The Phantom Read Free

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