"Okay. I'll just cover up a bit."
She returned in a robe, and Chrissie served us tea at a table long enough to feed a small army. I wasn't a tea drinker, but this had a rich, cinnamon flavor that lit up my mouth.
They sat across the broad hardwood table from me, sipping, Elise's eyes furtively lighting on me and then elsewhere while Chrissie savored her drink with closed eyes.
"Mmmm," she said.
"Have you observed the effects of Revive firsthand?" Elise asked, her cool, Germanic voice startling me.
"No," I said. "But my mother has. The effect is pretty dramatic on rats, apparently."
"Are you aware of any man trying it?"
"Uh, no. Though I can see why someone might be tempted."
"I would be surprised if someone hasn't tried it," said Chrissie, opening her eyes. "Can you tell us a bit more about how you discovered the treatment? Max has been rather closemouthed about that."
I smiled and shook my head regretfully. "I don't think I should do that. I've sort of been sworn to silence."
"You wouldn't be revealing too much to admit that you played a critical role?"
"Yeah. I guess I did."
Chrissie laughed. She reached over and entangled her fingers with Elise's on the table. "So modest."
"I didn't do anything that took any skill, that's for sure."
"You have supplied lots of sperm samples?" said Elise. I shrugged.
"It's not the first time hypers have been studied and copious samples taken." Chrissie tapped a polished red nail on her teacup. "Merck tried it. So did Baxter Pharmaceuticals, a decade ago. By some coincidence, your escort's parents' company."
That was sort of a funny coincidence, I thought. Still, probably every major drug company in the world had tried working with hypers.
"But this time they found something," said Chrissie.
"Perhaps it's something unusual about him?" Elise suggested.
"Perhaps." Chrissie eyed me. "Is that true, Aiden?"
"I don't think so. The discovery was just" – I searched for words that weren't too revealing – "a lucky combination of things."
"Serendipity?"
"Pretty much."
"It must be difficult being up here for three days without your usual relief," said Elise.
The direct way she was now looking at me sent an electrical shiver through me. Her expression wasn't seductive, I thought – more just measuring.
"It's already been almost two weeks, so..." I forced a shrug.
"My God!" said Chrissie. "You poor boy! You must be going out of your mind with frustration."
I attempted a stoic shrug. "Just like half the human race. I mean, uh, the heterosexual female half."
"I'm not homosexual," Elise stated – sounding matter-of-fact, not offended.
"Neither am I, particularly." Chrissie curled an arm around her blond friend's slimly muscular shoulders. "I like men, but not how they are today. You might say my sexual orientation is practical. Why put up with the ego and all the moods of a man whose dick is limp 95% of the time?"
"Exactly," said Elise. "Regular affection and orgasms are necessary for optimum health."
"So..." My throat had gone dry. "You're..."
"Yes," Chrissie chuckled bitterly. "We're frustrated as hell, too."
A pregnant pause followed. Actually, whatever was the opposite of that: a silence that needed to be impregnated?
"I'm, ah, sorry to hear that," I said. "Anyway, did you have any more questions, or...?"
"I choose 'or,'" said Elise.
"So do I," said Chrissie. "We can talk business later."
As if by some unspoken sign, Elise rose and stood with a grave air at Chrissie's side. While I gripped the bottom of my chair, she untied her robe and let it drop to the floor. Then she parted her negligee gown, exposing the smooth, lightly tanned skin of her stomach. I swallowed.
With a slow shrug, she shed the negligee. Smooth, lightly bronzed skin, flat stomach, a narrow blond "V," and two perfectly pert round breasts were all that remained. I wondered if she – and maybe Chrissie, too – were putting out female hyper pheromones, because salty sweat was stinging my forehead. I could feel their power vibrating in the air.
"Nice, isn't she?" Chrissie ran the palm of her hand over the flat of her friend's stomach.
I stood up on shaky legs, not sure what I was going to do. Maybe I'd walk around the table and pull her into a sizzling embrace. Maybe I'd just jump over the table and tackle her.
The one possibility I didn't consider was when I steeled myself and said: "I have a girlfriend."
The two women looked amused beyond measure.
"So do I," Chrissie laughed. "Who wants the best for me, as I do for her."
"No." I had no idea where I was finding the strength to refuse. It wasn't even true that I had a girlfriend, but I liked thinking of Xandra that way.
Meanwhile, Chrissie stood up and shook off her dress. Her glowing, golden body with its more lush curves was the perfect complement to her partner's.
"It was nice to meet you guys." I backed away from the table toward the door. "I'll, uh, catch you later."
I rushed out into the bracing night air, and broke into a run. Steep hills abounded within the Elysian Lodge, and I sprinted up and down every one of them. I would've gone much further, but the property was enclosed by a ten foot fence.
Back in the unit, I did five sets of dead lifts, and was starting into a sixth when I noticed Meredith standing in the doorway in a bathrobe, arms folded, and a frosty smile on her lips.
"I take it you didn't get any?"
"They were mostly interested in picking my brain about the treatment," I rasped, slamming some weights onto the barbell. "I just felt like a workout. Did I wake you?"
"You could've awakened the dead," she said. "It sounded like Gotterdammerung in here."
"Sorry."
Meredith walked over. "But it didn't end up being all about business, did it?"
"No." I made a feeble attempt to lift the barbell, and gave up. Suddenly my pump was gone. "But nothing happened. It just didn't feel right."
"I know the feeling." She patted my shoulder. "It's okay. Just means you have a soul."
I slumped on the nearest weight bench and toweled off. I was starting to feel better about myself, almost proud, but now I had to battle the presence of a new, perhaps even stronger, temptation.
"I have an idea. Why don't you spend the night with me? I wouldn't mind some company and having a warm body next to me."
I moaned to myself. This time I didn't believe I had the strength to say no.
"But two conditions," she said. "First, shower up – you look like a grease monkey. Second, no sex. Third, slather yourself in Andrydox. I'm only human."
"That's three conditions."
"Math was never my strong point."
I WOKE up from one of most satisfying night's sleep I'd had in weeks. Still horny and frustrated, true, but that was temporarily buried under the wave of comfort and affection that seemed to radiate from the girl in the pajamas lying beside me. In sleep, the sophisticated planes of her face had relaxed into those of an innocent schoolgirl.
I felt kind of innocent myself. As if I'd been reborn. Just some normal, dorky kid who'd never got past first base with a girl. I liked that feeling.
Meredith cracked open one eye. "Hey," she said, covering her mouth with one hand.
"Hey."
"It's been ages since I've done that – just sleep with someone. It's been a long time since I even shared a bed with a man, now that I think about it."
"It was cool," I said. "Thanks for letting me do that."
"Thanks for agreeing to my terms." She reached over and tousled my hair. "You're really cute when you sleep, you know that?"
"Really? I can't say that I've noticed."
She laughed and jabbed my arm. "All right – scoot. I need to shower and shave. You better do the same. It's time for Round 2."
Cha
pter 18
RETURNING TO SCHOOL THE next week was like coming back from a vacation in the Garden of Eden. I'd gotten used to having everything I needed at my beck and call, eating the most expensive food prepared by world-class chefs, sleeping in a king-size bed, playing all day, and walking amidst towering mountains in cool air that smelled fresh-scrubbed. The last two days had passed in a blur of tennis, swimming, lounging around the pool, and working out in our private gym.
Now I trudged through the halls of Jefferson High, breathing in the dusty, 90 degree air – the faint odor of dairy cows drifting over the school – it was like stepping out of Paris into small town Nebraska.
I was surprised when Gertie sought me out in Humanities, my first class.
"Truce?" She offered her hand.
"Absolutely." I shook her hand briskly and blinked back a sudden case of tear-blurred vision. "I missed you."
"Right. In those rare moments between boffing some beauty queen."
"There hasn't been much 'boffing' lately."
"Next thing you'll tell me you're becoming a monk." She smiled cynically as she looked me up and down. "God, look at you – all suntanned and buff...even wearing nice clothes. You look like some guy who stepped out of GQ."
"What's 'GQ'?"
"A men's fashion magazine." She shrugged.
We paused as the class started filling up.
"See you at lunch?" she asked.
I forced myself to appear casual when I was jumping for joy inside. "Ah, sure, that would be cool."
What a great start to the day! I was all smiles from then on – even through some awkward moments during lunch as Keith and Gertie adjusted to Jim, my lunch mate and substitute best friend in their absence. But I couldn't help noticing Gertie batting her eyes a bit at my former juvie bunkmate by the end of lunch period.
The day even got better at the university, sitting next to Xandra in math class. I thought there was a definite "girlfriendish" vibe in the air as we exchanged dry smiles while the young professor expounded on the virtues of vector analysis.
"So how did your little CellEvolve retreat go?" she asked as we walked out to her bike. "Judging from your tan, you were outside a lot."
"It was okay." I'd told her that my trip had been about attending some special seminars with other business people, keeping everything as vague and nonchalant as possible. "I learned how to play tennis and golf. Well, sort of."
"My, aren't you the jet-setting social climber. What happened to the shy boy who stammered while inviting me to a movie?"
She was smiling, but I spotted the question in her eyes.
"Would you, uh, consider..." I cleared my throat. "You know, going out with me again...to another movie, that is."
Xandra cracked up, leaning her shoulder against me for one glorious moment.
"How could I resist such sincere stammering?" Her grin faded into something more serious as we stopped by her bike and she studied me. "What am I going to do with you, Aiden Stevens?"
"Use me as you will?"
She kept smiling and studying me, nodding as if agreeing with some unspoken thought. "You're special, aren't you?"
I shrugged. "Thanks."
"No, I mean really special. Special special. Look at you – you're practically glowing."
Her tone was starting to sound accusatory. I gave her a weak smile.
"There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?"
"Why, uh, do you say that?"
"Sixteen year old boys don't get invited to hang out with rich people at retreats. No matter how gifted they are at biology or whatever."
The desire to tell her everything – right now in this moment – tore at my guts. If she was truly going to be my girlfriend, she needed to know the truth.
"You want to take a drive?" I asked, feeling as if I were standing on the edge of a precipice – excited but scared as hell. "We could talk."
"Ah, so there is something I don't know."
"Maybe just one or two minor details."
"Okay, I'm game. I've always been a sucker for dark and disturbing secrets."
"I'm not sure about 'dark,' but you might find it slightly disturbing. I hope not too disturbing."
LATER, RAGNAR showed up to join me in one of our impromptu basketball workouts at the park, eager to learn how my outing in Aspen had gone. I was more interested in talking about my "outing" with Xandra, whose shocked expression when I told her the truth was still fresh in my mind.
"Dude," said Ragnar, after I'd brought him up to speed on the Rocky Mountain World Development Conference. "I knew you had it in you. Turning down two hot 'power women'." He shook his head, his smile rueful. "I never could've done that at your age. Hell, I doubt I could do it now."
"Thanks. To be honest, I'm not sure I could do it right now, either."
"Man, two weeks is a long freaking time, my friend. The longest I've ever gone is probably two days." He shook his head. "Maybe it's time to turn up the heat with your calculus girlfriend."
"I may never have that chance. I just told her my unholy secret, and she kind of freaked out."
"Not surprising. That must've been one helluva shock."
"I'm just hoping she'll recover from it. She was already dubious about us because of our age difference, but now..."
"Maybe if you'd had that talk Andrydox-free," Ragnar chuckled.
"Maybe, but I didn't want that."
"I got you." He shed his green warm-up suit, and stood bronzed and glistening in the late-afternoon sun. "Now let's see if you can get me."
Snatching the basketball out of my hands, he feinted one way – then drove the other. Maybe it was my brief contest with Meredith, but I anticipated the fake and sprang with him toward the basket, leaping off one foot the instant he took off. I couldn't believe it when I slapped the ball out of his hands on the way up.
"No way!" he growled when he – eventually – returned to earth. "No one block's Thor's shots."
"That was more of a steal than a block," I laughed. "Besides, didn't I see Lebron James reject you in the playoffs last year?"
"I just dropped the ball into his hand." Ragnar feigned an offended expression. "No, seriously, that's the best defensive move I've seen from you so far."
"Next I'll have to block one of your dunks."
"Let's not get over-ambitious."
My cell – sitting on my wallet, courtside – rang. I assumed it was my mom, wondering about dinner. When she'd heard "Rag" was coming, she launched into a cooking frenzy, frantically raiding the freezer for gourmet treasures.
But it wasn't my mom. I felt a small thrill: it was Meredith! When we'd said goodbye she'd promised to stay in touch and we'd entered each other's number into our phones, but I hadn't been overly optimistic.
"Hey," I said. "I was hoping you'd call."
"You could always call me." I heard the smile in her voice. "What are you up to?"
"Just playing some ball."
The rim and its chain net rattled as Ragnar threw down a dunk behind his head.
"Sounds like you've got someone there with you. If you're in the middle of a game, I can call back later."
"No," I said, "I'm just horsing around with a friend." I paused, feeling the urge to brag. Of all the things we'd talked about, I'd never mentioned Ragnar. "It's actually Ragnar Norquist. We hang out sometimes."
On hearing his name, Ragnar pulled up his dribble and headed over.
"Yeah, right," Meredith laughed. "And I'm sitting here with Larry Bird."
"No, seriously," I said. "We met awhile back after a game. We're kind of 'brothers of the hyper'."
"Is that the cool hot chick who took you under her wing?" Ragnar broke in. "Merriweather something or other?"
"Meredith." I frowned, not sure I wanted my big "hyper brother" butting in with her.
"God, that does sound like him," said Meredith to me. "He has that same arrogant asshole thing going."
"I heard that," said Ragnar. He motioned for the
phone, which I grudgingly surrendered. He switched it to speaker, winking at me. "Hi, Meredith. That wasn't a very nice thing to say about your friend's big brother."
Nothing issued from my cell for several seconds. I imagined "Mere" staring at her phone with skeptically narrowed or wondering wide eyes, wondering if this was a prank.
"You're not really Ragnar Norquist."
"Hmmmm. Now you're making me question myself." Holding my cell in one hand, he leaped into the air. "No," he said when he landed. "I just jumped about forty-three inches, so it must be me."
"I doubt you even reached forty on that jump," I said.
"In that case, I might be an imposter."
"Okay." Meredith sounded both breathless with excitement and exasperated. "You really are him, aren't you?"
"I am indeed, Milady," Ragnar replied. "Seriously, I'm glad you called. I wanted to thank you for keeping the sharks from feeding on my little brother."
"He did that himself. But you're welcome."
"Where are you now?"
After a few moments' hesitation, she said, "Palo Alto. That's where I'm based."
"Perfect. Are you free for dinner this week?"
"Oh..." More moments of hesitation. "I'll have to think about that."
"Fair enough. Let me know. Good meeting you. I'll hand you back to Aiden."
Ragnar returned my cell with a cryptic smile, grabbed the basketball, and returned to doing what he did best.
"Please turn speaker off, Aiden," said Meredith. When I complied, she added, "Wow, he's as full of himself in person as he is on the TV."
"He's full of it, all right," I said, watching him sink a series of twenty-footers. "But he's a good person. One of the best people I know."
"That says a lot, coming from you." Her voice was soft.
"I think you two would like each other." I realized I believed that the moment the words reluctantly left my mouth. Across the court, Ragnar was giving me two thumbs up, as if he could hear me.
"I'll think about it. Anyway, I just called to see how you're doing."
"Good. It was kind of a shock coming back from that place – like coming down from Mount Olympus or something. But it's also cool to get back to normal reality."
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