You’re on my heart just like a tattoo.

[jaeresteade]

[Friday, 30th April, midmorning]
[Day 334]
[I Dyed For Beauty salon]

Couldn’t bring myself to get up early this morning, not with Verdi curled around me in that huge, soft bed of hers. She had to tease me a while to get me to open my eyes and talk to her, and I think she wanted a morning fuck, but she didn’t push me when I told her she’d worn me out

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[verite_belrose]

It's cool and rainy today not so hot as it has been, and it reminds me of what it's like down south, all hot and and wet. Not that I miss that hot muggy weather, what I miss is the traveling.

I miss my family and the rest of the familiar faces of the carnival. I'm starting to feel a bit trapped here in the Salon, but I have to stay because if I closed up early someone would notice and complain, I'm sure. Well maybe not, but I still don't feel like I can abandon it just because I don't feel like it right now. Business is slow so I'm flickering through one of the magazines I leave out for customers to look through if they have to wait. I look up as the door opens, it's Jarmyn and several thoughts and feelings run through me at the same time. The clearest is a combination of relief that he's back and irritation at how long it's taken him to come back from Verdi's. I wonder if it's going to be like this every time he goes to see her.

Hey, sweetheart, He says and I sort of start to relax at the familiar nickname but Jarmyn looks

[jaeresteade]

She doesn’t grin at me and come over to give me a hug like she maybe would have before everything fell down, but she doesn’t scowl at me and say something snippy, either. Just asks how Verdi is and stretches as she gets up. Talking to me like I was anybody else. Asks me if I want coffee, even, and I can kind of smile. “Never going to say no to coffee. I’ll make it.” My coffee’s not as good as the stuff at the Miskatonic, but it’s a sight better than hers.

Setting the water to boil and turning the handle of the grinder means I don’t have to look at her. “You all right last night?” Not did you mind or did you miss me, because she’s not seen fit to invite me off the couch since we fell out. Truthfully I want to know both those things, but mostly I want her to know I care about was she safe or not. Wasn’t trying to make her jealous by going to Verdi. Goddess. Like to think I’m not that petty.

[verite_belrose]

He doesn't exactly relax at my offer of coffee but he does smile a little,Never going to say no to coffee. I’ll make it. If his coffee wasn't such an improvement over mine I'd be irritated by that. We go into the kitchen and I lean against the counter while he sets things up.

You all right last night? He asks, an' just like that, the irritation is there. At least he isn't looking at me so I don't feel bad about the scowl I direct at his back. "Why wouldn't I be?" I ask. It was sorta nice to have the place to myself. Sure, it always seems so much bigger when it's just me; but It was kinda nice to not have him around always making me feel a bit uncomfortable. I'm not sure I should have let him keep staying with me since it's been making things so awkward between us lately. Then I grin a bit wickedly and add. "I took a nice long bath all by myself. It was awesome!"

The smell of the brewing coffee fills the kitchen and I let it fill my lungs. I want a cig. Maybe when we've got the coffee.

"You have fun with Verdi?"

[jaeresteade]

Why wouldn’t she be all right, she says, and I can hear the annoyance. Shit. Of course she was fine before I moved in, and all those nights I stayed at the ‘Boy. I turn around from mixing the grounds into the water and see her grinning. God, I missed that grin. “Glad you had a nice bath.” Not sure what she means by telling me like that