Page 50 of Embers of You
“I know what that’s like. Thanks for tonight.”
I reach down to lightly graze her fingers with mine, not quite holding her hand, I use my free one to cup her face, running my thumb along her bottom lip. “I want you to know that I want to kiss you so badly right now. But I’m not going to when I know my mom is watching us like a hawk.”
Sutton chuckles. “Good, because this isn’t a date and friends wouldn’t kiss each other.”
“Right,” I agree with a wink, knowing we’ve done more than that. “Goodnight Sutton.”
“Goodnight, Jameson,” she whispers.
Unable to help myself, I press a chaste kiss to her forehead, before letting her go and walking backwards toward my truck. I make sure she’s inside before I climb in.
“I like her,” Ma’s sleepy voice says from behind me.
“Me too.”
Unsurprisingly, my dad doesn’t say anything which is fine by me. I just turn up the music to fill the air while I drive us home.
My next shiftat the fire station is uneventful as far as calls go. We play some basketball and I keep my eye out looking for Sutton’s Jeep to pull up to the building next door. I don’t see her, and I’m tempted to text her, but refrain. Just barely. Especially on the second day when I’m only a couple of hours from getting off.
“Yo, we got a call from your girlfriend,” Parker tells me as I’m lying on my cot unable to sleep.
I shoot up quickly, immediately panicking that Sutton is hurt. I’m rushing downstairs toward the truck that everyone else is already in.
“Damn, I’ve never seen you this excited to see Margaret.” Jo chuckles.
“What?”
“Your girlfriend, Margaret, the woman who only calls in while you’re on shift,” Dave speaks like I should’ve immediately known who they were talking about.
“I’m getting you all back, just remember this,” I threaten as we drive the short distance to the call I already know is a false alarm.
Margaret is a woman in her sixties who’s lived in the same house for as long as I can remember, and after her husband died fifteen years ago she started making false calls for attention. My attention, more specifically. I’m not sure if she did this while I was gone, but somehow she’s learned I’m back and is starting them up again.
“Careful, Parker, I think you might end up being her new favorite,” I tell him.
He doesn’t say anything snarky back for once, and I glance over to where he’s sitting, noticing him just staring outside. I furrow my brow; it’s odd for him and I wonder if something’s wrong.
We get to the destination and immediately a woman runs out in a long flowing robe, not looking the least bit distressed. In fact, the smile that takes over her face the second I step out of the truck already has my coworkers laughing behind me.
“Oh Jameson, I didn’t know you were back. I’m so happy to see you.”
“Hello, Margaret,” I greet as pleasantly as I can. “What seems to be the problem?”
“It’s Fluffy, she’s stuck.” She doesn’t sound distressed about Fluffy.
Jo approaches her and says, “And Fluffy is your…”
“My cat,” she snaps at Jo before looking at me, batting her eyelashes.
“Where is she stuck, ma’am?” I try to remain professional and respectful.
“Behind my water heater.”I think she’s gotten closer to me.
“Lead the way.” I raise my arm gesturing toward her house, and I catch the way her eyes eat up my exposed arm. I fight the shiver, and not in a good way like when Sutton checks me out. The way Margaret is looking at me makes me feel like a piece of meat in front of a lion.
She walks in front of me, and I dare a glance back at my coworkers who are all stifling their laughter and I silently lift my middle finger to them, which only makes Parker bark out a loud laugh that has Margaret sending daggers in his direction.
So much for hoping he can steal some of the attention off me, I guess.
