I got up and hobbled out of the over-heated waiting room, with its dog-eared magazines., down a corridor and into a brightly lit consulting room. Everything was white, including the neatly pressed uniform of the pretty, blonde practice nurse, seated at her desk.
"Come and sit down Mr Tremlett. Now what seems to be the trouble?" She picked up a pen and placed a clipboard on her lap.
I rubbed the back of my right upper leg. "I've been getting these terrible pains in my thigh, usually after I've had an energetic session on my exercise bike."
She made a note on the clipboard. "For how long?"
"Three or four weeks, I'd say."
"Right, I'd better take a look. Go and lie face down on the couch in the corner, would you?"
I did as instructed. She came and stood beside me. "May I roll your right trouser leg up please?"
"Of course, nurse."
Gently she folded the cotton slacks up my leg. Then I felt a lovely cool hand stroking my thigh. "How does that feel?"
I wanted to say 'delicious,' but instead replied tamely: "It's okay."
"And there?"
"Same."
I felt her sliding my slacks back into place. "Right, come and sit at the desk again, please." I awaited the verdict. "Well you haven't strained anything, but I have to tell you that you have got the signs of a nasty varicose vein developing on the back of your right thigh."
"Varicose vein! I thought that was what little old ladies had. My Mum suffered in both her legs."
She smiled and scribbled something down. "An urban myth, I'm afraid. Sportsmen and women are very prone to them. You'll need to stay off that exercise bike of yours for at least a fortnight. And I'd strongly recommend that you wear a surgical stocking. That way we can nip it in the bud. Are you comfortable with that?"
"What, staying off the bike?"
She gave a girlish giggle. "No silly -wearing a stocking."
"Where do I go to buy one?"
"You don't. I can get it made specially for you."
"Okay. If you think that's the best course of action."
She fished a tape measure from her uniform pocket. "Right, let's have you back on the couch. I'll need to take a few measurements. They're all bespoke you see. That way we'll get a stocking that's a nice tight fit."
She rolled my trouser leg up and once again I felt her sensuous hands envelop my calf and thigh. She busily noted five or six measurements, before I was allowed to resume my seat beside her at the desk. "I'm going to order you a thigh-high, as it will be self-supporting. Black or beige?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"What colour do you want your surgical stocking?"
"Oh, I see. Er, well beige I suppose. Wouldn't do to go walking around in a black nylon stocking, would it?"
She giggled again (how I was beginning to adore that impish giggle). "They're polyester, actually, but yes, you might have some explaining to do to your wife."
"I'm not married."
"There we are. All done. Should be through in seven days. Reception will ring you and you can come in for a fitting."
"A fitting?"
"Yes, there's quite a knack in getting them on the first time as it will be a pretty snug fit. But I'll show you how it's done." She placed her clipboard on the desk and stood up, indicating that the session was at an end. "I'll see you in a week's time."
~ ~ ~
A telephone call from the surgery a week later brought memories of my petite blonde practice nurse flooding back. She looked even prettier today, with just the faintest hint of perfume.
"Come and sit on the edge of the couch would you, Mr Tremlett?" She was clutching a large shrink-wrapped box. "Been keeping off that exercise bike, I hope."
"Yes nurse."
She bit the wrapping with her teeth and ripped the plastic outer covering off. "Done any other sort of exercise since I saw you last?"
I didn't dare to tell her that the most energetic thing I'd done in the last seven days was to masturbate vigorously in the shower, thinking about her soft, velvety hand running along my calf. "Er no, not really," I lied.
She slipped the box's contents out and removed a clear plastic pouch.