Read Online The Touch by Lisa Olsen - Free Book Online Page A

to time with a part time job for extra cash.  Though she hadn’ t enjoyed a huge success, Lexi usually sold a few pieces a month which was enough to keep her above the poverty line.  Maddie was even helping her put together a website to both display and sell her art.
    The art studio was set up in the detached garage on the rear of the property that Paul was generous enough to allow her to use .  He’d helped her build a workbench along one wall and a set of drying ra cks along another.  Lately she dabbled a bit more with sculpture than her original love of painting, but as she stepped into the studio, none of her half finished projects called to her.  Instead , she sat before the easel, a blank piece of paper staring back at her while she planned her next piece.
    The image of the woman in Allison’s house returned to her; the owner of the earring.  Her face loomed clear in Lexi’s memory, so full of sadness and longing but unquestionably a great beauty.   The more she thought about it, the more she felt the pull to drop her other projects and paint the woman.  Lexi’s paintings usually followed after a series of sketches to help her find the right positioning and perspective but she wasn’t thinking much about perspective as she started putting inspiration to paper.  The pencil moved with quick, light strokes over the piece , slowly taking form until she stood back to stretch and the woman’s face stared back at her from the easel .  “I wonder who you were…” Lexi murmured, adding a touch of shading and detail she didn’t normally add to the rough sketches. 
    Pulling out a fresh canvas, Lexi started to sketch out the basic layout she had in mind for the portrait, intending to place the woman at her dressing table, just as she’d seen her in the vision.  Oblivious to the passage of time, she set to work until the sound of her name being called from the house caught her attention.  “Out here!” s he yelled back, not particularly caring if it reached the house or not. 
    Paul wasn’t content to just hear her voice though, knocking lightly at the door before entering.  “ I was worried I was go ing to have to send out a search party for you .”
    “ Why?  You knew where I was ,” Lexi replied, still focused on the canvas. 
    “ Yeah , but that was six hours ago , Lex. ”
    “ It was? ”   Turning to the ancient clock radio on the shelf behind her , Lexi saw he was right; she’d been too caught up in her work to notice.  It wasn’t that unusual of an occurrence when she picked up something new.  Her stomach gave a loud rumble, corroborating the time of day.  “No wonder I’m so hungry, is there any of that pasta left? ”
    “ Yeah , tons.  What are you working on? ”  Paul came up behind her to study the work in progress. 
    Some artists didn’t like anyone to see their work until it was completed, but Lexi wasn’t one of them.  “This,” she stepped back to let him get a better view of it.
    “ You just started this today? ” h e sounded impressed.
    “ Yeah , what do you think? ”
    “ I think it’s amazing, who is she? ”
    “ I’m not really sure.  I saw her when I was at A llie’s house.  I think she used to live there a long time ago .”
    “ Cool. ”  Paul moved to the discarded sketches, picking up the one she’d done just before starting on canvas.  “ I still think you should sell these too, they’re beautiful .”
    “ Those?  Nah, they’re just rough work to figure out how I want the painting to work ,” Lexi shook her head.
    “ I don’t care what you say, I think they’re fantast ic.  Can I have one of them ? ”
    “ Sure, knock yourself out.  In fact, feel free to go through the recycle bin for all the cast offs you want, ” she grinned .
    “ Maybe later ,” he grinned back.  “ Right now, I think we need to get you washed up and some dinner in you before you pass out .”
    Lexi gave an inelegant snort at the notion of passing out,