Page 75 of Dead Vengeance

“I think… it would be…”

He nods, tracking my every word and micro expression like it’s make or break.

“I think it would be good if…”

I can’t do this.

Look at him. I can’t fire this guy.

You can and you will.

“I think it would be… I think I should…”

How best to put it?

Finally, I blurt out, “I’d like to take you home.”

Yeah. That’s the right track. Gentle, but to the point.

“Home?” he says, both eyebrows shooting up, and it’s only fair this might come as a surprise.

“Home,” I repeat. “I think it’s best if we… go home now.” Maybe once he’s got another decade of ghost experience under his belt, he can come back. But for now, “I need to take you home.”

“Oh.” His brow furrows. His eyes drop, scan the table, then rise back up to me. “Right now?”

My brow mirrors his, a touch of confusion there. “Is that… is that okay?”

“Um… yeah.” There’s something nervous about the way he rubs his hands over his knees. But not the I-just-got fired kind of nervous. Something else… His eyes fly up to the massive faux-antique clock on the wall. “But… it’s late…”

“I’m in no rush to get back to my haunted house,” I try to assure him with a nervous laugh. “I’ve honestly got all night.”

“Oh,” he says again. “Oh.” That lovely pink floods his cheeks. “So… just to be clear… you wanted to…” Lips pressing. Very nice lips in a very handsome face. “Take me home?”

Phew. Glad we got that out.

“Yeah. Yeah, I would.”

“Um. My place?”

Where else?

I drop a small breath, trying to figure out what I’m missing here. “Yes?”

“Okay. Um. Okay. Let’s…” He laughs lightly, only growing pinker. “Let’s go, then.”

Odd the way he balls his fists like that when he stands up. Odd the shy smile he passes across. Odd the way he waits for me, his body so close to mine. Kind of… not looking like a guy who just got fired.

It’s almost like…

No. No, I think I was clear.

I’m taking him home. The end. No more story after this. It all ends here.

Yeah, that was a good way to do it. Subtle but friendly. To the point but soft. Professional yet amiable.

That’s definitely the way to fire someone.

Right?