asked. “I don’t know what it was, and I absolutely do not want to get another one.”
“Just simply tell him you want to skip it,” Myra suggested.
“I don’t think he’ll go for that. He’ll want his five thousand dollars,” Charlotte said, dismayed.
“Not if he thinks he’s going to make triple that from enrolling us in his protocol,” Annie said smugly. “We’ll support you. Don’t worry. Another idea is to ask him if you can take it with you. Jessica is a registered nurse. You can tell him she’ll administer the shot.”
“That might work. I think the most important thing to him is the money. Remember, we’ll be right there. If he tries to bully you, which I doubt, or pressure you, we’ll step in,” Myra said reassuringly.
Charlotte gave a sigh of relief.
Byron entered the dining room and asked if there was anything else they wanted or needed. All said, “No, thank you.” He bowed and retreated into the kitchen.
The women stood and formed a small circle, holding hands.
“We can do this.” Annie spoke softly.
Charlotte and Myra responded, “Amen!”
Then came the high fives!
A chime from the doorbell indicated their car was waiting. They were on their way to see the Live-Life-Long practitioner and edge their way into his circle of dupes.
* * *
Dr. Julian Marcus was beside himself with delight. The Countess Anna de Silva was coming to his office! And she was bringing her friend, another well-heeled, monied sixtysomething-year-old woman. He thought perhaps his luck was finally changing for the better. He was almost giddy. He checked his watch for the zillionth time. Only thirty minutes to go! He could barely contain his excitement.
A half hour later, when the buzzer sounded, he almost jumped out of his skin. They’re here! He pulled out a small handheld mirror and checked his balding head one more time. Good. No sweating. He patted it with his handkerchief just in case. He cleared his throat and, trying to sound nonchalant, said, “Yes, Gloria?” A slight pause, then, “Please show them in.”
Gloria rapped softly on the door. Even that tiny sound made Marcus jump. A great deal was at stake. Regaining Charlotte Hansen and adding the countess and Mrs. Rutledge? His hands began to sweat. He wiped them on his trousers as discreetly as possible.
“Charlotte! I am delighted you’ve returned. So good of you to bring your friends,” he said. If nothing else, his tone of voice was suitable. He extended his hand to her and quickly moved toward Annie. “Oh, and Countess. This is a wonderful honor to meet you. And Mrs. Rutledge. I’ve heard marvelous stories of your philanthropy. Please do sit down.” He motioned to the comfortable seating area across from his desk.
Addressing his audience, Marcus began, “Has Charlotte told you much about our program?”
“Nothing in great detail, except that she feels so much better every time she leaves your office.” Myra faked it well. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re here.”
Annie broke in. “I will be staying in London for . . . Well, I’m really not sure. They are redecorating my place here. Charlotte spoke so highly of you that we decided to make it a girls’ trip and drag Charlotte back!”
Marcus started beaming. “I am very happy to hear this. Let’s begin, shall we?” He looked down at the brochures on his desk. “We will discuss what areas are your primary concerns. Is it memory? Fatigue? Balance? Concentration? And so forth. Once we identify the target areas, we formulate a program for you to follow. That includes taking supplements specifically compounded for you—”
Myra interrupted. “You are saying that the supplements are individually compounded according to my body’s needs?”
“Precisely.” Dr. Marcus leaned back and laced his fingers across his chest, but then he thought better of his body language and sat up straight. “We do a blood workup, urine sample, and saliva. It’s all done right here, so you don’t have to go to a clinic.” He sat up even taller. “And we also supply you with the supplements, so you don’t have to go to a pharmacy.” He was giving that “See what a great deal this is?” look.
“Why, that’s marvelous,” Myra cooed. “You make the treatments sound so easy. I much prefer not to have my personal business spread all over town.” She was pouring it on thick. “I also like your office. It is well designed and comfortable.”
“Well, thank you very much. My partners and I put a lot of thought into it.” Marcus beamed.