Champagne Romance (Romance Novel) by Suellen Smith Page B

had no intentions of asking anyone to share
such a life, nor could she have ever stood his piety. It was just
best that she cut all ties and begin to sort her life out by
herself. The sun was peaking over the horizon by the time she
finally pulled herself together and climbed between the soft silk
sheets that smelled of roses. Swan, however, was unaware of the new
morning. It mattered not to this young woman as night and day began
to blend together.
    It was nearly noon when Kat knocked softly at
Swan’s door. The smell of coffee that she held in her hand, finally
caused Swan to arouse herself from a deep sleep and sit up in bed
to enjoy the fresh brew. Kat’s bouncy personality was the only
thing that kept Swan from sliding back into a deep dark funk of
oblivion.
    Kat told Swan that she had contacted one of
her ex-husbands that was a physician at the UCLA medical facility.
When he heard what had happened to Swan, he was only too happy to
see if he could make appointments happen through connections with
personal friends and co-workers. Setting up an appointment with the
world-renowned ophthalmologist would probably take a while. He
would get back with her at the end of the day.
    It was a sunny December day in Newport Beach.
So, Kat insisted that Swan roll out of bed, slip into a bathing
suit, and they walk down to the ocean. Perhaps laying on the warm
beach would bring some healing to both the body and soul.
    It was winter break and the beach was not
deserted. Swan could hear seagulls, excited squeals of small
children, and an occasional sand patrol that checked out the sandy
beach and kept it safe. Everything appeared normal, even Swan with
her sunglasses perched on the tip of her nose. It wasn’t long
before she and Kat had dozed off and the afternoon was gone.
    The next day was spent at the Research to
Prevent Blindness Foundation Center in Los Angeles. It was a
grueling and exhausting experience. Swan had several tests and saw
six different doctors. Their combined conclusion was that scarring
from the lasik surgery that had corrected her farsightedness may be
interfering with the healing process. The final consultation with
the panel of doctors only told her that someday she may regain her
sight and some day she may not. Her concussion and trauma had
caused the blindness. It could be that something equally as
traumatic would cause her to regain her sight.
    It sounded a bit like the snake pits of the
1800’s when they would lower insane people into a pit full of
snakes. Their thinking during that period was that something that
would drive a sane person insane would make an insane person sane.
At least snake pits were not available today, which Swan could be
grateful.
    The present day had advanced only to give
Swan the hope that future programs in vision genetics may someday
give her back her sight. She was told that a new experimental drug,
Ranexa, ironically made at Global Genetic Research Inc., was on the
horizon of restoring eyesight for some people who had lost it for
various reasons. It wasn’t much, but it gave Swan a glimmer of
hope. The doctors looked at this beautiful woman with her head
bowed and tears streaming down her cheeks from her sightless
aquamarine eyes and all prayed for a miracle.

CHAPTER 19
     
    Slater stood in his navy silk Armani suit and
Italian soft leather shoes watching the ocean tide from his
four-story office building, Global Genetic Research Incorporation.
He liked the feel of nice fabric, but was always most comfortable
in soft cotton, linen, or khaki. However, a man in his position was
expected to dress the part of a successful and powerful
businessman, which sometimes gave him a slight advantage when
negotiating contracts.
    Since the downing of the unfortunate airliner
and the brief affair with Swan, Slater threw himself into several
new projects for his company. Drowning himself in work, he managed
to get through the holidays. He was finally able to ignore the
nagging feelings for the