“This wound looks serious,” Adam said with a frown, moving his thumb over my palm. “Let me give you a little massage. Or should we take you to the infirmary instead?”
I slapped his hand away. “Fuck off.”
He chuckled. “I was just trying to lighten the mood. We're in weird shit, if you haven’t noticed.”
Weird wouldn’t begin to cut it. His behavior was so off that I kept wondering if the aliens had kidnapped the old Adam and returned him all screwed up. Or maybe they replaced him with the fake Adam. Or his entire personality changed, which made even less sense than the aliens. Or maybe I didn’t know him at all.
“It doesn’t matter,” Adam mused, gazing into the distance. “Things will go back to how they were when we get out of here.”
And that right there was the crux of my problem. I didn’t want things to go back to how they were. I wanted Adam as he was now… talking to me, joking with me, touching me. On the plus side, at least I wasn’t embarrassed about my shower boner anymore. The time we spent here proved to me one thing—we were all human. Accidental erections and hand massages were just part of the process.
After a shift in the kitchen and lunch that I ate alone in the cell, they sent me to the yard. When I spotted Adam there, I breathed a sigh of relief and headed his way.
“How come you’re not at the farm?” I said when he wrapped his arm around my waist and yanked me toward him. I squeaked in shock before realizing that he did it to shield me with his body. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw an inmate throwing himself at a guard and trying to seize his baton. The other inmates started hollering like animals in the zoo, while more guards rushed to help their lone colleague. After a short tussle, they tased the troublemaker into submission and dragged him from the yard.
“Jesus,” I muttered as Adam released me. “What the hell just happened?”
“That was Crazy Stu,” Miguel replied, suddenly appearing by my side. “His brain is fried from too much dope.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Adam grumbled, sizing him up.
“He’s the guy I was telling you about,” I said, placing my hand on Adam’s chest. “From the kitchen. Chill.”
Miguel grinned. “I like you, big macho guy. You a bit cranky, but your heart is in the right place. I get why he likes you.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like you, kitchen guy,” Adam countered.
I glared at Miguel, mouthing, “Knock it off”, when a funny feeling made me turn my head. I scanned the yard, searching for the cause of my unease, only to spot the creepy guy from the shower standing in the distance. His sneer told me he didn’t forget me either.
“Don’t look there,cabrón,” Miguel said in a low voice. “That’s Moses, Crusher’s right-hand man. Aww, man, he’s looking at you as if you’re a snack or something.”
“Yeah, and if he doesn’t stop, I will cut his eyes out with a spoon,” Adam bit out.
“I presume it wouldn’t help if I told him I’m not homosexual,” I joked, but Adam didn’t look amused. In fact, he looked homicidal, so I was relieved when they sent us back to our cells. Once there, he pissed me off the moment he opened his mouth.
“Can you explain to me how you managed to catch the attention of the biggest psychos in this institution?”
“Excuse me?” I exclaimed. “What kind of a stupid question is that?”
“A legitimate one.”
“I didn’t do anything that would—”
“Count! Stand in line, inmates.”
After that, it was time for dinner, which meant a crowded chow hall, a bunch of hungry inmates, and a smell of fish andtrouble in the air. With our trays full, Adam and I found an empty table in the farthest corner of the room.
“Dinner sure looks appetizing,” Adam said with a frown, staring at his plate. “What the fuck is that?”
“It’s a fish patty and mashed potatoes,” I replied, smiling sweetly. “The potatoes should taste extra sweet since I made them for you. How awesome is that?”
“You peeled them,” Adam countered. “It doesn’t make you a head chef. Incidentally, do you know how to cook?”
“I know the basics, but I can’t say I enjoy the activity,” I replied honestly. “You?”
“Yeah, I can cook just fine.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “I don’t believe you.”
