"Uh, does this woman have a stop button somewhere?"
"If that really is Brooke," Amber said. "Tell her to get in here. I know she thought you were hot. We'll do the weirdest three-way you've ever seen."
He frowned as Brooke bounced up and down. It was difficult to tell over the noises Amber made, but it sounded like Brooke was laughing hysterically.
"Something is funny about this to you?"
"Ah, Amber. Some things will never change."
"Just relax, and go with it," Amber said, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
"I think I'd relax more if you climbed off of me."
He definitely heard laughter coming from Brooke.
"What the hell is going on down here!"
Everyone looked over to the new voice. Miss Jackson stood across the room, her arms crossed and an angry look in her eye.
"This isn't what it looks like, ma'am."
Amber jumped off Connor and reached for a sheet to cover herself.
"Mom! I'm busy down here!"
"I can see that!"
Brooke continued to laugh. "Now it really is like high school. You should have turned the stereo up, Amber. That's what it's there for."
"I want you out of my house!" Miss Jackson shouted at Connor. "Right now!"
"On my way."
"But Mom! He's my guest."
"He's lucky I don't call the cops."
Connor and Brooke quickly made their way up the stairs and through the house. Amber and her mother followed them the entire way, arguing. Amber wrapped a sheet around herself, and it caught on a few things on the way out, making a mess.
He didn't bother looking back as the front door slammed behind him. He could hear raised voices in the house, but it died down as he approached his car. A man riding a bike slowed down to stare at Connor. His shirt was torn, his hair a mess. The biker gave him a thumbs-up, and Connor responded with a small salute.
He leaned against the driver's side door. From the position Brooke was in, he guessed she was sitting on the hood. They were quiet for nearly a minute until Brooke once again laughed uncontrollably.
"I'm so glad you found that funny."
"Are you kidding? That was beyond funny."
Connor was angry. That was without a doubt the worst experience he'd ever had in trying to deliver a message. But Brooke's laugh was magical, and it didn't take long for the anger to vanish.
"Amber will be fine," Brooke said. "I believe that now. And I can see how you made all your money."
He looked down at his torn clothes. "This was one of my favorite shirts."
"I have to say…I'm surprised you didn't take that any further. Most guys can't resist Amber, and when the shirt comes off, it's like the point of no return."
"Yeah, because that's what I'm all about, taking advantage of a grieving woman. Anyway, I already said, she's not my type."
Brooke was quiet a moment. "You were serious about that?"
"Yeah."
The silence stretched, and Connor kept an eye on Brooke. He wished he could see a facial expression, a nervous tick, anything that would give a clue as to what was going through that head of hers.
"What?" he said.
"Nothing, nothing. Anyway, I know that didn't go according to plan, but thanks."
"Anytime. I love getting humiliated, but I've got to get ready for bed. Do you need a place to crash?"
"Well, I guess I really don't, like you said. But you were right. That couch of yours is comfortable."
He smiled and climbed behind the wheel, Brooke right behind him.
Twenty minutes later, Connor was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. It still felt awkward with Brooke in his apartment. Normally he'd only be in his boxers to brush his teeth, but wore shorts and a tee shirt as Brooke sat in the living room.
"Are you sure this is okay?" Brooke called. "I'm not like cramping your style or anything?"
"Nah, you're okay. Just don't raid the fridge."
"Funny. Do you have a girlfriend?"
The question surprised him, and he stopped brushing his teeth. He slowly poked his head out into the hall. Brooke's soul was wedged near the corner of the couch, and he imagined her lying down.
"Uh, why?"
"Just want to be prepared. I need to know if in the middle of the night I have to watch out for some woman sneaking in here and climbing in your bed."
He laughed. "You have nothing to worry about. No girlfriend."
"Why not? You're cute, sweet, you actually work…."
"I also hear souls. The last woman I told that to ran out of my apartment."
"Hey, you can't blame that on me. You came across like you were out of your mind. Newspaper clippings and everything."
Connor stopped rinsing his mouth for a moment to look in the mirror. For the past few hours he'd nearly forgotten where Brooke came from. He was strangely comfortable around her, probably more than he should have been. But now it all rushed back, and he found it odd that the soul that murdered his parents was in his living room once again.
"Seriously, you don't mind me staying here?" she asked. "I might go running around a little, but I can sleep on the couch?"
"It's not a problem. But…just try to ignore me if you hear me screaming in my sleep."
"I have that effect on all the guys."
"Yeah, I bet you do."
"Actually, I was just kidding. I haven't dated anyone in over a year…and why the hell am I telling you all this?"
He smiled, but offered no explanation. Hopefully she felt as comfortable around him as he did her. Perhaps the two of them could truly be friends.
"Goodnight," he said, crossing the hall. "Holler if you need anything."
"I know I've said it a million times, but thanks for letting me stay here."
"You're very welcome."
CHAPTER 9
Connor didn't sleep very well. Bad dreams plagued him, and he couldn't believe it was six in the morning when the alarm went off. He shuffled to the bathroom, surprised he didn't see a glow in the living room.
He looked out the window in the shower as he tried to wake up. The sun was slowly rising, pushing away the night. He washed his hair, and turned to the window once again. His heart nearly skipped a beat as a soul hovered inches away from the glass.
"Hey, Connor!" Brooke called. "Is that you in there?"
"Dammit, Brooke! You almost gave me a heart attack. What are you doing out there?"
"Practicing. Don't worry, I can't see anything, and I'm not gonna stick my head through the wall."
"I appreciate that."
"This is cool. You wouldn't believe how freaky it is to see something from an angle like this."
"Yeah, well, it's also freaky talking to a soul through a window while I'm naked. Can you give me ten minutes?"
"Oh, sure. Sorry."
Brooke floated upward. He waited until she was gone before he laughed.
After showering and putting on a clean uniform he poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat on the couch. A soul was on the balcony, and it slowly floated through the glass door and stopped near the TV.
"I'm backing in," Brooke said. "Are you dressed?"
"I'm completely naked."
She paused. "No you're not."
"Which means you turned around and looked."
"Oops," she said, and Connor thought he heard embarrassment in her voice. "Check it out. I've been working on this all night."
She floated up a few inches, and flew through the wall between the living room and kitchen. She moved in an odd pattern, flying throughout the entire apartment. Her soul came close to the ceiling a few times before diving near the floor.
"Very nice. I didn't think you'd fly, with you being afraid of heights."
"I'm still afraid of heights. You should have seen me practicing on the roof. I'm not sure I'll be flying through the streets much, but an apartment building, that's not a big deal. I'm starting to learn how to speed up and down, too. Watch."
/> She floated straight up, and then dove through the floor. Her enthusiasm reminded him of a young child, and he had to smile at her energy. He held in laughter as he heard a familiar voice from the apartment below.
"Would you spirits leave me the hell alone! Go on, get out of here!"
Brooke reemerged from the apartment below and settled over the couch.
"What's your neighbor's problem?"
"She gets a lot of souly visitors. I think it irritates her."
"Maybe if she'd put some clothes on she wouldn't have that problem."
Connor laughed and finished his cereal. "Are you going to your funeral?"
"I…don't know. Should I? Is that what spirits do?"
"You can do whatever you want."
"I think only like three people will show up. I'm not sure I want to see how pathetic my life was."
"You're crazy."
"I'm serious. No boyfriend, a father I can't stand, a mother I haven't seen in years. I didn't even have a chance to get started, and now I'm dead."
"You worry too much. Some souls have spent more time dead than alive. I've known spirits that have fallen in love and gotten married after they'd died."
"How does that work? How do they have sex?"
"They don't. But that's not important."
"Sex isn't important?"
"What I'm trying to say is your life doesn't have to be over yet."
Brooke was quiet a moment. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better."
"Did it work?"
"A little. I'd better get moving. I don't want to be late to my own funeral."
"Yeah, I've got work myself. Will I see you tonight?"
His face turned red at his bad choice of words.
"That didn't sound right," he said. "I don't mean see you in that way. I just meant…you know what I mean, right?"
She giggled, her soul glowing a beautiful blend of white and yellow. "I know what you mean. I'll probably see if I can work up the courage to fly over town, but I'm sure I'll stop by."
They left the apartment together. Brooke hesitated on the sidewalk, and Connor stopped for a moment near his car.
"Are you gonna be alright?"
"Once I get over the fact that I'm still dead…yeah, I think I'll be okay."
"Do you want a ride?"
"No, thanks. I'll walk. I'm not exactly in a hurry to get to the cemetery. Oh, don't look now, but you're making yourself look nuts again."
Connor searched around him, and his eyes fell on a woman waiting for a bus across the street. She stared at him as she read the morning paper, shaking her head in amusement. He waved politely, drawing a laugh from the woman.
Brooke was already gone when he'd turned around. Souls were moving about the street and sidewalk, and he had no idea which one was her.
Strangely, he looked forward to seeing her again.
*****
Brooke sighed as she turned down the last street on the way to the cemetery. She'd spent the entire night on the roof of Connor's apartment building and the surrounding area. Flying wasn't nearly as hard as she thought it would be. It took a lot of jumps and closing her eyes, but finally, sometime after three in the morning, she jumped and didn't come back down.
Her mind seemed to have a better grasp of flying when she thought of it as swimming. She kicked with her legs to move forward, waved with her arms to slow down. The more she practiced, the faster she moved.
Flying was the last thing on her mind as she spotted the church up ahead.
She thought about actually skipping her funeral. It didn't seem to make sense to go. The funeral wasn't for her, but for the few friends and family she had. The problem was she knew that number was small, and didn't want to be reminded of how she never truly lived.
She passed the church and walked through the gate surrounding the cemetery. There were souls everywhere, crying and wailing. It was the saddest thing she'd ever heard. Some flew above the grounds, their raggedy path making Brooke think they were drunk. A woman dressed in clothes from another era cried on her hands and knees. Brooke was almost afraid to look at her.
After wandering the cemetery for a half hour she came across a sight that froze her legs. In the distance, not far from a beautiful tree was Amber. Her mother and Brooke's father accompanied her, along with a priest who read from the Bible. They were gathered around her closed casket, suspended over an open grave by machinery.
Brooke made it as far as the tree, but couldn't get any closer. She could hear the somber words of the priest, as well as the occasional sniffle from Amber. Her best friend wore dark sunglasses, but still couldn't hide her tears. Amber's mother remained quiet with an arm around her daughter. Brooke's father didn't move a muscle.
Brooke knew she should feel something, but was numb, and that scared her. She was fifty feet away from her dead body, and couldn't manage a single tear. Maybe she'd spent all her emotion over the past few days, or she was just plain broken.
"This place is different than when you were alive, isn't it?" a voice said behind her. "Sometimes it's hard just to walk through the place."
"Connor?" she said, turning to face him. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you at work?"
"I stopped and called in sick on the drive in."
"How did you know it was even me?"
He gestured to the general lack of souls in that particular part of the cemetery and nodded toward her coffin. "Just a guess. You aren't gonna go over there?"
"Why? Even if they knew it was me, they can't see me, can't talk to me. I'm nothing."
"You're definitely not nothing. If you want, I can go over there and talk for you." His face twisted as he had second thoughts. "Actually—"
"That might not be the best idea, after last night," she finished for him.
They were quiet, and Brooke could feel Connor's eyes on her. It meant a lot to her that he showed up. She wasn't sure if it was because he couldn't see her form, but she felt comfortable around him.
"Is this normal?" she asked. "Standing at your own funeral? I don't even know what I'm feeling right now."
"I've only been to my parents' funeral. They stood with me the entire time. I don't think there really is a normal. You do whatever gets you through it."
Finally, a tear trickled down her cheek. The act of crying actually lifted a load from Brooke's shoulders. It reminded her she could still feel something, even if she had no body.
"I didn't even know what I wanted out of life yet. And now it's gone."
"Brooke—"
"I was pathetic, always jealous of Amber and how the guys ran to her. What a stupid way to waste your time, being jealous. I handled soul insurance paperwork for three years, and what's it gotten me? Nothing. I haven't made a difference in anyone's life."
Connor glanced over his shoulder. "I'm not sure I'd say that."
She followed his gaze, and saw a horde of people approaching from parked cars on the street. Isabel led the way, with Wesley right behind her. Brooke spotted Chris the tech, and Dana from sales. The entire Soul-Ful staff marched across the cemetery.
Brooke watched the scene, and she finally smiled. Isabel hugged her father, and Brooke realized that was the first time he saw her after her soul resurrection. As much as he detested soul insurance, he had no problem stealing a look at her as Isabel turned to hug Amber. Wesley also hugged Amber, and Brooke heard him offer his condolences and an offer for any help Amber needed.
"Amber doesn't have a home," Brooke said. "This whole time, I've only been thinking about me. But my best friend is homeless."
Connor simply shook his head as he leaned against the tree and took in the large number of people.
"I think she'll have plenty of help getting back on her feet."
She looked over her shoulder at Connor, and felt a sudden sadness for him. All of her friends and coworkers were gathered at her grave, sharing memories and stories about her, and her newest friend was by himself, away from everyone else.
"
You should go over there and meet some people."
"Ah, nah, I'm fine. On the outside looking in, that's where I'm most comfortable. Besides, I wouldn't want Amber trying to strip me again."
Brooke giggled. "Do you mind if I head over just for a second?"
Connor smiled, and Brooke could only wonder how many women he'd charmed with that smile.
"Go make your grand entrance."
She jumped and stroked above her, like she was in a pool. It only took one motion to soar near the top of the tree, and her fear of heights threatened to take over. She stopped herself twenty feet off the ground, and was amazed at how different the cemetery looked even from that low height.
Waving to Connor, she pushed through the air and flew over the crowd gathered at her coffin. She stopped with her feet and flew in circles. They ignored her at first, thinking she was just another soul. Isabel was the first to look at her for more than a few seconds, and a smile touched her lips. She leaned over and whispered something to Amber, and soon everyone was looking up at her. Amber removed her dark sunglasses. Brooke held her gaze longer than anyone else. Everyone waved and called Brooke's name. The sendoff lasted for ten minutes before they lowered her into the ground, and slowly everyone left, making sure to wave to her one last time. Amber and Brooke's father were the last two gathered around the site, and Brooke sat in the tree above Connor to watch. They talked for a while before Dad left, followed by Amber.
Brooke continued to watch from the tree as men came along and filled her grave. She battled a mix of emotions. It was great to see so many people show up at her funeral, but the simple fact that she was dead gnawed at her.
She floated down through the branches and leaves and rejoined Connor, who still leaned against the tree with his hands in his pockets.
"That was neat to watch," he said. "Looks like more people loved you than you realized."
"What do I do now?"
"Whatever you want."
"No. See, Connor, that's not how it is. I can't do whatever I want. I can't go out dancing, can't read a good book. I won't ever be able to look into a man's eyes and share a special moment. I can't even go see a movie."
Soul Insurance Page 15
