“Are you ignoring me or something? I called out for you, and you just ignored me. You must’ve heard me.”
“I’m not ignoring you, and yes I did hear you. I was just waiting for you to get here to talk to you so that I didn’t have to shout. That’s all. You said you have some files for me?” I was sometimes so amazed at how calm I was. If there was one thing that this job had taught me was to not take things too seriously. If I did, I’d probably have been left crying every day, and that would only make me look even worse than I already did. But, it wasn’t always easy. They sometimes pushed me to my limits.
“Oh, are we too high and mighty to shout? Yes, I have some files for you. They need to be done before you go home today. I’m sure you can do it.”
What had happened to Terry in his life that he felt he had to treat me this way? Couldn’t he see what a horrible way it was to talk to someone? I could never imagine doing what he was doing.
“Are you sure these are for me?” I asked. “I already have files that I’m working on, and I need to get them done by the end of the day too. Maybe these are for someone else. I don’t think I can have everything done before I go today. There are just not enough hours in the day to do all of this.” It wouldn’t be the first time that I was given work meant for someone else in the office. I’d never met people as lazy as them. Why they had all chosen to go into this line of work was beyond me.
Terry laughed. “Are you accusing me of passing my work off to you? Because if you want, we can march straight up to the boss’ office, and I can tell him that you do not want to do the work that he assigned for you. Honestly, we can go now if you like. I was just told to give you this work, and you’re shooting the messenger. This has nothing to do with me, you know. This is just what I was told to tell you.”
I sighed and shook my head. The boss didn’t like me either, so no matter what happened I’d be left looking like the bad one. I didn’t think that this work was for me, but I knew nobody would stand up for me if I tried to argue it. It was a lost cause, and we all knew it.
“No, it’s fine. You can give it to me. But it’s already three,” I said as I looked at my watch. “I’m honestly not sure how I’m going to get all this work done before the end of the day. This looks like a lot of work.”
Terry shrugged and threw the papers down onto the desk. He threw them down from such a high distance and with so much force that a few of the top pieces fluttered down onto the floor. I reached down to retrieve them after seeing that he wasn’t going to help and sighed.
“Sorry, Holly. Nothing I can do about the amount of work you have. Boss’ orders and all.”
Terry walked away before I had the chance of saying anything else. Not that I would’ve said anything anyway. I had never been all that good at standing up for myself. I sat there staring at the pages in front of me and wondering how on earth I was going to finish everything on time. I looked around and saw that I was the only one at my desk. Everyone else was walking around, making coffee, or talking to someone else. I heard laughter and chatter all around me. They didn’t have any work because I was the one doing it all for them. What an idiot I was.
My mind raced back to my school days. I had been an awkward kid, and even though I had grown out of that stage, I often still felt just as gangly as I did back then. The one thing that hadn’t changed was my drive to learn as much as possible in my quest for knowledge. I believed it was an asset now, but back then the kids would tease me for it. It didn’t help that I used to wear awful Harry Potter glasses in school. They were now in fashion, but back then I was mocked for them. Getting contacts had been the turning point of my life, but I often wondered why it had been such a big deal back then. One particular memory came rushing back to the forefront of my mind. A memory I hadn’t thought about in a very long time.
I had been struggling to hold the pile of books in my hand while attempting to close my locker. I had finally gotten all the books out, locked the locker, and was making my way down the hallway with my stack of books ready to take to the library. I had a big assignment due, and I wanted to make sure I had all my notes with me. My glasses were slipping down my nose, but I didn’t have a free hand to push them back up. I walked slowly and carefully, and was just about to enter the library when the popular kids came rushing towards me. For a brief second, I actually thought that they were coming to help me, but within seconds I knew that I had been mistaken. I heard the laughter first, then in one quick motion, one of the boys knocked my books down to the floor. My glasses went crashing down with them, and as I picked them up, I saw that they were scratched from falling against the books. My heart sank. They were new glasses, and I knew that they had cost my father a lot of money. I’d heard him talking about it when he thought I wasn’t around. I wouldn’t be able to tell him that I needed a new pair so soon. I’d simply have to wear them with the scratches. I put them back on and looked through the scratched glass at the bullies who were now laughing at me. They seemed to find it even funnier that my glasses were now ruined. What a sight I must’ve been.
I shook my head as I looked at the stack of papers in front of me, which seemed even bigger than before. I heard someone saying that they were thinking of going home early that day as they didn’t have any work to do. I forced myself not to cry as I concentrated on the work ahead of me. A quick look through all the paperwork and I figured I could have everything done by six or seven that night. I was supposed to leave at five, and I didn’t get paid overtime. The last time I had asked for extra money my boss had told me that it was not his fault that I didn’t work fast enough. I thought about saying something, but I didn’t want my emotions to get in the way. The last thing I wanted to do was to start crying and have everyone laugh at me. The thought made me feel sick to my stomach. I had never been very good at standing up for myself. I heard more laughter, and I tried to drown it out. Why am I constantly letting the popular kids win? I thought I was a changed person. I thought I was nothing like the girl from school with the cracked glasses. But there I was, letting it happen all over again. Something was going to have to change. I couldn’t continue to do this much longer. I was tired of being treated like I was nobody.
I worked for another hour and then got up to stretch my legs. I made my way over to the small kitchen to get myself a cup of coffee. If I was going to work late, I was going to need all the help I could get. I only wished I had thought to bring myself something to eat for the evening. It was a Friday night, and I had planned on getting a pizza and watching a movie at home. I didn’t have much of a social life, but I always looked forward to relaxing on a Friday night. It wasn’t the first time I’d been asked to work late though, and I probably should’ve come prepared for it.
I made a cup of coffee and walked back to my desk. I passed Terry on the way, who raised his eyebrows at me.
“Drinking coffee, this late?” he asked.
“Well, I need it if I’m going to get these files done today. Aren’t you busy too?” I said.
“No, I’m not, actually. I finished my work ages ago. Well, good luck, Holly. I’m sure you can finish the work tonight. I know how much you enjoy the job,” he said. I was just about to say something else when I heard him call out to someone across the room to ask if they felt like going for a drink. I decided it wasn’t worth it. What did I care anyway? Even if I didn’t have work to do, I had no I intention of going out with them anyway. In fact, I’d much rather work by myself in an empty office than look at their faces any longer. I took a sip of my coffee, sat down, and tried to pretend like I didn’t care.
Chapter Three
Xavier
Working as a firefighter was one thing. Working as a firefighter for the National Park Service was another. Controlling a fire in an area that was surrounded by trees and shrubbery was never easy, and it took a big team to make sure that it didn’t get out of hand. You never really expect a fire to move as quickly as it does. Whenever we arrive on the scene, I’m surprised at how
fast it spreads and just how many people it takes to control it.
There was no fire today, and as I walked towards the firehouse, I took a moment to take in the beautiful scenery around me. Whenever I was here, I found it hard to believe that a thriving city lay just around the corner. It felt like I was in another world when I got to the forest, and it made me want to preserve this particular part of the area even more. I liked feeling so close to nature. It put everything else in my life into perspective. I looked around, smiled, and took a few deep breaths in. When you spent so much time breathing in fire, it felt nice to breathe in fresh air. Fresh air was something that most people took for granted. Without it, we would all die, and yet we walk around completely unaware of how lucky we are. There was no fresher air than when you were in a place surrounded by trees.
I was just about to walk in when I saw Kenny pull up in his truck. I was lucky that I got to work with my best friend. We had both decided to go into the firefighting business together and we had been through the whole process by each other’s sides. It was nice to have someone to talk to and to laugh with especially when things got tough. Because, inevitably, things always got tough with this line of work. I burst out laughing when I saw Kenny climb out of his truck half dressed.
“Uh, Kenny, I think you forgot to put your pants on this morning,” I yelled. One of the other guys nearby turned to look at Kenny and burst out laughing. It wasn’t unusual for us to be laughing at Kenny. He was generally always doing something humorous. If we all worked in an office, he would definitely be known as the office clown.
I walked up to Kenny to find out what was happening. I wondered if he had done this on purpose just to get a laugh.
“So, what’s up with the no pants?” I said and pointed to his boxers. “You know that’s something we don’t particularly want to see around here.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I went out last night and met this woman. We had a bit too much to drink, and I ended up at her house. Then, in the morning I couldn’t find my pants anywhere. She was still fast asleep, and I couldn’t bring myself to wake her. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was sleeping on them. I looked everywhere for them.”
“So you figured you’d just come to work without them?” I asked.
“I was already running late and didn’t have time to get home. Anyway, I figured I had a spare pair somewhere here.”
“I hope so for your sake. Otherwise, you’re going to be walking around like that all day.”
“God, I hope so. Otherwise, I’m never going to live this one down.”
I chuckled. “You still have to walk past everyone inside. You’re not going to live this one down already. Come on, let’s go in.”
We made our way inside, and I chortled to myself as all the guys pointed and laughed at Kenny. Everyone had something to say or some sort of joke to give out. I wasn’t surprised by their reaction. They were used to Kenny doing funny things, and we all knew that they would be joking about this day for a long time to come. I would be joking about it along with them too. Kenny went over to look for pants while I made my way to the coffee machine. I could still hear people laughing as I walked.
There were a lot of guys in today. The station was located just outside of a national park in Wichita, Kansas. The station was used for both the fires in the town as well as for the fires that occurred in the nearby park and surrounding outlying county areas.. Thankfully the town guys and the park guys got along well, and the two divisions didn’t seem to mind sharing with one another. I often wondered if it was the same in other lines of work, or if we just felt more of a sense of community because of what we had to deal with together. After dealing with my first fire with the crew, I remember how close I had felt to them even though I barely knew them. There was something to be said for working together as a team.
“What’s up with Kenny?” one of the guys asked as I filled up a cup of coffee into a paper cup and went to sit down on the bench. “I heard he had no pants on. Is it true? Although I don’t know why I’m surprised.”
I laughed. “News travels fast around here. Yeah, he showed up without any this morning. He left them at some girl’s place. You’re right; I shouldn’t have been surprised either.”
The man burst out laughing. “Well, I hope he plans on seeing her again, even just to get his pants back. Oh look, here he comes. Looks like he found some. Darn, it would’ve been so much funnier if he didn’t have any here.”
I laughed as Kenny walked towards me and the entire station burst into applause. He stopped for a minute to take a bow before continuing over to me. I handed him a cup of coffee, and he sat down.
“Ah, never underestimate the power of pants,” he said. “I knew I had another pair here. It was like I was waiting for this day to one day happen.”
I shook my head. “You’re crazy. You know that?”
“That’s how I like to be!” Kenny said and laughed.
“So, tell me about this girl from last night.”
“Well, let’s see. She was blonde.”
I waited for more, but Kenny said nothing. I burst out laughing and shook my head.
“She was blonde? That’s all you’ve got for me. What about her name? Or what she did for a living? Or how she likes her eggs in the morning?”
“I think her name was Lesley. Don’t look at me like that. I met her in a club. When we met, it was very loud, and I couldn’t exactly ask her again later. But I’m sure it was Lesley. Something with an L at least. She had long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a body that looked like it spent more time at a gym than anywhere else. You know me, I’m not all that bothered with how women look, but there was something to be said for someone that makes that much effort to look good. And as to how she likes her eggs in the morning, I never got a chance to find out. She was dead to the world, and I desperately needed to get to work.”
“And you met at a club? How do you go from meeting a woman at a club to waking up in her bed the following day?” I asked.
“Easy.”
I rolled my eyes. “Easy? Maybe for you. Not sure it’s that easy for everyone.”
“It’s easy for everyone,” he insisted. “You know, it’s not that difficult to meet women if you just try. All you have to do is strike up a conversation and more than likely it will lead to something. Not always sex of course, but at least a good making out session in the club. It really is as easy as that. If you have the confidence, you can get away with anything. Come on, let’s be honest; most people at these places are there for the same reason. If everyone was happily married, they wouldn’t be at a club with their friends. So it makes it a lot easier because almost everyone is actually there for the same reason as you. You’re likely to strike almost every single time you try. It’s not really about finding the right person but about finding the right time to do it.”
“So you just walked up to her?”
“I walked up to her, I danced with her, I made her realize that she was the one I had my eye after. There’s nothing a woman likes more than being singled out in front of everyone. I had the whole club to choose from, and yet I chose her. She obviously liked that. I ignored everyone else and walked right up to her and started dancing with her. Then, when I got my chance, I leaned in and told her that she was beautiful.”
I groaned. “That’s so cheesy.”
“Cheesy or not. It worked.”
“It sure did,” I said. No matter what Kenny said or did, I couldn’t deny that he always went out and got what he wanted. There was something to be said about that. “So, are you going to see her again?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. You know I’m not looking for anything serious at the moment. However, there is the problem of the pants.”
I laughed. “Yeah, there is the problem of the pants. She’s going to wake up and realize she was lying on them. Did you leave her a note?”
“No. I figured it was okay, as I could just use the excuse of having to get to work super quickly today and didn’
t have the time. She knows what I do for a living and how important the job is. But I really do want those pants back. I might have to see her again just to get them back. That’s okay, though. She was pretty cool. And my rule is never more than twice, so I do have one more time with her. And I wouldn’t mind seeing her again.”
“Never more than twice? Seriously?”
“Well, yeah. Any more than twice makes it seem like you want to take things further with her. And the last thing I want is to lead someone on and make them think I want a relationship. I’d rather be honest from the start. I always make sure to tell them that I’m not looking for anything more than a good time. I avoid so many problems by just being honest. That’s where most guys do it wrong. They make promises they can’t keep. I just tell the girl that it’s literally about the sex.”
“And they don’t mind?” I asked.
Kenny laughed. “You know what, Xavier? I think you really need to get out again. You should know all the answers to these questions. Come on, why don’t you come out with me sometime? I like to mix the clubs a little so that I don’t keep bumping into the same women, and you’ll love the club I’m going to next week. It’s a very laid back and casual sort of place. More lounge area than thriving club. Just come with me once. You won’t regret it. I promise.”
I shook my head. “Nah. You know I can’t.”
“Well, yeah, but you need you need to get over that. At least think about it,” Kenny said.
I promised to think about it, and Kenny looked like he was about to say more, but we were interrupted by the alarming going off, and our conversation came to a halt. We stood up.
“It’s going to be a long day,” he said.
I nodded. “You’re lucky you’re at least wearing pants for it.”
Chapter Four
Holly
I knew it wasn’t right for me to feel this depressed on a Monday morning. When I was younger, I promised myself that I would never be in a job that made me hate my week and cherish my weekends. I used to find it so sad to hear adults constantly wishing their life away. Yet here I was, doing the same thing. I hadn’t meant for that to happen. I’d gone after the job of my dreams and done my best to fight for what I wanted to do with my life. Pity I’d ended up in a company where everyone hated me. I simply wasn’t cool enough. I used to think it was because I was new. I figured that once they had gotten to know me, they would accept me as one of their own.
Dirty Stepbrother - A Firefighter Romance (The Maxwell Family) Page 2
