“We have a pump.”
Scott nailed his feet to the floor. “What?”
“Janice bought a balloon pump.”
Scott slowly turned his head to her. “You have a pump?”
“Hey…” Janice held up her hands. “I was following orders from the boss. He said to let you blow up twenty or so, it would be funny, and it was.”
“Yes,” Thomas hissed. “And I said, after twenty, give him the pump.”
“I forgot about that part.”
Scott squinted, leaning in to see something on Janice’s blouse. “Is… Is that popcorn?”
Janice swept it away. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Scott sniffed the air. “I smell popcorn.” He glanced at the camera in the corner of the room. “Were you eating popcorn while watching me slowly lose my mind?”
“Hey,” Janice snapped. “At my age, I need a hobby.”
“Unfucking believable.”
“Come on,” Thomas said, encouraging Scott to walk. “You need air.”
Janice kicked the closest balloon. “What are you talking about, Thomas? There’s plenty of it in here.”
She cackled like a witch.
Thomas released Scott to close the double doors on her.
“Outside,” Thomas ordered.
Scott collapsed on the steps that led into the mansion. Thomas joined him, rubbing a hand up Scott’s spine while Scott low-key panted himself back to life.
“Are all of your staff insane?”
Thomas hummed. “I suspect so… Ninety-nine. I’m impressed.”
“The hundredth onewas mocking me, though.”
“It’s a balloon.”
“I don’t care that it’s a balloon; it was judging me. I can’t wait to blow it up so I can sit on it tomorrow.”
Thomas patted his back. “That’s the spirit.”
“How’s it going upstairs?”
“Video’s looking good. I’ve done the tags, just need to pick a good thumbnail to draw the yet to subscribe.” He nodded. “If I was into that kind of thing, I’d click.”
“But you’re not.”
“It’s a bit too…vanilla for me.”
Scott side-eyed him. “There’s nothing wrong with vanilla.”
“I didn’t say there was; it’s not for me, that’s all. Too plain.”
