Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) Read online

  The hotel phone rang, making her jump.

  “Are you ready?” Roman asked.

  His voice sent shivers of awareness through her, melting her insides, as if she and Roman had actually made love. She was definitely a mixed up chick.

  “Almost. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  After a quick shower, she redressed in her suit instead of the wrinkled shift. With no time or inclination to apply makeup, she dashed outside.

  Roman’s fingers on her elbow as he helped her into the limo were no dream, nor the inappropriate searing sensation. She couldn’t believe herself. Afraid to look him in the eyes, she glanced away.

  “Are you all right? You kind of tied one on last night,” he said in a voice laden with concern.

  “That drink must have done me in. I took some aspirin for it. I can’t believe I slept in my dress all night.”

  “I helped you to your room, so nothing would happen to you.”

  A guilty look crossed his face, then disappeared. Maybe she’d imagined it. He shouldn’t feel ashamed at looking after her. She was the one who wanted to crawl into a hole because of those crazy dreams and that iPhone guilt. Focusing on her duties and not her aberrations might prove beneficial. “When will the commercials air?” she asked.

  “Tomorrow. The California market is crucial. A good response will go a long way.”

  “I’m sure you’ll get it. People are dying to use your pill.”

  Roman grimaced. “There are some who’d rather die than try anything new.”

  Dorrie stuck her chin up. “Well, I love it. It’s a marvelous invention. You’re a genius to have thought of something so wonderful.”

  He laughed deprecatingly. “I had to, out of self-defense. I might need it myself some day.”

  “Maybe so, but I think you’ve got a soft spot inside and won’t admit it.”

  Her eyes shone in admiration. She was such a sweet thing. Her belief in him made him flinch. Damn, what had he done?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Since Roman possessed the gift of persuasion, it should be a simple matter to convince one single man of one tiny detail. With that purpose in mind, on the morning after the trip, he stepped into the darkened room of the sub-basement.

  “Where is it?”

  “I have no idea. Your concoction knocked her out before she could tell me.”

  “Huh, after you jammed your dick into her I bet.”

  “No need for vulgarities.”

  “Don’t preach to me, pretty boy.”

  “Yes, I am, aren’t I? What would you do without me? Have you seen the waiting list lately?”

  “All the more reason to preserve the pill’s reputation.”

  Roman shrugged. “She hasn’t a clue. I’d bet my life on it. What woman in her right mind would take the pill if she knew the risks?”

  Adopting the convincing attitude of his infomercials, Roman stared down at the deformed man. He had to convince him to forget Dorrie. She’d been harmed enough. Guilt was a funny thing. It had kept him awake and ruminating into the night, and slithered into his mind when Dorrie innocently smiled at him.

  Had the thrill been worth it? The tightening in his loins said, “Yes,” but his tortured mind screamed, “No.”

  The man seemed to digest Roman’s words before nodding. “You’re probably right. If she knew of her husband’s findings, she’d be an idiot to take chances. We’ll shelve the matter and continue the program. Okay, let’s consider our next venue, Chicago.”

  “I’ll bring her along, as usual.”

  “You may as well. She’s a good selling point. It wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on her just in case. Later, when other test subjects are in place, we can dispense with her.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Dorrie shivered in the chill evening air as she stepped off the plane. July shouldn’t be this cool, but apparently no one had clued in Mother Nature. The Chicago wind, nicknamed the “The Hawk” in her guidebook, bit through her sweater. Growing up in Wisconsin, you’d think she’d welcome the change, but the swing from one hundred degrees to fifty-nine was a stretch.

  Not only was the weather cool, but Roman barely glanced at her as they waited for the limo. Since their Hollywood trip, he’d behaved strangely, almost as if he and not she were dogged by crazy, erotic dreams. Good thing he couldn’t read her mind or she’d be totally embarrassed.

  When they reached Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway, the fantastic water and lights display highlighting the beauty of the Georgia pink marble of the Buckingham Fountain took her breath away, diverting attention from her discomfort.

  Judging from the throng gathered behind the red velvet ropes, the publicists had again done their job. Cameramen and light crews, equipment and sound men, all milled about, attending to a myriad of details. Time for her to get ready too.

  She entered the trailer’s dressing area to the right of the fountain. After changing, a quick glance in the mirror proved satisfactory. No unsightly bulges on her waist or legs, no wrinkles on her face. She smiled and turned the knob. A waiting escort took her to her mark.

  As Roman swept out, her heart beat fast and warmth spread through her, obviously the result of not enough sex, a condition she did not plan to remedy anytime soon.

  Daniel Burnham’s Buckingham Fountain afforded a spectacular background as, arms akimbo, the spotlighted man faced his audience. With his shimmering cape and golden shoulder-length hair, he appeared to have stepped straight from a romance novel. His signature Renaissance style muslin shirt, tan suede breeches and matching boots provided just the right touch of braggadocio. The women couldn’t keep their eyes off of him, while the men stood resignedly by.

  “No longer will you suffer from growing old. You now have the power to be young and stay young. All you need is Forever Young, the real Fountain of Youth.” He dipped his fingers into the fountain and flung droplets at the audience.

  Those fingers had touched her where no one else had. No matter how many times she told herself it was all a dream, the erotic images wouldn’t go away. She kept fighting them, yet they came back, even more graphic, turning into an obsession. Was she going insane? Was this a side effect of his pill? For fear of embarrassment, she dare not ask him,

  On cue, she joined Roman by the fountain and opened her robe to reveal her toned young body in the turquoise bikini. She stepped into the fountain, letting it bathe her. The lights danced, the music played and the water sprayed, transforming her into part of the display.

  When the last notes died, she stepped out into the warmth of Roman’s hands as he slipped her into the robe.

  They weren’t scheduled to leave until tomorrow afternoon. She’d called Keith beforehand, and she was looking forward to having dinner with him that evening at the Italian Village restaurant. It would be great to see someone from her past.

  Dorrie stepped out of the dressing room to find Roman dismissing the cameramen. He turned to her. “A cancellation’s made it possible to leave in three hours. Now we can avoid the Fourth of July crush.”

  Hiding her disappointment, she nodded, and reached for her smartphone to tell Keith she couldn’t meet him after all. Frowning, Roman stared at it. His apparent displeasure caused guilt over the iPhone to erupt inside her. Of course, she had every right to keep it. It had been Larry’s prized possession, paid by his own salary, yet the idea of Roman’s discovering her lie made her legs quiver. God forbid, if he ever learned she had it. She did not want to grow old again. She needed her pills.

  On the plane, Roman sat next to her. Praying for a respite from her imaginings, she hugged the window seat, staying as far from him as possible to avoid her body’s brushing against him. While heat flooded through her at Roman’s nearness, her jumbled mind couldn’t grasp how she could betray her husband this way. She didn’t mean to and knew it was wrong, yet couldn’t help herself. That pill had awakened her libido and she couldn’t shut it down. Hopefully, the feelings would level off in time.

&
nbsp; Putting up with such an inconvenience was a small price to pay for the reward of looking and feeling good. For that she was eternally grateful to Roman. Also, she knew what a boon the pill would be to the elderly, whose lives would soon become long and productive, free of age related illnesses.

  She admired Roman for his craftsmanship and genius, and to be honest, also his sex appeal.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Stepping into the Institute’s air conditioned lobby, Roman wiped his brow with a monogrammed handkerchief. Only eight-thirty in the morning, yet this mid July day already promised to be a scorcher.

  Once in his office suite, he forced himself to tread at a normal pace, instead of dashing past his tempting secretary. Once he’d reached the sanctuary of his own space, he sank onto the leather chair, grateful to escape the punishment and pleasure of Dorrie’s presence. Each day the attraction grew, threatening to overwhelm him.

  Thank goodness, the activity of the Forever Young campaign offered a distraction from his nagging, semi-awakened conscience. Commercials, public appearances, and a myriad of details left small time to dwell on personal feelings. He couldn’t complain. The frequency of direct deposits into his accounts more than compensated for any discomfort. Each public appearance begat a fresh spate of guinea pigs. Who could blame them? With a chance at being forever young, who in their right mind would prefer the alternative?

  People from all walks of life embraced the pill’s promise. The growing interest in the product forced him to hire additional staff to separate mail orders from fan letters and quacks. All seemed under control, but that could change in an instant.

  Due vigilance remained essential, especially from episodes like that of Larry Donato. If the man had not been so righteous, insisting the pill too flawed for release, he’d still be alive, growing old with a wife who’d obviously adored him. Instead, she sat outside his door, a young, tempting, violated widow.

  Maybe by sharing some of his fortune, his conscience might ease. He pressed the intercom. “Dorrie, can you come in here, please?”

  Considering his abrupt demeanor since the night he couldn’t forget, he didn’t blame her for the wary look on her face as she crossed into his office. Her subtle perfume and trusting doe eyes didn’t help his cause.

  “Dorrie, I want to thank you for all your hard work in promoting Forever Young. Your efforts and example are a tremendous asset to the Institute. To show my appreciation, I want you to take this.”

  As he handed her an envelope containing ten thousand-dollar bills, he ignored the voltage searing his fingers.

  “Roman, I should be thanking you. This is not really necessary, but I appreciate your generosity. I love the pill and am happy to share my good fortune with everyone.”

  A smile lit her face. Her warm brown eyes reached out to him, making it almost impossible to keep his vow not to have her again. Something about her seemed different now, more womanly. Her breasts in the jersey dress looked fuller. Her hips begged to be touched. Those same hips had moved beneath him in exciting rhythm. He swallowed hard and surreptitiously scooted his chair under the desk to hide evidence of his arousal.

  “All right then. Let’s get down to work. My sure-fire proposal to Walt Disney World came through for Monday.”

  ***

  The setting couldn’t be more idyllic. Flanked by Mickey Mouse and Snow White, perpetual symbols of youth and innocence, Roman stood before the Cinderella Castle and pitched his product. The subconscious minds of the audience would fill in the blanks. If people bought Forever Young, they’d live in the eternal bliss of youth, a state impossible to resist. In the commercial’s finale´, a manufactured bubble burst to reveal the fairy tale-like figure of a smiling Dorrie.

  With the commercial through, he glanced with interest at the Magic Kingdom’s attractions. He hadn’t ridden a roller coaster in years. Dismissing the crew, he turned to Dorrie. “Are you game?”

  “I was hoping I’d get a chance.” She eagerly followed him to the ticket line.

  His blood pulsed in exhilaration as the cab ascended. His stomach dropped at the sharp descent. The wind blew against his face, making him feel alive, and thrilled to be sharing the experience. While the roller coaster zoomed up, down and around, his assistant laughed and screamed in enjoyment.

  There was something so beguiling about her regression to an earlier age he again wondered if he should chance taking the pill himself. His looks were his life, and if he lost them, he had no idea how to survive.

  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 li
ke 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.