Firestarter (2 page)

As the sisters waited their turn, Hamish flirted outrageously with a group of ladies who looked like they'd come to sell jam in the WI marquee. He showed them his big hose and invited them to get a firm grip on it.

'Where's your helmet, young man?' one of them asked.

'Come round the back of the truck and I'll show you.'

Egged on by her friends she went with him and returned wearing it. The helmet was far too big and covered her eyes, so he had to guide her. She seemed to consider that quite an improvement on walking unaided. The women were laughing so much as they walked away they had to use each other for support.

'A couple of hot girls like you obviously need fire safety advice,' Hamish said to Alice and Kate when it was their turn. They were treated to the same sort of silly jokes and dodgy innuendo. After he'd helped them into the firetruck's cab, he said, 'I remember you two, don't I? Applemore School?'

'Correct! I'm Kate and this is my sister Alice. Excuse her if she drools or anything, she has a slight uniform and rubber fetish.'

Alice jabbed her elbow into her traitorous sister's ribs. Normally it would be flattering to be remembered, but she couldn't help wondering exactly what he recalled about her. Had he been aware of quite how often she went to watch rugby practices, or that he was the reason for her interest? Probably not, as she'd been too awestruck to speak to him on the few occasions they'd come face to face, but there was a risk that Kate's comments about drooling would bring it all back.

'Either of you girls like to ring my bell?' Hamish indicated the siren.

'Alice would.' Kate announced a sudden decision to investigate smoke detectors and jumped down from the truck.

'Tactful girl, your sister.'

'I might let her live to regret it.'

'How about coming for a drink with me and we can plot your revenge?' He gave a very attractive grin which made the skin at the sides of his grey-green eyes crinkle.

'I'd love to.'

'Excellent. In the meantime, how do you fancy being rescued from a burning building? The girl who was going to play the part isn't well. You'd just have to wait in a model house while we bring the engine into the main arena and send up the ladder. I'd carry you down in a fireman's lift.'

Alice gaped. He'd just described the first part of her fireman fantasy. The second part started with the kiss of life and didn't require his uniform.

'You'd be perfectly safe, I promise. You might have to borrow some trousers though, that rather nice dress isn't really suitable.'

She was glad Tony didn't hear that. 'Told you so' would be all across his face. Alice sighed. If she were to take part in the display it was bound to get back to Tony who definitely wouldn't be happy. And knowing he wouldn't like it she really shouldn't do it.

'Um I can't. Sorry. Oh...or go for a drink, if you were serious about that. I have a boyfriend.'

He shrugged. 'Of course you have.'

'Sorry. I should... er...'

'It's fine. We'll ask for a volunteer from the audience. Now push that switch there and get that siren going.'

'Will you be going to the school reunion in January?' she asked once she'd climbed down again.

'Hopefully. A lot could happen between now and then. Who knows what might have changed?'

'Might see you there then.'

Hamish was flirting with his next visitors when she and Kate left; a pair of slim, flamboyantly dressed young men who giggled even more than the WI ladies. Perhaps he always acted like that and she'd been mistaken in thinking it was her relationship status he hoped might have changed by January.

'You turned down a fireman?' Kate gasped when Alice told her what she'd missed.

'I know! Mad or what?'

'You must really love Tony.'

'Well...' She still did, didn't she? It didn't mean anything that she wasn't quite able to say so or that a sarcastic little voice in her head was saying, 'Yeah, you absolutely, totally and completely love him.'

Chapter 2

Alice forced herself to watch the firefighters' display in the main arena. Usually it would have been one of the highlights of the day, but then she hadn't usually been given the chance to be part of it. She'd imagined such a thing before, numerous times, but her thoughts never ended with her turning down the opportunity. Absolutely the opposite.

At first all there was to see was a mock-up of a block of flats, made from a scaffolding framework, clad with board and painted canvas. Soon fake smoke streamed from the top of the building. A blonde leaned out of a window, gesturing frantically to the fire crew below. To Alice she looked more desperate for attention than rescue.

The announcer informed the crowd that the fire brigade were being called and help was on the way. Even before he'd finished, sirens blared and fire engines, blue lights ablaze, rushed to the scene. The fire crews poured from their vehicles and immediately started tackling the flames. They extended a ladder towards the girl's window. A fireman began climbing. Due to the uniform and helmet Alice wouldn't have known it was Hamish unless he'd told her what his role was to be, but in her mind she'd have seen someone just as young, fit and attractive and with a grin just as appealing as his.

'Now there's someone who doesn't get vertigo,' Kate said.

Alice ignored her. She'd long ago given up trying to convince her sister that Tony didn't have a fear of heights. Once Kate got an idea in her head it was almost impossible to shift it.

'Will he reach her in time?' demanded the announcer.

Fake flames, less convincing than the smoke and announcer's pretended doubt over the outcome, leapt in all directions. The firemen on the ground sprayed water. Real water and Alice was pleased to see a little of the spray reached the blonde. If there was any justice her straight locks would be a frizzy mess by the time Hamish got to her. Hopefully her mascara wasn't waterproof.

As the smoke thickened, the girl vanished from sight. The announcer warned of the dangers of smoke inhalation. 'Almost there,' he said as the tall, strong, hunky fireman climbed the last few steps. He too vanished from sight for a moment, then reappeared with the blonde in his arms. It was exactly like Alice's fantasy except for a few little details. In her imagination obviously it would be her getting rescued, her the fireman carried away to safety, her who melted his heart and ignited a fire of passion hotter than any fire he'd faced. Her, not some mystery blonde.

Alice didn't mind about the unconvincing fire, the danger or realities of the situation weren't what appealed to her. She knew her fantasy was just that. Now the blonde girl had ruined it all for Alice. No, it wasn't quite that. Alice had enjoyed similar demonstrations before although she'd not participated in them. It wasn't so much that it wasn't her as the fact she'd said no. That she'd always have to say no.

Hamish climbed down with the girl over his shoulder. The crowd cheered.

'He has her! And it looks like she's grateful.' The announcer stated the obvious as they reached the ground. Hamish removed his helmet and the blonde hussy attached her, no doubt pouty, lips to the poor chap's mouth.

'That could have been you,' Kate, said.

'Thanks for reminding me,' Alice snapped.

The commentator thanked Hampshire Fire Service for the thrilling demonstration as the sisters left the main arena.

'What do you want to do now?' Kate asked. 'I need the loo, but then we'll do whatever will cheer you up.'

'Can I start the day over?' Alice asked.

'Has it been so bad?'

Had it? She knew she was being silly over the fire display and her disappointment was temporary. Otherwise she'd had a good day, mostly.

'Tony and I rowed this morning over me wearing this.' Alice indicated her dress.

'Bet he only stopped the night so he could remind you not to have any fun today.'

'Don't be like that,' Alice said. 'He has his good points.'

'If you say so. Anyway, I'm glad you didn't cave in.'

'I didn't see why I should. I like this dress.'

'Me too and from the way Handsome Hamish was looking at you, I'm not the only one. I quite understand why you were so keen to wear it today.'

'You sound like Tony!'

'Don't be mean,' Kate said. She joined the queue for the toilets, leaving Alice to sit on a straw bale and wait.

Had she been so wrong to compare Kate with Tony? They both seemed to think the worst of her at times. No, that wasn't fair. Kate had just been teasing and she knew how insecure Tony could be. Maybe she should make more effort not to give him reason to feel like that. It wasn't his fault that he, who spent most of his time working, didn't seem to understand her need to spend time with other people. He'd been very supportive when she'd moved out from her parents' home saying she needed a bit of space. He'd carefully checked her lease agreement, found the best insurance policy for her few items of furniture, most of which he'd paid for, and fitted smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

He'd understood her satisfaction at her independence, but been confused that she chose to visit her mum and dad several times a week, often sharing a meal. Because Kate still lived there and therefore Alice would see her frequently, it seemed strange to him that the pair of them often went out together in the evenings. He was just as perplexed by her regular meetings with old school friends and former work colleagues, especially as few of Alice's social engagements involved what he referred to as 'culturally enriching experiences'. Tony didn't do fun for the sake of it; why waste time on that when he could be furthering his career, social position or feeling of superiority?

Oh, maybe she did spend slightly too much time with Kate. Surely that last thought was something her sister had put in her head, not one of Alice's own. She quite enjoyed going to exhibitions with Tony and watching plays or the 'right kind' of film. She didn't mind listening to classical music sometimes or being taken to classy places to eat and drink as often as he liked.

The previous week Tony had taken her to a gallery showcasing the talents of contemporary British artists. Alice knew it was probably a reflection on her poor taste that she didn't totally appreciate the sculptures formed from second-hand chewing gum and text message poetry. They were better than the 'found' music which seemed to be a medley of drills; dentist, pneumatic and the DIY sort. In between was bursts of a man shouting instructions.

'Oh!' she'd said as she deciphered some of the words as 'present arms' and 'eyes front'. 'He's a drill instructor!'

'Who is?' Tony asked. He'd actually seemed impressed by her explanation.

They'd been accosted by a very shiny-faced man dressed entirely in lime green who said the piece was called 'Drilling into Your Soul' and had been written by his partner.

'It's very effective,' Alice said. She'd heard someone say that to the gum sculptor who'd been delighted, so it seemed a safe comment.

'So powerful, isn't it?' the man had said.

Alice and Tony had both agreed that was the case, then moved on to look at paintings of... well she didn't know what they were of, but she did know they represented the futility of progress, because there was a label saying so.

A reflection on her good appetite was her wholehearted appreciation of the snacks. These also had a British theme, but, in order to contrast with the artwork, they were all classics. To begin with cocktail sticks holding bite-sized ploughman's lunches in the form of small chunks of cheddar, apple, celery and pickled onions, some with and some without ham, were offered. Mini Melton Mowbray pork pies, triangles of Welsh rarebit, tiny scotch eggs and bowls of those fancy crisps created from a variety of root vegetables made up the next selection. Once those had all been consumed, trays of teensy lemon meringue pies, treacle tarts and fruit and cream-filled meringues were circulated. The meringues were described as Eton Mess but, although they were composed of the correct ingredients, were far too exquisitely neat to deserve the name. They tasted lovely though, as did the dainty wedges of Stilton, Red Leicester and Cornish Yarg each on different tiny crackers which followed.

Overall Alice had enjoyed that evening. She also liked sitting in a burger place with her mates, wearing whatever she'd happened to have on and laughing at stupid jokes. Or window shopping with Kate, which also generally involved laughing at stupid jokes.

Tony never wasted his time that way, but she couldn't help feeling he was missing out by not having a close family and a bunch of friends he'd never feel he had to impress. It was a good thing he had her and a time consuming job or surely he'd be terribly lonely. Alice didn't want to be without Tony, but she knew she'd have her friends and family for support if they did split up. Loneliness wasn't one of her concerns.

'Sorry I snapped,' Kate said when she returned from the toilets.

'Me too. Come on, I still have some of Tony's money left. Let's get huge ice creams.'

Kate grinned. 'Excellent idea.'

Tony called her that evening to apologise for being grouchy. 'I was annoyed with myself for not going too, but that's no excuse.'

'You missed a good day.' Alice told him about some of the things they'd seen and done, but refrained from mentioning the fire brigade at all. He'd only have read more into it than had actually happened, even though from her point of view that was almost nothing at all. 'Kate says thanks for the lunch,' she added.

'She's very welcome.'

'Oh, and we got the egg on a plate pictures for you.'

'Seriously?'

'Trust me, there's nothing more serious than an egg on a plate to some people. I can tell you all about albumen viscosity if you're interested.'

'Um, well...'

'Don't worry, I can't really remember the details.'

'Then I'll make do with just the pictures.'

The next day he sent a fabulous bouquet of mixed white flowers tied up with a bright pink bow. The exact same pink as her dress. What was he saying? That she'd looked as good as the flowers when she wore it, or was he reminding her that he hadn't forgotten she'd done so against his wishes? The former she decided; she refused to jump to conclusions and think the worst of those she cared about.

The flowers still looked wonderful a week later, which was only the second time she'd seen Tony since the New Forest Show. On Sunday, they'd gone to an exhibition of more paintings which didn't seem to actually be of anything in particular.

'They express youth, vitality and urgency,' Tony had explained.

'Yes, I can see that,' Alice agreed. Well, to her they looked as though five-year-olds had done them. Five-year-olds in a hurry, so that was sort of the same thing.

'Do you like them?'

'I prefer them to those futility ones we saw,' she said. That was quite true, but then she'd rather have a filling than root canal surgery.

'Do you have a favourite?'

Alice pointed to the nicest coloured one of those which already had red 'sold' stickers on it, secure in the knowledge that someone else valued it and Tony wouldn't be able to buy it as either a gift or an investment. It was the sort of thing he might well do. Chocolates or Premium Bonds respectively would make much more sense to her.

Afterwards they'd gone out for a meal. The food was delicious and presented in such an artistic way that it more than made up for the paintings seeming a bit messy. They were joined by two acquaintances of Tony's. The men were very serious and spoke about the grown-up subjects of corporate insurance and carbon trade exchange in such detail they made up for any childishness, not just in the artwork but in the world ever. Still, Tony seemed interested, so she smiled and nodded, particularly when the waiter suggested another bottle of Chablis.

Since then Tony had been too busy with work to go out socially. He'd phoned several times though. He always called her if he knew she'd gone out. That was because he cared about her and wanted to know she'd got home safely. It was not, as Kate insinuated, because he was checking up on her.

A week later, Alice had a surprise as she finished work. Tony was waiting outside.

'I realised I've been neglecting you lately,' he said as he opened his car door for her.

'I know you've been busy with work,' Alice said, trying hard to sound sympathetically understanding rather than neglected. 'Have you finished the latest project?'

'We have, so I'll be back to normal hours for a while now.'

Alice almost asked, 'Normal for you, or actually normal?' but stopped herself just in time.

'So, where shall we go?'

'My place, Kate's coming to tea.'

'Ah. Lovely.

When Kate arrived she showed him the photos she'd taken at the show. 'There you go, eggs on plates.'

Tony studied the images. 'No doubt about it, those are eggs on plates.'

'Surely you didn't doubt something Alice told you?' Kate asked.

'Of course not. There's no reason for me to is there?'

'Show him the Highland cows,' Alice said. 'The calves are so cute, Tony. Look at that gingery one, he was my favourite.'