Feelings
Chapter eight
Alex
I need a drink. I’m still reeling from everything Jake told me, and I don’t know what to do with it all.
I want to kill Andrei and bathe in his blood.
He said Andrei didn’t hurt him, but he couldn’t look me in the eyes while he said it.
Not that he would want to tell me his deepest secrets, he doesn’t even know me, but I want to change that.
I want to kill his father too, for being a dick, and stand in between him and everything that wants to come at him.
I know it’s ridiculous to feel that way about someone I’ve known for such a short time, but it is what it is.
When I first realized I was a ghost, I thought I’d never be able to talk to anyone ever again.
It felt like a fate worse than death. Jake being here has given me a sense of hope I haven’t felt in a while.
I check in on Kayla. She’s leaning over the desk, scrolling through her phone. The guests must have turned in for the night or gone to find an actual party, because I don’t see anyone. I only had eyes for Jake tonight.
“I’m going to marry that man,” I tell her. She doesn’t respond. It’s a good thing she can’t see us. If she knew Jake was here I’d probably have to beat her away from him with a stick.
“Okay, good talk. I’m headed to bed. See you in the morning.”
***
When I walk into the lobby the next morning, I see Brandon taking down the remaining decorations and organizing pamphlets on the desk. He gives me a small wave. “Hey little dude, what’s up?”
I look around to make sure Kayla isn’t in earshot. “Brandon, you have to be careful about talking to me when Kayla or a guest could overhear.”
“10-4. Sorry about that. I keep forgetting that I’m the only one that can see you.” He looks around and lowers his voice. “So, did you have a good time last night? Hook up with a certain ghost?” He waggles his eyebrows.
“Ugh, I’m not discussing my relationship with you. Get back to work, that’s what I pay you for.”
“You don’t pay me, little dude.”
I wave a hand. “How’s your book coming along?”
“It’s good. I’m almost done with it, finally. This place is amazing. My head feels so clear. I’ve gotten more done here than I have in months, you know?”
I don’t know, because I’ve seen him do nothing with his free time but get high, but I don’t say that. I begrudgingly admit that he’s a good worker. I need to have him slip Kayla a note about a raise.
“When is your psychic friend supposed to be here? We need to start making headway on this case.” The other day I stared at a crack in the wall for four hours.
Four. Hours. I need something to do. I’ve been feeling a bit more confident in my investigative abilities since I had Brandon switch the channel on the front TV to the true crime network.
I’m a detective now, baby.
“He should be here by the end of the week.”
“Perfect. How do you guys know each other again?”
“Oh, we were roommates.”
“In college?” I inquire. I didn’t know Brandon went to college.
He dodges my gaze, scratching the side of his nose. “Um, not quite. Southern Pen County Jail?”
“Oh my god. Is that a question?” We’re doomed. “I need to find Jake. We have a few things to discuss. Get back to work, I don’t pay you to sit around.”
Brandon calls after me as I leave. “You don’t pay me!”
***
After some searching, I find Jake lounging on his bed in room three, staring at the ceiling. This can’t be good for him. The man needs to get out more.
“Hey, Jake. I was just looking for you.” He looks at me for a moment before resuming his perusal of the ceiling. I look up and see a speck of dust on the ceiling fan.
I gasp. “You’re so fired, Frankie.”
“Huh? Who’s Frankie?” Jake asks, confused.
“Oh, she’s the cleaner that replaced me. I knew she was too good to be true. Your ceiling fan is filthy.”
“This room has been closed off, when would she have been able to clean?”
I glare at the ceiling fan, knowing I’m being unreasonable, but I’m jealous that she can just waltz in and take my job. I console myself that I’m in management now. I’ve been promoted, and I don’t have time to clean.
“This room is no longer a crime scene. It should have been cleaned,” I say.
“Alex, no one will be staying in this room but me. At least for a while. Don’t be silly. Now, I’m assuming you came in here for a reason?”
“Yes! I was going to ask if you wanted to go on a date with me.”
He chokes on air before regaining his composure. “A date,” he repeats, deadpan.
“Yes, a date. With me. You need to get out more, and I need to work on wooing you.”
“And where would we go on this date? There’s not much for a ghost to do around here at the moment.”
“Well, I was thinking we could check out the living room? I haven’t been in there in a while.”
“You want to take me on a date to the living room,” he confirms.
“Yep, I thought we’d keep it simple today. Now get up. God, you look perfect, you don’t even need to get ready.” I grab his hand and force him up. “Let’s go. I need to update you about the investigation.”
“I never said I agreed, brat.” I try to pull him along, but he stands firm, and I can’t get him to budge. Damn his muscles.
“If anything, you’re the brat here. You need to obey me. Come on.”
"This isn't a date," he repeats.
"Have it your way. It's an outing. You can’t spend all day in this room. It’s not healthy," I say.
"We're not going outside, it can't be an outing."
"Oh my god, are you always this much trouble?"
After considering for a moment, he gives in and reluctantly follows after me.
I noticed he hasn’t dropped my hand, so I consider that a win.
I look up at him, and he appears almost fond before he schools his expression when he notices me looking.
No one can resist my charms for long, it’s impossible.
We get to the living room and–yes! It’s empty.
Operation Woo Jake has commenced. He’s so guarded.
I want to work on getting him out of his shell and out of the funk he’s been in since his death.
I know that it would be too easy for him to sink into a depression and waste his afterlife staring at cracks in the wall.
I want him to like me, and I want him to want to be around me, not just tolerate me.
I have to tread carefully. I know if I push too hard he’ll pull away again, but at the moment I have him right where I want him.
At the very least I have the investigation as an excuse to be around him.
Not that it’s much of an investigation. Despite my newfound obsession with true crime, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve never investigated anything.
I sit down on the couch and pat the seat beside me. He gives me a withering look and sits on one of the chairs opposite the couch. Playing hard to get. That’s okay, I’m a patient boy. I get him up to speed on my conversation with Brandon. He listens intently, nodding along every once in a while.
He rubs his legs as I finish. “I have to admit, I’m a little nervous. I want to remember what happened, but I know it’s going to be awful. How am I supposed to live with that, after?”
I give him a sympathetic look. I want so badly to hold his hand.
“It’ll be hard, I know. I’m nervous too.
But Brandon’s guy is a professional. We’re in good hands, I promise, and I’ll be there every step of the way if you need me.
I won’t leave you to deal with this on your own. ” He nods, seemingly mollified.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Now, tell me how you like to be wooed.”
“I don’t want to be wooed,” he says stubbornly.
“I think that maybe you do,” I counter. “Do you like flowers, long walks through the woods, animal sacrifice to your preferred deity?”
He looks disturbed at the notion of animal sacrifice. “None of the above,” he says, but I see his lips twitch just a little.
I shrug as I lean back into the couch. “Playing tough to get. I get it,” I tell him.
It looks like he rolls his eyes at me, but that can’t be right, can it? We sit in silence for a bit as I watch him, trying to figure him out.
“What do you like to do for fun?” I ask him. “Any hobbies? When I was alive I liked reading those smutty romance novels. I had to hide them from my mom, but they were…educational.”
He shakes his head, trying desperately to hide his smile.
“I wasn’t allowed to have hobbies. I tried to grow a vegetable garden once, when I was younger.
My father destroyed it when he found out.
I've spent so long doing what everyone around me demands, I don't even know what I like anymore,” he says simply and turns his attention to the window.
“I’m sorry. Maybe now that you’re here, you can figure it out.” He shrugs, and I can see him shutting down. He wants to be left alone. I stand up and stretch. Jake is a guarded fortress, and it’ll take time to get him to open up to me more. But I’m a stubborn boy; I’ll get through to him somehow.
“I have to, uh, have Brandon jot down a few ideas in my journal. For the hotel. Will you be okay in here?”
He looks over at me then, surprise on his face. “Yeah, I will be. Thank you, Alex.”
I bob my head. “I’ll see you later, then. If you need anything, come find me, okay?”
“I will.” He turns his gaze back to the window as I leave.
***
Okay, so the wooing is going to take some time.
I knew that, but I was able to comfort Jake and even make him smile a little, so I consider that a win.
I’ll have to come up with a good location for our first real date.
Outing, I remind myself. Maybe take him to one of the lakes on the property.
We could go on a hike! I don’t really like the outdoors though, so he’d have to carry me.
Ooh, there’s an idea. I want to go on a hike with Jake.