Chapter 6

Later, Mark found himself in the gym area, watching fighting instructions on his phone.

He was focused and determined to improve his skills.

Mark dedicated himself to the training, his fists and feet landing powerful punches and kicks on the punching bag.

The rhythmic thuds echoed in the gym as he honed his combat abilities.

Mark's white cotton t-shirt clung to his body, soaked with sweat from the intense workout.

The fabric had darkened in places, emphasizing the contours of his physique.

As Mark continued his training, he suddenly heard a whistle from the entrance of the gym.

He turned to see Anna, holding a bottled juice, Monica playfully whistling, Nicole waving shyly while admiring his physique, and the pregnant Luda joining in with a warm smile.

Monica grinned mischievously and teased, "Looking good, Mark!"

Anna offered him the juice with a sweet smile and said, "Here, you must be thirsty."

With a playful wink, Mark accepted the juice from Anna and rewarded her with a tender peck on the lips.

Monica pouted playfully and chimed in, "Me too!"

With a grin, Mark leaned over and planted a playful kiss on Monica's lips as well.

Monica wrinkled her nose and teased, "Eww, you stink."

Mark couldn't help but play along. He lifted his arm and took a sniff, then grinned. "Doesn't seem like I'm smelling bad.," he quipped.

He threatened to wipe his sweat on Monica as she laughed and darted away, running from him.

As they took their seats, Monica settled comfortably on Mark's lap as he wrapped his arms around her, with Anna beside her, leaning in closely.

They didn't seem to mind his sweaty appearance.

Nicole* and Luda joined them, taking seats close to them.

As they engaged in conversation, Monica took Mark's soaked shirt and began to wipe him down with a towel.

They spent the entire afternoon together, enjoying each other's company. Until Mark pulled Anna and Monica to the restroom.

Later.

After leaving the restroom, Mark was followed by Monica and Anna. Their hair was still damp from the shower, and the girls' skin was flushed with a rosy hue.

The girls walked somewhat awkwardly as they slowly made their way to the dining area.

Luda, with a mischievous glint in her eye, couldn't resist making a light-hearted joke. "You guys sure took your time in there. Did you redecorate or just give it a good cleaning?"

Mark chuckled and replied, "Well, let's just say we wanted to make sure it's sparkling clean for everyone."

Monica joined the conversation, her tone playful. "Yeah, you wouldn't believe how spotless that restroom is now. We worked some magic in there!"

Anna chimed in with a grin. "Oh, Luda, you missed out on the restroom makeover session. It's pristine in there now!"

Laughter filled the air as they teased Luda, while Nicole listened, her cheeks flushing with a hint of embarrassment.

Nicole blushed and spoke softly, "You guys are... daring." She wasn't sure how to react to their openness.

Mark playfully pinched Nicole's cheek and grinned, "We're just having a great time, Nicole."

Monica joined in the teasing with a mischievous grin, "Yeah, Nicole, you should've been there! It was quite an adventure."

Nicole mumbled something barely audible, her cheeks turning a shade of crimson.

Anna leaned in, asking with a grin, "What was that, Nicole?"

Nicole cleared her throat and replied with a hint of embarrassment, "I said, it was... I, um, nothing..."

Mark winked at Nicole knowingly, letting her off the hook with a playful smile.

After dinner, they decided to relax. Mark found a comfortable spot to sit, with Monica and Anna laying their heads on his lap.

They all listened to music coming from his phone. Luda and Nicole joined them, each with their Bluetooth earphones that Mark had made for them, allowing everyone to enjoy the music together.

As Mark sat quietly, gently caressing both Monica's and Anna's heads, his thoughts began to wander.

He contemplated his options for the next day. There was still the matter of the dog trapped under the underground parking of the mall, along with the lurking zombies.

Andy, the owner of the gun shop, didn't have enough food supplies.

Mark pondered whether he should lend a hand or simply pass on the opportunity.

After all, he reasoned, he wasn't particularly motivated to help, and Andy certainly didn't possess the allure of a beautiful woman.

Mark thought about their situation. They had enough food and water for now, and the mall seemed secure.

 The generator might need more gas soon, but there could be barrels in the underground parking.

The real problem was the lack of guns.

Without interrupting the music playing on his phone, Mark switched his focus to searching for the latest news.

Mark scrolled through the news, and the headlines were all dominated by reports about the zombie outbreak.

The police and military seemed to be overwhelmed, and there were stories of their bases being overrun. Even the President's helicopter had crashed under mysterious circumstances.

As he continued reading, Mark came across bizarre stories about zombie versions of celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. It was clear that the world had plunged into chaos due to the zombie apocalypse.

Mark couldn't help but chuckle at the thought that even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, some things never seemed to change. The existence of paparazzi, even during such time.

Mark chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he continued scrolling through the news. "Well, looks like even the zombies couldn't resist the allure of Hollywood glamour," he thought, finding a bit of humor in the strange turn of events.

Anna noticed Mark chuckling as he read the news. She looked up at him and asked, her curiosity piqued. "What's so funny, Mark?"

"Yeah, spill the beans!" Monica also glanced up, waiting for Mark's response.

Mark glanced at both Anna and Monica, a playful smile on his lips. "Well, it seems like even the undead have a taste for the celebrity lifestyle," he replied with a chuckle. "Who would've thought?"

He showed them his phone, and Luda and Nicole also leaned in, curious to see what had amused him.

"You're so bad," Anna teased with a grin.

Monica sighed, her tone sympathetic. "Poor Britney. Look at her face. She was my idol."

Luda raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. "Zombie celebrities, huh? That's... different."

Nicole chimed in, her voice soft. "I can't believe this is happening to the world."

The group fell into a deep silence, the women lost in their thoughts.