The Shopping

I was sure shopping would cheer Zoey up a bit, but most of the time she looked uncertain. She was going through clothes without energy, where she usually ran from one rack to another, unable to decide what to try on, let alone buy. I was worried about her, but I thought that looking for something new for a date might make her stop regretting agreeing to this meeting.

"Zoey, what's wrong?" I asked, placing a black skirt with a pattern of small flowers on her hips. "You should try on."

"I don't know," replied my friend.

"You don't know if you should see how that skirt looks on you or you don't know what to do with a date?"

"Both," she said, staring at her feet. “I know you trust your fairy, but I didn't ask for it."

"She'd do it her way anyway," I muttered. “It was inevitable. But when I spoke to Thomas at your exhibition, he made a good impression on me."

Zoey nodded and said she'd go try on clothes after all, though I knew she was only doing it to change the conversation. When I introduced them that day, the doctor couldn't take his eyes off my friend. At first, it made me wary, because Micheal looked at her that way too. But there was something different about Thomas's gaze, adoration, but also certain care and tenderness, even though they had only met for the first time.

I understood what Cee Cee meant, watching them shyly talk to each other for the first time, I had the impression that they fit together. Even Tristan said so, but he figured he'd check him just in case and watch him for a while. Now he was also spying, on what he was to report to me in the evening. Zoey, after two weeks of texting and phone calls, initially refused to go on a date, but when I suggested making it a theoretical double date, she reluctantly agreed. I hoped that assuring her of our presence would calm her down.

I wanted her to find her happiness, and it seemed to be within reach, but she didn't have the strength to take a chance for it yet. Maybe I shouldn't get involved? Would it be better if everything went its own rhythm, undisturbed by anyone? I sighed heavily, wondering if I was doing the right thing. Zoey called me to come to the fitting room and give my opinion. She twirled around in her new skirt, looking really cute, and I gave her a thumbs-up with a smile.

"It definitely suits her!" I suddenly heard an excited voice next to me, of course, we must have hit a voyeur ghost.

I turned to him and grabbed his ear and pulled him down. He was surprised and horrified when he saw my angry face, I think he realized he was unlucky enough to run into me. I told Zoey that I needed to leave the store for a while. The ghost tried to explain when I dragged him out into the corridor of the gallery that he was doing nothing wrong, that he would just look like that from time to time. I sat him on the nearest bench, looked at him, wondering what to do, I had the equipment with me, but technically I wasn't at work.

"You ruined my day with a friend," I said. "I don't like what you're doing and I think you deserve to be punished."

"Please, dear medium, don't punish me, I won't do that anymore," the ghost howled theatrically, and thought I would believe him.

I took out the rope and tied him to the bench, watching as it pretended to die at least a second time. I didn't feel sorry for him, but I wasn't that cruel with the punishment either. Meanwhile, Zoey came out of the store with a bag in her hand and looked at me uncertainly.

"Now a month, then I'll check how you're behaving, if I find out that you're peeping on women again, I'll double this time, and so on, until you learn. Is it clear?" I said in an ominous tone, and the ghost nodded reluctantly. I turned to Zoey with a smile. "Time for something to eat, right?"