Page 25 of Ghostly

“But you’ll be able to taste it while you haunt it.”

“A little bit, yes. I can feel it, just like I feel other objects. I think it’s done, by the way.”

Gabriel touched the crispy skin and, with a nod of approval, transferred the chicken into the oven.

“Your fancy party people wouldn’t know what hit them,” she said.

He laughed.

“Did you live in one of those big cities I see on TV, with tall glass buildings?”

“Yeah. My apartment is in one of those.”

“Do you miss it?”

Gabriel kneeled and stared at the oven. His tone was a touch too light when he responded, “I don’t have to miss it. A little more than five months, and I’ll go back.”

Ida was grateful her skin couldn’t show any changes, lest Gabriel see a very ugly shade of green. To him, this was just temporary. He’d never feel imprisoned here. In a few months, he’d be back to his old life, and probably forget all about this one. She could imagine his apartment, too—fancy shining white furniture one was afraid to touch, with windows all around,showing a stunning panorama with twinkling city lights. It wasn’t that she badly desired to live in a place like that—if she had a choice, she’d actually prefer a cute house in the country—but for Gabriel, that was reality, and for her, reality didn’t exist anymore.

It didn’t matter anyway, did it? When Gabriel left, she’d be gone, too. If he stayed as persistent for the entirety of the contract, by the time his lease was up, she’d belonggone.

A blip of regret—she’d miss afternoons like this—came and went, and she forced herself back to the task at hand. “Smells delicious already,” she said with a slightly forced cheer.

“You can smell it?”

“Nah. Just thought I’d give you some moral support.”

“Well, it does smell delicious, even if I say so myself.” Gabriel kept his eyes glued to the oven, one hand on the handle.

“If I see your grandma in the great beyond, I’ll tell her you made fantastic chicken.Pozoleor not.”

The gentleness in Gabriel’s eyes as he looked at her made the regret rise again. She knew she had to go, that it was the best for her… but it was rather terrifying to think once she was gone for real, she’d never experience anything ever again.

Was it too much to hope they had cooking in the great beyond? “You know what,” Gabriel said. “If this turns out well—”

“Which it will, obviously, because you know how to cook.”

He nodded with a smile. “I’m sure there’ll be a piece for you to haunt.”

“Really?”

“You can have half of my portion. After all this help, you deserve it. You’d make a good hostess.”

Even in praise, Gabriel’s voice had a slight edge to it—no objections allowed. She might have to object on this one, though. A good hostess? He’d be the only one who ever thought so.

Chapter 7

With the dining room and the dining table being too small, Gabriel had to improvise. He dragged two armchairs from upstairs and a few other chairs into the living room, spreading them around the coffee table. A total of six: wasn’t that wonderful?

Jason arrived first, with a young man he introduced as his boyfriend, Mark. As Gabriel led them in, Ida was already sitting on one of the armchairs, back straight, hands in her lap, smiling at the guests.

Mark headed straight for the same armchair.

“Aah, wait!” Gabriel reached his hand out.

Ida looked from him to Mark and shrugged. “I’m a part of this too, aren’t I?”

“Uh, sit somewhere else, please,” Gabriel said. “That one has wobbly legs.”