'Sixth formers learned about other types of safety too, on the roads and building sites and things and had a careers talk. Learning about all the different roles, and I admit seeing how the girls reacted to a man in uniform, got me interested.'
'And is it how you imagined?' Alice asked.
'Pretty much. There are boring bits; paperwork, constant checks of the equipment and all kinds of regulations and things we have to learn, but all jobs have their downsides.'
'Mine certainly does.'
'A shout is a real adrenaline rush and I love it. It's draining though, even when it all goes perfectly, but it doesn't always.' He went quiet and Alice squeezed his hand, wanting to offer comfort but not knowing how.
After a moment he looked up and gave her a wicked grin. 'Anyway, you and your firemen fetish?'
'It's not a fetish!' Although she knew he was teasing, she threw a beer mat at him.
'Guess it's because that's what's needed to deal with your fiery temper?'
'Huh! Actually it's because I thought, wrongly as I'm just learning, that members of the fire service were gentlemen.'
'You've not met Red Watch yet! But if it's a gentleman you want, Hamish Mustarde Esq. at your service.' He stood and gave her a bow.
'Oh go on then,' she said, handing him her glass.
He laughed. 'Suppose I asked for that. Same again?'
'Please, but I'll get it.' She reached for her bag.
'A gentleman would never allow such a thing.'
When he walked to the bar, half the female heads in the pub turned to watch. As he waited to be served he chatted to a redhead who was also buying drinks. She giggled and touched his arm. Seeing that and the way Hamish seemed used to such a reaction, Alice felt a sudden stab of empathy for Tony and his jealous streak.
When Hamish returned with their drinks she told him about the time she'd been walking her dog, off the lead, near a building site.
'Frodo was usually well behaved and a real softy, but he ran after a squirrel or something. I heard him whining and thought he was hurt so ran after him. He was fine when I found him, or would have been if I hadn't jumped up next to him and sent us both crashing into the foundations.'
'I'd forgotten about that. You broke your leg didn't you?'
'I did. The fire brigade rescued me and Frodo. I'd got really cold and lost a fair bit of blood and was convinced we were going to die by then, so you can imagine they made quite an impression.'
'So did you. Devon's still nervous of dark-haired schoolgirls.'
'Devon?'
'The guy who lifted you out.'
She thought back to the strong black man who'd rescued her. 'You know him?'
'My watch manager.' He was trying not to laugh though, so hopefully he was kidding.
They talked for hours about music, food and reached a stalemate on whether snooker was really a sport.
Hamish walked her home, saw her up to her door and kissed her cheek. 'Can we do this again?'
'I'd like that.'
'Lunch on Sunday?'
'I can't, sorry.' Her parents and Kate were coming round and inviting him to meet the family on their second date didn't quite fit in with her request to take things slowly.
'OK.'
'I really do want to see you again though. Whenever you have an evening free.' Hardly playing it cool, but better than him thinking she was fobbing him off.
'Evenings are pretty tied up the next week or so. I'll give you a call, OK?'
He gave her another peck on the cheek and was gone.
Overall she thought it had gone pretty well. He'd been very easy to talk to and he'd said he wanted to see her again. As long as he hadn't gone into a huff about her not being available on Sunday and did actually call, she was optimistic about the future. If he was inclined to sulk over it, well she'd been there, done that, and wasn't going through it again even for an incredibly gorgeous fireman. One who was easily big and strong enough to put her over his shoulder and carry her away and... That rather pleasant thought was interrupted by a call from Kate.
'I guess you're home, or you wouldn't have answered.'
'I am, yes. Hamish walked me back, but didn't stay or anything.'
'I should hope not! A nice girl doesn't get up to any 'or anythings' until the second date at least. Talking of which... there's going to be one?'
'Hmm, he suggested lunch tomorrow.'
'OK, I'll be on best behaviour, but my best isn't good enough to stop Dad bringing wine.'
'That's why I haven't invited him. I'm going to bed now, the details will have to wait.'
Leaving Kate to look forward to hearing more about her first date, Alice got ready for bed imagining what might happen on the second... or maybe third, because she really was a nice girl.
The next call suggesting a date came three days later, while Alice was at work. It was Tony not Hamish calling though.
'Please give me another chance, Alice.'
'No, Tony. I'm seeing someone else now.' She hoped that was true.
'Who?'
'That isn't any of your business,' she snapped before disconnecting.
'Alice,' Miles Molde said, making her jump. 'That's no way to talk to a customer.'
'I wasn't talking to a customer, Miles.'
'Oh? And yet it doesn't seem to be your lunch break.'
Tempted as she was to point out she didn't actually have any work to do and she'd not been using a company phone, Alice kept quiet. Talking back to Miles never did anyone any good.
'Still, maybe I should be grateful you're at your desk.' He gestured to the empty positions. 'Where is everyone?'
'Gone for a smoke.' They'd been gone half an hour, and only one of the three smoked, but Alice didn't say so.
'They didn't pass my office.' He walked over to the fire exit which had been wedged ajar and slammed it loudly.
Soon there was a gentle tap and a hissed request to open up. Miles complied and then gave the alleged smokers a long and loud lecture on the behaviour he expected from his staff. It included the unfairness of expecting others to cover for them and disciplinary warnings, which he promised would be followed up in writing.
'Alice, come with me and I'll dictate them. That's if you're not too busy?'
When she returned from that unpleasant task, Kath, Emma and Lucy immediately stopped talking.
'It's not my fault,' she protested. 'If I'd argued he'd just have got someone else to do it and been even more annoyed.'
'It's not that, we've just been talking about the orders,' Kath said.
'Not much to say, we're not getting any.'
'No, but delivery costs have gone up massively.'
'What does that mean?' Alice asked.
'We don't know, but it's odd and Miles is behind it so it's probably bad.'
Chapter 7
It was two more days before Hamish called Alice. She didn't just sit around waiting though. She was beginning to see that was a mistake she'd made with Tony and was in danger of repeating, especially now Kate spent so much of her time with Pete. Pretty much all Alice's life her parents, elder sister, friends and boyfriends had made the plans and Alice had gone along with those things she either wanted to do, or was pressurised into accepting. On the evening after her date with Hamish, when she'd kept checking her phone in case he'd called, she'd promised herself to change. She'd made a start. Nothing truly amazing, just arranged to meet those of her school friends who could make it for a pizza one evening and gone to an aqua aerobics class on her own because no one she'd mentioned it to had fancied the idea. Actually she hadn't really enjoyed that, but it felt good to be making a few decisions herself and be free to make her own mistakes.
Hamish's call came just after she'd got in from work. 'Still a fan of the fire service?' he asked.
'Absolutely.'
'And still like Chinese food?'
'I do.'
'Saturday night at Tang's then?'
They arranged to meet outside at seven thirty,
which meant she had time to plan what to wear and ask Kate to give her a lift.
When Alice phoned to do so, her sister decided that meant she also had time to go shopping.
'I've got plenty of clothes and he's not seen most of them,' Alice pointed out.
'True, but he has seen the orange jumper. You need something to wipe that from his mind.'
'You're going to knit me a dress from kitchen cloths?'
'What?'
'Wiping up orange disasters...? No? Well, never mind.'
'So, shopping yes?'
'Yes.' Did she actually want to, or had Kate talked her round? Of course she wanted to go. 'If you drive us to West Quay I'll treat us to one of those honey cakes.'
Alice had a lie-in before the trip. Kate did not and sent a text to say she was on her way. As a result Alice was wearing minimum make-up and her usually sleek hair, whilst still clean and shiny, wasn't entirely under control.
After a breakfast of honey cakes and coffee, Kate persuaded Alice to try on a dress in fire engine red which fitted her in a way that meant she'd not have dared buy it when she was dating Tony. As she studied herself in the mirror and saw her hair even more dishevelled from removing multiple outfits, she thought that for once she was looking at her real self. That was confirmed when she pulled back the curtain to show Kate.
'It's very you,' her sister said. 'And verrrry seeeexy.'
'Too much so?'
'Could anything be too sexy when you're dating a hot fireman? Besides, less is more!' She gave an exaggerated wink.
'Maybe, but I could look too desperate.'
'Well you don't. Excuse me,' Kate said addressing an elderly woman who'd just walked into the changing room. 'Does my sister look like a tart in that dress?'
The lady, dressed in smart beige trousers and sensible beige sweater and carrying more of the same, first looked startled, then looked at Alice.
'No. No I wouldn't say that.' She stepped into a cubicle and hung the items she intended to try, before returning to the sisters. 'I was once your age and had a figure something like yours, but I'd never have worn such a dress. I rather wish I had.'
'They've got jumpers in that colour too,' Kate said, indicating Alice's dress.
The lady nodded and returned to her cubicle.
'How could you ask the poor woman that?' Alice asked as they queued to pay for the red dress. 'If she turns out to be Hamish's gran or something you're in so much trouble.'
'Relax, she likes you already, and look.'
Alice turned to see the woman was no longer carrying anything beige and was instead looking through a rack of brightly coloured sweaters.
'Do you want me to take you back to your place now or are you coming home for a bit?' Kate asked when they'd had enough of looking round the shops.
'I'll come in for a bit.'
'Good.' She sounded relieved.
'Something up?'
'No. It's just that Mum's baking. No, not that at all actually. Thing is... I'm spending a lot of time with Pete. You know, at his place, and I don't want them to think we're abandoning them.'
'Oh! You've not said much about Pete lately. I wondered if things weren't going so well.'
'They are. Really well, but I didn't want to go on about it when you were having all that trouble with Tony.'
'Aaaw, thanks. Soooo, tell me about the Pete situation.'
'I just totally and completely love him and he's the only one for me. That's pretty much it.'
'Wow.'
'I know. It should be scary, but it's not at all.'
Alice compared Kate's comments on her feelings for her boyfriend with the lengthy justifications she used to give for continuing her relationship with Tony. Clearly the two situations were very different.
'I'm glad.' It was all Alice could think of to say, but it seemed to be enough.
The sisters didn't say anything else until they arrived at Alice's childhood home a few minutes later.
'About the baking,' Kate said.
'Oh yes! What you said about Pete made me forget about that.' She eagerly jumped out the car and walked round to where Kate was still sat, wearing her seat belt. 'You know the rules, first one gets the biggest slice.'
'I'm right behind you.'
'Kate? Look I know I didn't like it when you said I shouldn't change to please Tony, but you were right. If you're trying to diet or something for Pete then you have to stop it! We're neither of us designed to be skinny and... It's not that, is it?'
'No. Mum had what at first seemed a brilliant idea.'
'Go on,' Alice urged.
'She realised Dad didn't really like the wine he made any more than the rest of us did and was only making it to use up surplus stuff from the garden.'
'Hmm, yes. That sounds right.' Their dad was an excellent and productive gardener, sometimes too much so, especially as he hated to waste any of his produce. His family were expected to consume it all in one form or another. It was fortunate he'd not developed this particular enthusiasm when Kate and Alice were little or they might have been put off all green and healthy foods for life.
'So she thought she'd find lots of recipes for preserves and things, but I pointed out none of us eat pickles and chutneys.'
'True, but if it was that or the wine I'd eat some.'
'Me too, but not enough. Still, she then found recipes from the war when stuff was rationed and home grown veg had to be used in place of other things and she's decided to adapt them.'
'Genius!'
'No, Alice. We're talking beetroot cake, parsnip biscuits, courgette bread...'
'Oh. But it might not be so bad. Her carrot cake is totally yum.'
'I hope you're right.' Kate got out the car and they went in.
The whole house smelled sweet, rich and warm. The cakes and biscuits looked as good as they smelled, but then her dad's wine generally looked as though it might be OK.
Her mum made a pot of tea and told Alice she'd been experimenting with new recipes, but didn't elaborate on the special ingredients.
Alice cut herself a sliver of chocolate cake. It looked rich, moist and tempting, but she didn't start eating.
The piece Kate took was no bigger than Alice's. She didn't lift her fork either.
'What's up with you two?' their mum asked.
'Er nothing,' Alice said. She drank some tea.
The sisters glanced at each other, took a bite of cake and exchanged glances again. They ate another mouthful and another until their small slices were just smears on the plate.
'OK, Mum, you got us!' Kate said.
'I don't know what you mean.'
'About the parsnips,' she indicated her empty plate.
'That one was beetroot, these are parsnips.'
Both girls took one of the offered biscuits and bit into the butterscotch flavoured crunchiness.
'These are fab! And what's that one?' Kate indicated the loaf cake.
'Courgette and ginger.'
The cake was as dense and rich as Christmas cake and even moister, but the colour was pale and the flavour tangy with the bite of ginger.
'I can't decide which is my favourite,' Alice said. 'I think it's the chocolate one, but I'd better have a bit more just to make sure.'
'Me too.' Kate helped herself to a big piece. 'So what's the plan, Mum? You make the cakes while Dad's out and bury the veg under the patio or something so he thinks you've used them?'
Their mum fetched a book and placed it on the table, open at a recipe for chocolate and beetroot cake.
'But... these have really got all those veggies in?' Kate asked.
'Told you Mum was a genius,' Alice said.
'I am and while we're sort of on the subject... if your men ever do something you're not keen on, say making wine from surplus runner beans, just say you don't like it. Slightly hurting their feelings then will be better than lying to them and living with the consequences. Likewise, if they should do that to you, try not to be too offended. When your dad and I we
re first married I was a terrible cook and he told me so, relatively tactfully. It made me determined to improve.'
'Good advice, thanks, Mum,' Alice said.
'Unless they say you shouldn't breathe without their permission, though,' Kate added.
'There is that,' Mum said. 'Listen when they're right, otherwise give them a good ignoring.'
Kate delivered Alice to Tang's restaurant a few minutes early for her date with Hamish. He wasn't in sight, but appeared exactly on time.
'There he is, thanks for the lift.'
'No probs, have fun.'
Alice waved to her sister, then just as she registered Hamish had appeared from inside the restaurant and before she could wonder why, he pulled her into a hug.
'Great to see you,' he said without releasing her.
'And you,' she murmured into his shoulder. Being in his arms felt good.
'Not that I can see you like this.' He stood back and looked her up and down. 'Very nice.'
He said it like he meant it, but she wasn't totally sure if he was referring to the fire engine red colour, or the way it made the most of her curves.
'The guys will love that dress.'
'Guys?'
'Yeah. Come on, I'll introduce you.' He took her hand and strode into Tang's, steering her to a long table where all but two seats were already filled.
'Alice, this terrible lot are Red Watch. Everyone, this is Alice. Be nice.'
'Nice dress, love,' one of them called. 'If you're auditioning to be our new mascot you've got the job!'
'Ignore Jeff,' Hamish advised. 'J.E.F.F. by the way stands for Jeff Easily Frightens Females.'
'Does not!'
Hamish introduced her to everyone on his watch and the partners of several of them. They were a friendly bunch, leaning over to shake her hand or wave depending on where they were seated.
'And of course you remember Devon?'
'Yes, of course.'
There was now some grey in his tight dark curls and his chocolate brown skin was more lined than it had been when he'd pulled her from the tangle of scaffolding in a building site twelve years ago, but she had no trouble recognising him. So relieved had she been to see his face peering down and hear his voice saying she was going to be OK that she wasn't ever likely to forget.
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