“It’s because he thinks we’re a bunch of cowboys that shoot from the hip,” Aiden added, agreeing with her for once, which was progress for them.
“Speak for yourself. I always shoot from the hip.” Kevin started inhaling a PB&J.
“I doubt the Chief cares about that,” Theo said.
“I’m in high demand right now. Remember that girl whose cat we rescued two weeks ago from the sewer?”
“Are you still seeing her?” Vanessa passed around another tray of sandwiches.
“Yes, he still is. And she’s a screamer,” Aiden said. “I like her better than the grocery store chicks last month, though. Cat-lady makes coffee before she leaves.”
“Grocery store chicks?” Luna asked, filling seven glasses of milk.
“I was a witness to his double play,” Erin remarked. “Kevin was buying risotto for on the firehouse grocery run at Giant Eagle. He got the digits from the lonely girl buying frozen vegetarian pizzas and then the cashier.”
“There is nothing wrong with frozen pizzas,” Theo said.
“She might have been a little lonely, but we all buy frozen veggie pizzas sometimes,” Kevin agreed.
“Don’t forget the time the strip mall burned down, and you got those two waitresses,” Aiden reminded him.
“No, I got one of those waitresses,” Vanessa said. “He got the other one. The Japanese one.”
“She liked my pictures,” Kevin said.
“Yeah, I bet she did,” Vanessa snarked. “My last couple of visitors asked about mine and Luna’s.”
They weren’t referring to tasteful nudes or porn. Kevin had a flair for caricatures, and, for Christmas last year, he’d given everyone a framed photo of a caricature of themself as a superhero. It worked out well for his dating life because any girl who ended up in Kevin’s bed also ended up with a nice sketch of herself.
“She liked your work so much, she stole your sketchbook,” Aiden said in a long-suffering tone.
“Is this an adrenaline junkie thing to date as many people as possible? I thrived on danger at MetroGen, but don’t some of you imagining settling down?” Carver inquired and took a glass of milk.
Behind his back, Vanessa made a face from the combination of the MetroGen name drop and Carver’s claim on being an adrenaline junkie. Like Vanessa and Aiden, Erin didn’t see Carver as daring but more careless when it came to firefighting.
Lucky for Carver, Theo, having been a teacher during his early twenties, tolerated Carver’s notions and chose to answer seriously before turning it back on Vanessa. “I did settle down. It was great and low on danger and adrenaline since he was a plumber, unlike you who is married to the big-shot ER doc. Since he’s gone, I’m easing into a good place with Drew. I’m not a lesbian, though, so I’m not going to pack up my trailer and move in right now.”
“Oh, that’s very funny.” Vanessa saluted him with her sandwich. “Not all lesbians do that. Some of us are in it for the sex.”
“You know me,” Kevin said. “One should embrace variety. Unlike you who likes the brown sugar.” He stole Carver’s milk and gave it to Erin. “Or Hudgens here who only drinks boring white milk.”
Erin shrugged and took a swig. “I like what I like.”
Carver brushed off his pale arms. “White guys? So you’ve been in long-term relationships?”
“Me? No.” Erin gave him his milk back. “I moved around since my mom died in high school, tried a bunch of jobs, but only firefighting seemed to stick. No guy, White or Black, stuck around either.”
Vanessa had to top it. “Carver, you volunteering for an adrenaline junkie threesome with Erin and I?”
“NOO,” Carver declared quickly. “Absolutely not. Very married, but you are all making me feel old.”
“You are old, like forty-five. Should have used more sunscreen.” Theo pointed to Carver’s freckled arms.
“Forty-two,” he rebuffed. “I’m in my prime.”
“Your physical performance disagrees,” Vanessa said. “You know who’s a silvering fox in his prime? Baker.”
“What do you think he does to stay in shape?” Kevin asked, never one with a filter for anyone’s attractiveness. “He is disturbingly hot for the Fire Chief.”
