Hot Shot (Chapters 11 -16)

Chapter 11-Jennifer



Framed by the kitchen doorway Jennifer snapped photos. Pete stepped into boots with pants pooled around the ankles in a quick motion he had pants pulled up and placed his suspenders over his shoulders. Miguel came around a corner pulling on his jacket and hat. Both men now in full uniform stepped up into the fire engine. Lt climbed into the cab next to Blake who sat in the driver’s position. In a matter of seconds, the truck pulled out of the station. A better angle would have been nice but as Jennifer scrolled through the pictures, she had taken in those few short seconds she was pleased.

An hour later, she was packing up her camera. Jimmy and Ted’s photo shoots both had gone well. Three down nine to go. She slung her bag over her shoulder and turned toward the door. Silohetted in doorway was a tall willowy brunette wearing a filmy summer dress which, back lit by the sunlight, left little to the imagination.

“Excuse me,” the woman said.

“Can I help you?” Jennifer asked.

“I’m looking for a firefighter.”

“You’ve come to the right place.” Jennifer chuckled.

“Is Blake Hudson here?”

“They went out on a call over an hour ago.” Jennifer felt her heart constrict and she went cold all over. She knew this photo shoot was Blake’s attempt to ask her out but she saw now she was just one in a string of women. He was a major player.

“Oh.” The disappointment was thick in that one syllable.

“You could wait.” Jennifer offered.

“I’ve only got an hour before I have to be somewhere. I thought I would surprise him.”

“He’s your boyfriend?”

“Yes. We’ve been dating about a month.”

Jennifer felt a wave a pity for the girl.  The picture of the blonde bombshell from two weeks ago flashed through Jennifer’s mind. This woman didn’t realize she was being played.

“I’m Jennifer Warren by the way. I’m doing some photos for the firehouse.”

“Monica Hughes.”

“You could leave the lunch here with a note,” Jennifer suggested.

“Thanks. I think I will.”

Monica made her way to the firehouse kitchen as Jennifer stepped out into the afternoon sun. A few steps down the pavement Jennifer’s curiousity got the better of her. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket, flipped it open, scrolled to her voice mail and hit the green button.

“Hi Jennifer, this is Blake Hudson. My cell number is [phone]. Lt thought I could help you set up the times for the photo shoots. Give me a call anytime.”

She hit save and the next message came up.

“Jennifer your phone must be off. Call your Mom. Love you, baby.”

Delete.

“It’s Blake. Call me when you get this message.”

Well it was time to nip this one in the bud. She scrolled through her ‘call log’ and hit ‘call’. She would leave him a nice susinct message. She listened to it ring and waited for the message prompt to come on.

“Hey Jennifer. Look we are just getting ready to load up on the truck and head back to the station can I call you in a few minutes.”

“No, I just wanted to leave you a message. I’ll just call back in a minute and leave it.”

“Ten minutes, I’ll be back at the station in ten minutes. I’ll call you then.”

He hung up. She didn’t want to talk to him she didn’t want to listen to that deep cool voice that made her heart hammer in her chest.

She called back.

“Leutenant Higgenbotham.”

This was a dirty trick. She felt her face flush.  Why couldn’t the man just let her leave a message?

“I’m sorry LT. I just wanted to leave a message on Blake’s phone.”

“Would you like me to relay a message? No wait he’s shaking his head no. I’m sorry I’m supposed to tell you he’ll call you in a few minutes. Bye now.”

Oh!  The insufferable man. She wanted to scream; instead, she let out an exasperated grunt. She turned a few heads as she strode down the sidewalk. She pounded up the flight of stairs and banged the door as she entered her apartment.

“Hey sis, photo shoot not go well?”

Kirk her brother stood over the stove sauteing something in a frying pan. He was thirteen years her senior but he had boyish goodlooks that fooled people into thinking he was much younger. He had their mother’s green-brown eyes and straight brown hair that he styled in the tossled look. Along with being a first class surgeon the man could cook like nobody’s business too.

“No it went perfect.”

She flung her camera case on the new coach they had muscled up the stairs yesterday.

“So what’s with the white heat?”

“I let somebody get under my skin.”

“Spill it.”

She pulled an apron off a magnetic hook on the side of her fridge and wrapped it around her waist. She bumped Kirk out of the way, grabbed the wooden spatchula out of his hand and began stirring the onions and garlic in the pan. Her mother had sent Kirk with a suitcase full of kitchen hardware; everything from pots and pans to a fully loaded spice rack. The apron was one her dad’s cast offs from his barb-b-queing days. ‘Kiss the Chef’ was emblazoned across the front of it.

“The firefighting gigalo’s got a girlfriend, he’s dating around and I think he might be trying to add me to his stable.”

“I’ll kill him.”

“Big girl here. It may make me angry but I think I can handle it. I have been defending my virtue for twenty-four years now.”

Jennifer’s phone rang.

“This is him. Watch me work.” She flipped open her phone. “Hello.”

“Jennifer, this is Blake Hudson.”

“I tried to leave you a message, Blake. For some reason I had a little trouble.”

“I thought it would be better if we talked.”

“LT and I have worked out the shoot schedule. That arrangement seems to work best for me. Thanks for the offer of help anyway though.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

“Jennifer I was thinking…”

“Monica is a beautiful woman, you are a lucky man. She seems to be very attentive. Hope you enjoy your lunch. Bye, Blake.” She flipped her phone closed.

“That was interesting. Who is Monica?” Kirk had two plates of steaming stir-fried vegetables ladeled over white fluffy rice.

“Apparently his girlfriend. She was dropping lunch off for him as I was leaving the firehouse.” She reached for the plate in his right hand. “You are a genius. This looks amazing.”

“Why don’t you skip the rest of the photo shoot? I don’t want you to have to run into that bozo again.”

“I’m actually enjoying myself. I’ll show you what I’ve shot so far as soon as we eat.”



Chapter 12-Blake



“What the hell!” Blake looked down at his phone. Jennifer said something about Monica. It wasn’t possible. He was still sitting in the firetruck cab. He jumped down and saw his whole crew clustered around the kitchen door.

“Anything interesting?” Blake asked as he walked toward the crowd.

They parted like the Red Sea. Heads swiveled as they looked from the vision in the kitchen to the soot stained firefighter and back again. Blake was going to have jump start a few of these guys hearts. She almost looked etible in the hint of a dress. A spaghetti strap had rolled off one shoulder and lay against her arm just above the elbow. If she was going for seduction, she had succeeded.

“Blake,” Her voice sounded breathy. She smiled up at him.

“Monica? What brings you to Station 55?”

“I can only stay a minute. I just brought you some lunch.” She pointed at the box on the table. “I picked it up at Sal’s Deli.”

“Do you have time for me to introduce you around?” He point at the audience that surrounded them.

“Next time, I’m really late.”

She moved toward him. 

He warded her off not wanting to get soot on her. She leaned up and he pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. Poised above her mouth he growled as a collective ‘ahhh’ rose from the surrounding crowd.

“Thanks, it was very thoughtful of you to bring me lunch. I’ll call you later.” Blake glared at the other firefighters as Monica walked past them, hoping to discourage his crew.

They walked out together with the entourage crowding close behind. Like a field of sunflowers following the path of the sun, the group watched her progress down the sidewalk.

“You are my hero,” Vincent sighed.

“Seriously, that woman was hotter than the two-alarm we just battled,” Bob added.

“Does this mean the photographer is up for grabs?” Pete asked.

“No!” Blake barked.

“Easy, Blake, you’re going to give yourself a coronary,” Pete said.

He pushed his way through his crew and headed in to put up his gear. He shrugged out of his jacket, dropped his suspenders and with them his pants and boots came off. He stripped down and stepped into the shower.

He needed to get his head to slow down long enough to sort through this mess. Jennifer had met Monica. In his history with women he had never had any of the ones he was dating meet. He wasn’t dating Jennifer. He wanted to date Jennifer but it had all blown up in his face today. Monica had brought him lunch at work. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. It was a sweet thing but also kind of forward. Had their relationship progressed to the point where it was okay for her to show up where he worked? The fourth date had sent their relationship over the line from casual to potentially serious. A date he had jumped into because he couldn’t get a hold of Jennifer. Maybe today was a reality check. There would always be some new woman out there. Monica was fun, easy to be with, and sexy. He would be crazy to keep looking for more when she was the total package.

Why did it give him a pain beneath his ribs to think that he would never have a chance with Jennifer? Their few brief interactions had been more like fencing; thrust and parry. It hurt to think of their first encounter, his own behavior and the cutty remark from his buxomy blonde date. He hoped to redeem himself with the photo shoots but ended up only digging himself a deeper hole. Sometimes it was best to just cut bait. She would be at the station for a photo shoot on Tuesday but he thought he could easily make himself scarce. Thursday would be his shoot with her but he could be civil.

He would take Monica out to dinner on Thursday night and see where that led. Who was he kidding? He knew exactly where it would lead. Friday would be commitment day; he would take her to meet his sister and Nancy’s family. Nancy would like Monica, he was sure.

Then why did he feel like he wanted to slam his fist into something?

His musings had carried him through his shower and dressing. He stood in the kitchen looking down at the box lunch.

After Thursday he never had to see Jennifer again. He would be commited to Monica. Sometimes a man just needed a little push to know what was best for him.

He lifted the lid to the lunch. On their second date Blake had admitted to Monica that Sal’s was his favorite deli and even mentioned his favorite sandwich.  She had remembered. He stared down at the pastrami on rye and knew he couldn’t stomach eating it. He tossed the box into the trash.

He walked out into the station and began the work of putting his engine back in perfect order. He had until Thursday to get over the feeling that he had just lost his best friend.



Chapter 13-Jennifer



Jennifer’s fingers rested on her computer keyboard. Meeting her hourly quota was always a challenge on her best days and this definitely was not one of her better days. The muscles at the base of her neck felt knotted with tension and her fingers didn’t seem to be getting the messages her brain was sending them. One hour and she would be able to get on the bus and head home. She had never dreaded the end of work so much.

She didn’t want to talk to another FBI agent. There were always endless questions about her relationship with Peter. She didn’t want to think about that time of her life much less have someone dissect it again. Her father thought therapy might help but her mother insisted she just needed to go through the grieving process.

The prescription order she was typing blurred. Now was not the time to deal with one of the steps of grief. She brushed the tears with the back of hand. The man she had loved, the one she had planned to be the father of her babies and grow old with did not exist. He had been a figment of her imagination. She couldn’t help but go over their relationship to see if there were any signs of the real Peter. He was too polite, too kind, too thoughtful. He had been loving without pushing intimacy. Why would he need to when he had a wife he went home to? The FBI said it was a deep con. Peter had stayed with the con for two years but the payoff was huge: nearly twenty million dollars. She had been his access and his cover.

Jennifer rode the bus back to her apartment letting the tears stream down her cheeks unchecked. She ranted and yelled once she got back in her rooms. It helped. She felt calm and composed when the doorbell rang.

A pretty petite blond in a business suit stood on her door sill.

“Jennifer Warren?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Agent Angela Robinson from the FBI.”

Her hand came up and Jennifer took it in a quick handshake.

“I’ve been expecting you.” Jennifer felt her shoulder muscles tighten in anticipation of the coming questions.

“May I come in for a few minutes?”

The hesitation was brief but Jennifer saw the agent’s eyebrow rise slightly at the pause.

“Sure come in.”

Jennifer ushered her in and offered her the couch.

“Could we sit at the kitchen table?” Agent Robinson asked.

“Right over here.” There wasn’t much to Jennifer’s studio apartment. It was basically one room. She planned to get a folding screen to put in front of her bed to give her the illusion of privacy. The bed, a couch, table and two chairs made up her furnishings. “Can I get you something to drink? I have water or milk or I could make us a cup of tea.”

“Water is fine.” The agent offered as she stood in the middle of Jennifer’s living space. “How long ago was the fire?”

“About three weeks.” Jennifer handed her one of the bottled waters she had gotten out of the refrigerator. They sat down across from each other at the kitchen table.

“Did you lose everything?” Agent Robinson pulled a folder out a black satchel that hung over her shoulder. She opened it and lay it on the table between them.

“Yes. Everything you see is newly acquired or a donation from my family.” Jennifer sat with her legs and arms crossed trying to hold it together.

“I noticed in your file you come from a large family.”

“I have three brothers and one sister all older and all married.”

Jennifer tried to get a peek at the contents of the file as the agent made notes on a piece of paper. The agent’s arm came up to rest across the pages.

“Your parents are still living?”

“Yes, my dad’s a retired police Captain and my mom is full time grandmother.”

“You have a computer. Did you loose all your data?”

“I’m faithful about backing up my files and I keep several copies in different locations so if I lose one set, I’m okay. I keep three thumb drives in my purse and they survived the fire with me.”

“And your other back ups.”

“With people I trust.”

“Your dad for instance?”

Jennifer felt the hairs on the back of her neck start to rise. These weren’t the questions the other agents had been asking. Suddenly she was ready for this interview to be finished.

“All the files I gathered from working at the firm are in your bureau’s capable hands.”

“Of course.”

“If that’s all?” Jennifer stood up.

“I wanted to leave you with my card.” Agent Robinson reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out a business card, and handed it to Jennifer. “If you need anything just give me a call.”

“Sounds good.”

The minute she closed the door behind Agent Robinson she wanted to call her dad. She changed her mind because she felt like an idiot. She hadn’t even asked to see Agent Robinson’s credentials. The agent hadn’t asked one question about Peter. Her instincts told her something was wrong. Or had she gotten to the point where she just didn’t trust anyone anymore? She’d think about it later.

She sat down at her computer to do some editing on the pictures she took Sunday.



Tuesday night was looking to be the highlight of her week. She looked over her models and sucked in her breath as she looked up at the hunk of African American man flesh. Good grief the man was Goliath! The axe in his hands looked like a toy. Stripped to the waist the man spun the axe handle in his cupped hand. There was not an ounce of fat on his six foot five-inch frame but he was half again the size of the man standing next to him.

She had some ideas about how to depict the raw power of this mammoth firefighter. She put him on the edge of the roof holding a rope while another firefighter hung on close to the ground. She stood on the fire escape and got great shots of taunt muscles and straining neck sinew.

Her favorite shot of the night was the mock tug of war she set up with the neighborhood kids, twenty kids against Mo ‘the Mountain’ Beck. The kids pulling on an old firehose while Mo held the other end looking bored.

Jennifer felt Blake’s eyes following her but he never tried to talk to her. Then the firehouse got a call.  Shift one was off to battle the demon, fire.

She was packing up when Trent grabbed her camera and she felt herself lifted into the air. Mo perched her on his shoulder while Trent took shots of her screaming and wrapping her arms around Mo’s head. She was laughing so hard when he let her down she couldn’t breath. She could grow to love these guys.



Chapter 14-Blake



‘Boots, canvas pants and a smile at 6pm Thurs.’ was the text Blake got from Jennifer on Tuesday.

He had arrived at the fire station half hour early dressed for his date with Monica. Jennifer was organized and prepared for each shoot and pretty much kept to the schedule of about thirty minutes per session. He would have time to pick up a bottle of wine and some flowers before his seven thirty date.

A pang of modesty shot through him just before he closed his locker. He grabbed a t-shirt and pulled it on not wanting to greet Jennifer bare chested. It was ridiculous, he knew, but he wanted that little bit of dignity as he faced her for the last time.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he rounded the corner and saw Mo from second shift pulling a garbage can full of water over to the driveway. Jennifer was looking at a line of plastic buckets. When she caught sight of Mo she shook her head and smiled.

“I really don’t think we are going to need more than just a couple of buckets of water, you guys.”

“Better to be prepared.” Trent countered.

This looked suspiciously like a setup to Blake. He eyed the men from second shift that were being overly helpful. Mo gave him a conspiratorial wink and Blake almost laughed outloud knowing this was not going to end well for someone. Firefighters are notorious practical jokers and Jennifer was about to get initiated.

She was the picture of the all-American girl. A sleeveless white cotton button-down shirt with pockets over each breast, tucked into Capri jeans and deck shoes gave her a wholesome look. Her hair was pulled back into a loose knot at the base of her head with a few bangs hanging down in her eyes.

He felt his body react to the sight of her. An ache in his chest, muscles tightening he quickly damped down the feeling. He’d made his choice and tonight would be the culmination of that decision.

“Oh, good you brought a t-shirt. I meant to tell you we would need one.” Her voice brought him out of his revery. “I’m ready to start when ever you are.”

“Fire away.”

She didn’t display any of the awkwardness he was feeling. He had dreaded seeing her after their phone conversation.

“I wanted to start in the fire truck. Lt explained your job as engineer so I’d like to get some shots of you behind the wheel.”

He walked ahead of her to the garage and pulled open the door to the big fire engine.

She cleared her throat and he turned to look at her.

“I’ll hold your shirt for you,” she said extending her hand. The blush rose on her cheeks. That was encouraging; at least he affected her in some way.

He stripped off his t-shirt and handed it to Trent who hovered nearby.

“You want my hands on the wheel?” He asked as he settled into the driver’s seat of the massive machine.

“Let’s start with a few shots like that.” She lifted the camera to her face. A rapid session of clicks came from the camera as she pushed the button.

“Now turn toward me, lower you left foot to the running board like you’re stepping out. Can you drape your right arm across the steering wheel and just rest you left arm across you left thigh. I want you to look as relaxed as possible; like this is exactly where you belong.”

He positioned himself like she told him and thought about how much he loved this job and the adrenaline of getting his crew to the location of an accident or fire as quickly and safely as possible. He let that feeling relax him.

“Oh, wow that‘s perfect. Just like that.” She coaxed.

Again eight or ten shots were taken. She smiled as she looked at him over her camera.

“I’m going to indulge myself in a few favorite movie moments. So don’t laugh at me.”

“You’re the artist here. I am not about to tell you your business.” He climbed down out of the cab.

“I’ve cased out the doorways in the station and I like the bunk room door the best for this next shot.”

“Upstairs it is then.”

He was having a hard time controlling his thoughts as she climbed the stairs in front of him, her hips swaying. He almost closed his eyes and groaned. He stopped himself by running baseball stats through his head.

Jennifer turned around at the top of the stairs and said, “Halt.”

Blake stopped in his tracks wondering if she had read his thoughts until he looked over his shoulder and saw the trail of spectators.

“All onlookers will be restricted to the stairs. I need a designated spotter to make sure I don’t back myself down the stairs,” she said.

A general uproar was soon silenced when she pointed to Trent.

“Also there will be no heckling, that includes exagerated sighing, kissing noises and man grunts. I have three brothers so don’t think I don’t know what you guys are thinking.”

He felt a jolt as Jennifer took his arm. She quickly released him and looked down at her hand a puzzled expression on her face. A blush swept up her cheeks as she looked up into his face. It gave him a little smug satisfaction to know this was affecting her.

“Could you come over and stand in the doorway?” she asked.

“Sure,” he stood in the entrance of the bunkroom, “is this what you want?”

“Reach up and grab the top of the door frame.”

He grabbed it about shoulder wideth apart.

“That it. I’m looking for serious, maybe a little intense.” She snapped a few pictures. “Slide your hands together.” More clicks. “Now for the money shot. Can you keep your hands on the top of the door frame and rest you hip against the side of the frame?”

“It covers my face.” Blake countered.

“This is going to be a bit flirtacious. I want you to peek with one eye from beneath your arm and give me a hint of a smile.”

One of the spectators rolled an ‘r’ off his tongue.

“Don’t make me clear these stairs,” she said without turning around.  She lowered the camera and looked him directly in the eye. “It’s just you and me. This is the scene; you’ve got me alone in your apartment, I’m a shy wallflower and you’re a lonely wanna be boxer looking for….”

He couldn’t help it the laugh burst out of him. “You want me to be Rocky?” His hand fell to his waist and he doubled over with laughter. He looked up to see Jennifer’s beet red face.

“You’re the artist he said.” He heard her mumble under her breath.

“Just give me a minute.” He gasped.

“No, no it’s all right. I think we got what we were after here.” There was an edge to her voice like each word was dipped in anger. “In fact I think that should about do it for you. You were great, really, a trooper. Someone said you have a date later so I won’t keep you any longer.”

She probably would have kept on raging but Trent came up and put his arm around her shoulders and took the camera from her hands. The men on the stairs moved up toward her.

“She caught me off guard.” Blake yelled. “Back off.” He walked up to Jennifer removed Trent’s arm from around her and took the camera. He scowled down the other men. “You bums beat it and give the lady and me a little privacy. Now!” He shouted when they were slow to move.

“Jennifer I am sincerely sorry.”

“No really it’s okay.” She took her camera out of his hands.

“But I promised not to laugh.”

“It was a little corny.” She backed away from him a few steps. She kept her eyes on her camera.

“Movie lines started popping into my head.”He moved toward her.

“Yo, Adrian.” She attempted a weak smile as she came up against the wall.

“It struck me funny. The laugh was out before I could stop it.” He placed his hands on the wall on either side of her ducking his head down to make eye contact. “I embarressed you, I’m sorry.”

“I have three older brothers; my skin is a little thicker than that.”

Her lips were only inches away and the smell of sweet soap came off her skin. The pulse point on her neck held sudden fascination for him and he had to tear himself away from the wall before he did something incredibly foolish.

“So let’s try this again.” He took up his position in the doorway.

He felt all the shyness of an awkward schoolboy as he peered around his arm and looked into the camera.

“Perfect.” She whispered.



Chapter 15-Jennifer



Jennifer had arranged for a group of kids in bathing suits to play in the water as Blake turned the handle of the fire hydrant in the foreground. This was the shot for the kids calendar so she had him put his t-shirt on.

The kids screamed and laughed, the setting sun lit the water spray and turned it into molten light. Blake’s dark silohette pulsed with power as he pulled against the handle on the firehydrant. Jennifer prayed that it would translate as beautifully into the pictures she was taking.

“That’s great,” she yelled over the laughter. “Thanks you guys that will do it.”

A collective disappointed, “ahh” came from fallen faces.

Blake laughed then straddling the hydrant. He used his hands to direct the spray letting it chase one kid after another. Jennifer lifted the camera and moved to get a shot of Blake’s face. There was no doubt that dozens of women had lost their heart to that face. She thought it was handsome before but nothing prepared her for seeing him transformed by the look of joy that he wore.

She felt all jittery and jumpy. This shoot could not be over soon enough. She no longer wanted to do this final shot. It was a cheesey, corny moment when she saw it on the silver screen. In fact, she had laughed outloud because it shouted ‘romance novel cover’. This was a calendar shoot to benefit a children’s hospital. What had she been thinking endulging her own private fantasies.

She felt light-headed as Blake aimed that smile at her. He stepped over the hydrant and walked toward her pulling his t-shirt off over his head. She felt her throat convulse as she tried to swallow. Her mouth had gone completely dry.

“What next, lady?”

He hovered over her and she could feel herself leaning back. Why did he have to smell so amazing? She felt a pull just below her belly button. Pointing toward the buckets wordless, she prayed he would never cross her path again after today. She did not like the things he did to her just by being close.

‘Just get it over with, just get it over with,’ she kept up the litany in her head.

“One of these buckets has suds in it. I want you to soap up and then I got his old wooden bucket if you could just pour the water over your head.”

“You’re the boss.”

The crew was hovering just behind the line of buckets silent as tombstones. She eyed them suspiciously.

“Turn your face up to the water.” She said.

The bunches of soap bubbles slowly ran down his chest. He raised the bucket above his head and turned his face to catch the first stream of water. The water ran in sheets and then rivelets across his shoulders and down his chest. She let the shutter fly as she snapped off shots.

It was over. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Trent came up next to her and offered to take the camera.

“Could we do that one more time?” Blake chimed in.

There was a groan behind her. She looked over her shoulder and she saw a row of overly innocent looking faces behind her.

“I think I got it.” She turned back to Blake.

“Just one more, indulge me.”  He was soaping up his chest again.

Was the man trying to give her a coranary? Trent filled the wooden bucket with the water from a plastic one. She clicked away while she watched the water wash over Blake’s skin.

“Are you happy?” she asked as Trent took the camera from her. She felt motion behind her and half turned to see men with water buckets coming at her. She backed up only to be caught up in Blake’s arms. One by one the buckets were emptied over her head until Mo came at them with the trash can lifted over his head. She screamed and got a mouth full of water as she felt the weight and rush of water spill over her.

Jennifer struggled her way out of Blake’s arms. She punched him squarely in the chest. He staggered back more from unabated laughter than pain.

“I am going to photo shop zits on every one of your faces.” She sputtered as she pushed wet hair out of her face.

The laughter stopped abruptly. She looked around at a group of men with stunned expressions on their faces. She looked down at her blouse and realized it was completely transparent. Her low cut lacy bra stood out in contrast to her peach color flesh.

“Oh grow up.” The anger was warring with the embarassment. She spotted Blake’s dry t-shirt lying on the pavement and marched over to it. “Hudson this just cost you a t-shirt.” She quickly drew it over her head poking her arms through the sleeves and let it fall to the middle of her thighs. “Later I’m going to laugh about this but right now I feel like a nearly drowned baby chick.”

She smiled at the chastened group and they began picking up the buckets smiling and punching at each other like a group of little boys.

“Jennifer.” He was so close behind her she felt his breath on her ear.

She turned around and put up a hand to ward him off. He stepped into it and her hand rested against abs. She stared at her hand and willed it to be still. She didn’t look up as she began to speak.

“I wanted to thank you for giving me this opportunity. It’s probably something I would have never done in my wildest dreams and I doubt I’ll do it again but it has been such a great experience.” Silently she thought, ‘and thank you for saving my life.’

She felt his hand slip under her chin. He lifted her face to his.

“I wish the timing had been better for us,” he whispered.

“No, things worked out just the way they were meant to.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Blake.” She sighed as she stepped away letting her hand fall to her side. “Tell Monica I’ll make a CD of your shoot for her gratis. You, buster, it will cost ten bucks.”

“This is goodby then?”

“You have a date.”

“Dammit, Jennifer.”

She closed her eyes as he brushed his knuckles across her cheek and touched his thumb to the corner of her mouth.

“Go away you big oaf! I have work to do here.” She pushed against his chest before she turned to find Trent with her camera. She found the men in the kitchen.

“Okay Vincent you’re up next.”



Jennifer threw her semi-wet clothes in the washer and hung up Blake’s t-shirt to dry. She tried to convince herself it was to not take the chance of it shrinking but there was one corner of her mind that knew she didn’t want it to loose the smell of him on it. She got into her comfy clothes and curled up on the couch to call her mom.

“Jenny dearest! How good to hear from you.”

“Hi mom.”

“How did the shoot go tonight?”

“Nine firefighters down and three to go.”

“Did you do the hunk tonight?”

“Let’s be honest they are all hunks and don’t say ‘do’, mom it just sound wrong.”

“You sound a little pithy tonight dear.”

“I’ll admit it was probably the most embarrassing night of my life.”

“That bad huh?”

“Mom, how did you know that Dad was the right guy?”

“I won’t even ask why that is relevant to this conversation.”

“It’s not really.”

“Okay, Jen. Of course there was the physical attraction. He was drop dead gorgeous and smelled like heaven to me. It didn’t hurt that he had a great sense of humor and was basically the nicest man I had ever met.”

“We are still talking about my dad right? The man with the stale corny jokes, with a temper that could rival Mt Vesuvious.”

“There were other things little signs along the way that our courtship was heaven blessed.”

“Like what?”

“People call things like that coincidence but to me there were too many. How we met on that plane for the first time and ended up talking the whole three hours. Then running into each other when I went on that little weekend to Boston with a girlfriend. There were a dozen things like that.”

“He makes me crazy, mom. He’s a womanizer and he has done nothing but find ways to embarrass me since we first met.”

“You’re lucky you don’t have to run into him again.”

“I know I’ll sleep better tonight.”

“If you say so dear.”

“I’ll email you the pictures I took today.”

“I can’t wait to get a look at this ‘gift to womankind’.”

“And doesn’t he just know it. He’ll be the one I had pour a bucket of water over his head.”

“That sounds a bit vengeful.”

“Worse, it was purely self gratifying. You’ll understand when you see it.”

“We all turn our heads to see a beautiful sunset dear it doesn’t mean we are destined to paint sunsets the rest of our lives.”

“Seriously, mom, what was that Confusious?”

“Oh I know it was horrible. Worse cause I made it up on the spot. Anyway, good luck sleeping tonight, dear.”

“Love you, mom.”

“Love you too, baby.”

“Mom!” She said in exasperation.



Chapter 16-Blake

Blake sat on the bench in front of his locker, his hands buried in his damp hair and his elbows resting on his knees. He had changed for his date but for some reason he couldn’t get himself to leave. Jennifer’s voice drifted through the station as she finished up Randy’s shoot. She would be packing up her camera in a few minutes and walking home to her apartment. She was a big girl; she’d been living in the city for a while so why did he feel this protective instinct toward her.

He stood up. It was ridiculous for him to read anything into today. He was already late for his date. Monica was waiting. He made his way to his car. The grocery store across the street sold flowers and there was a beverage store half a block from there. He may be late but he would not come empty handed.

He was coming out of the grocer’s when he looked across the street and saw Jennifer walking home. She was still wearing his t-shirt. His heart gave a painful throb. “Bye, Jennifer,”he said softly.  He threw the flowers onto the passenger seat and slid into his car. He glanced back at her as he passed by on his way to the liquor store.



“Hey, lover.” Monica greeted him at the door of her apartment with a half-filled wine glass in her hand.

She looked amazing. A white silk halter top and black goucho pants were her simple elegant ensemble. She slid her free hand up his chest wrapping her arm around his neck. She pulled his head down and he tasted the warm sweet wine on her lips.

“I take it I’m forgiven for being late.”

“Only if you have a great excuse.”

“Photo shoot ran over.”

“Considering I have you for the rest of the night I’ll concede an extra hour to the mousy little photographer.”

Why did the statement raise Blake’s hackles? Jennifer was anything but mousy.

“I brought a peace offering in the way of wine and flowers.” He disentangled himself from her embrace.

“You thoughtful man.” She grabbed his empty hand and led him into the kitchen. “I’ve got a vase up here somewhere.” She opened up several cupboards before she pulled out a glass container.

He looked around as she took the bottle and flowers from him. The table was set for a candle-lit dinner. The tapers were burned down over halfway. There were candles on the endtables, the mantle and on top of a bookcase. The sickly sweet smell of scented candles battled with the aroma of dinner warming in the oven. He couldn’t understand what was putting him on edge.  Monica finished the wine in her glass and Blake wondered if this was her first tonight.

“Are you hungry?” she asked. She set the flowers on the table and popped open the wine he had brought, filling two glasses.

“I thought I was treating you to dinner on the town tonight?”

“This seemed more intimate.”

“Now I feel bad I made you wait.”

“It’s just been warming in the oven. Sit down. I’ll have it on the table in a minute.”

“What can I do to help?” he offered.

“Sit.”

The Chicken Alfredo was a little dry, which he knew was his fault, but good served with green salad, garlic bread and fresh sliced peaches. Monica drank two more glasses of wine and was looking decidedly mellow by the time they finished dinner.

“I’ll clear the table,” he said as he stacked their plates and slipped the stems of the wine glasses between his fingers.

After his second trip to the sink, Monica came up behind him and slid her hands around his waist, across his stomach and up his chest.

“I’ll put the food away and do the dishes later,”she whispered into his back.

He turned in her arms, meeting her upturned face with a kiss.

“How can I thank you?” he murmered.

“Tell me about one of your rescues.” Her lips trailed across his jawline and down his neck.

He leaned back against the sink and she leaned into him. His mind fought for coherence as she kissed the base of his neck between his collar bones.

“Kids tend to hide when bad things happen. We always check closets when we know we have kids in a building. I pulled one out from under his bed last week. He kicked and screamed the whole way out till someone put a stuffed teddy bear in his arms.” He answered running his fingers lightly through her hair.

“No damsels in distress?” She loosened the top button of his shirt and kissed his chest.

He sucked a quick breath in between his teeth.

“An apartment fire four weeks ago. It looked like a little girl lying in the hall. I rolled her over…”

Monica was working her way slowly down his chest, one button, one kiss.

“..and saw she was all woman. She looked up at me with the craziest blue eyes.” It slammed into him till he almost lost his breathe. It was her eyes looking up at him through the smoke, looking at him eye to eye at the bistro, cowering from him in the firehouse while he fought the impulse to kiss her. He grabbed Monica by the shoulders and pulled her away from him.  “I kept telling myself I’d seen those eyes. How many times did I say it? She knew and never said anything. I’m going to wring her neck.”

“What are you talking about? Whose eyes?” Monica looked up at him, hurt written across her face.

“Monica, I’m so sorry. I thought this was it for me. Thought you were it for me. But I just can’t. Your are a beautiful, fun, desirable woman and there is someone out there for you but it isn’t me.”

She insinuated her arms back around his neck.

“Blake it doesn’t have to be forever, just tonight. I’ll understand if you have someone else tomorrow but tonight can’t you stay.”

He grabbed her wrists.

“I’m not built like that. This was a major step for me, not something I do casually. I have to go.”

She pulled back her hands, clenched her fist and slugged him in the chest.

“I deserved that,” he said when he recovered.

“You stupid S.O.B. You cost me a hundred dollars.”

“I’ll pay for dinner,” he came back.

“My friend, Jill, you remember Jill don’t you. You dated her a few of months ago. She bet me a hundred bucks I couldn’t get you in the sack.”

Blake went cold to the core. He silently pulled out his wallet, laid five twenties on the kitchen counter and walked out the door.