Page 36 of Judgments of Fire and Desire

Walking right past him, I headed to the bedroom he was probably sleeping in and got the shirt from the closet. When I got back to the kitchen, I went to my grandmother and said, “I’ll see you later. I love you.”

“I love you too, baby. Good luck tomorrow.”

“Thanks.”

Before I could get to the door without acknowledging Kyrie, he called out my name. I spun on my heels and said, “Yes, Judge Patrick.”

I’d never seen a dark-skinned man turn red, but I swore he did at that moment. “Can we talk?”

“About what? I thought you made yourself clear the last time we talked. Has anything changed?”

“No. Nothing’s changed.”

“Then there’s nothing to talk about then. Enjoy your stay. I won’t say anything to anyone.”

I quickly got out of there before I completely lost my breath. He looked so good. Before I could get in my car, my grandmother was behind me. “Please don’t be upset, Genesis.”

I turned to her and said, “I’m not. You weren’t supposed to say anything. I get it. I just wish he would have stayed put and not revealed himself. I have to go before my salad gets soggy.”

“Okay, baby.”

She backed away as I opened my door and got inside. The minute I pulled out of the driveway, tears fell down my cheeks. He was supposed to be my forever. How was I supposed to go on without him? Cutting my locs had to represent a new beginning. Our relationship was as dead as that hair on the floor was. Neither of us wanted to change what we believed in, and now I could only hope that holding on to our opinions was worth it.

“My appointment for fire chief for fire rescue station number nine is Genesis Farris,” AJ said.

The crowd gathered nearly exploded, some of them standing from their seats. It didn’t move me one bit. Bransford was seated there in his dress shirt, but he clearly wasn’t as decorated as me. I rubbed my hand down the back of my head, something I found myself doing repeatedly since I’d cut all my hair off.

Yesterday evening, I’d gone to a barber and had him even it out to make me look presentable instead of like a plucked chicken. When I’d walked in, his eyebrows had lifted. The sign said he took walk-ins, not miracles. Those were his first words to me. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he let me know that he was joking and let out a laugh that caused me to laugh as well.

My hair was soft and had slight curls in it, so I supposed the constant rubbing was to make sure it wasn’t sticking up in theback. When he’d cut it, I was in awe. It made me look almost like a younger version of Nicole Murphy. He laughed about it and asked if I was sure I had chosen the right career. I belonged on someone’s runway, not in a burning building. I could only laugh at his analysis and promise him that I’d gotten it right.

When I arrived, people literally had to do a double take, not recognizing me at first sight. I looked different but not that different. I honestly believed they were probably shocked that I cut my hair. I was ready to get my Angela Bassett on and show them I meant business. Cutting my hair was only the beginning.

As I sat there calmly, watching things turn chaotic, I couldn’t help but silently chuckle. Bransford was fuming. It was evident with his red face and balled fists. Once the council had gotten everything calm, they took a question from a concerned citizen.

“What qualifies her for this appointment over Matthew Bransford? He’s been a firefighter for a year longer than her and has military experience.”

AJ smirked and said, “Bransford, will you stand, sir?”

He did so with a frown on his face. I remained calm as he scowled at me. I wanted to smile, but I chose to keep my petty under wraps for now.

“Farris, will you also stand?”

I stood, once again sliding my hand down the back of my head.

“Will the two of you turn to the crowd?” After we did as he requested, he continued. “Bransford has military background, but yet, Farris is more decorated and has more honors than he does. She puts her life on the line in every circumstance. Bransford has gone on record not wanting to rescue some people because he said they were here illegally. Does that mean they should die such a torturous death? We don’t need someone like that leading our firefighters. We need someone who will look outfor all people, no matter their race, gender, social class, or even immigration status.”

The room seemed extremely quiet and somewhat embarrassed. Bransford seemed extremely small in this moment. I’d given AJ that information. It was documented because he’d gotten written up for it. Even with that, our former chief had endorsed Bransford to be chief, because he said I wasn’t equipped to lead. I was too soft. When I read his statement, I was pissed. Time and time again, he’d congratulated me on a job well done, when I’d run into buildings Bransford had refused to go into.

People could be so blatantly cruel, unfair, and biased. What normal human couldn’t see that I was better for the job? An effective leader led by example. How could he or she expect their team to go above and beyond if they didn’t? It would be pure audacity to even require a thing. A good team reflected good leadership.

“The two of you may be seated. My appointment stands.”

I hated that Bransford had all these supporters here, but I had no one. I didn’t invite my mother or brother, and my grandmother was busy babysitting, no doubt enjoying it. They seemed to be having an amazing time until I arrived.

AJ gave the floor to the members of the council. The first one said, “I agree with the appointment to have Genesis Farris as fire chief of station number nine.”

The crowd grumbled. There were five others that had to vote. Three of them had voted for Bransford to my two. I still kept my head high with a slight smile on my face. We only had two more to go. If only one voted for Bransford, it would be a done deal. My heart was racing, because I thought the council would see right through his façade. He was an imposter. He wasn’t loyal to the citizens of Beaumont. He picked and chose who he wanted to protect.

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