Me and My Ghoulfriends by Rose Pressey
Copyright 2008 Lyrical Press, Inc.

  • Me and My Ghoulfriends
  • Rose Pressey


    • "So I guess you came to check out the new person in town? Quite a few people have already," he said, as he grabbed a paper cup for my order.

    "Actually, I…" I needed to think of something clever to say quickly. I didn't want him to think I was spying on him. Although I guess technically, I was spying.

    "Actually, I just needed a coffee pick-me-up this morning." All right, that was far from clever. Even though it was hard to be clever all day without large amounts of caffeine coursing through my veins.

    I eyed him for his reaction. I hoped there would be a reaction. No reaction would mean he really didn't care one way or the other. Maybe he was just making small talk and I was over-analyzing the entire situation. He probably chatted with everyone. That's what coffee shop owners do, right? Of course, it had to be. Nothing to get excited about, I reminded myself. I was acting as if I had a schoolgirl crush. His eyes flickered, and I could have sworn I saw a surprised smile on his face.

    "Is that right?" His masculine arms flexed again as he reached for a new package of lids placed high on the shelf.

    My eyes were probably bulging out of my head as I stood there, transfixed.

    "I knew someone had leased this space, but I thought you would be much older." I stumbled over my words. What was I saying? Someone needed to tape my mouth shut!

    "Really?" he said. He let out a soft chuckle that ignited tiny tickles in the pit of my stomach. The hunk finished preparing my drink and handed the cup toward me with a beaming grin.

    Stretching my hand out, I grabbed the cup from him and our hands touched ever so slightly with the exchange. My hand tingled with the swap and my stomach flip-flopped. Call me crazy, but I had the distinct feeling the touch had been on purpose.

    His fingers lingered for a split second. They lingered when they didn't have do. Relishing the tingle, I looked up from my cup and met his stare. His eyes were endlessly captivating. Was he flirting with me? No way, I must have been imagining things.

    "So, who told you I was old?" he smiled.

    "Oh no. No one told me you were old. I guess I just assumed. Coffee shop. Old person." I chuckled nervously.

    What was I saying? Shut up!

    He paused, I assumed, to think of his choice of words.

    "Well, I was assuming you would be older as well. You know, bookstore owner." He didn't smile.

    "You know, like a bookworm or something." He flashed a bashful grin, and then let out a hearty chuckle.

    I laughed, relieved.

    "And I'm not a bookworm?" I asked, playfully biting my lip, trying my best attempt at sexy. I'm sure I just looked stupid instead. It probably looked more like a nervous twitch than a sexy guise.

    "No. You're not my idea of a bookworm. You're very sexy girl-next-door." He gazed at me with those gorgeous pale-blue eyes of his, as though he was taking in every ounce of my appearance. My pulled-back dark hair, my casual shirt, comfy jeans and new white sneakers.

    Did he like what he saw? Please let him like what he saw.

    My cheeks were burning. At that point I had the distinct feeling he was trying to flirt with me. I didn't think it was my mind playing tricks on me. He was sending off flirting signals all over the place.

    "Hey! How did you know I was the bookstore owner?" I raised my eyebrow at him.

    "I saw you opening up this morning."

    Of course! That was a stupid question, being right next door, he had to have seen me.

    "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Callahan Weiss."

    He held out his hand. After the tingle from just the touch of his fingers, what would happen if I shook his hand?

    I decided to take my chances and took his hand lightly. How could I not? It was so smooth, yet rough in all the right places.

    "I'm Larue Donavan. It's nice to meet you too."

    He blinked, as if in slow motion, then opened his eyes again. His lips had parted to utter another word when the door opened, distracting his thoughts. Damn. He stopped just as he'd begun to say something and looked at the customer. (Maybe he'd been going to ask me out?) The bad part was that his eyes were ogling whoever had just walked in the door.

    I followed his gaze to see Brianna sliding through the entrance. Didn't the woman ever work?

    She glided to the counter, her eyes focused on Callahan the entire time. I almost expected her to push me out of the way like a running back giving me the straight arm. Her timing couldn't have been any worse. She held his gaze and I suddenly felt like an outsider looking into their little world, as if I were intruding.

    "Hi, Callahan," she said, breaking the silence.

    "Hi, Brianna, what can I get for you?"

    She gave him a coy little smile that had sexual undertones flashing like a neon sign all over it. It was as if she'd cast a spell on him as soon as she'd walked in the door. Entrancing him with her… with her… Heck, I wasn't sure how she could hold him spellbound. But somehow she had. Was I somehow suddenly invisible? Finally, she acknowledged me, eyeing me up and down with a slight smirk on her face.

    "Um. Nice to meet you. I need to get back and open my store. The coffee is great," I said, lifting my cup to him as I walked toward the door.

    I didn't say anything to Brianna, not that she cared either way. Her eyes were once again fixed on Callahan.

    "Come back soon," he mumbled, not looking at me.

    I thought I detected something different in his voice, but I wasn't sure what. Strangely, it did somehow sound different. I shook off the thought, sure that it was just my imagination.