Sex and the Single Fireman: A Bachelor Firemen Novel (19 page)

You’re asking the wrong guy
, Roman wanted to say.
My shit’s all locked up tight
.

But he owed Vader. “Maybe you could think of it like a backdraft.”

“I’m afraid of backdrafts.”

“Everyone is. Backdrafts are extremely dangerous. That’s why we take the fire axe up on the roof and ventilate. You have to open up a hole and let some smoke out, right? Prevent a backdraft.”

“Yeah.” He furrowed his forehead. “Backdraft. I like how you put that. Open a hole.”

“There you go.” He tossed back the rest of his bee pollen. Emotional conversations really took it out of a man.

“Thanks, Chief.”

“No problem.” Holy Mother of God, had he managed to offer good advice to a fellow fireman? Maybe California was getting to him. “So we’re cool?”

“Well . . .” Vader hesitated. “One more thing. That bar fight. That left hook.”

“I said I regretted it—” What more did Vader want from him?

“Do you think you could do that again? Except in a ring with a bunch of people watching? Maybe some cameras?”

“What?”

“I want another chance, Chief. I think I could take you. And I want witnesses so everyone knows I can throw a punch as good as the next guy. It’s only fair.”

Roman put some money on the counter and gestured good-bye to the waitress, who was now gyrating and snapping her fingers in the air. “No way, Vader.”

Vader swung around on the stool with an outraged glare. “What do you mean, no way? You gotta give me another chance.”

“I mean, no way could you take me. I haven’t lost a fight since the age of five. And I’m not in the habit of turning my best firefighters into bloody pulp. Sorry.”

“Dude.” But Vader looked too impressed to be pissed. And then the compliment sank in and a smile spread across his bony face. “Hey, thanks.”

“See you at the station.”

When Roman was halfway to the exit door, Vader came hurrying after him. “One other thing, Chief.”

All of Vader’s goofiness had been replaced by utter seriousness.

“What is it?”

“About Sabina. You better not hurt her. If you do, you’ll have the whole firehouse after you.”

Roman stared at him. What had Vader seen that night? His mind raced back to the Jeep, Grove Street, the Christmas lights, Sabina’s beautiful eyes dancing with midnight sparkles . . .

“I’ve seen how she looks at you. Just about every fireman on the crew wouldn’t mind that look from Two. But she’s always been strictly about the firefighting. She’s like your favorite sister combined with a gutsy firefighter who’s smart and hardworking, plus she’s hot as hell. Who wouldn’t crush on her? She keeps her private life off-limits, even with me, and I’m her best friend at the station. But I know her, and she’s not as tough as she acts. I’ve seen her looking at you, and Chief, you’d better not hurt her. Or I’ll take my chances with that left hook of yours, for real. You see where I’m coming from?”

“Yeah. I see,” answered Roman mechanically.

“Then I’ll see you at the station, Chief.” Vader headed for the parking garage while Roman stood like a zombie amid a swirl of girls arriving with yoga mats. Hurt Sabina? That’s the last thing he wanted to do. She seemed so confident, so independent, so self-sufficient. He knew how much she prided herself on those qualities. But of course she was a human being and could be hurt like anyone else.

To quote Vader, what a fucking mess. They couldn’t really date each other, since department policy forbade it. He could leave the department—but he’d just promised Luke they’d stay in San Gabriel. Besides, he couldn’t leave this mess behind. Renteria had ordered him to straighten things out and that’s what he intended to do. He was stuck at Fire Station 1 until further notice.

Worse than that, he was stuck at Station 1 with Sabina. Might as well lock an alcoholic in a wine cellar. Or lash a siren to the mast right next to Odysseus. How was he supposed to forget the taste of her, the turquoise flash of her eyes closing in bliss, the feel of her supple body coming apart under his?

And if he did manage the superhuman feat of forgetting, he’d be hurting her, according to Vader.

They had to back off, now, before things got any more complicated.

Chapter Twenty-One

W
hen Sabina walked into La Piaggia, Anu took one look at her face and hustled her into the kitchen. The cook and his assistant buzzed around, preparing for the dinner crowd. Both of them stole secret looks at Sabina, but one ferocious glance from Anu stopped them cold.

“First you must tell me everything. Then I must tell you something.”

Anu pulled her into the far corner of the kitchen, where the big pots were stored and no one could overhear. She wore a wine-colored sari with a pattern of gold-stitched paisleys and smelled pleasantly of sandalwood incense.

“It’s a total nightmare, Anu.” Sabina had never felt so miserable in her life. “It’s like I’m jinxed. Every time I think it’s getting better, something else happens and it gets worse. And now Roman . . .” She trailed off. She trusted Anu completely, but if any hint of their night together got out, the current media madness would go up another big notch. And for all she knew the cook had superhuman hearing.

“Now Roman’s going to be in trouble,” she said.

Anu put both hands on Sabina’s shoulders. “I will set aside the fact that you didn’t tell me anything about your dreadful secret and ask you if you are ‘hanging in there.’ ”

Sabina smiled wanly; she knew Anu used that Americanism on purpose to cheer her up.

“Of course I’m hanging in there. So what did you have to tell me?”

“You sure you are ready?” Anu checked her watch.

“Is it something bad?”

“I cannot say.” She bustled over to the little TV that sat on the counter and switched it on. “Your Chief Roman called a press conference.”

“A
what
?”

“Perhaps he decided to fight fire with fire, so to speak. Now
shush
!”

The wobbly picture on the TV stabilized to show Roman at a bank of microphones. He towered over the other people there, the reporters and bystanders. Behind him she saw her beloved Station 1, a plain, tidy brick structure that didn’t deserve all this craziness. A sick feeling tugged at her belly. Had Roman decided to resign his position? From the grim, forbidding look on his face, it sure looked like it.

Roman swept a long stare across the sea of reporters in front of him. “I’m going to make a brief statement today regarding the incident at Lush, then I’ll take a few questions. I’m doing this in the hopes that shedding light on the situation will put the gossip and speculation to rest. Two of San Gabriel’s firefighters, during their off-duty hours, were enjoying a drink at a local bar. I was under the mistaken impression that one of them was making advances on the other. I stepped in to put a stop to it. Though I was following my protective instincts, my actions were wrong and misguided. I’ve apologized to the firefighters involved and sincerely hope that will be the end of this.”

Sabina’s fingernails dug into her palms. He hadn’t mentioned anything about leaving San Gabriel.

“He looks quite handsome, does he not?” said Anu. “He hasn’t come to cook for ages. I believe he’s avoiding us, more’s the pity.”

A reporter shouted out a question. “Word on the street says you’ve been asked to step down.”

“Is that how you get your information?”

“Is it true?”

“No. I offered to resign, but the fire chief expressed his faith in me and so I will continue on in my current position at Fire Station 1.”

Sabina nearly staggered with relief.
Roman isn’t leaving. Roman isn’t leaving
. She hadn’t ruined his career.

Roman continued. “I hope this will bring an end to all the absurd speculation. The San Gabriel Fire Department is a top-notch organization and you should all be very proud of their work.”

“Nice words, but quite pointless,” said Anu. “Speculation is so enjoyable. It’s human nature.”

The reporters began tossing questions like hand grenades. Sabina could practically hear the sizzle.

“Lush is well-known as a gay bar, isn’t it?”

“Why were Jones and Brown at a gay bar?”

“Are they dating, or is one of them gay? If so, will that cause problems in the firehouse?”

Roman held up a hand to stop the flow of questions. “I’m glad you asked that. The sexuality of my firefighters is none of my business and certainly none of yours. If you have a problem with that, I suggest the next time your house catches fire, you stop the firefighters who are putting their lives on the line for your sake, and interrogate them personally.”

That silenced the crowd. That, along with the harsh stare he aimed at each and every one of them.

Only one reporter dared to raise her voice. Ella Joy might be many things, but she didn’t scare easily. “But Chief Roman, if it’s disruptive to the firehouse—”

“It’s my responsibility to keep order in the firehouse.” He seemed to catch himself. “Mine and the other station commanders’. If we fail, we’ll answer to the fire chief. End of story.”

Sabina snorted. “He’s so used to being captain, he doesn’t know any different.”

“But Chief Roman, what about Sabina Jones? It looks as if you and Derek Brown were fighting over her. So either one or the other of you must be dating her. If firefighters get romantically involved, won’t that cause a problem?”

Sabina gnawed on her thumbnail. Was Ella Joy just throwing things out there or did she actually know something? Maybe the notorious anchor was underrated as an investigator. She had a way of showing up in the middle of everything.

“The department has policies regarding relationships between firefighters. We will adhere very strictly to those policies,” Roman was saying. “Again, it’s part of my responsibility to enforce them and I will do so. I can’t speak for the captains, but I’m sure they’ll do the same.” His eyes flickered toward the camera, as if he knew Sabina was watching. “I can assure you the San Gabriel firefighters are completely dedicated to their jobs and that there’s no threat to the public safety.”

Sabina made a face at the TV. “Message received, Chief.”

“What message?” asked Anu.

Never again
, that was the message.

“That we’d all better watch our asses,” she said vaguely.

“One more question!” a reporter shouted. “Did you ever think this was part of the Bachelor Curse?”

Roman shot him an incredulous look. “No.”

“Don’t be so sure, Chief Roman,” said Ella Joy. “We’ve seen the curse in action a couple times here in San Gabriel.”

“Well, I’m from New York, and if I can’t see it, touch it, or hear it, it’s going to be hard to convince me it’s real.” For the first time, humor lit his face. “Maybe that’s why they hired me.”

Laughter rumbled through the crowd of reporters. Roman could turn on the charm when he had to, realized Sabina. Not that she was surprised.

“Thanks for coming by, and the next time I see you, I hope it’s at a fire.” He winced, apparently realizing how that sounded. “That is, I hope I don’t see any of you for a good long while.”

The crowd laughed again. Roman strode away from the microphones. The camera followed him; Sabina could have sworn it zoomed in on his ass, just a bit. Then Ella Joy’s exquisite face filled the screen and Anu turned off the TV.

“Well. Most interesting.”

“Just another day on the job at the Bachelor Firehouse.” Sabina groaned. “Maybe it’s time I put in for a transfer. To Mars.”

“Oh come now. It’s nothing some chai tea won’t cure. Come along.” But before Anu could settle her into the only chair in the kitchen, Sabina’s cell rang.

Excitement danced up her spine and made her pulse pound in her throat. It had to be Roman. She answered without looking at the readout. “Good job out there. And don’t worry, I got the message.”

But the voice on the phone belonged not to Roman, but to Max.

“Which one? I’ve left a few dozen.”

She groaned and dropped into the chair. Anu bustled off, hopefully in the direction of tea—or liquor.

“I don’t have to talk to you.”

“Let me paint you a picture, munchkin. On one hand, cameras everywhere you go for the indefinite future. On the other hand, two weeks behind a camera, pfft, you’re done.”

“I’m hanging up.”

“Why are you so damn stubborn about this?”

Sabina took the phone away from her ear and mimicked knocking it against the counter, over and over again. Finally she put it back to her head. “Because neither you nor Annabelle can be trusted. Because it would be only the beginning. Because my privacy would be gone forever.”

“It already is,” he said smugly.

“I swear to God, Max . . .”

Suddenly the phone was being snatched from her hand. Anu spoke into it, her vowels even more clipped than usual. “Who is this and what are you to Sabina?”

Sabina stared at her, goggle-eyed. Anu gave her a don’t-worry hand gesture.

“Well, Max the Agent, I am Anu the All-Knowing and I happen to be completely confident in the fact that my client, Sabina Jones, has no interest in appearing on your silly TV show ever again. Please be so kind as not to bother her about this trivial matter in the future, as she will be busy doing important things such as saving houses. Good night!”

She held the phone away from her ear, ignoring the blast of cigarette-roughened ranting, then handed it back to Sabina. “He wants to talk to you again.”

Sabina numbly took the phone. “Yes?”

She could practically hear the steam coming out of Max’s ears. “If I ditch the Hatfield family, you’re to blame. Stubborn as a freaking goddamn mule. You’re just alike, you and your mother. You’re both obsessed with your careers. At least hers brings in the big bucks. You, I don’t get.”

Now that hurt. “Bye, Max.” She clicked off the phone and glanced up at Anu. “Thanks for sticking up for me.”

“I enjoyed it. Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she said, although some of his words had cut pretty hard. Obsessed with her career? Just like her mother? How dare he?

With a rustle of gold bangles, Anu handed her a mug of fragrant chai tea. Sabina inhaled the exotic cinnamon-cardamom scent, but shook her head. “I’m not sure tea is going to do it. They don’t make chai vodka, do they?”

“I don’t believe they do. But if you find yourself with neither a firefighting nor an acting job, we should consider it.” A rich chuckle made her face light up. “I’ve been praying to Ganesh on your behalf.”

“Ganesh?”

“Remover of obstacles. He has the head of an elephant. Stubborn fellow. Now drink up.”

Lineup the next
morning had to go down in San Gabriel history as the most awkward on record. Vader looked miserable. Chief Roman looked as if he’d been carved out of rock. The other guys seemed to have trouble keeping the smirks off their faces. Sabina tried to act as if nothing unusual had happened over the weekend, but her rusty acting skills weren’t up to the challenge.

She didn’t say anything as Captain Kelly told them about the EMT recertification rotation coming up the next two weeks. The vacation schedule went by in a blur. The warning to not speak to the media made her cringe. Then someone asked a question about the dinner rotation, which made her think of food, which made her think of Roman.

Her gaze, which had been firmly fixed on a screwdriver someone had left on the long kitchen table, flew to meet his. She didn’t intend to look at him, in fact she’d been avoiding it all morning, but now she was stuck like a fly in honey. He seemed to feel the same way. He tried to look away but instead only managed a ferocious frown.

The memory of the breakfast he’d made for her came back in little sensory snatches, the scent of buttery mushrooms, the soft saltiness of goat cheese, the slide of cream into coffee. The slide of him into her.

A slow wave of heat crept up her face.

His jaw tightened.

Her knees threatened to wobble; she locked them in place.

Was everyone looking at them? Did anyone else exist? It felt as though the two of them were floating inside a bubble as the Munchkins of Oz watched and marveled.

As lineup broke apart, Roman spun on his heel and stalked into his office.

Vader tugged Sabina into the backyard. “You owe me,” he said as soon as they were out of earshot. “It was your stupid idea to go to that bar.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Here.” He savagely punched numbers on his phone. “I’m calling Cherie, and you’d better figure out what to say to her.”

“
Me?
”

But he just snarled at her until the call connected, then thrust the phone at her.

“Vader, this is crazy,” Sabina hissed at Vader, who now had his arms crossed over his chest so he looked like Mr. Clean on guard duty.

“Talk.”

Sabina swallowed. “Is this Cherie?”

“Yes.” Cherie had a soft voice with whiff of delicious Southern accent. “I thought this was Vader’s phone.”

“This is his friend Sabina. I just want you to know that Vader’s a good guy and he’s not . . . um . . .
completely
homophobic . . .”

Vader glared and flexed his pecs.

“I also want to point out that he’s not forcing me to make this call out of guilt or anything.” Vader dragged a hand through his hair. “But seriously, it took a lot for him to leave his comfort zone and walk into that bar, but he did it. For you. So I think you should give him a chance.”

There came a long pause on the other end of the line, followed by a deep sigh. “Would you put that big, silly goof on the line?”

For the first time since she’d seen the “Scandal in the Firehouse” story, Sabina felt a smile cross her face. She covered the phone with one hand. “Vader, if you screw it up with this woman, I’m never speaking to you again. Got it?”

He snatched the phone away from her. “Cherie? Babe?”

But Sabina’s attention had switched to the tall, magnetic figure who now stood in the doorway. Roman jerked his head toward the side patio where they kept the grill. Cautiously she headed that direction. Could they speak without giving anything away to curious onlookers?

They stood on either side of the grill, as if the presence of a hunk of carbon-coated metal would prevent mischief.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice neutral but his eyes traveling her body, a quick down and up, as if to reassure himself she hadn’t been beaten up by paparazzi.