Conjugated - A Jonnor Tale

Chapter Twenty-Eight: All Hallow's Eve

Chapter Twenty-Eight: All Hallow's Eve

Jude spiked his hair with gel. "Do I look roguish?" he asked Connor.

"I love you," Connor said back to him, and winked.

"I know," Jude said, and laughed. He held his hands out. "Well, what do you think?"

"You totally look like Han Solo," Connor said. "Oh, I mean Hand Solo."

"I don't look nearly as amazing as you do, your highness," Jude said. Connor was dressed as Princess Leia, complete with a side buns wig, white princess dress and boots.

"This blaster is awkward, look at how long and skinny it is."

Jude smiled at him. "Reminds me of your other thing that shoots, Princess Leia Offa My Organ."

"Hahaha," Connor said. He adjusted his fake boobs. "Thanks for doing the nail polish for me. It feels weird to wear hooker red though."

"Yeah," Jude said. "Never worn anything but our war paint blue before. I was kinda tempted to paint mine but that didn't seem very Hand Solo-like. Maybe we should have both gone in drag and I could be Hannah Solo."

Connor laughed. "Next year," he said. A car horn beeped. "Oh, there's Ian. Let's go, cakes!" He kissed Jude on the cheek, leaving a smear of lipstick. Jude giggled and wiped it off with the back of his hand and followed Connor outside. Ian was in the Tesla this time, they got in and he drove them to the Selfridge Estate.

***

"This is almost like Ronnoc," Jude commented to Connor, as they sipped sodas and watched the crowd. Indeed, the Selfridge estate was packed with a crowd that looked every bit as large as the one for the Ronnoc festival, except everyone was in costume.

"No Taylor Swift though," Connor said. "You nervous, cakes?"

Jude shrugged. "It'll be okay, I think. It's kinda intimidating to think that I have to talk in front of all these people, but getting paid sorta makes it easier to deal with."

"Yeah, I keep having to remind myself we're working. I'm having too much fun for it to seem like work." A waiter came up and offered Connor some crab cakes, he took about half a dozen. Jude laughed at him silently as he hastily stuffed one into his mouth before it fell out of his hand-pile.

"Want help?" Jude asked.

"No way," Connor said. "Nothing comes between me and my crab cakes."

Jude smiled. "Well at least I'm your second love."

"Nah first, you're not second on anything with me cakes. Speaking of cakes..." he popped another crab cake in and munched it down.

"Okay I'm pretty sure the real Princess Leia wouldn't scarf food down like that, you're ruining the effect," Jude said.

"Sorry," Connor mumbled through his chewing, making it sound like 'soffy.' "I'm hungry!" He pointed over to the stairs. "There's Jefferson."

"We'd better head towards the front," Jude said. Like had been done for Ronnoc there was a stage set up and people were migrating towards seats. Jefferson was on the opposite side of the crowd from them, working his way to the stage, stopping along the way to greet people and shake hands. Jude and Connor made their way up to the stage.

"Okay babe, I gotta get into position," Connor said. "See you up there."

Jude nodded and went up onto the stage and disappeared behind the curtain. Jefferson came up on stage after him and went up to the mike. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you're having a great time this All Hallow's Eve." He paused to cheers. "I want to thank you all for donating to the Ronnoc Center. As you know, we broke ground in the summer, and tonight I have a very special announcement. Thanks to an accelerated construction schedule and some very hard work by our executive directors, Adam and Ella, we'll be able to open much earlier than we planned. We're hoping you'll all be there for another party on Christmas Eve to celebrate the Center's Grand Opening!" He paused, the cheering was so loud that one of the TV reporters had to cover her ears.