Page 15 of Ghost of a Chance
Gia shook her head.“When we were in the Godfrey, I feltsomething.The air was cold and heavy.It felt like all the energy was being sucked from the room until you left and the spirit seemed to follow you out.I wasn’t the only one who thought it was real.”
“That’s coincidence.”
“Too bad, it felt real.You’re stuck anyway.The publisher loves the idea of getting this kind of publicity with Bri’s show.Plus the internet loves this kind of stuff, even if it ends up being a hoax.It will go viral.They were happy to pay for the Airbnb and expenses but it’s a small per diem for food.”
“I have a deadline,” she grumbled.“I really need to be at home writing.”
“I’ll clear that with your editor.We can add however many weeks this ends up being onto your deadline.”
She gave a weak smile.Great.Like an extra four to six weeks was going to help when she practically had nothing written.But she knew there was no getting out of this.“I need to go home and get my stuff.”
“Of course.”Gia glanced down at her phone.“Looks like Bri is sending one cameraman and Jasper will manage him.I’ll be there too.I figured we’d all meet on Monday.That gives you the rest of this week and the weekend to yourself.”
“Thanks,” she said sarcastically.But it wasn’t Gia’s fault.None of this.Right now it was a toss-up between herself and Jasper who she was really angry at.
She’d been trying to manifest getting on this show since her first book came out, so really Kirsty knew that it was her own fault.She wanted people to talk about her work.She wanted to be famous.But she hadn’t ever really considered what it would be like.
Definitely not like this.
“How am I going to do this?I can’t talk to Paul.”
Gia dropped her arm around Kirsty’s shoulder.“Treat it like one of your books.You may not be able to talk to ghosts but you know how to put evidence together and tell a story.If Jasper resolves his feelings, maybe that’ll be enough.You’re very good at getting closure in your books.”
“Thanks,” she said, meaning it this time.She turned and hugged Gia.“Sorry I was being bitchy before.”
“It’s okay.I get it.It’s a lot more than a book tour now.But this…this is going to be really good for your career,” Gia said.
“Yeah?”
“After this your books are going to fly off the shelf.”
“They are,” Kirsty said without any real confidence.“That would be nice.”Then maybe she’d stop feeling like a fraud.
“It will be.”Gia gave her a reassuring smile.“Ready to go?You have two hours before you have to be at Dark and Stormy.”
“Yes.I’m starving.Good news is that my headache is gone.Maybe that ghost scared it out of me,” Kirsty said.
“Or the ibuprofen started working,” Gia replied with a wink.
“I thought you believed in my powers.”
“Yours.Not some unknown textbook ghost’s.”
* * *
Her flight home was smooth.Her mom met her at the airport with a small sign that said Favorite Girl in one hand, carrying a to-go cup in the other.A big smile lit up her face.Kirsty hugged her mom and took the mug of pumpkin chai latte, her favorite drink from their local cafe.
“How’d it go?”
“Mom, it was nuts.Some guy has a ghost trapped in a book,” she said, then told her mom the entire story.
“I guess you’re going to need all of Dot’s books,” her mom said.Kirsty’s great-aunt had been a clairvoyant and had sent Kirsty a box of books when she was thirteen with a card…To my favorite little weirdo.Reading those books had laid the groundwork for the Eva Clare mysteries.
She pulled into the driveway of the duplex that she and her mom owned.Kirsty’s apartment was on one side and her mother’s was on the other.Being a writer didn’t pay that well, and living close meant she had a house sitter whenever she went on tour.
“I can’t bring too many esoteric books,” she said.“That’ll completely give away that I’m a fraud.”
“Okay.You can text me then, and I’ll look things up for you.Do you think there’s a real ghost?”
