was crazy
about. Great fucking morning.
Josie stood on the stair watching as the engine pulled out
of the garage, followed by the truck and the ambulance. Damn, it must be a big
fire if everything was going out including her uncle. Even as angry and hurt as
she was, fear gripped her chest. Firefighting was such a dangerous job.
She slowly made her way out of the station and to her car.
She wanted to climb back into bed, pull the covers up and forget this day ever
happened.
* * * * *
After showering off the dirt and grime from the day, Marco
threw on his jeans and hoodie and made his way out of the locker room.
“Patelli, hold up.”
Marco turned around and groaned. Damn, the last thing he
wanted to do right now was talk to Sutherland.
Paul stopped in front of him and stuck his hands in his
pockets. “Look, about earlier. I just wanted to say I’m sorry for being an
ass.”
Marco’s head snapped back. That was about the last thing
he’d expected to come out of Paul’s mouth. Here he’d been all primed for a
fight and he got this instead.
“Forget about it,” Marco replied.
Paul raised his head and looked at him. “So, we cool?”
“Yeah, sure.” No point in letting things fester between
them. They had to work together and when he needed a guy to cover his back he
didn’t want to wonder if he was going to be there. Paul was a good firefighter.
Apparently he was just a bit of a dick where women were concerned but… Lesson
learned.
Paul stuck out his hand and Marco accepted the gesture.
“That shift was a bitch, hey?” Paul asked. “A few of us are
heading out to grab a beer now, you want to come?”
“Nah, but thanks.”
“Going to see Josie?”
“I’m going to try.”
The second he stepped outside, Marco took a deep breath,
filling his nose with the smell of fresh air. After dealing with a fire like
the one they did tonight it always took him quite a while to get the smell of
smoke out of his nose. Even with all of his gear on somehow the smell lingered.
No one else noticed it, but he always did. It was as if the smell held to him,
not wanting to be forgotten.
Needing to get his head on straight, he opted for walking
the half-dozen blocks to Josie’s apartment. Hell, he’d be lucky if she even let
him in the door. He looked up at the building and took a deep breath. If he was
smart he’d go up the fire escape. Doing that was at least comfortable to him,
groveling wasn’t.
With intention in his steps, Marco climbed the four flights
of stairs and knocked on Josie’s door. And waited. And waited some more. He
glanced at his watch. Seven o’clock. She should be home. He leaned closer to
the door. He could hear her moving around inside the apartment so he knocked
again.
From through the door she called, “Go away, Marco. I have
nothing to say to you.”
He breathed deeply. Women. With guys you just punched each
other or at least knew you were willing to go to the mats with the other guy
and it was done. Like with Paul earlier, but women, jeez, they seemed to want
to stew. He banged a little harder.
“Go away.”
“Not happening,” he yelled back.
“I told you earlier there was nothing to talk about.”
He gritted his teeth to keep his anger in check. What the hell?
After everything, she wasn’t even going to give him a chance to explain? Fuck
that. “Open the goddamn door, Josie, or I’ll bust it down.”
He glanced down the hallway, his eyes homing in on the fire
extinguisher and axe on the wall. Perfect. Prepared to take matters into his
own hands, he turned just as the lock unsnicked and Josie opened her door.
“Fine, talk,” she said and placed her hands on her hips.
Pure, unadulterated pissed-off female stared back at him.
Well screw that. He was pissed too. She walked in on part of
a conversation and passed judgment on him? Sure it sounded bad but it wasn’t that bad, at least he didn’t think it was.
“We going to do this out here?” he asked.
Josie
about. Great fucking morning.
Josie stood on the stair watching as the engine pulled out
of the garage, followed by the truck and the ambulance. Damn, it must be a big
fire if everything was going out including her uncle. Even as angry and hurt as
she was, fear gripped her chest. Firefighting was such a dangerous job.
She slowly made her way out of the station and to her car.
She wanted to climb back into bed, pull the covers up and forget this day ever
happened.
* * * * *
After showering off the dirt and grime from the day, Marco
threw on his jeans and hoodie and made his way out of the locker room.
“Patelli, hold up.”
Marco turned around and groaned. Damn, the last thing he
wanted to do right now was talk to Sutherland.
Paul stopped in front of him and stuck his hands in his
pockets. “Look, about earlier. I just wanted to say I’m sorry for being an
ass.”
Marco’s head snapped back. That was about the last thing
he’d expected to come out of Paul’s mouth. Here he’d been all primed for a
fight and he got this instead.
“Forget about it,” Marco replied.
Paul raised his head and looked at him. “So, we cool?”
“Yeah, sure.” No point in letting things fester between
them. They had to work together and when he needed a guy to cover his back he
didn’t want to wonder if he was going to be there. Paul was a good firefighter.
Apparently he was just a bit of a dick where women were concerned but… Lesson
learned.
Paul stuck out his hand and Marco accepted the gesture.
“That shift was a bitch, hey?” Paul asked. “A few of us are
heading out to grab a beer now, you want to come?”
“Nah, but thanks.”
“Going to see Josie?”
“I’m going to try.”
The second he stepped outside, Marco took a deep breath,
filling his nose with the smell of fresh air. After dealing with a fire like
the one they did tonight it always took him quite a while to get the smell of
smoke out of his nose. Even with all of his gear on somehow the smell lingered.
No one else noticed it, but he always did. It was as if the smell held to him,
not wanting to be forgotten.
Needing to get his head on straight, he opted for walking
the half-dozen blocks to Josie’s apartment. Hell, he’d be lucky if she even let
him in the door. He looked up at the building and took a deep breath. If he was
smart he’d go up the fire escape. Doing that was at least comfortable to him,
groveling wasn’t.
With intention in his steps, Marco climbed the four flights
of stairs and knocked on Josie’s door. And waited. And waited some more. He
glanced at his watch. Seven o’clock. She should be home. He leaned closer to
the door. He could hear her moving around inside the apartment so he knocked
again.
From through the door she called, “Go away, Marco. I have
nothing to say to you.”
He breathed deeply. Women. With guys you just punched each
other or at least knew you were willing to go to the mats with the other guy
and it was done. Like with Paul earlier, but women, jeez, they seemed to want
to stew. He banged a little harder.
“Go away.”
“Not happening,” he yelled back.
“I told you earlier there was nothing to talk about.”
He gritted his teeth to keep his anger in check. What the hell?
After everything, she wasn’t even going to give him a chance to explain? Fuck
that. “Open the goddamn door, Josie, or I’ll bust it down.”
He glanced down the hallway, his eyes homing in on the fire
extinguisher and axe on the wall. Perfect. Prepared to take matters into his
own hands, he turned just as the lock unsnicked and Josie opened her door.
“Fine, talk,” she said and placed her hands on her hips.
Pure, unadulterated pissed-off female stared back at him.
Well screw that. He was pissed too. She walked in on part of
a conversation and passed judgment on him? Sure it sounded bad but it wasn’t that bad, at least he didn’t think it was.
“We going to do this out here?” he asked.
Josie
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