Jeremy Nickleback wasn't sure he was going to make it. There was a line at the check point and it was 90 minutes until Curfew started.
Getting caught outside of his "Yellow Zone" when the clock hit 7Pm wasn't the end of the world, but it would be the end of his livelihood. Even though the fines would be something that he could shrug off, his employers at Oregon Freeze Dry, who currently had a billion dollar contract with Uncle Sam, won't like it if one of their logistical wizards was pinched.
'Government Contractor Flaunting Pandemic Restrictions!' the headlines would say, even though Jeremy was effectively only in middle management. But if new administration was cracking down on its own people for the slightest violations, what would they do to a disposable 'contractor'?
When traffic was at a standstill, he texted Janine. gonna be close, stuck at check point.
A minute later Janine texted back the 'worry faced' emoji, then separately you have your vax card?
Jeremy looked down at his console. Sitting next to the gear shift in a cup holder was the square note card that had sign doctor scribble and a QR code. He texted Janine a thumbs up.
Even if he was fully vaccinated there would be a three day period where he would be contagious if he caught the bug.
An MRAP rumbled past.
Oh, dear.
Jeremy rolled down his window and, not to his surprised, heard some screaming. "Excuse me, I thought I was living in AMERICA, NOT NAZI GERMENY."
"The Jacobson Act gives us authority!"
Yayda yaya, it will be on YouTube shortly enough.
Traffic started moving again. Start, stop, start stop.
And in just 30 minutes he reached the check point.
A National Guard trooper in full NBCMOPP gear approached his window. A large, dark green form, wearing an overside, semi-rigid full body suit with a face concealing gas mask and large rubber gloves and boots. Jeremy pulled his respirator over his face and presented his Vax card.
The Trooper shined a normal flashlight, then switched over to a device that looked like a supermarket pricing gun.
The QR code was scanned, and the device made a 'beep'.
The trooper nodded and said, "You heading home?"
Jeremy could have easily lied, but said instead said, "Date."
"Oh?" the trooper said, cocking his head. "I hope it's an in house date then, you know what time it is?"
"About six on the dot." Jeremy said.
"Is she, sorry, are they vaccinated."
"As far as I know she is." Bumble had a feature that would verify your vax status and would label your profile as such.
"She mention any fever or body aches in the last few days?"
"Just a headache about a week ago," Jeremy said. "That could be anything."
"Indeed." The trooper signed. "What about you. Fever, chills, bloody sputum?"
"Sneezed so hard I both threw out my back and banged my head on a desk lap."
The trooper leaned in closer, sighing his light near, but not in Jeremy's eye, and saw a small bruise and scratch just over Jeremy's right eye.
"Ouch." The Trooper said, then slapped the roof of his car. "Move along, be safe."
When Janine Kibbleson opened door she saw a man slightly taller than her with shaggy black hair, a small nick on the right sight of his jaw, a fading bruise and scratches over one eye hazel eye, and a respirator hanging off of his neck. The man was also holding two bottles of hard apple cider.
Jeremy saw a petite woman slightly shorter than him with short brown hair, brown eyes and a face that was vaguely diamond shaped. She wore an untucked, sky blue blouse of a security guard, that was both wrinkled and stained with coffee and mustard. He couldn't decide if she looked more like Daisy Rey or Kira Knightly.
They both had hammering hearts.
"Hi," Jeremy said. "Nice to finally see you in person."
Janine smiled. She stepped backed and said, "You too, handsome."
They had text back and forth for about a month. Both admitted to the other that neither was the other's type. But both had other people that they matched with either fizzle out or ghost them, and after a while they both found things about the other that they found attractive.
They both thought the other had pretty faces. Jeremy thought she had the chin and jaw of a supermodel while Janine liked Jeremy's eyes. They both had political leanings that the other tolerated. Janine owned guns and Jeremy was for a Universal Wage that would last beyond the Pandemic. Both saw that the other had some use. Janine used the Pandemic Relief Income to pay her rent and could afford G7 internet while Jeremy's skin was saved by an armed security guard from a crazed Anti-Vaxxer.
Both had something that the other liked and both had flaws that the other could overlook.
As Jeremy stepped into the apartment and pulled his respirator off, something caught his attention. His eyes widened and he quickly side stepped around Janine and crouched down on his hunches. "Hello there! Who are you?"
"That is Gizmo." Janine said, grinning ear to ear.
"And how old are you Gizmo?" Jeremy asked the ball of brown and grey fur with piercing blue eyes.
"I am two months old." Janine answered for the husky puppy.
The little dog sat back on his hinge legs and lifted his forepaws, yipping.
In a, yes, a squeal of delight, Jeremy scooped up the dog. Gizmo immediately began licking his face. This only made Jeremy more delighted, and he sang out "Puppy kisses! Puppy kisses!"
It would not be untrue to say that Janine nearly creamed herself. Her heart was practically fibrillating, and pure instinct told her that this man was worthy to sire her children that she previously was not sure she wanted.
Even when she in the presence of the primest example of masculinity, nothing made her desire more intense than seeing a man who was kind to animals.
Even if that man was only 5'5 and 350 pounds, seeing tubby going out of his way to avoid even hurting a spider was something that was worthy of at least a one night stand.