The next time she took a shower, Elfie came out of the bathroom in her best pajamas, clouds all over the long-sleeved, full-length house dress.

It was worth it, because Blonde Ghost was on the bedroom terrace, the house's biggest selling point, watching the world from a sunbed. It wasn't a large space to breathe some fresh air, but it faced the Thorny Mountains, so the view was good.

He wasn't intruding on her time of space, drawing Elfie to occupy the chair set symmetrical to his.

"So, you can go outside?"

"I can walk anywhere on this property, but I can't leave it," he said. Not angry, just stating the obvious.

"Sucks," Elfie shrugged. "Not a lot to do. The backyard is also small."

"You seem to like it," he said, and when she looked at him, waved, "Kai."

"Elfie," she waved back.

"I heard talking downstairs last night, so I take it you've met Jared," he pronounced the name like it was an STD.

She put out her hand to make him stop talking, "I don't care. I really don't want to know about your marital drama or whatever. Just talk to each other and leave me out of it!"

"It's the best course of action, with him. He lies all the time," Kai said, serious.

It got Elfie's attention, she'd believed everything Jared had told her.

"I see his charm already got to you. Well, good luck with that!" he returned to watching the still mountains.

"I understand," Kai said when Elfie got up. It was time for a drink. "He was my best friend for a long time, so I know how good he is with words. It's never his fault."

Elfie left him there, there was no reason the get involved in ghost drama.

She drank less during the day, to see if Jared would be back or he was just a hallucination. Sure enough, there he was. She celebrated her discipline with a well-deserved swipe of vodka.

"You drink too much," he judged her.

He'd appeared by the window, looking out, like his ex-best friend.

"That's kinda the point," she said, toasting with the full bottle.

They watched TV in silence, side by side. Finally, Elfie snapped.

"So, you and Upstairs Ghost were friends?" she tried to sound casual.

Jared side-eyed her, "You talked to Kai? How is he?"

"Whinny," Elfie decided. "Said not to trust you."

"Sounds like him," Jared smiled to the TV, his sharp profile making him look even more like a wolf.

"So do you?" he asked the TV, "Trust me?"

"As much as I can trust anyone."

It satisfied him, he stopped asking questions. Unfortunately for him, a silent man was Elfie's kryptonite. She touched his leg with hers, as they sat side by side, needing some effort to stretch out to do it, which he noticed. It couldn't have been accidental.

His hand moved over the blanket, the sheets arranged in a bed for once, as if an actual human would sleep there. She didn't want him to be disgusted in her. Even as a ghost, he looked clean and attentive to details. Elfie had to admit to herself that her nightgown had been chosen to make him notice her. It wasn't sexy -- so that she didn't look like she was trying too hard -- still, it was the one she liked the most, felt most comfortable in. Clean, like her -- now showering daily.

Elfie stood still, waiting for his touch to reach her, layers of clothes and covers numbing it. Because she was watching his hand advance, she missed how the rest of his body leaned over her, realizing only when he kissed her, his lips pushing hers, making her withdraw deeper into the couch. Feeling hesitation in response and fearing he'd pull away, Elfie responded the best way she knew how: wrapping her arms around him, dragging him over her.

And then he was gone. Disappeared. Wide-eyed, Elfie checked the entire room: he was nowhere. Ghost men apparently had the best way to avoid situations they didn't want to be in with women -- they just disappeared!

Annoyed, she reached for the next best thing, alcohol.

"This does not help the trust-building!" she said, to no one.