The room was filled with the soft music of Billie Holiday, and her sultry voice surrounded the people who were mixed up on the white sofa. He was in his thirties, and Jezebel was his lover. They spent private time together in the dimly lit living room.
“This is so naughty of us!” She spoke in a whisper. “What if your wife comes home early?”
“It’s been at least a year since my wife got home early!” Herman said, “We have the whole morning.”
“The whole morning!” Jezebel spoke again. “Well, Mr. Loverman, let’s make the most of it then.” Give me a kiss that means something.
Herman threw his sweater to the side and said, “That’s not all I’m going to do. Just wait.”
They were lost in the moment when a door opened and stopped them. They were scared because Herman’s wife wasn’t expected to be back for hours.
“Who is it?” She spoke in a whisper.
Herman begged, “It can’t be my wife.” “She told me she had to work late.” Quickly get—”
It was time for the music, and the front door slammed shut.
A young voice broke the silence. “What is Herman?” Are you there?” Jake, Herman’s son, walked in with a bag over his shoulder.
“What are you doing home, Jake?” Herman asked with anger.
Jake said, “They sent us home early because of a scare.” “They thought there was a gunman in the school.” “The man, who is this woman?” Jake looked at Jezebel and asked.
Herman said that Jezebel wasn’t there. “Jake, you must be seeing things.”
Jake said, “But I see a woman right there.”
Herman made up a lie about how shocked Jake was by the school scare.
“Focus on ten and close your eyes.” The ghost can’t see you if you can’t see it. You can see that if you do that, it will go away.
As Jake did what he was told and counted, Jezebel went into the bedroom. The woman was gone when he opened his eyes.
“I made her disappear?” Jake screamed.
“The ghost is gone.” “You’re a brave young man,” Herman told him.
Jake agreed to keep what happened a secret, so Herman gave him a lot of TV time.
After Jake left, Jezebel came back into the room and told Herman he was wrong for what he did. “What did you do?” “You told your son lies?”
“Stepson,” Herman said to fix it. “What did you think?” Tell him we’re here. Accept our relationship? “I will do anything to keep us together.”
Jezebel let out a sigh. She said, “Okay, cool.”
Herman said, “That was close.” “We’ll get back to what we were doing another time!”
She said, “Yeah,” and kissed him goodbye. “See you later, Loverman,” she said in a flirtatious way.
Grace, Herman’s wife, came home after dark. As they sat down to eat, there was tension around the dinner table. Jake jumped at the chance to talk about his strange day.
“Mom,” he said, “we left school early today because they thought there was someone with a gun inside.”
“What…what happened?” Grace let out a gasp.
“The warning was not true. Jake, everything is okay, right?” Herman stepped in.
Jake said, “I’m fine.” “But when I came home, I saw a ghost.”
“A ghost?” Grace asked out of worry.
“It’s just his imagination,” Herman said, trying not to show how scared he was. “Post-traumatic stress from the school scare.”
Grace paid attention to Jake and ignored Herman. “What did the ghost look like?”
Jake said, “She was a lady with big, frizzy hair.”
“She?” Grace said it again while looking at Herman.
Herman laughed in a nervous way. “He must be shocked. I want you to watch cartoons,” he told Jake.
Herman tried to make Grace feel better after Jake left. There was still stress.
“I’ll call the school and get Jake an appointment with the psychologist,” Grace told me. “Now that you’re not working, you can take him to the appointment.”
“I’m trying to find a job!” Herman almost yelled.
“I understand. “But…maybe spend less time at that Moe’s Diner you go to a lot and help Jake more,” Grace said in a stiff voice.
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