Page 31 of Trucker
“Hi.” I smiled. “Barely—but something smells amazing. I’ll make time.”
“In that case, sit.”
I was barely on the stool before she set a plate with scrambled eggs, sausages, toast and a side of fruits in front of me. That was quickly followed up by a mug of coffee that smelled entirely too strong.
“Trying to put hair on my chest?” I asked.
Taji blinked.
“This coffee smells strong.”
She blushed.
“Want me to add some hot water to it? Maybe some milk.”
Shaking my head, I eased my cup away from her.
“Not a chance.” I replied. “I need the fuel.”
She continued working while I ate, and I was disappointed not having her sit with me.
But I thanked her with a kiss to the cheek as I all but ran out the door with her laughing and wishing me a good day.
Following the same path as the day before, I made it to the station before anyone else had arrived. I parked the truck under some trees to keep it cool from the sun, then let myself into the station house. Finding my temporary office, I changed into my gear for the day, and I spent the time going through the boxes they’d shipped ahead for me.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been there before I heard voices in the lower area. Walking out to the balcony, I looked down into the bay to find about ten people.
“Good morning.” I rested my elbows on the rail.
They jerked around then looked up.
“Sorry, everyone. Didn’t mean to startle you.” I told them.
“Sir.” They chorused.
“You can call me Trucker.” I told them. “I’m not your captain.”
Leaving where I stood, I made my way down to them.
“Thanks for doing this, Trucker.” Andrea told me. “No one else wanted to take a chance on us.”
“Andi, right?”
She beamed. “You remembered!”
I nodded. “Get changed and we’ll start off with some housekeeping stuff. Today will be a relatively easy one.”
They dispersed and I sat on one of the benches to the left side of the room, looking around. It was hard to imagine this place not being here—it felt strange to have a town without a fire station.
By the time the cadets returned, I was ready to start the day.
“For those of you who have no idea who I am.” I didn’t get up. “My name is Mayson Calhoune. I’m a part of the one one eight. I’ve always been at that house—since my certification and that’s where I plan on staying for the rest of my career.”
“It says the one one eight has a female captain.” Lennox Kane called. “Is that true?”
I remembered him as well from my tour.
“She’s the youngest the house has ever had.” Another man added.
