“Ben I’ve said this before but I’m so glad that Cal found a man who knows how to cook,” Kathryn said leaning back in her chair. She picked up her biscuit tearing it in half and smearing jam on half of it as before taking a bite. “Has he gotten better at cooking for himself yet?”
“He’s a good student. But not a fast learner,” he chuckled.
“I think I regret introducing you two to one another,” Cal said sipping on his coffee and smiling. “At least I have this.”
The six of them were sitting at the table in the kitchen. They had to move a lot of chairs around and make space for them and they were definitely filling the space up more so than either Ben or Cal had imagined it was built for.
“It is really good,” Marco added. “What kinda spices were you using in there?”
“Cayenne peppers and chopped olives. My aunt used to always make it like that. And make it with pieces of maple bacon. A family tradition,” Ben smiled and lowered his head. “But I’m glad you all like it.”
“Considering breakfast is not something I get to have often I appreciate it,” Seth said cutting the omelet and forking up a corner.
“All this praise. I can’t take it,” Ben looked away hiding his face behind his coffee mug.
“It’s because you’re great Ben,” Cal said beaming over at him.
“Let’s change the subject away from me,” he looked at each of them. “I think I know all of your names. Marco, Sarah, Seth, and of course Kat.”
“That’s us,” Sarah confirmed and glanced at Cal. “And you know about our extra-curricular activities.”
“Yeah I told him about it. Though I think he just kinda knew in the back of his mind,”
“I had some ideas. I didn’t expect it to be as exotic as it is though,” he reached for the pepper on their table. “You all have stones like Cal’s right?”
“Yeah,” Marco pulled his necklace out and the red stone glinted in the light. Kathryn exposed her blue brooch, Cal showed his pink watch, Seth’s pulled his chain stone out, and Sarah revealed her yellow bracelet. The five of them seemed to be pleased by being out in the open together.
“Wish my job was more interesting. Though what do you all do?”
“What do we do?” Marco repeated.
“When you’re not saving the world from killer robots. What do you guys do? I work at a law firm. I’m a secretary not a lawyer, so a lot of desk work to make sure the firm stays in working order.”
“What firm do you work for?” Marco asked his interest piquing.
“Sage and Carlton. I think it’s-,”
“Down on Jefferson. All the way down at 396th street right?”
“Yes!” Ben grinned elated. “Do you work downtown?”
“I work for a magazine,” Marco said. “Copy writer though it might as well be proof reader for all that I do at the place.”
“It’s not The Resident is it?” Seth asked and Marco nodded. “Shit. You guys are the building next to mine. I’m at some sort of bank doing communications work. People are stupid long and short but it pays the bills.”
“Hey I heard that,” Ben said looking around them at the apartment. “Cal helps with what he can but like you said. Pays the bills.”
“I wish my job paid the bills for real,” Kathryn said picking up a piece of fruit, a nicely cut peach that crunched when she bit into it. “But a community college associates degree can only get you so far.”
“Do you want to go back to school?” Seth asked and she looked at him surprised. “What I can’t ask?”
She shook her head chuckling. “I might one day. When I figure out what I want to do with myself and get real money. Maybe we should start doing advertising for our team. Get that sponsorship money.”
“I’d second that. We can have Marco be our manager,” Sarah said looking over at him.
Marco shook his head raising his hands, “Please no. I’d rather just keep proof reading for the magazine and try to save the world.”
“What about you Sarah?” Ben asked and she started at the question then shook her head.
“I used to work for a bank. A teller but I got replaced by a machine. So. I’m presently looking again. Thankfully we had enough money to hold us for a few months but,” she frowned at that and shook her head. “Things changed recently, so the plans aren’t exactly as clear cut as they once were.”
Ben connected the dots pretty quickly, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that up.”
Sarah shook her head waving her hand, “No no. It’s okay. I mean, it’s. It’s not okay. It’s actually the worst. I hate it.” She laughed to herself and sipped on her coffee and felt Marco squeezed her leg underneath the table. “But. We’re figured things out. Slowly. Very slowly.”
A silence settled on them for a while. Awkward for Ben but painful to varying degrees for those that had known Jack. It was different than losing a family member to illness, old age or even violence in the streets. It was different because they had been there, they had watched it happen. It could have been them or worse they could have done something.
“This is nice,” Kathryn said breaking the silence and offering a small smile as all eyes were on her. “Us just, being here. Talking. Eating. Being something like friends.”
“We never would have come together like this on our own,” Marco agreed. “Maybe met but I doubt we would have become friends like this.”
“I can’t say that me and Kat would have befriended Seth initially,” Cal said and glanced at him with a small smile. “But some life and death situations can change people, can’t they?”
“Yeah they can. We’ve all had each other’s back,” Sarah teased her cup around in her hands and finished it off setting it against the table. “And considering we have to avert the apocalypse I’m glad that I have you guys with me.”
As she raised her mug she paused as her stone began to vibrate against it. The vibration was steady and she stared at the stone waiting for the glow but it didn’t. The other five also vibrated and Cal frowned staring at it, “Looks like we’ll have to finish this later.”
Kathryn sighed and looked at Seth, “Those things really do have the worst timing.”
The Harlequin Library 