Chad followed Roz into her empty apartment, continuing to chat at her, as though she could hear every word. After all, he never knew when he might run into a sensitive soul who could sense, hear, or see his presence.
Roz glanced up at Konrad. “I just want to take a quick look around to figure out where I’m going to put things when the movers come.”
“Would you like me to step outside?”
“Only if you want to.”
Chad continued, still hopeful. “The others in the building don’t know much about me, except Morgaine and Gwyneth. They’re the witches in apartment 3B, and they’re noisy because they’re phone-sex actresses. Some of their clients like screamers.”
Still no reaction from the new tenant. Damn. I like making Dottie and Ralph’s ceiling fan spin around. Dottie thinks I’m riding it, and Ralph, who doesn’t believe in ghosts, scratches his head and tries to find a logical explanation. A short in the wiring? Oh, come on. It wouldn’t work at all, if that happened.
Roz pulled on her hoodie sweatshirt and fumbled for the zipper. “It’s cold out. Don’t you want to get a jacket?”
Konrad shook his head. “Nah, I’m good.” He opened the apartment door as wide as it would go and said, “Hang onto this a minute.” He carried over the marble pedestal table from the foyer and propped the door open, presumably to carry furniture through it.
Roz shivered. “It’s freezing in here, too, but I’d better wait to turn the heat on. Otherwise it’ll all just rush outside.”
Oh, maybe she sensed me!Chad floated in front of her and made a scary face. “Muu haua huaha. Damn, I hope you’re sensitive and just ignoring me because we’re not alone. I’m sick of talking to myself all the time.”
Konrad opened the front door for Roz and held it as she stepped right through Chad to the outside. Disappointed, he floated back upstairs, hoping to find one of the witches to talk to.
***
Roz and Konrad settled on the front stoop. Konrad sat so close that Roz could feel his body heat radiating into her skin. It felt oddly comforting.
Konrad spoke first. “I heard Dottie giving you her take on the neighbors, and thought I’d try to put your mind at ease.”
“You heard her? Right through your apartment? I didn’t realize we were speaking loudly, or are the walls that thin?”
“No, I—uh, seem to have extra acute hearing.”
And kind of cute ears, slightly pointed at the ends.“So, about the neighbors…they’re not as bad as she thinks they are?”
“They’re not bad at all. Dottie’s the crazy one, if you ask me.”
“How so?”
“Always sticking her nose into other people’s business. She acts like she has to protect her nephew’s investment or something. Like one of us is about to burn the place to the ground at any moment.”
Roz reeled back. “Why would anyone do that? You live here too.”
“Exactly.”
She shook her head. “Well, you don’t have to worry about her influencing my judgment. I’m an attorney. I form my own opinions based on evidence, not hearsay.”
“Sheesh, you even sound like a lawyer.”
She chuckled. “Comes with the territory, I guess. But I wish I could find some other lucrative line of work.”
“Really? Why? Isn’t law fulfilling?”
Wow, he seems genuinely interested. How rare is that in a man? Plus kind and good looking. Maybe living here won’t be so bad, even if he turns out to be gay. Maybe we could go shopping together.“Well, to tell you the truth, the job is changing me in ways I don’t like.”
“Ah. You’re becoming jaded.”
“You said it. That, and it’s no fun. I wish I could find a job that I could be passionate aboutandhave fun while I’m doing it.”
“I get that. I’d like the same thing. So what type of law do you practice?”
