was a mighty expensive mistake on someone’s part. She turned and headed out of the bar, remembering the ass-chewing days of advertising. She didn’t thinkshe’d want to trade places with whoever would be paying for that mistake. Then she stepped out onto the street and the smell of the rainwater decontaminants struck her. She’d trade places with that fuck-up in a heartbeat. In a heartbeat.
On the walk to the power station, Ellie decided that even more than Guy’s body, what she really wanted was a shower. Her skin felt slick with oil and old fear, and she burped up traces of the vile medication. Nobody would ever call her a stickler for hygiene, but even Ellie had her limits. She pushed the buzzer and stuck her tongue out at the closed-circuit camera above the panel, and the latch on the chain-link gate opened.
“There’s my girl.” Guy sat with his feet propped up on the front desk of the small station. “I see you got all dolled up for me.”
“Don’t start. Are we alone?”
“Just you, me, and cable TV.”
“Good.” Ellie peeled her shirt off and stepped out of her jeans as she headed for the shower. “Tell me you have water.”
“It’s the power station. Of course we have water. Is that the only reason you’re here?”
“Not the only reason.” Ellie spoke loudly enough to be heard over the running water. “But if you could smell me, you’d know it’s for the best.” She pulled the flimsy plastic curtain across the small stall, but Guy pulled it back. Grinning, he sat back on the toilet, folded his hands behind his head, and watched her.
“Consider it the cover charge.”
Ellie smiled and turned her face up to the water. It stank of chlorine and was only barely tepid, but it washed thesmell of anxiety off of her skin. She rolled the bar of hard government-issue soap between her hands until a pathetic lather formed, and she ran her hands over her body, not bothering to see if Guy was watching. She knew he was. She would love to luxuriate in the moment, or maybe invite Guy to join her, but they both knew that even water for military facilities could only hold out so long. A quick lather of medicated shampoo and Ellie felt clean once more, the smell of flowers overcome for the moment by the smell of chemicals.
She turned off the water and leaned back naked against the cool tile. “Seems a shame to get back into those dirty clothes now that I’m all nice and clean.” Ellie expected Guy to join her in the stall, making one of his usual comments about getting dirty. Instead he tossed her a towel.
“We’ve got to talk.”
She stared at the scratchy white cloth. “This can’t be good.”
“It’s not all bad.”
“Okay.” She made no move to cover herself. “Let’s hear it.”
“Get dried off. I’ll get you a drink.”
She tipped her head back, the fluorescent light making her eyes hurt again. Guy stepped out into the office and she followed him, dripping water and leaving sopping prints behind her.
“You want a beer?” He turned to her with an open bottle. “And do you think you could put something on?”
Ellie took the bottle. “I never thought I’d hear those words out of your mouth. This day is just full of surprises.” She took a deep drink. “I don’t suppose you have anything clean around here that I could borrow for a little while. I wasn’t kidding about not wanting to put on filthy clothes.”
Guy poked around in a cupboard and pulled out an army-green T-shirt. “I don’t know whose it is, but it’s clean.” He tossed it to her and turned his back, leaning on his fists at the desk.
“Wow, thanks for the privacy.” Ellie pulled the shirt over her head. “I’m decent now. I think it’s okay to look.” When he still didn’t look up, she took another drink from the bottle. “You know, Guy, this is still a drama-free zone, remember? I thought we were both cool with that. If you’re seeing somebody else and you don’t want to—”
“I signed
On the walk to the power station, Ellie decided that even more than Guy’s body, what she really wanted was a shower. Her skin felt slick with oil and old fear, and she burped up traces of the vile medication. Nobody would ever call her a stickler for hygiene, but even Ellie had her limits. She pushed the buzzer and stuck her tongue out at the closed-circuit camera above the panel, and the latch on the chain-link gate opened.
“There’s my girl.” Guy sat with his feet propped up on the front desk of the small station. “I see you got all dolled up for me.”
“Don’t start. Are we alone?”
“Just you, me, and cable TV.”
“Good.” Ellie peeled her shirt off and stepped out of her jeans as she headed for the shower. “Tell me you have water.”
“It’s the power station. Of course we have water. Is that the only reason you’re here?”
“Not the only reason.” Ellie spoke loudly enough to be heard over the running water. “But if you could smell me, you’d know it’s for the best.” She pulled the flimsy plastic curtain across the small stall, but Guy pulled it back. Grinning, he sat back on the toilet, folded his hands behind his head, and watched her.
“Consider it the cover charge.”
Ellie smiled and turned her face up to the water. It stank of chlorine and was only barely tepid, but it washed thesmell of anxiety off of her skin. She rolled the bar of hard government-issue soap between her hands until a pathetic lather formed, and she ran her hands over her body, not bothering to see if Guy was watching. She knew he was. She would love to luxuriate in the moment, or maybe invite Guy to join her, but they both knew that even water for military facilities could only hold out so long. A quick lather of medicated shampoo and Ellie felt clean once more, the smell of flowers overcome for the moment by the smell of chemicals.
She turned off the water and leaned back naked against the cool tile. “Seems a shame to get back into those dirty clothes now that I’m all nice and clean.” Ellie expected Guy to join her in the stall, making one of his usual comments about getting dirty. Instead he tossed her a towel.
“We’ve got to talk.”
She stared at the scratchy white cloth. “This can’t be good.”
“It’s not all bad.”
“Okay.” She made no move to cover herself. “Let’s hear it.”
“Get dried off. I’ll get you a drink.”
She tipped her head back, the fluorescent light making her eyes hurt again. Guy stepped out into the office and she followed him, dripping water and leaving sopping prints behind her.
“You want a beer?” He turned to her with an open bottle. “And do you think you could put something on?”
Ellie took the bottle. “I never thought I’d hear those words out of your mouth. This day is just full of surprises.” She took a deep drink. “I don’t suppose you have anything clean around here that I could borrow for a little while. I wasn’t kidding about not wanting to put on filthy clothes.”
Guy poked around in a cupboard and pulled out an army-green T-shirt. “I don’t know whose it is, but it’s clean.” He tossed it to her and turned his back, leaning on his fists at the desk.
“Wow, thanks for the privacy.” Ellie pulled the shirt over her head. “I’m decent now. I think it’s okay to look.” When he still didn’t look up, she took another drink from the bottle. “You know, Guy, this is still a drama-free zone, remember? I thought we were both cool with that. If you’re seeing somebody else and you don’t want to—”
“I signed
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