13
Tess
We’ve been walking for a couple of hours. Max found me a pair of his Uncle’s old hunting boots and some thick wool socks. They’re big, but they sure don’t hurt my feet like my shoes did. I’m still wearing his flannel shirt along with my dress pants. I know I look insane, but after the morning I’ve had, I feel beautiful. After months of dreaming about Max, having a taste of the reality exceeded my wildest dreams. For the hundredth time this morning alone, I wish that mine and Max’s circumstances were different. I don’t even know how to explain that deep down inside I feel like the two of us were made for each other. I have since hearing his name. It doesn’t make any sense but as time goes by, I just don’t care. That’s how it is, and I don’t want to waste what precious minutes I have left with him. I’d rather experience him.
“You’re not very talkative today, Max.”
“I’m not the talkative one in this duo, Kitten.”
“Well I need conversation if you expect me to walk anymore, ‘cause I’m getting really tired of walking. When I get back to civilization, I may never walk again.”
“Might make getting around difficult.”
“Yeah. I need to win the lottery, and then I can hire people to come and carry me wherever I need to go.”
“Carry you?”
“Yeah, I need minions. That’s definitely going to take winning the lottery.”
“Money doesn’t always solve all your problems, Tess.”
“Yeah well, it sure would be better than dodging phone calls,” I tell him before I catch myself. It’s not that I mind him hearing about my student loans, I just rather not talk about it at all.
“Is that why you’re working for the lawyer and his pill of a wife?”
I shrug, starting to feel uncomfortable, in the grand scheme of things my problems are small. Max is the one who faces real danger.
“Tell me, Tess,” he orders and I almost do it, before I catch myself.
“I’ll tell you if you tell me something in exchange.”
“In exchange?”
“Surely the concept isn’t that Greek to you Max; it’s called compromise.”
“I believe I’ve heard of it once or twice.”
“So, my turn first, since you already have your question for me. Tell me, Max. Bugs Bunny or Yosemite Sam.”
He stops walking, and I nearly plow into him. He turns to look at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What on Earth are you talking about?” he asks.
“You know, cartoons. Oh good Lord, Max! Please tell me you know what a cartoon is?”
He exhales loudly like he’s so put out with me he can’t take another step, and then grins. “The Smurfs.”
I stop in my tracks. I look up at this buff, muscled, god of a man, and hear him say The Smurfs. I lose it and laugh so hard, I have tears. He reaches out his hand to help me step over a large fallen tree that’s on our pathway before I finally gain control.
“I don’t find it that funny,” he grumbles good-naturedly.
“The Smurfs are just so…well, they’re not very manly, Max.”
“The Smurfs are the manliest cartoon around; I can’t believe you don’t see that, Tess.”
“How do you figure?” I question, trying to act like I’m taking him seriously.
“One lone girl in an entire village of men? C’mon now that’s the script to a seventies porn movie if ever there was one.”
“Oh my god!” I exclaim, because words kind of fail me.
“I see you agree. Now it’s your turn to answer. Are your bills why you work for your asshole of a boss?”
“How do you know he’s an asshole?”
“He sent you alone to a federal prison, for one. And two, you pretty much told me that in one of your tirades.”
“I don’t have tirades, and yeah. I mean, I think you’re supposed to get free rides or help for college when you’re a ward of the state, but I got mixed up with the wrong crowd when I first started and kind of flunked out the first semester. By the time I wised up, I had to do it on my own. Which I did, eventually, but yeah, I have a mountain of debt to pay. I’ll get it sorted someday though,” I shrug, not comfortable revealing how stupid I’ve been to waste that kind of opportunity. “Hey listen, I know you’re slave driver and all, but would you mind a lot if we take a small break? A minute tops, I just need to catch my breath.”
“Go ahead and sit on that rock. I’ll look around and see if I can find a place to refill our canteens.”
I nod my assent gratefully. We found canteens in the bunker and Max filled them up with some of the bottled water. I still wasn’t crazy about drinking from them. I had always heard plastic bottles are bad, and if the contents heat up too much, it can be dangerous to your health. I’m so tired and thirsty at this point though; I overlook that nagging thought in the back of my mind.