Ghostly Deceits Part 2

"Oh." Harper's voice was laced with disappointment. "Are you going to be gone the whole week?"

"It's a weeklong event," Jared said. "It's some charity thing to raise money for children's cancer, but Josh wants me to come so we can catch up."

"That sounds ... fun." Harper swallowed hard.

"Oh, don't worry, Harp. I'll be here to keep you company," Zander said. "We can gossip in bed as much as we want."

"I ... sure," Harper said. "That sounds fun."

Jared considered stringing Harper along a little longer but opted against it. "The invitation is for two," he explained. "I was kind of hoping you would want to come with me."

Harper's eyes widened as she shifted to glance at Jared over her shoulder. "Really?" She looked so hopeful Jared couldn't stop his heart from rolling.

"Really," Jared confirmed, hauling her back so he could kiss her cheek. "Do you really think I want to be separated from you again after our last debacle?" He referenced a recent event that almost derailed the couple's relationship. His mother injured herself and needed help so Jared had to leave town for an extended trip. Jared was embarra.s.sed to call Harper during their time apart because he didn't want to appear needy, so he left things hanging for ten days. It didn't go over well, and he practically had to beg her to forgive him when he returned. "Do you want to go to a murder mystery event with me?"

"I don't know," Harper hedged. "What would we have to do?"

"We would eat dinner and sleep in a fancy room," Jared replied. "We're supposed to partic.i.p.ate in the mystery event, but it's not necessary if you don't want to do it. It's an island, so we can swim. They have a pool if you don't like the lake. There's also a tennis court. The food is supposed to be to die for. No pun intended."

"That sounds great, Harper," Zander said. "You have absolutely nothing to wear to those big dinners, though. We're going to have to shop all day tomorrow to get you ready."

"But ... ." Harper broke off, biting her lip.

"What's wrong?" Jared asked, pushing her hair away from her face. "If you don't want to go, we don't have to go. I can go out on my own for an afternoon to catch up with Josh. It won't be a big deal."

"I want to go," Harper said. "I just ... I'm not sure if I can leave GHI on such short notice. I am technically the boss."

"I didn't think of that," Jared said, his heart dropping. He'd been looking forward to time alone with Harper. He didn't even pause to consider the ramifications of her work situation.

"You're going," Zander said, taking Harper and Jared by surprise. "I'm also the boss at GHI. If we get a gig that requires your special talents, Ha.r.s.ens Island is a half-hour away. I can pick you up, take you to the job, and drop you back off. It will probably be a dead week anyway. I'm sure it will be fine."

"Dead week," Jared snickered.

"I thought you said we weren't in high school?" Zander challenged, causing Jared to sober.

"I want you to come with me," Jared said, digging his fingers into Harper's neck to remind her of what she would be missing if she declined the invitation. "Please."

"Okay," Harper said. "It sounds fun."

"It's definitely going to be fun," Zander said, causing Jared to grin as he reached for a pad of paper. "We need to make a list of the things we need to shop for tomorrow."

"Do we really have to shop?" Harper wasn't thrilled with the suggestion.

"You need dresses that don't make you look Amish and lingerie that doesn't make you look s.e.xless," Zander shot back.

Harper turned her pleading eyes to Jared. "Can't you help me?"

"Oh, Heart, he had me at lingerie," Jared teased.

THREE.

"Wow! You guys look as if you bought out the entire mall," Jared said the next evening, walking into Harper's bedroom with a garment bag draped across his arm and a small leather bag in the opposite hand. He hung the garment bag up in Harper's closet and moved to the pile of clothing on the bed. "How much did you spend?"

"A lot," Harper intoned, rubbing the spot between her eyebrows. "Zander said I needed options."

"Oh, my poor Harper," Jared said, offering her a soft kiss and lingering hug. He knew she hated shopping. "I missed you today."

"I missed you, too."

"And everyone missed me," Zander said, striding into the room. "Okay, it's time to show Jared what you bought and then pack."

"I can pack myself," Harper argued.

"No, you can't," Zander countered. "If I leave you to pack you'll fill your suitcase with jeans and T-shirts. That's not happening on my watch."

Jared sat down on the edge of the mattress to watch as Zander started sifting through the clothes. "This is kind of exciting. I can't believe I just said that, but there it is."

Harper scowled. "This is a conspiracy. I dress fine."

"You dress like you're trying to hide flaws and you don't have any flaws," Zander said. "Ask Jared. He looks at your body when you're naked all of the time. Do you think he wants to see you covered in a potato sack or showing off some skin?"

"This is the worst day ever," Harper muttered.

"Come here," Jared said, grabbing Harper around the waist and pulling her to his lap. "I think you look beautiful in whatever you want to wear. If this isn't your thing, you can wear whatever you want."

Zander tossed a tiny nightie it happened to be blue and sheer at Jared's head. "That's only one of the naughty things we bought."

Jared studied the item in question and smiled. "On the other hand, maybe you should listen to Zander."

"You're a pig," Harper said, her cheeks coloring as she grabbed the nightie from Jared.

"I can't wait to see you in that," Jared said, nuzzling her cheek. "If that makes me a pig ... well ... oink."

Zander laughed. "That was a very good response. So, we picked out several c.o.c.ktail dresses and a few more simple spring dresses." Zander started holding them up so Jared could see them. "Harper insisted on a lot of black because she's afraid of too much color. I did the best I could on that front."

"I like that black one with the missing back," Jared said. "Definitely pack that one."

"I will," Zander said. "You should see the heels that go with it."

"I'm not wearing heels," Harper said.

"Oh, you're wearing them." Zander returned to the pile of clothes. "What's the deal with the dinner parties? I'm a.s.suming she'll get away with simple dresses most nights."

"Yeah. Josh said only the first night and the last night were formal occasions," Jared said. "I brought a black suit."

"Men are lucky because they can wear one thing and look gorgeous," Harper said. "I have to dress up like a ... beauty queen ... and let you parade me around."

"I think you already look like a beauty queen," Jared said. "I am looking forward to seeing you in these dresses, though. Don't get me wrong or anything, because I love it when you dress down and don't make a fuss, but it's going to be fun to see you dressed up."

"I'm not sure it's going to be as fun as you seem to think it is," Harper argued.

"I think you're being a baby and you need to get over it," Zander chided. "Stop being a complete and total pain in the a.s.s, Harp. This is a big deal for you. You're going away with your boyfriend for the first time. You're going to meet his college friend. That's a big deal."

"I know," Harper said, rubbing her stomach. "Trust me. I know."

"Are you nervous about that?" Jared asked, realization dawning. "Do you think you're not going to fit in or something?"

Harper shifted so she was facing Jared. "I have some concerns," she admitted. "What are we going to tell people that I do for a living?"

Jared was puzzled "Is there a reason we can't tell them the truth?"

"I hunt ghosts for a living."

"I know," Jared said. "I've been aware of it for quite some time now."

"But ... isn't your friend going to make fun of you for dating me?" Harper asked, worry flitting across her pleasing features.

Jared stilled, surprised. "Probably not," he said. "He's an open-minded guy. Even if he did, though, I don't care about that."

"You don't?" Harper wasn't convinced. "You don't care that we're going to a ritzy party and you're going to introduce one of your oldest friends to the ghost hunter you're dating?"

"No."

"Harp, do you want Jared to keep that to himself for now?" Zander asked, his face unreadable as he studied his best friend. Jared had no idea where he was going with the question, but he decided to let Zander handle the panic attack. He was good under pressure, and no one knew Harper better than he did.

"I honestly don't know," Harper admitted. "I feel ... exposed. I don't understand why. I'm usually fine with people knowing what I do for a living. I've never had this problem before. You know that."

"I do know that," Zander agreed. "Do you want to know what I think?"

"I'm not sure."

"I want to know what you think," Jared said, linking his fingers with Harper's and resting them on her stomach.

"I think you haven't liked anyone as much as you like Jared in ... well ... forever," Zander said. "Don't let that go to your head, Jared."

"Of course not," Jared replied dryly.

"You're still confident in who you are, but you're also worried that something will happen to make Jared change his mind about you," Zander said. "Personally, I don't think what a college friend thinks about you is going to matter. We'll ignore that for now."

"No, we're not going to ignore that," Jared interjected. "I don't care what anyone thinks about you but me, and I happen to like you just the way you are. I don't want you to change. Even more than that, though, I don't want you to think you have to change."

"That was a very sweet sentiment," Zander said. "I'm talking, though."

Jared shot Zander a dark look. "You're starting to get on my nerves."

Zander pressed his finger to his lips. "Shh."

Despite her nervous reaction, Harper couldn't help but giggle at Zander's antics. "Don't fight."

"We're not fighting," Zander said. "If we were fighting, I would be winning, though. Now, you're nervous about meeting an old friend of Jared's, but you're equally nervous about dressing up and playing nice with people you don't know.

"You're a business woman, Harp," he continued. "You know how to schmooze people. You're going to be fine. You know how to do small talk and you're going to have your hunky boyfriend at your side to make sure you're never uncomfortable."

"I'm not sure I like being called hunky.'"

"Shut up, Jared," Zander warned, never moving his eyes from Harper. "This is a big deal for you, Harp, and if you don't want the added pressure of explaining what you do for a living which I totally understand, by the way I have a suggestion for a lie that's not really a lie."

Harper leaned forward, intrigued. "What?"

"No, I don't want her to lie," Jared interjected. "There's no reason to lie. If people don't like what she does they can shove it up their ... ."

"It's quiet time, Jared," Zander said, patting his knee. "Let me handle this. I know what I'm doing."

"I want to hear his suggestion," Harper said. "I am really nervous. This might make me feel better."

"Fine." Jared gave in, resigned. "What is this grand idea?"

"You can tell people you give haunted Michigan tours," Zander suggested. "It's not a lie. We do them several times a year. It's part of our job. That will make you sound bohemian and chic and still allow you to keep the other part of our job the one where you can see and talk to ghosts a secret."

"I like that idea," Harper said. "Can we do that?" She turned to Jared, a hopeful expression on her face.

"Sure," Jared said. "If that will make you comfortable, I'm all for it. I'm also comfortable with you telling the truth, though. If you change your mind and want to come clean, I'll be right there with you."

"Thank you for that," Harper said. "Zander is right, though. I'm nervous. I don't remember the last time I was nervous, but I can't help myself. I'll be wearing weird clothes. This is our first trip together. I'm meeting an old friend of yours. It's ... daunting."

"I remember the last time you were nervous," Zander said. "It was when you two finally had your first date which led to your first round of s.e.x and you both were messes. Who got you through that?"

"We did," Jared said.

"That's right, I did," Zander said, ignoring Jared. "You're going to be fine, Harp. I promise you that everything is going to work out. Jared has your back ... and if he doesn't, I'm only a phone call away."

Jared narrowed his eyes. "I think I can handle this," he said. "Besides, it's not all going to be strangers. The murder mystery is being held at the Stokes Hotel. It belongs to Josh's parents. They'll be there, too, along with a few other members of his family and maybe even some people we went to college with. She's going to be fine."

"Awesome," Zander said, grabbing three dresses from the pile and striding toward the closet. "Harp, I'm packing your dresses in Jared's garment bag to make things easier. Put all your naughty things in that small bag I got for you."

"Yes, sir," Harper grumbled, causing Jared to smirk. She moved to get up, but Jared stopped her with a hand on her hip. "What?"

"I promise you're going to have fun," Jared said. "Please don't be nervous. I know you can't help yourself, but ... this is going to be great. It's our first official couple's trip. I know people and I'm a little nervous. I'm also really excited. I can't wait to introduce you to people."

"You have a wonderful way about you."

"Right back at you," Jared said, grabbing Harper's chin and planting a scorching kiss on her. "Now show me the naughty stuff before you put it in the bag. I want something good to dream about tonight."