Page 7 of Trucker
None of the men had anything to say about her promotion over them. It wasn’t a secret that she worked harder than all of us—with training most of us didn’t think about getting.
She had the heart of a captain—there was nothing to be bitter about. Anyone who was ass-hurt about her promotion really had to look into why they were shit humans.
“Yeah—sure, Cap.”
Zoom grunted at me.
She hated when we called her that. We’d been close friends through the time she’d begun working at the station house. I would go as far as calling us best friends. But she was my Captain now—there had to be a form of professionalism.
What else were we supposed to call her?
Hopefully, as time went by, she’d get used to it.
“What did I tell you about that?” Zoom asked, her brows still knitted.
“What am I supposed to call you, then?”
I rested my hands akimbo to glare at her.
“Zoom?” She asked.
“Zoom, you’re acting like you don’t see the distance between us.”
“Because a piece of paper calls me a title?” Zoom demanded heatedly. “You’re my friend first. I don’t like it when you make it seem as if I did this on purpose. Come on, man.”
“You’re captain because you worked your ass off.” I snapped. “Not because you did anything on purpose. And I know you don’t like it when I call youCaptainbut people will talk, and we don’t have time for that.”
“I don’t care what?—”
She bit her bottom lip—she did that when she was frustrated—and walked away.
Sighing, I dropped the towel in the bucket, dried my palms against my thighs and followed her.
Once I was settled in a chair across from her desk with the door closed, she sat on the front edge of her desk and smiled at me.
“You spoke with Moose.” I hung my head.
“No. I spoke with Pen.” Zoom replied. “They were chilling at Tex’s place for a birthday party of one of their kids. Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t okay?”
“You were busy.”
When I looked up at her, Zoom frowned at me, glanced toward her office door then back at me.
“We haven’t had time to catch up since I got back.” Zoom sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re a captain and a wife now.” I told her. “I know this friendship is strong. I wasn’t worried.”
Zoom nodded. “But I still feel like I’m so focused on everything else, I’m letting our friendship fall by the wayside.”
“Like I said. If anything was urgent, I would have told you and I know you would have had my back. Stop freaking.”
For a silent moment, she merely stared at me.
Eventually, she smiled and nodded. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
Zoom didn’t look convinced.
