Vee’s blue eyes darkened. “Did he ever go down on you?”
I buried my face in my hands, feeling like I was about to burst into tears. I felt so stupid.
“Hey, don’t get upset, Helen,” Becks whispered.
“I gave him blowjobs… handjobs though. He told me he preferred them to sex,” I mumbled into my palms.
“Course he did. Motherfucker,” Vee muttered. “Right, first things first. Vibrators. Then dating. Then finding the right man to show you what you’ve been missing because Helen…” I looked up at the sound of my name. “You’ve been missing out, and it’s time to unleash that sexual being you didn’t know existed all these years.”
Jax
“You grew up here, didn’t you? Are you glad to be back home?” my area station manager, Eddie, asked as he stared out of my office window at the fire engines being washed by my new crew.
“I did, sir, although it’s been years and the place seems to have changed a lot.” I wasn’t lying—I barely recognised the town. I mean, it even had a high-rise office block now, which the locals would have never gone for when I lived here before.
“It has, but it still has that small town charm… most of the time. We’re glad you’re joining the team, Jax. Your old station were very sad to be losing you.”
I nodded to my new boss. I was sad to leave, but coming home… it had always been my ultimate goal. It happened way sooner than I’d planned, but when I saw the listing for the job, it felt right. Like I was being drawn back here.
“Well, let me show you around your new station and introduce you to everyone. Then I can get out of your hair and let you get to work.” He stood and walked to my office door, pausing with his hand on the handle. Looking back over his shoulder, his greeneyes locked on mine. “Any problems, Jax and I meananything, my door is always open.”
“I appreciate it, sir.”
“Right, let’s get to work.”
“So, let me get this straight… the newest member of the team buys everyone’s coffee… for the entire week?” I asked, frowning.
“That’s right. For the whole week. They have our orders memorised in there and they’ll even help you carry it out for us tired firefighters. Isn’t that right, boys?”
Jimmy turned, looking for backup from Stuart and Henri—the only female on our watch—who both nodded enthusiastically from the back seat of the cab.
“Think of how great you’ll make everyone feel when you surprise them, sir,” Henri added with a smile.
I shook my head, chuckling quietly. “Jax, please. And I’ve been working too,” I reminded them.
“Well, I guess you could call it that.” Jimmy ‘Lucky’ Reece winked, and I flicked my middle finger up at him, loving the camaraderie between us already, and it was only my first day.
Opening the door, I jumped down and headed into the small coffee shop in a quaint row of shops.
The place was relatively quiet, which I was glad about because we never knew how long we had between shouts. I waited in the short queue before being served by a young woman with long blonde braids over each shoulder.
“You the new fire station boss man?” she asked as she started writing our order onto takeaway cups.
I chuckled. “Guilty. I’m Jax.”
She offered me a wide grin. “And what can I get you?”
“Black coffee.”
“Really?”
“Yeap.”
“Simple man with simple needs… just my type.” She winked, and I laughed at her forwardness, but she wasn’t my type. Too young and way too skinny. Just then, a hand landed on my shoulder, making me jump.
“Jackson?”
I’d not been called that in over a decade. I turned slowly, finding a giant man standing next to me, pushing his hand through his beach-blond hair. It took me a moment to recognise his warm brown eyes and the dimple in his cheek I used to take the piss out of when we were kids. “Jasper?” I couldn’t believe it was him.
