at the Club's summer cotillion. Store bought? Nope, she thought with a hint of pride. All mine.

Of course, her flirting with other men was always innocent. Nothing out of line for a happily-married woman with twins away at college, just enough to know she still had it. To her knowledge, Frank had never stepped over the line, either. So nothing wrong with her in the marriage department. We're just hitting a dry spell.

She started when the door opened with a gentle knock, three quick taps as always. In came Dr. McKay with a nurse trailing in his wake.

"Laura. So good to see you." He extended a hand, always maintaining eye contact, despite the flimsiness of her gown. No leering from Dr. McKay. He was always professional that way. Too bad, she found herself thinking, admiring the line of his jaw.

"You too, Dr. McKay."

"Gene. You've been my patient long enough."

"Okay. Gene."

"That's better. Okay, you know what to do. Put your legs up and let's take a look." It was the usual exam, nothing out of the ordinary. Quick and to the point. Laura stared at the ceiling tiles, embarrassed as always, despite Gene being her doctor for so long. A few minutes later, his latex gloves came off with a snap and went into the bin.

"Okay, Laura. Good news. Everything looks fine." The nurse behind him scribbled a few notes. "Is there anything unusual you've noticed? Anything to tell me?"

Laura thought for a moment. Hmmm. If she couldn't talk to her doctor about this, who could she ask? She trusted him more than just about anyone. Certainly more than her lush of a sister, who couldn't be trusted as far as she could throw her Denali. And her friends were just as bad when it came to gossip. Dr. McKay, Gene, was likely her best bet for advice.

"Actually, yes, Gene. I'd like to ask you something." She looked meaningfully over Dr. McKay's shoulder at the nurse behind him. "But it's embarrassing."

Having been a doctor for thirty years, Gene took her hint, and turned to the nurse.

"Lisa, do you mind stepping out?" After the door closed and they were alone, he turned back to his patient. "Okay. Shoot."

"Well..." Okay, this is dumb. He'll laugh at me.

"Laura, it's okay. I've heard it all." Laura exhaled and began.

"I've, I mean, we've been married for twenty years now."

"Right."

"We're empty nesters with the kids off at college."

"I can't believe they've grown up. I remember delivering them."

"Right. But...okay, here's the problem. Frank and I ought to be...well...enjoying ourselves more." He nodded as if this was not unusual news at all. Good bedside manner, Laura thought to herself.

"Is Frank working a lot?"

"Yes. It's this all-consuming contract. He's up at all hours, on the road, you name it. It's been going on for months. So even when he has time, he doesn't have...um...the desire." Another nod from the doctor.

"He's what, forty-four?"

"Forty-three."

"It's not unusual. It happens at that age when men get preoccupied."

"That doesn't help me."

"I understand. You're an obviously desirable woman, if you don't mind my saying. But are you initiating? Mixing things up? Trying new things?"

"Yes. But he's just too tired."

"I see. Yeah, it happens a lot." With that, Gene seemed to make a decision. He walked to the door, cracked it and looked both ways down the hall, as if to make sure the coast was clear. Shutting the door again, he stood close to Laura and looked at her. God, his eyes a beautiful, she thought. Gray, soft, and empathetic. If I were not so strong, no telling what would happen.

"Laura. Do you trust me?"

"Of course. What kind of question is that?" With that, he nodded again and turned to the examining room's cabinet, fishing a key out of his pocket.

"Well, this is between you and me, okay? I'll deny ever having this conversation. Understood?" Laura watched him open the top drawer of the cabinet. Reaching into the back with a grunt, he produced a small, orange pill bottle.

"I'm not kidding, Laura. Just between us. Not even your husband."

"Okay. Mum's the word."

With that, he looked at the bottle one last time, then back at his patient.

"I've been working on some independent research over the past fifteen years. On human sexuality and how to...heighten it in men."

"Okay."

Gene held the pull bottle up to the light and shook it. Inside, Laura could see it almost filled with a light powder.

"This is very experimental. In fact, I'm breaking a lot of rules here. But I'm so sure it works, that I really am keen to try it out. I tried it on myself first and then on a couple of my friends. No side effects whatsoever."

Laura cocked her head sideways, a little skeptical. But this was Dr. McKay, the most upright man she'd ever known.

"What does it do?"

"I'm calling it Formula B. It creates almost instant arousal in men. You can guess what the B stands for."

"Boner?" At that, Gene laughed and shrugged.

"I didn't say that, but umm...anyway, here's what you do. Put a fourth of a teaspoon in your husband's coffee. If our past results are any indication, you'll have no more problems. Want to give it a try?"

What the hell, she thought. At this point, I'll try anything.

"Okay." With that, he handed her the pill bottle.

"Remember, a fourth of a teaspoon. And come back next week and tell me how it worked. No telling, okay?"

"Sure. I'll try it." With that, Gene patted Laura's shoulder.

"Terrific. Just make your appointment with Felicia as you leave. See you next week."

Eight days later, Laura sat on the same examining room table, her feet dangling a good ten inches off the floor. This time, she wasn't in a gown, but in her tennis outfit. She hummed contentedly to herself until the doctor knocked on the door once again and entered. This time the nurse was conspicuously not with him.

"So. You're back."

"Yes, I am." Gene held a legal pad, pen poised to write. God, I'm a lab rat to him.

"So, did you try my suggestion?" Laura paused, not knowing how to answer. Okay, she finally decided. I just need to tell him everything.

"Yes."

"And?"

"Well..." She paused, not knowing exactly what to say next. Gene seemed anxious, suddenly worried that his experiment had problems.

"What happened? Laura? Was there an issue?"

"Well, kind of."

Gene pulled up a chair and sat down, his expression that of someone preparing for the worst. Laura continued.

"Well, Saturday morning at breakfast, I decided to set the stage a little for Frank. I wore a really cute short skirt and a summery blouse that showed off...showed off my...boobs. Sorry, this is really embarrassing." Gene was furiously writing on his legal pad.

"No problem. Nothing I haven't heard before. Please continue."

"So, when Frank went to the restroom for a second, I stirred your concoction into his coffee. But I couldn't remember the dosage."

"It was a fourth of a teaspoon."

"I know that now. But for some reason, I thought it was four teaspoons." Gene's expression was one of horror as she buried her face in her hands out of embarrassment. "I know, I know. I was flustered."

"Good God, Laura. What happened?"

"Well, he sat back down and took a big gulp."

"Go on."

"Well, for a second or two nothing happened. Then Frank sat up straight in his seat, and flushed red. He got this wild look in his eyes." Laura cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable with what she was about to say.

"Laura, this was a potential overdose situation. I need to know."

"Okay, okay. So Frank stood up and ripped open his shirt and yelled. Bellowed, really. As I got scared and tried to get away from him, he grabbed me and threw me on the table."

"Wow. Like violent?"

"No, the throes of passion. Anyway, right there, he ripped off my blouse and threw it on the floor. Then my bra."

Gene stopped writing, mesmerized by the story.

"Then Frank turned me around so I was face first on the table. He swept away the sugar, the salt and pepper shakers and the coffee cups. It was a total mess with broken plates and sugar everywhere. Then he ripped away my skirt and panties. I mean, there was nothing left of them. They were in shreds."

Laura flushed and took a deep breath while Gene fidgeted, awaiting the rest.

"Frank then dropped his pants, and took me right there." No longer shy with the details, Laura fell into a dreamlike state, as if savoring every single detail of the encounter. "My God. His cock was so hard. He fucked me for God knows how long. My tits were rubbing around in the sugar and the spilled coffee on the table as I howled with lust and arched my back to meet his thrusts.

"This must have gone on for twenty, thirty minutes. Me and Frank locked in wild, ravenous animal sex. Grunting, writhing around like something out of the dirtiest porn movie ever -- not that I ever watch any. I can't even count the number of times I came, I mean orgasmed. Wow. It was unbelievable. It was the best sex of my life. Better than our honeymoon.

"Finally, Frank finished in me and we lay on the table in a hot, heaving, sweaty mess. And minute later, he was ready to go again. This time, he turned me over, and sucked on my sugary tits while he fucked me more slowly. We haven't done it twice in a row in I don't know when. It was amazing." Laura ended her story with a sigh and a faraway expression. After making a couple of notes, Gene furrowed his eyebrows.

"I don't understand, then, Laura. You lent the impression there was a problem." Laura looked squarely at Gene, pursing her lips and giving him the slightest of nods.

"C'mon. Out with it. What was the issue?"

"Well. The problem with it? We can never go back to Shoney's again."