CHAPTER ELEVEN
Frieda came back to the cube in a bad mood. Zoe had been exempted from work that day because her cracked rib still hasn't healed properly.
Zoe was lying down in her bunk and opened one eye to see Frieda's stormy face.
" What's with you?" she frowned and stared at the back of Frieda's jacket. " What's that? It looks like egg."
" Some assholes drove by and threw eggs at me and the others," Frieda replied snappily as she sat down on her bed, " I let them have it for disrespecting us but got into trouble by CO Donaldson anyway."
" Okay, sorry for asking. " she replied. When Frieda was in a bad mood it was best just to ignore her.
Frieda bit her lip as she watched Zoe settle back down. Zoe looked exhausted there were dark shadows under her eyes and her cracked rib wasn't healing as it should. Perhaps having too much sex was the problem?
She said this to Zoe and Zoe raised her eyebrows, " Too much sex? No that's not the problem. I'm just getting old."
" Oh please, you're only forty-eight," Frieda snorted, " You're just a youngster."
Zoe went quiet, " Actually I'm not."
" Not what?" Frieda changed into a clean shirt and threw her dirty one in the laundry bag.
" Not forty-eight. That was just you assuming that I was."
Frieda stared at her, " Then just exactly how old are you? Forty? Please don't tell me your forty, that would just make me a cradle robber."
" I'm fifty-four-or will be in two days," Zoe mumbled.
"Fifty-four? You don't look it," Frieda's eyes narrowed, " I didn't look half as good when I was fifty-four."
Zoe shrugged, " My mother was the same. When she was in her fifties, she looked like she in her late forties. It's all in the genetics."
Frieda hung up her laundry bag and stretched out on her bed, " Well, you're lucky." She said.
" Oh no, it's a curse," Zoe decided she'd try and lighten the mood. Frieda was still in a bad mood over the egg throwing.
" Come again?" Frieda raised her eyebrows at her, " How can looking younger than your actual age be a curse?"
" I had a hard time trying to get into casinos or even buying alcohol. I loved my red wine. I was always asked to show my ID because they never believed I was 21. They always thought I was a teenager. My friends never were asked-it was embarrassing."
" How sad for you," Frieda said sarcastically but she smiled faintly. She knew Zoe was only just trying to cheer her up and she loved her for it. But the egg throwing business pissed her off-young people these days had no respect for their elders.
Zoe popped her head up to see where the guards were-they were in the bubble, not paying one bit of attention to them-as usual. She went over to Frieda's bed and kissed her lips, " It's free time before lights out-why don't we go to the bunker for a little while? You need a distraction."
Frieda nodded and they headed for the bunker. Once they got there, Frieda pulled her into a tight hug, " Sorry for being a grump."
" That's okay, if someone threw eggs at me I'd be a grump too," Zoe said, resting her chin on Frieda's shoulder. Frieda sighed and rubbed her back. Just being in Zoe's arms calmed her down and lifted her spirits.
Frieda's mouth settled down onto hers for a tender kiss. After a while Zoe looked up her eyes wide, " Is that red wine I see?" she asked, pointing above Frieda's head.
Frieda turned and saw a bottle of red wine she'd found years ago. It was cabernet and which she had pilfered from Healy's office once.
" I used to love red wine, " Zoe paused and raised her eyebrows at Frieda, " You know it's my birthday in two days."
Frieda smiled and pulled the bottle of wine down from the shelf, " Well, we may as well celebrate early." She grabbed two glasses and filled them halfway.
It's been such a long time since Zoe had any alcohol she got tipsy pretty quickly. Frieda was also pleasantly tipsy and the memory of being egged was slowly fading.
" We better get back before lights out, the halls can get pretty spooky," Frieda said putting away the half-finished wine and helping Zoe up.
" I suppose we should," Zoe said with a sigh. She stumbled against Frieda. She giggled and hiccupped, " I guess the wine went straight to my head."
Frieda grinned. Zoe was adorable when she was drunk. She took her into her arms and pressed her mouth against hers for a long and hard kiss. Zoe moaned as Frieda's hands disappeared underneath her shirt and slowly caressed her breasts.
Frieda pulled away after a while, " We should go," she said and Zoe nodded. She and Frieda unsteadily made their way back to their dorm.
Zoe was half asleep when she collapsed onto her bed. Frieda helped take her shoes off and covered her with a blanket.
Frieda sat down on her own bed and the room spun around her. Maybe I'm a little drunk too. She decided. She took her shoes off laid back down and fell asleep.
