They rounded the corner, arriving at the nurse’s station. Merry spotted two of the day shift nurses finishing their notes. Angie always sashayed around like she thought of herself as a femme fatale and Sam was gay. Merry doubted that either one of them would know Jason by sight, so she opened her mouth to introduce him.
Before she uttered a word, Angie looked up and gasped.
“Jason Falco! Oh my God! What are you do—Nevermind. What a fantastic surprise!” She rushed around the nurse’s station and hugged him without asking if he minded.
Shocked speechless, Merry observed the blonde bombshell hanging all over him and telling him what an adoring fan shewas. The green-eyed monster rose higher in Merry’s psyche than the Green Monster backfield wall she had heard of, bringing with it uncomfortable prickles up her spine.Is this how dating him will be? Is that why he just introduced himself as a ‘friend of Merry’s’ rather than my boyfriend?Terrific.
Sam ambled around the desk and stuck out his hand. As he and Jason shook hands, Angie sidled over to Merry and whispered, “How do you know him?”
Too angry to speak, Merry gritted her teeth and didn’t answer. What could she say? He had told her not to mention they lived in the same building. Now she didn’t even want Angie to know they lived in the same neighborhood—or the same state! How many unwelcome guests would that bring to her apartment? Angie wasn’t known for her ability to keep secrets.
She had to think of a way to send Angie away. Preferably to another planet, but on the other side of the desk would have to do.
“Ah, Ange, would you please make a list of the patients who would like a visit from Jason? I haven’t been on for a couple of days, and I’d appreciate someone else who knows their conditions speaking to them first.”
Angie hooked her arm through Jason’s and said in her syrupy sweet voice, “Why don’t I take him around with me? There’s no need for a list.”
Hell’s Bells. That backfired.
Jason glanced at Merry and must have seen the annoyed look on her face. He said, “I’m sorry, Merry promised to take me around—if you don’t mind.”
Merry wanted to kiss him. Maybe this type of behavior is what made him uncomfortable about events like the bachelor auction. Now Merry wouldn’t miss it if she had to be wheeled in on a stretcher.
Angie looked crestfallen and dropped his arm. “Oh. All right.I guess you can go around with whoever you want….” She rolled her eyes.
Merry quickly pointed to the family lounge. “There’s a place where you can wait for me. Or you can go to the coffee shop and come back later if you’d rather.”
“I’d rather not walk into a roomful of strangers in case I’m recognized and stampeded.” He smiled as if making a joke, but maybe he wasn’t. “I’ll just wait over there.” He nodded toward the lounge, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and strolled into the room.
Naturally, an excited shriek followed. “Jason Falco!” someone exclaimed.
The following day, Chad watched as Dottie—appropriately nicknamed—met the would-be new tenant at the bottom of the stairs. “Would-be,” since Chad had a plan to discourage new renters. This one happened to be a professor from the high-tech university across the river.“Good. Probably someone who doesn’t believe in ghosts. I love a challenge.”
Dottie eyed the disheveled looking man wearing ripped jeans and a faded green jacket on the other side of the door and before opening it, she yelled through the thick glass inset window.
“State your business.”
“‘State your business’?”Chad rolled his eyes.“She sounds like a cop. Maybe she was a pig back in Minnesota. Come to think of it, I could see her in an interrogation room making suspects squirm with all of her funky questions and crazy conclusions.”
The man’s eyes narrowed, and he yelled, “I’m supposed to meet the manager to see an apartment. Is it still for rent?”
She paused, frowning, as if she didn’t believe him, gave himthe once over, then exhaled loudly and opened the door. Chad thought she must have been expecting a pipe-smoking, tweed blazer–wearing, clean-cut, bespectacled man.
She held the door for him, and he skirted around it as if she might slam it in his face. She was making Chad’s job too easy! If he didn’t drive the professor off, Dottie would.
She led him to the elevator and punched the button. Chad wasn’t crazy about riding elevators. Being in spirit form, he had to time his ascent and landing just right so he wouldn’t wind up on the other side of the floor or ceiling.
He managed the take-off and stuck the landing just fine.“Whew. Why spend the energy to penetrate solid objects like walls, when it’s so much easier just to zip into spaces when the doors open? Plus, it’s fun to see people shiver if I happen to touch them.”He laughed to himself.
He’d have given this guy a nice chill down the back of his neck, but a collar and long, curly hair covered the sensitive skin there. The professor didn’t bother removing his jacket.
Chad liked the place nice and cool, and it was a good thing since the owners didn’t like wasting oil and kept it just warm enough to prevent the pipes from freezing.
The boxes had been moved from the living room to the closets. While he strolled down the hall, Chad used his telekinesis to open the closet door. That task presented no challenge. He could give it a good slam, too, but would wait until they were in the room so they could see it close with no draft.
He managed to move one of the boxes right into the traffic pattern.“There, now when they round the corner, someone will trip over it and fall splat. That’ll be far-out.”
Now that gravity was no longer his problem, he loved watching people fall down. If they were even a tiny bit psychic, they’d hear him laughing his ass off.
