Survival

Chapter 25 Your woman

He set down his plate at the long table beside Nate as he discreetly kept an eye on Olivia. After last night, it was hard not to. Luckily, he wouldn’t have to limit himself to one night. For some freak of nature reason, she wanted to make it a regular thing. He sure as hell would make it count next time. She’d drop him to the curb like last night’s dinner otherwise. All he needed to figure out was how. Maybe he could find a gym around here to build some stamina or just do jumping jacks in his room or something. Too bad porn wasn’t an option anymore.

“Mischa’s not eating with us?” Edward asked.

“There are some other teens here. It’s probably best she doesn’t spend all her time with her old man so she can at least pretend things aren’t so different.”

“Are they sending any of them to school?”

“Apprenticeships. Her latest one doesn’t seem to be going so well so far. It’s harder when you weren’t recruited and your skills don’t match just right.”

“Do you know how that whole recruitment business started? They had me under surveillance six months before the disaster.”

“I have to confess, I was part of that team. Some of your online activity sparked our interest. From there, we kept tabs on you.”

Edward raised an eyebrow and really hoped that they hadn’t gone extensively through his online history. Privacy existed for a reason. “Had to let me rot in the desert for a few weeks though, didn’t you?” Edward joked.

“We had an unforeseeable event or two came up which got in the way.”

“I’ll forgive you. The woman you sent was quite attractive so it made up for the wait.”

Nate chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, Officer Fendson? She’s certainly... interesting.”

Edward laughed from his gut. “Officer? Here I was, thinking she was some kind of drill sergeant the whole time.”

“I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s been here a little too long. The cold nature of this place starts to rub off on you if you’re not too careful”

“And how long is that?”

“Just over a year.”

He took the opportunity to let his eyes wander in her direction again. Her light blue uniform fit her like a glove, if gloves happened to have a great rack. C’mon Olivia, take your eyes off that steroid monkey and look over here.

“Be careful before last night’s partner finds you leering.”

Edward’s face flushed. “She wouldn’t be too pleased.”

“Best just to have one at a time, or else the web gets too complicated.”

“Nate, you sly dog. I thought you were married for years.”

“I got married after college,” Nate said with a smile.

  

Later that night, once Edward was out for drinks at Alfonzo Ruiz’s place, he realized he had never kept his promise to Nate’s daughter. She had probably forgotten as well. He poured himself another drink from a mysterious bottle Alfonso acquired, hopefully under different circumstances than his own.

“How was the first week?” Alfonzo asked.

“Better than jumping out of plane. How about yours?”

“Eh, working in medicine, it’s alright. Sometimes, they ask very strange things of us. I can’t explain it, but a job is a job. This apartment is much nicer than what I had before.”

Edward smiled and added, “I know, and free drinks!”

Alfonzo laughed deeply. “Yes, our co-workers are so happy to share their habits. My Maria, I can only imagine her yelling ‘Alfonzo, you are drinking, again! You wake up and everything will be gone, your TV, your life, your wife’. She thinks I can’t stop. I can, but I choose not to.” His grin persisted, but the empty apartment left a bitter sting to the re-enacted words. “Were your co-workers as generous?”

“Actually, Fendson stopped by last week with a bottle.”

“Are you serious?”

“I know, couldn’t believe it myself. Brand new bourbon, which to be fair, she smashed my other one when she picked me up in the helicopter.”

 “She brings you bourbon, that woman?”

“She boggles my mind sometimes,” he said, thinking of last night. It was certainly different than any intimate moment he had ever had, but not necessary in a bad way. He did want to kiss her and didn’t quite understand her aversion to it. He’d respect it all the same if they continued to make it a weekly event. He had reached when he threw that statement out. Once or twice a month was his best guess, but she’d gone for the weekly offer without protest. It paid to be confident.

“You must have melted her ice heart when you parachuted together.”

“What can I say, I’m a charmer,” he joked. It was pretty safe because he knew Alfonzo had no suspicions. Hell, if he hadn’t been there in the flesh, he wouldn’t have believed it either.

“You’re more entertaining than Williams, maybe she’ll come around.”

Edward laughed. “What is that guy doing here now?”

“He was recruited into the security division and works with your woman.”

 Edward just laughed. He assumed she would be mortified if anyone called her their woman. So Williams was the brawn of the organization along with sweet Olivia. At least Edward could claim to be at the brain for once, not that a nerd status would do much to get him points. But then again, the world was evolving before his eyes and putting on show he could only imagine in the past.

A/N: Any predictions on what Mischa is up to, snooping around? Hope you're enjoying the read so far. There's lot to come including Mischa's perspective and a little more insight into Cynthia and Vita's situation. Thanks for reading :)