Ghost of a Chance Book 1 in Above the Grave Trilogy (17 page)

“Here, let me take that.” Drew grabbed the bag that
Liza had been pointing to and led her to the kitchen.

 

“So, are we still having crawfish pasta?” Drew asked
licking her lips.

“Why yes we are, as well as some cheesy garlic
biscuits. I’m starving too. I will get all of this stuff ready, but
first we have to drop off some other packages.”

“Oh, ok.” Drew said. “What else do you have there?”

 

“Well, first you must lead me to your bedroom. Then I
will show you.” Liza said with a sly grin on her face.

 

Drew jumped up and clapped her hands together. “I
love surprises!” She said.

 

They went out of the kitchen, through the living room
and down the hallway giggling, Liza, with her two bags in tote.

“This is the bathroom here on the right by the way.”
Drew pointed to the door. “You can use that shower later or in
the morning if you want. I have a bath in my room that I use.”

“Fancy!” Liza said when she saw all of the shower
heads. “I’m definitely going to have to try that out later.”

 

“This is my room.” Drew said pushing the door open
and stepping aside to let her friend in.

As soon as Liza stepped into the bedroom
she
screamed and dropped the bags then started laughing when
Drew pushed her aside. “I’m so sorry! I had no idea that you
had company!”

Panicking now, Drew looked around to see what kind
of shape or light Brendan was in now. Her jaw dropped though
when she saw him looking just as alive and human as could be,
smiling a very gorgeous smile in her bathtub, surrounded by
bubbles that were overflowing from the bath.

“Brendan?” Drew whispered still in awe.
Liza turned very slowly with eyes wide. “This is
Brendan?” She asked.

“Um, y
es, this is my friend Brendan.
He is staying
here for a little while until he finds a place to stay,” Drew gave
Brendan a pleading look then. “He is gay.” She said quickly
when Liza shone her sly little grin again.

Brendan laughed the heartiest laugh either of the girls
had ever heard then, “I am more gay now than I have ever
been!
You ladies should join me, this bath feels absolutely
amazing, Drew!”

Drew couldn’t help but laugh. She hadn’t realized that
Brendan being from another time wouldn’t realize that gay
meant homosexual. He of course meant that he was happier
than he had ever been. Boy did he have a lot to catch up on.

Liza looked disappointed. “What’s wrong?” Drew
asked.

“Well, I thought that you had finally found a man.
What a damn shame. He is freaking HOT!” She said as she
watched him lather himself in the bath and grinning like a child
at Christmas time. “Has he never taken a bath before?” Liza
whispered.

“Liza, could you excuse us for just a moment? Um, I
didn’t realize that Brendan would be gracing us with his
presence this evening.” She said through her teeth.

“Way to go, Liza.” Liza said after she shut the door
behind her. “Let’s see what else I can do for these two love
birds.” She smiled as she patted the single bag that she held in
her arm.

“Brendan? What is going on? Look at you!” Drew
said walking toward him.

“I don’t know! When you left the room I was on my
way out to follow you when I noticed I wasn’t see-through
anymore!
I feel absolutely amazing. I feel alive!” He said
splashing the bath in excitement.

“Um, could I just try something?” Drew asked
reaching for his wrist.

“Of course!” Brendan said laughing. Drew couldn’t
help but smile at his enthusiasm. It was like a ray of sunshine
had shown down on him and left him shitting rainbows.

She held his wrist in her hand. He definitely felt real.
She could feel the warmth of him and she could even feel the
hair on his arm. What she couldn’t feel though, and what the
whole purpose of her requesting his wrist for, was a pulse. He
watched her then and she noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes
so she smiled.

“I’m still dead.” He said then reached for a towel.
When he stood up she saw all of the graces that God had given
the man and fell backwards onto her butt.

“Ouch.” She said a little embarrassed. “You
could have waited until I left the room.”

 

“Terribly sorry.” He said, wrapping the towel around
his waist and stepping out of the bath.

“No problem.” Drew said. “There are some sweats in
my top drawer over there.” She said pointing at the dresser,
trying to look the other way and not stare. “There are a couple
of t-shirts in the second drawer that should fit you. I guess I
need to go into town and find you some clothes in
the
morning.” The Big and Tall store, she thought, blushing again.

“I have very fine clothing in my bedroom upstairs.”
He said reaching for her hand to help her off of the floor.

“Yes, I am sure that you do. I think that you would
like the new styles better though.
They are much more
comfortable.” She said, standing up to face his very wet, very
bare chest. She looked up into his eyes then and felt her knees
go weak. She touched his face as she had done before. “What
is happening to you?” She whispered.

Just then there was a kn
ock on the door. “Hey, you
two!” Liza hollered from the other side of the door. “I’ve got
dinner started. Why don’t you two finish getting cleaned up
and come and join me for some wine. I have a surprise!”

Drew had dropped her hand as soon as she heard the
knock. “I need to get cleaned up myself.” She said looking
down at her night gown that she had evidently had on for two
days now in a row. “I’m just going to grab a few things and
then use the other shower while you get dressed.” She said
looking at Brendan again with flushed cheeks.

Just then Brendan grabbed her by the back of the neck
and pulled her to him. He put his mouth over hers and kissed
her gently. She felt her legs go weak and almost fell to the
floor again.
He braced her though with his other arm and
pulled her up against his naked chest. He heard her sigh and
felt himself harden against her.

She must have felt it too and pushed away from him
trying to catch her breath. “I don’t know how it is that you
don’t have a pulse and yet that thing still works.”

She was shaking then as she pointed towards the towel
that had grown. “This is all happening too fast, Brendan. I’ve
never kissed a man much less had any kind of desire to… well,
to do any more than that…or to use one of those.
I need to
think about all of this, and you were supposed to let me ask!”

She started gathering her things then. “Don’t bother. I
will go upstairs and change.” He said when he saw her
grabbing her bath things and putting them in a bag. “, and I
completely understand. Let’s start all over when I am more
respectable, and in all fairness my mind told me that you were
asking for it.”

She couldn’t help but giggle. He started to walk out of
the bedroom door then, “Thank you.” She said.

 

When he opened the door Liza jumped back and let out
a little, “Oh!”

 

He sighed and walk past her. Then she immediately
bombarded Drew.

“Not now, Liza!” Drew said through shaky tears. “Let
me get cleaned up and dressed.
Let me just have a few
moments to clear my head then we can all go sit and properly
introduce ourselves, ok?”

“Fine.” Liza said. “Hurry up though. The suspense is
killing me!” She kissed Drew on the cheek then hurried off to
check on her pasta.

Drew took forty-five minutes taking a bath and getting
dolled up. She had decided that since this was going to be their
first dinner together, she was going to look hot. She didn’t
want Liza to feel out of place though so she didn’t want to
dress up too much.

She opted for a blue jean mini skirt that showed just a
little too much thigh probably and a light pink lacey shirt. She
noticed that her toes were in desperate need for a pedicure, but
she didn’t really care. She slipped on some silver flip flops and
decided that was about as hot as she was going to get. She let
her long hair flow down to her butt and applied a little bit of
blush, some crystalline eye shadow, and even went for the
black mascara this time.

“That is just going to have to do.” She said after
dabbing on some lip gloss.

She headed down the hallway then and heard laughter
coming from the kitchen area when she reached the living
room.

“What is going on in here?” She said to Liza and
Brendan then was rendered speechless when Brendan turned
and smiled at her. His hair was tied back into a pony tail at the
back of his neck and he wore the most handsome suit she had
ever seen in her life.

He was in fact the most handsome man she had ever
seen in her life. She could never have him though. She knew
that and it saddened her. It also frightened her knowing that
she was having those kinds of feelings for someone.

Liza must have noticed the look of sorrow on Drew’s
face as she was quick to be Liza and brighten the mood.

“Ok, so I have the salads and wine ready and waiting
on the table.
Why don’t you two go and sit down in that
gorgeous dining room and I will bring in the pasta in just a
moment.” She swatted Brendan on the arm. “Shew now! Go
on!”

Drew couldn’t help but laugh at her
longtime friend
and walked towards the dining room. As she began to pass
Brendan he held out his elbow.

“Madame?” He said and she looked up at him and
smiled then took his arm.

 

“Why thank you, sir.”

The dining room had been lit up brilliantly.
The
candles on the chandelier were twinkling with all of their
might. They seemed to be dancing cheerfully, welcoming the
much needed company
after
so many
years.
Again, it
reminded Drew of the candelabra from “Beauty and the Beast.”
She supposed that she sort of had her own “Beauty and the
Beast” story only Beauty got her Beast in the end.

Chin up. She told herself. She wasn’t going to let
herself ruin this perfect evening.
She had her oldest, best
friend there in the next room and what had become her newest
best friend at her side. Who could ask for more?

Brendan reached down and pulled out the chair at the
head of the table. “My Princess.” He said, holding his hand
out as if to say, “Sit!”

She obliged and with a nod of her head said, “Thank
you.”

“Everything really looks so wonderful. I wish that I
would have dressed up a little more. I just noticed that even
Liza has on a dress. She looks very stunning.”

“Yes, she does, as do you. You have a glow about
you. Drew, you look radiant, my love.” He said as he kissed
her hand then sat in the chair to her right.

“
You are looking quite handsome yourself; your new
skin fits you well.” She said running her fingers over the back
of his newly formed hand and smiling up at him.

Brendan had to take in a deep breath. The feel of her
fingertips against his knuckles made a shock shoot through him
from head to toe.

Just then Liza came in through the swinging door
carrying a large bowl of pasta. Immediately Brendan’s
stomach growled very loudly, helping to extinguish the fire that
had started to burn in other parts of his body. “Excuse me. I
haven’t heard that in a very long time.” He laughed.

Drew and Liza laughed with him though in her gut she
was feeling like something was wrong. Nothing made sense.
How was it that he was here? It was a miracle that he had been
there as a ghost in the first place. Now he was sitting at the
dinner table with her obviously ready to devour some of Liza’s
Crawfish Pasta.

“Brendan, are you sure that is a good idea?” She
whispered when she saw him scooping up some of the pasta
into the fine china bowl that sat in front of him.

“Well, I don’t think that it will kill me.” He laughed.
Drew didn’t like that statement at all and he saw it on her face.

“Besides,” He said in a soothing voice, “I have needed
to put on some weight for quite some time. There are a few of
life’s pleasures that we take for granted, one of them is eating,
and I am afraid that this smells way too good to pass up.” He
looked at Liza then and spoke up. “If this tastes as good as it
looks and smells I may have to hire ye on as a cook.”

“Why thank you!” Liza said blushing. “Drew is an
amazing cook though when she isn’t being so lazy. You
should try her gumbo sometime. It’s the best in the south!”

“I don’t know about that!” Drew said laughing.
“Besides, Brendan, the more appropriate compliment for our
century would be that you would marry Liza for her cooking,
not hire her as one of your servants.”

“If you ladies don’t mind I would like to say a little
prayer before we eat.” Brendan said reaching for Drew’s hand.

 

“Of course.” Drew said blushing and reached for

Liza’s on her other side. It had been a very long time since she
had spoken to the Man upstairs. Since death had become a big
part of her life recently however she didn’t find that it was a
bad idea.

The three of them closed their eyes and bowed their
heads.
For a moment all of the bad feelings that Drew had
been stirring
up in the pit
of
her
stomach faded away.
Everything felt so peaceful and right.

She loved Brendan’s voice, and hearing it so openly in
prayer gave her a feeling of calmness that she hadn’t felt in
quite some time. He thanked God for the moment that they
were sharing, for the newly discovered bond of friendship that
he prayed would never go away and for the chance to feel
human again, no matter how brief it may be.