Restless

Chapter 32

With the warmer weather upon them, the people of Alexandria were spending more time outside. It almost represented the old way of life, until you looked closer. Children still played in yards, individuals walked the streets to go to their assigned jobs or to visit, yet now everyone carried a gun and or a knife wherever they went. The multiple guard towers around the compound were reinforced and staffed around the clock.

Maggie and her team, which now included Chris, had increased the size of the garden so they could produce more food for the growing population. The garden had been being worked on daily to first get the soil ready and now for the planting of the seasonal crops.

Dayna and Rosita were walking down the street chatting as each was heading to their job for the day. Dayna was going to the infirmary and Rosita had guard tower duty. They took a roundabout route so to enjoy the beautiful day.

Their course took them by the large garden area in which several people were hard at work already. Dayna waved to several and called out a hello to Chris who was the closest to them. He looked up and saw them and with a big smile came across his face walked over to the girls wiping his dirty hands on his pants.

"Good morning, Dayna," he said, then turning to Rosita, "Good morning, Rosita. You look lovely today."

"Thanks," she simply replied. Rosita didn't know how to take Chris. He was always very nice to her and went out of his way to say hello when their paths crossed. What would she do with a nice guy from the country? She was a city girl. Even though he was good looking, she didn't think she was ready for another relationship after the heartbreak she had recently gone through. Then again, Chris was completely different than the brash outspoken Abraham.

Dayna instantly noticed that Chris's expression softened when he spoke to Rosita. He was interested in her without a doubt, but Dayna didn't know what Rosita thought about that. She needed a guy as nice as Chris in her life. This was something that she was going to have to talk to her friend about as this would put Abraham firmly in Rosita's past and Rosita needed that.

"What are you working on?" Dayna asked.

Chris immediately started telling them on how they had spent time prepping the soil for the planting, that they had early crops already in, and were looking to plant tomatoes, squash and cucumbers that week. His enthusiasm for the garden made Dayna smile. She elbowed Rosita, who looked slightly bored.

"Look at me babbling on, when you ladies probably have some place to go," Chris said apologetically. "Stop by anytime you want to get bored. I'm here all day, every day."

"We weren't bored in the least, were we Rosita?" Dayna smiled at her friend.

Surprisingly Rosita said, "Not at all, it was nice talking to you, Chris."

They left Chris so he could go back to his planting and they continued on towards the main gate where Rosita was working that day.

"So....Chris is a nice guy, don't you think?" asked Dayna with a smirk.

"Yes, but I can see the wheels spinning in that brain of yours and no I'm not interested," Rosita told her firmly.

"But he is. I could tell. Give him a chance, get to know him better. He seems like a great guy."

Rosita stopped and put her hand on her hip and cocked her head. "Just like Zach is also a nice guy and I know he's interested in you, but you're still waiting for Daryl to get his head out of his ass. So you're one to talk."

"Yeah well, I never said I was a good example to follow." They both looked at each other and burst out laughing. "We are a sad pair aren't we?" Dayna giggled. "I'm going to take my pitiful ass off to work. Stay safe Rosita."