EJ smiles at her. “Better safe than sorry, Shannon.”
He walks in our direction, dark hair curling out from under the edges of his helmet, mossy-green eyes fixed on me. His stride is calm, purposeful, in control. He moves through the room as if fire would have to recede at the mere thought of him—not arrogant, just his personal brand of confidence.
“Everything okay?” he asks me.
“I think I applied too much styling product. Mabel’s hair got overheated.”
A blush rises up my cheeks for no reason.
“Setting the customers on fire, Angie?” he shakes his head playfully.
“I turned the dryer off and unplugged it,” I tell him.
“Good thinking,” he says, squatting down and checking the outlet, the cord and the dryer.
“Everything looks good,” he says as he stands to his full height. “Are you okay, Mabel?”
“I’m fine. Just don’t take any pictures of me. I look a mess.”
“You look beautiful,” EJ says.
I think Mabel blushes.
William, a firefighter most people call Weber, walks in the front door. “Everything okay, EJ?”
“Yeah. All’s clear. You can tell the customers to come on back in.”
Weber steps back out the door.
Customers fill the station chairs and their chatter fills the room.
“You know, Angie, if you wanted to see me …” EJ says with a half smile. “... you could just call or stop by the station.”
“Wanted to see you?” I huff.
“You don’t have to resort to setting seniors on fire,” he says with a wink.
“As if, EJ,” I say, rolling my eyes.
He smiles and his dimples pop. Those lines next to his eyes crinkle too.
EJ’s attractive. No doubt.
But I’m a single mom of twins. And like Jayme’s character said, I have no need of a husband. I’ve got my mom and my friends. My preschoolers are the two men in my life.
EJ’s face goes serious. “All kidding aside, you know you can call us anytime. I’m glad this was a false alarm.”
“Not as glad as I am,” Mabel says with a boisterous laugh.
EJ turns toward the front of the shop. He pauses at Shannon’s table. “Don’t worry about calling us, Shannon. I’m glad you did.”
“Thanks, EJ. I never want to waste your time. You could be needed at a real fire.”
He nods at her. “Well, have a good day.”
Then he walks out.
And I watch him go because it’s a free country and I’m allowed to appreciate a handsome man in a firefighter’s uniform. It doesn’t mean I’m interested in anything more than looking. Because I’m definitely not.
