Ghost of a Chance

Chapter 6 The Lovers

As she started out of the front door in jeans and boots she saw his glow at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m sorry that I was so hateful earlier.” She said. “I should be more respectful. I don’t know anything about what happened back then, after all. I don’t know anything about the two of you, and I suppose I am a little jealous maybe.”

He came closer to her then. “Where are you going?” He asked her quietly.

“I was just going to go check out the woods nearby. I love to explore!” Her eyes brightened at the thought.

He had to laugh at her childish animation. She was very beautiful and sassy yet sweet and innocent at the same time. “The last time I was in those woods I saw an alligator sneaking up out of the swamp. You seem to be prone to walking into danger. It may not be a good idea for you to go there alone.”

What he was really thinking of was the fact that there was a cult of witches that she had unknowing pissed off. He didn’t want her leaving the house or his sight.

He watched her face turn from sunshine to darkness in a matter of seconds. He felt a pang of guilt, but knew that he was right at the same time. “Sorry, Love.” He said.

She walked towards the ballroom. “Oh, it’s ok. I mean, you aren’t my father, if I really wanted to I would go anyway. I’m not really much on people telling me what to do and what not to do. I suppose you are right though. I haven’t had much luck lately in the safety department.” She said as she looked down at her hand.

“Did you ever dance in here?” She said as she pushed open the heavy French doors to the ballroom. “I have imagined a room filled with ladies in gorgeous gowns with their hair all done up in pearls and feathers, and gentlemen in their finest suites swaying around and around to the sound of a three piece band.” She twirled around then and mocked her imagination.

Brendan laughed. “It was a one piece band most of the time actually. The piano can do wonders all by itself. Close your eyes, Miss Drew.” He said. Even though he wanted to come inside, he didn’t want the mirrors to give him away.

“You play beautifully.” She said closing her eyes. “Will you play for me? I’ve dreamed of this room a few times and I would love to hear…” Before she could finish the music began. She kept her eyes closed and imagined the room full again.

“Keep your eyes closed.” He whispered in her ear.

Somehow the music continued to play when he took her hand. He led her into a dance that made her feel like she was flying. She didn’t dare open her eyes for fear that her feet may really not be touching the ground. They spun around and around until she began to feel light headed.

For a light beam he was strong, and his body was hard next to hers. She could smell him. He was very manly in every way she noted. She had never really slow danced with anyone before, unless you counted Stuart, which everyone called Stud, at their high school homecoming dance. Not that Stuart really was a Stud. The preppies just started calling him that to make fun of him, more as an antonym of his true self.

Dancing with Stuart was nothing like this though. She was literally being swept off her feet. When she fluttered her eyes open and saw herself in the large mirror in front of them she saw herself in midair. She was about two feet off of the ballroom floor. As she looked in the mirror she saw him as well.

He was beautiful. He took her breath away. He was much better looking now than he had been in her paintings. Her Prince Charming was real. He was right there, holding on to her. That was the great thing about dreams. You could do just about anything that you wanted to. She smiled and closed her eyes again and laid her head on his chest.

He saw her see him. His eyes widened with freight. He was afraid that she would try to run. He was afraid that seeing that the man in her dreams wasn’t entirely all that she had really dreamed of after all. She didn’t run though. She smiled and snuggled up to his chest to let him continue to lead her across the floor, or the air as it were.

He ran his hand through her shiny silk hair that she had let down at the pool. She was so soft. He knew that she was hard inside though and he wanted to help her let go of that. He wanted her to love him even though he knew that she would just be hurt eventually because, what good could a ghost be for her? What could he really do for her? His thoughts brought him back to reality. As badly as he didn’t want to let go, Brendan knew it was the only right thing to do.

She felt him set her back on the ground and when he stopped moving she sighed and said, “Is it time to wake up?”

He let go of her then with a kiss on her forehead and walked away so that she wouldn’t see him again in the mirror.

Drew stood still for a moment with her arms raised as if she were still holding on to him. When she opened her eyes she realized that she was all alone. She looked in the mirror to verify that fact. She had let her imagination run wild again. She glanced at the piano. There was no light. There was no sound. Where had Brendan gone? She wondered.

Her sleep was restless that night. She tossed and turned and dreamed of her childhood it seemed. He lay beside her and watched her as her face twitched in sorrow and in anger. She tossed her pillow and blanket aside and when he tried to put his arm around her she thrashed at him as if he were a monster.

“No!” She screamed. “Mommy!” She screamed again.

He wanted to wake her and tell her that everything was ok, but hewasn’t sure that it was. Tears streamed down her cheek and she grabbed between her legs as if she were in pain. She wasn’t dreaming of her childhood anymore he thought. Something was altering her dream that he imagined she had had over and over again in her life.

“Brendan, make her stop!” She cried as more tears fell. She dreamed of him. Was he hurting her in her dream? “My eyes! Oh, they burn make her stop!”

Her body went into convulsions then and he shook her. “Darling! Please wake! Everything is fine, it is only I, Brendan!” He said shaking her. She rocked harder and harder now and he thought that she was having a seizure.

Her eyes flew open then. They were the eyes of someone that he loved, though they weren’t Drew’s beautiful blue angel eyes. They were the enchanting Irish green eyes of his baby sister.

“Brendan, save her.” His sister said to him through

Drew’s soft beautiful lips as she held his face in her hands. “You must love her. She will save you as well. You must keep her safe though or they will do to her as they did to me. Don’t let them take her, Brendan O’Keefe. You still have a life to live, if you lose her you will lose everything.”

He felt his own tears now as they ran down his face. “Mary Ann?” He cried.

Drew stopped shaking then and began to sob. He held her as close to him as possible. Had he been dreaming himself? Had his dead sister taken over the body of his poor broken Drew to send him a message? Her message had made no sense to him.

“Mary Ann,” He cried again, “Can’t you at least say who did this to you, darling?” He rocked her then. He rocked and rocked until he felt Drew’s body relax and then snuggle up to him.

Her eyes fluttered open and as if she was looking directly into his and whispered, “Please, don’t ever let go.”

He didn’t let go the rest of the night or all of the next day. She slept for solong. Though he didn’t want to let go of her he was afraid that something was wrong and shook her as if to wake her. “Drew?” He said, “Drew, wake up, Love.”

“Mmm.” She mumbled and snuggled her head up under his chin.

He smiled as it felt so good to have her next to him. He reached up to sweep the hair from her face and noticed that his hand was slightly visible. He was no longer invisible, more transparent it seemed. What is happening to me? He thought.

“Drew? You should get out of bed and eat something.” He said looking at his hand.

“I’m not hungry.” She said finally.

“I know, Love, but it isn’t good for you to sleep your life away and you must eat to keep your energy up.” He sat up then and she grumbled a curse under her breath.

He laughed at that. “Darling, you must get up. I will draw you a bath.”

She felt her head slip off of his shoulder and onto the pillow and immediately snapped awake. Had she just been cuddling with a ghost? She wondered. She sat up and looked around the room. Sitting on the edge of her bath was a see through man turning her bath water on.

“Brendan?” She said in awe.

He turned to face her then and smiled. Though his face was still a little blurry she knew then that he had been the man that she had dreamed of. He had been the man that she had become obsessed with to the point of drawing his face a million times, and he was the man that scared the shit out of her.

She started to jump out of the bed and fell to the floor. He immediately ran to her and reached down to pick her up. She slapped at his hand and it made contact. She jumped.

“You are a ghost, Brendan! Why can I feel you? Why doesn’t my hand go through yours? Why can I almost see you and what were you doing in my bed?” She felt tears welling up when she remembered the dream from the night before.

The look that she gave him burned a hole through his heart and he stepped back.

“You raped and killed me!” She screamed. “Get away from me!” She cried. “I’m dead! That’s why I can see you!”

Brendan’s mou th dropped open in surprise and he shook his head frantically. “I did no such thing, Miss Drew.” He started to reach for her again and she pushed him away. “Drew! I merely held you is all, when you were clearly upset. I never touched you in that way at all! There was nothing sexual about it I promise you!”

She was hysterical. “You carved my eyes out of my head and raped me you freak! You left me in the swamps to die.” She screamed as she was running for the door.

“Damn it, Drew!” He yelled and was immediately in front of the door stopping her from leaving. “Would you listen to yourself?” He said. “Look in the mirror, woman!” He pointed towards the mirror on her vanity. “There isn’t a damned thing wrong with your eyes and you are clearly not in the bloody swamps!”

He was a grown man and yet he wanted to cry. How could she think such a thing about him? What lies had her mind told her as she slept?

She glared at him then and said, “Get the hell out of my way!”

“Drew, please, just have a look in the mirror, Love.” He said pleading this time and she thought she saw the gleam of tears in his eyes.

“Fine!” She yelled and turned towards the mirror. So, her eyes looked a little puffy from all of the sleep but other than that they looked fine. They were still in her head anyway and that was a good start.

She slowly walked towards the bed then and began to cry. “I don’t understand. It seemed so real! I remember the pain. She put her hand over her stomach then.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“How is it that you can make me feel like flying one moment and then the next be gouging my eyes out?” She said crying.

He walked towards her then and knelt before her. He grabbed her hands and held him in his own, kissing them gently. “I promise you that I would never hurt you. I would like to promise you on my life, but ‘tis not possible.” He said, and knowing that she would forever believe that making love was dirty and painful he added, “, and if ever I was lucky enough to have the privilege of knowing you as mine own, I would be ever so gentle with you, darling. You would never know pain, only love.” He said gently.

Somehow she believed him. His hands felt so warm in hers. She didn’t understand how. “Why can I feel you as I did before?” She sobbed, trying desperately to stop the tears. “How is it that I can see you now and not before?”

“I don’t know the answers. I have been in this house alone for far too long. Never before have I felt anything on my skin the way that I can feel your hand right now. Not until you came did I even feel as if I had skin. I was just empty. Sort of like a feather just floating along in the breeze.”

“You know, I have felt the same way most of my life. There was always someone around just not really there.” Drew paused, “Well, I had Liza. She has always been there for me whether she realized it or not, but I always felt like more of a burden than a friend. Besides, she has her own life now. You must have been so lonely and for so long.”

She reached up to push the hair away that had fallen in front of his eyes, there was a glow, sort of a rainbow that followed his hair, then left her hand on his cheek, “You have been wandering around in this house for a century and a half when most people don’t even live as old as eighty or ninety. Lifetimes have passed you by and all you can do is read and play the piano. Why didn’t you let anyone live here before? Didn’t you want the company?”

Her hand on his face made him feel more alive than he believed he may have felt when he actually had been living. “No one that entered this house could have made me feel the way you do.” He said then leaned in to kiss her lips, the lips that had been calling him since the first night that he watched her sleep.

Drew jerked her hand away then and jumped up off of the bed. “Brendan, I…”

She didn’t know how to finish whatever it was that she needed to say. So many emotions were stirring inside of her at that moment. Did she really want her first kiss to be with someone thatcould be gone tomorrow? He really wasn’t even a “someone”. He was a spirit. A dead man stuck in purgatory or in his own personal hell which coincidentally happened to be in her house.

“Drew,” Brendan said and reached for her hand. She let him take it though she was afraid of what might happen. “Please, don’t run away from me…I promise not to hurt you. I won’t try that again until you ask me to.”

“That may take some time, or it may never happen. It isn’t that I don’t want to.” She tried to explain.

Brendan rubbed her chin with his thumb and smiled. “I can wait. It isn’t like I am going anywhere.”

They both laughed nervously then Brendan’s face took on a troubled look.

“What is it?” Drew asked him.

“Drew, there is something very important that I need to ask you. I need to know, in your dream, who was it that raped and killed you? It is very important that you remember.”

Drew’s face turned very pale and she had to look away to swallow hard the dry lump that had gathered in her throat. “It was you.” She whispered then looked back at him with tear filled eyes. “You raped me and Lezetta tore my eyes out with her black fingernails.”

Just then she heard the doorbell ring. It was a loud yet empty sound that echoed throughout the house. It was either the sound of unwanted company or her heart was beating louder than she thought.

“Liza! It’s Friday. She was coming over for a girl night.” Drew said apologetically yet with some relief at the same time.

“Great. A girl night.” Brendan said annoyed.

“Please behave yourself.” Drew pleaded. “I have to convince her that I am not crazy… or in any danger.” She added when she recognized a sly look upon his face. She didn’t need any of his trickery to prove that she wasn’t crazy.

“I hate to ask, but can’t you make yourself invisible again, just for tonight?”

Brendan sighed then closed his eyes to concentrate. Nothing happened. He opened his eyes again and said, “I can’t. I’m not sure why you can see me this well.”

Drew’s color was coming back fast. H e would have to stay upstairs for the rest of the night, that was all there was to it.

“I’m going there now.” He said as if he read her mind.

Drew jumped up and kissed him quickly square in the mouth. “Thank you so much!” She said then blushed. She had really meant it to be a simple thank you kiss but after she felt his warm, soft lips she felt a tingling in her gut, like the first time she heard his voice. She wanted to scream I love you, but before she did she dashed out of the room before she contracted diarrhea of the mouth.

Brendan stood in awe. Even though he knew her kiss meant nothing to her more than a friendly gesture he felt it from his head to his toes. He tingled all over. He was a grown man why did a little kiss from a girl make him feel like he was a kid again. He smiled, he felt.

He figured that he had better hurry and get up stairs before he ruined the moment for both of them by making her angry. When he reached for the door knob, since he had become somewhat visible walking through walls had become impossible, he realized that he could see his hand very clearly. It was a live human hand it seemed.

Drew waited at the front door for Brendan to come through the hallway and up the stairs but he never did. She thought after a moment that he had found a way to make himself invisible again after all. She figured she had made Liza wait at the front door long enough and gave up on him. When she opened the door there was no one there.

She heard a car on the gravel and saw Liza coming up through the trees. She had heard the doorbell ring. If Liza was just now coming then who had rang the doorbell she wondered. She looked around for a note or a package but saw nothing.

Liza pulled in through the gate with a huge grin on her face. Through the driver’s side window she hollered up to Drew, “You look like you are up to something! You have a guilty school girl flush about you. Are you hiding a man in there?” Liza laughed.

Drew turned beet red. Her friend knew her too damned well. “Of course not, silly. I just got back from jogging.”

“Really, in that sexy nighty that I got you?” Liza said with a cocked eyebrow.

Drew looked down and realized that she hadn’t changed out of her pajamas. She laughed. “Ok, you got me. I just woke up froma nap and hadn’t really gathered myself yet. Are you going to come in or are you just going to sit there in the car and give me shit all night?”

Liza started gathering her things, “Oh, I’m coming inside, but I am still going to give you shit all night.”

Drew laughed and was beginning to come to her senses again. “Hope you are ready for a glass, or several bottles, of wine because I sure am.”

Liza had three bags shoved in her hands, and one that Drew imagined had clothing, one was stuffed full of groceries, and the other was just a mysterious plain brown bag. One much like the one that she had gotten from the Wiccan shop just a couple of days before. She was sure that it was just a coincidence though as many stores used plain paper bags.

“So, first stop t he kitchen please, I need to drop this bag off.” She said tapping one of the bags that she carried with her finger.

“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.

“Amen.” He said then Liza and Drew followed.

Drew wiped the tears from her eyes. That very moment, that very prayer, had reminded her that her time with Brendan, the way that he was now, could be very brief. She had a lot to settle on, and she was pretty sure that she already knew the answer. She wanted to be with him. Even if it was just for one night, she wanted him to be hers.

Brendan moaned and closed his eyes with every bite. The girls giggled at him. She realized that Brendan was right. One of the simple pleasures of life was eating, and her simple pleasure at the moment was watching him really enjoy himself, as she knew that he hadn’t gotten to do in such a very long time.

Drew couldn’t help but watch his every mo ve. The man of her dreams was right before her and she was soaking every moment of it up. She remembered how he kissed her, how they danced, how they made love in her dreams and at one point was so deep into thought that she dropped her fork when Liza cleared her throat to get her attention. She had been staring, and possibly drooling. She wasn’t sure for how long.

She knew that she had to get herself together. She felt like a love struck teenager who had just met their boy band idol. She felt giddy. She felt drugged. She felt like she was going to be sick from the nerves.

When Brendan had finished his third bowl of pasta and felt as if he was going to have to unbutton his britches, Liza stood up to clear the table.

“Let me help you.” Drew said as she rose from the table, fumbling everything that she touched. She grabbed her plate and Brendan’s in a death lock so as not to drop it and followed Liza to the kitchen.

“Liza?” Drew said almost in tears.

Liza dropped the bowl and plate that she was carrying into the sink and took Drew in her arms. “Sweetheart, I know that you have feelings for him. I can see it in your eyes. Not to mention your body language. Whatever is going on here, follow your heart!” She said as she pushed Drew away and shook her shoulders at arm’s length.

“What happens when he leaves? Because you know that he can’t stay, Liza. Whatever I have been given with him is only temporary, I know it in my heart and it hurts so much!” Drew wept.

“Is everything ok?” Brendan said as he walked into the kitchen. He saw the tears streaming down Drew’s face and rushed to her.

“Are ye hurt, woman?” He asked taking Drew out of Liza’s hands and into his own.

Liza just stared at them. She was so caught up in the emotions that were so obviously stirring between her friend and this very gorgeous man. The only emotion she had ever seen Drew show was annoyance.

Drew just stared up at him in silence. She had no idea what to say or do. She was so new to the feelings that she was having and was completely lost for words.

“You know what, Drew? I am really feeling quite tired all of a sudden. Would you mind if I went ahead and used that shower? I think I will be heading to bed soon.”

Drew looked at Liza one last time. She had known her more than half of her life and thought that she could tell whatever was going on in her brain just by looking in her eyes. When she looked in her eyes this time she saw hope, love, and somehow pride.

Liza was the most important person in Drew’s life. She had a mother that she loved very much no matter what the circumstances had been. Liza was her best friend, her soul sister. No matter what happened in her life, she would always know that Liza would be the one to stand by her side. She knew now what she wanted more than anything and the fact that Liza wanted the same thing for her, made it that much more special.

Drew straightened up her shoulders, let out a breath that she felt like she must have been holding in her whole life and gave her friend a hug. “I love you.” She said to Liza.

She felt Liza’s shoulders shake underneath her arms and thought that she must have made her cry. When she pulled away she saw that her friend was laughing.

“I love you too.” and with a kiss on the cheek she strolled away with her head held high.

“Is everything ok?” Brendan asked again much quieter this time.

Drew turned to face him and smiled. “Everything is perfect. Do you think that we could take a walk? Get some fresh air?”

Brendan looked down at his newly formed body and shrugged. “We could take a chance.” He said.

“Hmm. Maybe we should just take a walk inside of the house. It is big enough. Maybe you could show me the upstairs?” Drew asked.

“Alright.” He said jadedly.

He took her arm as they headed towards the living room. Brendan wasn’t quite sure what was wrong but he could feel that Drew was very uneasy. He was quite sure that he had walked in on a girl moment although he wasn’t quite sure what it was about.

“Are you sure that everything is ok?” Brendan ask ed again. “You seem as though you could jump out of your sandals at any moment.”

Drew smiled up at him again and laughed. “What is up stairs that you are so mysterious about anyway?” She asked.

“Come. I will show you my bedroom.”

They walked upstairs arm in arm. Drew almost felt as though she was floating even though she knew that this time her feet were really on the floor.

She could feel the crispness of his coat on her arm. She felt the warmth of his body against hers. He took her hand and pressed it to his lips as they reached the top of the stairs and she wanted so badly to jump up in the air, into his arms but for some reason she was frozen. She was like a child she realized, she had no idea how to act.

“Do you feel differently? Now that you have a body I mean?” She asked.

“Aye, I feel alive, more now than ever, even when I was living.”

He took her arm again and led her past the first door on the left. It had been the light that she had seen glowing before but this time the light was off. When she turned to look towards it he silently nudged her along.

“This door here is the library. If ever ye would like to curl up and read a book, there are a million of them there.”

He opened the door and switched on the light. He was right. There had to have been a million books lining the walls from floor to ceiling. “Knowledge.” She said then closed her eyes and took in the smell of the room.

“Aye, and adventure. It is the chance to live in someone else’s boots, even if just for a moment. That is my favorite part of reading.”

He turned the light off and led her to the next room. She was so beautiful. Watching her close her eyes made him want to kiss them open again.

“This is my room.” He said as he reached the next door. He opened the door and asked her to stay where she was for a moment. He disappeared into the darkness.

Drew stood above the living room area staring down over the balcony. It all looked so small from up there. She felt like she was standing above the world looking down. It was so weird seeing the world that she had been living in the last couple of weeks from a different angle. It looked so much different.

He put his hand on her shoulder and stood behind her. She shivered. “Miss Drew, are youcold?” He asked.

“No, I’m very warm thank you.” She replied then turned around to face him. He was carrying a candle that he had lit to light the way. She noticed that his Irish sprouted when he was nervous as well. At least she assumed he was nervous.

“Come then. I shall show you a little bit of who I once was.”

She knew that the lights probably worked in the bedroom just as they had in the library and in the rest of the house. She wasn’t sure why he chose to use the candle but she was glad. It gave the room a romantic glow. It was perfect. She saw the huge canopy bed and wanted so badly to just lay in it and let him take her. She knew that he would be gentle, just as he had said he would and she knew in her heart that she was ready for that.

“The bedrooms back then were qui te different then they are now.” She said looking around at the room. The walls were pretty much bare except for a landscape painting, she was sure was of Ireland, and a large mirror that had been turned around. “I would imagine if you were from my time that you would have a few trophies on a shelf from some kind of high school or college team and posters of your favorite nude model hanging on the wall.”

“Well, even in my time paintings of nudes were quite popular.” He said with a smile.

He led her to sit on the edge of the bed and sat the candle down on a night stand. “Here is something ‘twas my parents. My da gave it to my ma on their anniversary.”

He reached into a drawer and pulled out a wooden box and handed it to her. “After their death I put it away. I was going to give it to my sister as a wedding gift if ever she had found the right lad to be marrying.”

“Oh!” Drew gasped as she opened the box that was lined with red satin. “That is the most beautiful necklace I have ever seen!”

The necklace was a long gorgeous silver chain that had somehow kept its shine after so many years. At the end of the chain was a large emerald that was sheathed in a square Celtic knot made of very fine silver threads. She had never seen anything more lovely in her life and couldn’t stop staring.

“I want you to wear it, Miss Drew. It is believed that a square Celtic knot will protect its wearer from evil spirits. I don’t know what is haunting ye Love, but maybe this will help keep ye safe.”

“Brendan, are you sure?” Drew could feel her eyes well up. Maybe he was just trying to protect her and would want the necklace back once she was safe but it was the most wonderful gift she had ever been given, even if it was only temporary.

“Of course I am sure.” He said sitting next to her. “Why do ye cry?”

“It’s just so striking,” she said still staring, “, and very sweet of you.”

Brendan reached down and took the necklace out of the box. He unhooked what looked like an ancient clasp and draped it around Drew’s neck. He let his fingers linger on the back of her neck for just a moment before he clasped it shut.

“As are you.” He said kissing her neck and then standing up.

Drew blushed. “You know Celtic knots also symbolize eternity?” She said, holding the emerald in her hand.

“Aye, and the intertwining of two souls.” He added.

“What did you do for entertainment?” She asked, letting the necklace fall to her breast. She was growing even more nervous all of a sudden, if that was possible, and small talk was the only thing that she could think of to calm her down.

“What do you mean?” He asked, sitting down beside her.

“Well, I mean, what did you do on a date? You couldn’t have gone to a movie or roller skating or anything like that.”

He laughed, “You mean courting? When a man courted a woman they would go on walks together, sometimes a play or a picnic, that sort of thing. Never would ye be sitting on a gentleman’s bed alone.” He said the latter more seriously then stood up.

“We should go back downstairs.” He said and held his hand out as if to help her up. “I shouldn’t have brought ye, here.” He corrected himself. His eyes looked sad as he looked towards the door.

“I want to be here.” She said and held out her hand to him. “I know that you did things differently back then, but this is the twenty-first century after all. Times have changed even though I have never really had much experience with that sort of thing in your time or mine.”

She wanted to go back downstairs as well, but not alone. She wanted him to come with her, to tuck her in, and to stay the night with her. She stood up and he took her arm again. As they passed the last room on the right again, she felt him shiver next to her. So, that was where he died she thought.

The walk down the stairs seemed to last an eternity. She waited for him to say something, anything, but the words never came. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do and was feeling like she was losing him with every declining step. When they reached the hallway she felt like the walls were closing in on her. She couldn’t breathe.

Brendan walked her to her door and cleared his throat. “Good night, sweet Drew. I had a most loving evening with you.” He kissed her cheek then turned to walk away.

“Why are you so sad?” Drew asked, not wanting him to leave and especially not with such a somber look on his face.

“I should not say, but I do not wish for this night to end. I do not wish to wake in the morning invisible again and without the warmth of you next to me. I wish that I could have more time to court you, to have ye learn about who I truly am. I am afraid though that my reappearing is only a cruel joke before the end of my time here.” He started to walk away again when she grabbed him by the arm.

“Though I do thin k that it would be pretty cool for you to “court” me, I am more interested in you kissing me right now.”

Brendan’s head shot up then. “I would not hurt ye like that, my love. As much as I want your lips to be against mine again, I can’t. I shouldn’t have kissed you in the first place. I shouldn’t have led you on that way. I’ve no idea how long I may be here.” She saw his eyes glitter in the light that came in through the opening of the hallway. She thought that they looked like a stream that was just about to over flow but being a man she supposed he had learned to hold back his tears.

She lifted her hand and placed it on his cheek. “Whether it is for five minutes or for five hundred years, you are the only one that I have ever wanted and if I have to give that up tomorrow, I don’t want to wake up regretting that I never took a chance. Please, Brendan, I want to be with you tonight. Please stay!”