Page 22 of Ghost
“And I’m thinking you’re both crazy.”Mitch drained the last of his water.“You finished up there?”he asked Mason.
“Just about.”Mason also finished his water.“Thought I’d come check on you guys and see if you had any thoughts about lunch?”
“Man, it’s so hot, I’m not sure I could eat anything,” Paul said.“Something cold, that’s for sure.”
“I’m with Paul,” Mitch agreed.“Anything cold.”
Mason looked at his watch.“How ‘bout we break for lunch in an hour, then?I’ll run back down to the deli and see what he’s got today.”
Both Paul and Mitch nodded.
“Thanks again, guys,” Mason said sincerely.“I can’t even begin to tell you how much I appreciate all your help, especially with it being so hot.”
Mitch grinned.“Oh...there’ll come a day when I call in the favor,” he chuckled.
“Anytime,” Mason smiled at his best friend.
* * * * *
“Hey, Nick,” Mason greetedthe owner of the small grocery and deli.
“Why, hi there, Mason.How’s the house coming?”Nick beamed, his jovial personality welcoming.
“Looking for some lunch for me and the guys.”Mason looked outside and could see the heat radiating off the street pavement.“They asked for something cold.”He laughed.
Nick scratched his chin.“Hmm...”he seemed to be thinking.“Anything you or your guys don’t like?”
“Can’t think of anything, why?”
“Leave it to me, then,” Nick said smiling.“I’ll bring something up to you.How’s that?Give me thirty minutes?”
“Sure, okay.I trust you.”Mason pulled his wallet out.“How much?”
“Let’s call it an even twenty.Need any drinks?”
“We’ve got bottles of water in the cooler, so I’d say that’ll do us,” Mason answered as he handed Nick two ten-dollar bills.
“Alrighty then,” Nick smiled again, taking the money.“I’ll see you in about thirty minutes.”
Mitch, Paul and Mason were stretched out in the shade of the back deck in their beach chairs when Nick arrived with a huge platter covered in plastic wrap and a bag.“Hi there,” he greeted them with a big smile.“Lunch is served.”
Mason pulled the cooler from beside him and put it in front of all three of them as a makeshift table.“You can set it there, Nick.”
Nick set the platter down and then handed the bag to Mason.“Antipasto, and there are some individual salads in the bag, along with some plastic forks, plates and napkins.”He took off the plastic wrap and smiled again.“All nice and cold, too!”
“Oh man, that looks good,” Mitch said snatching up a piece of salami.
“I didn’t even think I was hungry until just now.”Paul took a piece of cheese and a pepperoni.”
“Wow.”Mason looked up at Nick.“You’ve outdone yourself here, Nick.”
Nick sat down on Paul’s tool chest.“Hey, I need to impress the new neighbor,” He chuckled.He then looked up at the back porch and through the back door.“Making good progress?”
“Yep,” Mitch answered before popping an olive into his mouth.
“We should have all the electrical work done by Friday,” Paul said.“This anti...whatever you called it, is really good.”
“Have some of that shrimp salad.”Nick pointed to the bag.“One of my specialties.”
