His laser eye contact raises my temperature. “And make everyone think you’re a teacher’s pet?”
“They already know.” They knew before we did.
His lips quirk as though he’s trying to fight a smile. “The fire chief asked me to give rides in the basket at the end of the truck ladder, but if you time it right, you might be able to get me up there alone.”
My gaze jumps to the red engine with a long white ladder. I hadn’t realized we’d get basket rides. Best alone time ever. My pulse picks up speed like a fire truck with its sirens blaring. “Oh, I’m going to time it right.”
He backs up to lead me toward the group gathering inside the giant garage. “It should be easy, since the rest of your class seems to prefer the men with mustaches.”
“They’re crazy.”
He turns to walk side by side with me. “Yeah,you’rethe normal one.”
I grin over at him, remembering the past month of abnormal situations we’d both found ourselves in and how they somehow brought us together. I would have loved to grab Karson’s hand, but he’s working. Also, by the way his cheeks redden when Aaron and Erin look over, he’s embarrassed by the extra attention.
The fireman with mutton chops heads our direction. “Hey, Zellner.”
Karson crosses his arms and lifts his chin in greeting.
Mutton Chops passes Karson to hold out a helmet and jacket toward me. “Everyone is putting on gear, so I thought I’d offer you mine.”
Ooh, I get to wear gear. “Thanks.” I take the helmet and settle it on my head. It’s heavy, and the face shield distorts my view of Karson. His eyes don’t appear as sparkly as they did earlier.
Mutton Chops holds up the shoulders of the yellow coat for me to try on. “I’m sorry I’m not staying for the whole class,” he says. “But I wanted to introduce myself before I head out for my camping trip. The name’s Thad.”
“Aka Wolverine,” Wolfman calls over. “With your chops, you look like Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.”
That name fits too. I turn to slip my arms into the heavy material. “Thanks, Thad. I’m Gemma.” I’d get my phone out of my pocket for a selfie if I could reach it, but the long sleeves hide my hands. I smile over at Karson. “Do you want to take a selfie?” Our first selfie will be of us dressed as a police officer and firefighter. How cute are we?
“Not right now, Gem.” He nods toward a real female firefighter who’s apparently already started our tour of the facilities. Oops.
I try to pay attention, but Wolfman seems more interested in Thad. “Are you Thaddeus Barker of the Portland Pickles?”
I’ve never heard of Thaddeus Barker, but I do know the Pickles are our local baseball team. “You’re a baseball player?” I whisper so as not to disturb our tour guide.
Thad shrugs nonchalantly. “I was until I injured my rotator cuff rescuing a little girl from a fire.”
I tilt my head in sympathy, imagining a million possible scenarios. “Oh no …”
Karson elbows me from the other side, and when I look over, he motions toward our class filing through a doorway into the living quarters of the fire station. I’ll have to hurry so I don’t get left behind.
“Gotta go.” I wave goodbye to Thad and tromp after the group.
I pause to see where Karson is. I have no peripheral vision in this helmet, and it shifts around when I move my head. When I do find him, he’s still back with Thad.
He waves me on. “I’ll be getting the basket ready. I’ll meet up with you later.”
By later he means our alone time a hundred feet in the air. I think back to how I’d compared falling for Karson with the free-fall ride at the amusement park. This is so much better.
Thad waves too. “Nice meeting you, Gemma. Hope to see you again next week.”
Next week we’ll be learning CPR. I nod excitedly. That could come in handy in my writing.
I try to pay attention to our tour and how it can benefit my screenplay, but Karson steals the show. Thoughts of him would make me melt even if this getup didn’t have me dripping sweat.
I vaguely notice the living area and bunk rooms as we file through. There’s no actual fire pole because there’s no upstairs, and I’m a little disappointed since firemen sliding down a fire pole makes a great visual in movies, but my movie is going to be about police officers anyway.
We head over to the tower. It would definitely make a good movie backdrop, with five stories and a roof the firemen practice rappelling off. I watch for a moment before craning my neck to find Karson in the basket high overhead. The long white ladder reaches toward the bright blue sky like a stairway to heaven.
