Page 15 of Mister Fireman

“So why not start now?”

“Life. I have bills, Dejvi. I don’t really have time to chase that dream.”

“You would have time if I paid your bills.”

My head shook as I released a hard breath. “Thank you but no thank you. Letting a man pay my bills is the reason I’m in this situation now. I never should have stopped working, and even if I did, I should have done something else to keep some money in my bank account.”

“Nah, love. You can’t let him fuck up your perspective like that. There’s nothing wrong with being taken care of financially by your man if he’s able to provide. Even if you didn’t have a job or financially lucrative hobby, if he took the responsibility of you on, it was on him to take care of your bills and keep money in your pocket. If he didn’t ensure you had an allowance to save and spend how you see fit, that’s what the problem was… not that you let a man take care of you.”

I considered his words for a while. They did bring me some comfort. We continued to talk, and our conversation shifted organically. Dejvi and I shared more facts about ourselves and our pasts. I learned his parents were still alive and married and that he had a younger brother, Aspen. I told him about my family too. He was four years older than me at thirty-four. We talked about our hobbies and interests.

I was very sensuous, so I loved anything that smelled and tasted good. Along with cooking and baking, I loved making candles and perfume oils. Occasionally, I made bouquets with Malaysia. Aside from that, I was a binge TV kind of girl. For hours, I’d binge shows from the ’80s and ’90s as if I’d never seen them before.

Dejvi loved sports, traveling, and partying. He was very sociable and a people person, so that didn’t surprise me. We both loved trying new things, and I was excited about the dates we’d go on in the future. Even with me wanting to focus on my life and money, I couldn’t deny that I really liked him. Plus, talking to him made it easier to not be consumed by heartache. We ended up talking for several hours before Dejvi had to get off the phone because of an emergency. I prayed for him and whoever they were going to help and drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face.

The Next Morning

I was nervous like I hadn’t seen this man and shared my body with him before. When I went to have my coffee this morning, Dejvi had a bouquet of roses waiting for me. After my bible reading and Pilates, I showered and decided I’d take him lunch after putting in a few applications.

I wasn’t sure if I could just walk into the station, so I called him to let him know I was outside. He came out looking good as fuck. Black sweatpants hung low on his waist, showing off the black and gray boxers he had on. He was shirtless, taking advantage of the warm August weather. I licked my lips and squeezed my thighs together at the sight of his tattooed, slim, muscular build. His locs were hanging freely today, and I loved how they framed his fine ass face.

Getting out of the car, I tried to keep myself from smiling so hard, but I couldn’t help myself. I was genuinely happy to see him, and he deserved to see and know that.

“He—”

His palms cupped my cheeks, and he tilted my head, kissing me tenderly.

“Mm.” He moaned into my lips as I melted against his solid frame. “I needed this,” Dejvi mumbled before kissing me again.

“Same. I missed these lips.”

Dejvi smiled before returning his lips to mine. His hands lowered to my ass and gave it a squeeze that made me moan.

“Don’t do that now. We’ll be messing up your back seat next.”

I chuckled as he pulled away from me.

“I brought you lunch. I know I don’t know all the things you like, but you said you were a meat and potatoes kind of guy last night.” I walked over to the passenger side of my car and grabbed the to-go box in a plastic bag.

“Did you make this?” he asked, accepting the bag.

“Yes, so let me know how you like it.”

“What is it?”

“Saulsbury steak, mashed potatoes, and greens.”

“Oof. I’ma need to eat on this all day so it won’t make me full and lazy.”

I chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me. “I figured that’s what you’d do, so I gave you two servings of everything and separated them so you can microwave it individually.”

“Thank you, love. I’m sure it will be great. I appreciate you for this.”

“You’re welcome, and thank you for my flowers this morning.”

“Always. I have to get back in here, but call me when you get home, okay?”

“I will. Have a good day.”

---