Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) by Morgan Mandel Read Free Book Online

impossible, yet in his genius he’d assured her it
would work. Through the success of his other products, he’d already earned a
great reputation. Would this one work as well?
    What
if it didn’t? She’d be the guinea pig, trying an untested product which could
ruin her health, and might not realize the consequences until it was too late.
    No,
I can’t do it. It’s too much to ask.
    A
picture of Mom lying helpless and scared flashed through Dorrie’s mind. Heart
dropping, she sat upright in bed. Six months ago her own baseline bone density
scan had read minus one, denoting osteopenia, the first stage of the disease
which had destroyed her mother. Frightened by the news, Dorrie had begun a
regimen of exercise, Vitamin D, Calcium and other medication to ward off the
eventual ill effects, but she had no guaranty her efforts would work. That and
more hadn’t helped Mom.
    Life
was not good. Her job searches had been unsuccessful. Bombarded by memories of
the past and worries about the future, she couldn’t sleep most nights. During
the day, she walked around like a zombie, functioning, but barely living. She
could do better.
    Always
the serious one, all her life she’d followed the safe path. She’d weighed every
decision, even the most trivial, like where and when to get a haircut.
Unfortunately, all her planning had not prevented tragedy from striking twice,
first to Mom, then Larry. She could muddle along, and if she were lucky, maybe
someday she’d find a job, which she may or may not like. If the pill proved to
be safe and effective, she might get up enough nerve to try it. Or, she could
be a pioneer, do something radical, and change her life drastically.
    What
was the worst outcome? Dying? If that happened, she’d see Larry again. Maybe it
would be worth it.
    She
shouldn’t think that way, welcoming death.
    Morning
light wiggled through the edges of the bedroom’s floral drapes. Dorrie sat
propped against the pillows, pondering her choice. Remington wanted an answer.
She’d have to say something, but what?

 
     
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
    Dorrie
reached for the phone beside the bed. Palms clammy, heart thumping, she waited
for Mr. Remington to answer. After a perfunctory hello, he got to the point.
“Mrs. Donato, have you made up your mind?”
    She
took a deep breath. What she’d tell him would shape her future, be it for good
or bad.
    “I’ll
do it,” she finally blurted out.
    “I’d
hoped you’d say that.”
    The
smile in Remington’s voice seemed genuine, but it didn’t stop her legs from
shaking beneath the sheet. Good thing she had the bed for support, or she’d
collapse.
    She
tried to listen to his next words, but couldn’t concentrate on such
trivialities as when and where to meet, when her mind dwelt on the frightening
step she’d agreed to take.
    “I’m
sorry, could you repeat that? I’m a little nervous right now. ”
    “Understandable.
Let me run through it again. Come in the side door tomorrow at nine. Don’t
dress up. Wear something casual, like you’d wear at home. We’ll shoot a few
before shots and videos. You’ll take the pill, and be on your way. It’s as
simple as that.”
    He
made it sound like an everyday occurrence.
    “Okay,
I think I can handle it.”  Her voice sounded weak, but this was a huge
step out of her comfort zone. Was this Dorrie Donato or some alien being which
had taken over her body and agreed to such an outlandish experiment? The way
her life twisted around lately, nothing surprised her.
    After
she’d hung up the phone, she still couldn’t believe she’d actually said yes.
Even more surprising was the weird adventurous streak shooting through her.
Grief must have left her unbalanced, making her go off the deep end. She
couldn’t think of any other reason for her atypical state.
    The
next morning, while alternating between fear and excitement, she changed
outfits dozens of times. She usually wore jeans and a tee shirt around the
house, but wanted to