Jacques gives me a blank stare. “That entire concept is very strange.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “It makes sense and it doesn’t at the same time.”
“Whatever it is,” Thomas says, “I’m glad you’ve been home all week.”
“Me too. Lying at work isn’t fun.”
“Then just tell your boss about the vampires next time.” Thomas winks.
“Yeah. That’ll go over well. Pretty sure I’d be out of a job if I did that.”
“Would that be a bad thing?” Gil asks.
“Yes. I need money to pay for, well, everything.”
“But you own your house.”
“Yeah,” I say. “But I still have to pay taxes on it, as well as utilities. And that’s not to mention other things like food, gas for my car, car insurance, my car payment, health insurance, life insurance, putting money away for retirement, putting more away in my ‘oh shit’ fund, and then hoping to have anything left over to spend for fun.”
“That’s, uh, a lot.”
“Yeah.” I shake my head. “But that’s how it is. And I’m fine. I’m a good saver.”
“I didn’t know any women like you in my old life,” Thomas says, getting a distant look in his eye.
“It’s because I wear pants, right?” I add, and Thomas chuckles.
“Yes. Pants weren’t allowed.”
I shake my head. “It’s kind of scary to think about. You were pretty much stuck wherever you were born, right?”
“Right,” Gil answers. “Not too many rich men would want to marry a poor woman.”
“Did anyone marry for love?” I ask.
“Oh, they did,” Thomas answers. “Which is why I refused the arrangement presented to me.”
“That’s just so—”
I’m cut off by a knock at the door. It’s rather frantic to be the delivery person, though the last time I ordered Chinese takeout the guy who brought me the food told me I needed to leave the house. The food is coming from a different place this time, but even I’ll admit the house is creepy at night.
“I’ll get it,” Jacques says, pushing off the chair. He grabs the dollar bills I have laid out on the coffee table to give for the tip and answers the door. I’m too snuggled up with Gil to look into the foyer, and my stomach grumbles at the thought of fried rice and egg rolls.
“What are you doing here?” Jac asks, and gets all of our attentions.
“Is Ace home?” Jared’s voice drifts through the house. “I need to talk to her.”
Untangling myself from Gil, I stand and the effects of the glass of wine I chugged on an empty stomach hit me. Steadying myself, I go through the house to the front door.
“Jared?” I ask, slipping my arm around Jacques. I gently pull him back. “What’s going on?”
His cheeks are pale and his eyes are wide. “I…I saw a ghost.”
“Really?” I ask as gently as I can.
“Yeah.” He nods quickly. “I…I think it was Lynn.”
“Lynn?”
“The girl you were looking up the other day.” His brow furrows. “It looked just like her.”
Fuck.I close my eyes in a long blink. “Was she by any chance wearing a pink dress?”
Jared looks right at me. “Yes.”
