I mean every word I just said. There is something about this girl that has me captivated. I want to see her succeed in her dreams, especially now that I’m living mine. All I ever wanted to be was a firefighter, and I want everyone else to reach their lifelong goals too.
When she responds with, “I’d like that,” I’m totally done for.
It is now my mission in life to help this girl reach her full potential. I know nothing about performing, music, or the industry, but I’m about to dive right in, and I can’t fucking wait to see her surpass all of her wildest dreams!
We spend the next few hours talking about her life, mine, and everything in between. She talks about those little girls like they are her family, which makes me smile. Not many people understand the family bond we have at the station, but I get the feeling she would.
Before we know it, it’s past midnight, and we haven’t had a quiet moment once.
“I really am having a great time, but unfortunately, I did not plan on staying out this late, and I have some things I need to do tomorrow before I pick up the girls,” she says when she realizes what time it is.
“Yeah, no worries.” I motion for the check, hand the waitress my card without looking at the total, and take the last few sips of my beer.
Once the bill is squared away, we both stand, and I wait for her to go first to lead the way back downstairs.
We make our way out of the exit, where I say goodbye to Josh, then turn to her. “Where are you parked? I don’t want you walking out here alone.”
She motions down the street toward a parking lot, and I follow.
“I really enjoyed our night together,” I say.
I love the small smile she gives me.
“Me too.”
“Can I see you again?”
“I thought you were going to help me with my music?” she teases.
“Hell yeah, I am. You watch; I’m going to make something happen for you.”
She stops and turns to face me. “This is me.”
I step a little closer, making her tilt her head up to me because of how much taller I am than her. My heart pounds like I’m in high school again, no matter how much I try to stop it.
“I mean it. I want to help you,” I whisper, staring into her eyes.
“I’d like that.” She matches my tone.
I lean in just a little bit closer, reaching up and tucking a piece of her brown hair behind her ear. “I’d like to kiss you, if that’s okay with you.”
“Please do,” she says breathlessly.
“Fuck yeah,” I respond, absolutely blown away by not only her giving me permission, but showing me just how bad she wants me, too, with just two little words.
I wrap my hands around the nape of her neck and bring her lips to mine, only having to bend slightly to do so. Electricity flies through me, and when our tongues brush together, I know I’m in trouble. A first kiss has never felt like this with anyone. This girl is different. I knew from the first time I saw her that she had this hold on me, but now that I’ve tasted her, I know I need more.
I take one more kiss, then pull back just enough to place my forehead on hers. “Oh, yeah, this is going to be good,” I whisper, making her laugh.
I kiss her forehead, then turn and open the car door for her. She slides in, and before I close the door, I lean down.
“Thanks for an amazing night. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She gives me the cutest grin, which makes me smile so big that my cheeks hurt.
“Okay,” is all she says before I close the door and make my way to my car.
I’ve never really thought about what my life would be like if I had a girl by my side. I’ve dated here and there, but nothing that made me want to even think about my future. But this girl has me wondering what could be. In my line of work though, I know all too well what could happen, and I don’t know if I’m ready for this. The only thing I do know is, I didn’t want the night to end, which makes me so fucking happy and terrified as shit at the same time.
