Chapter 8

Joe stopped his old pickup on Carol's driveway and turned off the engine. It kept chugging for a few seconds anyway. I know how you feel, old girl, he said silently to the cantankerous machine. You're tired, all worn out, but please, please, don't give up your ghost for a couple more months.

He hoped the compensation package Steve mentioned included the use of one of the vehicles at Arabian Downs. Of course, Steve and Darla might not want to hire him after they found out about David and Nora's altercation. He shrugged. Whatever will be will be, and whatever happened he'd stand squarely and proudly with his daughter.

Don't give up your ghost - an appropriate phrase considering the conversation ahead with a ghost's mother. As Nora described what David did to her, the young man's invisibility made Joe think of him as a ghost, which was strange, because Joe didn't believe in ghosts. Joe wasn't at all sure the entire episode wasn't an elaborate hoax. Maybe Carol could enlighten him enough so he could make some sense out of everything.

The front door opened, and Carol stood looking lovely in a yellow sundress. Obviously pleased to see him, she wore a happy smile on her face. Her smile warmed his heart, and the rest of her warmed his blood. What a woman! She befuddles me, Tess. When I'm around her I can't think straight. He stepped up to her and pulled her into his arms, giving her a good morning kiss. The kiss became more than a greeting, but Carol didn't seem to mind.

"I missed you last night," Carol said as she pulled him inside the house and closed the door.

"Likewise, but you were correct. My daughter needed me."

Carol suddenly felt a little guilty. Joe had comforted his daughter, but she'd rejected David's request to fly to Sedona with him. Of course, she hadn't rejected his request as his mother. He'd asked her to fly away with him as his lover, not her son, or she would have dropped everything, including the man walking next to her. Carol had always considered motherhood the highest calling a woman could have, and she took the job seriously. She glanced coyly at Joe. Her lover. Would he still be her lover after their talk? And how much should she tell him? She wished David had visited her before Joe's arrival so she could have discussed some open issues with him before talking with Joe. Now she'd have to wing it.

"Coffee's perked," Carol said. "We'll talk, and then I'll fix you some breakfast. Darla called. She'll join us here at ten-thirty."

She sat him at the kitchen table and poured him a cup of coffee. He drank his coffee black, but she set the creamer and sugar dish on the table anyway, probably out of habit, he guessed.

They sipped coffee, and Carol said, "I'm sure you have a million questions, Joe. Where do you want to start?"

"First tell me about your son's... what is it he calls what he does?"

"Flights of consciousness."

"Yes, those were the words Nora used. She's devastated, by the way. She says she feels like she's lost her privacy. She's afraid to get undressed, go to the bathroom, pick her nose, or scratch an itch, and I can't say that I blame her."

"For what it's worth, David is devastated, too. He rarely exposes what he can do to anyone, only those very close to him. I was surprised he told Nora about his consciousness's ability to leave his body and wander the earth, at least so soon in their relationship. He must have cared more deeply about her than I thought." Tears flushed her eyes and poised to overflow. "She hurt him, Joe, when she called him a freak."

"If everything I've heard is accurate, Nora has him pegged correctly, Carol. After all..."

Carol slammed the palm of her hand on the table. "He isn't a freak, dammit! And I won't allow anyone in my house who thinks he is. He's a wonderful, young man, kind, generous to a fault, strong of body, amazingly intelligent, and handsome as they come, hardly a freak. Yes, he has a unique ability, but he doesn't misuse it like many would. You have a unique ability, too, Joe. What you do with horses is amazing, but I'd certainly never consider you a freak because you have a unique ability. Be careful what you say. I like you. Heck, I might even be falling for you, but if you honestly believe David is a freak, I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Calm down, Mom," David's disembodied voice stated.

Joe's head turn back and forth searching the room for the source of the ethereal sounds he'd just heard.

"Good morning, Joe," David continued. "Sorry I startled you. Do the two of you mind if I join you for a few minutes. I have a few things to say that might have a bearing on this conversation."

He pulled out a chair and pretended to sit. He'd never figured out how to sit in a chair when he was out of his body, at least not sit and feel as if he were sitting naturally.

"Good morning, son. I'm happy you're here," Carol said. "I'd hoped you'd visit earlier so I could speak with you before Joe arrived."

David huffed a laugh. "I would have, but I actually fell asleep while I was in my body for a change."

Carol chuckled and turned to Joe. "David never sleeps. He doesn't need to sleep. When his consciousness takes flight, his body falls into a deep Delta state, like a coma, so when he returns to his body after even a few hours it's completely rested. As a teenager, he used the nighttime hours to study, to learn more than the schools taught with their watered-down curriculums. Because he needed to understand his ability, he became an expert on consciousness, more knowledgeable about the subject than most scientists, even those who specialized in consciousness. He also studied advanced mathematics and physics, subjects like chaos theory, quantum mechanics, and relativity. To make money, he taught himself economics and about the various stock markets and how they function. Then he went to college. He has an M.B.A." She chuckled. "He's actually a bit of a nerd."

"Am not," David said. "I'm well rounded. I also studied psychology and philosophy, and delved into the world's religions, and a few hundred other subjects." He laughed. "Maybe I am a bit of a nerd. Joe, how was Nora this morning?"

"Ah..." He sat stupefied.

"Joe, David asked you a question," Carol said, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"She's a wreck, David," Joe said, finally finding his voice. "She's afraid you're still watching her."

"I haven't connected with her since she walked out my door, and I won't connect with her again unless she gives me her permission, which isn't likely from her reaction yesterday morning. Please reassure her for me. It was not my intent to upset her." He laughed. "I actually wanted her to know what a wonder I am. Dumb of me, huh?"

"Where is your body right now?" Joe asked.

Good, David thought. His shock has turned into curiosity. "Sedona."

"Amazing!" Joe exclaimed. "How long did it take your consciousness to travel from Sedona to where we're sitting?"

"Well, I didn't come here directly from Sedona. I met with what I call my financial advisors in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Manhattan and a few other east-coast cities. Then dropped in on a friend in New Mexico first. Denise says hi, Mom. I forgot to tell you. She has a new girlfriend, an Irish lass named Colleen O'Hara, a beautiful redhead with a fiery personality. Denise thinks she might be the one."

"Really? Oh, I'm so happy for her. Denise has been wanting a committed relationship for a long time."

Carol noticed a curious look in Joe's eyes. "Denise is a more a friend of mine than David's, Joe. I'm bisexual, and Denise and I have been casual lovers for a number of years." There. One secret has been announced, Carol thought. I'll need both David and Darla's permission before I inform Joe about my incestuous bent. David might grant his permission, but Darla will turn me down. She held her breath while waiting for Joe's reaction.

"That's surprising, Carol," Joe said. "I'd have never guessed. My wife, Tess, was bisexual, although after we married she gave up women as well as other men. She claimed she preferred men to women." He chuckled. "But there were times when I wondered, not about her faithfulness, only about her preference. Half the women she ever met fell in love with her. Come to think of it, so did half the men. I always felt sorry for both gender halves that didn't see her appeal."

Carol laughed gaily. "Cowboy, you are truly special." She hopped up and landed in his lap. "How about a kiss?"

"What about... ?"

"Oh, ignore him. I do." She proved her point and kissed him soundly. "Nice," she whispered when she pulled back from the embrace. She rose and sat back in a chair.

"I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, but first I have some advice for both of you," David said. "When I arrived, you were polarized, wearing parent hats and protecting your chicks. Your chicks are old enough take care of themselves. Be selfish for once in your lives. You've got something wonderful going between you, something I'd hoped would develop between Nora and me. Don't let your recalcitrant chicks get in the way. Guess what? No matter what, Mom, I'll always love you, and I suspect, no I know, Nora will always love you, Joe. Nora and I aren't enemies. When she realizes I'm no longer lurking in space invading her privacy, she'll calm down, and Mom, Nora has every right to consider me a freak. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, albeit I think her opinion of me is a bit harsh. Joe, stand up. I want to shake your hand before I leave. You raised a wonderful daughter."

Joe rose and stuck out his hand. David gripped it in his ghostly fingers, which caused Joe's eyes to darken with shock. He patted Joe's back with his other hand and directed his voice toward his mother. "I'll be flying to Lake Powel later this morning with some new friends, so I might not get a chance to connect with you again today. Can you take down the trades we should make to the portfolios now?"

"Of course, and I'll execute the trades before Darla arrives, and then take the rest of the day off. Let me grab a pencil and notepad." She hopped up and soon landed back in a chair. "Go ahead."

David listed the trades, gave her a goodbye kiss and returned to his body.

When Carol sensed David had left them, she rose to her feet, poured Joe another cup of coffee and said, "Bring your coffee and come with me while I make these trades. We'll talk some more, and then I'll make breakfast." She guided him to her office and sat in front of a computer. Joe settled on the soft leather sofa to her left.

"Waddaya think?" she asked as her fingers flew over the keyboard.

"About what?"

"David, of course."

"I'm flabbergasted! Did his consciousness actually take him to Hong Kong, Tokyo and New York this morning?"

"Sort of. His consciousness left his body and connected with individuals in those cities. It didn't take him anywhere. David has tried hard to learn how to tell his consciousness to visit a geographical location, say New York City, but he failed with every attempt. He can tell his consciousness to visit someone, and if the person happens to be in New York City, then that's where David's consciousness will land."

She paused and checked her notes. "David spends the early morning hours connecting with individuals around the world to determine what trades, if any, we should make to our portfolios. That's what I'm doing now." She hit the return key. "I just sold 10,000 shares of stock producing approximately $10 per share profit, certainly not a bad day, but we've done better. Now I'm buying 20,000 shares in another company, and in a minute, I'll cover our short position in yet another company. Then my workday will be finished."

She turned and flashed a smile at Joe. "Pretty good job, huh? The best I've ever had, for sure."

Her eyes returned to the monitor as she clicked the mouse. "Of course, some days I put in four whole hours, especially at the end of a year. David plays games with the governments and their taxes, drives them up the wall, but he hasn't been wrong yet, so they have to grin and bear it. Also, once a month, I put in a few extra hours and prepare the monthly reports for each of our portfolios - David's, Darla's and mine. I do what David calls dog work, the stuff he hates to do, but I love it. I like detail, busy work, always have." She hit the return key and twirled in her computer chair until she faced Joe. "There. All done."

She stood, settled on the sofa, hugged him and rested her face on his chest. "I think we ought to take David's advice. Waddaya think?"

"The nerd makes sense. I agree."

"Good. Wanna fuck before or after breakfast?"

"Before." He loved how she zeroed in on the crux of an issue.

"Great minds, etcetera." She turned her back to him. "Unzip me, please."

"Will he watch us?" Joes asked nervously as he pulled down the zipper.

"I'll know if he does. I can sense his presence. When David connects with someone, he doesn't know what the person will be doing until he abruptly hovers over them, so there's a chance he'll see us, if not today, some other time." She shrugged out of the dress, stood up and let the garment slide to the floor. "Does the possibility we'll be watched disturb you?" She posed sexily before him wearing only her panties and bra.

His eyes lit up. "Carol, like David said about Nora, you're eye candy, baby, honest-to-goodness eye candy."

Carol preened. "You didn't answer my question."

"Yes, David watching us would disturb me, but I'll ignore the disturbance because it's part of the package that's you. I won't and can't stay away from you because David might drop in on us at an inappropriate time."

"Good," Carol said as she pushed her panties down off her hips. "Because I have another sexual kink you should know about. I enjoy being watched, Joe. I have a slight streak of exhibitionism in me." Another secret revealed. How will he react?

"Perfect," Joe said and pulled off his shirt. "We're bookends. I enjoy watching."

Carol's bra dropped to the floor, and kneeling before him, she unbuckled his belt. A few seconds later, she sucked the head of his shaft into her mouth. "Tasty." Her eyes looked up at his as she swallowed half his length. With a smack, she released him. "My bed, or that desk?" She nodded toward a Queen Anne desk to her right.

"The desk. I have this urge to pull up a chair and eat you while sitting between your shapely legs, and then stand up and... fuck you... and fuck you." His eyes rolled back in his head. "Oh, sweet Jesus! What a mouth!"

She'd swallowed his entire length.

When David opened his eyes, he was lying between Amber and Crystal. Surprisingly after seeing them out of his body, he could now tell them apart while in his body. He contemplated leaving his body to give one of them a psychic fuck, and then, do the same to the other. Why not? With their esoteric mindsets, they'd consider his ghostly seduction a highpoint in their lives.

A bright, white light appeared and his consciousness hovered over the sleeping beauties with his body dead to the world in a coma stretched out between them. Games, he thought as he viewed the tableau. You're playing games again.

Suddenly, he envied his mother and Nora's father. They had something real going while he played sophomoric games. Regardless, he decided with a ghostly grin, the pending game would be fun. Lighten up, David. Have some fun.

Soon, Amber's eyes fluttered open. A soft moan escaped her lips. She looked to her left and saw David's body and her sleeping sister. Confused, her eyes flickered down to see who was licking her highly aroused pussy. She gasped in astonished disbelief when she saw... no one. She did see the lips of her pussy moving as if they were being licked.

"I am your lover from a previous life," David said using his deep, stentorian voice. "The earth mother sent me to you, to you and your sister, because you have reached a zenith, a high point in your spiritual quest achieved by freeing your three chakras. We three are soul mates. I will now enter you." David pressed his invisible erection into her wet heat and adjusted its length and girth to fill her completely. "While I love you into gentleness, awaken your sister and prepare her for me."