Winter's Edge

Chapter 41 - Kat's Kitchen

Abby

I sat across from Lena and Reilly, with Jesse and Robert next to me in front of Kat's Kitchen.

"You and Ian looked pretty cozy on the mat, earlier." Lena smiled slyly at me.

I blushed.

"That's the understatement of the century." Kat's voice startled me from behind. "They looked like they needed to get a room."

"Hey!" I pursed my lips and gave Kat a sideways glare.

She smirked and sat salt, pepper, and ketchup on the table, then disappeared back into the restaurant.

I gestured at Lena and Reilly as a diversion. "You two seem cozy, too."

Lena leaned into Reilly and kissed his cheek. "I'd say so."

"I don't know how I managed without her before." Reilly smiled at her, then kissed her back.

"It's good to see you two together," I said. "Nobody dates around here."

Reilly looked as though he thought the world of her, and Lena seemed to love the attention. Her memory still hadn't come back. Hopefully, if it ever did, this new Lena would stick around.

The door opened behind me and Ian came out in an apron carrying our food.

"Speak of the devil." Reilly got a big grin on his face. "Kat was just saying that you and Abby needed to get a room after training class earlier."

"Why am I not surprised." He tried to brush it off with nonchalance, but his face still turned a shade of red as he sat our meals on the table.

I put on mock surprise. "We've only known each other a couple of months, and you're already cooking for me? I could get used to this."

"Not if you value your life," Ian said.

Everyone looked down at their plates, probably contemplating whether or not to dump the contents in the garbage as soon as Ian left.

"Kat already has you cooking?" Jesse's question had a hint of surprise in it. He had an odd look on his face, one I couldn't quite figure out.

"No, I'm just serving tables, chopping up veggies...nothing I can mess up too badly." He didn't sound enthusiastic about it. "I don't think she trusts me around fire yet, which is fine with me."

Everyone seemed to relax at that and started eating. Everyone except Jesse.

He left his food at the table and vanished into the restaurant. What was with him today? Maybe seeing me and Ian in training had gotten him upset.

"Excited about finally getting to go out on another supply run?" Robert said with a mouthful of burger.

"Yeah." Ian pulled at the fringes of his apron mindlessly. "It gets a little stuffy in here after a while."

"Well, you know how you get paranoid on your first supply run?" Robert said. "You've just learned the truth about the world, about Hunters, and you're never sure if the guy down the street is one or not?"

"Yeah."

"It gets worse the second time." Robert's lip curled up a little. "A lot worse." Robert was a nice guy, but he liked to mess with people periodically. Probably because he was stuck in the mines with Euan most of every day. That could drive anyone mad.

Ian frowned. "What do you mean?"

Robert looked at Reilly, and Reilly answered the question instead. "The paranoia just compounds on itself. You'll think you see Hunters around every corner. And believe me, they are."

Everyone laughed.

"No they're not. Stop it." I reached over the table and slapped Reilly's shoulder. "Everyone gets used to the supply runs. The paranoia goes away after a while."

Robert started again. This wasn't the first time they'd done this to a new citizen. "Everybody tells you, 'act normal', but that's the hardest thing to do when someone tells you to do it. Suddenly, normal becomes alien to you. You seem nervous and out of place, like you're not part of the world at large. It's bizarre, at first."

Ian looked at me. "Is he serious?"

"Don't listen to him," I said. "You'll be fine."

Ian looked at Jesse's empty seat. "Where'd Jesse go?"

I shrugged. "Bathroom break?"

"Not unless he's got granny-bladder. He and I just came from the restroom," said Reilly.

"Is he okay?" I turned to look back at the door.

Reilly shrugged.

Kat came through the door and snapped a hand towel at Ian's bottom, making him jump. "Back to work, you dirty wench!"

Ian rolled his eyes. "Duty calls."

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