Page 15 of Blind Date with a #FIREFIGHTER
CHAPTER 8
Thea
I want to crawl under the table and hide. But I can’t. I won’t. This isn’t the first time I’ve been humiliated in public. Believe me, I know from experience Tyne would like me to run from the room in shame. I refuse. I refuse to let Aaron see me as weak. If I’ve learned anything with my studies it’s that this is my life, the good, the bad, and the ugly. But it’s mine and I’m not going to let anyone else have control ever again.
“Yep, books and ice cream. What’s your favorite ice cream?”
“Vanilla soft, with the loop on the top. I like to eat that first.”
I pause. “Give me a high five. That’s my favorite, too.”
At the truck, Alex insists on lifting me in again, before settling Aaron in the back. The ride back to their home is filled with Aaron deciding and redeciding which book we’re gonna read first. Interrupted only by his dad telling him the maximum number is four.
I expected that it would just be me and Aaron, but instead the three of us settle on the couch with Aaron in the middle.
“Just one more, Dad?”
“Son, we said four. What I do want you to do is go get ready for bed, jammies and all. So that when we get back from taking Thea home you just need to crawl under the covers.”
After our treat, I give Alex directions to my apartment, explaining that I usually just walk to work since it’s so close. The two of them follow me up the outside set of stairs to my second story apartment. He frowns when he sees I only have a single lock.
“No deadbolt?”
“No. But I haven’t had any trouble.”
“Your entrance is secluded. It would be safer if you had one and a camera at your door you can access from your phone.”
“Are you always on duty?”
He rubs a hand over his head and smiles. “Yeah, pretty much. I look at everything from a fire and safety perspective. But you get use to me.
“Can we come in? I haven’t seen these units.”
“Sure.”
“This is nice. Simple lines, great view.”
“Thea, can I use your bathroom? I gotta pee,” Aaron asks.
“Sure sweetie, I’ll turn on the light. It’s through the bedroom.” I turn on the light in both the bedroom and the bathroom before rejoining Alex.
He’s standing by the window then turns toward me. “I thought about selling the house but just couldn’t do it. It’s been in my family since before I was born.
“But it could use some new paint and maybe put on a second floor or a game room at the back.” He looks toward me. “Make it my own.”
“I think that’s a good idea. The location is near good schools, and it’s a gated community which is also a plus.”
“Dad, Dad, look. Thea’s reading a book about firefighters.” He comes running out of the bedroom with book three of ‘Hot Bodied Firefighter’ series in his hand.
Damn, I left it on the bed.
“He’s not dressed right, Dad. He’s missing his shirt under his turnout coat.”
Alex takes the book from his very serious son and examines the cover before flipping it to the back and reading the blurb. “Well, son, it says here he’s going to put out a fire. So, he must not be at the scene yet. Remember, different fires take different equipment.”
He looks at me and winks. “I may need to borrow this book to see how this firefighter handles this particular fire.”
My body temperature just blew out the thermometer. As pale as my skin tone is I know I turned as red as a firetruck.
