Chapter Nine
Cam
"Hello, Alex Pierce." I smiled as I handed her one of the two backpacks I was holding.
"Nice try." She laughed and reached for the other one before asking, "What are you doing here?"
"Well, that's a nice way to greet a guy who rescued your belongings from certain theft," I said, still smiling at her. She looked even more beautiful than I remembered, with her hair covered in snow and eyes shining.
"Sorry," she quickly replied as she turned and handed the second backpack to the friend who had been pelting her with snowballs moments before. "This is Liz Baker. Liz, this is Cam Connor. You remember him, don't you?"
"Nope, not at all." The other girl grinned as she stuck out a hand. "But it's nice to meet you just the same, Cam Connor."
"It's nice to meet you, Liz Baker," I said as I shook her hand and let her give me the once-over. I could tell she was suspicious, and I didn't blame her a bit. If the situation had been reversed and it had been Leo, I would have done the exact same thing.
"What are you doing here, Cam?" Alex asked again.
"Well, I just...I came by..." I stammered, suddenly realizing that I didn't have a prepared excuse because I wasn't expecting to have needed one.
"You're here because you wanted to see Alex again," Liz said bluntly. "It's cool, Cam. She wanted to see you, too."
"Liz!" Alex gasped and then blushed a deep shade of red. "You're not supposed to say that!"
"Why not?" Liz shrugged looking back and forth between Alex and I. "It's true, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is," I admitted, deciding it was better to tell the truth now that I'd been caught. "I wanted to come see you again and not have to rush off to another call."
"I'm glad." Alex smiled at me before shooting Liz a semi-dirty look. "I wanted to see you, too."
"All right, now that we've gotten that established, are the two of you going to agree to go have dinner together?" Liz asked, looking at her phone before looking back up at the two of us. "I've got a date at seven, so I need to get going, kids."
"Would you like to go to dinner with me, Alex?" I asked, feeling self-conscious about being put on the spot to do what I'd come here to do.
"I'd...yes, I'd like that." Alex nodded. Her face was still tinged with a light shade of pink from the blush that was slowly fading. She looked up at me with a slight frown, saying, "But I'm not really dressed for a date."
"No problem, we can go somewhere casual," I suggested. "Maybe somewhere close to the hospital so that you don't feel out of place?"
"I'm going to leave the two of you to negotiate this on your own," Liz said as she slung her backpack over her shoulder and turned toward the street.
"Do you want a ride?' I called as she trudged through the snow.
"Nah, I'm good, I've got a cab coming," she called as she waved. As she reached the street, a cab pulled up, and we watched as Liz climbed in. I felt a little nervous now that our buffer was gone.
"Are you hungry?" I asked as I looked down at the pretty young woman in front of me.
"Honestly, I'm starving," she said. "We didn't get much of a lunch break today because the ER was so busy."
"Then how about we go get a couple of big, juicy burgers and some beer to help rectify that?" I asked as I turned and gestured toward where my truck was parked. "I'm over on the side street."
"That sounds like a great plan." Alex nodded as she turned and started walking in the direction I'd pointed to.
Halfway down the walk, her foot hit a patch of ice and she slipped. I quickly reached out and wrapped an arm around her to keep her from falling.
"Oh!" she gasped as I held her tightly for a few seconds longer than absolutely necessary before setting her back on her feet. She turned and looked up at me. "Thank you, Cam. I guess it's a little more slippery than I thought it would be tonight."
"No problem." I smiled as I held out my arm so she could hold on to it. "That's what your friendly neighborhood firefighter is here for."
Alex laughed out loud as she gripped my arm and walked a little more cautiously. At the truck, I unlocked the door and helped her up into the cab before hopping up into the driver's seat.
"This is a really nice truck. It's so modern," she said, looking at the dashboard, which had the appearance of the control panel for a small aircraft. "These things must cost a fortune!"
"It's all in the financing." I laughed as I sidestepped the issue of money for now. It wasn't that I wanted to hide the fact that I had money, it was more that before I'd learned to be careful about who I let into my life; I'd been burned and had emerged wiser in the way I allowed women to know things about me. Now, when I went out on dates, I tried to give the impression that I was a normal guy rather than trying to impress my dates with how much money I could spend on them.
"I guess it would have to be, wouldn't it?" She nodded as she ran her hands across the smooth leather seats and then let out a little laugh as she realized the seats were warming up. "Oh my, now that's nice! I wish they had this feature on the buses!"
"If they did, no one would ever get off of them," I observed as I backed out of the parking space and headed toward my favorite downtown pub. "Is O'Neil's on Wells okay with you?"
"I've never been there," she said. "Do they have good burgers?"
"The best in the city!" I said as I headed down Van Buren. "Do you live downtown?"
"I have an apartment near campus." She nodded. "It's small and a little cramped, but it's convenient for school and work. Do you live downtown?"
"I have a house over on the West Side," I said, not wanting to be too specific. "Just me and my dog."
"Oh, what kind of dog do you have?" she asked as she squirmed a little in her seat. The movement of her hips made me very aware of the fact that it had been a long time since I'd seen, let alone felt, a woman moving like that, and the blood began to flow from my brain.
"Um, what?" I said, trying to pretend that I'd been concentrating on finding a parking spot rather than on fantasizing about what it would feel like to have her squirming like that on top of me.
"Dog? What kind?" she repeated as I pulled into a spot and parked the truck.
"She's a yellow Lab. I got her from the pound," I said as I looked across the street and said, "We're here!"
"Oh good, I'm starving!" Alex said as she hopped out of the truck and waited for me.
The bar was mostly empty, save for a few of the regulars, so we found a table at the front and quickly placed our order. I grabbed the beers from the bar and got a knowing wink from Billy the bartender before returning to the table.
Alex was a lively conversationalist, and after she grilled me about how I found Tesla, we quickly fell into a discussion of career choices and the ups and downs of public service. In addition to being pretty, she had a good head on her shoulders, and I immediately felt comfortable with her. But not comfortable enough to reveal the secrets I'd learned to hold close to my chest. I'd have to wait and see if this turned into anything before deciding whether to let Alex in to that part of my life.
"...So, I told the guy that while I wasn't sure where he came from, where I came from hands were meant to be kept to oneself." She laughed before popping the last bite of her burger into her mouth.
"It sounds like you've got a good sense of humor." I laughed. "That's going to be a really good asset as you move into nursing."
"I know." She nodded. "My mother was a nurse and she always said that if she ever lost her sense of humor, she'd know it was time to get out of the field."
"She sounds like wise woman," I said. "Does she live in Chicago, too?"
"Um, no," Alex said, looking down at the table and for the first time becoming quiet. In a low voice, she said, "She passed away a few years ago."
"I'm so sorry," I said, reaching out to touch her hand. Alex pulled back before looking up and nodding.
"Thanks. Me, too," she said, letting me know that the topic wasn't open for discussion. I understood wanting to keep things compartmentalized and respected it, so I changed the subject and started talking about the firehouse. After a few minutes of my monologue, Alex relaxed and began asking questions about how everything worked.
"Do you want a tour of the station?" I asked.
"Oh gosh, I'd love that!" she said. "But can you do that when you're on duty?"
"I'm not on duty now," I said. "And we're right next door, so now's as good a time as any."
I paid the bill over her protests that we should split it, telling her that next time she could pick up the check, but that I was raised to be a gentleman, and since I'd asked her out it was my treat. She laughed and said she appreciated the logic of my answer, and promised that she'd treat me next time. I liked the sound of that -- next time.
We walked next door and found that the crew was just sitting down to dinner after a routine call to a medical emergency. I waved to the guys and told them that I was just taking a new nursing student on a tour so she could see how we operated, and after a few teasing comments, proceeded to do just that.
"Do you guys really slide down a pole from the top floor or is that just a Hollywood thing?" she asked as I showed her the bunkroom upstairs.
"No, we really do slide down if we're up here sleeping." I laughed. "Want to try it?"
"Can I?" she asked, looking up at me with her eyes shining again. I found myself unable to look away as I nodded. I stepped closer to her, holding my breath and knowing that there was nothing in the world I wanted more right at that moment than to kiss her.
Alex held my gaze as I lifted my hand up and softly cupped her cheek before bending down and lightly brushing my lips across hers. I heard a soft hum escape her lips as she pressed back against mine and kissed me harder. She rested her hands on my chest as I pulled her closer and continued kissing her. I could feel the blood rushing away from my brain as my pants became tighter. My thoughts raced as I felt her tongue gently flicking my bottom lip before she gently bit it.
I wanted her. I wanted her there and then, and just as I was about to make a choice that would not have been a good one, the station alarm sounded and the familiar voice said, "Engine One, Truck One, Ambulance Fifty-Five, car fire at the intersection of LaSalle Street and Wacker Drive. Two people trapped."
"Alex, I'm sorry," I said as I stepped back and searched her face for signs of disappointment. "I think we need to go."
"Yes." She nodded slowly. "I need to get home and study for the exam I have later this week."
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, fine," she said, not giving anything away before she put on a bright smile and said, "Let's go, shall we?"
I led her out of the station, and we stood and watched as the trucks took off toward the call.
"It's pretty impressive," she said as she climbed into the truck and fastened her seatbelt.
"Yeah, I've been on the job for ten years, and I still feel that same overwhelming pride every time I climb up on the truck to go to a call," I said. "Most of the guys do, and the ones who don't are the ones who know it's time to get out."
"I imagine it's that way with any career, or anything at all, don't you?" she asked. "If you're not excited about it, then what's the point?"
"Good point," I nodded as I started the truck. "Where can I drop you off?"
She gave me her address, and I drove her home in an oddly comfortable silence. I pulled up in front of her building and prepared to walk her to her door.
"No, it's okay," she said, pointing to a second floor balcony. "My apartment is right there, you don't need to escort me."
"Alex, I really enjoyed this," I began, uncertain if she wanted to see me again.
"I did, too, Cam." She smiled. "Next time it's my treat, though. Don't forget."
"Okay, that's good to know," I said before adding, "But, um, could I get your phone number?"
"Huh?" she replied.
"If we're going to go out again, I'd rather call you to arrange it than having to take a chance on running into you at the hospital," I said as she burst into laughter.
"Oh my gosh, you're so right! How silly of me!" She laughed as she pulled out a pen and wrote her number on my hand. I breathed deeply as I felt her hands cupping mine and smelled the fresh scent of her hair inches away from my nose. I fought the urge to grab her and kiss her again. When she was done, she looked up at me for a moment before leaning in and quickly kissing my lips, and then she was gone.
I watched her walk to the door and let herself in. She turned and waved before disappearing into the building. Only when the light went on in the second floor apartment she'd pointed out did I start the truck and drive away.
The whole ride home, I wondered how long I needed to wait until I called her for a second date.
#
When I reported for duty the next morning, the overnight crew ribbed me about my new role as station tour guide.
"So, you've decided to pick up a second job, have you, Connor?" Mike Kelly laughed as he and Victor cooked breakfast.
"Who told you that?" I asked as I poured a cup of coffee and sat down to read the paper, ignoring the wolf whistles coming from the couch on the other side of the room.
"The guys going off duty said you were pretty hot and heavy up in the bunkroom with some little blonde you'd offered to give a tour to," Mike said as he flipped pancakes on the griddle.
"Yeah, they said the only thing that stopped the action was the alarm," Victor added as he moved the sizzling bacon from the pan to the plate on the counter. "You take her home and get some?"
"Jesus, Vangel," I said, shaking my head. "It's always about the score with you, isn't it?"
"What else is there?" he asked, looking mystified by my disgust. “We’re young, red-blooded, American males, and women love guys in uniforms.”
“You’re a dick, Vangel,” I said. “I happen to view women as human beings, not a means to an end.”
"Ooooh, it's love!" Newsome said in a singsong voice that made even me laugh. "Conner's in love!"
"Dude, I just met her, it's not likely," I said, waving them all off as I tried to focus on the Tribune's headlines. It wasn’t love, but I certainly liked Alex more than any woman I’d dated in the past few years.
"So, why'd you bring her here?" Kelly asked.
"We went to O'Neil's for dinner and got to talking about our jobs, and I offered to show her where I work since I'd already seen where she works." I shrugged. "Nothing terribly complicated."
"You've seen where she works?" Victor said. "I didn't know you were attracted to strippers, Connor!"
"Vangel, shut the hell up," Newsome said without a smile. “No one wants to hear any more of the offensive shit you have running around in that little brain of yours.”
"What did I say now?" Victor asked as he looked back and forth between me and Newsome. “I’m just talking about getting very real needs met.”
"Why do you always have to take it a step too far, Vangel?" Mike asked as he flipped the last batch of pancakes onto the platter and yelled, "Breakfast is served! Come and get it!"
Victor shot me a smug look that told me he knew exactly what he was doing. I let it go, knowing that pursuing it would not end well, and asked Newsome if he'd heard anything about promotions.
"Nah, nothing yet," he said, cutting up a stack of pancakes and drenching them in syrup. "But Chief Riley told me that they'd be making announcements about new positions in the next week or so. Damn, I want to make Lieutenant."
"I hear you," I said, biting into a crispy slice of bacon and chewing slowly. "You think any of us have a real chance?"
"Some of us more than others," Victor muttered at his plate.
"What does that mean, Vangel?" Mike asked as he helped himself to another stack of pancakes.
"Nothing." Victor shrugged. "It just means that some of us are better suited for promotion than others."
"Why do you always have to be such a condescending asshole, Vangel?" Newsome said in an irritated tone.
"I don't, I'm just right," Victor said as he focused on his breakfast and ignored the mumbled curse words aimed at plates. We all had formed an intense dislike of Victor from the moment he entered the station. He hadn’t done anything to make it any easier, either. He had a reputation as a dangerous firefighter and as an arrogant know-it-all who had no problem lording his knowledge over the rest of the guys. He hadn't been popular when he'd first joined the force, and his popularity level had declined every year. I tried to avoid him as much as possible because every time he opened his mouth, he made my blood boil.
"You hear about that fire on the North Side last night?" I asked, trying to change the subject. "Preliminary investigation says it was arson and that it's linked to the fire we were at last week. Says it's a landlord who is trying to evict tenants by bypassing the proper legal channels."
"If I had to deal with all the crap they have to deal with, I'd probably do the same thing," Victor muttered. The rest of us ignored him.
"Anybody hurt?" Mike asked.
"Looks like some of the building's occupants were taken to Chicago General, but no firefighters hurt," I said, scanning the article again. I had a funny feeling about the recent string of fires, but since I couldn't connect it to anything concrete, I let it go.
Tesla whined to go out, and Newsome motioned that he'd take care of it while I cleaned up breakfast dishes. As I was elbow deep in a sink full of suds thinking about Alex and the way it had felt to kiss her, Victor sidled up next to me and said, "I need to talk to you, Connor. When you're done."
"What do you want, Vangel?" I asked, irritated that he'd interrupted my thoughts.
"I don't think you want to discuss it out here in the common room," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Meet me in the bunkroom when you're done."
"If you're running a new deal," I said. "I'm out."
"Oh, this is something you'll definitely want to be in on, Connor." He smiled, but it was a slimy smile that didn't reach his eyes. I hurried up and finished the dishes and then quickly made my way up to the bunkroom.
Victor was on his bed in the far corner, back against the wall reading a new issue of Playboy. I rolled my eyes and walked over to him.
"What do you want, Vangel?" I asked. "And make it quick."
"You'd be wise to speak a little more respectfully to me, Connor," he said as he put the magazine down, cover facing up. "I've got some information that will interest you."
"What is it?" I asked in a bored tone, knowing that Victor was mostly drama without much evidence.
"Well, it seems that someone has leaked information about the new security team that will be protecting the mayoral candidates this year," he said, looking at me expectantly.
"And your point is?" I shrugged. I knew that it was unlikely that Victor had any real information and that this was a fishing expedition designed to get me to tell him what he suspected, but didn't yet know for sure.
"I think you know the CEO of Chicago Security Company, don't you?" he asked.
"Yeah, Leo Marini. I've known him since we were kids," I said. "What about it?"
"Well, there's some rumors floating around that you're far more involved with the company than just knowing the CEO, Connor," he said quietly as he stalked his prey. The problem with Victor was that he always counted on having more information than he actually had, so I knew that if I continued to play dumb, he'd give up out of frustration.
"And again, what's your point, Vangel?" I asked, looking down at my fingernails and then back up at him. "Rumors fly about everything in this town. Three-fourths of it isn't true, so I'm not sure why you're talking to me about it."
"Look, I was trying to give you a heads up about what's being said out there, but if you don't care, well..." He shrugged. "Then I guess I can take it elsewhere and see what I can get for it."
"You're going to take a dubious rumor to whom, exactly?" I laughed. "I think if you're going to sell information to the highest bidder, you'd better make sure it's actually true first, don't you? Don't make yourself into any more of an ass than you already are, Victor."
I could see the blood rising in Victor's cheeks as he fumed over my insult. He'd been counting on me rising to the bait, and when I didn't, he didn't know where else to go.
"You'd better watch yourself, Connor," he said, narrowing his eyes. "My sources are solid and I'm in a position to release your financial records to the papers. Then what would people say, huh? The poor firefighter who they donate money to every year is one of the richest men in the city. How would that play out, eh?"
"That money goes to charity and you know it," I said, rising to the bait. "Why would you want to ruin that?"
"I'm sick of seeing you being lauded as a hero after what you did," he said, standing up so that we were face to face. Victor's mouth was twisted into an ugly grin as he spoke. "You destroyed her. She was a good girl from a good family and you destroyed her. You moved her into a house that was unsafe, and she died because of your selfish negligence! If it hadn’t been for your stubborn insistence, she never would have been working at that clinic."
"You son of a bitch," I seethed as he spoke. "I loved her. I would have never in a million years put her in danger, and you know it, so fuck off."
"That's it, just shrug off responsibility like you've always done," Victor said, shaking his head. "God, you live such a golden life, Connor. Nothing can tarnish your saintly halo, can it?"
"What's your beef, Vangel?" I said through clenched teeth. "Why the hell are you so concerned with what happened in my life?"
"Don't play stupid with me and act like you don't know," he spat.
"I'm not, I seriously have no idea what your damn beef is, Vangel," I countered.
We'd known each other in high school, but then most of us had gone to the same school. Victor and I had played on the football team together, along with Mike Kelly and Danny Newsome, but other than the fact that we hadn't run in the same crowd, I had no idea why Victor was so angry with me.
"Never mind," he said. "It doesn't matter, but what does matter is that you need to support my bid for Lieutenant at this house or else I'll release the information I've got about your security firm, and then everyone will know that you're a deep-pocketed billionaire who's stealing money from the donors who fund your charity."
"I'm not bilking anyone!" I growled. "You can't do that!"
"I can do anything I like," he said, smiling as he narrowed his eyes again. "I'm the one with the information and the connections to the higher ups in the department."
"You're a son-of-a-bitch, Vangel," I shot back. "Mind your own damn business!"
"Well, your business is integral to me minding my own." He grinned. "So, minding your business is rather like minding my own. Can I count on your support? Then again, if I can earn the support of the Chief, I might not need you and the other guys."
"Asshole," I said as I turned and walked toward the door to the bunkroom.
"I'll take that as a yes," he said before sinking back down on his bed and picking up his magazine.
I ran down the stairs and burst into the common room muttering curse words under my breath.
"Something wrong, Cam?" Newsome asked as he played tug of war with Tesla.
"Fucking Vangel," I cursed as I walked out to the bay where I spent the next hour checking equipment and hoping for a call.