Faye brought Bill home that same afternoon to an immaculately clean apartment. She had vases of cut flowers for decorations, and on sentimental impulse had constructed a little sign that said: WELCOME HOME BILL!
He told her how nice everything was and that he was glad to be home. She glided into his arms and lifted her lips to him. “Oh, Bill… it’s been so long!”
Clinging to him, as he kissed her, she felt the fires of her desire begin to rekindle in her loins. It felt so good to be there, in his arms, again. Suddenly, she knew she wanted him to make love to her. Now, that he was home, everything would be all right. She just knew it had to be!
Their kiss was not stimulating to him. He broke it and said, “I’d sure like to have a cup of good homemade coffee… for a change…”
It was a small disappointment to her, but she went into the kitchen, cheerfully, to make up a pot of his favorite brand of coffee; additionally, she fixed a tray of cookies.
While he waited, Bill sat, stiffly, uncomfortably, in his preferred chair; after a few moments, he hobbled to the kitchen door. “I’ve got to lie down, Faye… so why don’t you bring the coffee into the bedroom when it’s done…?”
“Of course, darling,” she smiled. She went into the bedroom and got out his pajamas and dressing robe.
“I’m feeling pretty tired…” he explained.
She could understand that… but she wondered: Maybe he’s trying to tell me he doesn’t feel like d-doing it… yet! Then, she hung his clothes in the closet as he dressed in his pajamas and crawled, painfully, between the clean sheets to sink down into the soft mattress of the big bed, gratefully.
He drank the coffee and ate a couple of the tasty cookies she brought on a tray to him. “That sure beats that hospital brew!” he told her. “That’s one thing I sure did miss!”
“I missed you, Bill… most of all!” she said, kicking off her shoes and stretching out beside him. She kissed him, this time, with hot passion.
Bill mumbled into her mouth, “I missed you, too…”
Again, as she had done in the hospital, her hand crept under the sheets and found the still flaccid shaft of his penis lying limply between his legs. It was somewhat cool to her touch, but hopefully she milked the heavy foreskin back over the soft head of it, her fingers teasing the corona; then, she grasped it in her hand and began to squeeze the head and part of the shaft, rhythmically. There was no sign of life there.
Finally, he twisted his mouth aside and said, “It’s no use Faye… there’s nothing there, yet!”
“Did you talk to the doctor… a-about not…?”
“Yeah… I did. He seemed to think there was no problem…”
“Did he make any suggestions?”
“Well… yes, he did,” Bill admitted, “but I know you wouldn’t like them… since you never have, yet!”
“What do you mean…?”
“Use your mouth… to bring me up!” he said.
“Ugh! The doctor said that…?”
“Yes… he also gave me the name of a book to get.” He showed her the title Doctor Bender had written out for him. “He said it would help… and we’re both supposed to read it.”
“Where do I buy a book like this?” Faye asked.
“I suppose any one of the places down on the avenue that has adult books and magazines…”
“I-I couldn’t go into one of those places!.” she gasped.
“Why?”
“All those books… and leering old goats that hang out in them! Why… I just couldn’t!”
“That’s the only way we’ll get that book!” he told her. “I sure as hell can’t go… so you’ll have to!”
“You sure this is what the d-doctor wants us to do?”
“Positive… look at the handwriting on his prescription… and compare them!” he said. “You’ll have to get that prescription filled anyway… and the nearest place to buy that book is just about a half block away from the drugstore!”
“All right… I’ll get the book… but none of that far-out stuff! Ugh!” she shivered.
Picking up the prescription for Bill, Faye walked out of the drugstore down toward the Boulevard News, a small store building, wedged in between a liquor store and a pawn shop. The plate glass window had been painted over, completely. The sign said: BOULEVARD NEWS, Magazines, newspapers, books. Below in smaller letters: Movie Arcade. On the door: Adults only! No one under 21 admitted. To herself, she thought: Well! This must be the place! I suppose Bill’s been in here… he seemed to know exactly where it was!
Faye drew a deep breath, sidled around two men standing near the entrance and pushed through the door into the store. Glancing around, she noted there were six or seven men standing about browsing through the magazines and books. The explicit nudity on most of the covers repelled her. The clerk at the counter ignored her. There was an almost dead silence in the place. Near the rear, she saw a curtain, over which a sign proclaimed: Movie Arcade, 25 cents. She moved forward a few steps trying to locate the type of book the doctor had written down for Bill. Her eyes swept around the room, searchingly.
Then, she saw them! They were soft plastic or rubber… and extremely realistic! She had heard of such things before… but she had never seen one. The glass showcase, behind which the clerk stood was filled with dildoes. She knew, instinctively, their use. The idea repulsed her. Her face flamed crimson, and she glanced, nervously, at the counterman. He was engrossed in reading a paperback book; apparently, he had still not noticed her. Ugh.! How awful! She had a wild urge to turn and flee.
Regaining control, she approached the counter. The clerk looked up. “Yes…?” He was completely disinterested.
“Do you have a copy of this… b-book?” she asked, showing him the. title.
“We’ve got one left… I think…” He reached behind him and took a black-bound book from a shelf. It was sealed in a plastic cover. Putting the book down on the counter in front of her, he went on. “It’s one of our best items.”
“How much is it?” she asked.
“Ten dollars…”
She gulped once and dipped into her purse for two fives. The counterman slipped the book into a paper bag and asked, “That all, Ma’am?”
“Yes…”
“Thank you… come back, again…” he said, handing her the register receipt, as she turned away.
Gaining the street, Faye heaved a sigh of relief and walked rapidly up the street to her parked car. The thought struck her that the sealed plastic cover on the book was rather like buying a pig in a poke. There was no possibility of examining the merchandise before buying.
When she was seated in the car, her curiosity bubbled over, and she removed the book from the paper sack. Ripping off the plastic cover she thumbed it open. It was richly illustrated in full color photographs. The first picture she saw depicted a man and woman in sexual intercourse, the man’s hardened organ sunk deeply up inside her. The angle from which the picture had been taken, from behind the man and angled down at the woman’s naked vagina, left absolutely nothing to the imagination. Faye blushed and snapped the book closed. Ugh! How do they get away with publishing junk like that?
She gave the book to Bill. “Well… here it is!” she said. “It seems like a pretty expensive prescription… it cost ten dollars!”
Bill flipped the book open. “This is pretty good!” he exclaimed. “Maybe the old doc’s got the right idea!” He began reading and was soon completely engrossed in it.
Faye went about her household chores, but when she looked in on him an hour later, she found him fast asleep, the open book lying across his chest. Picking up the sex manual, she riffled through it, rapidly, before placing it on the bedside table; then she pulled the sheet up over her husband’s chest and left him to sleep until supper time. What she had seen of the book left her cold. I suppose I’ll eventually have to read it… to keep peace in the family.
She didn’t look forward to it; it seemed unnecessary. I don’t know what Doctor Bender intended… but it must not have interested Bill if he could go to sleep reading it.