Survival

Chapter 17 Proposition

Sitting through supper with Nate and his daughter was agreeable. His daughter was a young red head who would probably still have been in high school were it still in session. She had an infectious smile, but something seemed off about her. Edward couldn’t put his finger on it, but her sweet daughter act would slip at moments and her scornful glares would peek through.

Edward retired back to his room, exhausted from a day at work. He grabbed a glass of water out of his sink that came from a natural water source in one of the nearby caves. There was enough infrastructure to pump it all the way to his room, which was far easier than raiding stores like he had been doing for weeks.

A knock sounded from outside his door, which was a bit confusing as he didn’t know more than a handful of people here. He looked through the peephole to see a familiar face with her black hair pulled tightly back into a bun. Her red shirt and tall boots were replaced by a plain blue shirt and crisp black pants.

He opened the door with an eyebrow raised. “Is this what you look like outside the field, sarge?”   

“Yes,” she said as she brought a brown coloured bottle out from behind her back. “This is a token of our appreciation, for accepting the position.”

Edward accepted the bottle with a smile, looking down at the label. He began to laugh. “Felt bad about the bourbon after all, did you?”

“You never really got to finish it.”

“I’ve heard that it’s best shared, if you want to join me.” He tried to add an inviting smile, but he feared he looked like a predator.

Olivia shrugged and entered his room. He had to contain his excitement, only turning around for a brief moment to bring his clenched fist up to his chest and pull it down quickly to indicate success. He couldn’t believe a beautiful woman was about to sit in his room drinking gifted bourbon with him.

“This isn’t a trap, is it?” he joked.

“Why would we need to trap you? You’re already here and terrified of heights so I can’t imagine why you’d begin to run.”

“It was a joke, Olivia,” Edward said, chugging his water and grabbing another empty glass for her. He poured a couple generous glasses and handed her one. She smiled in response, making the blood rush down below his belt. “So, are you always the welcoming committee?”

“No, they rarely give me this job.” She took a small sip. The silence hung in the air for a few moments. “Did you mean what you said when we jumped?”

“You mean my ‘last words’?”

“Yes, did you meant to say that I was a bitch.”

Edward choked on his bourbon, spitting it back in the glass with the class of chimpanzee. “I, uhm, I was afraid of dying.”

Olivia nodded as she took another sip. Her posture was stiff, and she stood with her shoulders back. He wondered if she ever grew tired of acting the way she did. He motioned to the chairs on either side of a small wooden table where they could set down their glasses. She sat down but looked no more comfortable.

“What do you do for fun, Olivia?”

“Fun?” she asked, placing the short glass on a coaster he didn’t even know he owned. “I have a few pastimes. I do a fair bit of jogging, self-defense training, some reading. I also enjoy a nice glass of bourbon,” she said, raising the glass again. Edward let out a laugh.

“You forgot pushing people out of planes,” he added with a wink.

A slight colour rose to her cheeks and she covered it with a quick drink. “Only when they act like small children.”