Chapter Seven

 

“Can I stop by?” I asked Tamara as she answered my phone call.

“Sure. Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Yes. I just have something to ask you,” I assured her, and shoved my phone into my purse.

I waved to Josh as he pulled out of the parking lot and I headed downtown to Tamara’s studio.

She had just finished up her shoot as I walked in. “Hey,” she said, turning to greet me as I entered.

I watched her pack up her equipment carefully and thought about how foolish she’d been running back into the burning house to save it that night. Thank God for Josh.

“What did you want to ask me?” she asked, giving me a strange look.

I knew I was daydreaming, drifting off to a place of sadness at the thought of losing her. She was my best friend. My first friend in L.A. When I arrived in this town two years ago, she was my only point of contact. A Craigslist ad for a roommate was all I knew of her, and a couple phone calls before I met with her. We’d hit off instantly, and ever since that day, I’d considered her my best friend, like family.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Yes. Sorry, I was drifting,” I sighed.

“No shit; where’d ya go?” she laughed.

I smiled and shook my head. She didn’t want to know. Not really.

“Josh just invited us all to a fundraiser at the fire station next week,” I said.

“Oh, yeah? I’d love to go,” she said quickly.

“Well, there’s more than that,” I said. She slid her camera bag over her shoulder and gave me another glance. “His photographer just dumped on him,” I stated.

“Oh, no. Does he need my help?” she asked.

“He does. But, he doesn’t want to ask. It’s charity, so of course, no pay for all your time,” I explained.

She laughed. “That’s not a problem. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have any time to give.”

“I knew you wouldn’t mind,” I said, relieved.

I gave her the details, made sure she had a clear schedule, and thanked her again before leaving.

Josh was delighted when he found out she’d offered to help. Tamara was delighted when he informed her what type of shoot she’d be doing.

“Sexy firemen calendar?” she asked, her eyes wide and filled with excitement.

Josh laughed as he nodded.

“What sexy firemen?” Lisa asked, obviously eavesdropping on the conversation from the other room.

“We do this every year. We’ve always had the same photographer, and since they volunteered their time, we never felt right about looking elsewhere. But, the guys are excited to have someone new on the job. I showed them some of your work, so they are ready to get started,” Josh said.

“This is the type of assignment I dream about,” Tamara giggled.

I knew she was trying to sound like what she said was a joke, but it wasn’t. It was an assignment we all dreamed about.

Lisa got on the phone and called Amy, telling her the good news. I could hear her squeal on the other end of the phone as Lisa pulled the receiver away from her ear. “She’s in,” she announced with her loud, obnoxious laugh.

The week was spent planning the day, helping with anything we could before the event took place. It felt good working with Josh, helping him. He’d done so much for all of us; it was nice to be able to give something back.

The guys at the station were all amazing, but I still found Josh to be extra special. Lisa and Amy helped set up the tables for the food while Tamara and I worked on the shoot.

Tamara had already been there most of the week by the day of the fundraiser. She’d taken action shots of the men as they were called off to fires, and even rode along to capture the chaos, the heroism, and the sheer danger they faced each day. They were all excited to have her working with them, capturing moments that their previous photographer neglected. One firefighter in particular, Vinny, was more than a little excited to have her around.

I watched as they exchanged glances and noticed how she giggled like a schoolgirl when he was around. I’d never seen Tamara interested in anyone like that before. And Vinny, well, he was certainly interested in her.

Josh was shirtless, wearing his firefighter pants like he had on the first day we’d met. My heart raced at the memory of that first kiss. It was more than hot; it was scalding.

“Are you going to be okay for a bit?” he asked, pulling me into his bare chest.

“Yes. You do what you need to do. I have plenty to keep me busy,” I assured him.

The large banquet hall directly across from the station had graciously offered their space for the event. The firemen all needed to be close by, in case of an emergency, and they hated that some couldn’t attend if it was further across town. “You can’t schedule fires,” Josh had said with a laugh.

“Unless you’re an arsonist,” I teased.

A large green screen Tamara was able to snag from a friend was being used to create backgrounds for each of the shots. The men would all take their turns in front of her camera, each getting their own month in the calendar to adorn with their thick muscles and chiseled features.

A second book would be available, one with all her action shots of the men at work. It would bring in entirely new revenue, really allowing the men to help the community out with the funds raised.

I was proud of Tamara. She really came through for the guys.

People began piling into the large space, taking seats at the white-linen clad tables. Tamara set up her equipment and fussed with the lighting while I greeted people at the door, offering the programs for the evening’s events.

Once everyone was inside, I took my seat at the table in front. Amy and Lisa were already seated, and several of the men’s wives and girlfriends took the other seats. Josh didn’t have one date to escort at the fundraiser—he had four, and the other guys made several comments to show their admiration, and of course, their jealousy about the situation.

Josh ate it up, loving every jab, joke, and tease about his “harem.” The girls seemed to enjoy the razzing, as well.

A large man with thick gray hair and a long white beard introduced himself, and then all of the guys, one by one. When he called Josh’s name, my heart fluttered. I was so proud to be by his side.

Tamara took her shots as the guests all enjoyed the live photo shoot. On each table was an order form for the calendar, and a sample book of the action shots Tamara had taken. It was impressive.

“That was so awkward,” Josh said, sliding into the seat beside me.

“Why?” I asked, not thinking he’d be uncomfortable modeling, even in front of a large crowd.

“All these people,” he exclaimed, his hands in the air to show his dismay.

“Was it more awkward than getting naked with the girl you only dated once?” I laughed.

His eyes widened and his lips curled into a smile. He pulled my chair closer to him, leaning in to kiss my lips. “That wasn’t awkward. That was awesome,” he boasted.

“It was awkward. At least at first,” I admitted.

“No way. That’s a man’s dream. One date and the girl gets naked in bed with you,” he joked.

“Yeah, and not being able to do anything with her?” I asked, giving him a look to prove I was still right.

“Oh, I could’ve done something if I’d wanted,” he chuckled.

I shook my head as my cheeks started to turn red with heat.

“I don’t think so,” I corrected him.

“I saw your wet spot. You left one on my leg, too,” he smirked.

Oh, God!

He leaned in again, kissing me gently on the lips to ease my embarrassment. He was right. He could’ve done whatever he’d wanted to me that day. He had a strange effect on me, lifting my inhibitions without hesitation. Hell, I’d fuck him right here if he continues to kiss me like this.