The Phantom (2 page)

Finally, she leaned forward, elbows on the glass top of her desk. “Let me get this straight. You’re saying you want to write a ghost story for
Belle
?”

I should have known this wouldn’t be easy. For all the six years I had worked there, every article I had done had been assigned. I had seen almost every one of my colleagues enter this woman’s office to pitch an idea, and fail.

But this might be my only chance. I absolutely had to convince her! ‘’I don’t think it’s exactly a ghost story. It would be more of an investigative piece on something like an urban legend.”

Marion raised one of her perfectly groomed eyebrows. “And just how is that appropriate for my women’s magazine?”

“Because it’s a legend just for women,” I told her. “I believe the readers who have heard the story would be interested to hear about women who have had actual encounters with The Phantom. It would give both believers and non-believers things to debate. Plus, it’s not exactly a well-known story. There are probably thousands of women who haven’t heard about him at all.”

“I certainly haven’t,” she said.

Did that mean I was making progress or that she was still skeptical? Either way, I had to keep pushing. “That’s my point! Doesn’t it intrigue you that there might be someone or even something out there that could sneak into your bedroom one night and fulfill your fantasies?”

“Mmm...” Her little noise gave nothing away. “And just how would you get these stories from women? I assume you wouldn’t just make them up yourself.”

“Absolutely not,” I replied. “I thought I could post some kind of ad on the internet looking for women who have had experiences and are willing to talk about it.”

“On the magazine’s site?”

“It doesn’t have to be there. I’m sure I can find somewhere else to post if you prefer.”

My boss leaned back and crossed her legs. When she did, her red suit skirt raised just enough to show off the rose pattern of one black stocking top. “You’re very passionate about this, aren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am, very; ever since I first heard The Phantom story myself, he has been almost an obsession.”

She did the finger thing and began to swivel again. What else did I have to say to make this happen?

“I’ll pay for the women’s stories myself. The article and research won’t cost
Belle
magazine anything but my time.”

Both of Marion’s eyebrows lifted. That was a good sign, wasn’t it?

My heart raced when her gaze stayed on the carpet.

Finally, the chair stopped its back and forth. I held my breath.

“Okay, you can do it.”

“Thank you! I won’t disappoint you, I promise!” I jumped up so fast to shake her hand that the chair I sat in fell backward. If it had been appropriate, I would have hugged the woman for making a dream come true!

***

I swear the sun had never been brighter. Even the angry honking of all the drivers stuck in the traffic jam just ten feet away from our outdoor table sounded like music.

“So, spill,” Beth said as we waited for the waitress to return with our grilled chicken salads. “What are you so happy about? New guy?”

I shot her an annoyed look. “No, I’m still with Geoff.”

I could tell she had to fight not to roll her eyes. Beth hadn’t liked Geoff from the second they met. I think her exact words were, “It’s men like him that help women realize they’re lesbians.”

“Well, what then?” she asked.

“Marion approved my Phantom article!”

“Oh, honey, that’s great!” Beth jumped out of her seat and reached across the wrought iron table to hug me. Unfortunately with her tiny size, that meant she pretty much had to lie across the thing. “So that’s why you were practically bouncing when you came out of Marion’s office!”

“I was not!”

“Please,” she teased. “I’m the woman’s secretary. My desk is right across from her office. I get to watch people go in and out all day, see them come out upset when she tells them no about something. I think I would notice when my best friend would have actually skipped away if she wasn’t wearing high heels.”

I had to laugh. That was Beth all over. She had such a way with words. Sometimes I wonder how it wasn’t her that became the writer. “Okay, so I was a little excited.”

Beth pushed her black framed glasses back up her nose. Why she favored those over contacts I will never know. They seemed to slip every five minutes. She was so pretty, but it was hidden behind those things. They made her look more like the shy student that clutched books to her chest than a thirty-two year old woman. “Just a little,” she giggled.

“You’re a woman,” I said. “I don’t know why you don’t believe in him.

She shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of her tea. “It’s just too crazy for me. The perfect lover that comes to women in the night? Yeah, okay. God knows I’ve certainly dreamed of such a thing. But then he disappears by morning? Never to be seen again?”

“That’s what makes him so mysterious,” I said.

“That’s what makes him the typical guy.”

“Just you wait. I’m going to make you a believer along with all of our readers.”

She smiled and brushed her wavy black hair out of her face. “Well, believe it or not, I’m happy for you. When do you get to start?”

The waitress arrived with our food. I took a bite even before Beth had her plate set in front of her. It was impossible not to. This place had the best grilled chicken salads in the world! I don’t know what they used or how they did it, but somehow, even the lettuce and baby tomatoes tasted like lemon pepper. “Mmm...” I let my eyes close. “Oh, as soon as I can find women who have had him come to them, and are willing to talk about it,” I said after swallowing.

“Think there are many out there?” Beth asked as she dug into her own plate.

“I’m sure there are enough for an article. Maybe I can get the boss lady to let you go with me to interview them.”

She finished her first bite, and then pushed her glasses back up her nose. “I doubt it during business hours, but I don’t see why she would care when I’m not working.”

“Would you want to?”

Another shrug of her shoulders. “Maybe. Crazy people are always interesting.”

“Does that mean you think I’m crazy?” I asked.

Beth grinned. “I think you’re interesting.”

We both broke out in a laugh.

“Oh,” she said. “I meant to tell you I got tickets to that charity Indian art exhibit.”

“That’s great! I really wanted to see that. Maybe we should go shopping after work, get new dresses for it?”

My best friend smiled. “You know me. I’ve never met a store I didn’t love!”

Chapter Three

“Shopping” meant just one store to the two of us. Of course there were others in the shopping center, but NORAH’S always had everything we just had to have. With almost designer dresses at almost department store prices, you might have called it an outlet except for one thing. Customers were pampered with delicious finger sandwiches and herbal teas. Beth called it a shopaholic’s spa, and she wasn’t wrong.

“What do you think?” she asked and held a black and white dress to her body.

“Pretty,” I told her. “I especially like the diagonal stripe pattern.”

“You don’t think it plunges too low in the front?”

I rolled my eyes. “Beth, you’ll still be able to wear a bra with it. It doesn’t plunge low at all.”

“Are you sure?”

“Have I ever lied to you?”

She smiled back at me. “Good point.”

“Why are you always so shy about your body anyway? I keep telling you how jealous I am of it.”

“I know, but I don’t like the idea of showing it off. If I’m going to have a man come up and talk to me, I’d rather it not be just because all the exposed flesh gave him an erection.”

I just laughed. That was so Beth. Then it was my turn to ask an opinion. I pulled a dress with thread thin straps off the rack. “What do you think?”

“Oh my God, that’s gorgeous! I love how blue it is. It would go great with those navy heels you bought last week. I wish I had seen it first.”

“Do you think Geoff will like it?”

She took a sip of her chai tea. “If he doesn’t he’s an even bigger idiot than I tend to think.”

“Good, I want to take him out for a nice dinner to celebrate,” I said and headed for the dressing room.

Beth slipped into the one beside me. “Where are you going?” she asked as she shrugged out of her blouse.

“I’m not sure, but I know I want Italian.”

“You should try that place on Summers Street. I had the penne from there the other night and it was really good.”

“Date?”

“No,” she said, “just me treating myself.”

“You really should let me try to set you up with someone. Geoff has this friend”

Her little laugh cut me off before I could even say a name. “No thanks, I have absolutely no problem waiting for my dream guy.”

We stepped from behind the light blue curtains at the same time. “Wow!” I said as soon as I saw her and how the fabric seemed to mold her hourglass figure. “I told you. You look incredible!”

She pushed her glasses up. “I don’t know, I still think it’s too low.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re crazy. And you’re getting that dress if I have to buy it for you myself!”

Beth still played with the top, tugging at the places that only hinted at cleavage in the mirror. “Hmm... Maybe, I do want something new for that art exhibit. Are you sure it doesn’t make me look slutty?”

“Maybe if we lived in one of those really old silent movies. If anything you look innocent. Now, what about me?”

She turned and her eyes went wide behind her slipping lenses. “Honey, you’re beautiful!”

I smiled and looked in the mirror. She was right. The square top revealed only an inch of cleavage and the skirt fell to my knees so I could still show off my calves. Geoff was going to lose it when he saw me in this!

Chapter Four

A couple in love couldn’t have dreamed of a more intimate dining experience than Georgio’s. Sconces along the wall kept the dining room in a low light and candles on every table illuminated the faces of lovers. It was so romantic. All around us, couples held hands across the table and smiled at each other. They even kissed between every single bite because the lips of their mate tasted even more delicious than the food.

“Don’t even look at the prices,” I said. “We’re celebrating after all.”

“Huh?” Geoff looked up from his PS Vita.

“I told you. Marion accepted my article.”

My boyfriend rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah, your little Phantom thing.” Then, he was right back to ignoring me.

“It’s not little, it’s huge! This could be the first thing
ever
written about him! Aren’t you proud of me?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Turn, turn, turn!” Geoff was so into his game that he was frantically steering his virtual race car in the air until his knee kicked the table. All around us, heads turned at the clatter. Luckily, I was able to hide my embarrassment behind the menu.

A pretty redheaded waitress approached our little table for two in the corner. “May I take your order?”

“Um, yes, I’ll have the fettuccini with a glass of white wine. What do you want dear?”

Geoff didn’t even look up, just shrugged. “I don’t care. Just get me a burger.”

“This isn’t the kind of place that does burgers,” I whispered across to him.

“Just whatever then. No, no, no! Get back on the damn road!” He yelled at his game.

I sighed. “Bring him the same.”

The waitress gave me a smile of pity when she took our menus. Something told me she knew what it was like to be ignored by a boyfriend on what was supposed to be a special night out.

“Oh, did I tell you? Beth got the two of us tickets to that charity art exhibit for our girl’s night out next week. Maybe you could have some of your buddies over that night.”

“No, no, no! Don’t fucking crash!”

I knocked on the table in front of my boyfriend. “Geoff Raedell,” I whined. “Pay attention to me!”

“Yeah, whatever babe. Just let me finish this race.”

I groaned. I knew I shouldn’t have bought that game for him, but he just wanted it so badly. He opened it and hadn’t look at me since, didn’t even notice my brand new sapphire dress, but I always have this crazy urge to make people as happy as I am. Lucky for him, I was in the best mood of my life that day.

Thirty minutes later, it still felt like it was just me and the breadsticks. Finally, our food arrived. That got my boyfriend’s attention enough for him to turn off his new game. It was almost as if he had been racing in real life himself the way he dove into his food.

Immediately, he spit it out. “Oh God, that shit’s nasty! Why the hell would you order me this?”

All I could do was sigh. “Play your game. I’ll have the cab drive through a burger place in the way home.”

Geoff winked at me. “Thanks, babe. You’re the best.” His eyes were already back on his screen when he asked, “Hey, do you want to have sex tonight? It is a special occasion after all.”

I sighed. “We’ll see,” I said halfheartedly.

At least the pasta was delicious.

***

Geoff was on me as soon as we were home. The door had barely closed before his hands reached from behind to grab my breasts. I winced at his too tight squeeze through my dress, but he must have thought it was a sound of pleasure. “Oh baby,” he groaned. “Believe me; I want you just as bad. Do you even want to try for the bedroom or should we just go for it right here?”

What could I say? Might as well get it over with. “Here,” I pretended to purr.

He spun us around so fast I actually got dizzy. Geoff roughly pinned me to the wall, banging my head against the picture of us on a picnic. I don’t know why he was in such a hurry. He wasn’t even hard when he pressed against me.

Geoff ripped my brand new dress when he lifted my skirt. “Hold that,” he told me.

I kept it bunched around my waist while my boyfriend pulled my panties to my knees. Then...

Smack!

“Ow!” I screamed at the incredibly painful sting when he slapped the right cheek of my butt.

Geoff just hooted. “Whoa, yeah! I love that ass of yours!”