Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) (14 page)

“There’s
no way I can avoid facing Roman and telling him the news. I’m so embarrassed
and scared I could crawl into a hole and cover it up.”

Kelly
grasped Dorrie’s hand. “We haven’t known each other long, but I still consider
you a good friend. Whatever you need, I’ll be here for you.”

Tears
sprang to Dorrie’s eyes. “Thanks, Kelly. You don’t know how much I appreciate
your support.”

“That’s
what friends are for. Look on the bright side, Dorrie. A child is a wonderful
blessing.”

Dorrie
nodded. “I did pray for one a long time, but gave up when it didn’t seem
possible.  I just wish it were Larry’s instead of Roman’s.”

“It’ll
work out, you’ll see. If you’d like, I’ll even babysit the little angel.”

The
nickname, “angel,” struck a bad chord. What would the Angel Man say when he
learned of his child? What about her job?

There
were too many unanswered questions. What had seemed a bright dream had darkened
into a nightmare.

 Dorrie
passed Sunday in a fog, wondering if the pill could damage her baby or whether
stopping it would make matters worse. The situation left her frightened and
sleepless. Hopefully, Roman could provide enough answers to set her mind at
ease. Had he considered the complications of pregnancy when he’d invented the
pill?

By
Monday, she was in no condition to work. She could stay home, but lying around
and torturing herself would do no good. Best to keep busy.

Like
a brave trooper, Dorrie drove in, anchored herself in front of the computer and
flicked on the monitor. A glance at the call director showed Roman’s private line
was lit.

As
soon as the light went out, she’d march into his office and tell him off,
saying something like, “You know, that night in Hollywood we never talked
about, well, you see, it’s not exactly over. I’ve got a little souvenir growing
inside of me.”

That
sounded lame. She had to come up with something better. The words must be said.
She had to know if the man she’d considered an angel was really the devil in
disguise.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

From
the embarrassed, questioning looks Dorrie had cast in his direction since the
Hollywood trip, Roman surmised his assistant remembered more of their night
together than she should have.

The
high tech equivalent of the Mickey he’d slipped her should have erased her
memory, but he suspected the youth pill had negated some of the other drug’s
effects.

Since
he’d not been the one who’d taken the Mickey, every detail of that night
remained vivid in his mind.

Though
he’d seen her in scanty bikinis, the Dorrie without clothes had been even more
delicious, her skin soft and pliant, her hair and womanly scent fragrant. The
sex had been hot, sweet and urgent.

He’d
been wrong to take advantage of her, but he was no angel, despite how well he
played the role. How ironic the goal of his deception had not borne fruit, yet
the act had. Unfortunately, the iPhone mystery still remained to be solved.

Because
of his intimate knowledge of her body, when the signs had appeared, he’d
recognized them and opted for more staid commercials to hide her condition. The
situation presented too many hazards for his liking. Considering the unknown
factor of the pill, pregnancy could be dangerous for her and the baby.

The
shocked, blank expression on Dorrie’s face as she stood at his office door this
Monday morning told him the showdown had arrived. With lips tightened, she
stared unblinkingly at him. “Roman, I need to talk to you.”

He
had a new role to play and it better be good. “Sure, Dorrie, come on in,” he
said pleasantly, from behind his desk.

She
didn’t bother with a chair, but started right in. “Roman, I’m pregnant. I
believe it’s your baby.”

He
raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”

The
blood rushed to her face. He hated to embarrass her.

“You’re
the only one since Larry. Also, memories are coming back to me from that night
in Hollywood. At first, I thought it was my imagination and nothing happened,
but now I’ve got the evidence.”

Roman
sighed. No use denying what a blood test could affirm.  “I was afraid of
that. As I recall, the campaign got to me that day, what with all the pressure
building up to get the word out and convince everyone about the pill’s
benefits. Before you showed up at the bar, I was already half bombed.

“I
heartily apologize if I offended you in any way. From your actions, I surmised
you were willing. Otherwise, I’d have stopped.”

Her
eyes reddened. She bit her lip as she assimilated his words. “I hadn’t eaten
beforehand, but never expected one drink to go to my head. I do know my
limits.”

“Hey,
like I said, I was drunk, but my recollection tells me you matched me one for
one.”

Her
eyebrows puckered. “I did?”

He
nodded. “The pill must have made you more susceptible to alcohol, and getting
drunk does have a way of loosening inhibitions. Look, that’s neither here nor
there. I’ll pay for the abortion.”

“No,
I’d never do that.”

Roman
frowned. Getting rid of the kid would have been neat and easy. Her refusal to
do so presented a problem. Who knows what the pill could do to her system, or
the kid’s.

If
by some miracle the child lived to term, it could be mentally or physically
impaired. That would not help sales of Forever Young.

“I’ve
already told you of the danger to normal, already born children who take
Forever Young. I’ve never tested the pill on a fetus who’d been exposed to it
since conception. There’s no guarantee of the outcome. If the child lives, it
could be a monster.”

Her
eyes widened. “Should I stop taking the pill? Would that help?”

“Not
a good idea, with the fetus already accustomed to a daily dosage. Also,
stopping could be dangerous to your health. Abortion would still be the smart
solution.”

 She
shook her head. “No, I can’t do that. This baby didn’t ask to be conceived and
doesn’t deserve to die because of my mistake. I’ll keep taking the pill and
hope for the best. However the child turns out, I’ll love it and care for it.”

“It’s
not the smartest thing to do, but if that’s what you want, I’ll help with the
expenses.  I’ll keep you on at the office as long as I can, but
understand, once your pregnancy becomes obvious, I can’t use you in a public
capacity. A malformed or dead baby would ruin our image.”

 He
sighed. “I have no choice but to look for another model.”

“I
understand.”

That’s
what she said, but her fists were clenched. Women could be so sentimental.
She’d had it all, yet didn’t hesitate to throw it away for the sake of an
unknown entity. A classic example of why emotions should be avoided.

“All
right, it’s settled. Let’s get back to work.”

She
nodded and, head held high, left his office.

After
Dorrie had gone, he stared out the window at the suddenly cloudy sky, which
mirrored his thoughts.

What
he’d suspected had become reality, and he was to blame. No ordinary child grew
inside of her. That fact alone put her in more danger than she realized. He’d
heard of cases where fetuses were cut from a woman’s womb for far less reason
than that of experimenting with the aging process.

He’d
not resort to such measures, but someone he knew might. Damn, he hadn’t
admitted it to her for obvious reasons, but the blame lay squarely on his
shoulders, no, actually somewhere further down, to be more accurate.

He’d
known exactly what he was getting into, had planned everything beforehand, and
yet had botched it. What he hadn’t counted on was falling prey to his own
emotions. If he’d thought with his brains instead of his dick, he’d have used
protection, and the crisis would have been averted.  No telling what the
outcome would be.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Dorrie
blinked back tears as she sat at her desk. She hadn’t expected or even wanted
Roman’s profession of undying love. Still, it would have been nice if he’d
shown some enthusiasm for his own child instead of suggesting an abortion.
Obviously, her baby would not see much of its father. She’d have to go it
alone.  

Dorrie
squared her shoulders. Through some quirk of fate, God had brought a special
person into her life at a time when she needed someone dear. No matter how it
had happened,  she’d make sure this special someone would be cherished.

From
Roman’s description, it sounded like they’d both been bombed out of their minds
that night in Hollywood. She’d been lonely and it had seemed ages since she’d
been intimate with a man. That, combined with alcohol and the miracle pill, had
catapulted her into an unknown territory where reality and fiction blurred.

She
remembered his touch and taste too well. Strange, how she’d loved Larry for so
many years, yet the sensations of another man overwhelmed her. It wasn’t right
and it wasn’t what she wanted.

She
preferred to remember every moment spent in her marriage, not those from an
X-rated, alcohol-induced, one night stand. There were intimate things about her
sexy boss she had way too much knowledge of. And vice versa. What a sacrilege
to conceive a child in such a way.

Dorrie
grimaced, knowing it would be difficult to face Roman at work each day. She had
no choice, but to brave it out as long as she could, not for her sake, but the
baby’s. Though he’d offered to help her financially, she’d not leave anything
to chance. The innocent new life growing inside of her must not suffer because
of her mistake.

Assigning
blame would not solve anything, so for now she’d try and get her mind off the
matter. She’d type dictation and answer the phone as if nothing out of the
ordinary had happened.

She
set to work, doing her best, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t concentrate.
Her eyes kept filming over at thought of how much she and Larry had wanted a
baby. He’d loved kids and would have made a wonderful father. Biting her lip,
she backspaced over another typo.

“Are
you all right?” Roman asked, stopping by her desk.

At
the sympathy in his voice, she almost burst into tears. Head bent, she nodded.

“It
doesn’t look it. Take the rest of day off and sort things out. Maybe you’ll
feel better in the morning.”

He
may as well have said take two aspirin. She fought back an hysterical giggle,
then decided she may as well follow his advice. She couldn’t think straight
anyway. It would be heaven to stretch out and sleep the nightmare away, at
least for a few hours.

By
rote, she drove home and pulled into the garage. At the top of the stairs, she
unlocked the connecting door, stepped into the hallway, and gasped. 

***

 Had
she walked into the wrong house? This couldn’t be hers. How else to explain the
mess, with chairs overturned, couch pillows gouged, and masses of items scattered
across the carpet? With one hand over her mouth and the other on her abdomen,
she stepped through the family room into the kitchen. More destruction awaited
her. Cabinet doors and drawers were flung open, their contents spilling out.
Pots, pans and utensils littered the floor and countertops.

In
seconds, shock and surprise turned to unease. Someone had invaded her space.
What if that person were still around? As if to confirm her fears, the stairs
creaked.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Half
expecting a fiend to reach out and grab her, Dorrie raced across the hall,
purse in hand. As she opened the door to the attached garage, the thud of
following footsteps set her heart racing. She pushed the keyless remote and
dashed to the Hyundai. She jumped inside, started to close the door, but stubby
fingers from a short squat creature blocked her efforts.    

With
all her might she pushed the door inward. The monster jerked its hand away. Her
fingers shook as she clicked shut the doors and windows and reached for the
remote. It took forever for the garage door to open. She made it out, but so
did the invader.

As
her valiant Hyundai flew down the street, in the background she heard the slam
of a car door and the squeal of tires. She sped as fast as she dared, yet a dark
Taurus caught up with her and closed in. She blew the horn and barreled through
the intersection, then onto the next.

Her
normal, cautious driving turned to bold as Dorrie fought for hers and the
baby’s lives. If only an officer would pull her over and solve the dilemma.
Unfortunately, none were around. If the mountain wouldn’t come to Mohammed…

A
jeep of raucous teenagers cut in front of her, forcing her to jam the brake
pedal. The Taurus almost plowed into her rear. She swerved to the left and
darted forward, overpowering and passing the jeep, and getting a raised middle
finger for her efforts. Niceties didn’t count in a fight for survival.