“I wasn’t sure I could,” Katie confessed as she found some small sewing kits in a basket. “Honestly, I still suffer some guilt over moving on from Lydia. ”
“I had three husbands. I understand very well,” Nerit assured her.
She was very happy for Katie and confident that she and Travis being together was a good thing, but she also knew that Lydia would always be a part of Katie and never truly fade away “I’m doing better than I was,” Katie decided. “Accepting it more. ”
“It’s a journey,” Nerit agreed. “Just take one step at a time.
Katie walked back to Nerit and knelt beside her with the sewing kits. Nerit looked up into the younger woman’s face and could see an unspoken question in her eyes. “Yes?”
”Can you make it a sexy dress?”
Nerit smirked and nodded. “Oh, yes. I can. ”
4. The Stage Is Set
Travis stood up and stretched. His eyes were growing weary and he could no longer concentrate on the plans he was working on for walling in Main Street. It had reached the point where he needed to take a break and not think about it anymore. He stretched again and felt the pleasant burn of scratches on his back. It had been a long time since he had worn any. It felt good.
Pushing the office door open, he moved down the hall, running his hand over his hair. It wasn’t until Katie had left that he had realized they had made a major mistake. It had been awhile since he had been with any woman and when he had been, it had been in a monogamous relationship where she had been on the Pill. Since Katie had spent the last decade with a woman…
Of course, it wasn’t really an excuse. Their first time together they had both had condoms ready to go.
Stepping into the hot afternoon air, he had to wonder if maybe they hadn’t done it subconsciously. His thoughts were definitely in the realm of forever. He was done looking. Katie was it. And maybe in some sort of Darwinian way, he was trying to secure that relationship with a child.
“Peggy, I am here to protest my treatment as a citizen of this city and the shoddy way that I have been treated since I arrived here in this fort that I did not vote on building. I was kept in that garage for over an hour being checked for bites. No, I do not allow anyone to bite me.
I told this vampire once…”
Travis turned to see Crazy Calhoun being escorted to City Hall.
Peggy was waiting for the town freak looking weary already. The crazy coot was carrying a video camera at his side and looked ready for an argument.
“Life just keeps getting more interesting,” Travis muttered.
Shane moved toward him. “Hey, Travis, keep the lesbos from making out on the job. Seriously, they could have gotten us killed.
They were so busy making out with each other they didn’t even see us getting ready to leave a while back. ”
Travis lifted an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
“Now, I know you’re into the blond and I’m sure you have all sorts of wild fantasies about her. Who doesn’t? If that Jewish old hag is going to be running the guards, she better make sure her lesbos don’t spend that time making out. ” Shane was obviously furious and ready for a fight.
“Okay, I’ll let her know,” Travis said in a calm tone.
“Oh, you better, because I’m not going to get my ass eaten because that blond lesbo chick can’t keep her hands off her girlfriend,” Shane spat, then stormed off followed, by his buddy, Philip.
Bewildered, Travis walked into the hotel. Some of the older people were gathered in the lobby, playing board games. He smiled and waved at them. Old Man Watson waved and smiled at him happily.
Travis felt good about the decision to take the hotel. It definitely had created a real home for the survivors.
Behind him, Calhoun and Peggy entered the hotel.
“…and when did the city take over a privately owned building?
This is socialism or communism. I can't remember which. I don’t agree with you pushing your Amazonian agenda on the people of this fine town…”
Peggy sighed as she led Calhoun over to the front desk.
Calhoun glanced over and saw Travis. “Now, that young man came here to build the old theater and now he’s breaking and entering into hotels. Why hasn’t he been arrested? If what people are telling me is true, he is the dangerous ringleader of this new cult…”