Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) by Morgan Mandel

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.
    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