CHAPTER 3
Isaac
“Two shots of Jägermeister,” a voice next to me says. “You in, Captain Irons?”
I turn and look. It’s Jacobs, the kid we just brought on last month. Either I’m getting older or these new fireman are getting a whole lot younger.
“No thanks, Jacobs. I’m good with my whiskey.”
“Whiskey? That looks like a water you’re drinking.”
“I’m alternating.”
“Right. Have to stay sober for networking. Well, don’t worry Captain Irons. You’ve got my vote.”
“Thanks, Jacobs. Appreciate your support.”
“No problem,” he says, as the bartender places a full shot glass in front of each of us. I shake my head when the bartender looks my way. He slides the second shot glass next to the first, right in front of Jacobs.
“And speaking of having my vote, I give that one a perfect ten,” Jacobs says.
I repeat his words in my mind wondering what in the heck he’s talking about. It he judging the shots like drinking is now an Olympic sport? Who knows? Then again I don’t really care. I’ve got my hands full with Julia. Maybe bringing her here wasn’t such a good idea. We should have practiced alone first…gotten her use to the way this should have worked, and not the way it’s currently working.
She’s come close to blowing the lid off our little charade, and in the process she’s almost rubbed a few too many people the wrong way. I guess I underestimated her directness.
“Look at that one,” Jacobs says, elbowing me in the ribs.
I try to ignore him, opting to look to my right hoping to see Julia come out of the bathroom any second now. Nothing.
I scan the room making sure Abby is in sight. I can only imagine her following Julia into the bathroom and then trying to butter her up for information. I would be ruined. We’d both be ruined.
I wonder if they let you off with a lighter sentence if you’re not already married. Engagements can be broken, and we’re not planning on going through with this thing anyways. We haven’t signed any papers anyways. An engagement is just an agreement between two people, right? It’s a civil matter, not criminal one.
I can’t believe I’m having these thoughts. Then again I can’t believe some of the thoughts I’m having about Julia.
I bought her that bright red dress so everyone would see I’m with someone. I need to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, and having a spouse, or fiancée in this case, does that for me. But as much as I was hoping to appeal to a lot of voters, what I wasn’t expecting was Julia to appeal so much to me.
I mean, when I pulled her out of that fire I could see she was a really good-looking girl, even though she was covered in soot and had been working all night.
Come to think about it, she didn’t really seem that scared when I got to her. Then again, nothing seems to worry her too much. I’ve never met a woman that’s so direct and sure of herself like a man, but is so feminine at the same time. Must be something in the water over there in Russia…I mean Ukraine.
And what are they putting in the water that makes the women look so incredible in red dresses? I want everyone to notice her, but it turns out I’m the one who can’t take my eyes off her. I think she caught me checking out her cleavage earlier. I can’t believe I did that. Then again I am a man and she is a woman…a very, beautiful woman who’s strong and independent.
I don’t have a type of girl that I usually like. Then again I haven’t had a girl in awhile. It’s not that I couldn’t. The offers are definitely there. I’m in incredible shape, regardless of my age. I’ve been saving some money over the years, and am not afraid to enjoy some it if the right girl comes along. And everybody in town knows I’m a fireman. I can’t go out at night, or even linger in the frozen foods section at the grocery store, without some lady from the bar offering to slide down my pole, or let me unload my hose, or one of the other clichés that fireman always hear.
As crazy as it sounds I want a girl who wants me for me. I know a lot of guys get in this line of work for the women, but not me. I was the kid who read comic books. I wanted to be a superhero, so I could rescue people. It took a lot of work to get to where I am today. A lot of lifting heavy iron every day for over thirty years in the gym. A lot of vacations missed because I studied fire disbursement patterns in various residential and commercial structures. A lot of late nights memorizing the blueprints of the buildings that hold the most number of workers during the day. I need to be ready in case anything ever happens.
When most guys were out on dates, I was at home reading books about profiling crazy arsonists. I’m really all in on my commitment to being a complete and professional firefighter, and I know I’d make a great chief.
What I don’t know is why I keep thinking about her, and what’s taking her so long in the bathroom.
“They’re swarming on her like bees to honey,” Jacobs continues.
“What?”
“The new girl. The one everyone’s talking about.”
“Who is everyone talking…”
I turn and see Julia smiling as about ten different men are trying to chat her up at the same time. They’re all standing around her like they’re waiting for her approval…waiting for her to just look their direction or to say one word to them.
How in the world did she slide out of the bathroom and wind up over there? And how did I miss her when she did? I’ve been eyeing that bathroom entrance for ten minutes. And she’s wearing red for Pete’s sake.
I feel my stomach tighten, and I want to sock Jacobs in the jaw.
“Well they better stop talking, because that’s my girl!” I say, slamming my glass down on the bar before marching straight over to her.