Let's Pretend: Chapter One
"Alec! Alec!"
From the shower, I could hear an impatient voice accompanied by incessant knocking just outside my apartment. The door wasn't locked. Once inside TC, there wasn't much need for extra security. Nobody had anything worth stealing. Well at least nothing anyone else knew about (heh heh).
Whoever it was got tired of waiting and burst through the door slamming it shut again. The hinges will be lucky to last another week.
"Alec! Where the hell are you?"
I recognized the voice immediately and sighed. I should have known any chance of taking a peaceful shower would be out of the question.
Stumbling to pull my jeans on, I quickly exited the bathroom to investigate the frantic voice of Max, my CO and well quite frankly my best friend of late. Three weeks had passed since she'd chosen me as her SIC. After the Jam Pony seige and our subsequent barricade inside TC, we'd grown closer. Burying our past animosity out of necessity and banding together with the hopes of solving the mess of problems our "transgenic family" currently found themselves in. Not to mention I was still acting (under duress I might add) as Max's "pretend boyfriend".
"Hey Maxie! Exactly what problem do you need good ol' Alec to solve for you now? Weapons shortage? Food shortage? Hell...we've got an everything shortage? But you know there's nothing I can't handle right?"
Max ignored me, pausing to silently peruse my current state of undress.
Did she just blush? Oh well damn! I forgot to put my shirt on.
But before I could turn to remedy that problem, Max finally responded. "Good your not dressed yet!"
Huh?
"I need your help. OC and Logan are on their way over here in a few minutes and I need them to..." (again she paused). "Can you unbutton your pants?"
Again huh??
Then she proceeded to drape an unfamiliar jacket over my one and only kitchen chair. She took off her own as well, throwing it on the floor in the process moving towards me.
"Hurry up Alec! They could be here any minute." She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards my ratty old couch where she not so gently pushed me back onto it. Raising my eyes to meet hers, I couldn't help but stare at her like she was an anomaly with two heads. Did we have any anomalies with two heads in TC? But I digress.
"Can you fill me in on what I'm missing here Max?", I questioned. "I feel like I've unknowingly skipped a few chapters of this mystery novel. Either that or YOU'VE skipped to the end without telling me."
"I need your help."
"Yah you said that already. I'm gonna need a bit more to go on."
"It's Logan", she began.
I sigh...loudly.
Again she ignores me and continues.
"Well you know that he, Sketchy and Cindy are finally leaving TC today because the toxins are reaking havoc on their systems." I nod for her to continue.
"Well", she went on, "now that we found safe passage for them to go, I gotta say I'm relieved that they're leaving. Don't get me wrong, I'll miss them. But as CO don't I have enough to worry about around here? I can't worry about their health and safety too. Not to mention the virus and Logan."
"So what's the problem then?", I continue to probe.
"Logan told me this morning that he's coming back. Coming back! As soon as Dr. Carr gives him the all clear that the toxins are cleansed from his system, he's sneaking back into TC. Can you believe it?"
"Well, love makes you do crazy things", I reply.
"That's just it. Why would he want to come back and watch the woman he loves with someone else? What is he a sadist? It's like he doesn't believe that you and I are together, not really. If he did, he wouldn't risk his own life just to see me with you. That's when I figured it out! He thinks we're faking!"
"Well we are faking Max", I remind her.
"I know that smart alec but I need him to believe that we're not. Even if he can fight the toxins in here, one accidental touch from me could still kill him. I couldn't live with myself if that happened. Besides, the latex gloves are kinda giving me the creeps lately."
Yah, I gotta agree with her on that one.
"So what's this got to do with me and you (I gesture emphatically between us) being here right now?", I inquire.
"Were you even listening! Cindy and Logan are on their way here right now so Cindy can get her jacket."
"When did OC leave her jacket here?", I heard myself saying aloud.
"She didn't stupid! She's just pretending that she did to have an excuse to bring Logan here before they go. I've already said my good-byes to both of them and Logan won't expect me to be here right now."
"Okay...so once again, what does this have to do with ME?"
She paused and looked me directly in the eyes before replying,
"I want you to have sex with me Alec."
Holy Crap!
End Chapter One.