The package was waiting for me when I got to my apartment. Well, it was waiting at the front desk since it was too large to fit in my mail slot or even the hallway without causing distractions. The doorman eyed me weirdly, but I insisted it was a new bed frame from Ikea, and handed him a twenty to help me get it up to my flat.
I felt remotely bad for lying to my best friend this morning. I told him I caught some sort of virus from the sushi we ate the previous night after I got the email this morning that my cargo was arriving this evening. I couldn't just go away on a skiing trip and leave it alone. Plus, the longer I had it, the more it cost. I may not care about money, but this thing didn't come cheap.
Once the box was standing upright in the foyer of my apartment, I thanked the doorman, and went in search of my hammer. I didn't know if I actually owned one, but luckily the tool was in a drawer in the kitchen hidden behind pizza delivery coupons and scotch tape. After grabbing a drink from the fridge, I made my way back to the wooden crate, setting down my glass and beginning to claw it open.
Careful not to damage the hardware or the contents, I managed to get it pried apart. It resembled a coffin, and even had hinges on one side for proper opening and closing. With all my strength, I tilted the box back, cursing as I heard it scraping and chipping the paint on the wall, then peeked inside.
From behind the massive amounts of bubble wrap, I could see a dark mass at the top, and then tan with a splash of red and dark fabric down the rest of the figure. I smiled at the distorted shape through the plastic, then reached in, and pulled out the large hunk of air covered packaging. It was a lot heavier than I expected, causing me to stumble back against the adjacent wall, all the weight of my purchase against my chest.
I debated on shoving and tossing it to the ground, but decided to carefully position my arms around it, and place it in the open area between my front hallway and the living room. For once the size of my apartment had its advantages over just making me feel smaller and more alone.
With the object on the floor, I began to unroll the heavy mass, leaving a trail of bubble wrap in its wake. My knees popped and snapped the air bubbles as I slowly saw more and more of the figure I was unraveling. Pushing it once more so it was on its back, I sighed down at it, not realizing how much effort I had been using. Leaning in, I took a good look at its face and features. Dark hair, wide set eyes, thick nose, full red lips, strong jaw... He looked so lifelike, almost as though any minute he would open his eyes.
I sat back, wondering how freaky it would be had he actually opened his eyes. My heart leapt out of its home at the sound of shotguns firing through the air. I ducked, clinching my chest and breathing deeply against the sweatshirt the object was wearing beneath me. All was quiet for a few minutes as I waited to hear police cars chasing the sound. Then I moved my leg which was cramping, and the sounds came softer this time.
Sitting back, I let out a deep breath and shook my head. It was the damn bubble wrap. Laughing at myself, I stood up, trying not to pop anymore so I could use it to wrap the doll up again at the end of the weekend.
With the object completely unwrapped, I decided to change into my pajamas since they were easy to remove and I was planning on a long night. When I came back into the living room, I saw the boy sitting there, a sort of comfort filtered through my body with the fact that someone was in my apartment, sitting on the couch, just waiting for me.
I read through the laminated manual with various key codes and prices. Studying the diagram, I reached over, unbuttoned the doll's shirt, and opened the flap right over where the heart should be. Smirking at the fact that its nipple rested on the flap, I ran my finger along it, impressed at the lifelike feel. They definitely didn't mess around on making these things.
Following the instructions, I realized I didn't have any money with me, so I pulled all my loose change from the front door where I empty my pockets each night, the kitchen where I keep my poker money, and the laundry room where money always seems to pile up. I walked back to the couch with a handful of quarters. Placing them on the coffee table, I slipped a quarter in the slot, and typed in the first code: Familiarizing yourself with your friend.
"Hi!" It spoke in a slightly hyper voice, deep and smooth, I wondered if it took several takes to make it perfect, seductive. There was a pause where I filled with a quick 'Uh, hi...' and it continued. "My name is Blaine, what's yours?"
I raised a brow at it, wondering if I said it aloud that it would actually say it back. Looking back down at the manual, it said in bold The doll cannot hear you. Well, I guess that answers that question.
So, this was Blaine. I tilted my head, he kind of did look like a Blaine, not that I have ever met a Blaine in my life, but I could see it. Reading on, I found that you could put in $1 and the doll would open his eyes for 4 hours. Another quarter, and it would blink. I contemplated the price, but figured it would be weird for the thing to just be staring at me unblinking, so I put $1.25 in the slot and pressed the code for the eyes.
My breath caught in my throat. His eyes were beautiful. Hazel, chocolate brown that were heavily dilated and full of shine. I reached out and ran my hand through his hair as he blinked. He wasn't exactly looking at me, but what could I expect? Picking up the manual again, I skimmed to see if there was a way to make eye contact. Come on, they made a speaking doll, there had to be some sort of technology for that, right?
His hair was soft as I played with it. It felt just as human as his skin, so I leaned in, pressing my nose against his temple, letting my forehead rest in his hair. Pulling back, I scrunched up my nose. He smelled like plastic. That's unattractive.
After reviewing the booklet some more, I found out that he was water proof. I smiled. A good shower and use of my ex-boyfriend's shower gel would be perfect. Also, I could use a little relaxation in the tub.