Page 49 of Deck the Fire Halls

I walked into work,Doug took one look at me, then another. “You look happier.”

I grinned at him. Hell, I don’t think I’d stopped yet. “Much happier. Sorry about yesterday.”

He rolled his eyes. “I take it from that stupid smile there won’t be a repeat of yesterday.”

“Not if I can help it.”

Chucky clapped me on the back. “Finally got some, huh?”

I shoved him. “No, actually. And it’s not like that. We’re... dating. Like dinner and talking and hanging Christmas decorations.”

Chuck made a face. “Oh god.”

“He cooked me dinner. I kissed him goodnight and went home.”

Both Chuck and Doug stared at me. I wasn’t telling them that I kissed Rob until he almost came in his pants, or that I had to go home and jerk off last nightandthis morning.

They were both still staring. “What? It’s true.”

“You’re a fucking goner, already,” Chuck said. “I can’t believe you didn’t score. You, of all people.”

I snorted. “We’re... seeing if it could be something special. And I think it could be. He is...” I shook my head slowly, “boy, is he something special.”

Doug groaned and headed for his office. “I need coffee for this.”

I looked at Chuck, because I knew he’d get this, and I was excited. I needed to tell someone. “When we’re together, it’s like a damn powder keg. Like the air’s electric or something. I’ve never felt anything like it. When we do eventually...” I searched for an appropriate word.

“Fuck?”

I nodded because, well, yeah. That.

“It’s gonna be so fucking amazing. I just know it.” I shook my head, still not really believing it. “Can you believe it? He’s older than me. He’s a doctor, for fuck’s sake. Like, he’s so smart.”

“You read books,” he said, as if that was a barometer on intellectualism.

“Yeah, but he’ssmartsmart. He’s a doctor. And he’s so fucking sexy.”

Doug came back with his coffee mug in his hand. “Oh good. We’re still talking about this.”

“Give me something to do, boss,” I said, “or I’ll be talking about him all day.”

“Yes,” Chuck agreed. “Please. Make him do something. I thought yesterday was bad.”

“I have a list,” Doug said flatly. “It’s on the roster wall, if either of you ever caredto look at it.”

I headed into the break room, and I heard Doug behind me. “You too. Go look with him.”

“What did I do?” Chuck cried.

A second later, Chucky clipped me over the back of my head. “’S’your fault.”

I was in too good a mood to care. Even mopping the floors until they shined and cleaning every surface did little to kill my mood. Between regular equipment maintenance, and a safety inspection of two local businesses and the paperwork, my day was a dream. I had scheduled training, some weight training with hoses, tanks, ax and shovels, generators, full medic kits, power tools, that kind of thing.

We even had a call from Shirley Cassel on Oak Lane because her neighbor across the road, Mr. Jim Pavel, who was a sprightly ninety-one-year-old, had decided to check his gutters before it snowed too much.

So Shirley made him a coffee in the safety of his kitchen while Chuck and I cleaned out his gutters. I told him we’d book it in earlier in the year next time so he wouldn’t have to worry. I even brought some more wood inside for him.

All in a day’s work.

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