Magnus smiled. “Good.”
He led her to the table and pulled out a chair, and she sat down. Then he turned to the wine bucket and withdrew a bottle of white. “Would you like a glass?”
“Please.”
He poured her a glass of wine, then one for himself, and then took a seat at the head of the table, right next to her. “The first course will be ready soon.”
“Too bad you don’t have a waiter.”
“I don’t want anyone interrupting this date,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand in his.
Her stomach fluttered and as she opened her mouth to say something, a ghost came rocketing out of the far wall, totally naked, screaming at the top of his lungs. Her spine stiffened as she watched the ectoplasmic streaker run through the dining room and then disappear in a burst of energy into the kitchen.
Magnus looked over his shoulder. “What did you just see?”
Mercedes blinked a couple of times. “I’m not sure you would believe me if I told you.”
“Try me. I mean, you are talking to someone who has seen a lot of nonsense in ten centuries and was cursed into immortality. Maybe I can believe in the absurd.”
“I forget that.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You forget I’m a ghoul? I mean, the red eyes do unnerve some people.”
“Not me.” And she squeezed his hand. “You really want to know about the haunts in this house?”
“You’ve told me a couple.”
“This one is new to me.” She laughed nervously. “A nude streaker, apparently.”
Magnus’ eyes widened and then he laughed loudly. “Okay, well now I’ve heard everything.”
“Sorry. Maybe it’s a good thing you can’t see them.”
A timer went off and Magnus let go of her hand. “First course is ready. Sit tight and I’ll be right back.”
Magnus excused himself from the table and disappeared through the wall the nude streaker had gone through.
Mercedes tried to relax, resting her head in her hands, when Sal came floating into the room. She peered at the gangster ghost through her fingers.
“Doll, have you seen a nude guy run through here?”
“Is the nude guy your fault?”
Sal shrugged. “Sort of. He was asleep with the fishes in the pond out back, and I guess all the work that lizard guy was doing released him.”
“You killed someone, Sal?”
“No. No. Not someone. A snitch.”
Mercedes sighed. “He’s dead, maybe you can let him be. He obviously has some issues to work through before he crosses over.”
The shrieking started again, distant, and then a naked man bust through the wall, screaming, and then came to a stop when he spotted Sal. “You!”
“Listen, Mario,” Sal stated.
“No. I was no snitch,” Mario the naked ghost asserted.
“Guys!” Mercedes shouted. They both turned and looked at her in shock. “Can you take your disagreement about snitches outside?”
