Along came Reid

4. Amidst Logic and Suspicions

After a handful of minutes, Jamie to found the composure to face Reid again. Somewhere in her mind, she'd resolved to regain her hardness. If she allowed her no attachment policy to waiver, she'd succumb to the trap of caring. Caring for others cost lives. Sentimentality was as dangerous as a fatal bite from a deader. No; Jamie was smarter than that. She would survive.

As she entered the kitchen, Jamie paused at the door to find a plate of mashed potatoes, vegetables and steak laid neatly on a plate at the table. Her resolve at distancing herself emotionally from Reid failed as the mouthwatering scent of the meal reached her nose. Reid met her with a charming grin and bowed while he swept his hand towards the chair.

"For you madame." he announced in an appalling french accent. Jamie snorted at the gesture and took her seat, startling with a jump when he pushed it in. "Bon appetit" he said as he sat backwards in the chair opposite her. Jamie stared at the plate set before her. The polite thing to do would be to eat it, but her mind was so tangled with her fears of attachment that Jamie found herself staring blankly at her plate.

"How do you do this?" she asked, her shaky voice reflecting her inner turmoil. "I mean really?"

"You mean cook?" Reid asked with a raised brow as he watched her, his brows knitting slightly when she didn't move to eat.

"Where did you find this? I thought all of the meat was gone."

"Jamie meat isn't really gone, you just have to butcher an animal." Reid reasoned, his head cocking to the side in puzzlement. "Aren't you going to eat?" he asked in concern.

Jamie met his inquiring gaze, feeling guilty for looking a gift horse in the mouth. After a slow nod of agreement, Jamie lifted a fork full of the mashed potatoes to her mouth. The taste of it instantly recalled memories of her childhood and family. Pathetically, tears welled in her eyes and Jamie quickly smeared them into her cheek with her wrist.

"I'm sorry." she murmured. "It's been awhile since I've seen a meal like this. It's a lot to take in."

Reid's hand reached out to grasp her forearm, and Jamie stilled like a rabbit hiding in long grass from a hawk. He gave it a gentle squeeze before speaking. "Come on, eat up before it gets cold." he encouraged supportively with a saddened grin. "Everything will be okay."

Thankfully, Reid released her and in the face of her warring resolve, Jamie ate. "I haven't eaten this well since the Collapse started." Jamie explained after a sip of water. "Usually I make simple things, beans, rice and whatever else I can find."

"Doesn't sound like you have enough produce in that diet of yours." Reid noted with a frown.

"Like I said, I eat what I can find." Jamie answered defensively.

Reid raised his palms and splayed his fingers. "Easy, I didn't mean any harm. I'm more of a meat and potatoes man myself." he said with a grin before adding, "Well, more just the meat part."

"Not cooking like this you aren't." Jamie observed. "Seriously Reid, why are you doing all this? What do you want?"

Reid sighed and rested his folded arms on the top of the headrest of his chair. He lowered his chin to his arms and stared blankly at the table. "Really Jamie, I just want a friend. I know that sounds lame but my world fell apart after the Collapse spread.'

"I once thought all of this would be good in a way, but now, it's really not. Most of my friends are gone, people who I've known for years. Now there are so few of us left, I feel like every life should be treasured and protected. That's really why I followed you. I wanted to be sure another survivor would live through this."