Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) (17 page)

“Don’t
ruffle your feathers, peacock.”

“I
have a right to be aggravated. You didn’t find it, did you? I heard she led you
on a merry chase straight to the police department.”

The
corners of the short man’s mouth lifted. “She thought she was smart, but I’m
smarter. Before she turned up, I’d hid some tiny, but mighty surveillance
objects in strategic places. If she so much as breathes or goes to the
bathroom, I’ll know.”

“You’re
lucky the cops didn’t find them.”

“Not
likely they’d be checking vents and such.”  

Roman
shook his head. “You are depraved. Be that as it may, the phone is the least of
our concerns.”

“I
beg to differ. What could possibly be more important than explosive evidence?”

“Plenty.
Your brilliant idea backfired. Dorrie Donato is pregnant and carrying a Forever
Young child.”

The
man jumped from his chair. “You idiot! You didn’t wear protection?”

“Of
course I did, but nothing’s perfect. One of the condoms broke.”

“Damn
it all. Sure the kid’s yours?”

“Think
about it. What’re the odds she’d let someone else bang her? For one thing,
she’s not the type. For another, the timeline is too coincidental. Yeah, it’s
mine all right. ”

The
man rubbed his chin and sat back down. “This puts a new spin on things. As you
know, children can die from the pill, but one conceived simultaneously when the
pill’s a part of the regimen, combined with that drug I gave you, hmm, that
carries possibilities. Those stem cells could prove valuable.”

“She
doesn’t want an abortion. I already asked.”

“Being
the father, you have no say?”

Roman
shrugged. “It’s her call.”

“And
she’s the spokesperson. What if she reverts or dies? Talk about bad publicity.”

“I
already told her we need a new model.”

“Yeah,
we better get on that. This time an actual test person, not just eye candy. The
widow was already predisposed for success with her weak thyroid, but not much
help for my purposes.  If we’re careful and handle everything right,
circumstances might work in our favor.”

***

When
she got home from work, even with the deadbolts in place and lights on in every
corner, Dorrie still paced, her anxiety ratcheting. She didn’t want to live
here anymore. Only bad memories came with this house.

At
first, her place had been the backdrop of a glorious new adventure, but now had
morphed into an unwanted prison. If only she could get away, but how? Sure,
she’d gotten huge sums of money for her role in the campaign, but she needed
that for the baby.

Besides,
one of the conditions was she stay in the area to promote the pil. To
complicate matters, much hinged on how the baby would turn out. If all went
well, Roman might take her back for advertisements. If not, she had no idea
what he’d cook up for her to do.

Frustrated,
she called Jeanne.

“I
can’t talk long,” her friend said. “Dad’s taken a turn for the worse. He took a
drug overdose, but I caught him in time. They pumped his stomach and he spent a
few days in the hospital, but now he’s back home. I keep hiding his pills in
different spots so he won’t try again. I’ve got to watch him every minute.”

“The
poor guy. It’s tough to get old and have everything fall apart.”

“Yeah,
something you don’t need to worry about.”

Dorrie
sighed. “I should count my blessings. I wish I could, but bad stuff keeps
interfering. The latest is my house. Someone broke in, stole my computer,
smashed my figurines and wrecked most of my valuables.

“Everything
was a mess, but thank God, my friend, Kelly, from the Institute came over with
her husband and helped sort things out. I don’t know what I’d have done
otherwise.”

“Damn,
I wished we weren’t so far apart, or I’d have helped.”

“And
vice versa. Sounds like you could use some relief.”

“How
true. Speaking of parenting, how do you feel? Any queasiness?”

“Not
lately. Fortunately, the nauseous phase seems to have passed, and I’m thankful
for that. I was deathly afraid of throwing up and losing the pills. If I’d have
missed three, I could have reverted back.”

Jeanne
gave a short laugh. “Our normal age isn’t that bad, Dorrie.”

“That’s
not the issue. Right now reverting is not an option. How many fifty-five year
olds have kids these days and live to talk about it? Anyway, I’m saving up like
mad, since once I start showing I can’t be a spokesperson.”

“Why
not?”

“If
the baby isn’t perfect, or even worse, dies, Roman doesn’t want the attention.
Anyway, he’s looking for a new model, but has assured me I can stay on the pill
as long as I want.”

“You
do have a conundrum going on, as do I. We seem to belong to the same bad luck
club. Problems, problems, they never stop. How do we manage?”

“Sometimes
I wonder. Thinking of what you’re going through makes me realize I shouldn’t
complain. I feel so sorry about you and your Dad. I keep remembering Mom and
hope your Dad doesn’t go down that same road.”

“It’s
too late. I’m afraid he’s already on it. I wish I could spare the old man. It’s
the pits seeing him like this.”

After
she’d hung up, the germ of an idea took hold of Dorrie. Maybe it would work.

Her
cell phone rang a few minutes later. She grimaced when she saw the Caller ID.
Normally she enjoyed calls from Keith, but she had a feeling he would not be
receptive to her news.

The
admission about her condition was met by silence. “Keith, are you still there?
Listen, you know how much I loved Larry and still do. Please don’t get mad at
me. I can’t believe I did something like this.”

“I
can’t either. You and Larry were my model. You were the perfect couple. In the
back of my mind I thought when I finally settled down, I’d like something like
you and he had. Now I’m wondering if it was all a sham. I’ve always held you in
high regard, but this puts a whole new light on things. To say I’m disappointed
is an understatement.”

Dorrie
swallowed hard. “Keith, I’m only human. Maybe you were right about my not
holding liquor well. I’m sorry if I didn’t live up to your expectations. My
only excuse is I had no idea what I was doing. I’m as disappointed as you about
what I did, but the fact remains an innocent child is growing inside of me and
I won’t blame it for my shortcomings.”

She
heard a long sigh. “Dorrie, you’re treading on dangerous waters. First, with
that pill, then the alcohol. You should have thought twice before drinking.”

“It
was only one, I swear.”

“Apparently
that was enough.” 

“I
really don’t know. Roman insists I matched him drink for drink, but I don’t
remember doing that.”

“No,
you wouldn’t after you got drunk.”

“Please
say you forgive me and we’re still friends. I don’t have much of Larry left.
His parents never talk to me because I’m too much a reminder of him. Every time
I call, they get defensive and clam up, acting as if Larry never existed.”

“I’ll
have to mull this over. I’m not sure if I can continue in the same capacity as
before. Your being pregnant by someone other than Larry doesn’t sit right in my
eyes.”

After
Keith quietly broke the connection, Dorrie stared at her cell phone. Thinking
of how she’d disappointed him made her stomach churn.

Still,
keeping it a secret would have been worse. She understood why he was upset, but
could only hope that maybe in time he’d forgive and forget. Babies had a way of
mellowing the hardest of hearts.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Dorrie
stepped into Roman’s office. Would he go along with her idea?  It was kind
of farfetched, but could be a good solution.

“I
have a suggestion for your new model. Though I know Wisconsin isn’t a high
priority test market at the moment, maybe you could bump it up. There’s someone
I know who’s in bad shape. If he took the pill and turned young, he’d be great
publicity. People could see how bad off he was to begin with and how great he
turned out afterward. That’s bound to boost sales.”

“Not
as well as you,” Roman said, with a glint in his eyes.

“I’m
not too sure about that. I’ve seen photos from this guy’s younger years, and he
was a real hottie.”

“Who
is he?”

“He’s
my friend’s Dad. They don’t know I’m asking you about him because I didn’t want
to get their hopes up. If you let him take the pill, it would be a lifesaver
for him, and a great sell.”

Roman
leaned forward. “You may have something there. I’ll think about it and get back
to you.”

The
next morning he called her into his office. “It’s worth a try, Dorrie. See if
you can persuade them. If it’s a go, offer my cell number.”

Heart
pounding, she dialed Jeanne. She and Mike had to agree. It was the perfect
solution. “I have an idea. Please say yes and talk to your Dad. I do so want
him to get better and for you to get on with your life.”

She
outlined the plan and procedures. Silence stretched.

Dorrie
could bear it no longer. “Well, what do you think, Jeanne? Do you want to try?”

“I
don’t know. It’s awfully risky.”

“I’m
fine, aren’t I? Besides, what choice does Mike have? You said he’s not getting
any better, and it’s not like he has any hopes for the future. He’s already
looking for a way out, and it’s only a matter of time before he finds it. At
least this way he has a fighting chance.”

Jeanne
sighed. “Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t, right? Okay, I’ll talk to
him. If he wants to go along, we’ll figure out an age for him. It can’t be too
much younger than me. That would be freaky.”

“You
could take it, too, when it’s out for the public. Just think, you could pick my
age and we’d be best friends forever.”

Her
friend gave a short laugh. “I get it, BFFs, just like online. One of us at a
time, please. I’ll see if he wants it first.”

***

Saturday
morning, Dorrie made a quick trip to the bank for the iPhone. At first when she
tried to turn it on in the café, the screen went dark and the phone wouldn’t
start. She plugged the adaptor into the socket and ate slowly, waiting and
hoping. After about fifteen minutes, she heard the welcome ping sound,
indicating the charge had started. She took her time eating and went back for
more snacks during the two hours it took for the phone to get fully charged.

From
a quick glance at the photo section, it appeared they were all there. She
didn’t have much time before the bank would close, but for sure next time she’d
look over the photos.

Her
cell rang a few hours later while Dorrie was gathering her dirty clothes from
the bedroom hamper. When she saw Caller ID, she dropped the clothes and
switched on the phone before it could go into voice mail.

“It’s
a yes. Dad said he’ll try anything to get better.”

 Dorrie
let her breath out with a swoosh. “Oh, thank goodness. I’m sure he won’t regret
it. Here’s Roman’s number. It’ll be great to see your Dad well again, not only
for his sake, but yours. Think how free you’ll be.”

***

Roman
called Dorrie into his office Monday morning. “Your friend and her father will
arrive in two weeks. I’ve initiated travel arrangements and will arrange nearby
housing.

“The
more I think of it, the more this will work to our advantage. I’d been
considering a male model for diversity, plus the timeline will fit in well with
your pregnancy. Sounds like a win-win situation.”

As
Dorrie went back to her desk, she couldn’t help smiling. She’d been so intent
on doing what was best for Mike, she hadn’t thought of the added bonus of
having her best friend live so close, like in the old days.

The
rest of the week was spent in happy anticipation. Before she knew it, she was
leaving the office on Friday. 

***

She’d
put it off long enough. Seated in the corner of the café, as far from prying
eyes as possible, Dorrie pulled out the iPhone from her purse, plugged in the
adaptor, then clicked on the photos app.

Ignoring
her own pictures, she concentrated on the ones of Larry—ordinary, yet such
heartbreaking photos of happiness and hope.

Her
eyes teared as the memories rushed back: Larry smiling from behind his desk in
the new den, Larry looking up from his chore of planting the rose bushes by the
patio, another of Larry bent over the stove stirring one of his special
concoctions.

He’d
even figured out how to take timed photos. In one they’d cuddled together on
the couch, in another she’d sat on his lap in the easy chair. She could almost
feel the warmth of his arms and smell the scent of his tangy aftershave, but
she knew those were illusions existing only in her memory.