The Potion: A genetic engineering thriller!

Chapter 5

Despite the warnings that Ronald gave James that night in the pub, he chose to not dwell on it too much.

The odds of it ever reaching the worst-case scenario were slim, as both had agreed they wouldn’t tell a single soul about what they had done. Besides, he was given a second chance at life, a total reset, and he wasn’t going to waste it by constantly looking over his shoulder and feeling paranoid.

The weekend had rolled around, and with no scheduled shifts over the next two days, James had taken it upon himself to get some things done around the house. In the morning, he’d completely cleaned from top to bottom and even went as far as to open the curtains wide to let the sunshine pour in. For too long he’d been living in a dungeon state of mind, but not anymore. Of course, he wasn’t going to just forget Amelia or the heartbreak of losing her overnight, but James didn’t want to suffer anymore. The time of mourning was coming to an end, and he would honor her memory but stepping into the next chapter of his life, whatever or whoever that might entail.

After finishing up with the inside of the house, James decided that he would take some time for himself and work on his own project vehicle in the garage. He opened the garage door to let in the cool breeze, knowing he’d likely be sweating in the next ten minutes or so. True, Dr. Ronald Clark had a sweet, pristine ‘69 E Type Hardtop, but James had an old Jag of his own that the doctor wasn’t aware of, a rare 1954 XK120 Convertible that he had sadly been neglecting for the past few months.

If he were being honest with himself, part of the reason he’d covered up the car in the first place was because of Amelia. Although they couldn’t really afford it, she had insisted they buy it. She loved polishing and waxing its sensuous curves...and he loved watching her curves as she did so. It broke his heart just looking at something they loved together. However, since getting to know Ronald and becoming his test subject, James had developed a new outlook on life. A fresh perspective—life wasn’t meant to be something menial or mediocre. He was going to live every moment like it was his last.

“Hello?”

James had been so wrapped up in his own head that he didn’t notice a beautiful woman standing in his driveway. He floundered around his car like a fumbling fool, nearly tripping over the toolbox on the floor. After catching himself from his near fall, he tried to make the best of this worst first impression by smoothing out his shirt, but instead, wiped a massive grease stain on it.

The very attractive blonde giggled but covered it with a hand. James let out a deep sigh, but laughed himself, knowing the damage was done.

“I’m so sorry that I startled you,” she said. Extending out her hand, her eyes flickered down to the dirt and grime caked to his skin and retracted it upon impulse. “I’m, uh, Melanie Hart, your neighbors are looking at selling their home and hired me as their real estate agent.”

“Oh,” James nodded. He wasn’t entirely sure what that had to do with him, but he wasn’t going to shoo her away by any means. “Which neighbor?”

She pointed left and it was then that he realized there was a giant For Sale sign on their front lawn. How long had that been there? Either way, James didn’t feel too bad about getting new neighbors. He didn’t really know them to begin with, other than the occasional ‘hello’ and ‘how are you’ if they happened to pass by each other.

“I take it that’s you on the sign?” James grinned.

She was extremely photogenic, but he was certain that it was not because of the camera, but simply because she was beautiful. He wasn’t very good at guessing ages, but he assumed she was a few years younger than him. Her eyes were an icy blue, and she stood with such confidence, he would bet his last dime she considered herself an independent woman.

“That is correct,” Melanie said. “I have my own real estate company in this area.” As if a reflex, she pulled out a business card and handed it over.

Hart’s Real Estate stared back at him in huge block letters.

“Well, good for you,” he said. “I’m James by the way, what can I do for you, Mrs. Hart?”

“Oh, it’s—I’m—you can just call me Melanie,” she blushed. “I was just hoping to ask you a few basic questions about the neighborhood. I always find it’s easier to sell a house once you’ve spoken to the people that live around it. Helps match the home to the right person.”

“Makes sense,” James concluded.

Leaning on the back of his vehicle, he crossed his arms over his chest and glanced at her from the heels up. He was usually pretty good at striking up a conversation with strangers; Amelia 38 always called him a people person. But for some reason, Melanie made him feel slightly uncomfortable. It was as if he’d been in the dark all this time, and suddenly, looking at her made him step into the light. He was a tad bit disoriented.

“I’ve got a great idea,” he blurted. “Why don’t we discuss this over a cup of coffee? That is, if you’re not busy for the rest of the afternoon?”

She blinked a few times as if he had caught her off guard. “Oh, well,” she glanced at her watch quickly before flashing him a toothy smile. “This was my last appointment of the day, so I think I can swing that. What place do you recommend?”

“There’s just a place just up the road here, you can follow behind me in your car if you want.” He looked down at his messy appearance and cringed just a little bit. “I just need ten minutes to get cleaned up a bit.”

“Yeah,” Melanie snickered. “I think that might be a good idea.”

“This place is cute,” she said as they sat at a table just outside the café.

They’d ordered their drinks inside, but it was such a gorgeous day and James suggested they take them outside.

“Yes, you should add it to your special little list to up the wow factor on your client’s place.”

Although he had meant it as a bit of a joke, Melanie seemed to take it seriously, as she nodded along, likely making a mental note of it in her head. “It is a charming neighborhood. Lots of couples with kids.”

“Yeah, this place is a magnet for young folks looking to start families. Most people just end up staying. It’s definitely a quaint little town. Everyone knows everyone, and there are not many big box stores here, which adds to the appeal.”

“So I’ve noticed.” She glanced up at the giant café sign over their heads, and then looked down the town strip. They had lots here—a pizzeria, a little antique shop, salons, you name it. “Can I ask why you moved here?”

James turned back around to face Melanie, where he unconsciously bobbed his leg up and down. “Amelia chose it. She’d always dreamed of living the small-town life, perhaps, because she’d grown up watching those sweet romantic movies. We weren’t really close to our families, it had just been the two of us, but we’d made it our home and the rest became history.”

“I see.” Melanie’s cheeks flushed and she shifted awkwardly in the metal chair. “Amelia is your wife then?”

“Was,” he frowned. His heart fluttered at correcting her on the right tense to use. It was still not something he had gotten used to. “She passed away last year. Sudden acute kidney failure. There was nothing the doctors could do to save her.” He paused to clear his throat, for he had unexpectedly become a little choked up. “She didn’t suffer though, which is all that really matters,” he croaked. “Modern medicine made sure of at least that much.” Bitterness tinged his unexpected explanation.

Melanie reached over and grabbed James’s free hand and gave it a sympathetic squeeze. From the little time he had gotten to know her, he didn’t peg Melanie as the sentimental type, but he could’ve sworn tears were forming in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” she murmured. “I couldn’t imagine losing a partner like that.”

“Thank you, it’s been tough, but Amelia wouldn’t want me to shut out the world forever. She knew it was something special and would never take anything for granted. I always saw her as a bit of a free-spirited woman.”

“She sounds wonderful,” Melanie beamed. “I can’t say I’ve ever been lucky enough to find someone like that myself.”

“Right,” James nodded. “I figured that when you reacted to me calling you ‘Mrs. Hart’. I take it that means you’re not married?”

“Not married, not engaged, I’ve never really been in a serious relationship past my college years,” she admitted. “If I’m being honest, I was too focused on building my business and making a name for myself to stop and look for someone to share it all with.”

James took a big sip from his nearly cold coffee cup. “You sound like a friend of mine. I’d introduce you two, but I think he’s a tad bit too old for you.”

“Funny and charming,” Melanie smirked. “Tell me, what is it you do for a living?”

“You pretty much saw it back in the garage. I work down at Kevin’s Auto Repairs, just a little up the way there,” he explained, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “I like to work with my hands. I was never really a business sort of man. I could never do what you do.”

“It’s not for everyone, I just made it look easy,” she agreed.

“Which reminds me,” James started. “It seems we’ve gotten a little off-topic here. You wanted to ask me about the 41 neighborhood and the house, I don’t want this little coffee date to be a complete waste of your time, so go ahead, ask away.”

“Coffee date?”

Melanie tilted her head to the side in a playful manner. James hoped he wasn’t reading too much into it, but he felt like there might be a little spark flickering between them. Even if she did openly admit she wasn’t much for romantic commitment.

“I just meant—”

“I’m only teasing,” she smiled, brushing her delicate hand over his forearm again, making his skin tingle. “But if you’re right, we did agree to talk a little bit of business in between spilling all our dark secrets. So, tell me, what’s the best part about living here?”

“The people,” he said without hesitation. “No matter where you go, the people will always treat you like family. Whether it’s inviting you over for lunch, lending a hand if you’re in need, anything. We take care of each other.”

“That explains the spontaneous invite. Does that mean you take every stranger you meet out for coffee?”

“No,” he grinned. “This was a special occasion. You should feel honored.”

Melanie giggled again, and it was like music to James’s ears. He felt like he was in school again and was quickly developing a crush on the new girl in his class. It seemed that Ronald’s special serum was not only giving him a new chance at life but maybe love, too. That was, if he played his cards right.