by Unknown
“I’m going to go on a limb and say no he didn’t.”
“His contacts span around the globe but he never offered to help me. I was by his side every step of the way helping build his career. I typed, licked envelopes, made phone calls. Whatever it took for him to succeed I did.”
He received his answer; the email and ex-husband had pissed her off and was ruining his day with her—he wasn’t having that. “Whoa, Regan; calm down. You did all that but, as a result, look what he lost.”
“He hasn’t lost anything, Orlando. The money he paid me for our divorce settlement probably came from his penny jar. The only reward I get from him is my credit cards. He has to pay for those. He’d better be glad I’m not a shopaholic and only buy what I need.”
He rested his hand on her knee. “I’m not talking about money or credit cards, Regan. I’m talking about you. He lost you and I bet he regrets it to this day.”
“That is nice of you to say, but a man with no soul has no regrets. But, I’m going to be okay. My lawyer got me a settlement I can live with, so I’m not starving or ready to take residence in a cardboard box just yet.” She raised an eyebrow laughing, “Although, a cardboard box might be a tad more comfortable than Lincoln’s lumpy sofa.”
He put his arm around her shoulder. “The man is an asshole. He will look back on his life and realize he doesn’t have it all. The person that was by his side through thick and thin is no longer there.”
“He has Naomi on his side. She is doing everything I used to do for him.”
Orlando used his thumb to remove a smug of dirt from her cheek. The urge to kiss her knocked on his brain but this was not the time to be spontaneous. She was hurting. “Well, my grandmother used to say, a successful man will never keep his place in the world by wronging the people who helped him succeed. Regan, he is going to fall and wonder how it happened.”
“I don’t wish him any failure; I just need a little luck to kick-start my career. Working as an anchorwoman is a competitive field. The major networks want attractive woman in front of the camera.”
He agreed. “I guess you have a point,” he said.
“Oh well, the days of having to be knowledgeable and intelligent to report the news have been passed to a pretty face that can read a teleprompter.”
“Sweetheart, don’t be a defeatist. Continue to apply and don’t give up the fight to live your dream. Regan, you’re strong, beautiful, intelligent, witty, pushy…are you getting my point?” He asked trying to make her laugh.
She smiled. “Yes, I am. Thank you, Orlando. You are a great friend to let me cry on your shoulder like this.”
“Anytime you need a shoulder, I have two reserved just for you.”
“I promise not to take advantage of your friendship. Tell me; have you always wanted to be a firefighter?”
He took a long swig from the water bottle, causing the plastic to shrink as he drained the liquid. “Yup, since I was a little kid. I had to be around eight or nine years old. My brothers and I would hang out at the firehouse, watching those guys wash trucks or clean their equipment. They’d even let us sit inside the trucks. We thought it was so cool to sit that high and see so far. I envied those guys rumbling down the street blowing the horn, having cars yield to them ‘Hey, get out of the way; we’re coming through.” His voice animated.
“What do you do all day? I’ve driven by firehouses and seen the guys sitting outside or washing the trucks. How do you fight the boredom of being around men all day and no women?” She laughed. “That is probably a loaded question.”
“People have the perception we sit around and eat or twiddle our thumbs until the alarm rings. We do a lot of preparation by holding mini drills. We have to maintain the firehouse and the equipment to make sure it is in working order. Since I’m an officer, I have tons of paperwork to tend to. I have to juggle schedules for guys on vacation or if a firefighter is injured or sick. Plus, I work closely with the other lieutenant and the battalion chief stationed at our house.”
She drew her knees to her chest. “Wow, I never knew all that went on inside a firehouse. I guess it’s sorta like policemen and the donut shop. Just because you see them there doesn’t necessarily mean they’re sitting around all day eating donuts.”
“We do have downtime, but not ‘hours of boredom before minutes of terror’ as is assumed by most people. There are days that I’m not only a leader but also a grief counselor and consoler depending on what the emergency entails.”
“It’s amazing you followed through with your dream. Are your brother’s firefighters also?”
He dropped his head. “I had to follow through or become a statistic like my brother.”
She placed her hand on his arm. The warmth of her touch spread up his arm and across his chest. Normally on a sunny day like this, he would ride his mountain bike from his apartment grinding the MetroParks trail to the end and back. It was his way of dealing with stress or shutting out the world when he needed to be alone.
He stopped reminiscing when she said, “Is it too personal to talk about?”
“Not that it’s too personal but the typical story of boys falling into the wrong group of friends. My brother got with the wrong people and it got him killed. After his death, I felt lost without him and I wanted revenge for my brother murder.”
Regan chewed her bottom lip. “Goodness, Orlando, you didn’t do anything stupid.”
“Of course I didn’t. I was walking by the firehouse where some of the guys I used to hang around still worked. The chief remembered me and we talked for a long time. He convinced me the streets didn’t have to rule me and I didn’t have to fall into the stereotype of Hispanic males. He helped me get my life together and after I finished school, I joined the fire academy. Now I am a part of the firehouse that was my home away from home. I can’t see myself ever doing anything else.”
“That was a great story, Orlando. I mean I’m sorry about your brother, but you turned out great. How about your other brother, is he doing okay?”
“Yeah, he is a teacher. Not a profession I expected him to join since he didn’t like to stay in school. But we had to make a change after Lorenzo died. My mother refused to lose another son to violence.”
“I’m sure you’ve made her very proud.”
He laughed. “Well, I did cause a slight setback when I married Maggie but now that we are divorced, she is happy with me again.”
“Good, we have to keep our parents happy. Well, you have inspired me to keep looking for a job. I really have to find a place to stay too. Geez, something has to brighten my world soon or I’m going to lose my mind.”
He crumpled the plastic bottle in his hand to recycle later. Smiling at her, he said, “If you still want the house, you can rent it.”
Her eyes widened and her chest stood straight as she sat up against the tree trunk. “What? You’re going to rent me the house?”
“You can choose the colors to paint the walls and I’ll finish the heavy duty work next week. If I work around the clock on my days off, the house should be completed in another month.”
She hugged him taking him by surprise. The musky odors of their bodies blended perfectly. The friction of her breasts rubbing against his arm ignited the launch sequence, which was not good. The dream he’d had caused him to call her for a bike ride. His intention was to make a move but now he couldn’t after they’d revealed so much about themselves.
Her lips planted a wet kiss on his cheek. “You have made my day, Orlando! After we’re finished biking, I want to go shopping for furniture. Will you go with me?”
“Huh,” he uttered, before she cut him off mid-sentence.
“I’m sorry for assuming you didn’t have anything else to do today, but follow me around the mall again. Yesterday you were gracious to carry my packages and wait for me try on shoes. “I’ll ask Lincoln to go if she isn’t busy with Anthony.”
He touched the spot on his cheek still stinging from her soft lips. “No, it’
s okay; I’ll take you shopping—again.”
“Great! Let’s finish the ride so we can go home and shower. I’m excited to furnish my new house,” she said getting off the ground.
He sighed slumping forward wanting to kick himself for offering to endure the same punishment a second day in a row. Yesterday’s shopping spree was painful and the reason he'd stopped shopping with Maggie. Volunteering to shop with Regan armed with a platinum credit card and time on her hands meant death for him.
He got off the ground thinking he must feel something for this woman. One way or another, the sexy shoes she modeled in front of him in the store would be coming off along with a lot of other clothing. He just had to be patient and wait for the right time. He’d been celibate for two years and would wait until Regan was ready to receive him.
Chapter Five
Orlando sat in his office quarters doing paperwork. The part of the job he disliked. His mind drifted to Regan interrupting the report he was writing. He had never met a woman like her. Her playful nature was a breath of fresh air compared to Maggie.
He sighed when Maggie came to mind. She would not let it go he refused to reveal how or when he had met Regan and how serious they were. She was still under the notion she had the right to know his every move regardless of the constant reminder for her to mind her business.
A knock on the door took him away from his thoughts. He turned around to see Anthony standing outside the glass door and motioned for him to enter. Anthony was not a regular on his shift but agreed to fill in for a firefighter on sick leave.
“Hey, Anthony, what’s up?”
Anthony entered and closed the door behind him. “I was letting you know I was here. Jon is going to split Colby’s shift with me since I can’t do the whole 24 hours.”
“Yeah, I saw the Chief had that marked on the calendar. We’re grateful you guys could help out.”
“You know we got your back,” he said rubbing his hands together.
Orlando dropped the pen on the desk and crossed a leg over one knee. “You got that beady-eye stare going on; anything else on your mind?”
“Now that you mentioned it, what is going on with you and Regan?”
Orlando pulled at the short hairs on his goatee and answered, “We are friends.”
“Is that it?”
He held steady to his answer. “That’s all she wrote, Ant.”
“You’re going to lie to my face and tell you don’t feel anything for her? You two have been together on your days off.”
Orlando fought to stay aloof and not break under questioning. “We’ve been out to eat and shopping. What is the big deal with that?”
“It’s a big deal! Face it Orlando, you want more with Regan.”
Frustrated he threw up his hands. He wanted to scream it was true—it was true he wanted Regan but she had settled on them just being friends. She was treating him like a BFF and not a woman looking for a love interest.
“What is it with you? I don’t have to be in a relationship to be happy with my life. I am happy, Anthony. I’m so freaking happy I could skip down Main Street butt naked.”
Anthony grinned. “I would believe you except for two things,” he said holding up his fingers.
“What two things are you talking about?”
“One you have never skipped down any damn street and two, Cleveland doesn’t have a Main Street. So give me the scoop.”
“There is no scoop, bro. If there were anything going on, I would tell you.”
Anthony relented and sat back in the chair. “I have to accept that as the truth. Let me give you some advice, Orlando. I know Maggie hurt you. She had all of us fooled which is hard to do.”
“Yeah, well, I’m over that hump.”
Anthony shook his head negatively. “No, you aren’t. You are allowing her to stand in your way of happiness. Regan is crazy about you, but she won’t push for more than the friendship you are offering,” he said making air quotes with his fingers.
Orlando’s eyes perked. “How do you know that?”
“Sister’s talk and Lincoln lets things slip. Regan had a rough go with her divorce. Dude could have broken her, but she managed to walk away with her dignity intact. Why can’t you do the same?”
“I have my dignity, thank you. Regan and I have fun together and if we mix that with romance, it might sour. Anthony, I’d rather have her as a friend as opposed to not having her at all.”
“I’m just making sure before Lincoln moves on with phase two of her plan,” he said standing to leave the office.
“Wait, what is phase two?” Orlando asked concerned.
“Jon’s brother is moving back to town. Lincoln wants to introduce him to Regan.”
“Jon’s brother the doctor?”
“Yup. Look, Orlando; I am friends with both you and Jon. Jon and I practically grew up together so when he asked about Regan’s status, I had to tell him the truth.”
Orlando creased his brow feeling tense. How were his two best friends conspiring to snatch Regan away from him? “You didn’t know our status until now!”
“Whoa, why you got bass in your voice, bro? I thought you weren’t interested in a romance with Regan?”
He paced the small office. “If she hooks up with Jon’s brother, that means I lose her as a friend. She can’t hang out with me and have a man in her life at the same time.”
“You’re right, she can’t. But, you cannot monopolize her either. She has a right to be happy and if you aren’t willing to step up to the plate and make that happen for her, then be prepared to face the consequence of losing her.”
Orlando felt the sting of Anthony’s word radiate through his body. He had to make a decision concerning Regan. A beautiful spirit such as she, wouldn’t want to be single forever. If he was not willing to go the distance then, he had no choice but to remove himself.
The air expelled from his nostrils heavily. “All right, I will make a decision about Regan. Anthony, you have to stall Lincoln introducing him to Jon’s brother.”
“It’s too late, man. She has a dinner party set up for this Friday.”
“I’m on duty this Friday!” He said balling his fist.
“Calm down before you blow a gasket. You have a chance because Regan does have feelings for you and she might not take to Jon’s brother. She may blow him off like she did Herman”
“Yeah, well, Sherman never had a chance. Jon’s brother is a successful doctor and she is used to being with a successful man.”
“A life she doesn’t want anymore. She wants a regular man, with a regular job.”
“You seem to forget my job killed my first marriage, Anthony.”
“No, Maggie killed your marriage. The woman schemed her way into your life and you fell for it. It happens to all men that look at women as sex objects.”
“I did not look at her that way.”
“She used sex to get you and it proved it didn’t keep the marriage or relationship together.”
“Can we drop the subject of my failed marriage? This is what I didn’t want to drag Regan into. I married Maggie before getting to know her. It was a mistake and I’m paying out the ass because of it. Regan’s husband cheated on her and she is looking for stability. If we got together, Maggie would not rest until she ran Regan away because her dog-like senses would know I was happy for a change.”
“You need to put your foot in Maggie’s….”
“HEY! Don’t say it regardless how true the statement is,” he said laughing. “Ant, I know what you are saying. I appreciate you want me to have someone special in my life. Regan is a great woman. She makes me laugh when I don’t want to and is willing to try anything once. I’m just not sure if I want the marriage thing again.”
Anthony braced his hand on Orlando’s shoulder. “I felt that way after losing Melanie. But I am taking the plunge and asking Lincoln to marry me. I’m older than her and that could be a factor for her but it won’t stop me from asking.”
&nbs
p; Orlando shook his hand. “That’s great, Anthony. I’m sure she will accept your proposal without thinking about the age difference. When are you going to pop the question?”
“I’m not sure yet. I’m thinking maybe a nice getaway for two or a romantic dinner….hey! You are deflecting the conversation to me.”
Orlando laughed. “You are an easy one to fall for that. Come on let’s get a cup of coffee.”
In the galley, they helped themselves to coffee and stale Oreo cookies. The firefighters designated to grocery shop had forgotten the snacks for their shift. Their unit got a call to respond to an emergency while they were shopping forcing them to drop everything and leave.
Orlando and Anthony sat on the mesh chairs outside of the firehouse. Another scorcher was on tap and most of the calls the firehouse received were to turn off fire hydrants illegally turned on by residents looking to cool off the neighborhood kids.
“This weather has been crazy,” said Anthony flapping his t-shirt to cool himself.
“I wish it would rain. My newly planted grass is dying,” he said putting the coffee on the table. It was too hot outside to drink it.
“It’s going to murder on you running those 42 flights if the weather doesn’t ease.”
“Nah, I got that under control. I have to break a ten-minute record. I think I can do it in eight minutes or less.”
Anthony eyed him with a chuckle. “Man, you ain’t twenty anymore.”
“I have a thousand dollar check challenging me,” he said wiggling his eyebrows.
“How are the supermen of station 30?” A voice said coming from around the building.
Orlando bit his lip to keep from cursing when he saw Maggie’s familiar swag lumbering in the direction he and Anthony were sitting.
Dammit, just what I need to end my day! Here was the last place he expected Maggie to show her face. She hated the firehouse and never visited when they were together. Orlando scowled. “What are you doing here, Maggie?”
She produced a covered Tupperware dish handing it to him. “I baked chocolate chip cookies and decided to bring some for your crew.”
