Soul Protector Read Online Free PDF Page A

deodorant and perfume would suffice. In her wardrobe, on the
left hand-side, was an outfit already pulled together. I took it
off the hanger and climbed into the floaty top and linen trousers.
I pulled on one of her jackets and finished it off with the scarf
she’d looped round the same hanger. Looking at the finished
ensemble in the mirror, it was perfect; perfect on Lydia’s body,
anyway.
    I grabbed her bag off the
work-surface and after double-checking her car keys were in there,
I walked out the door.
    ~
    I sat on the bus heading into
town and felt paranoid that everyone knew what I was up to. I felt
myself starting to sweat and tried to slow my breathing down to
make me relax. I had to keep reminding myself there was no need to
feel self-conscious. Nobody knew this wasn’t my body, so to them I
looked completely normal. All I had to do was act it. I folded my
hands on my lap and looked out the window, breathing in through my
nose for a count of four and then out through my mouth.
    I didn’t know if I was
imagining it, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
After a couple of minutes the feeling of eyes burning into the back
of me became so intense, I couldn’t bear it any longer and glimpsed
over my shoulder. I had been right. Sitting two rows behind was a
plump woman with an orange glow above her head. I assumed it must
be coming from the skylight. My eyes connected with hers and she
gave me a discreet smile and nod, before looking away. I smiled
back, too late for her to see, and faced forward again. See
Gracie, nobody knows, so stop panicking .
    The bus pulled in at the
station and I hopped out of my seat and followed a line of
passengers down the stairs. As I stepped off the platform the smell
of diesel hit me, causing a wave of queasiness. When I thought
about it, I realised it might not just be the fumes making me feel
ill. Lydia hadn’t had anything to eat since that cookie the night
before.
    I managed to dodge a motorbike
on the zebra crossing as I headed towards a small cafe across the
road. A man on his way out stopped in his tracks, beamed, and held
the door for me to enter.
    “There you go, babe,” he said,
his eyes twinkling.
    “Oh, thank you.”
    He looked me up and down. “The
pleasure is all mine.”
    Inside, it was warm and cosy
and the smell of freshly roasted coffee was a pleasant contrast to
the diesel fumes. I walked past the little wooden tables and chairs
towards the counter.
    There was a young lad serving.
He was tall and wiry with pale blonde hair and fresh acne scars. He
looked up and did a double-take. He knows. His cheeks went
red and he stuttered as he asked for my order. I felt my own cheeks
go red and wondered if I should make a sharp exit, but instead
heard myself order a tuna-melt Panini and a skinny latte.
    He turned to the unit behind
him and as I watched him place a glass under the coffee machine, I
tried hard to slow my breathing down. I had to keep reminding
myself there was no way anyone could know I was in someone else’s
body.
    He walked back, scooped up a
Panini from the display and placed it on the toaster. His eyes
flicked in my direction and he gave me a shy smile, before turning
back to fiddle with the coffee machine. As it whirred and
spluttered to life, the real reason for his reaction clicked into
place and I felt relief wash over me.
    I’d seen the same reaction
happen on numerous occasions before but never to me personally, and
that was what had thrown me. It had nothing to do with me and
everything to do with the way Lydia looked. My breathing went back
to normal and when toaster guy looked my way again, I smiled back
to try and put him at ease.
    I batted away guilty feelings
as I peeled a ten pound note from Lydia’s purse, making a mental
note to somehow pay her back without her knowing.
    There was a table free next to
the window, so I walked across and put my latte down. I unfolded my
napkin and placed it over the sticky patch left behind