Jason examined his new, heftier, older, and hairier form. He grinned, the expression deepening the already deep lines in his face. "Yeah, sure. I'll go with you. Let's give this body a spin."
Tina arrived, carrying what looked like clothing in her arms. "Not like that, you're not." She shoved what were indeed several sets of clothes in his arms. "I got you a variety so you can pick and choose what you like. They should all fit your new... larger size." She looked down at the shredded remains of Jason's old clothes and sighed. "You sure made a mess. At least your pants are still in one piece. You probably have Frank to thank for that."
Another patron called from down the bar. "Hey! Tina! Can I get some service over here?"
She glared in their direction. "I said I'll be there in a minute! God, you people..."
Jason looked through the various sets of clothes, settling on a loose t-shirt, cargo shorts, sandals, and a denim vest. As he shamelessly pulled on a pair of underwear in front of the other patrons, he looked apologetically at Tina.
"About earlier..."
She held up a hand, silencing him. "Don't worry about it. It's my fault; I shouldn't have given you such a strong mix as your first drink, anyway. You can also thank Frank for that."
Jason, still only dressed in his new underwear, pulled Tina in for a one-armed hug, pressing up against his soft, hairy body. "I still want to apologize. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up. Everything would be better if we all just got along, you know?"
Tina blushed furiously as she pulled herself away. "That Hippy Dippy sure works wonders. Don't start getting all mushy on me. Just let that stuff work its way out of your system and you can apologize to me later." She took a breath to regain her composure. Her expression was suddenly serious. "I suppose while I have you pacified, there is one last thing I should tell you before you go. There is one thing that is laced into all the drinks I give out. It's an enchantment that makes you unable to tell others about this place. I don't want the whole world knowing about this. Could you imagine the consequences?"
Jason nodded. "No need to worry, I understand."
Tina rolled her eyes. "Well, of course you would say that now. You're all hippy-fied. I just wanted you to know before you go, alright?"
Jason laughed. "I gotcha. No need to worry. I understand. And, Tina? Thanks."
"Sure." Tina returned to her post behind the bar, serving the impatient patrons.
Harry slipped on his jacket. Jason noted it would have been a bit large on his former teenage body, but fit his middle-age frame fairly well. In fact, all of Harry's clothes seemed to fit him just fine. He must have brought them in anticipation of his changes. He turned to Jason. "Ready to go?"
"Lead the way!"
Harry explained that they would have to walk, which Jason was fine with. Hey may have been old and fat now, but he was built to be a working man. A little walking wouldn't do him in. Their first stop was to what appeared to be a bar. An ordinary one. It wasn't nearly as nice as Tina's, but the patrons seemed to recognize Harry, greeting him by name. Jason was introduced as one of Harry's friends, and the two of them were invited to sit at the bar.
Jason and Harry tossed back a few drinks with the other patrons. For Jason, this was a new experience. He'd always been a twiggy little thing. He had rarely drunk, and saw bars as places for people who weren't him went. However, he found he was fitting right in, just one of the guys. Though, something didn't feel right. Harry must have sensed something was off, and pulled Jason outside.
"Is something wrong? Those drinks from Tina's aren't disagreeing with you, are they?
Jason shook his head. "It's not that. Something's just... off. It's like I'm closed in. I just need fresh air. I have to be... I don't know. Out in the open."
Harry nodded thoughtfully. "Of course. You had not one, but two drinks of Mountain Man, and also some Hippy Dippy. You're pretty much the ultimate nature guy! You probably feel pretty cooped up in a tiny bar like that."
Jason nodded, savoring the open air.
Harry smirked. "Alright. I'll pay out tab and we can go somewhere else. I have the perfect place in mind."
The pair walked for a while. Along the way, Harry told Jason a bit about himself. As a boy, he'd always fascinated about being older. His father had always been a manly man, but Harry himself had been a bit of a dweeb growing up. He'd never been athletic, buff, or strong. He could barely grow body hair, even. But, still, he was constantly wondering what it would like to be older. Then he discovered Tina's. He’d tried a myriad of her elixirs, but Older Ale had always been his favorite. He'd been going to Tina's for about a year, now, about once a week.
Jason gestured at Harry's burly, hairy body, complete with severely receded hairline. "So you just take an Older Ale. No additives?"
Harry grinned. "That's right. A glass of Older Ale and I'm good. Sometimes I like to add a bit of Fuzz Muster, Belly Buster, or Mount Baldy if I'm feeling adventurous, but normally it's just the Older Ale."
"So, when you get older, I mean, late forties for real, does that mean you'll actually look like this?"
Harry shrugged. "I asked Tina the same question. She says the future isn't set. The Older Ale can't actually see what I'm going to look like when I'm nearly fifty, but it can make an educated guess. I would have never thought this would be what I would be like, but maybe I'm just a late bloomer." He chuckled. "Even so, it's nice to be in a different skin every once in a while."
Jason nodded. "I couldn't agree more."
They eventually arrived at their destination, the nearby park in the woods. As it was getting dark, Jason and Harry lit a fire at one of the vacant campsites and just took a moment to relax. Jason felt right at home out under the trees and the blooming stars.
"What about you?" Harry asked.
"Hmm?"
"What brought you to Tina's?"
Jason shot Harry a quizzical glance. "What do you mean?"
Harry shrugged, turning his attention back up to the sky. "Tina just doesn't let anybody find her place. Usually it's just people she thinks need something. She's a sweetheart like that. Don't ever tell you I told her that. She'd give me a Medusa's Stare for sure."
The pair chuckled over that. Another moment of silence passed between them.
"I got ditched," Jason eventually said.
"Hmm?"
"I went out on a blind date, and she left with another guy."
"Ouch."
Jason continued. "But I think there's more to it than that. I feel like my life has fallen into a rut. I always do the same stuff, day after day. I was worried that, at some point, I became boring. As kids we all have these elaborate ideas about how our lives will turn out, but very few of us actually follow through with what we think our lives should be. Maybe Tina wanted to inspire me to try new things."
Another silence, punctuated by the steady thrum of insects and the occasional chatter of fauna, hovers over them.
"Jason, I know you're pretty hopped up on TestosteGrow and Hippy Dippy, but I think you're a pretty cool guy."
"Thanks, Harry. You, too."
Eventually, as the night grew dark and filled with stars, the two decided to leave. Jason cricked his back and stretched, feeling all the aches and pains of middle age. As he looked over, he could see Harry felt the same way, though he wasn't nearly as hefty as Jason was now.
Harry turned to Jason. "Hey, listen, if you need a place to crash for the night, there's a couch at my apartment."
Jason knew that his own apartment was in walking distance, but his knees were starting to tire out and he figured Harry would like the company. "Sure, that sounds great, actually."
Harry grinned and shrugged. "I mean, it's not the best couch, but it has cushions, and it only needs to last you until sunrise."
Jason threw a heavy, hairy arm around Harry's shoulders. "Well, then lead on."