Coffee and Ghosts: The Complete First Season by Charity Tahmaseb

Author:Charity Tahmaseb [Tahmaseb, Charity]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Collins Mark Books

Since I don’t need my truck, we decide to walk.

“I thought Sadie was going to embrace her sprites,” I say.

“She was. She’s trying. Thing is, they’re troublemakers.”

“Sprites usually are.”

“And ... I’m coming over for dinner tonight.”

Oh. Interesting. Something’s been brewing there, between them. My mind goes to last night, how Nigel gathered Sadie’s groceries, the comforting hands on her shoulders. Still, the two of them make such an unusual couple that I’ve dismissed the idea. Clearly, I shouldn’t have.

“The steam from the food,” Nigel continues. “You know how they like the steam. Well, if food goes in my mouth, and there’s a sprite in the steam...” He trails off because I can fill in the rest.

Nigel used to swallow ghosts, was addicted to them, the way you might be to alcohol or heroin. He’s only been ghost-free for a little more than a month, and I’m not sure that’s long enough for any addict. Accidently swallowing a sprite along with the green beans? That could cause a relapse.

We turn off of Main Street. The wind whips up funnels of leaves. We’re closer to winter than summer now. Soon it will be Halloween. Business should be good—there’s something about the winter holidays that brings out the ghosts. Of course if everyone thinks I’m a thief, we won’t get any business at all.

“Thank you,” I say.

“Thank you,” he echoes. “As excuses go, this one is real.”

“I just don’t—” I shake my head and try to shake off the image of the strange showdown in our conference room. “I have no idea what’s going on.”

“Don’t you?” Nigel laughs, then pauses at the gate in front of Sadie’s Victorian. “The thing about Malcolm is he’s never had to work to get a girlfriend. You’ve seen how women fall all over him.”

Yes. I have. It’s disgusting.

“I don’t know this Jack guy.” Nigel plants his hand on the gate and drums his fingers against the slats as if he’s thinking. “But I’m guessing it’s the same for him, especially now that he’s a fancy lawyer with a fancy car.”

“He has a fancy car?” I ask. “I didn’t notice.”

Nigel throws his head back and laughs. In that instance, he is very much like Malcolm, especially along the jawline and with the humor lighting his eyes. But although he’s only a few years older, that gap could easily be two decades. His hair is pure white where Malcolm’s is inky black. The lines around his mouth and eyes speak of things he probably doesn’t want to think about, never mind discuss.

“That’s your charm, Katy,” he says. “You didn’t notice the fancy car.”

“I was supposed to?”

“It was right out front.”

“It was?”

“Yes, and you were supposed to be suitably impressed as well.” He laughs again, softer this time, and more to himself. He unlatches the gate and holds it open for me. “And now? Well, now they’re both gunning for the same girl, and the best part? Neither one may win.”

“Do you mean me?” I step through the gate and start up the sidewalk.

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