by Susan Stoker
“That’s wonderful. And I know it s-seems like forever that he has to go through that awful s-scrubbing, but the fact the doctors think he’s already ready for the grafts is wonderful.”
“That’s what they said.” Traynesha put her hand on Sophie’s knee. “Thank you again for convincing me to sign the papers. I wasn’t sure, even after I did, but I didn’t really have a choice. I didn’t have no money for the treatments. But I can see that you did us right. Whatever is in that spray is a miracle.”
“I wouldn’t s-say that,” Sophie said with a smile. “But it is s-something we’ve been working on for a long time. It doesn’t always help as well as it has on Diontray though. We’re trying to figure out why it works s-so m-much faster on s-some patients than others. But I’m very glad for his s-sake that it has.”
“You gonna see Chief again soon?”
“Oh. Uh, yeah. We’re s-supposed to get together tonight.”
Traynesha’s voice dropped. “Will you tell him that Diontray was talking this morning about wanting to be a fireman when he grows up? I know that might not seem like a big thing to you, but for a kid who’s seen nothing but the gang life, and any other dreams usually get beaten out of them by the time they’re out of middle school…it’s a big deal.”
“Of course I will. That’s great.” Sophie bent to her phone and shot off a quick text to Chief. “What about you?”
“What about me?” Traynesha asked.
“What are your plans once he’s out of here?”
The other woman shrugged. “I’m sure I’ve lost my job by now. I told them Diontray had been hurt real bad, but business is business, and there are always lots of women waiting in the wings to pick up the slack.”
“What if I told you I m-might be able to get you an eight-to-five job?”
Traynesha stared at Sophie with wide eyes.
“Actually, it’s m-more like s-seven to four and it s-starts out paying only m-minimum wage. You’d have to take the bus there, and there aren’t any benefits until you’ve been there s-six months, but the promotion opportunities are aggressive. I know you told m-me you didn’t like not being home when Diontray got home from s-school, and this way he’d only be by himself for about an hour or s-so. I don’t know what the bus s-schedule is like, so m-maybe it’d be less.”
Sophie shifted in her chair, not knowing what Traynesha’s silence meant. She hadn’t meant to offend the woman with the job offer, but she’d talked to a former patient who ran a catering business that was always in need of dependable staff.
“I’m s-sorry if I overstepped, but I thought m-maybe you would be interested.”
“Are you serious?” Traynesha whispered.
Sophie nodded.
“You’re serious.”
“I am. I s-spoke with Ann last week. I didn’t want to s-say anything and get your hopes up until I was positive s-she had an opening. The job is yours if you want it. It’s catering. You’d begin by helping with s-setting up and tearing down for parties, lunches, and s-stuff. Depending on what kind of s-skills you have, you could end up helping in the kitchen, or s-serving, or even with administrative s-stuff, if that’s your thing. It’s really up to you and what you like to do.”
Traynesha’s eyes filled with tears and they ran down her face as her mouth opened and shut several times as she tried to speak. Finally, she said, “Yes, I’m interested.”
“Good. I told Ann you’d be in touch with her.” Sophie pulled out a business card and held it out to Traynesha. “Ann knows you’re here with Diontray until he gets out of the hospital and gets better. S-She’ll hold the job until you’re ready.”
Traynesha looked down at the card in her hand. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you seems so inadequate.”
“You don’t have to s-say anything,” Sophie told her. “Besides, you m-might s-start the job and hate it and wonder what the hell I got you into.”
Traynesha shook her head vigorously. “No. You don’t understand. I’ve never had a job with benefits. I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck my entire life. Diontray’s dad was a gang member and all I’ve wanted was for my boy to break free of the cycle and go out into the world and find a job that would mean he didn’t have to look back at where he grew up. I want him to find a good girl, settle down, have babies, and be safe.” She looked up at Sophie. “I’ve never had someone do what you’ve done for us. You’ve literally changed our lives.”
Sophie leaned forward and hugged the other woman. “All I’ve done is give you a chance. It’s up to you to change your life.”
Traynesha pulled back and nodded. “You’re right. I won’t forget this.”
“Good. Pay it forward. Help s-someone else down the line who needs it.”
“I will.”
The two women stared at each other for a long moment before Traynesha wiped her face and said, “I must look a mess. Excuse me while I go fix my face.”
Sophie nodded and watched with a half-smile as Traynesha got up and went into the small bathroom and shut the door.
“Thank you.”
Sophie looked toward the bed and saw Diontray’s head turned her way and his eyes on hers.
“You’re s-supposed to be s-sleeping,” she admonished.
“Hard to sleep with all the racket in here,” he teased.
Sophie smiled at him. “You feel okay? Need m-more pain m-meds?”
“Nah, I’m good. My ma’s always exhausted by the end of the day.”
“Pardon?”
“Before I got hurt. My ma was always so tired by the end of the day she didn’t have the energy to do much. She left the house around five, and got home around eight or nine most days. And she hated cleaning houses. Her back hurt all the time from bending over and scrubbing floors, toilets, and bathrooms. People treated her like crap and I know she hated not being home more with me. She worked her butt off for not a lot of money.”
“I hope s-she likes this job better.” Sophie wasn’t sure what to say.
“My friends who ran when I caught on fire?”
Sophie swallowed hard. Chief had told her what Diontray had said happened to him. She wanted to get her hands on the boys who’d left their friend to die, but Chief had talked her off the ledge and convinced her to let it go. “Yeah?”
“What they did was part of a gang initiation. I wanted in too.”
Sophie inhaled in horror.
“I knew how Ma felt about it, with my dad being killed in a gang shootout and all. But I wanted to help her out. I woulda gotten a cut of each bag of weed I sold. I wanted my ma to be able to quit and not have to work so long every day.”
Sophie’s heart was breaking. She knew Diontray’s story wasn’t anything new. Hundreds of lower-income families went through this all the time, but now that she knew Traynesha and Diontray personally, it made it all the more real.
“Maybe now I won’t have to join. Maybe I can join the junior fire troopers at the station near my school instead. Do you think Chief might give me a recommendation?”
“I know he will,” Sophie told the boy.
“Don’t tell Ma I was awake. Okay?”
“I won’t,” Sophie reassured him.
And with that, Diontray turned on his side, facing the wall.
Traynesha exited the bathroom and Sophie stood. She walked over to the door and the other woman met her there. Putting her arms around Sophie, she hugged her for a long moment before pulling back. “You’re all right, Sophie.”
“You too. Oh, and Chief texted back and s-said he was thrilled Diontray wanted to be a fireman. He s-said he’d do whatever he could to help him reach that goal.” Sophie added the last in the hopes that the boy on the bed, who was probably not sleeping, would hear and understand. Sophie would tell Chief all about her conversation with Diontray today, and she knew without a doubt he’d make a phone call to the captain in charge of the fire station near Diontray’s school and arrange for the boy to be the newest member of their junior fire troopers.
All Sophie could do was smile.
“Now go on with you. Have fun with your man tonight. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Sophie barked out a laugh. “That leaves things pretty open then.”
Traynesha winked. “Yes, it sure does.”
Sophie figured her smile wouldn’t dim for the rest of the day. She might not be the richest person in the world, nor the smartest or prettiest, but when she was able to help people like she had the Washingtons, it felt pretty darn good.
Not to mention she was going to get to see Chief again in a few hours. Nothing could dim her enthusiasm.
* * *
Sophie: I’m not going to be able to get together tonight.
* * *
Chief looked down at the text and frowned.
* * *
Chief: Why?
Sophie: Because I’d be horrible company.
Chief: Never. What happened this afternoon? You were good after speaking with Traynesha.
Sophie: I had a staff meeting. Then a private one with the chief of staff. Neither went well.
Chief: I’d still like to see you.
Sophie: Not a good idea.
Chief: Please?
* * *
He paced the length of the small office at the back of the fire station anxiously. He had another hour before he was off, and he’d been excited about seeing Sophie all day.
* * *
Sophie: It’s really not a good idea. I’m sitting on my couch eating ice cream, watching depressing movies, and feeling mad at the world. It’s not pretty.
Chief: I can stop at Ray’s Drive Inn and pick up some puffy tacos if you’ll let me come over and hang with you.
Sophie: You don’t play fair.
Chief: When it comes to you, you’d better believe I don’t.
* * *
It took five minutes for her to respond, but Chief breathed out a sigh of relief when her text finally came in.
* * *
Sophie: Okay. It’s a three-puffy-taco night for me.
* * *
A burst of laughter escaped his lips before he could stop it. Ray’s Drive Inn was a popular San Antonio restaurant that specialized in puffy tacos. The restaurant, and their puffy tacos, had even been featured in Texas Monthly magazine.
* * *
Chief: Got it. I should be home in an hour and a half as long as we don’t get a last-minute call.
Sophie: I should be able to make it through Beaches by then. Then I can start Terms of Endearment.
Chief: Never seen either.
Sophie: That’s because they’re chick flicks and you are SO not a chick.
Chief. Later, sweetheart.
Sophie: Chief?
Chief: Yeah?
Sophie: Thanks for trying to make my day, which started out great then went to shit, end on a positive note with puffy tacos and good company.
Chief: My pleasure. See you in a bit.
Sophie: :)
* * *
Chief clicked off his phone and stuffed it in his back pocket. The other guys, and Penelope, were in the big common room watching television. He could hear their voices from where he was. He crossed his fingers that no one would burn down any buildings or crash into any trees in the next hour. He needed to cheer up his Sophie.
* * *
It was almost exactly an hour and a half later when Sophie heard a knock on her door. She probably should’ve insisted that she’d just see Chief the next day when he came to get her for the barbeque at his friend’s house, but she couldn’t resist the lure of puffy tacos.
That wasn’t true, it was Chief himself. They hadn’t been seeing each other that long, but it seemed as if he was already her best friend.
She’d had a long talk with her friends at work about the way she was feeling after only a couple of weeks of being with Chief. Autumn cautioned her to take a step back and slow down, Tory didn’t have an opinion one way or the other, and Quinn told her to just go for it, that she only lived once.
She wasn’t in the mood to be around anyone tonight, not after the news she’d gotten from the chief of staff that afternoon, but this was Chief. The man she’d talked to every day of the last week. The man who made her feel beautiful, desired, and perhaps most importantly, the man who truly listened and encouraged her to do what felt right.
He’d been so genuinely apologetic since that first misunderstanding, and was now behind what she did at the hospital one hundred percent. It felt good.
So even though she was wearing her fat pants, had her hair up in a messy bun at the top of her head, and had on a size extra-extra-large long-sleeve T-shirt with a picture of a beautiful Hawaiian sunset her mom had gotten her when she’d been on vacation a few years ago…Sophie was still going to let Chief in. Better he sees me as I am than lead him on thinking I always look put together all the time.
She shuffled to the door and opened it. She took one look at Chief, freshly showered, looking hot as hell in his polo shirt and jeans, and turned and headed back into her living room. She heard the door shut and knew Chief was following her inside, but didn’t look back.
She sat down on her couch, curled her legs under her and pulled the fluffy blanket back over her. She clicked on the television and kept her eyes on the movie.
Without a word, Chief went to the kitchen and Sophie heard dishes clinking. Sighing, knowing she was being extremely rude, and wanting to see Chief—looking at him was much nicer than watching Terms of Endearment for the five-hundredth time—she turned until she could rest her chin on the back of her couch and see into the kitchen.
Chief didn’t seem put out by the dirty dishes she’d left in the sink from earlier that evening. He opened a few cabinets until he found her plates and calmly removed the delicious-smelling tacos from the paper bag he’d carried inside.
He opened her fridge as if he’d done it a million times and got out the orange juice carton. He poured a glass, then returned the carton. He then opened a few more cabinets, obviously looking for something.
“Can I help you find anything?” Sophie asked.
“Nope. I’ll find it eventually.”
Sophie mentally shrugged and went back to watching Chief instead of worrying about what he was looking for. He looked good. Really good. When he dropped a fork on the floor, she almost swallowed her tongue when he bent over to get it. Chief’s ass was definitely Oscar worthy.
He walked toward her with a plate in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. Sophie turned in his direction as he rounded her couch and held out the plate.
“Three puffy tacos, just for you. And a glass of wine because it sounds as though you really need one.”
“Thanks,” Sophie told him. She hadn’t broken into the wine earlier because honestly, she hadn’t even thought about it. She didn’t drink a lot, and had only wanted to sit and wallow in her depression more than anything else.
She took the plate from him and inhaled the wonderful smells of the world-famous tacos. Chief put her glass down on the side table next to her, then leaned over her, placing his hands on either side of her hips.
“Hey, Soph,” he said softly.
“Hey, Chief,” Sophie said, looking up at him.
“It’s good to see you.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not looking m-my best.”
He shook his head. “I couldn’t care less what you’re wearing. You always look like a ray of sunshine to me.”
And with that, he bent down and brushed his lips over hers once, then twice, lingering a bit longer before kissing her forehead and standing up.
Bemused, Sophie could only sit there and turn her head to watch him walk into the kitchen and grab his own dinner. He came back into the living room and sat, his thigh brushing against hers. Placing his glass of orange juice on the coffee table in front of him, he leaned back and picked up a taco.
As if sensing her
gaze, he turned his head. “What?”
Sophie’s lips quirked. He had double the amount of food on his plate. She had no idea if he normally ate that much, or if tonight was something special. She simply said, “Nothing.”
Nodding, Chief took a bite of the specialty taco.
Sophie followed his lead and did the same, moaning deep in her throat as the spicy beef and cheese hit her taste buds. “God, this hits the s-spot,” she said after she’d swallowed that first bite.
She flicked her gaze to Chief and stopped with her next bite halfway up to her mouth. He was staring at her as if he hadn’t had a drink in days and she was a tall glass of water. Biting her lip, she held his gaze. She didn’t need to ask what he was looking at. The sexual tension between them was simmering just below the surface.
Finally, his lips twitched and he looked down at his own taco. “Eat,” he ordered.
“Bossy,” Sophie complained as she elbowed his arm teasingly.
“When it comes to your well-being, damn straight. Eat.”
They finished their meals in silence, watching the movie as they did so. When they were done, without a word, Chief took their plates to the kitchen and put them, and the other dirty dishes, into the dishwasher and turned it on. He came back to the couch and motioned for Sophie to scoot over.
Without question she did, and he settled into the spot she’d been occupying in the corner of the couch and pulled her into him, much as they’d been at his house last week. Her back to his chest, his arm around her.
Sophie sighed huge and snuggled into him. He pulled the blanket up and over them both.
“Better?”
“Yeah,” she told him. After a beat, she said, “S-Sorry m-my house is a m-mess.”
“It’s fine, Soph. I don’t expect you to live like I do. As long as there aren’t cockroaches running around the floor and it’s relatively orderly, I can deal.”