Page 66 of Horn in My Side
“But—”
“Helps with team bonding, right, Chief?”
Jim nodded.“I’m not forcing you or anything, but getting to know your fellow firefighters outside of the firehouse is an important part of boosting morale and building the team.”
“You gotta come,” Ven added.“Please?”
“Ian’s our designated driver,” Nick said.“He’ll drive you home after.”
Mal grunted.“All right, one drink.”It was early still, and besides, if he went home now, he’d probably just spend the evening looking at Jasmine’s window.
After a short drive to a strip mall not too far from the fire station, they all arrived at the Salty Dog.It was a standard sports bar that served beer, alcoholic drinks, and a variety of bar food.The staff seemed familiar with the fire crew and a waitress ushered them to a corner table and quickly took their orders.
Mal squeezed in between Ian and Rafe, as he observed they were the most reserved among the others, while the rest tended to be talkative and loud.Still, the rest didn’t ostracize the two and even included them in the conversation.The pair of them chimed in with nods or grunts, or in Ian’s case, an occasional roll of the eyes.
When the waitress came back with their drinks, Jim spoke up.“I wanted to welcome Mal once again.And of course, let’s raise a glass to Vrig.He wasn’t just part of our crew, but also our friend.To Vrig.”
Everyone raised their glass.“To Vrig.”
“Hey, do you guys remember that time when Vrig had to climb up that tree to rescue that cat, only for it to turn out to be a kite?”Sterling said.
“I would have been pissed at the old lady that called it in,” Ven replied.
“But Vrig took it all in his stride.”Nick clucked his tongue.“That was Vrig, though.Cool and calm, never let anything bother him.”
“He loved doing the parades and the school visits,” Ian chimed in.
“Which you’re glad for because that meant you could stay inside the truck and not interact with anyone,” Nick said.
His twin huffed.“I still don’t know how you talked me into doing it.But yes, Vrig was happy to entertain the kids.”
“Yeah, and they loved him,” Ven added.“He had a gentle soul.”
A sense of pride went through Mal, and partly remorse that he hadn’t thought of his uncle more in the past few years.While he never had a chance to get to know him when he was a kid, as an adult, Mal could have picked up a phone or even hopped on a plane to see his uncle anytime.It would, perhaps, be one of the greatest regrets of his life.
“So, Mal,” Jim began, “you’re taking over the shop for Vrig?”
“Er, kind of,” he said.“For now.”
“That shop is so cool,” Ven said.“I took one of my nieces there for her birthday.She got a water horse.Say ...”He looked around slyly.“That hot lady manager still working there?”
Mal’s blood pressure shot up and he ground his teeth.
“You mean Jasmine?”Nick interjected.“Yeah, I saw her during the Founding Day Festival.”
“Damn, I wish I had gone to Main Street, then.”Ven pouted.“My mother kept me busy entertaining guests at home.Wouldn’t even let me join the parade.”
“That mother of yours ...”Nick shook his head.“Not that it would have done any good.Jasmine’s way out of your league, kid.”
“You’re not even playing the same sport,” Sterling joked.
“Aww,” Ven sulked.“She’s so nice too.Great with kids.”
Mal took a sip of his drink, trying to control his annoyance.But he could hardly blame Ven, as Jasmine was, indeed, hot.
“Must be nice working with a gorgeous woman all day,” Nick said with a laugh.“Not that you’d try anything, right, Mal?You’re much too professional for that.”
“Actually, we are seeing each other,” Mal stated.“We’re going on our first date tomorrow.”He supposed there was no use denying it, as he was planning to take her out on a very public date.
