Coffee. Abby smelled coffee. Poking her nose out from the covers, she took a sniff. Definitely coffee.
Was the power back on? It was daylight, though still quite dark. The windows were small, and it was very cloudy out. The room was still cold, even colder than before, but Luka was standing by the sofa, holding two mugs, out of which steam rose, bearing that tantalizing scent.
"Where did you get coffee?" He couldn't really have made it over the candles, could he? Had he gone out? No, the coffee shop down the street wouldn't have had power either.
"I made it."
"How?"
"My little secret. Just enjoy it." He held one mug out, and Abby took it gratefully, and sipped. It was a little weak, and not as hot as she might have liked, but beggars and choosers and all that ....
"Instant?" she couldn't help asking in surprise. Luka usually prided himself on his coffee. She couldn't actually drink the stuff he usually made, but it was useful for stripping varnish, and would get anyone through a 12 hour shift -- or three consecutive ones. This stuff was ... just coffee, and mediocre coffee at that. But it was hot, and seemed to contain some caffeine.
"Don't expect miracles." Luka motioned with his free hand. "Can I sit down?"
Abby sat up, making room for Luka on the sofa. "How did you make this?" she asked again. "The power is still out, isn't it?"
"It is. Probably will be for a couple of days at least. I went out earlier, or rather, opened the door and looked out. There's about 2 inches of ice already down, and more still falling."
"So, how did you ..."
"I've lived without power before, Abby. For months. You learn a few tricks." He was still smiling, but, for an instant, the memory darkened his eyes.
Of course, the siege. Vukovar. Abby suddenly noticed the faint smell of smoke in the air. She hadn't smelled it at first, over the far more interesting coffee-scent. On the window sill she saw a cast iron frying pan with a broiler rack set over the top. On top of that was a sauce pan. A makeshift grill. The room was colder because Luka had opened the window a crack to let the smoke out.
"What did you burn?"
"Some old magazines. I've got enough to keep us in coffee for a few days at least. I knew all those old JAMA's would come in handy someday." He grinned. "I had to take the battery out of the smoke detector, so be sure you don't smoke in bed or anything."
"Don't suppose you can heat enough water for a hot bath."
"Looking for miracles again? Maybe enough for a sponge bath. With a very small sponge."
Abby sighed and got up. The coffee had definitely helped, and, despite everything, she felt a little more cheerful. "I'll live." Selecting her warmest outfit from the suitcase of clothes she'd brought over earlier in the week, she went into the bathroom to change.
No light, of course. The bathroom, like most apartment bathrooms, was windowless. After trying to manage in the pitch darkness for a few moments, Abby gave up and opened the door leading to the bedroom to let in some light. And a voice startled her.
"Need something?" asked Luka. He'd gone into the bedroom himself, and he was changing too.
"Just some light to see by," Abby said. "Sorry." She closed that door and opened the living-room one again. She felt her face growing warm. She shouldn't be embarrassed, she thought. She'd seen Luka's body countless times before.
But that had been before. When they had been lovers. Now they were ... something else. What were they now? Ex-lovers, certainly.Co-workers? Definitely. Friends? Maybe. Luka certainly seemed to think that they were friends. Or maybe he was hoping to become lovers again? Why else would he have offered her a place to stay? He'd been the perfect gentleman the entire time, but who could know what he was thinking.
It wasn't as if they'd actually talked about it. But then, they never talked about much, did they? Even before this, when they had been lovers, they had never talked much. Funny how the physical intimacy, the comfort in each other's company hadn't been accompanied by emotional intimacy.
Abby was dressed. She brushed her teeth, hastily splashed some cold water on her face and called it 'washed'.
When she emerged from the bathroom, Luka was in the kitchen, also dressed, a little more warmly than before. Black turtleneck, jeans, black leather jacket. The thought came to Abby's mind, quite unexpectedly, that he looked very nice in the candle light.
He was standing in front of the fridge. "For breakfast we have yogurt, bread, yogurt, cold pizza from last night, yogurt, some left over Thai -- but I don't remember how long it's been in there, so that might not be the best choice --- yogurt, cheese ... or yogurt. I could try making some eggs, but we should conserve the fuel. It will probably get a lot colder before it gets warmer."
"Yogurt sounds good."
"Blueberry, cherry, or lemon?"
"Whatever."
Luka handed her a carton of blueberry yogurt and a spoon, and helped himself to a couple of slices of cold pizza.
Taking her breakfast, Abby wandered again to the window and looked out. The city looked strange -- creepy. Ice covered everything, glittering with a hard light. But stranger was the stillness. This was usually a busy street, cars going up and down it at all hours, pedestrians hurrying along the sidewalks. Now though, there wasn't a sign of life. A few windows glowed faintly with the light of candles and flashlights, but most were dark. The businesses were all locked up tight. There were no cars, no people.
She couldn't help shuddering a little.
"I listened to the radio," Luka said softly. "It's supposed to stay cold for at least three days, and the sleet isn't expected to stop before noon."
"Three days? We can't stay here for three days?" Abby felt her heart sink.
"We can't do anything else."
Was the power back on? It was daylight, though still quite dark. The windows were small, and it was very cloudy out. The room was still cold, even colder than before, but Luka was standing by the sofa, holding two mugs, out of which steam rose, bearing that tantalizing scent.
"Where did you get coffee?" He couldn't really have made it over the candles, could he? Had he gone out? No, the coffee shop down the street wouldn't have had power either.
"I made it."
"How?"
"My little secret. Just enjoy it." He held one mug out, and Abby took it gratefully, and sipped. It was a little weak, and not as hot as she might have liked, but beggars and choosers and all that ....
"Instant?" she couldn't help asking in surprise. Luka usually prided himself on his coffee. She couldn't actually drink the stuff he usually made, but it was useful for stripping varnish, and would get anyone through a 12 hour shift -- or three consecutive ones. This stuff was ... just coffee, and mediocre coffee at that. But it was hot, and seemed to contain some caffeine.
"Don't expect miracles." Luka motioned with his free hand. "Can I sit down?"
Abby sat up, making room for Luka on the sofa. "How did you make this?" she asked again. "The power is still out, isn't it?"
"It is. Probably will be for a couple of days at least. I went out earlier, or rather, opened the door and looked out. There's about 2 inches of ice already down, and more still falling."
"So, how did you ..."
"I've lived without power before, Abby. For months. You learn a few tricks." He was still smiling, but, for an instant, the memory darkened his eyes.
Of course, the siege. Vukovar. Abby suddenly noticed the faint smell of smoke in the air. She hadn't smelled it at first, over the far more interesting coffee-scent. On the window sill she saw a cast iron frying pan with a broiler rack set over the top. On top of that was a sauce pan. A makeshift grill. The room was colder because Luka had opened the window a crack to let the smoke out.
"What did you burn?"
"Some old magazines. I've got enough to keep us in coffee for a few days at least. I knew all those old JAMA's would come in handy someday." He grinned. "I had to take the battery out of the smoke detector, so be sure you don't smoke in bed or anything."
"Don't suppose you can heat enough water for a hot bath."
"Looking for miracles again? Maybe enough for a sponge bath. With a very small sponge."
Abby sighed and got up. The coffee had definitely helped, and, despite everything, she felt a little more cheerful. "I'll live." Selecting her warmest outfit from the suitcase of clothes she'd brought over earlier in the week, she went into the bathroom to change.
No light, of course. The bathroom, like most apartment bathrooms, was windowless. After trying to manage in the pitch darkness for a few moments, Abby gave up and opened the door leading to the bedroom to let in some light. And a voice startled her.
"Need something?" asked Luka. He'd gone into the bedroom himself, and he was changing too.
"Just some light to see by," Abby said. "Sorry." She closed that door and opened the living-room one again. She felt her face growing warm. She shouldn't be embarrassed, she thought. She'd seen Luka's body countless times before.
But that had been before. When they had been lovers. Now they were ... something else. What were they now? Ex-lovers, certainly.Co-workers? Definitely. Friends? Maybe. Luka certainly seemed to think that they were friends. Or maybe he was hoping to become lovers again? Why else would he have offered her a place to stay? He'd been the perfect gentleman the entire time, but who could know what he was thinking.
It wasn't as if they'd actually talked about it. But then, they never talked about much, did they? Even before this, when they had been lovers, they had never talked much. Funny how the physical intimacy, the comfort in each other's company hadn't been accompanied by emotional intimacy.
Abby was dressed. She brushed her teeth, hastily splashed some cold water on her face and called it 'washed'.
When she emerged from the bathroom, Luka was in the kitchen, also dressed, a little more warmly than before. Black turtleneck, jeans, black leather jacket. The thought came to Abby's mind, quite unexpectedly, that he looked very nice in the candle light.
He was standing in front of the fridge. "For breakfast we have yogurt, bread, yogurt, cold pizza from last night, yogurt, some left over Thai -- but I don't remember how long it's been in there, so that might not be the best choice --- yogurt, cheese ... or yogurt. I could try making some eggs, but we should conserve the fuel. It will probably get a lot colder before it gets warmer."
"Yogurt sounds good."
"Blueberry, cherry, or lemon?"
"Whatever."
Luka handed her a carton of blueberry yogurt and a spoon, and helped himself to a couple of slices of cold pizza.
Taking her breakfast, Abby wandered again to the window and looked out. The city looked strange -- creepy. Ice covered everything, glittering with a hard light. But stranger was the stillness. This was usually a busy street, cars going up and down it at all hours, pedestrians hurrying along the sidewalks. Now though, there wasn't a sign of life. A few windows glowed faintly with the light of candles and flashlights, but most were dark. The businesses were all locked up tight. There were no cars, no people.
She couldn't help shuddering a little.
"I listened to the radio," Luka said softly. "It's supposed to stay cold for at least three days, and the sleet isn't expected to stop before noon."
"Three days? We can't stay here for three days?" Abby felt her heart sink.
"We can't do anything else."