letting out a laugh as Mikey’s soft lips trailed down her neck and elsewhere. Sighing, she closed her eyes and enjoyed every second of it.
***
Eva left for work early that morning and Michael tried his best to go back to sleep for a while. He was glad to have the day off, but wasn’t sure what to do with himself. He had only had a couple of tours since coming back from being hurt, and felt antsy, like the apartment walls were closing in on him.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, he stared down at his running shoes that were hanging out from the closet. It had been awhile since he hit the streets, and the weather was almost pristine for a workout. Stretching his arms out, he forced himself up and got dressed in sweats, a hoodie, and a Mets baseball cap. Before heading out, he made sure he had his ear buds, an essential part of what he needed on his jogs.
The air was cool and crisp. The morning commute was thinning out, as well as the amount of pedestrians on the sidewalk. Michael stuffed his ear buds in each ear and cranked on some hard rock music to get motivated.
His lungs stung just a few minutes into the run, but he fought his body’s warnings and pressed on. He was not going to succumb to his brain urging him to stop. A couple of women stopped in their tracks and watched as he went by, one waving as he passed. He ducked his head under his hat bill and ignored them, oblivious to anything they might be yelling his way. After about fifteen minutes he turned around and headed back. It wasn’t a bad run for not doing it in months. He stopped at the stoop of the apartment building and stretched his legs, enjoying the sweat that soaked into his shirt and down his chest.
The natural high was invigorating and it also helped with everything he had on his mind. Things that worried him thirty minutes ago seemed like mere hiccups in the whole scheme of things.
“Hey there.”
Michael felt a tap on his shoulder and he quickly turned around, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the familiar man behind him. He muted the music on his phone and pulled the headphones out, feeling awkward almost instantly.
“You’re Eva’s fiancé, right? Mickey?”
“Mikey,” he replied. “You’re her dad, right?” What was his name? Alvin? Alex? No, it was Albert. Michael hoped he didn’t see the contemplation on his face.
“Yeah. She around?”
“No, she has a shift today.”
“Oh, damn. I came in from Staten Island for some errands. Thought I’d stop by and pay her a visit.”
Michael nodded and looked up at the apartment building and back down. “The firehouse isn’t far from here if you want to stop by there. Chances of her being there are slim, though.” Hesitating, he lifted his cap and readjusted it on his head. “You can come up if you want. No sense in coming this far for nothing.”
Albert looked unsure. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I? Looks like you were really getting into that workout.”
Michael held up a hand as he keyed in the code and opened the door to the entrance. “I was just finishing up. It’s no problem.” He felt nervous. This was the man who recently lost his cool at the fact that he and Eva were now engaged. He wasn’t hip to him being a firefighter, and showed no bones about it. To give him some credit, he did apologize for his outburst, but Michael was still uneasy around him. He had this look on his face like he knew he was screwing his little girl and didn’t approve of it. To make things worse, he was now at their home. He’d been with Eva for a long time, and this was the most he had ever been around her family.
Opening the door to the apartment, he was thankful Eva had straightened up and did some cleaning the night before. “You want something to drink?” he asked as he ducked out of his hoodie and draped it over the couch.
“You got any beer?”
Michael glanced up at the clock. Did he seriously want a beer at ten thirty in the morning? Reaching for the
***
Eva left for work early that morning and Michael tried his best to go back to sleep for a while. He was glad to have the day off, but wasn’t sure what to do with himself. He had only had a couple of tours since coming back from being hurt, and felt antsy, like the apartment walls were closing in on him.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, he stared down at his running shoes that were hanging out from the closet. It had been awhile since he hit the streets, and the weather was almost pristine for a workout. Stretching his arms out, he forced himself up and got dressed in sweats, a hoodie, and a Mets baseball cap. Before heading out, he made sure he had his ear buds, an essential part of what he needed on his jogs.
The air was cool and crisp. The morning commute was thinning out, as well as the amount of pedestrians on the sidewalk. Michael stuffed his ear buds in each ear and cranked on some hard rock music to get motivated.
His lungs stung just a few minutes into the run, but he fought his body’s warnings and pressed on. He was not going to succumb to his brain urging him to stop. A couple of women stopped in their tracks and watched as he went by, one waving as he passed. He ducked his head under his hat bill and ignored them, oblivious to anything they might be yelling his way. After about fifteen minutes he turned around and headed back. It wasn’t a bad run for not doing it in months. He stopped at the stoop of the apartment building and stretched his legs, enjoying the sweat that soaked into his shirt and down his chest.
The natural high was invigorating and it also helped with everything he had on his mind. Things that worried him thirty minutes ago seemed like mere hiccups in the whole scheme of things.
“Hey there.”
Michael felt a tap on his shoulder and he quickly turned around, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the familiar man behind him. He muted the music on his phone and pulled the headphones out, feeling awkward almost instantly.
“You’re Eva’s fiancé, right? Mickey?”
“Mikey,” he replied. “You’re her dad, right?” What was his name? Alvin? Alex? No, it was Albert. Michael hoped he didn’t see the contemplation on his face.
“Yeah. She around?”
“No, she has a shift today.”
“Oh, damn. I came in from Staten Island for some errands. Thought I’d stop by and pay her a visit.”
Michael nodded and looked up at the apartment building and back down. “The firehouse isn’t far from here if you want to stop by there. Chances of her being there are slim, though.” Hesitating, he lifted his cap and readjusted it on his head. “You can come up if you want. No sense in coming this far for nothing.”
Albert looked unsure. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I? Looks like you were really getting into that workout.”
Michael held up a hand as he keyed in the code and opened the door to the entrance. “I was just finishing up. It’s no problem.” He felt nervous. This was the man who recently lost his cool at the fact that he and Eva were now engaged. He wasn’t hip to him being a firefighter, and showed no bones about it. To give him some credit, he did apologize for his outburst, but Michael was still uneasy around him. He had this look on his face like he knew he was screwing his little girl and didn’t approve of it. To make things worse, he was now at their home. He’d been with Eva for a long time, and this was the most he had ever been around her family.
Opening the door to the apartment, he was thankful Eva had straightened up and did some cleaning the night before. “You want something to drink?” he asked as he ducked out of his hoodie and draped it over the couch.
“You got any beer?”
Michael glanced up at the clock. Did he seriously want a beer at ten thirty in the morning? Reaching for the
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