Page 84 of Burning for Alexander
Halfway back to the station, a call came in for a barn fire clear on the east side of town. I threw on lights and sirens and pulled onto the highway right behind one of our trucks.
I spent the rest of the afternoon dealing with a multi-structure fire that decimated three outbuildings and a quarter of the Hilldales’ largest barn.
When I finally got a break just long enough to take a leak and down a bottle of water, I shot off a text to Alex.
Will you come over tonight?
Firebug
Can’t. Have a big SERA instructor dinner here expected to run late and an early staff meeting in the morning. Tomorrow night?
I stared at the screen. We needed to talk. God only knew howlong this shit could eat at me before I became physically sick from carrying it around.
I have a crew dinner, but I’ll duck out early. My place, eight tomorrow night?
Firebug
Sounds perfect
I stared at the hearts as my own did a flip-flop in my chest. This man was it for me. Done. End of discussion.
I’d thought I was falling for him before, when I only knew him asDrunkenPoet. But that was nothing compared to the feelings I had for Alexander Marian.
I would do anything to keep him…
Even if it meant sitting on this news for thirty more hours.
25
ALEX
DrunkenPoet:Please just tell me you’re alive. I don’t care if you changed your mind about us. I don’t care if you want me to fuck off. Just tell me you’re breathing somewhere.
IndexEcho:[No response]
DrunkenPoet:I love you. I love you and I’m sorry for whatever I did wrong.
IndexEcho:[No response]
_____________________
Kincaid was officially being weird.I was half-tempted to duck out of work early and surprise him at his house, but I’d heard from Javi Sujo’s girlfriend that the fire crew had been out battling a big barn fire all afternoon. The man probably needed hydration and restafter that.
“The fire chief’s a tasty treat,” someone said as I placed another pizza on the large row of tables pushed together for the SERA instructors. “We should’ve invited him.”
“Forget about his ass,” Monroe said with a shake of his head. “You should ask him about his work experience, man. Guy’s hardcore.”
I moved back to the kitchen, even though I was desperate to hear what he was saying about Judd. We still had several pizzas to get out in addition to the extra appetizers Trace had ordered when the original ones had run out.
After bringing more food out, I did a round of drink refills and helped two of my servers bus a few tables. Juni and Karim were beginning to clean up in the kitchen, and I was eager to stay caught up, on the slim chance the SERA group would make it an early-ish night.
Make that averyslim chance, considering they usually celebrated the end of another cohort session with a long night of craft brews and cocktails. I’d already had three orders of the Slingshot Flame tonight, and they seemed to be just getting started.
Judd would have been proud of me for my responsible fire-making.
“Hey, Alex, can I get another Get Lost Pale Ale?” Tommy asked as I moved behind him.
“Absolutely. What about Foster?” I glanced at my cousin with my eyebrow raised toward his boyfriend.
