“Wha—what?” I stammered.
“Who the fuck is she, Liam?” she screamed through her tears. “You tell me exactly who the whore is who stole you from me, just when I decided to uproot my entire fucking life to make you happy!”
“You’re not changing your life to make me happy,” I countered. “Your changing your life to control our relationship and fulfill your all-consuming ten-year plan.”
“WHO IS SHE?” Nicole screeched, pounding her fists into her desks.
“Katie,” the name burst from my lips. “Her name is Katie.”
Nicole calmed slightly, but the tears were still pouring from her eyes. “And how long have you been fucking her?”
“No!” I was surprised, though I should have guessed what she was thinking. “No. Nicole, it’s not like that. I…we… we didn’t sleep together. I wouldn’t have done that to you. You know that. I told you. I care about you. I still consider you a friend. I would never want to hurt—”
“I slept with Paul, you know.” Nicole spat. It didn’t surprise me. I wondered whether the Facebook page she had shown me was a fake.
“I slept with him last year, and he wanted me, Liam. He wanted to date me. Wanted to be with me again. But I said no. I said no because I thought it was a mistake, a one-night drunken mistake—blowing off steam after finals. I said no to a brilliant future neurosurgeon, and I recommitted to you and arranged everything, so we could be together. And now you’re throwing all that away for some bitch named Katie.”
“She’s not a bitch.” I shouldn’t have said it. Shouldn’t have argued with her. But I wouldn’t let her talk about Katie like that, either.
Nicole tilted her head and wiped the tears from her eyes. She gave a bitter laugh. “Of course, she isn’t. I’m sure Katie is a perfect little slice of sunshine—always sweet, hardly ever a bad word to say about anyone, butter just wouldn’t melt in her perfect little mouth.”
“Is that so horrible?” I asked. “Is it so horrible to be nice to people?”
She laughed again, and I couldn’t help silently comparing Nicole’s harsh laugh to Katie’s light, girlish laughter. “It’s fake. And it won’t last. And I don’t believe you’re not fucking her. Not the way you say her name. So, that makes you a liar and a cheat, and I’m glad we’re breaking up.”
She slammed her computer lid, and I sank back into my chair, exhausted, but relieved.
I was glad Nicole hadn’t told me about her plan to move. If she had, I never would have kissed Katie, never would have spent time with her, and never would have fallen for her. It was finally over. Now, all I had to do was find a way to win Katie back.
I went into the living room and expected Oliver to be playing videogames as usual. Instead, he had the TV off and sitting silently, staring at his phone.
“Nicole didn’t take it well, then?” he asked, not looking up.
“Nope.” I flopped onto the couch. “You want to finally watch Star Wars? I could use a distraction.”
Oliver sighed. “I guess I could use one myself. Staring at this phone isn’t going to make it ring.”
“Trouble with Emma?”
“She’s on a date with someone else tonight.”
“You guys broke up?” I was surprised. She’d come over once or twice, and it seemed like things were going well.
He sighed again. “No. She’s seeing both of us. It’s a long story. I don’t really want to get into it. I just… I don’t like thinking about her being with anyone else. It makes me sick inside.”
“You tell her that?”
Oliver opened his mouth, then closed it again. “Not yet. I want to give her what she wants, and I want to be what she wants. If that makes any sense. I want her to choose me on her own without some macho ultimatum.”
I wanted to give him more advice, but before I could try, he popped up and grabbed the remote. “I bought all the versions the other day,” he said, faking enthusiasm neither of us felt. “Which do you want?”
As usual, we chose the original cut, sans CGI, and settled in for a marathon that failed to cheer up either one of us. I didn’t know exactly what Oliver was thinking, but I was pretty sure it was close to the one question repeating through my mind: How am I going to win this girl’s heart?
Katie
I looked around my classroom and gave a contented sigh. It had taken me all of Tuesday and most of Wednesday, but other than the final touches I would add Thursday and Friday, the room was finally ready for Open House.
A welcome board greeted the parents with lists and pictures of all the activities we’d done so far and all that were upcoming. In the corner facing it would be the biographies my students had been working on all week—little booklets with their writings and drawings depicting their favorite activities. The back of the room had artwork hanging from ceiling to floor, and everyone’s desk was clean—even Sophia’s and Sadie’s desks, which were usually crammed full of glitter, stickers, and whatever art supplies their parents put in their backpacks.
After all my hard work, I considered skipping art class. It was in less than an hour, and I hadn’t yet eaten dinner. Not to mention the fact that I had barely eaten lunch. Half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the school cafeteria did not count as a real meal.
My stomach rumbled just thinking about it, and I looked at the clock. The other reason I was hesitant to go back was because I knew Phoebe and Summer were going to ask questions and beg for Liam to come back and join the group—maybe even offer him a special, discounted price for the rest of the year. I didn’t feel like answering their probing questions or watching their faces grow dim with disappointment when I told them he wouldn’t be coming around anymore. Ever.
I decided to split the difference. Go out. Get food. Go to class a little late. I’d miss getting a good seat, but I’d also miss both the awkward conversations about Liam and the awkward disrobing of whatever models were coming in that day.
Driving downtown, I decided to stop at Rooster’s, an all-day breakfast bistro. It was a favorite of mine, but one that I rarely went to because the food was as rich as the prices. Resolving to indulge, I had a short stack of their gluten-free pancakes, a side of bacon, and a hot cocoa. I had been laying off the carbs, and I didn’t realize how much I missed them until I took a bite of Rooster’s fluffy blueberry pancakes. I hadn’t tasted anything so sweet and delicious since the night of Becca’s party. By the time I finished, I was stuffed, but satisfied.
I regretted my decision almost immediately upon entering Phoebe’s studio.
Liam was sitting in front of an easel, studying the posterior of the woman posing for the class. Whereas last week, he and I had been almost too turned on to concentrate on the actual activity of sketching or painting, this time, it was clear he was genuinely trying to produce something. His usually smooth bronze brow was wrinkled in consternation as he looked to the woman, then down at his drawing, then back to the woman again.
My heart melted a little, and I considered standing there a few seconds longer, just so I could watch him. Unfortunately, Phoebe had other plans. “Come on in, Katie,” she called out. “Liam said you’d be here, and look! He was right. He even saved you a seat even though we typically discourage that type of thing.”
I slipped over to the chair next to his and took a set of charcoals out of my bag to sketch with. As soon as the rest of the class started up their usual chatter, I inclined my head toward Liam. “What are you doing here?” I whispered.
He didn’t take his eyes off the model as he replied. “I know you’re still angry. You have every right to be.”
“Yes, I do,” I agreed. “But why are you here?”
“I broke up with Nicole.” Liam turned his strong face toward mine and stared into my eyes. “I tried before. She lives far away. I don’t know if I told you that. She wouldn’t hear me out before. Or, maybe I just wasn’t brave enough to go through with it. Anyway, it’s over.”
A heat spread up through my chest and see
med to grow at his words. “It’s over?”
“Yes. And I came here to tell you, even though my written exam for the Fire Academy is tomorrow and I should be home studying.”
The feeling inside me grew until I felt like I would burst. Liam came here for me. To tell me that he’d broken up with his girlfriend. To tell me we could finally be together. The sexiest guy I’d ever met was there for me.
Then, a thought occurred to me, and my heart dropped. Could I actually believe what he was telling me? How did I know this was real? That it wasn’t just some trick to get me into bed?
“I don’t know…” I trailed off, pretending to draw, even though all I was doing was making random lines across my page. “I don’t know whether to believe you.”
Liam looked crestfallen, and it hurt me that I’d hurt him. “She’s moving here soon,” he whispered. “Nicole decided to transfer to a school closer to me, but I told her it didn’t matter. It wasn’t the distance that was keeping us apart. At least, not anymore. It was you.”
My heart beat wildly. “I’ve been through a lot lately,” I said, trying to steady my hand as I curved it across the page.
“I know.” Liam’s voice was deep and soothing.
“And I really put myself out there last week,” I continued. “And then, when you rejected me like that…”
“I didn’t!” Liam exclaimed, causing heads to look up all around the circle. “Sorry,” he said. “Just trying to draw what I see. I didn’t get it quite right.”
The other students went back to work. “I didn’t,” he whispered again.
I stood up and motioned for Liam to follow me outside. I didn’t want to risk everyone else listening in on what needed to be a private conversation.
“It sure felt like a rejection,” I said once the door had closed. We turned to face each other. I hated it, knowing he could see the tears in the corners of my eyes.
“Oh, Katie,” Liam murmured. He reached down to brush away my tears.
I tried to keep the tears from my voice, but I could hear it trembling. “I don’t usually do things like… like we did. And I’ve never needed to even ask a man whether he wanted to… Physically, I’ve only ever been Ben, and he wasn’t exactly a great guy. So, when you—”
Liam frowned. “When I told you I was still with someone?”
I nodded. “It crushed me, Liam. I don’t know if I can be that open with you again. I don’t know if I can be that vulnerable.”
He slid his hand down to cup my chin, tilting my head up to look at him. “I really like you, Katie. I’m… I’m falling for you. This isn’t just about sex. I promise. Let me prove to you how much I care about you. Please. Give me another chance.”
This time, I couldn’t hold the tears back. He was so sweet, but at the same time, I was so scared. After a few moments, I parted my lips to give Liam my answer. “Maybe,” I murmured. “Maybe. If we can slow down and take things one step at a time. After Thanksgiving, too. I’ve got a lot on my plate right now.”
Liam’s face lit up and he pulled me into a hug. “After Thanksgiving, I will call you, my beautiful Katie-Cat. I will call you, and I will ask you out on a proper date, and we can take things as slow as you need to.”
I wanted to kiss him, but didn’t want to send mixed messages after asking him to slow things down. So instead, I pushed him away gently and tried to lighten the moment. I laughed, “Well, maybe not right after Thanksgiving. My mother always wants to pull me into some crazy Black Friday scheme.”
“Cyber Monday, then,” Liam promised, taking my hand in his and giving it a light squeeze.
“Cyber Monday it is,” I smiled, shaking my head. “Now, let’s forget plans and arrangements and go back in there, look at naked bodies, and try not to think about sex.”
“Katie, this class will probably help me see the beauty in everyone, but she’s like seventy years old,” Liam exclaimed, referring to the plump model, now sitting with her legs splayed open on the platform.
“Exactly,” I said. “So, it should be easy.”
Right or not, confusing or not, I gave his hand another squeeze and we walked back into the studio.
Liam
I was surprised and thrilled when Katie agreed to give me another chance. Even though I’d blown the night on winning her back instead of studying, I walked into the exam the next day with full confidence.
In front of the firehouse, Josh and Jake were washing and polishing up the firetrucks. “You look like you got some swagger going this morning,” Josh called out to me.
“Hell yeah,” I grinned back at him. “I won the girl, and now I’m gonna go ace this test.”
The brothers gave each other a knowing look. “I’ll bet you twenty bucks you can’t get a perfect score,” Jake said. “Closest we ever got was a 97.”
Without hesitating, I said, “You’re on. Twenty bucks. Each.” I could hear Josh and Jake slap each other a high five as I stepped inside.
After a few hours of sweating, I was greeted with a “Not bad, Rookie” as Captain Willis handed back my exam. A large red 97 was scrawled across the top. I was so happy I passed, I wasn’t even upset about being out the forty bucks.
The Captain faced the room. “You all passed. Some of you by the skin of your teeth.” He aimed his usual glower toward the middle of the room, and we all knew he was talking about Pete Meyers, who could probably carry 200 pounds up the ladder, but was not the brightest bulb in the box.
As everyone left, worrying now only about the physical test we’d face on Friday, I walked up to Captain Willis. “Cap.,” I said. “I just wondered about number thirty-seven? It’s the only one I missed.”
His cragged face broke into a grin. “Trick question. None of the answers are right. Just don’t like giving out perfect scores. Makes guys like you too cocky before the CPAT.”
I laughed. So, the Miller brothers had set me up. Brilliant. I didn’t mind being hazed a bit before I was even officially part of the team. I took two twenties from my wallet, went into the break room, and slapped them down on the table where they were eating. Both Millers burst out laughing.
“Number thirty-seven?” Jake laughed. “Or did you mess up worse than we guessed.”
“Nope. Just number thirty-seven. The Captain told me about his little trick, so I should keep the money, but I’m having too good a week to grudge anyone a few bills.”
Even though Katie didn’t really want to talk until after Thanksgiving, I didn’t think it would hurt to text her, especially after such good news. “I just passed the Academy’s written exam!” I wrote. “All that’s left is the physical test tomorrow.”
A few seconds later, my phone buzzed with her reply. “Awesome!!!” Katie replied. She quickly followed that up was a string of smiley-face emojis. I felt a warmth within my chest. Katie was so adorable, I could barely stand it.
The CPAT test was held at six the next night. I got a “Good Luck!” text from Katie with about eight shamrock emojis after the exclamation point.
I hadn’t been worried about the physical exam until ten minutes and twenty seconds were staring me in the face. Ignoring the anxiety clawing at my gut, I tried to push doubt from my mind and stepped onto the course.
The first event was the stair climb, and I remembered not to touch the wall or handrail, which was an immediate failure and disqualification. I finished it quickly and almost ran to the second event before hearing Captain Willis scream “Walk!” at Pete who had forgotten that walking through the space between events was required for short recovery times.
Remembering to maintain a good pace, I kept my knee between the boundary lines during the hose drag, easily completed the equipment carry, and made sure to hit every rung on the ladder raise. The forcible entry was next, and I worried about this most because the first time we practiced, I accidently released the sledgehammer, which in the real test was an automatic failure. Thankfully, this time, I held on tight, slammed the sledgehammer into the buzzer, and moved on to t
he final events.
Crawling through the tunnel maze and completing the ceiling breach were relatively simple, and I was grateful for the regimen Jim had set for me in the gym. At last came the rescue with a weighted mannequin of 165 pounds. I carried it over the finish line and was greeted by Captain Willis, who was giving me what looked like a genuine smile for once. “I like my team to run this in eight minutes,” he said. “Even though the pass time is a little over ten.”
“How’d I do?” It felt like I did well, but I couldn’t be sure.
“Six minutes, fifty seconds.” He slapped me on the back. “You almost beat the record.”
“What’s the record?” I wondered.
“Six minutes, thirty,” he grinned again, “but that was mine thirty years ago, and no one’s been able to touch it since. Go clean up. I gotta make sure the last two guys get through.”
I jogged to the showers, overjoyed with my performance. A near-record time on the physical test, and a practically perfect score on the written. I was finally going to be a firefighter.
I was about to text Katie when the sirens sounded. Captain Willis came rushing into the locker room, grasping the walkie-talkie that was always on his shoulder. “You all passed. No time to celebrate though. We got a confirmed fire over at the school, and it’s all hands on deck. Grab your gear. This is what you trained for!”
We rushed to the school, sirens blaring. As we came up over the hill, I could see the smoke and realized the school we were going to was Fairview Elementary where Katie worked. It was nighttime, but cars filled the parking lot and blocked up the circle where we had parked the truck for Fire Safety Day.
Some of the kids had already evacuated, but a seemingly endless stream of children and their parents were still rushing out of the building. I heard one woman scream, “There’s still a class trapped inside!”
“It’s the fifth-grade class,” a man, presumably the principal, said. “Down the right corridor and upstairs. At the end of the hall.”
Hot & Heavy Halloween (Hot Holidays Book 1) Page 16
