Page 11 of Creepy (The Zombiepidemic #1)

B y three o’clock, I’d gotten my day’s work finished, minus the weeding, picking, and canning.

Who was I kidding? If I was going to start dating, I’d have to rewrite my schedule.

To save gas, I decided I’d use the reel mower to go over the front yard before I cleaned up for my dinner with Arlo.

I debated on what I would make, deciding not to take him to Mrs. Deans’ for something substantial.

I had to keep some secrets, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t go all out.

We’d be having a big Greek salad since I had fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions plus I had a jar of Kalamata olives I’ve been waiting to open.

We’d even have some canned chicken on it if he weren’t vegan or something.

He seemed like the type who might be. I also had a nice Rosé wine I think he’d enjoy.

It’d been the craze right before the pandemic.

Then, like any southern woman, I planned to surprise him with a pie.

I had a can of cherries with filling and a graham cracker crust. I was getting a bit too excited.

When he asked me to have dinner, he undoubtedly meant it as a date.

That much I was sure of. I hoped he liked cherries.

It was sort of symbolic. He was my first date of the apocalypse since Dillon didn’t count.

He’d be popping my post-apocalyptic cherry.

Maybe in more ways than one. I already knew I wouldn’t wear my workout clothes I had on now.

I’d laid out another new sundress. It might have been fall, but the weather said otherwise.

I’d also laid out my best matching bra and panty set, a blue lacy number from Victoria's Secret, one that matched my eyes.

I didn’t expect him to surprise me. Arlo, casually eating an apple, I wasn’t sure where he’d gotten, strolled toward me. Tan, he glistened in the sun as if the yard was a sunny beach.

An easy smile came. “What in the world are you doing here already?” It was just a little past three.

His wrist twisted up as he read his watch, “Noon.” He explained, “Apparently, my watch is busted. It stopped working earlier after I took a dip in the pool. I didn’t want to be late.”

“The pool?” I knew there was a pool at the Jules’ Estate but was confused. “There’s water in it?”

“Yeah, I uncovered it and spent all morning cleaning it.”

My mind couldn’t wrap around that. I wasn’t sure if we shared the same idea of clean. His hair still wet, he appeared clean enough. Stepping closer, one whiff clued me in to the fact he’d used chlorine. “They have all the chemicals?”

“Yeah, it even has a diving board.”

Full of surprises, he held out a basket full of apples for me. The grounds around Jules’ Estate was one place I hadn’t searched. I supposed I’d been saving it for when I decided to move there.

Free of the basket, Arlo put his hands on his hips and looked around my yard. “Just like the Garden of Eden.”

“Thanks,” I said and meant it. “Most people think it’s silly to keep up the yard now, all the flowers on the porch,” I explained, talking about Dillon before I caught myself. “You know, everyone in Creepy still kept up their yards during the pandemic. It’s a southern thing, I guess.”

“It’s nice. It’s your positive energy showing.”

I shrugged, not sure there was anything positive about it.

But he smiled, staring into my eyes. I beamed.

His face held the same sexy hunger it did yesterday.

Things were already perfect. I took him on a tour around the yard before we went inside.

Arlo marveled at the fact I kept some electricity going during the day.

He relaxed in the cool living room while I excused myself to clean up.

I sponged myself off and got dressed. Since I’d had my clothes laid out, it didn’t take long.

Our conversation flowed while we made dinner. Arlo seemed at home cutting up the vegetables and whipping up the dressing. I added some apples to our salad. He added a lot of Parmesan. The chicken pleased him too. We sat on the back porch at his request.

“It’s beautiful out here.”

Him against the passion flowers, I couldn’t agree more.

“I wonder if I can get some electricity on across the way.”

“It’s a big place.”

“It has solar panels on the roof.”

“I know.” Honestly, that was one reason I hadn’t gone over there, yet.

I had a generator here. I knew how to operate it.

We’d gotten our power from the co-op. I had no clue about solar panels.

Arlo seemed determined to get the power on over there somehow.

Explaining he was an electrical engineer, he surprised me again.

“I thought you taught karate.”

“That too. I also play some guitar. And I surf.”

Having guessed as much, I laughed.

“What about you, Sissy? What did you do before you were the Barefoot Contessa of the apocalypse?”

I took his words as a complement of my uncooked cooking, my gardening, and my housekeeping.

Him invoking the famous cook who seemed to always have her shit together, her shit fancy even, made me feel accomplished.

“I certainly didn’t plan to be running a homestead.

I’m not creative. I’ve always been practical.

In college, I went early, majoring in finance.

I crunched numbers. I like facts and figures, routines.

I have no other talent. My Papa had been a successful businessman, dealing with investments and real estate.

I planned to take over. Then the pandemic hit.

” I left out the parts about my ex-fiancé.

“Obviously, you have other talents.”

“I like to learn. I paid attention is all.”

“I also like to cook, pastries mostly, well not anymore.”

“Then you are going to either love or hate this.” I had him wait on the back porch while I put together our makeshift pie.

I was just pouring a can of cherries into a pie crust, but these days, that was a delicacy.

The pie needed whipped cream, but that was a pipe dream.

Garnishing the dessert with fresh mint, just to make it more appealing, I stopped to check myself out in the mirror.

I looked happy, happier than I had been in a long time.

The pie was a hit. We didn’t bother cutting it. He fed me a bite, and I fed him one. After pie, he insisted on giving me a lesson in self-defense.

“Take off your shoes.”

“I’m not waxing the car.”

He laughed at my Karate Kid reference, before grabbing my hips. Yanking me to him, he said, “You’re supposed to fight me off.”

Biting my lip, I realized he was serious.

Breaking free, I stepped back into my best fighting stance.

Circling me, he corrected my form, his hands not very professional as they touched me.

My abs and thigh muscles tightened, I spread my bare feet to grip the deck although I tingled inside.

At his direction, I lunged forward to swing my bent leg up.

My foot lashed out to strike Arlo’s side just perfectly. Too bad, I fell back on my ass.

Helping me to my feet, Arlo tugged me into his chest. My heart about jumped out of mine.

We twirled around a moment, floating into the house.

Like in my dream, we found ourselves on the couch.

His arm around me, he leaned in to kiss me.

I melted into his embrace. I disintegrated when his lips parted, and his tongue met mine.

The thrill of a new kiss zinged through me.

The kiss was enough, had me floating on air, but I waited for more.

More didn’t come. He drew back and said, “Can I see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” I said as if it was obvious.

Arlo kissed me again, this time dragging me on top of him. Straddling him, I clutched his shoulders. His hands went up my dress to rest on my bare thighs. When he stopped, he said, “I know you’re not the type of girl who would let me stay the night.”

As much as I wanted to argue, kiss him again and nearly rape him, I agreed.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then. For a lesson. For a swim. Same time?”

“Three o’clock?” I joked.

The next day, after my walk and trip to town, I wore my leggings to visit Arlo.

We started with more of the same great conversation and great food.

Another surprise, him making an honest to God pizza on the outdoor gas grill, using all shelf-stable ingredients including anchovies.

I’d never even tried them before and was pleasantly surprised.

Apparently, not only did the Jules’ Estate have solar power, but it also had a large propane tank on the property, he explained when he fired up the grill of the outdoor kitchen.

Propane, another thing I knew little about.

Although it was the best idea, something you could do with firewood, I never cooked outside because I was only one person.

The smell would attract zombies at some point.

Behind the tall iron gates and with Arlo, I felt safe to roast the marshmallows he had.

And he had candy bars, something that had somehow gotten cleaned out of Creepy before the evacuation.

Arlo’s Prime truck held a heap of goodies he’d collected on his way through the country.

It eased my worry about my stash of provisions being raided.

He gave me another lesson in self-defense, starting with some yoga-like stretches.

This time he behaved like a more serious teacher, taking me through his lesson with less flirting, less groping.

So much so, when we ended with meditation, I’d noticed our lesson hadn’t turned into another passionate kiss.

With him going home last night, I worried he wasn’t incredibly interested in me.

Arlo came over to help me off the mat. “Now it’s time for a swim.” He led me to the pool. Studying the water, I found it clean and acceptable.

“I don’t have a bathing suit,” I lied. I had a whole slew of them at home but left them behind on purpose.

“Who needs a bathing suit?” He stripped down naked right in front of me, exposing his obvious erection. That erased my worries. Then he turned around, and I got an eye full of his glorious butt before he dove in. Arlo emerged from the water and hung on the side, waiting for me to join him.

Miss Mary screamed at me for making him wait.

I’d never just stripped down in front of a man I just met before, but this body deserved to be seen.

Tugging my tank over my head, I dropped it on the tile surrounding the in-ground pool.

I shook out my ginger hair that had fallen into my face, imagining that made it look better.

Shimmying down my leggings, I kept my bra and panties on.

After all, I’d worn another pretty pair, more see-through lace, white this time, with a thong for God’s sake.

The pleased look on Arlo’s face had been confirmation he liked what he saw.

He beckoned me over. I dipped down to sit on the edge of the pool right in front of him.

Taking my knees, he spread my legs and bobbed up between them, eye to eye with Miss Mary.

I envisioned him leaning in and taking a lick.

Standing, he took down a bra strap and kissed my shoulder before replacing it.

Geezus. Why did he have to be such a gentleman?

Carefully, he pulled me into the water, practically on top of him.

My arms went around his neck, my legs around his middle.

He clutched my ass, raising me to float above his erection.

His wet lips engulfed mine. We kissed for ages; me working the still-clothed Miss Mary against his hard cock at times.

I regretted not getting naked when it didn’t go any further.

“We’ve got to stop,” he groaned.

I almost asked why, but he let me go and swam around.

“I needed to cool off,” he explained when he popped back up.

The cool water couldn’t even cool me off.

A little put off by his hesitation, I climbed out plenty to show off the hot bod I had now and used the diving board to jump back in.

I swam by myself. We showed each other tricks we knew.

I was no surfer, but I could flip in the water.

He stayed naked, his erection never drooping.

I wanted nothing more than to jump his big bone, but played it cool, kept my underwear on.

Even when Arlo swam up behind me and started kissing my neck.

His hands went to my breasts as he felt the lace.

I felt his dick hard at my backside as he kissed my shoulder.

He took the strap down again and then put it back up.

I broke free from him and swam around some more.

I was tired of being teased. I waited a bit and then made my excuses to go home.

Climbing out of the pool, he said, “You’re an outstanding student. I want you back tomorrow.”

“Maybe,” I replied.

Stepping out naked, Arlo took a fighting position and said, “Show me what I taught you.”

In my undies, I took a stance. Pouncing off the ball of my foot, I kicked forward and hit Arlo’s side, knocking him back into the water. I returned instantly to my stance as I found my balance.

He bobbed up from the water. “You’re a natural.”

We both dressed, and Arlo walked me home. At my back door, he kissed me, soft and lingering. I barely returned the kiss. He said, “Goodnight. I hope to see you tomorrow. How about five?”

“We’ll see.” I felt bad for treating him so coldly. He was just trying to be a gentleman, but I was horny as hell after swimming around with a naked hottie all evening.