“Some of these changes could be good,” Knight countered. “In the long-term, they might be worth it.”
“And that’s why you had two Space Cadet Margaritas already?” Hudgens teased.
“I hoped we would enter a glorious Nirvana where I didn’t have to listen to my two senior lieutenants bicker over your new relationship,” Knight conceded.
“There’s no relationship bickering. I am with Elias. I have been for months which is not new. Why are we still bringing this up?” Rodriguez insisted.
“Because you tried to keep Aiden secret for six months and then it spectacularly exploded all over the firehouse, leaving blood and bone splattered everywhere. Metaphorically.” Hudgens went for blunt, her usual way.
There was a certain point at which Noah understood he should make his presence known. But at the same time, this was a weird coincidence. He let things get away at Firehouse 15 before, and Hudgens had warned him that he hadn’t seen them in their natural habitat. It wasn’t wrong to find out what they thought about their new captain, he concluded.
And if he couldn’t touch Hudgens, he’d have to content himself with hearing her voice.
“I never thought it would go that far,” Rodriguez admitted. “One day, we were filling out paperwork in the office while Uncle was out. I bumped his arm, and suddenly we were kissing. It kinda happened.”
“Yes, six months of ‘secretly happening.’” Hudgens slurped loudly with her straw.
Knight disagreed, “You can’t say it happened ‘secretly’ when you live with your best friends and you’re on the same shift.”
“See, it wasn’t much of a secret. I also checked the Cleveland FD Code of Conduct, and, if you are the same rank, it’s not a problem. It hasn’t been updated for forty years, so it focused more on if you could date the department secretary or if you were secretly gay. Technically, it wasn’t reportable to CFD, and the only people we kept it from were you two newbies and my uncle.”
“If we’re splitting hairs, then your uncle didn’t have a legit objection.” Knight was sarcastic this time. He’d pegged her as the type who didn’t like splitting hairs or sugar-coating things.
“Well, it’s over now. He forgave me because Elias and I are good. Really good. So good that it’s extra good, good.”
Rodriguez is laying it on a little thick, he thought. A littletooinsistent.
“Are we describing sex here?” Hudgens joked, obviously picking up the same thought he’d had. “Or does he have some other skill? Cooking? Monty Python aficionado?”
Knight laughed, the first time Noah had heard her do so. “They do watch a lot of Monty Python, but I don’t think it’s what leads to the noises she makes in the bedroom.”
“Oh, shut up. Monty Python is high-brow entertainment. Besides, you have a rotating stable of men and women. What’s wrong with me sticking to one? It’s not like we’re married.”
“Do you think the captain’s married?” Hudgens must have been a good friend to Rodriguez to save her with the subject change.
“Doubt it. He’s the type to wear the wedding ring, and he’s not wearing one,” Knight answered.
Abby returned from the parking lot and started to open her mouth. She paused when she saw her brother listening intensely and turned her attention to the louder conversation.
“I don’t know. What woman would take him hovering and correcting her all day?” Rodriguez piped up, adding, “He could be gay.”
“He’s not,” Knight answered firmly. “Takes one to know one. Not gay. He is hardcore straight, all the way to the cock.”
“Nessa!” Rodriguez sounded shocked before giggling.
“Why? Because tall, dark, and angry would be much better off if he got laid? Preferably by a woman?” Knight was unapologetic.
“He might be gay. He could be closeted and really angry about it. Isn’t ten percent of the population gay?” Rodriguez ventured.
Abby drank some of her coffee with visible interest in the nearby conversation.
“No, two percent is same-gender gay,” Knight answered, continuing matter-of-factually. “Another three percent are bi like me. I have good instincts on most of the other ninety-five percent who are straight. Occasionally, there will be somebody like the Chief, who is more ambiguous.”
Noah tried not choke on his coffee. Abby slapped her hand over her mouth as Noah watched her comprehend the subject of the conversation.
“Wait, you think the Chief is gay?” Hudgens rejoined the conversation, several seconds behind their topic.
He could almost hear Knight’s shrug. “I can’t be sure. He was unemotional when he was with us, even when the guys fought on the obstacle course. I couldn’t get a good read on the Chief because he was so self-contained. And ninety-seven percent, except guys like Theo, are usually willing to have sex with me.”
