“What is going on, and why are all of you late for lineup?” Captain Williams boomed from the stairway. Their imposing captain halted in confusion when he saw the group hug.
“Team building. Therapeutic supportive technique,” Theo lied.
“Chief Baker approved,” Luna chirped. Erin suspected Luna had rightly guessed that Williams wouldn’t question anything involving Baker.
“Group hugging is in. Very big. Physical human contact is very important for emotional regulation,” Vanessa added.
Erin was more than glad she was on the outside of the hug. They had no idea how much Chief Baker agreed with Vanessa’s last statement.
It was even better naked.
Aiden shrugged his way out of the hug. “Do you want to join us? Get in touch with some of your feelings? Cry it out?”
Williams was having difficulty with a comeback. “Finish your emotional regulation and meet me downstairs for lineup in five minutes.”
Everyone slowly separated. Kevin waited to hear Williams go back down the stairs. “You know who could use some good horizontal time? Vanessa, you’re single.”
“No. I like my sex low on the surly,” Vanessa said. “I don’t fix broken things.”
“He needs more than a group hug,” Luna said.
The team scarfed down bagels and a cup of coffee each before going downstairs. Williams didn’t mention how the team was ten minutes late for lineup. Erin guessed he was smarting from whatever slap-down he’d had last shift with Chief Baker. While they’d been sexing it up, they hadn’t discussed anything related to her captain. It was better that way.
The captain retired to his office and assigned routine equipment maintenance. He didn’t notice Luna let Carver do Ladder alone to give him some space. Instead, she helped Theo check the Medic. Vanessa and Kevin were on Engine, keeping an eye on Carver nearby. Erin and Aiden got assigned to custodial duties at the Cafe.
Erin steadily moved down her side of the room and washed the dishes and the counter. However, Aiden kept cleaning the same window over and over.
Poor Aiden.
He’d been through such a trauma-congo-line since December, Erin could hardly remember the old friendly easy-going version of Aiden. Things had been looking up yesterday until they weren’t. He had plenty of options to choose from. Williams’s outburst. Soto’s subtle disrespect. Luna being favored. Elias supplanting him. The three-way tie for Charlie. Not making captain. The dying teenager. Getting left for dead.
Take your pick.
“Windex doesn’t break through windows,” Erin said. “Want to talk about it?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” Aiden moved over one window. “You’re awfully chatty on your sex high.”
“It’s sex. Nothing else makes you feel better than a good role in the hay with a hot guy.” Erin checked to confirm their sneaky eavesdropping captain was nowhere nearby.
“It was that good? You’re still walking straight.” Aiden drew a box around her with his hands.
“Han was… good,” Erin wasn’t sure how far she should go to describe the exceptional Chief-sex she’d had. “How about exemplary? It kept me in bed all weekend.”
“Then that’s pretty good.”
Erin tried fishing from a different angle to draw him out, despite his claim of being over it. “How you and Luna were the first time you hooked up? A weekend bang-a-thon?”
She got a genuine reaction; he laughed. “No. I took her out to dinner in Geauga County so no one ran into us. It took us to the third date to finally get to bed. It was twelve hours at a Holiday Inn Express because we were trying to dodge our roommates. They weren’t fooled.”
“You have had sex since the break-up?”
“Sex with another person? Anything I’ve had lately has been solo.” Aiden brightened. “Kevin has enough sex for me and him. Bananas have longer shelf lives than the revolving group of Kevin’s Badge Bunnies.”
“Then why didn’t you go for Charlie? She seemed—”
“Easy?” Aiden threw his paper towels out. “Contrary to common opinion, not all guys want an easy lay, and kinky-weird isn’t my thing. Was she planning on a foursome with all three of us? Or would we end up in some kind of firehouse love quadrangle? Didn’t I fuck that up enough? Where to next?”
“Sweep the conference room on the second floor and clean the catwalk,” Erin said. The offices, front desk, supply rooms and gym took up half the first floor. The bunkrooms, kitchen/cafe, laundry, and conference room were on top of them. The barn was two stories tall for the rigs and the catwalk crossing it.
