each entwined their fingers with Toni’s. They slowly turned to face her and their expressions softened. The aura that engulfed the men cooled to a blue-green. It rolled off them and gathered Toni in as well. When the three of them were within the light, its colour turned pink and purple. Toni looked from one man to the other and back again. As her gaze passed between them, movement in the shop caught her attention.
Mike walked towards Bridget, took her hand and led her to the seating along the opposite wall. He dragged the table away from one of booths and sat back on the red vinyl bench. Bridget straddled his lap. Toni watched the couple kiss and pull off each other’s clothes, even as she felt hands stroking her arms. The shop began to glow with a soft pink light. A long, lean body slid behind hers.
Liam.
She glanced down to see his corded forearms encircling her waist. Liam drew her back against him, and bent his knees, rubbing his erection against her ass.
Thomas stepped into her from the front and nuzzled her neck.
Toni dropped back her head and closed her eyes. “Ah,” she breathed.
Thomas placed a hand on her breast and Liam slid his between her legs.
Toni’s head rolled to the side and she peered out over the counter through half-closed lids. She opened her eyes fully when she realised that, though the shop still glowed with the strange pink light, the décor had changed. The furnishings were similar, but looked brand new. Tall leafy potted plants stood in the corners and enormous feathery ferns hung in baskets from the ceiling. The walls were papered with advertisements for hair tonic, pipe tobacco and headache powder. An egg cream, she noted, was only five cents.
The shop was deserted except for Mike and Bridget, who were now naked and grinding together in a booth. The two were partially obscured by a magenta cloud of energy that surrounded them.
Thomas kneaded Toni’s breast through her shirt and Liam squeezed the fleshy mound between her thighs. Her panties and jeans were sodden with her juices. She wanted to close her eyes and bask in the heat of their touch, but she felt compelled to keep her attention on the shop, as if she were waiting for curtain to rise at a play.
Though she’d never seen his face, she knew instantly that the man who emerged from the kitchen door was Vinnie. He was leading Daisy by the hand.
Toni was vaguely aware that she was being manipulated by Thomas and Liam, but the sensations seemed far off as if she were detached from her body. Her laser focus was on the young couple as they jogged hand in hand into the centre of the shop. Daisy wore the same dress from the mirror encounter. Vinnie was in a short-sleeved work shirt with his name monogrammed on the chest and a bow tie shoved in the breast pocket. Toni could see that they were laughing but no sound registered. She wondered why she couldn’t at least hear Daisy. What made this haunting different from the last? Residuals . The thought slipped away as the pantomime played out.
Vinnie held a finger to his lips as if shushing his lover. She covered her mouth and batted her lashes in mock contrition. He pulled her hand down and scooped her into a graceful embrace. Toni felt her clothing stripped away, but even when she was standing naked behind the counter, she could only concentrate on the ghost lovers, who were now lost in a passionate kiss.
They abruptly separated, and looked towards the ceiling as if they’d heard a noise. They kissed once again then walked apart, holding hands until their arms were outstretched and they were connected only by the fingertips. The two reacted to another noise then turned and hurried away. Vinnie passed through the front door. Daisy ran towards the back of the shop. She turned a sharp right at the end of the counter and headed straight for the shelves that lined the wall between Toni’s ice-cream parlour and Liam’s bookshop. Daisy passed through wood and bricks without breaking her
Mike walked towards Bridget, took her hand and led her to the seating along the opposite wall. He dragged the table away from one of booths and sat back on the red vinyl bench. Bridget straddled his lap. Toni watched the couple kiss and pull off each other’s clothes, even as she felt hands stroking her arms. The shop began to glow with a soft pink light. A long, lean body slid behind hers.
Liam.
She glanced down to see his corded forearms encircling her waist. Liam drew her back against him, and bent his knees, rubbing his erection against her ass.
Thomas stepped into her from the front and nuzzled her neck.
Toni dropped back her head and closed her eyes. “Ah,” she breathed.
Thomas placed a hand on her breast and Liam slid his between her legs.
Toni’s head rolled to the side and she peered out over the counter through half-closed lids. She opened her eyes fully when she realised that, though the shop still glowed with the strange pink light, the décor had changed. The furnishings were similar, but looked brand new. Tall leafy potted plants stood in the corners and enormous feathery ferns hung in baskets from the ceiling. The walls were papered with advertisements for hair tonic, pipe tobacco and headache powder. An egg cream, she noted, was only five cents.
The shop was deserted except for Mike and Bridget, who were now naked and grinding together in a booth. The two were partially obscured by a magenta cloud of energy that surrounded them.
Thomas kneaded Toni’s breast through her shirt and Liam squeezed the fleshy mound between her thighs. Her panties and jeans were sodden with her juices. She wanted to close her eyes and bask in the heat of their touch, but she felt compelled to keep her attention on the shop, as if she were waiting for curtain to rise at a play.
Though she’d never seen his face, she knew instantly that the man who emerged from the kitchen door was Vinnie. He was leading Daisy by the hand.
Toni was vaguely aware that she was being manipulated by Thomas and Liam, but the sensations seemed far off as if she were detached from her body. Her laser focus was on the young couple as they jogged hand in hand into the centre of the shop. Daisy wore the same dress from the mirror encounter. Vinnie was in a short-sleeved work shirt with his name monogrammed on the chest and a bow tie shoved in the breast pocket. Toni could see that they were laughing but no sound registered. She wondered why she couldn’t at least hear Daisy. What made this haunting different from the last? Residuals . The thought slipped away as the pantomime played out.
Vinnie held a finger to his lips as if shushing his lover. She covered her mouth and batted her lashes in mock contrition. He pulled her hand down and scooped her into a graceful embrace. Toni felt her clothing stripped away, but even when she was standing naked behind the counter, she could only concentrate on the ghost lovers, who were now lost in a passionate kiss.
They abruptly separated, and looked towards the ceiling as if they’d heard a noise. They kissed once again then walked apart, holding hands until their arms were outstretched and they were connected only by the fingertips. The two reacted to another noise then turned and hurried away. Vinnie passed through the front door. Daisy ran towards the back of the shop. She turned a sharp right at the end of the counter and headed straight for the shelves that lined the wall between Toni’s ice-cream parlour and Liam’s bookshop. Daisy passed through wood and bricks without breaking her
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