“I’ll have you know there’s no hacking involved. It’s a post-mortem, not a dismemberment. I’m a professional, not a trainee serial killer.”
“Still, the quicker we can get you back in your body the better.” Dusty chews her lip.
“So what do you suggest?” I cross my arms. “An exorcism? Because I hate to break it to you, but I’m not Catholic. In fact, I’m not even religious.”
“I don’t think being Catholic is a prerequisite for an exorcism and anyway, I don’t think that would work.” She taps her fingers against the side of the cup. “I hate to say it, but I think we need to go back to see Evangeline.” She grimaces.
“I thought you liked Evangeline?”
“I do, but if we go back to the bookshop, that means I’m going to have to tell Bruce what happened.”
“I’m sure he’ll understand,” I say softly.
“Maybe,” she murmurs.
“You really like him,” I blurt out with the realisation. “I meanlikelike him, as more than a hookup.”
“Can we not talk about grown-up relationships?” She rolls her eyes. “It’s too early in the morning for me to be breaking out in hives.”
“It’s okay, you know, to want more,” I say as I watch her. “Even in the afterlife, you’re allowed to be happy.”
“Tristan, what did I just say?”
“Fine.” I raise my hands in surrender. “By the way, you’ll need to feed Jacob Marley before we go anywhere. His food is in that cupboard.”
“Tris, honey, I’ve been practically living with you for months. I know where JM’s food is, just like I know where all your sex toys are hidden.”
If I still had my physical body, I’m sure my face would be the colour of a lobster right now. Instead, I clear my throat innocently.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about and besides, my bedroom is off-limits, that was the agreement.”
“That was before I ended up babysitting your body.” Dusty smirks. “I found them this morning when I went into your bottom drawer. I have to admit I’m impressed, Tris… it’s always the quiet ones.” She winks at me.
“Ugh.” I press my palm to my forehead, wondering if the ground can open up and swallow me. Only, if that happened while in my current disembodied state, I’d end up in my neighbour’s flat below. “Can you just feed my cat, please?”
She chuckles heartily as she grabs Jacob Marley’s bowl and begins to fill it.
“Where is JM, anyway?” Dusty asks. “He’s usually skulking around here somewhere, but I haven’t seen him since last night.”
“I think we’ve traumatised him.” I wince.
We’d walked through the door last night, and Jacob Marley had taken a single look at me—and I mean my physical body that Dusty’s currently wearing like last season’s Prada—and then he’d looked across to the insubstantial ghost form of me, and I swear that if he’d been a cartoon, his eyes would’ve popped out of his head on stalks. He gave a shrill yowl and darted from the room, and I haven’t seen him since.
“Just fill his bowls and leave them on the floor. Hopefully, he’ll come out once we’re gone,” I say.
She’s just set his water bowl down on the floor when there’s a knock at the door. She goes to answer it and I follow behind, hoping it’s not Danny. Not because I don’t want to see him, I do. I missed sleeping wrapped up in his arms last night, but Dusty managed to convince him to go back to his flat. I knew he wanted to stay and make sure I was okay.
This whole situation just plain sucks.
The door swings open and there’s Chan standing outside holding a garment bag, which I’m not sure I want to know the contents of, in one hand and a takeout bag in the other.
“Oh,” Dusty gasps, eyes bright with excitement. “Please tell me that’s a triple bacon, sausage, cheese, and egg sandwich from Julio’s?”
“It is.” Chan grins as Dusty snatches the bag with a squeal, planting an enthusiastic kiss on Chan’s mouth before turning back around and dashing into the kitchen.
“Hey, Tris.” Chan walks in, glancing around. Even though she can’t see me, she knows I’m here and I appreciate the acknowledgement.
She closes the door behind her and hooks the garment bag on the coat hooks by the door. She looks totally different, I realise with a jolt. She’s wearing a bright shocking pink dress with padded shoulders which wraps around her body like a second skin. Instead of her standard elegant thin needle heels, she’s wearing chubby platform ankle boots in the same eye-watering pink. Her long black hair is wrapped in a complicated braid and hanging over one shoulder. But the crowning glory is the large and elaborate hat pinned to her head at a jaunty angle.
