A Ghost of a Chance by Evelyn Klebert Page B

today. It might be a bug, “ and then she added, “I hope it’s not contagious.”
    “ I have to say Hallie, after the way we connected at dinner the other night I was glad I had this opportunity to come see you.” Her eyebrow rose. Connected? Were they at the same meal? For the fourth time Hallie heard a growl under the table.
    Jack was at it again, determined to rip a hole in Greg’s pants leg.
    He grimaced, “Feisty little thing. Can’t you lock him up or something?”
    “ No, he’s just a puppy. He doesn’t like to be alone.”
    Across the room, Jack was squatting down encouraging Jack Jr. “Go on boy, go on, harass the hell out of him.”
    Hallie stared at the puppy with amusement. He was usually much more intimidated by strange men. The other day when the cable guy came to hook up her television Jack had positively cowered. Greg gave the dog a deliberate thrust away from him that seemed to discourage him for the moment. “Anyway, I wanted to see if you would go out with me sometime soon.”
    “ But you live in Richmond.”
    “ Yes, but it’s worth the commute.”
    She sighed, how did she get herself into this? Oh yeah, it was Monica’s fault. “To tell you the truth Greg I have to say that. . . well, that I’m seeing someone else.”
    There was a long dead silence and a blankness of expression. Had he heard her?
    Then finally, “You are? Monica didn’t mention . . .”
    She cleared her throat, trying to buy time to extrapolate on the lie. “I don’t tell her everything. I guess I shouldn’t have gone the other night, but I was led to believe it would all be very casual.”
    “ Uh yes.” He still seemed a little befuddled, or was that just the way he was? “But this other guy, who is he?”
    “ Oh nobody you would know. He travels a lot on boats. He’s in shipping, on ships.” She fiddled with her donut, hoping that this extraordinary weak fabrication was enough to discourage him.
    “ I see,” murmured Greg, still looking confused and remarkably disappointed, “and it’s serious?”
    “ Well yes. Probably, I think.”
    “ You don’t sound convinced.”
    She sipped her coffee eager to fill her mouth so that nothing else stupid would come out. “No, no, I just don’t feel comfortable talking about my feelings that’s all. I’m sorry if you were misled Greg. You seem like a very nice person.”
    “ No, that’s all right. I just hope this fellow knows how special you are.” She nodded. “I better get going. I’m expected back at the office.” He’d already stood up. That’s a business type, ready to cut his losses.
    She stood up brushing a few donut crumbs off her jeans in the process. “Okay, well thanks for breakfast.”
    She felt bad. He looked a bit like she’d kicked him. He seemed genuinely disappointed. That was novel, somebody disappointed about losing her. She’d forgotten that there were men out there unlike her ex-husband. Just for a fleeting instant, she wondered if she was being too rash. After all, there wasn’t really anyone else in her life, not anyone real anyway. But again looking at his so very youngish-looking face, she figured better to leave things as they are. Never would have worked. Better not to look back.
    “ I hope you feel better Hallie.”
    “ Oh right. Well thanks, Greg.”
    There was the slightest touch of sadness in her eyes as she saw the boy off. It bothered Jack. He wondered if he was being very selfish. Perhaps, she did need someone in her life, someone real that she could touch, not Jacob the seafarer or Jack the ghost.

 
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
    “ Hallie.” She opened her eyes. Had someone spoken? She was tired, incredibly tired. She must have dozed for a moment while she was going over some of the pages she’d written earlier that day. The voice, it must have been a dream. She let her eyelids droop again, into that twilight state of sleep.
    “ Hallie,” she began to open her eyes. “No here, remember I’m here.” She tensed for