The First Days (As the World Dies 1)

"Overwhelmed, that's all. Tomorrow we're going to start to get ready to go into the hotel. "

Jenni glanced toward Travis. He was busy talking to the teenagers and Jason watched him with the type of scrutiny only a teenager could achieve.

"What about him?"

Katie shrugged. "He's my friend. "

"And?"

"Jenni, you know. " Katie looked at her sadly.

Jenni frowned a little more. "Look, I know you're into chicks, but maybe you could-okay, that was just dumb of me. "

Katie laughed and hugged her tighter. "I just need time. Even if he was the hottest woman in the world, I couldn't. I need to just deal in my own way. "

"You miss her terribly, don't you?"

Katie nodded and smiled sadly. "More than I can bear at times. "

Juan literally tripped onto the rooftop. His boot had snagged on one of the electric cords being run up to power the stereo. He looked around confused. His gaze settled on Jenni and he wandered toward her trying far too hard to look nonchalant as he held one of the biggest bottles of tequila she had ever seen. In his other hand were two shot glasses.

Katie looked at Jenni, lifted both eyebrows and said, "I thought you had a thing for Travis?"

Jenni grinned and looked coy. "A girl can change her mind. "

Katie laughed and shook her head. "Gawd, I've been a fool. "

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Go have fun. "

Jenni grabbed Katie close, kissed her hard on the cheek, grinned, and walked over to Juan. Jenni knew she was turning it on sufficiently when several of the guys turned to watch her strut by. Juan still had a little bit of a dazed look on his face, but he did smile when she drew near.

There are times in life when pretense is just bullshit and a waste of time.

Juan and Jenni hung out about ten minutes at the party before they disappeared downstairs as more people showed up on the roof. Holding Juan's roughened hand in her own, Jenni dragged him down to the janitor's room. Grabbing the clipboard, she scribbled, "Out of Order" on it.

"Loca," Juan said with a laugh.

"Shut up," she answered and shoved him inside.

He managed to put the still closed bottle of tequila on the desk before Jenni was on him. She had already made up her mind that he was hers, at least for tonight, and she claimed him with burning kisses as she seductively wrapped herself around him.

"You're loca, Loca," he said with a satisfied grin as she pulled his clothes from his body.

"Yeah, you keep saying that. It's about time you experience it," she answered coyly.

Fire and water, heat and passion, desperation and perhaps something more, fueled their lovemaking. Jenni felt no fear as only the second man she had ever been with willingly in her entire life lifted her into his arms and pressed her naked back against the cool shower tiles and slid himself into her. She tangled her hands in his wet hair and kissed him deeply as the nightmare world they lived in faded to the dim edges of her reality. Only she and Juan existed and it was perfect.

Later on, in a tangle of limbs, she laughed as he growled into her neck and called her Loca in a way that meant the world to her and it was perfect.

Katie watched Juan and Jenni disappear off the roof and turned to Travis. They were sitting side by side on the edge of the roof. Travis looked back at her and raised his eyebrows. Katie slightly laughed and ran a hand over her hair.

"I've been really oblivious to some things, evidently," she said.

"Well, at least now I won't have to worry about you fixing me up with her," Travis answered with a wink.

Katie elbowed him lightly and took another swig of her beer. The mood was surprisingly relaxed considering that a small crowd of zombies was gathered outside of the gate. Of course, no one really wanted to deal with them tonight. There was a desperate weariness about their little party. People were tired of the zombies and tired of the siege. In the time period they had been able to go out on scrounging parties to bring back supplies and survivors, there had been almost a sense of normality. And now the zombies were back and people just wanted to forget how trapped they truly were.