The Chestnut Tree was a familiar sight to him. Erik had been at the bar several times during its construction and then the night of its opening. Natasha felt almost like a close friend by now and he liked to pay her a visit whenever he was in town. But today he wasn’t here to see her (even though he was most likely going to hang back and chat with her later anyway). He was here to meet a new friend.
It had been an unexpected, yet pleasant surprise to hear back from Nadia. He didn’t think she would have taken his offer seriously especially with the Supply Scout Annihilator still on the loose. He was, after all, some guy on the Freenet and he wouldn’t have blamed her if she chose not to contact him again after their initial conversation. It was how the online world worked even before the apocalypse hit. But he was glad that she trusted him enough to at least give him a chance to prove he wasn’t a dangerous creep praying on innocent woman.
Parking his car near the pub, Erik waited for the dog to climb out after him before he locked it. He then made his way inside. Scanning the room, it didn’t take him long before he spotted Nadia. She was the only brunette currently present who had a book with a Harlequin romance cover, so he figured he couldn’t be wrong. Straightening his shirt, he headed over to her with a friendly smile settling over his face. “Hey, Miss Sangue,” he greeted, extending his hand out to her, “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Mr. Minion.” He gestured at the mutt by his side. “And this is the dog. Have you been waiting for long?”