Playing With Fire (Firehouse Fourteen Book 2) (4 page)

All of which would have been a lot easier to do if her eyes weren't so focused on his firm ass as he walked in front of her.

"Angie told me what you did the other night."

Jay choked on the coffee he had been drinking, the hot liquid going down the wrong way. He sat the cup down, splashing some on the table as he bent over, coughing.

What the fuck?

"What the hell, Jay?"

He coughed some more, a spasm tearing his stomach hard enough he thought he might hurl, then looked over at Mikey Donaldson as she wiped at the coffee splashed on her arm. She turned and fixed him with a questioning look but he only shook his head. He closed his eyes, coughing once more, then turned to look at Dave.

He expected his face to make contact with Dave's fist, and actually flinched when Dave reached out. Only it wasn't with his fist, and certainly not to his face. Instead, the burly paramedic clapped him on the shoulder and smiled.

What the fuck?

"Uh." Jay stopped and cleared his still-burning throat, not sure what to say.

"About her car, how it wouldn't start so you fixed it for her. Thanks for looking out for her."

"Oh, yeah. No problem."

Dave clapped him on the shoulder again then walked over to the counter at the back of the room and fixed himself a cup of coffee. Jay watched as he took a long swallow then leaned against the counter, the mug held loosely in one hand as he watched Jay.

And Jay waited, wondering what else was coming, wondering how he could even begin to defend himself. The fact of the matter was, he couldn't. There was no excuse for letting himself get out of control like he had, and he'd been beating himself up for it for the last few days.

"I honestly have no idea what to do with that girl." Dave shook his head and took another swallow of coffee, a frown on his face.

"Girl? Who are we talking about here?" Mike asked, looking first at Dave, then at Jay, then back to Dave.

"My sister. Angie."

Mike laughed, the sound grating on Jay. He wanted to kick her under the table but was afraid to move because he was still waiting for Dave lay into him.

"Dave, your sister is not a girl. Maybe if you stopped treating her like one, you wouldn't have so many problems."

"Mike, she's my baby sister. She
is
a girl. I just wish she'd get her act together."

Jay opened his mouth, then snapped it shut when he realized he had been ready to jump in and defend Angie. But he realized that might look suspicious so he said nothing.

"Are we talking about the same sister here? The one who bartends at Duffy's?" Mike tossed the question to Dave as she pushed away from the table. She glanced at Jay, giving him another curious look, then walked over to the sink and grabbed a sponge.

"Yeah, that's her."

"The one who's also going to vet school? The one you bragged about graduating college with top honors? That sister?"

"I only have the one sister and you know it. What's your point, Mike?"

"No point. Just wondering why you think she needs to get her act together, that's all." Mike sponged down the table, grimacing at the spilled coffee, then walked back to the sink to rinse the sponge out.

Just one more thing for Jay to feel guilty about, he realized. He was the one who made the mess, he should've been the one to clean it up. But that paled in comparison to everything else he had to feel guilty about so he didn't let it bother him. Much.

"Because she does. I'm worried about her dating. Her choice in men leaves a lot to be desired and she just needs to get her head on straight."

The urge to bolt from the room was nearly overwhelming and Jay struggled to remain completely still. He could feel a flush starting at the back of his neck and only hoped that neither Dave nor Mike would notice, because he had no idea how he'd explain it. So he just sat there, staring at a spot on the wall behind Dave, and hoped to hell that nobody noticed, that nobody would say anything.

The clanging of a bell broke the silence and all three of them paused, heads tilted to listen as the radio came to life. Dave muttered something and sat his mug down then left the kitchen to respond to the medic call.

Jay let out a deep breath and turned his attention back to the paper, thankful that Dave didn't seem to have any idea what had really happened the other night.

The paper was suddenly pulled from his hands and he looked up in surprise to see Mikey sitting across from him, her eyebrows raised in question.

"Anything you want to tell me?"

"What? No. Why?" Jay raised the paper again, making sure it covered his heated face. He should have known that wouldn't work, though, because Mike's hand wrapped around the top edge and pulled it back down. Only this time, she kept her hand on it, holding it flat against the table.

"You want to maybe rethink that?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really?" Mike pulled the paper toward her and carefully folded it, her eyes never leaving his face. He took a deep breath and forced his eyes to meet hers. Why, he didn't know. She obviously already knew something was going on.

A few long seconds went by, filled with Mike's questioning look and his squirming. He finally gave up and looked away.

"It's not what you're thinking so stop looking at me that way."

"Then what is it?"

Jay pursed his lips, wondering how much to tell her. Mikey was his best friend, and there had never really been any secrets between them. But for some reason, he just couldn't seem to tell her what happened. At least, not everything. So he decided on an abbreviated—and definitely G-rated—version.

"Her car broke down the other night after work, and she needed a new alternator. So, I fixed it for her. End of story."

Another minute went by while Mike just studied him, saying nothing. Jay started to squirm under her steady gaze and had to force himself to stop before it made him look guiltier than he actually was.

"So you fixed her alternator? That's it?"

"Well no, she needed a new one."

"Oh. And you just happened to have on laying around at, what, two o'clock in the morning outside Duffy's?"

"Of course not, no. I bought a new one for her the next day and replaced it."

"Hm." She sat back in the chair and just watched him, her fingers tapping on the table in front of her. Once again, Jay was forced to squelch his desire to squirm.

And he still couldn't quite meet her eyes.

"Why do I get the impression that there's a lot more you're not telling me?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really?" Another few seconds went by, and Jay thought that maybe she'd stop asking questions. But no, that would have been too much to expect. "Jay, did you sleep with Angie?"

"What?" Jay nearly jumped from the chair, then caught himself at the last minute. "No, of course not. Do you really think that I'd—"

"Then what happened?"

"I told you."

"Yeah, and again, you're leaving something out. Now out with it."

Jay opened his mouth to reply without really knowing what he was going to say. But he was stopped from saying anything when the alarm went off, literally saved by the bell. He muttered a small prayer of thanks and started heading out to the engine, Mike right beside him.

"I'm not letting you off the hook, Jay."

He said nothing, just quickly dressed in his turnout gear then ran for the engine. Of course Mikey wouldn't let it go. That would be too much to expect.

Duffy's was crowded. Again.

Angie didn't know why she was surprised, or even why she was complaining. The weekend business had been steadily increasing over the last year, which is why she even had this job. The pay was good, the tips great, and she had flexible work-hours scheduled around school and her internship.

And she really did enjoy working here. Tonight's crowd was already off to a generous start, which was normal for second Saturday thanks to the live band that was now regularly scheduled. So really, Angie shouldn't be complaining at all.

And she wasn't, not really. In fact, tonight shouldn't be any different than any other night she worked here.

Except her brother was here with all of his coworkers.

Including Jay.

Tonight was the first time that she had seen Jay since last week, and the memory of that whole catastrophe still brought a flush to her face. So yeah, she should have been happy that he barely acknowledged her when he walked in. She should be happy that he wasn't paying any attention to her at all as he laughed and joked with his friends in the back corner.

Yeah, that's what she kept trying to tell herself.

Angie reached into the cooler and grabbed four bottles, grateful for the momentary coolness that brushed her skin. She sat all four bottles on the bar and pulled the bottle opener from her back pocket, then quickly popped the tops on each. She reached behind her and grabbed two glasses and filled them with ice, then poured tea into them from the pitcher next to her.

She made a quick note on the sales slip then turned and placed the glasses on the tray next to the bottles. "There you go."

Michaela Donaldson—Mike to her coworkers, which included both Dave and Jay—gave her a smile and tossed a bill on the bar next to the drinks. Angie nodded her thanks and tossed the ten into the tip jar, surprised that the woman made no move to take the drinks.

But not surprised that it was anyone but Jay who had come up to get the drinks. In fact, Jay hadn't even come close to the bar since walking in.

So what did that tell her?

Way too much.

Angie looked back at Mike, wondering if maybe she had forgotten a drink because she didn't understand why she would still be standing there, watching her. Especially since the band was on break. Mike's boyfriend, Nick, was the band's lead singer and guitarist and the woman generally spent the breaks with him. But Mike just stood there watching her, saying nothing. Angie couldn't waste any more time worrying about it because there was a line of people still waiting to be served.

Breaks were always hectic. Business was steady throughout the night, but she and Rick had to really hustle to keep up during breaks. And right now it was just her, because Rick had to run to the back to grab more cases for the cooler.

So Angie ignored the woman watching her and waited on the next two customers, pouring drinks and taking money and moving on to the next two. She felt Rick push behind her and she stepped closer to the bar, moving out of his way so he could put the beer into the cooler.

"He can be an ass sometimes, so don't let him get to you."

Angie looked over in surprise, noticing that Mike was still standing there, now balancing the tray full of drinks in her hands. The woman gave her a friendly smile then turned away, disappearing into the crowd before Angie could say anything.

What had that been about? She couldn't have been talking about Rick. So did that mean she was talking about Jay? Who else would she mean? But why would she even say anything at all? Unless Jay had said something—and she didn't even want to think about that possibility. It was entirely too embarrassing.

Angie shook her head, refusing to think about it as she turned her attention to the next two customers. She had to keep focused and think about her job here tonight, not waste valuable time worrying about something that probably meant nothing.

But the thought was there, waiting for her as she went through the motions for the next hour, fighting for attention she couldn't spare. And the more she tried to push it away, the harder it fought to be given center stage. The frustration built inside her until she finally snapped and balled up the wet dishrag and threw it into the sink with a small curse.

"You okay?" The question came from Rick and she looked over, noticed him watching her in curiosity. She blew out a deep breath and pushed the hair out of her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You look frustrated. Why don't you go outside for a quick break? I can handle it for a few."

A break suddenly sounded like a perfect idea so she nodded her thanks and made her way to the service door at the back of the bar. The door closed behind her, immediately muting the noise of the crowd. Angie took a deep breath and kept walking, finally pushing open the outside door and stepping into the night air.

The noise from inside was noticeably less now, the air cooler than the stuffiness of so many bodies inside. She took another deep breath then lowered herself to the bench pushed against the wall and closed her eyes.

Rick was right, this was just the break she needed. No noise, no crowds, nobody clamoring for attention. Yeah, she normally loved this job. But tonight, for some reason, things just weren't clicking.

For some reason? Angie laughed to herself. She knew exactly why, and she needed to just get over it.

She reached behind her and grabbed the length of her hair, twisting it then pulling it off her neck, wishing briefly she could just pull it back in a ponytail. That's how she generally wore her hair, anyway. But not here. For some reason, she always wore it down while she was bartending.

Which was just one more thing she could add to the list of things she did that made no sense. Like throw herself at guys who had absolutely no interest in her.

She waited a few more minutes, letting her body relax in the quiet of the night, then made her way back inside. Rick looked over at her and she gave him a thumbs-up, nodding her head in thanks for the break, then turned to the crowd at the bar.

And immediately wished she hadn't.

Jay was leaning against the counter, his left arm resting against the varnished top as he chewed on a stir stick and watched her. Angie's breath hitched in her chest as those gray eyes studied her, and she suddenly wished that she could call Rick over to take her place.

But she couldn't, because Rick was handling other customers. So Angie stood a little straighter and forced a smile on her face then closed the distance between her and Jay, hoping she at least looked calm on the outside.

Her eyes briefly met his before she dropped her gaze, unable to focus under the watchfulness of those mesmerizing gray eyes. Now her eyes rested on his throat, dropping lower to the open collar of his linen shirt, unbuttoned just enough to expose the tanned skin of his broad chest.

She swallowed and looked away, hoping she hadn't just been caught staring. "Another round?" She didn't bother looking back at him, just moved to the side to reach the cooler so she could grab the beer. His hand closed over her arm, stopping her. She tried to ignore the excitement his touch caused, the involuntary shiver that radiated through her arm to her chest, making her heart beat a little harder.

She knew she should shake off his hand but she couldn't, not when the warmth of his palm against her flesh held her imprisoned, as much as the steady gaze of his eyes held her immobile.

He watched her for a few seconds that seemed so much longer, time slowing around them, his presence and steady gaze pushing everyone around them from her mind. Angie swallowed, not sure what to say, then lowered her eyes to where his hand still rested on her arm, branding her.

"No, don't worry about another round. I just want..." His voice drifted off and Angie held her breath, watching, waiting. Jay looked down at his hand then quickly pulled it away, breaking the contact as if he had just realized he was touching her. He cleared his throat then pulled the stirrer from his mouth, no longer looking at her.

"Uh, I'll just have one this time."

Angie nodded, swallowing her disappointment, then reached down and pulled a bottle from the cooler. She popped the top, slid it toward him, turned to leave.

"You okay?"

She paused, half-tempted to just ignore him, then shook her head with a weary sigh. She turned back, not quite facing him, and busied herself with straightening the stack of coasters at the edge of the bar.

"Yup, I'm fine." Angie looked up at him, then quickly away. "And thanks. For fixing my car, I mean. You didn't have to do that."

Jay brought the bottle to his lips and took a long swallow, his eyes never leaving hers. She watched his strong throat work and felt butterflies take wing in her stomach. "No problem."

"You'll have to let me know how much I owe you."

"My treat."

"Jay, I can't let you do that. I know it wasn't cheap."

"I said, no problem. I told you I'd look out for you."

Angie clenched her jaw, knowing he had said no such thing, and knowing that the comment was supposed to remind her that he thought she was a kid. That she was someone who needed looking after. She glanced around to make sure there were no waiting customers, then leaned forward. "No, you didn't. And I told you already, I'm not some kid who needs watching after. Let me know how much I owe you."

Jay watched her for a long minute, the expression in his eyes unreadable. Angie straightened, suddenly needing to put more distance between them. She was ready to turn and walk away, to start the nightly process of cleaning up, when his next words stopped her.

"Fine. Have dinner with me next week."

"Uh—"

"I'll let you know when." He looked at her for another second then turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

Angie was frozen in place, wondering if she had heard correctly. Had Jay just asked her out on a date? No, surely she had heard wrong. Or she was reading too much into it. Why would he have asked her out, after letting her know, repeatedly, that he only saw her as Dave's kid sister? It didn't make sense.

A customer stepped into her line of vision, pulling her from the confusing tumble of thoughts threatening to drown her. So she forced a smile on her face and greeted the customer, telling herself it was time to get back to work.