I Fell in Love with a Ghost

I glowed before returning the compliment.

"And you sir, clean up very nicely." I looked at him critically. Black suit, grey silk shirt, black and gray striped tie. I had a sudden suspicion.

"Are you wearing a Harley tee under that shirt?"

He just grinned bigger and helped me into the car.

We went to a lecture given by a very famous financial analyst. He had predicted the crash two years before it happened, and wrote a book on how to survive it as it stretched out for years. People nearly ridiculed him out of the business, now those same people were clamoring for him to handle their accounts. Tickets were limited to five hundred, and sold out in four hours. He was the Mick Jagger of the financial world.

I was fascinated, and even got to ask a question during the q&a afterwards. Thinking it odd that we had to get so dressed up for a lecture, I found there was a meal and reception afterwards, followed by dancing, to a large orchestra.

The cream of the local financial world was there, including the CEO of my company. We ended up sharing a table, with him, his wife, and two more couples. At first I just listened, but soon I was comfortable enough to offer an opinion.

After I successfully made a point, my CEO asked who I worked for.

"You, sir" I said surprising him.

"One of our new analysts, I take it?"

Before I could answer and be embarrassed, Ghost spoke up.

"She's not one of your analysts, sir. Not yet anyway. She's in support, gaining a little experience while she prepares for her final year of college."

Well covered, I thought.

"When you get your degree, young lady, make sure we have your resume. Earmark it for my eyes. And one more thing. As my employee, you are required to dance with me, and your husband must return the favor with my wife."

"He's not..." was all I got out before he overrode me.

"We'd be delighted, sir. And despite what she was trying to say, I believe I can get your wife back with all toes attached."

The orchestra was playing songs designed for an older crowd, and I shared a waltz with my CEO, while Ghost practically seemed to float along, pulling his wife with him. She was flushed and smiling when they returned to the table.

I got introduced to practically every local mover and shaker that had been able to get a ticket. I actually got a few invitations to send resumes, which made my CEO frown.

We danced and mingled until the wee hours of the morning. He walked me to my door, gave me another nice kiss, and was gone.

We went to lunch Sunday, and he asked how I felt I was progressing.

"Famously. But I fear it's all you, and I'm just a reflection."

He squeezed my hand gently.

"Not so, little babe. I wasn't the one the guys were gawking at when you danced in the aisles at the blues show. You're very sensual when you dance, anyone ever tell you that? And I wasn't the one who charmed the pants off every man in the room at the reception last night, and most were admiring your brain as well as your body. Could the old Kelly have done that? I think not."

I glowed under his praise, before deciding he was right. The old Kelly would have died before she asked a question of such a famous person in front of a crowd, and would have been tongue tied beyond belief in front of those rich, powerful people. No, I was coming out of my shell, and loving it.

He gave me a nice little kiss, saying he would be out of town for the next few days, but would meet me Friday after lunch.

"Can you take a half day of vacation?"

"No, but I can take a full day."

"Even better. I'll see you Friday morning. I'll take you out for breakfast. Then we'll have another little adventure. I'll have you home fairly early, I want you rested up for the picnic Saturday."

He wouldn't tell me any more.

We talked every night, for at least an hour. He still hadn't told me anything about himself, where he was from, what he did for a living. Suddenly I had a very chilling thought. What if he were married? It upset me so bad I couldn't sleep well.

I debated for two days before I brought it up.

"Ghost, I know you don't want to talk about yourself, and I promise not to pry. You've been very good to me and I don't want to upset you, but there's not a Mrs. Ghost around, is there?"

There was a long silence. I thought maybe he had hung up, but then I heard him exhale.

"There was, babe, but not anymore."

"I'm sorry. Did she leave or did you?"

"She did."

I heard the pain in his voice.

"Do you miss her?"

"Well, it's not a searing pain anymore, more like a dull throb. But it's over, and I can't change the past."

"I'm so sorry, Ghost. I promise I won't pry. Well, not for a while anyway. I am a woman, after all."

He cheered a little.

"Yes you are. A real live, honest to goodness woman. Young, vibrant, beautiful, full of promise. I feel good just looking at you. The man who ends up with you will be very lucky indeed."

It thrilled me and saddened me at the same time. I wanted him to be the lucky one, damn it. He needed love too, I could feel it in his little gestures, his touches, his smile. Something was missing. And I latched on to the 'beautiful' part of the comment.

...............................................

I decided to cheer him up, and when he showed up Friday morning, I invited him in, the first time he had been inside my apartment. Up for three hours, I had made him a full, old time Southern breakfast.

Eggs, grits, gravy, home fries, livermush[you have to live in the South to appreciate it, and trust me, you never want to see it made or know what's in it], and country ham, served with a big plate of homemade biscuits. Homemade strawberry preserves I had picked up at the farmers' market and real butter. Hot, strong coffee. No latte here.

His eyes lit up and I swear his mouth watered.

"Eat, before it gets cold. And if you want to show me any appreciation, eat a lot."

He showed more appreciation than I thought possible. I ate a little, but enjoyed watching him more than eating.

He pushed his plate away with a contented sigh, rubbing his stomach.

"Come here" he said, patting his lap. I was there in an instant, and he pulled me down and gave me the deepest, most passionate kiss I had ever had.

When he pulled back, we were both breathing heavily. My nipples were rock hard, and there was a lump in his jeans.

"That was the kindest, most considerate thing anyone has done for me in a long, long time. Thank you."

"You're so very welcome, hon." I paused, to gauge his reaction to my calling him hon, but his smile seemed even brighter. "It's about time I did something for you, for a change."

He hugged me, to the point I was about to lose my breath, before he pulled back.

"You've done a lot for me babe, more than you know. You've succeeded in bringing me back to the land of the living, something very pricy professionals hadn't been able accomplish. I should be paying you."

He stood me up before I could ask what he meant, the grin returning.

"In fact, I intend to relieve some of my debt today. I warn you now, do not complain once, or I'll bring you home. I'll be spending a little money today, all on you. Don't worry, I can afford it. Ready?"

"Probably not, but it won't stop me. Lead on."

He took me out, and I noticed he was driving the Escalade again. He grinned.

"Hard to strap shopping to the back of a bike."

I got another surprise when he stopped and Cindy jumped in.

"I invited her. I believe she's your truest friend, even if she isn't the closest. Besides, do you really want just my opinion? I'll dress you like the sex goddess you are, and that would make it hard for you to get any work done at the office."

I glowed while Cindy giggled.

We hit almost all the upscale shops. He bought dresses, skirts, jackets, blouses, jeans, tops, all very fashionable, all more daring than I would have picked. I had to admit though, I looked damn good in them.

I got six pair of new shoes, the shortest with 3" heels. We were done, I thought, until we went by a lingerie shop. I had been in a couple of times, but it was so expensive I bought very little.

He stopped, handed Cindy his debit card, gave her his pin number.

"In you go. Buy something new to go under every outfit. Do not worry about cost. Cindy, I expect you to get as much as she does, as a thank you for your help today. If she balks, come out and get me. I'll be waiting on the concourse. Babe knows I was married once, and one thing I learned, nothing makes a woman feel better than nice lingerie. Scoot now, if you don't take too long we can work in lunch."

He was practically pushing, with Cindy dragging, so I had no choice.

We had a ball. Thongs, boyshorts, tangas, pushup bras, the pile kept growing. Cindy held up a corset, Satiny, pink, with ribbons.

"This would look killer on you."

It didn't take much to get me to try it on. It fit like a glove, pushing my 32b's up until they were almost out of the top. I got a matching thong and seamed hose. An idea hit me.

"Be bold, be bold" I repeated in my head, while I filled Cindy in. She was all for it.

He was sitting on a bench, reading a paper, when she came out.

"Can you come in for just a minute? Kelly needs your opinion."

Of course, he got up and followed. We had already told the salesgirl, and of course, looking at her commission, there was no way she was going to object.

He looked around, not seeing me.

"Kelly?" he called out softly.

"Back here. Come on, there's no one here but me. It's safe."

I had on the corset, which I had pulled down until my nipples were just visible. Already excited, I had twisted them when I heard him call out. They were hard enough to put eyes out if you got too close. I had on the matching thong, the stockings clipped to the corset, and a pair of five inch heels he had just bought.

I heard him come through the door and stepped out of the dressing room.

"Does this make me look sexy?" I asked, softly.

I think his eyes actually bulged as I did a slow turn, the strap of the thong just peeking out between my cheeks, ending in a little bow. He was actually red in the face.

"Well?"

He couldn't speak. He just stared. Then he slowly nodded his head yes, turned, and left.

I stood there for a second, chest heaving, as excited sexually as I had ever been in my whole life, before coming down and smiling a little smile. He wanted me! You could see it in his eyes.

The thong was soaked, so I left it on. Cindy came in, saw me smiling, and hugged me.

"Go get him" she whispered.

We dressed, and he did take us to lunch. He was awfully quiet, it took him most of the meal to center himself. I caught him looking at me when he thought I didn't notice, and he flushed every time. It was the first time I had ever seen him without his trademark self confident look.

We took Cindy home, and she kissed us both, thanking us for the day.

I thought we were done, but he turned away from my apartment.

"Where are we going now?"

His cocky little grin was back.

"Now the adventure begins. How much do you trust me?"

"Completely" I said, holding his arm and resting my head on his shoulder. He never offered to make me move.

We passed the dealership where he got his bike serviced, and into a little strip mall. A tattoo parlor, a specialty clothing store, and a sex shop. I started freezing up. We stopped in front of the tattoo parlor.

I had a death grip on his hand when we went through the door. He seemed to know the owner, apparently they rode bikes together.

"Here she is" he said. "a blank palette."

He looked me over.

"Do you know what you want?" he asked me.

"I didn't even know I was going to come in here until five minutes ago. I'm not so sure about this, it's awfully permanent."

They both smiled.

"The asshole didn't tell you, did he? What I'm going to do isn't permanent. I'll be painting them on. I'll be using an ink that will last about a month before it fades. It was designed to let people see if they were going to be comfortable with a tattoo before they committed."

I stuck my tongue out at Ghost. His grin was a mile wide.

"I thought it would be fun, give them something to talk about at the picnic."

I looked at the owner.

"He can be an asshole, but he's a loveable asshole, and as long as he's MY asshole, I can live with it."

I watched his eyes closely as I stressed my, but his smile never changed.

I looked at his wall of designs while they talked.

"If you don't see something you like, I can free hand just about anything."

I had an idea.

"Can I have two?"

"Sure babe. Anything you want."

"When you pick them, depending on where you want them, go into the the dressing room and take off your top and bra, if necessary. There are wraps on the shelf. wrap one around and clip it, and we'll be ready."

"Excuse me" I said, running to the SUV, snatching what I wanted from the lingerie bag. I ran into the dressing room, removing my top and bra, donning the purple, low cup one I had brought with me. I clipped the wrap and went back out into the shop.

"I want the Tasmanian Devil, there, just the torso and arms, and I want you to make it look like he's climbing out of my bra. Can you do that?"

"I can make it look like anything you want" said the tattoo artist. "Drop the wrap a little so I can make a mark, and we'll get started."

Surprising both of them, I took the wrap off. He made the mark, and I surprised them even farther by pulling the bra down to just above my nipple, which was hard as rock, by the way.

It'll be quicker this way, and we can judge the finished product better."

He had me sit, and sat on a stool that made him eye level with my breast. He painted carefully, small strokes that felt like a massage. It was all I could do to keep from squirming. When he finished it really looked like the devil was trying to get out. I clipped the wrap.

"Honey, I need you to step out. I want this one to be a surprise."

Grinning, he walked out. I told the man what I wanted, and made him swear not to tell.

Twenty minutes later I was out the door. He was standing in front of the clothing shop.

"Come on" he said, practically dragging me in.

It should have been called Sluts R Us. To say the stuff was risque would have been a conservative opinion. The salesclerk had short spiked hair, black with pink tips, a pierced nose, lip, belly button and other places, I was sure.

She was friendly though.

Ghost knew just what he wanted.

It was the female version of a wifebeater, the white ribbed material scooped out in the back and sides, a low front, with a wide strip of material for a back. The straps of my bra were visible, and the bra itself was plain to see under the shirt. You could just barely make out the tattoo on my breast. I had a large bandage over the one on the shoulder. It also exposed about an inch of belly.

We walked towards the sex shop, and I stiffened up.

"Relax, babe, We're not going in there."

Hr grinned that grin of his.

"We'll save that for another adventure."

We stopped back at the bike shop, where he bought me a black leather jacket.

"It'll be awfully cool tomorrow morning, if you ride in just that shirt."

I thought we were done until we pulled up at a beauty salon.

"You have an appointment. Be bold, babe."

The hairdresser and I talked for thirty minutes. She took my picture, scanned it into a computer, and showed me how I would look with different lengths and styles.

I really loved the one I picked, because of its' versatility. I could go from conservative to bold in a few minutes, with a little gel or mousse.

I cringed while my shoulder length hair disappeared, but rejoiced at my saucy, short locks. Nowhere more than three inches, it framed my face perfectly. I had her spike it just a little, before showing off to him.

He was speechless for a bit.

"Not what I expected." he said, "not at all. It's much better."

He was quiet on the way back to my apartment. It took us thirty minutes to get everything out of the car, and I left it piled in the bedroom, getting him a beer and snuggling into his lap.

"I still have on the thong from this afternoon" I whispered, smiling into his neck as I felt his excitement grow under my bottom.

I looked up, and pulled his head down, locked my lips onto his with the intent of never coming up for air. I flicked my tongue across his teeth, rewarded when his mouth opened a bit. I jammed my tongue into his mouth as far as it would go, surprised when he pushed it out, only to do the same to me. Reaching down, I took his hand and guided it to my breast and aching nipple. I felt his large hand tighten, completely covering it. I was wriggling frantically, reaching for his shirt, when he stopped me, standing suddenly.

"I'm sorry, Kelly, I didn't mean..."

I stopped him with a finger on his lips.

"I'm not. And I did mean to do what we were doing. I want to continue. Is that all right?"

He was pacing back and forth.

"I want to. I really do. You're the first woman since my wife I've been sexually attracted to, and she's been gone two years. But I think you're confusing gratitude with emotion. Plus I'm a lot older, I feel like I'm robbing the cradle. You don't want an old man like me, babe."

I couldn't stand it. I jumped up and slapped him, hard. He stood in stunned silence as I went into a rant.

"You think I give a fuck how old you are? You're the first real man I've ever met. I'm a goddamned grown woman, and I choose you. If you're playing with me, stop, now. If not, don't let that Southern sense of honor I love about you get in the way of your feelings."

I stopped, panting heavily.

"You've almost ruined the best day of my life. I want you to go home, think about what I said. And don't even think about missing tomorrow. I expect you, on your bike, at ten sharp. If you're not, I'll hunt you down and kick your ass."

I grabbed him, gave him a kiss I hope scorched the bottoms of his feet, and literally shoved him out the door. When I heard him drive off, I went into the bedroom, threw the bags in the floor, and collapsed, crying like a baby. And I wasn't really sure why.

.................................................

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, there was just a hint of breeze, and it wasn't too hot. I heard the bike roar up, and not giving him a chance to get off, came bouncing out the door. He handed me my goggles and a bandana to cover my hair. Soon we were off. We were a bit early, so we rode around for a bit. I snuggled up to him as tightly as I could, enjoying the feeling. I might have stroked his chest a time or two, purely by accident, of course. We hit a bump, and my hand slid down to his belt. I left it there until he gently pulled it back up to his chest. Spoilsport.

Everyone noticed when we pulled in. I got off, slipped my bandana and goggles off, running my fingers through my hair. I casually unzipped the jacket, shrugged it off, and lay it across the seat. People, mostly men, were staring.

Ghost just grinned until I turned around, showing him the other tattoo. A small ghost, gray and outlined in red, with two dots for eyes. Words actually failed him.

Cindy came bouncing across the parking lot, towing her new boyfriend along. We hugged, while she raved about my hair and new look. She saw the tattoos and her eyes got wide.

"How long have you had those?"

I shrugged.

"I've had the devil for a while now, but the ghost is recent."

While we were talking, Ghost slipped out of his jacket. I had my back turned to him, but when Cindy stopped talking I turned around to look.

He had on his trademark tight jeans, and a black wifebeater, which showed his muscles off to perfection. He had taken the braid out of his hair, and it shone almost silver in the sun. I swear I think she started to drool.