The Ghoul Next Door

chapter Seventeen

After leaving Full Cup, I shuffled over to Book Nook. Elvis and Mr. Fine were following me, but once again, I’d lost Candy Cherry. She had a habit of slipping off, not that I was complaining. I was convinced her sole mission was to make me miserable.

Still feeling strange, I went through my normal duties on autopilot. Books needed to be shelved, orders needed to be placed, and I had a deadline to submit a coupon for the local paper, which I’d yet to work up. A few customers wandered in, but luckily they didn’t need any help, because I wasn’t sure I’d be any help. My mind was full of fog.

I’d just settled down behind the counter to do some computer work when Mr. Fine and Candy Cherry popped up in front of me. Where had they been? I looked at them with a suspicious eye. Mr. Fine floated off without uttering a snarky comment, but Candy Cherry sidled up next to me.

“Why so glum, chum? It couldn’t be that you’re a lousy girlfriend?” she asked.

“That comment is completely unnecessary, Candy Cherry. And when are you going to tell me your real name?”

“That is my real name!” Her eyes narrowed and she clenched her fists.

I shrugged. “If you say so.”

Why was she asking about my feelings anyway? It wasn’t as if she cared. She was only rubbing my misery into my face like a big cream pie.

“I heard your conversation with Callahan. He’s done with you. He told you as much, only you put on your rose-colored glasses and didn’t listen to the man.”

I wouldn’t let her get inside my head—that was exactly what she wanted.

“Since you’re dead, I’m sure you’re an expert on dating, so thanks for the advice,” I said sarcastically. I could be nasty too.

When Mindy finally walked through the door, I said, “Am I glad to see you.” Between the ghosts, worrying about the strange feeling mounting through my body, and fretting about Callahan, I was exhausted.

“What’s going on? You look a little confused.” She plopped her giant lime-green bag on the counter.

“Callahan has decided to work a part-time job.” My shoulders slumped even more.

Candy Cherry scrunched her eyebrows. “He thinks you’re spending too much time with this ghost-busting stuff. But far be it for me to offer advice.” She studied her bright red fingernails.

Biting my tongue was no longer an option. “Me? Too much time ghost-busting, as you call it? Never. That can’t be it,” I snapped.

Mindy scrunched her brow and looked over her shoulder. “Why didn’t you call me?” she asked, not bothering to ask which ghost I’d spoken to. She assumed it wasn’t Elvis.

Elvis wandered over from the mystery section and lured Candy away for a moment. Thank goodness, because I was about to lose my cool with her. I’d glue sage to her forehead and see how she liked that. I’d use every trick in the book to ward off her nasty ghost butt.

I shook my head, focusing my attention back to Mindy. “I didn’t want to bother you.”

Mindy handed me a Diet Coke. “You’re never bothering me.”

“Do you think I’m spending too much time with the ghost-hunting thing? I mean, my relationship with Callahan is still young. I need to spend more time with him and nurture it before I ignore him.”

Mindy took a drink of her soda, then said, “As opposed to ignoring him later? No wonder you never have a relationship.” She took a bite of her chocolate doughnut.

I shook my head. “You know what I mean. I just worry that he thinks I don’t have time for a relationship, which couldn’t be farther from the truth.” I took a big drink. “Things have been so crazy since we met. I feel as if at any moment he’ll say enough is enough and not want to even see me again.”

Mindy rolled her eyes. “Larue, I think he would have already done that if he was going to. Besides, if he was thinking that, you don’t need him anyway. You want a guy who embraces your life, the things that make you, you.” She pointed at me with the doughnut.

I nodded. “That’s true.”

She took another bite but didn’t swallow before continuing her talk. “You wouldn’t ask him to stop doing the things he loves just to spend more time with you.”

I shook my head. “No. I wouldn’t.”

“Well, there you go. You just need to be open and honest with him and everything will work out.” She smiled as if giving herself a pat on the back.

I raised an eyebrow. “Since when did you become an expert with relationship advice?”

She chuckled. “I don’t know. It just comes naturally, I guess.”

I pinched off a piece of her doughnut. “I’m basically chasing the guy away. Maybe deep down I don’t want a relationship. Maybe I’m afraid that I’ll be a failure at it so I’m pushing him away.”

“Oh, will you stop with the psychobabble. He’s just helping out a friend, that’s all. You seriously need a vacation after all this is over.”

I laughed. “I need a vacation away from the black magic, ghosts and any other craziness that pops up.”