Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) (12 page)

He
had every confidence by the time he needed the pill, the issues raised by
Donato would be resolved and the pill would be safe for consumption.

The
ride stopped, bringing him down to earth in more ways than one. The experience
had been great while it lasted, but danger loomed at the prospect of sitting
close to Dorrie for any length of time.

She
stumbled as she got out of the cab, and he caught her about the waist. “Are you
all right?”

“I
think so. I’m a little dizzy, probably from going around so fast. That was such
fun, even more exciting than I remembered. I hadn’t been on a roller coaster
since I was fifteen. ”

“Would
you rather be that young?”

She
felt soft and smelled like honeysuckle. He didn’t want to let her go, but did.

“I
like being right where I am. It’s the perfect age for me.”

He
flashed an approving smile. “I agree.”

She
flushed and looked away. After a few steps, she turned back to him. “What about
you, Roman? Have you decided yet about taking the pill?”

“Funny
you should ask. I’ve been giving it more thought, but there’s plenty of time to
decide. I’ve set some aside for myself, just in case.”

“Isn’t
there an expiration date?”

“No,
they’re designed to last forever, like your youth.”

Her
brow puckered. “What happens if for some reason I change my mind and decide to
grow old?

“That
would not be wise. Think of all you’d lose.”

“I’m
not saying I would. I’m just wondering what would happen, that’s all.”

“Coming
off the pill could be dangerous. If you were sixty in actual age and stopped,
then in three months, you’d return to sixty. But consider this grim
alternative. If your actual age would have been a hundred and ten, you’d be a
goner.”

“There’s
no in between? I couldn’t maybe be middle aged again, if I wanted to?” 

“No,
I’m afraid I’ve not invented such a pill. Maybe I can do so in the future, but
it wouldn’t do you any good. The consequences of switching from one pill to
another would be disastrous.

So,
my dear, your choices are limited. You can either be the age you might have
been in actual time or the even more attractive one you’ve chosen. I can’t
guarantee anything other than that. Variations could occur, according to the
individual, but if I were you, I wouldn’t take chances.”

“Then,
somewhere down the line, if I couldn’t get the pills, it would be all over. I’d
die like a regular person.” She shivered in the heat.

He
put his arm around her shoulder. “Not to worry. You’ll live a very long life
and never die from old age. I’ve set your supply aside in a secure fireproof
and earthquake proof vault, with the formula and instructions to allow your
access in the event of my demise. That should carry you through and insure your
forever youth.”

“Thank
you. You are so kind to me, Roman. The thought of living for so long is still
hard to comprehend.”

She
gave a short laugh. “I have no idea how I’ll fill up the time.”

“Not
to worry your pretty head, my dear. Enjoy your good fortune, health and good
looks. You do know how lovely you are, don’t you?”

Her
face reddened. “Thanks, I guess, though it’s you who deserves the compliment. I
didn’t invent the pills. Without you, I’d be a senior widow aging like the
dickens.”

He
released her and feigned an interest in the Disney characters greeting the
happy children. His assistant got to him like no other woman had, urging him to
protect her and defile her at the same time. For fear he might let something
slip, he could never allow her to get too close to him. She already made it
difficult to focus on the campaign. He dare not fail in his mission. A king’s
ransom rode on his performance.

CHAPTER TEN

Dorrie
groggily stretched and glanced at the alarm clock. Already ten in the morning.
Wow, she never slept this late on a Saturday. Funny, she still didn’t feel rested.
 Perhaps she’d stayed in bed too long.

At
any rate, she better get up and get her housework done. The Institute had kept
her so busy she hadn’t dusted in ages, nor vacuumed, much less cleaned the
kitchen floor. She supposed with all her new money she could hire a
housekeeper, but she’d already relinquished too much of her privacy, and didn’t
care to have a stranger touching her personal items.

The
world tilted as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, reminding her of
the sensation she’d felt almost two weeks ago when she’d stepped off the roller
coaster at Disney World. Hopefully, she wasn’t coming down with something the
pill couldn’t prevent. With the Forever Young campaign in full swing, Roman
depended on her, not to mention she depended on her salary. She’d made great
headway in clearing her debt, but it had been so tremendous, she had a ways to
go before getting into the black.

After
a few bites of eggs and bacon, her stomach turned. Grease could do that. Or a
number of stomach ailments.

The
phone by her kitchen desk rang. She picked up the hands free receiver.

“Doug’s
on duty all weekend and there’s a chick flick at the Condor. What do you
think?”

Kelly
only lived a few miles away, making it easy for them to get together on
weekends while her husband worked.

With
Jeanne so far away, Dorrie enjoyed having a work friend carry over to everyday
life. Sure, Kelly was younger in actual age than she, but with the reversion,
their interests were similar. Once the pill caught on, she imagined others
would experience a change in attitude as well.

“I’d
love to go, but my stomach’s acting strange. If I feel better later, can I call
you back?”

By
mid afternoon Dorrie’s insides had settled down enough for her to feel more
confident. Maybe the disturbance had been something she’d eaten. Whatever the
cause, it had passed. “I’ll pick you up at five,” she told her friend.

Dorrie
had a great time laughing with Kelly over the onscreen scrapes of two lovebirds
who were finally united. To top off the evening, the two of them headed across
the street to the ice cream shop. The cool, creamy treat tasted delicious.
Dorrie felt tempted to buy another, but resisted. Her youthful metabolism could
only handle so much. She’d already gained a few pounds, probably from overindulging.
  

“Is
there something you’re not telling me?”  Kelly asked with a pointed look
and a laugh.

“What
do you mean?”

“Oh,
you know, first you had a bad stomach this morning. Now you’re devouring ice
cream like you’ve never eaten any in your life.”

“Only
a good friend could get away with saying that. If I were pregnant it would be a
miracle. There’s been no one since Larry.”

“Darn.
I’d hoped your sex life was better than mine.”

“Come
on now, from what you’ve said, Doug’s no slouch.”

“Sure,
when he’s not out saving the world, which is way too often.”

“You
love him all the more for being so selfless.”

Kelly
sighed. “You’ve got me there.”

As
they stood up, Dorrie yawned. “It’s getting late. Can’t wait to get home to
bed.”

“It’s
only nine. You can still get some TV in.”

“You’re
kidding. That’s all? For some reason, it seems later. I must be rundown. I have
been working super hard lately. I can’t help myself. Roman’s invention is so
wonderful I want everyone to enjoy it.”

“I
don’t know. Doug says it’s too good to be true, and there has to be a catch
somewhere.”

“I
haven’t found any.”

Kelly
laughed shortly. “That’s a cop for you. Always suspicious.”

“It’s
good he keeps the bad guys in line. Where would we be without such dedicated officers?

“I’ll
try to remember that while I lie in my empty bed, worrying if he’ll make it
home all right.”

Dorrie
nodded. “I know where you’re coming from. I would have felt the same way if
Larry had been on the force. You never know when it might be a loved one’s
time, so treasure him.”

Her
stomach turned at the reminder she’d never see Larry again. The pain would
never end.

***

On
Monday, she heard from Roman they’d be leaving for New York on Thursday. With
the news, her mood lifted. The rest of the day she smiled and went around
humming the New York song.

She’d
traveled more in the past few months than she’d done in the thirty years she’d
been married. Overpacking was still her vice, but at least she’d wisened up
enough to choose wrinkle proof clothes.

The
loose ones seemed more comfortable lately, a warning to watch her diet. No more
ice creams after movies. Apparently, youth could only do so much, and it was
still up to her to exercise some self-control. It wouldn’t do to parade in a
bikini with her gut hanging out.

Roman
had said they’d stay overnight, so hopefully she could take in a Broadway play.
She’d never seen one, and the prospect seemed exciting.

On
Thursday afternoon, she and Roman performed commercial skits atop the
observatory of the Empire State Building, the famous setting for the romantic
movie, “You’ve Got Mail.”    

With
the taping done, Dorrie happened to glance down at the street. Next thing she
knew, the platform whirled. She made a quick grab at the railing and closed her
eyes.

Roman
reached over to hold her by the elbows. “Steady, now. Dorrie, are you all
right?”

After
what seemed an eternity, everything moved back to its original position. She
nodded. “Must be vertigo. I should never have looked down.”

“Does
it bother you when flying?”

“Actually
not. I’m fine when I sit.”

“I
see,” he said, letting her go.

It
was sweet of him to be concerned. Also, it felt good to have Roman worry over
her well being, though she knew it was only due to their employer-employee
relationship. She missed the feeling of meaning something to someone.

Of
course, the two of them could never be sexually involved like in her crazy
dreams, but she didn’t want that now. Maybe someday she’d discover a forever
kind of love like the one she’d had, but she couldn’t envision it. Something
that special would be almost impossible to replicate.

Not
to mention the other item which could become a barrier to finding a partner.
Any love interest would need to take the miracle pill or he’d grow old and
she’d lose him. She couldn’t bear going through the same hell again.

In
the meantime she saw no harm in appreciating the beauty of her fine looking
boss. So he seemed more frazzled than he used to be. So he dropped her off at
the hotel instead of suggesting they take in a play. After all, she didn’t
expect him to be her babysitter.

That
dizzy spell had left her kind of shaken. At this point, rest seemed an inviting
option.

***

Once
she’d made it back to the hotel room, Dorrie kicked off her shoes and wriggled her
toes. It felt good to get off her feet. Her ankles seemed more swollen lately,
maybe from too much salt.

Sighing,
she stretched out on the huge bed, and willed her mind and body to sleep.
Instead, her thoughts drifted to Larry. She longed to feel close to him again,
in spirit if not in actuality. It would be horrid if their life together
vanished, as if it had never happened.

Thank
goodness she had the iPhone. When she got back, she’d be sure to take it from
the safe deposit box and charge it again. Though she hadn’t the courage yet to
face what was on there, her defenses were strengthening. The photos and songs
would be waiting for her when she was ready. How sad that those reminders could
live, but not Larry.

Her
mind drifted back to happier times. She lay in bed next to Larry, who
considerately used his earphones so as not to disturb her. After a few minutes,
she tapped him on the shoulder. He smiled at the signal and reached out for
her. They made love listening to the country songs playing on the iPhone in the
background.

She
couldn’t travel back in time, but at least she had her memories. She smiled,
thinking of the wonderful experiences they’d shared. Thank goodness, the young
pill would let her keep those memories, without Alzheimer’s or a similar
disease destroying them. On that comforting note, she drifted off to sleep.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A
week later, Roman plopped a spreadsheet onto Dorrie’s desk. “The results are
in. We’ve conquered New York.”

She
glanced down at the paper. To her unpracticed eyes, the figures seemed huge.
“My, but those zeroes on the ends look impressive. Where to next?”

“We
solidify our hold and practice damage control.”

“What
damage? The pills work fine.”