"I believe you. Mom says you did, but I know how I am when I'm drunk."
"Yeah," Brooke said. "You can be a little slutty."
Connor's eyes shot open as he glanced at Brooke. The anger was apparent in her voice, although he didn't know where it was coming from. Amber and Brooke were best friends.
Amber closed her eyes and puffed out her chest as she pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Brooke sighed in disgust, and Connor shifted uncomfortably against the wall. He wished he had a clue as to what was going on.
"It's okay," he told Amber. "You were pretty emotional."
"I'm sorry for barging in like this. I just wanted to talk to someone, talk to you. How did you know Brooke?"
"God, whatever, Amber," Brooke said, and floated through the wall into the kitchen. She moved down the hall into Connor's bedroom.
Connor looked over his shoulder after Brooke, and gave Amber a sheepish smile as he held up a finger. "Would you excuse me for just one minute?"
Amber was confused, but nodded. Connor followed Brooke into the bedroom. She stood near the window, and he couldn't tell if she was looking out at the world or waiting for him. A gang of souls flew by, their loud laughter echoing through the bedroom.
"Brooke? What's up?"
"Are you blind? Look at her. She didn't come here dressed for talking."
He poked his head into the hall and took in a healthy dose of Amber. She certainly didn't have a problem showing off that figure of hers. Shorts, tank-top, sandals, a healthy tan.
"What does she want?"
"Wow, Connor. How dumb are you?"
He closed the door once again, anger and confusion taking over.
"Hey, you want to watch where you point your rage over there? What's the problem?"
"Oh, you mean besides the fact that I'm a soul?"
Brooke had her share of angry moments after her funeral. But over the past month they'd talked, laughed, spent time together, did any little thing they could think of. Her anger and sadness seemed to fade, but now it was back in full force. He wasn't a genius, but it obviously had something to do with Amber.
"Do you have something you want to say to Amber? We can go out there right now and say it."
"I just can't believe she's here. She tries to ride your saddle the night before I'm buried, and now she's here at your apartment."
Connor laughed, but cut himself short. He could almost sense the icy glare she was giving him.
"You thought it was funny when it happened."
"Yeah, well, I'm not laughing now."
He waited a moment before talking, hoping she'd calmed down.
"What do I do with her out there?"
"Oh, no. Sorry, Connor, I'm all out of advice for banging my best friend."
He covered his mouth to stop from laughing. Whenever Brooke used a metaphor for sex it brought out the childish giggles. He couldn't help it.
She moved over his bed and through the window without another word.
"Brooke, wait. Come on—"
It was too late. She was already flying up out of sight. He shook his head as he stood alone, dumbfounded. He grinned slightly at the knowledge that whether alive or a soul, women would always be a mystery to him.
Amber smiled at him as he left the bedroom. She radiated charm and beauty. He could only imagine how guys fawned over her wherever she went.
"Do you want something to drink or anything?"
"No, thank you. Were you talking to spirits in there?"
He stopped before sitting down on the far end of the couch. "Say that again?"
"Brooke told me she came here once, and you gave her this crazy story about how you could talk to spirits or something."
"Uh, yeah. It's complicated. A long story."
"I'd love to hear it."
He shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe another time."
"Another time works, too."
Silence followed. Connor didn't know what to say. He actually didn't have anything to say. Amber was the one who visited him. He could only assume something was on her mind.
"I'm so sorry for what happened at my mother's house. I bet you were so embarrassed."
"Nah. I get kicked out of houses all the time with moms chasing me."
She laughed and scooted closer. He would have scooted away, but he was already on the corner of the couch with nowhere to go.
"So, why did you come over?" she asked
"I just wanted to check to make sure you were okay. Brooke and I actually started talking a little before she died, and I know you two were close."
"Really? She never mentioned you at all."
"Ouch. Kill my ego. We weren't dating or anything, but we were becoming friends."
"Aww. Thank you, then, for checking up on me," she said, shifting closer still. "Are you dating anyone?"
"Hmm, I guess not."
"That doesn't sound very certain to me."
"I had to think about it for a second."
She laughed again and placed a hand on his knee. His first instinct was to pull away, but he managed to stay rooted in place.
"I knew there had to be something about you," she said. "If Brooke came here, without pestering from me, to talk to you."
"Eh, nothing special here. I can shoot a mean game of pool, though."
She smiled, but it wasn't as bright as before, and there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.
"You're not attracted to me at all, are you?"
Amber was a classic beauty. Connor could imagine her gracing the cover of magazines and commercials. Perfect skin, sexy, flirty, beautiful body. She could almost pass for one of those perfect bodies that soul insurance companies had access to.
But she did nothing for him.
"I'm afraid not."
She nodded and pulled her hand away. "It's a shame you didn't get to know Brooke better." Her face scrunched up as she tried to fight away tears. "She really would have liked you."
Amber broke down crying, trying to cover her face. Connor searched his apartment for help of any kind. A spirit floating through his home, a burglar robbing the place, anyone he could talk to at all for advice. He barely knew Amber, and didn't have any idea about what to say or do to make her feel better.
He shifted closer to her and put an arm around her shoulders. She buried her head against him, trying not to shake.
"I miss her so much. Do you know how she died?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Our apartment caught on fire," she said, as if she didn't hear him. "She jumped out the window. I left my best friend alone so I could go see a guy I'm not even talking to anymore."
"It's not your fault. You know that, right?"
"I think it is."
She didn't go into detail, and Connor didn't ask. He simply held her as she cried.
*****
Brooke paced on the roof of Connor's apartment building. She tried to adjust her glasses on her nose, a nervous habit she couldn't break even as a soul. Other spirits flew above her, laughing and enjoying the night. All she could think about was what Connor and Amber were doing below.
She thought she was doing well adjusting to her new existence over the past month. There were good days and bad days. Sometimes she could truly lose herself in flying over town, walking through walls, enjoying the sights, going anywhere she wanted. Then there were times she'd pass over the cemetery, and the fact that she could never talk to her family and friends again rushed back to her.
At the end of those bad days was Connor, always ready to cheer her up.
No one could make her laugh like him. His simple way of thinking, his humor, his smile, all brightened Brooke's day. She liked him, more than she should, and that frightened her. Were they genuine feelings? Or was the unique nature of a friendship between a soul and a living person making her see things that weren't there? Connor looked at her as if she were still alive, and not a ball of light floating through his apartment. They talked all the time, shared things, flirted, she'd even spent her f
air share crying in front of him. He'd treated her better than any man she knew when she was alive.
Now he was downstairs with her best friend, and she was dressed to impress.
Amber could touch Connor. She could flash that winning smile of hers, toss her hair, cross her legs, all the little things to get his attention. Brooke could do none of that, and she wanted to. Connor wasn't even aware most of the time they watched baseball her eyes were on him.
There were familiar voices on the sidewalk below.
"I can't believe this is your car."
"Why does everyone hate on my car? It feels things. You have to be careful."
Brooke leaned carefully over the roof. As good as she became at flying, there were moments her fear of heights rushed back to her. If she fell from the roof it wouldn't be a problem to stop herself in mid-air and fly back up. That still didn't stop her stomach from dropping as she looked at the ground below.
Connor walked Amber to her car. Brooke couldn't make out what they were saying, but there was no touching, no hugging. She didn't think she was on the roof long. There was no way they could have had sex already. Brooke was relieved, and ashamed for feeling that way.
She wanted Connor, and was tired of placing second.
Amber got in her car, but waited for Connor to climb in his. Brooke watched in confusion as he followed her out onto the street.
She took one step back and charged forward. One pull of her arms was all it took to keep her in the sky. Connor kept a steady pace behind Amber, and Brooke stayed above both of them, just near the roofs of the nearby buildings. If she climbed any higher her fear would take over.
It was a beautiful night to fly. She could see the lights throughout the streets. Souls flew all around and above her, some louder than others. Two men above her hollered at the women walking the streets below, rating them. Brooke rolled her eyes and kept on with her flight.
She recognized the neighborhood they were in, and raised an eyebrow as Connor and Amber parked across the street from Amber's mother's house. Brooke settled in a nearby tree, confident the leaves and branches would hide her light. She listened as Connor approached Amber when she left her car.
"I would walk you to your door," he said. "But I'm afraid of your mother."
Amber laughed. Brooke listened intently, surprised. She recognized the laugh Amber used when she was trying to flirt with a guy, and that wasn't it.
"She's harmless. Wow, I feel like I'm sixteen all over again, afraid to bring a boy to Mom. Thank you so much for following me home. You didn't have to."
"I had to go out anyway. Out of drinks at the apartment."
Amber leaned forward and kissed Connor on the cheek. Brooke felt a wave of both jealousy and relief wash over her. Amber kissed Connor, but didn't aim for his lips.
"Whoever she is, she's lucky."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I can see when a guy is thinking about someone else. She must be special."
"It's…kind of a weird situation."
She smiled and took his hand. "Well, if you want someone to talk to, let me know. And if you want to practice in the bedroom, you just call me."
Brooke laughed quietly and shook her head. Amber was still Amber.
Connor stood near his car as Amber approached her house. Brooke kept her eyes on him the entire time. Sweet, thoughtful, funny, smart. The fact that he was easy on the eyes didn't hurt either, and was apparently also immune to Amber's charm.
She'd eventually come to terms with her life as a soul. She was a strong woman, and she'd be okay. But watching Connor by the side of his car, she desperately wished she was alive.
Just one hug. She didn't think that was too much to ask for.
*****
Brooke didn't know how much time had passed as she soared over the airport. The sun was high overhead; she guessed it was close to noon. The airport wasn't huge, but it was large enough for her to fly aimlessly for at least an hour and still not find Connor. She passed by the living on the ground and spirits in the air as she searched for an attractive guy moving luggage.
She hadn't seen him since she left his apartment when Amber showed up. She'd spent the night watching movies at an all-night theater on the other side of town. It was a pleasant distraction, floating in the air with a bunch of spirits she didn't know, watching bad cinema. They invited her to visit the Grand Canyon, but Brooke had no desire to teleport. When they told her they were flying there, taking their time, she realized she had no desire for a road trip either.
The one thing she desired, she couldn't have.
Her heart beat faster as she made another pass around the airport, looking for Connor. She had no idea what she planned on saying to him. He probably wouldn't like the interruption at work, but she just needed to see him. As she flew over an airplane three children waved at her from the window. She smiled as she waved back, and frowned when she remembered all they saw was a ball of light. She flew in circles, putting on a show for the young children.
Brooke caught part of a conversation as she flew aimlessly.
"…such a nice guy. It's still weirds me out he can hear us…."
She stopped in mid-air. Her eyes fell on two older men hovering slightly below her near one of the terminals. One man leaned against the glass, like his feet were touching the ground still. Another man sat across from him with his legs crossed. Brooke drifted down and slowly moved toward them. They stopped their conversation and smiled at her.
"Hi there, young lady."
"Hi. My name's Brooke."
"I'm Douglas, and this is my friend Ted."
Ted nodded as he took in Brooke. She dressed more conservatively than she did the day before with Connor. She had no idea why she wore a miniskirt around him. It wasn't like he could see it.
"Check it out, Doug," Ted said. "You don't see too many souls with glasses."
Brooke laughed. "I was close to blind when I was alive. Figured I should be blind as a spirit, too."
"I like you already, Brooke. What can we do for you?"
"I thought I just overheard you talking about someone that could hear you?"
They looked at each other, obviously uncomfortable.
"Well, I'll be honest, we really shouldn't talk about it. I'm sure he wants his privacy—"
"His name's Connor. I already know him, trust me. I'm just looking for him. Have you seen him around here?"
"Why don't you just…you know, zap right to him?"
"I've barely got flying under control. I don't know if I like the idea of teleporting around."
Douglas laughed gently. "I know what you mean. Took me a long time to get the hang of it, too. He was just settling in for lunch at the food court when we found him. He's still there, I'm sure."
"Thank you so much."
She made a move to fly away, but Douglas kept talking. "How do you know him? Boyfriend and girlfriend when you were alive?"
"Actually, no. It's a crazy story. The body who had this soul before me…he murdered his parents."
She didn't know why she told them. Doug and Ted seemed like kind, gentle souls. She'd been wanting to talk about the connection between them for a while, and the person she normally shared everything with, Amber, couldn't hear her.
"Ah!" Ted said. "Soul-mates!"
Douglas nodded. "Yup. Sounds like it."
Brooke searched their faces. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Some souls are simply destined to be together," Douglas said.
She shook her head. "If you asked him when he was a kid, I doubt he'd say we were soul-mates."
"You misunderstand me. Soul-mates aren't always all googly-eyed, crazy-in-love, like the movies want us to believe. Like I said, they're simply meant to be together. Doesn't have to be good. You could be meant to cause each other pain. Or maybe it's a pain-now, love-later kind of situation. You can never be sure."
"I don't want to hurt him, and he wouldn't hurt me."
"Love, then?"
She hel
d up her hands and offered a sad smile. "He can't even see or touch me."
"Eh, that shouldn't matter to love. But it's too bad you don't have—"
"Please, don't say something about soul insurance."
Douglas made the motion of turning a key in front of his mouth. "My lips are sealed."
Brooke looked at them both. "Thanks, again. For the talk."
"Pleasure meeting you, Brooke."
She pushed through the glass and into the terminal. Following the signs for the food court, she passed over the living as they prepared for their flights.
Brooke slowed her flight as the scent of food grabbed her. She spotted Connor at a table by himself, eating a ham and cheese sandwich while searching through music on an MP3 player. She took the moment to watch him before flying down.
Even in his hideous work uniform Connor was nice to look at. She couldn't ever remember seeing him angry. His face was always calm, in control. Just being near him put her at ease, made all her petty spirit problems disappear.
She floated down near his table and stood on the other side. It took a moment for Connor to notice her as he stared at his MP3 player. Finally, he looked up at the spirit across from him and removed his ear-buds.
"Ted, I told you. I left a message on your daughter's machine. Stop by tomorrow, and I'll let you know if she calls me back."
"Wrong soul."
He smiled at the sound of her voice as relief flashed across his face. He stood up and circled around the table so he could pull the chair out for her.
"Thank you." It amazed her how much of a gentleman Connor was.
"How's it going?" he greeted. "I don't think you've ever been to my work before."
"Yeah. It took me forever to find you. Do you always help spirits that come running up to you?"
"Lately, it kind of feels like it. But it's okay, nothing crazy. I haven't been asked to do any late-night rescue missions."
They laughed together, and she grew quiet, just watching him. There was something special about him, and it wasn't the fact that he could hear souls.
"Is everything okay?" he asked. "Or is the town finally boring you?"
"I, uh, actually wanted to talk about last night."
"Yeah, what was that about? You just disappeared, left me high and dry."
Soul Insurance Page 17
