Me and My Ghoulfriends (14 page)

He slid his hand to the small of my back, as he had on our first date, and guided me into the restaurant. My skin tingled as his fingers pressed against it. Thankfully, the place was empty. We were the only customers. Most people don’t go out for pizza around here until the weekend. Dimmed lights, tablecloths with flowers in the middle, who knew a pizza parlor could be so romantic and cozy? So, it was just the two of us, and the silence dangled in the air as we sat down and scanned the menu.

“What kind do you like?”

Everything. Especially pepperoni
.

“I like cheese.” No need to be a pig in front of him this soon.

“Do you like pepperoni? It’s my favorite.”

Mine too! I wanted to yell.

“Sure, that would be fine.” I smiled. I needed comfort food right about then, anyway, with the way I felt on the inside.

“So how long have you had the bookstore?”

“Well, my grandparents had it for fifteen years,” I said, taking a sip of the water the waitress had just set down. “They retired a year ago, and moved to Florida. So when they did, I bought it from them. It was the best decision I ever made. I love it. It’s my dream job.”

He took a sip of his water and eyed me from the top of the glass.

“So is the love of coffee and pastry the sole reason you opened up your store?”

“Yes, it was the sole reason.” He laughed.

His laugh was infectious and I couldn’t help but join him in his mirth. It radiated across the table and gave me a warm feeling that easily spread through my body.

“Well you must work out a lot to keep from packing on the pounds from all of those pastries.”

“I run every day and, because of that, I can afford to eat pastry. I hope it doesn’t catch up to me someday. Actually I think it might,” he said, patting his flat stomach.

As I watched, I wondered what that stomach looked like under his shirt. I had a flash of his buttons magically popping off, zinging around the room and exposing his tight washboard abs.

Forcing myself out of my musing, I said, “Must be nice. I can gain weight by looking at a doughnut. Of course, I don’t run every day. I do work out, though.”

I didn’t tell him that sometimes I had to run on an investigation. If the ghosts got a little ornery, or a demon was loose in the building, then quite often it was necessary to make a run for it. Although that wasn’t the equivalent to running a marathon, it was something.

“So what else do you do for fun? Do you work every weekend?”

“My bookstore is pretty much it. And I do work most every weekend.” Wow, did I sound boring.

“No other interests?”

“No, not really. Of course, I love reading.” I switched gears and threw the questions at him. “What about you? What are your interests besides pastries and running?”

I wanted to add ‘and besides being a womanizer.’

“Just the usual stuff. I like to read and travel some.” His thick eyelashes fluttered at me, and then he displayed another shy grin.

“Really? Where have you traveled to? I’ve only traveled around the States.”

“I’ve been to London, Ireland and Spain. And, of course, around the States, too.”

“I hope to travel someday myself. I’d love to go to Ireland.”

Just then
,
the waitress popped up to take our order. The silence was back after she’d grabbed our menus and headed back to the kitchen with our request.

Many thoughts were churning in my mind.
Was I the ‘other woman?’ How many other women did he have? How many other women did he take for pizza?

Finally, Callahan broke the quiet that encircled us.

“Tell me more about your grandparents and why you bought their store.” Callahan fixed his entrancing eyes on me from the top of his glass as he took another drink.

“Well,” I paused, breaking free of his gaze. “They gave me a great price on the store. That was the only way I could have ever afforded it.”

“You’re lucky.”

“I don’t know. I guess I am lucky in that respect. I think they’d felt sorry for me my whole life, and a discount on the shop was one way they could finally try and make up for it.”

“Why do you say that? Why did they feel sorry for you?”

I couldn’t believe I was opening up to him like this. I’d never shared that information with anyone. But how could I resist his charm? He seemed to be genuinely interested in what I had to say.

“They’d always felt guilty that I’d grown up fatherless. It wasn’t their fault, though, nothing they could do about it. It wasn’t as if they could control their son’s actions his entire life.”

“Your father wasn’t around, then?”

I shook my head. “No. My father skipped town when my mother became pregnant. I’ve never met him. His parents still live in town; they’re the ones I got the shop from. He’s never had a desire to see me, as far as I know. And that’s fine by me, the feeling is mutual.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought up the subject.”

“Don’t be. I’m not. I’m fine with everything.” I waved a dismissive hand. “I’ve had a great life with no regrets. My grandfathers were always there for me.”

My mother had always worried that I’d seek out a father figure in a mate, since I’d never had a father. I’d never had a dad like the other children, one that lived with me and read me bedtime stories, or chased away monsters in my closet in the middle of the night. I’d had to be content with visiting my grandfathers, and that was the extent of my male role models.

I’d done all right, though. I didn’t think I’d tried to seek out a father figure. But hell, maybe that was why I couldn’t find a boyfriend, after all. Sure, I’d dated, maybe even loved, before, but I’d never been in love. And it pained me to admit it, but I wanted that experience. Mindy always told me that I really didn’t want it. She said I’d be better off without it. Just dating for eternity. But what kind of life would it be to never have loved? For some stupid reason, when I’d met Callahan, I’d thought he may be my chance to be in love. I supposed it had just been my hormones thinking. Or my need to find someone just like my father, who’d walk out on me.

I needed to change the subject; that topic was way too serious for pizza. Thankfully, the waitress came with the steaming dish, placing the pie in front of us with a huge smile on her face.

“Please, allow me.” Callahan scooped up a piece with the spatula and slipped it onto a plate, smiling as he sat it in front of me.

“Thank you. It looks delicious.”

“You’re welcome.”

Between bites of pizza we chatted about books again, something we both obviously had in common. I didn’t have the nerve to ask about Brianna, which was my purpose for going on the date in the first place. Callahan could seriously put away some pizza; it seemed pastry wasn’t the only food he loved.

“It’s getting late. I’d better get home,” I said, dabbing at my mouth with my napkin.

He didn’t speak, instead his eyes searched mine. Finally
,
he said, “I’ll just go pay our bill.” Did he want to say more? Maybe he was going to confess about his dating Brianna?

He stood and walked toward the register, and I couldn’t help but watch his jeans as they moved away from me. He had a fantastic butt. I stretched from my chair and tossed my purse over my shoulder, meeting him at the door.

Our waitress was eyeing Callahan
, too
. I couldn’t say I blamed her, he was hard to resist. Opening the door and leading me outside to my car, Callahan sure was getting extra points for his chivalry. He opened my door in one fluid motion, and as I turned to slide in, he grabbed my arm. His action was bold and caught me off guard.

He leaned in close to me and whispered, “Larue, I think you are the most beautiful women I’ve ever laid my eyes on.” His warm breath tickled my skin.

The longing in his voice made my stomach dance with desire. Without uttering another word, he moved his lips slowly to mine. They were warm, despite the chilly night temperature.

I prayed Mindy wouldn’t drive by at that exact moment and see how terribly weak I was.

Callahan opened my lips with his tongue, and the taste of his sweet mouth sent me into overdrive. He held his strapping arms around my waist, pulling me close to him. There was no denying he was excited.

I couldn’t bring myself to pull away, despite the fact we were in the middle of the parking lot. Luckily, it was dark; no one would see our passionate kisses. Or so I thought.

Abruptly, just as I thought I would never catch my breath again, bright lights flooded the area. We stood like deer with our eyes dazzled by headlights.

I held my hand in the air, blocking out the light and looking to see what it was. The illumination was so bright I thought it was
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
. Someone was obviously having a good time shining their headlights directly on us.

They may as well have hosed us down with cold water. I slipped into the driver seat and said goodbye, a smile on my face all the way home.

249

             
Me and My Ghoulfriends

Chapter 12

All right, so that went well, minus the headlights blinding us. We never figured out who that was; their windows had been tinted too darkly. Probably some teenagers playing games.

The date left me faced with a definite dilemma. What was I supposed to do? I wasn’t about to get involved with a man who was dating Brianna. Yet, last night he’d acted as if I was the only woman in his life.

I could hear Mindy, now. “That’s what gigolos do,” she would say. No doubt she’d see right through me as soon as she walked through the door of
Book Nook
.

She’d read me like one of the books placed carefully on the shelves in my little store.

I might as well have written it across my forehead:
I have a thing for the man who makes my coffee
. So, I was smitten with Callahan, and I couldn’t hide it. But the burning question persisted, was he interested in Brianna? I had no idea what the answer was, but I’d have to worry about that later. For just a little while, all I wanted was to enjoy the time I had, basking in the success of my dates. Two of them. I could still feel his tantalizing kiss on my lips.

My little black coupe zipped around the corner as I zoomed onto Main Street. I was running late to open the shop. I’d stumbled out of bed still in a lust-induced trance. If Mrs. Williams hadn’t sung
Talkin’ in Your Sleep
, I might have slept half the day away.

Her screeching the lyrics echoed through my mind.
It was enough to wake the dead, er, well, whatever; she couldn’t sing a note.

As I cruised along the road and slowed the car down, I couldn’t help but take a moment to soak up my surroundings. Unquestionably, the town I called home had an air about it, not something identifiable per se, but it was there. And whatever it was, it was drifting down the streets, ruffling through the trees, and zipping in and out of the buildings. The place was exactly where I wanted to be. I just loved my little hometown.

The quaint and cozy historic section was lined with stone buildings and brick sidewalks. Huge planters sat along the sidewalks, overflowing with flowers that drooped slightly as they reached their final days for the season. The colder weather would be coming soon. Some of the shops had awnings covering their entrances, while others had clever signs dangling gently over the doors.

Mine was one of the latter; the words
Book Nook
were proudly displayed above the entrance. My grandparents had always loved that name. My grandmother, Lily, had thought of it when they’d first opened the shop, years ago. I was thankful that I had
Book Nook
to come to every day.

It was a crisp morning in Kentucky and the cool air had put a spring in my stride as I walked into
Book Nook
feeling on top of the world. Strangers walking down the sidewalk most likely noticed I had a slight pep in my step.

But all good things must come to an end. Time to come down from my fluffy love cloud and get to work.

As soon as I walked into the shop, the scent of the old building made me feel warm and safe inside. I stuffed my purse in my office and hustled back to my stool behind the counter. With some reluctance, I began my morning routine. I’d just taken the money out of the safe when Abe approached.

“You seem happy with your new beau.”

“Things went well,” I said.

“Don’t let him get away.”

“I’ll do my best.” I rolled my eyes as he turned away, walking over to the leather chairs placed in front of the fireplace.

That afternoon, I idly wandered through the aisles straightening books. The bell chimed on the door and, from the aisle where I was standing, I peeked over to see who had entered. I felt the smile on my face spread.

“Just thought I’d pop in and say hello. I brought you pastry this time.” He waved a paper sack in front of his face. “I didn’t want to be too predictable.”

“Thank you,” I said.
Please don’t let him notice me blushing.

Walking over to where he was standing, I reached for the bag while Callahan reached for me. He scooped me up, and without warning placed a delicious kiss on my lips. No one knows how extremely embarrassing it is to kiss in front of Abraham Lincoln.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

I giggled like a little girl. “That’s quite all right.”

Catching a whiff of the pastry, I retrieved the bag from his hands, opened it and took in a deep breath of the cinnamon-covered pastry.

“It smells delicious. That is so sweet of you to think of me.”

“You are sweet.” He was invading my personal space and I loved every minute of it.

“I have to get back to the shop, but I wanted to ask you to go to the concert in the park with me tonight. There’s a great band playing.” He gave me his best pleading smile.

It was hard to say no to him. Callahan Weiss, he was all male, and I couldn’t deny that fact. Also, I couldn’t help but realize what a strong effect he was having on me. I looked at his tall frame, all six feet of it, standing before me. His short black hair was mussed, just the way I liked it. I never had wanted a man to spend more time on his hair than I spent on mine. I didn’t hesitate on giving him an answer.

“I’d love to.”

He smiled from ear to ear and walked backward toward the door.

“I’ll see you at seven.” He smiled as he fumbled for the doorknob behind him.

The bell chimed above the door and he was gone. I sauntered over to my counter space and sank down onto my stool. My emotions were a combination of joy, excitement and undeniable confusion. Ignoring the group of ghouls who were smiling with approval at me, I became lost in my daydreams.

I usually stay in at lunchtime, since I am the only employee. Sometimes Mindy helps and Sarah, a high school student from town, works on some weekends. A brown paper bag, containing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, usually holds my lunch. I eat in between customers. It’s not that relaxing, but it’s not too bad. Today a trip to the bank was in order, so I figured I’d close up shop for an hour, run out, grab a bite and then dash back, I hoped, before anyone missed me.

Of course, I couldn’t make the trip alone. No, I had to take my posse with me. Somehow all of us always managed to crowd into my car. Heaven forbid they ever stay behind and give me privacy. They had been talking about Callahan all morning, since they saw him kiss me. I expected them to break out into
K.I.S.S.I.N.G Callahan and Larue sittin’ in a tree
at any moment. I think they liked him much more than I did, even.

Locking the door behind me, I’d moved out from the entrance onto the sidewalk when, all of a sudden, a loud crash rang through the air above me. I looked up to see the
Book Nook
sign breaking free from the chains that held it.

An unseen hand shoved me onto the sidewalk as the sign slammed onto the ground. My heart jumped and I gasped for air right before my face smashed into the sidewalk bricks. Groaning, I turned my head to the sky toward where the sign had been dangling seconds before. I couldn’t believe it had fallen, narrowly missing me. It had nearly hit me right on top of the head.

If it had, I’d have been a goner. I’d have been forever stuck with Abe and the gang, probably never crossing over myself. With all of my unfinished business lately, I can’t help but think I’d be doomed to roam within the walls of my bookstore for all of eternity. What would all the spirits do then, without me to help them cross over from this world? Although, as of late, I couldn’t even carry out that action correctly.

I wasn’t sure what had come over me lately, but I dearly wished I could shake it. Pure bad luck had swung my way and I couldn’t seem to break free of it. If it hadn’t been for Abe pushing me out of the way at the last minute, I shudder to think what might have happened.

A tall, lean man who’d been walking on the street, ran to my side.

“Are you all right?” he asked, kneeling beside me, wrinkling his suit more than it already was.

“I… think so,” I stammered. I leaned up from the sidewalk, glancing around to see who might be watching me. I was dazed and in shock.

The sign was lying on the ground, inches away from my feet; it had also come out unscathed.

I gazed up again at the empty spot where it had been hanging. Nothing seemed wrong, but somehow it had come loose.

Abe and the gang were standing around me with looks of concern furrowing their faces.

The man reached his hand down to me. “Here let me help you.”

By that time, a few people were watching me from a distance.

‘I was hoping to go unnoticed,’ I felt like saying ‘Nothing to see here, move along people.’ But I refrained. I felt the heat in my cheeks at the embarrassment of everyone watching me. I stood and brushed my jeans off.

“Are you all right?” the man asked.

“I’ll probably have a bruise tomorrow, but I think I’m fine.” I didn’t bother to tell him where I thought the bruise would be. Too much information.

“I don’t understand how the sign fell. Maybe it was the wind.”

The man peered up at the sign, rubbed his chin with his left hand and assessed the situation. “Well, there’s not much wind today. But perhaps the screws holding it were loose.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I smoothed down my hair. “I’ll have to get that looked at. Thanks again for the help.”

“You’re welcome. It was my pleasure. Take it easy now, and watch out for those flying signs.”

“I will.” I laughed.

I picked up the heavy sign and dragged it back up to the entrance, balancing it against my leg as I unlocked the door. Too bad I hadn’t asked the man to help me move it before he’d walked away; it weighed a ton. Or too bad it would look strange if the ghosts helped me. I could have had them carry it. Needless to say, people would probably be freaked out to see a sign moving along the sidewalk by itself.

I propped the sign against the wall and turned to head out once again, this time making sure there were no flying signs. I’d have to call the man who had installed it as soon as I got back from lunch. After that near brush with death, I definitely needed some comfort food and maybe I’d even splurge on dessert.

My cell rang.

“What are you doing for lunch?” Mindy chirped.

“You’re not going to believe what happened to me.”

“What happened? Are you all right? You sound a bit panicked.”