The First Days (As the World Dies #1)

The First Days (As the World Dies #1) Page 54

"Wanna fuck?" Jenni asked half-joking, looking him straight in the eye.

"Later. After the tequila," Juan answered softly, looking a little dazed.

"Okay. Meet you up there in twenty," Jenni answered with a smile and walked past him out of the room.

She felt Juan watching her, then heard the guy waiting for his turn in the shower say, "If I had been in there with her, I wouldn't be out already."

"Was she always that hot?" Juan asked, confused.

"Pretty sure she was," was the answer.

Jenni grinned to herself and ran up to her room.

Chapter 20

1. Dead Man’s Party

Jenni changed into a pale green tank top and jeans and ran up the stairs to the roof. To her surprise, there were already quite a few people up there, including her son, who sat in a circle of teenagers.

There were only five of them, two boys and three girls, but for the first time in awhile, he was smiling. The ever faithful Jack was at his side, smiling a doggy grin, and the kids were drinking warm colas and listening to a CD player someone must have snagged on a supply run.

"Hey, Mom!" Jason smiled at her and got up to hug her. "Is it cool if I camp up here with the rest of the kids tonight?"

"Yeah, sure," she answered, and eyed the pretty new brunette she had saved earlier today. The girl's haunted eyes were less red and she seemed comforted by the companionship of other teenagers.

"We're trying to cheer up Shelley. Her Mom and little sis got killed today before she was rescued," Jason explained.

"I totally get it," Jenni assured him, smiling. She was slowly starting to panic over Juan arriving with Jason standing there beaming. He looked so happy; she didn't want his smile to disappear.

But then it abruptly did and Jenni turned around worriedly wondering how to make Juan recognize he needed to be low-key.

But it was Travis and Katie that were walking onto the roof, both talking softly, not touching, but looking somehow intertwined. Jenni felt a pang of jealousy and frowned a little. She didn't care if Travis was in love with Katie.

But Katie was close to her, not Travis.

Katie looked up and smiled at Jenni. Walking up, she hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek and Jenni clung to her and felt better. The world was so cruel right now; she did not want to lose anything dear to her.

Travis set a huge pack of beer down on the ground as Mike and a few other workers also appeared on the roof. Curtis came up last holding a bag of candles in one arm and some bags of chips in the other.

"It's turning into a party," Jenni said with a laugh.

"We need one after this day," Travis answered.

More people were arriving, including the Mayor and Bill. There was a flurry of activity as folding chairs were brought up and some tables. More people spilled onto the roof, talking animatedly, shaking off the fear of the earlier attack. In the distance, the moans of the zombies still clawing at the gate could be heard, but everyone seemed determined to ignore it.

Soon, candles were burning in little jars set up along the edges of the roof and people milled around, drinking beer and soda, talking and relaxing.

There was a sense of relief among the people that could not be easily denied.

Once more, disaster had been averted.

Jenni hung out with Katie for a few minutes, her arms around her waist, talking to her softly.

"You look sad," Jenni said.

"Overwhelmed, that's all. Tomorrow we're going to start to get ready to go into the hotel."

Jenni glanced toward Travis. He was busy talking to the teenagers and Jason watched him with the type of scrutiny only a teenager could achieve.

"What about him?"

Katie shrugged. "He's my friend."

"And?"

"Jenni, you know." Katie looked at her sadly.

Jenni frowned a little more. "Look, I know you're into chicks, but maybe you could-okay, that was just dumb of me."

Katie laughed and hugged her tighter. "I just need time. Even if he was the hottest woman in the world, I couldn't. I need to just deal in my own way."

"You miss her terribly, don't you?"

Katie nodded and smiled sadly. "More than I can bear at times."

Juan literally tripped onto the rooftop. His boot had snagged on one of the electric cords being run up to power the stereo. He looked around confused. His gaze settled on Jenni and he wandered toward her trying far too hard to look nonchalant as he held one of the biggest bottles of tequila she had ever seen. In his other hand were two shot glasses.

Katie looked at Jenni, lifted both eyebrows and said, "I thought you had a thing for Travis?"

Jenni grinned and looked coy. "A girl can change her mind."

Katie laughed and shook her head. "Gawd, I've been a fool."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Go have fun."

Jenni grabbed Katie close, kissed her hard on the cheek, grinned, and walked over to Juan. Jenni knew she was turning it on sufficiently when several of the guys turned to watch her strut by. Juan still had a little bit of a dazed look on his face, but he did smile when she drew near.

There are times in life when pretense is just bullshit and a waste of time.

Juan and Jenni hung out about ten minutes at the party before they disappeared downstairs as more people showed up on the roof. Holding Juan's roughened hand in her own, Jenni dragged him down to the janitor's room. Grabbing the clipboard, she scribbled, "Out of Order" on it.

"Loca," Juan said with a laugh.

"Shut up," she answered and shoved him inside.

He managed to put the still closed bottle of tequila on the desk before Jenni was on him. She had already made up her mind that he was hers, at least for tonight, and she claimed him with burning kisses as she seductively wrapped herself around him.

"You're loca, Loca," he said with a satisfied grin as she pulled his clothes from his body.

"Yeah, you keep saying that. It's about time you experience it," she answered coyly.

Fire and water, heat and passion, desperation and perhaps something more, fueled their lovemaking. Jenni felt no fear as only the second man she had ever been with willingly in her entire life lifted her into his arms and pressed her naked back against the cool shower tiles and slid himself into her. She tangled her hands in his wet hair and kissed him deeply as the nightmare world they lived in faded to the dim edges of her reality. Only she and Juan existed and it was perfect.

Later on, in a tangle of limbs, she laughed as he growled into her neck and called her Loca in a way that meant the world to her and it was perfect.

Katie watched Juan and Jenni disappear off the roof and turned to Travis. They were sitting side by side on the edge of the roof. Travis looked back at her and raised his eyebrows. Katie slightly laughed and ran a hand over her hair.

"I've been really oblivious to some things, evidently," she said.

"Well, at least now I won't have to worry about you fixing me up with her," Travis answered with a wink.

Katie elbowed him lightly and took another swig of her beer. The mood was surprisingly relaxed considering that a small crowd of zombies was gathered outside of the gate. Of course, no one really wanted to deal with them tonight. There was a desperate weariness about their little party. People were tired of the zombies and tired of the siege. In the time period they had been able to go out on scrounging parties to bring back supplies and survivors, there had been almost a sense of normality. And now the zombies were back and people just wanted to forget how trapped they truly were.

Looking toward Jason, Katie saw he was talking intently with the other teenagers and now a few pre-teens. They were drinking soda and eating chips and once in awhile, Jason would laugh or smile. That was very good to see and Katie was sure he had not seen his stepmother disappear with Juan.

Travis rubbed the back of her neck with one hand gently and she glanced toward him. He gave her that sad-eyed smile that made her heart ache for him. So she did the only thing she could think of. She crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him. Laughing, he drew his hand away and leaned toward her.

"You know, it’s little things like that which make me think there is so much more to you than meets the eye," Travis said.

"Oh, there is," she answered, feeling slight guilt at her determination to make him think she was an unattainable lesbian. Of course, the painful truth was she was drawn to him and that felt like an utter betrayal of Lydia. "I have all sorts of deep dark secrets."

"Ah, I see," he said, and squinted his eyes at her. "You know, I don't believe you."

Katie laughed. "Seriously. I have all sorts of secrets that would tantalize you. But that's okay. My life as a super spy should be kept secret. I made James Bond look like a wussy."

"I see. Well, then I won't tell you that I'm a space alien," Travis said with a nod of his head.

Katie smirked and clicked her bottle of beer against his. "You got a deal."

Curtis wandered over and looked at them uncomfortably. "Did you get an update on our newest addition?"