Seducing Columbus by patricia51

(Sequel to "Doing Wichita". Wichita decides that it's high time to move her romance with Columbus to the next level. Wichita's POV.)

I realized I was holding my breath as I watched Tallahassee and my sister drive away. Okay I'm always a bit nervous when she goes with him on one of his little expeditions. Today is not even one of the occasional zombie hunts he goes on when he's bored. We really do need diesel fuel for our generator and he had located an old truck stop on the interstate not twenty miles from here. We've all been there before and cleaned out the zombies weeks ago.

I remember to take a breath. I have to, I need the air, as I run quietly up the stairs to the second floor and out onto the porch there that overlooks the road. The dust trail left by Tallahassee's Escalade can still be seen rising through the trees. It veers to the left and I know that they're on the road leading down to the old country store we found when we left the city. Not too long now and they'll be on the hard top highway.

I wait, straining my eyes and occasionally remembering to take another breath of air. Finally the dust stops indicating their progress and that pretty well means that they won't be turning back because they forgot something. Tallahassee told me they'd only be gone a few hours. That gives me more than enough time. Today my biggest concern isn't that something will happen to Little Rock. I know he'll take care of her. My concern today is that they don't come back early.

Back down the stairs I hurry. I pause and listen. Columbus is in the kitchen. I slip closer and peek. He's busy arranging the canned goods he and I brought back from a trip yesterday. We went a different direction about forty miles and found an old grocery store. Three zombies total and we handled them without getting out of the car.

Tallahassee was disappointed that we didn't find any Twinkies. Columbus was happy that we found several twelve packs of Mountain Dew Code Red. We can't afford to run the generator all the time so we don't have refrigeration (besides which everything that requires cold has already spoiled) so he cools them a few at a time in the stream that runs behind the house.

It was, of course, Tallahassee who found the generator and hooked it up. He was glad it was diesel. I didn't understand that then but he explained it. Diesel fuel would still be around after all the gas was looted. Diesel engines were tougher than gas ones and would last longer.

It was while running the generator this morning that we discovered the fuel tank was down to less than half. By then we had run the pump to fill the water tank and heated water for cleaning up, for washing clothes (which task I had just finished) and more to the point of the moment for me, for bathing. I scampered once more up the stairs, scattering my clothes in the bedroom I share with my sister and hopped into the shower.

While I scrubbed myself I thought about Columbus and me. Who would have guessed it? The two of us I mean. I never have thought much about guys other than picking out the next one to "lose my engagement ring" in front of. Okay, that's not entirely true. I may not be entitled to wear white at my wedding, assuming such an event could possibly take place in this world we live in but I'm really not all that experienced. I never had sex with guys in order to set them up. Besides being wrong it's counterproductive anyway. It's the suggestion of sex, the HINT of sex that draws the guy's attention away from what he should be thinking about.

When I first met Columbus he was just another guy to take to the cleaners. Our car had broken down and we were hiding. Heck we were in the stock room of a grocery store that had several zombies in it. I had watched Tallahassee (I didn't know his name then of course) handle them and knew he would be hard to fool. The other guy was just someone along for the ride.

Well I was wrong. I first began to realize it when Tallahassee had disarmed my sister and I slammed on the brakes to cover him, in a panic that he would harm her. The verbal explosion by Columbus made all three of us feel just a little sheepish. And he got under my skin enough for me to panic and take off the morning after I nearly kissed him. Yet he came after us anyway and faced his greatest fear to rescue me and Little Rock. And what can you say about a sweet guy whose greatest wish was to brush my hair away from my ear? I've been falling for him ever since.

So, today is the day. I step out of the shower, dry off and after I make sure the hall is clear I head back to the bedroom. Waiting in the back of the closet is a short satin robe. I don it and fasten the tie around me. It's just long enough to cover my rear end but just barely. I shaved my legs this morning after Tallahassee announced his plans for the day.

Quickly I check myself in the mirror. I brush my hair and fix my face. Light makeup only, nothing heavy.

My heart is beating quite fast. I really, deep down inside, am a romantic at heart and what I'm planning is going to seal the relationship between Columbus and me. I wonder if my sister will mind swapping rooms with him. I could move into his but there's more room here.

I tiptoe down the stairs, pausing only to retrieve the secreted bottle of wine I hid earlier. I smile. It's the same vintage we had that night at Bill Murray's place. I carefully open the door and prop myself against the archway in the most seductive pose I can manage.

I clear my throat and he turns to face me. His eyes get big and he nearly drops his Mountain Dew.

"Don t make me drink alone," I say in my huskiest voice, holding up the bottle of wine. Then I turn and slowly walk away, looking over my shoulder as I do. He's right behind me and yep, his eyes are fastened on my legs and rear end.

We SHOULD mount the stairs to a bedroom but by the sound of his heavy breathing, which by the way is mingling with mine, we might not have time. I pivot into the living room and the over stuffed couch. Turning to face him I balance the wine bottle in one hand and tug the tie to my robe with the other. I shrug my shoulders and the satin pools at my feet. I smile.

Thud.

Oh my. OH My. OH MYYYYYYY. I hastily set the wine bottle down, blessing the fact that I hadn't opened it yet. Then I pick up my robe and slip it back on before dragging Columbus to the couch. Somehow I get him on it and pile pillow under his feet to raise them higher than his head. Then I wait for him to come around and try to decide what the heck I'm going to do now that my great plan has crashed and burned.

But how was I to know that Columbus would faint when he saw me nude?

(The End)

(Thanks to WyldCard4 whose nice review of "Doing Wichita" gave me the idea for this one.)