Six Times a Charm

by Deanna Chase

  “Do you see that, ghost? You are not allowed in the bathroom. Some things are private.” I retreated back to the couch, and an image near the window made me spin. I gasped. A vague, shadowy, outline grew stronger until a man, a man I recognized stood near my window. Mr. Sexy.

  Oh. My. God. My dreams were haunted by a ghost. I stood paralyzed, transfixed, waiting. Our eyes met and Mr. Sexy’s lips quirked up. Then he dissipated.

  I ran to the phone and dialed, still staring at the place he’d vanished from.

  “He’s back,” I said into the receiver.

  “The ghost?” Ian’s voice climbed an octave higher.

  “Yes. I just saw him.” Draining my glass, I wondered what I should say. I’d been having dream-sex with my ghost? I reached for the wine bottle.

  “What did he do?”

  “Nothing. He just appeared then left.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I think so. Just a little freaked out.” I sat down, afraid I might fall.

  “Understandable, but he sounds harmless enough. That kind of apparition is pretty tame. What happened right before he appeared?”

  “Uh, I spoke to him. Told him to stay out of the bathroom. You know, privacy.”

  Ian chuckled. “That’s what you get for talking to him. If I were a ghost, I’d follow you in there too.”

  “Perv.” I cleared my throat. “You really think there isn’t anything to worry about?”

  “Probably not. He likely appeared because you spoke to him. As long as nothing sinister is happening and you don’t feel threatened, it should be fine.”

  Threatened? Not exactly. More like invaded. “Okay, but will you be around later if I need you?”

  “Sure. Do you want me to come over?”

  I mulled it over for a minute. I really did want to relax and work on my online store, but at the same time I knew any hope of concentrating was shot now. “Do you want to come watch a movie?”

  “Sure. Give me about forty-five minutes, and I’ll be over. Want me to bring a DVD?”

  “Yes, surprise me.” I didn’t really care what we watched. I just didn’t want to be alone. “And if you have any more ghost repellent, bring it too.”

  “Will do.”

  I sat rigid on the couch. A ghost invaded my dreams. How was that possible? I’d seen an outline of him before in my apartment, but not a detailed one. It couldn’t just be my subconscious. I’d never seen him before.

  Shaking my head, I recalled the very real feeling emotions of Mr. Sexy. Every day I let my guard down in the apartment and didn’t feel his intense emotions while awake. Only while dreaming. I shivered. If he did visit me in my dreams, did he stick around to witness my intense and very private scenes with Kane? I didn’t think so. In those scenes the only emotions I remembered were Kane’s, which felt just as real.

  Lowering my head to my hands, I rubbed my temples. Kane certainly wasn’t a ghost, and I dreamt of his emotions too. Dreaming while reading emotions was something I’d never experienced before. I’d just thought it was a new dimension in my dream world. Now I didn’t know what to think. I guessed it was possible Mr. Sexy visited me in my dreams, and then my subconscious took over, pushing him out and replacing him with Kane—the one I actually wanted to be with.

  Should I tell Ian about the dream visits? What would I say—that I spent my nights getting intimate with my ghost until Kane showed up and things got even more imaginative? God, no! I could barely even think about my dreams without heat burning my cheeks. They were like nothing I’d ever experienced before and way more intimate than anything I’d ever shared with anyone, including my two ex-boyfriends.

  Maybe I could just tell him Mr. Sexy appeared in my dreams and leave Kane out of it all together. I sighed heavily. I didn’t want to talk about any of it, but if I wanted help, I’d have to.

  ***

  The alarm buzzed at four-thirty a.m., and the springs creaked as Ian rolled over. I slid out of bed, eyeing the coffee maker. I bypassed it and tiptoed my way to the bathroom. I could get coffee at the café, but I just didn’t function well until I’d had my first cup.

  After showering, I spent ten minutes applying a bit of makeup and arranging my wet hair into a bun. When I emerged I found Ian upright, his hair tousled, sipping fresh coffee.

  “Oh, you are a god!” I squealed and pivoted to pour my own cup of glorious java.

  “Not the response I anticipated, but I’ll take it.” He smiled.

  I grinned and took in his very cute bed head look. “Sorry I had to wake you so early.”

  “No problem. I need to head home and get ready for work anyway.” He fished around, searching for his shoes.

  “They’re over here.” I pointed to the end of the bed. “Did you sleep okay?”

  He slipped his feet in the unlaced Vans. “Yep, like a baby. You?”

  “Best night’s sleep since I moved in.” I hadn’t dreamt of Mr. Sexy or Kane, to my immense relief. I’d die of embarrassment if Ian heard me call out in my sleep for another man—if I did, in fact, call out in my sleep. Judging by the intensity the dreams held, I wouldn’t be surprised.

  “Good, glad I could help.” He picked up the movie we never got around to watching. We’d been too busy discussing my ghost and—once I’d gotten over my intense embarrassment—the dreams. He’d been amused and highly curious about the new turn of events. He’d heard of dream hauntings before, but not any of the sexual nature. He promised to check into it further.

  “Maybe next time.”

  “Yeah, next time,” he agreed.

  “If you’re ready I’ll walk you down. Maybe grab you a muffin from the café?”

  “Sure.” He followed me to the door.

  I stopped just before opening it. “Thanks, Ian. I had a good time.”

  “My pleasure.”

  I leaned in and kissed his cheek. He winked and followed me down the stairs.

  “Hey, I forgot to ask, did you finish with the results of the reading you did the other night?”

  “I was going to finish up last night, but I got distracted.” He grinned. “Tell you what, I can get them done today and bring you a copy tomorrow. Maybe we can finally get that dinner date in?”

  “That’d be great.” I smiled up at him.

  “But it the mean time, you can do some research. Look for past residents of the building. See if you can find information about anyone who died here. Especially if it wasn’t a natural death. A suicide, accident, murder…that kind of thing.”

  “Why?” I stopped on the bottom stair.

  “If we find out who it is, we might have a better idea what he’s doing here and how best to get rid of him.”

  Suddenly, I felt unsettled at the thought of my ghost’s possible gruesome death. I didn’t notice Kane until his irritation filled my energy field. I stiffened and turned around. “Kane?” I stood to one side, watching him.

  “Jade, Ian.” His eyes narrowed at Ian, taking in his appearance. Jealously swarmed around us, and I had to hide a smile.

  “You’re up early,” I said.

  “Up late.” Kane locked the door to the club. Turning to Ian, he said, “You seem to have had a late night as well.”

  Ian shrugged.

  Kane’s face stayed neutral, but his emotions spiraled out of control. Anger, jealousy and maybe even a little pain swirled together.

  The pain made me pause. I put a hand on his arm. “Everything okay?” The touch sent a shiver through my entire body, and I felt him flinch slightly.

  “Fine, just tired. I’m headed up to bed. See you later.” He turned without another word and took the other set of stairs leading to Pyper’s apartment.

  “What was that about?” Ian asked.

  “No idea. Come on, let’s get you that muffin.”

  We arrived at the café just as Pyper turned the lights on.

  “Good morning,” I sang.

  “Morning to you, too. New employee?” She gestured to Ian.


  Ian laughed. “No, not today, anyway. I was promised a muffin.”

  “In that case, take your pick.” She waved him to the trays on a rolling rack.

  Ian grabbed a double chocolate and pulled out some dollar bills.

  “No, no. I got it covered. Thanks again, Ian. I really appreciate everything.” I leaned in giving him a big hug. “I’ll call you later.”

  He bent down and kissed my cheek. “You better.” He waved to Pyper and left out the back door.

  “Oh my God!” Pyper exclaimed.

  “What?”

  “The schoolboy had a sleepover? Kane is going to freak.” Mischief danced in her eyes.

  “What? Why will Kane freak?” I asked, clocking in.

  “Because, silly, he’s the one who wants the sleepovers.”

  “Since when?” It’s not like he’d asked me out or anything.

  “Since the day he set eyes on you. How was it?” Curiosity and anticipation dominated Pyper’s energy.

  “How was what?”

  “’How was what?’” she parroted. “Your night with Ian. Come on, dish!”

  “We didn’t have a sleepover in that way. My ghost paid me a brief visit yesterday, and I called Ian about it. He ended up coming over and stayed so I didn’t freak out. We just talked and slept. It was all rather boring actually.”

  Her face fell. “The ghost?”

  “Don’t worry, nothing happened. Just a minor apparition.”

  “That is rather boring. At least Kane won’t have to worry.”

  I laughed. “Well…he did see Ian leaving with me this morning.”

  Pyper joined in my laughter. “Oh yeah, this is gonna get interesting.”

  Chapter 8

  At nine o’clock I grabbed a muffin and headed to the back for a short break. Just as I took my first bite, the back door squeaked. Kane walked in, with a calm almost Zen-like energy.

  “Good morning again. I thought you’d still be sleeping,” I said.

  He shrugged.

  “You’re not stoned, are you?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  His expression implied I’d lost my mind. “Of course not. Let’s see what you look like after three hours of sleep.”

  I gazed at him, taking in his dark, wavy, fresh-from-the-shower hair. He looked as if he’d just had a full night’s worth of sleep. “You look great. I was referring to your mood.”

  Pleasure and a heavy dose of desire flowed from him as his lips turned up in a half grin. “Great, huh?”

  I nodded. With full knowledge of his attraction to me, my bravado came out in full force. “Every woman’s dream.”

  He paused, studying me. “Even yours?”

  “Maybe.” I met his eyes. His energy remained steady, like a cool stream.

  He moved closer, stopping just in front of me. “Who else do you dream about, Jade?”

  My breath caught as my pulse sped up. I was outclassed and not experienced enough for this game. But that didn’t stop me. Smiling, I raised an eyebrow. “Unfair question, Kane.”

  “Maybe, but you’re the star of my dreams these days. I’m just wondering if Ian has a role in yours, or is he a distraction?”

  His mocha eyes transfixed mine. The breath left my lungs as I sat motionless, mesmerized.

  “The star?” I asked when my breathing resumed. “Who are the supporting characters?”

  “Unfair question.”

  “Then you don’t need to know who else has roles in mine.” I smirked.

  He narrowed his eyes, and a predatory grin broke out on his face. He leaned in close to mine and whispered, “I’ll find out.” Before I could respond he retreated out the back door.

  “Wow.”

  ***

  I slowed my steps as I entered the club, unsure if I wanted to see Kane or not. Okay, I wanted to see him. Who wouldn’t? But after the morning’s interlude I didn’t know what to say. I took a deep breath and knocked.

  A muffled, “Come in,” answered.

  I made my way inside.

  “Jade, what can I do for you today?” Charlie asked from behind the desk as I flopped into a folding chair across from her.

  “I was looking for Pyper.” Or Kane, but my stomach got jittery just thinking his name. “Have you seen her?”

  She shook her head. “No, I think she actually went to get some sleep.”

  “Really? I didn’t think she ever slept.” I fiddled with the notebook in my lap. “I’m glad to hear it. I was hoping to research some documents, but since she isn’t here I guess I’ll come back.” I stood up, but Charlie held her hand up in a stop motion.

  “Hold on. I have access to records. What do you need?”

  “Would it be all right if I take a look at who might have rented my apartment in the past? Do they have those records?” I filled her in on Ian’s suggestion to try to identify the ghost.

  “It’s like a mystery.” Charlie got up and headed to the door. “Come on, the files are in the storage room.”

  I followed her into the hallway. She fumbled with a ring of keys, outside the room where I’d gotten my used furniture.

  “There are files in here as well?” I didn’t remember seeing any.

  Charlie nodded. “There are now. They used to live in one of Pyper’s closets until you took some of that old furniture.”

  We walked in, turned the light on and found a mound of bankers file boxes stacked next to the door, barricading us from the rest of the room.

  “I guess she was in a hurry,” I said and coughed from the disturbed dust. “Thanks Charlie, I can take it from here.”

  She sat in an old thread-worn chair and grabbed the box closest to her. “I can help.” Opening it up, she pulled a stack of papers out.

  “You don’t have other work you need to do?” I didn’t want to get her into trouble.

  She shrugged. “Sure, but helping you is a lot more entertaining, and I can hear the phone from here if anyone calls.”

  “Okay, thanks,” I said, pleased to have some company.

  I couldn’t get around the large pile of boxes to dig out another chair, so I flopped my butt right down on the floor. Charlie smirked. I shrugged as if to say, “oh, well” and pulled the nearest box to me. As I searched through the piles I said, “I didn’t know you worked in the office. Did you get promoted?”

  “No. I just help out Pyper sometimes. She does way too much, as I’m sure you know. I don’t mind, and I get along with the girls. Or most of them, anyway,” she said sheepishly.

  I raised my eyebrows.

  “A few are exes.” She chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Never date a coworker.”

  “Okay, I won’t date you.” I smiled innocently.

  “Damn.”

  “It’s your rule.”

  “I’m willing to break it.” Charlie leaned in and leered before chuckling.

  “I’ll keep it in mind.” I giggled. The girls around here could do worse than Charlie. Glancing at the paper in my hand, I asked, “Do you have any others that date back a little farther? These are all from this year.”

  Charlie shook her head. “I don’t know if Kane will have those records.”

  “Really?” I said, surprised. “It looks like he keeps everything.” I waved to the mountain of boxes in front of us.

  “He does. This is all from this year alone.”

  “Where are the rest?”

  Charlie glanced up, dusting her hands off. “These are it. Didn’t you know? Kane just bought this place last year.”

  I stopped scanning the papers and gave her my full attention. “No. For some reason I just assumed he and Pyper have had this place for a while now. Have you been here longer than that?”

  “Wow, Jade, you really don’t know the scoop, do you?”

  I shook my head. “Apparently not.”

  “Did you know Pyper’s been managing this place for about five years?”

  I nodded.

  “Pyper is very dedicated to the girls, and last year the o
wner started demanding some new services, if you know what I mean.”

  I didn’t know, but I could take a guess. So I nodded again, getting really curious.

  “As you can imagine, Pyper didn’t take kindly to that suggestion, so she basically told him to shove it. He didn’t like that too much and one night, the two of them got into it. Pyper was giving him a piece of her mind. Roy, the former owner, got a little physical. Kane was here and laid the guy out flat.”

  “Really?” My mind flashed back to the night Kane removed Dan from the club. Enjoying the mental image, I smiled to myself.

  “Oh, it’s like that, is it?” Charlie gave me a rueful smile.

  I giggled nervously and felt my face flush. “What happened after Kane knocked the guy out?”

  “Roy had Kane banned from the premises and threatened to press charges. He went to the police and everything. Pyper was a mess, threatening Roy daily. Can’t you just see her, that tiny body standing in the office doorway, telling Big Old Roy how she was going to remove his balls with her bare hands? He would stand there six feet, two inches tall, always with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. She shot daggers at him with her eyes, and he’d growl at her. But she never backed down. We use to joke that if Roy went missing, Pyper would be the prime suspect.” Her grin widened. “We used to pray for it, actually.”

  “Why didn’t she just leave?” I couldn’t imagine staying in such a toxic environment.

  She shrugged. “He was determined to turn this place into a whorehouse. Pyper was determined to protect the girls.”

  I stared up at her, blinked, and asked the question I was dying to know. “This place has never been more than what it seems on the surface?”

  Charlie tilted her head. “It depends on what you mean by ‘what it seems.’”

  I shrugged. “Just a strip bar.”

  She smiled a wide devilish grin. “You have no idea what goes on in a regular strip bar, do you?”

  The heat burned my neck. I shifted my eyes away toward the back of the storage room. “No, not exactly. But I can imagine,” I said as she hooted with laughter.

  “God, you are something else. How did you ever end up working here?”