“Girlfriend?” The question tumbled out of my mouth before I was able to stop it. I could feel the blush creeping up on me even before he cocked an amused eyebrow. It took me so much self-control to not face-palm myself. “Dude, please don’t answer that. It’s obviously none of my business.”
“Obviously,” he repeated in a husky voice. He swallowed the last mouthful of the bottle he’d been nursing and placed it on the counter behind me. “But to answer your inquiring mind: no, Aaryn is not my girlfriend. She’s one of a few long time childhood friends.”
“Okay, well, I’m assuming she’s waiting for you so…” I pulled out his present which he contemplated with an unreadable silence. “Vince told me it was your birthday, so I––um––”
God, this is so much more awkward than I thought it would be.
“Here. Happy twenty-first birthday.”
His forehead furrowed. “Do you normally buy gifts for people you don’t know?”
I shrugged. No witty comment, no logical answers…nothing! Something was wrong with my brain.
Micah took his time with the black tissues, removing them one by one and neatly stacking them on the wooden counter. Every once in a while he’d sneak a side-glance at me, but it was impossible for me to determine if he was checking me out or simply enjoying the fact that he was making me uncomfortable. Either way, I couldn’t read him and it was driving me crazy. When he reached the bottom of the bag, it was hard to say if he was happy with the gift or not. He stared at it for what felt like an eternity, but when he took his New York Yankee cap out of the bag and placed it on his head, his lips curled.
“Well Aubrey Bankes.” My whole body stilled when he placed a delicate kiss on my cheek. “For the first time in my life I’m not sure if I should be delighted or fretted to meet my best friend’s sister.”
“Why’s that?” My voice wavered as I could still feel his light whisper in my ear.
“Because no matter how breathtaking I think you are, I know for a fact that there’s no fucking way I’m going to break your beautiful heart.”
Chapter 2
Micah
Present
The specks of water splashing in every direction from the crappy plumbing seemed to be the only sound I was able to focus on as I tried to convince myself that I could go through my night’s plan. I wanted our evening to be flawless. I’d spent days trying to figure out the perfect destination and choosing the perfect timing. I was either shit out of luck or horrible at planning things because there was always something that ruined the moment…or at least that’s what I kept telling myself.
“I should just do this another day…” I muttered, grabbing a few stacks of paper towels. I did my best to clean up the greasy black grime I’d left on the metallic fittings when I washed the motor oil from off my hands. Jackson, our chief, was constantly on our backs telling us to clean up after ourselves and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t convince him to get us a maid. We were pretty much a bunch of pigs when it came to cleaning up, which was probably why the girls in the unit had their separate quarters and bathrooms.
Gripping the sink, I bowed my head. Ten hours of having the guys rooting for me and five minutes alone was all it took for my courage to fly out the window; which was kind of ironic, considering she was outside that same window waiting for me to come out for our plan B date night. Plan A was supposed to be dinner at Delizia, the pizza place I took her for our first official date, and then a stroll down to the back-wood roads on my Ducati to look at the fireflies. Plan A got cancelled when Jones and Cameron called the chief to let him know that they’d both had caught some sort of stomach bug and couldn’t come to work. Since the rule was that the last one’s in needed to cover, Vincent and I got stuck cutting off our seventy-two hour break short. In normal circumstances, it wouldn’t have upset me; I loved my job and was never bothered by the extra hours. The more I put in, the quicker I could finish my probation. At the rate I was going, and with all the extra shifts I was accruing, I was going to be a fully trained driver engineer in a little less than three months.
Ending up a firefighter was never part of my life’s plan, but being able to work on fire engines was the best of both worlds. Cars and motorcycles had always been a passion of mine. When I wasn’t seeking trouble after school, I’d go hang out at The Devil’s Gate, the bar where my father used to get plastered day in and day out. Among his other side businesses, the owner had a backyard garage where he used to do cheap jobs under the table for his regulars. He started teaching me the easy stuff; regular maintenance like tire and oil changes, brake pads and air filters…but when my thirst for knowledge exceeded his abilities, Ethan, the bar owner, contacted an old customer of his that taught at Saratoga’s Community College, and pushed me to pursue my dreams.
SCC is where I met Vincent. While I was earning my Motor Power Technician’s degree, he studied auto body repair. During our first semester, we were forced to work together on a joint program project, and although I was never the kind of guy that liked to mingle with people in general, there was something about Vince that had us hitting it off instantly. About a year into our degree, we started planning the opening of our own shop. It was supposed to be an affordable place downtown Saratoga for customers who were looking for specific power jobs or regular drivers who couldn’t afford the outrageous prices charged by car dealerships.
It’s bizarre how quickly things changed…
***
Twenty-one years old
“So if you could pimp out a fire truck, what would you do?” Vincent took a seat on my beat up couch and set his feet on the table.
“Set it on fire?” I laughed bitterly at my own joke.
Vince furrowed his forehead confused by my response. He didn’t get it, and he wouldn’t either. Some secrets were just better kept locked up. But the way he was frowning at me, I assumed he was expecting something more enlightening.
“I don’t know? A GPS system with remote controlled traffic lights?”
“Don’t they have those already?”
“My guess is no,” I muttered under my breath. “How the fuck should I know anyway?”
His eyebrows narrowed at the sudden change in my mood. The truth was I knew a lot more than I let on and just wanted to change the subject. Unfortunately, asking to talk about something else would raise suspicions and suspicions raised questions to answers I didn’t want to give.
“Ok smart ass, what would you do?” I challenged.
My best friend, unlike me, was all about the esthetics. Vincent was graffiti artist with painting skills that were unlike anything I’d ever seen before, and if there was one thing I knew for sure was that he’d do a wicked multi red toned paint job.. “Twenty-eight inch chrome wheels with a six inch drop. A hydraulic system, HID lamps––”
“You do know that those are illegal when they aren’t stock,” I argued.
“We’d be fucking firemen, Micah, we could just ask the cops for an exemption.”
“I doubt being a firefighter means you’re above the law.” I chortled, and he chimed in. “So…humor me for minute. When have you started thinking about a career switch?”
“A while,” he admitted. I shot him a surprised look. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I still want us to open our shop, I just…I want to do something more. You know?”
“Actually, I don’t.”
“So you’re telling me having a bunch of women fawning over you doesn’t sound appealing?” He gave a half-smile.
“No. What I’m saying is that being a firefighter never struck me as something I’d want to do. I’m also adding that switching careers over the possible gain of a harem of chicks is a stupid idea.”
“Who said I was doing it for the women?”
I shook my head, wondering how our hypothetical conversation about pimping rescue vehicles had suddenly turned meaningful. Vincent wasn’t one to simply throw ideas around. Everything he did was thought out more than once. It’s why he
was so talented. And it’s also how I knew he was serious about the whole thing.
“What does Leah think?” I probed.
He snorted. “You know her. She’s all about: you can stare but you can’t touch.”
“Not about the women, you ass. The career switch.”
He had a point though, Leah was one bizarre specimen. The girl had no insecurities. I’d never met someone like her before. She was hot as hell, blonde hair, brown eyes, a perfectly toned body, but the best part of her was that aside from her choice of clothing, which I had to admit was a little out there, she wasn’t the fake kind of chick that sought attention. She couldn’t give a flying fuck about what other people thought of her and when it came to women; Vince only had eyes for his own.
“Don’t you think it would be nice to do something to help people?”
“I thought that was the plan for the shop,” I answered dully. There was something ironic about the fact that he was trying to make me consider the whole idea.
“It was––it is. Dude, all I’m saying, is that if I could do something to save someone’s life, this is what I’d do. And I know you well enough to know that it’d be a perfect fit for you too.”
“How many shots did you drink tonight?” I questioned, frowning. “Me. A fireman? Fuck no. Too fucking shallow for that.”
“Come on––”
“I’m serious,” I fired back. “Listen, if they’d ask me to pimp out their engines; I’d do it hands down. Air bag suspension with four level settings, an ECU to increase horsepower with a dual NOS tank system––”
“Nitro boost on a fire truck?”
“And a flame thrower exhaust system.”
He chortled. “You’re a dick.”
“It’s called good fucking irony, and if you weren’t so drunk you would have caught on.”
“I’m not drunk. I just think we’d make a great team, that’s all.”
The muscles in my jaw tensed. “Vince, trust me on this. There’s a reason I work with engines and not people. I shouldn’t be entrusted with the life of a human being because one way or another, I’ll find a way to screw it up.”
“What are you even talking about? You’re the first person to step up when shit hits the fan. Dude, what’s up with you all of a sudden? You’ve gone all melodramatic on me.”
“Nothing.” I sighed. I was desperate for a subject change. Popping two beer caps, I handed him a bottle and took a seat beside him.
Vince focused on my bruised knuckles with curiosity for a third time and I was convinced he was going to question me about it. He didn’t. Just like he always did, my best friend respected my privacy, and for a brief moment when his concerned eyes met mine, I almost told him everything.
Everything about my fucked up life...
But then my mind drifted to Aubrey’s piercing blueish-green eyes and all logical words obliterated. All I could think about was her beautiful timid smile. She was that small spark of light emerging out of nowhere, lighting up my dark soul with her breathtaking kindness. “So…how long were you going to keep the fact that you had a hot twin sister a secret from me?”
His pupils flared.
I’d held onto my grudge all evening, it just seemed like the appropriate time or rather the perfect timing for me to bring it up. I still had a hard time believing it took him so long to introduce her to me, but what surprised me even more was the fact that she showed up with a gift; a baseball cap from my favorite team. To her it was a simple gesture. To me, it meant the world; I couldn’t remember the last time I’d received a real gift on my birthday.
Vince had kept his sister close all night; protecting her like a big brother should. To be fair, it was a good idea. Her delectable curves had all the guys leering her way. “Keep your filthy hands off Aubrey, Lambert. You’re like the dickiest dick on the planet when it comes to women.”
“Aubrey Lambert,” I mused. “It has a nice ring to it. Don’t you think?”
He was right not to trust me. I was an ass when it came to the ladies. It all boiled down to a nice clean fuck. A promise to call her back, which I obviously never did, and moving on to my next victim.
“I’m serious. If you even consider laying a finger on her, I’ll cut your balls off.”
“Dude––” I complained.
“No.”
“But, dude––”
His jaw ticked. “Have I ever told you about Ryan Jamieson?”
“Does the story involve your sister?”
He took a sip of his beer. “What do you think?”
I cocked a brow.
“Right. Well, would you like me to tell you about it?”
“Depends,” I retorted, placing my drink on the table. “Does the story involve me wanting to track him down and kick his ass for hurting your sister?”
It was his turn to raise his eyebrow. “What do you think?”
“I’m just thinking that Aubrey is fucking hot,” I taunted. His distinctive brotherly growl had me snickering. “Oh I’m sorry, was that not a rhetorical question?”
“I’m fucking serious, Micah. My sister is off limits.”
“Fine.” I responded with a side smile.
Vince chucked a pillow at my face and I just laughed back at him. No matter how much I did crave to lose myself inside Aubrey Bankes’ body, it would never happen. His friendship meant too much, and the little firefly was too sweet to forfeit.
***
Present
Vincent never stood a chance. Not that I hadn’t tried. What had started as friendship quickly morphed into something I’d never felt for anyone else. I wanted to bottle up everything that she was into a small jar and keep her forever. She was the light to my darkness.
Having Aubrey just within reach and not being able to have her like I wanted was fucking torture. I didn’t care that my love for her was purely selfish. It was real. I stayed away for him…until I couldn’t anymore.
For the seventh time in a row, I splashed my face with cool water and looked at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Wiping off the droplets of water that clung to the light scruff of my jaw, I took a long stare at myself and the scared light grey eyes gazing back at me.
They were hers too…
We had our mother’s eyes. One of the same, my father used to say. To him, they were the eyes of the love of his life. To me, they were eyes of the woman who left us when I was thirteen-years-old; exactly six months after I ruined her life. After she abandoned our family, my father sunk into an emotionless state of numbness, drinking his days away. And as a result, I became the teenage boy who no matter how hard he tried; couldn’t find the redemption he needed to atone for his broken promise.
My misery was my punishment and I lived to its highest standards.
It was weird to explain what I was feeling. My stomach was in knots. I was ready for this. So ready…but my mind kept going back to the thought that I didn’t deserve the light that was Aubrey Bankes. I knew too well how sooner or later it was all going to blow up in my face, and when it did, I wouldn’t be ready for the fall.
“Yo, bro!” The dull lighting over my head flashed when he knocked. Unfortunately, before I could manage to lock Vincent out, the handle turned a quarter of an inch and the door opened. “My sister is out there waiting for you, you dick. What part of ‘if you hurt her, I’ll cut your balls off’ do you not understand?”
“I doubt having Aub wait for me an extra five minute is considered as hurting her.” I deadpanned. Lowering my head, I watched as the transparent liquid twirled into an endless tornado until it reached the end of the porcelain white sink. As if he could read what was going through my mind, Vincent grabbed my black New York Yankee cap from off the towel rack and placed it on backwards over my hair. I didn’t care that it was mismatched to the navy-blue unit hoodie our chief commander required us to wear, I wore it all the time.
“The whole nervous thing you have going on doesn’t suit you,” he mocked. “What the hell are you waiting
for anyway?”
I glanced at the little black velvet box sitting on the small rack by the mirror. “A set of balls,” I confessed.
“I should kick your ass,” he commented, pulling out a bouquet of white and dark purple lilies. They were Aubrey’s favorite.
I was about to reach out to grab them, but when he flashed me a crooked smirk, I retreated, picking up the little box instead.
“Come on, Lambert,” he chortled, sensing my hesitation. “You aren’t going to show up on your date without flowers. As your friend, I just can’t let you do that.”
“And as your future brother-in-law?” I grunted, distrustful of his sudden extreme generosity.
Vince snickered. “Take the flowers and get out. Your lunch break ends in fifty-five minutes.”
“Who put you in charge?”
“No one,” he snorted, forcing me out the backyard door. “I’m just fucking hungry and you need to cover for me when I go grab a pizza from Cosmo’s.”
I stopped moving as soon as I saw her. If anyone would have seen me, they probably would have mocked the quirky smile tugging at my lips. Sitting on the edge of the fire station’s backyard lawn, dressed in a simple black sundress, I watched the love of my life. She threaded her fingers though the brown heads of the bright green reeds that were flinging from left to right with the warm wind. It was as if she was lost in her own little world, smiling at what was going on in her head.
As I wondered what she could possibly be thinking about, her head shifted and her turquoise gaze met mine. With a light push, she leaped towards me, and crashed her small frame against mine, almost making me lose my balance. Her warm lips greeted me as she wrapped her arms around my neck, swallowing my moans as our tongues danced together. She kissed me like we hadn’t seen each other in days. I kissed her like she was going to disappear when the burning sun would rise.
Placing her delicate frame back on the lawn, she waited patiently––not so patiently––for me to extend the bouquet of lilies I was holding in my free hand.
Burn Me Anthology Page 50