Ghost Academy 1: Summer Term, page 27
He let out an exasperated sigh and bent down to pick up a paper cup from the cafe.
Seriously, the can is literally less than ten feet away.
Huh, that’s a cute logo. Is that for a coffee shop?
Yeah, it’s for this place in front of us, Mocha Magic.
Nick glanced at the stamped on logo for a second before tossing the container into the nearby bin. A large coffee mug let off a cloud of steam that formed a cartoonish witch’s hat.
I don’t feel any Stalkers nearby. Do you two mind if we try to get started on Emma’s burden?
Fine with me, Nicky.
So, Shade class protocol says we should start with a specific place where you used to spend a lot of time.
Let’s see. I grew up in Auburn, and went to Seattle with my friends a lot on the weekends to visit music shops and Caffe’ D’arte near Pioneer Square.
Nick unlocked his car and pulled out his phone to Google the cafe.
Looks like your coffee shop closed a couple hours ago. How about we start in Auburn?
Sounds good. If we see a place that’s open, can you get me a large mocha?
Chapter 31
More Than You Imagined
Nick and the two Shades spent the next three hours in his Infiniti tracking down locations Emma had a connection with in and around Auburn.
Less than an hour into their investigation, Emma mentioned that highways 18 and 167, the two arteries of the city, hadn’t changed very much since the early ‘90s. However, the tall Shade soon changed her mind when they drove by a massive indoor collection of outlet shops.
What the hell is that?
It’s called The Outlet Collection Seattle
That’s dumb. We’re miles away from Seattle.
Yeah, most people just call it the Supermall.
That’s kind of a stupid name too, but at least it doesn’t have the name of a different city in it. Okay, the Black Diamond exit should be a few miles ahead.
Following Emma’s lead, Nick kept driving east, toward the Cascade Mountains. He had a vague sense of where he was going, but he’d only explored Auburn a handful of times. The most memorable being an awful experience inner tubing down the Green River when he was eighteen.
Do you have an address you want me to search, or do you remember how to get there?
Nick could hear Emma’s voice chuckling. It’s possible that the house is gone, but I could probably get you there with my eyes closed. That’s one memory I still have. She paused for a moment. Thanks for doing this, Nick.
“It’s my job,” he said to the empty car.
A few minutes later, Nick exited the highway. The amount of traffic immediately dropped off. Instead of seeing rear bumpers belonging to the line of cars in front of him, Nick was passing powerline poles at regular intervals and verdant green vegetation that fought for space just beyond the shoulder of the road.
Occasionally, Nick would pass an oncoming vehicle or a single-family house, but this winding road was mostly his, and he was loving it.
While he was on a mission to help Emma, Nick couldn’t stop himself from thinking how exciting it would be to ignore the posted forty mile per hour speed limit and let the Q60 really stretch her legs. He needed to come back.
Thanks for showing me this, Emma.
Sure, but what’d I show you?
It’s the road, isn’t it Nicky? You want to drive faster, don’t you?
Guilty.
Emma chuckled in his head again. Sorry to spoil your fun, but we’re only about a mile and a half away from our turn.
A couple of minutes later, Nick turned into an unassuming subdivision with mature cedars, concealing large houses with three-car garages and architecture from the 1980s. Each yard boasted a manicured lawn with perfectly placed pavestone-topped brick walls and large swaths of pristine bark mulch laid under shaped hedges and bushes.
The color’s different, but that’s the house.
Emma had Nick stop in front of a white house on the right side of the road. Like its neighbors, the sprawling ranch-style house had a three-bay garage and a perfectly landscaped front yard. Other than an American flag hanging from a post on the porch, there weren’t any signs of personality or decoration on the house’s exterior.
There aren’t any lights on, but the sun’s still out. We can wait down the street to see if anyone comes by.
Yeah. Drive down three more houses, turn around, and park next to Beanie’s house on the other side of the street.
Who’s Beanie?
My best friend. We met in the sixth grade and stayed close even after graduation.
Nick followed Emma’s instructions and parked near a two-story house with a wrought iron trellis and an upstairs room with three gable windows.
Yep, Beanie or Beanie’s parents still live here.
How can you tell?
That ugly ass trellis is still there, and her dad’s stupid Seahawks pennant from the ‘70s is in the upstairs window.
Sounds good. Beanie’s not her real name though, right?
No.
What is it?
I…I can’t remember.
Maybe it’ll come to you.
With no lights on at Beanie’s house either, Nick remained in the car. He and the two Shades passed the time swapping stories. Since they were here to help Emma with her burden, it felt right to let her do most of the talking.
By the time Emma started her third story involving this Beanie woman, Nick could see some parallels between their friendship and the one he shared with Ben. It sounded like the two girls were inseparable and encouraged each other into a number of hobbies and passions.
Beanie was the first one to say that she liked my drawings. Even though it was only one person saying they enjoyed something I created, it meant the world to me.
I didn’t know you could draw. That’s so cool, Emma.
It’s weird. I haven’t thought about drawing in forever.
As the three of them continued chatting, the setting sun sent dappled spots of orange across the pavement and the hood of Nick’s car. A series of automated lights blinked on—an early attempt to assert their dominance over the last of the sun’s rays.
There still wasn’t a single movement in either house. Worse, Nick could feel the eyeballs of each resident that either walked a designer dog past his car or slowed their own vehicle to a crawl and rolled by.
Emma, do you have another spot we can visit? Your old neighbors are getting suspicious.
If it’s not too much, do you think we could still get that mocha and maybe stop by a store for some…art supplies?
We can try. It’s after nine. I’ll see if any place is still open.
Nick ran a quick search on his phone and let out a long sigh when he saw the results.
There’s a spot that’s open, but how do I put this? It’s not really because of the coffee.
What do you mean, Nicky?
Nick rubbed his forehead. It’s a bikini drive-thru.
Huh?
A what?
A bikini drive-thru. The baristas are all women in either bikinis or lingerie.
No way. You’re making that up. If you don’t want to stop for a mocha, just say so.
I wanna see!
It’s not a joke, and we can go, but you’ve been warned.
Nick fired up the Q60, put in the directions for the Perky Twins coffee trailer, and drove away from the upper-class subdivision.
Twenty-five minutes later, they were the third car in line waiting to pull up to a pink and black building that was about the size of a kiosk.
A woman in a lilac teddy passed a paper cup topped with a volcano of whipped cream covered in what looked like chocolate syrup and colorful sprinkles to a man in the beat-up Suburban at the front of the line. After the drink was handed off, the woman leaned out the window and gave the man a playful swat on the head.
Believe me now?
That thing was covered in cream. Can they even taste the espresso?
Wait, did that guy just pay to be slapped?
Nick eased the car ahead and continued to wait his turn.
I tried to warn you. Anyways, how’s your hourglass looking, Emma?
Fine. Mine’s maybe two-thirds as full as Jessica’s with the grains slowly emptying.
I’m sorry this was kind of a bust.
It’s okay, Nick. This hasn’t been a waste, and I really have this need to draw again. It feels like this is all helping.
I’ll wake up early, and we can check out that coffee shop you mentioned in Seattle tomorrow before I go to work.
The driver in the car ahead of Nick received his drink and a similar physical interaction with the woman in the lilac teddy.
Nick pulled forward.
Do you want hot or iced?
Hot, obviously. Emma let out a momentary chuckle. I appreciate your help. Now, let’s see if these bimbos can actually make a coffee instead of a milkshake.
I promise I won’t judge you, Nicky, but are you going to get the slap?
Sorry to disappoint you. I prefer my bruises to come from casing a jump, not from a drive-thru.
After a few rounds of explanation, Nick was finally able to convince the woman at Perky Twins that he was only there for a large, extra hot mocha. She seemed a bit crestfallen until Nick tapped the twenty-five percent tip box on her tablet when he paid.
As she handed Emma’s drink to him, the woman in the teddy said, “Thanks, I sorta needed a break. Hope to see you again soon.”
Nick entertained Emma’s request to take a sip of the boiling hot mocha shortly after getting onto the southbound lanes of I-5. A subtle dark chocolate flavor, blended with the smooth sweetness of the steamed milk and a copious amount of whipped cream, filled his mouth. Then, just like Tina’s coffee soda experiment, the bitterness of the espresso kicked in.
While he wanted to wash his mouth out with sugar, Emma moaned in appreciation.
It’s been so long! It’s so good!
He let the coffee-obsessed ghost know that she could warm up her drink once they got back to his haven and focused on driving.
Remembering that he’d promised to make a second stop for Emma, Nick pulled off of I-5 when he got to Tumwater.
I wonder what Lotus is doing?
You should text her.
Nah, it’s after ten. Besides, we need to get some art supplies from Fred Meyer.
Nick pulled into the nearly empty parking lot of Fred Meyer—basically the Pacific Northwest’s answer to big-box stores like Target—and quickly tracked down some charcoal pens, colored pencils, and lots of paper.
Will this work for you, Emma?
Yes! Thank you.
By the time they reached Nick’s house, most of the whipped cream had melted into Emma’s now tepid mocha, but she didn’t care. The tall shade began greedily slurping down her chocolate-y drink moments after she severed her anchor.
Jessica followed suit and was soon standing next to Nick with her arm around his waist. She rested her head against his shoulder. “You should get some rest, Nicky.”
He gave the top of her head a peck. “Let me get some food in my stomach and give Emma a quick tour first.”
“I’ll take care of the tour; you need to eat.”
After making sure Emma’s art supplies were set up on the kitchen table, Nick emptied his fridge and cobbled together a meal of leftovers.
Jessica brought Emma back to the kitchen just as Nick was taking his last bite of a lasagna he’d recently made. He always used spicy sausage instead of hamburger meat to crank up the heat.
“After he and Ben painted upstairs, Nick replaced the faucet in the kitchen. He’s so handy.”
The tall Shade took another swig of coffee and rolled her eyes when Jessica wasn’t looking. There was a grin plastered to Emma’s face, but it was obvious that she was a little tired of hearing about Nick’s achievements.
If Jessica had noticed Emma’s slight exasperation, it didn’t slow her down. “Oh, and I have to show you how the Netflix works. Then you can watch The Cell—it’s super creepy.”
Nick started washing his dishes as the blonde Shade answered several questions about the TV and helped her fellow ghost navigate various streaming options with the minimalist remote.
Emma entered the kitchen, swapped her empty coffee cup for a handful of supplies and returned to the living room just as a musical sting hit and was followed presumably by a scare.
Her immediate shout of, “What the fuck’s wrong with that kid?” made Nick almost double over in laughter as he put the last of his dishes on a drying rack. He toweled off his hands and went into the living room with the intention of saying good night to Jessica and leaving it at that.
They’d made several flirtatious promises to take things further than they did during her first visit to his house, but that was before they had another ghost keeping them company.
To Nick’s surprise, Jessica was standing next to the couch when he walked in.
“All set?” she asked, walking in his direction with a sway in her hips and an inviting smile on her lips.
“Yeah, I’m gonna head up now. I wanted to say good night to you.”
Jessica wrapped her hands around one of Nick’s. “Don’t be silly, I’m coming with you.” She turned back toward Emma. “Have everything you need?”
The taller Shade sat on the floor in front of the couch, using the coffee table as a drawing surface. A small grin was plastered to her face, and she nodded without looking up.
A few minutes later, Nick was running a hand through Jessica’s soft hair as the two lay kissing on his bed. She was still in her pink tennis outfit, but Nick was down to his t-shirt and boxers in preparation for sleep. With fewer layers of clothing on, it became impossible for Nick to mask his arousal.
Jessica slowly pulled away from their kiss. “Nicky, is it okay if we don’t do…it…tonight? No wait.” She put a finger on Nick’s mouth and cutely tugged at her lower lip. It looked like she was struggling with an internal debate. “I mean, we can do it, but…I don’t know.”
Nick gently pulled her hand away from his mouth. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.”
“I’m turned on like crazy, and I really like you. It’s just…with Emma here…and our first time together…”
He slowly shook his head. “You don’t have to explain yourself.” Nick pulled her in for a quick kiss. “We can stop whenever you’d like.”
Jessica bit her lower lip.
Suddenly there was a palm pressed against the front of his boxers. Nick let out a low groan as the blonde’s hand slowly moved up and down his hardened cock.
“But I can’t leave you like this. You’ll never get any sleep.” She snuck her hand into the front of his boxers and curled her fingers around his girth. “Ooooh, Nicky. I think I found a big snake in the bed.” Jessica’s mouth crashed back against his for another passionate kiss.
Not wanting to be the only one to receive attention, Nick slid his hand up Jessica’s thigh and pressed two fingers to the front of her soft cotton panties. This immediately elicited a soft moan from the blonde.
Nick slowly traced the outer lips of Jessica’s pussy with one hand while he cupped her soft, ample breast with the other, and Jessica’s tugging hastened.
Nick intensified his own approach. His fingers now added a teasing circle around Jessica’s clit as they traveled around her lips, and he gave a slight pinch to the nipple in his other hand.
The blonde was breathing hard when she pulled away from their kiss. “Can you pull that snake out while I get undressed?”
His thumb went to the waistband of his boxers, but he paused. “What about Emma?”
Jessica had already stripped away the top of her outfit. A gray sports bra with a deep V was the only thing separating Nick from her soft chest. Her breathing was still heavy, and it caused her inviting tits to heave against Nick.
A fiendish grin touched Jessica’s lips. “Emma’s not going to hear what I do to you.”
With that, she pulled off her bra. Nick’s brain took a vacation as he took in her absolutely perfect, ten-out-of-ten breasts. They were solid, round D-cups with small, bright pink nipples that looked like cherry candies waiting to be tasted.
She pulled his hand toward her chest. “I feel like I’m on fire when you touch me, Nicky. Please don’t stop.”
Another sweet puff of Jessica’s cotton candy scent danced across Nick’s nostrils as he cupped her warm, full breast. Her tits were soft but firm and irresistible.
Nick pulled his boxers down with his free hand and reached for Jessica.
She grabbed his palm and nipped his finger. “Wait one sec.” She tugged down the pink skirt, briefly flashing a light gray, athletic-style thong.
Soon, she was completely naked, and her neatly shaved pussy glistened with obvious arousal. Like her tits, her body was model-perfect. Smooth skin, taut stomach, lean legs with just a bit of thickness at the thighs, and an ass that ought to be framed as art.
Jessica sat down beside him, at cock level, and began stroking Nick’s dick, admiring her handiwork. “The top’s so fat.” She shifted her knees under herself and leaned over.
With her tight ass in the air, Jessica began working her way around the head of Nick’s member with slow, sloppy kisses.
After the third smack of her lips on his crown, Nick started to tease the damp entrance of Jessica’s pussy with a fingertip. His finger matched the teasing exploration that Jessica was performing with her lips.
Using nothing but animalistic lust, Nick and Jessica synced the moment of escalation perfectly as they both plunged at the same time: her throat onto his cock and his fingers inside her dripping pussy.
For a moment, Nick was reminded of the caressing sensation he felt when he and Jessica were anchored. The feeling of exploring the tight warmth of Jessica’s pussy while she ran his cock against the inside of her cheek and further into her throat was unlike any experience he’d ever shared with a previous lover.
He needed more.
