by JB Duvane
His voice was deep and soft and it sent a sensation down my spine that I hadn't ever felt in my life. Like his voice was connected to the space between my legs by an invisible thread that pulled at me with each syllable that came out of his mouth. I wanted so badly for him to say something else but he didn't. But he didn't leave either; he just stood there and looked at me like he was waiting for me to leave.
"Sorry again," I said as I held Joey's leash tight and walked backwards toward my house, then turned and ran up the stairs and into the door of my building. I immediately shut the door and leaned up against it, trying to catch my breath.
"Oh, Jesus Christ Avery! You're such a dweeb."
I looked out the window in the top half of the door, but the guy in the leather jacket was gone.
"He couldn't get away from us fast enough, could he Joey-Jo-Jo," I said with a sigh as I walked the dog down the hall and took him into Barbara's apartment.
When I got back up to my place I flopped down on the bed and looked around the drab room, deciding that I really needed to go out and get some things to spruce it up a bit. It really was kind of sad and lonely in there, and even though I had a tendency to sit alone in a dark room, I had decided when I left home that I was going to turn over a new leaf in my new apartment and my new city. I promised myself I would try and surround myself with things that made me happy.
I suddenly felt a vibration coming from my back pocket and I fished out my phone. It was a text from my mom asking how I was settling in and it made me smile. I was glad that she was finally getting the hang of texting and after I responded to it I got up and walked over to the window and looked down at some people walking by the convenience store sign on the house next door. But then when I looked back up at the window directly across from me I saw that guy again. Only this time I recognized the shirt he was wearing. It was the same dark red button up shirt that the guy on the street had on.
Why didn't he tell me that he was my neighbor, I thought as I continued to stare at the dark window. And why does he keep looking over here?
I thought about how earlier, before I had run into him on the street, I had called him a creep. But now that I'd had that moment with him, with our bodies pressed up against each other, he was so much more interesting.
I guess he's not a creep anymore. He's my hot neighbor who looks in my window, I thought as I laughed at how ridiculous that sounded. But the thing was, it was true.
Chapter 3 - Colin
I heard a voice coming from somewhere but didn't register what it was saying. I was still lost in the colors and swirls and depth of the eyes I had spent the last half hour applying makeup to.
The flecks of color and light ... these eyes ... they're so beautiful ....
My head was spinning with the minuscule flecks of color that whirled around in front of me ... but then suddenly became her eyes. Avery's eyes. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about her eyes since that night.
"Hey, Colin, you got room for another one?"
From the minute I first saw her through the window I could see her eyes and lips as clear as if she were right in front of me and I knew ... I could tell that she was perfect. And then when we ran into each other on the street and I saw her up close, I couldn't believe what was happening. The streetlights reflected off her eyes and I became lost in them ... lost in the moment ... and it was if I was looking deep inside her, down a long, dark tunnel that pulled me in and whirled me around and around until ....
"Yo! Col! You in there?" the receptionist said as she snapped in the air.
Col? What the fuck?
"This chick says Marcy sent her. You gonna take her, or what? I gotta get back to the phones."
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, Jade. I was thinking about something else." I rubbed my eyes and opened them just in time to watch Jade turn and run for the phones, then I looked at the girl she had brought in with her and froze.
Oh God.
I had to turn around to conceal the fact that my hands had started shaking. I was suddenly feeling like everything was closing in on me and I only had one option.
Look at her ....
The girl in the doorway, she looked almost exactly like Avery. How was that possible?
I don't want to do another one today. I don't want to do it.
Her eyes were almost the exact same color and her lips had the same fullness in the middle and sharp lines out to the corners.
Yes, you do ....
My hands were trembling as I put the finishing touches on the woman in the chair. Why was I having such a hard time controlling everything all of the sudden? What had Avery done to me?
"Hey there, what's your name?" I said with my back turned to the girl.
"I'm Josey. My friend said to tell you that ..."
"Just have a seat in that back room there, Josey, and we can talk about all that in a second."
"Ok, thanks!" she said as she disappeared around the corner into the back room. I was relieved that she was gone. I couldn't think while she was in the room with me. I wasn't going to take her home, I had decided. I didn't need her. I had collected all the parts I needed just the other day. I really didn't have to do it.
But she looks so much like Avery. Don't you find that a little odd?
"You're all set Mrs. Anderson. Makeup and hair that will make all the other women at the gallery opening seethe with jealousy tonight," I said as I poked a few curls with the pointy end of my comb while I smiled at her in the mirror.
You could even pretend she's Avery ....
"Oh, Colin you are a genius! Every time I come in you give me a different look, and every time I absolutely adore it."
I was looking at Mrs. Anderson in the mirror and smiling and nodding but all I was thinking about was the girl in the back room. And Avery.
You have a laundry bag ... and the anesthesia is right there under the sink. It would be so easy ....
"I'm so glad you like it, Mrs. Anderson. You look perfect, as always."
"Oh, Colin, if only I were twenty years younger," she said with a wink. "Well, I'll let you get to your next customer. This is for you," she said as she stood and turned towards me.
"I hope you realize just how much I appreciate what you do for me," she said as she folded up a bill and put it in my hand.
"I think I do, Mrs. Anderson. The feeling is more than mutual," I said with a big smile. She always tipped well, in fact, most of my clients did, but it wasn't the money I was referring to that I appreciated so much, it was the access it gave me. Where else could I work where I could touch women's faces and hair and hands and feet like this without raising suspicion. Not to mention the walk-ins.
But I could see her perspective. Most of the women who came to see me were still very attractive and were willing to spend an unlimited amount of money to retain their looks. It was usually the younger girls who weren't able to afford much.
Like the girl in the back room, I thought as I watched Mrs. Anderson walk out the door, then turn and give me a little wave.
I took a deep breath, then walked through the doorway into the back room and found the young girl sitting on one of the stylist's chairs. Unfortunately she was still having the same affect on me and I pretended to wash my hands in the hair washing sink so I had an excuse to turn my back on her.
Those eyes. Turn around and look at those eyes ....
"So, what can I do for you, Josey?" I asked as I gave my hands an epic washing.
"Well, a friend of mine told me that if I came here and told you that Marcy had sent me, you would do my hair and make-up for real cheap. See, I have an audition tonight and I just want to look my best. I want to be an actress," she said with a smile that I could hear even with my back turned.
But I just did one a week ago for chrissake! If I do too many of these walk-ins I'm going to get caught!
"Sure, I do that all the time. I usually charge ten bucks. Is that too much?"
"No, that's perfect! I can totally do that. I just need a tri
m and you can style it however you think it would look best and then just natural make-up. And if you have suggestions on how you think I should do my make up that would be really cool too."
Ok, now you have to turn around. Just do it. What are you so afraid of?
"Of course," I said as I turned and looked at the girl in the chair and I immediately knew what was going to happen. Suddenly, I clicked over into some kind of super-human beautician persona with my mouth pouring out a bunch of bullshit on autopilot as I planned out the rest of my afternoon with the same circular thoughts that ground the steps into my head over and over.
"I can see right now that you'll want to want to keep your eyeliner a teeny bit below your eyes to make them appear as big as possible ...."
One more appointment scheduled this afternoon ... plenty of time ....
"... and stay away from any orangey colors ...."
... get her in hair washing sink first ... then the hot towel ... then the anesthesia from under the sink ....
"... because of your skin tone ...."
... then get the laundry bag ... put body and towel in bag ...
"... but there's lots I can do and I'll be sure and show you as I'm doing it."
... unlock door and throw bag into tunnel ... piece of cake ....
"Are you ready to get started?" I said with the biggest, fakest smile I think I'd ever had plastered on my face in my life.
* * *
I lowered the dryer down on my last appointment for the day and stepped out into the hallway that connected to the other studios. I just wanted to see how many people were left in the salon this close to closing. I really didn't want to be held up tonight. After this last woman was out from under the dryer I was going to leave the salon right behind her.
"I doubt it. He never goes out with us for drinks after work. I don't think he wants to associate with us."
"What do you mean? Does he think he's hot shit or something? Doesn't he have a massive following of women that worship him?"
"Yeah, but who cares. It's just a bunch of rich bored housewives. Nobody special. I would be willing to bet that they pay him to fuck them in that back room cause their husband's are all after younger girls."
"I think he's gay."
"Well, I think he's just weird."
Jesus Christ they're talking about me again. Of course they are. Fucking bitches. Don't they have anything better to do with their time?
"Maybe he has a family and would rather spend time with them?"
"I doubt it. He's too weird to have a family."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll understand after you've worked here a while."
"Jade, you're the only one who says that about him. I don't get it. He seems really sweet to me."
Jade. I knew she talked about me behind my back.
"I just don't like him, that's all."
"I think you're just jealous."
"Jealous of what? Believe me, I'm not interested."
"Sure, Jade. He's just about the hottest guy in this entire city."
The laughter of multiple girls rose in the next studio over and I rounded the corner back into mine where the dryer was still going full blast. I was glad it was so noisy because I didn't want to hear anything else those bitches had to say. It's not like I didn't know that they talked about me, but hearing it just made my blood boil, and now I really wished it was Jade in that bag in the tunnel. I went into the back room and rinsed my face in the sink. I was sweating and shaking again and I just wanted to get out of this damned place.
She's not even worth it. There's nothing even remotely redeeming about her and it would be a waste of time to even try and find any part of her to use. Just forget about Jade. What you have already is so much better.
I caught my breath as I waited for the hair dryer to stop, then I was out of there.
Chapter 4 - Avery
"Hey lady, how's it going? Come on in," Barbara said as she stepped back so I could walk through the door into her apartment.
"There you are Joey-Jo-Jo, you little cutie," I said as I crouched down and scratched the sides of his furry little face. He jumped up and put his paws on my knees and I squealed when he started licking my face.
"Hey! Get down! Bad boy, Joey!" she said as she pushed him back down to the ground.
"Oh, that's ok. We've gotten really familiar with each other over this last week. I think he may be my new best friend."
I walked over to the couch and Joey jumped up right next to me and snuggled up to my leg when I sat down.
"Thank so much for taking care of him for me, Avery. Seriously, you saved my life. I had no idea what I was going to do with him in the evenings when I got this new job. It looks like they're going to need my help for at least another month, so do you think you can keep walking him?" she asked as she crossed the room to a kitchenette area. Her apartment was the only one in the building that had a small kitchen in one corner of the room with an oven, sink and full size refrigerator.
"Sure, no problem! I love taking Joey out at night. I forgot to tell you, I ran into the neighbor the other night when we were out for a walk."
"You're ok with pizza right?"
"Of course! I'll eat it with pretty much anything on it."
"Cool, cause I've got one with everything in the oven right now. What neighbor? You mean someone on your floor?"
Barbara walked over to the oven and pulled out a pizza and the room filled with the scent of salty meats and pizza sauce. She sliced it up then brought it and some napkins over to the coffee table in front of the couch.
"Oh, wait! Drinks! What do you want? I have beer and coke and water."
"Coke's fine. With ice, please," I said as I grabbed a slice and brought it to my mouth with the assistance of a napkin. "No, the neighbor who lives in the house next door, on the right with the McNab's Market sign out front. That totally hot guy with dark hair and insanely intense eyes. Joey and I totally spazzed out and made fools of ourselves in front of him. Didn't we Joey?" I said as I looked down into his begging eyes. "Awww, here you go." He just about jumped in the air as I held a mushroom out for him, then settled back down next to me, keeping his eyes glued to my pizza. "Do you know what his name is?"
"I don't know, McNab, maybe?"
"I mean his first name!"
"Yeah, I don't know that guy at all. He totally keeps to himself. I've never even see him coming or going. What did he say?"
"Nothing really. He seems kind of interesting though. I've seen him through his window a few times."
"What do you mean you've seen him through his window? What's he doing?"
"Nothing, really. Just looking out."
"At what, his driveway? There's nothing out there to look at except this house. Don't tell me he's looking in your window."
"Well, how would I know what he's looking at? I've just seen him a few times and then he disappears pretty quickly after that."
"Wow, he sounds weird to me. I'd stay away from him if I were you."
"You sound like my mother," I said as I laughed. I didn't want to tell Barbara that I was actually really into that guy so I played it off like it was nothing and changed the subject.
"I met a guy at school though. We're supposed to hang out tonight. He's gonna text me later so we can meet up for a drink or something," I said as I shoved more pizza into my mouth.
"That's awesome. Is he hot?"
"Yeah, he's really cute and he seems pretty nice. We always sit next to each other and talk every day in class. Actually, that reminds me, remember the day I moved in you told me about some tunnels under the buildings and that this building has an entrance through that weird metal door in the basement?"
"Yeah," she said with a mouthful of pizza. "I've never been down in the tunnels, but I've heard a lot about them. Why?"
"Well, in one of my classes, the required one about local history, someone asked a question about the tunnels and the professor said she didn't know much about them and that
she wasn't even sure if the tunnels were still open or if maybe they'd caved in over the years. The professor said it's even possible that the whole story about the tunnels is just a rumor, and then I remembered what you said about them and the door in the basement. So it's all real?"
"Oh, they're real, alright. All you have to do is unlock that door and you'll see. I've always been too scared to go down there myself, but I have friends who have and swear up and down that the stories are real."
"What stories? What happened down there?"
"There's a lot of stories, like, hundreds. Apparently, at the end of the eighteen hundreds this town was a big port town for ships that brought all kinds of stuff to the west coast from all over the world. I guess a lot of these old Victorian houses were owned by wealthy people who stored food and coal and other stuff in their basements. And some of them were businesses like hot guy's house with the grocery store next door, but I think most of them were just houses with servants and the tunnels were built to make it easier for the servants to bring supplies back to the houses and businesses."
"It was easier to move stuff back and forth down there? That's crazy."
"Well, I don't think all of the streets went all the way down to the docks, so maybe that was the only way they could get some of the stuff delivered. They started down at the docks and went on for miles through this old part of town. A lot of the docks and tunnel entrances are totally blocked off now because the sections of the tunnels that came out at the end of each street had collapsed and almost the entire area between the buildings that were above the tunnels and the water started to sink. In fact, some parts over there are just cesspools now with patches of quicksand and the buildings on the last block have mostly been abandoned."
"Quicksand? Here in the middle of the city?"
"Yeah, it's all blocked off now though. They built concrete walls along the sides of the buildings so that people wouldn't climb around on the crumbling docks and fall into the nasty, murky water, but people still get over the walls and get in the buildings and hang out down there, God knows why. People also still hang out in the tunnels. Most of the entrances are locked or bricked over, but they find a way to get in, because I've heard that homeless people sometimes sleep down there to get out of the rain. But, as far as I'm concerned they'd have to be pretty damned desperate to sleep in those tunnels, with so many people disappearing in this area over the years."