Summer solstice is tonight! I'm so excited! We have big plans but I won't share them today. Tomorrow I'll tell you all about it if I ever get up after being up very late. I complain when Lochlan infantilizes me but at the same time anything scheduled after nine at night has me aghast that people actually are gearing up just as I'm usually checking out.
Not like I don't check out at eleven in the morning or two-thirty in the afternoon if I stop moving, I know. But we have Large Plans and I'm very much looking forward to it.
In other news the lipstick wars continue. Ben said enough was enough and went and put some on, and proceeded to walk around the house hugging everyone, and then planting a huge surprise kiss on their cheeks and it took forever for them to notice. It was mostly hilarious though Henry didn't like it much and Ruth went running, screaming that she just washed her face and didn't want to get anything on it. Then she laughed and got kissed anyway. She doesn't mind Ben's antics. No one does. He's dodged another tour bullet and picked up another producing gig which if I'm correct in my hunches are being funnelled directly through Schuyler but that's okay. Our network is super-tight anyway. They all work for each other half the time anyway.
Case in point, Asher took a vacation this week. A last-minute week-long getaway, Batman said. Not far, he said.
How far? I asked suspiciously, eyes narrowed.
Ontario. Batman is vague.
Toronto?
Yes, I believe, he lies.
What's wrong with Jake? The panic is approaching me like a stormfront. I see it but I can't run.
He had a little setback. He'll be fine.
He's not fine. He's a diabetic-
Bridget, Asher will let me know what's going on as soon as he gets to Jake.
So it's enough of an emergency to send your assistant but not enough to tell his friends that he's in trouble.
Wait until I have word. Batman's so done with my panic.
Fuck that, I tell him. I pick up my phone to call the Devil. He can get me a plane.
Batman takes the phone and hangs it up, putting it in his pocket. I turn to go and he grabs my arm and my elbow pops right out of location and I'm on my knees.
It hurt so bad I couldn't speak and so he tries to haul me back up to my feet because he had no idea what was wrong. Mercifully, my body knew what was up and blacked me out.
When I opened my eyes I screamed because the pain was still going. PJ leaned over my face. Lochlan too.
My elbow's out DON'T TOUCH IT.
So PJ tells me to count to three and Lochlan holds on tight and before we even start one they nod and pop it back into place with a thud that almost kills me. I roll into a ball. So sore. Oh my God. I need to go to the airport, I tell Lochlan. He's already talking to Batman and I know he's going to compartmentalize his anger until he gets everything covered.
Bring him back here permanently. We'll sort him out. Then I'm going to sort YOU out.
Batman nods and goes to call Asher. Looks like the trip has doubled, as they'll have to pack up Jake's less than three months'-long life in the hot potato to return here permanently, a semi-pariah with a mad crush, a beautiful vintage Sunbeam motorcycle and a terrible knack for letting his blood sugar control him instead of the other way around.
We'll live with it. I don't care. Sometimes people belong here and they shouldn't leave, even if they have a magnificently rough start, like New-Jake has had.
Doesn't matter. He's meant to be here. He's one of us.
