Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) (5 page)

Dorrie
sank gratefully onto the chair, which proved surprisingly comfortable, despite
its sparse appearance.

Once
the woman had left, Dorrie wiped her moist hands on the skirt of her navy blue
suit. Job hunting, even without the impediment of disturbing memories, didn’t
top her list of fun things to do.

The
muffled tread of footsteps on the grey patterned carpet alerted her that
someone approached, even before the door opened to reveal Mr. Remington, perfection
himself in a tan suit and cream colored shirt.

Looks
weren’t everything. As in her first impression of the man, he seemed plastic,
without dimension, like an actor in a commercial.

He
gestured her inside. “Mrs. Donato, come this way, please.”

They
walked past a populated area of cubicles, from which resonated the click of
keyboards, and then proceeded down another grey carpeted hallway to what
appeared to be a separate office suite.  

Once
inside, she noticed three doors leading off the hallway, two of which were
closed. He led her to the open one. Royal blue and gold carpeting lent an
impression of richness, even without the added dimensions of the massive
mahogany desk, cordovan leather couch and matching chairs.

“Please,
have a seat,” he said, pointing to a chair facing the desk.

The
entire room spelt quality and meticulousness, from the comfortable, yet
supportive chair where she sat to the other tasteful accoutrements. She
wouldn’t expect less from a man of such genius and talent.

“Now,
Mrs. Donato, let me be up front. The position I’m offering involves an extreme
amount of risk, but the benefits far outweigh them.”

That
didn’t bode well. She held back a frown of disappointment. He had to know from
their previous conversation, plus her résumé, her qualifications lay in the
areas of office work, such as receptionist or administrative assistant. Why
mention something else?  

“What
kind of position?”

“I’m
getting to that. First, promise to keep an open mind. This job could be the
opportunity of a lifetime.  It’s different and exciting, perfect in your
situation, and involves my new invention, the Forever Young pill.”

She
nodded. “Oh, yes, the promising pill Larry helped you tweak.”

“That’s
right. Well, as you know, your husband played a role in its development, by
ironing out some of its minor bugs. I’m almost ready to offer the pill to the
general public, but one last step is involved. This is where you can come in.

What
I’m offering is a chance for you to get in on the ground floor, and play a pivotal
role, much as your husband did, but in an even more electrifying way. The tests
have been successfully concluded. From every indication, the pill is absolutely
safe. What I need now is a pioneer, someone from your age group, who will
accept the challenge and get the ball rolling. Should you accept this position,
you’d be the first person to take the Forever Young pill, be transported to the
age of your choice, and become its official spokesperson.”

She
gaped at him in disbelief. He couldn’t be serious. “Mr. Remington, no offense.
I’d like to help you, but that’s going too far. Down the line, I might be
tempted to try your pill, but right now at the beginning, before anyone else
does, that’s way too scary.”

“Now
Mrs. Donato, please don’t say no without hearing me out. Think of the
substantial benefits. Wouldn’t you like to be young again?”

She
gave a short laugh. “Of course. What person my age wouldn’t dream of turning
back the clock? Sure, my body isn’t what it used to be, but it’s something I
have to accept. What you’re suggesting sounds dangerous, and I’m not a risk
taker.” 

He
leaned across the desk, his blue eyes staring into hers. “Think about it. You
could stay whatever age you want and never grow old.”

 “You
mean live forever?”

 “It’s
possible, if you’re careful. What I offer is, protected by your chosen age;
you’d be immune to the host of maladies and diseases associated with growing
old. You’d also be immune to viruses and other illnesses. However, nothing’s
perfect. There are still other ways to die, but believe me, you’d have a
greater chance at longevity on this pill than without it.”

A
picture of Larry splayed across the parking lot flashed through Dorrie’s mind.
Yes, there were other ways to go. Her husband hadn’t even lived his natural
life before it was stolen from him. A shiver raced up and down her spine.

Still,
she had to admit Mr. Remington sounded convincing. Of course he did. He had the
gift of persuasion, as evidenced by his previous success.

“To
say the least, what you suggest sounds appealing, Mr. Remington, but I still
can’t take the chance.”

“Don’t
be too hasty.  I know you loved your husband and miss him, but would he
want you to be unhappy? I’m offering you the opportunity to start a brand new
life as a young person, free of the infirmities of age.”

“But
couldn’t I get that chance later, after other people have tested your pill?”

“Of
course, but why wait when you can enjoy the pill’s benefits now, along with the
added celebrity and a very handsome recompense?”

“Let’s
say I did agree, what exactly would I do?” 

She
must be crazy to even entertain the idea, but the bizarre concept piqued her
curiosity.

“When
you’re not taping or participating in live commercials, you’d be working
directly under me transcribing dictation, answering telephones, and promoting
the product. You’d receive a tidy initial amount, which would increase in
increments, as you progress through the various phases. Your main payback would
be the priceless benefits of the pill.”

The
sum he mentioned would solve her debt crisis and certainly keep her solvent.

“The
idea is tempting, and I do need a job, but I’m still not sure. Like I said,
it’s dangerous.”

“So
is growing old. I’ll give you a week to come up with an answer.”

She
didn’t blame him for the ultimatum. He’d spent time and money perfecting his
product. If she didn’t want it, no doubt someone else would gladly accept the
challenge, especially with so much money involved.

Dorrie
stood up. “Thanks, Mr. Remington. I appreciate your considering me, and will
certainly think it over.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Dorrie
stepped into the bedroom. Tomorrow the week would be up. Mr. Remington would
expect an answer.

She
slipped into her oversized tee shirt, climbed onto the bed, and steeled herself
for another sleepless night. As expected, the pattern continued.  Her mind
insisted on reliving the memories that refused to fade. She missed Larry’s
touch, the feel of his arms around her, the magic of their lovemaking. Those
moments had been precious and special, though no child had ever been born of
them. Dorrie sighed. It would have been nice to have a part of her husband left
to cherish, but that wasn’t meant to be.

Though
she couldn’t stop thinking of Larry, she still hadn’t the strength to look at
the photos on the iPhone. It lay in the safety deposit box where she took it
out Saturday mornings to charge at the café not far from the bank. Someday
she’d feel comfortable keeping the iPhone at home and facing the reminders of
her past. Right now even thinking of the connection between the phone and
Larry’s passing haunted her. 

So
many dreams and hopes which would never come true, yet so many good times
they’d shared. For their tenth anniversary, she’d come home from work to find a
standing rib roast in the oven, complete with baked potatoes and other fixings.
That wasn’t all. After dinner, Larry had said, “And now for something really
classy. Come with me, my dear.”

“Where
to?”

“You’ll
see.”

Leaving
the dishes on the table, they’d dashed out to his car. After driving across
town, Larry stopped at the mystery destination, Dairy Queen, where they happily
consumed yummy ice cream Blizzards.

Another
time she’d turned the tables on Larry with a surprise party for his
thirty-fifth birthday. He’d asked why, but she’d insisted it was the perfect
time to surprise him since he’d never suspect it.

“You
got me on that one,” he’d said, as they undressed in the bedroom after the
guests had left.

She’d
been dead tired after playing hostess, but when he’d reached across the bed to
take her in his arms, she’d readily acquiesced. Their lovemaking had always
been tender and special. She could never deny him. If she did, she’d be denying
herself.

So
many other memories crowded her mind
—
birthdays, Christmases, other
holidays, plus the not-so-good times, like colds and the common ailments which
cropped up and disappeared.

And
the really bad times, when Mom’s health declined. A broken hip, two replacement
surgeries which never took, more repercussions, as the worsening effects of
osteoporosis piled up, all left Mom a victim, unable to navigate on her own.
Medication proved a poor weapon against the advancing toll of such a crippling
disease. Caretaking Mom drained their finances and stole valuable time from
their marriage, yet Dorrie couldn’t bear the thought of abandoning her to a
nursing home. Larry unselfishly supported her in her choice to keep Mom with
them.

Then
one afternoon she’d heard Larry’s car pull into the garage. Smiling, she
wondered if it could be a holiday she’d forgotten. Not working a day job tended
to make all her days seem similar.

The
smile died on her lips when Larry, slumped shoulders and heavy steps, trudged
into the living room where she and Mom had been watching television.

“What’s
wrong, honey?”
He gave her a wounded look. “Bad news. I lost my job.”

She
gasped. “They let you go after twenty years?  I can’t believe it.”

“It’s
not just me. Keith, too, everyone at Tomahawk Chemical. They ran out of money.
Something about poor investments. Today’s my last day.”

“Oh,
my God. This is too much.”

“I’m
sorry, Dorrie.”

“It’s
not your fault. You don’t need to apologize.”

As
Dorrie rushed to hug her husband, Mom also offered sympathy. Her embarrassed
look made Dorrie feel worse. Her mother had to be thinking what a burden she
was, though she didn’t come right out and say it.

A
month later, Dorrie’s heart ached as she watched Larry congratulate Keith, on
the eve of his departure. Keith, also a biochemist, had secured a position at
Chicago Chem, where he could put his talents to use. She wished him luck, while
wondering if desperation would force her and Larry to move as well.

With
Larry’s specific talents, his leads were limited. He searched high and low, but
nothing materialized until a month later when he mentioned an ad from a
laboratory in Arizona. “I know it’s far, but if they hire me, we could get back
on our feet and out of debt. Believe me, hon, I’ve looked, but there’s nothing
here.”

She
bit her lip, and nodded in agreement. Practically speaking, she knew he was
right, but felt a pang at abandoning her home. She’d grown up in this town and
knew no other lifestyle except here in the North Woods. In times of stress, all
she need do was walk outside, watch the swaying pine trees and breathe in their
Christmassy scent for her burdens to lessen. She never tired of watching the
deer, chipmunks, rabbits and other wildlife meander to the backyard feeders
which she kept filled, despite their desperate finances.

When
the Institute paid for Larry to fly over for an interview, she guiltily hoped
something would be wrong with his credentials. It wasn’t right to think that
way, considering their financial straits, but couldn’t help herself. Deep down
she knew she was only fooling herself. Tomahawk was a lovely place to live, if
they could afford it. Unfortunately, they couldn’t. Keith had accepted that
fact. It must have devastated him to leave. If he could do it, so could they.

Larry
had lost his friend to distance. Would she lose her best friend, Jeanne, the
same way? If that’s what it took, no matter how hard it would be, she’d do it
for Larry’s sake. He’d sacrificed a lot for her, taking Mom into their home.
He’d not complained when she’d quit her job to stay home with Mom, though it
meant less money coming in. Nor did he object when they dipped into their
personal savings to pay for Mom’s medical expenses. If he wanted that job, much
as she’d rather stay put, she’d not stand in his way.

Calamity
struck when Mom suffered a fatal stroke from a blood clot the doctor attributed
to inactivity. Mom’s valiant fight had ended. Dorrie missed her dreadfully, but
felt relieved Mom was at peace, with the suffering over.

A
few weeks later, when Larry received a job offer from the Life is for Living
Institute, she’d put aside her misgivings and rejoiced with him. His joy became
contagious. Soon she got into the spirit of adventure, believing change would
do them both good.