by Bonni Sansom
There really wasn't any real privacy in the firehouse, unless you were on the can, but even then you were at risk for practical jokes. Toilet paper on fire slid in under the door and the sprinkler system being set off were two favorites. The guys had to deal with so much tragedy, they used humor and in some cases, very unpractical jokes to alleviate stress.
"Kyle, you want some lunch? Pete made some of his potluck stew." Jeff said, standing next to Kyle's bunk.
Kyle rolled over and looked at his best friend and roommate in the eye. "Pete's pot doesn't have anything to do with luck. That stuff tastes like shit."
Jeff rolled his eyes, turned and walked away. "Well I'm gonna have some. I need to keep up my strength." Then he was gone.
Kyle sat up swinging his legs over the side of his bunk, scrubbed his face a few times with his hands, and got up. When he couldn't get a woman off of his mind, the best thing to do was go to the weight room and work out.
He hadn't been on the bench but a minute when the siren went off letting him know there was a call. He scrambled to the pole, slid down, stepped into his turnout gear and was on the engine in mere seconds. The adrenaline flowing through his veins felt like a relief. He only hoped this call wouldn't have a beautiful damsel in distress because it had been way too long since he'd been laid. He had enough trouble trying to shake the sex kitten from yesterday.
"Jeff, what's the call we're going to?"
Jeff smiled like a kid on Christmas. "Apparently there's smoke coming from the back room of the Pussycat adult club."
Kyle pinched the bridge of his nose, not at all looking forward to this one.
"Repeat!" Wylie, 'Wi-Fi' Jacoby, yelled at Jeff, getting his attention. "We should have brought the camera for this one." He waggled his brow while a smile split his face. All the guys were looking forward to this one except Kyle.
Damn he should have joined Jeff and what's-her-face, last week when Jeff had offered, but he was getting tired of sharing fucks with Jeff. He wanted a woman to hold onto at night, like the woman in the tin can.
He remembered she had refused medical treatment, so she would have signed an AMA form. Steve-o would know her name. He looked behind their truck and noticed that Steve-o was the paramedic on duty today. Bingo.
The truck jerked to a halt and everyone hopped out. There were strippers lining the sidewalk wearing men's business jackets. Kyle chuckled at that. The guys better have removed their wallets before being chivalrous or they might just get their jackets back much lighter in the pockets. The muscled bouncer in the three piece suit and sunglasses seemed to hover around his girls like a mother hen. The gentlemen patrons were trying to offer solace to the girls, but were being pushed back by the bouncer. If Kyle wasn't in such a foul mood he would have been amused.
They filed into the smoke filled club and found the stage lights had caused a small electrical fire. The fire had already burned its self out before they got there. They sounded the all clear and headed back for the truck.
Kyle caught Steve-o in the parking lot. "Steve-o. Hey, man, I was wondering if you remembered the name of the woman stuck to the bus yesterday."
"Not right off," he said, while holding an oxygen mask on a woman who was wearing nipple pasties and a thong. The ugly clear platform heels that were just plain overkill, not to mention tacky. He'd never understand why men paid perfectly good money for women they couldn't touch.
No, the woman in the business attire would suit him just fine. He wondered about her in the bedroom. He wondered would she be a wildcat or a prude when she let her hair down. He could work with both. The dominant side of him wouldn't let a little shyness hinder him in the bedroom. She'd have to be an iceberg not to melt under his expert ministrations.
He'd bet his salary she'd be absolutely wild though. He could just picture her on top of him, running her hands through her hair while she rose and fell, taking him to the hilt.
"Kyle! Yo, Kyle ... earth to Kyle." Jeff said.
Kyle snapped out of his reverie. "Dammit, Jeff! What?"
"I was just wonderin' if you were going back to the house with the crew, or if you were gonna stand there with your head up your ass?"
Kyle stomped past him and stepped up onto the truck. Damn, women make me look like an idiot. All the guys were staring at him like they knew exactly where he'd been. It was fine. They all thought he'd been caught up by the strippers rather than whatever-her-name was. He'd much rather they think it was about them than the little socialite he'd been obsessing over since yesterday. They would give him hell over that.
He hoped Steve-o would have the paperwork from yesterday still at the house. If he could get his hands on her information, he could ask her out. Would she even date a fireman? He doubted she'd ever dated anything less than a doctor, lawyer or some Harvard fucker that talked business all evening. Hell, the last thing he'd be talking about was business, if they talked at all.
He'd more than noticed her arousal yesterday, which was why he couldn't get her off his mind. He had images flittering through is mind all night last night, her taking off her stockings one at a time then laying back on her desk asking him to take her. He could just about see all the file folders hitting the floor, papers scattering everywhere, as he mounted her, the desk making scraping noises as it scooted across the floor with each thrust and pens and markers falling to the floor with a clatter as she came, screaming his name. Hell, yeah, he wanted her. He wanted her pretty damn bad. He'd search the city for her if Steve-o couldn't come up with her name. He'd never forget that angelic face, those high cheekbones and blade straight nose, her golden hair and those perfect pink bow lips. Lips he could almost feel wrapped around his cock. Damn, it was going to be another long night. He'd be lucky if he got a wink of sleep. Maybe he'd go hang out at Mack's Bar and Grill with the rest of the guys instead of going home.
The truck backed into the house and he got out, leaving his turnout gear on the floor.
"Hey Kyle, what's up with you today?" Jeff asked.
"I've just got a lot on my mind. Nothing's wrong." He played it off, hoping Jeff would drop it. How could he explain what he was going through over a woman he didn't even know?
Even though Jeff had been his best friend all their lives, he still wouldn't talk about this.
"Alright man. Whatever, you say. Hey, are you comin' to Mack's tonight? Maybe we could pick up a couple chicks." He waggled his brows and Kyle rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, I'll be there, but you're buying the first round. I bought last time." He walked over to his locker to check his wallet, making sure he could buy the second round.
"Alright, I'm buying, but you're gonna have to get out of this funk you're in. You're starting to get depressing."
Kyle flipped him off. "Anybody ever tell you you're an asshole, Jeff?" Jeff had a huge grin on his face.
"Just you, every damn day of my life. I'll see you at Mack's," Jeff grabbed the basketball from the rack and headed out to the hoop.
Steve was walking by with his head in some paperwork when Kyle snagged him by the arm. "You think you might have the name of the woman from yesterday?" Steve came to an abrupt stop and smiled. "You know her info is confidential right?"
"Yeah, I know, but I just want her name." He gave Steve a pleading look and Steve relented.
He walked to the back of the ambulance, pulled a stack of paperwork, licked his thumb and started sifting through them. He landed on her page and asked, "You sure you want to do this?"
Kyle huffed out a frustrated breath knowing he was asking for trouble, but determined to do it anyway. "Yes just give me her damn name."
Steve pulled the paper out of the stack and handed it to Kyle. Not only did it have her name, but also her phone number and address. "Laine, Elizabeth Stanton-Peyton." He enunciated each name, letting it roll off his tongue. She even had a sexy name. Damn, I'm in trouble. He thought.
The rest of his shift went as expected, several traffic accidents and the inevitable kitchen fires. Unfortunat
ely, they'd had an accident with a DOA, so everyone's mood had changed.
They were no longer all happy and ready to go kick back and have a beer, but a little more somber. They'd go anyway, just to pick their spirits up.
"Pete, Repeat, I want to see you two in my office," Captain Craig said.
Kyle and Jeff looked at each other and went in. Jeff plopped on the couch across from the captain's desk. Kyle stood with his arms crossed over his chest. "What is it Cap?" Jeff asked.
"I have a slot opening up on the truck. Pete is retiring due to medical reasons and both you clowns are up for promotions. Y'all don't have to answer me right now, but give it some thought and talk it over. Let me know by the end of the week." The captain shuffled some papers put a clip on them and stashed them in a drawer.
"Yes sir," they both said and left the office.
"You gonna take it, Kyle?"
"I dunno. What about you? Do you want it?"
"Nah, I don't want any more responsibility than I already have." He shrugged and went to his locker. He turned to Kyle and said, "I thought she was pretty too, but I didn't think you liked her. She kept pissing you off."
"Am I that easy to read?"
"Steve-o gave you up." He laughed and slammed his locker. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah, once I kick his ass."
* * * *
"What the hell is going on with my ass?" Laine asked, looking over her shoulder into the fitting room mirror. "This thing makes my ass look like biscuits popping from a cracked can. Tell me again why we're here?" she asked her best friend Melanie.
Melanie giggled. "We're here to find you a sexy outfit for the hot fireman that felt you up."
Laine took another look at her rear and said, "Well, this one isn't it." She took it off as quickly as she could and tried on the next teddy. "You know, Victoria's Secret is that she has a very small butt unlike mine. My ass couldn't keep a secret if you crammed it up to my eyeballs."
"Eww, that's a nice image to burn into my brain. It's always so much fun shopping with you."
"Well Mel, not all of us have your perfect hourglass figure. I seem to have about an hour and a half." Laine turned and checked the mirror. "Oh, I think this black lace one will do," she said with enthusiasm.
"It's about time you found something."
Laine had just shimmied out of the garment when her phone rang playing Pachelbel's Canon. "Hi Jules, what did you find out?"
"I have the names and photos of everyone in the firehouse. Do you want me to send it to your phone?"
"Oh, yes please!"
"Consider it done."
"Thanks Jules. What would I do without you?"
"Go out of business and starve," Julie teased.
"You're probably right, you know."
"What's going on? What am I missing?" Melanie asked from the stall next door.
"She's sending me the files on the hot firemen."
"Yummy, I want to see; just let me get dressed." Laine heard the shuffle of clothes and then a knock on her door. She wasn't worried about Mel seeing her in her underwear; they'd been best friends since elementary school. She let Mel in and the pictures started downloading. Unclear, none of them looked familiar until Steve and then she recognized a dirty blonde she remembered around the car. His name was Jeff Beckley. Then there he was, Kyle Logan. His name was a hell of a lot sexier than Pete.
"Is that Mr. Orgasm?"
"Mmm hmm, that's him. Sexy right?"
"Good Lord. I might set a fire just to get his attention."
"You'll do no such thing. He's mine. You can have the other one, Jeff."
"He is cute. Maybe we could double."
She stared at the tiny screen, noting his strong jaw line and those ice blue eyes. Heat pooled between her thighs as she remembered his scorching touch. "Yeah, maybe. I just hope he'll agree to dinner. I wasn't exactly sweet when we met." She grimaced.
"I still can't believe you ran into a bus staring at his ... assets."
"Hey, you weren't there. He was very distracting." She shoved her phone at Mel and pulled on her clothes. Mel switched the screen back and studied him.
"He is really cute," Mel said. She traced his face with her finger. She elbowed Laine. "So what are you waiting for? Give him a call and get us laid."
"God, Mel, do you have to be so crass?" She checked herself in the mirror, reapplied her lip gloss, touched up the makeup covering her bruised cheek and went to pay for her teddy.
Mel handed her phone back, whispering, "You would be crass too if it had been four years for you."
The checkout lady folded the teddy, placed it in a pink bag and handed her credit card back. "Are you interested in a Victoria's Secret charge account?"
"No thank you, but you could tell Victoria a secret for me." She cupped her hand around her mouth. "Tell her not everyone is a size zero."
The lady frowned and thrust the bag at her. She took it and they headed out into the mall.
Laine checked her watch. "Alright, Mel, I have to get back to work." They air kissed each other and left.
She couldn't help herself. She drove the six blocks out of her way to check on Mr. Orgasm. "Damn, not outside." She thought about pulling in, but chickened out.
She couldn't fathom asking him out in front of all the guys. She pictured that scenario and cringed. She imagined all the guys' high-fiveing him after she'd left, then clapping him on the back for his conquest. No, this would have to be done differently.
She pulled into her space and headed for her office. She had to figure out how to do this without coming off as desperate. Of course, she'd never asked a man out before in her life, and according to her mother. It was tacky and not done.
Laine punched the button on the intercom. "Jules, I need to see you in my office."
Julie pushed the door open. "Let me guess, the fireman again." She plopped in the chair opposite Laine and huffed out a breath, holding her ever-present clipboard.
Laine sat back and rolled her eyes at Julie's drama. "Yes the fireman. I need you to find out as much as you can about him, including his schedule."
Julie sighed and stood.
Laine sat forward and propped her elbows on her desk "I did mention you were getting a raise, did I not?"
Julie smiled. "Yes, you did and I'll have that information before the end of the day."
Laine nodded and moved her mouse waking her computer. "Thanks, Jules."
"Okay, who's getting hitched this weekend?" Laine asked.
Julie cleared her throat and glanced down to her clipboard. "We have the Kessler, the Gordon, and the Dalton weddings this weekend. I printed you a schedule. The Kesslers and the Daltons are using our chapel, and the Gordons are using First Baptist on Peachtree. Oh, and the Kesslers are kind of an odd lot. We had to rearrange the seating chart twice due to some misunderstanding involving two cousins and a BB gun." She shook her head, and rolled her eyes.
Laine laughed. "Some good ol' boys out havin' some fun." She teased.
Julie turned on her heel and left.
Laine didn't know how Julie handled everything or how she found information, but she loved her for it.
Now all she needed was the courage to follow through with Kyle.
* * * *
"I have that information you requested, Laine," Julie said, peeking her head into Laine's office.
She looked at her watch. "It hasn't even been an hour. I'm impressed."
"I printed his schedule and he is off tonight after 10:00 PM." She handed the schedule to Laine. "And the men apparently go to a ... " she rechecked her clipboard, "Mack's Bar and Grill after their shift ends. I can get driving directions if you need them, but the address is on the report you have. You can type it into your GPS."
She stared at the paper in her hand and smiled. "Jules, you are a lifesaver."
"If that's all, I have clients to tend to."
Laine shooed her with her hand and started planning.
Tonight would be the night. "Mr
. Orgasm here I come."
CHAPTER THREE
Kyle sat back in their usual booth listening to Steve, Jeff, Wylie and Pete having a conversation about the pros and cons of large breasts.
"But they ain't as perky as little ones. I like the ones that stand up and say hello," Pete said, waggling his brows.
"Man, Pete, your wife has big ones and they ain't sayin' hello." Wylie pointed out.
Pete huffed out a breath. "Well, hell, Wi-Fi, why in the fuck do you think I like the little ones?" He chucked a peanut at Wylie.
Wylie caught it mid-air, cracked it open, gave a smirk to Pete and tossed the nuts back into his mouth.
"Smug bastard," Pete grumbled.
Jeff took a swig of his beer and pointed out at the dance floor where two well endowed blonds stood waiting for partners. "What do ya say we ask those two to dance? Who knows, we might get lucky. They don't look like Minivans to me."
Steve perked up. "Now see, I don't get that? Why do you call women Minivans?"
Jeff pointed to the tables filled with couples cuddling. "Those are women with Minivan stamped all over their foreheads. They want the house, the kids and the damn Minivan. Not a one night stand. We stay way the hell away from the Minivans."
Steve's brows drew together in disgust. He held his bottle of beer up and said, "You two are twisted. What's wrong with being with one woman? You don't have to try and remember her name."
Jeff shook his head and pointed his bottle at Steve. "So says the married guy. I don't want to remember her name. What about you, Kyle? Kyle?" Jeff waved his hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention and failed. Jeff looked in the direction Kyle's eyes were trained and let out a long whistle of female appreciation. There, at the bar, was a golden brown haired beauty. Or at least the back of her was. She was trying to hike her heart shaped derriere up onto a high barstool and was failing miserably.
Everyone at the table was now watching the show. "How many tries ya think it'll take her to get up there?" Wylie asked.