Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
By midday, we’ve hit five places. Which means it’s time for us to go shopping in a cool small town to the north of Santa Rosa. Just for fun. Nash said Porter’s people didn’t go this far, so we should be safe. Though we’re absolutely going to be as careful as possible. No idea what Cody the Creep was on about with saying towns up this way had been burned to the ground. Because the one we visit seems fine as can be.
“Pedro’s dick does this thing…” says Naomi, gesturing with her finger. Not sure she should be making lewd finger gestures while driving, but here we are.
“I didn’t know we were this close. That we like talked about this sort of stuff.”
“Shut up.” She laughs. “It like hits to the left sort of. Just amazing.”
“Okay.”
Naomi gives me all of the side-eye in all of the land and says, “So you and Dean finally did it. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“I could tell because of your behavior, by the way. His hasn’t changed in the least. Which is kind of comforting when you think about it. He’s always been all about you. The man is obsessed.”
“What do you mean? How have I been behaving differently?”
Her grin is so wide. “You watch him differently now. I mean, you always kept an eye on him. And you definitely appreciated the view no matter how deep in self-denial you were about it. But now you watch him like you want to write him bad poetry. Compare his eyes to the stars and his dick to something suitably phallic and momentous. Nothing is coming to mind for me right now.”
“The Leaning Tower of Pisa?”
She makes a choked sort of noise. “Sure. Why not.”
“You’re the one who introduced the concept of leaning dicks into the conversation.” I smile. “Am I really that obvious?”
“Oh yeah,” she says. “Everybody knows. Besides Charlie and the twins. But you know…their brains haven’t fully developed yet.”
“Huh. Sophie told us last night that we’re gross and weird and she knows where babies come from.”
Naomi sighs. “I mean, at least you don’t have to start that conversation from scratch…”
“My thoughts exactly.”
“Do you think Avan knows how to do an epidural?” she asks.
The way my stomach falls through the floor. Or maybe it’s my uterus. “Shit. That’s a very good question.”
“He’s been studying all of these textbooks, trying to upgrade his knowledge to doctor level,” says Naomi. “Teaching Charlie how to become a paramedic as well.”
“Good idea. We all need to learn what we can. I want to start doing some research on what contraception methods are available to us when the expiration dates on medicines and condoms and things like that are up.”
“We’re sure as fuck not going back to the rhythm method, because it does not work,” says Naomi.
Our speed drops as we approach the town center and pull into a laneway. Everything seems quiet and still. We both have our guns on our hips. I am also carrying a lightened version of my backpack just in case. Going anywhere without some basic supplies and a first-aid kit these days is just silly.
There’s no conversation while we make our way, keeping to the sides of buildings, trying to stay undercover. Out of the rain and out of view of anyone watching. The rain has lightened to little more than a shower, but another storm is coming. We crouch at the corner of a wine-tasting room. Across the street, from what I can see, is a yoga studio, an ice-cream parlor, a barber shop, a bakery, a chocolate company, and a restaurant. And on this side is a bookshop, a boutique, a toy store, an art gallery, and a cocktail bar.
However, Main Street goes on for several more blocks. Only the bar and a drugstore farther along seem to have been broken into. This place probably slapped back in days of yore. Signs advertise a street party with food trucks and live music. The date for which has already come and gone.
“Boutique, bookshop, chocolate place for starters?” whispers Naomi.
“Sounds good. And we definitely have to hit the toy store before we head home.”
She nods.
However, we stay in place and watch a while longer. Everything seems normal. Nothing is out of place. There are some vehicles parked to the side and one left in the middle of the street down from us. The driver’s door is standing open and a body is lying on the ground. From this distance, the decay seems about right for a death from the virus. I can’t see any signs of violence.
Thunder crashes in the distance, and we both jump.
Naomi shakes her head. “Come on.”
We head toward the boutique. When the door doesn’t open, I pull the pry-bar tool thing out of my backpack, place it against the door, and look up. As soon as lightning makes a jagged path across the sky, I break the glass and thunder covers the noise for us. Hooray for Mother Nature.