Chapter 7 #2
“We’ll make this as nonintrusive as possible.
” I started at the bedside table, angling the camera toward the closet door, which was currently shut and the likely source of our problem.
“There will be six cameras. Two are always directed at you while you sleep, the rest are set up to cover blind spots. There’s a movement tracker on two of them.
The noise they make shouldn’t be loud enough to wake you.
If it is, let me know, and we can switch to something quieter. ”
Octavia didn’t respond. She tracked my movements as I floated through her space.
Being in someone’s room was always personal.
For a second, I’m the ghost she’s been living with, intruding on something safe and sacred.
I did my best not to bump into any of her belongings or ruin the floorboards with my bloated presence.
“Alright, I think we’re all set.” I turned on the camera resting on her windowsill. The portable monitor I held came to life, confirming the camera’s multiple viewpoints.
Octavia disappeared back into the bathroom without saying a word. I almost left, lingering only because I had to share the protocol for what would happen if we witnessed activity.
“Are you and Jonah taking shifts?” Octavia asked as soon as she exited the bathroom. She wore plaid cotton shorts and an oversized tee that pressed against the curve of her breasts. I fiddled with buttons on the monitor that didn’t need to be touched.
“Shifts?” The definition of the word escaped me, just like all other languages at the moment.
Her scent was the catalyst for my brain fog.
The gentle apple spice soap and body butter made her brown skin an unrelenting rival to the moon’s glow.
I could hear December’s voice in the back of my head, the warning as sharp and steady as a post-storm wind beating against window shutters.
You are a professional. She is a disbelieving client. Keep focus.
Octavia frowned as she tugged her pillows from the top of the bed to the bottom.
I tried to recall our first interaction and how frustrated she’d made me.
I tried to ground myself in her clear disdain, but the memory of her haughty attitude made everything worse.
Her contrary nature was an unfortunate turn-on for me.
I winced, remembering how good she looked standing above me at the signing table.
Octavia had somehow shone underneath the ugly, overhead fluorescents.
I’d never seen a person pull off dingy yellow lighting with little to no effort.
“Yeah, will you two be monitoring me through the night? Or is this footage you’ll be reviewing in the morning?” she asked.
“Both.” I blinked, refocusing on keeping my voice devoid of strain or distraction. I’d been doing this professionally before I got my driver’s license. One woman with an attitude and a beautiful face wouldn’t trip me up. I refused.
“Good.” Octavia turned down her sheets and paused, staring at the bed as if a turbulent sea waited for her to dive into it. “Good.”
I frowned. “Are you—”
“If something were to happen…” Octavia tugged at a loose strand at the hem of her shift. Her fingers were too shaky to maintain a grip for long. “What would you two do?”
“I was just about to share our protocol for potential emergencies.”
She hugged herself as she listened.
“But first.” I scanned the room for a wayward chair. Octavia caught on quickly and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, chiding herself as she hurried to set a pillow on the bench at the end of her bed.
“Do you need this for your ankle?” She reached for an ottoman, but I waved it off. I shouldn’t be here too much longer. Not with my jaw tightening at the sight of her shorts inching up slightly from her bending over.
“Is there anything you want to share with me?”
Octavia’s eyes darkened as if I had told her I would need another check deposited before the night’s end.
“What do you mean?” She resumed holding herself.
“Anything you want to talk about before the night begins?” I patted the bed, encouraging her to get comfortable.
Her response was a slight wince and a move toward the window. The moon draped its cool light over her, tinting her skin blue. “I told you, I don’t have any secret enemies.”
She plopped down on the windowsill, dislodging enough locs from the bun to warrant a dismissal of the hair tie. Her hair fell over her shoulders. It took concentrated effort to keep breathing normally, as if the thought of feeling those locs between my fingers hadn’t happened.
“I understand,” I said. “And I trust you’re telling me all that you know.”
“Really?” She eyed me, suspicious. “Why?”
I shrugged. “After seeing you with your horses, I’d agree that you don’t talk to many people, which lessens your chances of earning grudges.”
Octavia’s smile pulled tight as she tried to hold in a laugh. “I don’t know whether to be offended or relieved.”
“Dream big, be both,” I teased.
She released the laugh then.
“I have two jobs tonight,” I said. “The main one is making sure you’re relaxed enough to enter REM,” I said. “And that’s easier for clients to do after they’ve talked a bit. We work through the nerves together.”
Octavia sucked air through her teeth as if a needle had just pricked her. “Yeah, no. That doesn’t sound like my thing.”
“It’s not really a thing. It’s a requirement.” I lifted my monitor. “To confirm our initial theories, we need to catch something on our cameras. Without it, we’ll have to keep trying until we succeed. Or leave, labeling this case as unresolved.”
Her jaw ticked as she considered.
“I know it’s difficult,” I said softly. “Rehashing this stuff with a stranger. But you said you’d be honest with me. Help me leave faster.”
“Right,” she whispered and sat up taller. “So…what’s on my chest? I haven’t been able to sleep in this room since that night on the camcorder. I’ve lain in this bed with the lights on, wide awake, staring at that closet like a little kid who needs someone to check for monsters.”
“Lucky for you, I’m certified in checking for monsters.” I got up.
“Rae…” Octavia stood, too, but remained near the window.
I opened the closet door without pause and pulled down the chain light switch.
Orange warmth brought life to the dusty space.
The closet was full of old cardboard boxes and plastic containers stuffed with binders and photo albums. Besides a handful of dust bunnies, there was nothing in the dark corners.
“See, no monsters.” I stepped aside so Octavia had an unobstructed view.
She leaned forward without moving a step closer. Her bottom lip pulled between her teeth as she did her own inspection. When she came up with the same findings as I had, she cleared her throat.
“Right, of course.” Her fingers were in her hair, shaking as they busied themselves with detangling.