Page 31 of Down and Dirty

Brandon was a nice guy. Cute, attentive, and local, which was more than I could say for Keaton, but what Keaton offered, which couldn’t be reproduced, was the electricity between us.

It took hours to complete all of the tests that Brandon ran on me. Blood, MRI, CT scans, you name it, and he ran the tests in an attempt to pinpoint what could be causing my blackouts. I knew the answer, but I didn’t think he’d believe me. Six o’clock came, and I was going nuts, debating on making a run for it, when I heard Brandon’s voice outside, along with another person’s.

“Dad, I’ve never even met her. Why are you making me eat with her?”

“Because I offered, and you need to check yourself, Reggie. Your mom would be disappointed you’re acting like this.”

“If Mom were here, you wouldn’t be eating with a stranger.”

I slid off of the bed and walked to the door, pulling it open. “Reggie, your dad and I are just friends, and I don’t know about you two, but eating hospital food isn’t on my bucket list.” I shivered. “If you make me, I might have to come back and haunt everyone in the hospital.”

“You’re weird,” the teen said, stepping inside the room.

“I get even weirder the longer you know me,” I said, shrugging at Brandon, who was trying to hide his grin.

“So…” The teen glanced around the room. “What are you in for?”

“Reggie, you don’t ask questions like that. It’s personal.”

“Okay, so how long have you been seeing my dad?” he asked.

Brandon had opened his mouth to say something when I patted his arm. “I’ve got this.”

I took the bag from the kid and climbed up on my bed, pulling out containers. All three containers had burgers and fries. Thank God he hadn’t gone back to the fancy swanky restaurant he’d taken me to on our date.

“I met your dad a few days ago when I almost broke my neck falling down a trash pile at the landfill when I found four dead bodies.”

The teen’s mouth parted, and then he snapped it shut. “What are you? A cop?”

I chuckled. “I’m a psychic.”

The kid’s shoulders deflated, and he rolled his eyes while he sat with me on the bed and doctored up his burger.

“Dad doesn’t believe in psychics,” Reggie said.

“Reggie,” Brandon growled.

“It’s true.” Reggie shrugged. “Every time I try to get him to go to one, he tells me no and not to waste my money.”

“Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion,” I said as I stared at the female spirit standing in the room. She pointed at the hot sauce, and I picked it up. She pointed to Brandon, and I grinned.

Always a wife and mother. Even in death, that bond doesn’t leave us.

“Heads up, Doc,” I said and tossed him the hot sauce.

He caught it, and his eyes widened. “How did you know I use hot sauce?”

The easy answer would have been to tell him his dead wife told me, but I didn’t think he was ready to hear that…yet.

“It was in the bag.” I shrugged. “I figured you had to have asked for it since it’s not a typical condiment they would have thrown in.”

“Right,” he said. “Is there any other way to eat a burger?” He grinned and started doctoring up his dinner.

“I’ve got to leave in ten minutes,” Reggie announced.

“You got a hot date, or are you meeting friends?” I asked.

“I’m going to the movies,” the kid said as his cheeks reddened.

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