by Wood, Lauren
“I’ve been in college for the past year. I haven’t been studying all that time. I’ve been learning more about life. I took off the training wheels and have been driving the boys wild.” I was taking a shot in the dark by giving me information my brother didn’t even have about me.
Shane wanted to be bigger and was eating everything he could see.
“I can see why they have been unable to resist your natural charm. I will show you how the odds are against you on the condition you don’t take this infatuation any further.” I could promise anything, but being alone with him in any capacity was putting two combustible forces together.
“Anson, I sometimes wonder the reason why we are friends and it’s not like we have much in common. I do like having you around as a wingman. We both have a lot to offer. I don’t think I have gone to a bar with you and not gone home with some young impressionable thing. Come to think of it, I never did hear of your exploits.” I was curious to see how this locker room talk was going to progress.
“I don’t like to kiss and tell, unlike some people. It’s not nice to talk behind their backs about things they did or didn’t do in the bedroom. I would like to think I have more class than that. I choose to walk a different path than others.” I wasn’t sure if I could believe anything he was saying. It was quite obvious he was trying to keep his mouth shut.
“Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you brag about a conquest. You claim to be this big man on campus, but nobody has been vocal about their experiences with you.” I almost felt like my head was going to explode at the very notion he was saving himself for that special young lady to come into his life.
Was it even possible for someone like him not to have his fair share of broken hearts? I didn’t know the answer, but my curiosity was piqued enough to find out. Anson was built to go the distance and it seemed unfathomable no woman had taken the time to ride that wild ride. It was my personal mission to strip away his defense to find the truth.
“I do my best to discreetly share my affections. I have no interest in telling anything out of school. It would stand to reason they would respect me enough to return the sentiment.” I had been in the company of promiscuous women and keeping them quiet was next to impossible.
“We have gotten off topic and you were just getting to the good part of when the ice was cracking underneath your feet.” I was attempting to change the subject before I burst into sexual flames.
It was thrilling to hear him tell of his harrowing ordeal. I could feel my blood pressure rising and the heat between my legs followed suit.
“I heard the ice cracking and I had enough time to take out my blade. I saw the ice begin to expand and the blackness underneath me was threatening to swallow me whole.” I was listening intently and there didn’t seem to be any need to interrupt him.
Anson knew how to tell a story to keep the audience quiet and ready to hear the next words coming out of his mouth. I found myself living vicariously through his eyes. I envisioned how I would react, I wasn’t sure if my survival instincts were strong enough to be relied on.
“It’s rewarding to go beyond my limitations. You don’t know what you’re missing until you find out for yourself. Take a leap of faith and I promise you won’t regret it. Come with me and I will show you a world nobody could possibly understand unless they were standing in my shoes.” Anson was trying valiantly to ruin the possibility of getting closer to him by having my brother underfoot.
“The only risk I want to take is cheating on my girlfriend. It hasn’t happened yet, but there’s always the possibility of some woman catching my eye.” I wasn’t sure how Evelyn was going to feel about this conversation turning to the pleasures and pursuit of the flesh.
I had a feeling my brother was thinking about testing the waters with another. He had a good thing and to ruin it would only lead him down the trail of depression. I was wearing my Paddington bear pajamas with my hair in pigtails at this early hour in the morning.
I was getting Anson the come hither look behind my brother’s back. I circled the rim of my coffee cup with the tip of my finger. I brought it up to my mouth and showed him how this little girl had turned into a woman. He was trying not to watch, but it was difficult when my eyes were the windows to my naughty soul.
“I’m doing it tomorrow and you have an open invitation to join me.” It didn’t take much to figure out that he was terrified of being alone with me.
“I know one of these days I’m going to bite the bullet. Tomorrow isn’t going to be that day. I have to get to class and you can lock up when you both leave.” He picked up his books from the counter and strung his black leather jacket over his shoulder going out the door.
He was barely out of the driveway when Anson was grabbing my wrist. I thought he was finally going to tell me what I wanted to hear, but I was wrong.
“I know you applied to be a firefighter. It took a lot of willpower not to tell Shane. They want me to bring you with me this afternoon to see if you’re up to the challenge. This is the only time you are going to be able to bow out gracefully. I don’t want you to be embarrassed. They can be hard on the females that are granted the chance to train alongside the rest of us.” I was already running down the hallway stripping off my tee shirt and showing him my bareback before disappearing into my room.
I was understandably jittery and I was hoping he would hold my hand through the ordeal.
I knew the possibility of being called up and I had done my best to treat my body like a temple. I worked out constantly with cardio and physical exertion to get the desired results. I had a remarkably strong upper body, It was about time I had a chance to show it.
Chapter two
I didn’t know how hard it was going to be, but I was ready to face it head-on. I was climbing the stairs with a pack over my shoulder and a reel of fire hose hanging on the other side. I had already surpassed my expectations of what I was capable of. I could see most of those watching were impressed and didn’t have a disparaging word to say.
“You’re going to have to put out the fire and there are going to be some surprises along the way. This is your chance to show me you can adapt quickly without losing your composure.” The Captain’s voice was in my ear.
I touched the door to feel the heat penetrating through my gloves. I threw open the door and moved to the side with this rush of air sending flames spewing from inside. I could feel the way the fire was acting and I knew how to respond in kind. I waited until the flames diminished enough for me to walk inside with the fire hose on full blast.
It was a little daunting for my 5’7 frame and 135-pound body. My muscles were toned and defined. I had lost my breath and I was just getting my second wind. I could barely see anything through the mask, but I managed to follow my training to the letter.
The flames in my vision were soon extinguished and I continued forward until I heard a baby crying. I opened the door to find this bundle of joy sitting on a bed with flames licking the ceiling and just touching the sheet to set it ablaze. It was a doll made to look like a baby.
“Help me.” I saw a man cowering in the corner of the room with his hands up to his face.
“Are you hurt?” I had a painful decision to make and one a firefighter should never be called upon to make in their distinguished career.
“I can’t…move. I’m afraid to…to…burn alive.” He was shaking uncontrollably.
There was no way I could save both him and the baby at the same time. It was one of those tests to see if I could make the hard decisions on the fly. It was unfair, but I understood how it was necessary to play to my strengths.
“You’re going to have to put on your big boy pants and get up. I know you can do it. This little one is depending on you. This is no time to shy away from your fatherly duties.” He lowered his hands and I found myself staring at Anson in the role of the father.
“Don’t you think I want to?” He was playing the part and most likely was following
a script that every trainee had to go through during basic training.
“Get up and move.” I snatched the baby from the bed and wrapped my jacket around her. They were playing on my instincts as a woman to protect the one that wouldn’t have a chance to live without assistance.
The window exploded and I was showered with fragments of glass. I shielded my charge and made sure to turn away from the carnage to prevent certain injury to the baby. A burst of flames blocked my path to the father and made him a victim before my eyes. It was only an exercise, but the message was clear enough for me to understand what I was getting myself into.
I could have done the impossible and put out the flames long enough for the father to make his escape with us. It was a risk and one that I didn’t feel was in the best interest of the child. I backed out of the room knowing that the father was never going to make it out alive.
I heard the crack of the wood underneath my feet and I jumped back in the nick of time. It was collapsing by design to make my mind shatter into a million pieces. I remained calm under pressure and surveyed the scene in front of me. I assessed the situation and the best possible solution was to go through the window, but that would be feeding the fire with oxygen.
I teetered on the edge with this display of flames shooting up from below to attack with impunity. I was blinded by the sheer audacity of this exercise in futility. I was left with two impossible options on the table. One was not any favorable than the other. I could jump through the window and plummet two stories or let gravity pull me down to the lower level.
There wasn’t much time to think. It was all about swift action. I thought about it for one split second and then I grabbed the hose and made a direct shot at the window. I wasn’t sure how I was going to hold the baby during my descent but it was the only way.
Most of the window had already been taken care of by the flames in the room. I didn’t hesitate and leaped with one hand holding the baby underneath my fireman’s jacket and the other holding the hose. There was a collective gasp outside as I came down the side of the building in grand fashion.
Doing it with one hand was the hardest thing I’d ever done in my life. I was breathing heavily, but the added byproduct of the excitement was turning me into a wanton whore. There was nothing I could do about that for the time being.
The Captain and the rest of the squad came over to give me their unbiased opinion. I looked around for Anson and he finally appeared with this thumbs up sign to indicate everything had gone according to plan.
“I don’t think we’ve had any candidate who chose the window as a form of escape. There was one, but he knew when he was in a losing battle. It took you a little more time to assess your situation, but you did better than others in the same position.” I had already passed my written test and the psychological portion of the interview.
I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it that far, but I had surprised myself. I think in some small way I was doing it to impress not only Anson but the rest of the guys. It became a matter of pride to step up to the plate and drive one to the bleachers.
“It took me a moment to understand that there was no way I could get him out. I lost a soul, but I had to put that aside. It wasn’t easy, but I was able to finally understand some of the sacrifices you have made on the job.” The pack over my shoulder weighed a ton and those muscles I had developed were being put to good use.
“I have some reservations about you joining the squad. You’ve gone above and beyond to prove to me that you can do this. The psychological scarring you would be inflicted with after making that kind of decision is something you’re going to have to live with forever. Nobody will feel any differently about you if you decide to cut bait.” There was no way I was going to give up when I was this close to being initiated into a different kind of club.
“I didn’t know how I was going to feel, but I want this more than ever. Give me your best shot. Treat me like anybody else and I promise that I will take things seriously. I love the brotherhood and the feeling I get from saving a life. There’s nothing quite like it.” The only thing that I could compare it to was sex, but there was no way that I was going to voice my opinion on that matter.
The flames were extinguished with a touch of a button. They were able to draw out the oxygen in the room to give the fire nothing to feed on. Anson was speechless and I could see the pride he had for me. It was something I was never going to forget. It was a first, but it wasn’t going to be my last time into the breach.
“I have to say I like your attitude. You came here and you conquered everything we put in front of you. There is some concern about your psychological test. I’m going to sign off on you joining this team. Keep in mind that this position came up because of political fallout. I know you will do the uniform proud.” I had a feeling this was about equality of the sexes. It would make a sound bite on the 5:00 news.
The press was recording everything for posterity. I wasn’t sure why they were here, but I soon found out through no fault of my own. I overheard the press talking and it only fueled me into exceeding all of their expectations.
“I look forward to earning your respect. I know all of you will be depending on me to carry my weight and I won’t disappoint you.” I could still feel the adrenaline pumping with enough force to make my hands shake in my gloves.
Anson was the one who took my hands and steadied them before I had to face the unblinking eye of the press. I wasn’t going to have time to tell Shane and my mother what I had done. They were going to see it for themselves live and in living color on television. I didn’t know what their reaction was going to be, but I was raised to be independent.
I was surrounded by those looking for a story for the public to sink their teeth into. The barrage of questions came at me at lightning speed. I silenced them by raising my hand to take one question at a time.
“The only thing I’m going to say is that it’s a privilege to be part of this grand tradition. Never could I imagine being a part of something so important. First responders are the life force of any city. It touches me deeply to be invited to become a part of this illustrious team.” I knew I wasn’t going to get away with placating them not when they had my undivided attention.
“I want to know how it feels to be the token female of the group.” This reporter wasn’t pulling any punches and felt it was necessary to push me into a corner like an animal.
“I don’t consider myself a token anything. I went through the same training as everybody else. They didn’t go easy on me for the sake of appearances. I pushed myself harder than I have ever done in my life and the reward was unexpected. Don’t make light of my accomplishments here today. I want my voice to be heard. Those women looking to make their own mark are relying on women like me to pave the way.” The female gender had come a long way and I felt empowered to take the next step in the evolution of female kind.
“Are you saying you want to be a role model for the next generation? Don’t you think something this dangerous should be left to a man? You’re going to have to overcome your worst fears.” This reporter was getting on my last nerve and I could tell his sexist attitude was rubbing the others the wrong way.
“I am just as capable as any man to go into a burning building to save somebody’s life. To diminish me in this capacity is taking a step back in my opinion. The one you should be looking at is your reflection in the mirror. I have nothing more to say.” I walked away still fuming and looking for the first person to lash out at.
I felt his hand on my shoulder and I twisted away with a scowl on my face. Anson was worried about me and decided to make a gesture of good faith.
“It’s unconscionable for people to think that way in this day and age. I watched you and I knew it was killing you to leave me behind. You still managed to push through to the other side. Nobody can take that away from you.” His influence made my anger decline to a level where I was no longer in desperate need of punching something.
&nb
sp; Chapter three
He was watching me in the bar where the guys had invented a new reason to blow off some steam. They had taken it upon themselves to set up this celebratory drinking game in my honor. They were attempting to drink me under the table.
The bar had a medley of different drink options. This was a hangout for first responders. The bartender wasn’t a grizzled veteran. She was a bad ass with tattoos and spiky black hair.
Her tank top was without a bra and her black leather pants made her more than a match for any of these guys. She had shot glasses lining the bar top. I was feeling a little buzzed, but some of the others had already fallen victim to their own hubris.
“I have several messages from Shane and my mother. I can’t stay here hidden behind the rest of you. I’m going to have to face them and what better way than to be a little pickled.” The tequila was my Achilles’ heel.
“There’s nothing to worry about. Tell them the reason why and I’m sure they will understand.” I wasn’t sure that I understood and how different things looked 24 hours later.
I tipped the glass without using my hands and spilled some of the contents down the plunging neckline of my blouse. It soaked through and outlined my endowment with the nipples perked from the cold liquid contacting them. I shivered, but I did nothing to try to cover up any sort of decency.
“They will never let me live it down if I stumble in drunk after a night of indulging.” With my breasts on display, I figured the guys would be more than undressing me with their eyes.
It was fortuitous every one had been knocked out of the competition with drunken unconsciousness as their reward. It was almost closing time and I could see the impatience on the bartenders face. I think somebody mentioned her name, but my brain was fuzzy with all the liquor keeping me from making an informed decision.
“I will tell you what I will do for you. You can sleep it off at my place. We can go over there together in the morning as a united front. I have no problem defending you and your decision to become a firefighter. I hope you are still up for anything.” I gave him a look of interest thinking that maybe the imprint of my body was going to find itself in his mattress.