Claire's Ghost Part 3 ...Come in out of the Rain
I’ve found the nerve to sell you
On a guy like me
Who wishes that he could be your Rudolph Valentino—
Ian Thomas Right Before Your Eyes
I'm haunted by a living person—Claire’s ghost visits me and reminds me of how foolish I was to let her go.
Tonight, the gang will be gathering as usual for the Friday Night Wind Down at Sweetwater’s and Claire will be there, but the question is, will I show up—will I finally be real with her and confess my feelings?
The jury’s out on that verdict.
By the time I get to Sweetwater’s everyone is there, minus the one I really care about.
I wait a discreet few minutes before casually asking Marla, “Is Claire coming?”
“Yes,” she says off-handedly, “Just finishing up grading some term papers—but she promised she’d drop by.”
Such is the life of university lecturers—all work and no play.
I lapse back into department gossip and shoptalk and time passes, and before long it’s almost ten.
“Gotta go,” Lainey says and two or three others chime in with the same. Before long, it’s just Tom, Marla and me.
They’re droning on about some obscure play they’ve both seen in the Village—Mandragola, I think it’s called.
I’m lost in a fantasy.
I’m in the lounge and outside it’s been raining. Claire enters, in a white blouse, soaked to the skin—transparent and pink, it clings to her, but she’s oblivious.
She walks toward me smiling—steps into my life and never leaves.
“There you are!” Marla calls out. Claire gives a tiny wave and wends her way through the maze of tables to our window booth.
“I’m so sorry—I got caught up in marking and next thing I knew it was ten. I came anyway. Am I too late?”
She looks around at four empty places.
“I’m afraid you missed the others and now Tom and I have to run—I promised him we’d join the student tour to Stratford tomorrow—the bus leaves at 9:30.”
Claire looks disappointed.
“—But why don’t you and Liam stay for a drink?”
Panic crosses her face, but I hurriedly jump in. “Sure, why not—as long as you’re here, Claire, why not have a drink?”
She's trapped and knows it.
“Well, maybe just a quick one—I have an early start tomorrow too.”
She shrugs off her raincoat and I see jewels of rain in her hair. I didn’t notice it had been raining outside.
Marla and Tom sing cheery goodbyes and disappear into the weather. I’m left alone with Claire.
I signal the waitress and Claire orders Shiraz, so I suggest a carafe and she reluctantly agrees.
“How are things going at the new college?” I ask.
“All right, I suppose. It’s hard being the new member. It might be the demographic—most of the staff are older and more settled.”
“I see.” I sip from my Shiraz.
This is my opportunity to talk to the real Claire—not just her disembodied spirit.
I want so badly to make things right with her, but I’m afraid I’ll make things bad again and ruin whatever chances I have left.
Then again, maybe I need a medium to hold a séance with her soul and convince her she’s already in love with me but just doesn’t know it yet.