Psychic

38. Persistence

When Rai woke in the middle of the night, she was relieved to not have had any dreams about her encounter in the catacombs. Isaac was in the bed with her. He was already asleep under the thick quilts on the large bed with her and Jericho. Rai slid off the bed cautiously to avoid waking either of them.

There was a folded stack of women's clothing on a recliner. She took it with her into the bathroom to change into whatever was there. Her current clothes now had holes too large to be appropriate to wear in public. The clothes she put on all seemed brand new, with an unworn smell and vibrant dyes.

She went out of the bedroom quietly and into the living room. Once the door was closed behind her, she walked over to the kitchen, now realizing how hungry she was. She took a few things from the fridge, preparing to make herself a grilled cheese sandwich then turned on the stove under an iron griddle.

As Rai prepared her food, she gradually got lazier about attempting to be quiet. The constant rustling in the kitchen woke someone sleeping in the living room. She sighed at the thought that it was likely Reno since he was not allowed to sleep around the others. She glanced over to be sure and saw him stretching in front of the couch he had been sleeping on. Roxanne's words came back to her instantly.

Reno went over and sat on a bar stool behind her. "If you're going to wake me up, you could at least do it in a more pleasant way," he told her, still half asleep and yawned. "What are you making?"

"Grilled cheese."

"I meant what are you making for me?"

"Tell me what you want so I can be sure to not make it."

Reno chuckled softly, "everything I bought you fits?" She pretended not to hear his statement. "You needed new clothes. I design clothes or I used to. I could guess about which size you are. You like them?"

"They're alright." She shrugged removing her sandwich from the griddle. She heard Reno get up from the stool and walk into the kitchen. She focused on what she was doing rather than acknowledging his presence. He opened a cabinet by her face and took a bottle out. "What's that?"

"Whiskey."

"And you're pilfering it in front of me?"

"No. I'm just suggesting you give it to me. He won't mind if I have it if you gave it to me. Just pour me some, huh? I think so. Yeah." She did not respond or turn to him so he poked her butt with the top of the bottle repeatedly. "Come on. Do it."

Rai turned around suddenly and snatched it from him. "Fine." She turned and opened the same cabinet to take out a shot glass.

"Get two. You're going to drink with me."

"I'm not."

"You are." He took the shot glass from her hand and held it up to her. "You finish one of these and I'll do anything you want."

She pushed his hand down to look at his face. "So if tell you to jump off a cliff, you'll do it?"

"If that's what you want."

"Oh, I'll take that deal," she said with a massive smile, eagerly grabbing another glass. Reno seemed equally satisfied with the arrangement. She bit her bottom lip as she poured the amber colored drink into the little glasses. It smelled strong but she reasoned with herself that it could not be so bad if it looked like apple juice. "And if I don't drink the whole thing?" She pushed his full shot over to him and he picked it up.

"You already took the deal, baby. I suggest you finish it or hope I'll be merciful." She turned to glare at him as he threw back his shot in less than a second. "Your turn." He watched her with a mocking smirk.