Holly shook her head as they made their way out of the bar and back onto the street. There was no way she was ever going to understand men, and considering she was now getting first hand experience, that was really saying something.
“Sorry I took so long.” Holly looked up to see Gemma standing next to the bush that she and Vince were currently hiding behind. They had been there for the last twenty minutes and whatever weirdness had sprung up between them at the bar had disappeared again. “Has Rochelle come home yet?” her friend asked.
“She’s been in there for ten minutes and so far there hasn’t been any movement.” Holly shook her head as she glanced up to the art deco style apartment block where Rochelle lived.
“That’s a relief.” Gemma joined them in a squatting position so she wouldn’t be seen. “I was terrified that we’d miss this window of opportunity all because I’d used Arial instead of Courier New and that my boss was too techno-phobic to change it.
“Sort of,” Holly admitted. “Just a quick one.”
Gemma swiped at a bit of dirt near her shoe before frowning. “I’m not sure that was such a good idea, especially since you know what a light-weight you are when you drink on an empty stomach.”
“Yes, but I wasn’t drinking on my stomach,” Holly reminded her. “I was drinking on Vince’s stomach, so I feel perfectly okay.”
“It’s true,” Vince agreed. “She only told me that she loved me three times…though I think I’m now her best friend in the whole entire universe,” he confided with a wink.
Holly raised an eyebrow. How exactly did Vince know so much about drunken women, anyway? Did he go out to clubs and meet them? She tried to think if she’d ever seen him out, but she was quite sure she hadn’t. Perhaps he went to the sleazy pick-up joints were the women were really free and easy? Well, she hoped he behaved himself because he was too nice a guy to throw himself away on a drunken woman with no morals. Not that it was any of her business of course, she was just saying.
“You
“Honestly, I’m fine. Vince is only teasing you. Apparently he has a sense of humor underneath his dark and brooding act.”
“Thanks. I think,” Vince retorted.
“Yes, but while it’s all well and fine to laugh about it,” Gemma said stubbornly. “It’s not really funny. Did you realize that alcohol is a depressant and that suicide is the third biggest killer in the fifteen-to-twenty-four age group, so obviously the two are closely linked.”
“What?” Holly and Vince spoke as one.
“It’s true,” Gemma persisted. “Sometimes people don’t show the signs on the outside, but it doesn’t mean they’re not there, and—”
“Gemma,” Holly interrupted. “Have you been reading those suicide help line pamphlets that have been scattered around the office?”
“It’s just a little bit of proactive information, it’s not like it’s aimed directly at you.” Gemma gave a defensive wave of her arm.
“That’s because I’m dead and as a rule they don’t try to target deceased employees. Anyway, I didn’t kill myself, remember?”
“Oh.” Her friend started to chew her lip. “Sorry, but don’t you think it’s creepy how many people feel like killing themselves and no one even knows?”
“Yes, well perhaps if they knew how awful heaven was, they wouldn’t be in such a hurry?” Holly retorted and Gemma blushed.
“You’re right. Just ignore me. Anyway, we got sidetracked. I’m still not clear on why you were drinking in the first place.”
“It’s a bit of a long story.”
Gemma glanced towards Rochelle’s closed door. “I think we have time.”
“Fine,” Holly said as she launched into the how they had tried to avoid Andrew and Co but had ended up being found out.
“But Fluffy’s so sweet and kind.” Gemma widened her eyes once Holly had finished her story. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I know, that’s what I thought, but apparently Fluffy doesn’t like Vince.”
Gemma looked shocked. “You don’t like Fluffy?”
“Hey. I never said I didn’t like Fluffy,” Vince protested. “I said that Fluffy didn’t like me.”
“But why? You know even though my roommate, Irene is crazy, she’s often said that if a dog doesn’t like someone it’s because there’s something wrong with the person. Like they’re evil or something.”
“Don’t be silly. Vince isn’t evil. You’re not evil, right?”
“No, I’m not evil,” Vince assured them both.
“Well why doesn’t Fluffy like him, then?” Gemma clutched at her purse in panic. “Oh no, please tell me you didn’t kick her, because if so, even if Holly’s stuck in the same body as you, I just don’t think I’d be able to talk to you anymore.”
“Of course I didn’t kick her.” Vince sounded just a bit outraged.
“Well, what then?” Gemma narrowed her eyes and shot him a glinty gleam.
Vince let out a reluctant sigh. “I guess it’s a positive that I never had any credibility to begin with because it probably would’ve gone straight out the door.”
“Vince, please. Just tell us what happened,” Holly tried not to chew on his lip. But for some reason this was important. After all, he was a nice guy. She didn’t want to find out he was cruel to animals.
“Do you remember how cold it was last November? Like really, really cold.”
Gemma nodded her head. “Holly used that as a great excuse to buy the most adorable cashmere coat you’ve ever seen.”
“It was gorgeous wasn’t it? Hey, now that I’m dead, perhaps you should have it?”
“Isn’t that a bit weird to be wearing a dead person’s coat?”
“Of course not,” Holly assured her before she realized that Vince was rolling his eyes. “Anyway, back to Fluffy.”
Vince made a sound that could possibly be construed as a sarcastic snort. “Well, one day when I got to work Fluffy was doing the rounds of the workshop, wearing a blue sweater.”
“And?” Holly was still confused.
“And it had a big F in the middle of it.”
Gemma stared at him blankly.
“Well, I thought it was funny. I mean dogs are covered in fur. It’s designed to keep them warm. They don’t need clothes to do the job. It’s dumb.”
Holly could feel her eyes widen. “You laughed at Fluffy?”
“You shouldn’t do that. Dogs are very sensitive,” Gemma added.
“Yeah, and apparently they have a very long memory as well. Look can we stop talking about this now? It’s embarrassing enough that a twelve inch dog holds a grudge against me, but it’s worse that people know about it now.”
