A.N - I am not this chapter's greatest fan. It feels forced. Certain parts I found fun, but overall. Meh.

It needed an update. And, surprise! I now have a plan for the direction of the story! Yay!

Seven

"You passed, by the way."

My hands grasped at Paul's shoulder, ready to push the leech away – maybe knee him where it hurts, that depends on how much longer he is determined to make me kiss him. Which, you know, ew – and apologise profusely to the person I hoped was still my boyfriend.

I could feel Paul's shirt as I dug my fingernails deep into his shoulder and Paul removed his mouth from mine – finally – with a gasp and a glare. Shrugging, I watched in horror as Paul was jerked backwards by a tanned hand clamping down on his shoulder. He was whirled around, only to find a fist awaiting him, and Paul's hand flew to his nose quickly, tears of pain pooling in his eyes.

"What the fuck was that for?" Paul demanded angrily, glaring at Jesse who was stood looking nonchalant. But, boy, did he make nonchalance hot.

"I told you," he spoke calmly. "To get away from her."

"And I told you, amigo," Paul insisted, standing up and advancing on the bored-looking man eagerly. "That she's my girlfriend."

"But I'm not, Paul." I interfered. They were about to start tearing into each other, and my boss was already looking at me disappointedly. This job went towards my college fund people! If either of them really cared about me, they'd take it outside. "So, please, leave Jesse alone."

Grumbling, Paul clenched his fists and stepped back, his cold, blue eyes narrowed threateningly at Jesse. Leading Paul over to the counter, Jesse followed us naturally, unwilling to leave me alone with Paul. I wonder if he realises we live together. But it's best not to mention that.

"What did you do that for, Paul?" I crossed my arms, staring at him whilst the ghost - who had yet to enlighten me with a name – stood laughing at the whole scene behind us.

"Dude, that was classic!" He guffawed, falling on deaf ears. "You should have seen that Spanish dude's face!"

"Well?" I prompted.

"I wanted to see if he was good enough for you," Paul shifted guiltily. "How good his protective instincts were." Distractedly rubbing his nose, avoiding the tender red spot that Jesse had left in his wake, he called back over to Jesse. "You passed, by the way."

Jesse looked around the café, uninterested. "Good to know."

My eyes found him and the picture he made, all buff, annoyed and protective. At the risk of sounding like a total Romance novel, my hero. Jesse could so be one of the models on those books, by the way. I could picture it now: shirt open, showing off rippling abs; long curly hair tied sexily at the nape of his neck whilst a girl – ahem, me – leaned delicately into his chest, arms resting flat on his stomach as I stared up at him with imploring eyes …

I snapped back, blushing at the sight of Jesse's amused gaze fixed on me intently. Turning my head back to Paul, I found him smirking at me knowingly. Sheesh, even the ghost was laughing at me! Is there anyone that can't read my mind?

"Suze, sugar," my boss called out to me. "When you're done with the daydream, order's up." Due to her suggestive wink, I'd say that no was the answer to my question.

Flustered, I spoke tiredly to Paul. "What are you doing here anyway? You never visit me at work."

Paul's face was masked into a look of shock as he stepped towards me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. An arm, I hasten to mention, that he instantly removed at Jesse's warning step forward. "I am shocked." He spoke slowly. "Deeply horrified that you assume I didn't drop by to see how you were."

I rolled my eyes.

"Get to the point, Paul." I could so see straight through him - metaphorically, of course. If I could literally see through him, it would be a little weird. Although, it could be good to be able to see through Jesse's clothes … "I have to get back to work."

"Fine." He relented, jerking his head minutely backwards in a gesture towards the ghost, who I'm pretty sure I should just call Mr. Ghostman, considering he won't give either Paul or myself a name. "I came to see if anything was bothering you, Susie."

Surprisingly, Jesse and I spoke at the same time.

"My name isn't Susie!"

"Her name is not Susie!"

I looked at him with a smile on my face and held out my hand to him. He was at my side in an instant, his warm fingers wrapped with my own as he kissed my temple, eyes refusing to leave Paul's face.

"No," I turned to Paul. "Nothing is bothering me. It's ok now, you can go." I shrugged. "I have work to do."

My tips were slowly dwindling every extra minute I made people wait for this little tête-à-tête to be over with. Goodbye TV license. Well, I suppose it's for the best. My nights will be homework-filled. Come September, I'll have no time to waste with television.

"And maybe," I continued, squeezing Jesse's hand and smiling at him before staring pointedly over Paul's shoulder. "Could you …?"

"Yeah." Paul rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'll leave you and your snuggle bunny alone."

My eyes widened at Mr. Ghostman's words coming from Paul's mouth – it meant he'd been around longer than I thought. And that Jesse had now heard the snuggle bunny comment. My cheeks flamed.

Reaching behind him, Paul picked up a napkin, and surreptitiously catching hold of Mr. Ghostman's t-shirt at the same time before he began to pull the ghost out of the café.

"Alright, alright!" He objected. Paul didn't relent his grip. "Hey, push off!"

The ghost shoved Paul forward, brushing down his shirt as Paul came flying towards me. Jesse intervened – stepping in front of me and catching Paul's shirt in his one hand before we all ended up on the floor. With his other hand, Jesse caught the ghost and glared at him for causing the trouble.

"James," Jesse spoke in a low voice, to my amazement, to the ghost. "Apologise."

"But I didn't –"

"James."

"Fine. Sorry."

But my attention was no longer on Mr. Ghostman – apparently called James. Jesse could see ghosts too? He was a mediator? And, hey! He didn't tell me. I narrowed my eyes at him, even as my boss angrily shouted my name and gestured frantically to the piling orders – filled with cold food after all of this.

"I'm coming!"

Glancing at Paul, I gestured to James with my hand. "You two, go." They followed my instruction without a word, sensing the belying anger in my words. "Jesse," I turned on him, seeing his cheeks faintly pink as he realised what he'd revealed. "You stay. We need to talk."