Blood, Sweat, and Steel - SIZEKINK .COM

Read Blood, Sweat, and Steel → So late last year I started a roleplay that turned out to be balls to the wall amazing, and with the permission of my partner I started posting the logs to AO3. Things have since slowed down since the holidays - school is taking up a lot of Reuven’s time right now …

A sweet, contemporary, Hallmark movie inspired romance—with lesbians!

Claire is a student working at the local community college library. Bree is an art student who doesn’t even have a library card. But after the Winter Art Show lost it’s original venue they are forced to work together to turn the small library on Lavender Street into a place worthy of any art critic.

Between painting, work, and classes, the two women grow closer. Their focus in on their studies, but in college anything can happen, especially love.

The first chapter is up and completely free to read! 

Not Your Angel now a Top Faved series!

Step One: Start a version of this story with your long distance best friend in high school

Step Two: Post a polished version on Kindle Vella almost a decade later

Step Three: 

Now that Brute Forceis out, I’m updating the Joshsmut again.

(Like everyone on the planet, I need more time in my day.)

(Show Notes

Content Warnings for discussion of alcohol abuse

Image Credits

Photo by Tembela BohlefromPexels

Photo by Robin StickelonUnsplash

Photo by Alesia KazantcevaonUnsplash

Photo by 21 swanonUnsplash)

—————————-

“I’ve been waiting here for fifteen frigging minutes,” the man snapped, his face far too close to Olivia’s as she stood next to his table in the Keegan’s dining room.

“I know,” she said quickly. “And I’m sorry. We’re understaffed and trying to do things as quickly as we can, but I understand. Please let me comp you a couple drinks.”

The man narrowed his eyes as he clearly considered what else he could get out of her right now. “And these apps,” he said, gesturing at the plates in front of him.

Bret was going to yell at her for food costs. But the other option was to let this guy continue to yell at her and then put a nasty review online that Bret would yell at her for later anyway. So she forced a smile onto her face. “And the apps,” she agreed. “I’m truly sorry you’ve been waiting so long.”

The guy rolled his eyes as his embarrassed companion looked on. “Whatever,” he said. “Just bring the drinks over, my girlfriend’s been waiting way too long.”

Olivia’s eyes flicked over to the girlfriend, who looked like she wanted to sink into the floor. She grimaced apologetically to Olivia behind her boyfriend’s back, but didn’t say anything.

Olivia kept her face neutral as she made her way up to the bar. Hugh was there, chatting with a woman as he poured her drink. He looked up as she walked up and his smile faded. “Olivia,” he said. “What’s up?”

“We need a couple beers for that high top over there,” she said quietly, not liking the way the bitterness was seeping into her voice, but not caring enough to stop it. “I’m comping the drinks and the apps, so don’t ring them in. I’ll do it later.”

“The apps too?” Hugh asked.

She wasn’t in the headspace for a debate, so she just nodded. He clearly caught on, because he just nodded back. “I’ll bring them over,” he said.

“Thanks,” Olivia said. “I have to go do the two orders that are back there now. Woman in the booth over there has been watching me like a hawk since I brought out the apps for the first guy, so I think she might be planning to request a comp too.”

At the look on Hugh’s face, Olivia shook her head. “I know, I know they’re taking advantage of me. But Bret yelling at me for the food cost is way better than him yelling at me for driving away customers.”

Hugh nodded, though he still looked skeptical. “You’re the boss,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess I am. Whatever that means.”

With that, she started walking back toward the kitchen again, where she could see two more tickets hanging over the grill. She’d forgotten about the nachos going to the bar, even though she’d been the one to take the order.

Crying would just waste time. So instead, she pulled on gloves and thought about how if that guy ever came into her coffee shop, she could toss him out on his ass.

———————-

Hours later, Olivia walked into her living room and fell onto the couch,  not even bothering to take off her jacket and shoes.

“Everything okay?”

It was two in the morning, why was Andrew possibly awake right now? Olivia opened one eye and looked over. He was lying on the other couch, Mia snuggled up against him.

Olivia sat up. “What happened?” she asked. “Is she okay? Teething’s been-”

“It’s fine,” he said softly. “She fell asleep watching The Lion King and I ended up falling asleep for a little bit with her on top of me. Just haven’t bothered getting up to put her to bed yet. As for my question?”

She sighed. “I’m fine.”

“Bollocks.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “It’s nothing new,” she said, adjusting on the couch. “I have a crappy job that I hate. What else can I say? It was another crappy night at my crappy job where my crappy manager calls to yell at me because our numbers are down. And our numbers are down because people don’t want to wait for our understaffed bar to serve them. Oh, and then they yell at me too.”

“Liv…”

Olivia looked over at his somewhat uncertain tone. “Yeah?”

“Listen, I don’t mean to pry. But is there a reason you haven’t been looking for something new?”

Olivia sighed. “Who says I haven’t?” she said. “I’ve been looking all over the place. But everything I’m finding either pays much less than Keegan’s or is at least an hour away. And I’m not going to commit to a two hour commute when I have free babysitting. I’m not throwing that on you or my mom.”

“That’s fair,” he said, shifting a little under Mia’s curled up form.

They sat silently for a moment. Olivia thought maybe Andrew had fallen back to sleep, but then he spoke.

“What would you want to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you didn’t have to worry about it. If you had your choice of anything in the world, what would you do?”

Olivia paused. “Honestly?” she asked.

“Honestly.”

“You know that old Limerick building just off Main Street?”

“The little brick one?”

“That’s the one,” she said. “It was a tea room for a year and a half about four years ago. The owner closed it down but still owns the building. If I could do anything in the world, I’d buy it off of him and open a coffee shop.”

Andrew looked a little surprised. “What?” she asked, trying not to feel foolish.

“Nothing,” he said. “Just - that’s extremely reasonable.”

“If you’re not a single mother on welfare.”

“Fair,” Andrew admitted. “But seriously.”

“It’s already owned by someone who’s made it clear they don’t want anything to do with New Winslow,” Olivia continued. “So I’ve made my peace with the fact it’ll never happen. But that’s what I’d do, given the option to do anything at all. Open up my own coffee shop. Sell light food and pastries, brew different drinks. Be my own boss. I’d love that.”

They sat quietly for another moment. “Alright,” Olivia said after a long silence. “Let me grab that baby from you. I’ll put her to bed.”

She walked over and pulled Mia out of Andrew’s grip. He sat up and stretched.

“Go get some sleep,” Olivia said. “Good night.”

“Night.”

She walked into her room and closed the door. Mia’s night light glowed pink beside her little cot as Olivia set her down. Then she pulled off her work clothes and got into her own bed.

A coffee shop. Something a little different from the general store or the House of Pizza. She could do whatever she wanted with the menu and hire whoever she wanted to work there. And no one would be breathing down her neck or backing her into impossible positions.

She fell asleep already dreaming of intricate drink orders and Hugh behind the espresso machine.

———————————————

The blaring sound of Noah’s phone was trying to pull him out of a heavy dream. He forced his eyes open and saw that he was laying on his living room floor, still in the clothes he’d been wearing last night.

The phone sat on the floor next to his head, still ringing cheerfully. Closing his eyes again, Noah slid a hand up and answered it. “Hmm?” he managed to grunt out as he put it to his ear.

“Noah?”

His throat felt like he’d been gargling glass shards and his wrist was throbbing as he held the phone to his ear.  “Erin?” he choked out, opening his eyes and sitting up slowly. “What’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer for a moment. He sat up against the side of the recliner and rested his throbbing head on the arm. Sunlight was pouring in through the cracks in the window shades he hadn’t pulled up in weeks.

“Are you okay?” Noah murmured, closing his eyes again.

He couldn’t tell if he was hungover or still drunk. Probably a hellish mix of both.

“Yeah, Noah, I’m fine,” Erin said, but her voice sounded off.

He waited a second, pressing the fingers of his good hand into his eyes until spots appeared in his vision. Something important must have happened if she as calling. They weren’t the type of family to have casual chats.

“Are you okay?” Erin asked finally.

There was a weight behind the words that told him she wasn’t just making polite small talk. “I’m fine,” he said.

He glanced around the room for something to drink, even if just to soothe his jagged throat. The water glass was long empty and his stomach sank as he realized his flask had spilled on the rug at some point in the night.

“Listen…” she started, and even through the fog he could tell she was nervous. “I just want to check on you. I was talking to Olivia the other night-”

“Since when do you and Olivia talk?”

“Since when do you drink so much that your friends call me for help?” Erin snapped back.

The bile rose in Noah’s throat, hot and even more painful than before. “They’ve overreacting,” he muttered. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Erin asked. “Noah, they’re really worried about you.”

Noah laughed bitterly. “They need to worry about themselves and back off.”

His stomach flipped and he knew he was going to throw up in the next thirty seconds. “Erin, listen,” he managed to force out. “I’m fine. So back off. I don’t need Olivia worrying about me, I don’t need you worrying about me, and I sure as shit don’t need the two of you talking about me behind my back.”

Erin started to say something, but he was already about to vomit. “I have to go,” he said, then hung up and ran for the bathroom.

(Show Notes

Content warning for discussions of addiction and parental abandonment

Images via Canva)

———————–

Edie looked nervous as Cleo walked into the now-familiar apartment. “Everything okay?” she asked, lowering her head to give Edie a quick kiss.

“Yeah, everything’s great!” Edie said quickly. “I was just going to have some cheese and crackers. Want some?”

“Sure.”

“Go sit down, sit!”

Cleo yawned widely as Edie darted toward the kitchen and picked up the plate that was sitting on the counter. She’d spent last night at home, intentionally relaxing on one of her few nights off. But even after a full night’s sleep, she was still dragging.

Edie brought the plate over to the kitchen table and set it down. “Sit down,” they repeated. “I’m going to get a sparkling water. What can I get you?”

“A sparkling water sounds great.”

Edie moved toward the fridge, their usual confident movements almost jerky. Cleo frowned.

“I’m not trying to nag, but are you sure you’re okay?”

Edie turned around with two bottles in their hands. “I’m fine,” they said.

They sat down and handed one of the bottles to her. “Actually,” they said. “There’s something I wanted to discuss with you.”

This was it. They were breaking up. It had been a good run, Cleo supposed.

Edie took a breath. “Would you be interested in moving in with me when your lease ends?”

Well, that wasn’t what Cleo had expected. Her silence must have lasted a little too long because Edie’s eyes widened. “I swear I’m not trying to be pushy,” they said. “I know you love your place. It’s just…”

“Move in here?” Cleo asked.

Edie shrugged slightly. “I mean, yeah?”

“But…I live in Boston.”

Maybe it was the shock of Edie’s invitation that was making her brain run so slowly right now. Edie’s face fell.

“It’s fine,” they said. “I just thought I’d offer…”

“No, no, I appreciate it,” Cleo said. “I swear! It’s just that - I’m not sure if I’m going to sign my lease for another year.”

“At your current place?” Edie asked. “Cleo, you’re working yourself to death to keep it.”

A flash of irritation sparked in Cleo’s chest. Were they really doing this again? “I know,” she said, aware of the defensive note creeping into her voice. “But it’s my home.”

“Forget it,” Edie said, waving their hand in front of them. “I don’t know what I was thinking, I knew you wouldn’t want to.”

“It’s not you,” Cleo said in a rush. “I really do appreciate it. It’s just really far from where I’m living now. And I’m not sure I’m ready to leave there.”

She took a breath. “When do you need an answer by?”

Edie smiled slightly and Cleo felt a weight lift that she hadn’t realized had settled. “Just when you decide whether or not you’re going to re-sign. I’ll be here.”

“Thank you,” Cleo said.

While the idea of moving made her heart hurt, the idea of living with Edie was definitely appealing.

——————————————————

Olivia considered hanging up as the phone rang once…twice…

“Hello?”

Erin Kelly’s voice was soft, with barely a trace of the strong accent in her brother’s.

“Hi, Erin? It’s Olivia Walker.”

“Olivia, hi! Um, how are you? Is everything okay?”

Olivia sighed. “No, actually. Erin, I’m sorry to call out of nowhere,” she said. “But have you talked to Noah lately?”

“I haven’t,” Erin admitted. “We haven’t really talked much in, god, the last few years? Not since Dad died. What’s going on?”

Olivia heard her shuffling a little on the other end of the line, like she was doing something else as they spoke. “He’s…” Olivia hesitated a little. “Look, Erin, he’s drinking a lot. Like, a major problem a lot. He needs help and he won’t listen to us.”

Erica went silent for a moment on the other end of the line, all sounds of movement gone too. Olivia winced. Maybe this had been a mistake.

Finally, Erin sighed. “I guess I’m not all that surprised,” she said. “He was drinking a lot during my dad’s sickness. Not anything dangerous, but I thought maybe he was doing it to cope. But it’s gotten out of control?”

“It’s bad,” Olivia admitted. “He won’t talk to any of us and I’m getting scared. Do you have any idea what might help?”

“I feel bad, but honestly I’m not sure,” Erin said. “We’ve never really been close.”  

Olivia’s heart sank, but Erin continued speaking . “Do you think it would help if I talk to him?”

“Maybe,” Olivia said. “He wouldn’t listen to me at all. And Cleo and Andrew have both tried too.”

“Oh, Andrew’s back?”

There was a slight change in her tone, a barely perceptible edge that Olivia caught anyway. To be fair, Erin didn’t have the same relationship with Andrew that she did. She only knew him as the man who hurt her brother.

“I’m at a loss,” Olivia admitted, intentionally pushing the conversation forward. “Do you think he’d listen to you?”

“It’s worth a try, I guess,” Erin said.

“I was wondering too…” Olivia started, then hesitated.

Erin waited patiently, clearly knowing where this was going. “Your mom…”

“If the cutting edge entrepreneur can be pulled away from her work for a few minutes, she might deign to call one of her children,” Erin said, the edge much sharper in her polite tone this time.

Olivia always hated delving into Erin or Noah’s relationship with their estranged mother. Noah generally changed the subject when their mother was mentioned, but Erin wasn’t shy about her disdain for the woman who had left them both behind. Having grown up with a father who called twice a year at most, Olivia understood.

“Do you have her number?” Olivia asked.

She never enjoyed talking to Miranda Kelly, but by this point she was willing to do it if it meant getting Noah the help he needed.

Erin set down the phone for a moment to rifle through her papers, then came back and gave Olivia the number.

“Thanks.”

“No problem, Olivia,” Erin said. “Listen, I really appreciate you calling me. I know Noah and I aren’t exactly close, but he’s my brother and I love him. I’ll try giving him a call tomorrow, alright?”

“That sounds good, thanks,” Olivia said. “He, um, quit the bar a few months back so I’m not sure he’ll pick up. But I know he’ll be around.”

“I’ll just keep trying until he does then.”

“Thank you. Alright, I’ll let you go.”

“Talk to you soon.”

Olivia hung up the phone and walked over toward the window, gazing out at the backyard. The potted plants that had appeared there at some point this summer were withered beyond repair at this point. Next to them, she could see the dirt clods on the ground where Noah had started digging and then stopped.

She missed him. It felt ridiculous to miss him when she could hear him moving around upstairs. But it was like the Noah she’d known all her life, the protective, generous friend she’d always felt safe with, was gone. And she didn’t know if he was ever coming back.

——————-

CONTINUE TO EPISODE 19

——————-

(Show Notes

Image Credits

Photo by Content PixieonUnsplash

Photo by Delaney TurneronUnsplash

Photo by Connor SmithonUnsplash

Photo by Bianca AckermannonUnsplash)

——————————-

“Thank you again, Iris. You’re saving me hours of aggravation right now.”

Iris looked up from the spray bottle she was capping off as Celine walked back out to the dining room. She shrugged a little. “No problem,” she said. “It’s my job.”

“Still, I appreciate it,” Celine said. “I was planning to do energy wards, then herbs and basically spend all night here after we close. Plus, you’re better at herb work than me.”

The small smile on the younger woman’s face made Celine even more glad she’d taken the money from petty cash to hire Iris for an hour. After the spirit - which they had all but confirmed was Roland - had gotten in, she had prioritized protecting the place from him again. Clearly Iris had been doing the same thing over at her shop for months now. She’d arrived with the exact solution she wanted to use and a plan that barely needed any adjusting.

While Celine had always liked Iris, she hadn’t actually talked to her for more than a minute at a time since last year when Iris had gotten over eager about the curse. While she knew Iris and Roman had put their grudges to bed, Celine hadn’t been quite sure where she stood with the other woman right now. But Iris had been nothing but professional since she arrived.

“Alright, start on opposite ends?” Celine suggested. “Everything should be accessible, just let me know if I forgot to open anything. Oh, and try not to get locked out. We don’t open for another three hours, so the doors will automatically lock when they close.”

Iris nodded and picked up her spray bottle. “I’ll ring the bell if it happens, but I’ll try to avoid it.”

She gave the spray bottle a quick test spritz and a cloud of vapor came out. Celine caught the familiar scent of rosemary and bay and was once again grateful that Iris had opted for water over smoke cleansing.

Iris headed toward the other end of the dining room while Celine walked toward the back office. She sat down in the desk chair and closed her eyes, trying to relax enough to start the visualization exercises she needed to do in order to set the energy wards. The large rose quartz crystal she’d left here the past few nights had spent last night charging in the light of the full moon. She could feel the slight thrum of its energy as she rested her hand on it and began channeling her own energy into it.

It wasn’t long before she was in the zone, that trance-like state that made it easier for her to visualize the energy connecting her and the crystal. With one last gentle breath, she opened her eyes and stood up. She picked up the quartz and walked back toward the storage room.

New Winslow House of Pizza thankfully only had one floor. Usually, she and Roman grumbled a little about that because it meant the storage space was minimal. But this morning she was grateful she didn’t have to craft a two story bubble of energy on a few hours’ sleep. Roman had gotten home around one last night and his jittery energy had kept her up even after he had finally fallen asleep. So more of this morning’s protective energy was fueled by coffee than she cared to admit.

An hour later they were finished and she and Iris were seated at the first table in the dining room, splitting the pack of Danishes she’d picked up at the general store on the way here. “I think it worked,” Celine said. “The air feels calmer than it did even this morning when we got here.”

“Good,” Iris said, wiping a bit of icing off the side of her mouth. “I recognized the energy as soon as I got here. It was faint, but that was definitely Roland.”

“Any signs of him around your place since he was here?” Celine asked.

“None,” Iris replied. “My wards are pretty strong, but they’re not as good as I want them to be. So I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”

“Let me know if you want to do something like this for your shop,” Celine said.

“Thanks. I might take you up on that.”

“Speaking of cleansings and your work,” Celine started, taking a second Danish from the box. “I actually wanted to talk to you about something else.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Olivia Walker.”

“What about her?”

“Have you talked to her about her ability?”

This piqued Iris’s interest. “Olivia?” she said. “What ability? I mean beyond keeping Keegan’s open. That’s supernatural in itself.”

“She’s a medium.”

Iris’s eyes widened. “No way!”

“Or at least she could be if she decides to focus on that talent. She told me she’s been seeing spirits since last winter.”

“This town just breeds us, I swear,” Iris said with a laugh.

“Cursed town in the middle of New England?” Celine said. “I’m surprised there’s not more.”

“So what’s her plan? Do you know?”

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Celine said. “She told me the other night that she wants to learn how to use it. She’s been helping spirits as best she can, but she wants to find out if professional mediumship is something she’d want to do.”

“I could bring her along on a case,” Iris said thoughtfully. “I’ve got one going at The Countess that seems pretty cut and dry.”

“I told her I’d talk to you, so I’ll get you her number before you go,” Celine said. “And I also want to hear about this Countess case.”

Her eyes widened. “Wait. That’s the one in Petersham isn’t it?”

Celine knew she was acting like an overexcited child, but the Petersham bed and breakfast was a looming presence that had fascinated her for years. “Hang on,” she said, picking up both of their coffees. “If you’ve got time, let me refresh your drink. Then I want details!”

————————

CONTINUE TO EPISODE 16

————————

(Episode Notes

Content warning for depictions of anxiety

Image Credits

Photo by Phil DesforgesonUnsplash

Photo by Vaishnav ChogaleonUnsplash

Photo by Patrick TomassoonUnsplash

Photo by Jr KorpaonUnsplash)

———————–

Olivia stood in line at the New Winslow House of Pizza, wondering if this was a mistake. It was one thing to talk ghosts when neither of them were working and both in a neutral place. It was an entirely different thing when she was invading Celine’s workplace.

Not to talk right now, she tried to reason with herself. To ask if it would be alright to talk later on. And she didn’t have Celine’s phone number, after all. So this was the only way she could reach her.

Plus, Mia loved pizza. So this was a convenient excuse to pick up pizza for dinner for the two of them and whichever friends happened to be around. Andrew was likely to be there if he wasn’t at Iris’s. Cleo tended to be in town a little more these days, maybe she’d drop in. And Noah…

She’d rather just not think about it.

She rolled Mia’s stroller back and forth absently as she waited in line. Mia chewed on her fingers and reached for the brightly colored chip bags on the rack beside them.

“Olivia, hi!”

Roman was running the cash register when she reached the front of the line. “Hi,” she said, trying to push down her nerves.

He leaned over the counter and smiled at Mia. “Hi Mia,” he said, waving. “What can I get you two?”

“Um, two large cheese pizzas please. And an order of fries. Um, small.”

Roman punched the order into the register. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it. Um, to go.”

He took her credit card and ran it through the machine, then handed her a receipt and a pen. “I actually was wondering if Celine is working tonight,” Olivia said as she scribbled down her signature.

“No, she’s home with the kids,” Roman said as he picked up the receipt and slid it under the counter. “Why? What’s up?”

“I just had a couple questions to ask her,” Olivia said, suddenly conscious of how much she was shifting around.

“Sorry,” Roman said, and he looked like he meant it. “Anything I can help with?”

“No,” she said. Then glancing around, she added in a lower voice, “It’s, um, ghost related?”

Olivia cringed, waiting for Roman to roll his eyes. But instead, he just nodded.

“Seems to be the theme of the week,” he said.

He pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen and handed them to her. “Give me your number and I’ll pass it on to her.”

“Thank you so much,” Olivia said, writing down her phone numbers. “I don’t have cell service all the time at home so I put both my cell and landline.”

“Perfect, I’ll give that to her tonight.”

Roman tucked the paper into his pocket. “Anything else I can do for you?”

“Nope, thanks.”

He smiled broadly and for a second, she was almost flustered. She smiled back, then took her copy of the receipt.

“Give us fifteen minutes on the pizza,” Roman said. “I’ll call you up.”

—————————————————

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

Shit, she’d thought Edie was asleep. Cleo quickly wiped her eyes and looked up at Edie, who was standing in the kitchen doorway, squinting in the dim light. “Nothing,” she lied.

Even she wasn’t able to convince herself that it sounded real and not like she’d been crying for the past half an hour.

Edie stepped into the room, their sheer bathrobe shifting over the sleep shorts and tank top they’d worn to bed. They wrapped their arms around Cleo, who closed her eyes and leaned against Edie’s warm stomach.

“Cleo,” Edie said softly, running a hand through her hair. “What’s going on?”

She sighed and sniffed. “It’s just…I’m so tired.”

She half expected Edie to try to bring her to bed at such an obvious statement. But instead they let go and pulled out the chair next to Cleo. They sat down, gripping Cleo’s hand.

“You’re working too hard,” Edie said.

They said it neutrally, no trace of judgment or pity. Cleo nodded. There was no point in denying it.

“But I have to,” she said. “I quit my job and I can’t find another one. If I don’t work as much as I do, I’m going to get evicted.”

“I know.”

“And I’m spending every hour I’m not here or at my mom’s working shifts. And when I’m at my mom’s, I’m too stressed to enjoy our time together and we just fight over her memory anyway. And Andrew’s still stuck. And every time I go there I risk getting stuck too. I don’t know what to do, Edie.”

“How much time is left on your lease?”

That wasn’t what Cleo had expected to hear. She thought for a second. “It’s the end of September,” she said. “So a little under three more months.”

“Would you consider going somewhere else?”

“I don’t think there’s anything cheaper in Boston, honestly.”

Edie was silent for a second. Cleo sniffed. Her eyes were still stinging a little, but she felt like maybe she was done crying for now.

“I guess I just keep applying for jobs,” she said. “This is temporary. I just have to suck it up for a little while longer.”

“Hopefully something comes along soon,” Edie said.

They leaned over and kissed Cleo softly on the temple. “I want to help,” they said. “Cleo, you mean so much to me. I know it hasn’t been that long, but anything I can do to make things easier, please just tell me.”

Cleo closed her eyes and squeezed Edie’s hand. “Thank you,” she said, unsure what else to say. “That means a lot to me.”

They sat quietly for a moment in the dim kitchen. Then Edie yawned. “Back to bed?” they asked.

“Yeah,” Cleo said. “Yeah, I think I could sleep now.”

Without letting go of Cleo’s hand, Edie stood up, then tugged Cleo to her feet. Cleo was a head taller than Edie, but Edie pulled her up easily. “Come on,” they said. “Let’s get some sleep. I’ll make us breakfast in the morning before you leave. What time’s your shift?”

“I signed up for a ten am,” Cleo said. “But it’s in Boston, so I’ll have to head out a little early.”

“That’s no problem,” Edie said. “I’m working at nine-thirty, so we’ll head out the same time.”

Cleo’s stomach was still heavy at the thought of working tomorrow, but it felt a little lighter just being here with Edie for tonight.

———————-

CONTINUE TO EPISODE 15

———————-

(Show Notes

Content Warning for mention of past death of a child.

Image Credits

Photo byrunnyremonUnsplash

Photo by Kevin NobleonUnsplash

Photo by Annie SprattonUnsplash

Photo by Dilyara GarifullinaonUnsplash)

————————-

“How is it going?”

Iris looked up from her notes to see Missy coming into the parlor with a sweating pitcher of water. She set down her pen on the side table as Missy picked up Iris’s empty glass, and refilled it.

“Thank you,” Iris said, taking the water gratefully.

Though the shades and the darkness helped cool the room, The Countess didn’t have air conditioning. This was the second pitcher of water Missy had brought Iris in the past two hours.

“I’ve been going through the witness statements you took,” Iris said. “I think you’re right about it being an intelligent haunting. I don’t know why it would be so repetitive in that case, but a residual energy wouldn’t have responded to either of these two witnesses the way that it did.”

“Ah, Ariana and Ben,” Missy said, glancing over Iris’s shoulder at the reports. “I took those statements. They’ve never met each other, come to think of it. They come in at different times of year from entirely different countries. But the accounts line up with my own experience up there.”

“I haven’t gotten to yours yet,” Iris admitted.

“Well, if you don’t mind a quick iced tea and pastry break, let me give it to you directly,” Missy said with a smile.

She walked out of the room, returning a few minutes later with a tray loaded with cookies and two iced teas. Flashing Iris a grin, she set the tray down and sat in the antique chair across the table from Iris.

“So it’s not much different than anything you saw in Ariana and Ben’s reports,” Missy said. “But it was, oh, two years ago when I first saw the apparition? It was upstairs on the top floor. I know you haven’t been up there yet, but there’s this long hallway with several rooms that are generally closed off to the public. The spirit looks shadowy, at least when I was there. Human-shaped, but misty, like it’s not fully there. It walks the hallway in a steady pattern, starting at the window at the end of the hall, that great stained glass one? It starts there, then turns, walks down the hall to the third door, and walks through there and vanishes.”

Iris was digging through her notes for her pen, but Missy put a hand on hers to stop her. “Don’t worry, it’s all in the report,” Missy said, nodding toward the stack of papers.

Iris picked up her tea and took a sip, nodding for Missy to continue. “I saw it for the first time two years ago, but I’ve seen it at least twice since then. And Anna’s seen it as well, though she tends not to go up there as much. She’s got knee problems, you know? We’ve got the lift, but she hates it. But if it was just that, I would think it’s an energy recording and leave it at that. It all fits. The house is old and the building materials are local. The original owners were a wealthy family in New Winslow who lost a child before selling the building. There’s so much energy built up within these walls, I’m sure you can feel it.”

“Yeah,” Iris agreed, tracing a line along the condensation on her glass.

The energy she’d felt the other day was just as strong in the parlor she sat in now, that electrical humming just along the edge of her consciousness.

“So I’ve tried treating it like a residual haunting,” Missy said. “We’ve tried cleansings and blessings. But then last year, Ben requested one of those top floor rooms to work on his novel. He said the vibes were good in there. We normally just use them for storage, but he’s a good customer and we trust him. So he spent the night in one of the other rooms, not the one the spirit goes into at the end of its rotation, but nearby. The next day he told us how he spent the evening communicating with the spirit up there. Nothing in depth, but requesting signs of its presence. Knocks and flickering lights, you know? And they were consistent enough that both Anna and I agreed that it sounded legitimate. Obviously we needed more evidence, but within two months, Ariana came in with the same statement after going up there to record a special for a web series. So after two similar reports, I went up there with my spirit box and did some testing. There’s definitely an actual presence in the house, not just a repeating recording.”

“I wonder what it is that makes the ghost so stubborn about staying,” Iris said, her mind already on the possible approaches she could take.

The spirit box was certainly a consideration, though she’d never actually used one before and heard they got mixed results. No, she’d probably be better off with her usual approach of using her abilities to contact the spirit.

“I’m not sure,” Missy admitted. “But there’s so many antiques and artifacts in this house. It could be the land. Before the inn was moved here, this land was a farm. So on the surface it’s nothing dramatic, but we haven’t been able to find any details. And neither of us are particularly psychic, at least not in any consistent way.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, what makes you want to get rid of it?”

Missy looked up uneasily, as though waiting for the spirit to get offended by the question. “It gets…touchy after interactions,” she said. “We’ll have a few days of things being thrown around or going missing. And if the interactions were all started on our end, that’d be different. But Ariana didn’t instigate anything, the ghost did. And Anna’s statement is in there as well, you’ll be able to read that. She tried not to communicate with the ghost, but it contacted her anyway, then proceeded to shatter several antique vases in some of rooms. So it’s starting to interfere with our customers’ safety and we can’t have that.”

“Completely understandable,” Iris said.

She shuffled through the papers until she found both Missy and Anna’s statements, then pulled them out and placed them on the top of the pile. “I’ll take a look at these before I go,” she said. “Then I’m thinking I’ll do one more quick daytime visit to get a feel for the affected area before I try to interact with the spirit.”

“Perfect,” Missy said.

She stood up. “I need to get back to work, but I leave the cookies with you.”

Before Iris could protest, Missy ducked out of the room, leaving her alone with a tray stacked with sweets.

——————

CONTINUE TO EPISODE 14

——————

(Show Notes

Content Warning for terminal illness

Image Credits

Photo by Kent PilcheronUnsplash

Photo by Paul HanaokaonUnsplash

Photo by Amie JohnsononUnsplash

Photo by Annie SprattonUnsplash)

—————

It was Hugh’s third week at Keegan’s and already things were running more smoothly than they had in months. Olivia knew she should feel some sort of conflict about this, like maybe she’s being disloyal to Noah by  being so enthusiastic about Hugh. But honestly, Hugh was a huge upgrade. He was sober, nice to her, and actually did his fucking job. She knew she didn’t have to go home every night worrying about something going horribly wrong tomorrow.

So even though the food order came late (and incorrectly) and Bret had left a message in the communications book saying that the bathrooms need to be cleaned and sanitized every hour - with no excuse, including short staffing - she was still feeling confident.

The customers seemed to like Hugh just fine too. One woman had pulled Olivia aside and asked what had happened to Noah. Olivia hadn’t quite lied, just said he quit without elaborating. The woman had accepted that answer without question, though Olivia could see the concern in her eyes.

But for the most part, everything involving Hugh was going great. He was a large man who moved with grace behind the bar, clearly comfortable in his skill and knowledge. He’d chat with the customers and more often than not, Olivia found herself lingering just a little longer than usual before going back to the kitchen. One time he busted her hanging around and flashed her a wink. On one hand, it was such a Noah-like move that her stomach clenched. But on the other, that clench was quickly replaced by butterflies.

That was the only downside to Hugh. He was cute. And warm. And friendly and charming and good at his job and fun to talk to and oh no, she was so screwed. The last thing Olivia needed right now was a crush. And yet, here one was, settled in and making itself at home.

Charlie was working tonight too. Rafaela had dropped him off and walked in with baby Edward in her arms. Five months old now, Eddie was all giggles and rolls. Charlie had been beaming when they’d come in together.

Now, a few hours later, he looked tired. He stood by the front door, leaning against the old wooden partition and wearing a black t-shirt with SECURITY written across the front. Bret had recently insisted that they get uniforms for the bouncers in his bars. Charlie hadn’t complained, though he’d raised an eyebrow at Bret’s first suggestion that the bouncers should also buy these shirts out of their own pockets. His silence had apparently been enough to get his point across and his size enough of an intimidation factor for even Bret, because that suggestion was quickly forgotten as Bret said that his company would be happy to buy these shirts for the sake of the business.

“Hey boss,” Charlie said as Olivia approached him. “How’s it going?”

“Fine,” she said, shrugging. “Just another day, you know?”

“I feel that.”

“So, Eddie’s five months old now?”

“Just about,” Charlie said with a smile. “Unbelievable, isn’t it?”

“Seriously,” Olivia said, leaning against the corner of the same partition. “I’m still not sure how mine is already one and a half.”

“Oh, you have a kid?”

Hugh’s voice came from behind her and she jumped and spun around. He held up his hands. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he said. “Just coming over to say hi. I didn’t know you had a kid.”

“It’s fine,” Olivia said, standing up straight. “Yeah, I’ve got a one year old daughter.”

“You got any?” Charlie asked.

Hugh shook his head. “Nah,” he said. “I want some someday but it hasn’t happened yet.”

“You married?”

Olivia mentally thanked Charlie for asking the questions she wanted to ask. While she and Hugh had talked plenty over the past few weeks, they’d kept the conversation light. She was almost certain he was single, but she hadn’t had the guts to ask.

“No,” Hugh said. “I was engaged at one point, but it didn’t work out. You?”

“Engaged,” Charlie replied.

“Nice,” Hugh said.

He turned to Olivia. “So you have a one year old?”

“Yeah.”

“Got any pictures?”

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, flipped to a recent photo, and held it out to Hugh. “She looks like you,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah, I guess she does.”

“Lucky kid.”

Her face got warm at that. “So was that her dad that picked you up last night?” Hugh asked.

Charlie laughed as Olivia shook her head. “No, it was - what’s so funny?”

“Sorry,” he said. “But I assume it was either Noah or Andrew that picked you up last night, so…”

“It was Andrew,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster. “And while he’s wonderful, he is not my kid’s father.”

Hugh looked a little embarrassed. “Sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to assume anything. You said a couple weeks ago that he was your roommate, so…”

“It’s fine,” she reassured him. “Nope. One kid, no husband. I’m living with a friend of mine right now.”

“No kid, no husband here,” Hugh said. “Or wife for that matter. And I live alone, but next door to my parents.”

Charlie looked meaningfully over at Olivia, who ignored him. Was he trying to take Noah’s spot as her bar wingman? Not that she needed anybody to do that right now. She was fine.

And she was saved by a party of six coming up to the door.

Hugh gave her a smile, then made his way back to the bar. Charlie kept looking at her.

“What?” Olivia demanded.

“Nothing,” Charlie said, still smiling. “Nothing at all, boss.”

———————————————————————

When Minnie laughed, she almost seemed like her old self again. So Roman wanted to keep her laughing.

“It was good,” he said. “I felt for Andrew, I swear! But it was kinda funny to see someone else falling on their ass at the town line for once.”

Minnie broke into peals of scratchy laughter that quickly dissolved into coughs. Roman reached over to the bedside table and picked up a fresh handkerchief, handing it to her and then looking away to give her privacy.

Maybe he should lay off the jokes for now.

It was early evening and she was in bed while he sat in the rocking chair beside her. An untouched piece of pizza sat on a plate beside her. He’d known she probably wouldn’t eat more than a nibble, but she’d requested he bring pizza for the first time in weeks. So he wasn’t about to say no.

“I do hope you get out.”

She was still smiling, but he could feel the smile sliding off his own face as she looked at him. She reached over and took his hand. “You’re still young and that boy is even younger. I’ve had a good life, but I want the two of you to get out while you’re still young enough to enjoy it.”

Roman’s stomach went cold, but she didn’t seem to notice any difference. He should be working harder to get her out of here while there was still time. What was he doing putting anything ahead of that?

“You too,” he said, hoping she didn’t notice the catch in his voice. “I want to get you out of here.”

Now her smile faded just a little. “Sweetheart,” she said softly.

She squeezed his hand, but it was almost too light for him to feel.

——————–

CONTINUE TO EPISODE 13

——————–

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