Page 10 of Phoenix Rising

Sleek, modern slides showing detailed plans and procedures were cast on the wall. She had links and statistics to back up all of her information. There were so many bells and whistles that Becky wondered when the fire dancers would becoming out to represent the wildfire season slides.

Dr. Everett clicked through her presentation, not having to even read from her notes. Every small bit of information she had carefully selected to back her claims was memorized. Becky's leg bounced anxiously under the table.

Shit, should I have made a presentation too?

"As you can see, this plan focuses on the long term." Her voice easily projected over her audience, not even needing the mic in front of her. "We’ll improve building codes and establish public education programs. We fortify the town's medical infrastructure. We’ll establish a limited line of communication with the public to minimize panic. This enables us to keep a steady hand during any crisis." Everett motioned toward the projection on the wall. "We must strengthen our foundation to keep our people standing tall. Thank you."

And there it was. A crystal clear tagline that solidified her stance. God, Becky was going to sound like a high school kid on the debate team compared to her.

She clicked off the presentation, her eyes focused on the council panel. "Questions?"

A few city councilmen peppered the doctorwith questions and comments, and they all gave her compliments for being so prepared.

Becky pulled her mic toward her, not taking a moment to think through what she wanted to say. "Dr. Everett, you said you want to focus on the future, but what happens if we enter a crisis next week?"

Dr. Everett drummed her manicured nails against the podium, annoyance wafting off her in waves. Becky noticed that although neatly manicured, her nails were short.

Because she’s a doctor? Or is she batting for our side? The lesbian side.

"While I understand your urgency, we cannot solely focus on immediate relief. This will put us in a cycle of short-sighted planning. Of course, we need to be prepared for problems as they arise, but it is equally as crucial to fortify our framework."

But why uproot something that was already working? Did she not understand that in the first moment that they began switching over, it would leave everyone vulnerable to disasters?

"While I respect your experience, our team has already developed a system that responds quickly to crises." Becky's tone leaked with bitterness. "How can you be sure that changing these protocols won't delay our response times?"

Dr. Everett's clinical stare narrowed as a small smile touched her lips. "And how can we ignore the benefits of long-term planning? I am not suggesting scrapping the existing protocols butenhancingthem."

The rest of the people in the room didn't matter anymore. It was just the two of them combatting every word, every suggestion. But for some reason, Becky felt a thrill from it. She had been right: Dr. Lucinda Everett was a worthy opponent. She had an answer to every question or qualm Becky threw her way. Everett was studied, polished,pristine. Becky wanted to know what it would take to catch the doctor off guard. What could possibly make this woman fall apart?

"Chief Thompson, would you like to remind us of the plans that are currently in rotation?" the mayor asked.

Becky stood without responding, striding to the podium. She was in her Fire Chief uniform, she could have worn something different, but she liked her Fire Chief attire. Navy blue looked good on her. She had even brushed her hair and worn mascara.

Dr. Everett cleaned up her papers, motioning for Becky to take her place.

"Thank you, Doctor," Becky whispered.

Something shifted behind Dr. Everett's eyes as her cheeks reddened. Interesting.

Becky proceeded to run through the protocols as her eyes followed Dr. Everett to her seat. She suddenly became self-conscious that she didn't have a fancy presentation to show, only copies of the pamphlets she had put together.

Dr. Everett didn't even glance at the papers, as if she had memorized the essay word for word. Becky would bet a lot of money that she did.

When the fire chief finished, she leveled her stare at the doctor. "Questions?"

Dr. Everett's fingers tapped against the desk as she collected her thoughts.

Their debate engulfed them. A few city council members tried to weigh their opinions, but it was burnt to a crisp by Becky and Lucinda's charged tones. Becky's frustration was mounting, but Lucinda's lingering glances and snarky remarks struck a much deeper chord within her. It was a challenge, but not a threat.

"Alright, I'm finding we still have much to discuss on this topic." The mayor glanced betweenthe two women before scrawling something down in her notes. "Chief Thompson and Dr. Everett, I would like it if you both could come up with a proposal together over the next few weeks. Let's table this until next month's meeting. Councilman Jones, let's move on to you."

Becky nodded, relief flooding her body as she walked back to her seat. She felt charged. Her heart thumped against her chest, making her feel like she could run a whole marathon and do three overnight shifts at the firehouse right after.

Dr. Everett readjusted in her seat as Becky passed behind her chair. Her gray eyes slipped to catch a glance at the chief.

That also did something to her.

Becky could hardly pay attention to the rest of the meeting, so she steeled her eyes on the files in front of her instead of the polished doctor sitting four seats down. When the mayor finally concluded the session, Becky found her feet pulling her toward Everett.

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