Page 93 of Ghostly

“I’m sorry I overwhelmed you,” he said. “The perfume did something, but it was never just the perfume. It was you. All of you.”

Ida bit her lip. “Really?”

“I think it may have started with the chicken.”

Ida burst into laughter. “Lemon chicken and orange blossoms. Taken into account.”

“They do smell great.” He winked. “When you’re back solid and human again… do you think we could…”

“Continue where we left off?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of starting it again. Many times.”

Ida blinked. “Just to clarify, are we talking about the food or the perfume?”

He let the silence—and a flirtatious smile—speak. Words weren’t his forte currently.

“Oh.” Ida’s eyes grew wider.

“I wish I could see you blush.”

“Six minutes!” Perry yelled.

“In six minutes,you might,” Ida said, her tone indicating she’d be blushing hard at this moment.

“In six minutes,I will. Just the face won’t be enough, though. I need to see you flushed all over.”

“But if I’m dress—oh.Oh.” She giggled.

Gabriel let another few moments pass. “You know what I’d do first, though?”

“I think you have much better imagination when it comes to those things, so—”

“Kiss you.”

Ida slammed her mouth shut.

“Just a simple kiss. A proper kiss.”

Ida waved a hand rapidly in front of her face. “Oh, Gabriel. In five minutes—”

“Four minutes!” Perry yelled.

“—four minutes, you’re really going to make me cry. In the best way possible.”

Gabriel reached out a hand. In four minutes, he’d finally be able to touch her. But rather than thinking about how her skin, and her lips, and her hair would feel if he entangled his fingers in it, other images took over. Ida could finally go outside the house, and they’d visit the town—the library!—together. They could cook together. She could garden again, and on a nice summer evening, they’d sit on the bench outside and watch the sun go down, and the light would reflect in her eyes and paint more freckles on her skin.

“But what about your job?” Ida asked. “Your life in the city?”

“No doubt it’s at stake,” he said. “But it doesn’t matter. Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out.”

“It’s not fair. You loved it.”

He did. But he could also live without it. Oh, he’d be heartbroken, miserable—but he’d have Ida. And time to get back on his feet. “Don’t worry about it. What’s important right now is to get you back.”

“Three minutes!”

“Wait, all of this is ready, right?” Gabriel looked around.