Alexa squeezed my shoulder. I knew that she wanted to put on a show of an unbreakable bond in front of our provocative new friend. I was all for it, especially if it rapidly advanced our relationship. I could get used to holding her in my arms.
"No," I answered. I didn't believe in outright lying if it wasn't totally necessary. Lies seemed to have a way of coming back to bite you in the ass later. However, I was a big fan of stretching the truth when it was appropriate. Make a relationship that's only days old seem like it has been months. "We found each other since then and hit it off. We've been inseparable since. Why don't you tell us more about yourself?"
"Ok, that's fair," she responded, nodding. "Well, I was married with two children, Tyler and Kasey. I lost them all to the plague."
"Why do you call it a plague? Wasn't it a bunch of different diseases?" Alexa asked.
"I don't know the right term, I guess. But you are right. There were dozens of diseases released when the earth heated up after the comet struck in Asia. The ice melted everywhere and dead animals that were centuries old thawed out, still harboring viruses from their time. Our bodies never had a chance against them. The governments struggled to make headway on a virus just to have two or three more start killing people. So very few were immune. No doubt you both are like me. We had to watch helplessly as our friends and family died."
A tear formed in Jada's eye as she spoke. For a few moments we sat there in silence, as if showing respect for our lost loved ones. I felt Alexa's body slump against me. She was softening up toward Jada. The genuine grief that she sensed from the woman must have helped.
"So, how old are you?" Alexa eventually asked. I thought it was rude for women to ask each other their age, but in this new society those niceties seemed to have faded away.
"I'm thirty-three, dear," Jada replied without hesitation. "My children were just four and two. My husband, Jeff was my age. We owned a couple gyms together. They were doing okay. I also had a fitness training video business, called Jada Fitness. I was just getting that started when all this happened. These workout clothes were practically all that I took with me when I left. Fortunately, I have four identical sets to change between. My house was being looted when I got home from the hospital after my baby passed away. I wasn't able to grab anything else without taking a serious risk. With the extreme heat we’ve been having, I figured it would be enough."
"It's a nice outfit," Alexa said. "You look very attractive in it."
"Thank you, sweetheart. That's very sweet of you to say. I know I am intruding here, but I thought I'd give it a chance before I wander away from the area. I'm good with weapons. I can help provide protection and do some hunting. I don't snore in my sleep. I'm happy to help with any odd jobs that need doing. Do you think you two have room for a third?"
CHAPTER SIX:
"What do you think?" I asked Alexa. I had pulled her to the back office of the store so we could speak privately. I assumed that she would be fiercely opposed to the new roommate request of Jada. And she probably knew that I would be in favor of it. Not just because I would be living with two gorgeous women. The addition of the dark warrior could strengthen our defenses and contribute significantly to our overall work production. However, I was also stoked about my romantic progress with Alexa and didn't want to mess that up. Honestly, though, Alexa had become closer to me because of Jada. So, it could truly be a win-win for me.
"I don't know what to think," she whispered. "On one hand, we'd be much stronger with her. That is, of course, if we can trust her. On the other hand, I don't know if I will be able to tolerate her presence very well. We have a good thing going already, don't we? I'm afraid that adding her might ruin our situation."
I was delighted that she was thinking logically. Her thoughts were not fully clouded by her emotions. I believed that would work in Jada’s favor.
"Well, what do you sense from her? Is she trustworthy?"
"Oh, I sense plenty from her alright," Alexa smirked. "I don't think she will try to kill us in our sleep or steal our stuff. But she's got the hots for you, Mason. Big time! I don't know if I can compete with her."
"It's not a competition, Alexa. You and I are sort of in a relationship. It's very early for us, true, but still. I'm not going to let another woman break us up. Don’t worry about that."
"Mason," she said, looking me straight in the eye. "There are a lot more women left alive then men. She won't be only attractive survivor that will take an interest in you. Believe me."
"So, what do we do?"
"I don't know. If I decide, it might be based solely on how I feel about you. What is the logical decision?" Alexa asked. I still couldn't believe she was interested in logic in this situation. That showed a maturity beyond her years in my opinion. I respected that. It was a quality that I found very appealing in a mate as well.
"Without a doubt, the logical decision would be to take her in," I replied confidently. "The only issue would be trust, but I'll rely on your intuition for that. Are you clearing her as a threat?"
Alexa peeked back into the room at Jada, but she could only see the top of her head over the beer shelving. The mixed braids with red coloring and string remained motionless. I didn't know if visibility improved Alexa's readings or not, but I waited patiently for her response.
Finally, she nodded and said. "Yes. I just don't trust her with my man."
"Your man, huh?"
She placed her hand on my chest as she smiled up at me with pouting lips. Her head then rest against my shoulder as she whispered, "I don't want you alone with her."
"Works for me." When she pulled her head back, I gently tilted up her dainty chin with my hand. I glanced quickly between her eyes and her lips, hoping that I was clearly communicating what I wanted to do. Then, very softly, I placed my lips against hers for a moment. My eyes instinctively closed when I kissed her. I was happy to see that her eyes were still closed when I reopened mine. The show of affection was unquestionably accepted and appreciated.
I kept my arm around the tapered small section of her back as we casually returned to the dining area. Jada didn't look like she had moved an inch while she was waiting for our response. I knew from her manner that when she asked to join us, she was not incredibly optimistic that we would agree. I believe that she doubted that my jealous girlfriend would accept her. She certainly had good reason to feel that way.
"Oh, my," Jada said as we approached the table smiling. Our joyful expression was mostly afterglow from our kiss, but she didn't know that. She stood up hastily in her excitement, nearly knocking the chair backwards to the floor. "It looks like you are going to say yes."
"Yes," I replied. "We have agreed that you would be a great addition to our team. Welcome to your new home."
"Yay," Jada said enthusiastically. It looked like she was itching to give me a hug. Though I would welcome it, my partner would no doubt take offense. Fortunately, she turned to Alexa first and wrapped her arms firmly around thinner woman. It took Alexa by surprise, but she quickly joined in the celebratory embrace. I was delighted to see a wide grin on her face as she turned to me. When Jada pulled away, she asked Alexa, "Is it okay if I give Mason a quick thank you hug?"
Blue flashed across Alexa's forehead and chest briefly before she nodded her approval. I was careful to keep my hands in the safe zone as I hugged our new roommate. Her grip was firm, but quick. When she released, her hands remained on my biceps for another moment.
"You are a strong man in your own right, Mason," Jada said with a sparkle in her eye. "I have weapons to share, and I can train you if you want. You, too, Alexa."
"Oh, that's okay," Alexa said. "I'll let you two do most of the fighting, if you don't mind. I would be worthless in battle beside both of you."
"Don't sell yourself short, girl," Jada said warmly. I was glad to see her working to befriend Alexa quickly. "I'm sure that you have talents in areas well beyond mine. We'll make a good team, I think."
Alexa spent the nex
t few minutes showing our new friend around the place and explaining our current routine. When we finally sat back down at the table to finish our coffee we talked some more. Sadly, we forgot about the sausage cooking. It was more like burnt jerky by the time we remembered. Alexa grabbed a box of sweet pastries that we had been saving for a special occasion. The things must have been pumped full of preservatives to still be edible after all that time. We shared with Jada our plans to improve our dwelling. She had some good ideas as well but was carefully wording everything she said to show the respect that she had as the newcomer. I was gaining even more confidence in our decision to accept her.
"Do you guys mind if I clear a space in the back corner for exercise and weapons training?" Jada asked.
"Not at all," I replied, visualizing our new friend working out. Her firm round butt filled out the tight spandex shorts wonderfully. "I can help move things around."
"Maybe put some walls around it for her privacy," Alexa interjected. Again, I wondered if she had read my very specific thoughts. She had been vague all along about her gift’s capacity. If it was possible that she could literally read my thoughts, did she see what I was imagining? Did my visual of Jada’s high-quality ass appear in her mind?
"Thank you, dear," Jada nodded to Alexa. "I also like to wash up every day, but I can fetch the extra water for that myself."
"I think a daily sponge bath would be good for all of us," Alexa replied, elbowing me gently. I wasn't quite diligent with my personal care before the girls came along. I did need to change that, especially if I would be getting some cuddle time with Alexa soon. Water was so precious that we needed to find a way to maximize its effectiveness when bathing so we don't waste any. My mind wandered once again to the two beautiful women soaping up their bodies. I glanced at Alexa to see if she was reacting to my thoughts. I didn’t see the telltale blue flashes or any expected reaction, though.
"I've started on a neighborhood map," I changed the subject, just in case. "I'll mark what houses that we've already raided for supplies, and any hazards I've encountered so far. You can mark the places that you've been as well, Jada. We have a little wagon, but I wouldn't mind finding something that could hold more."
We continued to discuss our plans for more supply runs, and Alexa's growing shopping list. I helped Jada with moving the beer shelving around in the back corner to make a suitable exercise room. There was a lot of product on the floor, and broken glass too, so it took a while to completely clean it up. Alexa started on an early lunch so we could head out for supplies around noon. As I was scooping up debris to place in a trash can, I heard Jada call my name. When I turned to face her, I was alarmed to find a small blue ball heading straight for me. It struck me in the chest before I could respond. The dense racquetball kind of hurt a little when it hit.
"Hey!" I yelled out, catching the ball in my hand as it dropped. I wasn't angry enough to whip it back at her, but it was annoying. "What the hell, Jada?"
"Sorry," she apologized. "I was just testing your reflexes. You moved really well during the battle in the church. I thought maybe it was a reflex thing."
I looked over to Alexa as she was working in the dining area. She was placing food on the table and overheard us. She shook her head no ever so slightly, indicating that she didn't want me to reveal my special deflection ability just yet. I could appreciate her reasoning. However, Jada could be instrumental in assisting me understand and hone my skills. Additionally, revealing my gift could encourage her to tell us about any special talents that she might have. I decided to wait until a better moment to have that discussion. I tossed the dense ball back to her without a word. I could tell that she was expecting there to be more to the conversation.
After our energizing meal we gathered up our bags, wagon, and some weapons before heading out. Alexa reluctantly took my baseball bat. She was still too scared to handle anything with a blade. Jada carried her trusty spear and handed me the hatchet with which I was already familiar. I slid the handle through a belt loop of my cargo shorts to keep my hand free as I pulled the small wagon. Our plan was to scavenge methodically from house to house this time, crossing them off the map. There was a slew of homes on the next couple streets to the south that I had not checked out yet. We decided to make our way in that direction.
Jada announced that she would scout ahead for any possible issues. I almost told her that Alexa's ability was a better method, then remembered we didn't want to reveal that just yet. Also, it didn't work on animals, apparently.
"How far away can you sense people?" I asked Alexa as Jada started pulling ahead.
"I don't know, maybe a couple hundred feet?"
"Jada," I raised my voice hoping not to be overheard by possible enemies. "Try to stay within a hundred feet of us, for communication."
She nodded then ducked around the back of a house facing our street. We would have to cut through some backyards to make if over to the next street. If not for the wagon it would be best to stay behind the buildings. However, fences and uneven ground made that nearly impossible if we wanted to cart supplies back. Before we reached that same corner, Jada reappeared and said the area was clear. We made it to the first house on our list successfully without incident.
The home was a small one-story rancher with a basement. The yellow vinyl siding was turning brown, making it almost the same color as the faded shutters. Both the front and back doors seemed secure. Basement door in the back did, too. Jada circled the house looking for broken windows as I began working on prying open the rear door. As instructed, Alexa stayed with the wagon at the bottom of the five concrete steps, one hand resting on the wrought iron handrail. Her face flashed blue periodically as she tried to determine if there was anyone inside or around the building. Jada returned just as I got the door jimmied open. The confident dark workout queen entered first, then Alexa as I looked around for anyone possibly watching us enter. Everything was smooth so far.
The modest home was a bit of a mess, but I believed that was how the residents had kept it. There were tons of dirty dishes, newspapers, and clothes lying everywhere. No rodents visible yet, but there were plenty of insects. We found almost a full case of bottled water, some crackers and canned food, as well as a bit of medical supplies. We returned to the back door quickly, not wanting to stay in there any longer than necessary.
Alexa approached the exit first and paused briefly to perform her sweep of the area. A minute later all the items were in the cart as we headed for the next house over. This one had a three-foot high chain link fence around the back yard with two decaying animal carcasses, probably dogs. More insects, too. We decided to try the front door instead. Both girls cleared us for entry into the white two-story brick home. The front door was closed but unlocked. We treaded carefully just in case, but there was no one in there. More water and bag snacks. Not much of anything else of value.
Jada reached the front door first, then turned to Alexa and asked, "Did you want to do your thing before we go out?" The two girls stared at each other for a moment, Alexa registering that our new friend already knew she had a special ability. Alexa nodded as the beautiful blue streaks flashed on her temples and chest, then she pointed at the door.
"Okay, I guess that's out of the way," I whispered as we loaded up the wagon.
"We can talk more about it when we get back," Jada said. "And your kinetic battle ability, too. "
"My what?"
"That thing you do when the veins in your arms turn colors as you redirect objects like my ax. Did you think I didn't notice that?"
"Alright," I conceded. "You can then share with us any special abilities that you have."
"To my knowledge," she replied. "I don't have any. Unless you count my awesome fighting skills and sexual prowess." The temptress then gave me a seductive smile. I turned to Alexa to see her response, both from Jada's denial of extra talent and her flirting.
Alexa just shrugged, then said calmly, "I think she's telling the truth. Unless she's
acquired an edge in combat, any special ability she might have gained has not manifested itself yet."
We decided to return our focus to the task at hand and table this discussion for later. The third house in the row had been consumed by fire, and the fourth one too damaged by it to make entry safe. We then crossed the narrowly paved street with caution to try the houses on the other side before calling it quits for the day. A neat cape cod with blue siding looked to be relatively untouched. There was a glass enclosed porch on the front with the door unlocked. The small space was vacant except for a pair of women's boots and two packages that had been delivered long ago but never opened. Without hesitation I ripped the tape off to find some men's crew socks, a USB memory stick, and some white chocolate nut energy bars. The latter went straight to the cart.
Jada threw her sturdy shoulder into the painted metal front door while I was busy opening my presents. Her third try busted the frame and sent the door swinging into the wall. If anyone was home, they would certainly know that we're there. I lifted the wagon into the enclosed porch to make it less noticeable to anyone passing by. The three of us then began our search. Again, more water and snacks. A stock pile of energy and nutrition bars was a huge find. We decided to grab more cutlery and dishes, too. There was also a clean blue tarp folded up in the corner of the laundry room. I decided to drape it over our wagon full of goods. Before we leave, I could tuck it in on all sides to keep the load secure as I pulled the small wheels across uneven terrain.
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