by K. C. Crowne
“Shit,” I muttered.
I tried twisting the other knob and got nothing. Thinking maybe our water had been shut off, I went into the bathroom and turned on the faucet. Water came out like normal. I tested the shower. It was fine too. Back to the kitchen, I tried the sink again, and still, nothing came out.
Fuck. If I called the management company, I knew they'd get to us sometime this week. Since it wasn't an emergency and Christmas was just around the corner, I also knew they'd take their damn sweet time getting around to us. We could technically live without a kitchen sink, I guess – except for doing dishes. It would be inconvenient, but it wasn't like we had much of a choice. I jotted down a quick note for Nora and went back to bed, cursing my luck under my breath, as I slipped underneath the covers.
The next day would bring another early shift, so I prayed it wouldn't be another sleepless night. My mind kept replaying everything that had happened over the past few days. It had been a wild and crazy, but somehow good few days filled with very unexpected pleasures and fun.
My body tingled as the memory of those pleasures revisited my mind, and I found myself more focused on Wes.. It still didn't feel real. Had I really fucked two of my coworkers in the last week? The sweet ache between my legs answered back, “Yes, yes, you did and it was damn good too.”
4
Austin
Sarah had avoided me like the plague for the past few days. Not that I blamed her, given how we'd left things between each other at her place. Because I felt awkward and truthfully, like a giant piece of shit, I hadn't gone out of my way to talk to her either. I figured it was better that way. Working with her would be weird for a while. Especially since the guys she ran with were some of my closest friends. I'd fucked up royally, and I was paying for it by having to deal with the awkwardness at work.
I arrived early the next day. Troy and Luke were finishing up with some maintenance on the truck, and a few other guys were still waiting for the shift change, playing cards. They waved at me as I walked into the station. I waved back, but then I caught sight of someone sitting off to the side by themselves. Owen. He was on the floor, by the box with the cats, and I had to resist the urge to walk over there to check on the welfare of the kittens. When he saw me, he stood up and rushed over.
“Can we talk?” he asked me.
Sighing, I motioned for him to come into my office. Shutting the door behind him, I dropped down into my chair. Files were stacked high on my desk, making me groan as I stared at them. It was that time of year, inspections of the facilities and supplies, to make sure we were up to code on everything and functioning efficiently.
“Make it quick. I have some inspections I need to handle today,” I grumbled.
Owen didn't sit down in the seat across from me. Instead, he remained standing, his arms crossed in front of him. His blonde hair was slicked back, and he was wearing designer jeans and a very nice, expensive-looking polo shirt. Bright blue, which matched his eyes. Honestly, he didn't really look right in the house. He looked out of place, and like he didn't exactly belong. It was hard to believe he was one of us. More often than not, he looked like a prep school kid, not a firefighter.
“Why didn't Sarah and Wes get written up for disobeying your orders the other day?” he asked me.
“Really, Owen? Do you want to hash this out again?” I asked.
“Yes, because I believe it's unfair,” he said, his voice tight and petulant. “I got in trouble, and I accept that I was wrong. But Wes and Sarah didn't even get a slap on the wrist for running back into that house after you’d ordered everyone out.”
“Listen, Owen. There's a big difference in what they did and what you did,” I said, rubbing my chin. “You almost got a kid killed. They only risked themselves going back in.”
“But that isn't what matters, is it? The outcomes aren't nearly as important as the rules,” he said. “Because let's face, it was just dumb luck that they ended up not getting hurt or killed by going back inside.”
My voice rose higher as I spoke, “They made an educated guess. They saw a heat signature, and not knowing what it was, they went to investigate. They made a choice based on saving someone. You, on the other hand, broke the rules to feed your God complex, Owen,” I said, my voice growing harder and colder. “Listen, I know you want to be a hero – we all like to feel good about what we do. But there are some days where you have to sit back and let others do the hard work. And as a fucking newbie, you need to learn that there are times you need to swallow the shit and do as you're told.”
“That's not the point I'm trying to make,” he said again.
“Then what is your fucking point, Owen?” I snapped. “Because believe it or not, I've got more important things to do than try to soothe your hurt feelings,” I said.
His jaw tightened, as did his shoulders. He lurched forward, towering over the desk, a look of pure rage coloring his features. If he thought he could intimidate me, he was sorely mistaken. I stood up, and I had several inches and at least thirty pounds on the kid. Yes, to me, he was nothing but a kid. A newbie that would end up getting himself or others killed if he didn't pull his head out of his ass. A newbie I was already getting really tired of. I was probably the last person he wanted to tangle with.
“The point is, rules are rules,” he said, slamming his fists down on the table. “And we can't pick and choose which ones to follow, or who is exempt from those rules just because they're your favorites. That's horseshit, and –”
I held up my hand to stop him. “Owen, let me tell you something. In this field, sometimes you have to break the rules. Sometimes you don't have any orders to follow. Things don't always go as planned, and the world ain't fucking fair,” I said. “There was no reason for you to go into the warehouse the other day, after I'd specifically told you to stay out and control the crowd. Had there been a reason, other than your own pride and ego, maybe you'd have walked away with a slap on the wrist. Maybe less. But no, there was no reason –”
“I was going after the kid, Austin,” he said, his voice raising to match mine.
I stopped and stared at him, and his gaze narrowed. His jaw clenched, and his hands were balled into fists at his sides. I actually thought he might take a swing at me. It would be the stupidest thing he could ever do, but I thought he might give it a shot.
“Yeah, ask anyone who was there,” he seethed. “I looked away for a second, someone asked me a question, and the kid ran toward the building. I simply followed him. I didn't go in because of my pride or some need to play hero. I was trying to save that damn kid’s life! Same as Wes and Sarah.”
“Why didn't you say anything before now?” I asked him, my hands on my hips.
“Because I knew you wouldn't fucking believe me!” he shouted. “Because you don't trust me. Period. If I were Wes or Luke, or hell, even Sarah, you'd have given me the benefit of the doubt. You always give them the fucking benefit of the doubt and cut them slack I don't get. But instead of giving me a little bit of leeway, you automatically assumed the worst. Like always.”
“That's not true, Owen,” I said. “Besides, you were still responsible for everyone out on the street, regardless. Face it, you screwed up. Your intentions may have been pure, and good, but you disobeyed my orders, and put those of us inside that building at risk. All you had to do was radio to us that the kid had gone in and let us handle it.”
“This is bullshit,” Owen scoffed. “You can't even see past your own disdain for me to be fair. You can't get past your own bias to even try to understand what I'm getting at. Why am I wasting my time?”
“I don't know. Why are you wasting you time, Owen?” I asked.
He shook his head and walked out of my office, slamming the door behind him. My fists were balled up at my sides, and I had to physically force myself to calm down. Normally, people didn't get to me. I didn't let people get under my skin like that. I was known to be calm under the most stressful of circumstances. I had been an EMT, then a fi
refighter, and now, I was a Fire Chief. I was not one to be easily rattled, but Owen was different. That kid annoyed the piss out of me on a daily basis, and I wasn't sure why. There was just something about him that really set me off.
A knock came at my door, and I yelled without meaning to. “Yes?”
Luke poked his head in, and instantly, I felt like an asshole. I let out a long breath and motioned him to come inside. When I saw the look on his face, I knew something was seriously wrong.
“Escondido is on fire again,” Luke said. “And they've called on us for help.”
“That bad?” I asked.
“Yes, apparently so,” Luke said.
I sighed. A fire big enough to call us in right before Christmas. Not only would I be pulling my people away from their families for the holidays, other people were losing their homes. That only added to my pissy mood. What a fucking merry Christmas this was turning out to be.
“Get everyone together. Call in anyone who's not here. Have Owen and Troy help you,” I said. “I'll reach out to Escondido's Chief and see what they need exactly.”
My heart raced. This was technically the off-season for wildfires, and there we were being dispatched again. A fire big enough that they had to call us in. That didn't sound good at all. I remembered Luke's arson theory and wondered if the locals had any leads on the cause of the current blaze.
It would be good to bring Luke along. Sarah and Wes were trained specifically for this type of mission, and Owen was still completing his training. As soon as I realized Owen would be coming along for this one, a powerful sense of dread set in. Of all the people to have on a crew, he was the last person I wanted to deal with right now. He was pissed and that could spell danger if he couldn’t get his head in the game.
He was one of the few who could tackle these sorts of problems. Question was, would he be able to listen to me long enough to do the job right? Would he be able to put his ego aside so he didn't get himself – or anybody else – killed?
We'd soon find out.
* * *
“Escondido needs us tomorrow morning,” I announced to my team before dismissing everyone. “Those coming with me tomorrow, you have the night off. Get some rest and be back here at four tomorrow morning to head out. Everyone else, work as usual. Hold down the fort while we're gone. We're going to work hard to get everyone back here in time for Christmas.”
Sarah wouldn't even meet my eyes, and it pained me to see it. We'd have to get past our awkwardness and work together. There was no other way around it. There were only a few of us specially trained to handle this kind of situation, and we needed to work together. Since Owen was already pissed at me, and there was no fixing that, I decided to go to Sarah and hope we could mend fences at the very least. There was a lot riding on us being able to work and communicate together effectively.
She was packing up her uniform when I caught her. “Hey, can we talk?” I asked her.
“Sure,” she said, looking worried, and still avoiding looking at me. “Is this about tomorrow?”
“Well, kind of,” I said. I lowered my voice. “Is everything okay between you and me? You know, after the other night?”
She looked past me and frowned. “Everything is fine, Austin. We're cool. No worries.”
“You sure? Because we can't be pissy toward each other tomorrow. We've got some serious work to do and we're going to need to be on the same page. We've got a fire to fight.”
“I know that,” she said with a sigh. “Everything is fine. You don't need to worry about me. I'm a big girl and I can be a professional.”
“Good,” I said, stepping away and taking a look at her. My heart skipped a beat at how beautiful she looked, and there was a gnawing pain in my chest. A longing. “So, anyway, get some rest tonight, okay?”
“I'll try,” she muttered. “I have some other shit I have to do.”
“What's more important than resting up before tomorrow?”
“I have to fix my sink,” she said. “I called the management company, but they won't be out until after Christmas, and there's no way Nora can handle going without a kitchen sink. So, I did some research, and I'm going to fix it myself.”
I raised an eyebrow and looked at her. I shouldn't have been surprised that she'd tackle the job on her own. That's just who Sarah was. Still, I though plumbing work was outside her area of expertise.
She laughed. “What? You don't think I can do it?”
“What kind of research we talking about?” I asked her.
“Some YouTube tutorials,” she said. “I just have to run by Home Depot, pick up some tools and –”
“I got you covered,” I said. “Let me just run home and grab my stuff.”
“Austin, no –”
“We need to knock it out quickly. We have a busy day tomorrow and can't let anything get in the way of resting up,” I said. “Besides, I've fixed more than a few sinks in my life. It shouldn’t take me too long.”
That was somewhat of a lie. I'd fixed a couple minor issues. Most likely this was a minor issue too. At least, I was hoping it was. I was hoping, I'd just need to turn some valves and we'd be good to go. I'd come out of it looking pretty handy, and she'd be impressed.
I knew I shouldn't have cared about impressing her, but I was still a cocky bastard. I couldn't help it.
Sarah looked ready to argue, but I shut her down. I wouldn't hear it. I walked away, grabbing Luke to ask him a few questions, leaving Sarah to look after me with her jaw on the floor. I knew she'd wanted to stop me, to tell me not to come over – and I couldn't blame her, given how things ended the other night. But she stood there looking at me, and the words never came out. At least not loud enough that I could hear them.
I walked off with Luke, asked him about his theories on the arson, and then headed toward my place. I'd grab the tools, get over to Sarah's and prove to us both that we could work together without the awkwardness or sexual tension that existed between us being a problem. I wanted to show her that she wasn't the only one who could be a professional.
* * *
I knocked on her apartment door about twenty minutes later. Sarah answered the door, surprising me with a short jean skirt and an almost sheer white tank top. Casual, but sexy. Her hair was loose, no longer pulled in a ponytail, and fell in waves over her shoulders.
“Come on in,” she said, standing back to let me in.
“Is Nora home?” I asked.
“No, she's working today,” Sarah said.
“Oh.”
My gaze lingered too long on that sheer white top of hers. She was clearly not wearing a bra, and her nipples poked through the material. I tried to avoid choking on my words, or tripping over my tongue, as we walked toward her kitchen. A small smile pulled at my lips when I saw their small little tree in the corner. It was cute, and reminded me of the Charlie Brown tree, only with a few more ornaments.
“So, we're cool, right?” I asked her.
“Totally. Do you think I'd let you back in my place if we weren't?”
She chuckled, but it sounded a little too forced. Not to mention the fact that the smile on her face didn't come close to reaching her eyes. We most definitely weren't cool yet, but she was trying, which was something I appreciated.
“Well, to be fair, you didn't really invite me over,” I asked.
“Yeah, but I realize it's better this way,” she said. “I'd probably end up flooding the kitchen or something. I'm sure you know what you're doing better than I ever could.”
“Nah, I'm sure you would have figured it out,” I said. “But this way, it'll be finished much faster and you get the day off to relax.”
She stood in the doorway to the kitchen and let me go in ahead of her. I sat down on the tile floor and opened the cabinets to get a better view.
First, I tried the valve. It wouldn't budge. It was stuck. Thinking I'd figured out the issue, I pulled out a wrench and got underneath the sink, twisting on the valve, trying to force it to turn
.
Sarah sat down beside me, watching me work. She crossed her legs, bringing her skirt up higher on her thighs, which set off a small wave of heat within me. I kept stealing glances at her milky white skin and toned legs, and when she stretched her legs out, I caught a glimpse of her panty-less crotch.
All the blood rushed from my head to my groin, and I was no longer paying attention to my hands or the wrench in it. Sarah leaned back, resting on her hands and pressing her breasts upward, her nipples hard, and showing through clear as day in the light of the kitchen.
Something snapped and water began spraying everywhere. I cursed, yelling at her to grab me a towel. She reached under the sink, where the water was coming from, and ended up getting drenched. Her already sheer shirt was now completely see through as she handed me some towels. I did my best to plug up the source of the issue, had her grab hold of it, and told her to wait there.
I hurried out of the apartment, panicking. I needed to shut the water off to her unit. Being a firefighter, that was one thing I knew how to do. I and I ran down to the main level and to the back of the building. Luckily, they were labeled, and I managed to turn the knob without snapping the damn thing off in my hands. I hoped that was the right one and didn't actually belong to someone else's apartment.
That done, I turned and rushed back upstairs. Sarah was standing in the kitchen, soaking wet, but at least there was no more rushing water. Her kitchen floor, however, was covered in an inch-deep pool of water, and she was drenched.
When she saw the look on my face, however, she started laughing.
“I'm sorry,” I said. “I came over to prevent that from happening.”
“Yeah, I'm pretty sure I could have managed this mess on my own,” she said.
I walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bunch of paper towels and started putting them down on the floor. I felt foolish, but Sarah stopped me. She took my hands in hers and held them for a second.