There's No Such Thing as the Perfect Guy

By Tieste Williams

Be careful what you wish for…

 

In this paranormal college romance with a twist, Kaley is a freshman excited to rent a house with her best friend. But after moving in, she discovers the house is far from normal when she is haunted by the ghost of a former resident, and comes across a mysterious black book promising to grant her every desire. After a blind date gone wrong, she decides to use the book to conjure up her perfect man.

 

What could go wrong?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Green Dryad Books
• Release date: Mar 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9780998304120

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Kaley awoke to the sound of rumbling thunder. She groaned before turning over in her bed, attempting to drift back off to sleep. Then her eyes flashed open and she jumped up. No ! she thought as she raced over to the window. Why is it raining? The weatherman promised that there would be no rain. Okay, so promised was going a bit far, but Kaley was supposed to be moving out of her parents’ house today.

She and her best friend had just rented their own place, and rain was certainly not a part of their plan. Kaley grabbed her phone and clicked on the weather app. Maybe the rain would stop.

She looked at the day’s forecast and sighed with relief. The rain was supposed to end no later than noon. It might delay their move for an hour or two, but the afternoon would be mostly cloudy. That was good enough for her.

Kaley texted her best friend, Dani, who agreed they should hold off until noon. They would meet at Kaley’s place with the U-Haul at eleven to start packing everything.

With her crisis now averted, Kaley put on a pair of clothes and pulled her long, curly brown hair into a ponytail before heading downstairs for breakfast. She proceeded to pour herself a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice before sitting down at the table.

Her mother, a slim African American woman with a short, black bob joined her shortly afterwards. Morning, Kaley, she said as she walked past her and grabbed a tin of coffee grounds from the cabinet.

Morning, Kaley said as she swallowed.

Are you sure you want to move today? asked her mother, staring out at the rain.

The weatherman says it’s supposed to be over by noon.

Okay, but you know you can always move back in if you need to. Our door is always open to you.

Kaley smiled. I know, Mom.

What time are Dani and Brad coming over? she asked. Brad was Dani’s older brother.

Around eleven. We decided to delay it a bit to give the rain a chance to stop.

That’s smart, she said as she placed a couple of waffles into the toaster. When they were done, she placed them on her plate and poured a cup of coffee before joining her daughter at the table.

Where’s Dad? Kaley asked.

Still asleep, said her mother. I swear, that man would never be on time for anything if it weren’t for me. I’ll make sure he’s ready in time to help you move.

Thanks, said Kaley before downing the rest of her juice. Kaley put her dishes in the dishwasher before heading back upstairs. She glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. It was only a little after ten. That means I have extra time to kill, she thought as she eagerly pulled out her tablet and scrolled through her eBook collection. Kaley had always been a major bookworm. In fact, she’d almost majored in English but her desire to help animals trumped her love of literature. Instead, she took English as a minor.

She had such a wide array of eBooks that it was hard to decide which one to read. Kaley had a bad habit of downloading far more books than she could possibly read at one time, but eventually she made a choice. The book was a paranormal romance by one of her favorite authors.

After a few pages, Kaley heard the shower start and she guessed her mom had finally convinced her dad to get out of bed. Kaley couldn’t blame him though; if she hadn’t been moving today, she might still be asleep herself. Kaley refocused her attention on her book, becoming lost in the world of vampires and forbidden love.

Kaley jumped when her phone went off. It was Dani, of course. She and her brother were on their way over. Kaley glanced out the window. The rain had stopped as promised, and she hoped that the rest of the day would go this smooth.

Mom, Dad, Kaley said. They’re on their way. Are y’all ready?

Yeah, her mother responded from downstairs.

Did you want to start loading boxes into my car? her dad asked.

Yeah, that’s fine, she said. Kaley heard the creak of footsteps as her father made his way up the stairs. She had several stacks of boxes piled off to the side, and he moved to grab one. Like her mother, he was also African American. Kaley’s dad was tall with short, dark hair. Kaley had been told her entire life that she favored her dad more than her mother. They both shared the same olive brown skin and curly brown hair.

Kaley and her parents spent the next few minutes moving boxes up and down the stairs, and Kaley had just walked upstairs to grab another one when she heard the beep of a car horn outside. She glanced out to see a medium-sized U-Haul sitting in her driveway, and she ran downstairs to meet her friends. Once outside, Kaley smiled and waved to Dani as she opened the truck door and jumped out of the passenger seat.

Hey, Kaley! Dani was very tall with long, flowing black hair and flawless dark skin. She was very pretty, and her figure was slim and model-like. Kaley’s parents walked outside just as Bradley was exiting the driver’s side. Brad was only a year older than his sister, and they shared the same flawless dark skin. Unlike Dani, Brad had a more athletic build. Of course, he was also the captain of their college football team so it was imperative that he stay in good shape.

Good morning, Kaley’s parents greeted them. Dani said hello and Brad gave them a wave as he moved to open the back of the truck.

Have you eaten breakfast yet? Feel free to help yourself to anything you like, said Kaley’s mom.

No, I’m fine. I’ve eaten already, Dani answered.

I wouldn’t mind a bite, Brad said just as he reached the porch. He headed to the kitchen before shortly reemerging with a half-eaten blueberry muffin. Brad and Dani’s parents arrived soon after and, once the cars were full, they headed off to their new house. Dani and her family had already packed her boxes and furniture before they stopped at Kaley’s.

Kaley pulled a box out of her car and approached her new home. It was a white, two-story house with burgundy shutters and roof. It had a pretty decent sized yard and would have been perfect for a small dog if their landlord didn’t have a no pets policy. Kaley tried to remember why she’d agreed to rent a place that didn’t allow pets considering the fact she loved animals so much.

Oh yeah, the place had practically been a steal for the price, and Dani had begged her to say yes after only coming across crappy houses in bad neighborhoods within their price range. She’d reluctantly agreed, yet there was something that didn’t sit quite right with her. Why was this house so cheap? Their landlord said he’d had a few bad tenants who’d left unexpectantly and that he wanted to go back to his home in North Carolina. He was tired of having to travel back and forth to Virginia, but he’d agreed to their price range pretty quickly.

Kaley shook her head. She was being paranoid. She wouldn’t want to keep traveling between states either. Not to mention their landlord told them that he remembered what it was like to be in college and have to struggle. The more Kaley thought it over, the more sense the house’s low price made.

Wow, her mom said as she followed her through the front door. This place is really nice inside. Are you sure you and Dani can afford this?

We wouldn’t have gotten it if we couldn’t, Kaley said as she explained to her mother how the landlord had agreed to rent the place to them really cheap.

Hmm, said her mom.

What?

Did he say why his previous tenants left? Kaley shook her head. I just don’t want you and Dani biting off more than you can chew. People don’t break leases without good reason.

I know, but it’s a nice house in a good neighborhood. And it’s giving me and Dani the chance to live on our own. It’s part of the college experience. Kaley smiled.

You could have rented a dorm if you wanted to move.

Kaley rolled her eyes. And live with some stranger who I may or may not hate?

You meet a lot of life-long friends in college. Remember, that’s how I met your dad.

Attending the University of Wolvespeak was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, her father chimed in as he walked through the door. Her mother smiled as she moved to kiss him.

Ugh! Kaley thought. Hey, Dad? asked Kaley. Will you put this box of books upstairs for me? It’s kinda heavy, she said, hoping to get her parents to stop their PDA.

Sure, he said after breaking away from his wife. He lifted the box, taking it up the stairs. Kaley followed.

Which room is going to be yours? he asked.

That one, she said, pointing to the bedroom on the right. He entered the room, placing the box in a corner.

I can’t believe you’re moving out, he said.

Aw, Dad, don’t tell me that you’re going to start getting mushy too.

He let out a laugh. No, Kaley, I’m not. I’m just… reminiscing. It seems like just yesterday I was dropping you off at your first day of kindergarten. And now you’re growing up. You’re not just in college, but now you have your own place.

"You are going to get mushy on me," she said.

Okay, okay, I’ll stop, he said, and Kaley laughed before moving to hug him.

I’m not that far from you and Mom, she said. You can come over and visit as much as you want… but not too often, she quickly added.

Her dad pulled away and he placed a hand on his chest in mock hurt. Kaley, I’m wounded.

You’ll be fine, she said as she walked out of the room to head out and get more boxes. Her dad followed suit.

They spent the next few hours moving boxes into the house before taking a break for dinner. There was a knock on the door and Kaley moved to answer it. It was probably the pizza guy.

Kaley opened the door to find a tall, curly-haired teenager with braces in a red polo shirt.

Hey, Shaun, she greeted him. She and Shaun had gone to high school together. He had only been a couple of grades below her.

Hey, Kaley, he said. Wow. I can’t believe you live here.

She smiled. Dani and I just moved in today.

Shaun lowered his voice. Yeah, but aren’t you worried about… you know… ghosts?

What are you talking about?

A lot of people say this place is haunted.

Dani suddenly appeared in the doorway behind her. Stop trying to freak Kaley out, Shaun. There’s no such thing as ghosts, she said, and then she shoved a few bills in his hand before grabbing the pizzas and heading off into the kitchen.

It was nice seeing you, Kaley said as Shaun handed her the change.

You too, Kaley, he said, stepping down off the porch and heading back to his vehicle, a silver car with the words Antonio’s Pizza written on the side. Kaley shut the door before joining everyone in the kitchen. The rest of the move went by pretty smooth. Both Kaley and Dani’s parents left shortly after they were finished unloading the vehicles. There had been lots of hugs and words from their parents instructing them to call them if they needed them, but eventually they left. Brad was the only one to stick around.

He spent the next few hours with his sister, helping her unpack. Though Kaley was an only child, she’d always found the two of them unusually close for siblings. Most brothers and sisters would tolerate each other for a short time before eventually reaching their limit, but Brad and Dani always acted more like friends. It wasn’t uncommon for the three of them to catch a movie together or grab a bite to eat.

With Brad busy helping Dani unpack, Kaley ventured into her own room to start getting everything situated. She unpacked her books first, placing each one on the shelf in alphabetical order, according to the author’s last name. Next she began to pull out her clothes, but as she went to place a hanger on the rack, Kaley let out a shiver. Why is it so cold in here?

Kaley went downstairs to adjust the heat before heading back upstairs to her room to continue unpacking. She did this for most of the night before deciding to go downstairs and grab a snack. Because they’d just moved in, their fridge and cabinets empty, so Kaley decided to have a couple of slices of leftover pizza. She noticed Brad and Dani sitting on the couch in front of Dani’s laptop and moved to join them after heating her dinner in the new microwave they’d bought. Kaley rolled her eyes when she saw what they were watching.

Don’t you ever get tired of watching the same movie over and over again?

No, Dani said, never tearing her eyes away from the screen. Now hush, this is my favorite part.

Every scene is your favorite part, Kaley mumbled before getting up to sit at the kitchen table. She pulled up one of the streaming apps on her phone, choosing to instead watch a movie she hadn’t seen a million and one times. Brad got up from the couch a few minutes later and walked into the kitchen. He turned on the faucet before refilling his empty water bottle.

What are you watching? he asked after taking a swig. Kaley moved her phone a couple of inches to the side so that he could see the images on the screen.

Good! Something with some action, he said, taking a seat.

I thought you liked the other movie.

I did. The first time. And even the second time, but Dani’s viewing habits can be rather repetitive.

She laughed. I know.

You know I can hear you two! Dani said.

Shut up and finish watching the movie, said Brad.

I could if you two would stop being so loud!

Like you don’t already know every line by heart, said Kaley.

"I don’t know every line," she said.

You know every other line, said Kaley.

Whatever! Dani said before pausing the movie and taking her laptop upstairs. I’ll be able to hear much better in my room, she said. Kaley laughed before turning her attention back to the movie she’d been watching. Brad stuck around until the end of the movie before heading home. Kaley let out a yawn. It was after eleven, so she decided to head upstairs and sleep.

Kaley was about to lay down when she noticed an old, weathered book lying on her bed. It was made of black leather-like material and had weird symbols engraved on the cover. "How did this get here?" Kaley asked herself as she flipped open the book. The first page held a single sentence. This book belongs to_____. The name Kaley Baker was scrawled across the line in neat, cursive letters.

What the…? Why is my name written in this book,