Chapter 13
Jesse rushed to Lucy”s side and knelt beside her. “Oh, my sweet Lucy. What have I done to you?”
Joel went to her, too, and crouched down by her side. “Dammit. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I never meant for you to get hurt…” He”d been so worried about her getting hurt emotionally, thinking that he or Jesse might be interested in her, and now she”d come to physical harm because of their stupidity. He felt terribly ashamed when he remembered all the sexual things he’d just said about her. Lucy was a classy girl and didn’t deserve to be talked about like that, even if she couldn’t hear him.
Joel felt awful that she had gotten hurt, but Jesse seemed completely distraught. Joel was surprised at the intensity of the anguish on his face. He suddenly recalled all the times he’d seen Jesse staring at Lucy meaningfully. He hadn’t thought anything of it before.
My sweet Lucy, what have I done to you…
I would never hurt her!
I think she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.
“Ohhh…” Joel said stupidly, as the truth finally dawned on him. Jesse hadn’t been leading her on for the sake of the bet. He was in love with her. It occurred to Joel that the two of them would have made a great couple. Lucy’s natural sweetness and Jesse’s gentlemanly manner were a perfect combination.
“Lucy,” Jesse whispered. He was desperate to wake her, but if he shouted her name and she came to, she would be terrified all over again when she saw him standing over her.
Joel couldn’t help but feel sorry for Jesse. He imagined how he would feel if that were Emma lying there, pale and unresponsive, her honey-blonde hair spread out on the floor instead of Lucy’s darker tresses. Poor Lucy, he thought as he looked at her. She looked so innocent, lying there on the floor. She was innocent.
“She’ll be okay,” Joel said gently, trying to reassure Jesse. “She just fainted.”
Jesse looked up and shot Joel a panicked look. “But she hit her head! What if she’s really hurt? We have to do something!”
Joel shook his head sadly. What could they possibly do? They could yell out for help, but that would likely create a panic. The police would be called as Lucy’s coworkers searched for a male attacker who’d hurt Lucy, called out for help, then disappeared.
Jesse stood up suddenly. He closed his eyes and concentrated.
Joel was alarmed. “You can’t possibly pick her up! Even if you could, you’d drop her and hurt her worse!” He understood Jesse’s desperation to help Lucy, but there wasn’t anything they could do.
Jesse ignored Joel. Eyes still closed, he concentrated on gathering his strength. He opened his eyes. Focusing as hard as he could, he went over to the bar right behind where Lucy lay on the floor. With one violent shove, he pushed a tray of empty glasses and silverware off the bar and onto the floor. It hit the ground with a terrific crash and landed right next to Lucy, making it look like she’d dropped it when she collapsed.
Jesse’s image became so faint that Joel could hardly see him anymore, the consequence of using up so much of his strength. But his plan had worked. It took only a few seconds for Craig to come rushing in to investigate the cause of the crash.
He looked around for the source of the noise and didn’t see Lucy right away. He walked over toward the tables and finally saw her.
“Oh, shit!” Craig rushed over and crouched beside her. He slid his left arm under her back and cradled her in his arms. “Lucy! Lucy!”
He shook her harder, but she was still unresponsive. Lucy’s fall, combined with Craig’s shaking her, had caused her blouse to slip down. Most of her left breast was revealed, covered in a lacy, white bra. Craig noticed, and stared for a second or two. Then he reached over and tugged at her blouse, pulling it over her chest to protect her modesty.
Joel and Jesse exchanged a look that said Good thing… They’d have haunted Craig for the rest of his days had he dared to grope Lucy.
Brayden came in from the kitchen, and the manager, a woman in her forties named Mandy, came in at the same time from the door on the other side of the dining room.
“Lucy! Lucy! Can you hear me?” Craig said.
Mandy rushed over. “Oh, my God. What happened?”
“Not sure. I think she fainted. I didn’t see it happen. I just heard the noise when she dropped a tray and I found her like this. Come on, Lucy. Come on!” Craig pleaded. “Okay, girl. You got three seconds to wake up before I call an ambulance. Lucy. Luce!”
He sighed. With his free hand, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and entered the unlock pattern with his thumb. Just as he was about to dial, Lucy moaned softly.
Jesse walked around and crouched down next to Lucy while Joel stood just behind her. Jesse’s image, while still invisible to the living, was starting to get a bit stronger.
Lucy’s eyes fluttered open, and she drew in a deep breath. It took her a moment to make sense of her surroundings, then she shot a terrified look in the direction where she’d last seen Jesse.
Craig saw her frightened expression and tried to comfort her. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay, it’s just me,” he said softly.
Joel watched Jesse, who was watching Craig take care of Lucy. He could see relief in Jesse’s eyes that help had arrived, but also pain as he watched another man hold Lucy in his arms in a way he never could.
Lucy looked up at Craig as he held her. She looked relieved to see that she was no longer alone in the tavern, but she was still afraid. She was shaking.
Mandy crouched down next to Lucy, and, unbeknownst to her, next to Jesse as well. “You okay, honey?”
“I think so,” Lucy responded in a small voice. She reached around and touched the back of her head. She winced. “I must have hit my head.”
“Hey, Brayden,” Craig said. “Go get her some water, will ya?”
Brayden nodded, and seemed grateful to be able to help.
Craig pressed his hand firmly on Lucy”s back and helped her to sit up. She took a few deep breaths.
“She’s getting her color back,” Joel said to Jesse encouragingly.
“Your color looks a bit better,” Mandy said.
Brayden returned with a glass of ice water with a straw. He handed it to Craig, who held it to Lucy’s lips. She drank a few sips, and the coolness of the liquid seemed to help calm her a bit.
Lucy looked around at all the people who were staring at her. Brayden, Craig, and Mandy. Lucy’s cheeks turned pink.
“Yeah, that’s her usual color,” Joel said, laughing softly and with affection.
“I’m all right, you guys. Really.” Lucy started to get up. Craig took the glass of water from her and handed it back to Brayden before helping Lucy to her feet.
“What happened, Lucy? Were you feeling sick?” Mandy asked with concern.
“No. I don’t think so. Not really. I guess maybe I just didn’t eat enough today. I-I-I just suddenly felt a little light-headed.” She glanced again at the corner where she’d last seen Jesse. She swallowed hard and looked away.
Joel and Jesse looked at each other. She clearly wasn’t going to tell anyone what she’d seen, which was probably for the best. For them, anyway.
“I feel fine, now. Really.”
“Why don’t you head on home, sweetie. Go home and rest,” Mandy said, sounding like a mother hen. “Give me a call tomorrow if you don’t feel up to coming in, okay?”
Lucy nodded.
“You gonna be okay to drive?” Craig asked, sounding worried.
“Oh, yeah. I’m okay, really,” Lucy said, uncomfortable with being fussed over.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Craig said, and Mandy nodded her approval.
Craig walked to the back of the room where all their coats and jackets were hanging on hooks. He grabbed his jacket as well as Lucy’s.
Jesse watched sadly as Craig helped Lucy on with her jacket. Both Joel and Jesse followed as Craig led Lucy to her car. Lucy looked more terrified than ever as she looked out at the blackness of the night.
“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” he asked. “If you pass out again, you’re gonna have an accident.”
“No, I’m fine. Really. I just need to go home and get some rest.”
All three men watched with concern as she drove away. Craig watched her until she was out of sight, then trudged back toward the tavern.
Jesse sat down on the sidewalk. Instead of going off on his own like he usually did, Joel sat down next to him.
“You’re in love with her!” Joel said.
Jesse just stared straight ahead, a grim expression on his face. So Joel finally knew the truth. He would probably laugh in Jesse’s face, mocking the very idea that a backwoods guy like him had fallen in love with a beautiful woman like Lucy, but he didn’t care. Nothing Joel could say could possibly hurt him. His taunts were nothing compared to the fresh, raw pain he felt when he pictured Lucy’s face as her hand passed through him. She was terrified of him. He’d never be able to go near her again.
“I didn’t know,” Joel said softly. “I didn’t know.”
Jesse looked over at him, shocked by his tone of voice. Joel actually looked sympathetic. “What the hell do you care?” Jesse asked, his voice rising.
“Well, I know what it’s like when you can’t be with the woman you love!” Joel exclaimed. “I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Which would be, well, you.”
Jesse decided he might as well tell Joel the truth. He had nothing left to lose anymore. “I already knew her when I picked her for our bet.”
Joel looked annoyed at Jesse’s confession.
“She didn’t know me. I swear,” Jesse said, holding up his hands. “It’s like she said, she only saw me that one time when I was playin’ with that little kid.” He chuckled softly. “Still can’t believe she remembered that. But really, she didn’t know me at all. I just knew her. I used to, you know, watch her.”
Joel nodded. Ghosts often stuck around people they liked, watching them just for something to do.
“I was already in love with her when I picked her. I jus’, ya know, figured I’d finally get the chance to talk to her.”
“Weren’t you afraid she was gonna pick me?” Joel asked dryly.
Jesse laughed. “Of course. She prolly woulda.”
“Nah. I don’t think so,” Joel said quietly. “Guess we’ll never know now.”
Jesse closed his eyes, overwhelmed at the prospect of having to go on with his existence without Lucy. He couldn’t even watch her in secret anymore. Not without recalling how frightened she had been. She probably thought of him as some creature from a horror movie.
“Did you see the way she looked at me?” Jesse asked, the agony evident in his voice.
“Yeah. I know. I guess it was bound to happen. We both knew we were pushing it.”
They sat in silence for a while. They would both miss Lucy terribly.
Jesse stood up. “I’m just gonna, ya know, go for the night. I’ll come back tomorrow and check on her. I have to make sure she’s all right.”
Jesse vanished for the night so he wouldn’t have to be conscious and suffer the agony of worry over Lucy. He disappeared, from sight and from consciousness, for a short respite from his pain.