“You don’t remember me, do you?” the guy said, bringing his attention back to her.
Summer shrugged, unable to stop from staring at him. “Should I?” She wondered how long this chat would take. She didn’t want to be rude, especially since he was very cute, but she was already late for a meeting with Edison.
A girl’s gotta prioritize over glamorize, she thought to herself, even though she didn’t want to leave.
“We met a couple of weeks ago. I was the guy who smashed your leg when I was sweeping the deck on six.”
She didn’t recall anyone hitting her with a broom. Especially a blonde guy with the face of Thor. Must have been a mix-up. But then again, there was his total cuteness and her not wanting to be rude thing, so she wasn’t about to correct his goof. “Oh yeah. Now I remember.”
He put his hand out. “My name’s Nick Simms. But you can call me Simmer. Everyone else does.”
She grabbed his hand and shook it, appreciating the whole Summer and Simmer thing.
Was the rhyming name thing kindred spirits or some random fluke? “Sorry, Nick. My mind was somewhere else. I’m usually really good with faces.”
He let go of her hand, his eyes focused on her cheek. “Speaking of faces, what happened?”
Her hand went up to the bandages, checking that they hadn’t come loose. “Just some bad luck.” She wanted to say more, but that’s all that came out of her mouth.
His face tensed as his soulful eyes grew cold, moving their focus to her forehead. “Did someone hurt you? Just tell me who it was and I’ll go have a little chat with him. Man-to-man, if you know what I mean.”
His unexpected gallantry brought warmth to her heart, even though if he tangled with Wicks, this kid would get crushed. “It wasn’t anyone in particular. Just an accident while I was out on a mission. Mostly.”
His intensity cooled. “Stitches?”
She nodded.
“How many?”
“Not sure. Wasn’t really paying attention when Liz patched me up.”
“Hurt, I’ll bet.”
“Some, but I’m used to it,” she answered, deciding that she didn’t want to sound like a helpless girly-girl, even though that’s what she wished she looked like at the moment—a pretty, totally together girl who knew what to say and how to act. It’s hard to reel in a fish when you don’t have any bait.
“No doubt,” he answered, his eyes indicating he was most likely probing her for weakness.
She had plenty of that. More so right now. There’s nothing quite as embarrassing as meeting someone new and interesting with your face all torn up, as if you just lost an argument with an angry hedge trimmer.
Her mind took her deep into her memories, replaying a scene from her childhood. Her dad had just finished cutting the lawn, then fired up the noisy machine, sending puffs of blue smoke out from its engine.
She could still hear its high-pitched pinging as her dad trimmed the foliage around their house. Branches flew and her ears twanged, but she always followed him around the yard regardless. Not so much like a lost puppy, just a young girl who idolized her father.
That same annoying whine was the sound that her heart was making at the moment, screaming at her to say something to Simmer and not just stand there like a total spaz.
The pause in their conversation continued, stretching from a few seconds into a long minute.
She shuffled her feet.
He did the same, his hands in his pockets.
Summer finally regained control of her logic, leaning to the side to glance past him. She wondered how pissed Edison was going to be with her tardiness.
She wanted to stay and chat, but she needed to go. She wasn’t sure what to do. Too many choices. Not enough time.
He seemed to sense her dismay. “Well, maybe later then?”
“For what?”
“You know, hang out. When you have a break in your schedule.”
“Okay, sure. Maybe later.”
“Cool. Catch you then,” he said, resuming his trek.
She turned to catch his backside, wondering why a boy like Simmer was suddenly interested in her. The baggy coveralls weren’t doing him any favors, but that was life in this place.
Endless cold. No privacy. And nobody ever looked their best.
At least this guy didn’t stink. Plus, his smile seemed genuine. Then there was his nickname: Simmer. It fit perfectly. As in hot. This guy was all that and more. Plus, the whole one letter off thing between their names. Gotta love life’s little coincidences.
Summer had no idea what he meant by “hanging out,” but it intrigued her. She was certain it was more than just the wayward daydreams of a girl who was used to being alone.
It reminded Summer of her recent encounter with Krista. Both meetings were more than they appeared on the surface. If she had to categorize them, they were both more than chance but less than destiny. Something in between.
Her face blushed as thoughts of Simmer danced in her head, keeping her heartbeat thumping harder than normal.
Just then, her mind flashed a scene of her hands running wild in his beautiful hair, the soft strands twisting around her fingers in a gentle embrace.
Most of the young men in Nirvana kept their hair military short, but this boy had chosen a look that was bound to capture someone’s attention. And that someone was her.
Other than Avery, nobody cute or age appropriate had ever looked her way twice. At least not in a romantic way, assuming she was reading the situation correctly.
She figured she’d remained a virgin because of her out of control hair. Or her plain looks. Or her complete lack of makeup or anything feminine. Or the whole End of the World thing.
The Event hadn’t left her with many choices, unless she wanted to entertain the idea of one of the older guys running around the silo.
She shuddered, thinking about the endless string of middle-aged man bodies she’d seen waiting in the shower line. Some wore a towel. Others didn’t. Body hair, man boobs, and sagging wrinkles everywhere.
None of it pleasant.
Well, that was not entirely accurate. There were a few of Krista’s military guys. At least they took care of themselves. Mostly.
Though their shower rotations were on a different day than hers, so she really never got a good look at them. Without a shirt, that is. Or in a towel. Unless, of course, she accidentally wandered down that hallway at precisely the right time, looking shocked, even though that was a total lie.
And now there was Simmer. She was sure she hadn’t seen him before. All of a sudden, she bumped into him. Weird.
Either way, she never paid much attention to the romantic side of things. Until now.
Maybe it was time to entertain new ideas—those that come with certain aspects that can change a girl’s perspective. About her looks. Her life. Her future. Her insides. Everything.
Unfortunately, Avery wasn’t around long enough to find out what those feelings might have been.
Maybe Simmer would be, now that those same feelings seemed to be back. She could feel them starting to germinate, ready to break through the soil covering her heart.
She smiled, then resumed her walk to Edison’s.
Her run-in with Simmer had flushed her body of the anxiety, leaving her ready to take on the challenge of explaining her recent actions to the boss of Nirvana. There were facts and events Edison needed to know. Things he needed to understand.
Now that her heart was in the right place, maybe Edison’s would be, too. She liked her chances, knowing that luck runs in streaks, both good and bad. Maybe hers had just turned. Simmer was the start.
She wasn’t sure what to call her instant mood adjustment. Perhaps it was some form of cosmic rebalancing event. Or maybe a personality reboot.