Odd Jobs for the Undead - A Zombie For Hire Story

Chapter 25

Stu and Marta dropped me back at the warehouse. One of Lo Wang's coolers full of zombie chow was waiting for me. I waved goodbye to the Gravers before I looked inside. There was the usual cast off parts and pieces, but he'd also put in three brains and the best looking roast I'd ever seen. Just looking at the juicy red flesh made my mouth water. It disgusted me that it made my mouth water, but I knew I'd enjoy my meal of raw meat.

I opened the door to the warehouse and went in.

"You were supposed to meet me at the shop," Merl said.

I shouldn't have been surprised that he was waiting for me, but I was.

"Did you come all the way over here just to tell me that?" I took the cooler to the fridge to unload it.

Merl took two vials of his miracle zombie cure all out of his pocket and laid them on the counter. "I thought you might want these," he said. "And I have a new gig lined up for you. How do you feel about going down to Hollywood? A producer I know wants to make a zombie movie but he isn't happy with what his special effects department's come up with. What's better than the real thing, right?"

"You're serious?" I asked with a laugh.

Merl nodded yes and took a Twinkie out of his pocket. "Good money, too," he said, and stuffed the snack cake into his mouth.

"Alright, I'll think about it," I said, and picked up the vials. "I'll see you later."

Merl swallowed, but didn't leave. "Penny told me what happened, dude" he said. "She feels awful about it."

"I'm sure she does."

"Man, you gotta know she's never going to feel for you the way you do for her," he said.

"Yeah, I know that, Captain Obvious," I said. "I made a mistake. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing."

"Dude, we've talked about you needing to let go of the human thing," he said.

"I have," I said. "Really. I know I'm not like living people. There are no happy endings for zombies. And I'm fine with it. I'm even over my crush on Penny."

He didn't look like he believed me.

"Look, with no prospect of a domesticated zombie harem, Vickie is going to come running back to me, begging me to forgive her. Eventually. And I'll be waiting."

Merl groaned. "Man, I never should have put you two together. She is not a nice lady."

"I know. But how's that old song go? If you can't have the one you love, love the one who like decomp? So go, I'm fine. Really."

"Okay, okay. But give that movie thing some thinking. He can just tell the crew you're a method actor. You'll be treated like a star."

"I will, I promise. Now leave. I've got stuff to do."

Once again, he didn't look like he believed what I was saying. And he didn't leave.

"What?" I asked.

"I thought you'd want to ask," he said.

I did. He was right. I hadn't though, because I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. But since he was the one that brought it up...

"Julian. You called me Julian."

"Slip of the tongue," he said.

"You knew who I was all along, didn't you."

Merl shrugged.

"Almost," he said. "Julian and I worked together once, but his interests in magic were too commercial, so we parted ways. It had been twenty years since I'd seen him last, so when I first met you, I didn't quite place the face."