The Lady with Blue Lips

by Brenda Franklin

“Lexington! I’m home!” Olivia called into her apartment. The large white cat jumped off the bookshelf, stretched, and after a long yawn rubbed against Olivia’s legs wanting attention. The white feline had a knack about getting her way and shortly after she was curled up on Olivia’s lap being petted, purring at max volume.

  “You are so spoiled.” She laughed cupping the cat’s face and giving her a quick kiss.

  KNOCK. KNOCK.

  Olivia looked up and over her shoulder towards the unannounced visit pushing Lexington off her lap carefully not to get a claw in her leg.

  “Hello?” A man’s voice appeared from the other side of the door. “Um…I ended up with your mail by mistake.” The voice said as she reached the door and peeked out the peep hole to check him out. The man rocked back and forth on his heels nervously. He was dressed like he just got back from the gym, a few beads of sweat still working their way from his jaw bone, down his neck, and on his collar bone where it gathers for a moment before continuing on its journey and soaking into his white beater.

  “I don’t remember ordering anything.” She said continuing to look through the peephole as the man looked up at her assuming she was now looking at him and lifted up the package.

  “It says Olivia Strange written across the top.” He pointed out and then dropped the small package out of sight. “Are you not Olivia strange? The new girl that moved in? I’m sorry I must have the wrong room.” He stepped back looking embarrassed with his hands up. Olivia quickly unlocked and eased the door open several inches.

  “Wait!” She called after him. He paused and turned around. “Can I see it?” She asked remembering the cameras in the hall. She stepped farther out easing the door shut so Lexington wouldn’t think to follow.

  “Yeah, by all means!” He said handing it out to her. He stood a head taller than her putting him at almost at six foot. He ran his hands through his dark brown hair in an attempt to straighten it out, but the cowlick on the top of his head stuck continued to stick out no matter his attempts.

  “Thanks.” She said looking down at the small package in her hands. It was already opened on one side. She instantly looked up and pointed towards it. “You opened it?”

  “Look I didn’t mean too! I thought it was mine!” He defended.

  “My name’s on it.” A hint of irritation and disbelief in her voice.

  “And I’m sorry, but do you check everything you get in the mail?” He asked with a good argument. “And besides, as soon as I saw it wasn’t mine I didn’t continue to open it and wanted to return it.”

  She looked down at the package in her hands. It wasn’t completely torn open. “At least it will be easier for me to open up.” She laughed. Relief flashed across his face with a dazzling smile.

  “Sorry, I should be going. I probably don’t smell the best right now.” He cringed looking down at himself. She waved it off finally getting the box open. It was three books she had ordered fresh and ready for reading. “Nice. Anything Lawhead is good.” He remarked.

  “Um…” She moved the box under her left arm and extended out her hand. “My names Olivia Strange.”

  “I got that.” He smiled with the biggest and most enticing brown eyes she had ever scene.

  “Oh, yeah. Sorry.” She laughed again about to pull her hand away when he reached out and took it.

  “My name’s Austin. Austin Worrell.” He shock her hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you Mr. Worrell.”

  “Call me Austin. My father was Mr. Worrell.”

  “Okay.” She shyly stated trying out his name across her tongue. “Austin.”

  “Olivia.” He replied still awkwardly shaking hands.

  “Well, it was nice to meet you!” She said pulling her hand free from his with reddened cheeks.

  “Yeah, hey. If you ever need anything I’m next door.” He rambled. “I mean anything. Some sugar, someone to talk to, maybe lunch?”

  “Well that’s nice, but--”

  “Oh my God I’m so sorry!” He said apologetically. “I offered and didn’t even ask if you were seeing anyone. How stupid of me. Look, I’m sorry--”

  “N-no!” She shuttered. “I’m not dating anyone. It’s just I’m not sure about going out to dinner with a stranger. Not saying you’re scary!” She corrected. “But--”

  “No I understand.” He assured her. “I’m just some random guy who showed up at your door having opened your mail and already I’m offering you lunch. It’s understandable and creepy when I put it like that.” He nodded looking off to the side and covering his face for a moment in embarrassment.

  “Yeah, a little.” The ends of her lips curved up into a small smile as she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “But maybe we’ll run into each other again.” She added meeting his eyes again before looking towards the floor unable to keep herself from smiling too much.

  “I hope so.” He waved stepping back. “Good bye Olivia and the offers still stands.” He said stepping up to his door and opening it. She waved bye just as he vanished into the depths of his room. She quickly stepped into his apartment where Lexington awaited her attention yet again. She dropped the books down on the small coffee table and picked the cat up unable to contain her girlish happiness.

  Olivia awoke hours later having fallen asleep on the couch under the warmth of Lexington, but when she awoke she was cold. Lexington felt more like a heavy sack lying across her waist. She weakly reached out to push him off of her only to feel nothing. Lexington wasn’t laying on her.

  Olivia leaned up rubbing at her eyes with one hand before opening them. She froze in horror. Before her eyes by maybe no more than a foot sat the outline of something with a human structures face. A sharp pointy nose, blackened eyes sunk deep within their sockets, and a grim expression.

  Olivia uttered a squeak of a noise and like that it was gone. The weight lifted, the air warmed, and finally Olivia could utter another higher pitch sound trying to get a hold of herself. She looked nervously around. The only light present was from the kitchen behind her. She rotated her head around making sure she was alone.

  MEOW.

  Lexington jumped up on the couch scaring Olivia and sending her crashing to the floor and the cat flying across the room.

  “Lexington!” She hissed at him quickly getting to her feet. “God! You scared me!” She said heading towards the book shelf to pick up the cat that hide in his little house on the second shelf. Once she scooped him she checked the locks and searched the house with the cat in hand. Her fear was pretty much gone having almost written it off as a dream before returning to the couch where the book she had been reading was knocked onto the floor.

  She pinched the bridge of her nose setting the cat down. “Time for bed.” She announced with a yawn giving one last look to the space on the couch where clearly she must have been seeing things. She knotted up her shirt in her fist nervously and tried to push it from her thoughts reminding herself that new places are always the scariest because you’re still getting used to them.

  Chapter Four