✅ My Cousin's Keeper [NaNoWriMo 2021]

22. My Morning Routine

Thanks to Clinton for your ongoing support on Patreon, and here is your bonus chapter for this month. If you'd like to see a different story getting a bonus chapter, please let me know. I really appreciate all the support you've given me.

Getting up on Saturday morning was often a chaotic time in my house, especially when Ffrances had been working nights. But this time it was perfectly convenient, as my girlfriend was there to wake me. She looked tired, but still elegant as she leaned over the bed.

"Mmm, you look ravishing."

"And you look ravishable. But we need to be getting up, right? We'll be getting into Helmsford around rush hour, so we need to allow an hour and a half to drive over there and find parking."

I shook my head and tried to remember what the plans were, and then it came to me.

"That movie. You're okay with that? You must be exhausted."

"Most people going to the theatre have had work earlier in the day, and it never bothers them. Counting from when I woke up last night, it's early evening for me. I got dinner on the way over, and picked up a nice dress from home."

"Right," I nodded. "I hope mine's okay. And I found something for Tess, I hope she'll wear it..."

"Hanging outside her room? I saw on the way up. I banged on her door as I passed, and shouted that there's something there, but she's got the door locked so I couldn't check she's awake."

"Thanks. I said I'd find something last night, but she'd already turned in before I'd gone through all her clothes. Think that means she'll be feeling awake this morning, I hope so anyway. But I'd best be getting dressed. Can you put coffee on while I shower? Think we'll be rushing this morning anyhow."

"Sure. I can't believe you managed this. How did you get the tickets? I've been following all the rumours for months, and it won't be out for months more."

"I got them from Claughton Innovative. My latest clients at work; they want me to know that they're patrons of the arts and not just another faceless corporation, apparently. I think there's some product placement or something in the movie, so they might want me to take note of that in my work. But I think this is probably one of those weird social things, like they want to know we're personally involved in working with them or something. Not sure if I'm supposed to be impressing them or them me."

"Think about that later. I promise not to show you up. You get your shower, right?"

When her voice goes all serious and commanding like that, it always makes me shiver. And I also knew that I needed to be organised, so I followed her orders without complaint.

Twenty minutes later, I stepped out of the bathroom and I could already smell bacon frying. I muttered a whispered thanks under my breath; I hadn't been sure we would have time to prepare a proper breakfast, but it seemed that Ffrances was already one step ahead of me. Just like always. I saw that Tess was up as well; the dresses I'd hung on her door handle were gone, although the door was closed again. I was in a hurry, so I didn't stop to check if she was hiding something. She normally left the door ajar if she wasn't actually inside, but I guessed that if she;d wet her bed again she might have decided to hide the fact by shutting me out.

I hurried downstairs and saw that they were both digging into their breakfasts already. Tess had bacon and waffles, while Ffrances had made herself a burger with fried mushrooms and onions. A more substantial meal, but then I guessed it must be dinner time for her after a long shift at work. It didn't stop her talking excitedly about which characters she hoped were going to be in the movie. Apparently one of the comic book authors she was a fan of had mentioned how much he was looking forward to Tags before it was even announced, and even though the post had been quickly deleted, there were armies of fans combing through the teaser trailers, trying to match every half-second cut with the images of his characters.

It was turning the rules of marketing upside down, but it certainly seemed to be working. People were talking about the movie, anyway, even if all they said was guessing which franchise it might be based on, or who the stars might be. Half the cast, even those who had been shown in the trailer, were still unknown; and the public were still lapping up the mystery.

I bolted my own food, and then went back upstairs to fix my hair and my outfit. I started to worry, thinking that every detail was likely to let me down. I wasn't used to being on show; my clients would normally be judging my work more than my appearance. This wasn't the kind of publicity I had skills in, but Ffrances was always there to reassure me. She had to get changed as well, of course. She had a black strapless dress that managed to be both beautiful and very smart, and one that I didn't think I'd seen before. As much as I would have liked to admire her more, I was already keeping one eye on the clock.

We met Tess in the kitchen, and saw that she had apparently selected an outfit that could have been a stylised version of a school uniform, with a very smart blouse and a pleated silk skirt. When I'd chosen it for her originally, I had thought it might be a kind of schoolgirl chic; fashionable enough that she would voluntarily wear it, but childish enough to keep her feeling little. But somehow, once she was wearing the outfit it was easier to see the mature young woman she always tried to project. She looked like a smaller version of me, all self-assured, and it was easier to see her as her real age than the inner child struggling to escape.

"You both look incredible," I told them.

"You too."

"Right, now let's get moving. We'll take my car."