Page 27 of The Firefighter's Fate

Ugh. Not this. Not now.

I try my best sweet voice.

“I’m a little bit busy right now...”

The man ignores me and my soft rejection.

“Lemme buy you a drink,” he says, nodding at my empty wine glass.

Here we go.

“I’m okay,” I reply. “I don’t need another drink. I’m fine.”

“Let me get you one. With my own hard-earned dollars. I’m a pleasant guy.”

“No, thanks.”

The man seems perturbed by my rejection. He shakes his head. His movements are a little slow and sluggish. He’s evidently had more than one beer.

I go back to the notebook.

The man thinks about what I’ve said for a long time before finally...

“You’re uptight.”

Double ugh.

What is it with me and my seemingly uptightness? Does it really look like I’ve come from the city that badly?

I’ve had it with guys like these hitting on me. It doesn’t matter where in the world I am – it’s the same in a small town as it is in the city. There is no difference. Men like this are the same all over the planet. What he’s saying is nothing special or unusual. It’s the same old tired bullshit.

And I am sick to death of it.

And that’s probably why the following words come out of my mouth. Sure, I’m probably making a mistake here, but I’m just so over this crap.

“Do you want to know why I won’t let you buy me a drink?” I ask the guy.

“Huh? No...”

“Because you smell and I can tell that you won’t even know what to do with me if you had me,” I say.

And I immediately regret it.

I should’ve just left. I should’ve just shuffled away. Men like this don’t want their fragile self-images hurt.

The man takes a step back as if he’s been shot. I doubt he’s had a woman bite back like that before. I am worried, though. I’ve never been so bold as that before. It could land me in hot water.

“You’re an uptight bitch.”

Ah, so that’s all he can say.

I shrug and turn back to my notebook.

“Thanks for the compliment,” I mutter.

I can sense the man not knowing what to do as I begin to ignore him. I pray he doesn’t say or do another thing toward me. I don’t pay him any more attention.

Please, please, please leave me alone.

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