Sara Beitia - The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon

Woodbury, Minnesota

The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon 2010 by Sara Beitia.

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First e-book edition 2010

E-book ISBN: 9780738727462

Cover design by Ellen Dahl

Cover images: tree iStockphoto.com/Yellowboat Studios;
woman iStockphoto.com/Vladimir Piskunov

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For Paul

Albert Morales sits on the curb with his head down between his knees, trying to breathe. He waits for his heart to stop pounding so they can get moving again. Olivia Odilon is nearby, just across the streeta slim shadow concealed by the dark arch of a restaurant entryway right next to an empty newsstand. Albert looks up briefly and sees her eyes across the way, two shining chips of glass reflecting the harsh glow of the streetlight. Albert doesnt really believe in God but he prays anyway, in a sweaty ecstasy of desperation, that he wont have a full-on asthma attack. Now that he needs it, the inhaler he uses on very rare occasions is several hundred miles back, sitting on top of his dresser along with, as he recalls, his only necktie, the MP3 player hed received for Christmas, about three dollars in change, and a snapshot of his girlfriend Lily. Lily, who also happens to be long gone.

No point thinking about that.

After a moment he tries a tentative breath, then, finding that he can, he pulls another one down into his lungs, exhaling gratefully and taking in another deep drink of air.

Its good.

Its difficult, but he pushes the panic hes feeling out of his mind, instead concentrating completely on catching his breath. He can hear Olivias feet scraping impatiently at the pavement like a restless animal. He lifts his arm and raises a finger to let her know he just needs another moment.

Albert opens his eyes and sees a small something between his sneakers in the gutter. Without thinking, he reaches down to grab whatever it is, and comes up with a damp matchbox in his fingers. He shakes it. Empty. On one side is a tiny picture of woman wearing a sly smile and not much else; Albert flips the box over and sees that it comes from a place called the Alibi in a city called New Salisbury.

Whatcha got there?

He looks up and sees that Olivia has crossed the street and now stands in front of him. He tosses the empty matchbox up and she catches it between her hands. From some bar or strip club, I guess.

She reads the thing, then laughs softly. Wish we had an alibi right now?

He stands, not answering. I think Im okay now. Lets go.

The two of them set out again, down the deserted street on their way to Lily.

The Kogen house, tucked away at the end of quiet Myrtle Avenue, stood dark. Avoiding the streetlight that shone like a spotlight on the black road and sidewalk, Albert sprinted across the Kogens front lawn and down the narrow side yard. His shoes crunched on the frosty grass. It was a cool, clear February night and he wished hed worn a heavier jacket, or at least a hat. Shivering, he stepped carefully into a flower bed and inched his way up to the window, lifting his hand but hesitating, drawing out the moment of anticipation before he would see her again. Then he was rapping the glass with his knuckles, two long bursts and three short ones. A second later, a light went on in the room and Lily lifted the sash. It was just after midnight.

Hey, Albert whispered, his breath a shimmering ghost between them.

Hey, came Lilys voice from inside. Then she leaned out the window and gave him a long, warm kiss. Come inside, quick.

Albert ran his tongue over his lips and tasted cherry lip balm from her mouth. He lifted himself through the low window expertly, having sneaked into her room this way several times in the weeks since that wonderful and unbelievable day when Lily had smiled at him at school and hed found the courage to actually speak to her.

Her bedroom was warm and smelled like sandalwood, and was lit only by a lamp with a gauzy orange scarf shed draped over the shade for mood.

So, he said, like one of them always did, what do you want to do?

I think you know, she said, closing the window after him and drawing the blinds quickly, covering the ghostly reflection of her room in the window glass. She kissed him again, a brief peck this time on the corner of his mouth, and asked, Why didnt you just come to the door? My parents wont be back from Philly until Sunday and Liv is staying the weekend with Kates family at their cabin. We have the house to ourselves.

He shrugged, the corners of his mouth twisting. Coming in through the window is more exciting. His heart fluttered like a bird trapped in his rib cage, but he kept his voice pretty much steady. He wanted to grab her hand, just for an excuse to touch her.

Lilys face was tilted downward and her eyes darted up to Alberts from under her long eyelashes. When she smiled at him, it was a crooked, sexy smile that caused him actual physical pain when he looked at it too long. From one corner of the room, he couldnt take his eyes off herfrom the hair escaping from her loose ponytail to outline her face in little waves, to her long, pale neck, to her pretty butt rounding out the back of her jeans, to her bare feet with chipping teal paint on the nails. He was amazed at how he could be so delirious over someone he didnt even know existed a few of months ago.

Breaking into Alberts thoughts, Lily turned to him and said, What are you looking at?

Without thinking, he said the first thing that popped into his head. You should be naked. All the time. Even as the words tumbled from his mouth he knew he shouldnt have said it, that she would misunderstand. I just mean, youre beautiful.