Page 4 of Blind Date with a #FIREFIGHTER
Memories from the past flood me…
“You’re pathetic. Of course I’m breaking it off with you. What did you expect. Your parents were con artists. And now they’re dead. Anything they left will probably be confiscated. At the very least, it will be used to pay the bills they racked up on their latest hair brained scheme.
“You’re short, dumpy and more broke than I am. I can do better.”
“Don’t you want your ring back?” I shouted, pulling it from my finger.
“Keep it. It was fake anyway. I was waiting to see if you were worth it before I gave you the real thing.”
No. No. No. I am not going there. I’ve started over. I’m in a new town, with a degree and a job I love, working with children. Life is good and this…this dinner is a way to give something to other kids who may not have the best in life.
One dinner. Maybe a friend. No commitment. No more heartache.
Hooking my purse on my shoulder I make my way downstairs. Today is the seventh. I’m meeting him at seven and we’ll be at table seven.
Mom loved when sevens showed up. She swore seven was the luckiest number in the universe. Today must be my lucky day. Or the worst, if my usual luck holds.
At the restaurant, the maître d smiles and shows me to an intimate table outside on the veranda overlooking the lower-level patio. Little lights decorate the trees, potted plants and fencing below. The full moon shines softly in the sky as he lights the candle on the table.
“Can I get madam a drink?”
“Just ice water please.
“Make that two,” a deep voice says from behind him.
Glancing up I almost bolt. Aaron’s dad?! The hotter-than-hot firefighter is looking down at me with a smile.
Once we’re alone, he takes the seat across from me. “I know you met my son, Aaron. I’m Alex Zander, and you are ‘the cool lady at the bookstore’, but you must also have a name.”
He holds out his hand to shake. I fumble with my napkin then take his hand in mine. “Thea. Thea Renault. Books are my superpower.
“Oh my god. I can’t believe I said that to an adult. I use it with the kids all the time.” I feel the heat flood my cheeks. Thank god, the sun is down.
CHAPTER 3
Alex ~ Spark
I laugh. “No wonder my son is still talking about the book lady. You are good with kids. At least my son is a fan.
“He even mentioned your superpower. You knew every one of the firemen books he likes, you wrote down the names of two more that he could look for. And, you showed him the one the book nook had in stock that he’d never seen before.
“I do believe you beat out his current superhero.” I take a drink of my water. Even in the dim light I can tell she’s blushing. “Good salesmanship I might add. Do you get commission?”
She shakes her head. “Nope, I’m just a volunteer.”
“You seem to know a lot about children’s books.”
“I like kids. I work in a daycare. I also really like books. I read a lot and I volunteer at the library shelving in the kid’s section.”
“What’s that?”
She giggles. “I put the books away in the right place in the children’s section so they can find them.”
“Nan said something about a new daycare.”
“Yes, it just opened a couple months ago. We provide twenty-four-hour care. Our aim is to service the parts of the community that have non-traditional work hours. Like you. You’re afirefighter. One of our clients is a firefighter and the 24 hours on is tough when your spouse works odd hours too, like maybe a nurse. We take the children that may need to sleep over or come in the middle of the night.”
“Yeah, as a single parent with those non-traditional hours I understand the need. I didn’t know we had that kind of childcare here in town. Right now, I have an older woman who stays with my son.”
