Kayli Unknown

Chapter 3 - Lisa

Lisa arrived midafternoon. Kat was tempted to ignore the knock at her door. The Tylenol had helped – a little. But when she got up to use the bathroom she had felt dizzy. And she ached all over. And when she looked in the bathroom mirror, she knew she looked awful. It was a good day to just lie in bed.

But. Her lodge was in the middle of nowhere. Ten miles outside Amberg, and Amberg was, well, outside anywhere. So if people were at her door, they had driven a distance, and they had driven with a purpose. She waited until she heard knocks a second time, then slid out of bed, pulled on a robe, and shuffled to the door.

Lisa. Jim's bartender. The one who hadn't shown up for work the day before. Always dressed like a cow girl. Cow girl boots, jeans skirt, jeans jacket, embroidered blouse. Dyed hair. Washed out blonde, short, ribbons around pig tails that would look better on someone thirty years younger. Makeup. Bright. Extensive. Put on with some care but limited skill. What saved her was a smile that seemed genuine. Always a smile. Always wanting to please. By reputation, she would please one or two men a month. And they probably were well pleased. Mid-thirties, she had good hips, tight waist, C or D cups that pressed against her blouse. And a ready smile. No hard words, no harsh good byes. A smile and a kiss and on to the next guy.

She stood at Kat's door with a smile and a cardboard box.

"Kat. I was so sorry to hear what happened. I heard you were hurt. I brought some soup. May I come in?"

It was January, and Kat had left Lisa standing out in the cold, but in truth, she was shocked as hell to see her. Lisa had been Jim's main bartender for almost a year now, so they had run into each other several times, but they had probably exchanged less than ten words. And here she was, at Kat's door. With soup.

"Of course. Thank you for coming." Kat finally backed away from the door and let the woman in. Lisa set down her box, took off her heavy coat, boots, and gloves, and then unbuttoned her jeans jacket. Her blouse was unbuttoned enough that Kat could decide for herself – D cups. Definitely D cups.

"Your kitchen? I should probably reheat the soup." Kat led the way through the lodge. Lisa was a talker. She had something to say about everything they passed. The furniture, the carpet, the fireplace, the windows, the antler chandelier. If she saw it, she commented. Mostly things were "beautiful," but they could also be "fabulous, interesting, or exotic." The kitchen, of course, was "overwhelming," but also "very professional."

She motioned for Kat to take a seat at the large preparation table – which Kat gladly did. She didn't like how dizzy she felt. With a few quick directions from Kat, Lisa found a pan, and had the soup on the stove. She sliced up some cheese and an apple, and put them on a plate while waiting for the soup to heat.

"They told me you might have a concussion, so I suggest you eat a little of this and a little of that," she said as she put the cheese plate in front of Kat. "Not too much of anything. I'll have the soup for you in just a minute. Your bowls?"

Kat pointed to a cabinet, and Lisa finished putting the meal in front of her. Lisa hovered over Kat for a minute, checking to see if everything was all right, then poured herself a bowl of soup and took the chair next to Kat.

"If you want to talk about last night, I am here to listen, but if you just was some quiet while you eat, that is fine too. What you need now is food, and rest."

Kat just nodded and slowly ate her soup. Chicken soup. Just an accident, or was Lisa one of those people who saw it as a magic cure? Either way, it tasted pretty good. It also warmed her. She felt her shoulders relax a bit. Chicken soup – grandmothers' version of Tylenol? Kat not only finished that bowl, but took a partial refill.