Page 9 of Ghost

T he next morning Paul and Mitch started at the townhouse while Mason went to pick up a few things he needed. It didn’t take long, but by the time he got back it was scorching hot, and it was only eight in the morning.

Mason walked in to see Mitch and Paul both shirtless, sweat pouring off them. He was glad that he’d thought of picking up two cases of bottled water while at the Home Depot. Sadly, they weren’t cold, but he’d also gotten some more ice for the cooler.

Mitch didn’t seem to care if they were cold or not, making a grab for a bottle as soon as Mason had started to fill the cooler.

“Holy fuck, it’s hot,” Mitch said after nearly draining the bottle.

“It sure is, and it’s still morning,” Mason groaned. “Gonna make for a long ass day.”

Paul came up from downstairs. “Are ya’ll still talking about Mitch’s skinny ass?”

Mason nearly choked on the water he had in his mouth.

“My ass ain’t skinny, I tell ya!”

“Naw, was just commenting on the heat,” Mason chuckled, tossing Paul a bottle of water.

Paul looked out the front door, opening his bottle. “Yeah, it’s gonna be a hot one for sure.”

“It is a little cooler downstairs,” Mitch commented. “Glad I’m not up in that attic today.”

“That’d be miserable,” Mason agreed. “So, what’s the game plan for today?”

“Mitch and I are going to set up the generator and get that panel box set. Start wiring up what we’ve got and running some tests, make sure we’re all good there.”

“I guess I’ll finish up here in the kitchen, then,” Mason said, finishing his bottle of water. “It won’t take me too much longer I don’t think, but if you need me, I can drop it and help.”

Mitch shook his head. “Naw, I think Paul and I can manage, but we’ll holler if we need ya.”

“Okay then, sounds like we’re all on the same page.” Mason took his own shirt off and dropped it on the floor in the dining room, close to the cooler.

Paul and Mitch each took another bottle of water and headed off downstairs to start. Mason got out a heavy-duty trash bag so he could finish cleaning up the mess he’d made the day before. It wouldn’t take him but a few minutes and then he could start ripping out the rest of the old wall plaster.

He’d bent over to pick up a large piece of old plaster when he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye.

When he stood up, he saw his handsome ghost standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the hall.

Today, Mason could make out the little bit of color on his vest, a deep burgundy with some kind of embroidery.

He was even less transparent than he had been the day before.

It was like his image was getting stronger.

Mason looked into his eyes and was surprised that the man’s expression seemed heated. He watched as the ghost’s eyes traveled up and down his body, then locked onto Mason’s eyes. Mason knew that look and it was the look of desire.

“Good morning,” Mason said, keeping eye contact with the ghost. “You like?” he asked, running his hand down his chest, flattening the little bit of chest hair he had. There was a coat of sweat covering Mason’s entire body.

There was no mistaking the look as the ghost followed Mason’s hand, which stopped just at the waistband of his cut off Levi’s.

Mason watched as the ghost’s eyebrows shot up, his eyes locked on Mason’s again and then he quickly vanished. It wasn’t that slow fading away that Mason had started to get used to. It was more like someone turning off a light switch. It was instantaneous.

“Guess he couldn’t quite handle that,” Mason chuckled and then started working. Hmm... a gay ghost. How cool would that be!

A little while later, Mason stopped and retrieved his shirt with the sole purpose of using it as a sweat rag.

The sweat was pouring off his head, stinging his eyes.

Once he could see, he pulled three bottles of cold water from the cooler with the intent of taking two of them down to Mitch and Paul.

When he turned around to go downstairs, he came face to face with his handsome ghost.

“Shit!” Mason jumped back slightly. “Damn, you scared me.” Mason couldn’t help but smile at the ghost, who seemed a bit startled himself. “You know, we really should stop meeting like this.”

The ghost’s eyebrows rose slightly. “It’s a joke,” Mason explained, gaining a slight grin from the guy. Then, his head cocked slightly to the right, his eyes appeared to sparkle a little.

“Can you tell me your name?” Mason asked.

The ghost opened his mouth, but there was no sound, and then he frowned. He looked into Mason’s eyes and then faded away.

Mason sighed. “Guess not.”

He shook his head slightly and went downstairs to the lowest level to check on the guys’ progress.

When Mason stepped off the last step, he was instantly accosted by the screeching woman with both fists clenched and coming right at him again.

As before, she went right through him, leaving him with that same feeling as before, but even more damp, and a stench that made him want to hurl.

This time, there was also a distinct bad taste in his mouth.

“Yuck!” He wiped his lips with his sweaty forearm. “That’s just gross.”

“What’s gross?” Mitch asked as he approached Mason. “That for us?” He reached for one of the bottles of cold water.

“Yeah,” Mason answered, looking behind him.

“What’s the matter? Seen a ghost?” Mitch laughed, before chugging half the water.

“You didn’t?” Mason asked, really wanting to know.

Mitch’s eyebrow shot towards the ceiling. “You still going on about that shit? Naw, man, I ain’t seen no ghosts.”

Paul came in from the back door, his face flushed from the heat. “You seen another ghost?” He also took a bottle of water and drank half of it in one go.

“Not another ghost, but the same one.” Mason also took a long drink. “An old woman, gray hair, a long black dress, screaming her head off.”

Mitch looked at Paul and then back to Mason. “You’re serious about this shit, ain’t ya?”

“I can’t believe you didn’t see her, or even more, didn’t hear her!” Mason looked at Paul who shook his head.

“Nope. Didn’t see or hear anything, but then I’ve been outside for the last bit,” Paul said, shrugging his shoulders. “I believe ya, though.”

Mitch’s mouth fell open as he looked at Paul. “Really? You believe in ghosts?”

“I think I do now.” Paul shrugged again. “I’m starting to think that anything is possible.”

“And I’m thinking you’re both crazy.” Mitch drained the last of his water. “You finished up there?” he asked Mason.

“Just about.” Mason also finished his water. “Thought I’d come check on you guys and see if you had any thoughts about lunch?”

“Man, it’s so hot, I’m not sure I could eat anything,” Paul said. “Something cold, that’s for sure.”

“I’m with Paul,” Mitch agreed. “Anything cold.”

Mason looked at his watch. “How ‘bout we break for lunch in an hour, then? I’ll run back down to the deli and see what he’s got today.”

Both Paul and Mitch nodded.

“Thanks again, guys,” Mason said sincerely. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much I appreciate all your help, especially with it being so hot.”

Mitch grinned. “Oh... there’ll come a day when I call in the favor,” he chuckled.

“Anytime,” Mason smiled at his best friend.

* * * * *

“H ey, Nick,” Mason greeted the owner of the small grocery and deli.

“Why, hi there, Mason. How’s the house coming?” Nick beamed, his jovial personality welcoming.

“Looking for some lunch for me and the guys.” Mason looked outside and could see the heat radiating off the street pavement. “They asked for something cold.” He laughed.

Nick scratched his chin. “Hmm...” he seemed to be thinking. “Anything you or your guys don’t like?”

“Can’t think of anything, why?”

“Leave it to me, then,” Nick said smiling. “I’ll bring something up to you. How’s that? Give me thirty minutes?”

“Sure, okay. I trust you.” Mason pulled his wallet out. “How much?”

“Let’s call it an even twenty. Need any drinks?”

“We’ve got bottles of water in the cooler, so I’d say that’ll do us,” Mason answered as he handed Nick two ten-dollar bills.

“Alrighty then,” Nick smiled again, taking the money. “I’ll see you in about thirty minutes.”

Mitch, Paul and Mason were stretched out in the shade of the back deck in their beach chairs when Nick arrived with a huge platter covered in plastic wrap and a bag. “Hi there,” he greeted them with a big smile. “Lunch is served.”

Mason pulled the cooler from beside him and put it in front of all three of them as a makeshift table. “You can set it there, Nick.”

Nick set the platter down and then handed the bag to Mason. “Antipasto, and there are some individual salads in the bag, along with some plastic forks, plates and napkins.” He took off the plastic wrap and smiled again. “All nice and cold, too!”

“Oh man, that looks good,” Mitch said snatching up a piece of salami.

“I didn’t even think I was hungry until just now.” Paul took a piece of cheese and a pepperoni.”

“Wow.” Mason looked up at Nick. “You’ve outdone yourself here, Nick.”

Nick sat down on Paul’s tool chest. “Hey, I need to impress the new neighbor,” He chuckled. He then looked up at the back porch and through the back door. “Making good progress?”

“Yep,” Mitch answered before popping an olive into his mouth.

“We should have all the electrical work done by Friday,” Paul said. “This anti... whatever you called it, is really good.”

“Have some of that shrimp salad.” Nick pointed to the bag. “One of my specialties.”

Mason dug into the bag and pulled out two good sized bowls, opening one.

“That one’s a ham and cheese salad. My boy Nicky really likes that one. Even as a kid he loved it,” Nick explained.

“He seemed like a nice guy when I got beer from him last night,” Mitch said taking the bowl from Mason along with a small paper plate.

“He is, he is!” Nick smiled proudly. “He only works at the store during the summer and when he’s on break from school. My boy, he goes to Georgia Tech. He wants to be an architect.”

“Wow! Must be a smart kid,” Mason said.

Nick laughed, his head tilted back. “You... you crack me up, Mason. You can’t be much older than he is.”

Mason only shrugged and grinned, his mouth full of the ham salad.

“Anyway, I need to get back to the store.” Nick put both hands on his knees as he stood up. “I’m the only one there, and I had to leave a sign in the window that I’d be back in ten minutes, and it’s been that already.”

“Thanks for the lunch, Nick.” Mason stood up and extended his hand. “This is really, really good and Nicky is right, this ham and cheese salad is excellent.”

“It’s all good,” Paul said, not getting up, but shoveling more food into his mouth.

“Yeah, I could get used to this,” Mitch said.

Nick waved his hand in the air. “Nothing all that special, but thanks. Always nice to hear a compliment. You guys don’t work too hard and try and stay cool.”

“Thanks again,” Mason said, sitting back down. “Prob’ly see you later for more beer.”

Nick raised his eyebrows. “More beer?”

Mason pointed to Mitch. “Alcoholic.”

“I am not!” Mitch yelled.

“With a skinny ass,” Paul added, busting a rib laughing.

Nick laughed heartily as he left.

“I so do not have a skinny ass!”