Bach and I both blinked in surprise, and Tad, leader of this ghost-hunting pack of scavengers, smiled and leaned through my window like he’d been in line the whole time.
“Hey there,” he said, extending a hand for me to shake. I shook it. He glanced down but didn’t say anything about the prosthetics. “I’m Tad Thompson, part of the crew fromDead Men Walking.” When I didn’t respond, he motioned toward the van with the logo. “The TV show.”
“I know who you are,” I said.
“Yeah, but it’s bumming me out thatIdon’t knowyou.”
There are few things in this life for which I have real patience, and being hit on is not one of them. “Wrong tree, dog. Bark elsewhere.”
“Lesbian?” he said.
“None of your business,” I replied.
His smile widened. “I don’t believe it until I see proof.”
Hal watched from the other window, but said nothing, because he knew I could handle this. Mads stood somewhere behind my left shoulder; the stone silence from her direction was enough to know she was listening and probably also rankled. Lorelei still hadn’t reappeared. I glanced at the Bell of Shame.
Behind Tad, Bach raised his eyebrows. I pinched my leg through my jeans to keep my temper in check. No more incidents today. I had to behave. Even if it was for a misogynist asshole.
I put on my sweetest smile and said, “What can I get for you?”
“Depends,” Tad said, “are you on the menu?”
I grabbed the string on the Bell of Shame and yanked as hard as I could. Hal and Mads cheered. Tad Thompson sprang back from the window as the bell let loose its cantankerous cry. He ran into Bach, who looked down at him with his hands in his pockets and his lips curling up. Several hoots went through the crowd gathered on the patio. I kept ringing the bell.
“Shame on those who come to Happy Hal’s and hit on the employees!” I yelled with vicious glee. “Shame on those who do itso badly! Shame! Shame!”
“Shame!” Hal and Mads joined in. Sadie whistled from her table. Tad looked at all of us like we’d lost our minds. Thecrowd cheered. I let the string go and the ringing faded.
“Now,” I said, as quiet descended. “If you’d like ice cream, you can move to the back of the line, wait your turn, and ask for it like a real human being.”
Tad glanced around the patio. Customers watched with ice cream dripping from cones and off spoons; theDMWcrew stood motionless with their equipment; Bach took a deep, contented breath. Finally, face flaming, Tad stepped out of the way and let Bach approach the window.
“Hello, sir,” I said, putting on that winning smile again. It wasn’t so difficult this time. “What can I get for you?”
Bach’s black eyes shone with mirth as he gave me an equally sweet smile back. The way his lips formed around his teeth always gave me the impression of fangs. “Hello, ma’am. I’ll have the Happy Summer Sundae, bananas, cherries, hold the fudge. Nice weather we’re having, isn’t it?”
“Just beautiful.”
“Beautiful,” Bach said. “Not only is the service here top of the line, the ice cream is great, too. You are a fine server, ma’am; may I get your name?”
“Oh, why thank you, sir. My name is Zora Novak. It’s very nice to meet you.”
We shook hands. Bach never flinched at my fingers. I made a point to meet Tad’s gaze over Bach’s shoulder, hoping my eyes felt like lasers searing into his gross soul.
Bach stepped off to the side, and Tad approached the window a second time.
“Hello again,” I said. “What can I get for you?”
“One medium chocolate cone.”
I got Tad his stupid cone and took his stupid money. By now it was late enough that the only new people showing up wereDead Men Walkingfans who’d heard that the cast was here. Many of our customers had stuck around to watch the filming. The dead town council members had disappeared shortly after theDMWcast had arrived, and I hadn’t seen them since. A lot of ghosts had disappeared, but they tended to do that when tourists were around.
I volunteered to sweep the patio, where Bach leaned against the counter with his sundae, watching the crew set up. Through the window behind him, Hal mimicked Bach’s posture and Mads mimed sweeping past him. Then they pretended to make out.
I didn’t want to make out with Bach. I just liked the way he looked, and sometimes it was easier to talk to him than to anyone else. He knew who I was. I knew who he was. He’d murdered people on Hermit Forester’s order and he’d possessed a human for a body, so there would come a day when I had to chop his head off and send him back through his entrance, but until then, we had an understanding.
I ignored Hal and Mads and leaned against the counter. Bach glanced at me but didn’t move away.
