Human Blend Page 12

  A red flag went off in Austin’s head. “No offense, doc, but what goes on behind closed doors is really none of your business,” Austin said, slipping his shirt over his head.

  “It is my business when the door is in my apartment,” Eli countered.

  Julie wanted to go back to sleep, but the sound of voices talking in the next room kept her too close to consciousness. Finally, she could ignore the curiosity no longer. She got up and pulled out a pair of sweat pants from her bag along with a comfy tee and headed for the bedroom door.

  The phone Eli was holding was ringing again. “By the way, your mother keeps calling,” he said and tossed the phone to Austin.

  Austin caught the phone, but did not answer it. He was still staring down the doctor when he heard the bedroom door open behind him.

  Julie stepped out into the room and saw Eli and Austin staring at one another, and not in the nice and friendly way they had been before, at the hospital. “What’s going on?” she asked timidly. The room felt full of animosity.

  “Nothing,” Austin quickly replied, “I was just thanking the good doctor for his hospitality.” Austin slipped on his shoes. “Get some sleep,” he instructed as he kissed her and left the apartment.

  Julie watched him go and then turned to Eli. “Did I miss something?” she asked.

  “Not particularly,” Eli answered.

  “Then why did it feel like you could cut the air with a knife when you two were in the same room?” she questioned.

  “Let’s just say… I misinterpreted Mr. Dorsett’s intentions for the evening,” Eli answered.

  Julie frowned. She wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that, although she felt compelled to. “Eli,” she started.

  “Julie, just go to sleep,” he interrupted. The doctor turned and went into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

  The abrupt cut-off from Eli left Julie feeling stunned. What just happened here? She asked herself. Feeling even more drained, Julie sat down on the sofa. She began replaying the day’s events in her head, trying to figure out what went wrong. The only thing she could think of was the incident in the conference room. It must have upset him more than I realized, she reasoned. “I’m such a freak,” Julie voiced aloud.

  “If you are a freak, then so am I,” Eli said, standing by his door.

  The sound of his voice made her jump. He had changed into his own pair of sweat pants and a plain white undershirt. Julie realized that she had never seen him in anything other than his suit and white coat before. “I didn’t realize you owned other clothes,” she remarked.

  “I don’t allow myself to relax that often,” he said, coming over to join her on the sofa.

  “All work and no play makes… actually, I forget the rest, but it wasn’t a good thing,” she laughed.

  “I am not very good at playing,” he laughed with her.

  Since Eli seemed to be in a better mood, she decided to use the opportunity to apologize to him. “Eli, I just wanted to apologize for what happened this afternoon. I don’t really understand what caused me to react the way I did. I am sorry that I made you uncomfortable,” she said. “I really do feel like a freak sometimes.”

  “You are not a freak, Julie,” Eli said. “We just don’t know enough about you to understand how things work,” he finished.

  “Sounds like a freak to me,” Julie sighed, then laughed. “Pity, anyone?” she joked.

  “A healthy dose of pity is okay once in a while,” Eli said and smiled.

  “You’re not helping,” she said and smiled back.

  “Now it’s my turn to apologize. I was… rude to your friend. I am not used to opening my life up to people and, I’m afraid, I’ve come to feel a little overprotective of you. I hope I have not overstepped my boundaries today,” he said.

  Julie thought for a moment before responding.

  “Eli. If there was a miscommunication, it was solely on my end. I am trying so hard to be normal, yet I have no idea what normal is. I didn’t grow up in a household with a mom and a dad. I grew up with strangers… bad strangers,” her voice began to grow distant. “Strangers that made me do bad things…” she trailed off as a memory played in her head. Again, she was a voyeur, watching herself.

  She saw herself, not much younger than she was now, cowering before a man who was yelling at her.

  “You think you’re so smart, Laney? You think I don’t know what you are trying to do?” the man shouted before backhanding her across the face.

  Even as a voyeur, Julie jumped at the sound his hand made when it hit her.

  “You ever pull a stunt like that again and I swear I’ll just start shooting everyone in sight, and it will be all your fault.” He grabbed her by the hair and put his face next to hers. “You understand me?” he growled.

  She watched herself nod a reply with tears in her eyes.

  The man then threw her to the floor and kicked her.

  She watched herself curl up in pain.

  She heard another man’s voice in the room. She hadn’t noticed him before.

  “Luke, man, what are you doing that for?” he asked.

  “You getting sweet on her, Damien? She heals quick; no evidence,” Luke said. He went over to her and pulled her to her feet.

  She watched herself sway, and then steady herself.

  “See? Good as new,” Luke said and laughed as he pushed her toward Damien. “Go ahead, Laney. Show Damien how grateful you are for his concern,” he ordered.

  She watched herself look at Damien.

  “Luke, c’mon, she’s just a kid,” Damien argued.

  “She’s older than all of us,” Luke said. “Ain’t that right, Laney?” he asked. “Now, do it, or I will,” Luke commanded.

  Julie saw the man’s hesitation to follow Luke’s commands.

  Luke pulled out a gun and pointed it at Damien’s head.

  She saw herself step in.

  “Stop, please,” she heard herself say.

  She watched as she took Damien by the hand and led him to the bed. She saw herself whisper something in Damien’s ear as the memory began to fade.

  “I’d rather it be you than him,” Julie said aloud.

  She was back in the apartment. She saw Eli watching her intently. “You were reliving something, weren’t you?” he asked, with concern clouding his face. Julie simply nodded and curled up next to him. She rested her head on his shoulder. The last thing she remembered was his arm wrapping itself protectively around her. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

  Eli enjoyed the feeling of her relaxed body, curled comfortably next to him, but he hated this sudden weakness he felt in himself. It was so out of character for him. He tried to examine the unease he now felt for Julie’s friend, Austin. He obviously had a sexual relationship with her. He was puzzled as to why this upset him so. Eli kissed her head lightly and breathed in her scent. He thought back to the momentary loss of control he experienced back at the hospital. Was it a lack of willful control, or self control? That was the question he pondered. Julie shifted again and was now resting her head in his lap. Eli pursed his lips. Not good, he thought. He carefully lifted Julie in his arms and carried her sleeping form to her bed. He covered her and gently brushed the hair that had fallen over her face. Eli watched her settle into her new surroundings. Once he was sure that she was again in a deep slumber, he returned to his own room.

  Chapter Seven— Fun

  Julie woke slowly the next morning. She remembered it was Friday, her first day off. Normally, she did not relish days off. She was not one to sleep in, but found herself luxuriating in it this morning. If she were normal, she would have assumed that she was getting sick; the extreme tiredness still plagued her. Julie wondered, could I be losing my ability to heal? She had no real idea how she came about it. Maybe it could go away at some point. She contemplated, as she forced herself out of bed.

  Walking into the living room, she saw a note on the counter addressed to her. It read:

  Julie,<
br />
  There are eggs and bacon in the refrigerator, along with fresh milk and orange juice. A loaf of fresh bread is on the counter. Do not forget to eat. Enjoy your day off.

  Eli

  P.S. Do not come to the hospital. I will update you on Michele if there are any significant developments.

  Julie smiled at the post script. “He knows me already,” she laughed.

  She decided to shower before breakfast.

  As soon as she was dressed, she heard a knock at the door. “Who is it?” she asked.

  “It’s Mrs. Gosley. The delivery man is here with your television and stereo. He wants to know where you want it set up?” came the reply.

  Julie opened the door. “I didn’t order a television or stereo,” Julie said.

  “Well, somebody did, so come on,” Mrs. Gosley ordered, heading next door into Julie’s apartment.

  Julie followed her in. “Excuse me,” she said to the man unpacking a huge flat screen television. “I didn’t order this,” she said to him.

  The man stopped his unpacking to look at his paperwork. “You Julie Miller?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Then it’s yours,” he said.

  “Does it say who paid for it?” she questioned.

  “Nope,” he said and went back to unpacking.

  “Take it back. I don’t want it,” Julie ordered.

  “Oh, c’mon Jules. You can’t return a house warming present,” a familiar voice said.

  Julie turned around and glared at Austin. “I want to talk to you right now,” Julie said angrily. She marched out of her apartment and back into Eli’s.

  Austin gave a signal to the delivery man to keep unpacking before following Julie. Mrs. Gosley just rolled her eyes. “It’s starting already… knew she’d be trouble,” she said, walking back to her apartment.

  Austin shut the door to Eli’s apartment, knowing Julie was going to give him a hard time. He was, however, unable to hide his smile.

  “Austin Dorsett, wipe that smile off your face and make that man take everything back,” Julie seethed.

  “Julie, just hear me out, okay?” Austin asked.

  “No, Austin. You do not get a say in this,” Julie told.

  “Can’t you let me explain my side of things? It’s only fair,” Austin pleaded.

  “You don’t have a side. Now march back in there right now and…”

  Julie’s rant was cut short as Austin put a finger to her lips. “Just listen. If you still feel the same after I’ve said my piece, I promise that I’ll tell him to take it back,” he said. He was taking a gamble that he could change her mind.

  “You’ve got two minutes,” Julie growled.

  “Okay. Can we… can we sit down?” Austin asked.

  “One minute, fifty five seconds,” Julie replied.

  Austin blew out a puff of air, as he contemplated how to convince Julie to keep the stuff. “Let’s compromise,” he suggested. “Keep the television and I’ll even watch a chick flick, or whatever you want,” Austin tried.

  Julie just folded her arms and glared at him.

  He walked over to her and touched her arms. “Julie. I wanna do this for you… for us. If I am going over the top, it’s just because I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I feel alive when I’m with you. Before you came along, I was just going through the motions. My life was being decided for me, whether I liked it or not,” Austin realized he was voicing his feelings for the first time. “I actually stood up to my mom last night,” he laughed. “I told her I was gonna go to college and get my teaching degree,” he admitted. “She was pissed, but it felt like I was finally standing up for what I wanted,” he said. “It’s because of you I was able to do that. Your strength in trying to make it on your own showed me that I have the ability to do the same thing,” Austin said.

  As Austin spoke, Julie felt her resolve melting. She relaxed her arms and sighed. “Austin. I’m proud of you for standing up for what you want, but that came from inside you. I really had nothing to do with it,” she said. “The television and stereo are too extravagant. I can’t accept them. Besides, you are gonna need that money for college,” she countered.

  “Actually, I won’t” Austin smiled. “My Uncle Gordi sent me a letter for my graduation. He told me that he will pay for my college tuition,” he admitted. Julie tried to voice another objection, but Austin interrupted. “Do me a favor? Think of it as mine. You are holding it for me, here, at your place… just until I get settled. I mean, I got this stuff on sale; it won’t be this cheap when I need to buy it for my place,” he said with a big grin.

  Julie shook her head, “Why am I falling for this?” she grumbled.

  Austin hugged her and spun her around. He gave her a quick kiss and pulled her toward the door. “C’mon, come show me where you want it,” he said.

  “If I catch you gloating, the deal’s off,” she said, letting herself be pulled along.

  The smile on Austin’s face was infectious. By the time everything was done being set up, Julie had a hard time hiding her smile as well. Her smile, though, was more for Austin’s reaction than her own.

  “I gotta go, Jules. Even though my mom and I aren’t on the best of terms right now, I promised to work my shift today,” Austin explained.

  “Of course,” Julie said, accepting his quick kiss goodbye.

  “Remember: picking you up at five,” he reminded.

  “Oh, right. Carnival,” she recalled.

  Left alone, she turned off the television and enjoyed the silence while she got used to her new place. She had brought over her bag and actually started unpacking it in her new bedroom. She had to fight the nervousness she felt. It was a strange feeling, unpacking, hanging stuff up in the closet, and putting clothes in dresser drawers. She knew it was going to take some getting used to. In the back of her mind, fear of being found by them still loomed. “I’ll always have to live with that fear,” she said aloud, as she laid down on her bed. She closed her eyes as another memory found its way into her consciousness.

  In this memory, she saw herself made up to look much older than her youthful appearance would suggest.

  A smaller woman was fussing with her brown hair as it cascaded in curls down her back. The make-up had been applied to make her look more mature. The dress she wore made her feel very uncomfortable. It was low-cut and revealed more skin than anything she had ever worn before. Her feet were already killing her in the three inch heels she had been forced to put on.

  The man she remembered as Luke entered the room and whistled.

  She shuddered along with her memory.

  “Boss is going to be real pleased,” Luke said. “Gena, you finished?” he asked the smaller woman. She nodded yes. “Then get out of here,” he ordered. She nodded again and left quickly. Laney envied her escape.

  She kept staring into the mirror as Luke walked around her. He stopped and folded his arms in front of her. “You make me look bad tonight, and something nasty is gonna happen. You got me?” he asked.

  Laney looked at him, “I got you,” she said with a sneer. She hated this man. He was evil down to the core.

  He grabbed her by the chin and squeezed her face. “Don’t be a smart ass. I’ll make your life here even more miserable than it already is,” he threatened, letting go of her face.

  “Let’s go over your role tonight, shall we?” Luke commanded.

  Laney sighed and closed her eyes briefly. “I whisper the numbers into his ear at the tables and never leave his side,” she recited. “What if I have to go to the bathroom?” Laney asked.

  “Hold it,” he answered. “You just decorate his arm and do your job. Got it?” he reiterated.

  He reached for her and pulled her against him. “Make me proud and I may be nice to you tonight,” he taunted, crushing his lips against hers. Laney pushed back, trying to escape the torment. His kiss was not one of passion, but of insult. He pushed her away and smiled. He called out for Gena, who quickly r
eentered the room. “You need to fix her lipstick,” he told, wiping the color from his own lips with a triumphant grin. Laney felt sick from the encounter.

  Julie fought back the bile that was amassing in her throat from just reliving it.

  The memory jumped to later on that evening. She saw herself on another man’s arm. They were at a casino. She didn’t know what the pecking order was, but she knew this was someone Luke answered to. She did not know his name as she was ordered to never speak unless spoken to.

  Laney felt all eyes on her and the man who escorted her. They walked slowly around the casino floor until the man found a table to his liking. The man sat at an open chair and Laney stood beside him, his arm around her waist. He would give her a squeeze indicating that he was ready for her input.

  Julie again saw the numbers as clear as they were to her on that day.

  The man placed a hundred dollar chip on the number she had whispered, and the table congratulated him on his win when the number hit. This scenario repeated itself several more times before the man gathered the winnings and moved on to another table.

  As the night wore on, the man was joined by two others who addressed him as ‘Boss’. They alerted him to the fact that casino security was taking an interest in his winning streak. The man purposely placed smaller bets on numbers other than the ones she had whispered to him. The man then walked with Laney and the two other men over to the cashier’s window to cash in.

  Julie remembered how she had hoped that meant the night was coming to a close. Unfortunately, Las Vegas had many casinos.

  The memory jumped again to the early morning hours of that same night.

  They had just returned when Luke made his reappearance and questioned the Boss on Laney’s behavior and performance. “How’d my girl do?” Luke asked him.

  “Very well, Lucas. She followed your instructions to the letter,” the man said, giving Laney a smile. “We’ll incorporate this routine once every two weeks for the next few months then expand to other locations,” the man instructed.

  “Not a problem,” Luke responded.

  The men left; Luke and Laney were left alone. “Can I go to sleep now?” Laney asked.