MTL NOVEL Chapter 226: The Scent of Coffee
After the party, Rayne found Julian, Noah, and Ian all talking by the warehouses.
"Hey, what are you guys talking about?", she asked, joining them.
Julian placed his arm around her, welcoming her to the group. "We were discussing how successful our harvest was today. I don't think any of us were expecting it to be this good".
Rayne smiled, "We're lucky that we have such experienced farmers among us. I spoke to someone earlier who managed to bring their own special strawberry seeds"
"Oh wow, that's impressive. We really do have some passionate people here, we are very lucky", said Noah.
Rayne's eyes lit up. "I have an idea that I would like to pitch", she said suddenly.
The three men looked over at her. "What sort of idea?", asked Julian curiously.
"I got this idea earlier this morning when I was helping with the harvest. What if we set up a small trade caravan between the other settlements? Julian and I have already encountered two settlements that have their own strengths and weaknesses"
Julian looked at her, surprised at the suggestion.
"I think that's a great idea", said Noah. Although he's never been to any of these different settlements, he heard from Jonah a good bit about Fred's ranch in the north.
Julian thought about it quietly then agreed, "This really is a great idea. We could support each other and trade various resources to strengthen ourselves".
Rayne nodded, this was exactly the train of thought she had earlier.
"We would need at least one or two members of Alpha Team present to keep the caravan safe from outside dangers during the trip", Ian finally chimed in, giving his indirect approval.
"Great! I'll start making plans. Julian, let's see if we can go find another RV from our usual spot to use as the caravan", said Rayne excitedly!
"You guys and your amazing ability to find pristine condition RV's", said Noah, shaking his head. He wasn't sure how they were able to keep finding all of these good thing, but was happy they did.
"Haha, well we certainly have been lucky!", laughed Julian. He was glad that no one seriously questioned them, demanding to know where they found all of the things they had.
"Then while you two solve the issue with the method of transportation, I will go around to see if anyone would be interested in joining the trade caravan", said Noah, making a mental note.
-
Rayne and Julian went back to their house to discuss the setup of the trade caravan further.
"What other smart ideas are you keeping from me?", smiled Julian.
"Oh please, the thought just entered my mind this morning! But I truly hope that it works out. I would like to maintain relations with at least Fred's ranch", she said.
Julian pulled her into his arms as soon as they entered the house.
"Sooo...Tell me, where is our 'usual spot'?", he whispered, placing a kiss on her neck.
Rayne's body heated up and her cheeks flushed pink, "Wherever you want it to be", she said in a barely audible voice.
"I really like the beach, let's go there again", he said, nibbling on her ear.
-
That evening Rayne set off with Julian to 'find another RV'. They drove off back to the beach they had visited before on Rayne's SUV. Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire
The weather was a lot warmer than it was the last time they went and Rayne hoped that the water would be warm enough to swim in.
"Is there anything else that we need to bring back for this Caravan? What sort of items are you thinking of trading?", asked Julian.
"From my observations earlier, it seems that Fred's settlement could use fresh produce and clothing items, while the chicken farm was in big need of everything outside of food", said Rayne, recalling what she witnessed at both places.
Julian nodded, "I agree, let's also bring back some of these items so that we don't have to use our stock from the warehouses"
"Okay!", smiled Rayne.
-
A few hours later they made it back to the familiar beach.
Rayne quickly took out the RV with the hot tub, per Julian's request, and got ready for bed. It was well into the night by the time they arrived and they were both tired.
Julian walked into the bedroom and looked at Rayne. She was wearing one of his large grey t-shirts with an old band logo. Her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, and her long legs were peaking out from under the blankets.
"Now this is a sight I would love to see every day", he said, diving into bed with her.
-
The next morning they both woke up to the sun beaming through the slits of the curtains on the windows.
"Wow, we sure slept in today", yawned Rayne.
Before Julian had a chance to open his mouth, his stomach let out a long and loud growl.
Rayne burst out in laughter, "Let's treat ourselves to something good today! It's been a while since we've had a full pancake breakfast!"
Julian smiled and scooped Rayne off the bed, carrying her over to the kitchen area.
"I don't know if I've ever been so excited for breakfast before. I'll make us some coffee", he said and quickly went to retrieve the small coffee maker from the cabinet.
Rayne giggled, "I have any kind of coffee you could ever want in my system, silly goose!"
"Yeah, but we need the scent of breakfast when we eat it. Trust me, it will make it that much more enjoyable!", he said looking at her.
"Okay, I trust you", she giggled and began setting the table.
She pulled out two plates full of fragrant pancakes covered in fresh-cut fruit and whipped cream. The scent of the pancakes with the freshly ground coffee filled the room.
"You're right. The scent of the coffee is almost more enjoyable than the coffee itself", she said smiling with her eyes closed.
Julian walked over and placed a large mug of black coffee in front of her, "Enjoy".
They both ate their food with relish, enjoying the whole breakfast experience very much.
"Let's start grinding coffee at home from now on. It's just such an uplifting scent", said Rayne, thinking about how many bags of coffee beans she should bring back to the base with them.