Love Potion

   Sam was leaning over the back of the couch staring out the window at Becky across the street. When his mother said something.

“Sam… Sam… SAMUEL!” she yelled.

“Huh? … What?” he replied with a start.

“What are you looking at?” she asked as she peered out the window to see. “You might just as well forget about Becky. You're not her type.”

“Mom… Sheesh,” he said. “Is that all you wanted was to tease me?”

“No!” she answered. “Tom and Tina are going out for their wedding anniversary tonight and Wendy is coming over for the night. And I want you to be nice to her for a change.”

“Aaw… Man,” he started.

“That’s enough,” she started. “You’re going to be nice and that’s it. Now get cleaned up. It’s nearly supper time.”

“Yes maam,” he grumbled and then headed for the bathroom.

Wendy was the proverbial girl next door except that she was seven and Sam was eight. And Sam didn’t much like her, but she liked Sam more than a little bit. She was pushy and always had to have things her way whenever they had to play together. Besides. Sam liked Becky from across the street. He had the biggest crush on her ever.

Sam was just drying his hands when he heard the doorbell. Then he heard Wendy’s voice and he shuddered. She was seated at the dining room table when he entered the room. God. She was sitting in his chair. His mother pointed to the seat next to Wendy and he sat down. Even though it was his favorite meal, he didn’t have much of an appetite for it. The next morning, after breakfast, Sam walked Wendy back to her house. He made sure that she got inside okay and then headed back home. He saw Becky and waved to her. She barely even took notice.

Fast forward twelve years and Sam is working at as fitness trainer. He runs three miles every day with none other than Wendy. It seems he ran into her one morning during one of his runs and she suggested that they run together. He agreed.

To keep in shape, he uses high end protein powders and all natural health food supplements that he buys at a local health food store. Becky works the counter two days a week and that’s when Sam goes in and buys his supplements. One morning while he and Wendy were out running, they see a new store opening up in the mall where the health food store is in. The sign out front said that it was going to be a wizard shop.

A few weeks after the grand opening Sam decides to check it out. He was always a sucker for magic. Among the magic items they also sold notions and potions. Most of the stuff wasn’t much different than the health supplements that were sold a few shops down. The proprietor, an elderly woman, had seen him buying his powders and supplements from the other shop and suggests he try hers. They were a bit higher in price and he mentions this.

“Kinda high on the prices,” he remarks.

“That’s because I sell only high-end herbs and remedies. Full strength, sourced directly from specialty growers,” she explained. “This isn’t the same stuff that those other health food stores sell. My items have to be pure and untainted for my clients.”

“Who?” he asked. “Wizards?”

“Wizards, witches, warlocks and magicians,” she replied. “Nothing but the finest for their potions and spells. You fancy that young miss that works the counter at the other shop?”

“Becky… Yeah,” he answered. “She’s okay. Why?”

“I can make you a love potion guaranteed to make any woman fall in love with you,” she stated. “Be warned. It is a powerful potion, and the person has to have feelings for you for it to work.”

“I don’t believe in all that mumbo-jumbo,” Sam stated.

“That’s okay. You just come back this time tomorrow and I’ll have it ready. No cost for my skeptical friend,” she offered.

Sam bought some supplements and then went home. The next morning, he talked to Wendy about what the old woman from the wizard shop had told him and she told him to give it a shot. Sam went to the shop and when the woman saw him enter, she went to get his potion.

“Remember. This is powerful magic. One sip and any woman will fall in love with you,” she stated as she handed Sam the small bottle of liquid.

“How do I…” he started.

“Pour some in the samples that she passes out and have her take a drink,” the woman explained. “Drink some of it as well.”

“Thanks,” he said and then headed over to the shop where Becky worked.

There were a few sample drinks on the counter and Sam picked one up and then he carefully poured some the potion into the drink. He took a good sip and then stated.

“This doesn’t taste very good, Becky,” he stated and then handed her the glass. “You make a change to the ingredients?”

Becky took the glass and downed a fairly good swallow. She tasted and then took a second drink and tasted again.

“Nope. It tastes good to me,” Becky said and then handed the glass back to Sam.

He finished what was left and then he bought some more protein powder and headed for home. The next morning Sam mixed up a jug of his protein drink, there wasn’t much of the potion left in the bottle, so he poured what was left over into the jug. He filled his water bottle and then headed out for his run. During his run, Wendy asked him if she could steal his shower when they were finished. He told her that she could. He let Wendy shower first and then while he was taking his shower, Wendy found the jug of protein drink and poured a small glass and drank it. She told Sam that she had to go and then headed for work.

After about a week of nothing from Becky, Sam figured he’d been taken for a fool. But since the old woman didn’t charge him for the potion, all he was out was a few days of waiting time. He did go back to the wizard shop and talked with the old woman though. She reminded him that the girl had to also have some feelings for him for it to work. Sam was sure that Becky liked him a little and that should have been enough. A few days later, while Sam was running with Wendy, he could swear that Wendy was looking better than he had remembered. He found himself looking forward to his running sessions with Wendy. Eventually he gave up on Becky and started dating Wendy. It seemed that Wendy never did stop loving Sam. He had a lot of time to make up for. Wendy had to make sure that she thanked the old woman from the wizard shop.