“Well?” I demand.
“You boys are so impatient,” she giggles.
My annoyance grows.
“She’s on her way.”
I push out a relieved breath. “That’s all you had to say.”
“I know, but I wanted you to sweat it out just a little.”
“I don’t sweat.”
She rolls her eyes. “I know, I know. You’re afirefighter,used to the heat.”
“Damn straight.”
“Leave my wife the hell alone,” Eric interrupts, coming up behind Angela and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
“Lieutenant.” I nod mockingly. “Don’t worry, it’s not your wife I’m after.” I toss him a wink as he growls angrily.
Chuckling, I walk off in the direction of the wooden booth toward the back of the bar where a number of other Rescue Four guys have gathered after our latest twenty-four hour shift.
“That school fire was brutal the other day. Lucky everyone got out all right.” Sean glances my way. “Fucking dumbass teens,” he grunts, shaking his head.
After an investigation, the police discovered some neighborhood teens had wanted to play a trick on the elementary school with smoke bombs. They waited until the weekend custodial staff was doing a deep clean to place chains around the doors to keep them from getting out. What the teens didn’t know was that there was a play rehearsal going on that day. And that their smoke bombs would misfire, the sparks causing actual fires, and the chains trapping children inside. The police were looking to charge the teens with some serious crimes.
“You might be a real firefighter yet, Allende,” Sean says, clapping me on the back.
The table laughs boisterously when I toss Sean a middle finger.
“Play nice you two.” Carter takes a sip of his beer. “Shit,” he says, hopping up and heading off somewhere without another word.
I follow his long strides, and am unsurprised to see him pull open the door, allowing his fiancée, Michelle, to enter. I watch for a second longer than I should, noting the look they share.
Blinking, I let my gaze travel past the couple at the door, to see if another woman is on her way in, only to be disappointed when I don’t see Janine. I glance down at my watch and realize it's only been five minutes since Angela hung up the phone.
“Waiting on someone?”
Shifting my attention to Sean, I see his gaze intently fixed on me. Any other time, I would’ve tossed him ayeah, your mother’s running latejoke, but knowing his parents died tragically a few years prior, I forego the dark humor. Instead, I tell him, “Mind your damn business.”
There truly was no one nosier than a firefighter. You think your workplace is a destination for the rumor mill? It’s got nothing on a firehouse.
A couple of the other guys get up to head to the bar for another round of beers, leaving Sean and I the only two at the table. He slides closer.
“You’re waiting on Janine.”
My brows pinching in confusion. “How the fuck—”
He begins chuckling. “Angela is my sister.”
“She told you—”
He shakes his head before I can even finish the question. “Nah, Janine was over Angela and Eric’s yesterday when I stopped by to drop off Jeremiah. I overheard them talking about a guy. Then I watched you over there pressing my sister to make a call.” He shrugs. “I put two and two together.”
“I don’t need your advice.”
“Good. I’m not about to give you any. I’m the last fucking person to give another man advice on relationships. Not when the one with my son’s mother is all fucked up.” He shakes his head in disgust. “I will say I think Janine is good people, and if it works out between you two, I’m happy for you.”
