by Kailin Gow
“Okay, see you later.” As Taryn walked out, she realized just how much she’d needed to talk to her mother about Errol. The simple act of spilling everything cleared her head somewhat, though she still had some way to go.
She got in her car, put the radio up loud and took to the streets. Pounding out the beat of a sassy song on her steering wheel, Taryn maneuvered her car through the streets and only realized once she’d crossed the bridge that she was heading into Manhattan, heading in the direction of La Benicoise instead of to Sam’s.
“Damn it,” she cursed as she turned the car around.
“It’s a beautiful day here in New York City,” the radio announcer said. “But I must caution people who are thinking of driving through the Upper East Side. We have a fire raging and we’re told traffic is being diverted…”
The Upper East Side, Taryn thought with horror. That’s where Errol’s restaurant is.
“For now we don’t have too many details to give you, except that the fire is being brought under control as we speak. We had an earlier report that stated the newly opened restaurant, La Benicoise, might be at the heart of the flames, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
Time stopped. Staring blindly in front of her, Taryn pressed on the brakes while car horns blared at her. People yelled at her, but it was only when an angry driver got out of his car and came to knock on her window that she shook off her daze and drove off.
She turned her radio to a news station.
“Fire trucks line the streets and many of the buildings surrounding La Benicoise have been evacuated. So far we’ve had no word of injuries aside from a few cases of smoke inhalation, although we did hear of a brave citizen who entered the flaming building in order to save an employee. The employee and brave citizen are said to be doing fine. If you look out your window, there’s a good chance you’ll see the plume of smoke rising into this clear afternoon sky.”
Taryn had spotted the cloud of smoke just seconds earlier. No one was hurt, she thought, at least, as far as they knew. As she got closer and closer to the restaurant, traffic slowed down and soon stopped. Ignoring the fact that she’d get a hefty parking ticket, she pulled over and abandoned the car to walk the rest of the way.
At the barricade a police officer stopped her.
“Please, my boyf…” Her heart raced. “I know someone. I have to find him.”
From a distance, Taryn spotted Errol, his face black with smoke, his clothes tattered and torn. “Please, he’s right there. Please just let me go see him.”
“I’m sorry, Miss, but I can’t let anyone through just yet. The firefighters say it’s under control, and they should be giving the green light any minute now.”
For an endless and tortured six minutes, Taryn stood at the perimeter of the scene, helpless and anxious.
Errol brought his blackened hands to his face as he looked at the devastation. Even from a distance, Taryn could see how distraught he was and she longed to put her arms around him and console him.
A trio of firefighters, headed by Matt, came up to him. Errol shook their hands and patted their shoulders as he forced an appreciative smile.
“All’s clear, Miss,” the police officer said as he pulled back the barricade.
Elated, she thanked him and headed toward Errol. She could hear his words of gratitude as well as Matt’s words of encouragement. All was not lost. The kitchen was all but destroyed, but the dining room was salvageable.
“Well, it’s all thanks to you guys,” Errol said. “I owe you one, big time.”
“All in a day’s work, sir.”
“Well, as soon as my doors open again, I want to have you all here as my guests.”
“That’s very generous,” Matt said. “But that won’t be necessary.”
“I insist.”
Just as Taryn came up behind Errol, she gagged as Suzanne came up to him. A whole panel of her skirt was torn loose, exposing her thigh right up to her bright red thong. She’d also lost several buttons of her chef’s jacket leaving the front open for all to see her generous bosom under the flimsy camisole she wore.
“Oh, Errol, it’s just awful. I still can’t believe…” She threw herself into his arms. “I just can’t believe it.”
Errol put his arm around her waist. “I know. It’s awful, but at least no one got hurt. The insurance will cover the damages and we should be up and running in no time.”
“I can't believe your optimism at a time like this. You're incredible, Errol.” She looked at him with open admiration. “Oh, before I forget, a fire inspector or something like that was looking for you. He wanted to ask you a few questions. Come, I’ll introduce you.”
Matt looked up and noticed Taryn, bringing Errol to follow his gaze to her. His eyes widened in surprise, but Suzanne refused to let go of him. “Taryn, I’m so happy you came.”
“Come on, Errol. The inspector is waiting for you.”
“Don’t go away,” Errol pleaded. “I’ll be right back.”
Taryn offered him a slight and non-committal nod. She ignored the relief she heard in his voice and concentrated solely on the woman who so brazenly draped herself over him. Overwhelmed by too many conflicting emotions, she turned her attention to Matt the moment Errol walked away.
“I’m happy to see you're okay, Matt. I hear this was quite a fire.”
“It got a little hairy there for a minute. The fire threatened to sneak its way over to the neighboring buildings. As you can see now, the worse is over. How d’you find out about the fire?”
“The radio. Actually they were telling everyone to avoid coming to the area… you know, traffic and all.”
“But since this is your friend’s restaurant…”
She shrugged and her gaze wandered to Errol who stood only yards away talking to an inspector. Suzanne never let go of him and she kept her breasts pressed tightly against his arm. Disgusted, Taryn brought her gaze back to Matt. “Having my own restaurant I can understand how heartbreaking it is to see something you’ve worked so hard to build go up in smoke.”
“It’s really not as bad as it looks. A good clean up and the replacement of a few pieces of equipment and he should be opening his doors again soon.”
“Good. That’s good to hear.” She shoved her hands in her pockets and shifted. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. How’ve you been?”
“Not bad. Busy.”
“I haven’t seen you at Sam’s lately. Were you served a bad plate?” She grinned and tried to shake off the dismal sense of failure brought on by the ongoing sexual onslaught of Suzanne on Errol.
“Of course not.” He met her gaze, unsure of her question. “I got the sense I was hanging around too much.”
“That’s ridiculous, Matt.”
“Not only that, but I transferred to another firehouse. Going to Sam’s is a little more out of the way than before.”
“Oh, well, that’s legitimate. Also explains what you're doing all the way out here. You know, we never did get the chance to just go out one quiet evening.”
Still unsure, he offered her a reserved smile.
“It doesn’t have to be a big, romantic production or anything, but I think it’d be nice to just sit down together and talk without any distractions.”
“Sounds good. How ‘bout this Saturday?”
She cringed. “Saturday is about the worst day for me. Monday would be perfect.”
“Great.”
Chapter 16
Called away by a superior, Matt left Taryn to watch the scene alone. Not knowing whether she should stay or go, she paced, stepping forward and backward, then from side to side and finally around in a semi-circle.
In the distance, she caught an occasional glimpse of Errol with Suzanne. Though it hurt to see him with the sexy siren, Taryn found her gaze repeatedly seeking the pair out.
Her heart wanted desperately to see a clear sign that he wasn’t interested in the woman who so blatantly threw herself at him, but in her min
d, she realized she knew Errol too well to really expect anything of the sort.
He was a womanizer, the kind of man who loved women, but could never love a woman. His eyes wandered, and constantly sought a new challenge, a new conquest, and a new plaything to occupy his time.
“But, he’s already had Suzanne,” Taryn muttered to herself. “She should be old news by now.”
As curiosity got the better of her, she found herself inching closer and closer to the conversation Errol was having with the inspector.
“We’ll try to find the source of the fire as soon as possible,” the inspector said. “I know you must be eager to get everything running again.”
“It’s not a question of being eager,” Suzanne said with a hint of haughty impatience. “We have obligations.” She turned to Errol. “We have a least three major reservations at the restaurant in the next week alone. Important reservations for important people.”
“We’ll never be ready by next week,” Errol said. “We’ll have a few phone calls to make.”
Taryn stood within earshot, but was careful not to intrude on the conversation. The inspector noticed her, but paid no attention to her, but Suzanne spotted her and her gaze immediately darkened.
Intimidated and weighed down by an increasingly heavy sense of defeat, Taryn took a step back, but Errol turned to look her way and his eyes lit up.
“Taryn!” He turned back to the inspector. “Just a second.” Stepping up to Taryn, he reached out to touch her arm. “This is taking a little longer than I expected. They seem to have reason to believe the fire might have been deliberately set.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Look, I just have to discuss a few things, but then I’m free. I want to see you, Taryn. I want to see you tonight.”
“Um…”
“I’m so happy you stopped by. It means a lot to me.”
“Errol,” Suzanne called, her voice almost shrill with irritation. “We have to finish up here. I’m going to have a lot of work to do once we get through this.”
Without turning back to look at Suzanne, Errol squeezed Taryn’s arm. “I know you probably have to rush back to Sam’s soon, but if you could stick around a bit longer… I really want to see you…”
Taryn nodded, but was unable to find her voice to say a word.
Regret shadowed his eyes as he pressed his lips together, nodded and turned away.
Walking away with his words ringing in her ears, Taryn allowed her heart to wonder. He spoke so softly, so sincerely, so sweetly… it had to mean something. Maybe he’d told her the truth about Suzanne. After all, she knew he had a past.
“Hey,” Matt called as he made his way back to her. “Sorry I had to leave you like that.”
“No problem.” She turned and shot a glance at Errol as he walked toward the smoking rubble with the fire inspector and Suzanne.
“You know, I was thinking… about our date. I know the perfect place to have a nice, quiet and secluded night under the stars.”
In a deft little step that left Matt frowning in confusion, Taryn spun around, allowing her to face Matt, all while keeping a distant eye on Errol. “Sounds perfect, Matt.” Though she heard him and told herself to tear her eyes off Errol and Suzanne and concentrate on him, she couldn’t. Suzanne stayed close to Errol and her gaze sizzled as she looked up into his eyes.
From where she stood, Taryn couldn’t see Errol’s reaction, but she could easily imagine it; the provocative grin, the wicked gleam in his eye, the hungry swipe of his tongue over his lips. She could even imagine the reflection of Suzanne’s breast reflected in Errol’s eyes.
With tortured intensity, she imagined them together, naked, sweaty and in impossible positions. What tricks had Suzanne used to keep Errol interested? What tricks did she have planned to get him back?
All the love she’d seen in his eyes just moments earlier faded as she observed Suzanne put a possessive arm around Errol’s shoulders. Like an illusion, a trick of the eye… an experienced playboy stringing his little puppet along.
Taryn turned brazen eyes to Matt and slipped her arm through his. “You know, I’m really looking forward to this date you have planned. I think a night under the stars will be great.”
As they slowly strolled away from the laid out fire hoses and past the barricade, Taryn leaned into him, held onto him and smiled invitingly at him… until she reached the spot where she’d left her car.
“Damn it. No. This can’t be.”
“What’s wrong?”
“My car. I left it right here. Oh, damn. Of all things.”
“Look, don’t worry about it. I think I know where they brought it.”
Shaking her head, Taryn looked at the empty parking space. “Yeah, but getting a cab out here with all this mess is going to be near impossible.”
“How ‘bout a quick ride on a fire truck?”
With a gleeful smile smacked on her face, she turned to him. “Really?”
“Sure. You're in a bind… I’m sure no one will mind. You can come back to the firehouse, and from there I’ll bring you to your car.”
“You're a sweetheart.”
***
Leaning against a locker upstairs in the firehouse, Taryn watched Matt change into his street clothes. She couldn’t help but notice the smooth skin stretched across the bulging muscles of his chest, shoulders and arms. How many women had fantasized being swept out of a burning building by such a strong and capable fire fighter as Matt?
And here she was, with him all to herself.
“How’d you like the ride?” He looked up and grinned when he caught her peeping gaze.
Taryn patted her heated cheeks. “My face hurts from smiling so much.”
As he pulled a tight t-shirt over his head, she was tempted to reach out and run her fingers along his chest. Her anger at Errol and the heartache he’d caused left her eager to find new emotions with a new man.
It was time she put Errol behind her, and Matt was the perfect guy to do just that.
Slipping into his sneakers, he looked up at her. “Ready to go?”
“Lead the way.”
In his car, Matt was silent for a long while. “You know, I’m really glad I bumped into you today,” he finally said.
“Me, too.” Beaming, she touched his arm to emphasize her words. “The timing couldn’t be more perfect.”
“Hey, I know you have to hurry back to the restaurant, but do you think we could stop by Joe’s Pizza… for old time’s sake? And I am really starving.”
“Oh, my God. I’d forgotten all about that place,” she said with an amused giggle.
“It might not necessarily be the fancy kind of food you're used to, but…”
“Are you kidding? It has the best New York style pizza. That sounds great, Matt.” She pulled her cell phone out of her purse. “Bobby, hey I need to ask you a favor. I’m…” She checked her watch and realized just how late she was. She’d missed the entire lunch rush.
“Yeah, I heard about the fire at Benicoise,” Bobby said.
“Oh.”
“That’s really too bad. Errol must really be bummed out. Don’t worry about coming back right away. I understand if you want to spend a bit of time with him.”
A little flustered, Taryn didn’t correct him. “Thanks for understanding, Bobby. I won’t come in too late.”
“That was easy enough,” Matt said.
“He owes me one. In fact, he owes me several.”
Matt pulled up across the street from their favorite teenage haunt. Nestled between a barbershop and a dry cleaner, the tiny pizzeria had always had a cozy and friendly atmosphere.
“Wow,” Taryn whispered as she reluctantly got out of the car. “I didn’t remember this part of the neighborhood being this bad. Wasn’t there a park over there?”
“Yeah. Turned out more kids were going there to deal drugs than go down the slide, you know what I mean.” He offered his arm as they crossed the deserted street and o
pened the restaurant door for her. “Funny how things can change so fast.”
“Yeah.”
Inside, the restaurant was quiet except for a table of four older men who sat chatting in Italian.
Matt ordered, and when the waiter brought the pizza to the table, Taryn was flooded with a ton of memories, all of them wafting on the spicy aromas of tomato and cheese.
“Remember when everyone had turned their backs on Cathy? We’d all come here without telling her. We were so mean.”
He nodded. “All because she’d supposedly kissed Elaine’s boyfriend.”
“I can’t believe how silly we were back then.”
“Don’t worry. Five years from now you’ll probably think that you were pretty silly now. My uncle once told me that phenomenon never ends. Even when you're sixty, you look back and think how naïve and juvenile you were when you were a mere lad of fifty.”
Taryn laughed as she chomped on the pizza crust. It was so easy being with him, so effortless. She looked at him, the image of his muscular nude torso still so clear in her mind.
“Are we still good for Monday?”
“Sure. Why not?”
They ate their pizza while reminiscing about the fun and mischief they’d had only a few short years earlier. By the time they headed out, Taryn felt nostalgic. At his car, Matt came around to unlock the door for Taryn, but two young men came up to them.
“Nice night to be out, isn’t it?” the tall, clean cut guy said.
Instantly, the hair at the nape of her neck stood on end.
“Yeah,” the scruffy, long haired one said. “We were wondering if you could give us a hand.”
“We’re late enough as it is, fellas,” Matt said. He opened the door for Taryn, but the tall young man kicked it shut.
“That’s no way to treat someone who’s asking for a favor.”
“What do you guys want?”
“Well, your wallet would be a nice start.”
“Look, guys I just want…”
“This isn’t Let’s Make a Deal, buddy. Hand over your wallet and, if it looks interesting enough, we’ll let it go at that.” His menacing gaze dropped to Taryn’s purse.
