by Steven Pajak
“We will,” Jenna said. Unlike Liam, she spoke without accent. She smiled knowingly at me and then put her arm around her husband and put her head against his shoulder.
* * *
After leaving the CP I headed home to find something to eat and to take a quick nap before the meeting later. I entered the foyer and dropped my gear in its usual place by the front door. I paused for a moment when I heard the crackle of a fire. I’d used the last of my wood and I’d put out the fire before leaving today. Ascending the stairs to investigate, I found Lara in the kitchen washing out my cowboy coffee pot.
She saw me when I come in and she put the coffee pot down, coming to me, embracing me. She planted a quick kiss on my cheek. It had been a long time since I felt such a warm embrace. I put my arms around her and pulled her in close, kissing her more deeply on the lips.
“I hope you don’t mind me letting myself in. The door was open.”
“Not at all.”
“Oh, I brought back your coffee pot. I thought now would be a good time to give you that lesson.”
“Is that going to be our code word for hot passionate sex?”
Lara blushed, her pink cheeks turning a bright red. “Matthew!”
“What? You really want to show me how to make coffee?”
“Not now,” Lara said. She took my hands and placed them on her breasts. “I’d rather have hot passionate sex.”
I lifted her petite body and carried her to the sofa. The sex was definitely hot and passionate. We forgot about making coffee.
* * *
When Lara and I left my house it was a quarter to six. I hadn’t seen Brian since our conversation at Ravi’s place. I don’t know what he’d gotten up to the entire afternoon, but I hope he’d changed his mind about telling everyone what we’d done to Comedian. I was concerned he’d use this opportunity as his confessional.
The sky was dark and thin wisps of gray clouds hung low. At this time of year, darkness came as early as 4:30 or 5:00 in the evening. The wind picked up as the sun went down, kicking up mists of snow from the ground and pelting our faces. Lara pulled up her scarf as we walked.
Light from the CP beckoned us, promising warmth against the cold evening. From my peripheral I caught Lara looking around, taking in our surroundings. Either she was checking for any stray crazies that had made it over the walls again, or she was looking to see if anyone spotted us holding hands. This was the first time we’d both gone out unarmed in such a long time I have to admit I felt a bit naked.
Although we hadn’t discussed it, I figured there was no reason to hide our burgeoning relationship. I hope she felt the same way. The life we all lived now could be short and brutal. It was best to let folks know how you really feel or you might find you will never have the chance.
Within twenty yards of the CP I spotted Wesley and Cody playing in a snow drift. Wesley was hurling snowballs at a very enthusiastic Cody who was doing a pretty good job at either dodging the snow bombs or catching them within his teeth. I could hear Wesley’s soft laughter, even at a distance, and it was good to hear happy sounds.
As we drew near, Lara stopped suddenly and dipped down, scooping snow into her gloved hands. She worked her petite hands and quickly formed a snow ball. She looked at me and smiled, then turned toward Wesley and Cody and let fly. The snow ball arched high into the night sky. For a moment I lost it against the darkness but then picked it up again on the down arch. The snowball landed high on Cody’s right rump, causing the dog to squeal and turn.
“Bingo!” Lara shouted and laughed.
“Hey!” Wesley shouted and then let fly with his own snow ball. It landed short, about six or seven feet in front of Lara’s boots.
“Oh, it’s on,” Lara said. She gave me a light shove. “Let’s go Danzig. Arm yourself.”
Cody had retreated behind his little master and yipped as Wesley launched several more missiles at us. Apparently, Wesley had already prepared a line of snow balls.
Lara and I moved forward as we dodged Wesley’s throws, and then returned fire. Lara’s next shot hit Wesley in the left shoulder and my own attempt took Wesley’s knee. As we scooped more snow, Wesley already let fly another salvo and finally he scored a hit. The heavy snowball knocked off my knit cap and sent me backward onto my ass when I lost balance in my attempt to dodge it.
From the cold snow I heard Wesley cry, “Charge!” and before I knew it, Cody was already on me, his warm tongue finding the cold flesh of my cheeks. And then Lara was down on her knees stuffing cold snow down my parka.
“Not fair,” I said between laughs. “Totally not fair!”
Wesley dive bombed in, kicking up snow. “Pile!” he shouted and then landed on my stomach, for a moment taking my breath away. Lara piled on top of Wesley, holding her weight with her hands and feet dug into the snow. Cody was jumping all around us yipping excitedly.
“Eat snow, Danzig,” Lara said and pushed a handful of snow into my cheek. I turned at the last minute and much of the handful of snow went down the side of my neck and into my coat.
“Oh, you’re both dead when I get up!”
“What the hell is going on over there?” Ray shouted from the threshold of the garage. I knew his voice and he didn’t sound pleased. “Cody! Here boy!”
“Party’s over,” Wesley said.
I looked at Lara and we both busted out laughing. Now I was really out of breath and was relieved when Lara got to her knees and Wesley rolled off to my side.
“We’re just fooling around, Mr. Colon! Cody’s fine. He likes the snow.”
Ray was quiet for a moment and then said, “All right go on back to your roughhousing just make sure Cody doesn’t bite no one for real. Or no one bites him.”
Wesley giggled. “Mr. Colon is a riot.”
Again Lara and I exchanged glances at Wesley’s choice of words but this time we held our laughter.
“We better get inside,” I said to Wesley. I pulled off his knit cap and then threw it about ten feet away.
“Hey!” Wesley ran for his hat before the wind could take it.
“And don’t think I forgot about your blitz attack. I’ll get you when you least expect it.”
“Bring it on, Mr. Danzig. I’ll be ready.”
“You are such a child,” Lara said and punched my arm.
“You started this and I’m the child?”
“Whatever. Let’s get inside I’m cold.”
“And you don’t even have any snow down your back.”
“I don’t,” she said with a smug smile. Her smile fell away when I stopped and bent for snow. “You better not.”
“All is fair in love and war, baby.” I grinned and shoved the handful of snow down the back of her coat.
I ran for the CP laughing while Lara let go a few choice words. When I reached the front door I turned around and saw her shaking out the snow that hadn’t already melted against her warm skin.
“Sorry, but you deserved that.”
I stepped into the CP and was greeted by a crowded room buzzing with excited chatter. The smell of strong coffee wafted through the air and I thought I also smelled cinnamon. As I unzipped my coat and pulled it off Lara filed in behind me and closed the door.
“Late to the party as usual,” she said as she pulled off her own coat. “It smells fantastic in here. I guess you’ll get your coffee after all.”
Before I could respond she pinched my butt and made her way into the gathering of our community members. Al Sanchez’s wife appeared out of the crowd and took my coat and then Sam was there whisking me away into the kitchen. I said hello and waved at friends as Sam pulled my arm and manhandled through the sea of humans. There were no more than thirty-five folks in the CP, but even that many in a small living room could make you feel claustrophobic.
In the kitchen the smell of cinnamon was strong. Reggie raised an oven-mitted hand in greeting and I returned the gesture. He pulled a tray of cinnamon smelling something or other out of the oven and pla
ced it on the range top to cool off.
“That smells fantastic,” I said. “Hey, Reggie.”
“It was all we could do on short notice,” Sam said. She’d worked herself up into a sweat. “I found a tub of flour that I’d forgotten about, thanks to your inventory duty, and we had a bunch of jars of cinnamon—“
“And voila! Cinnamon buns,” Reverend Reggie exclaimed.
“More like cinnamon biscuits, but whatever,” Sam said. Again, she took my arm into her hand and led me out of the kitchen.
“Later, Reggie,” I managed before we banged out of the kitchen and back into the dining room.
Sam led me to the buffet where plates of the cinnamon biscuits were already laid out, most of which were already picked over. Two carafes of coffee also sat on the buffet next to a stack of Styrofoam cups.
“Everyone seems to be enjoying the spread,” Sam said. “Reggie’s doing a fantastic job keeping up with the demand. Do you want some coffee?”
I grasped Sam’s hand and pried it off my arm and then held it between my own. “Sam, honey, this is great. You’ve done a fantastic job. Look at everyone enjoying themselves.”
She looked around as if she were seeing everyone in the room for the first time. All around the room folks were holding cups of coffee and munching on the pastry. Even Ray had wheeled himself into a corner and had a few biscuits on a napkin in his lap. He saw us looking over at him and he raised his cup of joe in salute to Sam.
“I guess everything’s fine,” Sam said.
“Absolutely. Now why don’t you and Reggie take a break and come on out and mingle with everyone. We’re going to get started in a few minutes anyway.”
“I guess we can do that,” she said. She looked over the buffet and started to pick up some of the empty platters. “Let me just get these refilled and we’ll take a break.”
“I’ll see you in a bit,” I said and snatched up a last biscuit on one of the platters in Sam’s hand.
I poured some coffee into one of the cups. Unfortunately there was no creamer, not even any of the powdered stuff, but there was sugar. I dropped a few spoons into my cup and then went off to mingle myself.
I found a quiet spot in the family room, taking a seat in one of the oversized chairs in a corner. Across the room I watched Lara as she moved across the room, stopping here and there to engage her friends in conversation. Every time she laughed or smiled I felt butterflies in my stomach. And a little jealousy when she touched someone’s arm or shoulder when she talked to them. I knew then I was bitten hard.
After finishing off the biscuit that was actually quite good and washing it down with coffee, I stood and went to find Kat. She was in the upstairs play room which had been converted to a meeting space for tonight. She’d gotten everyone to bring folding chairs and arranged them auditorium style facing a rectangular folding table at the front of the room. There were two chairs behind the table and four chairs on each side of the table. I assumed the table was for myself and Brian and the other chairs for the council members.
“Are we almost ready, Kat?”
“We’re good to go,” Kat said without looking at me. She moved along one row of chairs fussing with them trying to get a straight line.
“Kat, do you have a minute?” I asked. I sat in one of the folding chairs and patted the one next to me.
Before sitting, Kat took a look around the room as if to confirm we were alone. Finally she sat and turned toward me, our knees touching. When she faced me I could not see the scar on the opposite side of her face.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine, boss.”
I nodded my head. I believed Kat. She had utter confidence in her abilities, as did I. What I was concerned about was the emotional changes I’d witnessed over the last few months. Kat seemed colder now than she once was.
“What’s on your mind, Matt?”
Apparently I was that transparent. I’d have to work on my poker face. “I’ve been worried about you lately. You seem a little…distant. Are we still friends, Kat?”
“Of course we are. What else would we be?”
“Boss and employee. Leader and subordinate. I don’t know, you tell me.”
“Where is this coming from?” Kat asked. “Did Sam say something to you?”
“No,” I said, suddenly alarmed. This conversation was taking on a life of its own and I was afraid of where it might lead. “No. I guess I just been feeling a bit guilty lately, feeling like maybe I’ve pushed people to be something they’re not.”
“You didn’t push anyone. This situation made us who we are. You have no reason to get down on yourself.” She took my hand, something she hadn’t done in a long time. “Look, if you’re worried about my cold act, it’s just how I cope with things. It’s the way I have to be to do my job.”
I looked down at our hands and studied our crossed fingers. Her nails were unpainted and the creases of her knuckles were dirty. Kat had always been concerned with her appearance. Before the world turned to shit I had never looked upon Kat without makeup and perfect hair. She’d always fussed over her clothes and made sure she was in the newest styles. Now she wore dark clothes and pulled her hair up into a ponytail and stuffed it under a knit cap.
Still holding her hands with my right, my left touched her chin and softly turned her head so that I could see the scar on her cheek. The bump of red flesh was about three inches long and zigzagged slightly as it curved up toward her ear. I ran my forefinger softly over the scar expecting her to flinch. Instead she closed her eyes and leaned into my hand.
“I’m sorry, Kat,” I said and was embarrassed that my voice came out shaky. A tear stung the corner of my eye and I tried to blink it away.
Now Kat let go of my hand in her lap and took hold of the one that caressed her scar. She gripped it gently and brought it to her lips, kissing the back of my hand.
“Samantha still touches me like that,” Kat said. “She says it’s my beauty mark. She says it gives me character. She calls it a branding of love.”
“She’s sweet,” I said. “I miss being in love, Kat. I’m glad you still have that between you and Sam. If that changed…I’d be very sad.”
“Does Lara know you’re such a sensitive man?”
I don’t know what my facial reaction to her question was but it must have been comical because Kat laughed deeply in that throaty, sexy Adele way she had.
“You guys are so obvious. Sam said she knew the moment she saw your face when you opened the door yesterday.”
“I definitely have to work on my poker face.”
Kat laughed again. She said, “I’m happy for you. Hell, I’m happy for her. She’s got a good man and if she ever does anything to hurt you I’ll kick her little red-haired ass to Providence and back.”
“I bet you would, Kat. You’re a good number one. You know, when we’re out in the field I never watch my back because I know you are.”
She stood up and swatted my shoulder with a red handkerchief and dropped it into my lap. “That’s just stupid. Now dry your eyes before someone else sees you crying.”
* * *
I called the meeting to order just after seven. As expected, Brain and the rest of the council members were seated on either side. Maureen, Liam and Jenna sat in the front row awaiting introductions. When I asked Brian about Ian, he said he was looking and feeling much better but Ravi would not allow him to sit at the meeting.
Lara was nowhere to be seen so I assumed she was on patrol. Kat would never let everyone sit here without some sort of security team out there watching. I found myself wondering if Lara had volunteered for the assignment or if she felt like she had to take the shit jobs because she and I were now an item and she didn’t want anyone to think there was favoritism. I’d have to talk to her about that. Another possible unforeseen complication in our relationship.
Standing up behind the table and looking at all the eager faces made me feel vulnerable suddenly. I could feel beads of sweat formi
ng on my brow as I addressed our community members. As I welcomed back Brian from his journey, I noticed my right hand begin to tremble slightly, and was grateful for the round of applause as it gave me an opportunity to hide the tremors by clapping my hands together.
After Brian said a few words and sat down, I addressed the group again. Although we had not agreed on ceremony, we members of the council knew each other well enough to anticipate each other’s moves or follow their leads. Gripping the table edge with my trembling right hand, I said, “As many of you already know, Brian brought a few guests to Randall Oaks. I’d like you all to give a warm welcome to Liam and Maureen Finnegan and Jenna Lefew.”
The residents of Randall Oaks made sure that our guests were well received with applause and pats on the shoulders. Someone yelled out, “I love you, Maureen!” from the back of the room. Although Maureen’s face turned bright red, she responded, “Sorry, I’m taken, dear, but thank you anyways,” and everyone chuckled.
“Welcome all,” I continued. “Our other guest, Ian, is feeling a bit under the weather and couldn’t be here with us this evening.
“Now I know you all have questions about our guests, and they’re part of the reason we are all here today, but what I’m going to do is just tell you all what’s going on and I’m sure your questions will change.”
The room grew silent and the sense of vulnerability also grew. The trembling in my right had ceased for the moment thankfully. “About six weeks ago, Brian volunteered to leave the safety of Randall Oaks to not only search for supplies and trade, but also to see what was going on outside, to bring back news of our surroundings. And he has done exactly that.”
A cheer went up around the room and more applause. I didn’t clap this time, but kept my twitchy right hand gripping the table. When the room quieted again I gave them an abbreviated version of Brian’s journey. I told them about the abandoned pet kennel where he’d discovered medical supplies and machinery. I told them about some of the many supplies Brian encountered when he entered empty houses and barns. Finally, I told them all about the Finnegan’s farm.
