by Shadoe Masters
Kylie sat huddled around a cup of hot coffee on the front porch at Chang's, wishing she was still in bed. She'd folded her knees up to her chest and wrapped the light robe she wore around her legs and wondered if she could somehow wrap the thing around her head and go back to sleep.
The door next to her slammed suddenly and she jumped, sloshing hot coffee over her hands and very nearly falling off the bench. She glared at Burt, shaking the coffee off her hand. "You did that on purpose," she accused.
He didn't answer, but returned her stare, his brows knitted.
Slowly, she unfolded her legs and stretched them out in front of her, not bothering to pull the robe over them. The cloth spread open, displaying a line of flesh that was almost, but not quite, indecent.
Burt's jaw hardened and he looked away, but said nothing. Instead, he went to the truck and started slamming supplies and guns around on the back.
Between the effort it was taking to look casual and the pain Burt's "arranging" was causing to her head, Kylie decided she was too tired to win this round. Yawning, she pulled her robe over her legs then took another sip of coffee. "I thought Tyler was going with you," she said.
Burt slammed another pack into the back of his truck and shot her That Look of his.
Kylie did her tired best to level that look right back at him.
"He is, but apparently," Burt replied at last, in his superior tone, "he overslept because someone kept him up half the night."
Kylie grinned at him. "You're just mad because you didn't get to go to the beach too."
"There is no--" he began, but realized by the twinkle in her eyes that Kylie was just trying to aggravate him and dropped that line. "At least he was awake," he pointed out victoriously.
"I forgot to set the alarm," Kylie muttered.
"If you'd gotten one of those watches I told you to--"
"I'm not going to sleep with a watch on, Burt! If you'd just--"
"You two need a time out?" Tyler asked as he stepped onto the porch and grinned at the pair of them.
Burt shot Kylie a resentful look and went back to slamming things around in the truck. Kylie just rolled her eyes at Tyler and shrugged. They both knew there was no pacifying Burt when he was in one of his moods.
Tyler glanced over at Kylie while he put his bag in the back of the truck. "Nice outfit."
"Thank you," she simpered, prompting another glare from Burt.
"You put some coffee on?" Tyler said, shifting his attention to Burt.
Burt nodded silently.
Tyler paused long enough to shake an admonishing finger at Kylie while Burt wasn't looking, then went inside in search of caffeine.
Burt stopped rearranging the gear and dropped out of the truck. "I thought I told you to put some clothes on."
Kylie picked at the flimsy robe she wore. "This is clothes."
Burt snorted.
"Burt, it's four o'clock in the morning!" Kylie protested.
"0445," he corrected, after a quick glance at his watch.
Kylie rolled her eyes. "Whatever. The point is, I should still be in bed. I need my beauty sleep."
"If you hadn't been indulging in your... beach fantasy last night, we could have covered this then." He pulled a piece of equipment almost a foot long out of the truck's front seat and sat down next to her. "You know I need you to test the SDS while I'm gone." He started pointing out switches and dials. "This is the--"
She pulled it out of his hands and set it next to her, away from him. "Burt, I know. I have notes." She took a sip of coffee. "And diagrams, and photos..." she looked up at him, "...and an animated movie, in case I forget all that."
He looked down his nose at her and frowned. "I didn't get the box finished until last night." He started reaching across her for the box and she smacked his hand.
"I can read my notes, Burt! I'm not an idiot!" To prove to him that she'd been paying attention she quickly ran through the test procedure, with options, until he stopped looking skeptical. "Satisfied?"
He sort of nodded while shaking his head, as if it pained him to admit she got it right. He pulled a sheet of paper out of his vest pocket. "I made a list--"
She snatched the list out of his hand and scanned it, then jammed it in the pocket of her robe. "I know what I'm supposed to do while you're gone, Burt. You've been over this a dozen times in the past week."
Burt shook his head. "I don't like leaving you women alone while both Tyler and I are gone. Harlow won't be out until Wednesday, you know, and even Twitchell has that conference in San Diego this week."
"Larry will be back tomorrow," Kylie pointed out.
Burt leveled That Look at her again.
Kylie sighed impatiently. "The wimminfolk will be fine Burt. I have a gun, you know." She took pity on him because he did look genuinely worried and patted his knee reassuringly while smiling up at him. "And I know how to shoot it, thanks to you."
He looked away. "I could wait until next week's event, then Tyler will be here..."
"No," Kylie said firmly, setting down her coffee and waking up somewhat, "because when you get back you have survival school, then we have to go calibrate the geophone system, and after that we have to test out the new ABDS. And you wanted to get that new whatsit installed after that or you're not going to be happy, and you know I'm going to get my hair done after that. Now is the best time." He still didn't look happy. She put her hands on his shoulders. "Burt, we'll be fine."
"You'll have to check my equipment while I'm gone," he said reluctantly. "There's the new satellite linkup in my bunker you'll need to set up each day." He looked away. "It'll be a good test of the system. I'll have the handheld unit..." He couldn't believe he was deliberately allowing her to run rampant in his bunker while he was gone. He tried to think of anything... sensitive he might have failed to lock up...
"I know, Burt." She patted Burt's note in her side pocket. "And I have lists to remind me. So stop worrying, we'll be fine." She drank some more coffee. "Not like this is rocket surgery or anything."
Burt stared at her. "What? Rocket--" He shook his head, refusing to rise to the bait this time. "This is all very delicate, complicated equipment! If you--"
She patted his cheek with a grin. "And you've built it so well even a child could understand it, Burt," she told him. "I'll be fine."
He had built it well, that much was true. He worked his mouth around a bit, trying to think of anything he'd forgotten. "Just... don't forget the ABDS," he grumbled at last. "It won't be easy with one person. You'll need to--"
"I'm taking Nancy with me for that," Kylie said. "She can--"
"Nancy? Are you insane?"
"She can hold the monitor just once, Burt. It'll be fine. I'll keep an eye on her." She patted his knee. "I'm not going to let her break your toys."
Burt opened his mouth to argue with that, but Tyler stepped out onto the porch with a smirk on his face.
As the door swung shut behind him, Jodi caught it and stepped out. Her hair was a mess and she wore a robe over her pajamas. She didn't look happy.
"What are you doing awake?" Tyler asked.
"Who could sleep with all this going on?" Jodi grumbled, gesturing at Burt and Kylie as she shot them a resentful look.
Tyler's smirk came back. "They do go on, don't they?"
Jodi looked at the watch she had in her hand. "I thought you two were supposed to be gone by now."
Tyler snorted, pointing out the two still bickering with his chin.
Jodi shook her head and went back inside.
Kylie bent to set her cup on the porch and stood up and put her hands on her hips. "We'll be fine, Burt! Aren't you gone yet?"
"Remember," he said, also standing. "The valley phone lines are still being repaired, so you're out of communication at least until Wednesday. I don't like leaving you with no way to contact me."
"Burt, you've got a satellite linkup at your bunker. If we're in any danger, we can call for help through that. And Harlow's going to be in the valley, so us wimminfolk won't be entirely unprotected by a big strong man. We'll get by."
"Tyler could take my truck, he'll be back--"
"No! We need a vacation. We have to do girl stuff - facials, hair treatments, painting our nails... stuff. You've got to go." Kylie started pushing him toward the truck, shooting Tyler a glance for help.
Jodi came out a thermos of coffee for each of them and a bag of sandwiches. She thrust them at Tyler with an angry glare.
He took the thermoses, the bag, and the hint, and got in the truck. "Let's go, Burt!" he said.
Kylie shut Burt's door and stood back, a bright, confident smile on her face. "Bye! Have a good time! Win lots of trophies!" As Burt started up the truck and put it into gear, she stepped back to the porch and picked up the box he'd given her and started examining it, absently waving with her free hand. "Much work to do. Bu-bye now!"
Until Burt's truck rounded the corner.
"Ugh!" She set the box back on the bench and started across the street.
"Where you going?" Jodi asked.
"...nap..." Kylie replied over a yawn.