Read Me and My Ghoulfriends for Free Online

me out? Maybe he would take me to the new fabulous French restaurant in town; we’d have wine and gourmet food, then we would go for a leisurely stroll in the park and gaze up at the twinkling stars, chatting for hours. He’d tell me how beautiful I looked, and of course I’d be unbelievably witty and charming the entire evening, making him laugh and immediately fall in love with me.
     
    Monica jarred me back again as she rattled off her phone number. I had to get off the phone with her, pronto. With all the long pauses I was giving her, if I didn’t, she’d think I was even more nuts than she probably already did. Most people thought that about me because of my hobby anyway.
     
    Grabbing a pen, I scribbled her number on the pad of paper next to me.
     
    “I got it. I’ll call you soon, all right, Monica?”
     
    “All right, Miss Donavan, and thanks again.”
     
    “You’re welcome. And please, call me Larue.”
     
    Callahan smiled, peeking above his book, flashing his glittering blue eyes at me. Swoon.
     
    “Thanks, Larue.”
     
    I clicked off from Monica, almost wishing I still had the phone between Callahan and me. At least then I wouldn’t have to talk with him, because honestly, I worried I’d say all the wrong things. I slowly put the phone down and nervously smiled at him. The silence between us was quickly becoming very awkward.
     
    “I’ve been meaning to buy a new book for some time now,” he said as he raised the book in a gesture for emphasis.
     
    “Well, you sure came to the right place then. I have tons of books.” I laughed. Did I really just say that? So much for me being witty and charming. Less than a minute into the conversation, and that fantasy was already shattered to pieces.
     
    “Yes, I suppose I did.” He laughed.
     
    Callahan looked down at the table full of books in front of him.
     
    I tried to read his face, maybe it would give be a clue as to why he was there; had he really come to buy a book? Whatever the reason for his unexpected visit, I wasn’t complaining. I could certainly become accustomed to his gorgeous face.
     
    Mindy would be pissed when she found out he had come over and I hadn’t tape recorded our entire conversation. I hoped I could hang onto every word to give her a play by play. Moving out from behind the counter, I forced my legs to walk toward him. If it weren’t for him thinking I was completely insane, I would have helped my legs along by placing my hands on them and forcing each leg to take another step. At that point they needed the help, before I became frozen to the spot. Finally, I moved.
     
    As I inched closer to Callahan, Abe popped up directly behind him. Standing there with his suit and huge hat, beaming with a smile from ear to ear. Uh oh! That meant nothing but trouble.
     
    “Are you all right?” Callahan asked. He’d noticed my displeased expression.
     
    “Um…” Think fast. “You have a bug on your shoulder.”
     
    I reached over and pulled the imaginary creature from his shoulder as Abe watched with a sly smile on his face. He knew I hated it when he did that. I’d warned him repeatedly: Do not pop up when others are around, it’s enormously distracting.
     
    “I got it!”
     
    I threw the imaginary bug on the ground, stomped it feverishly and looked back up at his face to read his expression. By the look of his scrunched nose and eyes, he must have thought it was the vilest insect ever.
     
    At that moment, the sunlight flowed past a break in the clouds, gleaming through the window, hitting Callahan right in his eyes; he squinted to see me. I was thankful for his momentary blurred vision because maybe now he wouldn’t see me glaring at Abe. I needed to think of something to say quickly. I usually had no problems with conversation, but around him I was tongue-tied.
     
    Finally, I said, “So, do you need some help picking out a book?”
     
    I figured I’d just treat him like an ordinary customer. That was the