“Joey’s back. You’ll see him later, I’m sure of it. For now, I have something else planned. Chloe is coming home soon, and I’m dying for a shower. What do you think?”
“I just took a shower. Oh, you want me to...hell yeah, I’d like to take a shower. Lead the way!” Kevin kissed me again with his lopsided smile and warm hands on my skin. We chunked the wine and flowers on the entryway table. I had other things to think about.
We heard footsteps upstairs. Joey was singing in his room. Having the time of his life, my Joey, the eternal twenty-year-old. As he said, he was always dead.
For me, I would grab my happiness with both hands. I closed the door to my bedroom and even went to the trouble of hanging a tie on the door, in case anyone got any ideas about knocking. I played some music of my own and then led my half-naked, then fully naked sheriff’s deputy into the shower for a half-hour of playtime. It was worth every minute of it.
We left the shower squeaky clean but still hungry for one another. At least I was still hungry for Kevin. I had a feeling I would be for a really long time too. Later, as we lay in bed and talked quietly about our day. I heard Chloe’s happy scream. She and Joey frolicked around, and he was clearly happy about his room.
“Sounds like she found him,” I whispered, but Kevin was softly snoring. They played music for another hour and then it all went quiet. The whole house was bathed in silence.
Kevin had fallen asleep rather quickly, and to my relief, he slept hard. I had always been a light sleeper. It wasn’t a stretch to say I preferred being awake to being asleep.
I slid out of the sheets and put on my leggings and a baggy t-shirt. I quietly walked out of the room and closed the door behind me.
Joey was waiting up for me. It was his first night back since he’d been gone. But gone to where? I’d like to know but probably never would.
Sure enough, Joey was sitting on the couch, glowing brightly and watching some paranormal show. One he didn’t like too much. Spirit Adventures, I think it was called.
“Well, how was it?” He smirked and tilted his head slightly in my direction.
“I don’t kiss and tell,” I answered.
“Fair enough. Change of subject.” I watched him carefully in hopes of gauging his reaction.
“Tell me about your love life. I bet it was much more exciting than mine. Until recently.”
He shook his long bangs, and they covered his eyes. “I don’t kiss and tell either.”
I sighed with happiness. “I’m glad you’re home, Joey. Don’t leave again.”
“I don’t plan on it, Priscilla. What’s up with that bouffant? Please don’t bring it back. That hairstyle should never have happened. Oh, never mind. I guess you were on bottom tonight?” I slung a throw pillow in his direction, and it landed soundly on his chest. That was a good sign. If he was getting back to being strong enough to interact with his surroundings, he was on his way to recovery. “Now go back to bed. I don’t want you snoring in here. I can watch this by myself. I know you aren’t that keen on Spirit Adventures.”
I smiled at him. “Really? You would be okay watching this by yourself? You are going to freak yourself out, you know.”
“Good night, Tamara. Give my love to Kevin.”
I laughed at that idea. “Um, I’d rather not. But good night, Joey. Stay out of trouble.”
“I’m dead, what can I possibly do?” That’s when I noticed my purse on the couch. How did it get in here?
I laughed at his pretend innocence. I picked up my purse and carried it back to my bedroom with me.
Just in case Joey decided to get overly excited about some infomercial in the middle of the night. Like the one selling heated pillows or 360 sunglasses, the special kind that allowed you to see behind you. Or a hundred other things he couldn’t use.
But we were home and all together.
My strange and wonderfully weird family.
At last.
The End
Continue following Tamara, Chloe and Joey’s adventures in Dead House with the next book, Dead At Midnight, coming soon to Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
Author’s Note
Hey there! Thank you for reading Always Dead, Book Two in the Welcome to Dead House series. It was a fun project to work on. I love spending time with Tamara, Joey, Chloe, and all the ghosts of the Ridaught Plantation. I have a feeling we will be seeing more of them in the near future. I love the Dead House!
I have a real soft spot for Tamara Garvey. She's fun, wild, and yet a real character to me. To be honest, I never thought I’d write a character that was so much like me in so many ways. She’s Southern and sassy, kind of finding her way a little later in life. That’s so me. There are other similarities too. Let me explain a little.
Better still, let me make a confession to you: I worked in burlesque for a full ten years in the 1990s, and I loved every minute of it. Just for the record, burlesque was and is a very different thing than being an exotic dancer. Burlesque revolves around storytelling, flirtatious teasing, and a peek at skin every now and then. Stripping isn’t like that at all. I feel very fortunate to have learned the art from some amazing artists.
The burlesque clubs and venues I worked at back then were often old buildings with ornate stages and crowded dressing rooms. The old burlesque theaters scattered hither and yon are now most likely put to very different uses. I always say I want to go back and see them, but I really don’t. (I would die if I drove back to the East Coast to see the Fuzzy Grape and found only a parking lot.)
Our sets were made for performers, and our props were always dramatic and interesting. Putting together sets, selecting music, arranging special effects, I got quite good at handling my own production details.
Traveling up the Eastern Seaboard from Baltimore to Connecticut to Massachusetts and then later New York was an amazing journey. Times were so different from today, and it was not that long ago. After my ten-year tour, I returned home to live in the South, where I planned to spend the rest of my life.
Alabama had always been home to me, but I had so much fun in New England. Nice people up there, and believe it or not, they have a soft spot for their favorite blonde Southerner. (That’s moi, y’all!) Although that portion of my life is over, I’m technically too old to be a showgirl at this point, I still crave adventure and exploring interesting places. Trips to Egypt and Greece are on my bucket list. And because of my writing, I won’t have to remove a single article of clothing to get there.
But a part of me wonders if those clubs could be haunted.
Haunted by the fans? Haunted by the entertainers who loved those places?
There was a lot of energy released in those places. (Pardon the pun.) Roaring crowds of men, and some women. Thumping music, excited performers. (Hmm...maybe I should go back for a paranormal investigation. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?)
Like Tamara and her friend Tina Louise, I had to travel with heavy trunks full of costumes. Long velvet beaded gowns that zipped up the side, over the top hats, ridiculous heels. I also had oversized powder puffs and other such accouterments to tease my fans with. It was a lot of fun, and I’m glad I was able to participate in the art of burlesque entertainment. Many of the entertainers I met were complete professionals, dutiful souls who appreciated the art of true striptease. Like Tamara, I learned a lot about myself during those early days in burlesque. I learned it took courage to put on a show for a group of strangers and to do so confidently.
One night I was Alice in Wonderland and another I was the Jewel of Mumbai with an intricate headpiece and beads everywhere. It was play-acting, and it taught me a lot about being a good character. And later writing them. (At least I hope.)
And I’m happy to say I was a part of that sisterhood. We were actresses all; of the lowest sort if you were to ask more traditional actresses, but we were actresses nonetheless. It was a hoot to learn the traditional dance of the fans from a legend of the stage. I met so many interesting people, especially those co
stumers and dressmakers. After my character shed her velvet gown and beaded undergarments, I often danced between two fans, artfully avoiding showing too much to the cheering crowd. That was always a challenge.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss those days. Who wouldn’t miss hearing the roar of the crowd four times a night? How could I not miss dreaming up interesting shows for my fans? I loved burlesque because it allowed me to be creative and to be an artist.
I loved creating personas and characters that people would fall in love with. Literally. I’m so very grateful I took what I learned from those days and was able to apply those skills to writing.
Today, I still enjoy creating personas and characters people fall in love with. I love telling a story and having you stay with me the whole time so you can find out what happens at the end. That is important to me. And although I don’t hear the roar of the crowd, I like to imagine I hear you turning the pages. And people are not chanting my stage name at the end of every show, but occasionally I get to sign a book, and even more frequently, I get to spend time with all of you. Usually through social media or one of my events. I treasure those moments, and I love posing for photos.
I get to have fun without balancing fans or tiptoeing around in high heels or hoping the zipper worked on my gown at the right time. That’s what I love about writing— about being creative.
I love Tamara because she’s a part of me.
I love that she’s moved on to explore her new life with writing. I love that she lives in a haunted house and has the chance to help another person learn how to be better. Chloe needs a mentor, and I can’t think of a better person than Tamara Garvey. Tamara will teach her to be kind but also street-smart. Tamara will teach her to be creative but also practical. Tamara will teach her to work hard and believe in herself. That’s what she’s learning to do too.
About Joey, who doesn’t love him? Joey is the guy you almost fall in love with. He’s the guy who loves you but not like you need him to. We’ve all had Joey relationships in our lives, haven’t we? I have. Joey is handsome, funny, and incredibly broken. He was broken before his death and is broken still. Leave it to Tamara to want to fix him for his own sake. Joey’s life is over, but I look forward to helping him move on one day.
Just not too soon. Not yet.
I don’t think he’s ready yet, do you? Eventually he needs to cross over and find peace with himself. That’s always a challenge when your life has been cut far too short.
But let’s see where Joey takes us. He might have ideas of his own. He usually does.
At least he has his own room now. I’m sure he’ll find ways to get into mischief before it’s all over with.
I look forward to bringing you the next book, and I look forward to seeing you at the Dead House.
Don’t forget, if you would like to connect with me, you can find me on Facebook. You can also email me, and you can join my mailing list on my website ML Bullock.com.
Thanks again for reading my stories and for being entertained by them.
All my best,
Monica Leigh Bullock
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The Seven Sisters Cottonwood Omnibus Edition
Available now at Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited.
Updated & Expanded FULL Omnibus version for Feb 2020!
The Seven Sisters Ultimate Cottonwood Saga, including two bonus stories.
When historian Carrie Jo Jardine accepted her dream job as the chief historian at Seven Sisters in Mobile, Alabama, she had no idea what she would encounter.
The moldering old plantation housed more than a few boxes of antebellum artifacts and forgotten oil paintings.
Secrets lived there--and they demanded to be set free.
When young, wealthy Ashland Stuart offered Carrie Jo the job, he had no idea that she had a secret of her own.
An unexpected accident takes Carrie Jo back in time as a witness to life at the plantation over 150 years ago.
An impassioned plea from Ashland puts Carrie Jo in a precarious position as the two work together to find young and beautiful missing heiress Calpurnia Cottonwood.
A collection of journals and a series of dreams give Carrie Jo all the clues she needs to find the missing girl, but both a present-day danger and one from the past try to stop her.
Will Carrie Jo solve the mystery of the house or will she go missing forever herself?
Grab your copy today!
Meet the Author
Author of the best-selling Seven Sisters series and the Gulf Coast Paranormal series, M.L. Bullock has been storytelling since she was a child. A student of archaeology, she loves weaving stories that feature local Alabama legends. She currently lives on the Gulf Coast with her family but frequently travels to explore the southern states she loves so much. When she’s not writing, she enjoys the odd paranormal investigation. The odder, the better.
Connect with M.L. Bullock on Facebook. To receive updates on her latest releases, visit her website at M.L. Bullock and subscribe to her mailing list. You can also contact her at [email protected].
Other Books By M.L. Bullock
Seven Sisters: The Cottonwood Saga
The Idlewood Collection: The Complete Idlewood Series
Beyond Seven Sisters
The Desert Queen Collection: The Complete Series
The Hauntings of Sugar Hill
Lost Camelot
Other LMBPN Publishing Books
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Always Dead (Welcome To Dead House Book 2) Page 15