Surviving the Apocalypse Read online

  “Why would they be going to Hawaii?”

  “I…I thought I’d heard somewhere that was where they were going.” Although now that he thought of it, Lync couldn’t remember where he’d heard it.

  “No, Dad’s got an ocean phobia. The only water we can get him near is in the bathtub. We couldn’t get him on a ship if his life depended on it.”

  Lync smiled, because it seemed to be what Adam wanted. “Will they like me?” he asked, not sure if he wanted to know or if he was really just trying to distract himself.

  “They’ll love you. After I broke up with Morrison, they didn’t think I’d ever find anyone. Little did they know I’d had my eye on you for years.”

  “I’m not dressed for it.”

  “You’re joking, aren’t you? You look good enough to eat!” Adam went up on his toes and nibbled along Lync’s neck to the spot just behind his left ear, and Lync found himself relaxing.

  “You have to say that. You love me.”

  “I do, but trust me, you look gorgeous.”

  Lync looked down at himself, startled to see he wasn’t wearing his usual work clothes. Instead, he wore the suit Adam had selected when he’d taken Lync shopping for this occasion. He must have been so rattled he hadn’t even remembered he’d changed after his usual shift.

  Adam stepped back and held him at arm’s length, studying his face. “Lyncoln, what’s going on?”

  “Nothing. I think I fell asleep while I was watching The World, the Flesh, and the Devil. I guess I was dreaming.” Lync couldn’t help it—he shuddered.

  “That must have been some dream you had.” Adam pulled him back into his arms and rubbed his back, an amazingly comforting feeling.

  “Yeah, you could say that.” Lync leaned back and smiled into Adam’s eyes. The remnants of the—dream?— were fading fast. “The darnedest thing is all I can remember about it is there was something horrible happening, and you came to me for help.”

  “That was smart of me, wasn’t it?” Adam gazed at him fondly, then pressed a kiss to the corner of Lync’s mouth. “Do you know something, Lyncoln? I’ll always come to you.” He stepped back, caught Lync’s hand in his, and tugged him toward the lobby. “But you have to stop watching that movie.”

  “I guess I’d better.” He liked how Adam knew him so well Adam even knew his go-to movie when he got nervous. Lync also liked the way Adam held him. Usually it was his job to take care of his lover, but sometimes it was nice to have his lover take care of him.

  “I hate to rush us…” Adam squeezed Lync’s fingers. “…but we do have to hurry. Mom and Dad are anxious to meet you.”

  “Will they like me?” Lync asked again.

  “They’ll love you.”

  Lync really hoped so. He wrapped an arm around his lover’s waist, and they strolled out of the movie theater. They left the mall through the exit Lync always used and which Adam, as one of the owners, had a key to. With that door locked as well, they walked around to where Adam had his BMW parked.

  Adam unlocked his car and opened the door for Lync, but before he got in, Lync paused and glanced back at the mall. “I just had an idea.”

  “What, Lyncoln?”

  “Solar panels.”

  “You want solar panels?”

  Lync nodded. It was an expensive proposition. Would Adam even consider it?

  “Hmm. For the mall?”

  “Yes.” That was one of the things he loved about Adam. His mind was always so in sync with Lync’s.

  Adam tilted his head and stared thoughtfully at the mall, then gazed up into Lync’s eyes, and Lync could hardly catch his breath as his lover’s smile deepened. Adam mimed flipping open a notebook, touching the tip of an imaginary pencil to his tongue, and jotting a note down on the page. “Duly noted.”

  THE END

  ABOUT TINNEAN

  Tinnean has been writing since the third grade, where she was inspired to try her hand at epic poetry. Fortunately, that epic poem didn’t survive the passage of time; however, her love of writing not only survived but thrived, and in high school she became a member of the magazine staff, where she contributed a number of stories.

  Starting a family resulted in the writing being set aside, although throughout those years Tinnean did continue to keep a journal. Once the kids were old enough to do their own thing, she was able to dabble in writing again. It was with the advent of the family’s second computer—the first intimidated everyone—that her writing took off, enhanced in part by fan fiction, but mostly by the wonder that is copy and paste.

  While involved in fandom, she was nominated for both Rerun and Light My Fire Awards. Now she concentrates on her original characters and has been published by Nazca Plains, Dreamspinner, and JMS Books.

  Tinnean is what you might call a hopeful romantic, and if you see her name on a story, it will have a happy ending.

  Her signature line, a quote by Ernest Hemingway, says it all: “Once writing has become your major vice and greatest pleasure, only death can stop it.”

  A New Yorker at heart, she resides in southwest Florida with her husband and two computers.

  ABOUT JMS BOOKS LLC

  JMS Books LLC is a small queer press with competitive royalty rates publishing LGBT romance, erotic romance, and young adult fiction. Visit jms-books.com for our latest releases and submission guidelines!