even more paint on them, and a clean, light blue tee shirt with some sort of artsy screen print on it.
Her hair was shining and freshly blow dried, fluttering around her face to brush against her cheeks. He momentarily wished he could run his hands through that hair.
Her appearance didn’t really matter to him, which only added to his freaked out state of mind. Yes, he thought she looked adorable in her old paint stained clothes, but she could’ve been wearing an old lady muumuu for all he cared. It was the smile in her eyes that sent a sense of warmth over him and made him momentarily forget about the danger that loomed over his head.
Kyle found his voice and started giving out a few orders. “Okay. Let’s get all the stuff Abby brought into the bunker and organized. Then we have to spend some time checking out the place to make sure it’s going to hold up. I’m sure none of us want to be stuck under a few feet of earth without clean air.” Kyle stopped to look around for a second. “Where’s that Alex guy?”
“Right here.” Alex busted through the front door. “Sorry, I was just watching the news. I’m ready to get to work.”
Kyle looked him over. His hair was coated in some kind of gel, his clothes were freshly pressed and far too fancy to work in, and the cologne he wore was so strong it masked the smell of horse manure coming from the barn.
Kyle’s face was expressionless. “Right. Good. There’s a lot to be done.”
* * *
The four of them worked throughout the morning, not taking a break until lunch time mercifully rolled around. By the time the sun was high in the sky they had given every inch of the bunker a once over, checking all the systems and making sure there would be tools available for repairs in case anything broke down.
They moved the last of the large stores of water that Kyle had been keeping in the barn, of which there must’ve been hundreds of gallons that all needed to find a home inside the modest shelter. He had even included packages of drink mix to add flavor when they got bored with plain water. Either he had a lot of money or a lot of time to prepare. Abby decided maybe it was a bit of both.
They packed canned goods, dry foods, boxes of MRE’s that Kyle had purchased at a local army surplus, toiletries, medical supplies, and other necessities into the storage spaces inside their soon to be underground home.
“I need to get some food in me.” Abby stopped stacking cans as her stomach groaned. “I’m so hungry I’m about to start eating our emergency rations. Spaghetti and meatballs with a shelf life of fifty years is starting to look like a banquet.”
Kyle smiled in her direction and the small gesture made her heart beat a notch faster. “I think we could all use a little break.”
Food in hand, the group went out onto the porch to eat their various types of sandwiches. There was no real discussion, only the distinct sound of crunching and chewing. Jim passed around a bag of potato chips, everyone taking a handful to accompany their modest meals.
As Abby took a bite of her peanut butter and jelly she noticed that she was being watched. Through dark sunglasses her eyes landed on Kyle only to see him quickly avert his gaze.
He didn’t glow as much in the daylight, she noticed, letting her stare trail up his forearm and over his sleeve. Or perhaps it just wasn’t as obvious. Instead his body gave off a faint shimmer of light that simply looked like the sun was hitting his skin even as he sat in the shade of the porch.
She took another bite, continuing to gawk at him. Her eyes wandered to his neck, to the tendons that ran under the skin below his Adam’s apple. He was the opposite of bulky, his frame long and lean. She decided t his guy didn’t carry a gym membership in his wallet but working on the farm probably more than filled his quota of exercise.
He turned to look at her then. Their eyes met in a quick instant making Abby jump slightly. For a
Her hair was shining and freshly blow dried, fluttering around her face to brush against her cheeks. He momentarily wished he could run his hands through that hair.
Her appearance didn’t really matter to him, which only added to his freaked out state of mind. Yes, he thought she looked adorable in her old paint stained clothes, but she could’ve been wearing an old lady muumuu for all he cared. It was the smile in her eyes that sent a sense of warmth over him and made him momentarily forget about the danger that loomed over his head.
Kyle found his voice and started giving out a few orders. “Okay. Let’s get all the stuff Abby brought into the bunker and organized. Then we have to spend some time checking out the place to make sure it’s going to hold up. I’m sure none of us want to be stuck under a few feet of earth without clean air.” Kyle stopped to look around for a second. “Where’s that Alex guy?”
“Right here.” Alex busted through the front door. “Sorry, I was just watching the news. I’m ready to get to work.”
Kyle looked him over. His hair was coated in some kind of gel, his clothes were freshly pressed and far too fancy to work in, and the cologne he wore was so strong it masked the smell of horse manure coming from the barn.
Kyle’s face was expressionless. “Right. Good. There’s a lot to be done.”
* * *
The four of them worked throughout the morning, not taking a break until lunch time mercifully rolled around. By the time the sun was high in the sky they had given every inch of the bunker a once over, checking all the systems and making sure there would be tools available for repairs in case anything broke down.
They moved the last of the large stores of water that Kyle had been keeping in the barn, of which there must’ve been hundreds of gallons that all needed to find a home inside the modest shelter. He had even included packages of drink mix to add flavor when they got bored with plain water. Either he had a lot of money or a lot of time to prepare. Abby decided maybe it was a bit of both.
They packed canned goods, dry foods, boxes of MRE’s that Kyle had purchased at a local army surplus, toiletries, medical supplies, and other necessities into the storage spaces inside their soon to be underground home.
“I need to get some food in me.” Abby stopped stacking cans as her stomach groaned. “I’m so hungry I’m about to start eating our emergency rations. Spaghetti and meatballs with a shelf life of fifty years is starting to look like a banquet.”
Kyle smiled in her direction and the small gesture made her heart beat a notch faster. “I think we could all use a little break.”
Food in hand, the group went out onto the porch to eat their various types of sandwiches. There was no real discussion, only the distinct sound of crunching and chewing. Jim passed around a bag of potato chips, everyone taking a handful to accompany their modest meals.
As Abby took a bite of her peanut butter and jelly she noticed that she was being watched. Through dark sunglasses her eyes landed on Kyle only to see him quickly avert his gaze.
He didn’t glow as much in the daylight, she noticed, letting her stare trail up his forearm and over his sleeve. Or perhaps it just wasn’t as obvious. Instead his body gave off a faint shimmer of light that simply looked like the sun was hitting his skin even as he sat in the shade of the porch.
She took another bite, continuing to gawk at him. Her eyes wandered to his neck, to the tendons that ran under the skin below his Adam’s apple. He was the opposite of bulky, his frame long and lean. She decided t his guy didn’t carry a gym membership in his wallet but working on the farm probably more than filled his quota of exercise.
He turned to look at her then. Their eyes met in a quick instant making Abby jump slightly. For a
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