Soul Insurance Read online

The spirit moved through her room and through the wall, out into the night.

  Nearly an hour later she stared at herself in the dresser mirror. She'd picked out a pair of jeans and a loose blouse, along with a pair of simple sandals. It was a nice outfit for a warm night out. She went light on makeup. In a dark club, mostly lit by souls, there was no need to make herself hotter than necessary.

  Amber poked her head in the bedroom.

  "Are you going out in that?"

  "What's wrong with this? It looks nice."

  "Yeah, nice. But it's not sexy."

  Brooke turned and stared at her friend. Amber wore heels, a tight skirt, and a low-cut shirt that showed off plenty of cleavage. Brooke realized a long time ago she'd never feel sexy next to Amber.

  "I look fine," Brooke said defensively, and adjusted her glasses.

  Amber rolled her eyes. "Okay, whatever. You ready to go?"

  They took Brooke's car across town to Amber's favorite club. Brooke looked forward to dancing, and even more to Amber making a fool of herself. Her cell phone was completely charged, ready to take incriminating video.

  The line outside the club was long. As they waited Amber pointed out guys that caught her eye. Brooke enjoyed the scenery herself, trying to work up the courage to hold a guy's gaze and smile at him. She couldn't pull it off, and settled on watching the spirits tour the night sky above them. They flew in circles over the club and descended through the roof.

  "Thanks for coming out with me," Amber said, nudging her shoulder. "I know you really don't want to."

  "Just don't keep me out all night. I want to sleep sometime."

  "Don't worry. We're gonna have fun. On the way home we'll stop and get a midnight snack."

  Brooke took a breath as they entered the club. Music assaulted her ears, and it took a moment to adjust from moving to the quiet outside to the energetic inside. Men and women danced nearly shoulder to shoulder. There was a wait to get to the bar. Spirits moved in the crowd and passed through the living. Brooke stiffened and gripped Amber's shoulder as a soul passed through her chest.

  "He likes you," Amber said.

  "It could have been a she. I hate it when they do that."

  "Look at that chick over there. She wouldn't agree with you."

  Brooke followed Amber's finger to the other side of the club. A beautiful woman danced near the edge of the crowd. A soul was settled right on her breasts, and she seemed to enjoy it.

  "People are weird," Brooke said.

  "Spirits, too."

  They laughed as they stood in line at the bar.

  Brooke had fun, like she always did. They danced together for a while, but then a few guys captured Amber's attention, and she had to dance with them. Brooke killed time by touring the club and sitting at the bar. Amber would come find her, and they repeated that cycle for an hour.

  She was alone at the bar, sipping a water, when Amber grabbed her shoulder from behind.

  "Hey. You found a guy you want yet?"

  Brooke smiled and scooted over to make room for Amber. She loved the way Amber talked about men like they were items to pick up at a grocery store. For her, that was probably the truth. The bartender immediately asked Amber if she wanted a drink, which she declined.

  "I'm not really looking."

  "Are you kidding? I'm out there dancing and every time I turn around, you're gone. I thought you dragged one to the bathroom and made his night by now."

  Brooke laughed. "I'm just trying to stay out of your way. I see you out there making your rounds."

  "Oh, stop. They look at you, too. You're just too scared to do anything about it."

  "This isn't really the place I want to find my next boyfriend."

  "Who said anything about a boyfriend? I'm looking just for tonight."

  A woman bumped into Brooke's shoulder from behind. She had to grab her water as the drunk woman used Brooke for balance. Dressed in an outfit for maximum attention, she slowly climbed on the bar with help from the guys around her. Everyone cheered as she danced.

  "Someone's drunk a little early," Brooke said.

  "Do you think I should show her how it's done?"

  Brooke looked her friend up and down, taking in her clothes. "There's no way you can do your hula-hoop thing in heels and a tight skirt."

  "Ten bucks says I can."

  "You're on."

  Amber climbed on the bar as Brooke got her cell phone ready. If she fell, Brooke wanted to have it on video for proof. Amber knew the bartender by name, and she asked for the hula-hoop he kept stashed away. Brooke laughed and held her camera up as the guys whistled. Amber had everyone in the palm of her hand. It always amazed Brooke how Amber commanded a crowd. Even in high school all eyes were on her.

  Brooke smiled and cheered her friend on, even though she now owed her ten dollars.

  The heels and skirt didn't slow her down. She swung the hoop around her body, and was sexy doing it. She couldn't do some of the advanced tricks she'd been practicing, but the hoop moved up and down her figure, from her ankles all the way above her to an outstretched hand. Brooke wasn't coordinated at all. She could dance, but that was about it.

  Amber finished her routine and smiled down at Brooke. She extended her hand, and it took a moment for Brooke to realize Amber wanted her to join her.

  "No way," she said.

  "Get on up here and dance with me."

  "I am nowhere near drunk enough for that."

  Amber scowled, and two guys eagerly helped her to the floor. Brooke smiled and put her cell phone away.

  "You never want to do anything."

  "I'd kill myself if I tried to dance with a hula-hoop."

  "That's not what I mean. There are a hundred cute guys in here, and you won't talk to any of them."

  Brooke frowned as the scowl didn't disappear from Amber's face.

  "Are you serious? You're mad at me for being shy?"

  "It's not just that, Brooke. I mean…go out and have some fun. Do something crazy."

  "Just because I'm not drooling over every guy I see doesn't mean I'm not having fun."

  "And what do you mean by that?"

  She closed her eyes and put a hand to her head. Where was Amber's anger coming from? Was she mad simply because Brooke didn't want to dance on a bar?

  "Nothing, Amber. Have you been drinking too much already?"

  Amber waved her off. "Whatever." She noticed a man trying to get her attention, and flashed him a bright smile. "I'll be right back."

  She walked away, leaving Brooke alone and confused. Brooke turned back to the bar and took another drink of water. She tried to think of what she'd done to deserve that. Was she dragging Amber down? It was true she didn't feel like going out two nights in a row, and with a day of work in between, but she really was having fun. They had different ideas about relationships. Amber took a more casual approach and was very confident in herself. Brooke simply was slower-moving than Amber, and saw nothing wrong with that.

  She spent the next half hour by herself. Normally she wouldn't have minded. Amber always disappeared when they were out, usually to set up the next stop along the way. But she couldn't help feeling abandoned. She moved through the club, trying to keep herself busy, dancing to pass the time. The souls looked like they were dancing as well, flying just above their heads. Another passed through her, and she flinched as a hand grabbed her shoulder.

  "Hey," Amber said.

  Brooke heard the ice still in her voice, but she sounded better than before. "Hi."

  "I met some guys. They invited us back to their place to hang out."

  She blinked. Apparently she really was being abandoned.

  "Oh, okay. Well, do you want to take my car? I can get a cab home."

  "They invited us, Brooke. Come on, you know we're a package deal. Except in the bedroom."

  A joke. That was a good sign. But she simply wasn't up to fake-smiling around strange men and watching them leer at Amber.

  "I'm gonna head home. B
ut you go on, fill me in tomorrow."

  Amber shook her head. "One day you'll do something crazy and spontaneous. I just hope I'm there to see it. I'll ride with them so you can keep your car."

  She left through the crowd, joining a group of three guys near the door. Brooke stood there with her mouth open. Something else had to be going on. They had their share of fights, but Amber never acted like that before.

  Brooke left the club into the night air and wiped her forehead. It was warmer than she thought, and regretted wearing jeans. Flapping her shirt to cool off, she walked to her car in the parking lot. A few drunk guys whistled at her before continuing on their way. Two spirits flew past her on either side and moved around each other as they passed through other cars.

  Her hand froze as she reached for the door handle. A wave of emotions attacked her. Amber was being hard on her, but part of her was right. Brooke was twenty-two years old, and didn't have much of an adventurous life. She went to work, and came home. On the weekends Amber and she would do something together, if Amber wasn't chasing a guy. Her life was dull and boring, and she only had Amber to thank for the few lively parts. If she went home, she'd lose whatever argument she was having with her best friend. She could be crazy and spontaneous.

  She shoved her keys back in her purse and kept walking. It was time to do something different, even if that was simply walking around the block. The club and music grew smaller behind her as she walked down the street.

  The neighborhood was new to her, and that was both exciting and frightening. A few couples sat at tables outside a corner coffee shop. A man playing a guitar had gathered a small crowd, both living and spirit alike. A man and woman made out against the wall near an alley, and Brooke thought he'd strip her clothes off any second.

  She drew a few looks as she toured the streets, although she wasn't sure if it was because she was cute or alone. A smile crept across her face. She'd done her first crazy thing. Her confidence grew, and she found herself smiling and staring at the men as they walked by. Some smiled and stared back, and Brooke realized she wasn't merely cute. She could attract attention, if she really wanted to.

  She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk as a familiar sight caught her eye. A blue Volkswagen Beetle parked alongside a corner apartment building, and an attractive man climbed out. The corner wasn't well-lit, but a few souls soaring overhead cast enough light to recognize him. She watched as Connor politely greeted a woman outside the building and disappeared inside. Not long after lights came on in a second floor apartment.

  Brooke took a breath and prepared to do her second crazy thing.

  *****

  Connor saw the glow inside his apartment before he stuck his key in the lock. It didn't surprise him when he opened the door and a soul flew past his face, but it did annoy him.

  "Dude! Move your ass. The game's been on a half hour," Ryan said.

  Connor turned the living room light on and glared at Ryan as he circled around like a crazy person. He set his Chinese take-out on the coffee table and grabbed the remote for the TV.

  "If I'm not mistaken, you're a spirit. You could teleport to the ballgame, watch from the first row, and zap back here in no time at all."

  "But then who would bust your balls when you walked in the door?"

  "I'm so glad to give purpose to your afterlife."

  Ryan let out a contented sigh as he settled on the couch. Connor grabbed a soda from the fridge when the ballgame went to a commercial.

  "Chinese food? At eleven-thirty at night?" Ryan asked.

  "There's a place down the street that's open late."

  "You didn't eat dinner?"

  "I did, but I'm still hungry. Is that okay with you, food-Nazi?"

  "Next time clear it with me. How did that thing go today? You get your hundred bucks?"

  He shook his head as he kicked his shoes off and rested his feet on the coffee table. His silence said it all.

  "I'm guessing you didn't."

  "That woman Nancy wanted me to tell her daughter the man that raised her wasn't her real father. I wasn't really comfortable asking her for a hundred bucks after that."

  "You're right. You probably should have pushed for two."

  Connor glanced at Ryan, who floated back and forth for a moment.

  "I'm kidding. But seriously, man, no one can do what you can, and you could make a lot of money—"

  "I think after today I'm retiring from the help-a-soul side job. I've never felt more like an idiot than in Sara's basement."

  "That's a bunch of crap. We've known each other a year, and I can think of a lot of times you've looked like an idiot."

  "Thank you so much."

  "Don't mention it."

  "Anyway, I told Sara what Nancy wanted to tell her, got some gas money, and left. So I guess it went as well as it could. But seriously, I want to lay low for a while, so don't go throwing my name out there."

  "Cool, man. Now shut up so I can watch the game."

  Connor laughed as the Orioles came up to bat. He had a forkful of chicken and broccoli to his lips when there was a knock at the door. He gave Ryan a confused look, and imagined the spirit returned it.

  "Uh, your rent's all paid up, right? They don't evict people this late, do they?"

  "It's probably Miss Langley upstairs," Connor said, rising to his feet. "She's always forgetting her key. I keep a spare for her."

  "Is Miss Langley hot?"

  "She's sixty-five years old."

  "That doesn't answer my question."

  He threw the door open without bothering to look through the peep-hole first. Brooke Martin stood outside his apartment. His entire body stiffened and he grabbed the doorknob a little tighter.

  She was beautiful, dressed for a night on the town. She covered her legs, which was a mystery to him. Her legs had a nice shape, and it was also warm out, even for nighttime. She brushed her hair behind her shoulder, a trick he remembered her friend Amber doing earlier in the day, and smiled at him as she adjusted her glasses.

  "Dude, there's a hot chick outside your apartment. She must be lost."

  Connor ignored his friend and did his best to offer a smile, even as a wave of nausea washed over him. He opened his mouth to speak, but had no words, so he settled for standing there like a statue.

  "Hi," she said. "I figured you knew where I live, so it was only fair if I knew where you live."

  He nodded and smiled once again. His right hand started to shake, and he hid it behind him.

  "Can I come in?" she asked.

  He stepped aside and held the door open.

  "You know this chick?" Ryan asked. "Alright, now we're getting somewhere. I'll help you get through this."

  He glared at Ryan, and Brooke noticed. She laughed as she politely nodded at the spirit.

  "Hello. My name's Brooke." She looked at Connor. "Looks like you've got a friend here."

  "Yeah. I, uh, don't know who that is."

  "Of course you don't," she said, grinning. "How would you?"

  Brooke took in Connor's apartment, and he used the moment to glare at Ryan once again, trying his best to speak with his eyes. Ryan let out a hearty chuckle, his spirit bouncing up and down.

  "Okay, man, I'll disappear. But if you need help, I'll swoop right in."

  Ryan rose up and passed through the ceiling.

  Connor didn't know what he was supposed to do, or why Brooke was even at his apartment. He regretted following her in the morning. Now she was five feet away from him, and fear sat in the back of his mind.

  "This is a nice place," she said, and noticed the TV. "You like baseball?"

  He muted the ballgame and looked at his apartment as if seeing it for the first time. The kitchen was small, and the dining room nearly non-existent. The living room was nice, with a couch and chair adjacent to it. He kept the place clean, a good move when women showed up by surprise.

  Gathering his food, he kept an eye on Brooke as he went to the kitchen. He shoved everything awa
y, and didn't notice the small glow above his head.

  "Get her something to drink."

  Ryan was above him, hanging halfway out of the ceiling. Brooke's back was turned, and Connor violently waved the spirit away.

  "Okay, okay," he said. "Oh, man, if I only had two working hands."

  Brooke turned to face Connor, missing Ryan's exit. The nausea finally faded away. He was more curious than anything else.

  "Want something to drink? Water? Soda?"

  "No, thanks. I got my fill of water at the club."

  "The one two blocks away?"

  "That's the one. I went for a walk and noticed your car. If you can stalk, why can't I?"

  He sat in the chair, and gestured for her to sit on the couch. She did so and leaned back, looking only slightly uncomfortable.

  "I wasn't really stalking you. It's…a long story."

  "Do we know each other? You were kind of giving me a strange look this morning. Did we go to school together?"

  Connor smiled nervously. They were six years apart, but he took her comment as a compliment.

  "No. Sorry if I made you feel weird."

  She leaned forward slightly. "I don't do stuff like this. I don't just go to guys' apartments late. But I was out with my friend, and we split up for the night. I saw you, and figured I'd stop by to say hi."

  "Your friend Amber."

  "Yeah, Amber."

  Her tone told Connor all he needed to know. There was some tension there. He remembered how aggressive Amber was in the morning, and wondered if there was competition between them. He wasn't the best at being social with the living, but even he could tell they weren't much alike.

  She pushed her glasses up on her nose, an action Connor found irresistible. He began to feel hot all over. Brooke was a very beautiful woman. But the fear in the back of his mind wouldn't go away.

  A spirit flew through the room.

  "Why does she still have her clothes on?" Ryan shouted, his voice trailing off as he passed through the wall.

  Connor held in a laugh. Brooke leaned back and brushed her hair behind her shoulder again. He couldn't be sure, but it seemed like she was flirting with him. Her method was much more enjoyable than Amber's.

  "Well, two strangers watching baseball. I didn't think my night would end like this," Brooke said.