Fly with Me

by Angela Verdenius

  Elissa’s heart fell a little when it appeared Simon hadn’t really noticed her that much, but then he cast a fleeting glance back over his shoulder, his warm, friendly gaze unerringly falling on her before he disappeared from view, making her heart skip a beat. The sound of amused male voices was interspersed with those of a low, irate one, the dinging of the old fashioned bell on the front door announcing their departure.

  Now the men had left, Elissa looked uncertainly at Dee, to find her grinning widely.

  “Man, he is steamed,” Molly observed.

  “And you’re in trouble.” Del sing-songed it. “So much trouble.”

  Dee cut her a sideways glance, a gleam in her eyes. “I topped dumb arse. That was so worth it.”

  “And tonight he’ll top you,” Del said. “We all know a tussle with you means he ends up humping the hell out of you.”

  “So elegantly put.” Molly rolled her eyes.

  “It means I’ve got my seventy six dollars and I get the hell humped out of me.” Dee smiled demurely, which actually looked a little scary because the gleam in her eyes was pure devilment. “I’d say it was a win-win for me.”

  “He’s a little...um…intimidating when furious,” Elissa ventured.

  “All bark, no bite,” Del assured her. “Well, unless it’s with Dee, then he bites. Luckily, the deviant sheila likes it so no worries.”

  “He can be a drongo sometimes,” Dee stated with affection. “But he’s my drongo, so it’s all good.”

  “Hmmm, while we’re on the subject.” Molly cast Elissa a sly look. “Simon’s eyes were doing a bit of wandering.”

  “Ah, you noticed, too?” Del jumped on that titbit like a dingo on a bone. “He was fair eyeing Elissa up and down, wasn’t he?”

  Ash looked at Elissa. “Yeah, sorry about this.”

  “About what?” Elissa was gamely trying to ignore Del and Molly, eager to grasp onto anything Ash said to divert the conversation.

  “You’ll see.”

  “What?”

  “So, for someone who says she isn’t Simon’s girlfriend, he sure does look at you a lot,” Del said.

  “We’re not-” Elissa began quickly, intent on cutting that train of thought off fast.

  “That hunk of fireman looked like he wanted to lick you like an ice cream,” Molly added.

  Actually, he’d already licked her. Elissa couldn’t help it, her cheeks reddened. Not to mention a flash of heat went right through her.

  “Cripes.” Molly eyed her closely. “You’re either embarrassed or…”

  “Bugger me dead,” Dee said. “Well, not literally, because that’d hurt.”

  “Marjorly,” Molly agreed without looking at her. “But yeah, I get your drift. You.” She pointed at Elissa. “What’s going on between you and our redheaded firie?”

  “Nothing.” Elissa took a huge mouthful of sausage, which effectively meant she couldn’t answer.

  “Oh my God, did you give him a blow job?”

  Elissa almost choked, her mouthful making it difficult to get air. Spitting out the chunk of sausage in a napkin, she grabbed another napkin from the little pile in the centre of the table and placed it over her mouth, coughing and eyes watering.

  When she finally came up for air, Ash handed her the tin of Diet Coke. Gratefully taking several swallows, she wiped her eyes and glared at the women watching her while calmly continuing to eat.

  “I did say sorry,” Ash muttered.

  “What the hell…?” Elissa balled up the napkin. “What makes you think I did that?”

  “All the signs were there,” Molly replied.

  “Signs? What signs? I just said no.”

  “You said no, but then you put that sausage to your mouth - which is a phallic symbol, by the way - and took a big mouthful. What is any intelligent woman supposed to think?”

  “What?”

  “Yeah.” Del nodded thoughtfully. “I can get that a sausage can be a phallic symbol.”

  “And putting it to her mouth and taking a huge bite like that?” Molly tapped her temple. “Doesn’t take a genius to know what happened.”

  Holy heck. “Nothing happened.” Taking a deep breath, Elissa leaned back in the chair. “There’s nothing going on between me and Simon.”

  “You just keep telling yourself that.” Del looked at her cousin. “You saw, right?”

  “Not her giving him a blow job I didn’t,” Dee replied.

  Geez. Elissa couldn’t believe the conversation.

  “I think dumb arse is rubbing off on you,” Del said.

  “He rubs on me a lot.” Dee’s gaze switched to Elissa. “But yeah, I sure as shit did see.”

  Maintaining - or trying to - her calm façade, Elissa forked up more sausage. Unfortunately, that now gave her visions that were a little X-rated, but she wasn’t going to give these floozies the satisfaction of knowing she was having those X-rated thoughts, so she took a bite and chewed.

  Actually, it was also delicious, so… She eyed them all calmly.

  “Nah.” Del shook her head. “Not going to work, sister.”

  Elissa shrugged.

  “Silent treatment won’t stop us,” Molly informed her.

  Big surprise there. Not.

  Molly, Del and Dee looked at each other before returning to studying Elissa. Ash just sat back and kept eating.

  ‘Simon’s quite protective of you, isn’t he?” Molly queried.

  “I’m thinking the men are quite protective of you all,” Elissa returned.

  “Don’t worry, you come under their protective wings, too.”

  Nice thought, but… “I don’t think so. I’m new here.”

  “Sweetie,” Del said with false sympathy, “you’re part of our group now. That means you fall under those clowns’ jurisdiction, or so they like to think.”

  “I’d imagine, working in the emergency services, that everyone does.”

  “Oh yeah, of course, but we fall in a different category.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. They can yell at us.”

  Elissa blinked. “That’s a good thing?”

  “Emphasis on the ‘can’. They don’t yell. I don’t think I’ve ever heard any of them yell. Well, except Ryder, but he does it to Dee and she baits him, so…” Del shrugged.

  “I do.” Dee nodded unashamedly. “It’s fun.”

  “Entertaining, actually.” Molly saluted her with the soft drink tin. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Cripes. Elissa shook her head. This lively bunch of women was just so unpredictable at times with what they would say. And she liked them, even if they were nosey bitches. Not Ash, she was as far from a bitch as one could get, but as for the rest of this little mob…

  “Something on your mind?” Del asked.

  “Just thinking what a nosey bunch of bitches you are.”

  “Got that right,” Molly said. “Took you awhile, though.”

  Elissa looked at Ash. “Not you, though. You’re my sweet, best friend.”

  “Thanks,” Ash said dryly.

  “Yep.” Del tapped the table, recapturing Elissa’s attention again. “And as nosey bitches, we have keen eyes and ears.”

  “Really? I’m doubting it.”

  “I’m not being diverted by getting into an argument. Now, all those blokes think they have to watch out for us, and that’s sweet but very annoying at times, and that means they think they’re at liberty to talk to us in ways they wouldn’t to other people. But what the hell, we can handle them. Right, girls?”

  They all nodded, Ash included, which had Elissa staring at her. Ash blushed a little and looked down at the sandwich in her hands, but a small smile played around her mouth. Then Elissa remembered how Scott had been giving them both a big lecture and she’d diverted him with a kiss and some words in his ear. Oh yeah, he’d looked downright lusty then. Hmmm, okay, maybe Ash could handle him and the poor bastard just didn’t realise it.

 
That had Elissa grinning.

  Dee eyed her shrewdly before picking up her fork and having another bite of food. As she chewed, she continued to eye Elissa before glancing at Molly and Del, her eyebrow rising slightly.

  “Can I tell her?” Molly asked.

  “Why you?”

  “Because I’m pregnant.”

  “The bump doesn’t give you special privileges, you know.”

  “Goldie says it does.”

  “He thinks the sun shines out your arse, of course he’d tell you that.”

  “You’re rather coarse at times, aren’t you?”

  “Jesus.”

  “Simon had a go at Brand Dawson for fronting you up at the supermarket,” Del announced with relish before dropping back in her chair and spreading her arms out while Molly and Dee glared at her. “What? If I was going to wait for you two to finish rabbiting on about who had the right to tell Elissa, I’d have cobwebs.”

  “You’re single, no boyfriend, no sex life. You already have cobwebs,” Dee pointed out with glee.

  “Excuse me.” Elissa couldn’t believe she’d heard right. “Simon did what?”

  “Had a go at the Dawson prick for grabbing you in the supermarket,” Molly said quickly before Dee could reply.

  Dee flipped her the bird which Molly returned with spirit.

  Ignoring the byplay, Elissa looked around at her friends. “He didn’t.”

  “He did.” Del nodded.

  “To be fair,” Ash said, obviously in an attempt to smooth things a little, “Scott also had a word to Brand.”

  Okay, Elissa could kind of accept that Scott did, because he was the fiancée of her best friend and she was currently living under his roof, so-

  “Goldie gave him a warning, too,” Molly added happily. “My hero.”

  Okay, Kirk was a cop, so-

  “Ryder told him he’d break his leg if he did it again,” Dee put in. “Just saying.”

  Hang on, Ryder had no business-

  “But Simon got to him first,” Del said happily. “Shirt-fronted him and shoved him up against the wall. Told him in no uncertain terms that if he ever got near you again, he’d punch his lights out.”

  Elissa’s mouth fell open.

  “Del,” Ash admonished her.

  “Fine, fine.” Del threw up her hands. “Simon told Dawson if he ever laid a hand on you again or spoke disrespectfully to you, he’d have Simon to answer to. And he did shirt-front him.” Del shrugged. “Same thing, really. If Dawson looks sideways at Elissa, Simon will punch his lights out.”

  “Which isn’t the kind of reaction Simon does,” Molly put in.

  “It’s true,” Ash agreed when Elissa looked at her in astonishment. “Simon’s usually the calm one of the blokes, the easy-going one. Normally he’d give a warning, but the shirt-fronting is new.”

  They all sat and watched her with interest.

  “You knew?” Elissa asked Ash in disbelief. “You knew and didn’t tell me?”

  “Well, there was nothing to tell.” Ash looked at her friends and sighed. “I thought.”

  “It’s because she’s not a nosey bitch,” Del pointed out. “We are, however, so we told you.”

  “Yep.” Molly drained the last of her drink. “Still trying to tell us there’s nothing between you two?”

  Unbelievable. “Just because Simon acted a little caveman?”

  “And you gave him a blow job. Let’s not forget that little fact.”

  “That never happened!”

  Chapter 10

  Two days. Two days and he’d only seen Elissa at lunchtime. She hadn’t rung him or approached him.

  Checking the upcoming roster Hank, the Station Officer, had put out, Simon copied down the dates and times to put on his calendar at home.

  Man, he’d been hoping she’d ring him sooner. Like yesterday right after he left, or maybe last night. But no, no phone call.

  Shoving his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he double-checked the dates he’d written down. Tomorrow was Friday and he had the weekend off. Hmmm, it was also the weekend Ash and Scott were away, which meant that Elissa would be home alone.

  Maybe he should pop around then, maybe drop something off for Scott, some kind of excuse for turning up. But then subterfuge had never been his strong point, and he didn’t want it to start now. Maybe he should just give her a ring, invite her out for dinner.

  No, wait, he’d told her she had to make the decision, that he would wait for her to contact him. Damn, that hadn’t really been his best idea.

  Maybe he’d have to be a little sneaky after all. No, no, don’t go down that road. She’s had enough lying, be honest with her.

  Okay, so maybe being honest meant going to see her in a couple of days if he didn’t hear from her, tell her he needed to know. Surely she’d know by then? Simon pulled his glasses down the bridge of his nose, pushed them back up. How long was long enough, how long was too long, how long should he wait? Should he even wait? Maybe he should take matters into his own hands a little? Maybe he should-

  “Are you trying to brand those dates into your brain?” Scott appeared beside him.

  “What?” Simon blinked.

  “You’ve been staring at that paper in your hands for the last five minutes without moving. You all right?”

  “Fine. Yeah. No worries.” Folding the paper, Simon slid it into his shirt pocket.

  Leaning back against the wall, Scott eyed him shrewdly. “Something on your mind? Or should I say someone?”

  Sighing, Simon slid the glasses off. “Someone.”

  “It wouldn’t be a long shot to say it’s Elissa, right?”

  “Nope.”

  “Uh huh. So what’s going on between you two?”

  Thrusting his hands into his pocket, Simon turned and started walking across to the big open doorway of the fire station. “It’s more like what I want there to be between us.”

  Scott strode silently along beside him until they reached the doorway, then leaned against the frame. Legs braced slightly apart, his hands still in his pockets, Simon looked out into the darkness.

  “I thought you were both getting along okay.” Scott paused. “Or were until the movie night. Which was kind of a weird time between you two.”

  “Yeah.” Simon tracked a car’s headlights as it came down the street. “For some reason she was a little frosty. Not sure what that was about.”

  “She’s a complex sheila.”

  “Has reason to be.”

  “Ash told me a little. Her parents are quite a pair of dickheads.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.”

  There was silence for several seconds before Scott asked, “So what are you going to do?”

  “She’s got a lot on her mind. I told her to think about us, make a decision and let me know.”

  “Has she?”

  “No.” Simon inhaled deeply, the scent of the country in the air. “Not unless I get home and there’s a message on my answering machine.” Because that’d be a miracle.

  “Women.” Scott shook his head. “Complex creatures.”

  “And you’re marrying one of them next week.”

  “Yeah, but that’s Ash. She isn’t complex.”

  “You sure about that?”

  Scott grinned.

  “Has Elissa mentioned anything about, you know, me?”

  “Not that I’m aware of, but mate, that doesn’t mean she hasn’t spoken to Ash about you. They’re best friends.”

  “Maybe you could pump Ash for information.” Give him an idea of what Elissa was thinking.

  Scott gave him an odd look.

  “What?”

  “I’ve never seen you like this about a female.”

  “That’s because Elissa isn’t just any female.”

  “She’s a little more.”

  “A lot more.”

  “You’ve only known her a few days.”

  “You didn’t know Ash for long before you fell head over heels for h
er.”

  “Good point.” Nodding, Scott straightened and clapped him on the shoulder. “Okay, I’ll talk to Ash tonight, see if she knows anything.”

  “Appreciate it.” Really appreciate it.

  “Yeah, mate, no worries.” Scott looked around as car lights flashed over the doorway. “Here comes the nightshift. Knock-off time for us.” He switched his attention to Simon. “Want to come home for a cuppa?”

  And see Elissa? Hell yeah. But it was too soon. Wasn’t it? Damn it. “As much as I’d like to, I’ll have to say no.”

  “Understood.” Scott turned and started inside as another set of car lights approached the fire station.

  Not long after, Simon drove out of the fire station car park and headed for Mrs Tanner’s home. Bugger it, he couldn’t win lately. Elissa was occupying his thoughts, he was on hot bricks waiting for her to decide whether or not to give him a chance, and truth be told, if she decided no he’d have to work on another plan because he wasn’t giving up on her - on them. But right now he also had a cranky old cat who was hell bent on hating him and the world to feed and try to cajole.

  Shit, sooner or later he was going to have to trap Arthur. The nights were colder, and there was only so long he and Arthur could tip-toe around each other. Ryder was right, he had to get Arthur away from here to his home, have him settled before early autumn surrendered to winter. Poor old bugger would freeze his arse off, and he probably had a touch of arthritis that wouldn’t take kindly to the cold.

  Taking the torch from the glove box, Simon got out and went around the back of the house. No Arthur greeted him, no cranky old cat eyeing him with caution and dislike from the chair.

  Simon did a hunt around, calling to the old cat, but Arthur didn’t appear. His biscuit bowl was empty, but that could have been neighbourhood cats who finished it off. Not happy at all, Simon had no choice but to fill the biscuit bowl, clean out the wet food bowl and spoon more fish into it from one of the cans, and check he had enough water.

  He spent fifteen minutes just sitting on the veranda hoping Arthur would appear, but no such luck. Cantankerous old bugger was probably watching him from beneath a bush somewhere. Finally Simon gave up and drove home.

  Walking into the old house, he dropped his keys in the glass dish on the hall-side table and looked around. The lower half of the walls were dark wood grained, the top half he’d just finished wallpapering in a pale, ice blue, tiny little dark blue rose buds scattered across it. A dark blue hall runner ran the length of the long hallway.