beginning to think that this whole idea had been stupid and we should both go home and try to forget that we had ever had this frankly weird conversation, when a familiar scent wafted past my nose. Musky, woody and very masculine.
‘Jimmy!’ I never thought I’d be so pleased to see my ghostly house-mate. He pulled out a chair from the next table and placed it in between Lexie and me. Her chin hit the floor as her gaze followed the approaching chair, complete incomprehension painting her features. I flung an arm out and made a show of wiggling the chair back and forth for the benefit of the curious stares from the other diners, grinning like a demented ghost whisperer all the time.
‘Oh, Jimmy,’ I breathed, dropping my head into my hands. ‘I’m really sorry. I know I shouldn’t have said anything, but I didn’t know what else to do. I just can’t cope with this on my own any more and I thought Lexie might be able to help.’ I shook my head ruefully, thinking I’d made a big mistake. Lexie clearly thought I was way past helping, the way she was gawping at me.
‘Hey, don’t worry about it,’ Jimmy said, leaning over and kissing my cheek lightly. I felt my cheeks flush with warmth. It must have had something to do with his heavenly status, but every time he touched me, it sent electrifying shivers rippling through my body. I was just relieved he wasn’t cross with me. I felt certain I’d breached some spiritual regulation by offloading my secret.
Lexie’s eyes were wide as she looked from me to the chair, then she coughed, clearing her throat.
‘Are you, um, talking to your friend now?’ She loaded the words with such mistrust and scepticism I half expected the men in white coats to appear from out of the woodwork.
‘Yes, Lexie. Now do you believe me? Jimmy’s here with us now.’
‘Pleased to meet you. Formally, that is,’ said Jimmy nodding in her direction. I giggled, looking between them both.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘Jimmy’s just said hello to you,’ I said, sitting back in my chair and smiling smugly.
‘Huh, if that’s the case, then why can’t I see or hear him?’
‘I don’t know!’ I buried my head in my hands. I wanted to scream. To throw myself on the floor and kick my legs in the air, but I knew that would be a step too far even for Lexie. But how the hell did I know why I was seemingly the only person in the world who could see and hear Jimmy?
‘I don’t know what’s going on, Alice, but all this attention-seeking behaviour, it’s really not very funny any more.’
Just then Jimmy leaned over the other way, blew in Lexie’s ear and picked up her hand, planting a very gallant kiss on her fingertips.
‘Oh my God,’ she screamed, swatting away an imaginary fly, ‘what the hell was that?’
I burst into peals of laughter. Thank goodness for that. It was awful, but just looking at Lexie jumping around in her seat, panic set on her face, made me feel so much better and I felt the relief flooding through my bones.
‘That was Jimmy,’ I explained, still laughing. ‘Don’t worry about it though. Once you get to know him, you’ll see what a great guy he really is.’
‘Where is he now?’ Lexie had adopted a twitch and a pale expression. She kept looking furtively over each shoulder, shivering exaggeratedly.
We’d come back to my flat for a nightcap as she was in no fit state to go home. She’d gone all shivery and shaky like the heroine in a badly made horror movie and was sitting on my sofa, her arms hugging her knees into her chest. It made me smile seeing her so uncharacteristically lost for words, but then I remembered the bewilderment I’d felt when I first found out a ghost had become my new best friend. That sort of news takes some getting used to.
‘It’s all right, he’s sitting over there in the armchair.’ Jimmy gave a friendly wave from across the room as he helped himself to some Nachos from a bowl.
‘Oh good grief,’ she sighed, her
‘Jimmy!’ I never thought I’d be so pleased to see my ghostly house-mate. He pulled out a chair from the next table and placed it in between Lexie and me. Her chin hit the floor as her gaze followed the approaching chair, complete incomprehension painting her features. I flung an arm out and made a show of wiggling the chair back and forth for the benefit of the curious stares from the other diners, grinning like a demented ghost whisperer all the time.
‘Oh, Jimmy,’ I breathed, dropping my head into my hands. ‘I’m really sorry. I know I shouldn’t have said anything, but I didn’t know what else to do. I just can’t cope with this on my own any more and I thought Lexie might be able to help.’ I shook my head ruefully, thinking I’d made a big mistake. Lexie clearly thought I was way past helping, the way she was gawping at me.
‘Hey, don’t worry about it,’ Jimmy said, leaning over and kissing my cheek lightly. I felt my cheeks flush with warmth. It must have had something to do with his heavenly status, but every time he touched me, it sent electrifying shivers rippling through my body. I was just relieved he wasn’t cross with me. I felt certain I’d breached some spiritual regulation by offloading my secret.
Lexie’s eyes were wide as she looked from me to the chair, then she coughed, clearing her throat.
‘Are you, um, talking to your friend now?’ She loaded the words with such mistrust and scepticism I half expected the men in white coats to appear from out of the woodwork.
‘Yes, Lexie. Now do you believe me? Jimmy’s here with us now.’
‘Pleased to meet you. Formally, that is,’ said Jimmy nodding in her direction. I giggled, looking between them both.
‘What’s so funny?’
‘Jimmy’s just said hello to you,’ I said, sitting back in my chair and smiling smugly.
‘Huh, if that’s the case, then why can’t I see or hear him?’
‘I don’t know!’ I buried my head in my hands. I wanted to scream. To throw myself on the floor and kick my legs in the air, but I knew that would be a step too far even for Lexie. But how the hell did I know why I was seemingly the only person in the world who could see and hear Jimmy?
‘I don’t know what’s going on, Alice, but all this attention-seeking behaviour, it’s really not very funny any more.’
Just then Jimmy leaned over the other way, blew in Lexie’s ear and picked up her hand, planting a very gallant kiss on her fingertips.
‘Oh my God,’ she screamed, swatting away an imaginary fly, ‘what the hell was that?’
I burst into peals of laughter. Thank goodness for that. It was awful, but just looking at Lexie jumping around in her seat, panic set on her face, made me feel so much better and I felt the relief flooding through my bones.
‘That was Jimmy,’ I explained, still laughing. ‘Don’t worry about it though. Once you get to know him, you’ll see what a great guy he really is.’
‘Where is he now?’ Lexie had adopted a twitch and a pale expression. She kept looking furtively over each shoulder, shivering exaggeratedly.
We’d come back to my flat for a nightcap as she was in no fit state to go home. She’d gone all shivery and shaky like the heroine in a badly made horror movie and was sitting on my sofa, her arms hugging her knees into her chest. It made me smile seeing her so uncharacteristically lost for words, but then I remembered the bewilderment I’d felt when I first found out a ghost had become my new best friend. That sort of news takes some getting used to.
‘It’s all right, he’s sitting over there in the armchair.’ Jimmy gave a friendly wave from across the room as he helped himself to some Nachos from a bowl.
‘Oh good grief,’ she sighed, her
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