“Well, no,” I cut in before Lou can scoff at him for implying that we’ve been rendered useless. “Social media engagement is an essential part of the campaign, but we also need to make sure that we’re prioritizing the fundraiser, uplifting Station 47’s other voices, and maintaining positive messaging especially now that Banks has gotten even more vicious.”
Only Lou knows that Barry is the reason why the councilman has streamlined his campaign to be even more against this station, and that it has more to do with me than with the actual firefighters. I can’t bring myself to explain it to them.
Yet another thing that’s my fault.
Hale holds eye contact with me for so long that my stomach starts to flutter. Several beats of silence pass, during which Noah shuffles impatiently and Evan makes a subtle sound in the back of his throat.
When I tear my gaze away from the captain’s, Evan and Noah are both looking at me.
Adding to the list of things that only Lou knows… none of these men are aware that I’ve touched tongues with all of them.
Or maybe they do know.
Maybe they’ve discussed it behind my back, and the real reason for this meeting is that they’re going to confront me for leading them all on. They’ll say that I came in here, PR guns blazing, onlyto twist the situation in favor of frivolity. That all I wanted was to mess around with a bunch of firefighters.
And how can I possibly defend myself? That’s exactly what it looks like.
The butterflies in my stomach turn into wasps.
“That’s a good point, Lila,” Evan offers, diplomatically breaking the awkward silence.
Hale merely grunts, leaning back in his desk chair and working his jaw.
I glance over at Lou, but there’s mischief in her eyes.
And, because we’re best friends, I know exactly what she’s about to do. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean I can do anything to prevent it.
Lou startles to her feet in a dramatic flurry of motion, staring at her phone screen, which is angled away from the others so that only I can see that it’s completely dark. “Oh, shoot! My wife is calling me. She hardly ever calls when she knows I’m in a meeting. I really need to answer this.”
A lie, obviously. Gina hates calling anyone. Even if she was on death’s doorstep, she’d prefer to send a text. Otherwise, she’ll make Lou talk on the phone for her.
“You should take it,” Evan tells Lou. “It’s no problem at all.”
“Definitely,” Noah agrees. “I’m an ally, by the way. We all are.”
Lou snorts, already halfway to the door. “That’s nice, cupcake.”
“Lou!” I call after her.Don’t leave me alone in here with them, you wretched menace!
But she’s already answering the fake phone call and letting the door swing shut behind her.
Another agonizing moment of silence passes.
Hale sighs. “Should we wait for her?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, sinking down slightly in my chair. “She won’t be back.”
Evan sits upright, the perfect opposite of my current posture. “Is there an emergency? She knows we’re first responders, right?”
“It’s not an emergency,” I assure him. But I can’t exactly tell them that the other half of Hartstrings PR is a blatant liar, so I simply add, “Everything is fine.”
“Let’s continue the meeting, then,” Hale suggests.
I nod, eager to get back on track. “Please.”
Don’t think about the fact that Lou is a rotten little trickster who left you alone in a small, enclosed space with the three men you can’t help getting all hot and bothered over.
Don’t think about the fact that most of the station is distracted by the trainings right now. Or the fact that, unless a call comes in, we’ll be left unbothered for at least another hour or so.
