Under the Blue Moon

Chapter 17

You finally fall asleep around 3:00 AM and wake up out of your deep sleep around 10:30 in the morning. As you have promised yourself, the first thing you do is to call a locksmith. When you get them, you tell them it is not an emergency, but that you would like to have all of the locks in your home changed out. Luckily for you, the locksmith is available immediately and says he'll be there within the hour. When you woke up this morning to check your phone, you had more than twenty text messages from Jin waiting for you. You didn't bother to read them but decided to delete them all wholesale.

The locksmith is a lovely older gentleman named Gerry, who insisted on explaining the history of locks and why the ones that he was installing were special. He explained to you that the new locks that you were getting were ANSI grade 1 locks and that if his daughter had to live alone, these would be the locks that he would recommend. Then he adds, "If you really wanted to sleep well at night, what you need is a three-point locking system, but that'll cost you a pretty penny."

You do decline the three-point locking system, but you agree to whatever it is that he recommends otherwise. Gerry takes about an hour and a half to change the locks for all 3 entry points into your home and add dead bolts to the basement entry door and the kitchen. He gives you a set of 4 keys, 2 for all the dead bolts and 2 for all the doorknob locks. You pay Gerry and thank him for coming out at such short notice. Once he leaves, you head to the local hardware store to make 3 additional sets of copies to hand out to the three of your brothers tonight.

You notice that your phone has stopped buzzing incessantly. You figure Jin finally gave up and fell asleep. You think about blocking his number on your phone, but you can't make yourself do it. When you can't, you take some time chiding yourself for leaving this avenue of communication open. You think, "Why can't I just block him? Do I want him to weasel his way back into my life? What kind of an idiot am I?"

After few minutes of mental self-flagellation, you finally muster up the gumption to block his number. Afterwards, you delete his contact information from your phone altogether lest you get the urge to reach out to him.

Around 1:30, your brothers text you to confirm the time and the place.

Tanner:
Just checking into see if you are getting ready for dinner.
Don't you dare be late.

You:
Why? I can't be fashionably late to my own party?

Peter:
I think Tannerino is just anxious to see his big sister.
It's been a month since we last laid eyes on you.

Warren:
And haven't even texted us to check and see if we are still alive.

You:
I'm sorry lads.
I've been very busy.
Making partner is not what it's all cracked up to be.
I'm probably going to have to put in insane number of hours, at least in the beginning.

Tanner:
Well, I can't wait to see you.
So, we are all meeting at 5:00, right? At El Torino.

Peter:
Yes.

You:
What is the dress code at this place?
Should I get all dolled up?

Warren:
You can if you want to.
But don't expect us to look like the three caballeros.

You:
Oh... no big ass sombreros?
Then this really isn't a celebration is it?

Peter:
Oh my God.
This thread is getting ridiculous.
I'll see everyone at 5:00 today.
I have things to do.