We spent the two best days in history at Brandon’s place, doing nothing but resting, being silly and together. However, Thursday came with a schedule, so he had to sit down before his computer at noon to catch up with the zillion things he had going. I finished cleaning the kitchen after our late brunch and took my laptop to the veranda, wearing nothing but one of his tees on top of my underwear.
I’d almost caught up with my journal when he showed out one of the glass doors, wearing nothing but those tight black trunks that destroyed my focus in a heartbeat, phone in hand. Actually, I realized he was there when I heard the trademark click from his phone camera. My lips curled up automatically and he came to crouch down by my armchair, smiling up at me as to breed ten new generations of infernal butterflies.
“God knows I’ve dreamed of seeing you exactly like this,” he said. “I’m gonna make a fucking poster of the photo I just to
The wedding venue was in Topanga Canyon, Santa Monica, an hour away from Los Feliz when the stars aligned, so we left at eight-thirty in the morning, praying to the gods of traffic to allow us to get there before eleven. Lucky us, we did.The place was amazing. I got to see the large elevated deck surrounded by trees where the ceremony would take place, set as an amphitheater full of seats, and the meadow where the party would be, shaded by long strips of white fabric. But then, a girl with a name badge reading Fay flashed a quick smile at Brandon, put a hand on my back, and whisked me away. I never got to see where the men would change outfits, because Fay took me to the main building. The broad dance hall had been turned into the main wardrobe, with all the gown racks, changing rooms and long dressing tables with mirrors for the hairstylists and makeup artists to get the ladies ready.It was already humming with half a dozen women getting dressed. All of the
It wasn’t a quiet weekend like I’d expected. The Ley Lines crew had everything ready to leave on Tuesday morning, and the remaining Haunters would hit the road a week later to start their tight shoot schedule. So Brandon wanted to make sure everything was settled and ready, down to the last detail, for the three projects. We would be traveling with the Ley Liners for two or three weeks. Then, we would head back to the Manor, where Brandon had to finish setting up the guesthouse to start shooting interviews about June 25, and all the way into July.On Saturday, I took on the kitchen to let Guadalupe work. When Brandon saw me wearing an apron, sitting at the isle with my laptop on watch to keep the sink empty, he went back to his office, saying, “Hey, guys, last time we made a mess. So today, if you guys want anything from the kitchen, you go wash your stuff and use it again, okay?”An hour later, I was taking a swim in
“What the fuck just happened?” asked Harry, steering the wheel like an F1 on our race to LAX.I was trying to find the best night flight to Philadelphia and took a moment to reply.“You remember Kujo, the scavenger—”“You freed, yeah.”I did my best to update him about Kujo’s whereabouts ever since and added the call I’d just received.“Holy shit! You think something happened to him?”“I don’t buy Brett tripped and fell. One of those suckers tried to drop a ceiling lamp on my head the last time, so I’m pretty sure they can shove a guy down.”“And what if he’s hurt or something? I don’t even know if spiritual entities can get hurt.”“Yeah, they can. If they hurt him, I’m gonna get him well and burn the motherfuckers to hell.”“Maybe Brandon is right and you shouldn’t go alone, Fra
I woke up in Kujo’s closet, lying on his sleeping back, pretty much inside of him, given the way I was all wrapped up in his heat like a cocoon. The place had no windows, and the door was only ajar.“Kujo?” I muttered, rubbing my face.“Fran.”“You okay, my boy?”“Good.”“Great.”“Fran good?”“I don’t know. I guess.” I sat up and he moved to stand up and keep me wrapped in his heat. I rubbed my arms with a chill. “Thank you. Here’s colder than in LA. Did you eat while I was out?”“Yes.”“Well done. Where’s Amy?”“Hallway. Gina.”“The children are okay?”“Yes.”“You saved them, right?” I rested my back against the wall and brushed his shadowy body. &ldq
I didn’t have the heart to wait for Amy to come back. She would guess something had happened and ask questions I didn’t want to deal with. So I grabbed the light jacket I had, because why take a thicker one to LA, and left for the asylum. Thank God it was a warm night.Lee, the guy who was covering for Brett, was aware I was coming. He welcomed me with a sleeping bag, my own LED with new batteries and Brett’s thermos bottle full of fresh coffee. He even offered to escort me to Tinicum Hall. I almost asked him if he wanted to marry me. Until I spotted the KII in his pocket and raised my eyebrows. He smirked, embarrassed.“There’s been rumors about the scavenger for months, but they say it isn’t safe to approach it without you,” he said.“Approach him,” I corrected him softly.“Sorry. Would you mind if I go with you?”I nodded and shrugged. Brett had warned me it’d be ha
The Blotters behaved like stepping on eggshells when they saw me come back home so soon, with Amy and without Brandon. Guessing they were just too proper to ask openly about it, I decided to clear any doubt.“We broke up ‘cause I chose saving Kujo’s life, over a two-week roadtrip to watch the shoot of Trisha’s show.”“I’m sorry,” said Edward, always the epitome of a gentleman, while the touchpad beeped on the tablet.“Well, I’ve found a Márái Sándor book you haven’t read yet,” was the output.Gotta love Joseph’s humor.It was already dinner time, and Amy and I called it a night early, exhausted after the three last days. She left after breakfast, and all of a sudden I was like I’d longed to be about ten days earlier, during the shoot of the interviews: all alone with the Blotters in the Manor, like back in the good old days.
That summer, I learned that sometimes, you don’t feel the hardest hits right away. I spent the rest of June truly enjoying the simple facts of my simple life. Mr. Edward kept his word and got me enrolled to start my two first courses in late August, so I had a lot of reading to do before the beginning of the semester. Youngster Charles was a laugh to have around, and I was happy Charlotte stayed a grownup in her late twenties, becoming a much-needed company for Lizzie.I would still go out for a jog every morning, but I didn’t go all the way to town and back anymore. Instead, I would take Greenwich Road to the other side, the southwest.Days were long and warm, beautiful, peaceful. Amy came over to stay a Saturday night at the Manor and left after Sunday lunch. Trisha was over the moon, working nonstop with Isaac and their team. They were having a blast, she said call after call, especially after Brandon was as kind as to go back to Los Angeles and let them
The weekend of the Fourth was a nonstop juggling to keep my catastrophic emotional state in check. It was anyway a blast. The Blotters had the time of their lives, Susan was so excited to have them over that she worked the whole weekend straight, and my Blotters were the most discreet ghosts in history. We’d agreed they would retreat to the guesthouse with me if the living Blotters got too loud, but they didn’t. They too were happy to have members of the family all over the place, for the first time since Lizzie’s brother Stephen had passed and the Manor had ended up in Miss Grace’s keep.They arrived on the evening of the third, Wednesday, just in time to drop their stuff in their rooms and have dinner. At the main dining room, of course, even though they ate in the kitchen for breakfast and lunch.They insisted I joined them on Thursday, and off we went on two rental boats all over the Quabbin. That night, Edward Jr. and his future in-law helped Mike bring out the wooden picnic tabl