Page 110 of Massimo

Like he’d snuck me into a secret club that had previously denied me entrance.

Because of that, I liked him again.

At least a little.

I was still irritated about the ‘slut’ comment…

But I was a bit more inclined to cut him some slack.

After I dried off, I dressed in a new outfit from the store and felt a lot better – clean and refreshed.

When I came out of the bathroom, Massimo gestured at a selection of cans. “Pick whatever you want for lunch.”

“Oooh, luxurious,” I joked.

I chose some canned pasta. He had beans and tuna.

“Well, I’m not walking behind you,” I said as we ate. “You’re gonna be a fart machine.”

He didn’t bother to respond.

After we finished, he packed the can opener and put the garbage outside in a bear-proof trash container.

And then we were off.

I only had to carry my little JanSport, a canteen full of water, and the shotgun. Oh, and my Birkin, of course. No fucking way I was going to leave that behind.

He, on the other hand, had his big-ass backpack, a canteen, and a hunting rifle slung over his shoulder on a strap – plus he carried a five-gallon plastic container of water in each hand.

“Why are we taking so much water with us?” I asked.

“Just in case wherever we wind up doesn’t have running water,” he answered. “Most of these places use well water, and if the electric pump is broken or something’s wrong, I don’t want to go without drinking water.”

“You really think we won’t have running water?”

“No, but it’s a possibility.”

“What about going to the bathroom?”

“I brought rolls of toilet paper with me. If you need to, you can always go out in the forest.”

“Wonderful.”

There weren’t any trails to follow; we just sort of meandered through the underbrush.

The woods were beautiful. For the first 30 minutes, I just looked all around me, taking in the sights and listening to the birds.

And then I got bored.

After half an hour of trees and ferns, they all start to look the same.

Same with the birds chirping.

So I started talking to Massimo to entertain myself.

“I never really asked you – why is all this shit happening?” I asked.

“Because there are people chasing you and trying to kidnap you.”

---