Page 17 of Ghost

F rancis and Mason stood there looking at each other for a long time. It seemed that neither knew what to say.

“Um... I’m not really religious or anything, but that sure looked like hell to me,” Mason finally said. “It was so cold.”

Francis blinked a few times. “I truly do not know what to say.”

Mason reached towards Francis. “In the end, I think she was sorry, though.”

Francis only nodded, then looked back to where the spot on the floor had appeared. “I agree. It is sad all the same.” He turned to face Mason. “You must live your life, Mason. Live each day as if it were your last.”

“Funnily enough, I’d already kinda been thinking along the same lines.” Mason looked back at where the wall had been. Staring back at Francis he asked, “Why do you think you’re still here?”

“I do not know. There are many things that I do not fully understand.” Francis shrugged. “Do you wish for me to not be here?”

“No!” Mason shook his head as if to clear away the cobwebs. “What I mean is that I like you being here. I only wish... well, that you weren’t dead.”

Francis tilted his head back and laughed.

It was a sound that Mason would want to hear over and over again.

Eventually, Francis stopped. “Yes, that would have been preferable, but unfortunately, I would more than likely be dead whether my mother took my life or not. We are from different times, after all.”

Mason frowned. “I guess you’re right. Doesn’t make what I said any less true.”

“You are a curious man, Mason Montgomery.”

“Look who’s talking! You’re way more mysterious than I’ll ever be.”

“Ah, but you have a lot of living yet to do.” Francis smiled. “You still have a lot of time to become a mysterious curiosity, if that is what you so desire.”

Mason shrugged his shoulders. “Right now, I’m just trying to get by, day by day.”

“In the end, I suppose that is all anyone can do.” Francis smiled. “Now, you must do your work. I feel that I am keeping you from it and you have much to do.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Mason smiled. “I’d still like to kiss you.”

Francis laughed again as he started to fade away. “And I, you! And I, you.” And then he was gone.

Mason stood there for a moment. “Damn, that is one sexy man.”

“I can still hear you, Mason Montgomery.”

Mason laughed. “This could end up being very embarrassing.” Mason picked up his measuring tape and got back to work finishing up his new kitchen.

* * * * *

“W ell, I guess you’ve got most of your kitchen sorted out,” Mitch said before he shoveled another large bite of steak into his mouth.

“I can do the tiling after you guys are gone,” Mason agreed.

“You’ve got some painting and stuff to do on those new walls,” Paul added. “We could help with that.”

Mitch elbowed Paul. “Speak for yourself. I hate painting.”

“You guys have done enough. I say that after dinner you guys go out and hit the town. Paint it red if you want to. Have some fun.” Mason had no intention of going out himself. He was ready to get some rest.

“Naw, there ain’t nothin’ excitin’ about going out drinkin’ for me anymore. I got a wife back home.” Paul took a sip of his beer. “I’m really quite happy to just sit back, watch a ball game and spend time with my buds.”

“Yeah, well, I plan on making the most of it.” Mitch pushed his plate away. “I need to find me some female comp’ny tonight. I got an itchin’ that needs some scratchin’.”

“What about you Mas? Don’t you feel like hittin’ the town?” Paul took the last bite of his own steak.

Mason sighed. “I’ve got to get some stuff done tomorrow. I need to see about getting a phone put in the house and some business cards made up. I need to find some work. I don’t have a lot of money left.”

“Hmmph. You won’t have much trouble findin’ work, Mason. You’ve got skills, man. I saw what you did with that dump you had in Atlanta.” Mitch downed the last of his beer. “I want some of that strawberry pie.”

“I want me some of that chocolate cake.” Paul pushed his plate forward a bit. “Mitch here is right, Mas, you got skills. Prob’ly more skills than either of us have. You won’t be needing to look too hard to find some work.”

“I’m glad you guys have such faith in me.” Mason finished up his own beer. “But now I’m torn. I don’t know if I want the hot fudge sundae or the strawberry pie.”

Their waitress came by and took their desert orders. Mason decided on the hot fudge sundae on her recommendation. As she was walking away, Mitch’s eyes followed her.

“Man, I could sure use some of that.”

“Mitch, that girl prob’ly ain’t even legal yet.” Paul shook his head.

“Okay, maybe she’s got an older sister.” Mitch grinned.

“I’m glad you’ll be an old man before my daughter gets to datin’ age.” Paul scowled at Mitch. “I wouldn’t want her anywhere near you.”

Mitch threw his arm across Paul’s shoulders. “Aw, come on, Paul. You wouldn’t want me for a son-in-law?”

“Oh, hell no!”

Mason cracked up. “I’m sure gonna miss you guys.”

“Speaking of which...” Mitch sobered. “I think I may head out on Wednesday with Paul here. It’d be convenient if one of us had any car issues on the way back, and I’ve got to be ready to get to work by the end of the week.”

“Sure, Mitch. I just appreciate all the time you’ve given me. Both of you. There’s no way in hell I could have gotten this much done in such a short amount of time.” Mason sighed. “I just wish I could afford to give you some cash for all your work.”

“Mas, we’ve been over this,” Paul grumbled. “We’ll get our payback at some point, won’t we, Mitch?”

“Yep, you know it.” Mitch eyed the too-young waitress as she brought the desserts. “I have a feeling I’m gonna make this my home away from home.”

“Oh lordy, help me,” Mason groaned.

When they got back to Mason’s small apartment, they all flopped down. Mason turned the TV on to catch the last part of the ball game. When he sat back down, he asked Mitch, “I thought you were goin’ out?”

“I think I’m too full.” Mitch groaned and popped the button of his jeans. “I feel like a beached whale. I don’t even want another beer.”

Paul sat up and looked at Mitch. “Stop the presses: this is a day for the history books!”

“Hardee-har-har,” Mitch said, glaring at Paul.

“What’s on for tomorrow?” Paul asked, leaning back, a smug smile on his face.

“I was thinking I’d run over to Home Depot and pick up that tile and get started on that.” Mason leaned back against the arm of the sofa as he sat on the floor.

Paul shrugged. “We can help with that.”

Mason turned and looked over his shoulder. “Think we’ll pass the inspection on the electrical?”

“Pfft. I’d like to see them find anything wrong with our work,” Mitch replied.

“I’m gonna agree with Mitch on that one.” Paul patted Mitch on the chest. “The one thing I can say about this one here is that he’s a damn fine electrician.”

“Aw, I knew you loved me.” Mitch smiled at Paul.

“Just not enough to let you anywhere near my daughter!”

* * * * *

T he next morning, they all got into Mason’s truck and headed for the big box store to pick up some tile.

“I had some thoughts on your kitchen, Mas.” Paul leaned over, speaking across Mitch who was sitting in the middle.

“Oh? What’s that?” Mason turned his indicator on to turn left.

“You should put in one of them breakfast bar type things. It will give you more storage and counter space,” Paul explained.

“That’s a good idea,” Mitch chimed in. “And it would delineate the kitchen from the dining room area.”

Mason looked at Mitch. “Look at you go with your big words. Delineate .”

Mitch rolled his eyes. “I ain’t stupid, ya know.”

“It’s a good idea.” Mason found a parking spot. “Problem is, I can’t spend any more money.”

“I think we can scrounge up enough lumber to get it done,” Paul said as he opened the truck door. “I know we got enough drywall.”

As they walked into the store, Mitch said, “Paul and I can get started on the tiling and you can build that breakfast bar.”

“It’s going to depend on how much of that tile they got left,” Mason said, getting a heavy-duty cart.”

They were looking at the tile and counting out how much was there.

“Can I help you fellas?”

They all turned to see a guy in an orange employee’s smock with Stan written on the front in black marker. He was an older guy and Mason thought he might actually know what he was doing, which wasn’t always the case.

“How much of this tile do you have left?” Mitch asked.

“Well, now, that is the end of a run and it’s taken us a long time to unload it.

Black isn’t really in style.” He rubbed the back of his neck thinking.

“As I best recall, there’s this bit here, which is about thirty square feet, and I think I may have a partial flat still in back, which would probably bring it up to about a hundred square feet, maybe a bit more. ”

“That’s way more than I’d need,” Mason interjected, looking at Paul and Mitch.

“What’s the best price you can do if we take all of it?” Mitch asked. “We’ll also be gettin’ all the supplies, too.”

“Let me go see what I can do.” Stan walked away.

Mason turned on Mitch. “What the hell, Mitch? I don’t need that much tile.”

Mitch grinned. “You do if you redo that bathroom at the same time. There’s enough tile to do both, don’t’cha think?”

Mason blinked a few times. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”

“We all know that kitchens and bathrooms sell houses,” Paul added.

As they drove away from the home improvement store, Mitch was grinning ear to ear, as was Paul.

Mason just drove, stunned. Mitch had negotiated the price down on all the tile to the point where it was about the same cost as what Mason had planned on spending in the first place.

Black granite was obviously something that they wanted rid of.

It appeared that Mason was getting a bathroom renovation on top of a new kitchen.