Read Online The Oasis by Janette Osemwota - Free Book Online Page A

behind the truck. Then she saw him inside the small store. His rifle was held in his arms close to his face as he stalked through the facility. She watched him and realized she missed having him beside her. She scolded herself mentally for getting so attached to him. Although she felt that there was something there, she knew their relationship was most likely based on physical needs.
    She didn’t kid herself. Although he had kissed her a few times and touched her intimately, she knew he was still just a man. Maybe she would have reacted the same way to any man she met after so long alone. But she couldn’t deny the fact that she had liked the way he made her feel. He wasn’t hard on the eyes and, if she was being truthful with herself, she liked his prowess. Even watching him stalk through the convenience store made her flush as she thought of the muscles that were hidden under his shirt. He was a good-looking man who had clearly taken care of himself even before things had gone bad.
    Looking down at herself, Lena realized how disgusting she must look. Her clothes weren’t new; instead she was dressed in some of her clothes from before the apocalypse. She wore an old maroon t-shirt, jeans and a light jacket. Nothing screamed “gorgeous.” Then again, it was inconceivable to wear heels and a skirt. Anyone dressing like that would have a hard time surviving these days.
    Maybe that was why she liked Jasper so much. He had survived through something that had killed so many people and had changed most of the survivors into crazed animals, but he had somehow maintained his humanity. He could have attacked her, raped her, or worse. Instead he had saved her and protected her.
    Thinking like this made Lena feel like she wanted to clean herself up. She wanted to look beautiful for him. Hell, she wanted to look beautiful for herself. It had been a long time since she had thought about her looks. She had spent so much time focusing on surviving that there seemed little purpose in looking good. She’d never imagined that a man like Jasper would come along and make her want to look beautiful again.
    Searching the lot for Jasper, she found him exiting the store, his rifle thrown over his back and his pistol at his side. He smiled at her and nodded. He went to the back of the truck and began the preparations to pump up some gas. His nod must mean the area was clear, Lena reasoned, and grabbed her backpack. She really wanted to wash up a bit before they got back onto the road. Looking back through the rear window of the truck she saw him reach back into the pumps to get the siphon flowing.
    Keeping her pistol close, she headed into the store. When she looked back, Jasper was busy with the pipes. She would only be a few minutes; he wouldn’t even miss her and when she got back he’d be ready to head out.
    Slowly making her way into the convenience store, she held her gun ready. Since Jasper had already been through, she was a little less alert than she might otherwise have been. She quickly found what she was looking for: a small travel pack with toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and wipes. She also grabbed a pack of gum and some makeup. She couldn’t remember the last time she had worn makeup. Her chapstick was in her pack and so she opted not to get any lipstick. She found the bathroom and stepped inside. Reaching inside her bag, she grabbed a flashlight, which gave her plenty of light in the single-stall bathroom. She reached for a bottle of water and used it to clean her face and brush her teeth. It felt so good just to be clean.
    Lena took her shirt off and looked at her body in the tainted mirror. She was thinner than she had been before things got bad. Her bra was one she had for a while. Nothing she would call beautiful, a nude colored Victoria’s Secret bra that she had chosen more for comfort than for style. Sliding her pants off, she smiled at the panties she wore. If anything she was wearing was beautiful it was her