Page 64 of Ghost

“I’m starving,” Mitch said.

“I could eat and sure could use something cold to drink,” Paul added.

“Why don’t y’all go on down and I’ll be there in a second,” Mason said.

He waited until everyone was down the stairs and heard the door close.“Mr.Higgins?”

Owen looked around the apartment.“I lived here almost my entire life.”He looked at Mason.“I hope them folks get to do something nice for themselves.I wish I had.Oh well.”He shrugged.

“Now what?”Mason asked.

“I’ve seen the bright light before, but I always turned away from it.Afraid someone was going to steal my money.Stupid me.I guess I’ll go into it now.There’s nothin’ left for me here anymore.”

Mason watched as he turned slightly to his right and walked a few steps and then he faded away, leaving only a few wisps of smoke.

* * * * *

“You get the first go, Mas.It’s your house.”Paul pushed Mason towards the bathroom.

Mason smiled.“Hell, yeah!”

After his shower, Mason dried himself off, admiring his new bathroom as he did so.It was more upscale than any bathroom he’d ever been in, and it was his.He looked at the old pedestal sink and frowned.You’re not staying long.

“Hurry up in there,” Paul commanded.“I need a shower too.”

“Me too,” Mitch added.

“I’m coming.”Mason pulled on a pair of cutoff jeans and opened the door.“Next!”

Paul hurried in carrying his towel and toiletries as Mitch huffed.

“Come outside with me for a minute, Mitch.”Mason went and hung his towel up on a nail on the outside wall since they hadn’t put up any towel racks yet.

“What’s up, Mason?”Mitch leaned against the wall, one foot flat on the wall behind him.“We need more beer by the way.”

Mason rolled his eyes.“Listen, Mitch, I’ve got more work lined up that I can possibly do by myself.What’d’ya think about moving down here and us going into business together?”

Mitch’s eyes got wide.“Really?You’d go into business with me?”

“Sure, I would.You’re my best friend.”Mason patted Mitch on the chest with the back of his hand.“You’re buying your own damn beer, though.You just about broke me with what you can drink!”

“And I can live with you too?”

“Oh no.I was dead serious about that.”Mason shook his headnoas he spoke.“You gonna have to find your own place.The apartment down yonder still has a couple of weeks already paid and the deposit is paid.I can ask Mr.Stockbridge if he’d let me sub-lease it to you.He might even give us a discount.He wants me to work on his other house.”

Mitch frowned for a minute.“I can’t believe you wouldn’t want to live with me.”

“You want to walk into the kitchen and see a naked man, other than me, in there?”Mason asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

Mitch’s face screwed up like he just smelled something nasty.“Hell no.”

“And I don’t want to walk into the bathroom with some chick in there, either,” Mason laughed.

“Okay.I get what you’re saying’.”

“Well, what’cha think?”Mason smiled.

Mitch thought for a moment.“I’d have to do this last job up in Atlanta first.That’ll take me at least a solid week.Then I’d have to pack.”