Eve saw a life preserver being thrown out and this time Brock was able to grasp it. Katy and Sonny were immediately reeling him in and as soon as he was on board she started speeding up to get away from the Black Minnow.
“We got him!” came Katy’s shout, and Eve moved the throttle forward further increasing their speed. Soon they were clear of the party boats entirely and she heard the sound of a helicopter. Then there were lights flashing everywhere and a voice on a loudspeaker.
“Shut it down Black Minnow. This s the United States Coast Guard. You are being detained. Shut it down Black Minnow.”
Looking back Eve could see a Coast Guard cutter had gotten close to the Black Minnow and the helicopter was hovering above it. She powered her boat down with a sigh of relief. Once the boat was resting she turned to go down to the others and felt a stabbing pain in her foot. She had forgotten that she had taken off her boat shoes earlier in the evening. She gasped, staggering to the railing. Holding on and standing on one foot, she could see blood running out of the deep gash caused by the shattered glass from the windshield. Shit, she thought to herself, this is all I need, as she watched blood flow pretty freely from her foot. She was also beginning to feel dizzy from her head wound. It only then occurred to her that she had been shot. She shouted for help and Katy was up to help her in an instant.
“Watch your step!” she yelled panicked that Katy could be hurt too.
Katy helped her to a chair yelling down to the guests to stay put and wait for the Coast Guard. Then she grabbed a medical kit.
“Jesus girlfriend, that is deep. I am glad the Coast Guard is almost here. Luckily your head wound is shallow, but head wounds bleed. Glass got you when the windshield shattered?” Katy asked, trying to be conversational. Eve couldn’t lie to her friend. Eve jerked her foot back several times as the pain shot through her foot and up her leg. Then gasping she told her.
“No dear, that was a bullet. The foot was glass.” Katy’s eyes welled up and a spot light flashed over the boat. Katy stood gesturing.
“The Captain is injured, she has been shot and needs a medic fast!” Katy shouted. Then she bent over and hugged Eve before dabbing her head wound and foot. She sniffled and seemed to gather herself. Eve had a feeling she was going into shock as everything took on an ethereal look. She could hear Brock and Sonny shouting for the Coast Guard.
“This is embarrassing. Getting shot and then stepping on glass,” she said. It came out a whisper.
“Positive Eve, stay positive,” Katy said at an attempt at humor. Eve was game.
“Ok, yippee I am still alive!” Laughing hurt her foot she found out.
The next day Eve was sitting on her forward deck with her wrapped foot up, a bandage on her head, and a margarita within reach. Sonny had insisted. Both men had been incredibly helpful and courteous. She was pampered by them and Katy until she felt embarrassed by all the attention. She had orders to stay off of her foot, and they were tied up at a dock that had offered the space for free after their ordeal.
It turned out that while they were all distracted by the fireworks, two men had snuck onboard, bided their time and when Brock was alone grabbed him. They had guns and Brock had done what they said because he had been afraid for his friends. Once on their boat he had fought back and dove overboard to escape. After some interrogation it was discovered it was a group of South American toughs who had thought to make some quick money. Too bad for them.
“I hope this doesn’t put you guys off of Key West?” she asked the guys.
“Not at all. The odds of it happening again are next to impossible. How about you. You are the one who got your boat, and your person, shot up,” Brock asked her gently. Eve shook her head.
“A lot of weird stuff happens in this part of the world. I never expected anything like this to happen to me and mine, but it does happen. Nope, I am sticking to it. Once I am allowed to anyway,” she finished with a comical glare at her First Mate.
“Just following doctor’s orders Captain. Then we can be on our way,” she told her. Then Katy bent over and kissed her check before heading down below.
“Where is she going?” she wondered out aloud. Sonny answered.
“It is barbecue time. You missed it up on the bridge last night. Now you get a front row seat,” Sonny said. He was sitting on one side of her, and Brock was on a stool in front of her. She could not help sighing, but then smiling. Despite what had happened she realized she had two gorgeous men waiting on her with her best friend riding shotgun. She could not be in better hands. She eyed them both with a slight smile and they watched her with concern and care. It felt wonderful.
“Well guys, I don’t know where this thing we have is going to lead, but I am more determined than ever to get there, how about you two? Not scared off from me?” she asked hesitantly. They both leaned in and kissed her, one after the other.
“No chance Captain Sage. You are stuck with us for the next two weeks at sea and much longer in Miami. Think you can handle us?” was Brock’s response. Right then Katy chose to come back singing.
“I like mine with lettuce and tomatoes!”
Eve sighed again.
THE END
Bonus Story 24 of 40
The Fireman’s Flame
Curtis
Curtis was dripping sweat and smeared with soot and grime. At least once a week he and his fellow firefighters looked like this. It was June in Santa Ana. Essentially, this end of the state of California was a phosphorous coated match stick. Curtis pulled off his helmet, exhaling loudly as the fire truck squealed into the station.
“Mark, easy on the brakes, man,” Curtis said, pulling down his suspenders.
Mark shrugged, chewing on the tip of a toothpick. His lips were barely visible behind the layer of soot painting his face.
“You have to fix it, man. It’s not the freaking Fast and Furious. We basically skidded past the last house,” Curtis said, shaking his head.
“But we made it, right?” Mark said, shaking debris from his thick, wavy hair.
His hair looked like it was smeared with tar. That was one reason Curtis kept his blonde hair buzzed short.
“Alright, shower and food. If Manny is late with lunch again, I’m messing with his brakes,” Mark said, slamming the door.
Curtis laughed, knowing Mark was joking, and followed him into the firehouse. Curtis had been partnered with Mark for the last eight years and they were not only partners but best friends. When they weren’t living together for forty-eight hour shifts at the Santa Ana Fire Station, they lived the bachelor life downtown.
“Yo, Curt, I got a story for you, man,” Mark said with a wicked twinkle in his eyes.
Curtis sighed, knowing the story starts with a woman and ends with said woman attempting to put a curse on Mark. Mark was not only a womanizer, he was the king of womanizers and he milked the whole I’m—a—caring—fireman angle to essentially sleep with all of the American southwest.
“What’s her name?” Curtis asked, taking off his boots, and hanging up his gear.
“Her coffee just said, ‘J’,” Mark said, staring off like he was thinking of something.
“Wait, what? Please tell me you’re joking.”
“Nope. We had a chat ‘cause she was making eyes at me. Cool girl. Really hot. She’s one of those yoga girls, but she’s sharp, man.”
“So what happened?”
“We’re going to have coffee again tomorrow.”
“You mean like a date? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you date anyone.”
Curtis laughed at the mental image of Mark holding flowers and chocolates.
“I have to. She won’t give me her number. She said she was flattered, but she didn’t know me so no dice. I mean she was sweet about it, which ‘sweet’ is rare for Cali, but she was pretty clear I wasn’t getting her number—or in her panties.”
“Wow, and you said yes? Either you are desperate or crazy.”
“Neither, man. I can’t explain
it. She just has this thing about her.”
“Thing, huh? Well, the fact that you just used a complete sentence to describe her already has me interested. You usually talk about women in grunts and hand symbols.”
Mark shoved Curtis playfully and then jerked his chin towards the kitchen. Curtis nodded in agreement. Nothing like a five alarm fire to make you feel like you could die of starvation.
All of the other guys were already sitting around the tables with massive hoagie sandwiches overflowing off of plastic plates. They were all black with soot too, but the mood was clearly much lighter than it had been when they were tackling a fire. This had been Curtis’s band of brothers since he graduated high school.
In high school and even during the years after, Curtis was no different from Mark, plowing through women like the water from the fire hoses attack fires. It was just too empty and after his dad died he needed an income to take care of his mother. She took his death the hardest and if Curtis had not buckled down he was sure his mother would have just wasted away.
Thankfully, even though Curtis barely graduated high school due to his frequent absences, he passed the firefighter exam and he passed the physicals with flying colors. Curtis only wanted to do it for a few years to help his mother out with the mortgage but after he and Mark became best friends it just seemed like a perfect fit.
“Did you knuckleheads leave any food for us?” Mark yelled, patting Manny the cook on his shoulders.
“Hell no. You should have come earlier, man,” said Donte, a fellow fireman, as he shoved his sandwich in his mouth.
Curtis laughed, knowing there was always more than enough food to go around. Manny waved at both of them as he put out fresh hot hoagie rolls on the buffet table.
“Yeah? Well if my partner here would fix the damn brakes maybe we could get to places on time,” Curtis said, popping an olive in his mouth.
“Hey, no hands on the platter,” Manny said, glaring at Curtis.
“Easy, Manny. No harm meant,” Mark teased.
Mark made two mountainous sandwiches, grabbed some chips and made a B-line to their regular table next to Donte and Brent. Curtis patted his abs, knowing he probably should not copy Mark, but his stomach rippled with hunger. He piled up his plate and plopped down at the table.
“You guys hear Mark is in love?” Curtis asked, biting into his sandwich.
“Shut up, asshole,” Mark said.
“Wait, what?” Brent asked, leaning forward on the table.
Mark rolled his eyes and dropped his sandwich on the plastic plate.
“She’s just cute. No big deal,” Mark said, stealing Brent’s bag of chips.
Mark rolled through the story, trying to look nonchalant. Curtis was not buying it. Mark did not talk about women in details. He probably talked about politics more than women, and Curtis was sure Mark did not even vote.
“So, she won’t even give you her number and you’re going out for coffee anyway? What if she’s not even there?” Donte asked.
“I’m getting coffee anyway. Plus, she’s cute. She’s smart too, man. I mean we actually had a conversation and she was funny. Girls aren’t funny,” Mark said with a little too much certainty.
“My wife is funny,” Brent said affronted.
“Brenda? No, she’s not. She’s cute, not funny,” Mark said.
“My wife is hilarious. Just last night she—”
“No one cares, Brent,” Curtis said, throwing a pickle at Brent.
“At least he has a wife. Isn’t Lisa leaving you?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow at Donte.
“No, she’s just crazy. She doesn’t like me working so many shifts, but we have three kids! Damn, I should be working on putting out a fire right now,” Donte said, sucking his teeth.
“Brenda’s hassling me for kids, but I’m still part time. Ain’t no way in hell we can have kids right now,” Brent said.
Curtis zoned out as the men complained. Truthfully, Curtis wanted kids. He was thirty and by now he really thought he would be married with kids. He had not dated in a few years since he and his ex, Tammy, broke up. To make it worse Tammy was married with twins. If Mark got married to his mystery girl before Curtis, he was sure he would die alone.
*****
Jessica
Jessica shook her hair loose from her messy bun. She had just gotten back from yoga, and as usual she had finished her latte before she got up the four flights of stairs leading to her apartment. She could hear her roommate Cynthia was cleaning because Reggaeton was blasting in the stairwell.
“Roomie!” Jessica yelled, keying into the industrial-style two bedroom apartment.
“Oh hey!” Cynthia yelled, turning down her iPhone.
“Jesus, is that hooked up to the TV?” Jessica asked.
“I had the electronic guy come over and set it up. Isn’t it amazing?”
Cynthia beamed a toothy white smile, nodding her head. Her thick black curls bounced on her head as she bobbed to the end of the song.
“House looks good,” Jessica said, dropping her bag on the ground.
“I saved the dishes for you,” Cynthia said, winking.
“Oh, great. Hey, random not-related question, have you ever dated a fireman before?”
Cynthia whipped around and stared at Jessica with a mischievous smile playing on her face.
“Um, what? Jessica Lynn, did you meet a man?”
“Yes, I mean no. I mean, maybe?”
“Yes! What’s his name and when should I not be at the apartment?”
Jessica rolled her eyes and sat at the metallic kitchen island. It was spotless now. Unlike earlier when Jessica had scraps of construction paper and gooey globs of dried Elmer’s glue everywhere. Jessica was an elementary school teacher and Cynthia, her best friend since college, taught advanced placement Spanish at the neighboring high school.
“It’s not that serious. He’s a meathead to say the least.”
Jessica scoffed and picked a banana from a fruit bowl.
“Meatheads make good fucks.”
“Cynthia Delgado!”
“What? We’re grown-ups and you haven’t had sex since college. Jesus you’re thirty-two not dead.”
Jessica ignored Cynthia and focused on her fruit instead. Though, Cynthia was right. Jessica dove into her career head first securing a full-time job with benefits in her field but something was missing. It was not that she needed a man, but she wanted one. She wanted a man she could build a life with and have children. While she loved Cynthia like a sister, Jessica was ready to forge her own path, hopefully with a husband and kids. Though something about the fireman told her he was more interested in making love not making babies.
“Hello, earth to Jess? Did you give him your number?”
“Huh? No, I don’t want to make it too easy. Plus, he’s not the relationship type.”
“So what?”
“So what! My biological clock sounds like Big Ben. I can’t just mess around with dumb guys like I’m still in college. To be honest, I don’t even have the energy.”
“Then drink a Red Bull. Stop letting society or your parents pressure you into marrying some generic guy. If you like him date him, sleep with him or don’t. Just let it be your choice. I don’t judge, so do what you’ve got to do, honey.”
Jessica thought for a moment, biting her bottom lip in concentration. He was gorgeous and in great shape. She could tell he was the kind of guy that was used to women fawning over him. It took all of her self-control not to start drooling when he smiled at her in line at the coffee shop, but she did her best. After all, she wanted him to know she would not make it that easy. Jessica was no pushover and even with men she drove a hard bargain.
“I know. I know. He’s so hot, it’s ridiculous. He said his name was Mark. I’m going to sit with him and have coffee tomorrow. If he’s not a psychopath or a stalker, I’ll give him my number.”
Cynthia pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side, but then nodded like she was on
board with the plan.
“Fine, but don’t go looking for flaws in him.”
“I won’t. I’m gonna shower. Want me to make lunch? I’ll go to the grocery store after I wash up.”
“Um, yes please. Yeah there’s no food here. I hate grocery shopping. I can clean, but you know I can’t boil water without burning down the building. Maybe I should. Then we both can have firemen.”
“First off, grocery stores are super peaceful. And second, I don’t have a fireman, technically. I don’t even know him, let alone own him.”
“But you will, Jess. I can tell it’s about to get very interesting around here. And it’s about time.”
*****
Curtis
As Curtis expected, Mark was talking about bailing on his date. Mark had his day off which coincidently was the same day off as Curtis’ tomorrow. Curtis shook his head as Mark laid prostrate on the couch watching sports highlights and balancing a bowl of Cheetos on his stomach.
“You can’t just meet her for coffee tomorrow and tell her yourself?” Curtis said, grumbling.
“Nah, man. You guys had me thinking and she had that look in her eyes, you know?” Mark said, munching on the snacks.
“What look?”
“You know, the marriage-look in her eyes. She is the type who wants to be a soccer mom.”
“And what’s wrong with that? What am I even saying? I shouldn’t even be entertaining you and your crazy theories. There is no way you can look at a woman and just tell what she wants. If that was the case half of us wouldn’t be so fucking confused,” Curtis said, grabbing his truck keys.
“I’m not confused. I’m a happy man.”
“Yeah right. I know you, Mark. You’re just scared you’ll like her.”
Mark went silent for a second, but then his face went flat. He was clearly aiming for impassiveness and failing. Curtis wanted to dig in and really drive this home. It was mainly for selfish reasons because Curtis was tired of living with him. Mark did not do anything wrong. Well, nothing more wrong than the usual, like skimping out on chores and forgetting to pay the electric bill, but Curtis wanted to be a normal grown-up. He was not getting any younger and if Mark did not have a reason to move out, Curtis knew Mark would nail his feet to their three-bedroom loft for all eternity.
Alien Affair Page 81
