VI #2
Nick gave her a sharp look. "Didn't you have some of your own people for that little errand?"
"I did, but I wanted you specifically." Irena leaned on the table, and Nick couldn't help seeing the abundance of her breasts through the wide opening of her tied-up blouse.
"Oh yeah, me specifically." He caught on and answered in his striking voice: "Why me?"
"Well, you seem to me like a person who'll definitely deliver those mushrooms to their destination." She nodded toward the pack at his hip, seductively biting her lips.
Nick was too experienced not to know what Irena was implying.
In another time and another place he'd have accepted the game of seduction and open flirtation, but at the moment he wasn't in the mood.
He was too burdened and unsure of himself to devote himself to it.
So he took the bags of mushrooms with a smile and put them in his pack with the words:
"Your wish will be granted, young lady." He paused and looked at her with his green eyes. "What do you say we share a portion of spaghetti today? You and me, in the dining hall, together."
Though he felt unimportant and insecure, the company of an attractive blonde like Irena was not to be passed up, and Nick knew it.
After all, he knew his own feelings and thoughts.
He knew he'd feel much better those few short hours that remained until dinner.
Irena straightened and, with a radiant smile, winked at Nick.
"Deal, then we have a date tonight." Then she asked: "Should I bring wine?"
"Better not, if people notice we're drinking, they'll want to join in. And tonight I'd like to keep a clear head."
Irena was satisfied with the explanation, nodded, and then the seriousness returned to her attractive face.
She turned to a girl who was approaching and took the small roll of paper the girl handed her.
Nick considered himself dismissed and, with a light goodbye, headed toward the warehouse exit.
He still felt unnecessary, but somehow it was easier, because he knew he'd feel much better in the attractive company of a young girl.
Walking toward the staircase, he realized he had no place he could call his own.
No corner he could tuck himself into and think in peace.
Before, that had been the security room on the entrance level, but security with a permanent staff of at least three people was now there.
So there was nothing to do there anymore, especially once all the weapons were moved up as Erik had suggested.
The chief engineer's office, where he'd slept last night, was out of the question.
The chair, though comfortable to sit in, wasn't suitable for sleeping.
Besides, that office saw a lot of traffic because of the elevator connecting the lower levels of the shelter.
The apartments, as far as he'd heard, had been assigned to various guilds for use, and he felt as if he belonged to none of them.
That left only the mass dormitory, which offered none of the privacy he was counting on while in the company of an attractive blonde.
Nick generally wasn't inclined to share space, and he worried whether he'd find a bunk to sleep in with enough privacy of the kind he was used to.
With those thoughts he descended the staircase to the laboratory.
He knew he'd find some corner for himself, even in one of the tucked-away offices down on the seventh level.
So he looked for Nika to hand her the delivery.
He found her busily explaining the procedure for analyzing samples on some machine to a few people.
The girl, visibly tired, was pointing out various instructions on the machine's screen while the people around her took notes.
Nika noticed him and, with a nod, let him know she'd attend to him as soon as she finished.
That took a while, so Nick sat on one of the chairs so as not to just stand around idle.
He looked around the room. The plastic that had covered the equipment was gone, the machines were mostly switched on, and some were already in operation.
For a moment it crossed his mind what Nika was cooking up in the running machines that hummed and spun, but the explanation would probably only confuse him.
Nika had a whole guild helping her, and it showed.
People who hadn't been at Nika's lectures worked around the machines or moved various containers among them, clearly preparing them for future testing.
In the distance, Nick noticed one of Vlasta's volunteers enter the room with a pained grimace on his face and then stop in confusion.
A girl approached him and directed him in another direction.
The man had clearly missed the door and ended up in the laboratory.
It seemed that wasn't rare, given that the girl sat near the entrance, probably to turn away any possible strays who had no place there.
It all seemed practiced, even though people had been working in the laboratory for a little less than eight hours.
That spoke positively of Nika's efficiency and dedication to the work.
He sighed. He still felt unimportant and unnecessary.
Here he sat in the laboratory while around him people worked or helped devotedly.
Again negative thoughts settled over his mind.
He just wanted to withdraw into some empty room to think about everything.
He knew that wasn't good, and he'd never considered himself a depressive person.
He'd call such phases his blue moods, which he treated in the company of friends or with wild, unbridled parties full of sex.
But now everyone around him was busy and employed.
The wild party he'd thrown two nights ago had recharged people's batteries, and no one was in the mood for partying, while sex he could only hope for if Irena was in a good mood tonight.
Until then he had no other solutions but to wait for someone to notice him sitting alone on a chair.
Nika finished her lecture. She was tired.
She approached the idle Nick with a heavy sigh.
"Hi, Nick, how's it going?" She sat slowly on the table beside him, moving a few test tubes.
"Oh, just idling." Nick had a sad expression that she noticed immediately.
"Something wrong?" she asked him, worried.
Nick looked as if he were searching for words and struggling to form a sentence. She let him collect his thoughts.
"Oh, I've got my hang-ups in my head. Somehow it seems to me I'm the least needed in this situation," he finally lamented.
"Oh, come on, cut the crap, Nick." The girl seemed angry.
He looked at her questioningly. "Without you half these things wouldn't work, not to mention the people."
"What do you mean?" he was curious. Those words pleased him.
"Well, like this: Ana couldn't have organized the people on her own, and it would have taken her much longer to manage. Tomi would never have had unconditional access to all the levels. Not to mention what would have happened if he hadn't had access to security. Erik, who only looks out for Vlasta,
would never have been nominated for security because, forgive me, he's too quiet."
She caught her breath and took his hand.
"I'd never have ended up in security if it hadn't been for you."
She looked him in the eyes. "Do you get my point now?"
Nick nodded silently. The words and the friendly squeeze of the hand pleased him.
Her hand was warm, and it was as if it radiated a positive charge.
He felt the warmth rising up his forearm and felt shivers.
He felt better, and maybe all he'd needed just then was that squeeze of the hand and a few kind words.
He looked gratefully into the girl's eyes.
"Thank you, Nika, I think that was just what I needed."
"You're welcome." Nika stirred and pulled her hand from his. "I always have a kind word for a friend I care about."
"Just a friend?" Nick asked while a trace of a smile appeared on his face, though his eyes were sad.
"Just a friend." Nika fixed a strand of hair that had fallen over her face. "Irena would kill me if I stepped into her territory."
Having fixed the unruly strand, she crossed her arms over her chest.
"You know about Irena?" Nick was surprised.
Nika looked at him as if he'd gone mad, but then noticed from his face that he wasn't joking. She laughed cheerfully.
"Oh, Nick, half the people on the council noticed her devouring you with her eyes."
"Interesting, I don't consider myself an inexperienced young man, but honestly I didn't know about her interest until about half an hour ago." Nick was thinking.
"And why do you think people were snickering during the meeting, and Ana got angry?"
"Ana's like that anyway, she likes to control meetings." Nick defended himself, but quickly running that afternoon meeting through his head, it all fell into place. He looked at his companion. "Okay, if that's how things stand, I'll have to do something about it."
Nika smiled easily and added: "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Nick relished the relaxed conversation. He still marveled at the girl's effect on him.
She radiated optimism and hope, and that was all he needed.
He almost regretted missing the chance to start something with her.
But she gave no sign of having been interested in Nick.
He recalled the passionate kisses they'd exchanged last night and thought that, had what happened not happened, they could have spent a passionate night.
And that would have been that. Nika was too focused on work to waste time on unimportant relationships that would fizzle out quickly anyway.
She would, in fact, only have used Nick to release stress and gone on her way.
Pure biology. No feelings. Just work. And that would have suited him, because there were always willing girls hanging off his arm.
Now he valued the friendship Nika offered.
And he was glad she was in his life. Then he remembered.
"Oh right, I have this for you, Irena sends it." He took out the jars and the bag of dried mushrooms. He held them out to the girl. "I hope it can help."
Nika's eyes widened; she took the little vials with a trembling hand and examined them closely.
"Oh, Nick, oh!" She restlessly examined all the vials and the bag of porcini. "OH!" she exclaimed as nearby people turned in surprise. Nothing was clear to Nick.
"What, something wrong?"