Page 27 of Burned By Fire

12

SOL

Wednesday, May 25th

Lesley, the owner of Dina’s local diner, serves us two cups of hot coffee from the pot.

“Thirty percent of men suffer from mental health disorders at some point in their life, and losing one’s goal can be a trigger. I have good support for sports athletes, but I know there are more people Moving Forward can help. In my budget for this year, I have the chance to take on another full-time member of staff, and I want it to be a retired professional. What do you think?” Clint asks. He sounds like a businessman. I’m wondering if I’ve made a mistake coming here.

I take a sip of my coffee, leaning forward in the booth so I can rest my elbows on the table. “I’m not a businessman or a therapist. I’m not sure how I fit into all this.”

“That’s precisely why I want you on board. You seem down to earth, and that’s what these guys need. You haven’t had a job since the injury, and I want to pay you to run drills with ex-firefighters or play laser quest with ex-police officers. Just because their career is over, doesn’t mean the skills they’ve gained can’t be used to have fun.” He drinks his coffee.

“How do you know I haven’t got another job?” I pause with the cup raised to my lip.

“It’s a small town, Mr. Fox, and I’ve been asking around.” His face remains serious.

“What else do you know about me?” I frown, lowering the cup.

“You’re a sweatpants and t-shirt kind of guy. You’ve been battling an alcohol addiction for a while, although you seem to be doing well. I didn’t see you have one drop at the wedding. You’ve also been seeing a therapist and you seem ready for a new challenge.”

“Your search about me was quite in-depth.” It’s both flattering and intense to think he knows so much about me. I take another drink of my coffee.

“I’m searching for someone in particular. I’ve been looking for someone who’s headstrong and determined. You might’ve lost your way recently, but you’re an exceptional guy.”

“Are you asking me on a date, Clint?” I have to know if he has a sense of humor because, so far, he’s been all about business today. He seems different from when we met at the wedding.

“This could be the start of a bromance, but I love my wife.” He cracks a smile.

I laugh. “It’s good to know you can joke around.”

“There will be plenty of opportunities for fun. That’s not all it will entail, though. Your story will get media interest and will hopefully help us find sponsors. You’ll have to put yourself out there. Helping people is only one part of the role. I’ll be there to guide you, of course.”

“What happened to me is still a bitter memory.” Honesty is the only way this can work between us.

“And that’s okay. Trust me, it gets easier to share.”

I nod. “So, what happens next?” No other job has remotely spiked my interest. I’d be a fool not to at least try and make this work.

“I’ll send you the contract, and if you’re happy with everything, I’ll see you on Monday at the Moving Forward office.” He brushes off his shoulder like he’s finally finished with business talk.

“Okay.” I nod.

“So, how long has Ember been your girlfriend?” He grins, and his posture loosens up.

“It hasn’t been long, but she’s a great lady.”

“That she is. At school, she was always the first in line for any challenge, and she once took on the football team. She made their life hell until they agreed to join the homework club to better their grades. All because she wanted to beat St Mary’s end of year statistics.” He laughs at the memory.

“She put you all in your places, right?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Of course she did. She said if we didn’t sort out our grades there was no point playing ball because we weren’t taking advantage of the opportunities we’d been given. By beating St Mary’s we got a donation to the school for the sports and performing arts.” He lets out a goofier laugh, and it brings a smile to my face.

“I guess that holds some truth. It’s good to have something to fall back on.”

We finish our coffee while chatting more about his wife and Ember. I leave feeling positive about working with him. I won’t have to wear a suit, and he won’t keep me in the office all the time. He seems to have a good business head, but he’s also friendly. The idea of running drills with ex-firefighters sounds great. I can already imagine us swapping stories and reminiscing.

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