I know. I know. I said no bar hangs this month.

But there are white rabbits. And white rabbits overrule intentions.

Tyler gave me a book to read. Paul Auster’s The New York Trilogy. Detective novellas that stirred writerly yearnings I’ve been trying to access for over a year now when I asked everyone for noirish music to spawn creativity.

And then he asked me all casual like…Everything But The Girl?

I replied…Missing? And the remixes. His disappointment was palpable. Not because I lack encyclopedic knowledge of music, but because when he discovered the album Amplified Heart, it conjured thoughts of me.

So I listened. And yes. It was Sade. The Cardigans. Massive Attack. The Cranberries. Squeeze. Every mid 1990’s vibe I give off. He knows me.

I listened to the album and every song conjured memories.

I read the first of the three novellas and the story I needed to write began to pour out. I listened to Missing and the story poured out in vivid detail.

White rabbits I can’t ignore. I’ve been consumed by this vibe for three days now. Not even changing clothes to pour everything into 11 pages.

And though I said no bar hangs, when Tyler invited me to his show at Bowery tonight I knew that my immediate no was not the right move. So I asked Nikola what he was doing and he said he’d be at the show. I asked him to be my date and gears began to grind into motion.

We met at Lovers of Today, where we talked about upstate renovations hampered by rodents, public school education, shallow love interests and my infinite coolness. The last one is only partly tongue in cheek.

I was already in a mood…contemplative, not onery…because of The 1975’s new release. Tyler’s band, The Tube, rocked it at Bowery. And Nikola is, IMHO, the perfect show buddy. He brings energy and optimism AND snark. But even beyond that, he checked the bathrooms for me and held the door open for me to enter. The woman who scoops him up…all I’m saying, ladies.

We took things to Lucy’s. Tyler, Nikola, me and Ty’s friend Silas. I think? I got one on one time with Ty to discuss music, art and soulfulness. Oh and Matty Healy. And Ty and I introduced Nikola to Hector LaVoe, king of Fania salsa.

An Uber back home. I’m beat. In bed with some chia yogurt mixed with some cherry preserves. I’ve already footnoted Nikola with Squeeze (Up The Junction, Tempted, Heaven Knows) and some Man Or Astro-Man to boot.

Have I mentioned I love Nikola. He just gets it. And Tyler…almost four years in and he’s still my white rabbit. I don’t necessarily know where we’re going. But I know that it’s always going to have a pay off down the road.

Night, my lovelies.