Page 5 of Falling for Red
Holding a pair of sweatpants, I hesitate. My thoughts wander back to the firefighter. Replaying the scene, I wish I wasn’t thinking about how good looking he was. There were others there, but I didn’t notice them. Who knew hot firefighters were real outside of TikTok? Especially in a town as small as this one. But the way he slammed my door, the way he commanded everything … it made my heart race in a way it hasn’t in a while.
I can manage five minutes of self-care right now.Orgasms are nature’s Ambian, right?
Grabbing my toy, I slide under the covers, still naked, and think back to his commanding presence, his blue eyes, how fucking hot he looked in his fire suit. It’s been months since a man’s touched me. I push out how depressing that is and refocus on my new kink—firefighters. I’m about to press the setting to a higher intensity, but something else buzzes, and I groan. It’s my phone.
Looking over, I see Nicholas O’Malley, the owner of High Five, is calling. I turn off my toy.
I have to take this.
“Hey,” I answer, trying to sound chipper and normal but just sound frazzled.
“Claire, are you okay?” Nicholas asks, his voice full of concern. “Thank you for jumping into action. I’m so grateful.”
“I’m fine,” I say, shifting under the covers to sit. “It’s no problem.”
“I was thinking, how about you take the rest of the week off?”
“No way! The bar is going to be slammed for the holiday. You need?—”
“I’m serious,” Nicholas says, cutting me off.
“I need the money,” I say softly.Life’s expensive.
“How about I give you two thousand dollars to cover your shifts?”
“What?” My mouth drops open in disbelief. “No. That’s too much.”
“My bar could have burned down. Please, Claire. Enjoy the week off.”
Two thousand dollars.That’s more than I’d make with my scheduled shifts. It’s more than my stretch goal. A lump forms in my throat as I try to respond.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “Gabby’s going to be excited to spend all day with me tomorrow.”
“Aaron said she’s sick. Do you need anything? I can make a run to the store for you.”
“Nicholas, stop being so nice to all the single moms,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.Emily Brown is lucky to have a guy like Nicholas.All the moms need a guy like him, someone so caring and nice. The two of them have been unofficially campaigning for cutest couple in town since they started dating earlier this year. “We’re good.”
“If you need anything, call me, Aaron—any of us.”
I smile, appreciating my work-family. “Thank you, seriously.”
“Thankyou. Seriously.” Nicholas chuckles before hanging up.
I stare at my phone, still in shock. Two thousand dollars and a week off. Today is no longer the worst day ever.
4
Wednesday, July 2nd
Entering High Five for happy hour, I set the gift bag on the wood bar, the cuddly brown teddy bear’s ear peeking out from the top. This gesture can be read a lot of ways, but I haven’t stopped thinking about Claire since she drove off yesterday.What a first impression, but I learned so much. She’s a gorgeous, strong, caring mom who handles chaos better than half the Marines I know.
I keep replaying every moment we shared, searching for any hint of interest on her part. Even if she’s not interested, part of me thinks she could’ve read our interaction as me being an insensitive asshole. But I couldn’t let her leave before she was evaluated. I hope she understands that. Another part of me hopes she doesn’t think I’m just another guy with a savior complex.What if I’ve already blown it?
Aaron, the manager, gives me a nod, approaching in a T-shirt and shorts. “Jake. What can I get you?”
“A beer. Something light in a bottle.” I try to look casual as I search the crowded bar, but Claire’s nowhere in sight. Theonly indications of yesterday’s fire are a closed sign in front of the women’s bathroom and a newly printed all-gender bathroom sign covering the men’s. Aaron pops the top off my beer and slides it across the bar.
“Is Claire here?” I ask, my eyes still drifting around the place.Nicholas and Aaron did a great job refinishing all the wood in here a few months ago.
